The year was 2003. The day Wednesday 10 September. I had just completed my last leg of my maiden pilgrimage to India. I had began circumambulating Annamalaiyar, who sits and gives darshan in the form of a hill at Thiruvannamalai, the night before beginning at the temple grounds at 9.45pm. I had walked the girivalam path throughout the night with a beautiful full moon illuminating the girivalam path. After 9 hours I arrived at the Eastern Gopuram at 6.30am, ending the girivalam that was to be my last parikaram as stated in my Nadi.
After lunch at 12 noon, I sat at Ramana's feet again. Moving on to Yogi Ramsuratkumar's ashram I was disappointed to find the gates closed for the afternoon. Since I had much time on my hands before I leave for Chennai the next day to board my plane back to Malaysia, Deventhiran and I set off to Nachanandhal, a village some 8 kilometres away to meet Deventhiran's uncle for an astrology reading and prediction of the future for my second daughter, a request made by my wife just as I left Malaysia.
The very first time I set my eyes on him, was when he got up from his seat in his courtyard and approached us as we alighted from the white ambassador. Deva introduced me as a tourist from Malaysia. Supramania Swami did not say a word nor acknowledge my greetings but instead turned around and headed back into his home. Puzzled Deva and I followed him. He led us to his altar, lit the camphor and prayed for a few moments in silence and turned around and held out the flame to me. As he led us out, he called out to his son Ramajayam to bring out his deer skin and all the past years almanac or panchang.
The skin was laid on the ground outside the home, next to the front entrance. Supramania Swami sat on the deerskin. The stack of almanacs was placed beside him. He looked up at me and through his thick lenses looked into my eyes. The first thing he said to me was, "Since you have arrived here, all is finished". Although I did not understand his statement, I remained quiet. He began to speak further.
I remained silent for the next 5 hours! I had gone for an astrological reading for my daughter but instead he was talking about me and my future. I was amazed listening to his revelations. Neither did he ask to see my hand and palms, nor ask for my date of birth and time. What was incredible was that he was mentioning the things that Agathiyar had revealed in my Nadi. I was astonished. All I could do was cry!
After 5 hours of bliss and wonder he gave me a mantra upadesam and sent me off, wishing me well, saying that I shall come back.
I had found my guru. In my Nadi reading Agathiyar did say that I shall meet my guru. Our relationship grew the next 5 years and I met him again in 2005. Initially the correspondence was through mail. Later he would wait at the STD booth at the appointed time for my call from Malaysia. Then I gifted him with a mobile and we used to talk often and longer hours. I would send all my family and friends who were traveling to Thiruvannamalai to meet him. He would relay messages through them too. That is how he mentioned his life long desire to build a temple for Lord Muruga to my nephew and asked us to help him build it. Just as he had indicated to us his desire to build a temple, Agathiyar too had mentioned that I should contribute towards building temples in my Nadi. It would be built in his village. Later he tells me that it would be near his guru Yogi Ramsuratkumar's samadhi temple. A plot was sourced and work on the temple began only to be stopped by a sudden change of events. A strange man arrived at the crossroads to Swami's kudil, demanding to know why Supramania Swami who was already in the path of Jnana was stepping back into Bakthi. The project was called off.
I arrived at Supramania Swami's kudil in Thiruvannamalai again, on 16 September 2005, sometime after 5pm, having visited Yogi Ramsuratkumar's samadhi temple while waiting for Ramajayam to meet us. Ramajayam led Prem and me into the courtyard where I saw for the very first time, the kudil, that we had helped to build financially. Swami's wife ushered us in as Swami stepped out of his puja room to greet us. I passed him my fruit and garland offerings as I fell at his feet in salutation. I could not hold back my tears. He lifted me up and led me into his puja room, presenting me with a kaavi. We sat to talk. As night fell, and Swami's wife and son left for town to buy some milk and groceries, Swami invited me to prayer. He took up his rosary beads and began chanting his guru Yogi Ramsuratkumar's name as he rolled the beads. I too followed chanting the name as it was rather simple, "Yogi Ramsuratkumara, Yogi Ramsuratkumara, Yogi Ramsuratkumara, Jaya Guru Raya". Hardly a few minutes into it, I heard a third voice! I did not open my eyes but was wondering who it was that was singing with Swami and me. I wanted very much to know and thought that I shall ask Swami once he stopped chanting. Upon ending the chant Swami got up and left the room and I followed him forgetting entirely the whole incident that had taken place just some moments ago!
