Biography of gurupiran siva sankaran

Early Years

Gurupiran Siva Sankaran was born to a humble family in Port Swettenham (now known as Port Klang) in Selangor. He was born to Srimathi Janaki Ammal and Sanggu Nair, immigrants from Kerala in India. His parents came from India and worked several jobs in the port. Though the family experienced significant challenges as new immigrants to Malaya, they raised a family of seven with strong religious and spiritual values. Guru Sankaran was the fifth child of seven children in the Sanggu Nair family.

The family was impoverished when Sanggu Nair died in 1944, during the Japanese occupation of Malaya during World War 2. The war from 1939-1945 disrupted Guru Sankaran’s education. He commenced his studies (standard one) in 1946 after the end of the war at 11. During the war, he worked in several menial jobs (washing dishes etc.), such as service in his uncle’s canteen near the port. One of the teachers that came for his food in the canteen told his uncle to send Guru Sankaran to an English medium school so that he could study to find suitable employment. This teacher enrolled Guru Sankaran in La Salle Klang. Gurupiran Siva Sankaran was so happy to commence his studies. He was a very diligent student and worked very hard to complete his Senior Cambridge studies by the time he was 19 years old. Guru Sankaran was an avid reader, mastering Tamil and English. Guru Sankaran was also very good in science and mathematics and read works of great philosophers from the East and West.

After completing his Senior Cambridge, he joined the Survey Department, where his mathematics skills proved very helpful. He mastered various survey methods and was posted to various projects related to the country’s electrification. At that time, only 20 per cent of the country had electricity, mainly in the urban areas. Most rural areas needed electricity. What an irony; this young man played a crucial role in laying the transmission lines that provided electricity to “enlighten” the country. Given his mastery of the survey skills, hardworking and “can-do” attitude, he was transferred to the Central Electricity Board (CEB), the entity for ensuring greater access to electricity in all parts of Malaysia. CEB, eventually became the National Electricity Board (NEB), then Lembaga Letrik Negara, and finally Tenaga National Berhad. Guru Sankaran retired from Tenaga National in 1990 and was given an extension of two years of the contract until 1992. In 1992, at the age of 57 years, he decided to retire for good to devote more time to powering a different electricity – the spiritual current (kundalini power) shown to him by HH GP Mahan 

As a youth, Guru Sankaran was an avid reader of great philosophers and spiritualists. He read the works of Karl Marks, Adhi Shankara (a great teacher of Advaitha), and Swami Sivananda in Rishikesh. In his early years, he experienced poverty and many life challenges. He realised that education is key to overcoming these challenges and read extensively on improving his life and that of others. He volunteered as a youth leader for a community organisation in the temple in Port Klang. Since he was proficient in Tamil and English, he volunteered as a secretary to the community organisation. They organised many programs for the youth, including football games, sports events, and other leadership skills programs. In the later years, he was actively involved in trade union work, helping workers get better wages and benefits.

At the temple in Port Klang, Guru Sankaran met Guru Erullappan, who worked in a temple in Port Klang. Guru Erulappan was slightly older than Guru Sankaran and they became good friends. In one of their meetings near the port, Guru Sankaran confided to Guru Erulappan that he was planning to become a monk and wanted to devout his life to Swami Sivananda’s ashram. Guru Erulappan was shocked and advised him not to become a monk, as he had a mother, several siblings, and nephews to look after. Close to 30 people in the family depended on his income. Guru Erulappan informed that a Mahan was visiting Malaysia soon, and he will pass through Port Klang and was willing to introduce him to Mahan. Guru Sankaran was keen to meet Mahan, hoping Mahan would make him a monk. He hoped the Mahan would help him achieve his ambition of acquiring self-realisation and being of service to mankind. 

When Mahan met Gurupiran Siva Sankaran for the first time, he asked him why he came to see him. Gurupiran Sankaran said that “I came to see you simply”. Mahan replied, “If you come simply to see me, then you have to go simply too”. Gurupiran Sankaran thought the reply by Mahan was rather odd. Nevertheless, he gave Mahan all the respect as a Guru. Mahan then told him that he was the one he was waiting for. Mahan informed him that since he spoke very good Tamil and English, he believed that Gurupiran Siva Sankaran was the right person to lead his sabhai in Malaysia to spread Mahan’s teaching on Kundalini meditation and I-GOD philosophy.

Mahan then asked him to get prepared for the kundalini initiation. Guru Sankaran asked what he should give him in return for the initiation. Swamiji said that Guru Sankaran needed to do two things. First, to promise Mahan that he will get married. Second, to get him a bottle of “Eau-De-Cologne,” which is used for the first stage kundalini initiation process.

