My Inheritance of Sannyasa

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"An institution is not an inheritance. Buildings and wealth are not the inheritance of a sadhu.A sadhu's wealth and assets are the qualities he lives with lifelong. It is a disciple's duty to strengthen the ideals that he upholds, lives and conducts himself with every day of his life. This is sannyasa. People think of sannyasa as renunciation, but sannyasa is connection; connection with oneself, one's mind, spirit and creativity, with knowledge and dispassion, and with a philosophy which guides every step of life."

The Yogadrishti (Yogavision) series of satsangs consists of discourses given by Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati in Munger as part of the new phase of sannyasa life that he has embarked upon since 2009.

The theme of the satsangs Swamiji gave in July 20 12, during Guru Poornima celebrations at Paduka Darshan Sannyasa Peeth, was the tradition of sannyasa that he has inherited and is passing on. Swamiji spoke on the origins and development of the sannyasa parampara, describing the lives, inspirations and teachings of eminent sages and gurus from ancient times, including Dattatreya, Adi Shankaracharya, Swami Sivananda and Swami Satyananda, who were major forces in preserving, continuing and developing the spiritual current of India. Through describing these great personalities, Swamiji elucidated on the essence of the guru tattwa.

Swami Niranjanananda was born in Rajnandgaon (Chhattisgarh) in 1960. Guided from birth by his guru, Swami Satyananda Saraswati, he came at the age of four to live with him at the Bihar School of Yoga in Munger where he received training in yogic and spiritual sciences through yoga nidra. In 1971 he was initiated into Oashnami sannyasa, and thereafter for eleven years he lived overseas, mastering skills in varied areas, acquiring an understanding of different cultures and helping establish Satyananda Yoga ashrams and centres in Europe, Australia, orth and South America.

At the behest of his guru, he returned to India in 1983 to guide the activities of Bihar School of Yoga, Sivananda Math and the Yoga Research Foundation at Ganga Oarshan. In 1990 he was initiated as a paramahamsa sannyasin and in 1995 anointed spiritual preceptor in succession to Swami Satyananda Saraswati. He established Bihar Yoga Bharati, the first university of yoga, in 1994 and the Yoga Publications Trust in 2000 in Munger. He also initiated a children's yoga movement, Bal Yoga Mitra Mandai, in 1995. In addition to steering the activities at Munger, he travelled extensively to guide seekers around the world till 2009, when he received the command to embark on a new phase of sannyasa life.

Author of many classic books on yoga, tantra and the Upanishads, Swami Niranjan is a magnetic source of wisdom on all aspects of yogic philosophy, practice and lifestyle. He ably combines tradition with modernity as he continues to nurture and spread his guru's mission from his base at Munger.