If Bharathi and Ramalinga Adigal seem to go against the norm of the day and age-long traditions the other Siddhas too in guiding us seem to break the customs and traditions upheld by our forefathers and temple authorities. If I were to list them out society would come down hard on us too for seemingly changing long-standing procedures and corrupting young minds. For instance a priest chided us for serving food to the devotees at the temple venue before the nitya puja or daily evening puja was done citing that the Goddess would not see our charitable act. The Siddhas are trying to bring us back on track after much has been distorted.
I understand now why a guru of an ashram in Anuvavi told me he was not in a prepared to change a 300-year-old tradition and gain the scorn of devotees. Mataji too wanted to continue the past trend and refrained from bringing changes. I guess these things are for our own consumption and for our own use. But that is the way of the Siddhas, known to be fighters and radical transformers. They brought social changes. Besides bringing changes to time-held rituals and ceremonies, the Siddhas began to work on us internally too. From Sariyai that was imposed on us, they brought us to pick up Kriyai the Siddha way. They made us go within dropping even their version of rituals eventually. The Siddhas who performed miracles as we observed rituals in Kriyai, began to be felt within in Yoga. They took on a different manifestation, one more subtle and in the energy form. Soon they began to dictate and transmit messages that arose from within dropping the need for mediums and tools but not before they had made us shed all our hold on previously held ideas and notions, beliefs and practices.
Speaking to Mahindren last evening over dinner, recalling and listing the moments and times when both Tavayogi and Agathiyar trashed our ego and dependence and attachments even before they could take shape, he pointed out to the story of Goddess Mahishasura Mardini and the Asura where after he is defeated and his blood spilled all over, he keeps arising from the droplets of blood. Ma has to wipe out all traces of it and eliminate him. In a translation of the Mahishasura Mardini Stotram from the blog at https://vak1969.com/ it is said the same.
Ayi Nija Hoomkrithi Maathra Nirakritha Dhoomra Vilochana Dhoomra Shathe
Samara Vishoshitha Shonita Beeja Samudhbhava Shonitha Beeja Lathe
Shiva Shiva Shumbha Nishumbha Mahaahava Tharpitha Bhutha Pishaacharathe
Jaya Jaya Hey Mahishasura Mardhini Ramya Kapardhini Shaila Suthe
Ayi – Divine Mother, Nija Hoomkrithi – Chants the powerful Baja Mantra “Hum”, Maathra Nirakritha Dhoomra Vilochana – Killed the wicked asura Dhoomra Vilochana who was the commander of Shumbha and Nishumbha, whose red eyes always emitted poison, Dhoomra Shathe – Vanquished him in seconds, Samara Vishoshitha – Devi fights a special war, not the one fought by regular soldiers, Shonita Beeja Samudhbhava Shonitha Beeja Lathe – Reference to a powerful Asura whose every drop of blood creates more of his form, Goddess kills him by swallowing all the blood that drips from him while fighting, Shiva Shiva Shumbha Nishumbha – Shumbha and Nishumbha are great devotees of Shiva, Mahaahava Tharpitha – She gives them liberation by chanting the name of Lord Shiva while killing them, Bhutha Pishaacharathe – Thereby ensuring that they attain moksha and do not become ghosts and ghouls.
The day I called Tavayogi over to my home for the very first time I was elated to receive a holy man stepping into my home. I had never had a guru nor invited visiting gurus over prior to that day. I was on cloud nine basking in joy when I decided to thank him as my nephew drove us back to the venue where he stayed during his stay in Malaysia. He told me I was living in Maya and that he was no Samy or godman. He told me that he had nothing hidden within his saffron cloth. He told me he had no magical powers. I froze at that moment. Silence prevailed during the rest of the journey. Though I was confused and angry it took me years to comprehend what he did on our very first outing. He killed my joy hence crushing the seed of attachment to him that if left behind would have sprouted that day. I understood that he had done me a favor. If he had not trashed and killed my joy then I would have returned home, placed a photo of him in my living room or altar and worshipped him. Rather than have me worship him he showed me to Agathiyar.
When he invited me over to his ashram in Kallar and a devotee brought up a rudraksha seed asking him if he could wear it he gave the green light. Minutes later he turned to me saying we do not need it. When in a timely manner he noticed the gem-studded ring on my finger again he told me we don't need it. When I quipped that I was wearing a Rasamani on me he said the same again. Soon I lost a jewel among the nine embedded in the ring. He had me drop my attachment to all ornaments that day.
