Lord Shiva's timely instruction to recite both the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra and Dhanvantri mantra comes as a boon to us during this period of extreme hardship in facing the pandemic where we see fear and death happening around us. The Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra erases fear while the Dhanvantri mantra acts as a shield. As this pandemic rages on it looks like it's every man for himself. We in Malaysia say "Kita Jaga Kita" meaning we take care of ourselves. By doing this it doesn't mean we are selfish or that we do not care about others but on the contrary, it is because we care about them that we take care of ourselves following the precautions listed by WHO and the authorities. We do not want others to contract the virus from us and neither do we want to contract from others.
Srīnāthā Rāghavan wrote in Fb yesterday a beautiful piece on mantras. It is very relevant since Lord Shiva and Agathiyar have been speaking about working in cohesion with the Prapanjam, tapping into it its pranic energy, and with the aid of pranayama intensify the vibration that results within and set it free back into the Prapanjam to cleanse and heal it.
Sri says that
".. the power of Mantras, slowly shifts your consciousness and makes the Mind vibrate to a higher vibration. Mantras work on the principle of "Sympathetic Resonance" where a higher resonance overwrites the lower one, thus attaining synchronicity. Mind is ultimately vibration and every Mind vibrates to a certain frequency thus determining how it's going to be, one of a Yogi or a Bhogi. If the vibrations are gross, then it is caught in Samsārā (World and Worldly) and if raised higher, it is in sync with Kailāsā. Mantras when done properly raises one's core vibration, be it Physical, Mental, Emotional and Spiritual, making us overall fit to receive higher grace and perception. A highly refined Mind is only capable of witnessing the inner unseen workings of Creation, else it gets caught in the obvious."
"A Mantra has to be repeated a certain Million times to set up the neural track and energy in motion, clearing the inner pathways be it physical or astral. Even as a Mantra is repeated the Sound activates certain dormant parts of the Brain awakening us to a higher experience of light. As the chanting deepens it clears and opens up many neural pathways within, taking you into inner dimensions or realms, where the Mantra Devata resides. That's when the Mantra attains siddhi or perfection, when the Mantra Devata and the Mantrika form an unbreakable bond of trust in each other's words/intent."
"Mantras are Sonic Anchors which take us from gross reality to subtle ones. When a Mantra resonates partly outside and partly within, if our awareness follows the outer route, the Mantra helps mold the outer reality, whereas when you follow the inner route, it unfolds the world within. Hence a Mantra can be used to manifest all the desires of a Bhogi (Enjoyer) or it can deepen one's inner awareness leading the Mantrika into a state of Yoga (Union)."
Those who are not familiar with how to connect with the Prapanjam, they can opt to perform a Homam. Rituals too are needed for the wellbeing of one and his surroundings. If meditation is for the internal wellbeing, rituals are for the external, Even those into deep meditation have to wake up to the world unless they opt to remain in samadhi. Of course, their perception of the world would be entirely different then. They do come back and propagate the need for rituals as Tavayogi and Agathiyar trained us. Tavayogi started an ashram on the directive of Agathiyar postponing his intent to go into samadhi. The reason is that having attained the state of a Jeevan Mukta, one has to come down from his state of contentment and accomplishment to give back to the Prapanjam. What better means than to lead others to the destination? Hence in Seva or service, they serve the Lord. We are always reminded of the acts of the saints of the past who served the Lord's devotees. One has to step out of his state of contentment and give a hand to another to reach that state. That is the purpose in life as dictated by Agathiyar. Only then have we lived life fully. The gift of knowledge and wisdom showered on us is not to be taken with us. All the practice and guidance given to us is not to be taken with us. Supramania Swami left it behind before he left his mortal frame. Tavayogi left it behind before he left his mortal frame too. I picked it up from them. Today it has been passed on to another young devotee Mahindren.
When the pandemic that was restrained got out of hand and the numbers began to escalate again, Mahindren initiated the ritual of conducting a Homam telling me that if Tavayogi was around he would have done the same too. When the tsunami hit the coasts of India in 2004, Tavayogi set out to carry out a Yagam on a large scale at his Ashram grounds. That has become an annual event now taking the form of the Sarva Dosa Nivarana Maha Yagam to this day at Kallar Ashram. Taking the cue and suggestion that the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra and Dhanvantri Mantra would be appropriate as the former removes fear and the latter acts as a shield, Mahindren set out to light the fire in his home with his family. Lord Shiva came immediately after the ritual and answered our worries.
"மனிதர்கள் பிரபஞ்சத்தோடு இணைந்து பிரபஞ்சத்தைக் கவசமாய் பயன்படுத்தி பிரபஞ்சத்தைச் சுத்தம் செய்ய வேண்டும். பிரபஞ்சம் சுத்தம் அடையும் தருணம் இந்த நோய் முற்றிலும் குணமடையும். பிரபஞ்சத்தோடு இணையும்பொழுது உங்களில் ஏற்படும் அதிர்வுகள் அணுவாய் மாறிப் பிரபஞ்சத்தைத் தூய்மை செய்யும். அதுநாள் வரை இந்த நோய் நீண்டகாலம் இருக்கச் செய்யும். சிவன் நானும் உங்களோடு இணைந்து பிரார்த்தனைகளை முன்வேய்ப்பேன் பிரபஞ்சம் தூய்மை பெற. முடிந்தமட்டிலும் ஒவ்வொருவரும் இந்த ஹோமத்தைச் வாரம் ஒரு நாள் செய்து வாருங்கள். யாரெல்லாம் கலந்துகொள்ள முடியுமோ கலந்து கொள்ளதும். பூஜையில் இணைவோருக்கு இந்த நோய் பாதிக்காது. உங்களின் பூஜையை நான் ஏற்றுக்கொண்டேன்."
Lord Shiva says man now needs to join forces with the Prapanjam and use it as a force field or shield and engage in cleansing it. When it's cleansed the world will be completely rid of the virus. When we engage with the Prapanjam the vibration that takes place in us shall become atoms that shall cleanse the Prapanjam. The virus will be around till that day (till that is achieved fully). Shiva will join us in prayers to cleanse the Prapanjam. He asked that we try to do the Homan once a week. Those who can join do so, he says (In lieu of the lockdown). Those who engage in this prayer will be safe. He has accepted Mahindren's Puja.
Mahindren got the ball rolling and others followed him too in their respective homes, now each home becoming Agathiyar Vanam or garden. My home that began as a single rhizome and took on the name Agathiyar Vanam Malaysia has today, like "the root system of banana plants that puts out suckers, which form new plants to replace the dying main plant after it fruits" has sprouted in the homes of these devotees. It gives me great joy to see this development that was both a wish and a dream of Tavayogi and Agathiyar. Another couple Sri Krishna and Srimathi Dewy, ardent devotees of Agathiyar having come to the path even much earlier than me, take every directive from Agathiyar and execute them immediately. The Homam burns in their home too that is known as Agathiyar Universal Mission or AUM. It is from this couple that we learned to do charity. Is this what the saints meant when they referred to their lineage as வாழையடி வாழையென வந்த திருக்கூட்டம் referring to the root system of the banana plants?
We should not let the flame in us die. We should not burn out completely without lighting another candle. It is not only about leaving behind children but leaving our mark on another too. That is what the saints did. They all left their mark on others. Should not we do the same? Both Mahindren and his wife and Sri Krishna and his wife fit this bill perfectly. We do not need to become a guru to do it. Being ourselves as Agathiyar's devotees we can light another candle. If we look around us, we shall see and identify our purpose in coming here. Until and unless we open our eyes the divine will keep his shut. That is how it works.