A worker at a New South Wales yoga ashram who denies fetching teenage girls from their beds at night and taking them to their spiritual leader, who sexually abused them, says the organisation should not be 'held to ransom' by people seeking compensation.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is looking at the handling of 11 complaints made against Swami Akhandananda Saraswati over the past 40 years, relating to abuse that happened in the 1970s and '80s.

Muktimurti Saraswati told the Sydney hearing that she joined the ashram at Mangrove Mountain on the New South Wales Central Coast when she was 17.

She worked as a secretary and assistant to a woman called Shishi who has already appeared before the royal commission.

Muktimurti rejected earlier evidence from a victim, Alecia Buchanan, who said Muktimurti took her to Akhandananda's room where she was repeatedly abused.

"I can recall absolutely and categorically it never happened," Muktimurti said, adding that she did not believe the allegations of abuse when they first emerged.

"After Akhandananda went to jail I have to say I think we all became disillusioned with him," she said.

"But I stayed in the ashram not because I dedicated my life to him but to the ideal that is expressed within the ashram."

Last week the lawyer representing the ashram apologised to the victims and acknowledged they might view efforts to make amends as "too little, too late".

Muktimurti said she still does not know if the abuse occurred but said: "It looks rather likely."

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Employee tells royal commission yoga ashram should not be 'held to ransom' by compensation demands