Besides visiting the temples in the vicinity, I took up prayers in my bachelor home back in 1980. I used to invite the divine at dawn and dusk. I used to sing all the songs that I knew from the many books in my collection. These included songs from a wonderful compendium of songs that protected us from harm titled "Kavasa Kottu" (கவசக்கொத்து) by Sri CN. Nachiappan, 1977. It included Vinayagar Kavasam, Siva Kavasam, Thiruneeru Pathigam, Sakti Kavasam, the Kandhar Sasthi Kavasam that number 6, Idumban Kavasam, Kadamban Kavasam, Skanda Guru Kavasam, Kandhar Kavasam, Karthigai Kavasam, Kumarastavam, Pagaikadithal, Shanmuga Kavasam, Sri Deva Senapathy Kavasam, Aiyappan Kavasam, Sri Hari Kavasam, Sri Krishna Kavasam, Sani Bhagawan Kavasam, Sri Hanumath Kavasam, and Sri Anjaneya Kavasam among many others. My housemate Francis Xavier Alexander would enjoy listening to my recitals from his bedroom.
Though the divine did not appear before me, I later realized that they were there. Just that I was not aware of their presence during puja. I was surprised to hear from my neighbor some years later after I visited them, after having transferred out from the coastal town to the capital city, that the tenant after me who were of a different faith had evacuated the home shortly after moving in, as they saw divine beings in the house. I guess these energies stay behind even when we move out.
The first year in the city deprived me of home prayers as I was couped up in a flat that had 5 others of a different faith with me. But at the same time, I was told in a dream before I moved to the city to cool off on all my regimes. I heeded the directive. After my marriage, for the next 5 years, I only occasionally visited the temples with my wife and child for their sake.
When my wife was carrying our second daughter we frequented daily the Sri Balasubramaniar temple in our neighborhood that saw its first kumbhahisegam done followed by the 48-day puja. I soon collected paintings and pictures of Gurus from publications and pinned them on the 4 walls of my puja room. I started reading again investing in religious and spiritual books besides those on culture and tradition. Seven years later my nephew passes me the Vasudeva mantra and a painting of Lord Dhakshanamurty to worship. I read the Nadi the following year and saw myself set foot in the worship of Siddhas.
Laying my hands on whatever material I got get on the Siddhas, I compiled a compendium of songs in praise of the Siddhas to be used during my puja. The following year saw me make my maiden journey to India taking up the directive from Agathiyar to visit numerous temples and carry out my remedies. I meet my first guru Supramania Swami in Tiruvannamalai on the last leg of my travel. He initiated me into the worship of gurus officially. Three years on in 2005, I met Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal who was visiting Malaysia then. He initiates me officially into the worship of the Siddhas. The rest is history and has been carried in the pages of this blog.
But I have an obligation to continue for the new readers who happen to drop in on this particular page. From an individual's personal puja it became my family puja with the inclusion of my wife and children. With the coming together of a handful of seekers, who were followers and devotees, and the coming of Agathiyar in the form of a bronze statue my home took on a new role. We did Kuutu Prathanai or joint prayers in my home. With Agathiyar sending several youths to my home after their Nadi reading, we soon became Agathiyar Vanam Malaysia in 2013. Lord Murugan gave a name for our home too later in 2018. It was Agathiyar Tapovanam. We are truly blessed to be taken through these numerous transitions. From Sariyai we step into Kriyai and Yogam with the coming of our gurus in physical form. Agathiyar refers to his Vanam as Gnana Kottam too where he dispenses Gnana these days.
After Agathiyar asked me to commission his statue to be made in the image of his granite statue at Agasthiyampalli and told me the start date and the place it was to be made, and upon his arrival he asked those who were gathered that day to chant 100,000 times his name, hence giving life and energy to the metal image. As Agathiyar has gone on a short break visiting the homes of devotees who invite him over, Suren asked me if I missed him. "I do not", I replied since his energy is felt though he is not in the physical form of a statue. Ramalinga Adigal comes often to help us tap into the cosmic energy that is prevalent all around us by raising our hands and striking a chord with this divine energy by reciting the Maha Mantra Arutperunjothi.
Likewise, the samadhis of these Siddhas are energy vortexes. Agathiyar tells us that there is no need for any kind of ritual to be done in these places. Instead, he asks us to tap into these energies by just sitting quietly and taking in the vibes. We are allowed to recite the names of the Siddhas though at these samadhis.
If Agathiyar gave the calling to come to his worship and that of other Siddhas through the Nadi reading, many have had a calling of a different kind where the Siddhas and deities have literally knocked on their doors. A devotee of Goddess Kali who had a fallout with her guru fell ill later. After consultation with several others, a puja was done for Ma Kali including a Yagam at her family home. The statue of Lord Ganesha too was placed in her garden. Besides that, she was told that a Siddha was waiting to be invited into her home. As she knew that I was in the way of Agathiyar she called me up and asked to know how she was to worship Agathiyar. The description of the Siddha was that of Agathiyar.
Someone who had worshipped a statue of Goddess Ma in her past life found the statue return to her home in this life.
My wife used to dream of numerous gurus when I was obsessed with the Siddha puja. I thought it was not fair that she gets to see the gurus while I put in the work. Relating this jokingly to Tavayogi once, he told her that they wanted her to come into the fold too hence the reason for these dreams. Since then she has been the pillar behind Agathiyar Vanam Malaysia.
This is how the Atma in us comes reminding us of our obligation towards them and society. As Agathiyar told us that "the Atma will return unto him depending on his actions, and when the Atma in you pulls you to a path and if you realize it, it appears as an Athirvu or vibration and disappears, if you practice extending this vibration in you, you shall merge in this vibration that is the Atma and arrive at Erai/ Agathiyan", when we get to engage with him in the temples that are a storehouse of energies, tap into this power source at their samadhis, and imbibe the energy here that is an intense vibration, though these moments are brief and momentary, know that we have built a connecting bridge. What is required next is to extend this engagement with the divine, this courtship, and the relationship with the divine. We need to invite him over to our homes for tea and a chat. Hence the reason we have altars in our homes too, a miniature powerhouse, a substation. The next course of action is home prayers with family and friends. When these homes are energized they become their homes too.
Agathiyar promised to show me miracles in my very first Nadi reading way back in 2002. These miracles were shown on my very first maiden pilgrimage the following year. What we initially thought were miracles, we came to know were in fact sacred moments of our beloved Lord ushering us into the temples and their abodes that are basically a portal to the other world.
Just as the late Hanumathdasan Aiya and his friends felt, after being disappointed with the noise and din outside the inner sanctum at Egambeshwarar temple in Kanchipuram, as I moved away and came around looking for a quiet place, a young priest ushered me into a portal! As the main sanctum was occupied with a family doing a special prayer, and the temple priests were engaged with them, I did not know how I was going to get an archanai done at the sanctum as directed by Agathiyar in the Nadi. As I came round along the corridors of the temple, I came across a huge chamber on my left. A young priest waiting in attendance immediately ushered me in leading the way. As I stepped into the chamber following him my gaze was fixed on the magnificent sight of the Lord. A huge statue of Lord Nadarajah majestically hovered above us. The Lord was towering over us in all his splendor. As I began taking a few more steps toward him I felt as though I had stepped into another time zone; another space. His space. My God, I had him all to myself, I told myself. I was not aware of either time or space. I was lost for a brief period of time. By the time I came to my senses, the priest was already waiting to show the arti or flame. I took in the sights and sounds as the young priest started chanting mantras and showing the arati. I stood before the Lord engrossed in his beauty. That is when I broke down in tears, crying my heart out. There was not a single exchange of words between the priest and me as I gave him a glance of thanks and gratitude and a token, and turned around and walked out of my Lord's home.
