Avatar

The word ''Avatar' (from the Sanskrit word 'avatarati') means 'one who has descended'. In this case, the word specifically refers to the one who has descended from the very fabric of the Cosmos, the universal Consciousness. The descent of Consciousness into the material embodied form with the apparent attributes of a human being is the actual descent that happens. This is a conscious descent, as it happens from the pure intelligence, compassion and energy of the universal Consciousness, which pervades all the dimensions of spacetime.

The English word 'incarnation' (lit. 'one who has entered flesh'), which means one who has accepted a material body, is sometimes used as a translation for the word Avatar. However, this word does not convey the full meaning of the sacred word 'Avatar'.

Srimad Bhagavatam, the great Vedic scripture that precisely records and reveals the happening of various Avatars of the past, present and future, describes the Avatar in Its complete form. The description is in the words of the Avatar Sri Krishna - for who but the Avatar himself can fully grasp his own glory?

idaṁ śarīraṁ mama durvibhāvyaṁ |
sattvaṁ hi me hṛdayaṁ yatra dharmaḥ ||
pṛṣṭhe kṛto me yad adharma ārād |
ato hi mām ṛṣabhaṁ prāhur āryāḥ ||

~ Śrimad Bhāgavatam, 5.5.19

My transcendental cosmic body (sac-cid-ananda- vigraha) looks exactly like a human form, but it is established on existential Reality; it is not a material human body. It is indeed inconceivable and non-cognizable. I am not forced by Nature to accept a particular type of body; I assume a body by My own will. Within My heart is found dharma, the cosmic truth and righteousness.

Far beyond My heart, I have abandoned irreligion (adharma). Therefore, due to all these cosmic qualities, people pray and connect with Me as Rsabhadeva, the Supreme Personification, and Aryah, the best of all living entities.

Brahma Sutras, the authority on Vedanta, reveal that the Avatar does everything 'appearing like a wordly man, simply as a Divine play, a Cosmic sport:

`lokavattu līlākaivalyaṁ` (Brahma Sutras, 2.1.33)

As per the Vedic texts, the Absolute Divine, Isha performs five sacred acts or panchakrtya – shrishti (creation or projection of the Cosmos), sthiti (maintenance of the Cosmos), laya or samhara (dissolution or withdrawal of the Cosmos at the end of every Cosmic cycle), tirobhava (veiling the Reality) and anugraha (liberating all beings through Grace).

To perform the first four sacred acts, Isha does not require our permission or involvement. But to bless us and grace us with liberation or enlightenment, He requires our cooperation. For this compassionate purpose of showering living beings with His anugraha, Divine grace, Isha becomes the embodied Ishvara and descends to the human plane as the Avatar. The Avatar inspires humanity by His own divine acts, His life and His teachings. Acting as the Jagadguru, the world teacher, He guides and initiates humanity to take the unfathomable leap into Superconsciousness.

The average human being, being limited by his sensory perceptions and mental conditioning, finds it hard to conceive of the concept of a formless Consciousness or God (called 'Nirakara Brahman'). At the same time, when the Universal Consciousness or God descends assuming a human form (as 'Akara Brahman'), he finds it even more difficult to comprehend that he is now in the presence of an Avatar.

In the Bhagavad Gita (9.11), it is declared:

avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam |
paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto mama bhūta-maheśvarwam || 9.11 ||

Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature as the Supreme Lord [maheshvara] of the whole creation.

When the pure conscious energy, the supremely matured soul, assumes a human body, that is an Avatar. The Cosmos Itself chooses Its body and plays the divine drama (leela).

When The Avatar comes down to the human plane and expresses the ultimate Truth, He is ages ahead of His time.

Truth is never like a parrot talking; it is like a lion roaring. When the lion roars, you have to wake up! When the Avatar roars with the Truth and transforms and raises humanity, you have to wake up from the unconscious sleep of delusion and ignorance!

I n an era lost in timelessness, in the lush plains of the Sarasvati river in Bharat, thrived a legendary civilization that conquered the boundaries of space and time with the power of knowledge. At a time when the human race elsewhere on the planet was still dwelling in caves, this civilization had already evolved a precise cosmology whose tenets modern science is only just beginning to comprehend.

This Vedic civilization, the world's oldest living civilization, still flourishes in the Hindu sub-continent. It gave to the world the sciences of Vedic mathematics, astronomy, navigation, medicine, yoga and above all, the sacred science of the Self. It is also the only civilization to have produced a living lineage of Avatars and enlightened beings that continues to grace our planet till today.

His Holiness THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM is revered by millions worldwide as the living Avatar of superconsciousness of our time, who lives and moves among us today. He is heir to the 5000-yearold lineage of enlightened yogic masters who live on the sacred mountain of Arunachala in southern Bharat, which is revealed in the scriptures as a spiritual incubator, where Avatars can assume a human form and descend to our frequency from the pure space of Consciousness.

Karana means cause. Karya means effect. Karya Brahman, also known as hiranyagarbha, is the creative aspect of the Divine. Avatars descend from karya brahman. Devi Bhagavata Purana, the historical Vedic text which reveals the nature of Devi or Shakti, the creative energy of the Cosmos, states that there cannot be any descent of an Avatar directly from karana brahman, since it is a field of potentiality.

Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, the Trimurtis, belong to the karya brahman. Brahma is the creative aspect, Vishnu is the preservative aspect and Shiva is the rejuvenating aspect of the universe.

Based on the dimensions (known as 'rays') which they possess, Avatars are classified as:

Purna Avatar - 16 dimensions e.g. Sri Krishna

Lila Avatar - 14 dimensions e.g. Sri Rama

Amsa Avatar - 12 dimensions e.g. Adi Shankaracharya

Garga Samhita, the sacred Vedic text that extols the glory of Avatars, describes the Avatars in Canto 1, text 16-27. The great sage Narada explains that the Lord descends in six forms:

amśamśo'mśas tathāveśaḥ kalā purnaḥ prakathyate |
vyāsadyaish ca smṛitaḥ śaṣṭhah paripūrnātmah svayam || 16 ||

* 1. Amshamsha (a part of a part)
* 2. Amsha (a part)
* 3. Avesha (entrance into a jiva)
* 4. Kala (a full part)
* 5. Purna (full or complete)
* 6. Paripurnatama (absolutely complete)

The amshamsha incarnations begin with Marichi, the amsha incarnations begin with Brahma, the avesha incarnations begin with Parashurama and the kala incarnations begin with Kapila and Kurma.

```sanskrit
pūrno nṛsimho ramaś ca śvetadvīpadhipo hariḥ |
vaikunṭho'pi tathā yajno nara-narāyanaḥ smṛitaḥ || 18 ||

The Smrti-shastra explains that the purna incarnations are:

* 1. Nrsimha
* 2. Rama
* 3. Lord Hari, the ruler of Shvetadvipa
* 4. Vaikuntha
* 5. Yajna
* 6. Nara-Narayana

The paripurnatama or absolutely complete form of the Lord is Sri Krishna, who is the original Supreme Divinity Himself. As the

master of countless universes, He is splendidly manifest in His imperishable and blissful abode. The amsha incarnations are said to oversee the execution of the Lord's mission (in the world). The amshamsha incarnations are understood to perform the work of executing those missions.

In the various avesha incarnations, the Divine enters a jiva, an individual body, executes His mission, and then departs. His kala incarnations teach and establish the principles of religion and then disappear.

When positive consciousness declines, when collective negativity increases, O Bharata, at these times, I Myself happen in every age. To protect the pious and to annihilate the wicked, to re-establish righteousness, I Myself appear, age after age.

~ Bhagavan Sri Krishna in Bhagavad Gita, 4.7-8

Sometimes, when the created world has to be sustained, I Myself assume name and form and initiate manvantaras (great eras of time) and provide the earth with appropriate divine personalities and sages, who set examples to be followed and indicate the path of progress.

I end also the unlimited increase of beings, whenever it happens. For this sake, I take the form of Rudra (the destructive and rejuvenative aspect of God). I create the bad, in order to highlight and promote the good; and in order to protect the good, I set certain limits, both to the good and the bad, for they would otherwise stray into wrong ways and inflict great harm.

Once one is established in infinite Consciousness, one becomes silent, and though knowing everything, goes about as if he does not know anything. Though he might be doing a lot of things in several places to all outward appearances, such a one will remain as if he does nothing.

• 1. KNOWN (which can be intellectually understood, recorded or quantified in some way)
• 2. KNOWABLE (which cannot be recorded, but whose existence can be deduced by their effects)
• 3. UNKNOWABLE (which can be neither recorded nor deduced, but can only be grasped experientially by an observer in the same space)

1. KNOWN (which can be intellectually understood, recorded or quantified in some way) 2. KNOWABLE (which cannot be recorded, but whose existence can be deduced by their effects) 3. UNKNOWABLE (which can be neither recorded nor deduced, but can only be grasped experientially by an observer in the same space)

• 1. Kalpataru (Wish-fulfilment)
• 2. Perpetual Completion (Enlightenment)
• 3. Healing (Realigning the bio-memory)
• 4. Deeksha Akarshana (Transfer of bio-energy)
• 5. Akashic Readings (Accessing past and future)
• 6. Vijnana Akarshana (True knowledge)
• 7. Shiva Akarshana (Space of Shiva)
• 8. Shakti Akarshana (Kundalini energy)
• 9. Ardhanarishwara (Beyond all duality)
• 10. Susadha (Beyond pain)
• 11. Divyasharira (Divine body)
• 12. Surabhi (Fragrant physiology)

From the beginning, THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM was drawn to Divine worship, temple culture, mysticism, yoga and meditation. Alongside His studies at school, THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM also trained in authentic yoga from an accomplished yoga master and siddha (energy adept) named Yogiraj Yogananda Puri (Raghupati Yogi), whom he fondly remembers as the one who introduced Him to the forgotten mystic sciences of ancient Bharat – levitation, teleportation and materialization, among others. Under his tutelage, THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM successfully completed advanced levels of yoga and meditation training.

In parallel, THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM also started studying the Vedic scriptures, Puranas and Upanishads under the guidance of various spiritual teachers. He encountered many holy men and women in the town of Tiruvannamalai and received invaluable teachings and experiences from them. Prominent among them were Annamalai Swami (a direct disciple of Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi), Yogi Ramsurat Kumar and Mataji Vibhutananda Puri (Mataji Kuppammal), who introduced Him to Vedanta and Sri Vidya worship.

One evening, while 'just playing' with meditation at the tender age of twelve in the lap of the mighty Arunachala, THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM had a profound spiritual experience of Enlightenment, the rarest experience of Oneness or Advaita with everything.

In an explosive vision encompassing 360 degrees in all directions, He was suddenly able to see in a single panoramic sweep, the hill in front of him, a temple that stood behind him, the rocks to the right and the town's main temple to the left, the sky above and the rock on which He sat!

