Goddess Raja Rajeshwari
While in seclusion (in the early 1940s) undergoing intensive sadhana, Ramaswamy’s (Swami Satchidananda’s birth name) diet was austere, limited to one meal a day at noon consisting of kitcheree, a mixture of rice and dhal. His mother, Srimati Velammai, would prepare it in the morning and send it over to Ramaswamy’s hut.
For a while, Srimati Velammai tried to convince him to take some food in the evening as well, sending tender coconuts or idlis (made from a mixture of fermented lentil and rice that is then steamed) and yogurt to be left at his door. In the morning, the attendant would find any food items still outside the door, untouched.
After a few days, the practice was discontinued. This strict regimen continued for almost a year. His hut became home to uninvited guests—snakes and even a family of scorpions—yet these shared his sacred space peacefully.
Although he was not aware of it at the time, Ramaswamy had already attracted his first devotee: an “untouchable”—considered by Indian society to be the lowest caste in those days—woman. Daily, she would circle the outer garden fence of his hut, bow, and offer a silent prayer. Her faith was extraordinary. When members of her community fell ill, she would collect dust from around his hut, mix it with water, and administer it to the sick, who often recovered. To her, this was divine intervention. Later, Swami Satchidananda would humbly attribute such healings not to himself but to the transformative power of their own faith.
This devotee lived to be 104 years old, blind and deaf in her final days. Despite societal norms that shunned such interactions, Swami Satchidananda would always visit her during his trips to his birthplace in Chettipalayam, holding her hands and asking after her well-being. For those who witnessed such acts of love and humility, it became clear that his presence carried a mystical quality—a power cultivated through profound spiritual practice.
During his meditations while in seclusion, Ramaswamy’s early spiritual experiences manifested. Along with his devotion to Lord Muruga (in the form of Subramanya) and Lord Shiva (in the form of the Nataraja), he began to have visions of Goddess Parvati, Shiva’s Shakti (his divine counterpart).
While Ramaswamy was grateful to his parents for providing a conducive environment for his sadhana, he began to feel the need to further deepen and expand his spiritual pursuits. As he considered this, he naturally thought of Sri Sadhu Swamigal, the family Guru, who had had given Srimati Velammai a mantra to enable her to conceive a highly spiritual child who she named “Ramaswamy.” The Swamigal was a great Siddhar (one accomplished in siddhis or mystical powers that are a fruit of serious sadhana) and an upasika or Tantric Yogi—one who uses geometrical forms or yantras, as well as certain mantras, mudras, and cleansing practices during the course of worship to invoke the presence of a particular deity. Ultimately the upasika receives that presence or vision within.
Adjacent to the Swamigal’s ashram stood a temple dedicated to Goddess Raja Rajeshwari, where the vibrations of her divine energy permeated every corner. The presence of this temple highlights the integral role of the Divine Mother in the spiritual practices of the Sri Sadhu Swamigal Thirumadam (Ashram). It was here that Ramaswamy’s love for the Divine Mother deepened, and she became a cornerstone of his spiritual journey.
Relief of Ardhanarishvara on Wall of Brihadisvara Temple (photo: Mugesh Dsraj via Pexels).
In the Saiva Tantra tradition, central to Swami Satchidananda’s spiritual roots, Shiva and Shakti are inseparable—two modes of the same ultimate Reality. This is not a symbolic duality but an assertion of nonduality—the understanding that energy and Consciousness are indivisible aspects of the same ultimate reality. Shakti, the energy of motion and change, is the creative force behind the universe, while Shiva, pure Consciousness, remains the silent, formless witness.
This harmony is most vividly expressed in the form of Shiva-Shakti known as “Ardhanarishwara” (literally: the half-male, half-female Supreme Being.) Consciousness (Shiva) is essentially formless and the spanda (pulsating vibration) of Consciousness expresses as Shakti. Shiva-Shakti is viewed as a seamless unified flow, like fire and its heat.
Ramaswamy’s devotion to the Nataraja form of Shiva, which he cultivated while serving as the temple manager at Perur, also reflects this divine interplay of male and female energies. Nataraja’s dance, fueled by Shakti, balances creation and destruction—symbolized by the drum and flame in his hands. Later in his life, Swami Satchidananda would modify mantra initiations for devotees to include a Shiva mantra alongside the Goddess’s bija mantra he gave, explaining that this addition provided a more integrated spiritual balance.
