The life of Siddharudha Swami

His holiness, Siddharudha Swami was born to Devamallamma, Guru Shantappa on 20th March 1836 at Bidarkote (Bidar). His birth itself was a miracle. One day Lord shiva manifested to Shantappa for his devotion and promised him to be born as his Son. With the words of Lord Shiva, an adorable light merged into him. He shared the incident with his wife, who also shared her darshan of Goddess Parvati in her dreams, illuminating a light in her saree hem. Siddharudha Swami's birth name is Siddha.

At 5, his mother asked him to leave for school. Then he said, I came here as a Guru, “I do not need all this education.” Father denied his words and performed a writing ceremony for his schooling. Father took him to a teacher for his “Aksharabhyas”, a conversation happened among the three on “Omkara”. His father and teacher left wondered at his divine cognizance.

Father: Siddha, write OM.

Swami: what is it?

Father: This is pranava.

Swami: “What is pranava?

Father: You are not qualified to know about it.

Swami: Without knowing about it, I don’t learn.

Teacher: Akara, Ukara Makara is Omkara.

Swami: I asked for the inner explanation.

Teacher: I don’t know you tell me.

Swami: “Om” is the sound of Lord. Besides Akara, Ukara and Makara, there are other two letters Artha matra, Bindu. These five letters represent the five forms of Lord. The five faces are Sadyojata, Vamadeva, Tatpurusha, Aghora, Ishana. Akara-Vamadeva, Ukara-Sadyojata, Makara-Aghora, Suddha Satvaguna-Tatpurusha, Vishuddha- Ishana. When human crosses all these five facets, then he attains the inner meaning of OM. This is the nature of Lord.

One day, Siddha sat on an ox and ordered his friends to feel like an elephant and move on. Buffalo did not move. Then Siddha said to Ox, “you are egoistic, fell down.” Ox fell and dead. Friends informed his mom about it. By the time mom arrived there, Siddha again made ox alive.

One day Siddha and his friends went for swimming in a river. He took a friend in the middle of the river and sank him. His friends informed his mother and all the villagers arrived there. The drowned friend’s mother was furious with Siddha, who asked her to call him. As she called, the boy came out saying that he was in a bliss. When asked the boy and he replied the same. All villagers fell on his feet and asked about the secret. Siddharudha said, “This is Jalavidya. Through Sushumna, he went to Shikha chakra (on the back of shaved head) where his prana is in Puri tati. There he enjoyed the bliss.”

At his 6, when villagers went to Vanabhojana. Siddha joined them but walking slowly. His friend asked “why you are late”. Then Siddha walked quicker and even his friend did not cope up with him. His friend asked, “how did you make it?”. Then swami said, “This is Anila vidya.”

During Vanabhojana, the villagers thought of eating berry fruits. But all the fruits were on the top of the tree. Swami felt their desire and looked at the tree. All fruits fell down. Everyone ate it, and a few who were greedy bagged it. Siddha said, “one should not be greedy, have everything in limited”.

All had Vanabhojana. During their return, they came across a dead snake. All asked swami to make it alive. Swami communicated ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ to the villagers aloud. As they chanted, the snake was alive.

When he was 7, He went to Lord shiva temple and sat in meditation to fulfill his wish of serving a guru. Shiva took the form of snake and bitten him. Siddha shouted and all the villagers arrived there. His Mother cried and blamed Lord shiva who again took a form as Jangama arrived there and tested Siddha’s pulse, which was beating. He also said, “Siddha wants to serve Guru. I can wake him up only when you accept his wish.” As soon as his mother gave her nod, the snake again bitten him in the same place. Siddharudha woke up and asked his mother to permit him to serve a guru.

The next day, He along his friend Soma and other two friends, left the village in search of guru. Soma asked Siddha, “why should we have guru”. Siddha said,” An accomplished guru is a must for getting out of six senses. Without him, you get nothing. He teaches you disciplined living hood.”

On their way, his friends left him for being starved for days. Siddha sat in a cave at golconda fort and observed meditation. Then he left for Srisailam, followed by Raichot. There, he enquired residents, known about Gajadanda Maha swami and served in his ashram, rendering his services as a sweeper for 12 years.

One day, his guru asked him to learn shastras. At his19, when his guru was orating Upanishads to the group of his followers, a Brahmin by name, Subbayya shastri, attended it. He began criticising Gajadanda, saying, “only brahmin should orate Upanishads, no other are qualified, have a debate with me”.

Then Siddha asked guru to allow him for a debate with Shastri. After a heated debated, which even astonished Gajadanda. Subbayya fell on Siddha’s feet and apologised to Gajadanda. All his followers were happy.

Siddha wore a shiva lingam for 12 years. After this argument, he gave that linga to his guru and asked permission to leave. Then Guru gave the shiva lingam back. He asked should not do. Swami said, “I’m rejoicing in the inner Jyotirlingam. Now, there is no point in wearing it.” Gajadanda understood swami is not an ordinary practitioner but a great yogi. He took shiva lingam from swami and regarded him ‘Aaruda Bharathi’. With this, swami was popular as Siddharudha Swami. Though Swami is higher than his guru, it is evitable for a person to serve a guru. He also communicated the inner wisdom to his guru.

