Invitation to Mahaashivaraathri - 2019 Celebrations at Aadhivaarapupeta

Invitation to Mahaashivaraathri - 2019 

Celebrations at Aadhivaarapupeta

You are invited to celebrate Mahaashivaraathri in Adivarapupeta.

‘Mahaashivaraathri’, the Great Night of Shiva, falls on Monday, March 04^th this year (2019). It is the main annual function at the Shivabalayogi ashram in Adivarapupeta – the first and hence the Mother Ashram.

Adivarapupeta is where Swamiji was born and brought up as Sathyaraju. Adivarapupeta is also where Sathyaraju performed the 12-year intense ‘tapas’ successfully, had the ‘saakshaathkaara’ of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi Devi and became Shri Shri Shri Shivabalayogi Maharaj. After travelling all over India and around the world for more than three decades to carry out His divine mission, it is in Adivarapupeta that Swamiji attained Mahaasamaadhi through Yoga Nidhra.

His ‘Tapo Mandir’ - the sacred place where the Lord of Yogis sat for almost all of his twelve-year ‘tapas’ — meditation in ‘samaadhi’ - was converted into an ashram. Swamiji installed and consecrated a natural Shivalingam and an idol of Parvathi Devi at the very spot in this ashram where He obtained their ‘saakshaathkaara’.

Mahaashivaraathri is the most auspicious time of year for the presence of Lord Shiva, Shivabalayogi's Divine Guru, God in the form of a yogi. Before Shri Swamiji dropped his own physical form in 1994, He always returned to his native village of Adivarapupeta to celebrate Mahaashivaraathri there every year. Upholding this tradition, devotees of Swamiji from all over the world visit His Ashram at Adivarapupeta to celebrate Mahashivarathri every year.

The trustees of the Adivarapupeta Ashram Trust and the trustees of Shri Shivabalayogi Maharaj International Trust cordially invite you to experience and celebrate the profound blessings of the Great Night of Shiva in Adivarapupeta.

There is never any charge for His blessings!

Invitation to Mahaashivaraathri - 2018 Celebrations

at Aadhivaarapupeta

You are invited to celebrate Mahaashivaraathri in Adivarapupeta.

Mahaashivaraathri

Mahaashivaraathri, the Great Night of Shiva, falls on February 13th this year.
It is the main annual function at the Shivabalayogi ashram in Adivarapupeta
- Mother Ashram, the sacred place where the great Yogi of Yogis sat for
almost all of his twelve-year tapas — meditation in samaadhi, the state of
enlightenment.

Mahaashivaraathri is the most auspicious time of year for the presence of Lord
Shiva, Shivabalayogi's Divine Guru, God in the form of a yogi. It is also a
celebration of the presence of Shivabalayogi, a manifestation of Lord Shiva
Himself.

Those who visit the Mother Ashram know his presence there can be felt
physically, just like his own physical body. That presence is even more
profound during the Great Night of Shiva.

Before Shri Swamiji dropped his own physical form, he always returned to
his native village of Adivarapupeta to celebrate Mahaashivaraathri every year.
His presence in that ashram is as important as it is powerful.

Now that Shivabalayogi is in Mahaasamaadhi — the great or ultimate
samaadhi — he gives even more experiences to assure us that he is ever
present. "You need experiences. That is what I give."


The trustees of the Adivarapupeta Ashram Trust and the trustees of Shri 
Shivabalayogi Maharaj International Trust warmly invite you to experience and
celebrate the profound blessings of the Great Night of Shiva in
Adivarapupeta.

There is never any charge for His blessings!

Invitation to Mahaashivarathri-2017 from Shri Shivabalayogi Maharaj International Trust

Shivabalayogi in New England.

Video of Shivabalayogi and meditation programs in New England taken in 1990 by Peter Morales and re-edited by Tom Palotas.
As he leaves one program, Swamiji talks about being eaten by insects and rodents. He refers to his tapas, meditation in samadhi for 23 hours each day, in a field, a graveyard by tropical rice paddies, his body bitten and nibbled upon as his consciousness remained immersed in enlightenment. By one count, he endured seven cobra bites. He only felt the agony when he resumed ordinary awareness for one hour each night.
Swamiji often praised his mother, Tapaswiji Maharaj, and a handful of early devotees who helped keep his body alive during 12 years of continuous austerities, from age 14 to 26.
Swamiji always paid respect to gods and yogis. Two of these programs were at Zen centers with idols of Buddha. As was his custom, Swamiji would pause before the idol and communicate with the god or yogi, and in these two instances, with Lord Buddha.
Swamiji often said Buddha's tapas was more difficult because Buddha grew up as a prince in comfort, yet his body suffered just like Swamiji's. By comparison, Swamiji grew up as a poor villager knowing hardships.

Invitation to Mahaashivarathri-2016 from Shri Shivabalayogi Maharaj International Trust

Hanut Singh

Hanut Singh, revered by those who knew him as one of Shivabalayogi's most senior and respected devotees, and a great saint in his own right, completed his earthly life of almost eighty-two years on Friday, April 10, 2015.

Since taking Shivabalayogi's initiation in 1968, Lt. Gen. Hanut Singh Rathore (ret.) practiced meditation daily without fail during front-line service in wartime (see World Peace) and throughout his active service as a senior officer in the Indian army. Even in later years as his health deteriorated, General Hanut insisted upon maintaining his meditation practice.

General Hanut's passing matched his spiritual greatness. This last Friday during his regular meditation, General Sahib simply remained in samadhi, his body and head erect. After some twenty hours in samadhi, his soul left his body.

True mahatmas, the great spiritual souls, often remain out of the public eye. General Hanut was such a spiritual giant. He avoided public controversies, and rather than talking about spiritual matters, he quietly practiced them. Yet his contribution to Shivabalayogi's devotees is immense.

Those who have read a book about Shivabalayogi and been inspired, should know that it was General Hanut who put together and wrote the first comprehensive book on Swamiji,  Shri Shri Shri Shivabalayogi Maharaj, Life & Spiritual Ministration, which was the basis for all other books written on Swamiji.

Read more about General Hanut
at the Shivabalayogi website.

If anyone has had the opportunity to visit the Shivabalayogi ashram in Dehradun, it was General Hanut who was largely responsible for preserving it for Swamiji's mission. It was Shivabalayogi's idea that Gen. Hanut should build his retirement cottage on the ashram grounds. Shri Swamiji would spend a few weeks each year at the Dehradun ashram, but when the great Yogi was away, General Hanut's presence, his encouragement for Seenu Dixitar, the ashram caretaker, and a degree of financial support, and the General's own intense spiritual practice all helped preserve the ashram for over two decades. One can only suspect that this was Shivabalayogi's plan.

During the uncertainty and confusion after Shivabalayogi's own mahasamadhi, when Seenu was compelled to sit for five years of meditation in the Dehradun ashram, it was General Hanut who supported and protected him, enabling Seenu to assume the name and role of Shivarudrabalayogi.

Through the example and devotion of General Hanut, many other Indian army officers came to Shivabalayogi and became not only devotees, but sincere sadhakas, those who practice sadhana — meditation. They would spend time with Shivabalayogi at the Dehradun ashram and helped organize devotees' excursions to visit Badrinath and Kedarnath in the Himalayas and bathe in the Ganges.

Those who know a little about this great saint should will surely be inspired by his example. Shivabalayogi's only teaching was to encourage the daily practice of meditation. Shivabalayogi has many devotees, but few were able to take his teaching to heart. General Hanut was universally respected as one such committed devotee.

Certainly, all Shivabalayogi devotees owe a large debt of gratitude to the great soul who lived the life of General Hanut Singh.

Ahalya, Anjana Devi, Vali, Sugreeva and Hanuman

Parts of this story are narrated in the Ramayana, but somehow no one seems to link them. I am just doing that. Swamiji confirmed parts of this story.

Ahalya was sage Gautama’s wife. She was famous for her beauty all over the worlds. Anjana Devi was the daughter of Gautama and Ahalya.

