Shri Shivabalayogi Maharaj (24 January 1935 â 28 March 1994) was an Indian yogi and spiritual teacher. Devotee and biographical accounts state that he undertook twelve years of tapas, meditating in samÃÂdhi for extended periods, and later led public meditation programs in India, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
According to devotee literature, following his tapas he was given the name âÂÂShivabalayogi.â Sources explain the etymology as âÂÂa yogi devoted to Shiva and Parvati,â with Bala (Sanskrit: âÂÂchildâÂÂ) used as an epithet of Parvati; the name is also connected in these accounts to the concept of Ardhanarishvara. His teachings are described as grounded in Vedanta, emphasizing sÃÂdhanà(spiritual practice) toward selfâÂÂrealization.
Shri Shivabalayogi Maharaj was born as Sathyaraju Allaka on 24 January 1935, in the village of Adivarapupeta in the Godavari River delta in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. The villagers earned a living making cotton saris and dhotis (menâÂÂs wraps) on handlooms. SathyarajuâÂÂs father, Bheemanna, was a weaver; he died before Sathyaraju was three. He was raised in poverty by his mother, Parvatamma, and maternal grandfather, Goli Satham.
He visited the Draksharam temple in Andhra Pradesh, where he prayed to Lord Bhimeshwar for peace and for understanding from his relatives regarding actions he felt compelled to take. Over time, he became withdrawn and introverted, his appetite decreased, and he lost interest in worldly activities.
Sathyaraju claimed to have experienced samadhi on 7 August 1949, at the age of fourteen. He was sitting on the bank of the Godavari irrigation canal, eating palmyra fruit shared with eleven friends, when, according to his account, the fruit began to tremble, a bright light appeared, and he heard the sound of Aum. He then saw a black lingam (symbolising the absoluteness of divinity), about a foot and a half tall, which split in two as a tall man emerged. The man, described as a jangama devara (an ascetic associated with Shiva), had skin smeared with ash, wore a white dhoti and a necklace of rudraksha beads, and had matted hair piled on his head, in the manner of ancient yogis. A bright light emanated from him, and Sathyaraju reported seeing only the yogi and the light. The yogi instructed him to sit crossâÂÂlegged and close his eyes, touched his forehead at the spiritual âÂÂthird eyeâ (bhrikuti), and gently tapped the top of his head; Sathyaraju then entered samadhi. His friends saw him sitting as if in deep meditation and, when they could not rouse him, feared he was either possessed or dead.
Sathyaraju became known as âÂÂAdivarapupeta Balayogi,â the boy yogi of Adivarapupeta. Some villagers believed he was feigning sanctity for material gain as a holy man (sadhu), and some mistreated him. Accounts state that the Balayogi remained in samÃÂdhi for about twentyâÂÂthree hours a day for eight years.
He later moved his meditation to a field used for the burial of children who had died young. The area was avoided at night, so the villagers generally left him undisturbed. During the rainy season, he reportedly suffered from bites and skin deterioration on his legs while remaining seated for long periods. His body became stiff from continuous meditation until, as he described, the yogi who had initiated him into tapasâÂÂhis divine guruâÂÂalleviated all stiffness except in his hands. He stated that he had completed dëkha tapas, meditating facing each of the four cardinal directions (east, north, west, and south). He further stated that his divine guru instructed him to meditate twelve hours daily for another four years to complete a full twelveâÂÂyear cycle. Through this process, he reportedly attained nirvikalpa samÃÂdhi, described as follows:
Shivabalayogi defined tapas as continuous meditation for at least twelve hours daily until one attains GodâÂÂrealisation, also expressed as sahaja samÃÂdhi. He clarified that âÂÂit is the same ÃÂtman that manifests either as pure ÃÂtman or appears in the form of the âÂÂIá¹£á¹ÂaâÂÂdevaâ (chosen deity).âÂÂ
Shivabalayogi emerged from his tapas on 7 August 1961, reportedly before a very large crowd. Using a microphone, he delivered his first public message, which was broadcast on radio and circulated on flyers. In that message, he emphasised proceeding directly towards the goal of spiritual practiceâÂÂSelfâÂÂrealisationâÂÂand avoiding attachment to visions or phenomena encountered on the way, which he said can inflate the ego or be hallucinations of the mind.
