When I was asked to worship the Siddhas by Agathiyar in the Nadi, I searched for places where worship was conducted. One centre was more keen on collecting cash donations and sending it to India to be used in their feeding programs. Another had moved on to the teachings of Ramalinga Adigal. There were other centres with remnants of its followers remaining behind without direction after the demise of those who initiated it.
I continued with reciting the names of the Siddhas, what was shown to me as worship to the Siddhas by Nadi Nool Aasan Senthilkumar of Avinashi, India. He was the one who delivered my very first Nadi reading after both of us sat together to identify my Nadi through a session of question and answer.
By an act of Erai, I came across an advertisement that a Tamil daily ran for days. I never subscribed to the newspaper but miracally Augustine, my neighbour who was a newspaper vendor then, gave me a copy daily during that period. I contacted the number given in the advert and asked to see Thaiveedu Thangarasan M.A. He was in Malaysia to officiate a centre for the worship of Agathiyar.
I soon found myself sitting in front of Thaiveedu Thangarasan on the appointed day and time. Miracally there was no one else then and we spoke for a long time. He asked me to frequent the centre.
Sentilkumar had handed me a leaflet seeking donations to build a temple for Agathiyar in Kallar. I verified with Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal, then known as Thaiveedu Thangarasan, that it was his leaflet.
Just before Tavayogi left for India, Nadi Nool Aasan Ramesh called me in for a reading, my first with him. In the reading Agathiyar gave me an option, to receive Deeksha from Tavayogi the same night. I could have brushed it away, but left to meet up with Tavayogi. My life changed that night. The reading got erased mysteriously. In a re-reading, Agathiyar took charge of my life.
Agathiyar came to my home as a bronze statue in 2010. He sent selected aspirants of his to my home. My home soon came to be known as Agathiyar Vanam Malaysia (AVM). He brought saints and gurus to grace and bless AVM.
Surprisingly he brought youngsters into his path and to AVM. Each was given a particular task that came naturally to them. He brought us to perform rituals and charity. We understood that he brought us all together in unison for a bigger purpose that he has yet to reveal.
Tavayogi was extremely happy to see young blood injected into this age old marga or path. Agathiyar too expressed his happiness in the service and prayers that these youngsters extended and did. We await direction from Agathiyar to move on, as Acharya Gurudasan mentioned his observation in our group, "AVM is not just a group. It's fascinating to see how we have become a silent movement. Kudos to everyone. Very proud being a part here."
Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal at his ashram in Kallar yesterday. Photo courtesy of Balamurugan.
Thavathiru Muthukumar Swamy at AVM
Nadi Nool Aasan Ramesh & Selvam at AVM
Pedro Solana from Spain at AVM
At Batu Caves
At a children's home
In Kallar
On the banks of Kaveri at Erode
Waiting to board the plane at KLIA
At Othimalai
Hotel at Velangkanni
At Swamimalai
At Swamimalai
Ready to climb Othimalai
At Vadakku Poigai Nallur
At Kallar
In Tanjavur
At Ettukudi
At Karuvalarcheri
Uchipillaiyar temple
Tanjavur
On the road
Othimalai
At Kumbakonam
At Swamimalai
Shopping at Kumbakonam
At Tanjavur
At Othimalai
At Trichy Malai Kovil
At Suryanar Temple
At Breehadeswar Temple, Tanjavur
At Breehadeswar Temple, Tanjavur
At Uthiyur
At Konganar's Temple, Uthiyur
At Konganar's Cave, Uthiyur
On the banks of Kaveri across from the Nattadreeswar Temple
Ferrying across Kaveri in a coracle
On the steps to Othimalai
In Swamimalai
Tanjavur
Madurai
At Konganar's Cave, Uthiyur
At Kallar
At Kallar
At KLIA
Rakesh & friends at a children's home
At a children's home
At Batu Caves
At Batu Caves
At Batu Caves
With Thavathiru Muthukumar Swamy of Kuttralam
At an Old Folks home
On the streets of KL
Street Feeding
After a workout in the park
Singing the praise of Erai at Dengkil
At the airport
At a school