Raji was appointed by the travel agency in Chennai to chauffeur me around on my first trip to India. Mysteriously a switch happened moments before my arrival at Chennai airport. Raji who was supposed to pick me up came down will an illness suddenly. Deva turned up to pick me up instead. On arriving at the Utamar temple, Deva left me in the car as he went into the temple to see if there was a priest who could be of assistance in advising me on how to go about doing my parikaaram at this temple as the Nadi did not stipulate in detail as to what I was to do and offer here. All Agathiyar said was that I had to donate to three Brahmin priests at this temple. Then Deva appeared with a priest willing to help. The priest offered to bring me to the Thiruvanaikaval temple too where I had a parikaaram too. He suggested we head for Thiruvanaikaval temple first and fast before they close for the lunch break and come back to Utamar temple in the evening for the parikaaram. Once there he advised me on what I needed to purchase. What was magical was that he used his contacts at the temple to open doors of chambers that were closed! He called for the caretaker and had Lord Vinayagar’s and Lord Muruga's chamber opened for us. At the main Shiva sannadhi, he looked around and called out to an old Brahmin priest who was sitting among others, having his break. “Mama, you are the one to do the prayer,” he shouted out to him. I had the rare privilege to enter the main sanctum. Imagine, it was pitch dark within the chamber though the sun was at its zenith at noon. The old priest dipped his hands into the darkness and I heard the sound of water splashing. He told me that the specialty of this place was that the lingam was partially submerged in water. After the arati, I was moved to fall at the feet of the elderly priest for his blessings. As I picked myself up, I noticed the priest from Utamar temple, the temple caretaker, and Deva were all lying on the ground too in front of the priest. They had followed me. Next, the accompanying priest from Utamar temple insisted this elderly priest should conduct the prayers at the Lord Dhakshanamurthy's sanctum too. Here I broke down. I supposed I must have cried aloud and long here, for the caretaker of the temple began to console me. The priest from Utamar temple asked him to let me be by myself, “Let him be, let him cry.” They all waited for me to compose myself. I finally picked myself up and we all adjourned to buy food parcels from the temple management to feed the poor, the temple cow, and elephant on the advice of this priest from Utamar temple. What did take place at Thiruvanaikaval? I had asked then. I was literally teleported from one shrine to another, with the priest from Utamar temple leading me on, performing each prayer to my utmost satisfaction. On leaving the temple, the priest whom we picked up at Utamar temple insisted that I dropped him off midway. He did not want to be sent back to the Utamar temple where we had met and picked him up, telling us that he had other errands to run. We dropped him at the location where he wanted to get off. After asking him for his consent and handing over to him the first of the three tokens that I was to give as parikaram, we drove off. As I turned to look back at him, suddenly I realized that we had dropped him off at a Hanuman temple! An amazing turn of events.
After worshiping at the famed Sri Rangam temple, as I got into the back seat of the car and reached out to the car door to close it, I was startled by a holy man standing right next to me. Where did he come from? He practically materialized from thin air. He was very fair, of average height, and had a long white beard and long hair that was tied up neatly. He was dressed in a clean white vesti. He looked merry and cheerful just like Santa Claus. He started to bless me, “You shall be fine.” He spoke fine English and Tamil. He kept on repeating this. I got off the car seat and bent to touch his feet. I asked if he had eaten, and dipped my hand into my pockets and handed him whatever amount that came along with it. I bid farewell to him, shut the door, and glanced back. He was gone!
After prayers at Thiruavinankudi temple, I bought prayer items for the abhisegam or libation of Lord Muruga atop Palani hill. On taking my first step, my feet suddenly froze. I just could not move my legs. I tugged on my legs. It did not budge. They felt extremely heavy as if rooted to the ground. Finally, I had to lift my legs one at a time with both my hands. It was as if I was lifting a concrete piece. Watching the scene depicted in the song "Oo Solriya" in the movie "Pushpa", where the lead actor lifts his feet and walks forth and back, I pointed out to others that that was how I had to carry my feet all the way to the top of the flight of stairs.
No one stopped to enquire what was wrong with me as I made my way up the hill slowly. The heart was pumping hard. I was gasping for air. I pushed myself determined to scale the hill, whatever may come. I had to break the climb though, stopping every few minutes. I eventually reached the top of the hill. On reaching the top, I was dizzy and on the verge of collapse. I had to sit. I looked around. I saw some stalls lined up. I walked towards the row of stalls. I dropped my purchases and me onto the ground, leaning against the wall of one of the stalls. I was sweating profusely and on the brink of fainting. The throat was extremely parched and dry. I closed my eyes. As I opened my eyes all was bright and white. I could hear the crowd and see silhouettes of people moving along in front of me.
Regaining my composure after some time, I picked up my stuff and stood up. I stood in a line that brought me to Lord Muruga’s chambers. A priest walked up to me and practically snatched my offerings from my hand. "This is for archanai right?" saying thus he returned to the chambers. Although I was at his sannadhi physically I have no recollection whatsoever of the moments when I stood before him. I was lost in time and space again. Shortly after, the priest ended my lost moments and brought me to my senses. He stashed unto my hands my bag of goodies and some sandalwood paste that Lord Murugan had adorned that morning. I have no recollection of seeing the Lord's image to this day.
I turned to walk out of his sannadhi. I walked through a door into a dark alley. On just taking a few steps I was before another chamber on my right. I looked in. There were four Brahmin priests in attendance. I asked the one closest to the door if it was Bhogar’s Samadhi and he nodded. I entered the room and stood in prayer while he showed the flame or arati. The priest pointed out the opening where Bhogar is believed to be in samadhi. He pointed out the yantra, the jade lingam, and other items of worship that Bhogar had with him. Looking behind me I was surprised to see nobody else. I had Bhogar all to myself! I walked across the room and seated myself next to the exit. None of the priests objected. After a while I opened my eyes to see one of the priests, a young man, lean toward me with prasad in his hands. I received it. He then walked across the room and reached out for a tumbler on top of a closet and handed it to me saying, "It's abhisegam milk." I took it and drank the milk. I took leave thanking him silently.
As I stepped outside Bhogar's chamber into yet another corridor and walked into the open, I fell into a state of a daze. With my heart filled to the brim with joy and bliss, I walked around and around the temple grounds. It was as if I had partaken the ambrosia of the Gods. I kept on walking till I came to my senses and told myself that I had to return to the car. I traveled in silence not knowing what had transpired back there. Two years later Agathiyar in the Nadi reveals that the milk was given courtesy of Lord Muruga.
As if that miracle was not enough Lord Muruga performed a similar miracle the second time I stepped into his temple two years later in 2005. As I stood in line for the gates to the temple to be opened for the day I felt elated that this time around I was seeing Lord Muruga at Palani accompanied by my guru Tavayogi and my brother. But again I do not remember a single thing while there. We came away from his chamber into the open and crossed a courtyard and entered a corridor that was painted with murals depicting events in Bhogar's life. If this was Bhogar's sannadhi then where was I the first time I came to Palani? The route to Bhogar's sannadhi was different then.
As the senior priest began explaining to Tavayogi and my brother the origin of the temple, I walked across the room to the exit door and sat down again. Again a young priest was in attendance. As we stepped out of the chambers into the corridor the young priest reappeared in the corridor. Again he had a tumbler in his hands. He passed it to Tavayogi who was in front. Tavayogi took a gulp and passed the tumbler to my brother who was behind him. He took a gulp too and passed it to me. I emptied the milk down my throat and passed the tumbler back to the priest with a nod of thanks. I hurried behind Tavayogi and my brother who had already moved out into the open. That is when it happened again. I was in a state of bliss exactly as I had experienced on my first trip. I began to lag behind as Tavayogi and my brother walked ahead. Tavayogi stopped and waited on me, which he hardly does on walks and travels with him. There was a sparkle in his eyes as he turned towards me and asked the question "What son?" (Enna Magane) with an extraordinary smile on his face. That moment I knew that he knew! He knew what was happening to me. I just walked right up to him and laid my head on his chest in thanks and gratitude. After a brief moment, he turned around and continued walking. I was literally walking on air again!
