Sadhguru Sri Brahma Biography: A Historical Account of the Fiery Yogi

Posted On August 28, 2024

Sadhguru Sri Brahma: The Fiery Yogi

Who was Sadhguru Shri Brahma? Where did he live? What was his work in spirituality and social reform? Let us take a look at the life and work of this lesser-known spiritual master, whose impact has been so great that several people in various parts of India still follow his teachings and have continued the traditions he set, such as the guru puja and annadhanam. Places where he stayed are believed to still carry a different vibe, for he was fiery, fearless and immensely powerful – Sadhguru Shri Brahma.

Sadhguru Sri Brahma (1878-1920), born Kaliappan in Naduvapatty, Ramnad District, emerged from a humble agricultural family. He dedicated his life to establishing over 70 ashrams in Tamil Nadu, focused on creating the Dhyanalinga. These institutions were not just buildings but centers where he engaged deeply in meditation and sadhana.

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev on Sadhguru Shri Brahma

These are all fiery people who were sitting with a ball of fire – for them, that is Sadhguru. It is – I am not denying it. But what is wrong with this one? That one was fantastic, but it failed in its mission. This one may not be so fantastic, but it has made it work. It is a conscious compromise.

Life at His Birthplace Naduvapatti

Sadhguru was born in a small village Naduvapatti located 80 kms south of Madurai. He started his life as a farmer. He often spent the nights on the farm, to protect crops from animals, and it is said that he met some saints at that time, and started taking an interest in spirituality. From an early age, he used to immerse himself in spiritual books. It is said that once, while on the farm, he received the blessings of Shri Agastya Muni. It is also said, that once while meditating at night, Lord Shiva took over him, and since then he started sitting in long meditations which spanned several days or even months. He went into a state where he did not care about his body and physical appearance. He is said to have preferred to stay at places built for the homeless, where he would discuss their life and possibly soothe their pain and also provide them with food. Many times, the food his wife gave him, he used to distribute among these underprivileged people.

He soon attained a state of Dnyani which the villagers could not understand and they thought of him as a crazy person. Later he decided to meditate underground so that he would not get disturbed, for which he prepared a pit and sat inside. He asked his three close friends to guard this place and open it only after 40 days. He asked them to put herbs and pour 101 pots of water on his body. He further asked them to stand aside and not in front of him, as they would not be able to bear his energies. Then he sat in samadhi. A stone slab was used to cover the pit, mud was spread over the slab and 9 different grains were sown in it. After 10 days, some of his friends went out of the town for some work, there was gossip in the village about him having been buried, and police entered the scenario. It was thought that he had died inside and his body was decaying. So, the police dug opened the pit. Angry with this act, Sadhguru left the place.

It is said that after he left the village, it never rained there. Today, at the spot where he sat underground, stands a water tank and nearby is the Ganesha temple where he is believed to have rested for some time after being disturbed from underground. People living in this village today, tell these stories, which have been passed to them across generations. Some members of Sadhguru’s third generation still live here. The humble village Naduvapatti is the land where Sadhguru had some of his transformational experiences.

Time in Subbulapuram

Sadhguru Shri Brahma came to stay at a palm grove at the edge of a village called Subbulapuram. It is said that a woman named Kuppamma served him milk and banana daily and that he ate only one green gram and milk as a meal. People of Subbulapuram took an interest in spirituality and hence when they came to know of a sadhu residing in the palm grove, they went there and brought him to the Ganesh temple in the village with great honor. It is said that around the same time, a snake-bitten boy was brought there, and taken to a medicine man who had declared him dead, but Sadhguru healed him and he got up as if waking up from sleep.

He used to help the poor and soon gained the trust of the villagers who turned into his devotees. They worshiped him and he taught them some spiritual practices and initiated some people into meditation.

There’s a story that says that Sadhguru Shri Brahma asked the villagers to arrange for Guru Puja and cook meals with 100 bags of rice, to which the villagers expressed their financial inability. Sadhguru said they should just arrange for the puja and the meals to feed the poor and the sadhus, and everything else would fall in place. The villagers approached a wealthy man in the village asking him for monetary help. He said that if Sadhguru could get rain the next day, he would help. The villagers told this to Sadhguru who took up the challenge and that night, it rained in their village along with 5 other villages in the vicinity. The wealthy man surrendered to Sadhguru.

The guru puja and annadhanam which Sadhguru instructed the villagers to organize, has been arranged for 100 years since then. Since he would repeat the name Sadhguru many times during his meditations, people started calling him Sadhguru. The guru puja is based on Skandapurana, and includes 16 offerings to the guru along with some elaborate rituals and spiritual practices.

The villagers expressed their worry about the financial future of the village, to which Sadhguru replied that help would come from the north. After some time, a millionaire living northward from the village came to Sadhguru. He had leprosy that was not getting cured. Sadhguru asked the villagers to get a white horse and instructed them to collect and process its urine in a certain way. Using it, he cured the man of leprosy. As a token of his gratefulness and respect for Sadhguru, he sent loads of vegetables and groceries to the village.

