This is the life history of a great saint who lived a life beyond "I am". It is a compilation of the sayings of Swami and the versions of the people who had known him.
His Holiness Appa Paithiyam Swamigal was born in Karuvur Zamin clan on 28th of the Tamil month Chithirai in the year 1859, his birth star being Punar Poosam.
When Swamigal was five months old, his grandfather predicted that his grandson will rule the world. When he was eight months old, a person who looked like a mad man came and asked for food. Swami’s mother asked to feed the man. After eating, he looked at the baby (Swamigal) in the cradle and said that he was God's child and then disappeared. Everyone searched for him in vain.
On the third day after this incident Swami's mother had a terrible dream. When she told her father -in-law about her dream, he said "You are a child. If your dream comes true, you will receive a sad news within a week". The next day after eating a morsel of ghee rice she left this worldly abode and reached Heaven.
The child's father refused second marriage saying that there would never be another woman like his wife and was leading a philanthropic life.
When Swami was eight months old, his uncle's girl baby (father's younger brother) was only thirteen days old infant. His aunt paid more attention to Swami than her baby.
During his 3rd year, his grandfather, after making a note of the year, month, day and time of his last breath, invited all his relative’s home. When they asked him why he had summoned them all, he smiled and said, "All of you can go home tomorrow ". At 10.30 he drank milk the second time and retired to bed. Around 12’0 clock he reached the heavenly abode. Swami was not aware of all this at that time.
When Swami was six years old, they presented 8.5 Acres (6½ Kaani of Good Land in Tamil) of good land to a teacher and asked the teacher to teach him. One morning, the teacher made the child to sit on his lap and said the child to write the Tamil Alphabets (அ, ஆ) by holding his fingers. In the afternoon, the child looked at the teacher and said "You write what I say" and the teacher said, "It is wrong." Swami asked, "Who are you to say that I am wrong?" and slapped the teacher on his cheek. Swami did not accept anything and asked why was he teaching him. On the 16th day after Swami's 15th birthday, Swami's father wrote down the year, month, day, hour, minute, and seconds (as written by his father) of his death without the knowledge of anyone and asked his sister to (Swami's aunt) send someone to invite all his relatives. Hundreds of relatives came around and enquired why he called them. Swami’s father said to take care of his son. Immediately, the relatives asked, “Why are you saying like this?" for which, he replied, "Nothing, you all can go tomorrow”.
The next day after everyone had breakfast, the one who was born with Swami’s mother (Uncle) was sitting on the bed, the men were sitting on the easy chair and the women were sitting on the mat chewing the betel leaves. The hall was filled with the crowd. Swami’s father called Swami who was sitting on his uncle(father’s brother) (Swami’s father used to call and kiss him). Swami’s father made Swami to sit on his lap, kissed him and said, "I am going to leave this earthly world and reach Heaven, and you too will leave this earthly world and reach Heaven after some time." Then, Swami came back and sat on his uncle. After a while, the father's face started to sweat and so the aunt said to the father that he had chewed a damaged betel nut while having the betel leaf, which makes sweating. She also said him to gargle the beetel nut and then drink a cup of coffee. The father then said that he was fine and told everyone to drink coffee. The aunt said that coffee will always be boiling in the kettle in their house and insisted Swami’s father to gargle and drink coffee. Father then drank the coffee and fall down within ten minutes. He died within an hour. Then everyone cried that Swami had no mother and no father. Only then, Swami became aware of the details. Before that he knew nothing. He had thought that his father was his uncle (Father’s elder brother). The child who was not aware of his father and mother, only then understood about his parents. Before that, the child assumed his uncle (father’s younger brother) to be his father and her wife to be his mother and another aunt to be his mother’s elder sister.
From that day onwards the child was crying asking for his parents and refused food and water. They all tried to convince him but could not pacify him. On the 27th day, crossing six door steps, he went to the pooja room. There were pictures of Lord Balaji and Lord Muruga. Looking at them, he asked about his parents and in a fit of frenzy he threw the Gods' pictures away. He didn't want them to be there.
There was a huge steel bureau in their house. He tried to open it with the key but could not. Then he stood upon a stool and searched on the top of the bureau. 30 silver coins, Swami’s and his father's chain, ring, bracelet was all there. He took everything, wrapped them in a cloth and hid it in his silk robes. Suddenly he felt hungry and asked for food.
