There was a time back then in 1996 when I met Mr Sethu, a senior chief clerk at an adjacent block of our office building. We used to spend lunch breaks together where once he passed me a couple of cassette recordings of the Thiru Arutpa. Listening to the songs in the album "Arutpa Amudam" set to music and sung by S.Sadasivam did something within me that started the fire in me in wanting to know more about Ramalinga Adigal. I wanted to own the whole volume of his works. I would walk into music stores seeking more of these songs. Finally, I came across all these songs uploaded at https://thiruarutpa.org/. I got to own these songs in print too released by Ooran Adigal in two massive volumes. I read through the Thiru Arutpa accompanied by these songs on audio. After 28 years as I listen to these songs I can relate to what Ramalinga Adigal experienced and sang some 150 years back.
Never did I imagine that he would come to us in present times. He took us by surprise the very first time he came through a devotee calling us to reach out to Arutperunjothi. Just as we could hardly hold on to the devotee through whom Ramalinga Adigal came, he could not contain his joy and was elevated off the ground as if defeating gravity itself and reaching up for the skies.
Dr.C.Srinivasan in his book "An Introduction to the Philosophy of Ramalinga Swami", published by Illakkia Nilayam, Tiruchi, 1968 states that by the "Universal spiritual communion and devotion to God, and allowing God to be infused in him, the Light of Grace which was infused in him had alchemized Ramalinga Adigal's body and finally, he became blazed with the Supreme Grace Light."
Indeed we saw him ablaze in the joy and bliss of Arutperunjothi on that unforgettable day on 14.3.2020. He began to sing the following verses.
"My God came within me to grant this Jothi. Veil upon veil did he show me. He was both a spark and majestic Jothi. As he arose in me all the veils were drawn aside."
என் பெருமானே என்னுள் வந்து அருளிய ஜோதி அது....என் பெருமான் அருளிய ஜோதி அது...திரை எனும் திரை எனும் என் பெருமான் காட்டிய திரை அது....என் அருள் அப்பன் அருள் ஜோதி அது...சீர்ஜோதி அது பெருஞ் ஜோதி அது...ஏறும் பெரும் ஜோதி அது...என்னுள் அது ஏறும்போது திரை அது விலகியது...என்னுள் அது ஏறும் நிலையில் ஜோதி அது ஜோதி அது...திரை எனும் திரை அது அருட்பெருஞ்ஜோதி அது...
Returning from this heightened state, he assured us that the path we took was right and that Agathiyar would lead us to the Jothi, too. He asked us to aid in drawing aside the veils by raising the fire within. He assured us that Agathiyar would come within us and draw the veils aside.
அகத்தியன் அருட்ஜோதியை நோக்கி அழைத்துச் செல்வான். திரை விலக உங்களில் இருக்கும் ஜோதி அதனைச் சுடர்விட செய்யுங்கள். என் அப்பன் அகத்தியன் உங்களுக்குள் வந்து அத்திரையை விலக்கிவிடுவார். அதுவே இப்பாடலின் பொருள்.
Ramalinga Adigal came again in December of 2021, to continue the recitation of the Agaval from where I had stopped having been overcome by my emotions. But what was odd was that he coined the words there and then which differed from his original text as if giving us the song off the cuff. He defined the state of Arutperunjothi in a few words.