After he left his guru’s ashram, Siddharudha Swami left for Hampi and visited Virupaksha temple. There, he observed meditation in a cave for 3 days. He Visited all the temples from kashmir to Kanyakumari destroying the pride of ignorants to spread the divine wisdom.

One day when swami was in Srisailam having lunch, a group of Lingayats came there. They criticised swami about not wearing a shiva lingam. Then Siddharudha said “My shiva lingam is internal and always illuminates, your shiva lingam shines external. Brahmins wearing sacred thread is their ignorance. You wearing shiva lingam is also the sign of ignorance.” Even then, they did not stop their criticism. Siddharudha left the place, leaving them to their karma. All had a shower and shiva lingam disappeared from their Japmala during their worship. One devotee from them the glory of swami. They apologised and meditated Siddharudha Swami, who appeared on a tiger. Lingayats requested him for shiva lingam. Then Siddharudha asked to chant ‘om namah shivaya’ mantra aloud. They said “one should not chant loudly”. Siddharudha asked, “what will happen? You people are foolish, just chant.” All chanted 3 times ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ aloud and got their shiva lingams back.

One day Siddharudha left for Kasi to have darshan of Vyasa maharishi consecrated shiva lingam. There, a priest felt bad with the story of Vyasa criticising lord shiva for not giving him food for 3 days. Hearing this, Siddharudha Swami said, “He was about to curse Lord Shiva and Deity Annapurna Devi out of his pride of being a great sage. While he lifted his hands to curse, it fell down. Lord Shiva manifested and said, “you being maharishi felt pride and tried to curse us. Get out of Kasi. It’s my order. Never come gain”. Feeling bad for his pride, he consecrated a shiva lingam as an apology to Lord Shiva and Deity Annapurna Devi on the other side of the Ganga river banks. In this way, Swami explained the story of Vyasa Maharshi to the priest.

The other incident in kasi was a lesson taught by swami to brahmins. At Annapurneswari hall, the food was being served and Siddharudha sat there with them to have it. Brahmins asked him to sit at the place where their footwear left. Obeying them, he had his food and left the plate there. Then a brahmin said “will your father takeout this plate”. “Yes, if I desire,” replied swami. Then a Yatiswar arrived there, looked at that brahmin with angry and took out the plate. Meanwhile, a woman also there, washed his hands and left. Seeing this incident, all fell on his feet. The woman was Deity Annapurna, and the Yatiswar was Lord Shiva.

One day, when Siddharudha was in Karnataka. he sat with Brahmins for lunch. Few came and showed him the other place where food was offered to others. Then Siddharudha asked, “who is a Brahmin? Is it for body, atman?” A heated argument raised, and a brahmin felt he had a great wisdom and asked him “why you don’t have a Shikha and sacred thread.” Siddharudha replied, “why should I?”. Then brahmins asked, “you don’t possess yati qualities too. Who are you?. Is your argument valid as per Vedas?”. Swami replied, “My qualities are Brahmajnana. wisdom is my kamandalu, divinity is my zen stick. I’m a purified brahmin. One who recites Vedas is a brahmin, who experiences the Veda is a purified brahmin. no brahmin is here, all are shudras.” All brahmins pride disappeared with swami words and they fell on his feet.

One day when Siddharudha Swami was in Mahabaleshwar, he met a yogi named Jadi swami were hungry and went to the temple to have Prasad offered to God. The priest carrying the offering was going inside the temple to offer it to God. Then Swami said to offer it to him, and as he is Mahabaleshwar. The priest was much anger and asked him to show his strength and power. When he was going inside to offer it to God, Jadi swami stopped him, then all the other priests arrived there and rounded to beat him. Then Siddharudha Swami said, “You are confined yourself to God’s presence in an idol. How ignorants you are? Don’t you know God is omnipresent in all the beings. Is he only inside the sanctum of the temple? Understand the God’s omnipresence and offer the food to the needy.” All the priests were guilt and fell on the divine feet of swami.

Siddharudha Swami also shown Mano vayu siddhi (ability of a siddhaguru giving darshan to a person living elsewhere, while sitting in his own place) to his devotees. There are many incidents in the life of devotees who worshipped swami with reverence and love. Swami left his body on 29th August 1929. It was a sad demise.

Siddharudha Swami - Om Mantra Sadhana

1. “OM” is the combination of the letter A, U, M, Arthamatra, and Bindu (dot).
2. These five letters have a connection with faces of the lord - Sadyojata, Vamadeva, Tatpurusha, Aghora and Ishana.
3. The God related to “A” is - Vamadeva, who faces North.
4. The God associated with “U” is Sadyojata, who faces west.
5. The God connected with “M” is Aghora, who faces south.
6. The God associated with “Arthamatra” is Tatpurusha, who faces east.
7. The God associated with “Bindu” is Ishana, who faces sky.
8. Human being should cross all these steps to reach divinity and experience the divine.