Astasiddhi at Guruvanam

The Eight Stones of Guruvan: A Glimpse into the Mystery of the Asthasiddhis

In the sacred space of Guruvan, there once stood eight large stones—symbols of the Ashta Siddhis, the eight occult powers known in yogic tradition. These stones were not mere rocks scattered across the forest floor; they had been shaped thoughtfully, moulded in such a way that one could comfortably sit upon them. During my visit to Kanhangad in the 1960s, I had the blessing of seeing them with my own eyes. I even sat upon one, unaware then of the deeper spiritual mysteries they silently embodied.

Later, Swami Janananda—Bhagavan Nityananda’s close disciple and a luminous being in his own right—commissioned eight smaller replicas of these stones. He gathered them under a single roof, enshrining them as a circle of eight symbolic forms. The original larger stones were removed. This was not merely an aesthetic or logistical change. Swamiji must have had a clear and far-seeing purpose—perhaps to prevent misuse in the future, or to sanctify them in a way that they remained accessible but protected.

Today, the eight smaller stones stand quietly in a circular formation, resembling lingas. Their simplicity belies the immense spiritual significance they hold. They are no longer just stones—they are silent witnesses, repositories of tapas and divine energy.

And yet, it is important to understand: Guruvan is not the tapobhumi of Bhagavan Nityananda. It was made for us—for the benefit of aspirants, seekers, and devotees. Bhagavan Nityananda was not one who “attained” enlightenment through effort. He was a Janmasiddha—a born Siddha, a Yogi who manifested fully realised. He did not need spiritual practices, for He was the very embodiment of Supreme Consciousness itself.

In the Bhagavata Purana, Lord Krishna proclaims that in the future, there shall be no further incarnations of Lord Mahavishnu in the traditional sense. Instead, He will descend in human form as a Sadguru. The Sadguru is God. God is the Sadguru. It is through the Sadguru that the Supreme manifests.

Bhagavan Nityananda and Shree Swami Samarth of Akkalkot were such Mahavatars—divine manifestations in human form. They were utterly unique, transcending all conventional frameworks. They had no Gurus, no appointed disciples. They did not belong to any religion, caste, sect, or school of philosophy. They were beyond all such boundaries—self-sustaining, self-born, self-luminous. They were the source from which scriptures flow—not the followers of any text, but the fountainhead of all scriptural truths.

They held mastery over the Pancha Mahabhutas—the five great elements. When someone once asked Bhagavan Nityananda about His spiritual practices or sadhana, He replied simply:

“All that was done within the mother’s womb. No Guru, no disciple. Complete detachment. No desires. Even Gods, Goddesses, Gandharvas, Devas, Asuras—all stand in attention to serve This One.”

On the night of Shivratri, He revealed something extraordinary. Placing His right foot upon the sacred Bhimeshwar Linga, Bhagavan Nityananda showed Shri Mangalore Sanjeev Kamath that He Himself was none other than Shiva. Shri Kamath, incidentally, was the son of Smt. Saraswati Bai Kamath—a direct disciple of Tulas Amma, the saint-poetess whose devotion to Bhagavan resounded in every line she ever sang.

In such moments, the veil lifts, and we glimpse the eternal Truth:
The Guru is not separate from God.
The Guru is not bound by time.
The Guru is the infinite, made near.