We spoke late into the night while his wife and granddaughter slept. It was 2.40am and I called it a day, asking permission to lay my head on the pillow. As I turned around in my sleep I saw him still seated on his jute bed, rolling his rudraksha beads.
As the next day was the first Puradasi Sani, Swami had requested that we go to the nearby Sri Ranganathar temple in Thiruveragam, and so I was awake at 5am. But Swami decided to leave at 10.30am after Rahu Kalam. As his family prepared a feast for me, and while waiting to leave for the temple, I decided to share my experiences reading the Nadi with Swami. He listened intently as a child would. He became excited and asked if he could have a reading too?
I took the opportunity to confess to him that I had a selfish motive in helping him want to build a temple. I shared Thavathiru Rengaraja Desigar's narration of how Agathiyar had provided Supramaniar (Lord Muruga) with a place, shelter, food and clothing when Supramaniar came seeking a place to perform his tapas. By providing Supramaniar with these basic necessities and serving him, and taking care of all his needs, Agathiyar gained Supramaniar's blessings. Supramaniar on attaining deathlessness; attaining the Jhothi or the state of light and attaining the state of Erai, raised his Moolakanal and passed it on to Agathiyar.
Citing this episode, I told Supramania Swami I had helped hoping and expecting to get some merits if not at par with what Agathiyar had received from Supramaniar. Without a second thought or a pause Supramania Swami replied with a laugh, "All my tavam is for you, Raja!" I was taken aback, not expecting this. I suddenly realized the extent of his words and what he had given me. I remained silent, thinking in this age of Kali, when people think twice about giving away their possessions, here was one man who gave away his entire life's savings - his tapas, his tavam, all the merits attained through his meditation and spiritual practices - spontaneously without a second thought! Then it dawn on me that he had just given away without any reservation his 40 years of tapas and 17 years of tavam in the arms of Annamalaiyar!
During this a few minutes of silence during which time I began to slowly digest his words, Supramania Swami continued. "You must leave behind everything, even your tavam and tapas!"
Swami then narrated an incident that took place as I slept soundly throughout the early morning hours. After I had dozed off and as Swami sat chanting, a mother and child had stepped into the kudil! She was dressed in a rainbow colored saree. The child and mother spoke between themselves and walked into Swami's prayer room, as Swami sat and watched the happening. As after some time they did not step out of the prayer room, Swami got off his bed to look. There was no one in the prayer room!
As I recall this miracle that was mentioned to me, I am brought to the present where AVM family and I had been on a pilgrimage to India last December. There were two instances where we came across a woman clad in a rainbow colored saree then. At the Agathiyar sannadhi at the outer praharam of the Adhi Kumbeswarar temple in Kumbakonam, a man arrives to open the padlock and latch of the grilled door to Agathiyar's sannadhi as we were settling to chant the names of the Siddhas. Shortly after a lady covered from head to toe and dressed in a rainbow saree enters into Agathiyar's sannadhi and lighted several oil lamps and left as swiftly as she had come without showing us her face to any of us!
The next incident was when Sugumaran awoke abruptly on hearing someone walk by in the middle of the night. As Dyalen, Shanga and I sleep through at Korakar's Samadhi temple in Vadakku Poigainallur, Sugumaran, awakened by the sensation of someone walking by him, to his surprise saw a lady clad from head to toe in a rainbow colored saree past us as we lay on the cold floor of the temple. Sugu seeing her head for the mulasthanam and pray, tucked his head into the covers in apprehension.
