WHO IS A SIDDHA?

Death is all around us, but we choose to ignore it and look elsewhere. The moment a child is born and his or her birth is registered and a birth certificate is issued by the authorities, his or her death certificate is prepared by the "Higher Circles." It is said that we each come with a certain number of breaths that, once exhausted, we leave this body. The Siddhas, through several regimes and disciplines, are said to have transformed this body of gross matter and elements into subtler elements, hence prolonging their life span. But it is truly rare to come across one who has achieved this state in present times. We can only speak in awe and daydream.

Agathiyar, who called me to the worship of Siddhas through a Nadi reading, took me in as a candidate, sending Tavayogi to tutor me and later, upon the latter's demise, coming through other devotees, came personally to groom me. After making numerous offers in the past, asked if he should make me a guru and the very next minute retracted the offer, and instead said that he would make me a Siddha instead.

I am asking myself if I am Siddha material. Seeing all the videos purportedly of Siddhas, and reading all the books on them, I am nowhere close to them in any manner. I am not knowledgeable about the Siddhas except for what I have read. I am not knowledgeable about the mysteries of creation, the universe, and the world. I am not knowledgeable about the sciences that the Siddhas discovered and practiced. I have no achievements to my credit. I do not yet know my purpose in coming here. 

I would put the Siddhas to shame, for I have so many weaknesses and flaws. I would be a rotten apple in a bag of Siddhas. But yet Agathiyar has hope in me to make it, I suppose. So what do I then do? Nothing he says. I guess that only by doing nothing can he move the chess pieces and complete the game. Other wise it would be my show. Now it is entirely his show. 

So, who is a Siddha? Let us see what others have to say. A quick search on the net brings these up. 

• The Siddhar (Tamil (romanized) cittar, from Sanskrit siddha) in Tamil tradition is a perfected individual who has attained spiritual powers called siddhi. It means "one who is accomplished." It refers to perfected masters who have achieved a high degree of perfection of the intellect as well as liberation or enlightenment. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddha)
• A perfected being. The siddha has worked out all past karma and freed himself from entanglement in the world of maya. (https://www.ananda.org/yogapedia/siddha/)
• Siddha is a Tamil word that may be translated to mean "perfected one" and refers to someone who is accomplished. (https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/5361/siddha)
• A siddha (Sanskrit: Meaning "one who is accomplished") refers to perfected spiritual masters who have transcended the ahamkara (ego, or I-maker) and transformed themselves into spiritual beings.(https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Siddha)
• A siddha in Sanskrit means "one who is accomplished" and refers to perfected masters who according to Hindu belief have transcended the ahamkara (ego or I-maker), have subdued their minds to be subservient to their Awareness, and have transformed their bodies composed mainly of dense Rajo-tama gunas into a different kind of bodies dominated by sattva. This is usually accomplished only by persistent meditation over many lifetimes. A siddha has also been defined to refer to one who has attained a siddhi. The siddhis as paranormal abilities are considered emergent abilities of an individual who is on the path to siddhahood, and do not define a siddha, who is established in the Pranav - the Aum, which is the spiritual substrate of creation. The siddhi in its pure form means "the attainment of flawless identity with Reality (Brahman); perfection of Spirit." (https://www.bionity.com/en/encyclopedia/Siddha.html)

Every other article is written about the Siddhis that they performed. Videos also portray the present-day Siddhas performing Siddhis. Do the Siddhas' lives begin and end with performing Siddhis? Is that all there is to it? From https://sensitiveplanet.com/blogs/news/who-are-the-siddhas, we learn that there is more to it.

Siddhar Sages are the liberated mystical yogis who journey beyond ‘enlightenment’. In most cases, the enlightened beings went on to evolve into the final objective of yoga, and that was to merge into God in the physical form itself. These sages were called Siddhars. Many of these Siddhars maintained spiritual diaries and writings in the form of poetry from the time they actualized into discovering the divine with deeper meaning and the beginning of their yoga journey, while attaining enlightenment, and to the final state of transforming into light, merging with the Supreme. Yoga of Siddha tradition in South India meant the accomplishment of merging the body into the supreme light of the absolute, as attainments of the eight different dimensions of perfection. Each dimension of perfection is called a ‘siddhi’, and ‘siddhi’ is the miraculous powers that were acquired while practicing this path of yoga. Siddhars consider attainment of various siddhis as grace, which naturally flows into them through their yogic practices, and it was held sacred as the mark of the divine presence within themselves. 

