To the question posed by a devotee as carried in the last post as to why Agathiyar had to come through others and not take birth to bring the desired changes, the devotee envisions the day when Agathiyar takes birth as a guru to teach, mold, and bring these changes as he did in ancient times. Giving it some thought I realized that it is a wonder that he even comes through some individuals and several genuine gurus. He could have turned a blind eye, shut his ears, and remained passive. But being a compassionate and loving father, he has to come as a guru through others to teach in this age. Another devotee reading the posts answered almost immediately replying that Agathiyar needed to use us as a tool and vehicle to teach, show, and pass on the numerous practices to others. He also had to fill us up with Gnanam she said. A true seeker coming empty has to be filled and his thirst and hunger satisfied. His or her soul or Atma has to be freed. The soul in us is trapped by layers and layers of, no longer thin veils, but blankets, often suffocating it and causing much pain. Most often our individual likes and dislikes, aspirations and ambitions, wishes and desires, wants and hunger are like heavy blankets covering, and muffle and dampen the soul's voice. It yearns to be freed. It remains unheard until the guru comes to reveal its existence and help us remove these veils. The divine takes a form as in the transmigration of souls to release the latch, to untie the rope, to break the chain, and to free the soul to do what it came for. He might have to strike us hard as the blacksmith does bringing down the hammer on the heated metal to shape it. Like the hot metal, it is only those who have built up their Tava Kanal or Fire of austerity in them that are often given heavy blows. Be assured that these would be the last few blows that would bring out the beauty within and a purpose in them just as the metal eventually takes on a shape and purpose.
Truman Caylor Wadlington wrote in his book YOGI RAMSURATKUMAR - THE GODCHILD OF TIRUVANNAMALAI that in 1947 with a burning desire to realize his innate divinity, Ramsuratkumar set off in search of a master. The search for his spiritual father brought him first to Sri Aurobindo and later to Ramana. After spending three days with Ramana, he moved on to Swami Ramdas. “However, unlike his meetings with Ramana and Aurobindo, he felt no attraction to Ramdas.” Ramsuratkumar could not bring himself to accept Ramdas’s life of luxury. He returned to his home in Kashi.
Though Ramsuratkumar visited Ramdas repeatedly he felt the same way towards Ramdas each time he was with Ramdas. Even after several earlier visits to Swami Ramdas, Ramdas did not inspire the Yogi.
"Papa (Ramdas) did not allow this beggar to understand Him. The time was not ripe. This beggar had to wait till Papa Himself revealed His Divinity to this beggar, to make this beggar understand that Papa was his Father."
When finally the Yogi accepted and surrendered to Ramdas, surprisingly Ramdas was not willing and did not receive him well. S. Parthasarathy wrote in his book, BIOGRAPHY OF YOGI RAMSURATKUMAR - THE GODCHILD OF TIRUVANNAMALAI (AMARAKAVIYAM) that,
"Swami Ramdas and Mataji Krishnabai drove him out of the ashram forcibly so that he would remember them constantly. They used harsh language whenever he was before them among the crowd of devotees. By doing so Swami Ramdas and Mataji Krishnabai removed his ego totally. But it took a very long time. In the process, the pain, the suffering he experienced were acute."
Swami Ramdas would say,
“Go and beg. You cannot live in the ashram. There are enough people in the ashram to work. Remember, under a big tree, another big tree cannot grow. Only thorny bushes and grass alone will grow.”
When the Yogi lamented that it left him no other choice but to beg, Ramdas cried out "So be it". The Yogi went by the name Beggar till his last days.
I recall how I was sent away from Ongkarakudil by Thavathiru Rengaraja Desigar telling me "Coming here itself was a blessing" triggering a multitude of questions in me including if I was not worthy nor eligible to step on the Ashram grounds. 5 years later Agathiyar reveals the reason. It was exactly what the Yogi realized and revealed later as above. Though he asked me to go again then I never went back as I had taken Supramania Swami of Tiruvannamalai and Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal as my gurus. Agathiyar never brought up the subject. Yesterday he singled both Tavayogi and Rengarajar as exemplary gurus who could never be replaced.
Agathiyar showed me the varied and multiple nature of his devotees. Some professed his name but never took up his teachings. They merely wanted to attach a label to an otherwise naked self. Others were not sincere in seeing through the task given. And yet some others had strayed away. Only a handful at AVM remained with Agathiyar through thick and thin. Just like Yogi Ramsuratkumar who was not given admission to Ramdas's ashram, but yet kept coming back till he was shamed by the guru, only a handful at AVM withstood the heat. When I asked Agathiyar why the need to revive AVM which he had closed in 2019, he told me that though 10 might come along out of curiosity, his hope is one among them shall step forward to take up the call. I have to keep my door open for that one soul, he added. I believe the Siddhas would identify and invite him or her and pass on their Gnanam eventually in good time.
If Agathiyar showed me the true faces of his devotees, he also showed me how masters, teachers, and gurus have manipulated the truth for their own personal gains. Though some distorted the truth for the good of their followers, they were equally wrong too, to do that Agathiyar reminded me. He was educating me just as a father would bring along his kids and show them the world around us.