Swami Sivananda Saraswati (Sep 8, 1887—Jul 14, 1963) was a
HinduA Hindu is an adherent of Hinduism, a set of religious, philosophical and cultural systems that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The vast body of Hindu scriptures, divided into Śruti and Smriti , lay the foundation of Hindu beliefs which primarily include dhárma, kárma, ahimsa and saṃsāra...
spiritual teacher and a well known proponent of
Sivananda YogaSivananda Yoga, after teachings of Swami Sivananda, is a non-proprietary form of hatha yoga in which the training focuses on preserving the health and wellness of the practitioner. Sivananda Yoga teachers are all graduates of the Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course, and students widely range in...
and
VedantaVedanta was originally a word used as a synonym for that part of the Veda known also as the Upanishads. The name is a sandhied form of Veda-anta = "Veda-end" = "the appendix to the Vedas"...
. Sivananda was born
Kuppuswami in
Pattamadai- Pattamadai :Pattamadai is village about 20 Kilometers from Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu state of southern India along the banks of the river Tamaraparani. It is world famous for its silken mats woven from grass. Pattamadai is also the birthplace of one of India's greatest sages Swami Sivananda , and...
, in the
TirunelveliTirunelveli is a large and ancient city in southern Tamil Nadu, which became a City Corporation in 1994 by the merging of the municipalities of Tirunelveli city, Palayamkottai, Melapalayam and a few other Panchayat areas. It is the district headquarters of Tirunelveli district. Tirunelveli is the...
district of
Tamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai . Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by Puducherry , Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh...
. He studied medicine and served in
MalayaBritish Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula that were colonized by the British from the 18th and the 19th until the 20th century. Before the formation of Malayan Union in 1946, the colonies were not placed under a single unified administration...
as a
physicianA physician — also known as medical practitioner, doctor of medicine, medical doctor, or simply doctor — practices the ancient profession of medicine, which is concerned with maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease or injury...
for several years before taking up monasticism. He lived most of the later part of his life near
Muni Ki RetiMuni Ki Reti is a town and a nagar panchayat in Tehri Garhwal district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It lies close to pilgrimage town of Rishikesh, and is most known for a host of ashrams in the area, including the Shri Shivananda Ashram of Swami Sivananda, the founder of Divine Life...
, Rishikesh.
He is the founder of The
Divine Life SocietyThe Divine Life Society is a religious organization and an ashram, founded by Swami Sivananda Saraswati in 1936, at Muni Ki Reti, Rishikesh, India...
(1936),
Yoga-Vedanta Forest AcademyThe Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy is a school of the Divine Life Society located within Sivananda Ashram, near Rishikesh. Its aim is to train seekers in the practice of yoga as a general discipline for personal integration as well as human welfare...
(1948) and author of over 200 books on yoga, vedanta and a variety of other subjects. He established Sivananda Ashram, the location of the headquarters of The Divine Life Society (DLS), on the bank of the Ganges at Shivanandanagar, at a distance of 3 kilometres from Rishikesh. .
His philosophies and
Sivananda YogaSivananda Yoga, after teachings of Swami Sivananda, is a non-proprietary form of hatha yoga in which the training focuses on preserving the health and wellness of the practitioner. Sivananda Yoga teachers are all graduates of the Sivananda Yoga Teacher Training Course, and students widely range in...
, the yoga form propagated by him, are now spread in many parts of the world through
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta CentresThe International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres is a non-profit organization named after Swami Sivananda and founded by his disciple Swami Vishnu-devananda...
.
Early life
Sivananda was born Kuppuswamy in
Pattamadai- Pattamadai :Pattamadai is village about 20 Kilometers from Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu state of southern India along the banks of the river Tamaraparani. It is world famous for its silken mats woven from grass. Pattamadai is also the birthplace of one of India's greatest sages Swami Sivananda , and...
near
TirunelveliTirunelveli is a large and ancient city in southern Tamil Nadu, which became a City Corporation in 1994 by the merging of the municipalities of Tirunelveli city, Palayamkottai, Melapalayam and a few other Panchayat areas. It is the district headquarters of Tirunelveli district. Tirunelveli is the...
in
Tamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai . Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by Puducherry , Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh...