On the streets
After a Medical Camp at an Old Folks home
At the peak of Pothigai
At Kallar
At a children's home
At Eco City
At Dengkil
At Dengkil
In a devotees home, singing the praise of Erai
Prayers for Agathiyar at Karai, Perak
At a devotees home
At Bala Aiya, Shanti Ma's home
In the home of a devotee
At Batu Caves
In Slim River, Perak
At Raghavendra Swamigal's Brindavan in Ipoh
In Slim River
At Raghavendra Swamigal's Brinadavan, Ipoh
At Jeganatha Swamigal's Temple, Tapah
At Jeganatha Swamigal's Temple, Tapah
At Jeganatha Swamigal's Temple, Tapah
At an Old Folks home
At an Old Folks home
At an Old Folks home
In Semenyih
In the home of Rajah Malathy
In Singapore
With Snekhalatha in Singapore
At a Wedding Dinner Reception, Serdang
At AVM
At AVM
At Taneermalai Taiping
At Eco City
At a Wedding Dinner Reception, Serdang
At a Wedding Reception, Ipoh
At a Wedding Dinner Reception, Serdang
At Eco City
At Batu Caves
In Bangsar
At Eco City
In Ipoh
At Eco City
At a devotees home
At a temple annual festival
At a temple annual festival
Taking time out to relax in the company of AVM family
Looking back over the years, I begin to realize how blessed I am. Going back as far as my memory has retained the happenings, I begin this journey of recounting it.
There was a home. It used to be a garage, but became our home after we moved in into it.
There was a Chinese neighbour who used to go into a trance. I was given a second chance as a toddler when my parents brought me to him. I had been purging badly. Since my parents lost two children for the same reasons, they went to the Chinese gods to beg that I should be spared. I survived.
I remember the home that my family and I stayed in Kamunting. How could I forget it since each time it rained the river running right beside our home would swell up, burst its banks and flood over home.
Then there was the last home of ours in Taiping before my family moved in with me in Sitiawan. There was the Buddhist temple where I listened to parables and the tales of Buddha; there was an elderly man from Ceylon from whom I learnt Thevaram; and of course the correspondence course I took from Singapore, learning the Bible and the Gospel.
Even before I could remember, my family had moved home several times. From Rifle Range in Ipoh, where my mother got married to my father and moved in; then my parents moved to Taiping, where they stayed above a shophouse; and to Taiping Greenhouse where I was born.
My college days were spent in Ipoh. I heard great stories from the life of the Prophet from the gardener of Pakistani origin who worked at the college and traveled with me by bus.
I did not have great ambitions. I landed a job in the public sector that brought me to Lumut. I spent my time reading; discussing religion and spiritualism with my peers at the office; visiting temples; and conducting prayers at home at dawn and dusk. I did not have a yearning, neither was I determined (vairagyam) to seek the lord's kingdom. I was comfortable with what I did. But many questions and doubts that crept during this period were left unanswered. One fine day, in 1988, Lord Shiva in a dream told me to keep all my questions to a later date. I dropped all questions and all forms of worship too.
Fast forward to 2001, my nephew passes me a mantra of Lord Vishnu, and hands me a painting of Lord Dakshinamurthy, and asks me to observe the Navratri prayers that was to start then.
In 2002, I go seeking the Nadi.
In 2003 I am in India doing my remedies or parikaram. I go seeking Supramania Swami of Tiruvannamalai, to chart a horoscope, but take him as my guru instead. He introduced me to the myriad gods and goddesses in the Hindu pantheon officially.
In 2005 I go seeking Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal who was in Malaysia. He invites me to his ashram in Kallar. A bond grows between us. He introduced me to Agathiyar and the worship of the Siddhas officially.
The reason I can today sit in the comfort of my home, AVM and write posts after posts on the workings of the Siddhas is because of the grace of Erai, Agathiyar, the Siddhas, both my gurus and all the great souls who have come together at AVM.
