If we have read in the Puranas of how Asuras who were staunch devotees, once they gained a boon from the Gods upon completion of their austerities turned nasty and wanted more or to even bring the gods to their knees, the Siddhas were men who had found a way, and path to defeat nature at its game and take control of it, but not to bring on terror as in the former. This knowledge was shared and made known to other Siddhas whenever they came together to exchange notes in the hoary past. It was documented and hidden and only made known to some. These writings were experiences of these Siddhas in reaching their state. They were written upon the realization of the truth that dawned on them. Thence their writings were deemed going against the norm and usual. They were deemed to be radicals in society as society was not ready for the changes that they spoke of. The most recent Siddhas Ramalinga Adigal and Bharathi too faced much resistance from certain quarters who were against his teachings. The Nayanmars saw their fair share of hardship.
When the Siddhas come forward to help mankind out of the rut and pit, through several means including their Nadi readings whatever is shared by them pertains to the general man who is trying to improve his well-being both healthwise and material-wise. They hardly share the secrets that they had explored in their lives until and unless we make ourselves a fitting vessel to receive these teachings. Most of us too settle at wanting to know the former only and never ask to know the latter.
Their secrets when revealed shall break our hold on all that we thought was lasting and permanent, and shred our ties with sensory pleasures and worldly grasping. Now I understand what Sivavakiyar meant when he question if the stone would speak and confidently sang that there is no past birth and rebirth among many other prickly issues he raised. In their state of oneness with the source they energize the stone in the former and everything is brought to a standstill in the latter. We do not know our strength until we conquer places be it physically the planes or our standing in life. Similarly, I was surprised when Agathiyar came as a bronze statue to my home asked that we give the piece of metal life by chanting his name. Similarly, when we draw the shots and bring a balance to all things past, present, and future, what remains of time and space? Just as it is only when our legs have gained sufficient strength and we have the confidence to walk again that we drop the crutches and not a moment earlier, we shall drop all the good tools that have served us well in bringing us to the state of the final realization. We saw this in Ramalinga Adigal's journey where the transition from the many deities to the final Jothi was pretty obvious. The mistake we make is to reject all the tools and make a statement holding on to the word. Only after traveling the path can we form an opinion based on the lessons learned from the experiences gained.
So there is a distinct separation between pre and post-Siddhaship or Siddahood. What the Siddhas dish out to man now through their Nadi readings is for them to survive in this world. But their true teachings expound the secrets to bringing the world into their palms. Prapanjam listens to them then and liaises and works according to or works for them in tandem. The confusion happens when a commoner reads their text and tries to understand their teachings with the limited faculties that are offsprings of the 96 tattvas. We will never know the truth using the apparatus that are governed by the tattvas as they themselves are tainted and soiled. We need the grace of the divine arul to come within and clear the rubbish accumulated over the years and beyond that we carry in us and refurbish this house into his temple. To reach the truth the false has to be dropped. When the effulgence comes within everything comes to light. This is the state of a Siddha. For those who have ventured to know the truth and are ready to take the leap, the Siddha comes to reveal drawing the veil or curtain aside. The Siddhas see through the veil of Maya or illusion. They see from an entirely different perspective. Agathiyar often says he only sees the soul. When we reach that state we shall see the plain truth of the matter. Until then we shall be embroiled in worldly matters thinking that as real.
The seed planted in the past by a guru awaits to germinate. When the conditions are right in a particular birth, roots grow as we seek and search for the guru to quench our thirst to know. The guru shows the many ways that we can reach out as the branches reach out. The magic flowers within as we shut out all external stimuli. The fruit then is Gnana.