II§
There are much difficulties in recording the life history of Yogaswami. There were very few writings that were published during the lifetime of Swamigal. He always disliked anyone writing about Him. If he knows of anyone making an attempt to write, He would stop him immediately. Even ‘Natchintanai’ (Good thoughts), the compilation of His sayings, was published amidst many obstacles during His time. Once He gave permission to publish it, but attempted to stop it later. Swamigal would say that great truths would be desacreted when come out of human mouth. “How can you talk about “that which you are unable to talk about”, he would say.§
Yogaswami heard that I was trying to publish a book on Chellaachi Ammaiyar. Swamigal came to my home twice and instructed me that I should not write anything about him in that book. I told him humbly that I would mention only about the meeting of Swamigal with Chellachi Ammaiyar. As I promised Swamigal, I wrote a very short account of their spiritual relationship. Only after Yogaswami’s Maha Samadhi, did I wrote elaborately in Sivathondan special issue.§
Swamigal followed the Hindu tradition that spiritual matters should be imparted only to people who are ready. He held on to the principle that spirituality should not be publicised. Swamigal used to say that Chellappa Swamigal escaped (such publicity) under the cloak of ‘lunatic’. Due to our good merits, Swamigal came out of the boundry and lived as one of us.§
The following life history is based on some facts that were gathered from Swamigal’s conversations with followers and from Swamigal’s close followers. I am writing this book only after verifying the facts as much as possible. Followers should forgive me if still persisted some mistakes even after such careful measures.§
There are many different versions about Swamigal’s date of birth, name of parent’s and His given name. After much considerations, the details provided in Hindu Sathana (8-1-71) by Mr. S. Rathinam appears to be acceptable. These details are very close to what was written by Suthumalai Saravanamuthu Kandayah. The writings of Mr. Rathinam are as follows: “A respected Saiva man by the name of Ambalavanar was living in Tholakudi, Mavidapuram. In May 1865 his family got him married with Amutham, an unblemished Saiva woman. As they did not have progeny for few years, they worshipped and did penance to God Kandaswami. As a result of their penance, they were blessed with a child on May 29, 1872 Monday at 3.30 am in Avittam Nakshatram. They named him as Sathasivan.”§
Swamigal’s mother was also known by another name, Chinnachi Ammaiyar. Some say that Swamigal’s childhood name was Yoganathan. But, the name Yoganathan was given by the administrator of Colombuthurai after He qualified in the Yoga tradition. This causal name became His permanent name in due course of time. Swamigal had told that His paternal grand mother used to live in Chunnakam. Swamigal had attested that father’s mother, “Appu Achi”, lived near the Chunnakam Pootharayar Temple. §
Swamigal’s father, Ambalavanar, was a tobacco trader in Maskeliya. To go to Maskeliya, one has to go by ship to Thirukonamalai and then proceed there by land route. Due to this travel difficulties, Ambalavanar rarely visited home. In those days, Swamigal grew under the care of His mother.§
The father was concerned about Swamigal’s education when He reached five years of age. There were no schools in Maviddapuram. Further, he was not at home to supervise His education. So, he entrusted the responsibilities of Swamigal’s education with his younger brother Sinniah. Sinniah was living in Columbuthurai. He had married a Catholic woman and converted to Catholic religion and had assumed the name Joseph.§
Joseph admitted his adopted son first to a Tamil school in Columbuthurai. At this time, Swamigal’s mother passed away. Swamigal completed third grade in the Tamil school. Then Swamigal was admitted to the Sampathasriyar English School to learn English. There he was admitted into the Catholic religion with a Catholic name ‘John’.§
At that time, Swamigal’s father’s sister, Muthuppillai lived in a village, Pandiyanthalvu, near Columbuthurai. She was an ardent Saiva devotee. She was worried that her brother Sinniah had embraced Catholic religion and that her nephew was studying in a catholic school with an additional name, John. She arranged to give her nephew Saiva books and ancient epics to read whenever Swamigal visited her. During holidays, she would send Swamigal to His hometown, Mavidapuram. Muthupillai must be credited for saving Swamigal from the influence of Catholic religion and for sowing the seed of Saiva religion in Him.§
All those related to Swamigal had healthy, strong body like Swamigal and had long longevity. One of His nephews, Appakutti, lived in Mavidapuram. To great extend he had the appearance like Swamigal. At one time he acted in a folk drama as Yaman, the God of Death, so people used to call him Yaman Appakutti. Swamigal’s aunt Muthupillai lived long life and passed away very recently. Muthupillai’s son Vythiyalingam still lives in Suthumalai.§