Hagiography of Swami Brahmananda
The Life of Achintya Baba
His fuller name is Brahmananda Sri Shiva Prabhakara Siddha-Yogi Paramahamsa. It is mentioned that Swami Brahmananda was born on March 31, 1263, and realized the rainbow body on April 6, 1986. Brahmananda was a disciple of a master in the Siddha tradition, Sri Paambati. Swami Paambati is very well known in Kerala, where there are many devotees and witnesses to his miracles. Swami Brahmananda lived without aging for many epochs in many places in India, both in the north and in the south, under different names. He was a master of the secret technique of parakaya-pravesha and repeatedly entered the bodies of various people. Swami realized mahasamadhi in Amalur near Kerala in 1986. After that, Siddha Brahmananda came more than once to his chosen disciples, to whom he transmitted secret knowledge, thereby showing that he had transcended the laws of time and rebirth. In the legends of Kerala, Parashurama is mentioned, who, by throwing his axe, indicated the place of the end of the land called Kerala. This land extends from Kokarnam to Kanyakumari. Parashurama blessed and glorified sixty-four sages—the Nambudiri Brahmins.
The most paradoxical thing is that Brahmananda was also seen and photographed after death. That is, the concept of death for him is not the same as it is for a human being. When Neem Karoli Baba left the body, about a month later one of his devotees had a wedding, and at that wedding he congratulated the newlyweds and rejoiced. When we think about this from the point of view of human logic, it does not fit in our minds, but from the point of view of the siddhas it is normal.
Lineage and Origin
They divided into two lineages: one was called the lineage of Aghavorman, the second the lineage of Azhvancheri. Parashurama lived in the second lineage. The Aghavorman lineage was the abode of the family of the first part of the Namboodiri Brahmins, from which Maharishi Vararuchi himself came, and it observed the traditions of Suryavamsam. The Azhvancheri lineage was the abode of the family of the second part of the Namboodiri Brahmins, who called themselves the Samuthiri lineage and observed the traditions of Samuthiri Agnihotra Vamsam. Brahmananda’s father and mother belonged to different lineages, therefore Brahmananda is considered the continuer of both lineages.
Aghavormanai was a very large kingdom and possessed an enormous amount of land, more than nine hundred and seventeen towns and villages. Two thousand years ago, Aghavormanai was located in Kodungallur. Saathan, the cousin of the poet Thiruvalluvar, was born into a low-caste family. His family and the twelve children of his brothers were servants in the palace of Thirumenih Aghavor. The Namboodiri lineage was a noble lineage from which the ruler of those lands was chosen. This lineage was engaged in religious practice and ritual ceremonies; it belonged to the Brahmin caste. This lineage always possessed mystical powers.
One of the palaces of the Aghavor lineage was mystical. It was located in Sangarapazzi and was called Sodasanam, because it had sixteen floors, while all the other palaces had six or eight floors. Sodasanam was so enormous that it accommodated a large number of people, and fifty-five elephants lived in it. All who lived in this palace were called raja-gurus. They were revered as rulers, and people sought advice, help, and protection from them. At birth Brahmananda received the status of Maharaja, since his father was the ruler of Aghavor.
Maharishi Vararuchi had twelve children:
Melathol Agnihotri
Rajagan
Perunthachan
Thiruvalluvar
Vaduthalainayar
Karaikal Ammaiyar
Uppanchan
Paakanar
Narayanathu Pranthan
Akavur Saathan (Unnikkonar)
Raakanar
Vailla Kannilappan
The Birth and Childhood of Brahmananda
The lineage of his father, Ravinarayana Namboodiri, comes from the Agharvomanai tradition, and his mother Lakshmi from the Mutt Azhvanzheriyu tradition. Of the 12 children of Namboodiri and Lakshmi, Brahmananda was born the tenth. At his birth in 1263, on March 31, in the month of the Pururuttathu star, fifty-five elephants came to him to pay their respects. Brahmananda was the reincarnation of the god Ayyappa and Pulinayaka Swamiyar, who descended from Mount Kailash.
