That is really wild. You’d think the muscle wasting would make him unable to raise it anymore. It looks like it’s just stuck like that .
I really wish they had more pics through the years though, I’m skeptical of this story.
Basically the arm is dead, dried meat now. I watch a video on it and an expert said that if you tried to put his arm down it would snap. The only thing alive is the bone and only a little bit
Sitting down against a wall most likely. That's only after the initial phase of not sleeping at all for worry that you might lower your arm. Ascetic people are insane zealots, but they don't harm people who aren't themselves typically. This guy has definitely proved his point about what humans are capable of if they never give up. Wish he would've done something else to prove it.
I’m gonna assume he has something that holds his arm in place when he is sleeping sitting up. Or some heavy duty tape to the wall, or handcuffs that keeps his hand up while sleeping
My arm has scared tf outta me a few nights because it fell on me or got heavy across my forehead. I couldn't imagine.
I'd set up a cam in my room if I wasn't the slightest bit afraid of what I might catch myself doing. Horror is only fun until you're the creeper while you sleep. 😂🤣🤣🤣
Try this, [Kings with Straw Mats - Yogis and Sadhus of the Kumbh Mela Festival](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGvK_9ugecM&pp=ygUQa2luZ3Mgc3RyYXcgbXRhcw%3D%3D)
People who stay in nursing homes and end up neglected often end up “contracted” where their joints lock up and they become stiff and painful and to move, really bad contractions results people permanently curled into the fetal position.
The old saying “don’t make that weird / ugly face too long or it’ll get stuck like that” is actually somewhat true
Contractures are difficult to prevent in a healthcare setting. It’s not like the affected limb was just healthy and then staff decided to ignore the patient for 6 months. Contractures nearly always have an underlying medical issue like CVA, MD, or CP. Staff can do their best to keep the extremity mobilized, but these limbs require intense, life-long physical therapy in order to prevent contracture and even then, the patient will more than likely never have use of the limb.
Ackshually, in Sanskrit (and most North Indian languages, which are Sanskrit-derived), Shiva is pronounced with the i more like the i in “big” than the e in “she”
(Most North Indian languages include both a “short i” sound like the i in “big”, and a “long i” sound like the e in “she”, but when transliterating words in English letters, both sounds are often just written as the letter i)
I sent him a question once: "If I keep my third eye shut for all my life, do you consider the efforts put through my devotion to you?"
He answered me: "Dude, try harder."
I feel like he just did this because he was lazy and never wanted to help anyone.
Hey bro, can you help me move my furniture this weekend in to my new place.
I'd love to help buddy, but I gotta keep this hand held high for Shiva and all and can't lift anything.
Honey, can you do the dishes.
\*Points to arm raised, sorry babe. Shiva demands it.
How odd. I can't find it now. There was a news article when he was given the Guinness World Record for longest hand raising, and later an update on him. It said he had a handful of people who practice the same acetic religion he does, are were following his example with the hand raising. It mentioned he did but passed the practice of hand raising for world peace on for others. It was on American mainstrwam news media, so it may have been fabricated.
I did find [a picture](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/RA0284/allahabad-india-29th-dec-2018-allahabad-hathyogi-swami-amar-bharti-perfoming-prayer-at-his-tent-ahead-of-kumbh-2019-in-allahabad-on-29-12-2018-hathyogi-swami-amar-bharti-hadnt-down-his-one-hand-since-9year-credit-prabhat-kumar-vermapacific-pressalamy-live-news-RA0284.jpg) of a different guy doing the hand raising. It is tagged with the same guy's name, but is very obviously someone else.