The Divine Mother, in her form as Raja Rajeshwari, became Swami Satchidananda’s Ishta Devata (chosen beloved deity). Raja Rajeshwari is considered an incarnation of the Goddess Parvati. In the Sri Vidya tradition, which has deep roots in Tamil Nadu, Raja Rajeshwari is another name of Sri Lalita Tripurasundari, the central deity of this lineage and the third Mahavidya in her representation of a particular aspect of Divine Energy (Shakti). Her name, “Raja Rajeshwari,” highlights her status as the queen of queens, governing the universe according to her Divine Will.
Raja Rajeshwari is depicted as a resplendent queen, radiating grace and authority. She is often shown with four arms, holding a noose, a goad, a sugarcane bow, and five flowered arrows. These symbols represent her control over the mind, senses, and emotions. Her three eyes symbolize the sun, moon, and fire, representing the three triads in creation. She is seated on a lotus throne, signifying her connection to purity and spiritual awakening. Her crown, adorned with a crescent moon, symbolizes her divine energy and connection to Lord Shiva.
Photo: Sri Yantra
The worship of Raja Rajeshwari is also part of the broader tradition of Shaktism. She is considered the ultimate form of Adi Parashakti. Devotees believe that by worshiping her, one can attain spiritual growth, prosperity, and liberation. As the presiding deity of the Sri Yantra, a sacred geometric symbol, she embodies the universe’s essence and its connection to Divine Consciousness. Meditating on her yantra, with its radiating triangles leading to the central bindu, draws one into the ultimate unity of Shiva and Shakti—pure love.
On one his last trips to the Perur Temple, Swami Satchidananda explained to a group of devotees visiting the Temple with him that it was the Shiva Nataraja who sent him to the western world. He spoke less publicly about his devotion to Goddess Raja Rajeshwari, but often wore a pendant adorned with an engraving of Raja Rajeshwari on one side and the Sri Yantra on the other.
When asked about the pendant, he revealed, “This is the power behind all of my life. Everything that has happened—the spread of Integral Yoga, the establishment of the Integral Yoga centers—happened because of my worship of this Goddess.” He explained further: “The entire Cosmic Consciousness is the Sri Yantra. The petals around the bindu are the bliss, the ecstasy of the union of Shiva and Shakti. The universe itself is held together by love.”
Through his unwavering devotion to Shiva Nataraja and Raja Rajeshwari, Swami Satchidananda embodied the principle of nonduality, recognizing the ever-changing world (Shakti) as an expression of the Absolute (Shiva). This understanding is central to his Integral Yoga teachings, which emphasize that our ultimate spiritual goal is to realize the Self—the one Reality known as God, Brahman, Consciousness, Spirit, or by any other name. At the same time, we are called to recognize that the relative world of countless names and forms is also an expression of that same Absolute Truth.
In the next installment, we will delve deeper into Ramaswamy’s time with Sri Sadhu Swamigal and at Palani Temple and how this influenced his selection of the yantra and mantra traditions within Integral Yoga.
About the Author:
Swami Premananda, Ph.D. is a senior disciple of Sri Gurudev Swami Satchidananda and served as his personal and traveling assistant for 24 years. Her interest in the study of the spiritual roots of the Integral Yoga tradition and lineage was inspired over many years of traveling with Sri Gurudev to the various sacred sites throughout India that are a part of this tradition. She also undertook a 2-year immersion into the nondual Saiva Yoga Siddhar tradition that is at the heart of Sri Gurudev’s spiritual roots. She further studied the history, sacred texts, and teachings of Tamil Saivism including the Siddhars, bhakti poet saints, as well as the spiritual luminaries who lived in the 19th – 20th centuries and who inspired Sri Gurudev, such as Sri Ramana Maharshi, Swami Ramdas, and Swami Vivekananda. She serves as editor of Integral Yoga Magazine, Integral Yoga Publications; senior archivist for Integral Yoga Archives; and director of the Office of Sri Gurudev and His Legacy.