Jnana Jhothiamma who came down to Trichy from Chennai to greet us upon arrival accompanied me and my family to Thiruvanaikaval in 2013. Again I broke down at Lord Dhakshanamurthy's sannadhi. An intense vibration overpowered me as I lay helpless screaming, crying, weeping, laughing and shouting out in ecstasy all at the same time. I could sense Jnana Jhothiamma stroking my feet and legs trying to calm me down. When I sort of came out of it, she came up to me and whispered to me to place some token on the tray of the priest in attendance. He was tall and well built, fair and handsome with a green cloth wrapped around his waist. He was giving out the sacred ash to other devotees too. I took some rupees from my wallet and approached him. As I stood in front of him and placed the money on the tray that he held out in his hands, he asked me, "Did you see?" (Paartiyaa?), moving his eye from side to side and drawing my look towards Lord Dhakshanamurthy's statue. Immediately I saw Lord Muruga of Palani in the flesh in the form of the priest! What he had hidden from me all three times at Palani, he showed me at Thiruvanaikaval.
My family and I were coming in circles looking for Tayumanar's sannadhi at Trichy Malai Kovil in 2013 when we heard a loud clap of the hands. An old man was clapping his hands and motioning us with hand gestures from his seat some distance away. As we approached him, he got up from the ground and lead us hurriedly to several sannadhis before showing us up a flight of steps. We followed his gesture and were met with Lord Shiva in the form of a lingam.
If in 2003 Agathiyar came as a stranger adorning a white vesti and blessed me, as I got into the car and was about to close the door, at Sri Rangam, in 2016, he came as an elderly lady clad in a green saree and blessed all of us from the AVM family. She was standing under the covered way with hands greeting us as we passed by her looking for Sri Ramanujar's samadhi in the courtyard of the temple. Something moved me to turn back and pat her cheeks. As soon as Bala Chandran who was to identify Agathiyar in the very first temple we went to and hand our contribution to him as directed by Karupanasamy Aiya back home, fell at her feet she looked towards the sky and began blessing him and turned her look towards every single one of us who was rooted to the ground. There was something about her look that froze us.
At Thiruvanaikaval, as I hastened into the temple looking out for Lord Dhakshanamurthy's sannadhi where I lost control of my senses on my earlier visit in 2003 and again in 2013, a lady in a green sari came up to me and placed prasad in my hands, right in front of Sri Jambukeshwarar's sannadhi. Again we were allowed into the main sanctum and the priest shifted the water with his hands to show us that the linga was partially submerged in the water. As we arrived at Lord Dhakshanamurthy's sannadhi, Bala spotted both Agathiyar and Lobhama just some distance away. We made our way back to Agathiyar and Lobhama and offered our homage. As we took our places at Lord Dhakshanamurthy's sannadhi it was locked. As Bala began the recitation of the Siddhas' names an elderly priest suddenly appeared and walked up to the shrine to unlock its grills. When Bala stopped the recitation abruptly on seeing him, he gestured Bala to carry on while he stood in attendance listening on. Just as we were coming to the end of the recitation, he picked up the arati tool and lighted the flame, as if he knew we were about to end the recitation of the long list of names of the Siddhas, the Siddhar Potri! The priest had no reason to be there but he appeared!
On the way up to the Trichy Malai Kovil in 2016, who should I meet but the mute man who appeared mysteriously and led and guided my family and me on a specific way to worship around the temple three years earlier?
At Brahmapureeswarar temple the AVM family is called over to Ambal's sannadhi where surprisingly the priest shares with us a meditation technique that went along with a universal prayer for the well-being of all of Erai's creation. Upon reciting after him, it energized our palms too.
At the Adhi Kumbeswarar Agathiyar sannadhi, a devotee of Agathiyar, Siddha medicine practitioner, and current caretaker Thiru Sankar is told to drop what he was doing and head for his sannadhi. He hurries into the sannadhi and unlocks the grill doors. Again the doors to Erai's chambers open as we sat reciting the names of the Siddhas.
At Kuthambai Siddha's Jeeva samadhi at the Arulmigu Sri Mayuranathaswami Temple, Mayiladuthurai (Mayavaram), we experienced the Siddhas presence that was so overwhelming that the ground shook as Bala Chandran recited the names of the Siddhas and we followed. A similar phenomenon was felt at Sundarananthar Vallabha Siddhar Sannadhi at the Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundareshwarar Temple in Madurai as we began to recite the names of the Siddhas.
Just before we embarked on this trip to India in 2016 and witnessed the inauguration of the new Kallar Ashram, Tavayogi and Mataji were in Malaysia for my daughter's wedding. During our puja at AVM Mataji felt the ground shake. Later she shared that with me. Sadly none of us had sensed it. Three days later Agathiyar in a Nadi reading read by Tavayogi for a devotee mentioned that the Siddhas had been present and only Mataji sensed their presence. He said the ground had shook beneath her seat as she led us on the recital of the names of the Siddhas.
As we arrived late at night at the Arulmigu Koraka Siddhar Jeeva Samadhi Peedham, in Vadakku Poigai Nalloor, and as Dyalen was asked to spend the night at the temple in his Nadi reading, to our disappointment the gates were closed. As we thought that we might have to spend the night in the open air as did many others, we managed to find some vacant spots on the covered verandah of the temple. As we prepared to lay our tired torso down to rest, suddenly a voice from the dark asked, “Where are you coming from?”(Yengiranthu Varinga?) As we looked around for the source of the voice, he asked the same question again. Shanga replied that we were from Malaysia. Immediately the voice ask if we would like to enter? (Ulle Varingala?) Then we saw a figure get up from under a blanket and move to the gate. We were allowed access to the temple to spend the night. We spent the night inside the temple.
As I woke up pretty early and saw that the other devotees were still asleep, I moved over to Korakar’s samadhi and had a quiet moment with him. I came back to my spot and began my normal routine of checking my breath and performing pranayama. Slowly one by one the devotees began to arise. I eased myself too before going out to the front of the temple to take in some fresh air. It was 4am and already the local buses were plying the route. It was then that Sugu shared his experience the night before. He had only slept about 2 hours and remained awake the whole night long. When he did wake up he saw "me" clad in his saffron or kavi vesti standing in front of Korakar's sannadhi. He then turned to where I slept and saw me there too! He saw two of me! He had goosebumps and dived back into his blanket wondering what was going on. The night before he had loaned me his saffron vesti. But I had used it to support my head.
Sugu continued narrating. In the middle of the night, he stuck his head outside his blanket as he heard someone walk by. There was indeed someone. He or she, he wasn't sure, was clad in a rainbow-colored clothing and was covered fully from head to toe. Sugu immediately hid behind the covers again. He was not sure of the mysterious figure until I asked him if it was the same person that we saw at Adhi Kumbheswarar Temple earlier upon our arrival there. A lady in rainbow-colored clothing came before the sannadhi and lit a lamp after Thiru Sankar, the caretaker open the grills. It must have struck a chord in him for he agreed that it was indeed her. Now we were wondering how did she appear again, here at Vadakku Poigai Nalloor, some 72 km away?
My third encounter with the divine energies at Palani was not exclusive to me alone but took into consideration the presence of all the AVM family members. To our amazement, a lady, again dressed in a green sari, drove us to complete the Siddhar Potri. As we stood in front of Lord Muruga at Palani, again I saw nothing that I could remember! How do I explain this? As we left Lord Murugan's sannadhi we stepped into an open courtyard and walked across to a flight of steps that took us into a corridor. We stood in line waiting to enter Bhogar's samadhi. As arati was shown by a tall and well-built, fair and handsome, young priest, a lady who stood with us started chanting aloud a hymn for Bhuvaneswari. All our glances turned to her. She caught our attention. She then hurriedly left ahead of us as we stepped into the open. As Bala Chandran wanted to chant the names of the Siddhas inside Bhogar's sannadhi, we returned to the corridor again and positioned ourselves just outside Bhogar's chamber in a way as to not to obstruct other devotees from queuing up to see Bhogar. To our surprise the lady we saw earlier appeared and took a seat to the left of Bala. As it was closing time the temple aids were signaling us to hurry up but Bala was motioning them trying to buy more time. As the aids continued to motion us to end our recitation, the lady told Bala, "If the others want to leave they can but you stay and finish (the rendition of all the names of the Siddhas)". She gestured telling Bala to speed it up. Bala began to speed up the pace of his chant as the rest of us kept up with Bala's momentum too. The moment we ended the rendition she got up and entered Bhogar's sannadhi. She applied the holy ash and kumkum, blessed us, and speed off like a bullet. We came out of Bhogar's chamber in a daze and sat down in the courtyard trying to digest what had just happened in the secret and sacred chamber of Bhogar!