Meeting Guru Paambati
When Brahmananda was three and a half years old, a wandering sadhu (Sri Paambati), belonging to the Kozhai Vamsam family, which traces back to the dynasty in Tamil Nadu Marudamalai, came to their palace. He often visited the palace and later settled near it. Namboodiri was certain that Lord Shiva had taken the form of the sadhu. The sadhu lived like a beggar, traveling and living on alms, sometimes disappearing for several days. The sadhu would come and manifest various miracles, astonishing everyone with his power.
After eighteen months, the sadhu proposed to Namboodiri that he give one of his children to be trained. This offer left the parents confused, but they understood that it was a fortunate opportunity to train one of the children in the secret sciences. Although Lakshmi had reached the stage of realization of anthar-jnanam, she could not choose a child for the sadhu.
Then the sadhu gathered all the children and asked them: “Who wishes to follow me on a long journey?” The royal children were pampered and accustomed to enjoying honors and wealth, and although they understood the greatness of the sadhu and his power, they could not follow a beggar and lose all the blessings they received as children of kings. Only Brahmananda answered the sadhu: “I agree to go with you, great sadhu, and I will do whatever you command.” At that time Brahmananda was five years old. He himself made the decision to follow the guru, to serve him faithfully, and to take nothing in return.
Training in the Himalayas
They left the palace and headed to the palace of Panthalam, where the child received a blessing from the ruler. Shiva took the form of Sri Paambati, coming to Aghavormanai in search of Brahmananda Prabhakara, just as earlier he had taken the form of Kannappa Nayanar to search for Manikkavasagar near Kurunda Hill.
The sadhu and Brahmananda headed north to Margam Kagana, through Nepal, and came to the Himalayas. On the mountain slopes, the sadhu gave him difficult training, and under strict discipline Brahmananda carried it out for forty-five years. The sadhu taught Brahmananda the art of pranayama, hatha and laya yoga. He initiated Brahmananda into the ancient and secret knowledge of ashtama siddhi. He transmitted the secret knowledge of parakaya praveshana—the art of entering various bodies—as well as the secret methods of thiraskarni—the art of dissolving into sunlight by transforming the body into a perfect, indestructible, and eternal one that casts no shadow and can appear at any point in the universe.
Manifestations of Siddhi
Having trained for a long time under the guidance of Sri Paambati, Brahmananda became a master of ashtama siddhi. Later Swami assumed the body of Poondi Mohan of Tiruvannamalai. This saint became famous because his body, without aging, remained in the river sand for more than a hundred years. Thus did the siddha Brahmananda manifest his power.
Swami entered his fifteenth body in Tuticorin, dissolving it in the Light in his Prabhakara Siddha Ashram in Omalur on Tiger Hill (Pathanamthitta, Kerala), where he lived for more than thirty years in the Manasaputram hut. In the Tamil month of Panguni, on April 6, 1986, before the eyes of many male and female devotees of Lakhs Pururuttathi, Swami attained samadhi. He was then 723 years old.
In the ancient scriptures it is said that no one can attain samadhi in the month of their birth. Brahmananda transcended these limitations and attained samadhi in the month of his birth, thereby showing his boundless power.
Mahasamadhi
On this day, Swami personally prepared food, distributed it to his devotees, and entered samadhi, dissolving into light. Eyewitnesses described various incredible things that were happening before their eyes at that moment. They saw that a hurricane suddenly arose, lightning flashed, and clouds covered the entire sky. The electricity went out. A wind of incredible force swept everything away, and lightning bolts flashed everywhere. And all this was happening in extraordinary silence. Neither people nor animals made a sound.