Gurupiran Siva Sankaran was surprised by the first request, as he was thinking about becoming a monk, and Mahan was asking him to get married. Gurupiran Siva Sankaran then questioned whether Mahan was great, as said by Guru Erulappan. Gurupiran Siva Sankaran wondered whether Mahan was the right guru for him. So, he returned home and did not return that day for initiation. That night, Mahan appeared in his dream to tell him that he was still waiting for him and that he could observe spiritualism while looking after his family. Gurupiran Siva Sankaran then called Guru Erulappan and informed him about his dream of Mahan, and they went to meet Mahan that day for his initiation. Gurupiran Sankaran bought the “Eau-De-Cologne,” as requested by Mahan. Mahan gave Gurupiran Siva Sankaran the initiation. From that day onwards, Gurupiran Siva Sankaran accepted Mahan as his Guru and spiritual father. The initiation had a tremendous change in Gurupiran Sankaran. His way of life changed significantly, he practised the kundalini meditation shown by Mahan diligently. He intensified his research on Mahan’s philosophy and other Advaitha philosophies. He started speaking to everyone about the magnificence of Mahan’s meditation and the I-GOD philosophy.

Due to Gurupiran Siva Sankaran’s dedication and intensive kundalini meditation practice, Mahan noticed the “Tejas” in Gurupiran Siva Sankaran. Before he left Malaysia, he called Gurupiran Siva Sankaran onboard the ship “Rajula” in Port Klang to give him the “Guru-Deeksha”. Mahan then showed him the initiation method and gave him the title “Paranjothi”. He said, “From today onwards, you should not only speak about my teachings, but you have the power to show them the inner journey to discover the SELF and GOD through kundalini meditation”. Gurupiran Siva Sankaran was surprised and received the “Guru-Deeksha” with gratitude and promised to take Mahan’s teachings to people from all walks of life without any expectation.

The relationship between Mahan and Gurupiran Siva Sankaran intensified via letter correspondence. Mahan treated Gurupiran Sankaran as his son, and Gurupiran Siva Sankaran treated Mahan as his father. Gurupiran Siva Sankaran said, “I have a father in a Guru, and a Guru in a father.” Gurupiran Siva Sankaran consulted Mahan on all his important life decisions. Among them included selecting his soul mate in marriage, purchasing his home, on his children’s affairs, including managing the sabhai 

Gurupiran Siva Sankaran married Srimathi Saratha Paramoo in 1961. Mahan blessed the selection of the soulmate. Gurupiran Siva Sankaran and Srimathi Saratha Paramoo were blessed with five children. They all contributed to the development of the newly established sabhai by Mahan. 

When it came to their studies, Gurupiran Siva Sankaran consulted Mahan. He wanted to send his children to India for their studies. Mahan informed him not to send them to India, as most universities in India often had strikes and disruptions in studies. He advised Gurupiran Siva Sankaran to send his children for their studies in Malaysia or more advanced countries. By the grace of Mahan, Gurupiran Siva Sankaran was able to educate all his children with his modest income from his employment in the public sector. 

Gurupiran Siva Sankaran was close to his children, often playing sports with them. His favourite sports were football, table tennis and badminton. He encouraged them to participate in sports. He was also very fond of culture, arts, music and dance. All his children were active in sports, and his daughter became an accomplished dancer in Malaysia. He made sure he had time for family matters and mentored many of his family members to work hard and excel in all their endeavours – he was “father in a Guru and a Guru in a father” for all his children, nephews and other family members. 

In the early 1960s, Mahan visited Malaysia, and Gurupiran Siva Sankaran rented a home in Klang to host Mahan. During this period, both Gurupiran Siva Sankaran and his wife, Srimathi Saratha Paramoo used to travel from their home in Port Swettenham every day to provide Mahan food and clean clothes. During one of the conversations with Gurupiran Siva Sankaran, Mahan mentioned that Guru Sankaran would purchase a home near the rented residence in Klang. He said this home would be a spiritual abode where his teachings would flourish and spread to other parts of Malaysia.

In 1964 there was an announcement that a new housing project near Mahan’s rented home in Klang. Gurupiran Siva Sankaran remembered Mahan’s words and informed Mahan about the possibility of him purchasing a home in the new housing project. Gurupiran Siva Sankaran asked Mahan what shall he name the home. Mahan wrote back to inform that the home be named “Mahan Illam.” In 1965 Gurupiran Siva Sankaran paid a deposit for the home and moved into the home in 1967. The first thing Gurupiran did was to put up a signboard with Mahan’s name – the abode became “Mahan Illam,” and it opened its doors for disciples in Malaysia. When Gurupiran Siva Sankaran moved back to Klang in 1992 – Mahan Illam became the meditation centre in Klang. Regular meditation classes commenced at Mahan Illam until Gurupiran Siva Sankaran attained Mahasamadhi in 1994. Today, “Mahan-Illam” is the home of PPGM – Klang sabhai, as envisioned by Mahan in the early 1960s. 

