A Glimpse of the Journey in Search of Light

Paramahamsa Nithyananda was born on the January 1, 1978, at Thiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, a spiritual nerve centre and the home of the Master Sri Ramana Maharishi. The child was named Rajasekaran. Astrologers predicted a sanyasin's life for him - a Rãja Sanayasi.

The parents noticed the spiritual inclinations of the child and allowed it to have its own way. The child seemed to like the company of Sadhus and Yogis. He was put to school but his formal learning was just an episode in the process of his spiritual yearning and its eventual fulfillment.

Rajasekaran's restless young soul was ever seeking the Eternal. He would faithfully do the rounds of the numerous temples in Thiruvannamalai. His companions were idols of Gods (that he sometimes made himself with clay). He would laugh, play and quarrel with them. His grandmother once threw open her jewel box to the child as a treat. She learnt a lesson that day when the child promptly picked out the sacred rudraksh mala from amongst the sparkling jewels.

At the age of 12, when He was meditating on a rock, He had His first spiritual experience. He was filled with an indescribable joy - the joy that passeth understanding. One Kuppamma, who was close to His paternal grandmother, recognized the boy's first intimation of spiritual perfection. She built an ashram for Him and encouraged Him in His quest. Rajasekaran was also influenced by one Raghupati Yogi with whom lasted a five-year relationship.The latter recognized the blossoming Divinity in the boy and guided Him in many ways.

One day, Rajasekaran happened to be late for class. He stood outside waiting for permission to enter. The teacher was a staunch devotee of Lord Ayyappa. Prompted by come intuition, he looked up at the boy. He then slowly stood up in a trance and brought his palms together to salute the boy. He urged the boy to visit his house with his parents. When they went to his house, the teacher prostrated before Him and declared himself the boy's disciple. He disclosed that he had seen Lord Ayyappa in the form of the young boy in the classroom. Rajasekaran was shocked beyond words.

Rajasekaran's love for worship was well-known within the family. After schooling, He enrolled in a polytechnic in Gudiyatham to study engineering. He however poured his very life upon doing penance. He spent hardly any time on his books but that did not matter. The total concentration he gave to the lectures was enough to see him through his examinations with a distinction.

Rajasekaran once overheard a Yogi saying to his disciples that he was only an Atman (Spirit) and had no Body. The child rushed back home curious to explore what he had just heard. He grabbed a blade and slit his right thigh to see if he experienced pain. Only excruciating pain and chiding followed. He went back to the Yogi demanding an explanation. At that time, his explanation was beyond the scope of understanding of the child. The incident however further strengthened his resolve in his spiritual quest. More such experiences were to follow.

At the age of seventeen Rajasekaran decided to leave his home forever in pursuit of his goal. He stayed in many mutts, studied the Vedas and other scriptures, wandered over the vast expanse of India, visiting many holy shrines and meditating for long hours on snow, near rivers, on hilltops, and in ashrams. Over 30,000 km of Yatra he covered, of which more than 2000 km on foot. With no proper clothing or food, or place to sleep, the search continued.

At Kasi he had an experience of death itself. It was a profound experience and he came back to normalcy after a couple of hours. The fear of death left him forever. Unexpectedly, at a time when he was feeling frustrated, he experienced the Live Energy Connection with the Universe. Rajasekaran became Nithyananda. For the next nine months he lay motionless and speechless most of the time with hardly any food intake or proper clothing in a place in Tamil Nadu. He lost his body-consciousness. At the end of it, he slowly asserted his new Being and traveled to Salem and Erode in South India, educating and healing people. He discovered his healing touch when he was asked to bless a man suffering from lung cancer. The man was completely cured. He finally settled at his ashram - Dhyanapeetam - at Bidadi in the outskirts of Bangalore.

Swamiji was convinced that he could be a channel through which Man can understand and achieve the right balance of the chakras in the body that led to Good health and Bliss. He says, "Healing is only my visiting card, my mission is to awaken the divinity that lies latent in every man."