Shri Swami Atmananda was born in 1904 in a rich Paknak Reddy patil family, at Manihal-Sureban, a village in Ramdurg taluka of Belgaum district in Karnataka. He lost his mother when he was five years old. His father was a realised soul and was called by the name Shri Swami Sivananda of NagnurGadag. He realised his real nature of Existence-Consciousness-Bliss by recollecting the experience of his first intuition. Shri Swami Sivananda dedicated his whole life for preaching vedanta in Karnataka. Shri Swami Atmananda was brought up by special care of his father, Shri Swami Sivananda. He had spiritual bent of mind since his childhood. When Shri Swami Atmananda was a boy of primary and secondary school, Shri Swami Sivananda (his father) was attaining super-conscious state which lasted days together many times. When shri Atmananda was a boy of secondary school, he used to meditate at his field nearby Gonnagar village. He completed his primary school education at Manihal and Naganur of Ramadurg and Navalgund talukas of Belgaum and Dharwad districts respectively. Later he studied in Basel Mission high school at Dharwad. He passed his matriculation examination in first class. Later Shri Swami Atmananda completed his first year and interArts in Karnatak college of Dharwad.
He observed the superconscious state of Shri Swami Sivananda very carefully and understood its meaning completely. Shri Swami Atmananda passed B. A. (English, Sanskrit & Ancient Indian history & culture) degree in 1930 and M. A. (Ancient Indian history & culture) degree in 1932 from Banaras Hindu University. Then, by the special encouragement and guidance of his father and due to his efforts of his past lives to know his real nature, he determined to attain superconscious state. All power, riches, luxuries and fame were left aside without a murmer. He spent all his time for spiritual sadhana of abidance in his real nature at Tirthagudi near Badami of Bagalkot district. He attained superconscious state in 1936. He married a very pious lady by name Devaki. She co-operated during his spiritual sadhana in all ways of his likeness. He had two sons and two daughters. The second son died of typhoid fever when he was a college student. Now his eldest son Shri Niranjan swami is continuing the spiritual heritage of his father and his two daughters are quite pious and moral in their householder's life. Shri Swami Atmananda preached Vedanta philosophy since forty five years, to all people, for the welfare of the world. He is one of the great apostles of Vedanta philosophy. He was extremely polite even to the lowest. He was always cheerful.
His main teachings can be summerised as follows: "Man is desiring happiness through his own experience of happiness of first intuition. No knowledge of scriptures is necessary to attain self-realisation. Universe is a mental creation which is non-existent. Universe is insentient and is of the nature of unhappiness. So all learning about Universe is quite useless. You are happiness yourself. But, you have forgotten your real nature of happiness. Your real nature is not affected by the three states of experience i. e. waking, dream and deep sleep. These three states are mere appearances (the creations of nescience) on your real nature, having no real existence at all. You can recollect your real nature of happiness and abide in it. To attain one's own real nature, the attainment of superconscious state is absolutely necessary. Only by attaining perfect control over the senses and transcending the sleep one becomes qualified to attain superconscious state. Man is an architect of his own fortune. His own intuition is his own preceptor. Merely change in dress or leading a life without a wife cannot make one to attain one's real nature. So to recollect our real self and remain as the self is the only way. Social harmony can be attained by observance of moral values. Mental peace can be attained by dispassion of sensory objects. Eternal bliss can be obtained by attaining superconscious state.
His Holiness Shri swami Sivananda and his son, His Holiness Shri Atmananda were like the ancient sages Vyasa and Sukadeva. His Holiness Shri swami Sivananda and His Holiness Shri Atmananda attained superconscious state while delivering the spiritual lectures. His Holiness Shri Atmananda preached about eternal bliss that he attained to all the human individuals without making any distinction of high and low, literate and illiterate, and rich and poor, for forty five years for the welfare of the world. For sometime he worked as high school teacher of Ramadurga State High school and Siddeshwara High school of Bijapur and taught English and also for some time he worked as police and mulki patil of Manihal village of Ramadurga taluka. He preached Vedanta philosophy in a very simple language so that any lay man can understand it. His preached principles are eternal and universal.
He led a very simple life. He used to wear a pair of white cotton shirts and a pair of dhotis and a towel on his head. He used to take one meal a day at around one P.M and he used to take little milk and fruits at night at nine-thirty P.M
He used to call all people ‘God’ and ‘himself a worshiper’ while preaching and all people ‘his preceptors’ and ‘himself a disciple’. So proudless he was.
His routine life was as follows: He used to get up at Brahmi muhurtha at four A.M. After attending the natural calls, he used to walk about two kilometres and was returning by five-thirty A.M. He used to preach eternal and universal principles from five thirty A.M to seven-thirty A.M He used to take his bath at seven-thirty A.M Later he used to meditate from eight A.M to twelve noon. At twelve he used to discuss about spirituality with the visitors, and the people who came to get relieved by ghostly agonies. So at one P.M, he used to take meal. During meal he was taking half-roti (bread), little sajjaka, leafy vegetables and vegetables, little milk and fruits. He used to have only those vegetables which were grown from rainfed areas. All grains were powdered by the village grinders only. He used to take little salty and pungent food. He used to take rest from two P.M to three-thirty P.M Again he used to preach the devotees from three-thirty P.M to five-thirty P.M. Then he used to go for walk from five-thirty P.M to seven P.M Then from seven to nine P.M a spiritual discourse. Then he used to listen to the sufferings of the devotees from nine P.M to nine-thirty P.M Then he used to have little fruits and milk at nine-thirty P.M He used to go to bed by ten P.M. Usually we thought that he was taking rest during sleep, but he was remaining in his real self (bliss eternal) during that time.
Though he had seventy acres of land, he didn’t cultivate. Some agriculturists used to cultivate the land and share little produce with him. He was contented with that only. Part of it was given as charity to the poor and the needy. He didn’t receive a paisa from anybody during his life. He was not even accepting the salutes from others. He didn’t expect any name, fame, respect from others. As he was a realised soul, the occult powers were at his feet. The ghostly sufferings of people were relieved at his own mere presence. The diseases of many were relieved by his mere touch. He left his mortal coin at nine-thirty P.M of December 19, 1983 and remained as eternal self.
During all his life time he sincerely attained superconscious state for three or four hours daily. Even on 19th December 1983, he attained superconscious state from eight to twelve noon.
He offered two mantras namely “Om Namah Sukhaya” “Om Namo Nanave”. The mantra “Om Namah Sukhaya” reminds us that the aim of all beings is eternal happiness which is formless, but ignorant people seek happiness in forms which are of the nature of unhappiness and quarrel among themselves. The mantra “Om Namo Nanave” reminds us that our true nature is happiness, but ignorant people seek happiness outside their own real nature. So to attain eternal bliss, we have to know our real nature.
He actually lived whatever the principles he preached.
By Prof. S. S. Kurabar
