Saints And Gurus

Sadhu Chidambara Swamigal
Sadhu Chidambaram Swami, who is also known as “Valla Naattaar”. A Jeeva Samadhi is when a saint or siddha is burried in samadhi while still living. Such locations are spiritually very powerful, as the saint continues to interact with devotees through his samadhi.

Poondi Swamigal

Way from Tiruvannamalai to Vellore, the samadhi of Saint Vitthoba.  Duraiswami Swamigal at the mutt.  The latter’s father had been a contemporary and devotee of Vitthoba and had a close association with the saint. Pargunam narrated certain incidents he had heard from his father about Vitthoba’s life.

Tat Wale Baba – Rishi of the Himalayas

According to Vedic scripture, the mere sight of a yogi saint is sufficient to transform an individual’s life from the pursuit of mundane pleasures to the pursuit of wisdom and god-realization.

Trailanga Swami of Benares

Swami Trailanga, who was reputed to be nearly three hundred years old when he died, is so renown in India on such a widespread basis, that few Hindus would deny the possibility of truth in any story related to his astounding miracles. If Jesus returned to earth and walked the streets of New York, displaying his divine powers, it would cause the same awe among the people that Trailanga created decades ago as he passed through the crowded lanes of Benares. He was one of the siddhas (perfected beings) that have cemented India against the erosions of time.

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Add a comment December 8, 2009

18 Siddhars

Name of the Siddhar : Sri Pathanjali Siddhar
Tamil Month Of Birth : Panguni
Tamil Birth Star : Moolam
Duration Of Life : 5-Yugas, 7 days
Place Of Samathi : Rameshwaram
Caste : —-
Guru : Nandi
Disciples : —-
Contributions : Yoga sutra Classic

Name of the Siddhar : Sri Ramadevar Siddhar
Tamil Month Of Birth : Masi
Tamil Birth Star : Pooram
Duration Of Life : 700 Years, 06 Days
Place Of Samathi : Azhagarmalai
Caste : Vishnukulam
Guru : Sattaimuni, Konkanavar.
Disciples : —-
Contributions : 24 known works, Medicine, Mantra sastra.

Name of the Siddhar : Sri Pambatti Siddhar
Tamil Month Of Birth : Karthigai
Tamil Birth Star : Mrigasirisham
Duration Of Life : 123 Years, 14 Days
Place Of Samathi : Sankarankoil
Caste : Jogi
Guru : Sattaimuni.
Disciples : —-.
Contributions : Siddha Philosophy.

4 comments December 8, 2009

Swami Dayanand Saraswati

Swami Dayanand Saraswati

I am very much interested in knowing about the great saints/scholars who have lived in and around India.

I am very curious to do research on them at free time. Here i had come across Dayanand Saraswati, about his life.

I have posted about some information about this great person.

Tankara was a town in Gujrat. There lived a wealthy Brahmin named Karshanji Lalji Tiwari. This good and just man had faith in religious practices. In 1824 a son was born to the couple Karshanji and his wife Amrithbai. The son was named Moolashankar. According to the custom of the place, he was also called Dayaram. This child was to become famous as Maharshi Dayananda. As a child Dayanand was brought up under the strictest Brahmin rule, and at the age of eight was invested with the Sacred Thread (Upanayna). When he was fourteen his father took him to the temple on the occasion of Shivaratri. Dayanand had to fast and keep awake the whole night in obedience to Lord Shiva. In the night he saw a rat nibbling the offerings to the God and running over Shiva`s body. He tried to find out from elders why this “God Almighty” could not defend himself against the menace of petty mice, for which he was admonished. This incident shattered Daya Nand Saraswati`s faith in the idol worship and Dayananda starting questioning traditional beliefs of Hinduism and inquiring about God in early childhood. Thereafter he refused to participate in the religious rites for the rest of his life.

Dayanand Saraswati was disillusioned with classical Hinduism and became a wandering monk. He learned Panini`s Grammar to understand the Sanskrit texts. At this juncture, Moolashankar came across Swami Poornananda, a profound scholar and sanyasi. The Swamiji initiated the young man into the holy orders. Moolashankar became Swami Dayananda Saraswathi. For the next fifteen years he wandered all over the country in the search of a guru. On the heights of the Himalayan regions, his life was in danger again and again. He had to stroll day and night in forests where wild beasts roamed. And in the midst of his wanderings his devotion to his goal was tested, too. Then he came to know that perfect yogis lived in the dense forest near the source of the river Narmada. Without caring for the distance Dayananda walked hundreds of miles towards the south.

In 1860, he found his guru and mentor Swami Virjanand Saraswati at Mathura. He was blind. But he was the living form of enlightenment and could clear all the doubts of his disciples, quoting passages from all the scriptures. Dayananda felt that this meeting with the great genius had fully rewarded all his hardships for fifteen years. He gladly surrendered himself at the feet of the great master. Dayanand Saraswati underwent rigorous training under Swami Virjanand Saraswati. Virjanand Saraswati gave him the name Dayanand and as gurudakshina extracted promise from Dayanand that he would devote his life for revival of Hinduism. With his extraordinary devotion and sense of service Dayananda soon became the most beloved disciple of Virjanand Saraswati.

Dayanand Saraswati believed that Hinduism has been corrupted by divergence from the founding principles of the Vedas and misled by the priesthood for the priests` self-aggrandisement. He extensively traveled the country challenging the religious scholars and priests to discussions and won repeatedly on the strength of his arguments. He made fiery speeches condemning the caste system, idolatry, and child marriages. Dayanand Saraswati being the first leader in the field of theology welcomed the advances of sciences and technology. To him, the Vedas as the source book contain the seed of science, and to him, the Vedas advocate the philosophy of dynamic realism. He pointed out the shortcomings of every one of them without Supporting or opposing any particular religion. He told the people “Idol worship is not mentioned in the Vedas. The rational mind cannot accept idol worship. God is everywhere God has no shape or form.” He bitterly criticized the harmful and wicked customs that have come down through the centuries. He explained the greatness of the religion preached in the Vedas. He advocated the ideal age for a girl to be between 16 and 24, and for men between 25 and 40.

Dayanand Saraswati founded Arya Samaj in Mumbai in 1875 to promote social service. Swami Dayananda`s creation, the Arya Samaj, is a unique component in Hinduism. Arya Samaj, postulates in principle equal justice for all men and all nations, together with equality of the sexes. The Arya Samaj condemns idol-worship, animal sacrifices, ancestor worship, pilgrimages, priestcraft, offerings made in temples, the caste system, untouchability, child marriages. It repudiates a hereditary caste system, and only recognizes professions or guilds, suitable to the complementary aptitudes of men in society. To many people, the Arya Samaj aims to be a “universal church” based on the authority of the Vedas.He gave new interpretations to reform the stagnant Hindu thought through his book “Satyaprakash” (The Light of Truth). He profusely quoted the Vedas and other religious texts to insist that salvation was not the only motto of a Hindu or Arya, as it was believed to be. Working for a noble cause was important to lead a fruitful worldly life. Thus salvation according to him was possible through social service.

1 comment November 25, 2009