Tuesday 12 July 2022

SRI JEGANATHAR AND CHITRAMUTHU ADIGAL

Mahin has invited me to Sri Jeganathar temple in a town called Tapah some 125kms away this weekend. This is the samadhi temple of a lesser-known saint, known only to older folks in the town and its vicinity until Tavayogi came along and spelled out the saint's life and times to us. Tavayogi after coming to Chitramuthu Adigal as a disciple learned about  Jeganathar. Chitramuthu Adigal who was also in then Malaya for the most part of his life was a disciple of Jeganathar. Tavayogi compiled an article on them for his Tirupur Thaiveedu Prathanai Kuzhu magazine. He read it out to us in an event we arranged in Ipoh in 2008. 


A recording was made of his speech. I have since uploaded numerous videos on it to YouTube. The irony is that the temple priests passed an audio cd of this speech to Tavayogi the man himself on his visit to the temple in 2016 telling us that they had a recording of a Swamiji speaking about Jeganathar and that it was for sale. We all looked at each other and told the priests that the Swamiji was none other than Tavayogi.





Since then we began to drop in on Jeganathar each time we either went back hometown or returned to our home back in Kuala Lumpur. Once he took control of me or Atkondraar and I was in a state of extreme joy. He came to us and walked the grounds of his temple. He blessed both my daughters and my wife. We were surprised that all through this time he was present others did not take notice. A group of followers of a wondering Swamiji in the order of Adi Sankarachariar were camping for over a week at the temple but none took notice of what transpired next to them. It was as if a curtain was pulled over the whole episode.

Similarly, when I was overcome by the energy at Lord Dhakshanamurthy's sannadhi at the famed Egambeswarar temple in Trichy, except for the priests from Paalur who volunteered to accompany me there, the resident priest and the gatekeeper and caretaker of Egambeswarar temple, and Deva who drove me around, none took notice of the incident. When the caretaker told me to compose myself the priest from Uttamar temple told him to let me cry. Again it was as if a curtain was pulled over the whole episode.

Again on my second visit to this temple and Lord Dhakshanamurthy's sannadhi, I broke down and fell to the ground. I felt Jnana Jothiamma who was accompanying me and my family stroke my legs and back trying to comfort me. My family stood clear as they had been told from the beginning by Agathiyar to just watch and they just watched. Again it was as if a curtain was pulled over the whole episode as no one took notice of what was going on.

Traveling with Tavayogi, on day 10, when Tavayogi, my brother, and I were at Papanasam, Agathiyar said the same too that the miracles were for our eyes only - three of us. Before we left Courtallam Tavayogi took us to a Shivan temple, Lord Kutralanathar in town. At the Shiva temple was a shrine for Agathiyar, just behind the Sakti Peedham in the outer precincts of the temple. In "Babaji's Gita" written by Yogi Ramaiah, we read that Babaji "initiated" the temple authorities who built the shrine of Agathiyar and installed a statue for Babaji too. This shrine was built on the exact spot where Babaji was initiated by Agathiyar, writes the Yogi. We sat at Agathiyar and Babaji's shrine and Tavayogi started singing. Tavayogi and my brother were seated to my right but as there was a pillar that obstructed my view of them, I could not see them. Tavayogi broke down as he sang a song from Ramalinga Adigal's Thiruarutpa, 'Indru varumoh naalaiku varumoh allathu mathendru varumoh'. That's when I thought I saw Agathiyar open and shut both his eyes. I got up to move closer, to get a better view and to confirm what I had seen. True enough there was Agathiyar opening and closing both his eyes, which were human-like. When we were at Agastiyampalli the previous day, Agathiyar had opened his left eye only. But it was different then as Agathiyar had opened his left eye that was sculptured in the granite figure. Eyes that were sculptured closed originally, were now watching me - only his left. Here at Courtallam, it was human eyes that were watching me. I stood still, amazed, my sight fixed on Agathiyar's eyes. A moment later I called my brother over to have a look too. I pointed out to him each time the sage opened and closed his eyes.  But he was silent, just as I was back at Agasthiyampalli then. That's when Tavayogi called out to us saying, "You have seen, have you? Come, come, let's leave." (Paarthuthingaleh, vanga pohvohm). Again it was for our eyes only.  

Prior to witnessing this miracle, Agathiyar had opened his left eyes in his granite statue at Agasthiyampalli. He had told me in the Nadi reading before I left Malaysia that he would look at me when I arrived at this temple. As Tavayogi who brought me there and I alighted from the car that I had hired for my entire trip two men seated near the Rajagopuram or main entrance to the temple got up. The one in pants and shirt left whole another clad only in vesti to our surprise ushered us and led the way for us to follow. He led us straight to Agathiyar's sannadhi. As Tavayogi sat down to start singing and meditating as he did elsewhere the old man stopped him. He told us to circumambulate the temple and worship Lord Shiva in the inner chamber first and come back to Agathiyar. We did as told. He was waiting for us at Lord Shiva's sannadhi. He showed the flame or aratti and brought us out into the open. He walked to a spot and pressed his thumb on the ground telling us that that was the spot Agathiyar had pressed his thumb to bring about balance to the world as it had tilted due to the presence of all the Gods gathered to witness Lord Shiva and Parvathy's marriage in Kailash in the past. He then left us. We continued with our prayer. After singing the names of the Siddhas Agathiyar had yet to open his eye as promised in the Nadi. I noticed that Tavayogi was then standing in the open. I moved over to him. He told me that Agathiyar was opening and closing his eyes and pointed it out to me. I could hardly make it out in the heat and bright light of the early afternoon. All I saw was a dark chamber. I guess Tavayogi was disappointed that I could not see the miracle as he told me, "Let's take some photos" and led me into Agathiyar's sannadhi again. He asked me to go and sit with Agathiyar. As I feared crossing the threshold I chose to sit on it. Tavayogi threw me his shawl and asked me to sit on it. What do you know? As I turn to look at Agathiyar he opens his left eye to look back at me. Before I could express my joy and surprise and excitement Tavayogi pulls me away from that spot telling me that they will only show a little while. We left the temple. Again it was for our eyes only.  

Next closer to home, as we walked into the dark caves of Sri Shanmuganathar cave temple in Sungai Siput, I was literally lifted up and thrown into a dark pit by the immense energy at the spot where Chitramuthu Adigal had meditated. I was spared injury as I walked out of the pit with assistance from my wife after I tried to lift myself. As usual, they stood watching until then. What surprised me was that the "temple priest' and his "aid' too watched over the episode. Again it was for our eyes only.  

A friend at the office had a wonderful experience at Jeganathar's temple. He had accompanied his friend and wife and their two children to the temple. As it was way past 12 midnight they decided to stay there and leave in the morning. As the infant was screaming his head off in hunger the parents attended to him. The 2-year-old daughter of theirs who was playing by herself let out a scream too suddenly. Upon enquiring, she pointed to Jeganathar's photo and told them that "Grandpa had carried me!"