Tamil pilgrims testify to the miracles of the siddha Swami Brahmananda. Some saw him flying, others saw him become invisible. Many saw him turn metal into gold. He read the thoughts of others and could foresee the future. He performed many inexplicable and mysterious miracles. The greatest miracle was his dissolution into light before the eyes of all those present on the day of his birth. This was published in the newspapers “Mathrubhoomi” and “Malayala Manorama.”
The Incident with the Fishermen
In 1933, near the city of Cochin in the Arabian Sea, a huge fish was caught with a Kambavali fishing net. From its belly they pulled out something that was neither quite a fish nor quite a human being. The fishermen were bewildered. They could not understand how this creature could breathe underwater. Signs of a fish were drawn on the creature’s body. The newspapers “Sean-Man” and “Sub Venugopalan Mattancheri” questioned the fishermen about the details of this incident and published sensational articles every day about this incomprehensible creature.
Brahmananda was placed in Ernakulam Hospital for study. There it was established that this creature was a human being resembling a sailor, who had inexplicably lived for more than 100 years in the belly of a fish. This was determined through careful examination of his feces, which contained moss, pebbles, and remains of fish whose age was established to be at least 100 years.
Imprisonment
The British government became interested in Brahmananda and, after a thorough investigation, concluded that he was a Japanese spy who had been specially trained to be sent to India to gather valuable information. He was handed over to the Mattancherry police department, where he was placed in prison and carefully guarded.
He spent forty-one days in prison; all this time Brahmananda showed no signs of life: his heart was beating, his body was warm, he was breathing, but he did not move. Another of his bodies was walking near the prison along the avenue; a third body of Swami came to the office of the prison warden; and a fourth body came to the officer in charge of the prisoners. The three bodies that were not in the cell were detained by the guards, but when they were being led to the body that lay motionless in the cell, they disappeared.
The guard became angry and began beating the lying Swami with a club. Swami came to and said that all the blows the guard inflicted on his body were being received by the guard’s wife and children, and that they were suffering greatly from them. When the guard came home, he became convinced that this was indeed what had happened: his family was suffering greatly from bruises on their bodies. He repented and, entering Swami’s cell, fell at his feet, asking for forgiveness. Brahmananda uttered words of forgiveness and, rising upward in the lotus posture, disappeared.
Soon the prison chief received an invitation to the Aghavar palace, where Brahmananda showed him documents and copper plates on which the name Brahmananda Sri Shiva Prabhakara Siddha Yogi was engraved. Swami declared that he was the very one whose name was written on these plates. The next day this news spread throughout the entire district, and correspondents from the newspapers “Malayala Manorama” and “Pauradhoni” wrote extensive articles on the matter.
Guru Brahmananda in the Avadhuta Tradition
Who is an Avadhuta? He is the ruler of all jnanis. He gains complete control over all worlds and laws. His mystical power is so great that all beings in various parts of the universe obey him. An Avadhuta is Sarva Sunthanthira Purusha himself — one who attains perfect independence and freedom to go anywhere and do anything. Fires, wind, rain, rulers, animals — everything falls under the power of his activity. An Avadhuta is so great that from a single spoken word, great merit and knowledge are transmitted to the soul. All of nature and all laws are entrusted to the governance of the avadhuta, who uses them as he chooses.
Swami became a master in the Avadhuta Layakshana tradition through a long period of secluded practice under the guidance of his Guru Paambati. He manifested many miracles, demonstrating the greatness of this tradition. Swami said that he had been the original master-holder of the secret Avadhuta Layakshana tradition for 600 years.
The Conference in Kashi
Swami Brahmananda often told the story of how 500 years ago, in Vyasarpitam in Kashi, masters of various yoga traditions gathered for a conference. The sages Sarathan and Susurathan, the founders of Ayurveda and mixtures, as well as many pandits, were present there. The discussion addressed a very important question — how a person could live for a long period of life and not grow old, like Bhima.
