The story of Shanthalinga Swami is a remarkable tale of a merchant's transformation into a sanyasi. Velu, who harbored profound devotion and respect for Narayana Guru since childhood, gradually lost interest in worldly affairs as his ascetic desires deepened. Seeking inner peace, he journeyed to Sivagiri to meet Guru. There, upon expressing his spiritual aspirations, he was ordained as a monk and bestowed with the name ‘Shanthalinga Swami’. Guru then appointed him as the priest of Sharada Mutt.
Guru's Samadhi (demise) profoundly impacted Shanthalinga Swami, who himself attained Samadhi not long after.
Nataraja Guru was the genius who provided the philosophical foundation for Narayana Guru's ideas. He was responsible for introducing Guru to a global audience.
Nataraja Guru was the son of Dr. Palpu. Guru brought Nataraja to Aluva Advaita Ashram and provided the necessary encouragement for his sharp disciple's comprehensive education plan. It was Nataraja Guru who came forward to realize Guru's idea of having a knowledge creation center in Sivagiri that embodies the essence of all religions. He pursued higher education in France and earned a D.Litt degree from the Sorbonne University in Paris on the subject ‘Personal Factor in the Educative Process’. While in Europe, he made contact with many famous people. With Romain Rolland, he engaged in significant discussions on Eastern and Western philosophy and spirituality. This led Rolland to develop an interest in Narayana Guru's philosophy.
Nataraja Guru introduced Guru's philosophies to the Western world through the newspaper ‘Sufi Quarterly’. His book ‘The Way of the Guru’ is a compilation of these articles. He also toured extensively across America and lectured on the Guru’s teachings at various universities. As an astute scholar and researcher, he was able to establish that the Guru’s philosophy was applicable in all fields, including religion, art, philosophy, and education. He founded Sree Narayana Gurukulam to provide a practical ideological framework for Guru's philosophies. His work ‘Guru Arul’ is an authoritative text on Guru's life and ideals.
In later life, Nataraja Guru appointed Nithya Chaitanya Yati as his successor. Nithya Chaitanya Yati embodied and propagated Sree Narayana Guru's message of ‘One Caste, One Religion, One God’ in his own life and continued Nataraja Guru's work.
