Paramaguru Sivananda is Siddha Vidya tradition’s Adi (first) Guru. In his previous avatars, he is said to be Sri Jyoti Ramalinga Swamy (Vallalar) of Vadalur, Shri Bhogar Mahashaya of Palani, Shri Konkana Maharshi of Tirupati, Shri Kakabhushunda Maharshi, Jagadguru Adi Shankaracharya, Shri Jesus Christ and Shri Muhammad.
Early Life
His name at birth was Raman Nambiar. He was born in a vegetarian Kshatriya family in the sacred city Vatakara in Kerala. Since childhood, he was a very goal-oriented kid, so he took up a job as a policeman as he grew up. After he got married, his wife strangely wrote him a letter requesting him to take leave from work and come home. Once he came, she washed his feet, took him inside, and had him sit on a seat. She then laid her head in his lap and left her mortal coil.
This event shocked and surprised Sri Raman Nambiar. With the intent of finding the cause of this incident, he left his job and home. He did Giri Pradakshina (walking around the mountain) of the Subrahmanya temple in Palani. As he was going to take bath in river Vartiar, two Siddha yogis did the upadesha of Siddha Vidya in his ear and disappeared. Being the first verified one to know Siddha Vidya, the guru parampara of Sri Shivananda Paramahamsar started from him.
The Beginning of a Spiritual Journey
Nara and Narayana are the two Siddha Purushas that came and initiated him into Siddha Vidya. He immediately went into samadhi. His body became covered with anthills and plant vines. Swami was found by a British forest officer named Kalam as ‘Apara Valmiki’. Kalam was cutting down the trees in the forest when he found Shri Shivananda Paramhamsa in samadhi, with his eyes rolled up and only the whites of the eyes showing.
Kalam brought some herbs and rubbed then on Sri Shivananda’s head and served him, which brought his eyeballs down. For the welfare of this world, Sri Shivananda woke up from samadhi and initiated Shri Kalam into Siddha Vidya. It was a blessing that Sri Kalam could serve Shri Shivananda Paramhamsa to bring him out of samadhi. In most cases, he would have been burnt alive for disturbing a siddha purusha’s penance (tapa).
Later, Shri Shivananda Paramahamsar travelled the entirety of Bharat and also to Singapur, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia and other place. He initiated around 6 lakhs people into Siddha Vidya. He established Siddha Samaj at Vatakara or Badagara as his main center and centers in Kayanna, Iyyuru, Mannurkara, Ammampalayam (Tamilnadu) as branches.
Swami Shivananda’s Teachings
Siddha Yoga
Shri Swamy Shivananda Paramahamsar is an avatar who realized that the same jiva shakti (life force) is in humans, animals, and birds in the form of air. Birds and animals have more ‘jnana’ than human beings because their respirations are single directional ‘eka gati’. Even in human beings, prana is in ‘ekagati’ in sleep. He proved that respirations move in a single direction in the spinal cord (shushumna) with Siddha Vidya. His experiences are recorded in the books Siddha Vedam and Moksha Soothram.
There are two kinds of pranayama. Brahmari pranayama is making the sound like a bumblebee. 18 siddha purushas perform it 18 different ways with different body poses. This is performed in the ashram established by Shri Shivananda Paramhamsa and cannot be performed anywhere else. Only the students of Siddha Vidya following strict disciplines are eligible to perform.
Bhujagikarana pranayama has nothing to do with vocal cords. It sounds like a cobra hissing. Anyone can perform this pranayama. All Gurus in the tradition of Brahma Vidya teach this.
Sri Sivananda said that during the union of man and woman, the life force travels inward through spinal cord (shushumna) and touches the Brahma randhra creating momentarily the ‘Brahmananda’ in the embryo. Shivananda Swami explained that Brahmananda will be permanent when the life force is merged into oneself.
Sri Shivananda preached that life stories may be varied, but the same life is in everybody. However, this life history (Jiva Charitra) is important. To be kind to the life is to connect the life force (jiva shakti) that is uniform in every being into oneself with the help of Siddha Vidya.
