Posted on 22-6-2025
FROM HINDUPOST WEBSITE
June 8, 2025
Sri Trailanga Swami (also known as Telang Swamy) was born in Kumbilapuram (now known as Kumili of Puspatirega Tehisil) at Vizianagaram District in Andhra Pradesh, with the name of Shivarama in 1607. (His biographers and his disciples differ on his birth date and the period of his longevity. According to one disciple biographer, Sivarama was born in 1529). Sivarama’s parents were Narashingha Rao and Vidyavati Devi, who were devotees of Bhagwan Shiva. After the death of his father in 1647, at the age of 40, he gave up wealth and family responsibilities to his half-brother Sridhar.
Kali Sadhana
His mother then shared with him the fact that her father at the time of death expressed desire to be born to her and continue his Kali sadhana for the benefit of mankind. She told Sivarama that she believed that he was her father (his own maternal grandfather) reincarnated and that he should take up Kali sadhana.
Upon the initiation of a Kali mantra from his mother, Sivarama carried out Kali sadhana in the nearby Kali temple and Punya Kshetras, but was never far away from his mother. After his mother’s death in 1669, he saved her ashes (chita bhasma) and used to wear her ashes and continue his Kali sadhana day and night. During that time, Sivarama lived the life of a recluse in a cottage, built by his half-brother, near a cremation ground.
Monastic life
He met his preceptor swami, Bhagirathananda Saraswati, in 1679 from the Punjab. Bhagirathananda initiated Shivaram into monastic vows (sanyasa) and named him Swami Ganapati Saraswati in 1685. Ganapati led a life of severe austerities and went on a pilgrimage, reaching Prayag in 1733, before finally settling in Varanasi in 1737.
Sivarama became known as Sri Trailanga Swami ji after he settled in Varanasi, living the monastic life. In Varanasi, till his death in 1887, he lived at different places including Assi Ghat, the Vedavyas Asharama at Hanuman Ghat, Dashashwamedh Ghat. He was often found roaming the streets or the ghats, stark naked and “carefree as a child”.
Yogic powers
He was reportedly seen swimming or floating on the river Ganges for hours. He talked very little and at times was totally silent. A number of people became attracted to him upon hearing of his yogic powers to get rid of their sufferings. During his stay in Varanasi, several prominent contemporary saints from Bengal met and described him, including Lokenath Brahmachari, Benimadhava Brahmachari, Bhagaban Ganguly, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Vivekananda, Mahendranath Gupta, Lahiri Mahasaya, and Swami Abhedananda., Bhaskarananda, Vishuddhananda, and Vijaykrishna and Sadhak Bamakhepa.
Swami was seen sitting on the top of the water; he would remain hidden under the waves for hours and days at other times. (Prakamya Siddhi is one of the ashta sddihis. One who has attained this Prakamya Siddhi will be able to survive and dwell underwater). Frequently the Swami was seen on the extremely hot stone slabs at Manikarnika Ghat under the blistering heat of the sun, yet no negative effect resulted to his body. The stories ofShri Trailanga Swami are quite well known in Uttar Pradesh and reference can be had to old editions of Benares District Gazeteer. European civilians had several experiences about his miracles.Despite his round face and huge, barrel-like stomach, Swami Trailanga ate only occasionally. After weeks without food, he would break his fast with a pot full of clabbered milk offered to him by devotees. Trailanga Swami spent the last part of his life at Pancha Ganga Ghat in Kashi.
During his last days, he took up living like a python (ajagara vritti- being content with what comes naturally, just like a python. It teaches detachment, faith, and a focus on spiritual life over material needs.) in which he sat still without any movement, and devotees poured water (abhisheka) on him from early morning till noon, looking upon him as a living incarnation of Shiva. He left the world on the Monday evening of December 26, 1887. Salila samadhi was given to his body in the Ganges River in Varanasi according to the customs of the Dashanami sect.
Important teachings
· Human life need not depend on oxygen or certain conditions and precautions. It only requires divine consciousness.
· The greatest place of pilgrimage is ‘Our own pure mind.’ Swami often instructed people to follow the ‘Vedantic truth from the Guru.’
· Life is a constant test, a time to correct past mistakes. With this in mind, one should, with the help of analysis and observation, learn to distinguish between good and evil, ponder actions, and then act.
· Help the poor and truly needy, not those who pretend to be such. Distribute knowledge wisely and only to those who wish to receive it.
· Strive for self-knowledge, always be ready to help your neighbor. Be at peace with yourself, only then can you attain Salvation.
· Contemplation is the path to immortality, and worry is to death.
· Strive for yourself what you advise others. Only someone who is in complete control of himself can give advice.
· “Respect all religions. All religions have one truth and all have one goal—the achievement of Salvation (Moksha).”
