Siva Yogaswami, also known as Jnana guru, was a spiritual leader of the 20th century who was highly respected by Hindus. However, he also had followers from Catholic and Buddhist backgrounds. He was a master of Kundalini yoga and belonged to the Nandinatha Sampradaya's Kailasa Parampara, where he held the position of 161st Jagadacharya. Yogaswami received initiation and guidance in Kundalini yoga from Satguru Chellappaswami.
Born in 1872, Sadasivan, who would later become known as Yogaswami, was born near the Kandaswamy temple in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. His mother passed away when he was still a child, and he was raised by his aunt and uncle. When he reached adulthood, Yogaswami decided to dedicate himself to the practice of celibacy and renounced a potential role in his father's business in order to have more time to focus on meditation and studying religious texts.
When Swami Vivekananda visited Jaffna in 1889, he left a lasting impression on the 18-year-old yogi, Yogaswami. During his visit, a large crowd welcomed Vivekananda along Colombuthurai Road. However, as they approached the illuppai tree, which would later become a site for Yogaswami's tapas, Vivekananda asked to disembark from his carriage and walk past it, as he believed it was a sacred spot. The next day, Yogaswami attended Vivekananda's speech, where he began with the statement, "The time is short but the subject is vast." This statement made a deep impact on Yogaswami, and he repeated it to himself and his followers throughout his life.
Around 1890, Yogaswami secured a job as a storekeeper for an irrigation project in Kilinochchi. Even while living and working there, he continued to practice the life of a yogi, frequently meditating throughout the entire night. He held himself to a high standard of purity and simplicity, which he would go on to expect from his followers as well.
In 1905, while walking along a road outside Nallur Temple, Yogaswami encountered his guru, Sage Chellappan. Chellappaswami's loud shout of "Hey! Who are you? There is not one wrong thing! It is what it is! Who knows?" caused Yogaswami to experience a sea of light that made everything else vanish. Later, when they met again in a festival crowd, Chellappaswami instructed Yogaswami to meditate and wait for his return. After three days of waiting, Chellappaswami returned and Yogaswami became his devoted follower for the next five years. During this time, Yogaswami underwent intense spiritual discipline and severe austerity. After receiving sannyas diksha (ordainment), Chellappaswami sent Yogaswami away and never met him again. Chellappaswami passed away in 1911.
Yogaswami dedicated years to intense spiritual practice, meditating under an olive tree at Colombuthurai Road in Jaffna. He would spend three days and nights in meditation, exposed to the elements, and then walk long distances on the fourth day before returning to the tree to repeat the cycle. At first, he would drive away anyone who tried to approach him, but gradually allowed a few sincere seekers to come near. As his devotees increased, he occupied a small hut in a nearby garden, where they would come to seek his help with their problems. However, Yogaswami remained absorbed in his inner worship day and night. He even forbade devotees from revering or caring for him at first. Once, a crow perched on his head for several minutes, mistaking him for a statue due to his perfect stillness.
In 1935, Yogaswami initiated the monthly journal Sivathondan, which means both "servant of Siva" and "service to Siva," with the help of his devotees. As time went by, more and more people joined his circle. Though initially reluctant, he eventually allowed his followers to demonstrate their devotion by cleaning and repairing his hut. Most of his devotees were householders and held regular jobs. Yogaswami believed that one's entire life should be a spiritual practice, and he discouraged any division between holy and unholy activities. He rarely advised his followers to leave their jobs, except in a few cases.
Yogaswami made a pilgrimage to Banaras and Chidambaram in 1940, where he experienced a profound realization that the Lord of the Universe was within himself. During his journey, he visited Ramana Maharshi at his Arunachalam Ashram, and the two sat in silence facing each other for an entire afternoon. Upon returning to Jaffna, Yogaswami explained that they had said all that needed to be said.
In 1961, Yogaswami, at the age of 89, broke his hip while feeding his cow, Valli. He had to stay in the hospital for several months and eventually needed a wheelchair. However, he continued to impart his wisdom and guidance to his followers during his last years. On a Wednesday in March 1964, at 3:30 am, Yogaswami passed away at the age of 91 in Colombuthurai. The entire nation of Sri Lanka was grief-stricken, and the news of his death was spread through the radio, causing devotees to flock to Colombuthurai and Jaffna to bid him farewell. At present, a temple complex is being constructed in Colombuthurai in memory of the hut where he lived for five decades.
In 1961, Yogaswami, at the age of 89, broke his hip while feeding his cow, Valli. He had to stay in the hospital for several months and eventually needed a wheelchair. However, he continued to impart his wisdom and guidance to his followers during his last years. On a Wednesday in March 1964, at 3:30 am, Yogaswami passed away at the age of 91 in Colombuthurai. The entire nation of Sri Lanka was grief-stricken, and the news of his death was spread through the radio, causing devotees to flock to Colombuthurai and Jaffna to bid him farewell. At present, a temple complex is being constructed in Colombuthurai in memory of the hut where he lived for five decades.
Yogaswami held the position of 161st Satguru (Spiritual Preceptor) after the passing of his guru, Satguru Chellapaswami, from 1911 until his own passing in 1964. He was succeeded by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. Yogaswami was also known for his collection of Tamil hymns called "Natchintanai."