[NOTE: Brahmachari Satyanand had been a disciple of Guru Dev for many years. He later worked with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to help bring Transcendental Meditation to the world. I had the great honor of having met and spoken with him two times. -John Manning]
Brahmachari 'Swami' Satyanand speaking c1967 about Guru Dev's 'nirvana': 'When in 1953 Guru Dev left this mortal frame and attained nirvana I was at Benares, another place of pilgrimage for Hindus, and at that moment I was staying in the ashram of Guru Dev. Everybody knew that I am very attached to Guru Dev and devoted to Guru Dev, and then news came to Benares that Guru Dev has attained nirvana. I was sitting somewhere with a group of my friends and the news was relayed there. When my friends heard that Guru Dev was no more they were very anxious about me and when they conveyed that news, they were rather alert to appraise whatever reaction is and what happened, I simply, when I heard that news I became very sad, very sorry and I just kept my head on the table before me. And all of them were very anxious what will become of me. But soon after, while I was very morose, sorrow, sad, entire world was empty for me and I did not understand what to do without Guru Dev, just a half a minute or two seconds after, a flash came and it appeared to me that Guru Dev was scolding me; "What a fool you are! You have been with me for all these many months and years, and you heard my discourses too. Is it a moment of feeling sorry? Why should you be sorry today? And you think that I am gone, where am I gone? Till now whenever you wanted to meet me, you had, you had to come to the place where I was, and today when I have attained nirvana, I am everywhere, I am omnipresent. Where have I gone? Very foolish for you to mourn on this occasion. I am with you, here, there, everywhere. Why should you be sorry?" And the moment this flash came, my face became very brilliant, I became very cheerful. And when I raised my head, my friends who were standing there, very anxious and held in suspense, they were upset to see my brilliant and cheerful face. And then they said, "What has happened to you?" I said, "No you can't understand, nothing has happened to me, I am alright, now let me go back to the ashram and make the necessary arrangements".' See photo of Brahmachari Satyanand: http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/sources/photos/Satyananand.jpg Thanks to Paul Mason - link: http://www.paulmason.info/gurudev/Satyanand.htm