Mahan Illam (83 Jalan Mata Kucing, 41100 Klang, Selangor, Malaysia) was the first Mahan’s permanent sabhai established in Malaysia. In 1973, when Gurupiran Siva Sankaran moved to Kuala Lumpur, to his LLN quarters (No 3 Lorong Morib), it became the sabhai’s headquarters from 1974 to 1992. The KL sabhai hosted Mahan in 1976 and 1980. 

In 1969, Mahan was supposed to make a trip to Malaysia. However, Mahan could not make it to Malaysia due to numerous challenges. Many disciples who were waiting for Mahan were very disappointed. To bring Mahan back to Malaysia, Guru Sankaran worked hard to establish and strengthen the sabhai, so that Mahan’s visit to Malaysia could be realised. When Guru Sankaran moved to Kuala Lumpur in 1974, he opened the Sabhai in his home and re-established the sabhai. Mahan named the sabhai as Paranjothi Paripurana Gnanam. The Sabhai was registered as Persatuan Paranjothi Paripurna Gnanam (Sel/WP) and later registered Persatuan Paranjothi Paripurna Gnanam Malaysia (GP Mahan’s World Peace Sanctuary) – in short, PPPGM to open branches in Malaysia and propagate the teachings of Mahan.

In 1976 and 1980, Mahan was able to visit Malaysia, and thousands of people came to visit him and get the initiation. Mahan was so pleased with the progress made by Gurupiran Siva Sankaran, and in 1980 he bestowed Guru Sankaran as the “Gurupiran” of his sabhai in Malaysia. Mahan was so happy that his 80th birthday was celebrated in Malaysia, and Mahan’s teaching started establishing a solid foundation in Malaysia.

On 7 January 1981, Mahan attained samadhi. The day was also Gurupiran Siva Sankaran’s birthday. Interestingly, the Guru’s samadhi day merges with the disciple’s birthday – showing the “spiritual baton” passing from one guru to the next.

Upon the samadhi of Mahan, there was a spiritual awakening in Gurupiran Siva Sankaran to intensify Mahan’s teachings in Malaysia. He established the national body and several branches nationwide to teach Mahan’s kundalini technique and the I-God philosophy. In 1992, through his hard work, he bought a new premise in Kuala Lumpur (our headquarters). He also established a newsletter called “Vision & Views” to present Mahan’s teachings and inform the public about the activities of the sabhai.  

In 1992, Gurupiran Siva Sankaran retired from his employment. He visited Canada to explore the possibilities of spreading Mahan’s teachings in North America. After a few weeks in Canada, Gurupiran Siva Sankaran wanted to return to Malaysia, as he had urgent unresolved matters in Malaysia. Upon returning to Malaysia, he passed the key of the sabhai to Guru Velu to look after the sabhai. He also appointed a few gurus to undertake the initiation and spread Mahan’s teachings. He travelled across the country to establish and strengthen numerous sabhai branches. 

One evening in 1994, Gurupiran Siva Sankaran informed his life partner that his time on Earth would end soon and he needed to expedite many things for the sabhai. He also told her to be strong and not be perturbed by his passing away. She should be strong for the family and sabhai.

On 19 November, 1994, Gurupiran Siva Sankaran did his final satsangh and meditation session to celebrate Wisdom Day of Gnanavallal Paranjothi Mahan at the KL sabhai and stayed the night in the sabhai. In the morning of 20 November, 1994, he drove home and informed his life partner that he was going to bed. He also told her that if anything happened to him, for her to call the sabhai members to complete the final rites. On 20 November 1994 in the morning at 10.30 am, Gurupiran Siva Sankaran attained mahasamadhi. 

He left a life of dedication to his guru, family and service to the people. He established Mahan’s centre in Malaysia. He gave his guru prominence and greater reach in Malaysia. His dedication to his guru enabled people in Malaysia to gain access to Mahan’s kundalini meditation and I-GOD philosophy. Today, there are numerous Mahan’s centres across Malaysia and the region. They all can be traced back to the Paranjothi Paripurana Gnanam, a sabhai established by Mahan in Malaysia and the steady stewardship provided by HH Gurupiran Paranjothi Siva Sankaran.

The legacy Gurupiran Paranjothi Siva Sankaran leaves us all is the dedication to the guru’s work and service to the people. These pillars are the core to the attainment of spiritual enlightenment. Gurupiran Siva Sankaran’s words resonate in our minds and hearts:

“Don’t expect an Angel; be the Angel”

“Don’t expect Change, be the Change Agent”

“Don’t expect a Miracle, be the Miracle”.

The sabhai would like to thank Gurupiran Siva Sankaran’s family, gurus and disciples who lived with Gurupiran Siva Sankaran for providing relevant information for this biography. The biography of Gurupiran Siva Sankaran would provide insights to all members on how one can divinise their life and attain the pinnacle of life.