Just as Srinatha Raghavan wrote that "The Master healed the most hopeless cases with his most uncommon cures and methods, which was at best bizarre", as a toddler, I was taken to a Chinese medium, for a remedy and to safe me from death, by my parents.
The medium happened to be our neighbor too. My parents had lost two children due to a similar ailment and fearing for my life turned to the Gods for help. The medium only requested that they hand me over to "him". In desperation to save me, they agreed without a second thought. I recovered soon and so I had a God Father looking over me since then. I still remember vividly how I used to stand before the majestic altar at the medium's home where he would go into a trance and hit himself with the blunt edge of a sword. He would keep chanting sacred verses that I could not comprehend nor remember now. He would then write in red ink some Chinese characters vertically down on a yellow strip of rice paper with a brush. He would light up the paper and let the ash settle into a glass of water. I was given the "magic" portion to drink and I was cured - indeed an uncommon cure and method which was at its best - bizarre, to quote Sri.
This was how I was treated for all my ailments as a child.
It is said that Yogi Ramsuratkumar would light up a cigarette as he listened to the numerous problems of individuals who stood in line for a remedy and solution. Often the Yogi had mentioned to his close aids that by smoking the cigarette he was removing their karma.
Mata Devaki wrote in YOGI RAMSURATKUMAR, THE DIVINE BEGGAR, about this unique behavior of the Yogi.
Always Bhagawan's spiritual Ministry entailed smoking, a high focus ritual in his Father's work. He smoked away our bad karmas and the impurities of mind as much as he possibly could, in the circumstances. As soon as a person walked into his presence, he seemed to know everything about their past, present and future! Despite this, sometimes, he would want to know meticulously every detail of the devotee's problem as though his work depended completely on that! Other times, there would be no exchange of words at all. Yet the subtle work of helping the visitor would go on behind, sometimes even without the knowledge of the visitor. Sometimes, the gift of help entailed smoking the entire length of the cigarette one after another, in long succession, sometimes only a puff or two. Yet there would be neither any smell of the cigarette nor the smoke rings! But people would begin to feel an unwinding of their body and mind, an unlocking of their hearts. They would begin to feel at ease and at peace. In him, they found new depths of compassion, power and wisdom.
Before the divine madness took over, smoking was nauseating to him. But after he was commissioned with a mission, it became different. When a westerner asked him directly about smoking, Bhagawan said briefly, "After Swami Ramdas gave this madness, this beggar could not bear to be around people, because, their vibrations were too gross. Smoking helped." It enabled him to bring his mind down to earth and concentrate on worldly problems. To mitigate the vicious effects of chain smoking, he would keep a piece of dry gooseberry in the corner of his mouth. Dr. T.P. Meenakshisundaram, the former Vice-chancellor of Madurai University, a Tamil savant and a great linguist, describes beautifully, in one of his poems on Yogi Ramsuratkumar, "Your continual smoking of cigarettes one alter another in quick succession brings immediate relief from suffering to your devotees. Knowing this you rejoice over your work." But this ongoing ritual with cigarettes and gooseberry cost him dearly-not only to his health, he also lost all sense of taste!
That is the compassion of the masters, being indifferent to their physical health but forever seeking to remove others karma.
A story is narrated about how Agathiyar came to the aid of a kingdom undergoing famine. Dr VM Jayapalan of Bangalore received this story during his meditation. It was recorded and released in an audio CD entitled AGATHIYAR THIRUVILAIYADAL. I thank Dr V.M. Jayapalan for permission to use his talk from his audio CD AGATHIYAR THIRUVILAIYADAL.
I have edited and used portions of the narration. The translation of this narration is given below.
The first civilization at the beginning of the age of Kali or Kali Yuga started in a remote part of the world which was to become Kubera Nadu later, with the birth of a child who would later become its king. The Asuras were glad that one from their clan was chosen to take birth and lead the nation and celebrated the occasion. The child was born with Asuric nature (evil tendencies). He was blessed and groomed by the leader of the Asuras, Sukracharya. The kingdom was blessed with riches. There were temples and places of worship and the main deity was their Guru Sukracharya. Only his name was chanted and heard in this kingdom. Those who defied the rule were put to death.
But evil took shape in this nation and as a consequence the people had to face 12 years of drought and famine.
Then a man riddled with leprosy appears one day at the the king's palace asking to see the king. The minister meets him and tries to shoo him away but the old man is adamant that he meets the king and convey his message personally. Eventually he is lead to the king. The old man offers food to the king. The king ridicules him and drives him away. But the man before leaving, invites the king to his humble hut at the outer fringes of the kingdom, in event there arises a need for food.
Meanwhile the citizens of that kingdom slowly arrive at the old man's hut to partake the food that was surprisingly, readily available, in times of hardship and famine. The only condition the old man laid in return for food, was that they chant the name of Agathiyar. For each chant uttered, they were given a morsel of food.
After some time, mysteriously the king develops hunger pangs that no amount of food could satisfy. Surprisingly Sukracharya then directs his disciple, the king, to see the old man. Only the old man can satisfy his hunger, the king is told by his guru. At the same time news of the massive feeding going on at the old man's hut, reaches the king's ear and he decides to go in disguise and see for himself. He sees his subjects now chanting Agathiyar's name and not that of Sukracharya. As he sits amongst his subjects and watches (the first Kutu Prathanai or joint prayers ever conducted), he takes on the dreaded disease, leprosy. The old man however turns into a normal being, completely healed.
The old man now hale and healthy begins to feed the hideous king. The king too starts to sing the praise of Agathiyar. The disease together with his karma leaves his body and stands aloft and confronts him in an Asuric form. The king is surprised to see the amount of karma that he had been carrying, now mocking him in the Asuric form. With further chanting of Agathiyar's name, the king takes on a divine nature, shedding the Asuric tendencies and karma.
To show his gratitude to Agathiyar, the king builds the very first temple for Agathiyar in his kingdom, Kubera Naadu which later came to be known as Vada Naadu and in present times is known as Vedaranyam. Agathiyar granted moksha to the Asura king.
This temple at Agasthiyampalli, Vedaranyam today, which houses a granite statue of Agathiyar, is said to be the very first temple for Agathiyar built in this Kali Yuga. Over the years, a devotee of Agathiyar settled at this temple and cared for Agathiyar. The then Chozha king a staunch devotee of Lord Shiva tried to oust the Agathiyar's devotee from the temple after having debated with him on who was more superior, Lord Shiva or Agathiyar. To prove to the king that they were one, Lord Shiva and Agathiyar appeared together to the Chozha king at this temple of Agathiyar.
Agathiyar in the Nadi or Olai Suvadi - readings on palm leaves revealed by Siddhas - had asked me to go over to this temple at Agasthiyampalli. Agathiyar had promised to open his eyes here. Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal who took me there, showed me the miracle that Agathiyar promised. Agathiyar opened his left eye in the granite statue at the temple.
Later I was to have a replica of Agathiyar at Agasthiyampalli and worship in my home. After 4 years, Agathiyar opens both his eyes to bless us, this time in the presence of Jnana Jyothiamma.
