In the effort to realise the Supreme Truth, it is not science which can help you most – it is only faith that can stand you in good stead.
Swami Tapovan
Swami Tapovan
Jewel of the Himalayas
Swami Tapovan Maharaj, vidya guru of Swami Chinmayananda, was a towering figure, renowned throughout the Himalayas as a Knower of Truth. He was called Himavat Vibhuti – jewel of the Himalayas – and was sought after as a teacher and saint. Swami Tapovan was a strict ascetic, remaining in a humble hut at Uttarkashi revelling in his realisation, except for his solitary wandering throughout the mountain regions.
Swami Chinmayananda said of his Guru, “He was a God without temple, a Veda without language.”
His mastery of the Vedas and the Upanishads is legendary, as were his love of nature and his tireless compassion for spiritual aspirants wrestling with the scriptures and householders struggling to maintain a spiritual focus in daily life.
Spiritual Journey
1924 Onwards – His life as a Sannyasi
Passing through Prayaga and Ayodhya, he took up residence in Rishikesh, where he was formally initiated into sannyasa by the head of the Kailash Ashram – Swami Janardanagiri. In the summer, he trekked to Uttarkashi, Gangotri, Kailash and beyond. Accounts of these travels are available in his travelogues – Wanderings in the Himalayas, Kailash Yatra and others.
Until 1907
A devout Vedantin, Swamiji was too intelligent for the prevailing school systems. Annoying his ambitious father, he dropped out of school and sought a more spiritual education. Home-schooled and self-taught, until the age of 17, he proved himself to be, a linguistic genius, mastering both Malayalam and Sanskrit.
1910 – Informal Adoption of a Sannyasi’s Life
Both his parents passed away before he turned 21. Renowned and revered for his original poetic composition, he informally adopted the sannyasi's religious and serene lifestyle long before his initiation into sannyas. For a short while he studied stexts under Swami Santyananda in Bhavnagar and returned to Palakad.
Public speaker, Private Sannyasi
Though Swamiji was a committed spiritual aspirant, disinterested in worldly matters, circumstances forced him to fulfill family duties. From 1912 for the next 7 years, his life was packed with public activities – delivering speeches on politics, religion and Vedanta. An accomplished writer he contributed articles to local newspapers and magazines.
1923 – The Path of Sannyasa
In 1923, after his brother qualified to practice law, Swamiji followed his cherished desire of taking sannyas. He left home and for a while he lived with Swami Hradayananda in Panchvati, near Nashik. Shortly thereafter, on the banks of the Narmada, he initiated himself into Sannyasa taking ochre robes.
1924 Onwards – His life as a Sannyasi
Passing through Prayaga and Ayodhya, he took up residence in Rishikesh, where he was formally initiated into sannyasa by the head of the Kailash Ashram – Swami Janardanagiri. In the summer, he trekked to Uttarkashi, Gangotri, Kailash and beyond. Accounts of these travels are available in his travelogues – Wanderings in the Himalayas, Kailash Yatra and others.
Until 1907
A devout Vedantin, Swamiji was too intelligent for the prevailing school systems. Annoying his ambitious father, he dropped out of school and sought a more spiritual education. Home-schooled and self-taught, until the age of 17, he proved himself to be, a linguistic genius, mastering both Malayalam and Sanskrit.
1910 – Informal Adoption of a Sannyasi’s Life
Both his parents passed away before he turned 21. Renowned and revered for his original poetic composition, he informally adopted the sannyasi's religious and serene lifestyle long before his initiation into sannyas. For a short while he studied stexts under Swami Santyananda in Bhavnagar and returned to Palakad.
Public speaker, Private Sannyasi
Though Swamiji was a committed spiritual aspirant, disinterested in worldly matters, circumstances forced him to fulfill family duties. From 1912 for the next 7 years, his life was packed with public activities – delivering speeches on politics, religion and Vedanta. An accomplished writer he contributed articles to local newspapers and magazines.
1923 – The Path of Sannyasa
In 1923, after his brother qualified to practice law, Swamiji followed his cherished desire of taking sannyas. He left home and for a while he lived with Swami Hradayananda in Panchvati, near Nashik. Shortly thereafter, on the banks of the Narmada, he initiated himself into Sannyasa taking ochre robes.
1924 Onwards – His life as a Sannyasi
Passing through Prayaga and Ayodhya, he took up residence in Rishikesh, where he was formally initiated into sannyasa by the head of the Kailash Ashram – Swami Janardanagiri. In the summer, he trekked to Uttarkashi, Gangotri, Kailash and beyond. Accounts of these travels are available in his travelogues – Wanderings in the Himalayas, Kailash Yatra and others.
Divine Harmony with Nature
The perfect Seer, sees Perfection
Nature is Divine
To Swami Tapovan, nature was eternally to be worshipped as the Divine manifest. The Ganges roaring below is the divine Mother and his beloved Kashvishwanath is the father and Supreme Lord. The forests of Uttarkashi and Gangotri were his temples. His Hymn to the Ganges and Soumya Kashi Stotram are masterpieces of erudition and devotion
Swami Tapovan wrote exquisitely descriptive spiritual ‘travelogues’ of his pilgrimages. to holy places including Rishikesh, Uttarkashi, Jamnotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, Badrinath, Amarnath, Gaumukh, Kailash and Manasarova. These are captured in his beautiful books Wandering in the Himalayas and Ishwara Darshan They are pure Vedanta captured in ecstatic and poetic narratives.
Consumate Ascetic
Swami Tapovan was renowned throughout the Himalayan regions for his asceticism as well as his encyclopedic knowledge of the scriptures. He eschewed all comforts, living in his one-room hut with a blanket and water pot. He ate a daily meal of rice dahl and roti from the Kali Kambli Walla charitable ashram, often to washing out the spices.
On his travels, Swami Tapovan relied entirely on God for food and shelter. He walked long distances in the snow with no shoes and slept without food if biksha wasn’t available, all the while marvelling at the glory of the creation. In later years, Swami Tapovan lived exclusively at Uttarkashi or Gangotri, never descending to the plains again.
Upanishad Guru
One who has realised his own Universal Nature is called a Mahatma. Swami Tapovan was such a Mahatma revelling in the truth of non-duality. Swamiji had just a few students, as he was an uncompromising teacher, though many seekers and sadhus sought his wisdom in interpreting the Brahmasutras and the Upanishads, along with advice for advancing their sadhana. Swami Chinmayananda was one of a very small group of dedicated students studying with Swami Tapovan in the early 1950’s.
Despite his apparent toughness, Swami Tapovan was compassion personified. He wrote to many householders with guidance for their spiritual progress having complete understanding of the obstacles and barriers they might face.
Gallery
Central Chinmaya Mission Trust
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