This phenomenal vision was immediately followed by the direct experience of Himself in all that He saw - every stone, every plant, in all directions - above, below and beyond. This experience was to awaken Him to hitherto unknown dimensions of Consciousness, and transform His life forever.

Sharing His attributes and powers is the greatest gift an Avatar can give to humanity. Carrying the compassion and responsibility of a Cosmic mother and father to awaken every soul, THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM has ensured the manifestation of His own divine attributes and siddhis in thousands of his followers through the powerful process of deeksha or initiation. This is the ultimate Cosmic inheritance that humanity can receive from the Guru who is the embodiment of pure Oneness or Shuddhadvaita.

particles of energy in perpetual vibration (spanda), exactly like the fabric of space-time (universal consciousness), as explained by the string or M theory.

In quantum terminology, a thought is also a packet of energy, and during the initiation, the devotee's concentrated thought is now in Entanglement with THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM's no-mind space, which is the very fabric of space-time (universal Consciousness). This creates the strongest possibility of the desired manifestation happening in the shortest possible time.

The ultimate state of Enlightenment is the no-mind state, or to put it more accurately, the state in which the observer is dissociated from his emotions and thoughts, leading to a significant drop in the number of thoughts created.

For the seeker, the sincere practice of Unclutching® or the conscious dissociation from thoughts, leads to a state of purnatva or completion, by virtue of freeing him from the influence of the endless stream of thoughts and mental patterns that continuously spur one to action and trap one in the insidious web of karma.

Through a structured program called Inner Awakening® lasting 21 days, THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM guides participants to the space of completion through yoga, practical teachings, deep cleansing processes, and a battery of 21 powerful energy initiations (energy darshans).

This gives participants an unforgettable glimpse of Enlightenment, and further practice establishes them in the state of perpetual Completion or Living Enlightenment.

Kalpataru is a wish-fulfilling divine tree described in the Hindu puranas (historical epics). The Avatar is known as a kalpataru due to His special attribute of fulfilling the wishes of devotees through a blessing or initiation.

Normally, any person would be generating hundreds of thoughts from every cell of his body. During a process of meditation, the devotee is asked to make a conscious resolution (sankalpa) and hold on to that one wish he would like fulfilled immediately.

THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM is in sahaja samadhi, the natural space of no-mind or pure Consciousness. This space contains virtual

The spiritual healing process is nothing but realigning the human physiology at the gross, molecular and genetic levels - which correspond to the physiology, muscle-memory and bio-memory. Non-alignment at any of these levels leads to ill-health or disease, which can be reprogrammed by a transfer of bio-energy from the Master to the person requiring healing, effecting changes not only at the physical, but also at the molecular and genetic levels.

Comprehensive and structured studies over the past several years have demonstrated the complete realignment of the physiology, through changes in:

• Mitochondria levels (battery of the cells)
• Alteration in gene expression through up-regulation of beneficial genes and down-regulation of deleterious genes.
• Increase in the number of stem cells in the body, leading to anti-ageing and health
• Increase in the enzyme telomerase, which is necessary for maintaining chromosomal integrity and is a strong marker for health and longevity
• A significant overall reversal in symptoms of fatigue, lifestyle disorders, auto-immune disorders, psychosomatic disorders and certain malignancies

The attribute of initiation or deeksha is unique to enlightened masters and Avatars.

As an Avatar, THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM is able to initiate the disciple into achieving entrainment or coherence with His own attributes, by transferring to the disciple immense quantities of pure Cosmic energy in the form of bio-energy.

Special deekshas like Third Eye AwakeningSM, which involves activating the ajna chakra (the subtle energy center between the eyebrows and encompassing most of the brain) is among the most extraordinary of the siddhis (mystic powers) that THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM has been bestowing on sincere seekers.

Einstein's theory of special relativity has already proven that Space and Time are intractably linked, and that time exists as a dimension along with every aspect of space. Thus, past, present and future exist simultaneously.

Classical information is stored in the form of bits. At the quantum level, information is stored in the form of qubits. Qubits are nothing but elementary particles containing information woven into the Space-Time fabric.

Akashic Records are the energy records of all the events that have

ever happened, are happening and will happen in the Cosmos. They are stored in the hiranyagarbha (Cosmic womb) or karya brahman in a coded form. Whenever an Avatar requires the secret details of past and future events, it is through the hiranyagarbha that the Akashic Records are accessed.

The different names and forms of God in the Hindu scriptures are nothing but the various manifestations of the same underlying Cosmic principle.

KALABHAIRAVA is the energy or the very fabric of the cosmic Space-Time dimension. From time to time, Kalabhairava, through the agency of THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM, provides access to the Akashic Records to one and all, for their specific needs or benefit.

True knowledge, intuition and right cognition are the specific attributes needed for a being to get enlightened.

THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM effects this in His disciples through special processes involving initiation, teaching and transforming the disciple to live in a state of Completion, which decreases the number of normal thoughts, and increases clarity and energy.