All the mails, messages and comments from avid readers of Siddha Heartbeat keeps me going. But most of all the Nadi readings where Agathiyar encourages me to write drives me to accomplish this noble task given to me.
A mail from a young reader some years back brought tears of joy to me.
I went for another nadi reading. He advised me to read your blog regularly and pray regularly.
I did not do anything great or marvelous that deserved their grace. I have done my fair share of wrongs in life but yet the most compassionate father has shown his grace and continues to guide and protect me and my family and the rests in AVM. If my soul were to leave this body this very moment, it would leave contented.
A released prisoner of war (POW) once wrote that you would only value freedom when you are behind bars, in his case behind the barbed wire at a detention camp. How true. We do not cherish health until we fall ill. We do not appreciate happiness and joy until confronted with sorrow. We do not cherish life until we are on the threshold of death.
When I had several kandams or a life threatening situation, I was to lose my life, but the good lord thought I should live longer. So what does he do with my karma? He converts it into another form. I end up either losing money, or falling sick etc but I am still kept alive.
Karmically people have to go through their sufferings. Erai stays aloft and watches, but the Siddhas plead with him to lessen man's sufferings. With the consent of Erai, the most compassionate Siddhas set forth to do what needs to be done to cushion the effects of the blow on the devotees. In working on our karma and converting it, the Siddhas would advocate us to carry out certain remedies; make a payment; feed others or do some form of charity. For instance when someone comes for treatment he gains relieve from his suffering by parting with his money for the treatment. Man however finds it difficult to part with his money or possessions.
Having relieved him of a major portion of his karma, taking a huge load of his chest and shoulders, he is then left to go through minimum pain, anguish and worry during this period of trials and tribulations.
The divine works in mysterious ways. But the sad thing is we expect Erai to come in the forms that he is always portrayed in.
The divine comes in the form of a doctor or a healer, taking away the sufferings and pain of people, bringing them relieve and cure. There are doctors working in remote places, harsh conditions, treacherous places, and war zones saving lives. That is why their work is divine. The sick once they are on their feet should in turn serve others.
The divine comes in the form of a samaritan bringing him food and aid, releasing him instantaneously from the pangs of hunger. He should then feed another once he is better off in life.
The divine comes in the form of an advice through someone, that clears his doubts, gives him hope, makes him drop his fear and charts a new course of action for him. Once he is established and well, he in return should lead the others from their shortcomings.
Tavayogi says do not pray that you shall be spared suffering, but instead pray that you are given the good sense to figure a way out of it, and to overcome it.
The difference between a gnani and common folk is in their perspective on suffering - a gnani accepts suffering; we don't. A gnani accepts it, endures it and hence ends his cycle of birth. The common man cannot accept suffering, seeks relief from it and ends up having to come back to go through it again.
On another note, when once I told my colleague in the office that I was going to stay at Kallar Ashram during my trip to India, she immediately told me, "Then everything would be free, right?" I told her that was not the case as a typical ashram needs funds to feed the traveling sadhus and the poor; provide refreshments to visitors; and provide three meals a day to ashramites. Besides that the ashram needs funds to operate; pay for the maintenance of its buildings and facilities; and pay the utilities bill. When we make a donation towards the ashram before departing, that fund can be used to pay for the stay and comfort of other devotees who turn up after us. It is alright if a service or treatment etc is given free to the hardcore poor for off course they cannot afford the charges but if they can afford why not charge them so that that money can be used for the next poor guy who comes along. Anyway if you are to book a lodge or hotel nearby you still have to dish out your money, right? Man however finds it difficult to part with his money or possessions.
To be humble is to be divine. Man has forgotten to be humble. The ego in him and his arrogance drives him to expect to receive everything he sets his mind on, immaterial if he deserves it or otherwise. He thinks it is his right to grab everything around him at the expense of causing misery to others, irrespective if it is meant for him or someone else. Sadly the rich values in life has gone into hiding.
