The purpose of life was revealed by Agathiyar in the Tamil Sangam of the past before the many sages and Rishis gathered before him. The first and foremost of the five tenets was to know our purpose here. How many among us actually ponder over it and yearn to find out.
On one hand, there are those who lead a mundane life spiced by their seekings for pleasure that satisfies their five senses. According to Tavayogi, these souls came to fulfill their desires and wishes carried from earlier births. Dr. C. Srinivasan in his book "An Introduction to the Philosophy of Ramalinga Swami" describes them as human beings leading a mundane life without even a thought of their transient nature. Ramalinga Adigal in classifying the various stages of spiritual experiences names this as the state of Jeeva Sakiram or normal wakefulness.
Then we have those who follow their parents and exhibit devotion and bhakti and come to realize or gain spiritual awareness of the momentary nature of life while staying conscious of the world and external objects and enjoying gross things. This according to Ramalinga Adigal is Sutha Sakiram or Perfect wakefulness. He is on the path of Sariyai and this is the first state of the soul he says. He has yet to experience the divine.
G.Vanmikanathan, in his book "Pathway to God Trod by Saint Ramalingar" throws some light on "Shiva Gnana Siddhiyar", which elaborates further on the four paths. Sariyai, also known as Taatamaargam, is the path of a servant as in "sweeping the floor of Sankaran’s temple, scrubbing it with cow-dung water, plucking flowers and preparing many garlands and chaplets for the Lord, singing his praises, lighting lamps in the temple, maintaining a flower garden (for supplying flowers for the Lord's worship), and when coming across a person in the holy garb of a devotee of Civan, enquiring of him, “What is the service I can do for you, please command me”, and doing such services. In carrying out these services, he attains Salokyam which means gaining a Darshan of God, having a vision of him for a certain period, or being in the same world as God, just as a servant lives in a king's palace."
P. Thirugnanasambandhan in his "The Concept of Bhakti" published by the University of Madras, 1971, writes that "Starting from the first rung of the ladder, as the servant of God, the soul practices Carya, consisting of external duties such as cleaning and lighting God's temples, adorning the images of God with garlands, praising God and attending to the needs of devotees. For these deeds, the soul is rewarded with Saloka or dwelling in the region of God."
Then when one seeks to see the Lord and feels inseparable from him and untiringly searches for God he begins to see beyond the gross and enjoys the subtle things. This is Sutha Sorpanam or the state of Perfect dream. He walks the path of Kriyai. The soul has stepped into the second state. Kriyai is also known as Sarputramaargam or the path of the good son who brings fragrant flowers, incense, lamp, materials for the bath or libation, and offerings, goes to a suitable place, cleans the place by the five processes, places a seat (for the God), installs the image of God thereon, meditates on the form of God and the light that is God, invokes him to descend and occupy the image. He worships him with great devotion with flower offerings and songs and obeisance, performing with ardor the religious acts associated with the sacrificial fire. Those who do these acts daily will abide by the side of the Lord. He gets to come close or Saameepam to God in his audience chamber for a period."
P. Thirugnanasambandhan speaks on having been a servant in Sariyai, "the soul arriving in the Kriya stage becomes a son of God and renders more intimate service than before, such as invoking God's presence, serving him with love and praise and other acts of service like Sivapuja, besides attending to the burning of incense, collecting flowers, etc. the reward for service of this type is Samipya or dwelling near God."
Now he is madly in love with God. He has neither dreams nor desires of his own. The soul becomes temporarily one with Brahman and enjoys bliss. This is the state of Sudha Suluthi or Perfect ignorance (sound sleep or dreamless state). He treads the path of Yogam. This is the 3rd state of the soul. Yogam brings him to Sagamaargam, the path of companionship. Being engaged in the contemplation of the whole effulgence by the process of controlling the (five) senses, obstructing the flow of the two breaths and bringing it to a state of non-motion, gaining knowledge of the six centers (plexus) (in the body) and understanding their deep significance, passing through them to the top, partaking of the ambrosia from the region of the moon (within the human body) and storing it up to the fullest extent in the body, and other acts. Going through all the eight phases of Yoga he attains Saarupam, which means a pada-mukthi, or a graded Mukthi where the devotee gains for a period a similarity of form with God."
P. Thirugnanasambandhan brings us to "the next stage of Yoga, the Sakha Marga where the soul becomes the friend of God and thus is nearer God. Withdrawing its senses from the material objects, it concentrates on the contemplation of Siva. This is rewarded by Sarupya, which is to have the same form as Siva but not the essence."
"Shiva Gnana Siddhiyar" now brings us to attaining Saayutchyam, or union with the Godhead via Sanmaargam.
Here now the grace of God descends and one's soul ascends in response. The veils covering the soul for generations are shed one after the other. The soul is cleansed by God whom Ramalinga Adigal knows only as Arutperunjhoti. The spontaneous impulse of love for God results in absolute union with Brahman. He now attains the state of Sudha Turiyam or gains the Perfect experience. He reaches the state of Supra-mental awareness where he experiences Supreme Grace or Arul Oliyal. His soul has attained the 4th stage. Ramalinga Adigal calls it Shiva Jnana Nilai.
