When many head out for big names, masters, and gurus who have made a name in the industry, and have a large following, hoping to be initiated and gain discipleship, I was shown to two gurus whom I chose to settle down with ending my search. Both of my gurus were a gift of God. Both these gurus showed me to God rather than portray themselves as God.
Supramania Swami of Tiruvannamalai was a householder when I met him. I was brought to him by my chauffeur Deventhitran after I told him my wife wished to have our daughter's horoscope charted during my maiden journey to India to carry out my Parikaram or remedies given by Agathiyar in my very first Nadi reading.
Supramania Swami was born on 17 July 1943 on Kritigai Natchathiram, a Monday in the Tirutani Murugan temple grounds. His mother was taking a kavadi when she had labor pains and delivered him. His grandfather Thuraisamy Pillai, a Vaisnavite from Aadi Peedham, Ladavaram near Tiruvannamalai was an accountant or Kanaku Pillai at Tiruvannamalai Arunachaleswarer temple. His father Jayaram Pillai and uncles were teachers.
Swami pointed out the degree of respect and faith a student should have in the guru, true guru bhakti, or undivided and true devotion to the guru. He revealed the greatness of his last guru Yogi Ramsuratkumar through a miracle that took place after the Yogi had gone into samadhi. The Yogi appeared at Swami’s doorsteps in his village home of Nachananthal at 11 p.m. one day to deliver a painting of him and disappeared into the darkness and out of sight.
“Take Him back with you”, Swami said, referring to Arunachala, as he stood hands together in prayer for me, as I bid him farewell. I had spent five blissful hours with him on that blissful day.
Supramania Swami went into samadhi at 10.20 am, on Wednesday, 7 February 2007, four days after I spoke to him, at his kudil in Tiruvannamalai. He was 65. When I was with him in 2005, he mentioned that his lifespan was only 65. Ramajayam tells me he found Swami’s diary after his samadhi. Strangely, Swami had written the exact date and time of his departure. This entry was dated 23 May 2005. He had also written down how to attend to his body once he passed away. He was laid to rest the same day within eight hours of his passing away as requested by him. When I was with him in 2005, he had indicated the spot where he was to be buried at his kudil to me. That was his wish. I was saddened that he was laid to rest elsewhere, in a common cemetery along the Girivalam path. Although he had mentioned that he was to be laid to rest at the kudil, the Lord and his messengers decided to provide a better place of rest for their deserving disciple. Agathiyar, on 10 February 2007, told me in my Nadi reading that Swami had gone into Samadhi at the right moment - no sooner, nor later. Agathiyar assured me that he had been laid at the right spot and his samadhi would gain fame.
Taking after his guru the Yogi, Swami came in a mysterious manner to our home one day after he went into samadhi.
The Yogi himself came to us surprising us by coming through a devotee, once some years back and again just some months back bringing Swami with him this time.
If I was brought to Supramania Swami on the pretext of charting the horoscope, three years on I was brought to Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal of Kallar Ashram, seeking verification if a leaflet I had been passed on by the Nadi reader who read my Nadi the very first time, was that of Tavayogi's. My discipleship under him ran concurrently with that under Supramania Swami for a couple of years before the latter went into Samadhi.
TK Thangarajan as he was known formerly was a successful businessperson managing his cotton industry in Thirupur in Coimbatore. He was into politics and produced a couple of movies too. Before becoming a mendicant or turavi, he was a well-known orator often chairing the many talk shows or pattimandrams that were popular with the public. The talent he had as a proficient and convincing speaker was maximized now since he took the stage again but this time to preach and popularize the path of the Siddhas or Siddhar Margam. He became a disciple of Chitramuthu Adigal and came to be known as Thaaiveedu Thangarasan as he started an affiliate branch of Chitramuthu Adigal's Aathma Shanti Nilayam at Thaaiveedu in Panaikulam, in his hometown of Thirupur. He conducted prayers every Wednesday and carried out annadhanam.
Tavayogi left the material life voluntarily at the age of 50 just as he had vowed earlier. He handed over the responsibility of managing the cotton mill he started to his son and family and walked out of all the luxuries he had accumulated over the years. His travels through India brought him to the hills, jungles, and caves of Uthiyore, Kolli, Sathuragiri, and Pothigai amongst other auspicious sites of Siddhas. He finally settled in Agathiyar Vanam at the Kallar foothills, on the 9th km of the Ooty-Mettupalayam trunk route where he started an ashram that he named after his guru the Sri Agathiyar Gnana Peedham Thirukovil on the directive of Agathiyar.
In 2004, Tavayogi accompanied a Nadi reader to Malaysia. He found his way to Lord Perumal’s temple in Puchong where he gave his first-ever talk on the Siddhas in Malaysia. Agathiyar had Tavayogi follow in the footsteps of his guru Chitramuthu Adigal and Paramaguru Jeganatha Swamigal who had lived in Malaysia much earlier. Tavayogi traveled again to Malaysia in 2005 at the invitation of a devotee of Agathiyar to officiate a local branch of the Sri Agathiyar Gnana Peedham in Batu Caves. Ironically, his name was mentioned to me four years prior to meeting him. After having my very first Nadi reading in Malaysia, the Nadi reader Senthilkumar handed me a leaflet appealing for donations from one Thaiveedu Thangarasan towards the building of a temple for Agathiyar in Kallar, Tamilnadu. I met him to verify if the leaflet was Tavayogi's. It was his and a beautiful relationship blossomed in the years to come until his samadhi in 2018.
The guru does not come alone. He brings his lineage with him. Supramania Swami mentioned that he had five gurus, namely, his own father, Jayaraman Pillai, Pundi Mahan or Atru Swami of Tiruvannamalai, Sathanandha Swami of Salem, author of Kandhar Guru Kavasam, Kollimalai Swami and Yogi Ramsuratkumar or Visiri Samy. Tavayogi had Chitramuthu Adigal and his guru Jeganatha Swami as his guru and Paramaguru. I am blessed to have met these gurus.
Both my gurus' demise was a big loss for me. How I wished they were around in the physical form to see me grow after Agathiyar ignited the spark in me, Supramania Swami nurtured the flame, Tavayogi fanned it, Ramalinga Adigal connected us to the Prapanjam and finally, the Prapanjam itself came to reside in my home and me. Nevertheless, I am sure they are all watching the progress in a subtle form as they come often to guide us further through other devotees.
I have come to realize that God works in mysterious ways. When I arrived in India Deivanthiran, who came to fetch me at the airport in Chennai told me that he had taken over the task of chauffeuring me around since Raji was assigned to me earlier came down with a high fever. Was that a coincidence or was it the work of fate or God's mysterious doing that Raji should suddenly take ill? Was it a coincidence or was it the work of fate or God's wish that Deivanthiran should take me to meet Supramania Swami? I am forever grateful and indebted to Supramania Swami who opened my eyes to devotion (Bakti) towards God and Guru by his exemplary lifestyle.
Similarly, it was God's will that I meet Tavayogi too when the Nadi reader passed me the leaflet that I kept which showed me to Tavayogi 3 years later. I am forever grateful and indebted to Tavayogi who took me on a journey of exploration on the path of the Siddhas.
https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2013/07/supramania-swami-i-went-in-search-of.html
https://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2016/11/tavayogi-kallar-ashram.html