The Saint-Scientist Vallalar has a precise answer for what you came here for, which is will we become immortal. Below, you will find the three-stage body transformation Vallalar documented in Thiru Arutpa β and what each stage actually requires, starting with a foundation anyone can build. Much writing about immortality stays at the level of concept without a precise path. Vallalar presented a documented science, insisting that what he achieved was available to any human being. To understand why this matters, we need to look at the man who claimed it.
The Life and Teachings of Vallalar

Ramalinga Swamigal, known as Vallalar, was a 19th-century Tamil mystic whose collected writings, the Thiru Arutpa, remain one of the most extraordinary spiritual records ever produced. His life was filled with remarkable feats β though he dismissed anything supernatural, insisting that everything he did was a science. He established a center for feeding the poor that still operates today, feeding thousands without interruption for over 150 years. On January 30, 1874, accounts from those present record that he locked himself in a room in Mettukuppam and was never seen again β his body never found. This event is documented by government records and by British Collector John Henry Garstin.
A Repeatable Science, Not a One-Time Miracle
The question βwill we become immortalβ implies a universal possibility. It asks about ordinary people, not just a single, exceptional saint. Vallalarβs teaching is explicit on this point. He insisted that his transformation was not a unique miracle reserved for one person. It was, he stated, a documented science available to any human being.
He presented his own life as a demonstration of this science in action. The goal was not to be worshipped as a singular figure but to provide a map for others to follow. This map details a gradual transformation of the physical body into a body of pure grace-light. He saw himself as a guide who had walked the path to its end and returned to report exactly what it requires.
The Non-Negotiable Foundation: Jeeva Karunyam
Before any physical or spiritual techniques can work, Vallalar established one absolute prerequisite: Jeeva Karunyam. This is not passive sympathy but active compassion toward all living beings. It is the conscious, daily practice of preventing and relieving the suffering of others, especially hunger and fear.
Vallalar taught that none of the advanced techniques for body transformation can take root without Jeeva Karunyam. The body and mind cannot be purified while one is the cause of suffering for other creatures. This is why he placed such emphasis on a plant-based diet, as documented in his text Nithya Karma Vidhi. He taught that eating meat directly involves participating in the fear and pain of a living being, making the higher transformations impossible.
Active compassion is the soil. Without it, the seeds of mantra and meditation will not grow. It is the first and most important step.
How will we become immortal? The Three-Stage Transformation
Vallalar documented three distinct stages of bodily transformation. Each stage builds on the last, culminating in what he called the Gnana Deham, or Wisdom Body. This is the deathless body of grace-light.
Stage 1: Suddha Deham (The Pure Body)
The first stage begins with purifying the physical form. This is achieved through strict adherence to Jeeva Karunyam, a plant-based diet, and ethical conduct. The goal is to make the body a clean vessel, free from the gross influences of violence and impurity.
During this stage, the central practice is the constant recitation of the Mahamantra, a call to the divine grace-light known as Arut Perum Jothi. The mantra is:
AruαΉ Perum JΕti β AruαΉ Perum JΕti β TaαΉi Perum KaruαΉai β AruαΉ Perum JΕti
This translates to: βThe Vast Grace-Light. The Vast Grace-Light. The Incomparable Great Compassion. The Vast Grace-Light.β Reciting this mantra is said to slowly saturate the cells with divine light, beginning the process of transmutation from the inside out.
As the Suddha Deham is perfected, it begins to transform into the Pranava Deham. This is often called the Primal Body or body of sound and light. At this stage, the physical body becomes increasingly subtle, radiant, and less dependent on gross food.
The body is no longer seen as mere flesh and bone but as a structure of divine sound. It becomes luminous and resistant to decay, disease, and the effects of aging. This is the bridge between the physical world and the purely spiritual state. Vallalar described this body as being sustained directly by divine grace rather than physical nourishment alone.
Stage 3: Gnana Deham (The Wisdom Body)
The final stage is the Gnana Deham, the Wisdom Body. This is the complete transformation of the physical form into a deathless body of pure Arut Perum Jothi. This is the state of physical immortality that Vallalar demonstrated. According to witness accounts and his own writings in the Thiru Arutpa, this body is not subject to physical laws. It can appear and disappear at will and is a perfect expression of divine compassion.
Vallalar presented this final stage as the ultimate potential of a human life lived in total alignment with compassion and grace. While the path to Suddha Deham and Pranava Deham is open to any sincere practitioner, the Gnana Deham represents the complete fulfillment of the science, a state he fully documented.
Your First Step on a Documented Path
The path to a deathless body does not begin with complex esoteric techniques. According to Vallalar, it begins with a simple, concrete act of compassion. The entire structure of transformation rests upon the foundation of Jeeva Karunyam.
Today, find one hungry living beingβa person, a bird, or an animalβand feed it. Do this with the conscious intention of easing its suffering. This single act, more than hours of meditation or study, is the true first step in the science Vallalar laid out. It is the practical application of the principle that purifies the self and makes higher states possible.
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