Bhagavan Nityananda (November/December, 1897?^[1] – August 8, 1961) was an Indian guru who is claimed by the Siddha Yoga organization as the first in their lineage of Siddha gurus.^[2] His teachings are published in the "Chidakash Gita". Nityananda was born in Quilandy (Pandalayini) Kerala, South India. It is generally accepted that his parents worked as servants to a lawyer.^[3] Even in childhood, Nityananda seemed to be in an unusually advanced spiritual state, which gave rise to the belief that he was born enlightened. Certainly there is no evidence that he had a guru. He was eventually given the name Nityananda:"always in bliss".^[4] Look up November in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Look up December in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 1897 (MDCCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... August 8 is the 220th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (221st in leap years), with 145 days remaining. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... Guru - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Quilandy railway station. ... Kerala ( ; Malayalam: കേരളം; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of southwestern India. ... South India is a linguistic-cultural region of India that comprises the four Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Pondicherry, whose inhabitants are collectively referred to as South Indians. ...

Before the age of twenty, Nityananda became a wandering yogi, spending time on yogic studies and practices in the Himalayas and other places. By 1920 he was back in southern India, where he had a fleeting encounter with a boy who would later become Swami Muktananda (claimed as the second in the lineage of Siddha gurus). The latter has told how he was in the schoolyard one day -- aged between 12 and 15 -- when Nityananda walked in. The latter went up to Muktananda, embraced him and stroked his cheek. This brief meeting had a profound spiritual effect on Muktananda.^[5]

Settled in southern India, Nityananda gained a reputation for affecting miracles and wonderful cures. He then started building an ashram near Kanhangad, Kerala state. The local police thought he must be producing counterfeit money to pay for the building, so Nityananda took them to a crocodile-infested pool in the jungle. He dived in and then produced handfuls of money, which was apparently enough to satisfy the police.^[6]

By 1923, Nityananda had wandered to the Tansa Valley in Maharashtra state. There, his reputation as a miracle worker attracted people from as far away as Mumbai.^[7] In addition to working miracles, Nityananda gave a great deal of help to the local adivasis, who were despised by the population at large. Nityananda set up a school for them, as well as providing food and clothing.

As a guru, Nityananda gave relatively little by way of verbal teachings, but he is said to have uttered the statement, "Meditate on your inner self -- God dwells within you as you." This statement became one of Swami Muktananda's classic teachings and is frequently used in the Siddha Yoga organization.^[8]

Nityananda allegedly had the power to transmit spiritual energy to people through non-verbal means. He could also be extremely fiery and intimidating in his behaviour, even to the point of throwing rocks on occasion. This is now regarded as a way of deterring people who were not serious in their spiritual aspirations, or who came to him with ulterior motives.^[9]

In 1936 he went to the Shiva temple in the village of Ganeshpuri and asked if he could stay there. The family that looked after the temple agreed and built a hut for him. As his visitors and followers increased, the hut expanded and became an ashram. He manifested more wonders, like truckloads of food mysteriously turning up just when they were needed.^[10] He often went naked, regardedless of the weather, and never showed any sign of discomfort. He is said to have even exhibited the power to be in two places at once. To the people around him, he was an avadhuta: one who is absorbed in the transcendental state.

In the mid-1940s, Swami Muktananda, who by this time had been a wandering yogi who several years, turned up at Ganeshpuri to see Nityananda. On August 15th, 1947, Nityananda gave Muktananda the experience of shaktipat: the transference of spiritual energy from guru to devotee.^[11] He also gave him the mantra Om Namah Shivaya, which is still used in the Siddha Yoga organization.

Swami Muktananda still wandered somewhat for a few years and, by his own account, reached the state of spiritual liberation (known in India as mukti; the name Muktananda means bliss of liberation).^[12] Nityananda then sent word for Muktananda to return to Ganeshpuri and live there. Nityananda prophesied that Muktananda would become very great; that the Ganeshpuri ashram would become big and beautiful; and that many people would go there, including people from the West.^[13]

In August of 1961, Nityananda is said to have passed the Siddha lineage on to Muktananda, giving him the power of shaktipat: the power to transmit spiritual energy to people and awaken their dormant spiritual energy, known as Kundalini.^[14] In the Siddha Yoga organization, Nityananda is still revered as the first in the lineage of Siddha gurus, ie gurus who have the power to awaken the Kundalini.^[15]

See also

• Muktananda
• Siddha Yoga

Swami Muktananda (स्‍वामी मुक्तानन्‍द) (1908-1982) is the monastic name of an Indian guru. ... This page is Siddha Yoga, the new religious movement, for other uses see Siddha Yoga (disambiguation). ...

References

Further Reading

• Hatengdi, M.U.; Chetanananda, Swami (1990). Nityananda: The Divine Presence. Rudra Press. 
• Hatengdi, M.U.; Chetanananda, Swami (1985). Nitya Sutras. Rudra Press. ISBN 0915801027. 
• Muktananda, Swami (1996). Bhagawan Nityananda of Ganeshpuri. Siddha Yoga Publications. 

External links

• The Chidakasha Gita of Bhagawan Nityananda
• The Swami Nityananda Ashram Public Trust
• Siddha Yoga Website