Back in 2017, the question that I feared most did crop up when a cousin of mine who came to know I was in the worship of Agathiyar, brought up a couple of episodes from Agathiyar's life that he had knowledge about, asking me for confirmation. I replied to him that I had no idea and was not an authority on it, but I told him that I pretty much knew he was with us, guiding us and caring for us. I had felt his presence often and he had worked out miracles in our lives. That was all I knew about him. It did not matter if I did not know about his origin and his story as I knew he was there for me in my hour of need. That put a stop to that conversation that day.
Indeed, since I took up the calling by Agathiyar to join his fold, come to his path, and worship of the Siddhas, he has been a constant companion on my new journey. Prior to this, I had looked up to the temples and carried out home puja to the pantheon of Hindu deities. I never sought out a guru. Agathiyar came as the guru and showed me to two wonderful gurus in physical form, Supramania Swami of Tiruvannamalai and Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal of Kallar ashram. The former was a family man while the latter a mendicant who left his family life. But both were yogis. I learned devotion to a guru from Supramania Swami while Tavayogi showed me to Agathiyar. If Supramania Swami had five gurus, his own father Jayaram Pillai, Sadhanantha Swami, Kollimalai Swami, Pundi Mahan, and finally Yogi Ramsuratkumar, Tavayogi had Chitramuthu Adigal for a physical guru. With this entourage of guru lineage looking over our shoulders, what could we ask for further? Furthermore, as a baby, I was saved from death after the Chinese gods had intervened and asked my parents to give me up for adoption to them. I am truly blessed. I can never repay their kindness. The only way I know of now is to speak and write about them.
Looking through the many books on Agathiyar and social media, much has been written and said by writers, vloggers, and others on the man. But these did not satisfy us. But what has he to say about himself? We wanted to know from the horse's mouth. So we moved Suren to ask about Agathiyar's origin during his rounds of Nadi reading. Agathiyar answered our query in 2017, and also seemed to answer my cousin's earlier questions too. Although Agathiyar told Suren that it was not necessary to dwell on the source and the details (Rishimulam Nadhimulam), the most compassionate one consented to dwell on it briefly for our sake. A translation follows.
"In his very first mortal birth, Agathiyar had the vision of Kailash at a very young age of 10. After the vision, he took up extreme tapas (tavam) including breath control. With the holy feet of the Sadguru forever in his thought, he reached a state of Nirmala at Kailash. Upon receiving theecha from Lord Kailai Shiva, he was blessed to be born a Siddha. It was a mystical birth. Born as a Siddha he moved in the jungles, sustaining only on fruits. Now with his thoughts fixed on Erai, and having no attachment to the good or bad, he soon had the vision and grace of Goddess Vana Kali. Continuing with his seeking and search for realization, and upon accomplishing further severe tavam, Lord Kailai Shiva appeared before Agathiyar at Pothigai. Merging with Erai, Agathiyar stayed behind at Pothigai upon Lord Kailai Shiva's directive. While at Pothigai, he came to know about the medicinal benefits of various herbs and plants."
It is said that the plant kingdom would bow to him and reveal their properties and medicinal value to him.
"In going without food and remaining in silence, staying in the state of Vasi, adhering to the eight limbs of Asthanga Yoga, and performing extreme tapas, for the rest of the Yuga, Agathiyar gained the Siddhi to travel through the air. Yet with all these achievements, Lord Kailai Shiva told Agathiyar that there was something amiss, that he had failed to accomplish and do. When Agathiyar asked for further clarification, Lord Kailai Shiva laugh and looked him straight into his eyes, "Although you are an embodiment of Jnana, and those who hold on to your feet shall never face any disappointments, Gurumuni you do not have a companion as I do." Agathiyar was taken aback. He came to know that the Lord intended him to get engaged to the very representation of Mother Kaveri, and Kaberan's daughter, Lobhamitra. Hence in this Kali Yuga, his energy that was from Shiv Sakthi personified as Agathiyar and Lobha Ma at Kalyana Theertam with the intention of blessing all those who came seeking him and stood before them."
"Agathiyar received the names Kudamuni, Kumbamuni, and other names from Lord Kailai Shiva."
Since Agathiyar stopped revealing at that, we turn to one of his foremost disciples who spread Agathiyar's fame both within India and throughout the world and continues to do so to this day. Thavathiru Rengaraja Desigar in his book, "POTRINAL UNATHU VINAI AGALUM APPA", explains further, the process through which Agathiyar attained the highest state, that of becoming one with Erai. This state was granted to Agathiyar by his Guru Supramaniar (Lord Muruga). I shall run through a translation of his writing, originally in Tamil, briefly.
"All the knowledge to attain the state was made available to Agathiyar by Supramaniar because Agathiyar had facilitated the mendicant Supramaniar who passed by Agathiyar's home one day. Agathiyar provided the space and shelter and provided for Supramaniar's needs to carry on with his penances (tapas) and austerities (tavam). Eventually, Supramaniar attained the body of Light through his tapas. As Agathiyar was 60 years of age then Supramaniar promised Agathiyar that they shall meet in a subsequent birth and that he shall return the favor."
