Autobiography
of a Yogi, Paramhansa Yogananda-Summary-Chapter VI-QS-Ans
Chapter 6: The Tiger Swami (from Autobiography of a Yogi)
The chapter begins when the narrator, a young Paramahansa
Yogananda, is urged by his friend Chandi to visit the famous Tiger Swami, a
saint who was once known for fighting wild tigers with his bare hands. Curious
and excited, the boys visit him on a cold morning in Bhowanipur. After a long
wait—typical of spiritual teachers who test a seeker’s patience—they are
finally taken to his room. They are astonished to see his massive, powerful
body: huge chest, enormous biceps, long flowing hair and beard, and a tiger
skin wrapped around his waist.
The boys respectfully ask him how he could fight the most
ferocious Royal Bengal tigers. The Swami replies with a laugh that tigers are
“pussycats” to him. He explains that strength alone is not enough; confidence
and mental power are essential. Many strong men faint at the sight of a tiger,
while a man with strong will and determination can defeat the tiger mentally.
The mind is the real controller of the body. Weakness, he says, originates in
the mind and becomes a habit and then a physical state.
At their request, the Tiger Swami narrates his life.
Surprisingly, he says that as a child he had a strong will but a weak body.
Through persistent positive thinking he strengthened his body and fulfilled his
dream of fighting tigers. He achieved fame and pride, performing public shows
where he fought and controlled wild tigers.
Once, his father warned him after hearing a saint’s prophecy:
the Swami would be severely injured in his next tiger encounter, suffer for six
months, and then become a monk. The Swami ignored the warning, thinking it
superstition.
Soon after, he visited Cooch Behar. The prince of the state
invited him and challenged him to fight a newly caught tiger named Raja Begum.
If he defeated the tiger, he would receive wealth and honours; if he refused,
he would be publicly declared a fraud. Angered by the insult, the Swami
accepted the challenge.
The prince arranged a huge pavilion to hold thousands of
spectators. People were excited and terrified because Raja Begum was a fierce,
roaring beast kept hungry to increase his ferocity. Rumours spread that this
tiger was a demon sent to punish the Swami for humiliating the tiger race.
On the day of the fight, the Swami bravely entered the cage
alone. The tiger immediately attacked and tore his right hand, causing blood to
gush out. Summoning his mental power, the Swami hid his injured hand and fought
with his left, delivering heavy blows. The battle was intense—both man and
tiger were covered in blood. The audience cried out in terror, urging guards to
shoot the tiger.
Finally, he delivered a powerful blow, momentarily stunning
Raja Begum. He even forced open the tiger’s jaws and bound him with a chain.
But the tiger returned with a final attack, biting the Swami’s shoulder. Again
the Swami overpowered him and chained him securely before exiting the cage.
Though victorious, the Swami’s body was severely maimed. He
fulfilled the three conditions: stunning the tiger, binding him, and leaving
without assistance. The crowds celebrated him as a hero, showering him with
gold and praise. He was given the tiger as a gift, but victory no longer
brought him joy. A profound spiritual change had come over him.
Soon he fell dangerously ill with blood poisoning and
remained near death for six months—exactly as the saint had predicted. After
recovering, he admitted to his father that the saint must be his true guru.
Miraculously, the saint arrived and told him it was time to leave tiger-taming
and learn to conquer the inner “tigers”—the beasts of ignorance, desire, and
ego. He initiated the Swami into yoga and took him to the Himalayas for
spiritual training.
By the end of the chapter, Yogananda realizes he has
witnessed a man who transformed from a physical hero to a spiritual hero. The
Tiger Swami’s story shows the superiority of mental and spiritual power over
brute strength.
✓
SHORT QUESTION–ANSWERS (40–45 words each)
1. Why did Yogananda and Chandi wish to meet the Tiger Swami?
They wished to meet him because they had heard thrilling
stories about his ability to fight wild tigers with his bare hands. Their
youthful imagination was excited by such extraordinary feats, and they wanted
to see the remarkable man in person.
2. What impressed the boys when they first saw the Tiger
Swami?
They were astonished by his huge, powerful body—broad chest,
massive biceps, strong neck, and flowing hair and beard. His appearance,
combined with the tiger skin around his waist, made him look both fierce and
saintly, exactly matching his legendary reputation.
3. According to the Tiger Swami, what is the real source of
strength?
He explained that the mind is the true wielder of muscles.
Physical power alone is not enough; courage, determination, and confidence are
essential. Weakness begins in the mind and becomes a habit. A strong will can
control even the fiercest tiger.
4. What prediction did the saint make about the Swami’s
future?
The saint predicted that the Swami’s next tiger fight would
leave him severely wounded, followed by six months of deadly illness. After
this suffering, he would give up tiger-taming and become a monk. The Swami
initially dismissed this warning.
5. Why did the Cooch Behar prince challenge the Swami?
The prince doubted the Swami’s abilities and mocked him,
suggesting he fought only opium-fed circus animals. To test him, he challenged
him to fight a newly caught, ferocious tiger named Raja Begum. If he refused,
he would be called a fraud.
✓
LONG QUESTION–ANSWERS (170–180 words each)
1. Describe the fight between the Tiger Swami and Raja Begum.
Why was it a turning point in his life?
The fight between the Tiger Swami and Raja Begum was one of
the most dramatic and dangerous events of his life. Raja Begum was a newly
caught, extremely fierce Royal Bengal tiger, kept hungry to increase his anger.
When the Swami entered the cage alone, the tiger immediately attacked, tearing
his right hand and causing blood to gush out. Despite the shock, the Swami hid
his wounded hand and fought with his left, delivering powerful blows. The
battle was violent—both man and tiger were soon soaked in blood. The audience
screamed in terror and begged the guards to shoot the tiger. After a long
struggle, the Swami stunned Raja Begum, forced open his jaws, and chained him.
Although the tiger attacked once more, the Swami overpowered him again. He left
the cage without help, fulfilling every condition of the challenge.
However, the victory proved costly. His wounds led to six
months of near-fatal illness, exactly as predicted by the saint. This suffering
humbled him and awakened his spiritual consciousness. The fight became the
turning point that transformed him from a proud tiger-tamer into a seeker of
higher truth.
2. How did the Tiger Swami transform from a physical fighter
to a spiritual seeker?
The Tiger Swami’s transformation was gradual but profound. In
his early life, he had a strong desire to fight tigers even though his body was
weak. Through persistent positive thinking, he strengthened himself and became
famous for defeating wild tigers with his bare hands. His fame eventually
filled him with pride, and he began public shows of tiger-taming. His father
warned him, conveying a saint’s prophecy that he would be severely injured in a
tiger encounter and later become a monk. The Swami ignored the prediction.
The prophecy came true when he fought the ferocious tiger
Raja Begum. Although he won, he suffered terrible wounds and was bedridden for
six months. This period of suffering broke his pride and awakened an inner
longing for spiritual guidance. After recovering, he admitted that the saint
must be his true guru. The saint appeared and invited him to give up fighting
outer tigers and learn to conquer the “inner tigers” of desire, ego, and
ignorance. The Swami accepted his guidance and went to the Himalayas for
spiritual training, marking his transformation from physical heroism to
spiritual mastery.
