In the most recent post by Velayudham Karthikeyan, I could relate to what the Jeeva Nadi Guru had experienced then in 2009. After reading Agathiyar's revelation, I can understand what took place some 11 years back as I made my maiden pilgrimage to India in 2003, praying at the Thillai Nadaraja Temple in Chidambaram, the Ekambareswarar Temple in Kanchipuram and the Arulmigu Dandayudhapani Swami Temple in Palani.
The translation of Karthikeyan's post originally in Tamil, is as 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."
The Jeeva Nadi Guru and his friends had to look for a quite spot where there could read the Jeeva Nadi, but it was mighty obvious that they will not find one moment of quite and peace in that chaotic place. Surprisingly the God's created the space for them.
"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. As we reached the Lord, a temple official who had been hurrying the devotees till that moment, suddenly moved away. At that very moment something uncomprehending to us happened. All the noise subsided. The arathi was being 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."
"Even as we came out looking for a quite spot to sit and read the Nadi, the bliss in us lingered on. None of us even had the thought to speak throughout these moments. The feeling was so wonderful. Only after Agathiyar explained in the Nadi that we realized the reason for feeling blissful. It was all due to Lord Murugan's grace."
Agathiyar later came in the Nadi as the Jeeva Nadi Guru retired to his room after failing to find a quite spot at the temple. Agathiyar says Hanuman was in the statue on the 9th tier of the Rajagopuram at the temple. Hanuman had paid his respects to Lord Murugan earlier, precisely the same time the Jeeva Nadi Guru and his friends entered. Agathiyar was already waiting for them. Agathiyar showed up at 7.22 am and was there till 9.22 am, 2 hours. That was when the Jeeva Nadi Guru and friends entered the state of bliss.
Agathiyar goes on to relate the irritation and sadness they had initially encountered upon entering the temple grounds, due to the massive crowd and antics of the priests. Even Agathiyar agrees that the temple should be quite, blissful, and peaceful. Sad to say, none of these did they encounter at the temple.
Agathiyar reveals to them that the auspicious moment when they had stood in front of Lord Murugan and offered their prayers, was the same moment when Hanuman and Agathiyan had prayed too. That was indeed an auspicious moment where they received the Lord's grace and went into a state of bliss. Agathiyar tells them to drop the negative perception that they had on arrival at the temple. Surprisingly Agathiyar agrees that one cannot change the world (human behavior).
Agathiyar reiterates that Lord Murugan was his Lord, Guru, and Mentor. Agathiyar reveals why he called them over, that they should receive his Lord's grace. Agathiyar starts to retract their paths beginning from the Nambi Malai hills, and then to the Kaveri river banks, and finally to the shores of Tiruchendur, and recounts the amount of blessings that they had received. Finally Agathiyar ends the reading revealing that he was aware that much wrongs are being done there.
I too felt disappointed when I was on my maiden pilgrimage in 2003. At Thillai Nadaraja Temple in Chidambaram the priest drove me up the wall. Everywhere I turned, the priests were asking for money or dakshanai. One young lad who was a priest even asked for my wristwatch. I was disgusted. But I had to perform an atonement there. Not willing to be conned, and not knowing what to do I came around the temple grounds. That is when I happened to see a young priest standing alone beside a Shivalingam. I immediately asked him if he would perform an archanai. He asked that I remove my shirt and began the puja. He performed the puja to my satisfaction. I was happy that I could eventually carry out my atonement.
At Ekambareswarar Temple in Kanchipuram, the crowd was massive and noisy just as the Jeeva Nadi Guru encountered at Tiruchendur. But I had to perform an atonement there too. Saddened by the situation I saw, I came around the temple. It was then that I saw a huge chamber on my left. As I paused to look, a young priest who was standing at the doorway to the chamber invited me in. I followed him. The moment I stepped into the chamber, an electrifying sensation went through my whole body. I was led to an amazingly gigantic statue of Lord Nadaraja in the chamber. I looked up at the Lord with awe and amazement, taking in his beauty. The priests showed the arati and started singing some hymns. At that moment I broke down. I was all alone with my Lord. I went into total bliss.
At the Tiru Aavinankudi or Kulandai Velayudhaswami Tirukkovil, to my utter horror, I was not able to climb the stairs up to the Arulmigu Dandayudhapani Swami Temple in the hilltop of Palani. The legs freezed. I just could not lift them. I was horrified. I pushed myself to the maximum, taking a step at a time, resting in between these steps, eventually making it to the top. I was perspiring heavily, the throat was dry and parched, I was breathing heavily, and was short of breath. I could not understand what was happening then. All was fine until I started the climb. Reaching the top, I looked for a spot where I could drop myself, and literally speaking that's what I did. I leaned against the walls of the shops aligned in rows. The world went topsy turvy, and nausea set in. All I saw was silhouettes of people walking around against a bright light. I thought I was at the verge of fainting. But surprising I was awake and aware. After many moments of just laying there, I eventually came around, got on my feet and started for the temple.
I took the free lane for the darshan of Lord Murugan. There were many devotees queuing up both in front and behind me. Once at the Lord's sanctum a priests relieved me of the bag of garland and stuffs for the abhisegam that I had purchased before the start of my climb. He went inside the inner sanctum. Believe me I do not remember what I saw after that. Only when the priest came out and handed me a packet saying its the Lord's sandal paste, I was brought back to the present moment. As I started to leave, I realized that I was alone. All those devotees who were in the line were no more.
As I came out of the chamber and turned right I came across a door to another chamber on the right. I peeked inside and was greeted by 4 priests. I asked the one closest to the doorway if it was Bhogar's samadhi and he nodded his head. I entered and he showed the arati immediately. Just then a young priest reached for a tumbler from the top of a cupboard and handed it to me saying it was abhisegam milk. I drank it. I thanked him silently. As no other devotees came in after me, I decided to use that precious moment to sit and meditate. After a moment as I opened my eyes again the priest was standing in front of me. He handed me some flowers and the sacred ash. As I left Bhogar's chamber into the open I was literally 'floating in bliss'. I came round and round the temple umpteen times moving in bliss. Finally I left. Its been 11 years now and I still do not understand why I had encountered so much difficulty going up Palani then.