Brahmananda was also present at this conference. He expressed his opinion, saying that it was possible. He hinted that he had created a snow man, completely covered with hair, eight feet tall, and named him Kochuraman. And he created for him a female companion seven feet tall named Poattiyaa, who in appearance resembled the beautiful Thaadagai, Ravana’s sister from the Ramayana. The snow people are also known by the names Yeti and Himamanithan. By the power of his blessing, Brahmananda bestowed upon the snow people a very long lifespan. This was done in the Himalayas near Muktinath, where Brahmananda received secret knowledge from Sri Paambati.
Swami Vivekananda wrote in his memoirs that he received a blessing from the avadhuta Brahmananda under a banyan tree, where he was performing severe tapas. In the later works of Soattaanikarai Devi Mahamya, it is mentioned that for 600 years Brahmananda led a hidden life, and few knew of him.
Multiple Incarnations
Many places are mentioned where Brahmananda lived, changing bodies through parakaya-pravesha:
In Aaram Muzha — under the name Vazhiatu Sankarapillai
Kottayam Maniampadam — under the name Lyappa Mathew
Erimeli — under the name Rajan
Erimeli — under the name Parameshvaran Pillai
Aatu Maakanaaru — under the name Pillai
Maakanur — under the name Thangappan
Haripadu — under the name Gopi
Haripadu — under the name Sankaranarayanan
Kaarthigaipalli — under the name Rajan
Omalur — under the name Nathakuzhi
Oachira — under the name Shankarapillai
Gulam — under the name Oachira
Vallikaadu — under the name Tiravanam
Mannar Kaai — under the name Chellappan Pillai
Kumaranallur — was a postman
Swami Brahmananda is an example of multidimensional consciousness: many bodies, many names, many biographies, many places of dwelling. This is a true siddha being who realized multi-bodiedness, the siddhis of the illusory body. This shows the greatness and diversity of the consciousness of an avadhuta.
When we think in limited human categories, we always have one name, one body, one life; but for a true mahasiddha-avadhuta, there can be many names, many bodies, many lives, because consciousness has the ability to manifest boundlessly in different aspects. When we read the “Dattatreya Kavacha” or other texts, we see there thousands of names of Dattatreya, thousands of names of Shiva, one hundred and eight names of Lakshmi, and so on. This indicates the diversity of the consciousness of the deity.
Other Names of Swami Brahmananda
Also mentioned are twenty temples in which Swami Brahmananda lived, as well as other names of Swami Brahmananda:
1. Swami Punnunakki – stayed in the places Trichendur, Ernakulam, and Cochin
2. Swami Hanuman – stayed in the places Chengannur and Kuttanaadam
3. Swami Uniyappa – stayed in the places Kottarakkara
4. Swami Punnunaki – stayed in the places Oachira and Kollam
5. Swami Anama – stayed in the places Alappuzha and Manosarovar
6. Bhagavan Achintyam – stayed in the places Manosarovar and Patchinam
Also mentioned are eleven places where he often appeared, and many people who received blessings from Swami Brahmananda: Matha Sri Amritanatha Maya Devi, Bhadran Amritanada Maya, the Malayalam actor Mohanlal and his uncle Gopipillai Mohanlal, many people from Oachira and Vallikavu. Swami materialized a statue of Ganapati Vigraham and handed it to Mohanlal, who performs puja to it to this day.
Testament and Legacy
In 1986, after the destruction of the Aghavor Manai palace built by Sanathan, Swami Brahmananda attained Mahasamadhi and, dissolving his fifteenth body in the Light, departed, promising to take on 3 more bodies. He bequeathed Tiger Hill as a shrine for all devotees of any faith. Everyone has equal rights in this holy place. Anyone may worship and honor this place, offering gifts to it, and perform puja.
It is believed that, having visited this place once, one will never forget it and will receive endless blessing. Every month, devoted followers of Brahmananda distribute food on Tiger Hill.
