Shri Siddheshwar Swamiji

Introduction

Siddeshwar Swami was a spiritual guru known in India for his yoga and spiritual teachings. Swami established Jnanayogashrama in Vijayapura (formerly Bijapur), Karnataka, India.

He turned down the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award in India when it was offered to him in 2018. He had also previously declined an honorary doctorate from Karnataka University.

Early Life

Swami was born on September 5, 1940, as Siddagonda Ogappa Biradar to agricultural workers Ogeppagouda Siddhagonda Patil and Sangamma Ogeppagouda Patil. Three sons and three girls were born to a zamindar, with Swami being the oldest. He was always interested in religious matters and spent a lot of time studying Hindu scriptures as well as practicing yoga and meditation. He completed primary education at the age of 14 and became a dedicated devotee of Mallikarjun Swami's ashram. He did his pre-university education in Vijayapura before graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Karnatak University in Dharwad. He then received a postgraduate degree in philosophy from Shivaji University in Kolhapur, Maharashtra.

Religious Career

Swami studied and practiced the teachings of Hindu books, particularly the Bhagavad Gita and Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, for several years after completing his training. He also toured India, giving presentations and leading prayers and meditations. Swami founded Jnanayogashrama in Karnataka. He taught one of the three classical paths to moksha (liberation), Jnana yoga, also known as jnana marga. The other two are karma yoga (the road of action) and bhakti yoga (the path of dedicated devotion to a personal god). His lectures were centered around the spiritual teachings of Sri Basaveshwara and other Sharanas, or the three Acharyas of Indian philosophy, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sufism. His simple-language presentations on many yoga ideas and complex philosophical themes gathered a large audience from all religious backgrounds.

His followers included Muslims who headed to his ashram to hear his lectures, even though he was a Hindu religious leader. His talks were filled with stories from Basavanna's Sharana culture.

He was also believed to have gained inspiration from the writings of Shankaracharya, Madhavacharya, and Ramanujacharya, along with other religious figures such as Jesus, Abraham, and Mohammed. The majority of his lectures were given in Kannada, Marathi, and English.

Swami was well-known for his charity work, which included the establishment of numerous charitable organizations to help people in need, in addition to his yoga and spiritual teachings. He wrote more than 20 books on Indian philosophy and Vachana Sahitya. Many of his words are additionally converted into books.

Swami turned down the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award, in 2018, claiming that "he had zero interest in such awards" as a sanyasi. He earlier declined an honorary doctorate from Karnataka University. He also returned money granted by the Karnataka government for the ashram's growth, stating that the ashram did not need it.

Personal Life and Death

Swami used to live in the Jnanayogashrama ashram in a two-room house. Swami died at 6:05 p.m. on January 2, 2023, after a long illness caused by age-related problems. His death rituals were performed on the ashram grounds according to his wishes, which he wrote down on Guru Purnima day in 2014. The Karnataka government decided to perform a state funeral for Swami, according to an official announcement. He had multiple fractures from a fall while visiting a devotee's home, but he had fully recovered. He refused treatment and was restricted to a wheelchair for a few weeks before his death. He just consumed painkillers.

His lifeless remains were kept in the ashram for public viewing until 4:30 a.m. on January 3, 2023, when they were moved to the Sainik School grounds for his devotees to pay their last respects.

His mortal remains were subsequently brought back to the ashram for last rites. According to his wishes, his remains were burned without any post-mortem rituals, and no memorial was built in his honor.

Some Facts about Shri Siddheshwar Swamiji

• Pravachans were given in Kannada, English, Marathi, Hindi, and Sanskrit.
• Swamiji has authored a number of publications on the Upanishads, Gita, Sharana philosophy, and general spirituality. After graduating at the age of 19, he wrote "Siddantha Shiromani" under the supervision of Sri Mallikarjun Swamiji. God, World, and Soul: Reflections on Saintly Sayings, Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, Kathamrutha, Tales given by Shri Siddheshwara Swamiji, Ananda yoga, and Allamaprabhu's Vachana Nirvachana are some of his significant works.
• He was known as the 'Nadedado Narayan,' which translates as the 'walking deity of north Karnataka,' and was commonly referred to as Buddiji.