Swami Bua - Supercentenarian Yogi

Venkataraman Subramanian Bua (September 14, 1886 - July 22, 2010), internationally known as Jagatguru H.H. Swami Bua Ji Maharaj, was born in Pollachi, South India. He was born into a poor, Brahmin family and was the youngest of eighteen children. Born with severe physical disabilities, his legs and feet were crippled and contorted by the time he was two years old. He later fell into a coma and by the age of thirteen, his family was convinced that he was dead. When they prepared him for cremation, the heat from the funeral pyre woke him up and as his eyes began to open, his family ran away fearing that he has risen from the dead. A wanderer, Avadhuta His Holiness Prabhakara Sidha Yogi, rescued him from the fire and taught him traditional yoga over many years.

Swami Bua began his voyage, traveling from village to village, and seeking food as well as shelter from others. He survived many providential escapes. For instance, he was abducted by cannibals when he was a child but managed to free himself with the help of a young girl. He also escaped from political activists and criminals as well as wild animals including pythons, crocodiles, tigers, etc. Meeting great saints such as Swami Vivekananda, Chattampi Swamikal, Sree Narayana Guru, Ramana Maharshi, Sri

Aurobindo, and other Siddha yogis was a great source of inspiration for joining the freedom movement and would ultimately lead him on a journey throughout British India. Upon learning numerous Indian languages through the gurukula system, he became an exceptional orator and writer in English, despite lacking a modern education. He lived on fruit, vegetables, and a little rice. He never consumed non-vegetarian food, alcohol, or drugs in his life. During his lifetime, Swami Bua was one of the oldest living Hatha Yoga teachers in the world. Experts estimated him to be over 123 years of age in his final years. He accomplished the yogic technique of ‘Kechari Mudra’ (the blocking of one’s nasal passage with one’s own tongue, stopping the breath for a considerable length of time) through rigorous practice. As a spiritual leader at the United Nations, he was able to blow his “Shankh” (Conch Shell) continuously for hours, demonstrating his immense breath control. He was capable of breathing through his eyes. His extraordinary ability to rotate his body while anchoring both arms on the ground was a rare feat.

Swami Bua was a cousin of Swami Sivananda Saraswati. When Swami Sivananda saw Swami Bua’s talent in hatha yoga, he was invited to join the Divine Life Society in Rishikesh. Swami Bua joined the ashram as its first yoga teacher trainer and taught most of Swami Sivananda’s disciples. He was the first yoga master conferred with the title “Master of Hatha Yoga“ (M.H.Y.) by Swami Sivananda Saraswati. Swami Bua arranged a meeting between Sathya Sai Baba and Swami Sivananda in Rishikesh and created a movement called “Bharath Sadhu Samaj,” which made a change in the orthodox Hindu hierarchy. In the early 1960s, Swami Bua went to Iran where he stayed at the Shah of Iran’s palace and taught yoga to the Shah’s family. After 7 years, Swami Bua came to the USA with the Shah of Iran. In 1973, Swami Bua established the IndoAmerican Yoga-Vedanta Society in New York and became an integral part of the activities at the United Nations.

Swami Bua traveled around the world over 90 times. He met numerous royal dignitaries, heads of states, ambassadors, religious leaders, and famous Hollywood film stars. He taught the King of Ethiopia, King of Nepal, Boxing champion Mohammed Ali and many other world figures. Additionally, he met with Bertrand Russell, George Bernard Shaw, Albert Einstein, as well as many world leaders from Russia, Germany, and Italy. He worked closely with many spiritual saints like Paramahansa Yogananda, Sai Baba of Shirdi, Swami Chidananda Saraswati, Sathya Sai Baba, Sri Chinmoy, Swami Satchidananda Saraswati, Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, and various others. Among his friends are great figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, Annie Besant, Subhash Chandra Bose, Lala Lajpat Rai, Madan Mohan Malaviya, Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II, United Nations Secretaries-General and other diplomats. Swami Bua Ji was an embodiment of love and affection. He would always end his yoga classes with the relaxation lullaby, ”Begin the day with love; spend the day with love; fill the day with love; end the day with love. That is the way to God.” He would say that food, laughter, and yoga are the best medicine for a long and healthy life. In this light, Supercentenarian Yogiraj Swami Bua Ji’s life is a perfect example for all spiritual practitioners.