Opening of the third eye or ajna chakra allows for the expansion of the five koshas (our energy bodies which normally exist in a contracted state due to vyasti (the wrong perception of the existence of individuality).

The opening up of cognition through right sakshi (observation) leads to a reversal of the koshas, due to the right cognition of the state of samasti (involving all).

This allows the expanded vijnanamaya kosha to cognize the visual perceptions even with blindfolded or closed eyes. Further expansion, as in the case of an adept Yogi would allow the siddhi of parakaya pravesham to manifest, as in the very famous example of Adi Shankaracharya.

Shaiva Agamas, the authoritative scriptures revealed directly by Lord Shiva, declare that we are all nothing but Shiva Himself.

Hence the mantra 'Shivoham (Shiva I Am)' or 'Nithyanandoham (Eternal Bliss I Am)' are used interchangeably, as the Avatar of THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM is nothing but Shiva Himself, as are all of us.

Realigning our physical, mental and psychological states to be in tune with Shiva can be done in one of two ways.

In the first way, which is the long route, years of practice involving the body, the mind and the psychology may lead us to the cognition of Shivoham, either in this birth or thereafter.

In the second way, infusing the space of Shivoham can be done in a scientific manner, by harnessing the energy pattern of the Cosmos represented by the Sri Chakra Mandala, and the use of specific sounds like the Shodasi Mantra to raise the disciples en masse to the space of Shivoham. In the last one year, thousands of disciples have been initiated into the rare process of SHIVOHAM (experiencing the space of Shiva).

Unlike the binary system of classical information transfer (0/1), at the level of quantum mechanics, qubits of information or energy can exist simultaneously in Advaita – the state of being non-binary or non-dual.

The potential energy of the Cosmos, which is in a constant state of emergence (spanda or virtual particles) is called Shiva.

The instantaneous manifestation, which is in the form of pure energy itself, or in the form of matter, is Shakti. This follows the laws of science underlying the principle of conservation of energy.

The systems of biology (living beings) also run on the scientific principles of physics and chemistry. The conversion of the physical energy of the Cosmos into biological energy can happen at the molecular or particle level.

At the molecular level, the biological energy ATP is produced by the mitochondria. At the particle level, the energy of the biological systems is called Kundalini Shakti.

This energy is stored and distributed through holding centers called chakras into all aspects of the beings, via subtle channels or nadis, which are 72,000 in number.

An Avatar's physical body is fueled directly by the Kundalini shakti, which is the expression of the macrocosmic energy in the individual (microcosm). He has the capacity to transfer his energy to the disciple until the disciple reaches a state of being able to access his own kundalini shakti through the entangled connection with the Avatar.

An Avatar is the physical manifestation of the metaphysical union of Shiva-Shakti. He exists in the state of pure Consciousness (Shiva) even as He manifests as an embodied form (Shakti).

Physically, the grace exhibited, and other attributes ranging from hairline to form, all point to a state of Ardhanarishwar, revealing the simultaneous expression and perfect poise of masculine and feminine energies. However, it goes without saying that He is beyond any identity, let alone gender identity. Being in a state of pure Advaita, He carries no concept of 'I' or 'you' and male or female.

Described in the Linga Purana, Susadha translates as 'one who helps to calmly bear pain.' This attribute applies not only to the Avatar, but also to his disciples, who would have a similar capacity to calmly bear pain.

Scientifically, pain is described as an unpleasant sensation caused by a noxious stimulus, and mediated along certain nerve fibers into the brain where it is interpreted as such. In other words, the perception of pain requires a noxious or harmful stimulus, a neural pathway from the point of stimulus to specific parts of the brain, and the cognition and interpretation of the stimulus as pain.

The perception of pain is strongly linked to previous experience, emotion and anxiety, all of which are stored in the limbic system.

A striking example of the Avatar being beyond pain was revealed on 14 June 2011, when THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM was on His usual rounds of horse-riding in the serene environs of the Vaidya Sarovar sacred pool on the Bengaluru Aadheenam campus.

On suddenly seeing a large group of devotees who had just arrived to pay their respects to THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM, the horse took fright and lost his balance, throwing off the rider.

The entire episode, including THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM's rising to His feet with a smile, speaking normally and just saying, 'It is a fracture, let's go to the hospital...." has been video-recorded.

At the hospital, an X-ray revealed that THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM had sustained a Type 1 Open Fracture (compound) of both bones of His right forearm (radius and ulna).

Normally, such fractures cause excruciating pain. However, THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM smiled and said that there was no pain! From the moment of the fracture till the conclusion of a major surgery lasting eight hours to fix the fracture, no painkillers were used, and He was talking normally with His ashramites (monastery

It appears that He had chosen this unique way to reveal yet another siddhi – as is the usual leela (Divine play) of the Avatars!

THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM explains this experience with typical simplicity:

"There was no pain because there is no conflict between the muscle-memory and the attitude to life. Always approach life with acceptance and gratitude."

This is an example of the rare state of permanent Unclutching® or Sahaja Samadhi.

