Sivamayam Sadguru Thunai ( Under the protection of the enlightened master)
Satguru .Ku.Pa.GURUSWAMY AYYA
Founder
Srimath Sagathguru Arubathumoondru Nayanmargal Madalayam Sri Ganapatiyananda Desikara Ashram
Karaikalammaiyar Pengal Vaidheega Vidyalayam
virudhunagar
OM PARAMA GURUVE NAMAHA
Satguru .Ku.Pa.GURUSWAMY AYYA
Jananam : 18.04.1877
Videha Kaivalyam : 24.06.1944
Biography of Sri Ku. Pa. Guruswamy Ayya
In the land of Bharata Khanda, in the Pandiya Nadu region, in a place called Virudaiyampadhi, in the Kshatriya noble lineage known as Kulaveeram — Palani Nadar and Kamaatchi Ammal, who had no children, through their penance and merit, were blessed with a male child in the month of Chittirai on the 7th day of the Eshvara year (18.04.1877). They named him Guruswamy, raised him with love, and sent him to school at the age of five. He studied Tamil with great enthusiasm.
As he grew, with devotion to God and the company of noble souls, by the age of sixteen he had renounced desires such as lust and anger, became convinced that the body is impermanent, and engaged himself in the study of scriptures. Just as a person whose body is on fire desperately searches for water, he became certain that without the grace of a Sadguru, one cannot attain liberation — the cessation of all suffering and the attainment of supreme bliss.
He searched for a Sadguru and arrived at the sacred place called Sri Nagalathapuram, where Sri Ganapatiyananda Desikar resided. He prostrated completely at his lotus feet and said with tears streaming down.
"O Master! I have wandered and grown weary in the ocean of suffering called rebirth, and I have now come to your lotus feet."
The Sadguru, recognizing him as one worthy of attaining the great blessing of liberation, instructed him with folded hands in the unity of the individual soul with Brahman (Jeeva-Brahma Aikyam), saying:
"If you practice this, your suffering of rebirth will end, and you will attain liberation — the cessation of sorrow and the realization of supreme bliss."
Accordingly, Guruswamy Ayya faithfully practiced the teachings and served the Sadguru in the four prescribed ways—Aptam, Angam, Danam, and Satbhavam—without fail. During this time, his mother Kamaatchi Ammal went to the Sadguru and pleaded, saying that Guruswamy was her only son and that she wished the family lineage to continue. In accordance with her request, the Sadguru called his disciple Guruswamy and said, "My son, according to your mother's wish, marry and lead the householder's life faithfully." Unable to go against the Guru's word, and bound by past karma, he married Umaiyammal, the daughter of his uncle Aiyamperumaal Nadar, and lived the householder's life — yet never letting his mind waver from the practice of supreme bliss bestowed by the Sadguru's grace, continuing scriptural inquiry with a few other disciples.
While living thus, he felt the need to establish a place in Virudhunagar - his place of residence where devotees and spiritual seekers could stay and perform worship of Guru, Linga, and Sangam. With the help of his father-in-law P.Mu. Shankaralinga Nadar, his own great effort, and the support of relatives, he established the "Sri Jagadguru Arupathu Moonru Nayanmargal Thirumadaalyam" (The Mutt of the Sixty-Three Nayanmars). The foundation stone was laid by the hand of his Guru Ganapatiyananda Desikar. With his guru's blessings, the mutt building was completed, and on the 26th of Thai month of Sadharana year (08.02.1911-Wednesday), the inauguration ceremony (Kumbabhishekam) was performed in the presence of Ganapatiyananda Desikar, Mutthananda Swamigal, Mottaiya Mutt Sellappa Swamigal, Umarikkottai Swamigal, Annamalai Swamigal, Tanjore Brahma Sri Kuppuswamy Raj, and many other distinguished devotees.
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In the mutt, the following were consecrated: the idol of Ganapati (Vinayagar), the Linga of Kashi Vishweshwara, Gnana Dandayudhapani, Nandi, the image of Perumal, the portrait of Sri Jagadguru Shankaracharya, the portraits of the Sixty-Three Nayanmars, the portrait of Manikkavasagar, and the portrait of Ganapatiyananda Desikar. He dedicated his body, wealth, and soul entirely to the mutt. He also founded ( Sri Ganapatiyananda Desikara Ashram ), reading hall in the name of Ganapatiyananda Desikar ( Srimath Sagathguru Arubathumoondru Nayanmargal Madalayam) and a girls educational institution of Sri Karaikkal Ammaiyar ( Karaikalammaiyar Pengal Vaidheega Vidyalayam ), resolving that his sole purpose was to serve devotees, worship God, and tend to the mutt, he consecrated his entire life to this sacred calling.
Living thus in household life - like an insect in the mud, like tamarind fruit and its shell - several children were born and passed away by the force of karma. Only one daughter, named Thirunavukkarasi, survived. In the meantime, by divine will, his wife Umaiyammal passed away. From that point, feeling freed from the bonds of attachment, he went to his Guru and said, "Swami! I am now worthy of the monastic order (Sannyasa Ashrama)." But the Guru replied, "Since you have no male heir to continue your lineage, marry again as your mother wishes and fulfill the duties of a householder."
Unable to disobey his Guru's command, he married Guruvammal, the daughter of Shankaralinga Nadar of Virudaiyambadhi, and continued household life. Though a few more children were born and passed away by the force of fate, he did not consider family burdens as grief, and continued to remain steadfastly absorbed in Brahma Nishta (contemplation of Brahman) and scriptural inquiry as his primary pursuits.
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During those days, Thirunavukkarasi, his daughter by his first wife, passed her childhood and reached marriageable age. With a desire to perform her marriage and other auspicious ceremonies, and considering his father-in-law's son Ramalingam to be the most suitable and excellent groom for her, he consulted with his relatives and gave her in marriage (Kanyadaan) to the said groom. She also lived for some time, bore a few children, and by the act of fate, her life too came to an end
Later, his mother Kamakshi Ammal also reached old age and passed away, and he continued his life after performing all the necessary funeral rites for her.
While things were thus, his wife, Kuruvammal, was deeply distressed and sorrowful due to the grief of not having a male child. Desiring to bring peace to her mind, they went to reside in Chidambaram, the sacred abode of Lord Thillai. Realizing that there was no proper accommodation for people of the Nadar community when they visited the town, he took great efforts and established a monastery (Madam) there as well.
Afterward, both returned to Virudhunagar and continued their lives. By the fruit of their penance, they were blessed with a male child on 06.05.1934, whom they named Nagarathinam. While living happily and spending his time teaching the scriptures to numerous male and female students and engaging in philosophical inquiries, his Prarabdha (allotted destiny for this lifetime) came to an end.
Because the Avarana (veiling) power and Sanchita (accumulated) karma—out of the Avarana-Vikshepa powers of ignorance—were completely dissolved on the very day he received initiation through the grace of the Satguru, only the Prarabdha karma within the Vikshepa (projecting) power remained in his present body, much like a roasted seed (incapable of sprouting).
Once that Prarabdha karma was exhausted through experience, the ignorance that had manifested in the form of the gross and subtle bodies dissolved back into pure Consciousness. Consequently, he attained Videha Kaivalya Moksha (disembodied liberation/salvation) on Dharana Year, Saturday, the 11th day of the Tamil month of Aani, under the Ayilyam star (24.06.1944). He now resides as a divine deity in his holy temple at Virudhaiyampathi (Virudhunagar).
Virudhunagar, 24-06-1944
Written by his disciple, Mu.Su. Chidambaram.
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