Shuddhananda Bharati

Shuddhananda Bharati Biography

Kavi Yogi Maharishi Dr. Shuddhananda Bharati, shortly called Shuddhananda Bharati was an Indian philosopher, yogi, nationalist and poet from Sivaganga of Tamil Nadu. Composer, scholar, and freedom fighter are the other tags added to his name. He started Sama Yoga practice and his teachings focused on the search for God in Self. His magnum opus Bharata Shakti is a monumental and unique work. The Pilgrim Soul – is his autobiography work which includes his encounters with many philosophers and spiritual persons of India and abroad, a few names being Shirdi Sai Baba, Sri Aurobindo, Meher Baba, Shirdi Sai Baba, V. V. S. Aiyar, Subramanya Bharathi, Sivananda, Ramana Maharshi etc.

He was born in Sivaganga on 11 May 1897 as Venkata Subrahmaniam. His father Jatadhara Iyer was a lawyer and his mother’s name is Kamakshi. He was drawn to spiritualism at a younger age and his maternal great-uncle Purnanandha taught him yoga. His literal career began at the age of 8 after meditation at the Chidambaram temple, and he burst with the words - ‘Eppadi Padinaro. He later composed narrative poems and kritis in Tamil.

He was given the name Shuddhananda by his friend - Jnana Siddha and the name of Kavi Yogi Bharati was given by Sringeri Jagadguru. He was conferred the title of Maharishi by Sivananda. Bharati's ideals are found in the teachings of Sama Yoga - the basis of a future spiritual socialism, found by him. He was given Raja Rajan Award by Tamil University in the year 1984.

In the Ashram of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother Mirra Alfassa at Pondicherry, he spent 25 years in ‘Mauna Vrata’ (silence) since 1925. Shuddhananda Bharati passed away at the age of 92 in 1990 at Sholapuram near Sivaganga. Bharati always lived alone, without an Ashram and had only a single disciple - S. Ram Bharati who contributed in the construction of the main building of the school at Sholapuram in 1992. He also spread the ideas of his guru.

Published: N/A

Updated: January 18, 2016