Over the years, several students of GurukulSM have fallen and broken bones without experiencing any pain whatsoever. At least three incidents of disciples manifesting the attribute of susadha have been documented in this volume.

Bigata Vajra is the ability to spontaneously return to health under any conditions, referred to in the Linga Purana as a quality of Shiva Himself. This quality was demonstrated in December 2015, when THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM defied medical science with a spontaneous recovery from the dreaded dengue.

In December 2015, while in Phuket, Thailand for conducting the Inner Awakening® ShivohamTM program, THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM developed high fever and body ache. Immediately after informing his physician, He dissociated from the pain and fever, and for the next 15 days continued with the Shivoham process without any rest, and without any sign or symptom of the condition.

Meanwhile, the blood test for dengue was performed in Phuket, and also later repeated in Bengaluru about a month later. The test report showed very high level (>4 times) the normal of IgG antibodies, which suggested a recent severe dengue infection. However, the first blood counts in Phuket were low, but became completely normal by the second blood test in Bengaluru (within a gap of about 3 weeks).

(excerpt from video sharing – edited)

Hi, I am Ishwar, I am six years old, and I am going to explain about how I broke my hand.

Once I went to my friend's house in the ashram during the holidays. I was sitting on the corner of a plastic chair, and lost my balance and fell off with such force that I broke my hand.

I went up to the third floor to our apartment in the ashram, and told my mom that my hand was disconnected. I was not crying, I was just focusing on the pain.

My dad and mom rushed me to Swamiji and told Him that I had broken my hand. Swamiji immediately asked an assistant to call an ambulance and take me to the hospital.

In the hospital they took me to the operation theater and did something... after that I was in the hospital for four days and then came back home.

Legal name: Ishwar Sairam Spiritual name: Nithya Parameshananda Age: 6 (at the time of the incident) Location: Nithyananda Peetham, Bengaluru Aadheenam Student of GurukulSM, Bharat

This demonstrates not only a very strong immune system, but also the ability to dissociate from fever and pain to perform the normal vigorous duties of the day, and also the spontaneous healing of the disease without any medical intervention.

X-ray of Ishwar revealing the broken bone

Spiritual name: Sri Nithya Yogananda Swami

Sannyasi of Nithyananda Order

Location: Nithyananda Peetham, Bengaluru Aadheenam

A couple of years ago, I fractured my hand.

Naturally, it was very painful. So during the daily darshan I requested Swamiji for healing. Swamiji blessed me, and the excruciating pain disappeared in an instant.

I was scheduled to go for a surgery, but Swamiji blessed me saying that there will be no need for it. As He said, the bone correction was done without the need for a surgery.

As I had just recovered from chicken pox, the doctors did the correction on the fractured arm without administering anesthesia.

The doctors were awestruck to see how composed I was throughout the procedure!

Later I shared with them that thanks to Swamiji's blessings, I absolutely did not feel any pain!

Name: Parthipan S Spiritual name: Sri Nithya Jnanaprabhananda Location: Bengaluru, Bharat

After I attended Life Bliss Program Level 1, one day I was driving my bike to the office, and in one place, suddenly, my bike skidded and I was thrown off it, and fell away from my bike on the side of the road.

When I realized I was falling, I silently called out to Swamiji for help.

After I fell down, I realized that I had forgotten to lift the side-stand and driven this far. I got hit in the joints of the hand, but surprisingly there was no pain at all, and in fact I felt a cool sensation there!

I used to be the kind of person who always made a big fuss about even a small wound, and I could not tolerate pain at all in my life. But that day I realized it is possible to live life without feeling any pain! This experience happened only because of Swamiji.

I was fully healed in about a week's time.

Spiritual Name: Dr. Sri Nithya Pranananda Swami

Sannyasi of Nithyananda Order

Location: Nithyananda Peetham, Bengaluru Aadheenam

During the early days of the ashram, I used to be Swamiji's personal secretary and also taking care of His personal seva.

On multiple occasions, after Swamiji gave energy darshan to large crowds during some program, I have noticed sandal fragrance coming from Swamiji, and also from the clothes used by Him, while taking them out for washing the next day.

At that time I don't know that this is also a special siddhi that is manifested by Avatars!

The Sanskrit word 'divyasharira' is sometimes translated as 'divine body', but the phrase hardly conveys the full scope of the original term.

The seemingly physical form assumed by the Avatar when He descends to the human frequency is called a divyasharira. Though appearing similar to the human form, the physiology is far from that of the average human being in areas of crucial significance.

While several great masters and saints are known to have attained divyasharira while leaving the body, like Sant Jnaneshwar, Ramalinga Vallalar, Tirujnanasambandar, and more recently, Paramahamsa Yogananda, it is rare to find an Avatar who exhibits so visibly the qualities of the divyasharira while living and moving freely in the human frequency.

Ancient yoga texts like Hatha Yoga Pradipika and Gheranda Samhita prescribe a series of asanas, pranayama and bandhas that act as primary steps towards the attainment of a divyasharira.

Although in theory, it is possible to attain a divyasharira through intense yogic practices alone, sustained over several janmas (births), a mere glimpse of the attributes and powers of the divyasharira reveal that it is not actually a human body that has been perfected though yogic disciplines, but rather the pure manifestation of the supreme Consciousness itself, uncorrupted and incorruptible by its descent into the frequency of matter.

