Swami Krishnananda in Conversation

by Swami Krishnananda

Compiled by S. Bhagyalakshmi

Publishers' Note

In its involvement with the radical experiment of Sanyasa—transcendence through total surrender of self—this land has produced several unusual men and women from ancient times to the contemporary age of anxiety. Swami Krishnananda of the Sivananda Ashram is one such personage in whom there is a perfect balance of true spiritual knowledge and great compassion, underlying which is a creed of love that has been wrought from his life of self-sacrifice.

Compiled here are some recordings of the Swami's darshan sessions with devotees and visitors. These informal conversations offer—amidst much laughter and light—innumerable tips to sane living. The Swami moves, in the course of these, from the mundane to the deeper, more universal and perennial issues of life.

S. Bhagyalakshmi (b. 1910) graduated in science from the Madras University in 1931, to be one of those earliest women to receive modern education while being firmly rooted in India's cultural tradition.

Initially she wrote in Tamil, for children. She also taught children for several years and had been unfailingly active in women's associations.

She was a fulfilled householder and mother when she met Swami Sivananda, who graced her with an initiation into spirituality. She was involved in Sivananda's teachings from 1956 until her death.

Smt. Bhagyalakshmi lived in the Sivananda Ashram at Rishikesh. She contributed to the Ashram journal and compiled another volume, Facets of Spirituality: Dialogues with Swami Krishnananda, the Man, Mentor and Philosopher.

The conversations in this book took place during 1978-79. The book is not being uploaded in its entirety. For Swamiji's website, only the philosophical conversations will appear—of which most of the book consists. Also, the names of people have been changed to Ashramite, Visitor, etc.