Shri. Sivanesan Swamiji
12th April 1927 to 12th February 1996 ( Night around 12:10 )
Pujyaya Dharma Padaya SaiTatwa Vrathayacha
Sadashivaya Shantaya Sri Sivanesan Swami Gurubhyo Namaha
Birth and Childhood:
Shri. Sivanesan Swamiji was born at Nayakkar Palayam in Coimbatore district of once Madras state (present Tamilnadu state) on the Ramanavami (i.e. 12th April, 1927). It was the same holy day Shri Ramnavami which was the choicest of Shri Saibaba, the same tuesday on which Shri Saibaba took his Samadhi and exactly after 9 years after His mahasamadhi, Shri Sivanesan Swamiji was born. His parents Alamelu and Kalappa Nayakkar Muthaiah were cultured and well off. He was the youngest child of the three (Rangaswamy (brother) and Ambujam (sister), who was really not interested in formal education, though He did study upto 8th standard. His family was a devotional family. Visiting temples, reading holy scriptures, doing charity were their daily deeds. By helping the needy they stood as a role model to the villagers. Shri Swamiji indicated right from his birth that he was not any ordinary being but came with a purpose to this world by showing the signs of two teeth and a piece of hair (known as shika) on his head. Everyone in his family were the devotees of Lord Shiva. Because of their devotion to Lord Shiva, they named him Sivanesan which means "devotee of Shiva" or " One who is having love for Shiva"
His childhood is having lot of divine incidents which show that in future he will become a mahaatma and guide people. To name a few incidents, a snake would hold his hood on the head of swamji while he was sleeping, once he went to samadhi state and everyone thought that he was dead as there was no movement in his body and he was not even breathing and later when he came out of the samadhi state, to astonish everyone, he repeated all their talks . He was withdrawn and would wander of to far off places and meditate in solitude, often missing His meals. Right from his childhood he used to maintain silence and preferred being alone. He used to answer with one or two words. A cave near to his home was having a photo of shri shirdi saibaba sitting on the stone, few of the people used to offer their salutations, and others their puja. Though he was unaware whose photograph it was, Shri Swamiji used to daily visit Shri Saibaba and offer his salutations whole heartedly.
Guru Grace:
He understood at a very young age that the education which is taught in the schools are only for wordly livelihood purpose and doesnt help in anyway to progress spiritually and left his school education in middle and later applied for matriculation on compulsion from his family and he couldn't clear the exam. And he understood that without food for body, he cant reach the ultimate goal of salvation. So for that he need to earn, as he felt that he shouldn't be a burden to anyone, he had done many small jobs whichever came his way. Like he worked as salesman for a meagre salary of 5 per month in a bookshop, and had been removed because he showing more interest in reading the books rather than the sales of the books.
One incident which had influenced his life happened during that time. There was plague epidemic spreading all over the area, and lot of rats and people were being killed because of plague. One rat died in the shop where swamiji was working because of plague and no one dared to go near it. But swamiji without listening to anyone went ahead and removed the rat and burnt away the dead body of rat. For the welfare of all, he put his life at stake, and proved to everyone that doing good to others is such a noble cause.That same evening, swamiji was affected with plague and had a high fever with reddish eyes. By seeing this the shopkeeper with fear of plague, alongwith his family, left the village to his relatives house at a far away village. For three days, swamiji was unconsicious and nobody dared to go near him, thinking that for sure he will die. Everyone blamed him saying unnecessarily he brought onto his life by going to the extreme of doing good to others. But on the fourth day, turning down everyone's expectations miracaluosuly swamiji came to consciousness and within two to three days, he became alright. On the other hand his owners son died, though they wen to a far away village and with lot of grief, they returned back to the village. With this incident, swamiji got a clarity on birth and death that "without the will of god, nothing will happen. No one can our destiny, every living being which had been born has to die someday. However far we may go, we cant avoid death". With this strong conviction, Shri Swamiji increased his devotional practices with much intense.
After this he had done some more jobs and once while he was doing the job of helper for daily wages in the electricity department, his family objected him for doing this kind of job and he convinced them that we need to have the dignity of labour and convinced them. During this time only his mother passed away, and as the internal churing of the birth and death topic made him leave his hometown coimbatore and reach Bombay (present day Mumbai) in search of the light which can guide him and answer questions arised in his mind. Here also swamiji did various jobs, there He met Muthaiah Swami of Vallanadu village who became His mentor and Guru. He Progressed rapidly spiritually, and learnt much about the Self, and Vedanta. Deep in His heart He was longing for 'the light'. He left Bombay and wandered about, and had a brief stay at Nityanand Ashram. From thence to Nasik and finally to Shirdi in 1953. As soon as He stepped into the Dwarakamai, He knew He had found ‘The Light' and Baba enveloped Him with His grace. The love and bond between the two was so deep that He never left Shirdi.