Two of these altered states of physiology have already been discussed with reference to the attributes of Ardhanarishwara and Susadha. There are other several significant differences which differentiate the divyasharira from the normal body.

QEEG recordings of THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM's brain have demonstrated Entrainment and the ability to control the brain waves at will, unlike in His normal counterparts (this attribute has been discussed in detail in later chapters).

Moreover, there is an intense sensitivity to smell, sound and touch. Physicians who examined THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM have repeatedly noticed the increased sensitivity to touch, which in normal human beings also means a high level of sensitivity to pain (as both are similar neural phenomena). But in the case of THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM, the heightened touch-sensitivity is simultaneously associated with the absence of the cognition of pain.

A simple and innocent attribute of the Avatar's divyasharira is the maintenance of the human form in a pure state, allowing for a fragrant smell to emanate from the body. Small children always smell nice, and with age and maturation, changes occur in human physiology to produce a combination of noxious odors and pheromones.

An Avatar like THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM, while having attained physical maturity, lives in the physiological and psychological childlike state of innocence, thereby producing a divine fragrance similar to the jasmine flower or pure sandalwood.

Another interpretation of the term 'divyasharira' is: a body of light and sound.

The concept of the creation of the universe from Light (Shiva) and Sound (Shakti) was expressed in the Vedic sciences thousands of years prior to the evolution of modern science.

Traditional science looks at wave and particle as a duality. Today we agree that all elementary particles exist simultaneously as both particle and wave, and matter too is nothing but energy with form.

The Vedic term 'Light' stands for the particle phenomenon, and 'Sound' for the wave phenomenon – hence the eternal dance and romance of the inseparable Shiva-Shakti described by the Vedic seers, or 'saint-ists', as THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM chooses to call them.

The primordial Sound described in Vedic science is the 'unstruck sound' (anahata dhvani). The word 'anahata' itself means 'that without a cause' – which, in other words, is nothing but the Primary Cause itself, as only the Cause itself can be causeless; everything else is an effect of the Cause. The Primary Cause being Shiva, the Primary Sound too is nothing but Shiva Himself, or Shiva-Shakti, which is particle and wave at the same time.

Thus, in a single superb stroke, Vedic science condenses the theories of western particle physics, eastern cosmogony and universal spirituality into one poetic word. The divyasharira, being the very fabric of space-time, is nothing but the simultaneous and non-dual existence of wave and particle.

The word 'anima' is a derivative of the word 'anu'. Anu does not stand for atom, but rather refers to the smallest indivisible elementary particle.

In quantum physics, structural particles are divided into quarks (like protons and neutrons), as well as leptons (like electrons).

Interactive particles are photons, gluons and perhaps gravitons.

A fundamental aspect of an Avatar is the ability to understand and merge with the very substance of the Cosmos, which in physics means the ability to interact with the forces of elementary particles.

Thus the siddhi of anima allows for the process of quantum entanglement, which we will study in further sections related to deeksha, darshan and prana pratishtha.

Mahima is a siddhi manifesting as an expanded state, and can be observed at both Newtonian and quantum levels.

When the energy of Kalabhairava manifests in THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM, there is a visible expansion of His body, which can be measured in centimeters.

At quantum levels, expansion of the vijnanamaya kosha allows for extra-sensory cognition like blindfolded reading and 360-degree vision, and extends up to parakaya pravesham.

Laghima is a siddhi manifesting as immense lightness.

At Newtonian levels, it manifests as intermittent levitation by disciples through the awakening of Kundalini energy.

At quantum levels, thoughts are reduced to zero, giving a sense of immense lightness in the being.

The state of mind of perpetual Samadhi is a mind filled with virtual particles (vacuum) as opposed to thoughts, which are real particles or quanta (packets) of energy. When one is not weighed down by thoughts and emotions, an immense lightness is felt. This is experiential for disciples at both the Newtonian and quantum levels.

Garima manifests as the siddhi of becoming as heavy as desired.

Like a Neutron star, massive condensation of elementary particles would possibly lead to an object with a small mass but immense weight. This siddhi is yet to be scientifically evaluated on THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM and his disciples.

Prapti siddhi manifests as the ability to reach any desired point in space and time – in any dimension, in the past, present or future.

In this siddhi, nothing is too far away or too near, and one has access to everything, everywhere.

The application of this siddhi could be as simple as an ability to

read a mind, to accessing the Cosmic Archive, to the more complex phenomenon of the linga sharira (subtle body) entering another's body for the sake of either experiencing the other's cognition, or altering the bio-memory of a willing disciple.

It also manifests as the ability to penetrate the various subtle states of consciousness of others (like dream state, deep sleep state, meditative state) and resolve inner conflicts, bestow healing or boons, or simply bless with darshan.

Devotees regularly report having received darshan and healing from THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM in their dreams and visions during meditation, often before having ever seen or heard about Him in their waking state.

