If Tavayogi had thousands of questions put to him, I too had some tricky questions come my way.
"You say you have worshipped the Siddhas. What results or benefits have you seen?"
This person needs to be convinced first that she shall reap benefits from this venture. Her approach is that of a businesswoman wanting to see returns from her investment.
"Why do you need to praise the Siddhas?"
This person by nature hasn't praised anyone in his life I guess. In praising another we feel good. Just try shouting or condemning another. It makes you feel sick and bitter, cold, tense, and angry. Similarly, and although we agree with him that God doesn't need our praise, in singing His praise it is we who are elevated to the state of bliss. Every ritual and practice done brings us and our souls to a higher state of joy and bliss, that of ஆனந்தம் and பேரானந்தம்.
"I read in your blog that Agathiyar speaks to you. Could it be a hallucination?"
Let it be my hallucination as long as I do not trouble another. It is usual for us to deride others what we cannot perceive or understand a thing. That understanding comes only with experience. That experience is gained only by taking the walk and not by investigating. Trying to understand another is different from going through the experience that he has had and understanding it.
To all the people who asked these questions, I invited them to walk the journey and find out for themselves. No amount of talk, explanation, discussion, Satsang could possibly replace these experiences. Yes, we can relate to them the many miracles shown. But that was something we saw. It would not happen again. We cannot make it happen again. I have always wanted to share these moments of extreme bliss in me with others. I asked if it was possible simply by touch. So we got together and held hands. It did work. The Siddhas came to hold our hands too. But above and beyond these is the soul's experience that goes beyond the physical. Tavayogi defines the joy experienced by the physical body and that gained through the senses as lesser and impermanent joy or சிற்றின்பம். That that the soul experiences is a greater and lasting joy or பேரின்பம்.
One has to be in the field - to see the expanse of our earth stretching till the horizons; the sky and its great expanse; the smell of grass; the breeze that brushes our faces, the sweetness of the water from the clear streams; and the sounds that nature makes. Although these are the pleasures and the joy that the senses perceive and gift us, when we bring awareness to it, the soul gets connected immediately and begins to perceive directly the joy becoming merge in bliss or ஆனந்தம். Stretching this bliss further beyond space and time is eternal bliss or பேரானந்தம். Tavayogi always asks that we prolong these moments.
But the journey is a long one. If in Sariyai although we get to serve our beloved deities, by gathering flowers, and keeping their temple abode clean, etc, we stood a distance from them as we had to observe the numerous man-made rules and laws that forbade us to venture further than the threshold of the Garba Graha or inner sanctum. We cannot possibly bath the deities. We could only watch the brilliance of the deities heavily decorated once the veil is drawn aside. If there is a need the priests shall carry out Yagam. We sit around as spectators. But that is how it is and we have to respect and abide by the rules as we are on others' turf.
In the path of the Siddhas, we were given the freedom to explore. We were given leeway to deviate from the norm too. Tavayogi motioned me to step into the inner sanctum of Agathiyar at Agathiyampalli. But I refrained as we were not used to entering the sacred space. I opted to sit on the threshold. Yet the most compassionate father did open his left eye to see us in his granite statue. With a replica of his image at this temple in my home, we spent hours bathing him and decorating him. We carried out Homam for hours too. All to our satisfaction. Agathiyar came by in the Nadi and told us each time that he too was extremely happy. We suddenly became active participants in these rituals. No rules were laid. Each was free to do as he pleased. A forum and a venue was created where the devotee and Agathiyar could interact with minimum intrusion.
If Dr. Krishnan speaking to me about the Nadi in 1996, told me that past curses that took the shape of karma could prevent us from receiving our dues and rewards in this lifetime, five years later Agathiyar in a mysterious way passed me the Vasudeva Mantra that could break these knots. It came through his agents of these mystical worlds, quite similar to the fictitious Loki who is an agent of Asgard. Agathiyar gave me the Vasudeva mantra in 2001 and only revealed himself a year later in my very first Nadi reading.
The Vasudeva mantra is said to pierce the Vishnu Granthi or knot. R Venu Gopalan in his book, "The Hidden Mysteries of Kundalini", enlightened me further on this mantra stating that the Vishnu Granthi adds obstructions for the Sadhaka keeping one under the wraps of attachment and bondage. The mantra is recited for balancing the Vishnu Granthi.
The Nadis of the heart chakra is cleansed. It balances the heart chakra. Continuous practice of meditation on this mantra helps purify the thinking process. It also helps in dissolving all the past karmic deeds for a better future.
From Awakening State at http://www.awakeningstate.com/spiritual-awakening/om-namo-bhagavate-vasudevaya/ we learn that,
This Sanskrit mantra can be practiced to attain freedom (moksha) from Samsara – the “Karmic Wheel” that keeps us bound to cycle after cycle of incarnations. This liberation mantra is a karmic eraser. Chanting this mantra with a sincere heart frees your mind and spirit from negative patterns in this life and helps us realize ourselves as a manifestation of transcendent divinity.
Besides being a panacea aiding with the removal of one's karma, this mantra brings on tremendous changes in the Sadhaka leading him to the higher states. Yogi Professor Ramdas Prabhuji who is of the same opinion as R Venu Gopalan, writes at https://lahirimahasayakriyayoga.org/om-namo-bhagavate-vasudevaya/
The purpose of the Second and Third Kriya is to break the heart granthi in order to get the fourth state, Turiya, or Samadhi. The heart knot is the Vishnu-Granthi. Therefore, the supreme Vishnu mantra (mahamantra) – Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya – is used for this purpose. The Vasudeva-mantra of 12 syllables – Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya – is known as a Mukti Mantra because it grants release from Samsara for the one who recites it with devotion and faith. In the light of Kriya Yoga, the fourth state of Turiya, or Vasudeva, is a synonym for Kevala Kumbhaka.
Wikipedia mentions the following,
‘Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya’ is a mantra of Vishnu and Krishna both. This twelve syllable mantra is known as a Mukti (liberation) mantra and a spiritual formula for attaining freedom.
In a book titled, "Saint Dhruva", it is mentioned that this mantra was given to Dhruva by Saint Narada who initiated Dhruva into the mysteries of yoga and meditation leading to samadhi.
Narada taught Dhruva the practice of pranayama by inhaling, exhaling, and holding the breath. He taught Dhruva to overcome thought fluctuations with the help of breath control. Narada also taught Dhruva to meditate on Vishnu in the sanctuary of his heart repeating the Lord’s name mentally and offer prayers and worship.
This mantra was mentioned in an extract from the English translation of the book "Kriya Yoga Vijnan - The Science of Kriya Yoga", the original by Saint Lahari Mahasaya.
Lahari Mahasaya has named this sadhana, Omkar kriya. This is essentially a pranayama and the basis is the Vasudeva mantra. The Shastras have propounded that the Vasudeva mantra is an omniscient mantra. When a Sadhaka starts comprehending his awareness as one with the mantra then he becomes omniscient himself. Then his attainment shall be - I am this omniscient Vasudeva. In the Gita it is stated: "In the very last of all births, the man of wisdom worships me, realizing that all is Vasudeva. Rare indeed is the soul. Then do namaskar to thyself."