As a great saint and philosopher, his spotless purity, saintliness of life, magnetic and
voluminous writings were unparalleled in record; he was not only an eminent and popular author of
Hindu religious and philosophical subjects, but is an authority on those subjects. He was not only a
man of letters and vast erudition, but also one who had in a full measure realised the incalculable
benefits of Yogic practices in the course of a strenuous struggle of over fifteen years of intense
dispassion and rigorous austerities in the holy regions of the Himalayas. Moreover, his priceless
writings through the medium of some of the well-known and influential newspapers, magazines
and journals not only in India but also abroad and in America coupled with his own unique and
powerful personality and realisation have won for him an enviable place of honour in every
spiritually, religiously and philosophically inclined home in India. In fact, if the political India of
the present day can be proud of at least one Gandhi, the spiritual India can be reasonably proud of at
least one Sivananda!
The object with which this book is published is twofold. Year in and year out large numbers
of Europeans and Americans, men and women, came out to India to learn Yoga under an Adept and
practice the same in India itself. In the course of their endless wanderings and searches for such
Adepts in Yoga, these people had no other alternative but to resort to the Himalayan Ashram of
Swami Sivananda. But unfortunately owing to several causes these travellers could not remain long
in this country. They went back home learning something here and something there, in bits, but
nothing from one Yogi only, which alone could be said to be of some solid and practical utility to
them.