His aunts fed him ghee rice, dal rice and curd rice. Just a morsel in each item. They were overwhelmed as he ate at least a little that day. They rocked him in the swing. Swami told them "I am going to sleep now. You can bathe and have food".
When they left that place, he sneaked out of the house. He walked one kilometre. There were neither roads nor buses at that period. A cart running on charcoal, which could seat ten to twelve persons on mat came there. It was going to Palani. Swami got into it and asked for a ticket. Recognising him the cart driver said "You are the Zameen Offspring. You need not buy ticket". The cart man thought that the family members might have been to Palani, and he could hand over the child to them. Reaching Palani, he looked for the relatives, but could not find. In the meantime, Swami hid himself somewhere. The cart man returned.
When the cartman had left the place, Swami came out of his hiding place and went to a nearby fruit shop. He wanted to buy coconuts for five coins. The shop keeper put all the coconuts in a big basket and arranged a man to carry that basket. People were standing in the queue to buy abhishekam tickets for quarter anna. Swamigal did not buy the ticket. There were no priests in the temples those days. The man who was doing the pooja asked to show the ticket. The man who was carrying the basket of coconuts got frightened and moved away. The temple man took Swami's pooja plate and performed the pooja. Then Swami asked to distribute the coconuts to the devotees. The man did so. Then Swami got change from that man for five silver coins. Getting the change, he gave 8 paise (1 kaalana) to that man, and another 8 paise (1 kaalana) to the coolie. The coolie was very happy.
Swami came down the hills giving alms to the saints and the poor. When the money was done, he did not see any poor man. He came down crying. He saw a Pillaiyaar temple at a distance, went there and sat crying. At that time, a naked person (Alukku Swami) came near him, embraced him, and asked him about his home town and parents.
Swami said that person that he was an orphan. Alukku Swami consoled him and asked him where he was going. Swami replied that he was going to that place where his parents had gone. Hearing that the man said that he would take Swami to his parents. At that time test ride was being undertaken in the rails. They both travelled in the test ride. Swami said that he had no money with him. Alukku Swami answered that they needed no money. The train stopped after running one kilometer.
There were rails only up to that distance. Alukku Swami got down with Swamigal and they both started climbing the hills. After three days, they saw a cave on the top. Aluku Swami summoned Swami to inside the cave. Swami was too frightened to go in. Aluku Swami went inside and came out with a short knife and some manuscripts and asked Swamigal to read it. He replied that he did not know to read and write and was bent on seeing his parents. Aluku Swami tried to teach him for two days.
On the third day Swamigal threw the manuscripts away and lied down on a rock without eating and sleeping. On the 18th day he collected all those he had thrown away. Instantly he felt some energy flowing inside his starving body.
He investigated his inner self. He could see air, water, and fire there. Alukku Swami was taking care of Swamigal, even though Swami scolded him and beat him. One day Alukku Swami asked “You are the son of a millionaire. What do you want?".
Enraged by the words 'millionaire's son' Swamigal removed the gold ornaments from his body and threw them away, saying that he no longer needed all that.
Alukku Swami asked the question whether Swami needed anything repeatedly and the reply was the same from Swami,” I don’t want anything. Then Alukku Swami told Swamigal that his parents, due to their good deeds would see Swamigal and added that he should also do good to the people. Swamigal did not believe Aluku Swami and said why I am going to see them and why I have to do good for the people rathe I would rather die. Saying this Swamigal started beating Alukku Swamigal with stones. In spite of getting beatings, Alukku Swami fed Swamigal some fruits. Slowly Swamigal started giving reverence to Alukku Swami. Alukku Swami insisted that God was with Swamigal only. After a few days Swamigal asked Alukku Swami why he was naked always. Alukku Swami then recalled his past life.
I was a normal person. I also ate and was wearing clothes like everyone. I did good to the people. Some people grew jealous of me and sent three men to kill me. Those three men came to kill me, they saw my face.
They changed their motive and refused to kill me. I told them that they could go and tell that they had killed me. Then I was wandering forgoing food, sleep, and dress. One day I felt hungry. I went to a gentleman's house and asked food. He mistook me as a mad man, tied me in a stone pillar. After finishing his meals, he came out with food to give me. He wanted to untie me.
When he came out, he saw my image in many places. He felt remorseful and cried. The next moment he saw God tied to the pole. He untied me, fell on my feet, and asked for forgiveness. He requested me to take food. I told him 'I did not come here to eat. My Father (God) wanted to give Darshan to you'.
Then he followed me wherever I went and pleaded me to forgive him. On the fifth day, he brought stones to build a temple where I was sitting. Then I told him 'You didn't do anything wrong. You have already repented for what you did'. Further said that I would sit and eat with him. I also said that my body will not wither even after five years without eating but his body will wither within five days. He built a small temple within a month and fed hundreds of people. He compelled me to eat. I ate three handfuls. He fell on my feet and begged me to stay with him.
I told him that I am bound to his love and stayed with him for ten days. Then without telling him I came to this temple. I am nurturing you and telling you of my shortcomings. That gentleman might have searched for me, then might have concluded that I will be in that temple and worship me.
Telling his past, Aluku Swami took the child (Swamigal) to that place. Seeing Aluku Swami alive, the devotees felt very happy and prostrated before him. Aluku Swami told them "See. This child is the God. You must worship him".
When people started to worship him, the child protested and threw stones at them. Suddenly the child called a lady by name Alamelu and asked her to plant Vilva sapling and Vilaan sapling at that place. The lady was scared to do so because that place belonged to a hooligan.
Swamigal said "No. this place belongs to you."
On hearing this news, the ruffian got enraged. "I will not spare even a bit of land, let anyone come. The Collector or the Saint. I will not give". Swamigal ordered the lady to plant the saplings.
The hooligan's mother and grandmother fell at Swami's feet and worshipped him.
Swami said "Since you have come to me, I will give you a choice. Walk nonstop as many miles as possible and take those land".
Also, Swamigal cursed the hooligan’s family. After that incident the hooligan sold the lands at a cheap rate to Alamelu. Aluku Swami wanted to attain Samaadhi. He marked the year, month, hour and minutes on the rock stone. As people didn't have any picture of Aluku Swami, they wanted to take a photo of him. Among the many photos taken, only two of them were clear. One photo in which he had put his hands on the child and the picture of the child.
Alukku Swami wrote on the stone that the child was none but God himself and he was ready to attain Samaadhi. He asked the child to go to a uninhabited place. When people started worshipping the child, he hit them with stones. Alukku Swami went and sat in the Samaadhi. Within twenty minutes, everyone felt a heat wave. They went inside only to see Alukku Swami, the soul departed from his body. All started crying. The child felt very sad and ran away from that place.
They coaxed him to come back and complete what Aluku Swami had begun. That night he went to Kanyakumari hills without the knowledge of others. He saw a old man sitting there, his age may be 85. That man was fed with milk and fruits everyday by the people exactly at 12 noon. The old man gave the child, milk to drink. But the child scolded him for giving him milk. After 20 days he was ready to leave that place. The man said "I am scared of you. You look very young. When you go to Alukku Swami Samaadhi post me a card to this address".
He showed the address written on the rock. The child replied, "What you have said is wrong”. The man holding child’s leg said, "I never committed any wrong doings". You have committed two mistakes. The first one is to expect food at 12 noon. The second one is, I don't touch money and you ask me to post you a card".
Then he left that place and went to another hill. Suddenly he was surrounded by 40 elephants. The child Swami thought that his end had come. On the right, a hundred year-old woman handed over a dagger to Swami and told him to fight with the wild elephants. Swami said that he was going to die and asked the old woman to run away. The old woman neglected and said that she would be at his feet. Looking closely at the wild elephants, it looked like the old woman was with dagger near the wild elephants. When Swami looked again, the old woman had disappeared. A herd of wild elephants roared around. As the wild elephants were roaring, Swami went and sat near a rock nearby. Then the rhinoceros came in droves. That's when Swami got scared and closed his eyes thinking that he was going to die then. Then the rhinoceros licked the child's head with its tongue. Thereafter, the rhinoceros secreted its milk on the rock and left the place. As soon as Swami opened his eyes, he saw the milk on the rock and as Swami was hungry, he drank the milk.
The rhino was thus feeding him for a few days. Then it stopped coming. When he was wondering why it did not turn up, he believed that his parents were present in all living things. He climbed down the hills. People offered him milk and fruits, but he refused the offerings, scolded and beat them.
