I had carried Asokhan's amazing encounter with messengers of Erai during his Sabarimala Yatra at http://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.my/2013/09/miracles.html Asokhan first narrated his adventure immediately upon returning to duty, in the confines of my office. I could not make a recording then. Each time he turned up at my office during his breaks between duty I would ask him to share this amazing story. He too would oblige me and each time he recalled this tale, tears would well up in his eyes. I too would shed tears just listening to him.
Soon he was transferred to another military camp in the north. Since then he has retired from the army. He paid me a surprise visit yesterday. I immediately took the opportunity to have him narrate his story AGAIN in front of the camera. He spoke with devotion just has he had many times before.
"When Asokan, from Malaysia, was separated from the rests of the entourage and lost his way while on pilgrimage to Sabarimala, Anjaneyar and Anjalai offered to accompany Asokan until he arrived safely at the temple!
Asokhan who is with the military police had gone on a couple of pilgrimages to Sabarimala and on his return narrated with excitement and devotion the happenings that took place when he was there. I took down these notes as he narrated the happenings during these pilgrimages to me. It amazed me to listen to him, often tears gathered at the corners of his eyes, as he narrated the miracles that took place and the play of God on a true disciple like him. I used to ask him again and again to narrate his journey, even though I had heard it from him earlier and he would willingly sit and talk about it with the same intensity and joy every time.
Asokhan once asked his Guru Ramakrishna Paramahansa in meditation on how to overcome the many problems that he faced in his daily life. The Guru in him advised him to be patient. He needed to exhaust his Karma first and so towards that purpose he was asked to undertake a yantra to Sabarimala.
However, Asokhan had no idea how he was going to go to India. He prayed to Lord Ayappa. He very much wanted to go over to Sabari but did not know the way and have the means to do it.
Miraculously he received his passport the day after his prayer was submitted to the Lord; his leave was approved within two days; the money required for the pilgrimage was acquired in the next two days; and he was to follow a Gurusamy and a group of fifthteen devotees. Thus, Lord Ayappa had provided for him to journey to Sabarimala. Asokhan prepared himself for the pilgrimage as a kannisamy.
On arrival in India, the group went through the sacred ritual of placing the irumudi on their heads and thus started the sacred journey from Dindugal to submit the irumudi at the feet of Lord Ayappa at Sabarimala.
During the hike to Aludhamalai, Asokhan realized seven group members who were ahead of him and another seven behind him were not in sight. He realized that he had separated from his group and was lost and was all alone. His head was aching due to the weight of the irumudi. Only the Gurusamy was allowed to relieve him of the irumudi. However, his Gurusamy was nowhere to be seen. Asokhan was thirsty and hungry too. He had no money on him as all the documents were with the Gurusamy.
He reached a spot where another group had camped and were serving food (annadhanam). He lined up behind the other devotees for the free food. However, sadly they refused to give him food and drink.
Disappointed and hungry he left the spot, continuing his walk. He was now dizzy out of hunger and thirst. He prayed to Lord Ayappa for aid.
Sometime later the group which refused aid came by. Not able to bear the weight of the irumudi any further, he asked the Gurusamy of this group to relieve him of the irumudi. It was 7 pm. They camped for the night. He was offered water and biscuits.
At 3 am the next day, the group began their hike up the path. Asokhan was given INR100 and water by the Gurusamy from this group. Having rested well Asokhan followed the newfound group. Asokhan tried to catch up with them but could not keep up with them, hence he found himself lost again in the dense forest of Sabarimala. In the wee morning hours, when he was about to take a step and fall into a ravine, miraculously a small male child appeared out of nowhere and holding on to his elbow pulled him away from the edge of a ravine. The child chanted “Swamiye Saranam Ayappa” all the way, as he led Asokhan through the jungle. He waited for Asokhan to catch up at some places and rested when Asokhan rested. Finally, he disappeared from sight at the Pambanathi. Who was the child who led him until Pamba?
Asokhan asked of those pilgrims he met on the way for directions but unfortunately, he could not understand Malayalam. As he hiked up, he came to the Kannimula Ganapati temple where he prayed to be reunited with his group. Then at the Anjaneyar temple, he asked Anjaneyar to accompany him. At the Goddess Ambal temple, he prayed for his safety.
Asokhan now stood before a steep hill. As he sat down wondering how he was going to trek up the hill, he saw an old man come towards him. The old man called out in Tamil to his even older mother to hurry up. Asokhan was relieved to hear someone speak in Tamil. Asokhan related what had happened to him. They asked Asokhan to follow them. Asokhan noticed that when he walked behind them he was relieved of his tiredness, and bodily pains and ache. However, the moment he walked ahead of them he had all the discomfort come back. He was puzzled. Another thing that Asokhan noticed peculiar in them was that both the man and his mother did not cry out “Saranam Ayappa” as did the others on the journey to Sabari.
Asokhan found it amusing and feared for their safety when along the way the old man took to task certain dishonest traders. He bought Asokhan watermelon and water to feed his hunger and quench his thirst. At Sarankuti, the old man asked that they rest awhile. Asokhan was asked to look out for his group while the old man reclined like Lord Vishnu with his head supported by his left hand. His mother lay down beside him.
Asokhan thought he should massage the old man’s feet bringing some relief to the aching feet of the man, as gratitude for his help in bringing him to Lord Ayappa. As Asokhan placed his hands on the old man’s thigh, the old man opened his eyes to look at Asokhan, gave him a smile and closed his eyes again. He laid his head on his left arm, which now served as a pillow and continued his nap. After some time Asokhan too closed his eyes in meditation. As Asokan massaged the legs of the elderly man he realize there was a tail between his legs! He immediately stopped massaging the old man’s leg and brought his palms together in prayer. Was this Anjaneyar himself?
They continued the journey towards the second Sarankuti. Here the old man explained to Asokhan how to witness the Jothi. Asokhan and the old man removed their shirts and made their way to Lord Ayappa. The old man asked Asokhan to break a coconut at Karupana Sannadhi. They then started to climb the eighteen steps covered in gold leading to Lord Ayappa. To his surprise, Asokhan realized that they were the only ones climbing the stairs. The old man and his mother who walked alongside gave way to Asokhan to walk in the middle. Asokhan saw Devas and Devis standing on either side, welcoming them as they climbed the steps. Asokhan went into a state of bliss.
Asokhan tells me he went to Sabari three times after that trip and had gone up the stairs four times but never had he seen nor experienced a similar welcome during those times.
The old man then brought Asokhan to the kodimaram on the temple grounds where they rested again. The old man’s mother asked Asokhan to lie down on her lap. Immediately Asokhan fell into deep sleep. They woke him up and handed him to another group from Dindugal before they left promising to come back. However, they never came back.
What surprised Asokhan further was, a new group that he made acquaintance with took him along to look for his group. They came before the eighteen steps again but this time Asokhan had to nudge his way up through the crowd.
The group wanted to leave for Dindugal, so Asokhan was passed on to the information counter. Asokhan was fed and at 8 pm, he was brought to another group from Malaysia. Shortly before 5 am, the next day Asokhan was united back with his group. The group submitted their irumudi to Lord Ayappa and returned to Malaysia with Asokhan cherishing the many magical moments he lived through.