We have either heard or read about the guru-disciple relationship. The "Breath of Life" is a wonderful modern-day tale and movie about this relationship. If the young kid saves the church from being brought down, thanks to his "father's" directive, the "father" saves the kid's life later in the movie. Agathiyar, too, is said to have saved his devotee, saying that he had given his breath and generated new veins to save him. Another devotee who, in accompanying his son to a cave temple, although he never ventured beyond the walls of the temple initially, to kill and pass the time, one day picked up the chore of sweeping away the leaves and twigs in a cave temple. While waiting for his son to complete his worship, he made it a habit and was saved by the divine will, coming through the temple priests and reciting Lord Muruga's songs even after he was officially proclaimed dead at the hospital. A mother survived when Agathiyar came as a strong gust of wind through the open windows in the hospital wards and, besides toppling drinking bottles, gave her an extension of breath for another five years. Agathiyar told my daughter that he had come with Tirumular to her hospital bed and raised her platelet level when she came down with dengue fever.
As long as we are earthbound, we are subject to the will of nature and natural law. The Siddhas who managed to fathom the secret to separate this mortal body into the various elements, took on a formless form and traversed both time and space, remaining in existence forever. Ramalinga Adigal was one of these Siddhas. Many would quote Ramalinga Adigal's song verses, which mention that even the Siddhas were never close to what he saw. It was not Adigal's intention to degrade the Siddhas. In fact, he had often referred to himself as one, having come from their lineage. Adigal had progressed where no man did. He saw more than the Siddhas shared. He did not indulge more than was needed to expose Siddhis. He built the Satya Gnana Sabai, an institution for the gods to come down. No one speaks about his guru, though Adigal mentions God as his guru.
As I am writing this post, a devotee messages me in a timely manner about Agathiyar's explanation towards certain bodily experiences that another devotee was currently going through. Agathiyar speaks about the breath. He says that one needs to bring more Prana into the cells through the practice of Pranayama. He explains that each action of ours and its corresponding experiences are registered in these cells. For one who is keen to overcome these changes, he or she has to pick up the tool that is Pranayama. One has to separate these experiences and feed the burning fire within, thus cleansing the body. In doing so, the Pranayama within will be energized and bring forth certain chemical reactions. In these instances, one has to be focused and not be led astray by these happenings. With extreme activity in the third eye comes a cooling effect in the crown of the head. We are asked not to mind this but to focus on the breath. With the swirling of the Chakras, the body will become lethargic and weak. To correct this, one has to do Yoga practices both in the mornings and evenings. This will rid the inconveniences and discomfort in the body and with the internal cleansing, the Chakras will be pushed to higher levels. He adds that one has to be diligent and serious in doing these practices.