Today AVM received the amazing and sacred Saligramam, a gift from Dylan who just returned from Muktinath, Nepal. Muktinath is known as Mukti Kshetra, the place of liberation or moksha, its ancient name being Thiru Saligramam.
This being the very first time I was seeing a Saligramam up front and holding it, I was surprised to see a design engraved on it. I had all this while thought that it was yet another ordinary pebble from the river bed.
Surfing the net I came to know of some amazing and astonishing facts about the Saligramam.
1. It carries the symbol of Lord Vishnu's Sudarshana chakra! The Sudarshana Chakra is a spinning, disk-like weapon, having 108 serrated edges. (Source: wikipedia.org)
1. It carries the symbol of Lord Vishnu's Sudarshana chakra! The Sudarshana Chakra is a spinning, disk-like weapon, having 108 serrated edges. (Source: wikipedia.org)
2. Besides the Kusha-grass or Dharbai, the Pipal-tree and the Tulsi-plant, the Saligramam-stone is also considered auspicious, sacred and is worshipped as Lord Vishnu. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says, "I am the Peepal tree among the trees, Narada among the sages, Chitraratha among the Gandharvas, and sage Kapila among the Siddhas." (Source: wikipedia.org)
3. The Saligramam is said to be found only in the Gandaki River, situated high in the Himalayas in Nepal, hence it is considered rare and valuable.
Receiving the Saligrama opened up a whole new world of mystery. It is believed that the chakra symbols are formed by river worms called Vajra Keeta (the adamantine worm) and that these worms drill the stones, get into it and dwell in it; while others believe it is the fossil or the remains of a sea creature called ammonites. (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk%3AShaligram)
The river worm reminds me of a BBC documentary that I saw some time back, where the Japanese Pufferfish, using its fin draws beautiful ornate circles, on the sea bed to attract, court and engage passing females. Once the female accepts the courtship, it moves in (into the design) to inspect the masterpiece, lays its eggs, and the male fertilizes it. The female leaves, leaving the male to guard the eggs. The male then destroys his lovely creation.
Once when I was sitting in the living room of a relative's home alone, as the womenfolk were in the kitchen and their children were out, I heard a strange repetitive sound in that quiet moment. I looked around but saw nothing. When I questioned my sister-in-law she told me it was their fish that was stacking the stones in the aquarium! True enough it brought stones from one corner of the aquarium to the other, picking the stones in its mouth and dropping it later at its destination. If the Pufferfish was an architect, this was a builder!
Erai's creation is truly amazing!
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| A tiny Japanese pufferfish creates a grand sand sculpture on the featureless seabed by using his fins to dig furrows. He uses this to attract the attention of passing females.(Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zsjfyrd) |
AVM family had journeyed to the Pothigai Hills and Agathiyar's abode at its peak in August of 2015. Bala Chandran brought back some pieces of rock as instructed by "Aiya" in trance. AVM was blessed to receive a piece.
When my family and I returned to Malaysia after a five day stay at Kallar ashram in 2013, Tavayogi gifted us with Agathiyar's padham or sandals and vaasikol or staff made from the fallen Nuna tree (நுணா or Morinda pubescens or Indian Mulberry) in the old ashram grounds.
Thavathiru Muthukumar Swamigal of Kutralam materialized a rudraksha bead from thin air and gifted it to AVM when he visited Malaysia some time back.
The biggest gift we at AVM have received to date is having Agathiyar come into our lives and we are grateful to him for: giving us an opportunity to serve him indirectly; for guiding us on his Siddha path; for being a force field or kavasam; for bringing positive thoughts and values into our consciousness; for bringing us to do charity; and for slowly helping us accumulate good merits to counter our past karma. Hopefully one day we would be void of karma entirely and return to his abode to serve him directly.