The past two days were miraculous. My son-in-law had a stent placed in his artery last night. The events leading to and after are truly a miracle. When he had chest pain he was rushed to the emergency unit. They performed several tests and did not discover any problems. The test results were clean. However, the hospital staff did try to reach out to the specialist. He had just left the premises. He returned to the emergency unit. Although he was a clean sheet, his complaints triggered the specialist to go ahead with the procedure while awaiting the second test results. But he was used to having a 7 member team to carry out the procedure. They too had left. Eventually not wanting to delay he managed to pool 4 of them and went ahead. He was amazed at his own achievements. Though understaffed, the procedure went smoothly taking an hour. When the result came in it did show that there was indeed a problem. The specialist had acted proactively and saved the day. My daughter only informed me late morning today. Agathiyar intercepted the line and assured her that he would take care. Agathiyar told her I would attend puja and not be at the hospital. Moments later Mahindren in his meditation passes me a memo from Agathiyar regarding the upcoming Vizha on Thaipusam. As he read out the memo over the phone, Agathiyar intercepted our conversation and told me that all shall be well with my son-in-law.
Regarding the Vizha, he told us that this was both his and Vaalai's fest or Vizha. He was aware of our discussions about how to go about it. He said they shall take the lead and guide us on that day. Indeed we are all too familiar and know that they shall change the course then.
After returning from the hospital visit I briefed Mahindren. Agathiyar intercepted the call again. He told me "Did not I say I shall take care of matters?" This reminded me of Tavayogi in the face of adversity would brush it off telling us that Agathiyar shall take care of matters. Indeed he was around and is with us every second. He told me that he would fill in the details when he comes before us on Thaipusam day.
Though we can run through the rituals on familiar grounds blindfolded, when it comes to starting something new we do tend to get jitters. When Tavayogi asked that I carry out Homam, I was reluctant stating that it was the proprietary of the priests. But he convinced me to do it. Later Agathiyar boosted my spirits when he told me that I wasn't doing it for myself but for the good of all creation. Only then did I do it full-heartedly. Similarly, when I received messages, directives, and instructions from all corners asking me to carry out Vaalai puja that was new to me I had similar hesitation. But Agathiyar and Vaalai came to convince me giving directions. This is how it has been since day one. The Siddhas in asking us to carry out something do not stand afar and watch but participate actively. At times they come earlier than the time announced and start off the puja. At other times they shorten it to spend more time talking to us. So puja at AVM has always been unpredictable. There is no standard regime to adhere to, no standard and fixed procedures too. It just takes shape and flows along and at the end of the day, everyone is happy, especially the Siddhas. For this time around he asked to keep the crowd small. I supposed he dictates who should come or should not. The invitation is out let us see.
Vaalai had sent out signals and signs of her entry into our lives many years before. When the AVM family went to India in 2016 to participate in the inauguration of Tavayogi's new temple complex for Agathiyar, we stopped over at several places. At Palamuthircholai, Dyalen comes out of meditation to reveal that Vaalai came to bless us as we sang the Siddhar Potri. Even before leaving for India, Karupanasamy told these youths that we would be blessed to meet Agathiyar in the very first temple we went to. It was up to us to identify him. Can 10 sets of eyes miss him? We saw him as an elderly woman at Sri Rangam, dressed in a green-blue peacock-shade saree. Soon we saw him in all the temples as a lady in green. Returning home Karupanasamy asked us if we thought Agathiyar was a male. He told us that Agathiyar was a woman and surprised us all.
Mataji had a vague memory of a recurring dream where Vaalai was circling a home asking to be invited. It did look like our home AVM she said. She mentioned this to us on her visit to Malaysia in 2021. On her recent visit last year, as she came out of a brief meditation at AVM, she mentioned that the Siddhas were hinting at starting Vaalai puja. As we had refrained from rituals and as I mentioned this to her, she enlightened us that Vaalai was also the breath. I could then accept to worship the breath. When Agathiyar came in the Jeeva Nadi reading for my daughter moments later, he asked us to start Vaalai puja. Ramalinga Adigal came through a devotee moments later asking that we start the worship. As I had held on to the Siddhas firmly and asked that they guide us till the end, I was hesitating to shift to the worship of Vaalai. Ramalinga Adigal told me all the Siddhas including him eventually held the hand of Vaalai to reach Siddhahood.
So in his memo to us today, Agathiyar reaffirms that Vaalai is the breath or Vaasi. We understand now why he never mentioned rituals or singing songs for Vaalai but instead only asked to recite the 108 names of the Siddhas and carry out a homam. He told me to sit in his room and he shall enlighten me on what to do further. So is it with writing these blog posts. The moment I settle to sit in my prayer room he gives me a subject and content to write. I have to leave and begin writing for if I delay the sentences and words fly past me and it takes some time to recall or retrieve them or it is lost if I delay putting them into writing.