Display of the Paramahamsa’s quotes and information at Siddha Samaj, Kerala, India.
When tracing the spiritual roots of Sri Swami Satchidananda’s extraordinary life and mission, one finds a constellation of saints, Siddhars, and sages who shaped his vision. Among these was a yogi of remarkable attainment and discipline: Sri Swami Sivananda Paramahamsa* of Vadakara, Kerala, whom Swami Satchidananda referred to as “Swami Badagara Sivananda.”
His life embodied rigorous discipline, mystical insight, and deep commitment to Self-realization—qualities that left a lasting impression on the young Ramaswamy (as Swami Satchidananda was then known).
Raised in the Siddhar Tradition
From the very beginning, the Siddhar** tradition was part of Ramaswamy’s spiritual inheritance. His family’s Guru, Sri Sadhu Swamigal of Palani, was a renowned Siddhar who gave Ramaswamy’s mother a mantra with the blessing that she would conceive a spiritual child. The fruit of that blessing was Ramaswamy, who grew up with a living sense of the Siddhar stream flowing through his life.
As a sadhu wandering in South India, Ramaswamy spent years in the company of Siddhars. Their lives—marked by austerity, mystical discipline, and spiritual power—formed the atmosphere of his early sadhana. Though he never claimed the title of Siddhar for himself, the impact of these years was unmistakable. Later, devotees would sometimes experience healings and other extraordinary events in his presence and through his prayers. Yet he always discouraged any focus on miracles, reminding his students that siddhis are byproducts of intensive Yoga practice, not its goal.
Early Life of Sri Sivananda Paramahamsa
Born Raman Nambiar in Vadakara, Kerala, Swami Badagara Sivananda grew up in a devout vegetarian family. After a brief career as a policeman, his life was transformed by a mystical turning point. His wife, sensing her end, summoned him home, washed his feet, laid her head in his lap, and left her body. Shocked, Raman renounced worldly life and began his spiritual quest. In a parallel way, though not as dramatic, the young Ramaswamy was shaken when his own wife suddenly left him. That rupture, too, became the catalyst for renunciation, setting him on the path of a sadhu’s wandering in search of higher truth.
At Palani, after circumambulating the Murugan temple hill, Raman bathed in the Vartiar River. There, two Siddhars appeared, whispered Siddha Vidya (knowledge of the Siddhas) into his ear, and vanished. Immersed in samadhi, he was later discovered by a British forest officer and awakened to continue his mission of teaching.
Image from the Joga Pradīpikā (19th century), British Library via The Public Domain Review.
From then on, his life unfolded as a stream of service. He traveled widely across India and Southeast Asia, initiating hundreds of thousands into Siddha Vidya. He established the Siddha Samaj at Vadakara as his main center, with branches in both Kerala and Tamil Nadu. His teachings are preserved in works such as Siddha Vedam: Moksha Soothram—“The Sacred Knowledge of the Siddhas: Formula of Liberation.”
Teachings of Breath and Unity
At the heart of his teaching was the role of prana, the life force. He emphasized that the same vital air flows through humans, animals, and birds alike. With proper practice, this prana could be directed through the sushumna nadi to awaken the experience of Brahmananda—the bliss of union with the Divine. Through Siddha Vidya, that bliss could be made permanent, not dependent on fleeting experiences.
Among the disciplines he imparted were two distinctive pranayamas. One was Bhramari pranayama, producing the sound of the bumblebee, which he reserved for those living under strict discipline in his ashram. The other was Bhujagikarana pranayama, evoking the hiss of a cobra, which he opened to all practitioners of Yoga.
Philosophically, he proclaimed the unity of all religions: “There are not many religions; there is only one religion, Ishvara Matham (Worship of God).”
To him, all sectarian divisions were illusions. Service to God meant directing the life force upward through inner discipline. He insisted that arguments over doctrine were like “dogs fighting over scraps,” while the true seeker must merge the life force into the Self.
This emphasis on unity finds a striking parallel in Swami Satchidananda’s later credo: “Truth is One, paths are many.” Yet he went further: he not only affirmed the unity at the heart of all traditions but also encouraged people to honor and celebrate the diverse ways that unity is expressed—the prayers, rituals, and practices of every faith—as reflections of the same underlying truth. This is nowhere more evident than in the Light Of Truth Universal Shrine he designed in central Virginia.
