Swami Krishnananda Shashtyabdapurti Mahotsava Commemoration Volume

A Souvenir released on Swami Krishnananda's 60th Birthday

A Ladder to Salvation

by Jayant B. Dave

In saints we have not only the revelation of the radiant realm of supreme consciousness, but also the shining path-way that leads one to it. To my great good fortune, when I had been on a tour to Rishikesh more than three years back, one of my friends there described to me his very touching experience with Swami Krishnananda. He had been to Sri Swamiji one morning for Darshan. He was immensely impressed by Swamiji's glorious spiritual personality and touching intellectual talks. He could not help praising Swamiji and ended with the following remarks: "Swamiji I We, the Sadhaks, are indeed indebted to you for providing us invaluable guidance and help to tread the path of the higher life". At this, Swamiji seems to have remarked with a smile: "I am just like a ladder, only an instrument that helps others to reach the realm of immortal peace and bliss, but itself stays unmoved and static". When I heard this, I was literally spellbound. But, constant thinking and careful analysis of the incident revealed to me that Swamiji had uttered those words on the climax of modesty. I never knew then that a ladder whose top rungs rest and soak in supreme consciousness, is even more than that supreme consciousness, because it is that supreme consciousness plus, the way to take us there.

Swamiji is indeed a very great saint full of fiery aspiration and high attainment. On the joyous occasion of his Shashtyabdapurti, we offer our deepest Pranams to him and invoke on him the choicest blessings of Gurudev and the Almighty.