When you come within me and I in you that is Arutperunjothi,Bogam and Yogam are indeed Arutperunjothi,
When you go beyond and come to "know it" that is Arutperunjothi,
போகமும் யோகமும் அருட்பெருஞ்சோதி,
… நீ கடந்து அறிவே நீ அறியும் அருட்பெருஞ்சோதி,
எல்லாம் செய் சித்தம் சிவனடி சேரும் அதுவே அருட்பெருஞ்சோதி,
ஆண்மையும் பெண்மையும் கலந்தன இறுதியில் வெளிப்படும் வெளிச்சமே அருட்பெருஞ்சோதி,
இவை எல்லாம் தாண்டிக் கடந்தபின் காண்பது அதுவே அருட்பெருஞ்சோதி,
இளமையில் நீ செய்யும் யோகங்கள் யாவும் முதுமையில் சேர்ந்திடும் அருட்பெருஞ்சோதி,
ஜோதியுள் ஜோதி அருட்பெருஞ்சோதி,
குளிர்ந்தது ஜோதி. வெப்பமும் ஜோதி, நீயும் ஜோதி, நானும் ஜோதி, பிரபஞ்சம் முழுதும் ஜோதி, மின்மினி போல் மின்னும் ஜோதி, இப்பரதேசியில் காண்பதும் ஜோதி, பரத்தில் இருக்கும் அருட்பெருஞ்சோதி.
Coming to us later both Agathiyar and Ramalinga Adigal kept asking if we read Tavayogi's "Andamum Pindamum". Rereading it later, we found that Tavayogi in introducing the Siddha Neri, or the way the Siddhas, had shown us how to attain Soruba Siddhi. But it made no sense then. It was only in 2022 that I realized that in teaching us certain select Yoga postures and Pranayama techniques, he had helped us raise the dormant energy originating in the Muladhra Chakra that dominates all our worldly actions, to the higher reaches of the other Chakras where when the pull of the gross body or Pindam is overcome, we are free to roam the void or Vetta Vezhi. But since as long as man is entrapped in the gross body he can never venture further up the Chakras, he has to transform his gross body to that of subtler in nature, reducing the 5 elements to become the 1 and break away and to be free from the gravitational pull of the earth, and back into the emptiness. The knowledge to break loose is indeed Gnanam. Agathiyar too told us that as we travel within traversing each Chakra, upon reaching the summit or crown Chakra, Gnanam shall dawn.
பஞ்சபூத உடலை வேதியியல் மாற்றத்தால் மாற்றி மூல அணுவாக மாற்றி புவியீர்ப்புக் கோட்டை கடந்து வெட்டவெளியில் சேர்ந்து சுதந்திரமாக உலாவுவதே ஞானம் ஆகும். அதுவே சொரூப சித்தி எனப்படும். அதை போதிப்பதுதான் சித்தர் நெறி. மனிதன் உடலில் இருக்கும் வரை மேல்நோக்கிப் பயணம் செய்ய முடியாது. மனிதனும் தன்னை கீழ்நோக்கி இருக்கும் மூலாதார சக்தியை மேல் நோக்கிச் செலுத்தினால் பிண்டத்தின் ஈர்ப்புச் சக்தியை கடந்தால் மனிதனும் வெட்டவெளியில் சுதந்திரமாக இருக்கலாம்.
These experiences become pretty obvious when one follows Ramalinga Adigal's devotional out-pourings, laments, wailing, utterances, plodding, pleading, petitions, and revelations as compiled into the Thiru Arutpa. In wanting to follow his life story we came across G.Vanmikanathan's "Pathway to God Trod by Saint Ramalingar", published by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay, which has given us a beautiful and much-awaited biography cum journal on the saint's experiences and spiritual evolution. Besides this Gnana Bharathi's “Tamil Mannin Thanthai” added to this marvelous biography of the saint.
During the first 12 years, we learn that Ramalingam was into devotion or Bakthi, worshipping Lord Muruga at Kandhakottam while residing in Chennai. All saints have had a beginning in Bakthi or devotion too. The next 12 years were the missing years of Ramalingam who left Chennai and is said to have followed a guru and traveled the hills and the plains to the abodes of the Siddhas. Coming to know that there was indeed a way to remain immortal he sat in tapas for 12 years under the tutelage of his guru. When Tavayogi brought me to the Kutralam jungles, we sat in a cave that he said was occupied by Ramalinga Adigal.