At Shirdi:
His life at Shirdi was an endless 'Seva routine'. He worked and cleaned every temple in Shirdi, but his favourite was DWARAKAMAI. The lamps of Dwarakamai shone like gold, after He cleaned them. He was made incharge of the Chavadi. He looked after it lovingly but never forsook Dwarakamai. In His spare time He would clean the Dwarakamai from top to bottom.
His clothes were a simple white and he was just as pure. Any dakshina he received was immediately spent on buying sacred books or food for the poor. Swamiji was a voracious reader and a linguist. He knew about ten languages, thus he held Satsang with anybody, advising and helping them along (using the mother tongue of the devotees). He was a great advocate of ‘Pradakshina' and would be up, and doing pradakshina around Gurusthan at about 3.00 or 3.30 AM, thence it was Lendi Bagh and Datta Mandir. He also advised his devotees to do the same for their health, and spiritual well being. He started the Chavadi Bhajans after the Evening Arati for an hour. His favourite was "Sai Bhavani" which is sung the world over.
Dhuni Puja was a 'must' ritual with him. Many devotees have benefitted from this and are continuing to do so. He gave Baba's Udi and Tirth to everyone who went to see him and nobody returned empty handed. But life at Shirdi was not easy. He often went hungry and without a place to rest. But this only made Him more energetic, it seems.
He was an apostle of Baba and He spread Baba's name throughout the world, by asking Baba devotees to build Baba temples, write their experiences, do Satsang and Naam Jap.
After short illness He took Mahasamadhi on 12th February, 1996. His Mahasamadhi is on Pimpalwadi Road about two and half kilometres from the present day newly constructed Prasadalaya. The Sree Sadguru Sivanesan Swamiji Gurukulam, his Samadhi and the Museum is maintained by M/s.Meher Dhun Endowment Trust (R) as a Public Charitable Trust.
When one's ego is completely annihilated and there is left no trace of it, I Myself shall enter into him and shall Myself write My own life" - Baba's declaration while blessing Sri Hemadpant to write Sri Sai Satcharitra. Pujyasri Sivanesan Swamiji who lived in Shirdi for 45 years and took samadhi in 1996 is the solid proof of this statement. With Sai seva in perfection with absolutely no claim by himself to mention, he was an exemplary Sai devotee to show the world how the Guru-sishya relation should be i.e. eventhough two personalities one in his Guru Sadguru Sainath and the other in himself existed physically but the soul in both was one. In other words eventhough the physical frame named Pujyasri Sivanesan Swamiji was there, in reality, it was Baba who acted perfectly from within the Swamiji. Even during his final period disclaiming any kind of importance for him the revered Swamiji wished that devotees should follow Baba, chant His sweet name, paving way for their merger into Baba Himself.
Although Swamiji is not with us in the physical body, His love and legacy lives on. Numerous Baba Temples are found all over the world. These were constructed upon his advice and instructions. His love for ‘Naam Jap’ and ‘Bhajans’ have flourished everywhere. Most endearing is that Swamiji gives dream visions and Sakshatkar in which he advices, encourages and blesses and inspires his devotees to continue doing Saibaba’s Seva.
Samadhi Mandir
Sivanesan Swamiji Samadhi Mandir, Pimpalwadi Road, Shirdi.
Sivanesan Swamiji Samadhi Mandir is open from 5:30 AM in the morning till 11:00 PM in the night.
Daily Programmes in Swamiji Ashram
Aarti Timings :
Kakad Aarti Madhyanha Aarti Dhoop Aarti Shej Aarti
5:30 AM 12:30 PM 6:30 PM 10:00 PM
Large Scale celebration of festivals:
1. 12th April of every year – Sivanesan Swamiji Birth Day.
2. 12th February of every year – Swamiji Punyatithi
3. Datta Jayanthi
4. Ramanavami
5. Vijayadashmi 6. Gurupoornima - Palki Utsav
7. Deepavali
Location and Direction
Location Pimpalwadi Road, Shirdi.
Address The Sree Sadguru Sivanesan Swamiji Gurukulam,
Pimpalwadi Road, Shirdi.
Maharashtra, India.
