Swami Yukteswar too had "advised a new student who occasionally expressed doubts regarding his own worthiness to engage in yoga practice. "Forget the past", Sri Yukteswar would console him. "The vanished lives of all men are dark with many shames. Human conduct is ever unreliable until anchored in the Divine. Everything in the future will improve if you are making a spiritual effort now." (Source: Paramahansa Yogananda's "Autobiography of a Yogi", 1990).
Immediately after the Nadi reading, he has Nadi Nool Aasan Senthilkumar pass me a tiny book containing the names of the Siddhas that ends with "Om Yennilaa Kodi Devargal, Sidhargal, Rishigal, Munivargal Thiruvadigal Potri Potri." That was my introduction to who the Siddhas were and their numbers. I was also given a painting of Agathiyar by the late Sivabalan who brought in the Nadi readers from India. Although I was told by the late Dr. Krishnan in 1996 about the Siddhas and their Nadi and the reason his predictions did not happen for me, I was fated only to see my Nadi six years later when I turned 43 as revealed by Agathiyar. Going back to the good Dr. to enquire why Lagna or Ascendant in my horoscope differed from what Agathiyar revealed in the Nadi and giving him the good news that Agathiyar wanted me to worship the Siddhas, he subsequently made me a yantra and passed Agathiyar's mantra "Om Sing Vang Ang Ung Mung Agatheeswaraya Namaha" to me to recite with.
A year before I read the Nadi, my nephew mysteriously passes me the Vasudeva mantra "Om Namoh Bhagavathe Vasudevaya Namaha" after he was instructed by his Paramaguru Gopal Pillai. Later he tells me the instruction to pass it came was from Agathiyar. The Siddhas have their ways and means and use the existing network of gurus to deliver their messages.
Armed with his painting, a long list of Siddha names, his yantra, and the mantra I began my journey. I was a lone ranger then carrying out what I was told to do. My wife and children would watch and eye me going in and out of the prayer room not knowing what was going on. But my wife used to have gurus and saints appear in her dreams.
After I met Supramania Swami in Tiruvannamalai he gave me a Shiva mantra "Hara Hara Siva Siva Sivasivaya Namasivaya Sivayanama Om" as a guru diksa. Three years later Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal of Kallar Ashram who was in Malaysia gave me and my wife Agathiyar's mantra "Om Sim Vam Arm Um Mum Agatheesaya Nama" as a diksa. He explained the reason my wife had those dreams. They wanted her to come into their fold too.
And so the Siddha puja was taught to our two daughters too. The family used to sit and recite the names of the Siddhas and Agathiyar's mantra accompanied by lighting the homam. When five years later Agathiyar came into our home as a statue, we began to carry out libation or abhisegam too. Looking for suitable song to accompany each of the 16 items that we used for his abhisegam, I received 23 songs from Mataji that we modified for our purpose. Our puja was now complete.
Along the way Agathiyar gives us his Moola Mantra "Aum Srim Aum Satguru Patame Saaba Paava Vimosanam Rowga Ahangaara Dhur Vimosanam Sarva Deva Sagala Siddha Oli Rupam Sarguruve Aum Agastiya Kiranta Kartaaya Nama" that wards off curses, sins, illness, and arrogance.
This puja was observed and followed and brought back to the homes of the devotees who Agathiyar sent to my home after their Nadi readings. When Tavayogi visited us again in 2016, he was delighted to see the Siddha puja had caught up with others too. I guess I had carried out my obligation to my gurus to their satisfaction. Whenever we recite the names of the Siddhas coming in our midst they join us in puja.
After Agathiyar brought the rituals to an abrupt stop, Ramalinga Adigal delivers us his Arutperunjothi mantra, "Arutperunjhoti Arutperunjhoti Taniperunkarunai Arutperunjhoti". These days they call us to recite the Arutperunjothi mantra whenever they come. They rejoice in singing together with us. This mantra energizes the whole place and all of us. It connects us to the prapanjam.
I am obliged now to continue writing this blog as he wants me to do so. After penning it I sit back and read with awe at all that is written. I am amazed too and move over to him and thank him for the writing. It is a learning for me too. The blog too has begun to serve as a tool of learning. The videos of the events we carried out add spice to these writings. He runs the show and we are merely tools in his hands.