Famed Indian Gurus of the 20th Century

Swami Sivananda, Neem Karoli Baba and Anandamayi Ma

Mar 29, 2009

This article gives a short introduction to the lives of three Indian gurus of the 20th century: Swami Sivananda, Neem Karoli Baba and Anandamayi Ma.

Swami Sivananda, Neem Karoli Baba and Anandamayi Ma are three Indian gurus of the 20th century. They are well known both in India and internationally and are generally regarded as fully self-realized spiritual masters.

Swami Sivananda Saraswati (1887 – 1963)

Swami Sivananda was born into a South Indian Brahmin family in Tamil Nadu in 1887 and named Kuppuswami.

According to the biography From Man to God-Man (written by N. Ananthanarayanan), the brilliantly intelligent Kuppaswami became a doctor and worked for many years in Malaysia as a very successful doctor and hospital manager. He had a radiant personality, ever joyful and looking for opportunities of service.

At the age of 36, Kuppaswami felt an irresistible urge to renounce the world. After returning to India, he secretly left his home and family and henceforth lived as a sadhu (wandering holy man) and sannyasin (renunciant). He settled down in Rishikesh in the north Indian state of Uttarakhand, eventually founding an ashram of his own.

Swami Sivananda practiced and taught an integral (or synthesized) version of the classical yoga paths, combining the paths of raja, hatha, bhakti, jnana and karma yoga. He wrote and lectured in English, allowing him to reach the educated Indian middle class as well as spiritual seekers of other countries. He established the Divine Life Society as a means of spreading his teachings.

Throughout his life, Swami Sivananda was known to be exceptionally forgiving and generous, earning himself the nickname of "Swami Givananda."

Swami Sivananda trained many young men in yoga and spiritual practice. Many of his disciples became great spiritual teachers in their own right, such as Swami Chidananda, Swami Satchidananda and Swami Vishnudevananda.

Neem Karoli Baba (unknown – 1973)

Neem Karoli Baba is regarded as a fully enlightened spiritual master and a siddha (perfected being endowed with supernatural powers). He lived in North India. According to a devotee’s account in the book titled Miracle Of Love - Stories about Neem Karoli Baba (by Ram Dass), Neem Karoli Baba received his name in a very curious manner.

As a young man, he was traveling on a train in first class without a ticket. The train was stopped and Neem Karoli Baba was rudely thrown off the train by the conductor. However, the train wouldn’t move anymore after this incident. It was only after the young saint was humbly asked to re-board the train that it suddenly and mysteriously moved again.

Neem Karoli Baba didn’t write books or hold discourses. He taught by example and through conversations. He repeatedly asked his disciples to serve and feed people and encouraged the chanting of the divine names through japa and kirtan. He had many western disciples, the most prominent being Ram Dass alias Richard Alpert and kirtan musicians Krishna Das, Bhagavan Das and Jai Uttal.

Anandaymayi Ma (1896 – 1982)

Anandamayi Ma is one of the few female Indian spiritual masters who received universal recognition. According to a biography called Mother of Bliss: Anandamayi Ma (by Lisa Hallstrom), she underwent intense spiritual practices and spent long intervals of time completely withdrawn from the outer world, completely immersed in the bliss of spiritual ecstasy (samadhi).

Anandamayi Ma (‘bliss-filled mother’) lived and taught in accordance with the teachings of sanatana dharma (the Eternal Religion). She emphasized the paths of devotion (bhakti) and the philosophy of Non-Duality (Advaita Vedanta).

Towards the end of her life, Anandamayi Ma was widely accepted as a great mystic. Among her devotees were eminent personalities such as Kamala Nehru and her daughter Indira Gandhi.