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'''Gnanananda''' (Nia-na-nan-da) was an Indian guru, referred to by followers as Swami Sri Gnanananda Giri. He is believed to have been born in the early part of 19th century.<ref name="hindu.com1"/> He was the Chief Disciple of the Sri Sivaratna Giri Swamigal and one of the leaders (Peetathipathis) of the [[Jyotir Math]], one of the four Maths established by Adi Sankara. This lineage of Peetathipathis is also called the 'Giri' Paramparai, as seen from the Peetathipathis' name which ends with 'Giri'. Gnanananda is a [[Yogi|Mahayogi]], [[Siddha|Siddha Purusha]], Himalayan sage and Indian philosopher. He believed in [[Advaita Vedanta]] because of his [[Parampara|lineage]]. He had a number of disciples including [[Vidyananda Giri|Vidyananda]], [[Triveni (poetry)|Triveni]] and [[Dasagiri]]. He gave sanyasa to 1. [[Haridhos]]<ref name="hindu.com1">Master of bhajana sampradaya/Online edition of India's National Newspaper/3 Sep 2004 – 6th lineage of the Peetam|http://www.hindu.com/fr/2004/09/03/stories/2004090302630500.htm -</ref> Giri and to 2. Sri. Hariharan Giri. Sri. Hariharan Giri lives in Erode (Erode Josier), Tamilnadu and continues to uplift and help mankind from sufferings through Guru Bakthi Prachara<ref name="Sadguru Gnanananda page 7">Sadguru Gnanananda, his life, personality, and teachings/T. M. P. Mahadevan – 1979 – page 7</ref> He also made him chief disciple at Gnananda Tapovanam circa 1960s commanding him to spread nama sankirtana through the world. Swami had a number of accomplished disciples through his abnormally long tenure- Bramanamda who took samadhi at Puskar, Achutadasa of Polur. He loved obsurity. He changed identity to avoid being recognised .

==Birth and childhood==
Sources report his birth as early 19th century in the village Mangalapuri in North Kanara District of [[Karnataka]].<ref name="hindu.com1"/><ref name="Sadguru Gnanananda page 6">Sadguru Gnanananda, his life, personality, and teachings/T. M. P. Mahadevan – 1979 – page 6</ref> to an orthodox [[Brahmin]] couple, Venkoba Ganapati and SriMathi Sakku Bai.<ref name="Sadguru Gnanananda page 6"/> He was named ''Subramanyam'' at birth, and left his home at a very early age.{{citation needed|date=November 2015}} His birthday is celebrated on the birth star of ''Kritika'' in January (the Tamil month of ''Thai'').{{citation needed|date=November 2015}}

==Sanyasa==
Sivaratna Giri Swami accepted Subramanyam as his disciple and named him ''Pragnana Brahmachari''.<ref>Sadguru Gnanananda, his life, personality, and teachings/T. M. P. Mahadevan – 1979 – page 8</ref> Sivaratna Giri initiated Gnanananda in the traditional manner into the ''Giri'' order of [[Jyotirmath|Jyotir Mutt]] and gave him the monastic name of ''Sri Gnanananda Giri''.<ref>Sadguru Gnanananda, his life, personality, and teachings/T. M. P. Mahadevan – 1979 – 363 pages</ref> Sivaratna Gnanananda adorned the 6th [[Parampara|lineage]] of Peetam<ref name="hindu.com1" /> of [[Totakacharya|Jagadguru Totakacharya]] for some time. However he nominated one Ananda Giri in his place and retired to the height of the [[Himalayas]] for penance. Gnananda spent many years at the sacred spot of [[Gangotri]] and icy caves of the Himalayas in intense ''[[Tapas (Sanskrit)|tapas]]''. He travelled extensively on foot, spanning the whole India and Tibet, Nepal, Burma, Sri Lanka and Malaya. He met many holy men over the course of his pilgrimage.{{citation needed|date=November 2015}}