The Sun god was enchanted by the beauty of Ahalya. Being a ‘Kaamaroopi’ – one who can take any form as per one’s will - he took the form of Sage Gautama when the sage was not at the ashram and made love to Ahalya. Ahalya consented as she mistook him to be her husband. Vali was born to the Sun god and Ahalya. It was only when the Sage returned to the ashram later that Ahalya realized she was tricked. Indra, the king of Gods, was also enchanted by Ahalya’s beauty and played the same trick as the Sun god. Sugreeva was born of this relationship. Anjana Devi who was a child by then understood that her mother was cheated by Sun god and Indra. Sage Gautama was not aware of the cheating and took Vali and Sugreeva to be his children and all the three children were growing up together.

Once, Sage Gautama set off on a trip along with his family. It was midday when they were to cross the Thunga-Bhadra river. Sage Gouthama was carrying the two boys Vali and Sugreeva on his shoulders and his wife Ahalya and daughter Anjana Devi were following him. The sand on the banks of the river was hot from the sun and burnt little Anjana Devi’s feet as they had to walk quite some distance on it before actually getting into the waters. Unable to bear the heat, she suddenly shouted at her father, “Father, this is not fair. You have left me - your own child - to walk on the hot sand and you are carrying Vali and Sugreeva – who are not even born of you - on your shoulders. You seem to love them more than you love me.”

Anjana Devi’s revelation shocked and enraged the Sage. He threw both the little children into the waters of the river saying, “If they are my children, they will return to me. If not, they will turn into monkeys and get washed away into the forest.” Cursed thus, the two brothers were washed ashore, turned into monkeys and grew up to be the rulers of the monkeys in the forests on the banks of the river Thunga-Bhadra, which were part of the ‘Dandakaaranya’.

Ahalya was grieved by the separation of her two sons from her and cursed her daughter Anjana Devi saying, “You failed in preserving the secret of your mother and it is because of you that my children have turned into monkeys and have been separated from me. Let your child too turn into a monkey.”

The Sage, in his anger, cursed his wife Ahalya to turn into a stone as she behaved unintelligent as a stone. Ahalya fell on her husband’s feet and asked for forgiveness pleading innocence saying it was not her fault, but she was cheated by the gods. Finally, Gautama took pity on her and said, “My curse will come true. You will turn into a stone, but you will regain your human form when Lord Rama’s feet touch you.”

Later, when Anjana Devi was married to Kesari, Hanuman was born to her. But, due to his own grandmother’s curse, he was either born as a monkey or turned into one. That should explain why Hanuman is called ‘Aanjaneya’, ‘Anjani Putra’ as well as ‘Kesari Nandhana’. We know that he is the son of the Wind God (see box below) – ‘Vayuputhra’, ‘Vaathaathmaja’. Apparently, Hanuman the monkey, went and lived with his uncles Vali and Sugreeva who were also monkeys and ruled the monkeys with the city of ‘Kishkindha’ as their capital. Swamiji confirmed that a village by the name of Anegundi, close to Hosapet in Karnataka about 100 Kms from Bellary, was the birth place of Hanuman when HH visited Hosapet. When I Googled for Anegundi, I found there is a trust named Kishkindha Trust near this village.

Evidently, all this happened before Lord Rama, at the age of 16 years, set out to the forests along with Sage Vishwamitra and his younger brother Laxmana to help protect the yagna from Thaataki the lady demon and other rakshasas including Mareecha and Subahu. It was on that trip that Lord Rama’s feet touched the stone that was the cursed Ahalya and she regained her beautiful human form.

People tell us that when Hanuman saw Lord Shri Rama roaming in the forest much later, after Sita was kidnapped by Raavana, he did not know Rama. I can’t believe that because Rama was the one, the mere touch of whose feet turned Ahalya - his grandmother, from a stone back to human form. Hanuman’s grandfather – Sage Gauthama was a devotee of Rama (even before Rama was born) as were several other sages and knew all about him. Therefore, Hanuman was a third-generation devotee of Lord Rama - like some of us whose grandfathers and/or grandmothers were Swamiji - Shivabalayogi’s devotees.

Hanuman is an 'amsha' of Lord Shiva

This is a story related by Swamiji – Shri Shri Shri Shivabalayogi Maharaj to me Dasari Jagadish Kumar.