Disciples and Successors of the Tradition
In the 20th century, only two disciples received the transmission of the teaching from Swami Brahmananda: Swami Brahmarishi Siddharajan and Swami Vishnu Dev. Brahmananda also called the second disciple Swami Vishnu Devand. He passed on to the disciples the blessing to continue the traditions of the layakshana avadhutas and the secret methods of the ancient sages. In his notes, Brahmananda remarks that in the future he places special hopes on a disciple named Swami Vishnu Dev, who will live far in the North.
After his dissolution into the light, Brahmananda was often seen in the Himalayas, where he received initiation from Sri Paambati, near Lake Manasarovar and in northern India. Brahmarishi asserted that Swami had become immortal and that he is constantly in contact with him, receiving instructions.
Samadhi in Sankarankovil
Brahmananda gave instructions to build a cave in Sankarankovil for his samadhi next to Guru Paambati, where in the 1990s he once again intended to enter samadhi and dissolve into the light. When the place was completed, Brahmananda once again dissolved into the light in the presence of his disciple Brahmarishi.
Swami Brahmarishi Siddharajan was a disciple of Swami Brahmananda, who transmitted secret knowledge to him and taught him the art of ashtama-siddhi. In numerous conversations, after Brahmananda disappeared, entering samadhi in 1986, Brahmarishi stated that he had seen his guru again. Brahmarishi asserted that Swami had become immortal, and that he appears and disappears, transmitting secret knowledge. It also became known from Brahmarishi’s conversations that he is constantly in contact on the invisible plane with Brahmananda, who gives him instructions.
A Spiritual Brother in the North
Brahmananda told Brahmarishi that he had another disciple far in the north, to whom, during his travels through various countries, he had given secret instructions and transmitted the title of the layakshana avadhuta tradition. After this, in conversations Brahmarishi often spoke very highly of his spiritual brother in the north, calling him a maharaja — a master who awakens people’s minds.
The Immortal Himalayan Snowman
This interview was conducted by the Tamil newspaper "Manorama" with Swami Brahmananda’s disciple — Swami Siddharajan Brahmarishi.
Question: Swamiji! What is the essence of the philosophy of Lord Shankara-Narayana and his consort Gomathi Amman?
Sri Siddharajan:
The radiant glow, constantly expanding and surrounding all particles, is called Shankara-Narayana. Lord Shankara abides in the form of the eternal sacred particle of the word “Ham,” and Lord Narayana abides in the form of the eternal sacred particle of the word “Sam.” These sacred words were revered by all the ancient great siddhas who knew the value of these words. No one can determine exactly when this mantra originated.
Lord Shiva, shining with radiant light, took the form of the great mantra “Namah Shivaya,” bestowing upon all devotees the brilliance of his radiance. Because of his favor toward devotees, they quickly receive grace and blessing from him. By uniting the two syllables, “Nama” and “Shivaya,” the person who repeats them becomes perfect, acquiring great benefit.
This powerful five-syllable mantra, otherwise called “Vindu Mandalam,” is an ancient method, or muppuram. The Great Lord Shiva carried out the great kindling of the fire by means of ancient methods and raised it upward. By this he destroyed the cycle of birth. Having thus attained spirituality, he was able to unite the soul with the synthesis of the five elements, dissolving them in the fire of the sun, moon, and fire. Thus, having achieved realization and gained contemplation of the radiance of the atoms of all particles, he merged his body with the single source of energy, immersing himself in infinite space and thereby overcoming ignorance.
When a person is granted the fortune of finding a true guru, and if he comes to know such mysteries as I have mentioned, then he will undoubtedly touch the feet of God, having attained the supreme realization. The eight mystical powers are called Shankara Gomathi. If a person succeeds in practice and receives grace from the Divine Mother, he will undoubtedly touch the sacred feet of God Shiva. And the eight mysterious mystical powers of God Shiva will merge with the noble soul, granting realization as “eight plus two.”