Religion At Large
He taught that these many religions are not there. There is only one religion, Ishwara Matham. Service to this Ishwara is to move the life force in the form of air internally upward and downward. Air is karma, maya, sin, sharira, and creates this world when it is moving. Once this air is stilled with Siddha Yogam, it becomes Karma Yogam, ‘punyam’, ‘sukrutam’, ‘jnana’, and ‘rasamani’.
Iswara and jiva are same, all these beings are not different. The soul (atma) is is all pervasive and omnipresent. All the worlds came out of the atma. The 9 openings are in the head and the 6 chakras are only the changes in the mind. Arguments about this between scriptural educated people with no experience are like dogs fighting for food thrown in the trash. The sun and moon that are seen outside are only reflections on the egg of ego. The atma the center point for everything. The meanings of veda vakyas (‘Aham Brahmasmi’ etc.) are to merge one’s own life force in oneself.
There might be many ‘karya’ Gurus in the world, but the Guru for all the Gurus is only the mind. That is why the mind is the ‘Karana Guru’. In his book Life for World Peace, 4th chapter, Sri Sivananda stated that to create equanimity and independence and to remove the worldly view of Guru and disciple, a saint has done this Siddha upadesha. He fortified the relationship of Guru and disciple, saying no one should misunderstand it.
Relationship with Ramananda Swamiji
Even though he has thousands of disciples, he used to say he has only two or three disciples. Swami himself said in an occasion that one of them is His Holiness Sri Swamy Ramananda Paramahamsar (learn more about him here) and the second one is Bhagawan Nityananda. Sri Sivananda was travelling by foot, preaching Siddha Vidya along with disciples, when he came to a Vinayaka Temple in Saluru, A.P. Among all the disciples he called upon Shri Ramananda and said, “I will show you Brahmananda (the lord’s cosmic form)”. He showered special blessings on our Swamiji, His Holiness Sri Swamy Ramananda Paramahamsar, and proclaimed that he is his foremost disciple.
Swamiji’s Miracles
Shri Shivananda Paramahamsar displayed many miracles as needed, but cautioned the disciples that these are obstacles to attain jnanam. During WWII Dr. Rangarao (a disciple of Shri Ramananda Paramahamsar) visited him in Chennai and asked, “If a bomb falls on a yogi’s body does it get destroyed?” Shri Shivananda Paramhamsa asked him to bring a spencer knife and asked him to stab him in his elbow. To the surprise of all, nothing happened to his elbow, but the tip of the knife got bent. Sri Sivananda proved that he has ‘vajra sharira’.
Sri Sivananda once touched a 33 kV electric line, which would kill any normal body. However, to the contrary, all the fuses were burnt with great electric power and Swamiji was unharmed. People in Chennai can testify to this. When Shri Shivananda Paramhamsa was residing in the home of his disciple Govinda Swami, who was physically very strong, he sat on a swing and asked Govinda Swami to swing him. He tried his best, but could not move the swing even an inch. Then Shri Shivananda called a small boy and made him swing the swing with ease. He proved to people that the power of yoga is greater than physical power, even greater than an atomic bomb. Sri Ramananda Paramhamsa, our Swamiji, compiled some miracles of Sri Sivananda that he heard in a small book.
LSamadhi
Sivananda Swami lived up to 75 years of age. He attained Samadhi on 21st of June, 1949, on the way to Kodaikanal (in Palani). It must be divine or intentional that the same day, June 21st, is declared as World Yoga Day. The body of Shri Shivananda Paramhamsa was taken from Palani to Vatakara for Samadhi. As the body was being placed in car, his forehead had a tiny scratch. This proves that when yogis take samadhi, the life force (prana) is inside. Even though they are not breathing, they are still alive. ‘Natasya prana utkramanti atriva samavaliyante’ (Brihadaranyakopanishad).