Siddha Heartbeat: THE ORIGIN OF AGATHIYAR'S TEMPLE AT AGASTHIYAMPALLI, VEDARANYAM

This video clip is of Agathiyar as he appears in granite at the Sri Agneepureeswarar Temple at Agasthiyampalli, Vedaranyam and a bronze replica created by Varadaraj of the Bronze Creative, Swamimalai for me in Malaysia.

The video opens with the rendition of Agathiyar's Moola Mantra which was revealed in the Nadi; followed by Agathiyar's Mantra; and the narration on the history of this temple at Agasthiyampalli in Vedaranyam by Dr. VM Jayapalan. The still photos are courtesy of Suren of Malaysia and Varadaraj of Bronze Creative, Swamimalai.

Dr. VM Jayapalan has released this story and others in an audio CD entitled AGATHIYAR THIRUVILAIYADAL. I thank Dr. V.M. Jayapalan for permission to use his talk from his audio CD AGATHIYAR THIRUVILAIYADAL. I have edited and used portions of the narration.

Come join me on a tour of Agathiyar's temple in Vedaranyam while Dr. V.M. Jayapalan narrates the origin and history of the temple.

The origin of this temple was revealed to Dr. VM Jayapalan during meditation by Agathiyar.

Dr. V.M. Jayapalan reveals in his discourse from the audio CD AGATHIYAR THIRUVILAIYADAL that this temple of Agathiyar in Agasthiyampalli Vedaranyam is the first temple built in this Kali Yuga for Agathiyar by an Asura King who became divine and who had his leprosy cured through chanting Agathiyar's Nama Japa AUM AGATHEESAAYA NAMA.

The first civilization at the beginning of the age of Kali or Kali Yuga started in a part of the world which was to become Kubera Nadu, with the birth of a child who would later become its king. The Asuras were glad that one from their clan was chosen to take birth and lead the nation and celebrated the occasion. The child was born with Asuric nature (evil tendencies). He was blessed and groomed by the leader of the Asuras, Sukracharya. The kingdom was blessed with riches.

There were temples and places of worship and the main deity was their Guru Sukracharya. Only his name was chanted and heard in this kingdom. Those who defied the rule were put to death.

But evil took shape in this nation and as a consequence, the people had to face 12 years of drought and famine.

Then a man riddled with leprosy appears one day at the doorstep to the king's palace asking to see the king. The admiral meets him and tries to shoo him away but the old man is adamant that he meets the king and convey his message personally. He is lead to the king. The old man offers food to the king. The king ridicules him and drives him away. But the man before leaving, invites the king to his humble hut at the outskirts of the kingdom, in the event there arises a need for food.

The king develops hunger pangs that no amount of food could satisfy. His guru Sukracharya then directs his disciple, the king to the old man. Only the old man can satisfy his hunger, he is told by his guru.

Meanwhile, the citizens of that kingdom arrived at the old man's hut to partake in the food that was served by him. The only condition he laid was that they chant the name of Agathiyar. For each chant, they were given a morsel of food.

News reaches the king and he decides to go in disguise and see for himself. He sees his subjects now chanting Agathiyar's name and not that of Sukracharya. As he sits amongst his subjects and watches the first Kutu Prathanai or joint prayers ever conducted, he takes on the dreaded disease, leprosy. The old man turns into a normal being, hale and healthy.

The old man now hale and healthy feeds the hideous king. The king sings the praise of Agathiyar. The disease together with his karma leaves the body of the king and stands affront in an Asuric form. The king is surprised to learn that he had carried that much karma with him which was now mocking him in the Asuric form. The king becomes divine by merely chanting Agathiyar's name.

To show his gratitude the king builds the very first temple for Agathiyar in his kingdom, Kubera Naadu which later was Vada Naadu and in present times, Vedaranyam. This temple at Agasthiyampalli, Vedaranyam which houses a granite statue of Agathiyar is the first temple for Agathiyar built in this Kali Yuga. Agathiyar granted moksha to the Asura king who became divine.

Over the years, a devotee of Agathiyar settled at this temple and cared for Agathiyar. The then Chozha king a staunch devotee of Lord Shiva tried to oust the Agathiyar's devotee from the temple after having debated on who was more superior: Lord Shiva or Agathiyar. To prove to the king that they were one, Lord Shiva and Agathiyar appeared together to the Chozha king at this temple of Agathiyar.

Agathiyar in the Nadi (Olai Suvadi or readings on palm leaves revealed by Siddhas), had asked me to come over to his temple at Agasthiyampalli. On my second pilgrimage to India in 2005, I included Agasthiyampalli on my itinerary. I had mentioned to Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal of Agathiyar's directive and my wish to be there and he happily agreed to take me there.