P. Thirugnanasambandhan writes that the soul "progresses further in the Jnana Marga to reach the final goal of Sayujya from where there is no return. Sayujya is a state of the union of God and soul, a mysterious union of either so that God and soul exist with their respective attributes, the former as the source of bliss and the latter as the recipient of the same."
When he then enjoys the grace of the Lord and transcends normal consciousness going into a state of ecstasy, Ramalinga Adigal names it Para Sorpanam or Supra mental dream.
When the shackles are removed by Arutperunjhoti he gains heavenly experiences. Above this stage, God is un-manifested.
Ramalinga Adigal goes on to describe this state as that of Para Suluthi or Higher ignorance or Supra mental unknowing. He defines it as stepping onto the first of the divine path or Sutha Sithantham.
Now he begins to taste God and sings the glory of Arutperunjhoti. Self-realization or Atma Tarisanam dawns as he realizes the soul is an atom as brilliant as the sun. The soul is charged with divine grace. He realizes the greatness of God's grace and his smallness. This is the state of Para Turiyam or Supra-mental perfection that brings on Ananda Nilai. This is the 2nd of the divine path called Sutha Vethantham.
When one perceives God in the form of light, the soul is saturated with compassion and love He gains the experience of divine life or Uyir Anubhavam. He attains a purified body or golden body. The extent of achievement is dependent on the grace of Arutperunjhoti. He begins to see divinity in all creatures. He sees God in the form he is ready to receive. He enjoys supreme grace or Arul Anubhavam.
Ramalinga Adigal states that these higher stages are heavenly stages and beyond human perception where the mind fails to conceive and all senses cease to function. Uyir Anubavam results from a transformation to a pure body. Universal love incarnates as he sees the spontaneous flow of God in him. This is Guru Sakiram or Shiva Sakiram the 3rd of the divine path now known as Sutha Nathantham.
When Supreme grace flows and prepares the aspirant for the next stage he settles in Guru Suluthi or Shiva Suzhuthi or Supreme tranquility, the 5th in the divine path namely Sutha Bothantham.
The body then transforms into Pranava Deham or body of grace and merges with Arutperunjhoti. He beats death. He stands at Guru Turiyam or ShivaTuriyam in the state of bliss, Anandha Nilai bringing on Periya Shiva Anubhavam. This now is the 6th on the divine path that Ramalinga Adigal terms as Samarasa Sutha Sanmaarga.
There are still higher stages that Ramalinga Adigal hesitates to express namely Sudha Shiva Sakiram or Absolute supreme consciousness, Sudha Shiva Sorpanam, Sudha Shiva Suluthi, Sudha Shiva Turiyam, Sudha Shiva Turiyateetam.
Thus we understand that no two men are alike in their search and understanding though they might be in the company of each other as there are so many degrees of understanding that stem from their individual experiences. How far can we come walking this path? We ask ourselves if it is possible to travel the full length of this journey in spiritual transformation. Generally, we are made to understand that God is residing in temples. Hence we start our journey going on pilgrimages to temples and holy spots. When the guru comes along he points out to us the place where God truly resides for he has been there and back to tell us the story. Tavayogi in signing his autograph on my copy of his book "Andamum Pindamum" wrote and signed off that "Aandavan Uraigindra Edam Thangal Ullam, Athuve Payanathin Thodakkamum, Mudivum" when translated meant, "God lives in your heart, from where the journey starts and ends too." If our parents and other servants of God show us, God, externally in images and statues, the guru brings us very much closer to God showing him residing within us. Then the alliance takes place. Man does whatever Prapanjam is capable of too as he realizes that he is very much a part and parcel of it and that it too is in him.
I guess this is how Idaikadar upon seeing the future saw a draught approaching. He fed his cattle Erukku or Calotropis, a weed. He mixed Samai or Little Millet in the wet soil and plastered them onto the walls of the mud houses. When the draught came as foreseen, while the other animals wasted away his cattle could still eat the weed as they had adapted to eating it. When the cattle began to scratch their bodies against the cottage walls, the Little Millet that was packed tight in soil fell to the ground. Idaikadar collected it. The controllers of the nine planets came to uncover the mystery of Idaikadar's survival and that of his cattle too. Idaikadar entertained them serving the Little Millet. As they were exhausted after eating they took a nap. This was the moment Idaikadar was waiting for. He moved the planets to be more favorable towards people and animals. It began to rain and the water bodies filled up. That was the might of Siddha Idaikadar.
Why should Idaikadar or Agathiyar for that matter take so much interest in uplifting us one might ask and how do they achieve what they do? They are in constant contact with the Prapanjam as they are it, in it, and of it. It is said that trees and plants bow to Agathiyar too. They share their wealth of knowledge with him. Hence that is how he comes to know the potency of each herb, its bark, root, leaves, and flowers. It is said that the very rocky hill that stood as a judge when King Ravana contested Agathiyar in a dual of music, melted as Agathiyar played the Veena.
