About Swami Satya Dev

Swami Satya Dev, Mahamandalesvor of Avadhut Mandal ( Hanuman Mandir) Haridwar

Swami Satya Dev (SD) belonged to Nirakari sansyas tradition and was the Mahamandalesvor of Avadhut Mandal Ashram in Haridwar and all its branches in India and in many other countries. He succeeded his honorable Guru Sri Maheswor Dev Shastri . The lead sanctum sanatorium for this Nirakari tradition is Avaddhut Mandal. In the line of Sanyas tradition either of Dasanami, or Nirankari, or Udasin and others, Mahamandalesvor is the highest order that can be conferred to an ascetic. A group of learned sadhus test the ascetic quality and philosophic ability of the person who is going to be Mahamandalesvor of Ashram and only then the title is conferred in a sacred ceremony which is presided by Bharatiya Sadhu Samaj.

The pontiff on the chair has to look after/supervise the entire management of the chain of Ashramas where hermits, along with students learning Sanskrit, reside. There are cowsheds for cows and milk is served to ascetics, students and the staff. Every Ashrama has members who look after the cows, the kitchen and the temples.

Avadhuta Mandala, the principal ashram of Avadhuta tradition, is one of the ancient and most revered Ashrams. It has branches in many places. Besides main Ashrama Avadhuta Mandala ( Hanuman Mandir) at Kanakhala there is a branch of it in Haridvar itself . It is named “Gopaldham" situated just opposite to Haridvar Railway station and it is mainly used as Dharmasala, a guest house. Avadhuta Mandala has one Asharma in Rishikesh, near Baba Kalikambali; one in Uttarkashi, and one in Amritsar known as Avadhut Mandal (Punjab); another is in Daman, named “Mudita” (Gujrat ), and Turiyam in Mount Abu ( Rajasthan). There were some branches in London, Newyork and Tokyo but these are almost inoperative after Swami Satya Dev.

Swamiji lived a relatively short but a vibrant, dynamic and active life (1954-2004). He had intense spiritual experiences as a student at Keladi Ghat, Nepal and then at Brindaban , Rishikesh and Kashi. Later he adopted the Nirankari Sanyas tradition as a pupil of Mahamandalesvor Swami Maheswor Dev Shastri and ultimately Shastriji handed over the position of Mahamandalesvor to Swami Satya Dev as his successor

Childhood of Swami Satya Dev

Swami Satya Dev, initially Keshav Bhandari, the first son of mother Bhagiratha Bhandari and father Sharma Nanda Bhandari (also known as Pandit Salikram Bhandari) was born on Falgun 3, 2010 BS (Feb.14,1954) in the village of Kahule Banskharka, Ward 2, Bamgha VDC, currently Ruru Gaunpalika Ward 5, District, Gulmi; then Lumbini Zone and now in Province Five. His father being a Sanskrit scholar had had his son's initial schooling at home. Satya Dev’s education started with basic Devnagari primers followed by reciting and memorizing of the Sanskrit texts, Durgasaptasati, Rudri, Sukla Yajurveda, Bhagavadgita, Visnu Sahasranam and other prominent Sanskrit texts. The family being Nimbark Vaisnava, there used to be regular worship of Radha Krishna and Saligram as representing lord Vishnu both in the morning and evening. During Arati and prayer all the family members were to be present mendatorily. Both the mothers Bhagiratha and Damodara, though illiterate, had grasped a number of prayer mantras because of the participation in the Arati and Stuti regularly for long time. For Keshav the sacred thread ceremony was performed at the age of six and his birth hair remain uncut up to the age of six. At the age of seven he was taken to Sansrit Vidhyalaya at Keladighat (Syanja) run by a famous Vainava guru, Shri Bhagavat Sharan. He was there for the next two years. It is said that all his teachers at the Vidhyalaya and colleagues were delighted with him because of his intelligence and amicable nature. It is said that he recited and narrated Bhagavata Purana at the age of eight and half. Shri Bhagavat Sharan , the Chief Guru was highly influenced by the intellect of Keshav so he called the father of Keshav and suggested him to take Keshav to Brindavan, the centre of Nimbarka tradition for teaching and learning. following the instruction of Bhagavat Sharan Keshav was taken to a Vaisnava Sankrit Vidhyalaya at Brindavan for further education. Grandmother, Rukmini Bhandari, was worried about the idea of her small grandson leaving for an unknown place, so she accompanied him and stayed there for six months. During her stay, she realized that Keshav was brilliant in his studies and very social among his friends . She fondly talked to me about Keshav and his performance time and again.

From Brindavan Keshav moved to Rishikesh and studied in Veda Vedanga Vidhyalaya, became a Shastri at the age of 15 and Vedanta Acharya at 17 . He was a brilliant discourse maker even in student days as he used to participate academic discussions . After completing the cycle of formal education he started public discourses on spiritual issues. He returned to native village house Bamgha Gulmi after completing Vedanta Acharya and that was the only time he met family members and relatives. At the age of 18 he became a disciple of Mahamandaleswor Mahesvor Dev of Avdhuta Mandala Ashram of Haridwar. Once his ascetic journey started., he delivered spiritual discourses for the first 12 years in different cities of India. Gradually his presence extended to Nepal, Bhutan,Sri Lanka, Burma and between the age 35 to 45 he almost travelled the globe and established centers at New York, London, Tokyo, Melbourne and other places. After the age of 45, he curtailed public discourses and concentrated more on silence and meditation in lonely places, forests, river banks and the Himalayan areas. In the last five years of his life, he mostly spent his time in Him Darshini at Basantapur; Hile,(Dhankuta); Yogmaya Kuti at Majuwabesi ( Bhojpur); Muktinath, Pashupati, Barah areas; Kailash Mansarovar, Tibet; and in KedarNath, Badrinath, Gangottari and Yamunottari areas. During the last five years he used to focus time and again in his discourse on understanding one's own breathing cycle how the breath ' prana' goes in and out . His focus was on Yoga practices, Pranayam, silence and wandering in forest, riversides, fountains , lakes, mountains and Himalayas . He gave emphasize to understand the language of Nature.

Let’s attempt to internalize these words of Swamiji as rare gems came to our hand, “Enlightenment is the understanding that there is no place to go, nothing to do, and nobody to have relation with. Every place, act and person is equal to your individual self. I, the individual self, is the strongest creative existence/energy in the universe” (1/5/2003). He added, & Neither idea, nor ritual, nor personality can give truth. You are truth and you are the world. See this truth and realize ultimate peace"(30/3/1997).

Whenever you feel agitation in mind, be aware of the breathing system and practice OMKAR with long breathes. The very moment the flow of thought about personality, name and fame fades away, you realize the temporariness/impermanence of the body . The very next moment you will feel peace and joy.

His expressions have distinct message on how to make our life meaningful. Let us read and reflect upon his ideas seriously:

Keep awareness of each moment in life, then you desire for no desire.”
The ego stops hankering once you see the reality. A sadhak must try to live in silence, having constant awareness of death and love for all beings and non beings” (from SSD’s Diary one dated, 16/5/1997).

Any desire, even if it is a very insignificant one, is ignorance. When the mind realizes what all this creation is about, it becomes one with the tree, the leaves, the branches and the log.

One must have the desire to be in the present moment and see the body work under the effect of previous Karmas. Hence it may remain watchful and attentive of all activities.”

When one is attentive, s/he knows the illusion of mine and me . One must shun desires and stimulations so that one feels free from bondage”..

Environment, society and family are auxiliary spaces, the principle space is the mind and its desires” (Diary one : 27/10/1997).