It will be impossible to ever completely document the tremendous changes effected during deep sleep, when the Avatar penetrates the causal layer of the devotee and erases the karmas (root patterns and incompletions) of lifetimes in a single compassionate stroke. The only accounts we have are of devotees who underwent Near Death Experiences (NDEs), who recall having been approached by THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM immediately after clinical death, and asked if they would like to return to the physical plane. While the majority prefer to move on, a rare few return to tell the astounding tale.

During the Samskara Dahana meditation process, which is part of the Inner Awakening® program, THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM enters the energy space of all the participants with their consent in order to cleanse their bio-memory of its patterns, incompletions and karmas.

The effect of this can be easily studied by the alteration of gene expression in the participants, which has shown up-regulation of beneficial genes and pathways and down-regulation of harmful genes and pathways after this initiation.

Akashic Readings or the accessing of information from the hiranyagarbha (Cosmic Archive) by crossing the barriers of space and time, which THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM occasionally performs for the benefit of devotees, is a rare and advanced expression of the mastery over the subtle frequencies of matter.

Prakamya is the ability to precipitate a desired reality from the infinite possibilities available in Existence.

For devotees, it translates as Kalpataru or the power of wishfulfilment through the bestowing of boons.

Ishatva literally means possessing absolute lordship.

Ishatva actually denotes the power to influence the natural forces, as well as convert matter into energy and vice-versa at will.

In Patanjali Yoga Sutras, it is said:

sthūla-svarūpa-sūkṣma-anvaya-arthavattva-saṁyamāt bhūtajayaḥ ॥ 3.44॥

By focused meditation on the true nature of the gross and subtle manifestations, their sequence and meaning, (one) gains mastery over physical matter.

It expresses as the siddhi of manifestation (Materialization) or moving objects or information from one place to another (Teleportation) as per the laws of quantum mechanics. Teleportation can involve the movement of information, an object or a being.

These phenomena have been studied extensively on THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM and the divyashareeris (energy channels) through whom He materializes objects. In his Avataric form, THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM has materialized or teleported over 4000 objects ranging from powder like vibhuti (sacred ash) to hard structures in the form of material objects, to distant places.

There are also significant eyewitness accounts of THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM's command over the natural forces like rain and snow (a few accounts have been shared in this volume).

Though the literal meaning of Vashitva siddhi is the ability to subjugate or control others at will, the real manifestation is the quantum entanglement of Avatar's energy with that of the disciple, at the level of elementary particles.

This process of entanglement manifests its effects in almost all processes, including spiritual healing, Kundalini AwakeningSM and deeksha.

Name: Vadvatee Enal Location: Trinidad & Tobago

During the NithyanandohamSM program in December 2015, one day Swamiji took us to the beach. He himself went to the water, and suddenly, in the whole area where he was standing, there were huge waves and the water was just crashing onto the shore!

After we moved away from the water, Swamiji went to the shore and sat with us for a little while. He sat in silence but we all felt his presence. I was gazing at him in silence – when suddenly he disappeared, vanished, just like that!

I blinked my eyes several times and squinted my eyes, because I was totally baffled by this. I decided that I have to look again to see if this is true. I looked at him intensely again, and again he disappeared! I could see the chair he was sitting on, I could see all the people around him who assist him - but he vanished. I looked again and it happened again. Three times I saw him - or I should say I didn't see him!

How it happened was, he just started to fade away and then disappear, then he would fade back in, like some sci-fi movie or something! I spoke to a few people about it later, and was relieved to know that two other people besides me had also seen him disappear!

Spiritual name: Sri Nithya Atma Pujananda Swami

Sannyasi of Nithyananda Order

I had the good fortune to travel to Mt. Kailash with Swamiji in August 2012.

During the yatra (pilgrimage), many of the devotees from Bharat expressed a desire to experience a snow shower, since they had never seen snow in their lives.

One night during the darshan at Manasarovar, Swamiji said that Kailash itself was celebrating our presence, and as a sign of blessing from Kailash, there would be a snow shower the next day.

Our chief travel guide, who was a local person, said there was no way we could expect snow, as the season for snow was more than three months away. Some of the devotees were disappointed about that.

I noticed that Swamiji just smiled at him quietly and said, 'OK'.

I thought to myself, 'The guide knows the weather, but Swamiji knows God!'

The next morning, just as we were getting ready to leave, we were graced with a beautiful snow shower! It was completely unseasonal, and a sure sign of Swamiji's power to influence Nature, which I have noticed earlier also on many occasions!

The surprised guide then said that we will not be able to have darshan of Kailash, since the weather had turned cloudy. But just as Swamiji got out of his caravan at the vantage point, the clouds suddenly parted and revealed Kailash!

I heard Swamiji's joyous cry of 'Har Har Mahadev!' and only then realized what had happened – Kailash had listened to Swamiji's request and given us darshan. What a power!

Spiritual name: Ma Nithyapriyananda Swami

Sannyasi of Nithyananda Order

