When my family and I came to worship the Siddhas and especially after Agathiyar came in the form of the statue, many were shown to our home through their Nadi readings. Many others we brought over by their friends. In the initial years after his coming in the form of a statue to AVM in 2010, we had lit ghee lamps and prayed to Agathiyar to bring relief to our troubles and problems, illness, etc, as was ordained by him in the Nadi. Then over the years, I realized at one point in time that it had become a ritual that was associated with AVM just as there are many rituals associated with other places of worship too. As we have been following him for a long time now, I felt that it was time we started listening to Agathiyar rather than stuffing our desires and wishes in his face in all the temples where he resides. I stopped providing the cotton wicks, ghee, and lamps. I told devotees to AVM to bring their own oil lamps and light them before him. If they desired to perform libation to Agathiyar I asked them to make all the necessary purchases and perform the ritual themselves. Many understood. They even brought over food as in a pot-luck to share with the other devotees and to distribute to the hungry in the streets and homes. It became both an individual effort and a collective event at the same time with everyone having a role in puja and charity. Then in a very timely manner, Agathiyar revealed to me through a couple that what I did was right. This couple who went all the way to see to it that other's parikaram or remedies were fulfilled, were cautioned by Agathiyar. Agathiyar told them that one has to sweat it out in hiking the hill to the many temples perched on top of it if he was to shed his karma; that one had to hunt for the items needed for the parikaram that they were asked to do or offer to the deities himself, and not to depend on others to purchase and provide them, and that one had to cook and feed the poor if that was stipulated too and not outsource them. Their idea in giving us a remedy was to get us totally involved in the action meted out right from A-Z. In getting us to move and place some effort and by doing it go through some pain and hardship, that would wipe out a major portion of our karma even before we finally stood before God's sannadhi or shrine in prayer or handed out the food to the hungry. God then shall strikeout that particular karma from the long list that we have brought with us.
There were many others who stumbled on at my place, which I believe today was never by accident. I firmly believe Agathiyar had a hand in it because he would come later to heal or sort out their lives' problems and troubles. When strangers open up to my wife and me, as we were good listeners we listened on. Since we were new to the worship and full of zeal and zest, we could not help keep our mouths shut but had to advise, point out or guide them. But what came out of them was a can of worms. It was disturbing to us for we never wanted to pry into other's lives. Even when the Nadi Nool Aasan whom I frequented to have my Nadi read requested me to come in and help translate the Nadi for non-Tamils I never wanted to do so for the same reason.
That is where the trouble escalated in their lives that was already on the threshold of collapsing. When I called Tavayogi and consulted him, he asked me why did I interfere? He told me to show them to Agathiyar and let him listen them out. We understood his message very well. Non-interference was the keyword here. Our home was a venue where Agathiyar came over to hear the plea and cry of his devotees and seekers. We were just custodians of his statue or murthy. Nothing more. Our job was to just let them in and leave all matters to Agathiyar. We backed off understanding our role now.
But Agathiyar was not about to let go of us. Beyond and above our passive participation in lending our ears to their problems, the Siddhas came to do their part too. He had to see his devotees and seekers and at times apprehend some or heal and comfort others. He began to use our bodies. We backed off in fear. When we made a plea to him to let us off the hook, as we did not want the word to get around and have people stand in line to hear his words or get healed, all the action stopped at once.... at least for some time. No one came by for some time. He knew we were shaken up by the turn of events that was altogether new to us. Then he asked me if there was a problem or issue? "No one shall hurt neither you nor your family. It is not going to cause any inconvenience to you. There is no concern to worry about you taking on their karma. I am only using you and your home to carry out my work." Only then did I relent and give way. Then the line that was stalled began to move again and we saw a stream of visitors coming to pay their respects to Agathiyar. To some, he addressed and healed them.
This play of miracles or சித்து விளையாட்டு was carried to another level with the coming of another devotee who was a good vessel and conductor of their energies. They began to take larger strides reaching out to the entire kingdom of Gods and Goddesses and bringing them down. We were asked to watch and not interfere. We were asked to witness and learn. Even if I got up to leave the place when at times the conversation was very personal and intimate, Agathiyar would hold me back and asked that I listen on and learn from the conversation he was having with them. At times if my presence was making others uncomfortable he would ask me to leave but he would fill me in later. Somehow he wanted me to know these things however unappealing or disturbing it was.
When we walked up the flight of steps at times when the lifts were not working in the low-cost flats to deliver freshly cooked food and groceries, we never wanted to listen to the problems of these families at length for we had to cover many homes. Giving an ear to their problems would have us spent the whole day listening for they had so many problems. Figuring that to be focused on what we came to do was the right thing to do, and as we could not hold up other members and have them wait long hours as we carpooled to do charity, we briskly distributed the aid and dispersed. Then late 2019, Agathiyar handed over these mammoth tasks to another samaritan and had us go within. He stopped puja and charity. A couple of months later came the pandemic that forced authorities to implement lockdowns. But the NGO that took over looked after their needs well.