,
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
as the third son to his parents on 8 September 1887. As a child he was very active and promising in academics and gymnastics. He attended medical school in Tanjore, where he excelled. He ran a medical journal called
Ambrosia during this period. Upon graduation he practiced medicine and worked as a
doctorA physician — also known as medical practitioner, doctor of medicine, medical doctor, or simply doctor — practices the ancient profession of medicine, which is concerned with maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease or injury...
in
MalayaBritish Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula that were colonized by the British from the 18th and the 19th until the 20th century. Before the formation of Malayan Union in 1946, the colonies were not placed under a single unified administration...
for ten years, with a reputation for waiving his fee for poor patients needing treatment. Over time, a sense that medicine was healing on a superficial level grew in him, urging him to look elsewhere to fill the void, and in 1923 he left Malaya and returned to India to pursue a spiritual quest.
Initiation
Upon his return to India in 1924 he visited
VaranasiVaranasi , also commonly known as Benares or Banaras and Kashi , is a city situated on the left bank of the River Ganga in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, regarded as holy by Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains...
,
NashikNashik or Nasik ) Nashik or Nasik ) Nashik or Nasik ) ( is a city in Maharashtra, India. Nashik is located in the northwest of Maharashtra, 180 km from Mumbai and 202 km from Pune. Nashik is the administrative headquarters of Nashik District and Nashik Division...
, and then Rishikesh, where met his guru, Swami Vishwananda Saraswati. It was Vishwananda who initiated him into the Sannyas order and gave him his monastic name. However, since Sivananda spent only a few hours with Swami Vishwananda, the full
Viraja HomaThe Viraja Homa is a Hindu fire-sacrifice which is performed during the ceremonies whereby a Hindu monk takes up the vows of renunciation . The Viraja Homa is thus part of the full Sannyasa Deeksha ....
ceremonies were performed later by Swami Vishnudevananda (not to be confused with his own later disciple,
Swami Vishnu-devanandaSwami Vishnudevananda was a disciple of Swami Sivananda, and founder of the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres and Ashrams...
), the Mahant of Sri Kailas Ashram. After initiation, Sivananda settled in Rishikesh and immersed himself in intense spiritual practices. Sivananda performed austerities for many years but he also continued to help the sick. With some money from his insurance policy that had matured, he started a charitable dispensary at
Lakshman JhulaLakshman Jhula is an iron suspension bridge situated in Rishikesh in Indian state of Uttarakhand . It is made over river Ganges to cross the river and is landmark of Rishikesh....
in 1927, serving pilgrims, holy men and the poor using his medical expertise.
Travels
After a few years, Sivananda went on an extensive pilgrimage and traveled the length and breadth of India to meditate at holy shrines and study with spiritual teachers throughout India. During this Parivrajaka (wandering monk) life, Sivananda visited important places of pilgrimage in the south, including Rameshvaram. He conducted Sankirtan and delivered lectures during his travels. He visited the
Sri AurobindoSri Aurobindo was an Indian nationalist and freedom fighter, poet, philosopher, and yogi...
Ashram and met Maharishi Suddhananda Bharati. At the Ramana ashram, he had the
Darshan is a Sanskrit term meaning "sight" , vision, apparition, or glimpse. It is most commonly used for "visions of the divine," e.g., of a god or a very holy person or artifact...
of
Ramana MaharshiSri Ramana Maharshi , born Venkataraman Iyer, was an Indian sage. He was born to a Tamil-speaking Brahmin family in Tiruchuzhi, Tamil Nadu. After having attained liberation at the age of 16, he left home for Arunachala, a mountain considered sacred by Hindus, at Tiruvannamalai, and lived there for...