When I voiced out my wish to Tavayogi to see him attain the state of Light too, he told me he had missed the boat as he had passed the age of 60. He said that he was only eligible for Sahaja Samadhi. After going into samadhi on 3.7.2018, Dhanvantri came and surprised us by saying that contrary to the denial of Tavayogi that he had indeed attained the state of Light and was still guiding us. Agathiyar made us feel proud and worthy of us telling us that we had a small role in Tavayogi's achievement due to our prayers and devotion to the guru. Tavayogi never acknowledged us as his disciple till his last visit to Malaysia in 2016 when in a private gathering with the AVM family he disclosed openly that he was proud to see the seed that he planted in the soils of Malaysia had germinated. Earlier in 2013, when my family and I visited him at Kallar ashram, he told us the same after he opened the stage for my family to sing the praises to the Siddhas during puja. In 2016 after Tavayogi returned to India, we followed behind to participate in the consecration of his new ashram/ temple complex some 2 km away from his old ashram. The AVM family was given the honor to sing the songs of praise to the Siddhas.
We continue with Thavathiru Rengaraja Desigar's writings.
"In the succeeding birth, Agathiyar traveled in vain in search of his ideal guru. He eventually met Supramaniar at Kodaikanal, where Supramaniar made him recall the past and as promised in return for all his services in the past birth, blessed Agathiyar and taught him secrets of attaining the state of Erai."
We learn the same as having taken place in Lahiri Mahasaya's life where he is made to recall the past by Babaji Nagaraj. An account of Lahiri Mahasaya’s (Shama Churn Lahiree) first encounter with his guru Babaji is narrated by Lahiri’s grandson Satya Charan Lahiree to Dr. Ashoke Kumar Chatterjee in ‘PURANA PURUSHA YOGIRAJ SRI SHAMA CHURN LAHIREE’.
"On 23rd November 1868, Shama Churn received the order for his transfer to Ranikhet. Leaving his family behind, he set out for Ranikhet which is situated in the Himalayas in northern India. One day Shama Churn, accompanied by armed guards and orderlies proceeding along the solitary hill path carrying official cash with him suddenly heard someone calling him by his name, “Shama Churn, come here.” The voice echoed in the mountain and reverberated in the ears of Shama Churn and he was amazed that who might call him by his name in this mountainous region filled with forests. Then he saw a Sanyasin at the top of the mountain calling his name. He proceeded towards the Sanyasin spellbound to find him bear a gentle smile on his face with fatherly affection in his eyes. The Sanyasin hastily came down the hilltop and stood before him. The Sanyasin said, “Shama Churn, do not be afraid, I knew you would be coming by this path, I have been waiting for you. Complete your office task quickly and come to my hermitage at the top of the hill”.
"Shama Churn brooded over this after his office work was done and at last decided to meet the Sanyasin. He walked along the lonely mountain path to find the hermitage after an exhaustive travel along the forest. Shama Churn bowed to the Sanyasin. The Sanyasin asked him, “How strange Shama Churn, can’t you recognize me? Can you recollect having come here before? Can’t you recognize this tiger skin, this ascetic’s bowl also? Have you forgotten everything?” Shama Churn failed to remember any of them and said, “I have never come here before. I cannot recognize them; they must belong to somebody else.”
"The Sanyasin stated, “Listen Shama Churn, all these are the play of illusion. It is this illusion which has made you forget all these things.” Saying this the Sanyasin lightly touched Shama Churn. An electric current traversed throughout his body. The whole universe evanescence from Shama Churn. This caused him to recollect his previous life of Sadhana and understood the great Sanyasin as his Guru in his previous birth. With tearful eyes, Shama Churn prostrated at the feet of the Sanyasin for he now retrieved the nearest one of all his births and rebirths."
The Sanyasin continued, “You have practiced yoga Sadhana in your previous birth here. I have preserved your things with utmost care. Your life ended here and you were born as Gourmohan’s son and since then I have been observing all your aspects. I have arranged for your transfer here to impart initiation into yoga to you. I have been waiting for you here for the last 40 years.” After this the great Sanyasin initiated him into Kriyayoga. Shama Churn attained the state of non-dynamism and became engrossed in Samadhi. A golden era of yoga culture in India commenced the very moment Shama Churn’s initiation into yoga occurred and this initiation roused His latent spiritual faculties and powers.
Thavathiru Rengaraja Desigar wrote further on Agathiyar.
"Agathiyar mentions that he learned the Siddha way from Supramaniar. Supramaniar granted Agathiyar the body of Light or Jhothi Nilai in the following birth as an appreciation of Agathiyar's service rendered to him and helping Supramaniar himself achieve his desire in attaining the Jhothi Nilai. Agathiyar began with performing puja to Supramaniar. By way of devotion to Supramaniar he began to realize that he had had the greatest gift that was the human birth, which comes by very rarely. Through Supramaniar he came to know himself and the divinity that resided in the physical body. He understood the very Nature that brought him forth and resided within him. With Supramaniar's guidance and blessings, Agathiyar relished the ambrosia or nectar that came about through his tapas. This removed the seven veils to reveal the Jhothi in him, hence attaining the body of Light."
Ramalinga Adigal has established the above-mentioned seven veils as curtains that are drawn aside to reveal the Jhothi at his Satya Gnana Sabai for the commoner to understand the process of transformation of this body of meat into that of Light.
"With this came Bliss, Siddhis, and the state of Deathless-ness. Agathiyar attained the five tanmai or nature of Erai namely Creation, Sustenance, Destruction, Veiling, and Showering Grace. Supramaniar granted Agathiyar the title Gurumuni and Kumbamuni and sent him off to spread the Siddha way extensively all over the globe, bringing many into his fold. All the Siddhas soon looked upon Agathiyar as their Guru."
