Stories of a Yogi – Shri Malladahali Swami

From time to time, many Yogis and great souls have incarnated in India who led an exemplary life and who are source of inspiration for million of seekers around the world. One such great soul was Sri Raghavendra Swamiji ofMalladihalli popularly known as “Malladihalli Swamiji”. During his lifetime, he taught Yoga to more than 4.5 million people all over the world. He recently passed away in the year 1996. He used to call himself “Thiruka” (a beggar) and urged the people to donate freely to his projects to help the poor, downtrodden and orphans. Here are a few inspiring glimpse from his extra ordinary life.

Early life

Right from his infancy, he had been a chronic asthmatic. He was just wheezing day and night. His parents tried a lot of medicines and did whatever they could, but the boy was just wasting away. When he was about 11 or 12 years of age, a Yogi came by and the parents asked him to heal the boy. The Yogi said, “Anyway this boy is not going to be of any use to you. If you keep him with you, he will die. Give him to me; I will take him with me.” This yogi was Palani Swamy. He usually used to walk alone and generally didn’t recruit any disciple. But he took compassion upon this boy, took him along and trained him in the ways of Yoga. The boy not only grew out of his ailment, he grew into a physically strong wrestler who lived a happy life till the age of 106.

His physical strength

Swamiji kept his body healthy and fit by practicing Hatha yoga and Pranayama. Wrestling was one his passion and he used to teach wrestling to his disciples and other youngsters who were studying in any one of the many schools that his Trust used to run. Even at the age of 85 years old he used to challenge youths to come together in groups of three to wrestle with him. And most of the times, three of them wouldn’t last for more than a minute against him. Wonder of Yoga – the kid who was ailing in the childhood maintained such a strong body at the age of 85.   

Burning desire for helping others

Swamiji was adept in the art of Ayurveda. Every Monday he used to travel to distant villages and treat patients free of cost from early morning till dawn. Such was his energy that when he visited a village, it used to be a festive atmosphere all around– he used to tell jokes and make everyone laugh whole day.

Once he made the plans to travel to a village at a distance of about 40 miles by train on Sunday evening so that he can see the patients starting Monday morning. But due to Railway strike, all trains were halted. On the train station two other disciples were accompanying him. He told them to wait there and he started running on the track. Next day as per his schedule he started seeing the villagers and helping them out with his Ayurveda skills. When the trains were restored on Monday, the two disciples reached the village, they were so surprised to see the Swamiji didn’t get tired even after running 40 miles and seeing patients the whole day. Such was his strength and his burning desire to help others.   

His will power

His young and old disciples used to joke about his physical strength that he would not leave the earth till everyone of his disciples die. He was going strong till the age of 106 without seeing the insides of any hospital. When he was about 106 years old, while giving a discourse on a stage, he collapsed due to some nervous breakdown or something. The disciples took him to the Hospital and got him admitted. His private room was on the second floor of the hospital. In the middle of the night he woke up and took of all the pipes running around his body. He took off from the window of the second floor room and came back to his Ashram. He refused to see any doctor or get any treatment in the hospital. After another about three months, he passed away graciously in his Ashram at the age of 106.

These stories are based on a discourse by Sri Vasudev Jaggi Swami of Isha Yoga.