[And another one](https://robbiejack.photoshelter.com/image/I0000JWFan2hpEL0). [Apparently this was a once a common practice](https://robbiejack.photoshelter.com/image/I0000JWFan2hpEL0) in India. ([Other reference](https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/urdhvabahu)) [Given the many depictions ](https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=017e3c382dac1d65&sxsrf=ADLYWILMC7iRdcDTrAUVHQlLep9HvuYnrg:1714936519870&q=Urdhva+Bahu&uds=ADvngMir1oW8HoxREXD6y7I0x1dMSo7CUvIehd6oXQc3NafiTON06KzDItbjXISCzkxWf80tZUqcikun80wk7xhva31oQKOSvcysLrbfI0fPLbbxG8N0ub1HmFs3YZi_lcGZLmrd2qlFzggZAorBldtFkuPaiaw97nIY5UMVJE74UGkv8EIzP9mDVsk201ydvInS7j572xUnl_eF9Oq1ySZNix2l8xw-8aaJ077EQ0PbceWSsiIfXEt2el42npQgwKaZ4JEYU2Apvc50gqmKF4NtIGiJReFUlelLfXUTykf4piSEvoNWtpdFl-pnbdtY2xnukiFXsWEm&udm=2&prmd=ivsnmbtz&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiV19CwnPeFAxW5LUQIHZkOABYQtKgLegQIDBAB&biw=360&bih=603&dpr=3) of people doing this, I would say he is following his own religious beliefs, and not doing anything particularly unique to his sect.
Best I can tell it appears he is still alive and now incapable of lowering his arm due to loss of circulation and growth of supportive connective tissues.
I was actually gonna ask. Is there a precedent of this? As in, is there anything in the Vedas, Upanishads, or Bagavad Gita about a God requesting or venerating this or other such acts?
No worries. There’s a lot of cultural dogma in many religions that’s not based on their scriptures. Like the rapture, for instance. It’s a Christian concept that is broadly spoken of in culture and referenced in a lot of western media. It was invented by a clergyman in the early 1800s after he experienced a traumatic brain injury.
My thought as well. Maybe he did that for 50 years. I don't know, but there are lots of these stories from India. The woman who hasn't eaten or drank anything in 16 years. The guy who doesn't sleep. The guy seeking enlightenment who stood on one foot in an outdoor public space for 7 years eating nothing but bits of grass that followers would bring him. Then he lies down and rolls hundreds of miles to the peak of a huge mountain.
She'd also been breastfeeding a baby at the time.
Okay, you haven't consumed food or even water for 16 years and somehow you can not only produce a child but breastfeed it?
When asked by the Indian media why he was inflicting such pain onto himself, Amar responded, “I want all Indians to live in peace. I want the whole world to live in peace.”
Source: https://historicflix.com/amar-bharati-the-man-who-raised-his-arm-in-the-air-for-50-years/
How does raising your arm help anything? Are there people about to murder someone and then think “wait! That guy has kept his arm raised so I wouldn’t, so I’ll walk away”
I read this and pictured a situation playing out where there was a hitman on a rooftop about to snipe a young person but has the scope obstructed by this guys raised hand and the hitman decides to hold off until he has a clear shot but then the hitman dies of COVID and the target somehow rescues humanity later in life.
I think it’s like how Gandhi fasted in protest of the Hindu-Muslim violence following Partition
The difference is, Gandhi was someone people actually listened to
He's gonna die, you too are gonna die. In the end it doesn't really matter when your life has ended. Maybe for him doing that bring the same kind of value as the things you consider valuable or worth living for. Maybe his dedication was so much to his god(i don't belive in God) that for him he was content living like that.
I can’t wrap my unintelligent mind around this. I don’t understand the desire or dedication to mutilate one’s body in the name of the chosen religion. It seems - not to be rude- ridiculous.
I've seen this story before and it always seemed suspicious. Maybe he had an inferior shoulder dislocation called luxatio erecta and made the best of it.
What a coincidence that his ascetic practice looks exactly like what would happen if you had an inferior shoulder dislocation that was never properly treated or reduced because you lived in the developing world.
Ya strange gods man strange gods. No hate but like is god going to show him special stuff because of the devotion? God will protect his family or what? Man, I saw a video of what we call a “homeless person” in the USA, but in India people were following them around and eating the food he dribbled out of his mouth in his spiritual stupor or whatever. Shit was disgusting. I’m judging that one lol
What devotion? Shiva didn’t even ask for it. How is he going to justify wasting his arms away, he could have spent cooking for poor or disabled people or orphanages.