I guess the Paramatma came with us on all of our journeys, arriving even before us and ushering us to their abodes and temples. After reading Agathiyar's memo to all of us through Mahindren some time back, we came to know that this was Atma Darisanam. Agathiyar told us that the Atma that joins us in the mother's womb, leaves us when we begin to make decisions. It is never too far though, keeping a watch over matters but never intruding.
"The Atma keeps both the Udal and Uyir under its control in a secretive, subtle manner. This subtlety stays from 1 to 5 Varagai with the child before it's veiled. I cannot tell you the reason for it to be veiled now. Nevertheless, the Atma will return unto him depending on his actions."
"When the Atma in you pulls you to a path and if you realize it, it appears as an Athirvu or vibration and disappears. If you practice extending this vibration in you, you shall merge in this vibration that is the Atma and arrive at Erai/ Agathiyan."
"The Atma does not carry our karma, but the Atma shall help rectify our karma. When the karma is rectified, the Atma's seeking shall be hastened to the extent that man's daily seeking shall exhaust. His entire seeking shall shift towards efforts on reaching me (Agathiyan)."
ஆன்மா உடலையும் உயிரையும் தனது கட்டுப்பாட்டுக்குள் வைத்துக் கொள்ளும் ஒரு சூச்சமம். இந்தச் சூச்சமத்தை பிறந்த குழந்தைகள் 1 முதல் 5 வராகை வரையிலும் உடன் இருந்து மறையும். மறைத்தலின் காரணம் இன்னதென்று இப்போது உனக்குச் சொல்ல இயலாது. ஆனபோதிலும் ஆன்மா ஒருவரின் செயலைப் பொறுத்தே மீண்டும் அவனை வந்து சேரும். ஆன்மா உன்னோடு இருந்து உன்னை ஒரு பாதைக்கு இழுத்து செல்லும் அப்போது நீ அதனை உணர்ந்தாள், உன்னில் அதிர்வாய் தோன்றி மறையும். அந்த அதிர்வினை நீ உனக்குள் நீடிக்கப் பழகினால் உன்னால் ஆன்மா என்னும் உனது அதிர்வுகளில் ஊடுருவி என்னுள் (இறை / அகத்தியன்) வந்து சேர ஒரு வழி.
ஆன்மா உனது கர்ம வினை தாங்கி வருவது அல்ல, ஆனால் ஆன்மாவே உனது கர்ம வினையைச் சரிசெய்வதற்கு உதவி புரியும். கர்மவை சரி செய்த பின், ஆன்மாவின் தேடல் அதிகமாகி மனிதனின் அன்றாட தேடல் தீர்ந்து போகும். அவன் தேடல் முழுதாய் என்னையே தேடி வர முயற்சி செய்யும்.
The temples might not be conducive for us to have a private moment with our beloved Lord as people throng these popular destinations. Naturally, since we would want to have him all to ourselves we yearn for a private moment with him. Believe me, it does take place with the grace of the presiding Lord. Tavayogi says that when there is a strong yearning the divine will brings things together (எங்கே ஒருவனுக்கு தேடல் இருக்கிறதோ அங்கே இறைவன் கூட்டிவைப்பான்).
When after visiting Sri Jeganatha Swamigal's samadhi temple, we drove to another temple in the Tapah Hospital compound that Mataji had asked we visit too, just as we arrived at 12 noon, the gate and grills to the temple were being closed. I quickly alighted from the car while Mahin went on to park the vehicle. I rushed up to the temple priest and asked if we were late and he was closing up. "Yes", he replied as it was time for its closure. I then told him that it was alright and that we shall pray from outside. As we stood on the apron of the temple bordering the road, the curtain stood in our way as it was drawn shut too. Nevertheless, after Mahin, his wife Manimala, their children and my granddaughter arrived I called on the children to sing the Arutperunjothi mantra together. Just minutes into singing it, what do you know, the doors open ajar for us to enter. The temple priest invites us in opening the gated grill and drawing the curtains to all the sannadhis aside. It was indeed a miracle as Manimala had only moments ago asked with disappointment if we could not enter. We sang our hearts out rejoicing in the love and compassion shown by the Lord. Lord Vaitheeswaran and Goddess Tayal Nayaki who preside here had chosen to waive the rules for us. They pleased us further by having Sri Jeganatha Swamigal receive us, again. If previously he had come while we were in his samadhi temple, he now received us again in the place where he had worshiped Lord Shiva in the form of a Lingam after arriving in this town many many years ago. He cleared the air and my doubt as to where he resided that day.
I could relate then to the famed late Jeeva Nadi Nool Aasan and Guru Hanumathdasan Aiya's experience in 2009. The Jeeva Nadi Guru and his friends had to look for a quiet spot where they could read the Jeeva Nadi, but it was pretty obvious that they would not find even a moment of peace and quiet in that chaotic place.
His story was posted in Velayudham Karthikeyan Aiya's blog "Siththan Arul". The translation of the original post in Tamil follows:
"We reached Tiruchendur as directed by Agathiyar. We took a room at a lodge, rested a while, refreshed ourselves, and headed for the temple. As there was a very large crowd, there was a lot of noise and din all around. With the question, of what to do now lingering in our mind, we decided to have Lord Murugan's darshan first. There too was a large crowd and much noise. There was not a moment of silence. I was irritated seeing the temple priests shouting as they went in and out. A priest came forward and asked if we wanted to do archanai and if we wanted to get a fast darshan of the Lord. We replied that we would just queue up with the rests, and moved away from there. The free queue surprisingly moved fast. But one could only go a certain distance to get a view of the Lord. Surprisingly the Lord created the space for them. As we reached the Lord, a temple official who had been hurrying the devotees till that moment, suddenly left. At that very moment, something incomprehensible happened. All the noise subsided. The arathi was shown to Lord Murugan. We had a clear view of the Lord's face. I took in the full view of the Lord and registered it in my mind's heart. Something entered me and I went into a state of extreme bliss. A priest came out from the inner sanctum and handed us the sacred ash on a leaf, surprising us again. As we came out looking for a quiet spot to sit and read the Nadi, the bliss in us lingered on. None of us could bring ourselves to speak throughout these moments. The feeling was so wonderful. We realized the reason for feeling blissful after Agathiyar explained it in the Nadi as I retired to my room after failing to find a quiet spot to read at the temple."
Agathiyar says that he was already waiting for them. Hanuman who was in the statue on the 9th tier of the Rajagopuram at the temple had paid his respects to Lord Murugan precisely the same time Hanumathdasan Aiya and his friends entered. He showed up at 7.22 am and was there for 2 hours till 9.22 am. That was when the Jeeva Nadi Guru and friends entered the state of bliss. Agathiyar reveals to them that when they had stood in front of Lord Murugan and offered their prayers, Hanuman and Agathiyan were present. It was indeed an auspicious moment where they received the Lord's grace and went into a state of bliss. It was all Lord Murugan's grace.
Agathiyar goes on to relate the irritation and sadness they had initially encountered due to the massive crowd and antics of the priests upon entering the temple grounds. Even Agathiyar agrees that the temple should be quiet, blissful, and peaceful. Agathiyar adds that he was aware of the wrongs but ask them to drop the negative perception that they originally had on arrival at the temple as he too agreed that one cannot change the world (human behavior).
I too had my fair share of a similar experience that had me in disbelief that it was happening in such auspicious and sacred places on my maiden pilgrimage to India. I was disappointed at the behavior and attitude of a particular young priest. He tried to fleece me of my watch. With no other option, I stomached it and conducted the prayers at the Adi Lingam sanctum. I walked out of this temple disgusted. I told myself I was not coming back to this temple.
I had very much wanted to come to Vadalur, after reading about the amazing Siddha, Ramalinga Adigal. Devendran and Mahendren from the tour agency, waited on me as I took my time to look around and discover the mansion temple that Ramalinga Adigal had envisioned and built. As prayers were only conducted three times a day (and lasted half an hour each time), I had to wait for the next prayer between 11.45 am and noon. The priest came in at 11.45 am. He opened a door to let him inside and stayed inside for some time. Then he emerged to open the huge timber door to the sanctum to expose a black curtain drawn closed. As the flame from the camphor was shown to this curtain, devotees gathered quickly to witness this brief ceremony. There was neither interaction nor eye contact between the priest and the devotees. Some of the attendees sang the Arutperunjhoti Mantra. That was that. It all ended in a flash.
