Tavayogi never messes with other's karma. He always pointed them to the Siddhas. So did he ask me why I interfered when I listened and gave advice to a disturbed soul. I stopped giving advice and showed those who came by straight to Agathiyar. But Agathiyar had another agenda. I heard him ask if he was in any way intruding into our lives. He wanted to mete out solutions to those he sent by my home. Since then, I stepped back and gave him way to execute his Lila or play. At another moment, I heard him ask me what I would do if he shuts his ears and refuses to listen when I go to him with my problems. That gave me a blow. I surrendered to him completely to carry out whatever he chose to do. Indeed, what if Dhanvantri did not listen to my cries and come to heal my back? What if Agathiyar had ignored me? I would not have those medicines he prescribed in the Nadi. What if Lord Murugan turned away? I would have to live with my back pain forever. What if the Siddhas and the divine had left it to fate? I would have messed up my life by doing the stupidest things. We read at www.yoginiashram.com that "Sage Pulasthya, heard the prayers of the sick, and traveled astrally to their bedside in order to heal them. He used yantras and tantra and performed untold miracles." We would not have the very first temple in the Kali Yuga built by King Kuberan if a devotee of Agathiyar did not feed the starving king.
Recently, after our recent Navarathri outing at the home of a senior couple, the host told us that he had to assist in replacing the priest at a Ganesha temple since they were difficult to come by after the pandemic. Most of them had returned to India. He told us that while going about his temple routines, devotees would step up to him and ask him to bring their prayer to the ears of Lord Ganesha. He would do so as some stood in tears and with much hope for their prayers to be heard. This opened my heart too to the plight of the unfortunate. As Mahindren and I discussed this matter, since Tavayogi wanted us to remain impartial and Agathiyar asked to listen them out, Agathiyar came and spoke about it. He told me that he listens through me to others problems.
As I drove my daughter to work several days later and the subject cropped up, she pointed to what Agathiyar said and agreed that Agathiyar does hear us out. When her friend was having a mysterious pain in her tummy and was losing weight fast, she did not see any headway in finding a relief for a very long time. When my daughter mentioned this to me, I suggested that she come over and pay homage to Agathiyar. Though she never found a moment to come over, her illness was diagnosed eventually, and she was operated on. She is doing fine and has put on weight. My daughter tells me that things began to move after we spoke about her illness, that is, after the news came to my ears. She believes that Agathiyar listens through me.
A couple from New Delhi would ask me to pray for their wellbeing, as they believed Agathiyar listens to me. Another friend called me up in the wee hours of morning telling me his mother was struggling to stay alive and asked me to light a lamp. I did. He later tells me a gust of wind blew in the ward his mother was admitted and knocked down some things. He knew Agathiyar was there. She survived. Five years later, the same thing happened. This time she had to leave with her beloved guru accompanying her to the otherworld. Days later she came in another and revealed this.
In the days of extensive puja that we carried out at AVM many came by and lit the oil lamp that Agathiyar had told me to convey to his devotees. He told me that he shall look into their wishes. Then we came to understand from another friend that Agathiyar had told the couple to back off from helping others with their karma since they went to the extent of purchasing rare items that were listed as and for their remedies. The one who was supposed to rid his karma would just attend the puja since everything had been taken care of by this couple. Agathiyar explained that in carrying out the remedies to one's karma one has to face some hardship and this was also part of the process of eradicating the karma. Through his hardship in finding a said thing or traveling to far places or the interiors or to temples located on hills, he shall shed some of his karma. He warned the couple not to make things easy for them, for then they shall have to bore the karma instead. This was an eye-opener for me too. I reminded those who came by to light a lamp at AVM to purchase the clay lamp, wick and bring the ghee along and not to expect these to be provided.
This is where I began to realize the true reason temples were built for. The Gods who reside or rather come in for duty (since a priest reprehended us for dishing out the free food before the Nithya puja or daily puja began. He told me that if we hand out the packet of food after the puja the Goddess will know what we are doing! I was stunned but did not answer back. I asked myself if she only came in and was on duty 7 to 9 mornings and evenings. Furthermore, I also asked myself if hunger only appears after the curtains are drawn aside.) indeed listen to the grievances of the devotees. Many might not be in the position to share their grievances with others. In these cases, the temple and the Gods were an option. It is akin to the confessional in churches, where the priest gives an ear to hear the confessions of penitents.
Besides this, the temple is where we return home relieved and feeling light after we leave our worries behind for the divine to look into. It is where the exchange of energy takes place, and we return home revitalized.