Highlights
- His devotees were worried because he was having headaches for the first time in his life
- Swami Sivananda walked out with a clean bill of health but for high blood pressure
- Despite never having got formal education he can converse in English
- Fruits & milk are fancy food, i avoid them
Swami Sivananda undergoes a
medical check-up on Saturday.
KOLKATA: His
devotees were worried because he was having headaches for the first time in his
life. Not bad for a 120-year old. So, the monk walked in for the first medical
check-up of his life. To put it in perspective, when Swami Sivananda was born,
it had only been a year since X-ray was invented, and on Saturday, he didn't
bat an eyelid when he was wheeled into an MRI machine.
Swami Sivananda walked out with a clean bill of health but for high blood pressure -even then his diastolic was absolutely normal at 80. The secret of baba's health? Mashed green chillies every day . Plus boiled food, daily exercises and the joy of helping.
Swami Sivananda's passport and Aadhaar card put his age at 120, but he looks 50 years younger -there's hardly a wrinkle on his cheeks. Doctors and nurses at the private hospi tal were awestruck by the monk's mental and physical agility. They were speechless when he did a sarbangasana at the drop of a hat (or request).
Swami Sivananda walked out with a clean bill of health but for high blood pressure -even then his diastolic was absolutely normal at 80. The secret of baba's health? Mashed green chillies every day . Plus boiled food, daily exercises and the joy of helping.
Swami Sivananda's passport and Aadhaar card put his age at 120, but he looks 50 years younger -there's hardly a wrinkle on his cheeks. Doctors and nurses at the private hospi tal were awestruck by the monk's mental and physical agility. They were speechless when he did a sarbangasana at the drop of a hat (or request).
Born on August 8, 1896, in Behala, then a village, the
swamiji could be the oldest living person. In fact, he is about five years
older than Japan's Jiroemon Kimura, who holds the Guinness Record now. Though
based in Varanasi, he moves around the country and abroad for spiritual discourses.
He seemed quite bemused at his first medical check-up. He has been staying with a devotee in Salt Lake for about a month now. In the last few days, he started complaining of headaches after every discourse with devotees. Prodded by his followers, he agreed to a check-up. All these years, we've nev er heard Swamiji com plain of health problems. When he said he was having headaches, we persuaded him to get a check-up," said Dr S C Garai, a disciple.All they found was systolic hypertension (18080). "Even people in their forties can have such high blood pressure if they lead stressful lives.Swami Sivananda has the heart of a young man," said Dr P C Mondal, interventional cardiologist at the hospital.
He seemed quite bemused at his first medical check-up. He has been staying with a devotee in Salt Lake for about a month now. In the last few days, he started complaining of headaches after every discourse with devotees. Prodded by his followers, he agreed to a check-up. All these years, we've nev er heard Swamiji com plain of health problems. When he said he was having headaches, we persuaded him to get a check-up," said Dr S C Garai, a disciple.All they found was systolic hypertension (18080). "Even people in their forties can have such high blood pressure if they lead stressful lives.Swami Sivananda has the heart of a young man," said Dr P C Mondal, interventional cardiologist at the hospital.
"Clinically, his heart seems to be in good
condition.The ECG and echocardiogram reports are awaited. He agreed to take
medication for his high blood pressure but asked us if he could postpone it by
five days so that he can work on reducing it on his own," Mondal said.
Born Sivananda Goswami, his parents died on the same day when he was only four years old. His elder sister, who used to beg for food with him, died two years later. Some relatives handed over the child to a guruji who brought the boy to Nadadwip. He moved around before settling down in Varanasi in 1979.
Born Sivananda Goswami, his parents died on the same day when he was only four years old. His elder sister, who used to beg for food with him, died two years later. Some relatives handed over the child to a guruji who brought the boy to Nadadwip. He moved around before settling down in Varanasi in 1979.
What's the secret of his longevity and health? "I
believe in eating simple, living humble and in being compassionate. I feel good
when I have tried my best to help those in distress," the guru told TOI in
perfect English, despite never having got formal education.
He had boiled rice, boiled pulses and boiled vegetables with
a couple of green chillies from the hospital's canteen for lunch. Chef Suman
Bhattacharjee got a pat for the doubled boiled rice as swamiji has lost all his
teeth, perhaps the only sign of his age.
True Swami! What a life! Envy of kings!
No ego. Bliss! Pranam.
"As a child who had to sleep on an empty
stomach many nights, even boiled food is a fancy . I stuck to boiled food as a
habit and not because I was conscious of my health. Fruits and milk are a fancy
for the hungry so I avoid them," said Swami Sivananda. While many `Godmen'
or gurus live in palatial houses, Swami Sivananda lives in a 600 sq ft flat in
Varanasi donated by his disciples. Anyone who wants to approach the swamiji
with their problems can walk in any time of the day . He sleeps on a mat with a
wooden block for a pillow. He performs yoga, pranayama and freehand exercises
for two hours daily. The rest of the day he reads, chants and speaks with
devotees from any religion. The good days are when he gets to help someone.
Every Saturday, he and his devotees distribute food among the poor. He also spends time working with lepers and plans to travel to Puri in December to help lepers and beggars.
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