If Agathiyar had me prepared to come to his path through a mysterious initiation on a stormy Saturday afternoon of 2001, with a mantra that invoked Lord Vasudeva, and a year later had me come to worship him and the many Siddhas besides the deities through a calling in the Nadi, with the coming of a guru in the physical form in 2005 I was officially initiated into the path. As Tavayogi took me literally walking the path passing on his experiences and Gnana as we trekked the jungles and caves, he told me that that was the beginning of a new and true journey. That was the first phase. I had embarked on Kriyai after leaving Sariyai.
Prior to all these Lord Shiva had in coming through a dream in 1988, brought a halt to all the questions that arose within me as I began to compare what I read in the books with what I saw in reality. As it did not match, I was confused and angry. He did me a favor by having me take a break to cool off. That cooling period eventually extended to some 14 years of abstinence from all forms of worship, Satsang, and further reading. That was the preliminary phase.
The second phase started after Agathiyar and Patanjali (in the Nadi) and Tavayogi in 2007 began instructing me on certain yogic practices. I embarked on Yogam.
As I traveled solo and was later joined by my family after Tavayogi initiated them too into the path in 2005, beginning in 2013 Agathiyar sent over several youths to watch and learn the Pornami Puja that I conducted with my family on full moon nights. This was the third phase, where we ventured to include charity in our agenda besides the group prayers or Koothu Prathanai.
After Tavayogi went into samadhi on 3 July 2018 and as all good things too have to come to an end, in 2019 Agathiyar brought a halt to all our activities and had us go our way having picked up the tools and tricks of the trade. He dispersed the crowd that at times would number some sixty gathering at my small home that had taken on a name, a label, and a tag for easy identification - Agathiyar Vanam Malaysia (AVM).
Soon the pandemic that triggered the numerous lockdowns followed on the heels of the shutdown at AVM. It was each man for himself now carrying out puja and charity in his home with his family. Though this period brought on fear and anguish and sufferings to mankind, it was also a blessing in disguise for me as it was a forced isolation to pursue further the directive to go in and within. During this fourth phase, Agathiyar was constantly by our side.
During the endemic phase that subsequently followed, Agathiyar and Ramalinga Adigal guided us coming through other devotees. Agathiyar as the bronze statue stepped out of AVM again, last having done so in 2016 and directing later that he was not to be moved, traveled to several homes and began to speak through devotees. Agathiyar began to address on Gnanam giving us divine knowledge. During this phase, the fifth, my body saw changes take place as a result of all the worship and practices that I had followed earlier.
Agathiyar has me stepping into the sixth phase now asking me to take on the role of a guru that I am questioning my eligibility and worth. Should I or should not I assume the post? Should I forego as I did in refusing the Nadi that was to come my way for keeps and for my reference and others? Should I refuse to accept it, as did I when given the enormous task of building a temple for Agathiyar and Lord Murugan? As I ponder over it he has already started sending some seekers over to my home that Ramalinga Adigal has now rebranded Gnana Peedham. Just as Balamurugan said that he felt very small and insignificant in the face of standing before Mount Kailash during his pilgrimage to this sacred mountain in 2011, I feel incompetent to shoulder such a huge responsibility. As Ramalinga Adigal told me the more we refuse them, the more shall the Prapanjam shower us with gifts I guess I have to finally say yes to satisfy Prapanjam. I guess by submitting to its wishes we would satisfy the 5th tenet of Agathiyar's sermon on the purpose of man, to the Rishis at the Tamil Sangam of days past, that of "aiding and helping, towards the ongoing evolution of all co-existing beings and entities, existing upon the lower levels of the evolutionary ladder, dutifully supporting the manifested matrix or Prapanjam" after have satisfied the 4th tenet earlier, that of "dutifully aiding and helping, the ongoing evolution of all co-existing human beings." (Vashisht Vaid's post on his blog https://holysageagathiyar.com/)
But I do not know the formalities and the rules of the book. We have always looked up to another as a guru. Now that we are being placed in their shoes what do we do? What is the role of a guru? How far-stretched is his responsibility toward his students? All these questions have to be answered before we can possibly step into this next phase.