When Lord Shri Rama, Mother Sita and Laxmana returned to Ayodhya from Sri Lanka along with Hanuman, the citizens received them with immense joy. Then there were celebrations all over for several days for Lord Shri Rama’s coronation. Mother Sita was so pleased with all the love and respect she received from them that she wanted to host a meal for all the citizens in return. Lord Rama agreed to her proposal and she started preparing for the massive event. Hanuman supported her through all the activities of procuring the groceries and making all the arrangements working hard day and night. Mother Sita was very pleased with Hanuman’s service. She was already grateful for all the help she received from Hanuman over the past few months and was looking for an opportunity to express it. Finally, when the food was ready and the citizens were arriving to have the meal, she felt that Hanuman must be very hungry. She was concerned that Hanuman will get busy in serving the guests and he may not get the chance to eat for a long time. Besides, she wanted to serve him herself as he was like her child. She asked him to be seated and have his meal first and offered to serve him.

Hanuman obeyed mother Sita and sat down to have the meal. As she served the food one dish after the other, Hanuman kept eating. To her surprise, she found that Hanuman did not appear satiated. He kept on eating. He was eating so much that that she started wondering if he would eat all the stuff that was cooked for the thousands of citizens. She started worrying but could not stop serving him. She excused herself and ran to Lord Rama and explained her fear to him. Lord Rama asked her, “Who do you think Hanuman is? He is an ‘amsha’ of Lord Shiva. Therefore, any amount of either food or any material stuff - however precious will not satisfy him. The only thing that satisfies him is devotion.” Mother Sita agreed, “I thought he was your obedient devotee and I consider him my child. Thanks for disclosing who he really is. But please tell me how to satiate him now. Otherwise I will be in trouble. We will have to start procuring all the groceries and begin cooking again and the citizens won’t be able to wait for long.” Lord Rama responded, “Sita, you will have to prostrate to Hanuman to satiate him. But, because he also considers and respects you as his mother, he won’t tolerate it if he sees you prostrate to him. Prostrate to him from behind him so he does not see you, and pray to him.” Mother Sita rushed back, and quietly prostrated to Hanuman from behind him and prayed to him, “My lord, forgive my ignorance. I realize who you are now. It is my mistake to think that I could feed you enough to satiate you.” Within a few moments, Hanuman burped and got up saying, “Mother, I had enough of this wonderful food. Thanks. Let me now make sure that all the guests are served properly. They must be waiting.”

Destiny

Question on facebook: Did Swamiji talk about Destiny?

 

Jagadish: Yes. Swamiji did talk about destiny. Before we proceed, what do we mean by Destiny? Do we mean God’s will? Or do we mean ‘karma phala’ often just called ‘karma’ to mean the result of past actions?

 By ‘Destiny’, I am trying to address here the issue of whether the occurrence of events is predetermined. In the context of Swamiji’s life and teachings, the ‘nadis’ – ancient astrological scriptures that predicted Swamiji’s prior births and tapas definitely point to such destiny. It is surprising to note that even names of the numerous incarnations of Swamiji are correctly mentioned. In this life time, Swamiji’s name is mentioned as ‘Sathya Raat’ ‘Raat’ in Sanskrit is the same as ‘Raju’ in Telugu, meaning King. Don’t we all think that the parents of a child just think of a name to be given to the child? How could such minute details be predicted with such accuracy? Isn’t that destiny?

The prediction of ‘Kalki Avatar’ – the tenth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, which is estimated to be revealed any time now, is also another clear pointer to the legitimacy of ‘destiny’. Swamiji confirmed the veracity of Kalki Avatar many times.

Swamiji Himself often said “The (right) time has to come for it to happen (or occur)…” in contexts where devotees asked Him whether and when a certain event would happen. One example is about Sathyaraju being initiated into tapas. Swamiji used to tell us, “The time was ripe for Shankar Bhagwan to initiate Sathyaraju.” Such “right time” is beyond cause and effect. It is but destiny.

Asked when a disciple will find his/her Guru, Swamiji used to say, “The correct time has to come.” – irrespective of the effort or sincerity of the disciple. At the right time they will find each other “automatically”. That word automatically was used by Swamiji often to refer to destiny.