Srinatha Raghavan of "Soulfully Yours" writes, "The Siddha sees without Seeing, Listens without Listening, Does without Doing, Is without Becoming." He shared the following story of Bhagavan Nityananda. 

A great Yogi once came visiting Baba, hearing about his fame and frame. The Yogi seeing the rotund frame of Bade Baba chuckled to himself, thinking what kind of Siddha is this, with a well fed stomach and a complacent face. The Yogi did not consider to pay his respects to Baba, instead went to the nearby choultry for an afternoon siesta, before he could proceed further in his pilgrimage. In the evening when he passed by Baba's residence, He was in for a rude shock. Bade Baba was no longer Bada (Big), for he was now slim and shrunk like a malnutritioned kid. The Yogi couldn't believe his eyes, for just a few hours ago, he saw Baba as a well fed "charlatan". He rushed to Baba and fell at his feet seeking forgiveness. Bade Baba thundered, "You fool! Who are you to judge me? Go now and abandon your false pride of accomplishment. Then all will be well!"

The Yogi with tears streaming down his eyes kissed the feet of Baba and went his way on the road to redemption.

Baba Nityananda was a Maha Siddha, the Ever Perfect One. Baba was a gigantic being in reality and had the power to increase (Mahima Siddhi) or reduce his physical frame (Anima Siddhi) at mere will. Bade Baba would be ever aware of everything in the Universe, despite being blissfully cut off from it. He was like the Universal Eye which sees everything, but captures nothing. For the rest of us, what we see, either we want to opine, possess or reject.

Srinatha continues,

Once a young Mother in a nearby village, was tending her sick child, who was burning with fever. As it was a rustic village, there were no Medical Doctors who could timely attend to the child. She was getting worried now as the child's temperature was rising steadily. When She could no longer think of anything, she cried out, "Nityananda Rakshaakara!" which means, "Protect us Nityananda!" This exult was not a hopeless plea, but a veritable command to the Universe itself to come to her aid, for was not Nityananda one with it?

As she exclaimed those heartfelt words, an Ayurvedic Doctor Vaid appeared at her door step from no where and said, "Is someone sick here?" She rushed to him and showed the way to her child, who was then successfully treated by the Vaid. As the temperature of the child began to normalize, the young Mother inquired of the Vaid, "Who sent you here?" The Vaid with a voice filled with emotion said, "While I was passing by your village, to go to Ganeshpuri, I heard someone say, Don't come here, instead go to that woman's home, as she needs you more than you need me!" Listening to the words of the Vaid, the Mother broke into tears of gratitude to Baba, who ever listens and obeys the loving pleas of his lovers.

Srinatha writes, 

On Aug 8 1961, Bhagavan Nityananda, the Maha Siddha, chose to drop his mortal coil to become one with the Infinite. He had postponed his final going a few times before, as he did not get the "permission" from the higher circles. Many times before he would sit motionlessly for days together, breath perfectly suspended and body like one dead, making people totally confused whether he was alive or dead. But in time, He would always come back to the normal plane of existence and continue with his work. But on that fateful day, something was different, for He whispered something inaudibly to someone invisibly present. He said, "They made a Stone come to life, then loved it as their own child, many taught it the secrets of Death & Life and then saw it become a Guide of Life, only to now bid farewell to it, as the Highest Truth of Eternal Life!"

Ah! Baba had summed up his entire spiritual sojourn beautifully in just one sentence - A Journey of Jiva to Siva! He gave up his body after that, never to occupy it again.

Srinatha says that "The transformation of a Jiva into Siva is the Siddha's Path." He writes further, 

"What's the difference between the Siddha Path and the rest?" questioned someone.