His autobiography is written by his disciple Umacharan Mukhopadhyay titled- Mahatma Trailinga Swamir Jeevan Charit in 2 volumes.
According to the Umacharan Mukhopadhyay writings, Telang Swami had described the attachment of human to the world, the liberation and the assimilation in God. According to the Telang Swami, if one attained the desirelessness state, he will be liberated from the cycle of birth and death and this world itself appears to him as heaven.
A Bengali movie based on the life of Trailanga Swami Came in the year 1960 (directed by Chitra Sarathi and music by Anil Bagchi).
Trailinga Swami was a member of the Dashanami order. The Dashanami Sampradaya, established by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century CE (according to the four monasteries that are set up by Adi Shankaracharya, he was born in 5th Century BCE), is a monastic tradition that organizes sannyasins (renunciates) into ten orders. Each order has a specific focus and area of influence, contributing to the realization of self through knowledge, devotion, and action.
The Ten Lineages (Dashanami)
1. Aranya: Meaning “forest,” this lineage emphasizes living in seclusion and meditating in natural surroundings.
2. Ashrama: Derived from “hermitage,” it focuses on living in ashrams and engaging in spiritual practices.
3. Bharati: Meaning “learning” or “knowledge,” this ordaer is dedicated to the pursuit of wisdom and scholarly activities.
4. Giri: Meaning “mountain,” it symbolizes stability and strength, often associated with monks living in mountainous regions.
5. Parvata: Also meaning “mountain,” similar to Giri, it emphasizes ascetic practices in high altitudes.
6. Puri: Meaning “town” or “city,” this lineage focuses on spreading spiritual teachings in urban areas.
7. Sarasvati: Named after the goddess of knowledge, Sarasvati, this order is dedicated to learning and teaching.
8. Sagara: Meaning “ocean,” it symbolizes vastness and depth, often associated with monks who travel widely.
9. Tirtha: Meaning “pilgrimage,” this lineage emphasizes the importance of pilgrimage and spiritual journeys.
10.Vana: Meaning “forest,” similar to Aranya, it focuses on living in forests and practicing deep meditation.
11.
Promoting Knowledge as a Way of Life
The Dashnami Sampradaya promotes the idea that knowledge is not just an academic pursuit but a way of life. The integration of these lineages ensures that spiritual knowledge is accessible to all, whether through scholarly study, devotional practices, or ascetic living. This holistic approach helps in exploring and sanctifying various spaces in the country, promoting a life of wisdom and spiritual growth.
Trailinga Swami, Kali upasaka was a paramahamsa avadhuta — beyond dualities and social conventions. His life was marked by extreme purity, renunciation, and austerity, not ritualistic Tantra in the Vamachara tradition. The form of Kali worship he likely practiced aligns more with Dakṣiṇāchāra, which emphasizes inner worship, symbolic offerings, and ethical living. His philosophy aligns with the principles of Advaita Vedanta, emphasizing non-duality and the realization of the self as one with the absolute. He was a sage who combined wisdom (Janana) with devotion (Bhakti)
Shree Trailanga Swami Math
The Trailanga Swami Math is located near Panchganga Ghat, right beside the Alamgir Mosque. Within its sacred walls, a divine Kali Murti revered by Trailanga Swami himself is enshrined. Near to this idol rests a Shivling, legend has it, brought by the Swami from the riverbed of the holy Ganges.
A remarkable statue of Trailanga Swami, commissioned by his devoted disciples at his behest, graces the temple. Beneath this statue lies an underground meditation chamber where the Swami spent countless hours in deep meditation. It was here, at this sanctum, that Trailanga Swami drew his final breath, departing from this earthly realm, on December 26, 1887.
Reference:
1. https://www.trailangaswami.in/life-and-biography-of-sri-trailanga-swami
3. https://mydattatreya.com/trailanga-swami/.
4. https://www.varanasiguru.com/trailanga-swami-the-walking-shiva-of-kashi/.
WRITER’S PROFILE:
Ex- Senior Banker, Financial and Management Consultant and Visiting faculty at premier B Schools and Universities. Areas of Specialization & Teaching interests – Banking, Finance, Entrepreneurship, Economics, Global Business & Behavioural Sciences. Qualification- M.Com., M.B.A., A.I.I.B.F., PhD. Experience- 25 years of banking and 18 years of teaching, research and consulting. 270 plus national and international publications on various topics like- banking, global trade, economy, public finance, public policy and spirituality. Two books in English “In Search of Eternal Truth”, “History of our Temples”, two books in Telugu and 75 short stories 60 articles and 2 novels published in Telugu. Email id: bnvpsarathi@yahoo.co.in
–SUBHAM—
Tags- Trailinga Swamy, mystic Yogi
Tamil and Vedas 