Sri La Sri Omkarananda Swamiji was born on 19th January 1937 at 8.30 a.m. He was born at Parangipettai, in the district of South Arcot. He was christened Jayanarayana Kannan by his parents. His elder sister was Mani who also took up the ascetic path at a young age. Swamiji was educated in a convent till the third stand- ard. He later completed his Higher Secondary School from Koorainadu Nagara Sabhai High School. He graduated in B.A. Economics from A.V.C. College, Mannam Pandhal. Subsequently he obtained his Bachelor of Education degree from Annamalai University. He also an expert in numerology and astrology. He learnt astrology under his guru and also from Mr. Ramaswamy Mudaliar. He is well versed in various Shastras like Yogam, Vedantham, Sid- dhantham, Para Gnana Thatvam etc. He has mastered the gnana yoga and the doctrines of the 18 powerful seers of Tamilnadu. These seers are also known as Siddhars. This mastery of the gnana yoga and the doctrines go well beyond 15 years.

He is a staunch devotee of Shree Rajarajeswari. He frequently visited sacred temples like Anjaneya temple, at Mayiladuthurai, Rudrabhoomi, Durgai Amman Koil, Avaiyambikai temple at Mayiladuthurai and the famed Nataraja temple at Chidambaram. He received his first gnana-deeksha at the tender age of 7 by Sri La Sri Siddhar Swamiji who is his guru. He was initiated into following austere measures and penance at a grave yard on the banks of the river Cauvery. He perfected Dhyanam and all forms of meditation at the grave yard. He is also learnt various tantras and mantras from his guru. Swami Omkarananda was initiated to the Pranava Mantra 'OM' at the tender age of 7. He had the great fortune of being initiated by Sri La Sri Siddhar Swamigal. Swamiji writes in one of his articles that he was not very serious about his studies as a child. He never concentrated on the textual curriculum. Sometimes, his mother reprimanded him for not studying. His only reply was a request to his mother not to force him to study. He used to tell his mother that he would rather prefer to master that which he likes and ignore that which he does not like. Everything has to take place in its proper order, naturally. He often cried off from being forced to do anything. There was an instance when his mother wept bitterly and Swamiji, still a young boy, did not know how to cope with the situation. Instead he turned to this mother and tried to explain to her how everything took place naturally, like the rising of the Sun, the rising of the moon, the pearl in the oyster etc. The love of a mother for her child is natural. Rain fall is a natural phenomenon as is a cyclone or the sweetness inside a sugar cane. Similarly the bitterness of the neem tree leaf is also a natural thing. One, therefore, cannot force a person to laugh or cry. Any such attempt to do so will lead to dire consequences. So saying Swamiji explained everything to his mother and eventually felt that his mother was beginning to understand this child of hers.

Swamiji, while still young, underwent a severe ailment which lasted for almost 9 years. This caused him a lot of suffering. But what was worse, was the suffering the mother underwent seeing her son suffer so, and the son experienced seeing his mother seeing suffering. Swamiji is of the firm opinion that sorrow that he experienced then was the pinnacle of all sorrows. He wept bitterly on seeing the suffering undergone by his mother and the weeping lifted the sorrow from his mother and was transferred on to him. This is what he refers to as the pinnacle of sorrow. It is this removal of sorrow from his mother that resulted in the assembling of around 200 saints and hermits for her sadabhishekam, the auspicious event celebrated on the event of a person completing 80 years.