on Maharshi's birthday. He sang
bhajanA Bhajan is any type of Indian devotional song. It has no fixed form: it may be as simple as a mantra or kirtan or as sophisticated as the dhrupad or kriti with music based on classical ragas and talas. It is normally lyrical, expressing love for the Divine...
s and danced in ecstasy with Maharshi's bhaktas. He also went on pilgrimages to various places in northern India including
KedarnathKedarnath is a Hindu holy town located in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is a nagar panchayat in Rudraprayag district. The most remote of the four Char Dham sites, Kedarnath is located in the Himalayas, about 3584m above sea level near the head of river Mandakini, and is flanked by...
and
BadrinathBadrinath is a Hindu holy town and a nagar panchayat in Chamoli district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is the most important of the four sites in India's Char Dham pilgrimage.-Geography:...
. He visited
KailashMount Kailash is a peak in the Gangdisê Mountains, which are part of the Himalayas in Tibet...
-
Manasarovar Manasa Sarovar or Lake Manas or Lake Manasa Sarovar is a fresh-water lake in Tibet Autonomous Region of China from Lhasa. To the west of Lake Manasa Sarovar is Lake Rakshastal and towards the north is Mount Kailash, known in Tibetan as Khang Rinpoche...
in 1931.
Foundations
During Sivananda's stay in Rishikesh and his travels around India, many came to him for guidance in the spiritual path. He permitted some of them to live near him and instructed them. Sivananda asked his students take copies of his short articles and send them for publication. Over time, large numbers of people started coming to him and his circle started growing.
Sivananda founded the
Divine Life SocietyThe Divine Life Society is a religious organization and an ashram, founded by Swami Sivananda Saraswati in 1936, at Muni Ki Reti, Rishikesh, India...
in 1936 on the banks of the
Ganges RiverThe Ganges is one of the major rivers of the Indian subcontinent, flowing east through the Gangetic Plain of northern India into Bangladesh. The river rises in the western Himalayas in the Uttarakhand state of India, and drains into the Sunderbans delta in the Bay of Bengal...
. The free distribution of spiritual literature drew a steady flow of disciples to the Swami, such as
Swami Satyananda SaraswatiSwami Satyananda Saraswati , is a yoga master and guru in both his native India and the West.- History :Swami Satyananda Saraswati was born in 1923 in Almora, in the Himalayan foothills. His parents were large landowners...
, founder of
Satyananda YogaSatyananda Yoga is a system of yoga developed by Swami Satyananda Saraswati and his lineage, which incorporates practices derived from ancient and traditional sources...
.
In 1945, Swami Sivananda created the Sivananda Ayurvedic Pharmacy, and organized the All-world Religions Federation. He established the All-world Sadhus Federation in 1947 and Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy in 1948. He called his yoga the
Yoga of SynthesisSwami Sivananda's approach to Yoga was to combine the four main paths - Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga and Raja Yoga along with various sub-yogas such as Sankirtan Yoga and Hatha Yoga. This is reflected in the motto of the society that he formed, The Divine Life Society...
.
Disciples
Swami Sivananda's disciple Swami Chidananda was appointed by Swami Sivananda as the President of the Divine Life Society in India, serving until his death in 2008.
Other prominent disciples were
Swami KrishnanandaSri Swami Krishnananda Saraswati was a foremost disciple of Swami Sivananda and served as the General Secretary of the Divine Life Society in Rishikesh, India from 1958 until 2001. He was an illuminated saint, sage and philosopher...
,
Swami VenkatesanandaSwami Venkatesananda was a disciple of Swami Sivananda Saraswati. He received his spiritual training at the Divine Life Society in Rishikesh, India, and disseminated his master's teachings in South Africa, Mauritius, Australia, and New Zealand.Swamiji said that he had been specially commissioned...
(South Africa, Mauritius, Madagascar, Australia),
Swami PranavanandaSwami Pranavanda Saraswathi was a founding member of the Divine Life Society in Malaysia..-Early life:Swami Pranavananda Saraswati was born in a cultured family in Maharajpur, District of Chhatarpur, in the Province of Madhya Pradesh, India, on the 1st...
