Mukunduru Swami (Sri Basavalinga Shivayogi) Biography
Image: Mukunduru Swami
Biography
Mukunduru Swamiji got his name from the village of Mukunduru where he did his penance, he was born in a family of poor farmers in Siddharamana Halli (Siddharama's Village) in Tiptur, Karnataka, India. He lived a life of difficulties throughout his young age and adult years.
He was married and remained married for years. He got disillusioned from the colors of the world and saught spiritual help from Swami Sri Nanjunda Shivayogi. He was ordained as a swami at the Mallikarjuna Giri, Mukunduru Village, Kattaaya Hobali, Hassan district.
Life in Mukunduru Hills: Munuknduru Swami's monkhood started in 1923, with that started his hard penance and years of solitude and meditation. Mukunduru was his land of Tapas, it is in these hills he dived deep into spiritual realizations. there is an Ashrama (chidananda Asrama) at the place today. Bhajans are organized in the No-moon (amavasya) days of every month at the Ashram
He taught people the highest philosophy through simplest of methods as receivable by the masses of his time. He taught complex philosophical ideas through stories, songs and drama. He lived an ideal life, was never critical of people with differing philosophies. He humored everyone but through his humor he would have driven a deep philosophical point into people's heads.
Move to Maragondanahalli: After spending about 25 years in Mukunduru, Swamiji moved to Maragondanahalli, a village near Javagal, Arasikere, Hassan, Karnataka. He lived for about 35 years at the place and left his body at the place at a ripe age of what is esimated to be 140.
On every full moon day the place will be full of devotees filling the place in memory of the saint, chanting devotionals songs.
Yegdagella Aite (ಯೇಗ್ದಾಗೆಲ್ಲಾ ಐತೆ) (Everything is in Yoga)
Dr. Belagere Krishna Shastri wrote about his time and experiences with Mukunduru swami in his book Yegdagella Aite. The book has been one of the spiritual gems released in Kannada, it has had reprints after reprints and still continues to be one of the fast moving among the books of spiritual genre. The book has seen more than 10 reprints in it's first decade.
The book has been translated into Hindi, English, Kannada, Marathi among others. Radio stations of Haasan, Bhadravati, Chitradurga used to air readings of the book for years.
Yogic Powers of Mukunduru Swami
Mukunduru swami had demonstrated (sometimes in public, sometimes in private) many supernatural powers, many of his disciples have documented his miracles, some of the powers swamiji possessed according to the texts are:
- Creating objects(food items for example) out of nothing
- Vanishing out of the room with locked doors.
- Appearing in many place at the same time.
- Knowing past history of others at will
Mukunduru Swami Quotes
- A rich man having money and a Sanyasi having spiritual powers are both same, neither the rich free from ego, nor is the sanyasi. "I'll destroy your clan no matter how much money it takes" says the rich, "I'll burn with the gaze of my eye" says the sanyasi.
- Each according to his/ her capacity (can only absorb spirituality)
- There is everything in Yoga