Miracles as Obstacles
Accounts of his life are filled with extraordinary moments. When a knife was once thrust against his arm, the blade bent while his body remained unmarked, a sign of his vajra sharira or adamantine body. On another occasion, he grasped a live 33kV electrical wire unharmed, while the city’s fuses blew out in a shower of sparks. Even feats of strength became teachings: a powerful devotee was unable to budge the swing on which he sat, yet when a child approached, it moved effortlessly.
Though these demonstrations astonished people, Swami Sivananda Paramahamsa always emphasized that the purpose of Yoga is liberation, not miracle-working. Here, too, Swami Satchidananda reflected the same spirit. Though many quietly experienced healings and transformations in his presence, he never sought to display them. Instead, he redirected attention to discipline, service, and Self-realization.
Connection with Palani
Swami Badagara Sivananda’s connection with Palani was central. It was there he first received initiation into Siddha Vidya, and there he returned often for tapas and teaching. This sacred mountain, home to the Murugan temple, was also a formative place for young Ramasamy. To spend time at Palani was to breathe in the atmosphere of the Siddhars, where discipline, austerity, and mystical attainment were living realities.
Swami Satchidananda often spoke of Siddhars he met at Palani during these years, among them Swami Badagara Sivananda. The model of his life—strict diet, disciplined breath, disregard for showmanship, and teaching the universality of God—left a permanent impression on Swami Satchidananda.
Quote from “Siddha Veda” and portrait of Sri Swami Badagara Sivananda.
Mahasamadhi in 1949
On 21 June 1949, Swami Sivananda Paramahamsa attained mahasamadhi near Palani, while traveling toward Kodaikanal. His body was later taken to Vadakara for interment. The date is notable: June 21 has since been declared International Yoga Day—a remarkable resonance with the life of a yogi who devoted himself to spreading Siddha Vidya.
By then, Ramaswamy was in Rishikesh under the guidance of his Satguru, Sri Swami Sivananda of the Divine Life Society, preparing to receive sannyas diksha. Yet the earlier years he had spent in Palani with Siddhars like Swami Badagara Sivananda remained a lasting wellspring of inspiration.
Influence on Integral Yoga
The threads of Swami Badagara Sivananda’s life found natural resonance in the teachings of Swami Satchidananda. The breath as a master key to self-control, the discipline of a pure vegetarian diet, the respectful yet cautious attitude toward siddhis, and the recognition of the unity that underlies the diversity—each of these became hallmarks of Integral Yoga.
Though one life leaned toward rigorous austerity and the other toward a balance of discipline and accessibility, the same current flowed through both.
Continuing Relevance for Integral Yoga Students
For today’s practitioners of Integral Yoga, learning about Swami Badagara Sivananda is more than a historical note. It provides a window into the soil from which Integral Yoga grew. His life reminds us of the transformative power of disciplined breath and diet; the inspiration of the mystics; and the truth that all paths, when pursued with true devotion, lead to the same realization.
Through Swami Satchidananda, these principles were carried forward in a form accessible to people of every background, East and West.
Conclusion: A Living Stream
The life of Sri Swami Sivananda Paramahamsa of Vadakara may not be widely known today, but its impact endures through those he inspired—among them, a young seeker who would become Sri Swami Satchidananda. His life of self-mastery, breath-centered teaching, and vision of the unity of religions became part of the hidden foundation on which Integral Yoga was later built.
As we continue this Spiritual Odyssey series, reflecting on the saints and sages who inspired and shaped the spiritual journey of Swami Satchidananda, we are reminded that Integral Yoga is neither a modern invention nor a generic label for Yoga that could arise anywhere. Rather, it is the flowering of a sacred lineage, nourished by many streams yet uniquely brought together through the vision and realization of Sri Swami Satchidananda.
By Swami Premananda
*Swami Badagara Sivananda, mentioned in this article, is not the same person as Sri Swami Sivananda of the Divine Life Society, Rishikesh. They were contemporaries, each with their own distinct mission and following. Sri Swami Sivananda (Rishikesh) was Sri Swami Satchidananda’s Guru.
**A Siddhar is a realized adept in the Tamil Shaiva spiritual tradition, believed to have attained extraordinary powers (siddhis) through intense yogic practice and to live in perpetual union with the Divine.