(Malaysia) and
Swami Sivananda RadhaSwami Sivananda Radha was a prominent Canadian spiritual teacher and author on Hinduism and yoga. She was a disciple of Swami Sivananda.-Biography:...
(Canada). Another prominent disciple was Sri Swami Sahajananda (South Africa), who was directed by Sri Swami Sivananda to establish the Divine Life Society of South Africa.
Disciples who went on to grow new organisations
- Swami Chinmayananda
H.H. Swami Chinmayananda was born Balakrishna Menon in Ernakulam, Kerala in a devout Hindu noble family called "Poothampalli". Upon his birth, his father called for an astrologer, who stated that Balan's birth was an auspicious one, and that he was destined to be a king...
founder of the Chinmaya MissionChinmaya Mission was founded in 1953 by Swami Chinmayananda. It is administered from Central Chinmaya Mission Trust, Mumbai. There are over 300 mission centres all over India and Abroad - Founder :...
- Swami Jyotirmayananda
Swami Jyotirmayananda was born in Dumari, Saran District, Bihar, India on 3 February 1931. He is a prominent, current day teacher of spiritual Hindu philosophy, and author of over 40 books on Vedanta, Yoga and several other topics. He was a disciple of the late Swami Sivananda, serving as a...
, President of the Yoga Research Foundation in Miami, U.S.A.
- Swami Lalitananda, Vice President of the Yoga Research Foundation in Miami, U.S.A.
- Swami Omkarananda
Swami Omkarananda Saraswati was an Indian monk and disciple of Swami Sivananda Saraswati, the founder of the Divine Life Society in Rishikesh, India...
, founder of the Omkarananda Ashram Himalayas
- Swami Satchidananda
Swami Satchidananda was a reputed Indian religious teacher, spiritual master and yoga adept, who gained fame and following in the occidental West, especially in America during his time spent there...
, founder of the Integral Yoga Institutes, U.S.A.
- Swami Satyananda Saraswati
Swami Satyananda Saraswati , is a yoga master and guru in both his native India and the West.- History :Swami Satyananda Saraswati was born in 1923 in Almora, in the Himalayan foothills. His parents were large landowners...
, founder of Satyananda Yoga movement
- Swami Shantananda, founder of Temple of Fine Arts(Malaysia & Singapore)
- Swami Sivananda Radha
Swami Sivananda Radha was a prominent Canadian spiritual teacher and author on Hinduism and yoga. She was a disciple of Swami Sivananda.-Biography:...
- Swami Vishnu-devananda
Swami Vishnudevananda was a disciple of Swami Sivananda, and founder of the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres and Ashrams...
, founder of the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta CentresThe International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres is a non-profit organization named after Swami Sivananda and founded by his disciple Swami Vishnu-devananda...
, HQ Canada
- Saint Chot
Saint Chot , also known as Guru Chod , was a master of yoga in the tradition of Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh with whom he lived for a five-year period from the early 1940s. Born Chot Hasabamrer in the Kingdom of Siam, he spent his early youth on the island of Phuket...
, born Chot Hasabamrer in the Kingdom of Siam in 1900, was a master of yoga in the tradition of Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh with whom he lived for a five-year period from the early 1940s. After WWII he returned to Thailand and began his double career as Newspaper editor and yoga master. He retired from Journalism at the age of 75 and dedicated the final years to teaching at his private ashram in Bangkok where he peacefully died in 1988.
Authorship
A prolific author, Swami Sivananda wrote exactly 296 books on a variety of subjects:
metaphysicsMetaphysics investigates principles of reality transcending those of any particular science. Cosmology and ontology are traditional branches of metaphysics. It is concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world...
,
YogaYoga refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India. The word is associated with meditative practices in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. In Hinduism, it also refers to one of the six orthodox schools of Hindu philosophy, and to the goal toward which that school directs...
