VISAKHAPATNAM: Considered the true ‘karmayogi’ by those who revere him, Satguru Kandukuri Sivananda Murty who passed away at a hospital in Warangal in the wee hours of Wednesday, is one such spiritual master whose teachings, writings and selfless service evoke loyalty and admiration from people from all walks of life including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Born on December 21, 1928 at Rajahmundry in the Zamindar family of Urlam estate in Srikakulam district, Sivananda Murty inherited ideals of philanthropy and love for the study of the Vedas, scriptures and fine arts from his father Veera Basava Raju. He completed BSc from Maharaja’s College in Vizianagaram and opted for government service to live among the poor in the backward region of Telangana. He served in the police department of Warangal for several years, before opting for voluntary retirement as secretary of Planning and Personnel (Administration) to DGP. Drawn to Shaivism, Sivananda Murthy distributed all his properties among the poor and chose Warangal where Shaivism thrived for centuries.
Sivananda Murthy has set up several trusts and promoted traditional culture and customs by encouraging artistes in the fields of music and dance. He went on to establish two ashrams - Gurudham on the outskirts of Hanamkonda and Anandavanam at Bheemili. Before he reached his 33rd year, Sivananda Murty read over 13,000 works ranging from history, religion, science, spirituality, medicine, astronomy and astrology. He decided to put his knowledge and energy for the larger good of society. He had scores of IAS and IPS officers, politicians, film personalities, businessmen, doctors and other professionals besides thousands of commoners among his followers.
In over three decades, Sivananda Murthy spread his message of service through a triple-stream of thought, word and deed. His lectures on the Gita, Upanishads and Siva Yoga had been widely acclaimed. While he had spread the message of service through spiritual discourses, yagams and homams besides lectures and publications, his concern for the poor and the needy took him to remote areas of Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat.
Sivananda Murthy was also a scholar and authored many books on Indian philosophy. His work ‘Katha Yoga’, a commentary on Kathopanishad, has received the commendation of scholars apart from the authoritative Srimukham from Bharati Teertha Mahaswami of Sringeri Peetham. His work in Telugu ‘Maharshula Charitra’, in two volumes, contains the history of the great sages. The library in front of his residence in Anandavanam, has a collection of over 16,000 books. He also had the rare distinction of reviving several ancient libraries and temples across the country.
Satguru Sivananda Murty was also a builder of institutions. The Sanatana Dharma Charitable Trust, established by him, has been conducting a variety of activities to promote the rich culture and heritage of India. The Andhra Music Academy founded by him in 2000 has carved out a niche for itself and honours eminent artistes with the Sangeetha Vidyanidhi and Natya Vidya Nidhi titles at the annual festival, conducting annual music festivals, holding exhibitions depicting the history and culture and providing free music lessons to women and youth.
The Satguru was honoured with numerous awards, including the Raja Lakshmi Award and the prestigious ‘Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Eminence Award’. He was also awarded honorary doctorates by Andhra University, Potti Sriramulu Telugu University and GITAM University.
Reportedly sensing his end, Sivananda Murty shifted to Warangal a month ago, where he suffered illness. As he wanted his body to be buried at his Gurudham ashram in Warangal, he ordered for construction of his Samadhi which was completed a few days ago. People from all walks of life have mourned his death and expressed their heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members. Sivananda Murty is survived by two sons and two daughters.