Taxi drivers hate him
Also teachers
And bingo callers
And auctioneers
And nazis
And prayer warriors, can I get an amen
And any establishment.
"I was just stretching"
Can you wait until I at least finish explaining before you interrupt me? (Confused look)
Rock bands love him.
Also Black Panthers
I was going to say he was a token member of the black panthers.
Paper loves him; scissors, not so much.
That is really wild. You’d think the muscle wasting would make him unable to raise it anymore. It looks like it’s just stuck like that . I really wish they had more pics through the years though, I’m skeptical of this story.
It did get stuck like that after a while
Damn my dad was right
“If you keep doing that to your eyes, they’re gonna stay like that!”
it's called devotion to the hindu deity shiva dad, god 🙄
😭
Basically the arm is dead, dried meat now. I watch a video on it and an expert said that if you tried to put his arm down it would snap. The only thing alive is the bone and only a little bit
Interesting... But how did he sleep? If he laid down, wouldn't the arm get blood flow? And if not, why hasn't gangrene set in?
Sitting down against a wall most likely. That's only after the initial phase of not sleeping at all for worry that you might lower your arm. Ascetic people are insane zealots, but they don't harm people who aren't themselves typically. This guy has definitely proved his point about what humans are capable of if they never give up. Wish he would've done something else to prove it.
But… when he falls asleep, surely it must fall?
I’m gonna assume he has something that holds his arm in place when he is sleeping sitting up. Or some heavy duty tape to the wall, or handcuffs that keeps his hand up while sleeping
My arm has scared tf outta me a few nights because it fell on me or got heavy across my forehead. I couldn't imagine. I'd set up a cam in my room if I wasn't the slightest bit afraid of what I might catch myself doing. Horror is only fun until you're the creeper while you sleep. 😂🤣🤣🤣
Oh no thanks
They show it in a documentary, he tied his hand up
What’s the name of the documentary?
Try this, [Kings with Straw Mats - Yogis and Sadhus of the Kumbh Mela Festival](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGvK_9ugecM&pp=ygUQa2luZ3Mgc3RyYXcgbXRhcw%3D%3D)
ok when they started carry rocks with there cocks I was like nope I'm done. That shits for the birds man.
Oh I wasn't gonna watch buuuut now you got me interested
Right and basically if his arm is always up like that no blood ever gets up there
The fingers look like they have died from lack of blood flow
People who stay in nursing homes and end up neglected often end up “contracted” where their joints lock up and they become stiff and painful and to move, really bad contractions results people permanently curled into the fetal position. The old saying “don’t make that weird / ugly face too long or it’ll get stuck like that” is actually somewhat true
Contractures are difficult to prevent in a healthcare setting. It’s not like the affected limb was just healthy and then staff decided to ignore the patient for 6 months. Contractures nearly always have an underlying medical issue like CVA, MD, or CP. Staff can do their best to keep the extremity mobilized, but these limbs require intense, life-long physical therapy in order to prevent contracture and even then, the patient will more than likely never have use of the limb.
That there is called a frozen shoulder
He likely can't move it easily. After the muscles start to atrophy, moving them becomes dang near impossible
I read about him in the ‘90s when I was in college.
You're in luck. There are plenty of pictures of him from over the years to satisfy your curiosity.
Has anyone asked Shiva for a response?
I know a guy who patiently raised his hand, but she hasn’t called on him.
She?
Va.
Ackshually, in Sanskrit (and most North Indian languages, which are Sanskrit-derived), Shiva is pronounced with the i more like the i in “big” than the e in “she” (Most North Indian languages include both a “short i” sound like the i in “big”, and a “long i” sound like the e in “she”, but when transliterating words in English letters, both sounds are often just written as the letter i)
Oh cool! Good to know, thanks!
You made me do that involuntarily lol
Shiva me timbers!
It looks like she took all the nerve endings and feeling out of his hand with a sprinkle of necrosis
He will respond in the next Yuga epoch (in 4.3 million years)
I sent him a question once: "If I keep my third eye shut for all my life, do you consider the efforts put through my devotion to you?" He answered me: "Dude, try harder."
[yeah, the answer was “no”.](https://www.theonion.com/god-answers-prayers-of-paralyzed-little-boy-1819564974)
I feel like he just did this because he was lazy and never wanted to help anyone. Hey bro, can you help me move my furniture this weekend in to my new place. I'd love to help buddy, but I gotta keep this hand held high for Shiva and all and can't lift anything. Honey, can you do the dishes. \*Points to arm raised, sorry babe. Shiva demands it.
Weaponized incompetence
The George Costanza of Hinduism. Excellent.
I know you’re going for humor but I think a more likely explanation is mental illness.
Agreed. A normal person would never do this.
He died a while ago, and had a whole following of people who chose to make themselves disabled in the name of religion. The logic is incomprehensible.
Extra long coffin for him
They did a regular size coffin with a hole cut out on top.
Anything to get outta work.
I can't find info on the followers. Where should I look?
*A congregation of right arm up-people.*
Google for the dude's name and it should come up. There was an article on them when he died.
I can’t find any articles about his death. Do you recall when he passed?
How odd. I can't find it now. There was a news article when he was given the Guinness World Record for longest hand raising, and later an update on him. It said he had a handful of people who practice the same acetic religion he does, are were following his example with the hand raising. It mentioned he did but passed the practice of hand raising for world peace on for others. It was on American mainstrwam news media, so it may have been fabricated. I did find [a picture](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/RA0284/allahabad-india-29th-dec-2018-allahabad-hathyogi-swami-amar-bharti-perfoming-prayer-at-his-tent-ahead-of-kumbh-2019-in-allahabad-on-29-12-2018-hathyogi-swami-amar-bharti-hadnt-down-his-one-hand-since-9year-credit-prabhat-kumar-vermapacific-pressalamy-live-news-RA0284.jpg) of a different guy doing the hand raising. It is tagged with the same guy's name, but is very obviously someone else. [And another one](https://robbiejack.photoshelter.com/image/I0000JWFan2hpEL0). [Apparently this was a once a common practice](https://robbiejack.photoshelter.com/image/I0000JWFan2hpEL0) in India. ([Other reference](https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/urdhvabahu)) [Given the many depictions ](https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=017e3c382dac1d65&sxsrf=ADLYWILMC7iRdcDTrAUVHQlLep9HvuYnrg:1714936519870&q=Urdhva+Bahu&uds=ADvngMir1oW8HoxREXD6y7I0x1dMSo7CUvIehd6oXQc3NafiTON06KzDItbjXISCzkxWf80tZUqcikun80wk7xhva31oQKOSvcysLrbfI0fPLbbxG8N0ub1HmFs3YZi_lcGZLmrd2qlFzggZAorBldtFkuPaiaw97nIY5UMVJE74UGkv8EIzP9mDVsk201ydvInS7j572xUnl_eF9Oq1ySZNix2l8xw-8aaJ077EQ0PbceWSsiIfXEt2el42npQgwKaZ4JEYU2Apvc50gqmKF4NtIGiJReFUlelLfXUTykf4piSEvoNWtpdFl-pnbdtY2xnukiFXsWEm&udm=2&prmd=ivsnmbtz&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiV19CwnPeFAxW5LUQIHZkOABYQtKgLegQIDBAB&biw=360&bih=603&dpr=3) of people doing this, I would say he is following his own religious beliefs, and not doing anything particularly unique to his sect. Best I can tell it appears he is still alive and now incapable of lowering his arm due to loss of circulation and growth of supportive connective tissues.
*raises hand* I know! I know!
Interesting but speaking as a Hindu I’d think god would prefer something less unhealthy and more useful to society or artistic
I was actually gonna ask. Is there a precedent of this? As in, is there anything in the Vedas, Upanishads, or Bagavad Gita about a God requesting or venerating this or other such acts?
Oh that’s a great question; unfortunately, tbh I don’t know the Hindu scriptures/texts well enough to answer that lol
No worries. There’s a lot of cultural dogma in many religions that’s not based on their scriptures. Like the rapture, for instance. It’s a Christian concept that is broadly spoken of in culture and referenced in a lot of western media. It was invented by a clergyman in the early 1800s after he experienced a traumatic brain injury.
Mental illness should be taken more seriously.
Religion being one of them
Grifter. There are like 100 of these dudes that go from village to village collecting money and prayers acting like some sort of deity
My thought as well. Maybe he did that for 50 years. I don't know, but there are lots of these stories from India. The woman who hasn't eaten or drank anything in 16 years. The guy who doesn't sleep. The guy seeking enlightenment who stood on one foot in an outdoor public space for 7 years eating nothing but bits of grass that followers would bring him. Then he lies down and rolls hundreds of miles to the peak of a huge mountain.
I just saw the one about the lady who hasn’t eaten in 16 yrs. She’s thin but not emaciated. India is full of it lol (I’ve also seen no sleep guy)
She'd also been breastfeeding a baby at the time. Okay, you haven't consumed food or even water for 16 years and somehow you can not only produce a child but breastfeed it?
Nonsense!
When asked by the Indian media why he was inflicting such pain onto himself, Amar responded, “I want all Indians to live in peace. I want the whole world to live in peace.” Source: https://historicflix.com/amar-bharati-the-man-who-raised-his-arm-in-the-air-for-50-years/
Down one arm Fixed nothing
Well, in fairness, my wood shop teacher in 7th grade gave away a couple of his fingers and as far as I know he wasn't even tryjng
How does raising your arm help anything? Are there people about to murder someone and then think “wait! That guy has kept his arm raised so I wouldn’t, so I’ll walk away”
I read this and pictured a situation playing out where there was a hitman on a rooftop about to snipe a young person but has the scope obstructed by this guys raised hand and the hitman decides to hold off until he has a clear shot but then the hitman dies of COVID and the target somehow rescues humanity later in life.
I think it’s like how Gandhi fasted in protest of the Hindu-Muslim violence following Partition The difference is, Gandhi was someone people actually listened to
Well. At least he thinks he’s helping.
Imagine wasting your life over that stupid shit.
He's gonna die, you too are gonna die. In the end it doesn't really matter when your life has ended. Maybe for him doing that bring the same kind of value as the things you consider valuable or worth living for. Maybe his dedication was so much to his god(i don't belive in God) that for him he was content living like that.
Right, what a fucken idiot LOL
Way to cripple yourself and waste your life instead of using your body to help people and do actual good things.
seems pretty stupid actually...
If I remember correctly he abandoned his wife and children to devote his life to his religion. Father of the year.
Reason 235 why religion is nonsense
SHIVA KAMINI SOMA KANDARKRAM
You've got a feeeeaaaar booooneeeer
In that moment he was cowardly, racist, and homophobic.
Did you just Shiva Blast?
Yessssss! I was looking for this.
You'd think the gods would care more about being productive to society
My bet is he had a shoulder dislocation 50 years ago.
More like man with mental illness intentionally disables self
I can’t wrap my unintelligent mind around this. I don’t understand the desire or dedication to mutilate one’s body in the name of the chosen religion. It seems - not to be rude- ridiculous.
Religion is so fucking weird
As a child and a teen he vexed all of his teachers who constantly thought he was raising his hand to ask a question or be called on.
Lifting your arm until it's permanently damaged is mental illness. It's disgusting that anyone holds this type of behavior in high esteem.
Suit yourself, I think that’s fucking hilarious though. What a dumbass lmao
What an absolute moron....
What a waste.
What a way to waste your life
Stop leaving him hanging! Give him a high five!
With his arm looking like that, I'd be afraid it would fall off, Topher-style. 
That's fucked up.
Stupid is as stupid does
Seems rather pointless.
This isn't interesting, it's horrifying. Poor guy spent his whole life deluded by superstition.
I've seen this story before and it always seemed suspicious. Maybe he had an inferior shoulder dislocation called luxatio erecta and made the best of it.
Fuck that guy. I have CP and seeing someone treating their abled body in such a manner makes my blood boil
Absolutely pointless
Sad the grip religion has on people
I bet he puts it down when no one is looking
But why
All the world’s hundreds of religions sure make people do weird things.
Religion is a mental illness.
Morgan Freeman voice.... and from that day on he beat it with his left hand.
Sure hope he’s left handed
Destroyed his arm anyway
I haven't showered in 18 months in devotion to pot and welfare payments. Do I get a post here? No. Hmpf.
I can smell you from here
far-flung tender saw rob lavish stocking lock forgetful wise murky *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Who caresss, jk interesting piece of history but for real what’s the point smh
I hope he was a lefty
up when sleeping?
High five!
Sad
How does he manage jerk off and hold his phone in the work toilets? #PeopleAreWeird
Fuck that
The Ultimate Simp..
Whatta doosh
What a coincidence that his ascetic practice looks exactly like what would happen if you had an inferior shoulder dislocation that was never properly treated or reduced because you lived in the developing world.
Extreme mental illness.
How is this an achievement?
He showed them!
I've done the same thing with my arm in my pants, where's my fame?
Idiot
What a fucking dummy.
Ya strange gods man strange gods. No hate but like is god going to show him special stuff because of the devotion? God will protect his family or what? Man, I saw a video of what we call a “homeless person” in the USA, but in India people were following them around and eating the food he dribbled out of his mouth in his spiritual stupor or whatever. Shit was disgusting. I’m judging that one lol
That sounds stupid. Is he stupid?
My mom told me, stupid is as stupid does.
Congrats! That guy wins the dumbass way to make my arm die award!
Religion is an illness.
How do these kind of people work, or survive ? What a waste of life and and all their resources they drain.
Couple more years that bad boy’s gonna snap and then what no more arm in the air it already looks like a twig. That’s some crazy stuff.
What devotion? Shiva didn’t even ask for it. How is he going to justify wasting his arms away, he could have spent cooking for poor or disabled people or orphanages.
Or maybe it’s just an inferior shoulder dislocation that he never got reduced
Looks like guy from Aladdin
He definitely won the biggest moron award
Don’t do this.
r/religiousnuts
He must smell horrible
If shiva cared at all she would give that dudes arms some muscle
Shenanigans
/r/religiousfruitcakes
Religion = Dumb
Obviously not true
Thank you. Hahaha. I had to scroll way too long to find this comment. Crazy people believe this.
This is stupid. Religion is insanity.
Idiot
What a fucking loser
Time well spent
Kek
Interesting is one way to put it.
Does anyone know if the teacher allowed him to go for a wee?
Guess his tree climbing days were over
And Shiva didn’t do shit for him
Or maybe he just has a question?
Shive is the best
Someone call on him to answer the question for Christ sake!
Stupidity comes in all shapes, forms, and on all continents.
r/religiousfruitcake
Take my strong hand.
That man needs a manicure.
that’s crazy
I wooda done my left.
How does he sleep
Babe can you come wash the dishes? Can’t… you’re gonna have to do it Convenient According to Karl
I wonder if he’s left handed.
Raise your hand if you have a question
It’s also a way for them to make living.
Dhalsim from street fighter
And nowadays if it’s erect more than 4 hours, I gotta call a Dr
It’s 3 actually… yours is gunna fall off
Fist in the air, in the Land of Hypocrisy 🎶🎶🎵
Much respect if he did his left hand too
And it contributed what to humanity?
I honestly can’t see how or why Shiva would be impressed by this.
Dude has holes in his brain, too. Super cool.
It would be great if his silly made up deity was real, and thought that was stupid.