Thiru Velayutham Karthikeyan in writing about the Jeeva Nadi and its revelations, in possession of a great soul from Chennai, Hanumathdasan Aiya, on his blog Siththan Arul, I believe has brought many into the fold of the Siddhas, or at least to kindle their interest in having their Nadi read. I believe too that Agathiyar was waiting to reveal their purpose for many seekers. Many truths and secrets had been revealed by the great saint. Agathiyar has revealed how he personally brings the wishes and prayers of devotees to the attention of the parties concern for their actions. For instance, he relates how he carried the wishes of an ordinary devotee in present times to Guru Bhagawan.
இன்றைய தினம் குரு வாரத்துக்காக இவன் போட்ட பிரார்த்தனைகள் அத்தனையையும், கூட்டாமல், குறையாமல், அலுங்காமல், சிதறாமல், அப்படியே கையினில் ஏந்தி, குருபகவான் சன்னதியில் வைத்துவிட்டேன்.
Agathiyar had served to remove the dosas and troubles of many including the heavenly beings too. We read from Siththan Arul the following revelation by Agathiyar. At one time in the way past, when Agathiyar was in deep meditation, an Arakan (Asura) with his family fell at his feet. Agathiyar through his wisdom eye, comes to know about him. He was Sukethu. He had to take birth as an Asura due to his past karma. Although born as an Asura, he was honest. He used to worship Lord Shiva all the time. As a result, the other Asuras gave him a lot of problems and disturbed his family and him. Agathiyar realized that conducting a Yagam or lighting the sacrificial fire was the only way to remove Sukethu's Dosa and confer on him the state of Mukthi, though Agathiyar knew that the rest of the Asuras would not allow him to carry it out. Agathiyar decided to conduct five kinds of Yagam, namely: Deva Yagam, Brahma Yagam, Bhoota Yagam, Pithur Yagam, Maanuda Yagam, and went ahead with it. But before that Agathiyar requests that Goddess Umaiyaal should ensure no harm comes from the Asuras during the duration of the yagam. As he had foreseen, the Asuras came to cause trouble and stop Agathiyar's Yagam, but Goddess Umaiyaal destroyed them all. Agathiyar victoriously completed the Panja Yagam and the Sathru Samhaara Yagam. Sukethu and his family members attained release from their curse.
When Tavayogi was admitted to a private medical center and was operated on Agathiyar and the Siddhas on hearing our plea to save him conducted a Yagam. Agathiyar revealed this in a Nadi reading to me later. Tavayogi survived to return to his ashram and hand over his duties and the Jeeva Nadi in his possession to his student Mataji Sarojini Ammaiyar. Tavayogi went into samadhi a year later on 3rd July 2018.
When Tavayogi and Mataji came to AVM in 2016, Mataji realized that the ground shook as we all sat to carry out a Yagam. Three days later, Agathiyar attested to it in the Jeeva Nadi reading that Tavayogi read for an AVM family member, that the Siddhas had joined us. Agathiyar added that their arrival was only made known to her and she had sensed the ground shake.
I believe though Tavayogi never spoke about a similar ability he had changed many a thing in our midst. When his guru Chitramuthu Adigal voiced out to Agathiyar in the Jeeva Nadi reading in possession of Tavayogi read for a devotee from the AVM family, his wish to see a Siddha Puja conducted at the Thanneermalai Sri Thandayuthapani Alayam or temple in Taiping on a Thursday, we were saddened that we would not be able to fulfill our Paramaguru's wish, as none of us would be able to make it on the day. Tavayogi listened to our plight and gave us the green light to have it done on a Sunday when we are all available to travel some 265 km to this temple and fulfill Chitramuthu Adigal's wish. Similarly, when Agathiyar had asked that my daughter carry out Parikaram giving her a list of temples to visit in India that would cost a hefty sum too, I shared the Nadi reading with Tavayogi over the phone. Even before I could complete reading the list of temples and remedies he told me it was not needed. Now I was confused. Who should I follow? My Moola Guru or Guru in physical form? After a few moments of silence, as I contemplated what to do, I believe he sensed my silence and said to go ahead if it would make me happy. We never did them holding on to Tavayogi's words. Till today Agathiyar has not spoken about it to us. He still asks for her and hugs my daughter in his arms whenever he comes.
Just days ago amidst confusion as to which statue goes where, Agathiyar bent the rules and bent the hands of his devotees in the most gentle manner and delivered a statue to a devotee who carried him in his heart. He made the switch to move to Sri Krishna's home too.
Now I understand how Abhirami Pattar switched the Tithi from Amavasai or a night of not sighting the moon to bring about a full moon into view. There are many other wonders the gurus do as they are connected to the Prapanjam. As the Siddhas are beyond time and space they are capable of doing wonders. Read about them in the pages of this blog.