Man living a mundane life accepts death as a process or incident that happens to all lives. But the Siddhas seem to have cheated death. How do they do it? If many these days seem to go into the state of samadhi and have their disciples and followers attend to their physical body in a specific way, Ramalinga Adigal seems to have even got rid of the gross body for when the authorities entered his room Siddhi Valagam in Methukuppam, what they saw was an empty room latched on the outside. Where did he go? What happened to his physical body? To understand his end we have to visit the events leading to his transformation. It did not happen overnight but was a process or a reversal of some kind. The climax scene in the movie "Lucy" sort of gives us an idea of what could have taken place.
The ordinary mortal human body which is subjected to aging, disease, illnesses, seizures, failing organs, etc that lead to death, can also perish in an accident, by drowning, or due to natural calamity or in war, or in willingly welcoming it as in suicide, has to be cared for in the very first place as a prized possession. Human birth is rare we are reminded by the saints who had used the physical body to attain the state of sainthood, Siddhood, and God. The miracle that takes place in the womb of a mother warrants us to take extra care of it. From the moment of fertilization of the egg creating a zygote that rapidly divides into many cells turning into a blastocyst and developing into the embryo and later fetus, a divine hand is seen shaping us. And the care of the mother upon coming to know of her pregnancy definitely warrants us to take care of this body later in life. It functions even when asleep and in a coma or under sedation. How can we then waste this miracle body given to us?
Hence the Siddhas have us perform asanas and pranayama practices, besides having us consume sattvic or pure food, consume herbal preparations that eradicate the trash accumulated in us for years, and henceforth have us adopt a good comprehensive lifestyle. When this body is perfected we gain the state of a Suddha degam or a purified body. Above and beyond our efforts is the grace of the divine that is obtained by "universal spiritual communion and devotion to God", says Dr.C.Srinivasan in his book "An Introduction to the Philosophy of Ramalinga Swami", Published by Illakkia Nilayam, Tiruchi, 1968.
So with our efforts and his grace, we arrive at the formula to attain a Suddha degam. This transmutation and transformation goes to the level of atoms. The gross "matter and the atoms of unpurified elements are slowly transformed into energy or Pranava deham or body of Grace and Light and the body of Wisdom (i.e.) evolves into the body of the God Supreme or Immanence" we are told. Transformation on the subtle level takes place, "The transformation in the human frame first into Anburuvam, the body of love, then into Aruluruvam, the body of grace, and then finally into Inburuvam, the body of ecstasy, that is, the body of the God Supreme. All three states of the body are also referred to as the golden body", writes Dr.C.Srinivasan. Man who is mortal becomes Immortal.
Ramalinga Adigal transformed "the most impure body susceptible to the natural bonds and to putrefaction to become an everlasting and imperishable body," writes Dr.C.Srinivasan. He writes further that, "The Swami says: “O God – the Eternal Love, just to bestow upon me the golden body, you, the Universal Love have merged with my heart. Allowing Yourself to be infused in me, O Supreme Love, You with the light of Grace have alchemized my body.”
"The Swami proclaims in ecstatic delight," writes Dr. C. Srinivasan, "Blaze with the drum that I have become one with the Supreme Blaze of Grace; Blaze that I have acquired the kingdom of Grace Supreme".
அருட்சோதி ஆனேன் என்று அறையப்பா முரசுஅருளாட்சி பெற்றேன் என்று அறையப்பா முரசு
மருட்சார்பு தீர்ந்தேன் என்று அறையப்பா முரசு
மரணந்த விர்ந்தேன் என்று அறையப்பா முரசு.
Dr. C. Srinivasan wrote of Ramalinga Adigal's journey of personal experience "He was picked up by God, he was tried, he stood the test, the Light of Grace was infused in him and finally he became blazed with the Supreme Grace Light." Reading all these processes involved and the time taken for the transmutation and transformation to take place, we realize that there is so much effort and time that we have to put towards achieving it. Besides this, all this is only possible by the grace of the divine. Now, I wonder how modern-day gurus can promise the moon and instant results?