THONDU SEIVOM PART 4 - DISCIPLESHIP TO A TRUE GURU PART 1

The very first time Agathiyar spoke about Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal, he revealed that "Taraniyile Tavayogi Thangarasan, Thangarasan unmaiyaana guru unakku yenboam" and he sends me to him the same night to get his initiation - again. When translated, "Thangarasan is a true guru, I should say". These were the words of Agathiyar in the Nadi reading for me just after meeting Tavayogi in Malaysia and getting initiated in 2005. Many years later, Lord Murugan in the Gnanaskandar Nadi instructs a family to Kallar Ashram where the Lord mentions Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal was residing in Kallar Ashram as a Munivar.

How true it has been. When I set my eyes on him for the very first time, he was at the office space of the local chapter of the Sri Agathiyar Gnana Peedham located at Wisma Keringat, Batu Caves. It was pretty obvious that he was the one as he stood out from the other two gentlemen with his ocher clothing, bespectacled and bearded. I informed Appana Nagappan and Perumal that I had called earlier to meet Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal. They pointed me to him. They were all seated at a desk. They asked to be excused as they had other pressing matters on hand. That provided me with an avenue to be together with Tavayogi in private. Tavayogi led me to the adjacent room and sat himself on the carpeted floor. I sat directly in front of him and close to him. I took out the leaflet that I had received from Nadi Nool Aasan Sentilkumar three years ago. I asked Tavayogi if it was his. The leaflet mentioned about one Thaai Veedu Thangarasan's intent to build a temple in the mountains of Kallar and that donations were appreciated. Tavayogi answered that it was his.

The leaflet that I had received carrying Tavayogi's name

I continued. I told him that I had seen the Nadi in 2002 and that Agathiyar wanted me to come to his path. Tavayogi replied that I had come to the right place and that all shall be taught here. He went on to explain to me what he was doing at his ashram and invited me over to Kallar. He decided to give me Teecha or initiation that evening. He asked me to bring my family over for he was giving a speech too. Tavayogi introduced me to Agathiyar that day. And so started a wonderful relationship between a guru, Satguru and a disciple. This was in 2005. I was 46 years of age then.

I joined him in India shortly after he left Malaysia.

After 11 years of discipleship, Tavayogi comes down to Malaysia to attend my daughter's wedding and moves on to visit the homes of devotees of Agathiyar, both old and new. I found a quiet moment between his busy schedule, when the family and I met him at the Balachanders' residence, to put a question to him. Recently many devotees of Agathiyar were shown to AVM through their Nadi readings. Having that in mind, I asked Tavayogi for further directions, "What am I to do next?" Tavayogi immediately replied, "What am I to direct my son? Agathiyar is already directing you!"

Tavayogi now

Tavayogi taking a walk with Uva

Tavayogi showed me Agathiyar. He showed me Siddhar Vahipaadu or Siddha worship. He initiated me and my wife the same day we met him. He took me on a wonderful journey to Siddha temples, caves and Samadhis. He showed me what a life of an asramite would be like. I had the opportunity to see how he lived the life of a turavi or sanyasi, and how he survived.

He initiated me to conduct a homam in my home. What began as a ritual lighting of the sacrificial fire in my home went on to extend to homes of devotees of Agathiyar at AVM and AUM and eventually AVM and AUM were blessed to conduct it in temples too. Today we have taken this ritual a step further by streaming the puja live at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/siddha-heartbeat

Tavayogi conducting the Yagam at Kallar Ashram

Tavayogi & Mataji preparing for the Homam at AVM

 

Performing the Homam at AVM

Conducting a Yagam at the Sri Mayuranathar Temple in Dengkil

Conducting a Yagam at the Sri Jaganatha Swamigal Sivalayam in Tapah

Having initiated us in all these ways, Tavayogi took a step back and stood and watched all these years, never once interfering. 

When my family and I visited him again in 2013, he stunned us by saying that he was sad and worried. He said that he had a wish and that wish or desire was to see the Siddha Marga flourish in Malaysia, a country where his Guru Chitramuthu Adigal and Paramaguru Sri Jaganatha Swamigal had set foot. It was not happening he said sadly, but then he added that he had regained new hope and faith that it would take place. His worries were gone, he added.

Recently in Malaysia, as parting words, he uttered the same words but quickly added that he was going back a happy man having seen for himself the amount of bakthi or devotion and dedication to the cause of Agathiyar and the Siddhas especially by AVM, Thondu Seivom, AmuthaSurabi and AUM youths. Those words where like nectar to us and implied that we were headed in the right direction. In the many Jeeva Nadi readings for devotees of Agathiyar, Agathiyar had endorsed the path and thoughts of these devotees. This endorsements brought further delight to Tavayogi and of course to us too.

It is wonderful to walk the path of the Siddhas with a true guru who showed the way, giving us complete freedom to learn for ourselves rather then ask that we walk the exact path trodden by him. Tavayogi did not lay conditions neither did he restrict our movements. There was no doctrines or regimes to follow, neither was there any rules laid. There was no code of practice to adhere to too. Tavayogi once told me a Siddha cannot be restrained. The spirit has to be free to roam, learn and gain Gnana. And most of all, he did not condone worship of him. 

As I write this post, I begin to realized how blessed we at AVM are to have Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal as a guru. Agathiyar was right. Tavayogi is a true guru indeed.