Varkala

Sivalingadasa Swami

Born in 1859 in an orthodox Nair family in Aruvippuram Sivalingadasa Swami was one of the first and prominent disciples of Narayana Guru. He met the Guru for the first time when Guru was staying in a cave near Neyyar River. The Guru taught him some Sanskrit and later sent him to Perunelli Krishnan Vaidyar for further study. In 1905 Ayappan Pillai accepted the ascetic way of life from the Guru and became Sivalingadasa Swami. Kumaran Asan, the great poet of Malayalam, was one of the close friends of Sivalinga Swami. Sivalingadasa Swami accompanied the Guru when he moved to Varkala and helped him to build a hermitage at Sivagiri. He served in many Ashrams and temples according to the Guru's suggestions. Later he stayed at Trichur Peringottukara Ashram; he started a Sanskrit school there. In 1919 Sivalinga Swami attained Samadhi. The Swamikal wrote many spiritual compositions, ‘Vedanthasaravali', ‘Sharadhashtakam', and ‘Sree Narayana Guruvarya Panchakam' are a few his famous works.

Bodhananda Swami