If I had reluctantly carried out the fire ritual or Homam that Tavayogi asked that I do coinciding with the bigger Yagna or Yagam he did at his Kallar ashram initially, it needed Agathiyar to come in the Nadi reading later to convince me that it was for the greater good of Prapanjam. Now as Agathiyar, Ramalinga Adigal, and Vaalai herself want me to carry out the Vaalai puja, I needed to be convinced again all the more since Agathiyar had me drop all rituals, practices, and activities in September of 2019 and asked that I embark alone on my journey in going within. So as I browsed through the net, I came across a piece in Dr. Geeta Anand's blog at https://saumyasagaram.blogspot.com/, that I had followed for some time back when Jnana Jothiamma introduced me to her, where besides stating "Vaalai puja", as "the magical sword", and "the worship with intellect", Dr. Geeta quotes Agathiyar from his "Saumya Sagaram" stating it as the start and end of all pujas, காரணமும் பூரணமாய் நின்ற பூசை. She translates this verse as "The puja where the causality stood as fully complete." Going by her translation we understand that coming to the worship of Vallai is the fruition of all our previous tapas. We now understand why Ramalinga Adigal in coming to convince me to do it said that he and the Siddhas held the hand of Vaalai to reach the higher ground where they stood watch today. Vaalai is also revered to bless Sadhakas with Siddhis or the ability to perform miracles. I guess it comes as a package when we start worshiping her as Agathiyar had hinted at it.
If the verses of "Saumya Sagaram" seem to be a description of an external ritual and puja, Agathiyar places before us the yogic means and the inner meanings and understanding in this external puja that is an internal puja too towards realizing her. Dr. Geeta writes "If prior verses seem to be a description of an external ritual, that of placing nine pots and worshipping Devi, there is also an inner meaning for these verses. The nine pots may represent the nine aavarana or enclosures in Sri Chakra. These nine enclosures represent various concepts and their stepwise dissolution into the central point, the bindhu, the ninth enclosure, which Agathiyar says is omkara. The word “akshathai” refers to rice grain that was not pounded. Thus, it has the capacity to regenerate. It possesses “jivakalai”. Thus, this term may also mean the prana that does not die out. The term “ettu padi” means both, a measure and eight steps that correspond to Ashtanga yoga and the eight enclosures that end in bindhu. They also represent the nine chakra in our body, the muladhara, svadhistana, manipuraka, anahata, vishuddhi, ajna, sahasrara, dvadasantha and then the all pervasive state of Sakthi. This order represents creation as well as dissolution. “Kumbam” also means kumbaka or the cessation of breath, a state when the soul harmonizes with the Divine."
In her commentary, she writes,
"Agatthiyar describes the work of Sakti when the yogin performs the above-mentioned worship. When the yogin worships her as listed in the above verses, with love and devotion Mother Tribhuvana will grant her love and mercy to him. She will feed him the divine nectar from the lotus flower, chakra. She will grant him the magical sword, the sky where the self remains. She will offer it as the fully complete state of Vedanta poornam."
It is interesting to note that "In "SriVidya", Devi is worshipped as Bala first, then as Bhuvana, and then as Tripura. This represents an increasing order of energy. The flow of air is switched from going down to up." She writes that the Mantra kala vaasi Agathiyar speaks about is kundalini sakthi.
I am blessed and have reason to believe that the flow of air switched from going down to up on its own prompting me to observe and take notice of the change in the airflow that generally flows through the nostril and into the lungs, is now diverted into the space in the head causing a slight throb in the brain. In her commentary, Dr. Geetha writes that "the sukha jiva pranan will get purified. This is the pranan that is present in the body. Thus, sukha jiva pranan represents the limited soul while the prapancha pranan represents Supreme Being."
I do see the reason for the timely intervention of Agathiyar, Ramalinga Adigal, and Vaalai. Since Tavayogi officially came by to start me on this journey initiated by Agathiyar in my first Nadi reading, the guru has to come by and officially end it too. The time is right for me to start this phase of the journey as the blooming had begun in the crown Chakra and blossoming continues.
I gather that just as there are veils that cover and obstruct our true self, that drop by their grace as we journey and walk the path, and just as there is the horizon where the sky seems to touch the land or sea and the Karman Line, a boundary that sits some 62 miles (100 kilometers) where the sky ends and space begins, one needs to transcend the arc beyond which all three worlds are seen.
Speaking to Acharya Gurudasan who was our mentor and a Upaguru helping us refine our practice of Yoga taught by Tavayogi, over the phone recently he told me that he was glad that AVM did not turn out to be a temple and I did not turn out to be a Samiyar or guardian. He was glad that Agathiyar brought the shutters down for a reason and a purpose. I too am glad that I have been left off the hook in building a temple and can pursue the Vaalai puja now that I have come to know that it runs concurrently and parallel to an internal journey too.
Just as he had youths in their twenties and early thirties turn up at my home to watch and join in my family puja in 2013, I guess this time around it shall be children below 10 years of age, turning up for the puja with their parents. Let their energies run wild and bring cheer in us, just as I zapped the energies from the youths who frequented my home and became one myself.