Sivananda Saraswati (or Swami Sivanada) (8 September 1887
14 July 1963) was a Hi
ndu spiritual teacher and a proponent of Yoga and Vedanta. Sivananda was born Ku ppuswami in Pattamadai, in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. He studied me dicine and served in British Malaya as a physician for several years before taki ng up monasticism. He lived most of his life near Muni Ki Reti, Rishikesh. He was the founder of the Divine Life Society (DLS) in 1936, Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy (1948) and author of over 200 books on yoga, Vedanta and a variety of s ubjects. He established Sivananda Ashram, the headquarters of the DLS, on the ba nk of the Ganges at Sivanandanagar, 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from Rishikesh.[1][2][ 3] Sivananda Yoga, the yoga form propagated by his disciple Vishnudevananda, is now spread in many parts of the world through Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres. These centres are not affiliated with Sivananda's ashrams, which are run by the Divin e Life Society. Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Early life 1.2 Initiation 1.3 Travels 1.4 Founding the Divine Life Society 1.5 Samadhi 2 Disciples 3 Works 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External links Biography Early life Sivananda was born Kuppuswamy in Pattamadai near Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu, Indi a, as the third son to his parents on 8 September 1887. As a child he was very a ctive and promising in academics and gymnastics. He attended medical school in T anjore, where he excelled. He ran a medical journal called Ambrosia during this period. Upon graduation he practised medicine and worked as a doctor in Malaya f or ten years, with a reputation for providing free treatment to poor patients. O ver 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 re turned to India to pursue a spiritual quest. Initiation Upon his return to India in 1924, he visited Varanasi, Nashik, and then Rishikes h, where he met his guru, Vishwananda Saraswati. It was Vishwananda who initiate d him into the Sannyasa order, and gave him his monastic name. However, since Si vananda spent only a few hours with Vishwananda, the full Viraja Homa ceremonies were performed later[when?] by Vishnudevananda, the Mandaleswara of Sri Kailas Ashram. After initiation, Sivananda settled in Rishikesh, and immersed himself i n intense spiritual practices. Sivananda performed austerities for many years bu t he also continued to nurse the sick. With some money from his insurance policy that had matured, he started a charitable dispensary at Lakshman Jhula in 1927, serving pilgrims, holy men and the poor using his medical expertise. Travels Swami Sivananda with disciples, 25 February 1949, Maha Shivratri Day.Rishikesh. After a few years, Sivananda went on an extensive pilgrimage and travelled the l ength and breadth of India to meditate at holy shrines and came in contact with
spiritual teachers throughout India. During this Parivrajaka (wandering monk) li
fe, Sivananda visited important places of pilgrimage in the south, including Ram eshvaram. He conducted Sankirtan and delivered lectures during his travels. He v isited the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, and met Maharishi Shuddhananda Bharati to which he gave the title of Maharishi. At the Ramana Ashram, he had the darshan of Ram ana Maharshi on Maharshi's birthday. He sang bhajans and danced in ecstasy with Maharshi's bhaktas. He also went on pilgrimages to various places in northern In dia including Kedarnath and Badrinath. He visited Kailash-Manasarovar in 1931.[c itation needed] Founding the Divine Life Society Sivananda Kutir at Sivananda Ghat, and Sivananda Ashram above, Muni Ki Reti, Ris hikesh. Part of a series on Hindu philosophy Om symbol.svg Orthodox Samkhya Yoga Nyaya Vaisheshika Mimamsa Vedanta Advaita Vedanta Vishishtadvaita Dvaita Bhedabheda Dvaitadvaita Achintya Bhed a Abheda Shuddhadvaita Heterodox Charvaka Other schools [show] Teachers (Acharyas) [show] Major texts [show] Hinduism Other Indian philosophies v t e 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 h im and instructed them. Sivananda asked his students take copies of his short ar ticles and send them for publication. Over time, large numbers of people started coming to him and his devotees started growing in numbers.[citation needed] Sivananda founded the DLS in 1936 on the banks of the Ganges River. The free dis tribution of spiritual literature drew a steady flow of disciples to him, such a s Satyananda Saraswati, founder of Satyananda Yoga. In 1945, Sivananda created the Sivananda Ayurvedic Pharmacy, and organised the A ll-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 Sy nthesis. Samadhi Swami Sivananda entered Mahasamadhi (departure of a Self-realized saint from his mortal coil) on 14 July 1963 in his Kutir on the bank of the Ganges, in Sivanan danagar.