Sadhguru Shri Brahma left Subbulapuram after conducting the guru puja and going into samadhi. The residents of the village have immense faith in him. While he left, the villagers started following him. He asked them to go back and continue farming, and after some time they saw him disappear. Even today, sadhus gather in the village every year and the villagers treat them with the same respect and love they had for Sadhguru.

Time in Palani

Next, Sadhguru Shri Brahma came to Palani. He was often seen on the streets singing verses and it is said that he sang well. He used to distribute sweets to children around him. Once he had a long conversation with Swami Chidbhavananda and changed his way of looking at life. Palani is famous for spiritual practices. There is a place called Brahma Theertham here, where Sadhguru Shri Brahma is known to have taken jalasamadhi. People seeing him under water reported to the collector of seeing someone dead in water, but when he was taken out of the pond, he was found to be alive and after a few days he came out of his meditative state. Today, there is a shrine built here. Sadhguru Shri Brahma has been extensively mentioned in Swami Chidbhavananda’s biography and he and his family members gave Sadhguru great respect. It is said that Palani has witnessed many miracles by Sadhguru. At times, he would disappear and appear at a different spot, and he taught children how to treat snake bites.

Samadhi Yogam at E. Vellanur

Later, Sadhguru Shri Brahma went to E. Vellanur located along river Kaveri. The village houses Sadhguru’s ashram. He came to the Krishna bhajan temple and went into samadhi yogam wherein, he sat inside a 7-feet deep pit, facing northward, with an earthen pot on his head and an incense lamp beside him. Some sadhus complained that Sadhguru had been robbed of money and killed and buried, so the samadhi was uncovered on the 7th day. Although seeming like a corpse, Sadhguru was still alive and that scared the people, so they decided to follow his instructions about smearing of herbs and pouring of water. On the 8th day, Sadhguru opened his eyes, and the collector arrived on the site. When Sadhguru saw him, he lost his eyesight.

Then Sadhguru wrote on a paper asking why the villagers had disturbed him this way, to which the villagers told him what had happened. Listening to them, Sadhguru blessed the collector with his eyesight and also blessed the villagers. He further asked them to organize an annadhanam for 12000 people which would be a samapanthi bhojan wherein people of all castes, creeds and economic status would eat together. It took place for 3 days in 1912 and was the first guru puja function organized in Swami’s presence in the village. Sadhguru further instructed the villagers to organize a similar guru puja and annadhanam every year in the month of Chithirai on the Thiruvonam nakshatra.

Some people asked Sadhguru Shri Brahma if they could build a shiva linga at the place where he meditated. Swami explained that a shiva linga is to be built over a jeeva samadhi, however, at the spot of a nirvikalpa samadhi, only a deep stambha can be built. Today, a deep stambha stands at the spot where Sadhguru sat and every year, according to his instructions, a guru puja and annadhanam are conducted.

Miracles at Trichy

After leaving E. Vellanur, Sadhguru came to Trichy in 1915. There he lived in a hut as a simple man. He wanted to conduct guru puja and annadhanam there, so he instructed the villagers to get drumstick leaves. Drumsticks were cooked and served. The crowd started increasing and the villagers were worried that the food they had may not serve all, but Sadhguru assured them that it would be sufficient for everyone and so it was, thus proving that Sadhguru could perform miracles.

There is an interesting story of a person called Chinnaiya Pillai from Trichy. According to his great grandson A. Gobinath, Chinnaiya Pillai ran a business in Connoor and had a son who had no children. His wife went to Sadhguru in 1912 when he asked Chinnaiya Pillai to build a Chathram, and said that if he built it, a child would be born in his family. So, he bought 19500 sq. ft land and started the construction work. During the construction itself, the wife conceived. As an expression of joy and gratefulness, he donated an acre of land to build Sadhguru’s ashram and gave some land for the railway track. A. Gobinath and his family members still honour and worship Sadhguru Shri Brahma.

Time in Periyar Nagar

In Periyar Nagar, Swamiji constructed an underground cave that was built in stone, octagonal in shape and 10-12 feet deep. It is constructed in such a way that only one person can sit cross-legged at the bottom. A temple was also built, and soon after this construction, Sadhguru went into samadhi for a longer time and people of 7 villages took care of him. He instructed them to continue conducting annadhanam and guru puja, and one day, he told everyone he had to go elsewhere and left. Till today, the underground cave is opened once a year, decorated and Guru puja is conducted over there. 15-16 annadhanams take place every month. Sadhguru Shri Brahma believed that there should be no caste discrimination and maintained that his religion is all-inclusive. His followers and devotees believe his blessings are with them, he protects them, and removes difficulties from their path.

