Swami Vishwananda: A Spiritual Journey from Mauritius

Swami Vishwananda: A Spiritual Journey from Mauritius

Sangita Gairola

Dehradun,  April 1

Rashme Sehgal’s book about Swami Vishwananda is an insightful and comprehensive look into his life, tracing it from early childhood to the present day. ‘Guruji’ as he was fondly known to his disciples spent his early years in Mauritius. His attraction towards religion began as early as a toddler. The author has collected many stories from various sources about his unusual pranks as a child and their impact on the family. Her descriptions have a lighthearted tone which gathers depth as the child grows and evolves into a dynamic Guru with disciples all over the world.

Told through small incidents and snippets of information shared by Guruji we are taken into the depths of his being. His persona shines through her words. The book has details made interesting as they unfurl through stories and incidents from his early years. Incidents such as his first encounter with his guru, Mahavatar Babaji at the hospital. He was taken there after swallowing some poisonous seeds at five years of age. His mother’s angst when he bit the dentist’s finger or when his collection of God statues increased or when he almost burnt down the house while performing a yagna at home have been retold in the book.

His early years were filled with unconventional activities which exasperated his mother no end. By the age of fourteen his path and mission in life was clear. The author retains the reader’s interest with numerous stories and anecdotes that form a colorful tapestry of Guruji’s life. Through her words we find out that even gurus get their guidance through synchronicity and appearance or chance meetings with other higher beings. Each encounter in Guruji’s life is expressed along with the impact it had on his life in terms of giving it direction.

The main things that emerge from reading this book is Guruji’s open mindedness, his cosmopolitan approach, his desire to spread Hinduism in the western world. He prayed to both Christian and Hindu saints, ‘to emphasise the unity of both religions.’ For him there was no boundary of country, religion and beliefs. East and west merged into one thought of love, the love that permeates all humans and crosses all boundaries. This open minded approach can be attributed perhaps to his upbringing in Mauritius, where many nationalities co- existed.

Guruji founded ‘Bhakti Marg’ on his 27th birthday. This is when he started getting known as Swami Vishwananda, it was the time he decided to dedicate his life to the message of unconditional love. He combined the kriya yoga lineage of Mahavtar Baba and the Sri Vaishna Sampradaya of Sri Ramanuja Acharya, making ‘Atma Kriya Yoga’ the main meditation Sadhana of Bhakti Marga. Once again his open mindedness and all- encompassing style gave the devotees of Guruji the ‘unique grace of two powerful lineages’.

The book takes us through the journey of a Guru and his disciples from informal camaraderie to a more formal structure of ashrams, functions, pilgrimages, initiations and changes. The main one being the shift in 2008 towards a monastic order in order to stay abreast with the times. As devotees increased so did the ashrams. The Springen ashram became the spiritual board for many other ashrams to be opened alll over the world. The author has some personal encounters with Guruji which reveal the lightness of his being, his playful nature and impromptu activities with his devotees,

such as swimming in the Yamuna river in Vrindavan, playing a game of kho-kho on the banks of the Yamuna and his sense of involvement when he started cooking for his devotees.

The book ends with personal anecdotes from some of his devotees which further add authenticity and depth to her account of Guruji’s life. She has been on her own unique spiritual journey and experiences which lead to a very deep understanding of the man she is writing about. She realizes that the Guru is not merely a teacher but a person who transforms a disciple’s life. She describes the Guru’s own journey from an ordinary state to a divine state. Her own insights and understanding of a Guru can only come from a person who is on the path herself. This adds a new dimension to the book. It is such insights that make this book a must read. It is not just about a Guru but also expressed by an evolved being, the writer. It is a book that will gently nudge the reader to become a seeker.

(Sangita Gairola has a Masters in English Literature from University of Allahabad and a Masters in Business Administration from Mcneese State University in USA. She has been an Educator, an entrepreneur, a social entrepreneur and a freelance crocheter. Her teaching experience has taken her from teaching business courses at her university in USA, to grade eleven and twelve at Welham Girls’ School in Dehradun and Elementary school in Abquaiq Academy in Saudi Arabia and finally business students in Graphic Era and Doon University in Dehradun. She also had her own Handmade Paper Products business known as ‘the living tree’, which now supports educational and environmental initiatives and in her spare time is an avid crocheter, known as ‘crochetmania_india’ on instagram.)