Namo Narayana

We kanyas and batuks feel very honoured to offer this tribute today
to the great yogi who lived amongst us as our beloved Swami
Satyananda. On 6th December, when we heard the Bhagavad Gita
being chanted early in the morning at the ashram, we knew that
something very great had happened overnight.

Soon we learnt that Sri Swamiji had taken Samadhi and some of us
could not hold back our tears, for that meant we would never see
his radiant smile, his loving glance, his sparkling eyes again nor
would we hear his kind words ever again. But then Swami Satsangi
and Swami Niranjan appeared amidst us and told us that Sri
Swamiji was forever in our hearts and that gave us the strength to
smile again.

After all, that is how Sri Swamiji would like to see us. Strong, brave,
confident and courageous. As the news spread, people started
pouring into the ashram from all parts of the world. I think that day
the entire world must have come to the ashram gates. We kanyas
and batuks too came to bid our beloved Swamiji farewell. We
attended the abhisheka of Sri Swamiji and had our final darshan
amidst thousands of people. Sri Swamiji looked radiant as ever, so
peaceful, calm and serene. Even in that moment when he had left
his body he looked so regal like an emperor and so graceful and
beautiful. We will always remember him in our hearts, for he has
found a place there forever.

As the sixteen-day Shodashi Pooja began, we also joined in the

ceremonies. What better tribute and honour could we offer Sri
Swamiji! It is because of his grace that today we can stand before
you with confidence, grace and poise and speak like this. It is
because of him that we have learnt many other useful things like
modern and classical dance, English, drama, chanting of Sanskrit
text and computers, the list is endless. We never dreamt that we
could do all this, but he had trust in us and we had faith in him, so it
all happened naturally and easily. You can say that our whole lives
are transformed. In fact, we kanyas and batuks truly reflect to the
world the power of guru’s grace.