Having written all the above I need to stress that Swamiji gave a lot of importance to our own personal will and effort too. Tom writes in ‘Swamiji’s Treasure’: When Swamiji told stories of his childhood, Swamiji was making a point. In the subtle play between destiny and free will, there is a role for individual effort.

A devotee from Agra narrated his discussion with Swamiji to me and Tom in 1996. One evening when Swamiji was in Agra, this devotee was tired on returning from work and lied down on the bed. He would not miss even a single evening program during Swamiji’s visits to Agra. His wife made some tea for him. A while after having the tea, he dressed up, took a bus and reached the Badawar House where the program was being conducted. After the bhajan that evening, during the course of the usual discussion between Swamiji and devotees, the subject somehow turned to destiny. This devotee argued with Swamiji that everything was destined. He told Swamiji, “I was not in a mood to come here tonight. However, you willed that I be here. You called me, that is why I am here.” Swamiji argued, “It is true that Swamiji called you here today. However, you are here also because on your part, you got up from bed, dressed up, walked to the bus stand, took a bus, got off the bus and walked to this venue. Therefore, while destiny plays a part, the individual has to act. He has a role to play.”

There is a whole sub-section in Swamiji’s Treasure dedicated to the discussion between Swamiji and devotees on Destiny = Karma. Here is an extract to encourage you to read the whole chapter

Q       What is the role of free will and destiny in our lives? What if one’s astrology predicts something bad?

Swamiji: “You have the power to change your destiny. You can avoid the danger that astrology predicts by using your intelligence [buddhi]. Let us say an astrologer tells you that you might be involved in a car accident. While driving the car, if you are very cautious and if you use your intelligence then you can avoid the accident. If you think the accident is going to happen anyway and hence you close your eyes and drive, then you will definitely meet with an accident.”

Shiladitya, who interpreted for Swamiji in 1989, and who was well versed in Astrology told me, “Knowledge of Astrology is like being able to glow a torch on the path in the dark. It lets you see the pit so you may go around it.”

Parvatamma Function, Hyderabad

All are welcome to attend and participate in the function at the Hyderabad ashram in honor of Parvatamma Allaka garu, Sri Swamiji's mother.

As Swamiji himself designated, this function is observed each June 15.

This is the printed invitation from the Hyderabad ashram. (Click to enlarge the image.)

The Passing of Chinakka, Swamiji's Sister

Dear Fellow Devotees of Swamiji Shri Shri Shri Shivabalayogi Maharaj,

We wish to inform you of the sad demise of Swamiji’s elder sister (the younger of His two elder sisters) at 12:30 AM on Monday the 3rd of March 2014 at Adivarapupeta. Her name was Sathyam Bondu, however she was known to devotees of Swamiji as "Chinnakka." She was about 88 years of age and died of old age. She was the last surviving sibling of Shivabalayogi.

She was doing quite well until the last few days and used to participate in the mass feeding being conducted at the ashram every fortnight – on the full moon and new moon days.

I had been to Adivarapupeta, along with forty other devotees from Bangalore, to participate in the Mahashivaratri celebrations on the 27th and 28th of February. We missed Chinnakka at the ashram during the Mahashivaratri. We were told that she was at the ashram towards the end of January but later fell sick due to high blood sugar levels and was hospitalised for a couple of days. She was discharged from the hospital two days before she passed away. We were at Adivarapupeta when Chinnakka passed away. Early in the morning we went to the house of "Annavaram," one of Chinnakka’s sons, to pay our last respects to her by garlanding her body and performing a puja to it. Later, her body was taken around the village in a procession as per the local custom and was also brought to the ashram to Swamiji’s Samadhi. All her surviving sons and daughters-in-law were with her during her last days as they had been informed about the deterioration of her health.

She is survived by four of her sons, daughters-in-law and several grandchildren. Chinnakka and her children served Swamiji for several years traveling with Him and attending to His personal needs. May Swamiji bless her soul with peace!

Regards, Jagadish.