From 1963 to 1987, Shivabalayogi travelled throughout India and then Sri Lanka. From 1987 to 1991, he travelled to the United Kingdom, the United States, and Italy. At these programmes he offered initiation into meditation (dhyÃÂna dëká¹£ÃÂ), gave darshan in samÃÂdhi, evoked bhÃÂva samÃÂdhi (sometimes described as spiritual ecstasy) particularly during bhajans (kërtan, devotional music), and distributed vibhà «ti (sacred ash) and prasÃÂd as blessings. He taught largely in silence through his presence. Accounts emphasise knowledge through direct experience over discourse; on one occasion he summarised his teaching in the phrase, âÂÂDo sadhana.âÂÂ
Shivabalayogi encouraged people to meditate for one hour each day. A commonly quoted summary of his message is: âÂÂKnow truth through meditation; then you will know who you are, your religion, your purpose in life, and your nature. Do not believe what others say and become a slave to religious prejudices. Meditation is your religion. Meditation is your purpose. Meditation is your path.âÂÂ
Swamiji emphasised that one does not meditate simply by closing oneâÂÂs eyesâÂÂthe mind has to become quiet. He advised Srinivasa Dikshitar, âÂÂIf you surrender mentally to your Guru through service, then automatically your mind gets controlled.â When the same disciple translated sÃÂdhana (spiritual practice) as meditation for another devotee, Shivabalayogi clarified:
The dhyÃÂna meditation technique taught by Shivabalayogi is as follows:
On other occasions, Shivabalayogi referred to mantra practices; for example, he spoke of hearing OmkÃÂra, the divine sound of Om pervading the universe, and also mentioned using a mantra of the sun. He taught that such processes occur spontaneously in the GuruâÂÂs presence and with the GuruâÂÂs blessing. He described the culmination of tapas as the vision and realisation of the divine form.
When devotees asked about Shri ShivabalayogiâÂÂs spiritual philosophy, Swamiji referred them to the Yoga Vasistha: âÂÂRead the Yoga Vasistha; SwamijiâÂÂs philosophy is fully expounded in that scripture.â The Yoga Vasistha presents a dialogue between Sage Vasistha and Sri Rama in which, according to the text, time and spaceâÂÂindeed, all mental constructionsâÂÂare illusory, and the pure consciousness of the Self (cit-ÃÂkÃÂà Âa, the âÂÂspaceâ of consciousness) is the only reality, eternal and self-existent. To transcend illusion and realise this non-dual reality, the mind must be brought under perfect control and freed from distracting thoughts, culminating in samÃÂdhi, in which only supreme peace remains.
Swamiji described the experience in these terms:
Shri ShivabalayogiâÂÂs approach is presented as consistent with the VedÃÂnta tradition, and the Yoga Vasistha is often regarded as a principal exposition of Advaita VedÃÂnta (non-dualism). He taught that the purpose of life is to attain SelfâÂÂrealisation through sÃÂdhana (spiritual practice) and to overcome the illusions and imaginations of the mind; he also stated that meditation can help relieve tension and support a peaceful life in the world.
When asked, âÂÂWhat is SwamijiâÂÂs teaching?â he replied, âÂÂDhyÃÂna. Vibhà «ti. Bhajan. BhÃÂva samÃÂdhi.â (Meditation; blessed ash; devotional music; divine ecstasy).
Swamiji explained that yogis use bhajans to awaken spiritual awareness and prepare students for meditation; singing devotional songs is an expression of the path of devotion (bhakti). He once said, âÂÂYogi is love.â In the bhakti mÃÂrga (devotional path), the spiritual seeker focuses entirely on a particular deity (iá¹£á¹Âa), the chosen object of devotion; through such practice, tradition holds that one transcends individual ego and realises a larger consciousness. This path is associated with figures such as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Mirabai, and Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.