He replied, "Although the destination is the same, the Siddha Path is a point to point path, where there are seven stations to touch before you get down at the 8th. Unlike the other self driven paths, where one has to drive the vehicle oneself, steering clear of traffic, stopping now and then, getting tired and frustrated, here you simply hop on to the Guru's Metro Train and allow the Master to take you to the destination safely..."

He added, "The other paths can offer you many detours, but this one, takes you straight from one point to another in record time. Even if you wish to disembark in between, the doors wont open!"

The beauty of this path is the Siddha Master takes all the responsibility of the Novice, till he/she becomes a Siddha like the Master. The Siddha's Path, Is a Pathless Path, Because - He is the path, He is the one who walks, He is the one who observes, He is the Journey, He is the Destination, He is the Beginning, He is the End as well!

Srinatha says that a Siddha is "A Jiva perfected in Siva!"

Siva is a Jiva turned inside out, And the process of turning inside out, Is the Siddha's Path!

Siddhas are Human Beings, Who have realised their relation with the Absolute,

So they successfully drop their mortal identities, To wholly identify themselves with, Truth - Consciousness - Bliss, Siva!

But what have the Siddhas to say of themselves? Let us hear from the horse's mouth now. Agathiyar answers in simple terms through a Nadi revelation when Jnana Jhotiamma sat before him. Agathiyar reveals that "The Siddhas are a manifestation of Adhi Sivan, who is in all of us as light. He is a father figure to us. There are no differences between these energies that came forth from Adhi Sivan and the 18 Siddhas who came forth from Adhi Sivan too. The Siddhas, having merged with Adhi Sivan, hold this energy too. The intensity might vary, but it is all one. The manifestations of the divine energy that take various forms for its purposes are from the one source and finally merge into it once it serves its purpose. That source is Light or Jothi, or Sivan."

As for us who are lagging far behind in terms of practice and having a diminished soul power or Atma Balam, the Siddhas devised a simple but slow and gradual evolution of the soul. At the onset, the Siddhas bring us to a Nadi reading to make us understand the reason for taking birth. With this knowledge and understanding, that explains the relationship of birth with Karma or cause and its effects, we can now determine our lives as to where we want to head thenceforth, and manage it better, knowing the right from the wrong not from the sacred texts or scriptures or through others but through our own experiences, avoiding those acts, deeds, and doings that would bring us further away from our goal in achieving or reaching the one state of Adhi Sivam. We can then take a course that keeps us aloft and avoid falling into the dungeons of the dragons that await to swallow us up, foiling our bid to attain the highest stature of God himself. Towards this, the Siddhas begin to show us the way to salvation - their way, tested and proven to bring the desired results. They want us to engage in home and temple worship and acts of Dharma as in Sariyai. They want us to engage directly in performing and conducting rituals, as in Kriyai. They want us to take up asanas and pranayama as in Yogam. Finally, they shall lead us to Gnanam, a state highly revered by the Siddhas. For those who heed his words and follow him, he turns them into another Siddha. 

Agathiyar reveals how to identify the presence of Siddhas. Siddhas' language sounds like the chirping of birds. It's possible to see them if one keeps awake during the 3rd night or Jamam between the hours of 12.30 am till 3.00 am. So one is to give space, making sure not to lie on their path. Jnana Jothiamma, who visited us at AVM, revealed the next morning the presence of Siddhas, seeing them walking into my home and into the prayer room and later leaving the same way they came, all through the night.

Agathiyar continues that their presence is felt through the sense of smell - wonderful aromas linger in the air, and the sense of taste - through a wonderful taste of food served for the Gods (to be tasted after the 3rd night). I remember Tavayogi taking me into the jungles and caves and abodes of the Siddhas, pointing me to the breeze, specific aromas in the air, telling me that the Siddhas were showering us with flower petals and ushering us. 

Agathiyar explains who a Siddha is in Velayudham Karthikeyan Aiya's "Siththan Arul".

"Siddha is not one who closes his eyes and meditates, and there is no need to torture and torment the body to achieve the state of a Siddha. One only needs to think about the Lord, the Siddhas and the Munis, immaterial of whether the body is clean or otherwise. What is important is to pray towards them with a clear conscience and inner purity; he is a Siddha!"