When I was going to college back then in 1977, since I had to wait long hours for the bus to take me home, I used to kill time by window shopping at Belfield street in Ipoh, known as Little India, for the streets were lined with Indian merchants. Each day I would enter this particular shop selling gemstones that was owned by a very old Indian Muslim man. I would look over and over the gems especially the gold ring studded in nine precious gems or Navaratna. One day the owner chased me out of his shop telling me that I could not afford to buy that particular piece. Off course he had a point there as it was very obvious to him that I was a student then. I made a resolve to buy and wear one that moment. But gold and these genuine precious stones were costly those days. Soon I forgot about that incident and the desire to own one.
When I was with Supramania Swami of Tiruvannamalai in 2003, Swami told me out of the blues that I should wear a Navaratna ring for it will do me good. That surprised me as I had wanted one back then. Soon upon my arrival back in Malaysia I went around looking for one. I did lots of reading on the gems, its nature and qualities. I finally had these stones set in a gold ring made to fit my finger. It was pretty costly even then, but I could afford it now as I was working. Anyway it was Supramania Swami's directive too.
When I dropped in on Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal at Kallar Ashram in 2005, one Suresh who was at the ashram for the Pournami Puja, brought out a Rudraksha bead and enquired about its benefits and asked if he should wear it. Tavayogi explained the sacredness of the bead and cautioned him about upholding good thoughts and actions if one was to wear it, and touched on the the do's and don'ts. After Suresh left, Tavayogi turned to me and said, "Namakku ithu yellaam thevai ellai Magane", meaning, "We don't need that, my son." Then he took notice of the Navaratna ring I was wearing and commented, "I see that you are wearing a Navaratna ring." I replied that Supramania Swami asked me to wear. He smile and told me, "We don't need that, my son."
My ego than told him boastfully that I was wearing a solidified mercury or Rasamani on me too. He gave a surprised look raising his eyebrows, smiled and told me the same, that, "We don't need that, my son."
Since my arrival at Kallar ashram, Tavayogi had asked that I place my passport, travel documents, cash and valuables in his locker for safekeeping. I had my Navaratna ring placed in a sachet and locked away before we went for our bath in the stream that flowed nearby. On the day of the start of our pilgrimage to the Siddha caves and temples, I realized the ring was missing. Both Tavayogi and I searched his locker. Tavayogi was visibly saddened that it went missing under his care, lest I should suspect him of taking it. I was sad too because it was something Supramania Swami had directed me and because it was costly to replace another. I told him so too. It was puzzling.
Tavayogi, not happy that it went missing, then ran his fingers in the space between the frames of the cabinet. As it was a steel cabinet and had angle irons for its frame, the ring somehow dropped out of the sachet and got lodged in the space in the frame. We were both relieved on finding the ring.
Soon I returned to Tiruvannamalai to bid farewell to Supramania Swami before returning to Malaysia. Swami suddenly wanted to chart my horoscope saying that he had charted for many who seek him and that had not drawn up mine. As we both sat in the thatched shed outside his village home in the heat of the day while his family were busy preparing a feast in conjunction with my visit, I ran my fingers over my Navaratna ring and realized one of the stones was loosened and on the verge of falling off. I removed it and kept it away. I stopped wearing the ring that day.
One might question why then is Tavayogi wearing rudraksham and other talisman if he had advised me not to do so. One might wonder why he approved of Suresh to wear the rudraksham but told me it was not necessary. An episode from Bhagawan Ramana's life explains pretty well the later while an episode from Sankarar's life explains the former.
TPR wrote in "The Approach Through Song" in "FRAGRANT PETALS", Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai, 2005, Bhagawan went on praising Kannappa, a disciple of Vallimalai Swami once. For an hour all those gathered sat spellbound listening to the divine songs emanating from Kannappa that filled the hall. When they took a break for lunch, Bhagawan turned to TPR and shocked him, "All this is unnecessary. If you give your mind to it it will lead you astray - no use." TPR wrote, "I said nothing in reply but took it to mean that he did not want me to follow this path."
