The above song lyrics are one that I believe blossomed from the lyricist's experience and what he saw around him which we acknowledge too. Agathiyar, when he cornered me asking what I desired, after a brief moment of thought and as he was waiting for me to answer, I told him that I would take birth again and again and serve him. But he shot me down by telling me to look around me and see what was going around. I was puzzled. The next time around when he asked again, I was more prepared and asked for the state that Tavayogi had told us to attain - that of Gnana. Agathiyar shot me again. Gnana is not given nor gifted or sanctioned but has to be earned by traveling the distance he says. Both Supramania Swami and Tavayogi tell me that with persistent effort one day the vessel shall shine. The vessel when ready to house the divine - the divinity that once occupied the stone images and pictures - then moves within us. Soon this divinity is seen in others too and we realize that we are connected as a network in this vast framework or matrix of time and space. Moving further back into this space we begin to connect with our ancestors and lineage of gurus. Then we become one with prapanjam reaching beyond the confines of the mind and embracing all of creation. But for all this to take place the starting point is this vessel, our body, and mind. This had been wonderfully depicted in the closing scene of the movie "Lucy".
The doctors at times when we are low in self-esteem and energy, tell us that there is a Vitamin and Mineral deficiency and give us some supplements to boost it. The gurus come along to perk up the energy levels in our chakras with their touch and look when it's low. Speakers take the stage and motivate us. They boost our spirit through their talks. Similarly, AVM in the past had sought Master Arunan to remove the obstacles on the path of the flow of these energies of several devotees and revitalize them by physically attending to their Varma points. Master Uva on his part helped remove and clear the energy blockages and heal their chakras. I remember bringing my daughter to the chief priest at the Buddhist Maha Vihara in Brickfields many years ago. Though the doctors had given her a clean bill, my daughter was distressed thinking she had something stuck in her throat. Hearing our plea he placed his palm on my daughter's head. With lips closed, he made a low, steady continuous sound like that of a bee. It was the chant of the sacred syllables AUM. Another practitioner of energy healing held her hand over my daughter's chakra points and when she came to her throat the hand fell on its own accord.
Those who have learned the tricks of the trade turn to engaging in rituals like fire-worship, puja, and chanting of mantras themselves to correct these imbalances. The late Dr.Krishnan told me that the body can heal by itself given time and with some assistance if there is a need. It is true that the body is amazing having seen it heal wounds and recover from ailments with some assistance. Since basically, we are one with nature we need to go back to nature for a cure or to reestablish the balance in our systems. But the sages and saints knowing the secret to tapping into the Prapanjam managed to heal their bodies with the assistance of Nature and the Universe. There are many such sages and saints though they could tap into the cosmos and the cosmic energy and revitalize and heal themselves, chose to volunteer, and instead were willing to take on the pains and sufferings of their disciples and devotees, bearing the pain and agony for their sake.
Taking a walk in the woods revitalizes us. Just being near a waterfall or water source electrifies us. If a man begins to look back and look up towards nature he could reverse himself back to his original state. I guess this is the reason the sages and saints of old sought to hide in the caves and jungles. But the reverse is prevalent these days with modern-day gurus establishing facilities that bring on further comfort to their followers rather than have them hit the dirt track. Agathiyar in my second Nadi reading that came three years later in 2005, on seeing that I had returned from a pilgrimage of temples and followed all his directives given in the first, directed me to Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal and his Kallar ashram. Tavayogi on his part volunteered to bring me to the places and abodes of the Siddhas. We took a walk into the jungles and spent our nights in caves. We dipped in the mineral-rich rivers that had their source in the Western Ghats. Agathiyar wanted me to experience ashram life too having me put up at Kallar ashram for several days. It was pretty interesting and something I never dreamt of. I am grateful to Agathiyar and Tavayogi for giving me this experience. For one who sought to know Siddha worship and looked around for guidance in vain, Agathiyar tied the knot with Tavayogi. I learned Siddha puja at his Ashram. Later when Tavayogi and Mataji conducted a puja at my home during their visit to Malaysia in 2010, I picked up from them the art of doing libation to Agathiyar and fine-tuned the homam or lighting of the sacrificial fire watching them do it. This was the first step in bringing the Siddhas into our homes. Later showing us yogasanas and pranayama, Tavayogi took us to another stage. That is how we grow and nurture this body to become an alayam or temple for divinity to reside in. But sadly we are satisfied with worshipping him externally, making regular visits to his place of worship or temple or abode, and placing our grievances before him and leave still carrying the load on us.
