Gurudev Shivananda (Shivanandanagar: Divine Life
Society, 1961).
Shivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers
(est. 1958)
Shivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers were founded
by Swami Vishnudevananda (1927–93), based
on the teachings of his GURU Swami Shivananda
SARASWATI (1887–1963) of RISHIKESH. Shivananda
developed an integral system of YOGA, joining
the four traditional paths (BHAKTI, KARMA, JNANA,
and raja) with the addition of japa (repetition of
a mantra). He established an ASHRAM and dispen-
sary in Rishikesh, India, and later established the
Divine Life Society there.
Swami Vishnudevananda became a disciple of
Swami Shivananda in 1947 after reading Sivana-
nda’s books. Over the course of a decade Vishnu-
devananda was personally trained by Shivananda
and became one of his most accomplished yoga
students, adept at hatha yoga and raja yoga. In
1957 Shivananda instructed Vishnudevananda
to spread his teachings in North America. Vish-
nudevananda established headquarters the fol-
lowing year in Montreal, Quebec, and continued
to found centers across the United States. In 1962
the Shivananda Ashram Yoga Camp in Quebec
was formed and in 1967 Vishnudevananda estab-
lished the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat in the
Bahamas. He also founded the True World Order,
a peace mission that began in 1969 to organize
demonstrations for nonviolent struggle. The orga-
nization is known for conducting air drops of
leaflets and flowers over conflict-filled areas in
the world. The most notable mission occurred in
Belfast in 1970.
Although Shivananda never traveled to North
America, Vishnudevananda assured the spread
of his message. Sivananda’s system of yoga con-
tinues to be a central teaching at the Vedanta
centers, with an emphasis on hatha yoga and raja
yoga. There are currently about 80 ashrams and
centers around the world, including 14 in the
United States. Over 10,000 teachers have been
trained. The Shivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers
have earned the reputation of preserving the qual-
ity and tradition of yoga.
Shivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers have pub-
lished several books including Vishnudevananda’s
The Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga, which has
sold millions of copies. The center also produces a
periodical, Yoga Life, that is available free through
the organization’s Web site, http://www.sivananda.org.Further reading: Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers, The
Sivananda Companion to Yoga (New York: Simon &
Schuster, 2000); ———, The Yoga Cookbook: Vegetarian
Food for Body and Mind (New York: Simon & Schuster,
1999); ———, Yoga Mind and Body (New York: D.K.,
1996); Vishnudevananda, Swami, The Complete Illus-
trated Book of Yoga (New York: Harmony Books, 1988);
———, Meditation and Mantras (New York: OM Lotus,
1978); ———, The Sivananda Companion to Yoga (New
York: Simon & Schuster, 2000).Shivaratri See MAHASHIVARATRI.
Shiv Sena (est. 1966)
Shiv Sena is a Maharastrian nationalist group
founded in 1966 as a response to a wave of immi-
grants to the state and the city of Bombay (Mum-
bai) from Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Punjab. The
movement tries to protect the interests of middle-
class Maharashtrians in the conflict for resources
and power. Shiv Sena is primarily a political and
ethnic movement, not a religious movement.
However, it uses some religious doctrines to sup-
port its political and ideological claims.
The founder of the movement is Balasaheb
(Bal) Thackeray (he currently uses the name
Don Balasaheb), who is also editor of the Marathi
newsletter Marmik, which promotes the group’s
ideology. By 1968, Shiv Sena turned their struggle
against communists and Muslims. Their tactics
are largely political, but they have not eschewedK 408 Shivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers