The recitation of the Sikh scriptures was an article of faith in his family. His father, Dilwali Singh Sethi was a Sahejdhari Khatri Sikh, belonging to the order of Nanak Panthis. His family including his father, mother, mother-in-law, sister and his wife Radha Ji Naraini Devi were the followers of Param Sant Tulsi Sahib from Hathras, India.Sant Tulsi Sahib ji initiated him at the age of six.
He was married at an early age to Naraini Devi, daughter of Izzat Rai of Faridabad. She was of a generous disposition and was very devoted to her husband. Shiv Dayalji was selected direct from school to act as a Persian expert to a government officer in Banda. As the job did not suit him, he gave it up and took another job as a teacher of Persian with a talukdar of Ballabhgarh estate.
His spiritual cravings, however, were so intense that worldly attainments no longer attracted him and he gave up even this lucrative job. He returned home for devoting his entire time to religious pursuits. After the death of Tusli Saheb he practiced Surat Shabd Yoga for 15 years in almost total seclusion in a room within a room. He started holding satsang publicly on Vasant Panchami (a spring festival) in 1861. This schedule continued for 17 years.
He was the first Satguru to use the appellation of Radha Soami for the Supreme Being in his teachings. Swami ji originally referred to the Supreme Being with the names "Satnaam" and "Anaami". The movement became known as Radha Soami, (Radha meaning "Soul" and Soami meaning "Lord", hence "Lord of the Soul") after Rai Saligram came to him as a disciple. The yoga system taught by Swami Ji is known as Surat Shabd Yoga.
He departed from this world on June 15, 1878 in Agra, India. Swami ji has described the secret of divine and true 'Naam'.
