Yogaswamy was born on 29-5-1872 in Mavidapuram. His father’s name was Ambalavanar
from Columbuthurai. His mother’s name was Sinnachi Pillai from Mavidapuram. Available information suggests that the name given to him at birth was Sathasivam and Yoganathan. Based on Yogaswamy’s Natchinthanai songs and Teachings we are able to confirm that his preferred name as Yoganathan. Yoganathan’s father was a trader in Maskelia (up country). Yoganathan’s mother passed away when he was very young, as early as 10 years old. Yoganathan was brought up by his father’s sister Muthupillai in Kacheri. Once Yoganathan recalled an incident when he threw away left-over rice, his mother criticised him angrily
saying “you will live only by begging.” Yoganathan was very proud to repeat what his
mother said and used this incident to explain Avvaiar’s words of wisdom “Do not disobey
the words of the mother (தாய் சொல்லை தட்டாதே). Yoganathan with great pleasure confirmed his mother’s words and said, “I have always lived like a beggar!”
Yoganathan had his Primary education in the missionary school in Columbuthurai at the end of Swamyar’s road on Beach Road. When Yoganathan’s father Ambalavanar passed away, with the help of Ambalavanar’s brother, who was a catholic, Yoganathan gained admission to St. Patrick’s College, Jaffna. During this period, it was compulsory for Missionary School students to take a Christian name. Yoganathan was given the name “John” by the school. Before Yoganathan’s father died, Yoganathan was taken to Maskelia to learn trader’s profession. Yoganathan did not show any interest to pursue his father’s profession.
Yoganathan returned to Columbuthurai and obtained a job as a store keeper at the Iranamadu Irrigation Scheme at Kilinochi. Available information suggests that Yoganathan joined the government service as a store keeper in 1890. Yoganathan very frequently got carried away in meditation from his early days in Maskelia and continued with this practice.
He was well versed in the poems of Avvaiar, Thirumurai, Thevarams, the Upanishads and other sacred writings of religion and religious literature.
Yoganathan spent many long hours studying religious texts in Tamil, English and Sanskrit. Yoganathan was spending his entire salary earned in the same month on buying books and helping the needy and poor. During this period (after 1890) there were residents of Columbuthurai, namely Vidhana Thirugnanasampanthar and Thuraiappa who were regular visitors to Chellappa Swamy in Nallur. The majority of Chellappa Swamy’s visitors came from Columbuthurai and hence some called Chellappa Swamy the Swamy of Columbuthurai people.
After Yoganathan attended the lecture by Swamy Vivekananda in January 1897 (25.1.1897)at Jaffna Hindu College, it can be said that Yoganathan’s desire to be in the company of saints accelerated resulting in joining his Columbuthurai friends to visit Chellappa Swamy in Nallur. Yoganathan repeated Swamy Vivekananda’s opening sentence of his speech “the time is short and the subject is vast”, very often to his devotees. When Yoganathan met Chellappa Swamy for the first time and worshipped Chellappa Swamy, Chellappa Swamy shouted and threatened Yoganathan with the words “who are you?”
Yoganathan expressed his feelings about the first meeting in Nallur with Chellappa Swamy via Natchinthanai song below:
“I saw my Guru at Nallur
I saw my Guru at Nallur, where great Thapasvins dwell,
Many unutterable words he uttered, but I stood unaffected,
“Hey! Who are you?” he challenged me
“That very day itself his grace I came to win”
“Then and there I received Divine Grace”
“ஆசானைக் கண்டேன்”
“ஆசானைக் கண்டேன் அருந்தவர் வாழ் நல்லூரில்
பேசாதனவெல்லாம் பேசினான் – கூசாமல் நின்றேன்
நீ யாரடாவென்றே அதட்டினான்k
அன்றேயான் பெற்றேனருள்
Yoganathan’s work place in Kilinochi is 45 miles from Nallur where Chellappa Swamy was resident. Yoganathan was drawn to visit Chellappa Swamy at Nallur Theradi whenever Yoganathan was free from work. Yoganathan walked 45 miles from Kilinochi to be with Chellappa Swamy.