,
religionA religion is a system of human thought which usually includes a set of narratives, symbols, beliefs and practices that give meaning to the practitioner's experiences of life through reference to a higher power, deity or deities, or ultimate truth...
,
western philosophyWestern philosophy is the philosophical thought and work of the Western or Occidental world, as distinct from Eastern or Oriental philosophies and the varieties of indigenous philosophies....
,
psychologyPsychology is an academic and applied discipline involving the systematic, and sometimes scientific, study of human or animal mental functions and behavior...
,
eschatologyEschatology is a part of theology and philosophy concerned with what are believed to be the final events in the history of the world, or the ultimate destiny of humanity, commonly referred to as the end of the world...
, fine arts,
ethicsEthics is a branch of philosophy which seeks to address questions about morality, such as what the fundamental semantic, ontological, and epistemic nature of ethics or morality is , how moral values should be determined , how a moral outcome can be achieved in specific situations , how moral...
,
educationEducation in its broadest sense is any act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind, character or physical ability of an individual...
,
healthAt the of the creation of the World Health Organization , in 1948, Health was defined as being "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity"....
, sayings, poems, epistles,
autobiographyAn autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
,
biographyA biography is a description or account of someone's life and the times, which is usually published in the form of a book or essay, or in some other form, such as a film. An autobiography is a biography of a person's life written or told by that same person...
, stories, dramas, messages, lectures, dialogues, essays and
anthologyAn anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
. Yet his books emphasized the practical application of yoga philosophy over mere theoretical knowledge. He was known to have said "An ounce of practice is better than tons of theory. Practice Yoga, Religion and Philosophy in daily life and attain Self-realization."
Death
Swami Sivananda attained
mahasamadhiMahasamādhi is the act of consciously and intentionally leaving one's body at the time of death. A realized yogi or yogini who has attained the state of Nirvikalpa Samadhi , will, at an appropriate time, consciously exit from their body and cease to live. This is known as Mahasamadhi...
on 14 July 1963 in his Kutir on the bank of Ganges, in Shivanandanagar.
Works
- Yoga of Synthesis. Published by Yoga-Vedanta Forest University, 1956.
- Lord Siva and His Worship'. Published by Yoga-Vedanta forest academy, Divine life society, 1962.
- Practice of Yoga. Published by U.P., Divine Life Society, 1970.
- Autobiography of Swami Sivananda. Published by Divine Life Society, 1980.
- The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: Sanskrit text, English translation, and commentary. Published by Divine Life Society
The Divine Life Society is a religious organization and an ashram, founded by Swami Sivananda Saraswati in 1936, at Muni Ki Reti, Rishikesh, India...
, 1985.
- Karma Yoga. Published by Divine Life Society, 1985. ISBN 094902705.
- Lord Shanmukha and His Worship. Published by Divine Life Society, 1996. ISBN 8170521157.
- Downloadable Books by Swami Sivananda Divine Life Society
The Divine Life Society is a religious organization and an ashram, founded by Swami Sivananda Saraswati in 1936, at Muni Ki Reti, Rishikesh, India...
Further reading
- Sivananda and the Divine Life Society: A Paradigm of the "secularism," "puritanism" and "cultural Dissimulation" of a Neo-Hindu Religious Society, by Robert John Fornaro. Published by Syracuse University, 1969.
- From man to God-man: the inspiring life-story of Swami Sivananda, by N. Ananthanarayanan. Published by Indian Publ. Trading Corp., 1970.
- Swami Sivananda and the Divine Life Society: An Illustration of Revitalization Movement, by Satish Chandra Gyan. Published by s.n, 1979.
- Life and Works of Swami Sivananda, by Sivananda, Divine Life Society (W.A.). Fremantle Branch. Published by Divine Life Society, Fremantle Branch, 1985. ISBN 0949027049.
- Sivananda: Biography of a Modern Sage, by Swami Venkatesananda. Published by Divine Life Society, 1985. ISBN 0949027014. Online
External links