Agathiyar once told me that when the breath travels in both nostrils that is completeness or puranam in breathing. The breath that is accustomed to switching nostrils every two hours begins to travel in the Sushumna rather than either the Ida or Pingala. The breath travels within reaching the inner confines and every nook and cranny of the body right to the cells bringing on a fantastic sensation or Unarvu and creating a vibration or Athirvu. Tavayogi too told me once that breath or Vaasi was God. We know how people struggle to just take a breath often needing inhalers and machines to assist in their breathing. We are gifted if we can breathe well and fully.
Similarly in taking food, if I had only appeased my hunger previously and if before this we tasted the food in the mouth and felt full when we eat, these days the whole body savors the food or rather the Prana in the food right down to the cells. I guess this is what Agathiyar means when we are told that he feeds the elements that reside in the body each time he cooks and serves food to others. This has resulted in my hunger and appetite being fulfilled after only a few mouthfuls. I now have become an outcast since I sit in silence enjoying the food that gives me thrills throughout my body while others engage in conversations over dinner.
A technique to bring our awareness to the food we take is taught in the Buddhist tradition that Lama Surya Das writes about in his book, "Awakening the Buddha Within - Tibetan Wisdom for the Western World, Bantam Books, 1997. In his book, he teaches us "Eating meditation". "Eating meditation is a marvelous way of putting ourselves in touch with now-ness. It can really slow us down and make us more aware of compulsive behavior", he writes. This meditation does try one's patience to the limit he says. For instance, he says we are accustomed to eating raisins by the handful. Here we take it one at a time. But before we put it into our mouth we feel it, we look at it as if we have never seen it before. We are taught to direct our total attention to the raisin, which otherwise we hardly do. We are asked to examine it thoroughly. Smell it. Only then do we begin to chew it slowly, actually tasting it for the very first time. Chew till it becomes juice."
Agathiyar in relating the origin of his temple at Agasthiyampalli to Dr. VN Jayapalan during meditation tells a story. King Kuberan's voracious appetite is satisfied by taking a handful of food prepared by a diseased old man who worshipped the statue of Agathiyar in a hut on the fringes of his kingdom. In taking the food the king takes on the old man's disease too and the old man regains his youth and health. Shortly after the king's karma stands before him and leaves him for good. The king regains his former form. Agathiyar told my wife to serve him cooked food for though it is food for him it shall be medicine for us.
So is it with listening and hearing. The songs that I have listened to all these years come alive with Prana and energy moving me and my emotions often bringing tears to my eyes. Watching movies too makes me shed tears and become emotional. I could not believe that the sense organs could connect with the sound heard and visuals seen over a video call until recently when Gowri Arumugam and her husband decided to stream their walkaround at Tavayogi's Kallar ashram. I could sense the energies at the ashram in Kallar standing in my living room in Malaysia.
The world around me appears much brighter and more colorful in all its brilliant colors. It makes me appreciate the work of the divine more. Sex too hits a high touching the state of ecstasy. In teaching me the Yoga asanas Tavayogi told me that some of those postures would improve sexual life. Indeed it did.
The sense of touch too is enhanced these days especially in hugging others. Agathiyar advocates that we hug each other. Now I understand why Mata Amritamayi does that. My skin too has become sensitive to the Prana all around us especially when the wind or breeze blows, during the rain showers, or standing in the warmth of the morning sun, touching the greenery, or looking at flowers and butterflies. Agathiyar says, "This is connecting and merging with Prapanjam." Agathiyar in explaining the many instances and forms where Lord Murugan appears in his song "Shanmuga Nayagan Thotram", describes the many ways that Lord Muruga is seen and felt. Among them, he is seen through the eyes as a vision, in the flower fields, when the mind settles, in the breeze that delivers Gnanam, in the chant of his name, in the untouched forest, in the places his devotees are, in the hill fortresses, amidst the crowd of devotees and their dance, in the places of worship, in the silence where the Atma attains bliss, in reaching out to the poor and in giving to them, in forgetting one's body in devotion and bakti, in those who have known the truth, in the gist of Vedanta, at Tiruchendur where the waves break, in Kundalini Yoga, in the merger of Paramatma and Jeevatma, in the service rendered by devotees, in showering him flowers, in the waters that fall, in seeing all as one, in seeing nature, in the winking stars, in seeing him on a peacock, in forgetting the body and watching the Jeevatma, in carrying out Sariyai, in poigai where the Ganges merge, in letting go of opinions and ego, in the rows of light, when Gnanam dawns and in Agathiyar's songs, and he goes on. It is clear that God's presence is very much in nature, all around us, and in all our activities.