âÂÂBhÃÂvaâ denotes a mood of ecstasy and selfâÂÂsurrender induced by mature devotion to oneâÂÂs iá¹£á¹Âa. Addressing the nature of bhÃÂva samÃÂdhi, Shivabalayogi stated that attachment and devotion to the Guru constitute the true bhÃÂva. Only when bhÃÂva is fully ripened does the sÃÂdhaka (spiritual seeker) experience bhÃÂva samÃÂdhi; spiritually mature sÃÂdhakas usually do not exhibit outward signs indicating the depth of their experiences.
Outward expressions of bhÃÂva that often occurred during bhajans, such as spontaneous dancing, were controversial during ShivabalayogiâÂÂs public programmes, and his statements about these phenomena are recorded with some variation. He opposed public criticism or interference with devoteesâ bhÃÂva experiences. He explained:
Shivabalayogi often described spiritual life as the âÂÂpath of devotionâ (bhakti mÃÂrga). To some devotees he said:
When people asked for blessings and healing, Shivabalayogi typically gave blessed vibhà «ti (ash), symbolising the formless divine and intended to encourage faith.
Giving prasÃÂdam (blessed food) was also important; devotees often arranged mass feedings for thousands. He explained: âÂÂIf you eat at a restaurant then it is simply food. But when the food is offered to God it becomes prasÃÂdam. During mass feedings, if someone contributes even a little food to the occasion, that personâÂÂs bhÃÂva (the feelings of the mind) will be purified with the thought, âÂÂMay my little contribution be helpful in the feeding of the poor and needy.âÂÂâÂÂ
The spiritual teachings of Sri Sivabala Yogi has been published in the book Laghu Guru Upanishad: Spiritual Teachings of Sri Sivabala Yogi.
Shri Shivabalayogi Maharaj passed on, or "entered Mahasamadhi", in Kakinada, India, on 28 March 1994. Although it was not evident, he had been on dialysis since 1991, and for some fifteen years, he suffered from diabetes and an infected foot which never healed. Throughout this time he worked to inspire people on the spiritual path.
Shivabalayogi often told devotees that yogis do not "die" in the ordinary sense. They drop their physical bodies through mahasamadhi (the great samadhi), but their presence remains available. He said, "If I am not within the bounds of my body I am more available to you", and he often gave Jesus as an example.
On 2 April 1994, his body was interred at the ashram in Adivarapupeta near the place where he sat for almost ten of his twelve-year tapas. That tomb is now the Adivarapupeta samadhi.
During ShivabalayogiâÂÂs three decades of travel, properties in India were donated for use as ashrams and held in trust for the public.
The first ashram is at Adivarapupeta, his native village, where he completed twelve years of tapas. It is the site of his samÃÂdhi (tomb) and a pilgrimage destination, particularly during Maha Shivaratri, the annual festival of Shiva.
In 1963, when Shivabalayogi began travelling in India, a small ashram was established for him in Doddaballapura, a town north of Bangalore; the following year, another was established in Bangalore on Bannerghatta Road. As he travelled, additional ashrams were established in Sambhar Lake, Dehradun, Hyderabad, Anantapur, Hindupur, and Agra. On 7 August 1977, he established a new ashram in Bangalore at J. P. Nagar, where he later consecrated a temple honouring the divine pairings Brahma and Saraswati (creation), Vishnu and Lakshmi (preservation), and Shiva and Parvati (the dissolution of illusion). Although some traditions hold that worship of Brahma is uncommon or restricted, Shivabalayogi consecrated an image of Brahma, emphasising the oneness of the divine expressed through many names and forms.
Shri Shivabalayogi established charitable trusts in London, Portland, Oregon, and North Carolina. After his death, additional trusts and ashrams have been established in India, the United States, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Australia.