Devi Mandir

Temple of Divine Mother

Meet Swami Satyananda Saraswati

Born and educated in America, Swami Satyananda Saraswati worked for several major corporations in managerial positions before traveling to India in the mid 1960s.

At a time when journeying throughout Middle Asia was arduous at best, he traveled an unbeaten path into India’s interior and remained there for fifteen years, walking across the length and breadth of the Himalayas.

Swamiji returned to the United States with Shree Maa and since then has been working to share the teachings of Sanatana Dharma.

Other Gurus of the Lineage

This is an introduction to some of the many great individuals who contributed to our knowledge, understanding, and experience.

These are historical figures who we came to know in the course of our spiritual search, either personally, through direct contact, spiritually, through metaphysical contact, or through their own writings, or histories about these people.

Annapurna

(Sanskrit: अन्नपूर्णा, annapūrṇā)

Divine Mother Annapurna grants every kind of nourishment. Anna means food and grains. Purna means full, complete and perfect. Annapurna is She who is full, complete and perfect in food and grains, and She is the Goddess of Nourishment.

Chandi

(Sanskrit: चण्डी, caṇḍī)

The Goddess Chandi is She Who Tears Apart Thought. By tearing apart thoughts, Chandi takes us to the sanctuary of true peace and happiness. Through regular recitation of the Chandi Path, Mother shows us how to maintain divine perception as Gods and Goddesses and stay centered in divinity.

Durga

(Sanskrit: दुर्गा, durgā)

Durgam means confusion, and Durga is She Who Removes All Confusion. Durga takes us beyond confusion to the clarity of Wisdom in which we can perceive Her infinite energy in all aspects of creation. By worshiping Durga, we are empowered to live meaningful lives, rich with the remembrance of our Divine Nature.

Mission and Goals

Our creed is that there is One All-Pervading, Infinite Divinity, which resides in every being of Creation, and is especially manifest in the hearts of all humanity. This Divinity inspires within seekers sincerity, joy, love and wisdom, and the highest respect for all that lives. All bodies are temples for the Holy Spirit, and the highest ideal of man is to honor God through loving service to all created beings, and attentive devotion in the pursuit of self-realization.

Gayatri

(Sanskrit: गायत्री, gāyatrī)

Gayatri is the Goddess who manifests the divine attitude: the wisdom of the harmony of the Song of the Three. She is revealed in the form of the Gayatri Mantra, the 24 syllables which are a prayer for increase in Wisdom. The worship of Mother Gayatri, including the recitation of the Gayatri Mantra, brings inner illumination, mental clarity, and greater wisdom.

Ganesha

(Sanskrit: गणेश, gaṇeśa)

Lord Ganesha is the deity for all new beginnings. He is the divine son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, the Lord of Wisdom, the Lord of the Multitudes, and the Protector at the Door. Without wisdom it will be impossible for any seeker to open the doors to the secrets of enlightenment — Ganesha grants that wisdom.

Hanuman

(Sanskrit: हनुमान, hanumān)

Sri Hanuman exemplifies the ultimate devotion and respect. He is the greatest devotee and the purest example of selfless service found in the Hinduism. Worshiping Hanuman inspires devotion, the purest conviction, and the greatest motivation in every devotee’s path.

Kali

(Sanskrit: काली, kālī)

Kal means Darkness, and Kali takes away all Darkness. That is why She is dark. Kal means Time, and Kali is beyond all time. By worshiping Kali we give up our darkness, illuminate our light, and become One with She who is Beyond Time.