As I and my wife met up with Nadi reader T.Ramesh on Wednesday, my memories went back to the days of reading the Nadi. I have had some 56 Nadi readings read out to me by the 41-year-old. It was a curtesy call as we had not met after the last reading in September of 2019. The pandemic set in, and the Nadi readers went back to India. It was the second time I saw the Nadi in 2005 after a lapse of three years. The first Nadi reading was done by Senthilkumar of Avinashi. Agathiyar in reading my Nadi for the very first time in 2002 told me to come back when I was 45. Mentioning this to Tavayogi whom I had only met then on our shores, he pointed me to T.Ramesh and passed me his local number. Reading my Nadi Ramesh rushed me to go over to see Tavayogi immediately bringing the gifts that Agathiyar listed that I bring along to get initiated - again! It was as if there was an urgency to get initiated again that same night. Though Tavayogi too was equally puzzled when I mentioned this to him, he went ahead and initiated me again as instructed this time by his touch. I understood that initiation should be held one to one and not given in mass gatherings as earlier. Previously I and my wife had joined another six and were initiated by reciting Agathiyar mantra. After I returned home from the late-night initiation to my surprise, when I played the cassette, its contents were erased. Going back for a re reading, Agathiyar charted a new chapter and a new beginning in my life. If Tavayogi had asked that I frequent the local Peedham that he had come to officiate, Agathiyar struck off that proposal and had had me get initiated and come directly under his wings. He asked that I visit Tavayogi's Kallar ashram spending a couple of days with him which I understood that henceforth I came under the direct supervision of Tavayogi. I packed my bags and left after him arriving at his ashram a month later. He volunteered to take me to the places Agathiyar had named in the Nadi.
Before going over to Kallar I had an obligation to see my first guru Supramania Swami in Tiruvannamalai first. This was the first time I could speak to him about Agathiyar, the Nadi readings and his directives. In my previous and very first meeting with him in 2003, I was blessed to spend some 5 hours in his presence where he spoke about his Gurus and me. I told him that Agathiyar had mentioned Tavayogi as my guru too. I invited him to come along to the temples and places I was about to visit with Tavayogi. He was delighted and agreed to come along. But as we made our way to a local Vishnu temple and back, I saw that Swami could not bear the strain of the road trip. His son too told me that the last time his father went to Palani and returned he was drained of his energy. I reconsidered my invitation bearing in mind his age and state of health. Supramania Swami was not offended when I reversed on my invitation to have him tag along me and Tavayogi on the pilgrimage to Palani. He added that it was true that he did not want to sabotage our trip. He was thinking pretty much practically. When he packed some tight blankets and placed them in the car bonnet telling me that the Nilgiris would be cold, I saw the amount of compassion and love in him that moment. He asked me to convey his best wishes to "my guru". I saw his humbleness that day. When I returned from Kallar to share the temple trips with him, Supramania Swami walked out of his kudil to usher me and immediate asked "How is your guru?" referring to how Tavayogi was doing. My eyes welled up in tears. Rarely do we come by a guru who would accept a "competition" and enquire about the other. When I was with him a lady walked into his kudil or hermitage with her uncle. She sobbed to him how difficult it was to live with her husband. Generally, our elders would always advise the womenfolk to bear the pain and agony and pray that their husbands turn over a new leaf. It was not the case with Swami. He told her outrightly to leave her husband and find peace. I saw peace set in immediately in her as she burst into an outcry of joy and happiness and walked away. He released her of the pent-up agony. He was indeed a very practical man. Rarely do we come by a guru who is pretty much practical and humble to the core.
Tavayogi too was pretty much a practical person in many other ways. He did not give me classroom lessons but instead took me on a field trip immediately after I arrived at his ashram taking up his invitation and Agathiyar's directive. He knew that I had to experience God and not listen to stories and his experiences and take notes about God and him. I needed to see the miracles he was to perform and see these miracles in the very nature, around me and in me. If only we could spare a moment to just see these miracles happening moment to moment right before our eyes. For that to take place, initially we have to be snatched and pulled away from the routines of our daily lives and venture into the unknown. I went blank following him trying to keep up with his pace. He stopped at times to point out a thing or two. He let me be with the nature and Agathiyar. He gave me my first practical lesson in walking into the open and inviting arms of Mother Prapanjam. He told me the Siddhas were ushering us with flower petals. He pointed out the wonderful aroma and scent in the air as we made our way into the jungles and hills. He gave me an experience that I never dreamt off, sleeping in pitch dark caves. I never had fear, doubt, questions, and the notion of time passing. As I said I was blank just absorbing nature. Only when the thought comes to capture the moment would I reach for my camera.
After I returned to Malaysia, he had me start the fire ritual in my home. During his subsequent visit to Malaysia in 2007 Tavayogi taught me and several others several Yoga asanas and Pranayama that worked very subtlety, and unknowing to me released its energies in me. Since he had introduced the notion of giving in the form of charity and feeding that began at his ashram, it came easily to me when Agathiyar gathered new seekers around and had us take up charity on our home ground in 2013. Again, here we see a guru who was practical in all ways. He had us gain the experiences that was much needed later on this journey to arrive at the state of Gnanam as explained to us by Agathiyar and Lord Murugan recently.
Blessed am I to have come to know Supramnaia Swami and Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal.