Brahmananda Swami Sivayogi


Brahmananda Swami Sivayogi, also known as Alathur Shivayogi or Alathur swami, was an atheist sanyasi from Kerala, India who founded the Ananda Maha Sabha in 1918 and Anandamadham in 1919. Brahmananda Sivayogi was born on 26 August 1852 at Kollankode, a small village in Palakkad district of Kerala. He was the ninth son of Nani Amma of "Karatt" family and Kunhikrishna Menon of Kunnath Ravunnyarath at Vallengi. He had nine brothers and one sister. He was titled "Brahmananda Swamikal", recognising his spiritual and literary knowledge by Dr. Ayyathan Gopalan, a social reformer, leader and propagandist of Brahmo Samaj in Kerala and founder of Sugunavardhini movement. Mentor of Swami Sivayogi, and as an honor for writing a book Brahmasankeerthanam which was a compilation of hymns and songs of worship on the request of Dr. Ayyathan Gopalan and all Brahmosamajists of Malabar, and also for extending his untiring services done through Brahmo Samaj. He started Sidhdhasramam in Alathur on 1891. He propounded the theory that anandi should be the touchstone of any human activity. The movement he spearheaded played an important role in the Kerala reformation movement.

Early life

In  his  childhood, Brahmananda Sivayogi was called Govindankutty. His mother was a devout Nair lady who strictly followed the tenets of religion. He lived with his mother in her house as per the existing custom of matrilineal families. His parents and other family members naturally influenced him towards conservatism. Govindankutty accepted all  the traditional life of a Nair boy. He visited temples, worshipped individual Gods, involved in prayers, offerings and other religious customs. He was sent to a nearby school, the Kollankode Board Elementary School. Several changes had occurred in the field of education in Kerala during this time. But majority were unaware of the importance of English education. Sanskrit scholars were respected everywhere. The students usually had gone to the residence of Sanskrit scholars to master the language. The well-known scholar Padmanabha Sastri was the Sanskrit Guru who gave guidance to Govindankutty. His father Kunhikrishna Menon sent his son to Koodalloor Sastrikal for higher course in Sanskrit. He studied grammar, poetry and poetics from his guru. His grasping power was extraordinary. He had expressed his poetic genius during this time. By this time he became well versed in Hindu scriptures  and Tamil language. There was nothing spectacular or any sign of his later beliefs of rationalism or atheism in his early life or childhood.
After his Sanskrit studies, Karat Govinda Menon moved to Ernakulam and joined there as a Sanskrit teacher. His short stay at Ernakulam and acquaintance with a lot of people having different cultures broadened his outlook. He was greatly influenced by the non-idolatry and atheistic principles of Dr. Ayyathan Gopalan and Brahmo Samaj, His attitude towards God, religion and tradition was undergoing a slow change by then.
Accordingly, he married Thavukutty Amma of Mukkil Maruthur at Vadavannur. He had to look after his own family and started his career as a Sanskrit Munshi at Calicut Native High School which is now known as Ganapat High School, his stay at Kozhikode was a turning point in his life. During this time a branch  of  Brahmo Samaj was  functioning at Kozhikode which was an organisation for social reforms, lead by Dr. Ayyathan Gopalan, a great social reformer of Kerala during those times. Govinda Menon participated in the discussions organised in Brahmasamajam. He was a frequent visitor at Brahmasamajam and wrote the book Brahmasankeerthanam on the request of Dr. Gopalan and Brahmosamajists of Malabar. Dr. Ayyathan Gopalan honored him as "Brahmananda Swami" recognising his spiritual and literary knowledge. He had the opportunity to listen to their discourses. It naturally  enriched his knowledge. Their rejection of the practice of idol worship influenced him considerably. He also got proficient in English during the stay at Calicut. He learnt that caste was an unwanted social institution which was potentially harmful. He slowly emerged from the traditional Hindu society. Philosophically he moved away from the Hindu fold. He resigned from Calicut school and joined Board Middle School at Alathur as Sanskrit Munshi. By then he was widely recognised by the name "Brahmananda Swamikal".

