Agathiyar has got me all excited over tomorrow's dual event, ushering our gurus and Siddhas into our homes celebrating Guru Purnima and also carrying out our 60th wedding. Preparations and rehearsals are done ahead of the big day.
The greatest wedding present is that Agathiyar told us ahead, of that both my gurus Supramania Swami and Tavayogi who have passed on will be there to bless us. We are to usher them. What could a devotee and student ask for further?
Besides that Agathiyar had a devotee drive us to shop for our wedding attire and paid for it too. This too is a wedding gift from Agathiyar.
I wonder what else is in store for Agathiyar, who is known to throw surprises at the eleventh hour. He even comes during the events and switches our plans. With Agathiyar we indeed need to plan ahead and rehearse the events as he directs us. But we need to prepare to be surprised.
We are truly blessed to have Agathiyar choose this date to carry out our 60th wedding celebrations too. I never thought of celebrating as I stepped into my 60th birthday some 5 years ago. But Agathiyar came along last March and asked if we should celebrate it. When I told him that I am way past 60 and am in my 65th year, he joked, "Then let us celebrate your 7oth then." But moments later he insisted that I carry it out this year to coincide with Guru Purnima.
Guru Purnima is a day to worship and honor our gurus. By doing this we recognize and accept the sacredness in them. If Tavayogi had stepped aside after showing me to Agathiyar, Agathiyar who showed me to Tavayogi wants me to honor him and Supramania Swami on this fine day.
Agathiyar always has me rehearsed the events even before the actual event gets off the ground. In having us rehearse the steps in our minds, Agathiyar is simply getting us to do Manasa Puja or mental worship as pointed out by Swami Shantananda as "envisioning doing all the steps of worship" at https://www.siddhayoga.org/practices/guru-puja.
Swami Shantananda has us see the offering of fruits from a different perspective. He says these fruits represent the fruit of our labor and efforts, "the attainments we achieve", in following the way of the gurus and we offer these fruits of labor and efforts back to him. "It is offered as a gesture of detachment and gratitude", he says. Similarly, in offering flowers, he says "We offer the excellent qualities that have blossomed in us." This is what the recitation of the names followed by the singing and extolling of the nature and qualities of the deities during the Archanai or worship with flowers is all about. It is the inherent, prevalent, and "qualities that have blossomed in us" over time that we now place at the feet of the divine by offering flowers. How wonderful.
He asked that we sit still after the puja since our hearts now completely opened, shall imbibe the teachings of the guru from within. Agathiyar and Ramalinga Adigal tell us to connect with the Prapanjam in these moments where it shall all dawn on us.
Swami Shantananda enlightens us on the practices prior to the times before the Vedas came about to be composed which were very much connected with nature or the Prapanjam at https://www.siddhayoga.org/practices/guru-puja. Apparently, the worship of nature has been carried on through time as a religious practice and is still done in many cultures to this day. The Siddha path is very much linked to nature too. What is just a river to us is more than that to the saints as Swami Vishnudevananda came to find out from his master Swami Sivananda, as he writes in his book ‘My Years with the Master’ at http://www.sivanandaonline.org.
Before leaving (the Ashram), I went down the Ganga where it was the custom of the Ashram to do Aarati (waving of lights) every evening. All the devotees and inmates of the Ashram assembled by the banks of the Ganga to watch Master perform this evening worship. I was skeptical. I was of a scientific temperament and knew that a river is only water, H2O-imagine worshipping H20!! But as I stood there and watched Master waving the lights, I saw the river become a mass of flowing lights. At that instant the river assumed a divine flow, a manifestation of the Grace of the Lord. Master turned and looked at me and in my mind I heard his message, “God pervades everything; this too is His Special Form.” This entirely changed my outlook on life.
During our rounds to the caves and jungles and the temples and abodes of the Siddhas, Tavayogi kept pointing out to me the Siddhas' presence in nature and all around us. He pointed to the skies and said that they were ushering us with flowers. He pointed out to the aroma of sandalwood and told me they were present. He pointed out to the granite statue of Agathiyar at Agasthiyampalli and told me that Agathiyar was opening and shutting his eyes and asked if I saw this. Sadly, I never saw or sensed all that was shown. Going by his tone, I guess he was equally disappointed and told me, "It is alright. Let us take some photos" and relieved me of my camera. We moved indoors away from the heat of the afternoon sun outdoors. He asked that I sit in the inner chamber and threw me his shawl to sit on as the floor had oil stains. Reluctant to enter the sacred chamber I turned to sit at the doorway. That is when as I turned to Agathiyar's statue his left eye was fully open. How was that possible? Seeing the surprised look on my face, Tavayogi who knew I had seen the miracle whisked me away from there, preventing me from questioning or investigating further.
Coming over to Agathiyar's chamber at Papanasam temple, I saw the miracle gain, this time both eyes were opened in his granite statue. Tavayogi spotting that I had seen another miracle whisked me away again. How is all this possible?
Tavayogi gave me a taste of nature by bringing me to these places, connecting me with her rather than handing out notes and conducting courses and exams. He took me on the practical path again by giving us several Yoga practices to carry out in 2007 that after 4 years forced the dormant energies to awaken and rise in 2010/11. Ramalinga Adigal came to connect us with the Prapanjam after Agathiyar revealed that the Prapanjam was in him and that he was in it too. Agathiyar continued from there breaking the bund that held back these energies after another 12 years in 2022. When I asked him if there was anything further that I needed to do, he replied "Nothing" and that the energies would do their work. The Prapanjam is at work now as Agathiyar said. It is honoring all our wishes and showering us with gifts that we never desired. This 60th wedding is one such gift.
Below are listed the benefits of carrying out Siddha puja on Full Moon nights as Agathiyar revealed in the Nadi reading.
Many in this world utter my name (Agathiyar),Prayers done truthfully (to Sidhas) shall gain many benefits,
Prayers shall bring much joy,
Prayers done moderately but splendidly and honestly shall help protect the world,
Prayers done with fellow devotees will bring many benefits,
Many shall rise in stature and power,
Prayers will lead to a state of bliss,
Prayers done on full moon days shall strengthen the Jothi within,
Prayers will help remove doubts,
Through prayers, one shall attain godhead,
Strength, grace, and wealth shall be gained,
Stay on this path of devotion and family bonds shall be strengthened,
All that is asked for shall be gained,
Prayers shall lead to meditation and charitable thoughts,
All ills shall be removed,
God shall listen to prayers,
Idiots shall become geniuses,
The benefits attained from prayers are indescribable for many changes shall take place.