==Teaching and establishment of ''ashrams''==
Gnanananda returned to India and established an [[ashram]] at Attayampatti in Salem and then at Siddhalingamadam near [[Villupuram]].<ref name="Sadguru Gnanananda page 17">Sadguru Gnanananda, his life, personality, and teachings/T. M. P. Mahadevan – 1979 – page 17</ref> The most famous ashram, named "Sri Gnanananda Tapovanam", is situated two miles away from [[Tirukkoyilur]]. Gnanananda built temples for the deities of [[Gnanaganesa]], [[Gnanaskandan]], [[Gananapurisa]], [[Gnanambika]], [[Mahalaksmi]], [[Gnana Venugopala]], [[Gnana Bhairavar]] and [[Gnana AnjaneyanShiva]] in [[Tapovanam]].<ref name="Sadguru Gnanananda page 17"/> Another ashram was constructed in [[Yercaud]], a hill station near Salem.<ref>Sadguru Gnanananda, his life, personality, and teachings/T. M. P. Mahadevan – 1979 – 89–90 pages</ref> It was called "Pranavanilayam". This was a retreat for contemplatives. Giri wanted to develop it as a centre for comparative religion. In contrast to [[Tapovanam]], no rituals were permitted in [[Yercaud]]. The central emphasis was on meditation and dhyana.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.srignananandaniketan.org |title = Sri Gnanananda Niketan}}</ref>

Swami Gnanananda Giri taught a number of paths based on the aptitude of his disciples Therefore, some of disciples are conversant in the "path of knowledge" ([[jñāna]]-marga) while others are the "path of works" ([[karma]]-marga) and still others follow the "path of faith" ([[bhakti]]-marga). His senior monastic disciple [[Vidyananda Giri]] was a profound scholar and linguist and brought out Tamil translations of Shankara's commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads. He also made available Tamil versions of famous Advaitic texts like ''Sanatsujatiyam''. He trained followers in Advaitic Nidhidhyasana. Another of his lineage, [[Satyananda Giri|Satyananda]] was associated with [[Franklin Merrell-Wolff]] and taught his method of "introceptive knowledge".

Swami Gnanananda Giri realised that the path of [[Vichara]] and [[Nidhidhyasana]] was confined to a few philosophically advanced aspirants. For devotees at a lesser level, he advocated [[stuti]], [[japa]] and [[nama sankirtan]]. He was well versed in all the modes of [[Bhajana Sampradaya]] and he held that [[Hari Bhajana]] for ordinary devotees was the easiest way to attain "[[Moksha]]". He had chosen [[Haridhos Giri]]<ref name="hindu.com - Resonant voice of Haridas Giri"/> propagated the importance of [[Namasankeetanam]].
<ref name="hindu.com - Resonant voice of Haridas Giri">Hindu.com – Resonant voice of Haridas Giri/Online edition of India's National Newspaper/28 Jan 2005 -http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2005/01/28/stories/2005012802060300.htm -</ref> Gnanananda had initiated (given [[sanyasa]]) Hari, the son of [[Nat Anna Rao]]. The boy later became known as "Swami [[Haridhos]] Giri" on being initiated in sanyasa. Haridhos carried his guru's (Gnianananda's) sandals ([[Paadhuka]]) with him to all the holy places he went to. He also visited many holy places with his Guru Paadhuka to propagate the importance of singing god's praises ("NamaSankeerthanam") as instructed by his guru. As part of spreading the cult of Namasankeerthanam, Giri established Mandalis and Samajams in various countries.{{citation needed|date=November 2015}}. The other disciple of Swami Gnanananda Sri. Hariharan Giri, (the fond disciple of Swami.Gnanananda) assumed a very low profile life and settled in Erode, Tamilnadu and helps mankind to this date from various ailments. He lives in Erode, Tamilnadu and Swami Gnanananda has bestowed his fond disciple with plenty of blessings and spiritual powers to help mankind from disease, confusion and to guide in spiritual upliftment. Sri. Hariharan Giri was called the 19th Siddhar by Swamiji himself. He has assumed the role of Kai-Rasi Doctor and has helped people from various diseases over 50+ years. His expertise in Jothidam, Astrology, Mantra-Tantra-Yentra prayogam has helped numerous people and Erode was called as a sub-branch of Tapovanam by Swamiji himself. Sri. Hariharan Giri, Fondly called as Erode Guruji continues to be a living testimony of Guru Bhakthi and preaches devotion to Guru as foremost and only factor for spiritual development.

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links==

*[http://www.gnanananda.org/ Official site]
{{Modern Hindu writers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Giri, Gnanananda}}

[[Category:1974 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian philosophers]]
[[Category:Advaitin philosophers]]
[[Category:Indian Hindu monks]]
[[Category:Ontologists]]
[[Category:Sanskrit writers]]
[[Category:20th-century Hindu philosophers and theologians]]
[[Category:Indian male philosophers]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing]]

Gnanananda Giri - Revision history

>Marcocapelle at 20:04, 17 June 2021