Then TPR wrote of another occasion where a famous singer approached Bhagawan after delighting all gathered at the hall for days. He told Bhagawan, " I know not meditation or samadhi and no sadhana to attain it. I follow the devotional approach of bhakti. I worship god through my songs. By crying to him I seek to attain him. Is this right? Please guide me master." Bhagawan replied to him, "Yes what you are doing is just what you have to do. Carry on and it will certainly lead you to your goal. Through devotion to god we discharge our emotions and that is a sure way to reach him."
Again they stopped for lunch and Bhagawan turned to TPR and said, "Our Tamil saints have said that bhakti is the mother of jnana. So bhakti marga is supreme. The essence of bhakti is in merging with the Universal Being through emotional devotion."
TPR was puzzled. Then it dawned on him that, "Bhagawan praised Kannappa who was already following it under instructions from his guru but cautioned me against it and the cautioned applied to only me personally and he alone can judge what path is right for me. And to the later singer, he commended the bhakti path as supreme because it was supreme for him."
As to why it was alright for Tavayogi to wear the rudraksha and not me, Om Swami explains through an episode from Sankara's life.
I understood that the vasana or desire of owning a Navaratna studded ring that lay dormant in me had to come to fruition. The desire had to crop up again thanks to Supramania Swami. Then that pattru or attachment had to be broken thanks to Tavayogi.
I soon learnt that every word said by saints is meant only for that individual and only for him alone. It might be good for another but not necessary for you. Follow only the path dictated to you to avoid confusion.
A new temple for Agathiyar in KL city will soon become a reality when the temple is scheduled to complete in March of next year. It would also be the first temple for Agathiyar. The temple currently in the midst of the new township Eco City will move once the sthapathis complete their work. A yagam was held at the existing temple and a brick laying ceremony and prayer followed at the new temple. The structural works at the new temple are complete and the stapathis will move in to begin their work on delivering the intricate idols and designs common to Hindu temples tomorrow.
Yagam at the existing temple
Balachander Aiya is given the honor to lay a brick
Although I had shared this video many times on SH, I never become bored listening to Ram Dass describe his first moments upon meeting Neem Karoli Baba who was soon to become his master.
Isai Kavi Ramanan too talks passionate about his guru, Sadguru Sivananda Murthy.
Today when I called up Tavayogi he told me that he was in the midst of buying groceries and vegetables in Methupalaiyam for tomorrow's Guru Purnima prayers. Immediately I was brought back in time to the day I went shopping with him on the streets of this town. Since I suggested back then that I would like to do an annadhanam at his ashram, we got onto the car that I had hired throughout my trip to India, and headed for Methupalaiyam. As Tavayogi picked up the vegetables I placed them into a gunny sack that I carried with me. Soon it became heavy. At one moment Tavayogi turned to look at me and realized that I was struggling with the load. He immediately snatched it from my hands, swung the load over his shoulders and walked ahead. That is my guru.
When a colleague of mine slipped and fell on the floor while we were washing the new house that he was going to move into, he had an anterior dislocation where his glenohumeral joint (the ball and socket joint of the shoulder) was dislocated. He fractured his lower arm too. My friends and I took him to the emergency unit of the general hospital in Lumut, where his shoulder was immobilized with a plaster cast and he was sent home. Later he wanted to get an alternative treatment for his shoulder in a small town Bruas, some 47 kilometres away. This old Malay healer removed the cast and started small talk with him. Without any indication or warning he suddenly picked up a wooden mallet and smashed the fractured bones of his lower arms further. He quickly wrapped some leaves around his arm. Then he slotted his shoulder back into its socket and sent us home. Believe me it was scary and my friend was in pain. But soon he recovered well.
If Supramania Swami ignited the Fire Of Devotion in me, Tavayogi nurtured it, often breaking me before putting me back together just as the healer did to my friends arm. As I recall, there were many instances where Tavayogi broke me and my ego.