Predictions of Sri Brahmananda
Brahmarishi recorded some predictions that Sri Brahmananda told him:
Many siddhas possessing magic will appear, who will show various miracles but will not attain the knowledge of endless samadhi.
Many will master the art of secret pranayama, and, having mastered control and regulation of the breath, will be able to subdue energies, attaining great spirituality, becoming people who see God, realizing jnana, and achieving divine realization by dissolving in the light.
There will be many masters and saints divided into three levels: the first — avadhutas, those who have transcended all laws; the second — immortals, those who have transcended the laws of fate; the third — masters who control life processes, who will transcend aging and be able to prolong life.
Saints will appear who, with mystical prana alone, are capable of burning with a shining fire the minds of people lost in desires.
Many new religions will appear, which, like waves, will come and go.
The science of energy will develop, and everyone will be able to observe the miracles performed by it.
There will appear those who will captivate others with miracles, but by this they will destroy themselves.
Many masters will appear in other countries, perfect jnanis possessing colossal, unprecedented energy, who will be able to absorb others with their power, helping them advance.
Many will be able to become immortal by observing the movements of the sun, no longer submitting to the laws of time.
The six abodes of Lord Murugan (meaning the temples) will be swallowed by the Indian Ocean.
A weapon will be created that is capable of destroying all living things.
The processes of the electoral system in India will be halted, and presidents and governments will gain enormous power.
Around 2010, many will be unable to see the sun in the west because of the pollution of the sky by waste and industrial emissions, and oil will become more valuable than gold, being extracted everywhere it is possible.
In 2010, seven small tremors will shake the Earth in all its corners. Because of this, the African continent will develop a crack and, splitting into two parts, will increase the water level in the ocean, which will flood some areas of land.
The secret texts of the ancient sages, their knowledge and methods will be transported far to the north, where true masters will restore the lost path, demonstrating the power of these methods.
There are other predictions as well, but we will not describe them in detail here.
The Story of the Snowman
Question: Swami, please explain the origin of the snowman.
Siddharajan:
Long ago, in the time of great Ayurvedic physicians such as Charaka and Sushrudar, a powerful hurricane occurred, destroying half of Kerala. Many huts were destroyed, and many people died. At that time my guru Siddha Brahmananda was heading to the city of Mavelikkara and was passing through the devastated Kerala. His attention was drawn by loud sobbing. His heart felt compassion for a fifteen-year-old youth named Kochu Raman, who had lost his parents and was crying loudly because of it. Then Brahmananda approached him and asked the youth whether he could accompany him. The boy answered in the affirmative, and then the two of them set off for the Himalayas and reached the city of Kashi.
At that time a medical conference was being held there among the great healers of yoga, such as Ushrudar, Karaviyaryar, Gopurarakshitar, Aupatheravar, Aurapar, and Paushkalavadar. At this conference they were making calculations and discussing how to extend the life of an ordinary person, who did not know the ancient secrets of yoga and did not spend time in practice, by five hundred years or more.
Charaka, a disciple of Sri Dhanvantari and a professional master of Ayurveda, said:
— Life in the body can be prolonged for centuries by taking special herbs.
Sushrudhar proposed something else, saying the following:
— Life in the physical body can be increased if the brain is skillfully operated on so that it would not be subject to desires and would not cause the loss of semen—the vital substance.
Having listened to various theories, Siddha Brahmananda stood up and said:
— Greetings to you, learned pandit men. Please listen to my proposal.
Everyone began to listen to him intently, and Brahmananda said:
— A person can live for thousands of years and not grow old, destroying the body, if he uses in food Himalayan mushrooms shaped like a round biscuit.
The pandits asked:
— What are the medicinal properties of this mushroom?