Swamiji, already acquainted with the Tantrics and Mantras now did research in spirits and souls. He used to frequent the grave yard and spend long hours therein. One day, he was at the grave yard at about 4 in the evening A visit to the grave yard never left him disinterested. On the other hand, it was an interesting interlude for him, even though the activities that look place therein was the continuous burning of the ead bodies or the entry of another dead one. But the jeevans which were housed in each body were indeed different from the other. Swamiji had witnessed the bodies of people who had lived their full life span being lit at he pyre. He had also seen the bodies of persons being lit at the pyre that had not lived its full life span. So also had he witnessed the burning of bodies which were snatched away by death just as they were ready to experience and enjoy everything good and the pleasures of his world. Many a body of an idiot or a fool was also burnt at the grave yard. He had seen the bodies of people who had destroyed other bodies for their own pleasure now being burnt. He had also witnessed the burning of bodies that had seen much love and compassion. The bodies of truthful and righteous persons being burnt at the pyre was also seen. So also had seen the bodies of the greedy and power hungry men now being to ashes. Thus, Swamiji had witnessed 1000's various types of bodies being burnt over a period of23 years. Among these were also the bodies of those who had blessed him, loved him and given him their blessing and knowledge. This experience of the relation between Agni, the god of fire and the human body was a fascinating aspect for him. He felt that Agni was his teacher, and he thoroughly enjoyed he mysteries that he had witnessed at the grave yard. This experience taught him lessons that gave him a deep insight into knowing and understanding the difference between what is truth and what is real. He further elaborates to say that when the body of agnani is lit at the pyre, the air around in the grave yard becomes prosperous. A man practicing dhyanam in close proximity to such an area attains siddhi or attainment. Furthermore, when the body of such a saint or gnani is lit, the ailments of the people surrounding the burning pyre are removed of their ailments. Astonishingly the fire emanates the sweet smell of the parijath flower when it is lit. One can also witness the eternal form of the gnani or guru even as the pyre is burning, as did Swamiji who saw the eternal form of his gurunathar when the pyre was lit and the body was burning. On the otherhand, the body of a sinner is totally to ashes. Swamiji's compassion for living beings and his interactions with them in the spiritual plane is narrated in One of his articles in a very vivid manner. One day, Swamiji was visiting his friend's house where the lady of the house was busy preparing food. She had just then taken 7 live crabs and was placing them in the steamer boiler for it to be cooked. As the fire grew in intensity, the discomfort of the seven live crabs was becoming greater leading to utter despair as any attempt to flee proved to be futile. The premonition of sure death loomed large in front of their eyes, even as the final struggle for life just before death was on. This picture of utter despair, inability to help themselves and their struggle for life flashed before Swamiji's eyes. He walked up to the burning pot on the fire, looked at it, prostrated before it 16 times and left the place in a hurry without a backward glance. Even as he walked out, he could see the 7 formless jeevans of the seven crabs in front him. One of these formless jeevans gave him an important message. It said "Such a thing that has happened to us happens every fraction of a second in this universe. I want you to witness this". Swamiji says that this fraction of second is an unique time frame. One second comprises of 100,000 crore seconds which in turn is further divided into 100,000 crore seconds. May be this is the correct speed at which the soul departs from the body. Swamiji has personally experienced this split time span during his extensive penance and meditation. He refers to this as 'Nodikkul nodi' in Tamil which translated means the second within the second. He also says that one second may be equal to 100 years or perhaps even 100,000 years. This kind of mathematics is so mysterious that a normal intellect can neither gauge nor accept. A man who has interacted analysis of death can understand this concept. Swamiji gives an interesting analysis of death being the protector of life. Death looks after the human body like a guard, till the last day. It is the closest friend of the jeevan. It looks after the needs of the jeevan.

Swamiji's guru, sathgur Om Siddhar Swamigal, started the Omkar Ashram in the year 1960 at Mayiladuthurai. He appointed Omkarananda Swamiji, his prime disciple, as the Head of the Ashram on 19th January, 1962. Om Shri Siddhar Swamigal attained Samadhi at Mayildaduthurai on 31st August 1964. On July 21st 1965, Omkarananda Swamiji came to Pondicherry to start his spiritual work and carry on the instructions given by his guru. Sathguru Gnanananda Swamigal of Thirukovilur and released the first Omkara Magazine on May 24th 1972. More that 400 sadhus, and yogis have visited the ashram in Pondicherry.

Swamiji has written and published about 22 books so far. Each book is an entity of its own and yet they have connections. In simple, pure language Swamiji makes all difficult concepts so easy to understand. Every book is a gem of purest ray serene. One who has the fortune to read and understand what Swamiji has written is indeed blessed.

SANTHOSHAM.