I had written in an earlier post on 1 August 2019 that Agathiyar tasked us with numerous assignments that brought me and others to physically engage ourselves, giving ourselves to the service of God, family, and our ancestors, fellow humans, animals, plants, and mineral kingdoms. He asked me to carry out many tasks with others whom he sent to my home, never revealing its purpose or the fruits of our efforts till a later date. I only knew about their significance through reading a blog that I had bookmarked many years earlier only to read it then. It was a translation of a document of Agathiyar's disclosure of the secret of taking human birth to the seers and sages gathered at the Tamil Sangam. Agathiyar summed it up under 5 tenets that each human had to adapt and accomplish here on the face of the earth. It was Vashisht Vaid's post that revealed the purpose of man in taking birth. The document cleared the air and made me understand that we have arrived quite unknowingly to achieving our purpose and mission here.
Agathiyar presented the 5 tenets to mankind at the Tamil Sangam, so that mankind shall gain salvation. The Siddhas thrived to elevate the human species to that of the nature of the Gods. This is true of them for till this day they have never given up on us although we tend to give up on them in the face of adversities. Agathiyar is said to have initiated human societies of that era into the age-old cultural order known as the Siddhar Neri. He imparted wisdom to its people and passed on the knowledge of medicine to many. P.Karthigayan points out that the Siddhas could achieve much during their times as they were bestowed with the gift of "performing spiritual, medical, and scientific marvels". "They claimed their presence in all locations, interacting with people over various periods of time", made possible due to their long life spans, and a result of attaining immortality. P.Karthigayan says that the Gods, immortals, long-lived kings, and scholars "had chiseled and shaped the society then." In this era, they continue to chisel and shape individuals who are willing to listen.
Besides giving us tasks to carry out with other devotees, Agathiyar monitored my personal progress closely and gave me several Yogic practices through his Nadi over the years. I followed whatever he said just like we carried out the numerous tasks he gave to execute. His recent clarification on what transpired several weeks back over two consecutive days has made me understand that just in doing his tasks we had arrived unknowingly at the destination that is often spoken about in Yoga. Indeed just as Agathiyar gave us numerous tasks and revealed the impact of it on us much later, similarly he gave us Yogic practices and revealed the results much later. Each of the tasks and practice he gave was life-changing but we never knew it until later. Agathiyar doesn't get us excited over things first. He comes by and lays the task and practice before us casually. If we take it up he comes to confirm or educate us on its results.
Agathiyar doesn't speak about the goal or destination but only gives directives. I followed them without questioning them. If I were to question and explore them I would never get started. That is what is amiss in many. Given a mantra for instance they delay its practice in trying to understand the mantra. A mantra is not to be understood but recited. Similarly, if a yogic practice is given it needs to be started immediately. Discipline is of utmost importance in seeing through these ventures. Sadly we lack the discipline to do things.
When Patanjali came in the Nadi and set a routine and discipline in food intake I listened and followed. I was blessed to have a wife who prepared everything that I read in health books and Siddha books and that came by way of these Nadi readings.
When Lord Shiva came in a dream and asked me to put off the questions I had for another time in 1988, I did just as told. I did not it take it as a mere dream. I got the answers coming in after I read the Nadi in 2002 where I came to know about karma.
When my nephew came over to my home and delivered a message and the Vasudeva mantra in 2001, I did not question him but took up the mantra, chanting it the very same day. Later I came to know that the mantra was to clear one of the knots within, the Vishnu granthi. The other two knots are Brahma granthi and Rudra granthi. We are told that further practice of Pranayama would pierce these too and the six chakras. R Venu Gopalan in his book, "The Hidden Mysteries of Kundalini" wrote that "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." Only with the past karma out of the way can we expect results from all our endeavors. The following year Agathiyar reveals to me in my very first Nadi reading that my past karma stood in my way as obstacles depriving me of gaining the merits of my home puja and yoga practices till then.
I took up the calling by Agathiyar to come to the worship of the Siddhas that was made in my Nadi reading in 2002. I came to know later that Agathiyar had come much earlier to clear the path for me to have the reading. Though my nephew too told me not to question the source of the message, he came around again after some time and told me it was from Agathiyar. The message came through his Paramaguru Gopal Pillai who came through a devotee. The painting of Lord Dhakshanamurthi that my nephew handed me to be worshipped symbolized the coming of my guru.
I took up Agathiyar's call and scouted around to know further about their worship but eventually settle to carry out the worship in my home using whatever little references I had collected then. If Agathiyar came as said as my Moola Guru, the following year I meet Supramania Swami of Tiruvannamalai in a strange encounter. The Swami who was also an astrologer surprised me by giving me a mantra initiation and taking me as a student after just 5 hours in his company.
