If I started documenting my external journey, beginning with my maiden trip to India and back in 2003, after meeting my gurus, I have written much about them too. Agathiyar has now bid me to share the internal journey and its transformation in body and mind with readers. So where do I start?
For a start, my grandchildren saw the obvious change in me. Turning 66 this year, I am starting to grow new black hair, replacing the white hair that comes with age. I am at peace with myself, though news of man's stupidity, greed, and arrogance disturbs this serene peace at times.
Let me walk you through my life after coming to the Siddhas.
When clients of Dr. Krishnan told me that his predictions based on the astrological charts came true, I was puzzled why none of his predictions for me materialized. Not that it bothered me, but I was curious to know why a reading by a well-renowned astrologer like Dr. Krishnan did not go well with me. So one fine day in 1996, I asked the Dr. if at all there was a possibility that whatever he predicted would not materialize. He answered, “Yes, there is a possibility it won't materialize if you have a curse.” “And how would we know if someone had cursed us?” I asked. “Could you tell me if I am cursed, from reading my charts?” I continued. Dr. Krishnan explained to me that it was not possible to know if a curse had befallen someone from reading the astrological charts and that the only way to find out was through consulting the Nadi. That was the first time I heard about the Nadi and the Siddhas. However, back at that time, neither did I give much serious thought to the Nadi, nor did I know of any Nadi reader in Malaysia. Neither had I any intention to go and seek the Nadi in India. Eventually, I forgot about it until my colleague and friend Muralitharan Saminathan talked about his experience reading the Nadi (in 2000) to me in 2002. I recalled Dr. Krishnan’s words then. He arranged for me to have a reading at Shivabalan’s home, where he brought in the Nadi readers from India and housed them. Agathiyar revealed my past life and my past Karma through the Nadi. I was asked to perform atonements or Parikaram at temples for the past Karma and asked to make a pilgrimage to India. I did as told. After that, there was no turning back. It amazes me even now to think about how my life took a turnaround after I saw the Nadi eventually in 2002. The Nadi showed me the path I was to take - the path of the Siddhas. I made a pilgrimage to India in 2003, performing atonements or Parikaram as per the Nadi, thus burning the Karma that was a result of past desires and deeds. Subsequently, I had the blessings of two wonderful Gurus. My seeking to know the future of my second daughter brought me to Supramania Swami in Tiruvannamalai, who was an astrologer too. Just before leaving for India, my wife reminded me that we had not charted our daughter’s future and asked that I seek an astrologer in India. When I had completed my last leg of pilgrimage and worship performing the Girivalam of Arunachala in Tiruvannamalai, I asked Deivanthiran, my appointed chauffeur, from the tourist agency, who was from Chennai, if he knew any astrologer in Chennai. He told me he had an uncle in a village eight kilometers from Tiruvannamalai and that he was an astrologer too. I was driven over to Nachananthal to meet Supramania Swami. Later, Swami and I started on a venture to build a temple, only to drop it while in construction, after a Siddha intervened. After two years under the tutelage and guidance of Supramania Swami, I met Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal of the Sri Agathiyar Gnana Peedham Thirukovil, Kallar, Kovai, Tamilnadu in Malaysia in 2005. I made another pilgrimage to India the same year on the instructions of Agathiyar and at the invitation of Tavayogi. I was shown the life of a Siddha. I was taken on early morning walks; we bathed in the nearby stream that had its source in the mineral and herb-rich mountains of Ooty; I was shown how to conduct prayers to the Siddhas; I was given an opportunity to do charity and feed the poor, and was given an initiation. I was blessed to be taken on a pilgrimage by Tavayogi to Siddha samadhis, caves and temples which included Agathiyar’s temple at Agasthiyampalli, and at Courtalam and his cave in the nearby hills and at the Agathiyar Fall in the Pothigai hills; Karuvurar’s temple at the Breehadeshwarar temple in Tanjore; Punakeeswarar’s Samadhi at Chennimalai, and Sivavakiyar’s Samadhi at Sivanmalai, both in Kovai; Konganar’s cave at the hills of Uthiyore in Kanganam, Kovai; Ramalinga Adigal’s cave and Dhakshanamurthi’s cave also in the hills of Courtalam, and Bhogar’s Samadhi at Palani.
Subsequently, I had a series of Aasi Nadi readings in which several Siddhas came to guide me further. Then Agathiyar chose to come to my home in the form of a bronze statue in January of 2010. I started performing rituals, namely libation or Abhisegam, on the instructions of Agathiyar and lighting the sacrificial fire or Homam on the instructions of Tavayogi.
If Mr.Sethu at my office introduced me to Ramalinga Adigal by passing me several audio cassettes of the saint's songs that captivated me upon hearing them, Tavayogi introduced us to Jeganatha Swami, who was a disciple of Ramalinga Adigal and a Paramaguru of Tavayogi and his Samadhi temple on our shores.
This is hold I came into their fold too. The Siddhas, having experimented on themselves, have proved that we need not shed our bodies at the end of their lifespan. Siddhas are believed to be alive in their Samadhis even today. So, should we not walk the Path of the Siddhas who knew the secret and had transformed themselves to live forever?
Agathiyar started us with external worship, a much-needed stepping stone for this age, to remain dedicated to the cause and focused, to discipline and strengthen the faith, and slowly brought us to the fringe of meditation. Among the many rituals, Agathiyar brought us to specifically conduct the Homam, a smaller version of the Yagna, telling us that the remaining unexhausted desires will eventually be burnt by the regular act of performing the lighting of the sacrificial fires. He convinced me, who was doing it with a heavy heart and fear, as this ritual was the domain of Purohits and temple priests, Agathiyar told me that I was not doing it for myself but for the good of the entire cosmos or Prapanjam. Paramahansa Yogananda, in his "God Talks With Arjuna - The Bhagavad Gita", published by Yogoda Satsanga Society of India, 2002, while relating external worship and rituals to inner development and growth of the soul, says the act of performing the Yagna is equivalent to merging with the fire (light). "This act of withdrawing life from the body and uniting that energy with the light of God (as performed by the Nayanmars and saints of the past) is symbolically shown in the burning of clarified butter or ghee in the sacrificial fire, that of uniting life energy with cosmic energy." "This is the highest yagna," he says, "the real fire rite," he writes, "casting the little flame of life into the great divine fire, burning all human desire in the divine desire for God."
It is interesting to note that Agathiyar too in asking me to conduct libation or Abhisegam to his bronze statue that he instructed me to be made at Swamimalai in my Nadi reading in 2009, upon arrival at my home in 2010, told me to give it life and he added that he would walk in me while my soul shall momentarily be housed in his statue.
Agathiyar tells us that Dana of the highest order, besides serving others and feeding the hungry, is to spread the word of the guru and God whom he addresses as Erai. We were told that showing the way of the guru and standing by it supersedes all other acts of Dharma. I guess this blog, which is intended to spread the teachings of the guru and the Siddhas, fulfills this order, for he has me keep on writing it.