Vethathiri Maharishi - Biography!

Shri Vethathiri Maharishi was born in 1911 in the village of Guduvancheri, 30 km south of Chennai, India, into an indigent weaver’s family. From his youth he was driven by the desire for knowledge and in particular strove to find answers to three questions: “What is God?” “What is life?” “Why is poverty in the world?” The search to find these answers as well as to further his lot in life led him into various fields of endeavor, including becoming a qualified practitioner of two systems of Indian indigenous medicine, Ayurveda and Siddha, and certified practitioner Homeopathy as well. 

After spending several years in various minor employments, he established a textile concern that grew to employ over 2000 workers on a profit sharing basis that would be thought progressive even today. Although constantly busy with family and business matters, he always found time to pursue his deep desire to achieve self-realization and realization of Truth. Several years of intense meditation and introspection brought him full enlightenment at the age of thirty five. At the age of fifty he closed his commercial ventures and devoted himself solely to spiritual service so as to guide sincere spiritual aspirants by transmitting and sharing with them his experiences and revelations of Truth. Even though his life has long been dedicated spiritual and social service he has remained a “householder”, i.e. he has not broken his family ties and taken vows of renunciation, but rather lived in the indigenous Siddha tradition, maintaining family ties and fulfilling his duties. 

 From his enlightenment till today, Shri Vethathiri Maharishi has received knowledge of the origin and functions of the cosmos and all aspects of life, as Nature revealed to his inner vision. During these years he has spontaneously written over 2000 poems on philosophical subjects. He remains dedicated to serving his fellow beings by conveying his understanding of universe and the One Supreme Power through his speeches and writings. In the Indian Philosophical tradition, his philosophy corresponds to pure advaits; it may be called pantheistic monism. His language and attitudes are contemporary, non-sectarian and non-dogmatic. As of date, he has authored about 70 books in Tamil and English.