When Supramania Swami requested that we help with the finances to build a temple for Lord Murugan, we went ahead to fulfill his 40-year desire. But before we could see the structure come up a stranger Siddha came along and questioned him why he was going back into bakti when he was already in Gnanam. Swami took it as the divine's word of disapproval and abandoned his venture. Before he left his mortal body to my surprise he passed on the merits of his tapas and tavam to me. I guess this gift of his catapulted me. I believe he is living in me wanting to see me progress further.
When Tavayogi told me to carry out the homam in my home, initially I voiced my fear telling him that it was something carried out by the priestly class. But Tavayogi erased the fear in me. Later Agathiyar tells me that it was not done for my personal gains but for the good of the Prapanjam. I carried on doing it with love.
When Tavayogi came later and showed us Yoga asanas and Pranayama in 2008, I began doing them immediately. I did not even ask to know the names of the postures and techniques. It was not important to me. By doing it I got connected with my breath. I had taken my very first step in going within. Guiding me through his Nadi beginning in 2002, Agathiyar had me settle the scores with my past karma, brought me to the worship of the Siddhas, and showed me my gurus in physical forms, who taught me rituals and Yoga helping me polish what little I had previously picked up from books in the eighties. He used to come through the Nadi and guide me on Yoga at times weekly.
Mahakavi Bharathi wrote in one of his poems "Ninnai Charan Adainthen Kannama" that he began to see results only when he took up God's will. When he tried as much as he could to push through his will it always ended up in anguish and failure. I was made aware of the changes and progress within me after Agathiyar acknowledged them in the Nadi and these days in coming through his devotees. Listening to him paid off. Similarly, I never questioned Tavayogi too but followed whatever he said. Listening to the Gurus paid off. My effort was minimal but their grace was the driving force behind it. G.Vanmikanathan describes Ramalinga Adigal's final moment of union with the Lord in his PATHWAY TO GOD TROD BY SAINT RAMALINGAR, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay. "Our Swaamikal is now ready for the highest of all possible acts of grace, the crowning glory of the long years of thavam. The conferment of the Effulgence of Grace."
Swami Saravanananda in his English rendering of the original in Tamil of Ramalinga Adigal's "Arutperunjhoti Agaval", published by the Ramalinga Mission, Madras wrote of the various boons conferred on Ramalingam: Zeal or great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective, discernment or the ability to judge well, radiant body, prosperity, liberated from countless births, freed from religious bigotry, removed doubt and misconception, freed from the clutches of religious scriptures, and made him pure. After having gained all the Siddhis and attained the highest possible state, a man of such stature, Ramalinga Adigal chose to stay away from the limelight but the Lord acts otherwise. Vanmikanthan writes,
"The Swaamikal was modesty incarnate. He did not like the limelight before which he was exposed to the world. He (God) spoke to Raamalinga Swaamikal who was the chosen Son of God in the nineteenth century to establish a universal brotherhood of man freed of all shackling fetters of castes and creeds, of rich and poor, of black or white, a universal brotherhood born of a sense of oneness in the eyes of God and based on compassion, on compassion alone. The Son of Man has become the Son of God, and he who was unknown and who did not want to be known was dragged much against his will to discharge his preordained mission on earth, to commence his ministry on earth, in order to establish the Pure Universal True Path to God, a path, a religion, based on compassion towards all creatures on earth, a religion based on intense and one-pointed love of God, a religion freed from the stifling influences of caste, country, race, language, conflicting creeds, petty cruel gods and inhuman sacrifices, freed from the dialectics of learned scriptures."
Soon going within one learns to listen to the inner voice. The Jeevatma, not satisfied in only knowing but in wanting to experience things separates from its parent the Paramatma bringing together the 5 elements and further tattvas to create a physical body and another 4 bodies in various stages of subtlety as vehicles. Soon it goes into hiding behind several curtains placed by the Paramatma. A play then begins. His Lila begins. The ego in us that emerges with this knowing and knowledge goes about fulfilling its desires adding on to them, and runs behind the pleasures that are apparent, ignorant of its true self in hiding. It takes a beating in life or the grace of the guru to bring him out of this ignorance that all things are permanent and everlasting. Coming to know the impermanence of life he heads out to seek true and lasting bliss. Having failed in his search outside he turns his sight within or is shown an insight of his oneness with the Divine residing in the deep reaches of the cave within him. Lord Kuga who resides in this cave comes in the form he desires to redeem his Atma. The salvation of the Atma is arrived at. The merger takes place. The marriage is concluded. Bliss prevails.