Shri Shivabalayogi Maharaj (24 January 1935 – 28 March 1994) was a yogi who reportedly attained self-realization through twelve years of arduous tapas, meditating in samādhi (a state of total absorption) for an average of twenty hours a day.

The Divine couple bestowed upon him the name "Shivabalayogendraya," but Swamiji asked to shorten it to "Shivabalayogi," stating "Only Shankar Bhagavaan (Shiva) is Yogendraya" (Lord of Yogis).

[3] Shivabalayogi's teaching is based on the Vedanta, emphasizing the need for sadhana (spiritual practice) to achieve self-realization.

[8] He visited the Draksharam temple, where he prayed to Lord Bhimeshwar for peace and understanding from his relatives regarding actions he felt compelled to take.

[11] He was sitting on the bank of the Godavari irrigation canal, eating palmyra fruit that he had divided with his eleven friends.

[13] The man was in the form of a jangama Devara, an ascetic who worships and dresses like Lord Shiva, with dark skin smeared with light ash.

He wore a white dhoti, a necklace of rudraksha beads, and his matted hair piled on top of his head, in the manner of ancient yogis.

[23] His body became stiff from the constant meditation until, as Shivabalayogi described, the yogi who had initiated him into tapas, his divine guru, cured all but his hands.

[25] Then he claimed his divine guru instructed him to meditate twelve hours a day for another four years to complete a full twelve-year cycle.

"[27]Shivabalayogi defined tapas as continuously meditating for at least twelve hours each day until one attains God's realization,[28] Sahaja Samadhi.

In his message, he emphasized the importance of proceeding directly to the goal of spirituality, the supreme peace of Self-realization, and eschewing the temptations and intermediate visions along the way which create more ego and may be hallucinations of the mind.

[32] Everywhere he gave public programs consisting of initiation into meditation (dhyana diksha), giving darshan in samadhi, evoking bhava samadhi (sometimes referred to as spiritual ecstasy), particularly during bhajans (kirtan, spiritual music), and distributing vibhuti and prasad as a form of blessing.

His message was often summarized with the following words: "Know truth through meditation, then you will know who you are, your religion, your purpose in life, and your nature.

On one occasion, he advised Srinivasa Dikshitar "If you surrender mentally to your Guru through service, then automatically your mind gets controlled.

But sadhana can happen through dhyana (meditation), through bhakti (devotion,) and seva (service) and in so many ways when one can surrender to the Guru.

[38] On other occasions Shivabalayogi referred to Mantra practices, for example, he spoke of hearing the Omkara, the divine sound of Om pervading the universe.

[citation needed] When devotees inquired about Shri Shivabalayogi's spiritual philosophy, Swamiji referred them to the Yoga Vasistha.

To escape illusion and experience this One reality, the mind must be brought into a state of perfect control and freedom from distracting thoughts (samadhi).

"[40]Shri Shivabalayogi's approach is consistent with the Vedanta tradition, and the Yoga Vasistha is considered to be a principal exposition of the Advaita-Vedanta philosophy (of non-dualism).

Swamiji taught that the purpose of life is to attain Self-realization by performing sadhana (spiritual practice) and overcoming the illusions and imaginations of the mind.

)[42] Swamiji explained that yogis use bhajans to awaken spiritual awareness and prepare students for meditation.

[47] The outer expressions of bhava that often occurred during bhajans, such as people getting up and dancing, were controversial throughout Shivabalayogi's public programs, and his statements on the phenomenon appear inconsistent.

Giving prasadam (blessed food) was also important for him, and devotees often arranged for mass feedings of thousands of people.

[54] On 2 April 1994, his body was interred at the ashram in Adivarapupeta near the place where he sat for almost ten of his twelve-year tapas.

[55] During Shivabalayogi's three decades of travel, many properties were donated to him in India as ashrams to be held in trust for the public.

As he traveled, additional ashrams were established in Sambhar Lake, Dehradun, Hyderabad, Anantapur, Hindupur, and Agra.

On 7 August 1977, he established a new ashram in Bangalore at J.P. Nagar, where he later consecrated a temple in honor of the three divine manifestations of God in Hinduism: Brahma and Saraswati the Creator, Vishnu and Lakshmi the Sustainer, and Shiva and Parvati the Destroyers of Illusion.

According to one Indian tradition, the worship of Brahma is forbidden, yet Shivabalayogi insisted upon consecrating a deity of the god, thus encouraging people to go beyond blind faith and superstition and to teach that the Divine is only one, but with many names and forms.

[56] Shri Shivabalayogi established charitable trusts in London, Portland, Oregon, and North Carolina.

After his death, additional trusts and ashrams have been established in India, the United States, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Australia.