Swami Vishnu Tirtha
Encyclopedia
Swami Vishnu Tirtha Maharaj (? - 1969), also known as Munilal Swami, was a sannyasin, writer
and guru
with a prominent place in the Shaktipat
tradition of Siddhayoga
. He was born on an unknown date in Jhajjar
, Haryana
, India
. He stayed with an uncle while obtaining an undergraduate degree, then married and was employed as a teacher in Bilaspur
, Chhattisgarh
while he obtained a postgraduate degree and a baccalaureate in law from Aligarh Muslim University
. He then practised as a lawyer
in the Ghaziabad District of Meerut.
Munilal and his wife raised a son and daughter. After the marriages of his children and the death of his spouse he decided to travel to Rishikesh in search of enlightenment. At the Swarga Ashram in Rishikesh he received Shaktipat
initiation from Yogananda in 1933. After travels to many holy places around Badrinath and Kedarnath, in 1939 Munilal expressed a desire for initiation as a renunciate (sannyasin). Yogananda directed him to Swami Shankar Purushottam Tirtha in Benaras, who initiated him at the Mohan Ashram, Haridwar
near the bank of the Ganges. His name then became Swami Vishnu Tirth. At the direction of Yogananda, he proceeded toward Indore
and finally settled in Dewas
where he laid the foundation for the Narayan Kuti Sanyas Ashram.
Vishnu Tirth initiated many spiritual aspirants into the system of Shaktipat
(descent of energy) and wrote a number of books. His most memorable work in English is Devatma Shakti, a study of the Divine Power (Kundalini
Shakti
) and the science of Shaktipat, based on traditions recorded in ancient scriptures supplemented by direct experiences.
Vishnu Tirth had a profound love for the Ganges River and he spent around two months a year in Yog Shri Peeth Ashram in Rishikesh after his disciple Swami Shivom Tirtha and others carried out the construction of the centre in 1965. He left his body in 1969.
Shri Vishnu Tirthji’s mountain like personality can be understood from Churning of the Heart (Parts I, II, III) written by his disciple Swami ShivOm Tirthji. Here a Guru is sculpting a disciple from a human being. One of his Guru Bandhu (disciple of same Guru) Shri Devendraji Vigyani Maharaj described him as a person without any hint of sin.
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
with a prominent place in the Shaktipat
Shaktipat
Shaktipat or Śaktipāta refers in Hinduism to the conferring of spiritual "energy" upon one person by another...
tradition of Siddhayoga
Siddhayoga
This article concerns the Tirtha lineage of Siddha Yoga. For other uses see Siddha Yoga The Tirtha lineage of Siddhayoga is a mystical sect of Shaivite Hinduism that relies on direct experience of life-force or Kundalini Shakti and understanding of Tantric scriptures . It holds the guru-disciple...
. He was born on an unknown date in Jhajjar
Jhajjar
Jhajjar is a town in Jhajjar district in the Indian state of Haryana.-Geography:Jhajjar is located at . It has an average elevation of 220 metres .-Demographics:...
, Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He stayed with an uncle while obtaining an undergraduate degree, then married and was employed as a teacher in Bilaspur
Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh
Bilaspur is a city in Bilaspur District in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh, situated 111 km north of state capital, Raipur. It is the second-largest city in the state. It is the administrative headquarter of Bilaspur district...
, Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh is a state in Central India, formed when the 16 Chhattisgarhi-speaking South-Eastern districts of Madhya Pradesh gained separate statehood on 1 November 2000....
while he obtained a postgraduate degree and a baccalaureate in law from Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh Muslim University ,is a residential academic university, established in 1875 by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan as Mohammedan Angelo-Oriental College and later granted the status of Central University by an Act of the Indian Parliament in 1920...
. He then practised as a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
in the Ghaziabad District of Meerut.
Munilal and his wife raised a son and daughter. After the marriages of his children and the death of his spouse he decided to travel to Rishikesh in search of enlightenment. At the Swarga Ashram in Rishikesh he received Shaktipat
Shaktipat
Shaktipat or Śaktipāta refers in Hinduism to the conferring of spiritual "energy" upon one person by another...
initiation from Yogananda in 1933. After travels to many holy places around Badrinath and Kedarnath, in 1939 Munilal expressed a desire for initiation as a renunciate (sannyasin). Yogananda directed him to Swami Shankar Purushottam Tirtha in Benaras, who initiated him at the Mohan Ashram, Haridwar
Haridwar
Haridwar is an important pilgrimage city and municipality in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India...
near the bank of the Ganges. His name then became Swami Vishnu Tirth. At the direction of Yogananda, he proceeded toward Indore
Indore
Indore is one of the major city in India, the largest city and commercial center of the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India. Indore is located 190 km west of the state capital Bhopal. According to the 2011 Indian census, Indore city has a population of 1,960,631...
and finally settled in Dewas
Dewas
Dewas is an ancient town situated on the Malwa plateau in the West-central part of Indian state called Madhya Pradesh, about 160 km south west from state capital, Bhopal. It is the administrative center of the Dewas District, and was formerly the seat of two princely states during the British...
where he laid the foundation for the Narayan Kuti Sanyas Ashram.
Vishnu Tirth initiated many spiritual aspirants into the system of Shaktipat
Shaktipat
Shaktipat or Śaktipāta refers in Hinduism to the conferring of spiritual "energy" upon one person by another...
(descent of energy) and wrote a number of books. His most memorable work in English is Devatma Shakti, a study of the Divine Power (Kundalini
Kundalini
Kundalini literally means coiled. In yoga, a "corporeal energy" - an unconscious, instinctive or libidinal force or Shakti, lies coiled at the base of the spine. It is envisioned either as a goddess or else as a sleeping serpent, hence a number of English renderings of the term such as 'serpent...
Shakti
Shakti
Shakti from Sanskrit shak - "to be able," meaning sacred force or empowerment, is the primordial cosmic energy and represents the dynamic forces that are thought to move through the entire universe in Hinduism. Shakti is the concept, or personification, of divine feminine creative power, sometimes...
) and the science of Shaktipat, based on traditions recorded in ancient scriptures supplemented by direct experiences.
Vishnu Tirth had a profound love for the Ganges River and he spent around two months a year in Yog Shri Peeth Ashram in Rishikesh after his disciple Swami Shivom Tirtha and others carried out the construction of the centre in 1965. He left his body in 1969.
Shri Vishnu Tirthji’s mountain like personality can be understood from Churning of the Heart (Parts I, II, III) written by his disciple Swami ShivOm Tirthji. Here a Guru is sculpting a disciple from a human being. One of his Guru Bandhu (disciple of same Guru) Shri Devendraji Vigyani Maharaj described him as a person without any hint of sin.