The day I invited Tavayogi to my home I was on cloud nine, an extreme state of perfect happiness. After Tavayogi sang a few hymns, we served him lunch. After a few moments of talk we left for Batu Caves where he was staying while in Malaysia. We had hardly got into the car and taken the corner with my nephew at the wheel, when I started thanking him for coming over. I told him that I had never gone to meet saints, gurus and other holy men much less have them come over to my home before this. The only time I saw them was when by coincidence I happen to be in the temple and they were there too. I told Tavayogi that he was the very first saint who accepted my invitation to have lunch and had graced my home. Immediately he answered, "Neengal mayaiyil molgi kondu irukindreergal Magane. Yennidam ondrum illai. Intha kaavikkul yetho ondru irukkindrathu yendru yennugireergal. Naan samy alla, verum aasamy." What he said was that I was living in Maya or illusion; that he had nothing on him; he said that he did not have anything within his safron robes as I thought; and finally told me he was not a holy man but a bogus guru." That came as a shock to me and it was painful. We remained quiet throughout the journey back.
Today I am grateful to him for breaking me that day. Knowing me and the excitement in my at having a guru, I would have immediately exploded his photo and framed it, garlanded and worshipped him. He pointed me to the source instead. He showed me Agathiyar.
Soon I was in his ashram. As we went to the river to have our bath, we left our slippers and sandals on the river bank before wading into the chilled and cold water that made its way from the Ooty mountains. When it was time to leave, Tavayogi decided to take me on another path, so that I could see the footprints of the wild elephants and other animals. But as our footwear was on the other bank, he began to wade through the waters to fetch it. Even after I told him that I shall fetch it he turned a deaf ear to my wailings and pleadings. That is my guru.
When we began our travel to the Siddha caves and temples, we took a dip at the Agasthiyar falls at Kalyana Theertam. We washed our clothes too. His vesti and shirt dried very fast but I had trouble with my "baggage" of pants and shirts. So I packed them again, all still wet and made our way to the Kutralam caves for the night. Tavayogi seeing me struggle with my bag and dirty linen, snatched my dirty linen and hurried ahead, even as I made a hue and cry. Next morning I washed my soiled clothes again at the falls outside Agathiyar's cave now known as Avvai's cave and dried them. It did not dry as well. As we made our way down again Tavayogi carried my cloths although I protested again. That is my guru.
When he was at my home again several years later, my family and I watched him and Mataji set up all the things for the prayer, homam and abhisegam that was to be done. He had initiated me to conduct the homam over the phone some months back. We learnt through watching them, fine tuning the rituals and adding on what we had missed to do.
With him it was little lessons that I had to pick up along the way. He hardly sat and explained things to me. Neither did I have any questions to ask. That is my guru.
Tavayogi once asked me, "Athu yeppadi magane Agathiyar unga veethil vanthu avvalavu solabamaaga amarnthu vittaar? Nange yellaam kadu malai nu thedi sendrom!" with a look of joy and approval. He asked, "My son, how is it that Agathiyar had come into your home easily without you having to search for him in the jungles and hills as we did?" I did not have an answer. But after I heard Tavayogi say this, I realized that moment that I was blessed to have him come into my life compared to others. Tavayogi said further that it was not easy to come into the worship of the Siddhas and their marga. How do I explain this? I thanked my stars, my parents and my gurus for all their blessings that moment.
All I did was to follow Agathiyar's dictates. That is all what I did. When in the very first Nadi reading of the Pothu Kaandam, Shanti Parihara Kaandam and Gnana Kaandam, he asked me to come to his path, worship Lord Ganapathy, Lord Shiva and him, I did as told. When he asked that I do Nadikku Thanam or contribution towards reading the Nadi I gave as stipulated. When he set me on a string of pilgrimages to temples to perform remedies for my past karma I did as told. That is all I did.
Then I meet Supramania Swami of Tiruvannamalai. My very first encounter with my first guru brought tears of joy in me for no reason. As I sat in front of him thinking he was going to draw up my younger daughter's astrological chart, instead he spoke about him, me and us. The first statement he made was, "Now since you are here, everything is over." I did not know what to make out of his statement then. How do I explain this?