Social reform activities

Gradually he started practising Rajayoga. During this time, he embraced saintly life and attire completely, he named his residence at Alathur as Siddhashrama. Sivayogi stopped his teaching profession in 1907 and devoted entirely to  the activities concerned with his spiritual mission. He established a spiritual institution named Siddhasrama in 1907 at Alathur. Brahmananda Sivayogi's revolutionary activities were accelerated after he settled down at Alathur. He started Anandamatham and made a tour in some parts of Kerala to propagate the ideals of Ananda matham‘ and carried on a consistent struggle against the anti socio-religious practices. His wife Thavukuttyamma became his true disciple and got the title as Yoginimatha.
During the time of his authorship of the book "Brahmasankeerthanam", Brahmananda Sivayogi requested to the Brahmin scholars of Kozhikode and Palakkad for a copy of the Upanishads. But his request was turned down; on the grounds that a person of Sudra birth is not merited to check the scriptures. It was Dr. Ayyathan Gopalan who brought the required Upanishad texts from Bombay and gave it to him. The copies of Upanishads brought by Dr. Gopalan and used by Brahmananda Sivayogi still remain intact at the Alathur Siddhasrama even now. He visited villages and explained the ordinary masses the need for giving up superstitions. He became popular as a writer and an orator. His revolutionary propaganda in villages was not an easy task.
Narayana Guru, contemporary of Brahmananda Sivayogi, started temple construction and consecration of idols to make people co-operative. As a part of it, his followers made attempt to construct temples. In 1910, at Kozhikode, under the leadership of some elites of the community, efforts were  started to build the Sree Khandeshwaram Temple. Brahmananda Sivayogi was invited to deliver a speech against the proposed construction of the temple. During his association with Brahmo Samaj he had rationally opposed idolatry and it was due to this he was invited by Dr. Ayyathan Gopalan, a Brahmo Samaj activist. The venue was the Kozhikode Town Hall. Many people arrived in order to query the speaker. Orthodox Hindus decided to stop it at any cost. They asked him whether there is a need to oppose idol worship which had acceptance from the ancient times itself. Brahmananda Sivayogi the rational yogi argued, with excerpts from the religious texts, that "idol-worship had no approval during the olden times". His speech wiped out the ignorance of many. He also answered and established, with the help of passages from authoritative texts, that Raja Yoga was possible for everyone. By this speech he got appreciation for his progressive ideas and plans for implementation against idolatry, and also gained a wide following of disciples in different parts of Malabar, Vayaleri Kunhikannan Gurikkal was one among them. He came to hear the speech of Sivayogi, representing Brahmo Samaj and Dr. Ayyathan Gopalan. After hearing his speech he became attracted to swami's oratorial abilities and the Anandamatha and Rajayoga meditation and joined Brahmananda Sivayogi as his disciple. Brahmananda sivayogi was the one who tittled V.K.Gurikkal as Vagbhatananda seeing his oratorial abilities. As a social reformer, Brahmananda Sivayogi never appeared in stages and addressed huge masses. His main intention was to enlighten the people and teach them to liberate themselves from superstitions and ignorance. Even though he was a Sanskrit scholar, he preferred simple Malayalam, the vernacular language, to make the common people aware of their real status in  the society. Brahmananda Sivayogi believes that superstitions and evil customs influenced the common people due to their ignorance of Rajayoga. The religious rivalry and misery can be put to an end by the knowledge that the original universal religion of mankind is "Ananda" alone. Under the leadership of direct disciples of Sivayogi like V.K.Kombi Achan, Sivaramakrishna Iyer, G.Krishna Iyer, T.K.P.Anandayogi, C.Kannan Nair, Sooryanarayana  Sharma, P.A.Anandan, Vagbhatananda, N.K.Anandan, Adv. Rama Varier started propaganda of Sivayogi's principles. Like all renaissance leaders, he emphasized the importance education especially that of women education. Sivayogi brought and read many scholarly authoritative texts. He learned and interpreted the Sanskrit texts and  borrowed  important passages to highlight and cement his ideology. The authoritative truths he proved, with examples and logic viz., the triumph of eternal bliss, real happiness is the peacefulness of the mind, the prime victory is the victory over the mind, non-violence is the foremost form of righteousness, rites like sacrifices creates ignorance, happiness is innate etc. resulted in a denial of blindly followed principles and actions, and the formation of new progressive thoughts and principles. On its basis, the caste system, the practise of untouchability, idolatry, the temple oriented customs, animal sacrifice, superstitions, institutionalized religion, were opposed and the awareness that all men are equal was developed. As a rational intellect, he stood for the rescue of poor, neglected and ignorant lay man and elevated them to a universal brotherhood.
Swami Sivayogi left for his heavenly abode on 10th September 1929 at the age of 77.

Books by swami

In Malayalam