Tuesday 7 June 2022

FILLING THE GAP

Karl Hagström writes, "I have developed this app (Easy Photo Organizer - A simple and really efficient Windows program that lets you go through thousands of photos to decide which ones to save and which ones to delete) to help me with the enormous task of organizing huge amounts of photos fast and efficient". He goes on to explain the reason for doing so. "For years I have been searching for a program to help me with this task (tried lots) but found nothing that suited my needs so I finally gave up and made my own. I couldn't find a good and efficient program to help me with this task, so I developed this program which turned out really helpful and fast. I have been developing this app for over a year now and it turned out way over my expectations so I decided to share it."

Just like when evil uprises the good souls gather to form legions and groups to combat them, frustration in a sense leads us to get to the ground, soil our hands and get our feet wet, and come up with a solution to address, counter, improve, or uplift the situation. So did I, having felt frustrated after searching and finding that no individual or any organization could show me how to worship the Siddhas as ordained in the Nadi reading in 2002 where Agathiyar asks me to do so, I began gathering whatever little I was shown, had read, and had listened to and came up with my own formula of worship. I need to thank Nadi Nool Aasan Senthilkumar for leading me on a brief recitation of the names of the Siddhas that formed a part of the ritual "Naadikku Dhanam" that Agathiyar had instructed me to do. Senthilkumar passed me the book containing the names of the Siddhas too. Hungry for more, I knocked on the door of the local affiliate of Thavathiru Rengaraja Desigar's "Sri Agathiar Sanmaarga Sangam, Ongarakudil" based in Dengkil. Here I laid my hands on several materials that help enlighten me further. Moving on I knocked on the doors of the  "Sri Agathiar Sanmarkam Gurukulam Malaysia" in Batu Caves. If the former were focused on doing charity and feeding the latter had shifted to "Jothi Vazhipaadu" taking on Ramalinga Adigal's teachings. As I am one to follow strictly what is told, and as Agathiyar had instructed specifically that I worship the Siddhas besides the other main deities in the spectrum, I could not align with both groups and began a personal journey of worship of the Siddhas at my home. I compiled all the songs in praise of the Siddhas that had their source in the numerous Siddha texts and songs that were scattered in numerous books and online and many tiny booklets released by various organizations in the name of Agathiyar. I had to sieve through the massive literature to reach those that I figured were appropriate for my home puja. Thus "The Siddhargal Potri Thoguppu" came to be published and shared online in 2007. 

But as it was entirely in Tamil, and as there was a need to cater to those not proficient in reading the language, I added on a transliteration in English. This came to be published in 2013 as "Agathiyar Pusai" which was revised and updated and renamed in 2016 as the "Complete Book of Prayers to Siddhas".

Later observing that many did not have the time to sit through these long sessions of recitations, I published yet another book online "24 Minutes Siddha Puja" for those on the go.

Recently I published a mini version of the lengthy compilation "The New Book of Praise to the Siddhas" as I began to reinstate the ritual of performing a daily homam in my home for the benefit of all of the divine's creation as Agathiyar had purposed it.


I was truly delighted that many used these books at their home and temple puja sessions besides using them in our group prayers at AVM. Now as I spent time with my grandchildren I see a need to publish a simple version for these children to follow. I pray that Agathiyar shall guide us on this task.