Whenever I recite the following lines from Nakkeerar's VINAYAGAR THIRU AGAVAL, I am brought back to the sacred moments that I spent in the company of my gurus: Agathiyar, Supramania Swami and Tavayogi.
mona gnana muluthum alitthu
sirparipoorana shivattai kaana
narshiva nitkala naattamum thanthu
guruvum seedanum koodi kalanthu
eruvarum oru tani edam thanil sernthu
thaananthamaagi tarpara veliyil
aanandha pootha arivai kalanthu
esan enaiyadi erutthi manathay
neeye naanaai naane neeyaai
gaayaa puriyai kanavena unarnthu
yellaam un seyalendray unara
nallaa un arul naatham tharuvaai
kaarana guruve karpaga kalire
vaarana mugatthu vallale potri
My next moment of joy came when I turned up at the local chapter of Tavayogi's Agathiyar Gnana Peedham Malaysia in Batu Caves. When I opened up to him my intention in seeing him, that Agathiyar had asked me to come to the path of the Siddhas, Tavayogi replied, "Well you have come to the right place. Everything shall be taught here." After spending some time in private with him, as I rose to leave, I fell at his feet, besides been customary, I wanted to do so. He immediately moved away and told me sternly not to fall at his feet but that of Agathiyar, pointing to a pair of wooden sandals or paatham and Agathiyar's hugh painting. Only then did my gaze fall on the holy sandals placed at the altar of the peedham. Clutching and taking hold of the pathugai of Agathiyar, I broke down crying for no reason. How do I explain this? Tavayogi told me he too cried like that many many years before.
I realized that Tavayogi cried each time he sang a hymn at the Siddha caves and temples he brought me to. I did the same too for no reason at all. Along the way, Agathiyar asked me to stop crying. Instead he brought me to an elevated state of joy. There were many moments where my initial tears of sorrow turned to tears of joy for no reason now. The Agathiyar Peedham at Sri Gombak, Selangor; Jeganatha Swamigal's samadhi in Tapah; the Nattukotai Chettiar Temple in Penang; the Sivasubramaniam Temple, Kepayang, in Ipoh; the Kanthan Kallumalai Sri Kaliamman Temple in Kanthan, Chemor; and the Sri Shiva Shanmugar Cave Temple at Sungai Siput, Perak emitted intense energy. This extended abroad too in India. The Dakshanamurthy sannadhi at Thiruvanaikaval, Trichy and Kuthambai Siddhar's samadhi at the Mayuranatharswami Temple, Mayiladuthurai were places of intense energy vortexes. And of course Palani has always been a favourite energy spot for me, what I call Twilight Zone.
Then Agathiyar told me to get his bronze statue made in Swamimalai and worship him in my home before he moves to the Jegathguru Sri Raghavendra Miruthiga Brindavanam Kinta, in Ipoh upon completion of the temple complex. I did as told, performing the homam and abhisegam. One day Agathiyar decided to stay put at my home. My humble home took on the name Agathiyar Vanam Malaysia (AVM). Many have either seen or felt Agathiyar's presence at AVM too. Many have had their wishes granted. I am happy for them.
Agathiyar took the reins and led me, giving me directions through his numerous Aasi Nadi readings. When I asked Tavayogi for further directions when he visited us in Malaysia last year, he replied that he had nothing to say as Agathiyar was directing me, with a look of joy and approval.
How do I explain all this? If someone shows me a stone and tells me it's Siva, I take it as Siva. Why is it so difficult to accept and move on? Why do we need to counter and correct others perceptions and opinions? Why do we need to ridicule others faith and beliefs? Eventually when the realization dawns on us that all this is an illusion or maya and a play of consciousness or a play of god, it will also dawn on us then that we had made a fuss over nothing. This story was retold by Paul Zweig in his introduction to Swami Muktananda's "Secret of the Siddhas." Two aspirants went to Baba Musa asking him to accept them as his disciples. Baba Musa agreed but assigned them both to work in the fields. After two years of toiling in the fields,one of them thought, "What's so unusual about this field? I have a field of my own. I could work there and consider that, too, to be service to the guru." He decided that he might as well return home and work on his field. But the other stayed on thinking, "I am serving the guru already. Why don't I wait and see what happens?" After some years Baba called him to inform that he could now leave, with a reminder that: "Wherever you become immersed in your seva, you will receive inner wisdom."
