Here is an introduction to our Guru Parampara, our lineage of gurus.
Sri Swamy Sivananda Paramahamsa
His holiness Sri Swami Sivananda Paramahamsa was a great Yogi. He had his initiation from two Yogis in Palani, who after giving him Upadesam of Yoga they disappeared. Ever since he sat up in the Palani forest practicing the Yoga. He entered Samadhi state. Like Valmiki his body was covered with anthill, shrubs and small trees grew upon him. Accidentally a forest guard by name Kalam happened to notice the holy man and slowly brought him to consciousness.
Since then he went about preaching the Yoga method into which he was initiated and which he practiced and realized by his tapas. Swami Sivananda founded an Ashram called Siddha Samaj at Vadakara in Kozhikode district, Kerala State, Impacting the Brahma Vidya that he realized. He travelled far and wide initiating lakhs of people into Yoga cult. He attained Samadhi in the year 1949 in Palani and latter brought him to Vadakara, Kerala State.
Sri Sivananda was the first acharya of our Guru Parampara. Learn about his disciple, Swamy Ramananda.
Sri Swamy Ramananda Paramahamsa
His holiness Sri Swami Ramananda Paramahamsa was born in Cannor district in Kerala State in the year 1903. He attained Mahasamadhi in 1993. After travelling from place to place, he finally settled down at Dowleswaram in East Godavari District, A.P. There, for several years, he did penance in a cave in the Janardhana Swami Temple in Dhawalagiri hills. Since snakes surrounded this area, people called him Pamulaswami.
After decades of vigorous Yoga Sadhana Sri Swami Ramananda Paramahamsa wanted to establish the Yoga propounded by his Guruji Sri Swami Sivananda Paramahamsa. He wanted to show the world that was the real Yoga as preached by Sri Krishna Paramatma in the holy Bhagavad-Gita, and it was also laid in the great scriptures and shrutis of all ancient maharshis. He critically, carefully and minutely studied all Upanishads with a view to prove this.
Swamiji founded an ashram by name Sri Ramananda Yoga Jnana Ashram in at Kamannavalasa in the year 1965 in A.P. After this, He founded another ashram at Bhavanipuram, Vijayawada, A.P. His beloved known disciple was Sri Antarmukhananda, who served his Guru for more than 14 years in the ashram and attained spiritual powers from his Guru and with his divine blessing is the ashram as Pitadhipathi. He has given initiation to thousands of people throughout the country.
Swamiji as a Paramahamsa with all his spiritual powers and divine grace, cured chronic diseases like cancer, arthritis, psychic problems and eradicated leprosy, blood pressure, tuberculosis, diabetes etc., His disciples have experienced miracles and also observed his control over the nature many a times he has showered love and affection on poor people and fed them with food and cloths. Swamiji strongly stressed the need for regular Yoga Sadhana to all mankind and named the Sadhana as Sada pranayama. He wrote number of books. The last of the series is Yogamrutam.
Bhagawan Swami Nityananda of Ganeshpuri
Even in childhood, Bhagwan Nityananda seemed to be in an unusually advanced spiritual state, which gave rise to the belief that he was born enlightened. People gave him the name Nityananda, which means, “always in bliss”.
Before the age of twenty, Nityananda became a wandering yogi, spending time on yogic studies and practices in the Himalayas and other places. By 1920, he was back in southern India.
Settled in southern India, Nityananda gained a reputation for creating miracles and cures. He started building an ashram near Kanhangad, Kerala state.
By 1923, Nityananda had wandered to the Tansa Valley in Maharashtra state. While he was there, his reputation as a miracle worker attracted people from as far away as Mumbai, though he never took credit for any miracles. He said, “Everything that happens, happens automatically by the will of God.” Nityananda gave a great deal of help to the local adivasis. Nityananda set up a school, as well as providing food and clothing for them.