Brahmananda said:
— Many Chinese sages increased their lives by several thousand years by taking a special variety of mushroom. This mushroom was so highly valued in China that thousands of years ago it was considered the supreme number-one medicine. In China this mushroom is called Lingzhi. This mushroom has unique substances that nourish the body. There are three kinds of this mushroom in different countries. One has the shape of a shell, the second of a bud, the third of straw, and one of these available mushrooms exists in the Himalayan region; it is very valuable. This mushroom destroys the poisons in the body that lead to the aging of the body’s cells, and also gives the body enormous energy that supports the entire body. This mushroom is very unique and is a true treasure of the immortals. It must be purified before being taken internally. It is believed that the best mushroom is the one that has the appearance of a shell; it contains the greatest power. Search for this mushroom in the Himalayas and use it under the guidance of your guru. Without a doubt, your body will not be destroyed even after a thousand years. Also, by reciting the secret mantra (Phala Ati Phala Mantra), transmitted by Brahma to Vasishtha and Vishvamitra, one can overcome death and the destruction of the body.
Some learned men, having listened to Brahmananda’s speech, which was like a gift or a treasure, refused to accept it, saying the following:
— How can we accept such words without proof?
Swami Brahmananda answered calmly:
— I have uttered the absolute truth, which the ancient siddhas and sages made use of. Look at this orphan Kochu Raman beside me. Through this knowledge I am going to help him become immortal.
All the learned men were astonished by Brahmananda’s words. After delivering his speech, Brahmananda went with Kochu Raman to the pure regions of the Himalayan mountains and gave him initiation for the constant recitation of the Phala Ati Phala Mantra. He also showed him the valuable medicinal Lingzhi mushroom, instructing him to gather it during the pre-winter season, to remove the poisonous part of the skin enveloping the entire mushroom, and to use it as food. Thus, spending a month and a half in a Himalayan cave, Brahmananda taught Kochu Raman.
A year later, Swami Brahmananda took two learned men with him to the Himalayas, Sushrudhara and Charaka, and brought them to the cave where Kochu Raman was practicing. From the cave came the sound of a lion’s roar, and from its noise even the wind began to sway; a three-meter-tall being emerged, resembling a man, except that it was entirely covered with hair, and bowed in reverence before Brahmananda. The two scholars were astonished by what they saw and asked, raising their eyes upward:
“Is this Kochu Raman?”
His feet were three feet in size. His cave was located in the zone where the forests ended and the snow peaks began. For one month the scholars examined him and were astonished by the fact that Kochu Raman had freed himself from the three main factors that destroy the body: kapham—mucus, vadam—rheumatism (apparently, the wind factor), and bile—pittam.
The scholars immeasurably glorified the name of Brahmananda as the first creator who had created an immortal human being, one who had not himself practiced the methods of yoga, yet had become immortal. In response, the siddha Brahmananda closed his two eyes and opened his third eye, transforming into God Paramashiva. The learned pandits saw that he was in no way different from Shiva, that he himself was Shiva. Then they praised him even more boundlessly.
Then Brahmananda said:
“O outstanding disciple of Sri Dhanvantari! Even the god Narayana, Mahasudarshana, and Vasudeva carried with them a pot of nectar. I am the creator of the first immortal snowman; my energy is a manifestation of Narayana Chaitanya. I am the true manifestation, unrecognized by you, of the energy of manifestation of Dhanvantari himself—your guru. By this power I can create. That divine plant which Kochu Raman uses is the very form of Mahavishnu. I have manifested the form of the great Phala Ati Phala mantra, created by Rudra, which destroys poison. I am the ancient Yakov himself.”
That is, Brahmananda is also an incarnation of the rishi Dhanvantari. Why do we like such a field as Ayurveda in the monastery? Because we have a connection with it. And in our plans there is the construction of a temple of Dhanvantari.