People told him that they would be blessed if he accepted their services. He looked at them and saw their faces were sweating. Seeing the agony in their faces he questioned God when those people would be happy? God replied "I have done all good to them. Ask your mother".
The Goddess said "You know everything. Why do you ask me? Wherever you set your feet, those places will thrive and bloom".
The Gods were none but Lord Siva and Parvati. After sometimes Swamigal was lying on a rock under a tamarind tree in Palani. At the Saadhu mutt, a man was giving Annadhanam for 5,000 people. He requested Swami to eat. Swami beat that man. After the pooja, a DSP wrote a letter. Swami scolded the DSP over the content of the letter. The enraged DSP lifted his hands to beat Swami. He gave pen and paper to Swami and asked him to write. Swami wanted the pad. When he was given the pad, Swami asked in which language to write. He was asked to write in English. Swami replied, "I can write whatever you want me to write". He also thought that people would make fun of him if he wrote wrongly.
All on a sudden, he was reminded of his birthplace. He wrote on the paper that the Zamin’s grandson was a lunatic and wrote three other words said by DSP. Looking at it the DSP was totally transformed and he stood in front of Swami with folded hands. All the Saadhus came there. The man who used to give Annadhanam (free food) for 5000 people called Swami “Appa" and cried. Swami looked at them and asked who was calling him as Appa. Swami left for Idumbar Malai. The people and the Saadhus went there and told Swami that they were ready to offer anything to him. Swami told them that he would like to go to Haridwar and Rishikesh.
An old man came there, and he tried to carry Swami. Swami refused that gesture. The man wrote in a paper that he had found out his brother's son, sent it through the car driver. At four o' clock Swami prepared to leave that place and all followed him crying.
He scolded them and went to Anjaneya temple at Trichy. He was wondering why there were guards around him. At six o'clock the old man went and sat near him. Swami asked him who he was. He replied, "I am your uncle (Father’s brother)”. Swami got the glimpse of his birthplace.
His uncle's daughter said "Brother, you were searching for your parents everywhere. The house is deserted without you. The family is giving Annadanam to thousands of people in your name".
Swami said not to say as his and went to the Viralli hills. There also people said that thousands of people were given food with his charity. Swami said "Don't say it is mine, It’s God’s". After that Swami went to the place Pachamalai Paruvam without anyone’s knowledge. He then wandered from one place to another. He blessed all those who came to worship him. He gave food to thousands of starving stomachs. Those who trusted him and believed him received his blessings and got relieved off their problems. He blessed all who showed total surrender. People called him as “Appa” (Father) at the same time, he called himself as “Paithiyam” (mad). Hence devotees started calling him “Appa Paithiyam Swamigal ".
He used to smoke beedi. People nicknamed him "Beedi Swamiyaar". People collected the left over beedies thrown away by him as sacred ones.
Swami 's principles were as follows:
A sage should not have a mutt of his own.
He should not touch money.
He should not have any disciple.
He should not think of "I" or "Mine".
He followed the above principles very strictly. So, he had no mutt or disciples--only devotees.
In the year 1989, that is 33 years ago, some men invited and brought him to Puducherry from Vizhupuram where he was wandering for long. He was staying at the houses of many dignitaries.
People came there seeking his blessings. He went to Tiruvannamalai, Tindivanam, Cuddalore, Gudiyatham, Chennai & Salem and solved the grievances of his devotees. On 18.11.1999 he came to Salem from Puducherry and stayed there till his end doing spiritual services. At the age of 141, on 11.02.2000 on Friday, Tamil year Pramadhi, 28th day of the Tamil month Thai in Ashwini Nakshatra. He attained Jeeva Samaadhi in Suramangalam, Salem.
In the next year a temple was built for him, and Consecration (Kumbaabishekam) was done on 11.11.2001. Swami's stone statue was installed at the sanctum sanctorum.
The idols of Lord Ganesha and Lord Muruga has been installed in one shrine. On the walls of the temple there are portraits of Swami.
The statue of Swami in the sitting posture of Swami is made of fibre and it looks as if Swami is sitting there blessing his devotees. On one side of the sanctum there is the idol of Vallalar Swami and on the other side the idol of Alukku Swami who is the mentor and spiritual guru of Appa Paithiyam Swami.
May his Holiness Appa Paithiyam Swami bless all of us 🙏🏻
