Letter by Sri Aurobindo

The Yogi from the North (Uttara Yogi) was my own name given to me because of a prediction made long ago by a famous Tamil Yogi, that thirty years later (agreeing with the time of my arrival) a Yogi from the North would come as a fugitive to the South and practise there an integral Yoga (Poorna Yoga), and this would be one sign of the approaching liberty of India. He gave three utterances as the mark by which this Yogi could be recognised and all these were found in the letters to my wife.

Source:   Letters on Himself > Pg. 78

Evening Talks - 10 December, 1938

Sri Aurobindo: Do you know the origin of the name Uttara Yogi?

Disciple: No, Sir.

Sri Aurobindo: There was a famous Yogi in the South who while dying said to his disciples that a Purna Yogi from the North would comedown to the South and he will be known by three sayings. Those three sayings were those I had written to my wife. A Zamindar disciple of that Yogi found me out and bore the cost of the book Yogic Sadhan.

Source:   Evening Talks > 10 December, 1938

Extract from 'Mother's Chronicles - Book 6' by Sujata Nahar

..... Once upon a time, in the nineteenth century, in Tiruchirapalli district of South India, there was a family with large land holdings, in other words, a zamindar family. They lived in Kodiyalam (or Kodailam or Kodairam as variously spelt by different authors). It was a prosperous village. As was customary in those days, the zamindar had a family preceptor. The preceptor was born to Sri Rangachariar and Janaki Ammal in the hamlet Sam-bodai in Vedaranyam section of Tanjore District in September 1829. Quite young he began a nomadic life. Soon, however, he settled down in Nagai village to do his sadhana. That is how he came to be known as Nagai Swami. He did not practise rites or rituals but repeated continuously a japa evolved by him and which comprised elements from the Gayatri mantra woven into the Ashtakshara mantra (or Om Namo Narayanaya) . This is what he taught his followers who did not tarry to cluster around him. Thus Nagai Swami's disciples came to be known as Nagai Japatas.

When Nagai Swami was ready to enter into samadhi (around 1880, we understand), he called his disciples and declared that in future they would follow a great Guru from the North. "The Yogi from the North (Uttara Yogi) was my own name," wrote Sri Aurobindo, "given to me because of a prediction made long ago by a famous Tamil Yogi, that thirty years later (agreeing with the time of my arrival) a Yogi from the North would come as a fugitive to the South and practise there an integral Yoga (Poorna Yoga), and this would be one sign of the approaching liberty of India. He gave three utterances as the mark by which this Yogi could be recognised and all these were found in the letters to my wife." The 'three utterances' were the 'three madnesses' of which Sri Aurobindo had written to Mrinalini Devi in 1905, on 30 August.

The new zamindar of Kodiyalam was but a babe of two or three when Nagai Swami attained samadhi. But he was brought up in that lore. Nor did he forget to pass on the Guru's prediction to his children. He had nine. Two of his sons were K. V. Rangaswami Iyengar and K. V. Srinivasa Iyengar (K for Kodiyalam and V for Vasudeva, their father). Several months after Sri Aurobindo came to Pondicherry, when very few people knew—or were supposed to know—of his presence there, a person in the know blurted out the secret to K. V. Rangaswami. Immediately K. V. R. sent a friend, V. Ramaswamy to find out the truth or otherwise of this piece of news. With the help of Bharati and Srinivasachari, V. Ramaswamy was able to pay his respects to Sri Aurobindo.

The good news confirmed, K. V. R. hurried to Pondicherry and had a meeting with Sri Aurobindo. His hope became a certainty. Yes, here indeed was the Uttara Yogi of whom the family Guru had spoken. ....

Source:   Mother's Chronicles - Book 6 > Pg. 46

Extract from 'Life of Sri Aurobindo' by A.B. Purani

.... K .V. Rangaswamy Iyengar, the zamindar of Kodailam met Sri Aurobindo for the first time in Shanker Chetty's house. Up to 1906 this man represented the landlords in the Legislative Assembly of Delhi. He had come looking for Sri Aurobindo for the following reason. He had known a Yogi named Nagai Japata, who had been the guru of his family. When the time of his death was near this Yogi called his devotees to him. K. V. R. Iyengar asked him about the spiritual guide he must take for his future progress. The Yogi remained quiet for a time and then said that a great Yogi would come from the North whose help he could take. Iyengar then asked him how he would recognise that particular great Yogi, as so many yogis came to the South from the North. Japata replied that the great Yogi would come seeking refuge in the South, and he would make a declaration of three things before his arrival.

When K. V. R. Iyengar came to know that Sri Aurobindo had come to Pondicherry and retired from politics, he had one clue for identifying him as the "Yogi from the North" – Uttar Yogi – about whom Nagai Japata had spoken. Moreover, one of the letters of Sri Aurobindo to Mrinalini Devi that were produced in the Alipore court, contained a statement of "three madnesses" that were a part of Sri Aurobindo's personality. This was under­stood to be the declaration of the "three things" that had been predicted by the Yogi.

What transpired between the two at the interview is not known. It is known that K. V. R. Iyengar gave Sri Aurobindo a promise of economic help and besides this actually gave some money. Those were days of great danger to anyone who dared to render any kind of help to a revolutionary political leader. That is why nothing was spoken about the details of the interview or about the exact extent of the help rendered. K. V. R. Iyengar came twice again to Pondicherry to see Sri Aurobindo. It was he who had the small book Yogic Sadhan printed at the Vani Vilas Press for Sri Aurobindo.

Sri Aurobindo once spoke of Iyengar in an evening talk: "There was a famous Yogi in the South who while dying said to his disciples that a Puma Yogi from the North would come down to the South and he would be known by three sayings. Those three sayings were the three things I wrote in a letter to my wife. The zamindar disciple of that Yogi found me out and bore the cost of the book Yogic Sadhan." ....

Source:   Life of Sri Aurobindo > Page 144

Extract from 'Old Long Since' by Amrita

.... The story is this. A Siddhapurusha — a Yogi — called Nagai Japta was the Kulaguru (family preceptor) of K. Rangaswami lyengar and a close friend of his. My uncle used to tell me of many a miracle which the Yogi had done. It was rumoured that when paddy fields went dry for want of water, Japta's power would bring down the needed rain and make the withering paddy plants shoot forth again.

This great man had also said to the family members of Rangaswami lyengar to this effect: "A great saint will come to the South from the North; he is a great Yogi and will show the way not only to our country but to the whole human race; he will be indeed your Kulaguru after me, you should accept him as such." This he said and after a few days disappeared, one did not know where.

On learning of Sri Aurobindo's arrival at Pondicherry, Rangaswami came here secretly with the help of Ramaswami, to see Sri Aurobindo and talk to him. Secrecy was necessary at that time to avoid suspicion of the British Police.....

Source:   Old Long Since > Page 17