On 23 September 2005, as we set on this awesome journey Tavayogi turns around to me and says, “Only now our actual journey begins,” with a big grin on his face and a twinkle in his eyes.

On the second leg of our tour, chauffeured by Prem, we were headed for Agasthiyampalli, Pothigai, Courtalam, and Palani as instructed in my Nadi. Tavayogi was just as excited as I was too. He tells me it has been ten years since he went to Agasthiyampalli. We reached Trichi at 2 pm where we had lunch. We went over to the hotel where my brother Kathiresen was staying. Tavayogi excused himself to visit his friend in Trichi while my brother and I went to a book fair. Tavayogi returned shortly to the hotel. Subarao, Mano, and others who accompanied my brother for a seminar in India met Tavayogi and exchanged views. Tavayogi and I wanted to find accommodation in the same hotel but we were told all rooms were taken up. On the way to the adjacent hotel, the local organizer of the seminar coaxes us to stay in the same hotel and made the necessary arrangements.

On 24 September 2005, Tavayogi and I left Trichi for Vedaranyam at 6.00 am. We stopped over at Tanjore at 7.30 am for breakfast. We saw the salt lakes where Mohandas K Gandhi had carried out his famous salt walk. We also passed through the towns where the tsunami wave had hit on 26 December 2004.

We reached Agasthiyampalli, Vedaranyam at 10.30 am. A temple priest, who was sitting with two other locals at the entrance of the temple, on seeing us alight from the car, came forward to greet and usher us into the temple grounds. This unexpected gesture of his surprised us. He took us straight to Agathiyar’s temple which was on the left of the entrance and facing the main temple of Lord Shiva. The priest lighted the camphor and showed the flame (arati) to Agathiyar.

Tavayogi and I then sat on the floor. Tavayogi began to sing the Siddha hymns and Potri as usual. The priest suddenly interrupted him. He asks that we circumambulate the temple first, giving instructions on how to do it the proper way. He asked us to go around the temple ground and to the main temple first. He insisted we prayed at Lord Shiva’s shrine first as he was going away to another temple to conduct prayers. This mind of mine that is taught to think logically was asking, "It was almost noon and temples would be closed in the afternoons. So why was he in a hurry to go to another temple to conduct prayers."

Tavayogi turned to me and said, "Let us oblige him." Tavayogi and I came round the temple grounds as the priest had instructed. We stepped into Lord Shiva’s shrine where the priest was waiting for us. He lighted the camphor again and showed the flame.

He leads us to the open ground and touched a spot telling us that that was the very spot where Agathiyar had pressed his thumb into the ground to balance the earth that had tilted due to the Devas, Gods, and Goddesses converging in the Himalayas for Lord Shiva-Goddess Parvathy’s wedding.

Marshall Govindan in BABAJI AND THE 18 SIDDHA KRIYA YOGA TRADITIONS (Govindan, Marshall, Babaji And The Eighteen Siddha Kriyayoga Tradition, 1991, Kriya Yoga Publications (Reg), 196 Mountain Road, P.O.Box 90, Eastman, Quebec, Canada, JOE 1PO http://www.babaji.ca), (Govindan, 1991) explains this episode:

“At the time of Shiva’s marriage to Parvathi on Mount Kailas, the assemblage of Gods and Goddesses was so great that the equilibrium of the planet was disturbed. The north sank low under the weight of the crowding celestials while the south rose up. To restore a balance, Shiva asked Agasthiyar to travel from Mount Kailas to southern India. The most famous ashram site in the Tirunelveli district near the Courtalam waterfalls in the Pothigai Mountains of southern Tamilnadu is where he is reported to be living to this day.”

Tavayogi and I came back to Agathiyar’s shrine. Tavayogi picked up singing the hymns from where he had left. Since Agathiyar had promised to open his eyes and see me at Agasthiyampalli in the Nadi reading, I began observing him. He was carved in granite with both eyes shut. His image had been worn down, missing all the details, due to years of conducting libation or Abhisegam on him.

As Tavayogi ended his prayer with a couple of hymns, I continued with the Potri hymns as usual. As I started reciting the Pranavam - AUM, at Agathiyar’s shrine, I could hear and feel the Pranavam reverberate, and bounce off the granite walls. I felt a cool breeze sweep over me even as I was sweating away at the shrine. As I uttered the last line of the Potri hymns, Aum Maa Siddhargale Potri, I broke down in tears. I cried and cried. Sadly, he did not open his eyes even after all the praise to him. Agathiyar had yet to look at me. I begged Agathiyar to open his eyes and see me. However, he did not respond. I shut my eyes as I wept continuously.

After some time, I opened my eyes. Tavayogi who was earlier seated opposite me was not there anymore. I turned towards the entrance. He had moved to the open air and was standing there observing from the outside.

As I joined Tavayogi where he was standing, he ushered me to his side and whispered to me, “Agathiyar had opened his eyes twice. There is the aroma of sandalwood in the air too”. He asked that I stand at the same spot he had stood. “Concentrate now. Look at the Siddha’s eyes,” he said.

I peered at the granite statue of Agathiyar but I could hardly make out his face much less see him open and close his eyes. The shrine was dark. I could sense Tavayogi’s disappointment that I could not see Agathiyar open his eyes. This I knew from the tone of his voice when he consoled me, “Never mind, son. Let’s snap some photographs, shall we?”

I entered Agathiyar’s shrine again and was about to sit at the same spot when Tavayogi motioned me to sit with Agathiyar in the inner sanctum. “Go in and sit at Agathiyar’s feet at the inner sanctum. He is our father. Who dares object?”

That is when Tavayogi throws his shawl over to me asking me to lay it on the floor to sit on as the floor had oil spills and grime. As I laid his shawl and sat, I glanced at Agathiyar’s face and what do I see? The Siddha is observing me with an eye open. I looked hard in disbelieve. I was sure they were engraved “closed” as I entered his shrine this morning. I was overcome with joy seeing Agathiyar look at me and I called out to Tavayogi, “Swami…”

Even before I could complete my sentence, Tavayogi understood and told me, “Right! He has seen you, has he, come! They will show (themselves) you only for a moment.”

Tavayogi hurried me from the spot. Even as I came out from his shrine, the Siddha was looking at me with one eye open, grinning away.

Swami Muktananda in his KUNDALINI - THE SECRET OF LIFE, Siddha Yoga Publication, 1994, (Muktananda, Kundalini - The Secret of Life, 1994) describes a true guru as follows,

“The Guru is the grace bestowing power of God. The entire body of such a Guru has become permeated with Sakti. In fact the Guru becomes the embodiment of Sakti to such an extent that the hat he wears, his clothes, and the mat on which he sits become permeated with it, and just by touching them, a disciple can receive Sakti.”

We left Agasthiyampalli at 11.15 am. In the Nadi prediction, Agathiyar had promised that he would look at me when I came here. I was convinced the vision I had was possible only with the grace and prayer of my Guru Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal. Only after he had thrown his shawl over to me to sit on did this miracle take place.

Later in the Nadi reading back at home in Malaysia, Agathiyar tells me he was the one on hand to greet us cheerfully at Agasthiyampalli that day!

According to Siddha Bhogar, Agathiyar was born in the Tamil month of Margazhi when Ahilya Natchathiram was in the 3rd quarter. Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal celebrates annually Agathiyar's Guru Puja and Jayanthi at this moment with devotees at his hermitage, the Sri Agathiyar Sri Thava Murugar Gnana Peedham Thirukovil in Kallar, Coimbatore, India. The highlight of this two-day celebration is the lighting of the sacrificial fire or Sarva Dosa Nivaarana Mahaa Yagam.

We at Agathiyar Vanam in Malaysia too, on the requests of Tavayogi, have been holding prayers simultaneously at this auspicious moment.

In 2010, Tavayogi requested we conduct a Yagam too.

The year 2010 was also special for another reason too. We had Agathiyar in the midst of us in the form of a bronze (aimpon) statue. Agathiyar instructed us to prepare his statue based on certain specifications and conditions:

1. He has to be a replica of the sage's statue in Agasthiyampalli, Vedaranyam, India,

2. He has to be made of bronze (Aimpon),

3. He has to be made in Swamimalai, India,

4. He is not to exceed one foot in height,

5. Work on him was to start in the Tamil month of Thai and Maasi of 2009,

6. On completion, prayers were to be conducted at Adi Kumbheshawar Temple in Kumbakonam, and only then was he to be shipped to Malaysia,

7. On arrival in Malaysia, libation with nine liquids or Nava Abhisegam was to be conducted and

8. His Naamam (Aum Agathisaya Nama) to be chanted 100,000 times.

A replica of Agathiyar at Agasthiyampalli was commissioned and beautifully crafted by Varadaraj of the Bronze Creative (BC) in Swamimalai, India. The statue was ordered through the internet in February of 2009. Varadaraj of BC made a visit to Agasthiyampalli, Vedaranyam to photograph the granite statue of Agathiyar and subsequently started working on the wax mold. The statue was cast and completed in early December and was flown to Malaysia in time for the Jayanthi on 3rd January 2010.