Ramalingam, who was by then 24 returned home and to society. What he saw disturbed him a lot. Besides discrimination based on caste and the multitude of religions that had arisen, he saw other faiths moving in and encroaching on the locals who were in a dire state of disarray. He felt the sufferings of the innocent people who were being manipulated by certain quarters in all ways possible. He fought the problems that had infiltrated society during his absence. To the locals in Patiripuliyur who gathered around him and sought his advice over the confusion that had arisen after another movement was telling them that they should leave idol worship, Ramalinga Adigal replied to them to continue what they were currently doing as that was best for them. Bhagawan Ramana too is known to ask those who enquired about the path to follow, to follow what they were currently doing.
Ramalingam then in wanting to bring salvation to these souls, began a journey of propagating his newfound path, the worship of Light beginning in Chennai and proceeding to Thiruvotriyur and Tirutani, moving to Pondicherry and then later to Chidambaram, Sirgazhi, and Vaitheeswaram. Moving south to Madurai, Thiruvathavur, Thiruperunturai, and Karunkuzhi and briefly returning to Madurai, he settled at Karungkuzhi from where he frequented Chidambaram. It was from here at Karunguzhi that he began to supervise and direct the construction of the Dharma Salai to feed the hungry on a piece of land some 80 acres in size donated by the locals at Vadalur. He brought together his followers through the Sanmarga Sangam and educated them in divine knowledge or Gnanam through the Sanmarga Bhotini Padasalai.
Ramalinga Adigal expounds that only God would know what he experienced. When many from the orthodox school choose not to reveal God's grace working in and through them, Ramalinga Adigal let out battle cries and eventually victory cries, beating the drums and blowing the horns making known to all of his achievements through divine grace. He sings "Blaze with the drum that I have become one with the Supreme Blaze of Grace; Blaze that I have acquired the kingdom of Grace Supreme".
சந்நிதியிற் சென்று நான் பெற்ற பேறது சாமி யறிவாரடி. அருட்சோதி ஆனேன் என்று அறையப்பா முரசு, அருளாட்சி பெற்றேன் என்று அறையப்பா முரசு, மருட்சார்பு தீர்ந்தேன் என்று அறையப்பா முரசு, மரணந்த விர்ந்தேன் என்று அறையப்பா முரசு. தன்னுரு என்னுறு தன்னுரை என்னுரை என்ன இயற்றிய என்தனித் தந்தையே.
Indeed why should one shy away from announcing his achievements when his form and speech became that of God, especially if it came not by our efforts but by his grace and compassion. Coming to us Agathiyar and Ramalinga Adigal asked us to announce and pronounce the greatness of the divine and its workings in us in transforming us to the state of a Siddha and of Jothi, by sharing them through this blog. Overwhelmed by his revelations, when I sang Ramalinga Adigal's song, before Agathiyar, a song that Tavayogi would sing at every sacred spot and abode of the Siddhas,
"இன்று வருமோ நாளைக்கே வருமோ அல்லது மற்றென்று வருமோ அறியேன் எங்கோவே - துன்றுமல வெம்மாயை அற்று வெளிக்குள் வெளி கடந்து சும்மா இருக்கும் சுகம்",
pleading for the day when we shall arise above the world of Maya and remain in the state of Doing Nothing or Summa Iruppathu, listening intently, Agathiyar questioned me asking if I knew its meaning?
"வெளிக்குள் வெளி கடந்து" அப்பொருள் அறிவாயா?
I told him I only knew the song but never understood its meaning. He began to explain. "When you come to know yourself completely, come to know the Ganangal, and come to know that all that is around you is impermanent and forever changing, that very moment you shall transcend that void or space or Vetta Vezhi. That is said to be Doing Nothing or Summa Irupathu.
உன்னை நீ முழுதும் அறிந்து உன்னைச் சுற்றி இருக்கும் கணங்கள் அறிந்து எதுவும் நிலை அற்றது என்று நீ அறியும் அத்தருணம் வெளிக்குள் நீயே வெளி கடப்பாய். அத்தருணமே சும்மா இருப்பது."
I now understand why Lord Muruga and Agathiyar keep telling me to do nothing. They come often asking me if I was enjoying these moments.