In times of this pandemic, I receive calls and messages from his devotees asking me to light a lamp or pray for them or their close ones who have been found positive or are in ICU. I have moved on from rituals the past year and a half after Agathiyar dissolved the AVM group that was focused on worship or puja and AS group that focused on charity programs. He had us move in and within. I could not possibly go back to lighting a lamp for individual souls. He set us to pray for the wellbeing of the Prapanjam now. From individual prayers he brought us to pray for all as praying for the Prapanjam would include every single thing in it. There was a paradigm shift towards the total wellness of all. If the tools were the many rituals we adopted, now he had us connect with and use the energy of the Prapanjam, enhance it with our breath in preparedness for the pandemic that was to unfold later. Both Agathiyar and Ramalinga Adigal guided and aided us in connecting with the Prapanjam with our breath. As the pandemic reared its ugly head, Lord Shiva dictated us to bring the resultant vibration from our earlier practice and pass it back to the Prapanjam to cleanse and heal it. Hearing Lord Shiva's command we sent out the word and asked families and friends to join us from their homes in prayer in reaching out to the Prapanjam. Many acknowledged telling us that they had participated sitting at that specific time to pray. We thank all those who were concerned about the current state of affairs and participated in this group prayer from their individual homes.
My wife's mother had a fall where the impact of her fall resulted in a broken hip. She had a fracture of the head of her greater trochanter and it had to be replaced. My wife sought permission from Agathiyar to leave to attend to her. He gave her leave to go but not me. Besides taking care of her aged parents with her sister's daughter being a great source of help, my wife led a prayer in their home for her fast recovery. She told me she could sense the presence of the divine energies as she led them in chanting the Siddha's names and both the mantras. Her mother has since recovered well.
When a friend asked to pray for his mother who was hospitalized and unconscious Agathiyar had a message for him. He asked him to pray for his mother instead. He told him that the doctors could perform the required procedures and tell us in clinical terms that the surgery was a success. It is the Prapanajam that heals and brings about recovery eventually. Agathiyar asked him to connect with the Prapanjam and reach out to it for help. Only that could save her. She passed away. But her soul came back to deliver a message to her entire family who kept their father company. She wanted to leave. The pain was too much. She was received by Shirdi Sai Baba and brought before Goddess Kali. The family had worshipped both the guru and the deity. She told them that she was happy and not to worry. She and Baba would always be with them.
When Dr. Krishnan, who was a guru to me too besides being my astrologer and Siddha physician, passed away, I attended his funeral. After the family did the last rites at his home and before bringing him to the crematorium, we were invited to pay our respect to him. As I stood before him, I could connect with his soul. We smiled at each other. He was happy to leave. I walked away happy for him.
When Agathiyar's devotees called me to ask to pray for them and their family members who were tested positive, I asked that they be brave and observe all the restrictions and safety measures outlined by the doctors and to pray and chant the mantras given by Lord Shiva too and to reach out to the Prapanjam for help and fast recovery. Agathiyar had a similar message for them telling them to be brave too as he would be at their side. Although they lost two members of the family five of them have survived the ordeal. They used to call often telling me that they found it comforting to talk to me. They told me talking to me gave them strength. Was that possible? Then I remembered my wife telling me of support groups initiated to bring together victims and patients where they can share their stories. That brought encouragement and strength to them. As they needed much convincing Agathiyar asked them to stop calling me but to put in their individual prayers.
So the question aroused in me if I was right to shun and move away from hearing other's problems all these while?
He had shown me through his many previous actions how a Siddha would tackle and confront issues but I failed to see them. I only saw them from my view and perspective. He has opened my eyes. The last straw that broke the camel's back was when he asked me, "What if I were to turn a deaf ear to your needs? Where would you go?"
If I had stayed away from listening on to other's problems; and if I had hesitated to help another, for all the above reasons and various other reasons, Agathiyar made me mellow on my previous stand and principles. To drive in the nail, I just watched the movie Katrin Mozhi and I fell in love with it for I could connect with that story. Many call up the lead character Vijayalakshmi and share their troubles and problems with her. She being a new RJ hosting the program on the station listens and comforts them. I have seen this sector of our society that is left out of the mainstream. Left all alone to fend for themselves. They have no one to talk to and nowhere to go. Hence when there was an avenue and someone to listen, they immediately turn to them, as did many dial and called up the station in the movie.
It is indeed true that it is from experience, that we learn lessons. Goddess Ma was right in telling us that the Siddha Neri or the Path of the Siddhas was one of learning lessons from the experiences that we gained. But it does come the hard way at times. I know that there will be many more lessons coming my way. When I came to the path it was a mystery. It is still a mystery. But I do not want to leave it at that, unsolved and forever remaining a mystery. I do not want to leave without solving it. Will I be able to break the code? For this, I need the Siddhas' help.