I whispered to a devotee that I intended to make a donation and she brought me to the administrative office. I was disappointed with the attitude of the official at the office. Seeing my purchases of several books that I had picked up at a stall outside Satya Gnana Sabai, he asked me disapprovingly if I had purchased them from there. and went on to point out that he too sold books. As we left the temple grounds, people crowded around the car asking for alms. I told myself this was not supposed to happen, not at Vadalur, a sacred place where Ramalinga Adigal had gone all the way out to eradicate hunger by building the Dharma Salai and feeding the hungry. I was disappointed with the management and sad on seeing the fate of these people.
The first and only place that came to my mind when Agathiyar asked me to come to the worship of the Siddhas was the local affiliate of Ongkarakudil in Dengkil as their volunteers could be seen in every nook and corner sourcing funds from the general public to carry out their charity programs both here and in India. Frequenting the Agathiyar Sanmarga Sangam later, I was moved by the late Manivannan to see the patron of this Sangam Thavathiru Rengaraja Desigar on my visit to India in 2003. When I was at Ongarakudil though I was accorded all the respect and had a rare audience with him thanks to the late Amarar Nadarajah, as I did not receive the traditional blessing that I asked for from its presiding patron and founder, I asked myself if I had intruded into the sacred space of the Siddhas without their permission. I asked myself if I was not fit to be there. I asked myself if I was not worthy of stepping into this place. I felt hurt. Indeed. The time was not ripe. I too had to wait till Agathiyar himself revealed Thavathiru Rengaraja Desigar's state of divinity to me in subsequent Nadi readings. I guess Agathiyar preferred that I hear it from him rather than his followers. I carried these questions and the hurt in me for two years when finally Agathiyar addressed the matter in the Nadi. He told me that one should know ahead about the saint of his nature thoroughly before going over. I had jumped the wagon of devotees heading there after Agathiyar asked me to come to the worship of the Siddhas. But Agathiyar assured in later readings that I shall be well accepted when I visit him again. But I never went back as I had held on to Supramania Swami. Tavayogi and Agathiyar. I guess there is a specific time to meet such Mahans and that we cannot simply intrude into their space. Later I read that Ramadevar Siddhar had laid down some strict rules before anyone could see Thavathiru Rengaraja Desigar.
Reading about a devotee from Hyderabad who asked that Yogi Ramsuratkumar bless him, the Yogi surprisingly did not do so. Later the Yogi told his aids that the devotee had already had the blessing from a Guru in Kerala and he did not want to disturb the energy.
After my experiences put me off from wanting to visit Chidambaram and Vadalur, I told myself that the Lord Nadaraja and Ramalinga Adigal were not there respectively. I said the same too when I arrived at Sri Jeganathar Swamigal's samadhi temple and Mauna Swami's samadhi temple in the midst of its lengthy renovation. But true to what the Divine Kali had told a devotee that though she was not in her temple she would arrive there for a true devotee, Sri Jeganatha Swamigal came to receive us. I guess we have to mature spiritually for the divine to come before us and bless and shower their grace on us.
In Sariyai which we are introduced to by our parents, grandparents, and ancestors, we are shown God as a super being that grants our wishes and looks over our shoulders. We appease them in return for favors by bringing them offerings and engaging in helping to keep their abodes clean, hosting, or participating in Vizhas or festivals for them.
The occasional devotee heads for the many temples and other venues where these festivals for the Gods are held or inauguration or kumbhabhisegams are carried out and returns home satisfied. He makes his way to these places again when the next event comes up.
The regular devotee has a favorite temple that he frequents regularly if not daily to see his beloved deity in his best attire or alangaaram. He returns satisfied and goes about his daily chores.
Many light an oil lamp and pray at the altar in their homes.
Very few take the time to sit in prayer in their homes though.
This is what we see in the present day. The reason is we are caught in a rush for only God knows what. So many things allure us and we think we need them to live a life of comfort. Comparing with others drives us to pursue the same hence spinning a web of troubles of our own making. As we see them happening to everyone else, we come to accept the fact that life brings with it a fair share of troubles and suffering. But when we cannot handle the load, then we look for quick fixes to our problems, not willing to understand the reason for all suffering. But the saints tell us that there is a way to end it all. The princely Siddhartha who later became Gautama Buddha, saw the sufferings beyond the walls of his kingdom and went in search of answers, and found it. It was to become the Middle Way.
Temples and worship have become another facet of life for man at least for a majority. There are those who pass by a temple but it never does occur to them to go in and pray or to at least investigate what is within the temple walls. They brush aside invitations from family and friends to follow. They are engrossed in their own world. It needs a miracle or a disaster or illness for some to bring them to take notice of the entity behind these walls. Awkwardly it takes another disaster to drive a devotee away too. When someone dear and close who is a staunch devotee is killed in a freak accident, it does drive us to question God and his existence. Hatred and anger arise within that have us shut all the doors and end our relationship with God.
Ali Hassan Bangwar wrote in the Tribune at https://tribune.com.pk/story/2344343/the-different-facets-of-life,
"Humans, societies and individuals have created a purpose of living in line with perceptions accumulated over time. These perceptions originate from knowledge gathered through the five senses and filtered by beliefs, doctrines and values. An interestingly harsh aspect attached to this is that experiencing life isn’t inherently free. We pay to live. The payment could be in the form of failures, desperations, dejections, agonies or torment. Most of today’s ultra-materialistic people exaggerate this price as being extremely unbearable and hence end up in cursing life. Many others rightly understand the cost and assume hardships to be the rent one has to pay for experiencing the blessings of life. For them the phenomenological experience of life is the greatest of all gifts. For the former, life is a liability, a curse. Rather than braving different realities, they mourn the challenges coming their way. Their thoughts are so much engrossed with negative energy that tranquillity and serenity can hardly set in. They might ask: how can life be termed a priceless gift if it hardly favours the beholder? Why, despite being a gift, does it cause disdain and agony?"
He proposes a solution too,
"The remedy is in accepting the bitter reality that life and challenges are inextricably linked with. All humans face hardships. However, one can lessen the severity of trials by changing their perception. Rather than being preoccupied by hardships and pessimism, looking for a solution or a silver lining can indeed create some semblance of serenity and peace. Accepting the outcomes of wishes and efforts with gratitude and living in the moment can also help let go of regrets and grudges. Ultimately, we need to change the way we think about life."
In short, he is asking us to be grateful for what we have. We visit the temple as if we visit the grocery store to make purchases. If only we knew the reason behind the establishment of temples of yore we would cherish them and not neglect them. On my maiden travel to India, I happened to stop at a Kaala Bhairavar temple which was not on the list given by Agathiyar in my Nadi reading nor one that I listed in my must-see list of temples. Deva from the agency, who drove me around, and I decided to stop over as we passed it. The temple priest found some time to chat with us after our prayers. He said that the temple like many others was neglected. When I went to carry out my parikaram or remedy at the Palur Sani temple, I heard the same story from the temple priest. Yet we are all aware of thousands of pilgrims heading for certain temples and filling their coffers to the brim, nay to the state that it overflows. What is the reason that we see some temples flourish while others are in a deplorable state? The Gods residing in both are one, aren't they? People head for those with the belief that their wishes would be granted having seen and heard miracles take place at these places or after praying in these places. As the nature of man is to investigate and if possible take a piece of the cake for himself too, he heads to wherever a miracle is shown and stands in line for one to happen in his life too. I guess this is why many individuals dish out miracles to capture people's attention and have a following that sustains their interests and living too.
I asked Agathiyar why devotees are not coming to Kallar ashram in thousands as we see elsewhere? He answered that only those who sought Gnanam would go there. In present times I guess another factor is that the medium of communication determines if devotees frequent an ashram or not. I guess it is pretty essential that English is spoken by the heads of ashrams to lure the none Tamil speaking seekers and devotees. Kallar lacks in that sense.