Many now came to study with him in his own place. His friend who left the guru early, on hearing about his fame that had spread far and wide, came to see him. He was surprised to see his friend, become a holy man. He wanted to know how he attained this divinity and what Baba Musa had imparted to him after he left the guru. The holy guru now replied that Baba did not teach him anything but he continued toiling the fields. "I soon became contented and this enhanced my interest in the chore that was given. My work became more satisfying and there was a state of peace within me. My ordinary chore turned to seva or service to the guru and eventually became "a divine apprenticeship." I experienced a state of meditation even as I worked the fields. The seva became a technique for me to immerse myself in god. I began to have glimpses of ecstasy and love and was immersed in it. I saw the Supreme Consciousness pervading the entire universe. I saw everything as god."
Such is the guru's teaching giving very profound experiences to the disciple arising from common day to day moments or occurrences, "turning one's life into a form of meditation."
Tavayogi asked us to wait 12 years before he would impart any knowledge. I am still waiting, carrying on with my chore as directed. Sadly seekers and aspirants are in a hurry now to achieve all kinds of states and recognition in the spiritual path within a short time. They are not willing to wait but instead move on to other "pastures" hoping to get what they desired fast.
What was important to us as a toddler, does not interest us anymore. What was important to us as a teen does not interest us anymore. This is how we evolve, losing interest in all the things that we cherished at one time. It happens naturally. So accept everything and move on for your opinions shall change one day; your likes and dislikes will change one day; and your perspective of the world will change one day. The world and our thoughts is in a fluid state always changing and evolving. Let's move on accepting these changes.
Sri Krishna continued into the fifth day of serving food to primary school children who are in dire straits, the first in many more such programs to come. This is to encourage these children to come to school and attend the extra classes held on Saturdays and to get them to stay back and follow these classes on weekdays. Transport too has been arranged to send them back after the classes are over.
Agathiyar explains the significance of Guru Purnima and guides us on carrying out prayers for this day through a Nadi reading by Nadi Nool Aasan Selvam of Chennai.
On this auspicious day, Agathiyar asks his devotees to: Decorate the pictures, paintings and statues of their respective gurus and to light up a lamp in their individual homes; or to gather together in joint prayers or kutu pratanai followed by chanting of the Pranava Mantra AUM; invocation to Lord Vinayagar; chanting of Lord Siva's Maha Panchatcharam; worship of Lord Muruga, Goddess Manonmani or Vaalai, and Adhi Vasthu Nathan as the jhoti. Agathiyar asked devotees to think about the greatness of gurus on this day; to visit temples and light up lamps.
As all siddhas and gurus are in light form and represent Eswara Agathiyar says they will appear to the devotees through this jhothi. Supramania Swami too told me that he would visit my home through the jhothi. Prayers done on this day will bring blessings and the grace or arul of their gurus, and help lessen one's karma.
Agathiyar asks to offer cotton clothings to their gurus: white for gurus in the worship of jhoti and into vaasi yoga; green for gurus in Lord Murugan's worship and on the path of gnana or gnana marga; and finally kavi or saffron for the sanyasins. This donation brings merits to the giver and drives away all kinds of fears in them.
All gurus are one as such he asks us not to differentiate between gurus. Agathiyar asks to uphold and worship the guru marga and guru dharma.
Purnima Tithi begins at 10:01 (MST) on 8/Jul/2017 and ends at 12:06 (MST) on 9/Jul/2017.
If one needs to listen to only one talk on the greatness of the guru and the guru-disciple relationship I would recommend you watch Isai Kavi Ramanan's video. The first two talks are predominantly in Tamil but the third is in English.