Mahashivaratri in Adivarapupeta

79th Birthday Celebration, Jhansi

You are invited to join the celebration of Shivabalayogi's 79th birthday this Friday, January 24, 2014, as the guest of the Dhyan Trust in Jhansi.

Shivabalayogi in Hyderabad

Shivabalayogi in Sri Lanka

The image of Shivabalayogi installed in Colombo.

Shivabalayogi first visited Sri Lanka in 1971. It was his first trip outside of India. He returned to Sri Lanka on several occasions, including 1972, 1974, and 1978. On his 1981 visit, he installed a Shivalinga at Nuwara Eliya, and his last visit was in 1988. The Shivalinga which Shivabalayogi installed he named Lankadishwara, Lord of Lanka.

R. Raveendran gives us the following description of current Shivabalayogi programs in Sri Lanka:


Here in Sri Lanka when Sri Shivabalayogi Maharaj visited our country there were articles published in our local media about Swamiji’s life history and the bhajan, meditation and darshan programmes arranged during his stay here in Sri Lanka. Since 2011 we had been once again writing articles on newspapers about our Swamiji, for the benefit of new generations, and inform people about Swamiji’s bhajan programmes being conducted in Colombo, Jaffna and Nuwara Eliya for them to participate and get the blessings of our Swamiji. The articles were published during the special occasions like Swamiji’s birthday, mahasamadhi  remembrance day, Guru Poornima, and tapas siddhi (anniversary) day, and in 2011, we commenced publishing the articles with Swamiji’s birthday.

New people, who had not heard about Balayogi before, also attended these bhajan programs. A new devotee who saw the article prior to Guru Poornima celebration in 2012, attended this special bhajan, and continued to attend our fortnightly bhajan conducted in our Colombo centre (Maheswaran Anna’s house). This devotee was very much attracted towards Swamiji, and he got an opportunity to visit the Bangalore ashram during April this year (2013).

Shivabalayogi at the pool of Sita, near Nuwara
Eliya, Sri Lanka, around 1981.

On his return from Bangalore, he continued attending our bhajan, and has told his friends from Batticaloa about Swamiji, and they wanted to have bhajan programs organized in Batticaloa as well. Maheswaran Anna invited the devotee, who will be leading this bhajan in Batticaloa, to attend our bhajan in Colombo this last Guru Poornima day (22nd of July 2013) so that he could learn the way Swamiji’s bhajan is conducted. In the mean time we made all other arrangements to have Swamiji’s bhajan in Batticaloa.

On Guru Poornima day we had a very good bhajan and handed over the blessed photo of Swamiji, along with vibuthi, to the devotee from Batticaloa who will be leading this centre. They have arranged a place in Vinayagar temple in Kiran Hardy Cashew plantation centre.  This photo of Swamiji was installed in this place on the 6th of August followed by bhajan.

On the 7th August they celebrated Swamiji’s tapas anniversary with bhajan followed by distribution of prasadam to all devotees. They told us that they will have the bhajan every Friday from 10:00 A.M. to 12:00 noon. Further, they have plans to go to temples in Batticaloa and have Swamiji’s bhajan, so that more people will come to know about Swamiji, and get benefitted.

At present we have Swami Sri Shivabalayogi Maharaj’s bhajan conducted in the following places.

Shivabalayogi offering worship to
Sri Lankadishwara Swami, May of 1981, when
he installed the Shivalinga in Nuwara Eliya.

Colombo:  Colombo Bajan Centre, 28E, 8th Lane, Colpetty, Colombo 3. Bhajan and Meditation programs are conducted on Saturdays starting at 05.00p.m. every fortnight.

Jaffna:  Siva Mahakali Amman Temple, Potpathi Road, Kondavil East, Jaffna. Bhajan on every Saturday from 04:00 to 05:00 p.m. Swamiji’s only statue (made of granite) in Sri Lanka is in this temple, and it was carried from India by one of devotee in a shoulder bag without much effort, even though it was fairly heavy.

Nuwara Eliya:  Sri Lankatheeswarar Temple, “Sri Nagar” 82, Lady McCallum’s Drive, Nuwara Eliya. Special poojs and abhishekam to Sri Lankadishwara Lingam, followed by bhajan and distribution of prasadam, on Swamiji’s special program days.