We have an affectuation towards miracles carried out but not the divine power behind it that sustains our every breath. We see the performer of the miracle and hail him but not the power that he brings together for the purpose. We fall for the showmanship but never go beyond it.
Agathiyar too I guess had to show me numerous miracles to allure me into the path. Or was all that a reward for heeding his call and seeking his ways? Nevertheless, he did show an abundance of miracles and does till this day. Many such miracles are shared on the pages of this blog.
It is true that we need these miracles to sustain our hold on the faith but we have to outgrow them too. A firm belief has to arise after seeing them. These stories should then be shared with others to bring them into the faith too. It gives them hope. Once he becomes a firm believer he then begins to take larger strides and walks briskly down the path with confidence knowing that the path shall lead him to his destiny or what is waiting for him. Confusion leaves him. He becomes fearless. He does not worry. He knows that he shall survive any ordeal. He knows that he is not alone. He knows that he only needs to stay on the path. Ramalinga Adigal sings in his Aanipon Ambala Kaatchi" (ஆணிப்பொன்னம்பலக் காட்சி) that the inhabitants of the higher worlds stood in awe and asked each other who was this mortal (Ramalinga Adigal) who had managed to come thus far?
23. கோபுர வாயிலுள் சத்திகள் சத்தர்கள் கோடிபல் கோடிய டி - அம்மா கோடிபல் கோடிய டி. ஆணி
24. ஆங்கவர் வண்ணம்வெள் வண்ணம்செவ் வண்ணமுன் ஐவண்ணம் ஆகும டி - அம்மா ஐவண்ணம் ஆகும டி. ஆணி
25. அங்கவ ரெல்லாம்இங் கார்இவர் என்னவும் அப்பாலே சென்றன டி - அம்மா அப்பாலே சென்றன டி. ஆணி
"At the portal in the tower,
there were Sakthis-s and Saakthaa-s in crores.
Their hues were white, red, and scarlet.
There, all of them asked, “Who is this man?”,
but I went past them.
I went past them,"
How would it be to be in the presence of God? I am sure that we all have had small glimpses of him or sensed his presence as we stood before him in his many abodes that are temples, shrines, samadhis, and caves in the past. We have had shivers go down our spine, and energies traverse throughout our bodies. Weird or peculiar feelings and emotions that go beyond our senses arise all of a sudden. Many are not in control of their body during these brief encounters. They cry profusely as if the dam has broken. The body cools down as it is drenched in tears. How do we explain these? Agathiyar tells us that he is these sensations. Know that we have connected with him or the presiding deity at the temple at that brief moment. Ramalinga Adigal describes this in his Agaval.
He says that the Amrit or amirtham or divine nectar flows throughout the body in these moments of ecstasy. He sings about the changes that take place when the divine descends on the human frame in lines 1449 to 1494 of his Arutpa.
தோலெலாங் குழைந்திடச் சூழ்நரம் பனைத்தும்
மேலெலாங் கட்டவை விட்டுவிட் டியங்கிட
என்பெலா நெக்குநெக் கியலிடை நெகிழ்ந்திட
மென்புடைத் தசையெலா மெய்யுறத் தளர்ந்திட
இரத்த மனைத்துமுள் ளிறுகிடச் சுக்கிலம்
உரத்திடை பந்தித் தொருதிர ளாயிட
மடலெலா மூளை மலர்ந்திட வமுதம்
உடலெலா மூற்றெடுத் தோடி நிரம்பிட
ஒண்ணுதல் வியர்த்திட வொளிமுக மலர்ந்திட
தண்ணிய வுயிர்ப்பினிற் சாந்தந் ததும்பிட
உண்ணகை தோற்றிட வுரோமம் பொடித்திடக்
கண்ணினீர் பெருகிக் கால்வழிந் தோடிட
வாய்துடித் தலறிட வளர்செவித் துணைகளிற்
கூயிசைப் பொறியெலாங் கும்மெனக் கொட்டிட
மெய்யெலாங் குளிர்ந்திட மென்மார் பசைந்திடக்
கையெலாங் குவிந்திடக் காலெலாஞ் சுலவிட
மனங்கனிந் துருகிட மதிநிறைந் தொளிர்ந்திட
இனம்பெறு சித்த மியைந்து களித்திட
அகங்கார மாங்காங் கதிகரிப் பமைந்திடச்
சகங்காண வுள்ளந் தழைத்து மலர்ந்திட
அறிவுரு வனைத்து மானந்த மாயிடப்
பொறியுறு மான்மதற் போதமும் போயிடத்
தத்துவ மனைத்துந் தாமொருங் கொழிந்திடச்
சத்துவ மொன்றே தனித்துநின் றோங்கிட
உலகெலாம் விடய முளவெலா மறைந்திட
அலகிலா வருளி னாசைமேற் பொங்கிட
என்னுளத் தெழுந்துயி ரெல்லா மலர்ந்திட
என்னுளத் தோங்கிய என்றனி யன்பே
பொன்னடி கண்டருட் புத்தமு துணவே
என்னுளத் தெழுந்த வென்னுடை யன்பே
தன்னையே யெனக்குத் தந்தரு ளொளியால்
என்னைவே தித்த என்றனி யன்பே
என்னுளே யரும்பி யென்னுளே மலர்ந்து
என்னுளே விரிந்த என்னுடை யன்பே
என்னுளே விளங்கி யென்னுளே பழுத்து
என்னுளே கனிந்த வென்னுடை யன்பே
தன்னுளே நிறைவுறு தரமெலா மளித்தே
என்னுளே நிறைந்த என்றனி யன்பே
துன்புள வனைத்துந் தொலைத்தென துருவை
யின்புறு வாக்கிய என்னுடை யன்பே
பொன்னுடம் பெனக்குப் பொருந்திடும் பொருட்டா
என்னுளங் கலந்த என்றனி யன்பே
தன்வச மாகித் ததும்பிமேற் பொங்கி
என்வசங் கடந்த என்னுடை யன்பே
தன்னுளே பொங்கிய தண்ணமு துணவே
என்னுளே பொங்கிய என்றனி யன்பே
This is the most esoteric and sublimest part of his work says Swami Saravanananda in his beautiful English rendering of the original in Tamil of Ramalinga Adigal's "Arutperunjhoti Agaval", published by the Ramalinga Mission, Madras. He quotes Ramalinga Adigal’s Agaval (verses 1449 ‐ 1473) on this transformation that took place in Ramalinga Adigal,
"The skin has become supple;
nerves function intermittently;
bones have become soft and the tendons have lost their grip over the muscles;
blood has congealed and semen has condensed into a solid ball;
petals of the brain blossom and elixir fill up the body system;
the face glows and breath becomes peaceful;
hairs rise on end and tears well up;
mouth utters the name of the lord and the sound of OM pours into the ears; the body becomes cooled and hands rise up in salutations;
mind ripens and melts and wisdom fills up the mental frame;
the ever pervading feeling has come to stay;
egoism vanishes and the soul attains bliss;
impurities get destroyed and purity alone remains;
illusory tendency vanishes and a longing for god’s grace swells up…’’
Swami Saravanananda explains, "At whatever age the aspirant gains illumination or the effulgence enters in him or emanates from within, some remarkable changes take place in the body frame. The divine light seems to change the very structure of the DNA’s and RNA’s in each and every cell of the body, with the result, that they seem to function in the opposite direction."
"Thus the process of transmutation being completed and perfected, the aspirant becomes the possessor of a golden body. This body with shrunken skin has become ever-youthful", an affirmation made by Ramalinga Adigal himself. "It has shaken off sleep, hunger, thirst, diseases from the system. It has been filled with divine light; it has developed immunity from all kinds of destructive forces."
He says "the whole body of Ramalinga Adigal was soaked with divine bliss and every cell of his body began to enjoy the felicity. It is said that each cell of the body possesses partial consciousness and rudiments of intelligence. The divine light that passes into the cell makes them fully awakened into perfect or near-perfect intelligence. The result is the perfect immortal physical body."
"Ramalinga Adigal compares the process of illumination of the cells with marriage with the compassionate celestial lady." He composed the song Peerataivu (பேறடைவு) where God tells him to be prepared to be betrothed to the divine shortly.
