Man wants the best in life. But does he achieve all that he wishes for or aspires? Why then does he face adverse situations? Agathiyar says it is all due to fate or vidhi. Fate is an accumulation of karma or actions done in previous births that fall into two general categories, paavam and punyam, the results of good deeds and the results of bad deeds respectively. The law of karma states that you reap what you sow. Based on one's past good and evil deeds, certain karma has to happen in one's present life. To facilitate this, Erai creates a conducive birth and the circumstances for these karma to take place. A birth then takes place at the time when the planets are placed such that the karma can come into effect. One's astrological chart would depict the positioning of the planets conducive for these karma to take place. The truth is nobody can escape from the clutches of karma. Karma necessitates the need to take numerous births. Hence starts a cycle of births.
Until a man comes to this realization, he has to carry out performing rituals. By doing rituals one indirectly is doing charity. When one is told to help another or to do charity it does not come easy for most of us. But when one is told to do rituals, he readily does it. To start a ritual, one needs to purchase numerous items and things to carry out the ritual. Hence the families and industries are sustained when man makes these purchases. Now indirectly he has helped another. It is similar when one performs atonements or parikaram too. He is given a mantra to chant. He is asked to go to the temples to worship. He is encouraged to share his hard earned wealth with others through the act of feeding the poor, donation, and gifting supplies towards the sustenance of temples, priests and Nadi Gurus. By following these parikaram, his karma is slowly shed. When karma leaves, his doubts leave him as well. He has a clear understanding that he has to work towards gaining Erai's grace and work towards living a life devoid of karma. Agathiyar says it takes many births just to come to this understanding. Man must utilize this birth to attain this state. Towards this purpose, he has to have determination and be focused. To receive Erai's grace Agathiyar advises us to live a Sattvic life. Agathiyar understands pretty well that it is not possible for all this changes to take place in a wink of an eye. Yet however difficult it may be, man must learn to battle his weakness no matter how many times he falls and fails. He then starts to rewrite his fate. Intelligence or buddhi drives fate. Fate in turn has intelligence in its clutches and drives it. Hence fate gains control over one.
Fate and destiny cannot be changed. But the most merciful and compassionate Erai is all forgiving. For those who have come to realize their mistakes, Erai shows some leniency and an exception. Erai provides certain avenues for him who has repented to be saved from the 'gallows'. An opportunity to escape 'detention' and 'torture' comes in the form of doing Dharmam (upholding righteousness, good virtues and charity) and Thavam (devotion and austerities) that is required of him. This is what the saints have been telling us all this while. "Dhanamum thavamum seivaaraagil vanavar naadu thiranthidume," says Avvai which means the gates to Erai's kingdom shall open up the moment Dhanam and Thavam is done. Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal says, "Dhanamum thavamum ungalai paathukaakum kavasangal". Agathiyar himself says, "Dharmathin vazhi sella sella karmathin vali kuraiyum appa".
Living just for the sake of a body and its myriad sensations is akin to living an animalistic life. Man needs to go beyond that and strive for a spiritually uplifting holy experience and purpose. Man has to be totally aware of the consequences of all his actions, has to consider that which is permanent, that which leads to a state of permanence, figure out how to attain that state, and take the necessary steps and actions that will lead one to that state. Does that mean one has to drop all desires, drop his expectations, leave his family and kin, and engage in austerities in solitude? Agathiyar says that would be a desirable thing to do but he acknowledges that not everyone is fated to do so. To one in this high state of spiritual advancement all other mundane things will start to fade into obscurity on its own. Having achieved that high state, Agathiyar reminds us to live like a normal person.
