Who is a Siddha? A common definition of a Siddha is given below.
Siddha (Sanskrit: सिद्ध siddha; "perfected one") is a term that is used widely in Indian religions and culture. It means "one who is accomplished." It refers to perfected masters who have achieved a high degree of physical as well as spiritual perfection or enlightenment. Siddha may also refer to one who has attained a siddhi, paranormal capabilities. Siddhas may broadly refer to siddhars, naths, ascetics, sadhus, or yogis because they all practice sādhanā. (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddha)
The first time I heard the name Siddhas mentioned was by Dr. Krishnan who told me that only the Siddhas could tell if we were cursed. Why did the subject come up? When all the predictions of Dr. Krishnan came true for others, it did not materialize in my case. So I asked if his predictions could go wrong. He replied, "Yes if you had been cursed in past lives". The subject ended at that in 1996. In 2002 my colleague brought up the subject of the Nadi relating to me his experience in reading it in 2000. I became excited and asked to see it. An appointment was made and I sat before the Nadi reader from Avinashi who was in Malaysia. I sat through the reading with awe hearing my life unfold before me. When my present was narrated, I was astonished. When my future was predicted, I was excited. But when my past was exposed, I was ashamed. True enough just as Dr. Krishnan had indicated the possibility of curses, Agathiyar confirmed it by revealing my horoscope in the Nadi. I was made to understand that the sins of my past lives and the associated karma, which appeared as flaws and curses in the planets that were apparent at my time of birth had contributed to the state of affairs. I understood that just as at the post office the letters and parcels are sorted into their respective postal codes to be delivered to the addresses, the appropriate results of our past sins and actions waiting to take form is most intelligently, determined, classified, and slotted to happen to align with the movement of the planets. The planetary cycle determines when certain effects of our past deeds are rolled out and take place. It knows when to bring out the parcel from its warehouse and roll it off to its receiver. So when the time is right to reap the benefits of our past actions or be showered with bullets the "delivery man" delivers the package to our doorsteps. We are either surprised with gifts and good news that is an outcome of our good actions in the past or jolted from our seats thinking that the planets have turned against us and become unfavorable. The planets are merely a mechanism set into orbit to deliver the goods of all our past undertakings. They have nothing to do personally with us, no vengeance nor friendship. They just do their job. They deliver the goods, our goods back to us.
Laying my horoscope before me, the Siddhas gave me hope. Things would change, they told me. I understood that sure it would be provided I heeded their advice. I understood that our fate is not written in stone but it can be changed with the help of these Siddhas. I was told that the faults in the stars can be changed with God's grace. I was told that worship of God, upholding divine thoughts, service to humanity, and temple worship would go a long way in bringing these changes. Health issues can be subdued by carrying out agamas or rituals. Though I had repented and done the necessary remedies in my past birth, and though it brought me to be blessed with this birth, I was told that karma followed on my heels. Hence it was only befitting that I carry out the said remedies. I understood the nature of karma and how difficult it was to erase them once it is ingrained in the Akashic records.
Given a set of parikarams or remedies and armed with prayers to the Hindu Gods and the Siddhas, I began my journey to know the Siddhas. The remedies first and foremost came in the form of thanking the Siddhas who had painstakingly documented my past lives and volunteered to retrieve them from the archives and look through them and advocate a solution in this life. This came in the form of Naadikku Dhanam that was a homage paid in the form of a prayer to the Nadi and worship of the Siddhas in return for their compassion in looking into the skies for an opening at the end of the tunnel. As Lord Ganapathy is known to break all shackles and remove all the obstacles, next came the chanting of Lord Ganapathy's mantra. I was assured of quick progress with the worship of the Siddhas. This would be hastened by the worship of Lord Siva. Besides this, I was told to come to the path of Agathiyar. Meanwhile, I sought establishments linked with the Siddhas in the Klang Valley. But as none could show me worship to the Siddhas, I picked up whatever I learned from the Nadi reader, and from some books and took up their worship in the confines of my home.
I understand today that the Atma in me that was hibernating behind the veil letting me finish my business in settling my past debts arranged for the calling from within to read the Nadi. Agathiyar who identified himself as Guru came to show the path that I was to pursue henceforth. Then I was made to realize the intensity of our karma in our lives and how besides causing sufferings, hardship, delays, disappointments, misery, ailments, etc it can block even the good merits that are attainable through puja, prayer, and worship. I was told that even the yogic practices that I carried out would not see results until and unless karma is addressed first. Doubts and confusion, obstacles and delays shall pursue until we set our mind to rope the karma in and set it on fire. I came to know later that the Tava Kanal or fire of meditation is a good weapon to burn karma to ashes. But for freshies, newcomers, commoners, and simpletons like us, we are given remedies to carry out instead. The pain endured in walking up the stairs or tracking through the jungles to pilgrimage spots, slowly exhausts our karma. Feeding others, and the animals shall mellow our hearts bringing on compassion that clears the karma.
But even before we undertake these remedies we are asked to bring our physical body to a favorable state first. Deha Sudhi or cleansing the body was required. This was to be followed by the practice of Vaasi or pranayama. Agathiyar showed me the practice too. It was to be done during the early morning hours of Muhurtham some two hours before sunrise. Generally, the Vaasi or breath shifts every two hours from the right to the left nostril or vice versa depending on the days of the week. We are to observe this flow and forcefully change it to coincide with the particular day. This practice will bring forth Pranayamam says Agathiyar.
Tavayogi says the Siddha path is all about bringing on discipline within us, in our thoughts and habits, on disciplining the body, adhering to a strict discipline in our diet, and disciplining the breath. The pranayama shall be perfected when initiated by a guru. At this juncture, Agathiyar hints that I shall meet a guru in physical form. The guru comes to clear the blockages within us by his touch, look, or word. Besides, Agathiyar gave the word that he will continue to guide through the Nadi. Agathiyar brings up the subject of building his temple. All these were revealed in my first Nadi reading on 14.12.2002. I registered for the course. A new journey began that day.
The knowledge of the Siddhas has become too academic. It is rare to find a practicing Siddha these days. I had a youngster come over claiming he and his family were in the Siddha path. On probing him further, he admitted that they read a lot about the Siddhas. Agathiyar told us no one follows the Siddha way of life. Speak about the Siddhas and people automatically relate them to doing wonders or magic or Siddhi. Much is written about the 8 powers or Ashtama Siddhis gained and is seen as in a public display of a number of them. But does it all end with a public display of these powers? Is that all the Siddhas have to offer to humanity? Is that the goal they had for us and the reason and for the purpose they are still around? Agathiyar over time nurtured us on the ways of the Siddhas giving us simple practices to follow and making it a habit. He came often to check on us. He pushed us to do them. It has been 19 years now and guess what? The Siddhas never mentioned a word about the much-acclaimed Siddhis. Let me run through the things that they have touched on till now in the next post.