Creating a Companion for the Snowman
Having offered immeasurable praise to Swami Brahmananda, Kochu Raman addressed the Guru with the following words:
“O venerable Guru! I am glad to hear the mysteries of who you are. I ask you to create for me a companion with whom I could exist and not live forever alone in a cave.”Swami Brahmananda accepted his request and said:
“You will receive a companion for yourself.”The next day Brahmananda brought the girl he had created for Kochu Raman, named Photia. He instructed them to continue living in secrecy, using the divine plants and the mantra, and to produce offspring. After using the mantra and the divine plant, Photia began to transform and also grew in size, like Kochu Raman. Her body became graceful and was covered with hair, which allowed her to live on mountain peaks and not freeze.
In the Daoist texts “Bao Puzi” (“Notes on Alchemy and Immortality”), similar effects are described, when, by taking various Daoist remedies and elixirs of immortality, hermits gained such life force that their bodies became covered with hair, allowing them to live without food and water in conditions of cold, in a cave among ice and glaciers.
Question: Yes, the story of the snowman is simply fantastic. Are there any other witnesses who know this and have seen the snowman?
Siddharajan:
Swami Brahmananda long kept the secret of the immortal snowman. Brahmananda himself, using techniques of changing the body, perfected his practice and only recently told this story to some devotees who were present. In a conversation with Swami Brahmananda, Mr. Menon asked Swami about the snowman:
— Swami, is it a man or an animal?
Swami replied:
— Oh! It is Kochu Raman from Mavelikkara.
After many conversations with Brahmananda, Menon published a book about the snowman, and also wrote various articles in newspapers on this subject.
The Principle of Samaya and the Secret of the Avadhutas
Today we had the honor of receiving such relics and placing them in our temple. I think this will be an auspicious deepening of the karmic connection.
The state of an avadhuta differs from that of an ordinary person; it is far too transcendental. Therefore it is not spoken about, but kept secret, gradually revealing this secret little by little. If everything were told, the consciousness of an ordinary person would simply not be ready to perceive it. This is precisely why the principle of samaya exists. If you tell someone that somebody has fifteen bodies or has lived seven hundred years, ordinary people are unlikely to take you seriously. Therefore avadhutas, who are beyond all limitations, always transmit their teachings secretly, are guided by signs, pass them on to close disciples, and gradually introduce them, opening up this world of siddhas to them.
When we practice, we also gradually enter such a state of the sacred dimension of the avadhutas of the Laya Yoga teaching. I myself absolutely follow this principle and have never gone along with populism when people said to me: “Why don’t you openly tell everyone about all this? It is so interesting.” No, I do not seek publicity for this; all of this must be guarded very carefully and kept very carefully, closed. I had a very deep and powerful experience of Brahmananda’s transmission, but I do not consider it necessary to speak about it right away. It will happen in time; it will be passed on to those who need it and under certain circumstances. Likewise, I am in no hurry to publicize my belonging to this tradition, that I am a holder of the lineage; it would be wrong on my part to talk about this everywhere. It is like if you had met a great person and then talked about it on every corner. That would be a means of self-aggrandizement, but I do not think I need to glorify myself. Nevertheless, all these facts exist; they simply stagger the imagination, but they are revealed precisely through samaya, through deep spiritual practice. That is, when you are ready, then it is revealed to you.
An avadhuta is a very multidimensional, ambiguous being. I can say exactly that I cannot compare myself with Guru Brahmananda, but my consciousness is also ambiguous and multidimensional in the sense that I long ago lost hope of describing myself by human standards, of explaining various facts of my life. At first I thought about how to do this, but then I decided that it was useless, and so I simply stopped doing it. For example, while in samadhi, within half an hour you receive the experience of ten years of life in another dimension. That is, in another dimension, for example in a pure land, ten years pass, while in this one thirty minutes pass, but for you ten years really pass, because different dimensions have different flows of time. This is not easy to explain. Or when you have not one name, but several; not one body, but several. Or you live not only in one place. Nevertheless, when a worthy, mature yogin approaches this level, all of this naturally begins to be revealed to him. This is the greatness of the siddha tradition.