When Agathiyar stepped into my home for the first time arriving as the bronze statue 12 years ago on 2 January 2010, we carried out his Vizha the following day. Agathiyar told us to give life to the otherwise metal statue in his image by reciting his name 100,000 times. He said that he would come in a devotee and have his Atma reside in the statue during the hours he walked the earth and blessed the gathering. It puzzled me as how that was possible. Later Agathiyar sent seekers to my home after their Nadi reading was done and equally a number of strangers too. In our enthusiasm and concern both I and my wife dished out advice for it was free, right, that brought upon us trouble. Asking Tavayogi what went wrong he trashed me for meddling in others' affairs. He told me to send them to Agathiyar to cry their hearts out instead. Over the years as Agathiyar came through devotees and cured many, and as we did not feel at ease having Agathiyar treat strangers in our family home, we spoke our minds. He listened and stopped sending others over at least for a short period. Later as we matured spiritually he told me that he was only using us and our home to do what needed to be done for them and asked us to step aside and watch. In recent times he tells us that he listens through us and attends to the needs of his devotees. Lord Murugan too in the Nadi told us to step aside and let the Gods have a field day in our home puja and Vizha.
Both Tavayogi and Agathiyar gave us leeway and freedom to amend, modify and change many things. They had us drop many things too. For instance, during the advent of the pandemic, he had me dissolve the Agathiyar Vanam Malaysia (AVM) and its charity arm Amudha Surabhi (AS) Whatsapp group at the peak of its glory and have everyone go their way in doing puja and charity rather than becoming dependant and attached to the group. He had the devotees shed their attachment to a grouping, gathering, an umbrella body, movement, organization, society, and center. Being the host he had me lose my attachment to all the power, authority, respect, etc showered on me and my wife too. My wife told me that we were getting "high" doing puja and charity. He gave us the tool of Yoga and Pranayama and had us sit at home coinciding with the numerous lockdowns and restrictions of movements brought on by the authorities. He told us that it was now a solo journey as the path was narrowing and we could only tread one at a time.
Most recently as I had a responsibility towards my parents-in-law I was away from AVM on the 9th of January. When the whole world was celebrating Agathiyar's Jayanthi I felt sad that I had to be away. Though Agathiyar had switched the day of his celebration for us, moving the date to that of Thaipusam, (from what originally coincided with the Vizha in Kallar Ashram that was initiated by Tavayogi asking us to light a homam in our home simultaneously at the same time) I would sit to carry out puja on my own. Now as I was away attending to my family's needs the most compassionate Agathiyar had me arrive in time to witness and participate in his puja at the Jegathguru Sri Raghavendra Swamigal Mrithiga Brindavanam Kinta in Ipoh where I was during the weekend. He satisfied both the family and my yearning. I realized that he broke my attachment to the Murthy of Agathiyar and the venue that was both my home and his Vanam (AVM). He showed me that he was and shall appear anywhere. Reading about an episode and watching a scene from the Hindi movie "Thank God" and the opening credit scene in "Unnal Mudiyum Thambi", I guess I would have got another thrashing if I had turned down my family in the hours of their need and sat home to conduct puja for him. In the first story, one had brought goodies for Lord Muruga when he was stopped by a hungry man asking for food. His conscience told him to part with the goodies meant for the Lord. Arriving at the temple and standing before the Lord he apologizes that he had to give away what was meant for the Lord. The Lord tells him that he had eaten and was full. The Lord had come in the form of the man. In the Hindi movie, a grandma and her grandson seek alms and food from the lead character. But he chooses to literally feed Lord Hanuman instead. When he meets with an accident and faces the court of Chitragupta (CG) who determines the next course of action CG mentions that he could have saved the starving lady from death and the child from becoming an orphan. In the Tamil movie, a lad is apprehended for not picking up a banana that a blind old lady had dropped but instead watching her struggle to locate the fruit he continues making his rounds chanting the hymn Kandhar Sasti Kavasam. I was happy that I had the good sense to attend to the family first.
Literally speaking the Siddhas turn our lives inside out and upside down for we tend to see the world from its right perspective - upside down. Hence many fear getting close for it would call for change. Since we have lived in our comfort zone where we get to do as we wish for far too long it is only natural for us to refuse change. Only the strong-willed dive in. I was asked to teach an 83-year relative Surya Namaskar. But even before he began he gave up. Days ago I led him in taking deep and full breaths and expelling them. He saw it as a difficult chore to accomplish and walked away. It made me realize that we should exercise and do yoga while we are fit. In old age, we lose the spirit to accomplish things and give up easily. We tend to resist change.