Monday, 22 March 2021

WHEN MAN MEETS THE SIDDHAS 3

After taking up their call in the Nadi, as I had no idea who the Siddhas were, I searched for ways to reach out to them. I did not have to search far and wide though. The search was made easy as attested and acknowledged by Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal many years later. After receiving the call to come to the path through the Nadi reading, I was shown a simple prayer to the Siddhas by the Nadi reader. The way and the means were shown through a simple ritual without the need to seek elsewhere, without cost, and without any struggle. The approach to invoke the blessings of the Siddhas consisted of the simple recitation of their names. Right at my doorstep were several societies and organizations that adorned, carried, and were run under Agathiyar's name. Seeking to know further about the numerous names that made their way into the book of "Siddhargal Potri Thoguppu", I began visiting several of these establishments. Although I did observe many things I did not learn anything additional about the Siddhas apart from what was commonplace then. These institutions were more engrossed in feeding the hungry. Puja was rare too in their circles. Temple worship was taboo. They were aligned more to clan and cult. I then turned my sights to books on the Siddhas. I looked into the pages of the books I bought and read seeking to know these Siddhas. But these books were repetitive too carrying the same mythological stories of the Siddhas. I was seeking real-life experiences from others on the path. No one could fill me in in this area. I turned to worship of the Siddhas in my own home. Soon I began to compile the songs of praise to Siddhas for my personal home puja, taking from the numerous resources that were spread over several volumes of books. With the coming of other seekers to AVM, this compilation saw its way into their hands and their homes too. Besides songs of praise, there were songs that pleaded the Siddhas to accept the seeker into their folds. These songs caught my attention and I recited them. Soon these songs manifested into reality too. For instance, taking up the prayer by Thavathiru Rengaraja Desigar seeking the Siddhas to lead and show him the way, materialized in good time. 

அகத்தீசா உனது சீடர்களாகிய ஒன்பது கோடி பேரும் என்னை சூழ்ந்திருந்து நான் விரும்பியதெல்லாம் முடித்து வைப்பதோடு மட்டுமல்லாது உன்னுடைய மலையாகிய பொதிகைக்கு என்னை அழைத்துவர என்னை சீடனாக நீ ஏற்றுக்கொள்ள வேண்டும். நான் உய்வதற்கு அருள் புரிய வேண்டும். உனது அருள் பூரணமாக பெற்றல் வேண்டும்.

This prayer that I kept reciting brought Tavayogi to volunteer to take me to all the sacred abodes of the Siddhas in the jungles many years later. He would point to the sky; he would make me aware of the sweet aroma that lingered around us as we made our journey into the woods and as we stayed in their caves; and he would point out the cool breeze that brushed across our faces and chilled our backs telling me that the Siddhas were ushering us, accompanying and following us, and showering flower petals on us. Although I would look back at him with astonishment and disbelief I chose to remain silent, and move in tandem and go with the flow, never questioning his sanity even for a moment. Today we realize the truth in his words since experience has taught us much. 

Another such song that brought on amazing results was,

ஐயனே போற்றி போற்றி அருள்பெற்ற தேவே போற்றி
மெய்யனே போற்றி போற்றி மெய்சுடர் அணிந்தாய் போற்றி
கையனே போற்றி போற்றி காசினி முனிவா போற்றி
உய்யனே எனையாட் கொண்ட உந்தியில் உதிக்குந்தேவே
உந்தியிலுதிக்குந்தேவே ஒருபொருள் உகந்தாய் போற்றி
சிந்தையில் நினைந்த போதே திருநாட மிட்டாய் போற்றி
வந்தித்தேன் உந்தன் பாதம் வானமுந் திறந்தாய் போற்றி
அந்தித்தேன் குருவே ஐயா அடியினைப் போற்றி போற்றி

The line "வந்தித்தேன் உந்தன் பாதம் வானமுந் திறந்தாய் போற்றி", saw Agathiyar open the gates to heaven and bring the heavenly and saintly ones down in droves into our homes. Apart from these songs of praises and pleadings, I picked up those that described the mystical experiences of the saints like Manickavasagar and Ramalinga Adigal, who sang of the bliss in reaching out to the divine. These songs truly touched the soul as we began to sing them too. We were often drenched in tears singing their divine compositions. We could relate to these songs. Recently Agathiyar came to endorse the need to sing these songs to gain the said experiences. If during the previous years we spent the night conducting rituals and singing Lord Shiva's praise during Sivarathri, in 2020, we called on Lord Shiva to grant his blessing by opening the "door" singing Ramalinga Adigal's song சிவயோக நிலை or Sivayoka Nilai. 