Swami Saravanananda hails Ramalinga Adigal and his Thiru Arutpa, "By his own self will, the Lord has expressed in the human body and come to exist as such. This is the theme and inner light of Thiru Arutpa. Arutperunjothi Agaval is the essence of Arutpa."
Swami Saravanananda starts his preface to his book with the statement, ‘Infinite God in Finite Man’. He says, "Man considered himself as a separate entity from God and as possessing a mortal body subject to decay and wealth."
This is why we still stand before him at his abodes praying that he fulfills our worldly desires, cures us of our illnesses and sufferings that we had brought onto ourselves if not through our past actions or rather an inaction, in this life or those vasanas or remnants of our actions or inactions that followed us as our shadow into this life from a previous.
Ramalinga Adigal proved in his life that "the view of meeting with death is a mistaken one and that God himself has manifested as each one of us and that we are eternal.… he manifests as human beings. Realizing that he is not separate from other beings and the divine effulgence, he led an inner life with the result that his thoughts, speech, and actions were all filled with divine compassion. When such a life and activity of divine compassion luxuriate, there begin to grow the inner lower siddhis... If we pray with singleness of purpose, the veils of ignorance will be rent asunder and the inner ever-growing radiance will be perceived by us."
This is what Tavayogi meant in speaking about coming out of the Bakthi movement into Gnanam. When this Arivu dawns on us, we take the necessary steps as outlined by Ramalinga Adigal above to step away from the normal routine of temple worship and go within. We bring his abode within and plead that he takes residence in us. Just as the external home altar or temple is kept clean and void of negativities, we keep the body and mind clean and clear. Hence the reason Ramalinga Adigal just like the other Siddhas before him has given much importance to this human body. Bakthi then is a prelude to Gnana.
"The human body is the temple and abode of the boundless benevolent jothi and also that of the dynamic polar forces. Therefore this body has to be first purified of all its dross and veils and made a fit receptacle to receive the divine radiance. With the aid of this radiance, the illusory human body can be transformed into a pure body (Sudha degam) followed by the body of sound (Pranava degam), and finally into a Gnostic body (Gnana degam). This body alone is considered as the proper vehicle for the attainment of mukti."
What about the mind then? How do we cleanse it? Swami Saravanananda describes devotion as the thawing and melting of the mind (intellect).
Swami Saravanananda like Ramalinga Adigal pleads to us that leading a life based on an exterior ephemeral state is no life at all; it is mere existence. "The aim of human life is to realize and gain the divine felicity in this world itself while there is yet time. Those who have attained the acme of creation, the human birth, must hasten to understand and achieve while there is yet time, the delightful bliss of the soul."
He adds that "Due to the differences in the levels of wisdom, will, and action (karma) that are found in the cosmic space, atmas have come to possess threefold bodies (Gnana, Pranava, Karmic)." Hence by abstaining from action, which results in both good and bad repercussions (Karmic), by bringing a change within us by uttering the sacred Om that intensifies the energies within (Pranava), would we then step into the state of the watcher that is Gnana?
"Slowly, his body through the intensity of concentration of the mind begins to generate the flame of tapas, known as psychic heat. We have to remove the blackish green veil that covers our soul. This veil can be removed only through the extreme heat of devotion and meditation. His body begins to cast off veil after veil of ignorance and emit radiation. The extreme heat generated in the body produces smoke at first; this smoke gathers up in volume and escapes through Brahma Randhra at the junction of the parietal bones of the skull. Slowly the quantity of psychic heat is increased due to intense meditation and concentration on the universal effulgence. Psychic smoke clears off and enhanced illumination results. The more refined the body and mind, the more divine illumination (Tejas, aura or nimbus) manifests in it."
Ramalinga Adigal sang to us a few verses on these veils that are much spoken about. He composed the song of the cuff when he came to bless us. We only managed to record a portion of it missing the beginning lines as we were caught unawares.
திரை எனும் திரை எனும் என் பெருமான் காட்டிய திரை அது....
என் அருள் அப்பன் அருள் ஜோதி அது...
சீர்ஜோதி அது பெருஞ் ஜோதி அது... ஏறும் பெரும் ஜோதி அது
என்னுள் அது ஏறும் போது திரை அது விலகியது...
என்னுள் அது ஏறும் நிலையில் ஜோதி அது ஜோதி அது...
திரை எனும் திரை அது அருட்பெருஞ்ஜோதி அது...
Ramalinga Adigal asked that we continue to hold on to the Holy Feet of "Appan Agathiyan" as he addresses Agathiyar. Agathiyar shall set aside the veil that hides Arutperunjhoti from us, he promises. Since we came to Agathiyar and his path, he will be the guiding light, he says. He asks that we continue on his path. Agathiyar remains a guiding light to us, then, now, and forever.
All said please do not neglect the temple. Temple worship is the stepping stone to arriving there.
We now understand why we were introduced to Kriyai, the next rung on the ladder. We were asked to do puja in our homes for the past 20 years beginning in 2002 first as an individual's puja that later brought the family in to become a home puja. In opening our doors to others with the arrival of Agathiyar in the form of a bronze statue in 2010 and with many more congregating in our tiny home to witness and participate in the Pournami puja in 2013 and in bringing this puja into the homes of other devotees in 2016 and expanding the circle by bringing the Siddha puja into temples, the groundwork was done. Then it was all brought to a sudden halt giving way to the pandemic to exercise its hold on our lives and lifestyles. The 2 1/2 years were spent in individual prayers and silent contemplation and in carrying out yoga that was taught to us. We had stepped into Yogam too.
Today Agathiyar has started going places again visiting and staying in the homes of devotees who invite him over, though the puja is no more for the adults and by the adults but for the children and by them in these homes.
We await to take on Gnanam that Agathiyar says is not gifted but we have to earn it as we travel the path within the chakras in our bodies. This journey is depicted in Ramalinga Adigal's "Aanipon Ambala Kaatchi" clearly.
I am 63 this year. As I look back at my life I cannot but thank the dear Lord for all he has done for me and my family and all those I knew. Born to my parents, my father was from India and my mother was born here. My father's family were traditionally money lenders from a small village in Kilasevalpatti. My maternal grandpa was a contractor. I was the 8th child to them. Only seven survived. My parents taught us to pray. We had an altar in our home where we lit the oil lamp and visited the temples too. Later as a bachelor in a small fishing village that was to change with the coming of the Naval base there, I visited the temples in the vicinity and carried out home puja in my room. I had a good job that I liked. I also had all the time on my hands to engage in puja and reading. After 8 years I was transferred to the capital city of Malaysia where the wedding bells sounded for me. At the same time, the divine had asked me to take a break from my rigorous practice of worship both at dawn and dusk that I carried out back in the coastal town. After 13 years I was drawn back into the practice when I was mysteriously asked to be given the Vasudeva mantra and a painting of Lord Dhakshanamurthy to be worshipped. This laid the ground for me to meet my Moola guru Agathiyar in the Nadi. Later I was brought to my first guru in the physical form Supramania Swami of Tiruvannamalai and three years later Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal of Kallar Ashram. I was officially introduced to Sariyai, Kriyai, and Yoga now. With the touch of these gurus, I could see myself progressing rapidly under their guidance as if we were chasing time. There seemed to be a rush in accomplishing their work. Then in the wake of Gnanam, Agathiyar brought everything to a complete halt. With it came the pandemic that was lurking in the shadows. We were forced to carry out individual puja and not collectively as we did earlier. I only realized later that this was the period of shedding the skin like jungle snakes. We had actually learned to drop our attachments to all that we did previously in the period of some 2 1/2 years.
With the laws and rules lifted Agathiyar has taken to visiting the homes of his devotees. But this time around it's the kids who sit around and carry out the puja with help and guidance from the adults. The next generation of devotees is being groomed. I guess our gurus wish to see the Siddha Margam flourish has seen the light of the day.
I love the way Agathiyar has laid the groundwork and "cleverly schemed it all". It is true that it is all play for him though it is a test of our strength, endurance, and patience. Those who withstand the pressure stay on to see the benefits while others shall see it later in life after working on their resilience further.
