Spiritual guru and founder of the Isha Foundation, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, who underwent an emergency brain surgery in Delhi in March 2024 after massive swelling and bleeding in his brain, recently opened up about the cause behind it.
In a video titled ‘Sadhguru’s Second Brain Surgery – Undisclosed Details’ on his Instagram, he recollected, “My daughter and I were swimming in the pool. I had fixed a program in Bali and Cambodia. A plastic wrap on my wound and swimming a little bit because I need it. I needed exercise. After that, I just came up and sat on a chair. A big monkey came and wanted to go inside because there were lots of fruits inside. So, my daughter instinctively screamed at the monkey, and the monkey turned around, coming with its mouth open. Since I have seen monkey bite injuries, and it was coming towards her, I instinctively got up..I had my walking stick inside. I ran for the stick inside. Somebody had closed the door. I went and banged full speed into the glass. The glass made such a big bang that the monkey ran away. So the purpose was served, but my head was cracked.”
According to the Isha Foundation, Sadhguru was examined by Dr Vinit Suri, a senior consultant neurologist at Apollo Hospitals, and was advised to undergo an MRI, where “massive bleeding” in his brain was detected. The hospital statement said that the MRI showed the bleeding was “outside the brain and below the bone”. “There was massive two-time bleeding,” it added.
While Sadhguru initially “thought immediately I’ll fly to Delhi for another emergency surgery because they had said that if you hit your head, this is it”, he decided to wait it out to see if any symptoms started to appear. “Then I thought I would wait till that night and see if there are any symptoms. Immediately, imbalance will happen or pain will happen..all that…The next morning, I woke up…I was fine. The next three days of the program I went through, and then I flew to Coimbatore city. From the airport, I went straight to a scan. Once again, bleeding. Then I went for another surgery,” Sadhguru said.
Here’s what happened (Photo: Freepik)
While that surgery went well with “no problems”, on the “third day after the surgery, every cell in the body went through a storm”. “This happens only if you have sepsis or some other kind of serious infection. I had no infection of any kind, so doctors could not make out what happened. Three days later, I open my eyes and see 14 doctors are standing there, including the chairperson of the hospital, all tears in their eyes. They think they lost me because all organ failure started happening,” recalled Sadhguru, 67.
He also said that it was tough for the hospital staff during those six hours before he started responding again. “I looked at them and then looking at their faces…I knew…they thought of giving up on me…When I closed my eyes…I could see every cell in the body…like I am seeping away…So, I closed my eyes and I became a lot more conscious. And I kept myself like that. And in about an hour and a half, I turned around. So, when I came out of that..six hours they were in very difficult situation with me…that took some time to recover. But within two months, I was on the motorcycle.”
Reflecting on this, Dr Aniruddha Vasant More, a consultant neurologist at Jupiter Hospital, Thane, said that what Sadhguru described sounds like a rare but serious post-surgical complication.
“Even if surgery goes well, the body can react unexpectedly later. One possibility is systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), where the body goes into overdrive, reacting as if there were a massive infection, even when there isn’t. Another possibility is a delayed brain injury or bleeding that might not be immediately visible. Sometimes, a head injury, even if it looks minor at first, can trigger a series of issues in the body’s systems,” contended Dr More.
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If inflammation or pressure affects the brainstem or other critical areas, it can lead to widespread organ failure, as described by Dr More.
How dangerous is this kind of situation?
“Extremely”, remarked Dr More. “When someone experiences multi-organ failure, as Sadhguru did, the body is in crisis. The brain, kidneys, liver, and lungs all begin to shut down. Without strong critical care, this can be fatal. The fact that he regained consciousness and stabilised is remarkable. It suggests that while the situation was dangerous, his overall health, resilience, and timely medical care played a significant role in his recovery,” said Dr More.
What to note?
Don’t ignore head injuries. “Even if you feel okay, get checked. Symptoms like dizziness, confusion, nausea, or loss of balance, especially after a fall or trauma are warning signs,” said Dr More.
The body does not always follow a predictable pattern. “Complications can emerge days later. Pay attention to your body and don’t dismiss unusual symptoms,” said Dr More.
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Recovery is possible. “Early intervention, good post-operative care, and overall health can make a big difference even in life-threatening cases,” said Dr More.
DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.