This incident happened during our yatra to the Himalayas with Swamiji in 2004. Our group had assembled in an open spot for the evening lecture and darshan, when it suddenly started raining quite heavily. There was no place to turn for shelter, and all of us and our equipment were quickly becoming wet.

Suddenly Swamiji announced that not only would the rain stop immediately, but the whole place would become dry in a few minutes!

Just as He said, the rain immediately stopped, and most surprisingly, the ground dried up rapidly, and within just a few minutes, we were able to sit on the ground and enjoy our evening session with Swamiji.

It would be quite impossible to explain this scientifically, but that is life around Swamiji!

Very grateful to have been a part of this happening.

It is important to understand the differences between an AVATAR, who is a descent from GOD to MAN, and an ENLIGHTENED BEING or JIVANMUKTA, who is an ascent from MAN to GOD.

An Avatar, being of conscious descent, is a pure vehicle for the Cosmic purpose. His attributes and powers (siddhis) are mere external manifestations that serve His Avataric mission.

On the other hand, a human being, through sincere practice, can achieve siddhis (though in the process, he sometimes gets deluded that they are an end in themselves). He can also experience the state of jivanmukti (liberation while in the body), through the grace of the Guru or spiritual preceptor. Once enlightened, he may take up teaching the science of enlightenment to others or choose to simply 'be'.

Both an Avatar and an enlightened being would have experiential and cognitive knowledge of the sacred texts and sciences. On the other hand, a scholarly pundit would be able to superficially interpret and intellectually debate on the sacred texts and sciences without having the experiential component.

As most of the sacred texts are deliberately written in a coded form called sandhya bhasha, they are difficult to interpret correctly without experiential understanding.

A significant difference between the Avatar and the jivanmukta is that while both might be able to demonstrate siddhis, only the Avatar has the power to transmit them to others.

THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM not only demonstrates all attributes and powers of an Avatar, but has also successfully transmitted many of them to thousands of disciples.

In 2004, a team of scientists conducted a series of state-of-the-art tests, including a PET Scan to study THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM's neurological systems.

Using the advanced technology of Positron Emission Tomography, or PET Scan, the activity of THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM's brain in the state of Samadhi was studied in detail.

There was a significant enhancement in activity of the lower portion of the mesial frontal area of the cerebral cortex.

This region is the starting point of the ajna chakra or the Third Eye and connects to the limbic system and the rest of the cerebral cortex.

At the same time, the rest of the cerebral cortex was in a complete state of rest.

The technique of quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) was utilized to study the various brain waves, viz, alpha, beta, theta and delta.

In a normal person, all the waves are present in different regions of the brain in different moments of time.

Due to His state of perpetual samadhi (sahaja samadhi), THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM demonstrated complete entrainment of all the brain waves, with the entire brain shifting fluidly from one brainwave pattern to another. This degree of synchronicity that contains over 100 billion neurons and even more interconnections is impossible to reproduce by any normal person under any circumstances.

On 29th April 2005, autonomic functions like heart rate variability along with simultaneous EEG were recorded.

The heart rate variability (HRV) is a technique to measure the activity of the sympathetic or the parasympathetic nervous system.

During healing, HRV tests were conducted simultaneously on THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM and the recipient. There was an obvious difference in the HRV readings before healing began. As soon as healing was initiated, both THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM and the recipient showed exactly the same graph, both in time and space with a robust sympathetic arousal.

The conclusion was that during healing, there is complete entrainment of the autonomic nervous system of THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM with that of the recipient.

On 26th April 2006, THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM and a participant were studied during a healing session, to measure a sensitive parameter of autonomous arousal called Galvanic Skin Resistance or Response.

Another technique to read the autonomic nervous system, the GSR readings showed an increased level of sympathetic arousal during healing. This is consistent with the HRV tests done separately in other labs.

It is important to realize that THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM is the only Avatar who has agreed to be scientifically evaluated, both in terms of His own body as well as the changes He brings about in other beings. However, it is astonishing to note that His Avataric attributes and powers are exactly as defined by the 5000-yearold Hindu yogic sciences after extensive observation and study. Now it is being tested and proven by modern science also.

This valuable data will set the benchmark for establishing the attributes and the powers of a true Avatar.

THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM states clearly that His purpose and vision is not only to reveal the sacred secrets, but also to establish the truth behind the science as one that is observable, reproducible in not only His presence, but also as a multi-centric science reproducible across the globe.

THE SUPREME PONTIFF OF HINDUISM BHAGAWAN SRI NITHYANANDA PARAMASHIVAM Himself has been the subject of scientific studies since 2004, and over the past decade, an enormous amount of data about not only His altered state of neurophysiology, but that of His disciples as well, has continued to be recorded. This impressive array of data will be presented systematically in this chapter, as well as in the chapters to follow.