The words that Chellappa Swamy uttered during the first meeting got deeply imprinted in the heart of Yoganathan. Yoganathan realised that the relationship with Chellappa Swamy was not a recent one and the connection had always been there.This realisation was based on ingenious learning and the meaning from the religious text books that he had studied in Kilinochi. This realisation along with the thirst to meet Chellappa Swamy began to grow rapidly in Yoganathan.
Chellappa Swamy ignored Yoganathan. Yoganathan was subjected to various hardships during the initial period of their meetings. Yoganathan was rejected, rebuked and reawakened by Chellappa Swamy.
Yoganathan underwent several realisation processes as directed by Chellappa Swamy, which includes standing still in the burning sun and dark nights for several days. Yoganathan in total alertness listened to precious cryptic utterances revealed by Chellappa Swamy during the harsh talking sessions and once said “Chellappar was great. He never gave in to any delusions. He merely uttered, “who knows” and “it was all settled long ago” and went about the outer courtyards of Nallur Temple and sat in the dirt, saying that all the dirt would frighten away the people who came to fall at his feet. I don’t think anyone ever got from him an answer to a question. I merely stood and waited behind him for the occasional GEM that fell out of all the mad talk.”
Yoganathan reached a stage of spiritual enlightenment. He was initiated by his Guru Chellappa Swamy with four Mahavakiams:
- ஒரு பொல்லாப்பும் இல்லை
- எப்பவோ முடிந்த காரியம்
- நாம் அறியோம்
- 526001607LD
- There is not even one thing that is wrong
- It was all accomplished long ago
- We do not know
- All is truth
The initiation took place on the second Monday of Panguni (Tamil March) (2-ம் பங்குனித்திங்கள்) this day has been regularly observed by Yogaswamy as the famousTHIRUVADI POOJA day! Yogaswamy was directed to undertake a long pilgrimage to KATHIRGAMAM after a spell of 40 days continuous meditation at Nallur Theradi by his Guru Chellappa Swamy.
When the relatives of Yoganathan (Yogaswamy now) missing him inquired from Chellappa Swamy about his whereabouts, Chellappa swamy said, “HE IS DEAD”. (Chellappa Swamy changed Yoganathan human form into DIVINELY STATE.
Based on the available information, we can conclude that Yoganathan met Chellappa
Swamy after 1897 and Chellappa Swamy’s personal spiritual guidance with various forms of vigorous trials, tests and tribulations continued and INITIATED Yoganathan by 1910, – before sending him on the long pilgrimage to KATHIRGAMAM.
Yogaswamy’s long pilgrimage started from Nallur to Elephant pass and continued to walk along the East coast, eating whatever food that was available and sleeping whenever was suitable. He visited temples and stayed at Chithandi; Yogaswamy was moving with Islamic mystics, who treated him with great respect and provided him with an ‘amulet’ to give him protection against evil, danger or disease. He left the amulet behind and continued his walk- through thick jungles where wild buffalos were freely roaming and did not harm him. Yogaswamy’s walk came to a halt when he reached a river bank, which was on spate, where he stayed in a pit for a few days; remaining in a super consciousness state. The hunters who were rowing across the river found him, cooked food and fed him and took him across the river on the catamaran. They recognised his divinity and treated him with respect.
They addressed him in their language as a “religious master”. Yogaswamy then arrived at KATHIRGAMAM; he spent some time in the temple and rested on the Manika Ganga river banks. The nights were spent on top of the peak KATHIRGAMAM immersed in deep meditation and days at KATHIRGAMAM were spent in a way that provides perfect happiness and great joy. Yogaswamy continued his pilgrimage along the West coast to Colombo.
In Colombo he moved with people of all varying backgrounds and took shelter on the roadside. The walk to Kathirgamam was a determined, disciplined undertaking by Yogaswamy to achieve greater spiritual experience in order to further strengthen inner self /consciousness. Yogaswamy was able to experience all the lessons that were taught by Chellappa Swamy physically during the early stages of his time in Northern Province, and the presence of the Guru during the pilgrimage. After a few days in Colombo, Yogaswamy retraced his path to Jaffna along MATALE.
Overseer Saravanamuthu who was stationed in Matale had a divine dream. The sage appeared in the dream and commanded the overseer to do the needful to Yogaswamy by providing the correct description of Yogaswamy in the dream of his appearance at that time.
