22 Feb 2023, Amritapuri Ashram
Swami Sivananda, the 127-year-old yoga guru, visited Amritapuri to meet Amma today. He is currently the oldest living human being on earth and is known for teaching yoga and performing yoga even at his age. He was born in Bengal in 1896. The secret of his long life is simple message: “no desire, no disease, no depression.”
Swami Sivananda met Amma privately and paid his tributes to her.
“He said, ‘I see my guru in you. Amma is the living goddess. Amritapuri is the heaven on earth. I have been desiring to meet you, Amma, for a long time. I have one desire. I don’t know when I can come and meet you again. I wanted to do your padapuja. I don’t want to miss the opportunity.’”
Amma agreed happily to his innocent request.
Before the daily satsang and meditation, Swami Sivananda was allowed to do the padapuja. He was dressed in white clothes, short in figure, with a ‘nama’ on his forehead, small tulsi mala around neck and a shaven head. Amma was sitting in front of the Kali temple steps under the clear blue open sky, and thousands of people witnessed this wonderful man doing the padapuja with full devotion and concentration. He chanted mantras and offered white flowers one by one at Amma’s feet and did arati. This oldest man became the youngest child in front of Amma’s love.
The world is filled with so much wisdom, but it’s not every day that we get to meet someone who has been on this earth for 127 years. Swami Sivananda’s visit to Amritapuri was a moment of grace and a reminder that love and devotion know no age. It is also a reminder of the power of mindfulness, the beauty of a simple life, and the importance of a strong spiritual practice. It is also a testament to the power of love, devotion, and the unbreakable bond between a guru and their disciple.
-KaliCharan
