When my wife had numerous dreams about saints, gurus, and Gods as she came to the path after my entry, and I had none, I candidly told Tavayogi that it was not fair, as I was doing all the "work" and she was reaping its benefits. He replied with a laugh, asking me why they should come to me as I was already on the path, and turning to my wife, he explained that the reason she had these dreams was to ask her to follow suit. Later, when I arrived at his Kallar ashram after he visited Malaysia, and as we took a morning walk the next day, he turned to me and said that Agathiyar had come the night before, saying that his son had come and asked what Tavayogi was going to give me. Tavayogi, who, as usual, answers a question with another, asked Agathiyar what he was to give. Agathiyar laughed and told him that he would let him know later. Tavayogi was taken aback when my wife narrated another dream to him on another visit. My wife had a dream where Tavayogi had an empty scroll, and golden letters appeared on it. Hearing this, he said that it was amazing that the Siddhas had shown her in her dream the blank Nadi that was given to him in the past, coming "alive" with Agathiyar's words, and that which Agathiyar had asked him to read out every Wednesday and Saturday to the devotees who sought him out. Though Tavayogi read for others, including us, he never once referred to it and sought Agathiyar's advice even in the face of adversities. I understand now the reasons. It is only we who are beginning to walk the path and talk who would have the Siddhas and gurus, God and deities, come in our dreams and in the Nadi. For one like Tavayogi who had connected and become one with them, they come and hold a conversation with them. After Tavayogi's demise, and in the absence of the Nadi readers during the pandemic, Agathiyar came to us, giving messages through devotees. As it had been some time since he had come, pondering the reason and asking if we had faulted, he eventually came to clear the air, asking us why he should come when he was living with us and in us? I now understand the meaning of the dream my wife had in which she saw gurus like Bhagawan Ramana and Ramalinga Adigal, and they were pointing to a stretch of footprint. Then, surprisingly, a parallel set of footprints formed in the sand. We are to walk alongside them and not to walk in their footsteps. They would not want us to undergo the pain and suffering that they went through. Instead, they would save us from falling into these pitfalls. They would want us to have our own experiences with the divine.
Tavayogi was a man of steel. He stood as a beacon and a lighthouse for us. He, too, never expected nor led us to walk his path, stepping into his shoes or, in this case, stepping into his footprint on the beach sand. Mrs Kogie Pillai wrote a beautiful piece on him, extracts of it I share here.
Swami had apparently achieved much success in all areas of his life in his earlier days. It is also believed that he had endured many challenges prior to him finding his spiritual path. His journey in finding himself and the path of spirituality was no fairy tale. He spent several years encountering extreme challenges and relentless tests before saviour sage Agathiyar took him into his fold, nurtured him and requested that he establish an ashram to propagate the work of the siddhas and spiritual consciousness. His choice and decision to renounce conventional life was understandably stormy but demonstrated his courage, valour and boldness that most would sidestep. In that role he worked earnestly and tirelessly to serve and spread the messages, knowledge and wisdom of the siddhas, to all who would listen. He piqued interest and drew the attention of people from all quarters of the world to the voice and messages of the siddhas. Swami gave off an endearing energy that drew people toward him. And if you paid attention you may have caught the scent of sandalwood that perfumed the air around him. Although he had much to manage and maintain at the ashram, he remained undisturbed by all the noise, activity and toils around him. He was always calm, patient and well-tempered. He radiated kindness, compassion and benevolence. He did not have to work at being that way, it simply emanated off his energy effortlessly. He was one of little words unless he was communicating for a purpose. He preferred to be silent just witnessing everything unfolding around him. He was not interested in being drawn into banter around mundane, material or immaterial aspects of life. In such situations I observed him slip away graciously, often without being noticed. He preferred conversations around understanding the necessary tenets of life and expanding consciousness. He was a wealth of knowledge and wisdom and one could get lost in the magic of his storytelling. He disseminated knowledge with affection, efficacy and purpose but was also known to belt out wisdom with realism, truth and veracity. Noteworthy was his sense of humour which softened his serious disposition. He drove the work of Agathiyar rishi and the siddhas selflessly, gallantly, graciously. He committed to his work without the desire for fame, fortune or flaunt.
We should come and go without either causing a ripple or a blast like Tavayogi did. Either would bring on another birth.