1. மதிமண்ட லத்தமுதம் வாயார உண்டே
பதிமண்ட லத்தரசு பண்ண - நிதிய
நவநேய மாக்கும் நடராஜ னேயெஞ்
சிவனே கதவைத் திற.

2. இந்தார் அருளமுதம் யானருந்தல் வேண்டுமிங்கே
நந்தா மணிவிளக்கே ஞானசபை - எந்தாயே
கோவே எனது குருவே எனையாண்ட
தேவே கதவைத் திற.

3. சாகா அருளமுதம் தானருந்தி நான்களிக்க
நாகா திபர்சூழ் நடராஜா - ஏகா
பவனே பரனே பராபரனே எங்கள்
சிவனே கதவைத் திற.

4. அருளோங்கு தண்ணமுதம் அன்பால் அருந்தி
மருள்நீங்கி நான்களித்து வாழப் - பொருளாந்
தவநேயர் போற்றும் தயாநிதியே எங்கள்
சிவனே கதவைத் திற.

5. வானோர்க் கரிதெனவே மாமறைகள் சாற்றுகின்ற
ஞானோ தயஅமுதம் நானருந்த - ஆனாத்
திறப்பா வலர்போற்றும் சிற்றம் பலவா
சிறப்பா கதவைத் திற.

6. எல்லாமும் வல்லசித்தென் றெல்லா மறைகளுஞ்சொல்
நல்லார் அமுதமது நானருந்த - நல்லார்க்கு
நல்வாழ் வளிக்கும் நடராயா மன்றோங்கு
செல்வா கதவைத் திற.

7. ஏழ்நிலைக்கும் மேற்பால் இருக்கின்ற தண்ணமுதம்
வாழ்நிலைக்க நானுண்டு மாண்புறவே - கேழ்நிலைக்க
ஆவாஎன் றென்னைஉவந் தாண்டதிரு அம்பலமா
தேவா கதவைத் திற.

8. ஈன உலகத் திடர்நீங்கி இன்புறவே
ஞான அமுதமது நானருந்த - ஞான
உருவே உணர்வே ஒளியே வெளியே
திருவே கதவைத் திற.

9. திரையோ தசத்தே திகழ்கின்ற என்றே
வரையோது தண்ணமுதம் வாய்ப்ப - உரைஓது
வானேஎம் மானேபெம் மானே மணிமன்றில்
தேனே கதவைத் திற.

10. சோதிமலை மேல்வீட்டில் தூய திருவமுதம்
மேதினிமேல் நானுண்ண வேண்டினேன் - ஓதரிய
ஏகா அனேகா எழிற்பொதுவில் வாழ்ஞான
தேகா கதவைத் திற.

(Source: http://www.thiruarutpa.org/thirumurai/v/T270/tm/sivayooka_n-ilai)

To our surprise and delight, Ramalinga Adigal came to help channel the power and energy of the consciousness within throughout the night till dawn. During this year's Sivarathri, Bhogar came at the very onset of the first puja at 6 pm and surprised us by singing this song, asking Lord Shiva to open the door on our behalf. Bhogar announced Lord Shiva's arrival making us aware of his divine presence amidst us. He told us to ask whatever we wanted from Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva is known to give boons to all alike, the good, the bad, and the ugly. But we were too spellbound by the chain of events that took place that evening that we could only stand and watch in awe. We stood stunned and speechless not knowing what to ask of the Almighty for he has given us all that we needed. Coming to our senses, as he was waiting for us to speak up, we told him that we had nothing to ask from him, as he has given us all that we needed. 

What would you ask God if he comes to you?