I had wanted very much to bring along Supramania Swami on my pilgrimage to several abodes that Agathiyar had indicated that I should go in my Jnana Kaandam. I would bring him and Tavayogi along too, I thought. I mentioned my desire to him and he agreed. But as we travelled to the Sri Ranganathar temple nearby I realized that he was not in a state to travel the short distance much less travel on a 2,000 kilometers trail. I was worried about the consequences and outcome of such a long trip on his already frail health. Consulting with Ramajayam, his son too agreed that his father's frail physique would not be able to take the toll, citing Swami's earlier trip to Palani where he was immediately bedridden upon arrival back at his home. I found courage and told Swami that it would be in the best of his interest that he did not follow us as I cared for his health. Swami amazed me by being understanding and agreed that he would not want to in anyway disrupt my journey.
After a grand feast, with Swami's blessing I started on my second girivalam of Annamalaiyar at 6.40pm with Ramajayam accompanying me. We started at Yogi Ramsuratkumar's samadhi temple as requested by Swami. It took me 6 hours to cover the 14 kilometers this time as compared to 9 hours in 2003.
Getting back to the kudil at 2 in the morning, I was awake at 5am getting myself reading to leave for the Kallar ashram. Agathiyar had asked that I spent a couple of days with Tavayogi at his ashram. Tavayogi agreed to take me to several places that Agathiyar had pointed out in my Jnana kaandam.
As I bid farewell to Supramania Swami at 7.40am, he brought out his blanket and asked me to take it along mentioning that Ooty and its surroundings would be cold. I had already told Swami on arrival of my travel plans. While sharing my Nadi reading I mentioned that Agathiyar had indicated that Tavayogi was my guru in the reading. As he sent me off, Supramania Swami told me to send my regards to Tavayogi. I was amazed and humbled by the nature of this man who was himself a Gnani of high standing (As revealed by the stranger who stopped the temple project and as revealed by Agathiyar later) but yet set me off to meet another guru in physical form without any reservations or obstructions.
After a wonderful stay at Kallar ashram and completing my pilgrimage with Tavayogi, I made it a point to come back to Thiruvannamalai to get Supramania Swami's blessing before returning to Malaysia. Upon arrival at his kudil, with my elder brother this time having picked him at Trichy earlier, Supramania Swami meet us at the car as we alighted. He immediately asked me if Tavayogi was fine? I was again amazed and humbled by the words and concern of Swami for another guru of mine.
The next question he asked reminded me of the third person who had accompanied our chant the evening of my arrival and before I left for Kallar Ashram. His question triggered my memory and I remembered clearly the incident. I asked him immediately with excitement whose voice it was. Supramania Swami gave a loud laugh and replied it was his guru Yogi Ramsuratkumar! My mind raced back to that moment and I stood frozen in joy and bliss on realising the gift and ability of Supramania Swami in bringing his guru to chant together with us even after he had gone into samadhi!
The next question he asked reminded me of the third person who had accompanied our chant the evening of my arrival and before I left for Kallar Ashram. His question triggered my memory and I remembered clearly the incident. I asked him immediately with excitement whose voice it was. Supramania Swami gave a loud laugh and replied it was his guru Yogi Ramsuratkumar! My mind raced back to that moment and I stood frozen in joy and bliss on realising the gift and ability of Supramania Swami in bringing his guru to chant together with us even after he had gone into samadhi!
My mind set out to analyze him. In this age of Kali where even the spiritual circles is tainted with jealousy, envy, covet, folly, schemers, deceivers, repugnance, niggardliness, unscrupulous people, and possessiveness - all the values that one should avoid as mentioned by Valluvar in his Kural - here was a guru who stood apart from others, and gained my respect and devotion.
It is no wonder that Agathiyar made me understand the stature of my guru in his Nadi when Supramania Swami passed away on 7 February 2007. Agathiyar on 10 February told me Supramania Swami was a true guru and had indeed gone into samadhi and his samadhi would one day gain fame. I understood then that you are your thoughts. Raise your thoughts to the state of a Siddha and you shall become one, which Supramania Swami did.
It has been 10 years now since Supramania Swami left his mortal frame. Time has passed and memories have faded, nevertheless he lives in our hearts.
It has been 10 years now since Supramania Swami left his mortal frame. Time has passed and memories have faded, nevertheless he lives in our hearts.