Everything about the journey was pretty well organized and executed by him. We merely were tools in his hands. He had an agenda that we helped fulfill. That is all we did. It was his show and we were only actors. But at the end of the day, we were rewarded well though we never sought these rewards.
It has been a wonderful journey and a transition. We have gained sufficient experience to lead others I suppose. We have started our work on the kids this time around.
Agathiyar at Agathiyar Vanam Malaysia (AVM) has been in Pothihai Tharmanyaana Chakkram (PTC) since 3rd July when the host of PTC Mr & Mrs. Sri Krishna invited him over. An abhisegam or libation for his statue was carried out after a homam that day.
Suren asked me if I missed him. I told him that I did not as his energy is felt with or without his statue these days. His presence is felt in our home and wherever we are with or without his statue. Science tells us that "Energy comes in six basic forms: chemical, electrical, radiant, mechanical, thermal and nuclear." The others like "electrochemical, sound, electromagnetic, etc are combinations of these six basic categories. Basically, energy cannot be created or destroyed. It is transformed into other forms of energy." Just like we have given a label for each form of this basic energy we have given the label GOD and named the many forms and manifestations of this basic energy as Narayana, Thirumal, Perumal, Jagannatha, Hayagriva, Achyuta, Kesava, Madhava, Venkateshwara, Guruvayurappan, Vaikuntha, Krishna, Rama, Ranganatha, Madhusudana, Padmanabha, Hari, Purushottama, Vasudeva, Govinda, Gopala, Ardhanarishvara, Nataraja, Pashupati, Rudra, Dakshinamurthy, Vaidheeswara, Virupaksha, Lingodbhava, Manjunatha, Maheshwara, Durga, Parvati, Kali, Bharavi, Chamundeshwari, Annapoorni, Ashtalakshmi, Sita, Radha, Rukmini, Saraswati, Gayatri, Ganga, Dakshini, Ganesha, Ganapathy, Vinayaga, Pillaiyar, Kartikeya, Muruga, Supramania, Velan, Kugan, Kumaran, Shanmukha, Ayyappa, Manikanta, Hanuman, Anjaneya, and many more. As these energies are not visible to the eye but we see them operate through appliances, machinery etc, so too was there a need to visibly and physically show the presence of the divine energies for how else can we comprehend them. Hence the installation and worship of idols came about. Just as he gives us life as the life breath, when Agathiyar came as the statue to AVM he told us to give "life" to his statue by chanting his name 100,000 times.
When Mrs. Krishna asked to know his true form since he goes by that as Light, Agathiyar, Kurumuni, Dakshinamurthy, etc and as we are worshipping him in all these forms and labels, Agathiyar questioned her back. In carrying out puja and acts of charity what does she feel? She replied, "Oru Unarvu" or a feeling. He replied that that is he, the vibration that is felt at those moments.
One has to feel him. No amount of reading, listening, or watching shall bring us to a state of realizing him. He has to be felt within. Hence the reason we engage in all things external is to realize him within. But sadly we get stuck with these external tools. The external worship and rituals are means and methods to help us see him within. Peter Steven Malakoff narrates in a video on the saint and poet Kabir Das "What Kabir talks about is only what he has lived through; if you have not lived through something, it is not true." Ramalinga Adigal's collection of some 6,000 + songs compiled as the Thiruarutpa is solely about his experiences with God. Manickavasagar and the other Nayanmars too sang about their experiences with God.
"I believe there is God," said one and went about doing his thing. Another went further and took on the tasks given by God and his apostles and missionaries. The other believed in a creator and sought to find him, at least find proof of his existence. Very few eventually locate and find him. Of those who locate him some settle for his gifts and retire. Only a handful stay or rather get to stay with him. First, we believed in the words of our parents, grandparents, and ancestors who worshipped these energies. Then as we grew up we became seekers wanting to know more and engage with these energies. Then we became a follower taking on the words of the guru as the gospel truth. Today we stand as ardent devotees willing to give our lives - udal, porul, aavi, worshipping the very energies that gave life to all things possible. From the physical forms of these energies, we have more to touch the subtle and invisible form. These energies are felt within us as we engage with him and his work. These energies are felt all around us too. His presence is felt as we step into homes, temples, samadhis, and into nature. His presence is felt in the food that we take, the air that we breathe, in the many sights that we see, in the sounds that reach our ears, and in the many things that are touched.
"If you have not lived through something, it is not true." It's only when one steps on the path and ventures to know his creator, whatever the path may be that he comes face to face with him. Not as an observer from afar; not as a listener to the many tales told of God; not unless he tastes his sweetness within; not until he is touched by him, physically and emotionally; not until he makes contact with him in the very air that is all around and travels within.
In "The Resonance of Allah: Resplendent Explanations Arising from the Nūr, Allāh's Wisdom of Grace" by Muhammad Raheem Bawa Muhaiyaddeen we learn about the sense organs and the sensory feelings.
Unarchi or awareness of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch is a result of unarvu. Unarvu results in unarchi. The sensory feeling or perception that one derives from the senses; sight, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching brings upon unarvu.
So the basis is that unarvu. This results in unarchi and its expression is in many forms one of which is through singing leading to the many wonderful songs that are pearls of wisdom that the saints have given us.
Buddhi processes the information that is derived from the senses and the awareness (unarchi) retained from it and makes choices, identifies the cause or the object that brings on the sensory feeling and perception, and dictates the next cause of action, telling us whether to go with it or drop it or turn away, accept it or turn it down. But it is limited to accessing things it has perceived through the senses. This is limited.
Mathi makes the assessment and judgment and evaluation as when man begins to enquire into the nature of his life, and questions his fate. Here too its assessment is limited to the observed phenomena or everyday knowledge. This too is limited.
Arivu or subtle wisdom realizes that the answers to man's questions cannot be found in the world but only by going within. Arivu begins to investigate the soul. This is the beginning of turning inwards and can be compared to pratyahara in yoga. But subtle wisdom is still limited to the functioning in the realm of the elements so it only can suggest possible solutions. This too has its limitations.
Agathiyar has brought us to investigate the soul these days.
Pahuth arivu or divine analytic wisdom or divine decerning wisdom as M. R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen describes it provides clarity and possesses certainty of knowing, arising from the indwelling mentor or spiritual guide, who is in constant communion and connects to God. This divine analytic wisdom or divine decerning wisdom awakens the life of purity and transforms it into divine resonance.
This is where we see Godmen speak bringing enlightenment to others. But many forget that they are tools too and vehicles for the divine and begin to project themselves often driving God behind the screen.
Per arivu or divine luminous wisdom or the ultimate wisdom is given by God. By the wisdom of God's light, he realizes he is in God and that God is in him giving the realization that nothing but God exists as Mahesh Yogi wrote. The soul is in constant communion with God. Taking on his form and thoughts the soul resonates with the glory of God. When one receives his plenitude and completeness the divine uses him to do his work towards his creation.
These are the states of the saints like Ramalinga Adigal who even after coming into constant communion with God placed God or Arutperunjothi above him. Ramalinga Adigal expounds his unworthiness to the Lord as seen in the following song Muraiyiidu. (முறையீடு). He objected when those around him began to address him as Swami. He wanted his name mentioned only as Ramalinga Adigal in publishing his collection of songs the ThiruArutpa.
மருந்தறியேன் மணி அறியேன் மந்திரம் ஒன்றறியேன்
marunthariyeen mani ariyeen manthiram ondrariyeen
மதி அறியேன் விதி அறியேன் வாழ்க்கை நிலை அறியேன்
mathi ariyeen vithi ariyeen vaazkkai nilai ariyeen
Similarly not at any instance did Tavayogi deem himself as an impersonation of God. Agathiyar told someone to learn humility from Tavayogi. We too saw his humbleness.
These days we realize that we can connect with the writings of the saints and their songs. What were mere songs by saints and poets that were pleasant to the ears, today pierces the heart and soul. The experiences felt by the saints become ours too. We thank all these saints and poets for their soul-stirring renderings.
I guess we have come out of bhakti and have stepped into Gnana as Tavayogi very much wanted us to if we arrive at the above-listed states.