கண்களினால் கண்டு பொற்றிடலாம், ஆனந்த மாமலர்ச் சோலையிலே, மன ஆட்டம் அடங்கிய வேளையிலே, ஞானமும் தரும் தென்றல் காற்றினிலே, எழும் நாம சங்கீர்த்தன உற்றினிலே, பக்குவமாம் திணைக் காட்டினிலே, அவன் பக்தர் நுழைந்திடும் வீட்டினிலே, மிக்குயர்வாம் மலைக் கோட்டினிலே, அருள் மேவும் அகத்தியன் பாட்டினிலே, தொண்டர் திரண்டெழும் கூட்டத்திலே, அவன் சுற்றிச் சுழன்றிடும் ஆட்டத்திலே, அண்டர் தினம் தோலும் வானத்திலே, தவ ஆன்ம சுகம் பெரும் மோனத்தில், எழைக் கிரங்கிடும் சித்தத்திலே, பொருள் ஈந்து மகிழ்ந்தவர் அத்தத்திலே, ஊளைக் கடப்பவர் பக்தியிலே, தெய்வ உண்மையைக் காண்பவர் சக்தியிலே, வேதாந்த தத்துவ சாரத்திலே, அலை வீசும் செந்தூரக் கடல் தீரத்திலே, ஆதார குண்டலி யோகத்திலே, பர மாத்ம ஜீவாத்ம வைபோகத்திலே, அன்பர்க்கியற்றிடும் சேவையிலே, உயிர் அர்ச்சனையாய் மலர் தூவையிலே, இன்ப பெரும் புனல் வீழ்ச்சியிலே, காணும் யாவும் ஒன்றென்றுணர் காஷியிலே, நண்ணும் இயற்கை அமைப்பிலே, ஒளி நக்ஷத்திரங்கள் இமைப்பினிலே, விண்ணில் விரிந்துள்ள நீலத்திலே, மயில்மேல் வரும் ஆனந்தக் கோலத்திலே, தேகவிசாரம் மறக்கையிலே, சிவ ஜீவ விசாரம் பிறக்கையிலே, ஆகும் அருட்பணி செய்கையிலே, கங்கை ஆறு கலந்திடும் பொய்கையிலே, மானாபிமானம் விடுக்கையிலே, தீப மங்கள ஜோதி எடுக்கையிலே, ஞானானுபூதி உதிக்கையிலே, குரு நாதனை நாடி துதிக்கையிலே, ...
Looking back at the many Nadi readings I had in the past I am overwhelmed to see his concern and interest in us just as the lecturer monitors a student's progress. Agathiyar had foreseen what was to take place, preparing us for the moment, and often forewarned me too.
13.10.2007 Though I began to read the Nadi in 2002 this was the very first mention of Kundalini. Agathiyar surprised me by saying that my kundalini had risen. I was not aware of anything. Looking through my collection of books on Yoga I could not relate to the typical signs of kundalini awakening as written in these books. I did not pursue my search nor speak about it to another not even my guru. Tavayogi was not one to entertain talk on Kundalini. உண்டாகும் குண்டலினி சக்தி உனக்கு உயர்வதைக் கண்டு நாங்கள் வியந்தோம் அப்பா.
18.5.2008 Patanjali came to guide me further in the Nadi reading. He said, "The many practices taught and shown and put into practice shall bring on excessive heat within and tire you out. Hence the need to take sattvic food that cools the body." For a start I was to refrain taking processed food once a week. He asked me to take natural food on Saturdays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. He asked to refrain completly from taking salt, sugar, sour and pungent food. Patanjali tells me that this is his Yoga Suksmam. This is the second instance he spoke about the Kundalini. He said the colors of the aura and the chakras will enhance as a result of Kundalini awakening. ஒப்பிலா உடல் சூடும் தியானத்தால் உனக்குச் சோர்வு வந்திடும் இக்கணம் தன்னில். தான் நீயும் குளிர்ச்சி தரும் பண்டம் தவறாது ஏற்றிட வேண்டும் அப்பா. நிலைத்துத் தான் அங்கத் திடம் ஓங்கச் சிறப்பாக வாரம் ஓர் நாள் மட்டும் செயற்கை உணவு மட்டும் ஏற்கா. மட்டிலா செய், கரி, குரு நாள் தன்னில் மகத்தான மருத்துவத்தின் உணவும் ஏற்பாய் கட்டளைதான் உப்பு, புலி, காரம், இனிப்பும் கண்டிப்பாய் ஆகாது ஏற்க வேண்டாம். பதஞ்சலியின் யோக சூட்சம இதுதான் மைந்தா. வளமிருக்கும் வர்ணமும், ஆதாரமும் சித்தி கொண்டதோர் குண்டலினி ஓங்கும் பாரு.