Time in Kallar and Naduhatty

Sadhguru Shri Brahma spent some time of his life in Kallar which once housed an ashrama and now has a school in Sadhguru’s name. It is said that Sadhguru stayed in a cave in a place called Burliyar. Tantrics in the area got insecure about his presence and plotted to kill him. However, he led them to realize that it was a holy place and could not be used to frighten people, and they surrendered to him. He further had guru puja and annadhanam conducted at the place. Later, he traveled across the Nilgiris and came to a village called Naduhatty.

There is a story according to which, once while crossing a railway track, British soldiers caught Sadhguru for breaking the rule and put him in jail, but he just walked out through the bars leaving everyone surprised. It is said that Sadhguru Shri Brahma performed many miracles in Ooty, like having someone walk on water and suddenly appearing on a motorbike although sitting in a different place, among others.

Then one day, he said he would have to leave and left the place, saying that he would return someday and in a form in which he would have lots of hair on his body.

There’s a story that says that a priest once saw Sadhguru in a state where his body parts were dismantled, and when he screamed in fright, the parts joined back and Sadhguru walked up to him. It is believed Sadhguru Shri Brahma could actually dismantle his body parts and put them together.

Throughout Nilgiri and in Coonoor, Sadhguru is highly revered and a known name in almost every household. In Beratty on the Nilgiris, there are about 150 households and Sadhguru is worshipped in all of them. Despite spending brief time in each of these places in the Nilgiris, Sadhguru has left a deep impact on the people there, and even today, the locals in these regions tell stories of his miracles and greatness.

Time in Edapally

Later, Sadhguru stayed in Edapally in Siddhagiri for the longest time, almost isolated, in a forest area, where almost noone knew of his presence. He stayed here for 48 days. He is believed to roam this region even today and appears in a saintly form to his devotees. Locals say that even today, he continues to appear before them in different forms. People here worship him, chant his name and perform puja and annadhanam. A grand guru puja is conducted at this place and attended by several devotees.

Final Words at Velliangiri Hills

Sadhguru went to the Velliangiri hills, some disciples followed him there, he spoke to them and climbed the hills, announcing that he would ‘come back’. Then his body dissolved in a state of samadhi. Guruvel Swami, one of Sadhguru’s disciples who had followed him there, has written this account. According to him, on the seventh hill, Podhigai hill, he had declared he would return, and since then, devotees have been waiting for him to come back. Sadhguru is said to have a lifetime of 700 years. It is believed that there is a very different kind of energy on the seventh hill, in the Velliangiri mountains, currently in Coimbatore.

Legacy

In various parts of the country where Sadhguru Shri Brahma had lived, people residing there today tell stories of his mystic powers that they have heard about, from their ancestors. It is said that Sadhguru used to cure ailments by smearing vibhuti on the patients. He used to revive snake-bitten people and said that a person is still alive for 3 days after being bitten by a snake and can be brought back to life. He is also known to have documented some herbal combinations which can be used as medicines for certain diseases. He used to relieve people affected by the evil eye, black magic or going through any trouble.

There is a book named Sathsambashini published in 1915 by the Dakshinamurti ashram in Nilgiri district. In this book, Sadhguru Shri Brahma is described as an accomplished Hatha yogi. It is said that he was a Hatha Raja yogi and knew the art of stopping the flow of nadis for a long time. He used to sit underground for long hours in Kanta Samadhi. He had mastered the sushupti avastha. Sometimes he used to go into deep meditation spanning 11 days, asking for complete silence during that time. On the 12th day, people would find him like a dead body, after which as per his instructions, herbs would be smeared on him and hundreds of pots of water would be poured on his body, and he would come back to life.

Sadhguru Shri Brahma is known to have had 9 primary disciples. Many spiritual masters had encountered him, he had initiated some, while some others had walked in his footsteps on their spiritual path. These masters as well as his disciples took an active part in organizing annadhanam, guru pujas, and helping in the removal of discrimination, inequality, and injustice from society. Among the many initiations that Sadhguru performed, most were in the Niligiris, given that the people there were more inclined to spirituality.

It is believed that one who sincerely seeks his grace, all his wishes are fulfilled. In all the places where Sadhguru Shri Brahma stayed, sat in samadhi, or meditated, many people note experiencing a very different kind of energy. Devotees feel overwhelmed with emotion on visiting these places.

Sadhguru Shri Brahma Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, the founder of Isha and a prolific writer, speaker and popular spiritual guru, is believed to be an incarnation of Sadhguru Shri Brahma. He calls him a reminder of himself, saying that even he is full of fire like Sadhguru Shri Brahma. Sadhguru says that Shri Brahma was supernatural and calls him a powerful and magnificent man.

The documentary about Sadhguru Shri Brahma, by PremKV (Samyuktha Productions) is one of the most authentic sources of information about Shri Brahma. PremkV and team have gathered details about the intriguing life and enormous work by Sadhguru Shri Brahma and presented it beautifully in the documentary. Watching this film is a very different experience as its content is gripping, and more importantly, one of the only few valid sources entailing the awe-inspiring journey of Sadhguru Shri Brahma. For a deeper insight into this yogi’s life, you must watch PremKV’s documentary.