Manipay:  Ithiyaddi Pilayaar Temple, Navaly South, Manipay.  Pujas and abhishekam to pilayar followed by bhajan on Swamiji’s special days, and distribution of prasadam.

Batticaloa:  Vinayagar Temple, Hardy Cashew Plantation, Kiran, Batticaloa.  Bhajan conducted weekly every Friday, commencing at 10:00 A.M.

[Batticaloa is on the east coast of Sri Lanka; Colombo is on the west coast, and Nuwar Elya is in the center. Manipay is close to Jaffna which is to the far north.]

Recently published newspaper article on Shivabalayogi in Tamil.

Tapas Anniversary, August 7

Wednesday, August 7, 2013, is the 52nd anniversary of Shivabalayogi completing tapas, twelve years of meditation in samadhi.

The anniversary is celebrated in ashrams and centers and by devotees throughout the world. The real celebration is by the Yogi within celebrating the Yogi in all lovers of the Divine.

Guru Purnima 2013

“Guru Purnima is the day on which Sage Vyasa was born.  Sage Vyasa was born on a full moon day.  It is in remembrance of that event that all disciples and devotees worship their own gurus on Guru Purnima.”

— Shivabalayogi

Photos of the Hyderabad ashram during Guru Purnima, Monday, July 22, 2013.  More photos can be seen on Facebook at Shivabalayogi - Greatest Yogi of His Time.  Devotees around the world celebrated Guru Purnima and there were special celebrations in Adivarapupeta and Jhansi.

There was a large Guru Purnima program at the Bangalore ashram. As every year, panchamrutha abhishekam was performed to Swamiji’s paadukas (ritual bathing of Swamiji's feet symbolized by ceremonial slippers) by all devotees in the meditation hall of the ashram in J P Nagar. After bhajans, there was a mass feeding for some three or four hundred devotees.

Passings: Bhadra Rao & S. Veereshaiah

We remember Kaleakanda Bhadra Rao (left), who was a childhood playmate of Swamiji in Adivarapupeta, and Mr. S. Veereshaiah (right), who hosted Swamiji in Dombivli (Bombay suburb). Both recently passed away. The links are to pages about these devotees in the Soul Connections section of the Shivabalayogi website.

Diwali Experience

On the day of Diwali (13 Nov, 2012), having celebrated the evening with friends, I came back to my house and was sitting on the bed in the pooja room, when on seeing Swamiji's photo, I kind of complained to my wife that Swamiji gives experiences to so many people but he has never given me an experience even though I had been initiated over a year ago and have been doing one hour of dhyan every day. I forgot about the casual remark made and carried on with other activities and went to sleep thereafter.

In the wee hours of the morning I  was suddenly overcome by a force which pulled all my attention to the bhrikuti (point between brows) and my body went into an euphoria. I had a feeling that Swamiji was around. Then a distinct and clearly audible human voice started chanting Om. I could not see Swamiji but could sense him around and the human voice was distinctly continuously chanting Om. I soon pulled out of the sensation but was zoomed into the same state again. This happened three or four times. I can only thank and wonder at the magnanimity of our beloved Swamiji.

-- Harminder

Tabla Thatha Thimmappa

Tabla Thatha Thimmappa passed away peacefully at about 6:00 PM on April 23. He was about 110 years of age.

Tabla Master, so known because of his skill playing the tabla drums during bhajans, was an ardent devotee of Swamiji since 1963 and a very active member of the Bangalore bhajan group. He could often be seen at the Bangalore ashram, encouraging the bhajan group, singing, and driving the beat playing cymbals. He was a short man, well built, and of seemingly timeless age.

It was Tabla Master who helped instigate the practice of the Bangalore and other pilgrims parading through Adivarapupeta village behind a photo of Shivabalayogi on their way to the ashram for Mahashivaratri.

He was quite healthy right until the end -- besides being hard of hearing and cataract in both eyes. He stopped taking solid food for the previous few days and lived on fluids.

Several of Thatha Thimmappa's children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren are Swamiji’s devotees now.

We know that Shri Swamiji will guide this devotee on his onward journey with much peace.