Sages and saints had visions and darshans and revealed what they saw. These were later translated into images. God was given a form then that we have since begun to worship. An author who wrote a book about Vegan cooking was asked by a potential buyer if her book had lots of pictures or photos. Visuals work better than words. We might not comprehend the extensive songs of Ramalinga Adigal that stand at some 6,955 in Ponneri Sundaram Pillai's publication, but a song of his set to music sinks deep into our hearts and soul. These days his songs trigger something within us. Now I realize why Tavayogi told me that listening to his songs shall bring us to the state of Gnana as I played his songs in the car while driving Tavayogi to Bukit Rotan when he was in Malaysia back then. Media is far-reaching, especially videos. The latest findings say that people tend to watch videos more and above every other media.
The Gods who are said to be residing in the heavens were brought to the earth by sages and saints of the past through deep contemplation and meditation often moving into the deep state of samadhi or oneness with the source and origin or creator. Temples and places of worship mushroomed later around them and above their samadhis. The idea of having us visit these places of worship is to reconnect with the source and bring divinity within us. But we fail to do that. Rather we visit them and start doing rituals. We stay till the last rituals are done and they are put to sleep and return home only to revisit them again.
How many of us invite them into our house? We do not even want to light a lamp at the altar much less sing their praise. The idea of having altars and lighting a lamp in our individual homes is to invite divinity into our homes. Supramania Swami told me to keep the flame going for he shall watch me through it. The deity Karupanasamy who came into a cousin of my colleague kept mentioning the flame and pointing to a nearby temple that he asked to send over. Upon alighting from the car, he walked into the temple and asked him to light camphor, and "left" his cousin's body. Ramalinga Adigal who attained the higher states of the soul and bodily evolution was lost for words to describe even higher reaches of the Lord's kingdom. He was saddened that he had failed in his attempt to change people and their mindsets and failed in his efforts to elevate them to these higher levels of attainment that he had experienced. He told them that though the locals had shunned his teachings it shall be picked up by those in other nations. Seeing that rituals and temple worship were only the means and a stepping stone to knowing one's soul and to higher things in the spiritual realms, he wanted to bring them out of rituals that had shackled them for far too long. He showed them that it was possible to transform one's body and soul to that of light and transcend the universe and merge in all of creation and finally return to the source. For this purpose, he built the Satya Gnana Sabai for men who could not visualize the higher teachings. Here the Jothi that is both with form and without is worshipped. In the final moments of his departure, he addressed his followers in frustration, as they would not change their ways, he gave them the lamp and the flame he used to worship. He gave his followers a simple way to redeem and save their souls and attain salvation realizing that they were not ready for his teachings.
Someone in distress was told by several messengers that Agathiyar and the Siddhas were waiting outside her home for an invitation from her to come in. When there are those to whom he has made known that he is waiting outside their homes for an invitation to come in, with us he arrives even without a calling these days. Even before we are gathered for his event, he arrives ahead of time and dictates what needs to be done.
One might ask what is the difference between temple worship and Siddha worship. One distinctive difference that I noticed after engaging in both is that the temple though is a place built for the public to converge and worship, worship here is still centered around each individual. For instance, we are asked our birth sign and star as we stand before the Lord in the temple having bought a token for "archanai", where a simple chant/song/recitation is then conducted on our behalf by the priest. The priest is a middleman here asking the deity to grant us favors and fulfill our individual wishes. So is it with the lighting of yagams that are conducted in temples for our individual wants to be fulfilled. These are conducted on occasions like moving into a new home and at our weddings too. It is all rather self-centered and for the individual concerned. On the other hand, sitting in at a Siddha Homam and conducting the fire ceremony is for the good of all of the creation rather than for the individual, says Agathiyar. The Siddha puja envelops the whole of Prapanjam.
Even the godmen and those serving God are in delusion. It takes guts to admit that one does not know. When many these days seem to have answers to everything, Tavayogi replied he did not know when I asked him what Ramalinga Adigal meant when he sang in numerous places of his Thiruarutpa that the "dead shall arise". The song "Kadavulum Naanum" is very relevant, especially in these times where the innocent is a victim of many scams and treachery, where it seems the evil has the upper hand and the divine is seen to be helpless. But even the Gods tend to sit back and watch the unfoldment of the monstrosity that humanity had created. But this song should not be construed as asking us to abandon temple worship, rituals, and other tools. The first line itself clearly defines the state of the lyricists. "KADAVULUM NAANUM PESIDUM POLUTHU TARAGARGAL YETHARKKU" translates to "When I am conversing with God why do I need middlemen?" For one who has begun to speak to God indeed why does he need middlemen? It is applicable only and only when we attain that state. Until then we need all the means and tools. This is akin to Sivavakiyar's state where attaining godhood he condemns all forms of worship and even writes off the belief in rebirths.