Swami Sivananda Saraswati Life Story
Swami Sivananda Saraswati Early Life
Swami Sivananda Saraswati was born on 8 September 1887 in Pattamadai, Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu. He was a famous philosopher, Vedantist, writer, reformer and Yoga learner. His early name was Kuppuswamy, and he was the third son of his parents. Since his childhood days, he was very brilliant in his studies. He completed his formal education in the local school. Later, Sivananda Saraswati joined a medical school in Tanjore. He had a profound knowledge of medicine, so he started a medical journal called Ambrosia. When he completed the medical course, he started treatment and joined a hospital in Malaya. He treated poor people without collecting s single penny and was famed as a reputable doctor. He worked for ten years in Malaya; suddenly, his mind was filled with knowing superficial knowledge. So he left Malaya and reached India in 1923 to pursue quench spiritual knowledge.
Swami Sivananda Saraswati as Yogi
As soon as he came to India, Sivananda went on a pilgrimage and travelled throughout India for the answers to his questions. He visited many holy shrines and did meditation for a long time. He had been wandering as a monk and saw the pilgrimage site of Rameshvaram. There he gave speeches and conducted Sankirtans. He also stayed at Maharishi Shuddhananda Bharati in Sri Aurobindo Ashram and discussed his inner thoughts and doubts. There he got the clarification of his misgivings and received the title of Maharishi. Later, Sivananda visits Ramana Ashram in Arunachal and meds Ramana Maharshi. There Sivananda sang the bhajans of various Gods with his honey tone.
Swami Sivananda Saraswati’s Achievements
He founded the ‘Divine Life Society in 1936, which gives training in Yoga and Vedanta. He also formed the ‘Sivananda Ashram’ on the banks of the holy river Ganges in Rishikesh. The Ashram is the headquarters of the ‘Divine Life Society’, and many followers of Sivananda Saraswati are accompanied to learn Yoga and the Swamiji principles. He wrote around 200 books on Yoga, philosophy, and various subjects. He spent a significant part of his time in the Ashram. Many students came to know about the spiritual services of Sivananda Saraswati and joined the Ashram to become disciples. In 1945 he founded the traditional Indian Ayurvedic Pharmacy to bring back the glory of ancient medical treatment. He invited all-World Religions ambassadors to get the different aspects of religious cultivation. In 1940, he also established All-world Sadhus Federation.
He also established the famous Sivananda Eye Hospital in 1957 with ten beds; gradually, the hospital became a major hospital in India. This great Yogi Sivananda Saraswati left us and attained Maha Samadhi on 14 July 1963.