30.9.2008 Agathiyar surprises me by saying that the light from the third eye had emerged due to my tapas. But I was not doing much of a tapas in the real sense or according to what is written and read in those numerous books out there. He asks that I seduce and worship the breath or in other words manipulate my breath and learn to control it. "Bigger things lie within the breath," he said. "All the Siddhas passed the test through breath control. Lord Vinayagar and Gautama Buddha who were exponents of this art excelled in it. By gaining control over the breath one can extend his life span and defeat death. All the tapasi attained success in their tapas or tavam through control of the breath. I am sharing the truth with you of our practice and achievements", he concluded. நேர்மையான தவத்தாலே நெற்றிக் கண் ஒளியும், ஒளி அதுவும் உனக்குமே வெளிப்பட்டது இப்போ. கண்ணியமாய் வாசிதனை வசப்படுத்திக் கணக்காகப் புசிக்கச் சிறப்பு தானே. சிறப்புயெலாம் வாசியிலே அடங்கி இருக்கு. சித்தர் எல்லாம் வாசி வழி தேர்ச்சி கண்டார். சிறப்புமிக்க மூத்தோனும் புத்தனும் தான் சிறப்பான வாசிக்கே அதிபதி ஆவார். ஆனதொரு வாசி தன்னை அடக்கினாலே ஆயுளோடு மரணம் இல்லா பெரு வாழ்வு உண்டு. தவசியெல்லாம் வாசியாலே தவமும் பெற்றார். தான் அடைந்த உண்மையெல்லாம் உனக்கு உரைத்தோம்.
8.12.2008 Agathiyar threw more surprises at me. He said, "Through Vaasi practice, the Sulimunai and the top (of head) too has opened. We shall draw the 7 veils and have you see the Jothi. You shall become complete in all aspects. We will create a way for you to attain the Soruba state." All this was news to me. I just did not know what was being said by Agathiyar. Today I realize the reason I did not understand then. I needed the experience and the Arivu and subtle knowledge or Gnanam first before I could comprehend what was said. வாசி பயிற்சியாலே சுழி திறந்து உச்சியும் திறக்கக் கண்டாய். ஏழுதிரை தன்னை நீக்கி வழுவாது சோதிதனை கான வைப்போம். வையகத்தில் பூர்த்தி நிலை அடையச் செய்வோம். சொரூப நிலை யாவும் பெற வழியும் செய்வோம்.
27.8.2009 Agathiyar gives further practice on Tava Suksmam to do for 2 Mandalas (48 x 2). He dictated, "Taking in the breath stay focused on the chakras above and below the nose. Do this twice aday." I was surprised to know that there were chakras too in the spots Agathiyar said. "It would strengthen the state of Gnana. It shall bring on clarity, power to the thoughts, and access to the Prapanjam." He reiterates again that these are practices they did and are sharing with us. வெற்றி நிலை மிகுந்து காணத் தவ சூச்சமம் தான் விவரிப்பேன். இரு மண்டலம் செய்வாய் நன்றாய். நெறி உடனே தினம் காலை மாலையும் தான் நாசியின் மேல் கீழ் சக்கரம் நோக்கி நோக்கியே தவம் பயிற்சி சில நாழிகை மட்டும் நாசியினுள் நீண்டவாறு வாசியை இழுத்து விட்டுப் பக்குவமாய் பயிற்சியும் செய்து வரப் பலப்படும் ஞான நிலை பலவாறாக. பலவாறு தெளிவு திடம் சிந்தை கீர்த்தி பிரபஞ்சம் வசிய நிலை திண்ணம். உலகினிலே நாங்கள் செய்த பயிற்சிதான் உவந்து சொன்னோம் உனக்குமே சூச்சம்.
26.12.2009 Again Agathiyar surprises me saying I was on the fringe of attaining Gnanam and that the top has opened. He said "The third eye shall shine. I wanted to give you a treasure." He says that Tavayogi shall grant it. I was clueless as to what he was talking about. ஞானத்தின் திறவுகோல் திறந்த பிள்ளை. உச்சியும் திறந்த பிள்ளை. முக்கண்ணும் பிரகாசிக்கும். தர வேண்டும் போக்கிடங்கள் என்று நினைத்தோம். தவறாது யோகி வழி உனக்குக் கிட்டும்.
None of what was said turned my life around as we read in the books. Life went on as usual. I guess since I had a job and a family they did not want to disrupt my life in any manner. I figured that it all went on within me in a very subtle and gentle way so as not to disrupt my daily life and activities.