Agathiyar gave me a very simple task when he spread out one of my past lives before me through a Nadi reading. Why speak through the Nadi? How else was he going to show himself? If he appears as light, the intensity of it will blind us we are told. Supramania Swami was blinded for a while, Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal went blind for close to a year, his guru Chitramuthu Adigal too lost his eyesight for some time. Agathiyar could not possibly come as a person and advise me for then I would have questioned him from all angles. But the Nadi was a mystery. It intrigued me.
As Muralitharan Saminathan explained his experience in having his Nadi read to me, I was amazed at the things that the Nadi could reveal. As we sat at his work station at the electrical wing of the maintenance office, I suddenly had the urge to see my Nadi too. He began calling Sivabalan not sure if there was any Nadi reader at that moment in Malaysia since he had seen his two years back. Sivabalan gave me an appointment.
As I stepped into Sivabalan's home in Petaling Jaya, I was surprised to meet a youth greet me. Sivabalan was a very pleasant, cheerful lad in his twenties and was devoted to Agathiyar. Sentilkumar from Avinasi took my thumbprint and my date of birth, drew up my horoscope, and took out three bundles of Nadi leaves each neatly tied up. Sivabalan accompanied me during the reading occasionally explaining certain pertaining matters.
A session of questions and answers went on for a while. My answers were strictly to be either a "Yes" or a "No", I was reminded. Just as we came to the last few leaves in the last bundle, a leaf had all my credentials on it. Excited that I had finally found mine, I had to deny it later for my wife's name was incorrect. I could not accept any of the leaves seen as relevent to me after going through the laborious task of shifting through numerous leaves in each of the three bundles. I had failed to locate my leaf. So we dropped the search for the day. Sentilkumar told me we could go through other bundles two weeks from then.
On the day of appointment I was back at Sivabalan's home, extremely excited and praying that I should locate my leaf. This time my Nadi was there waiting to be read after a couple of initial misses. Sentilkumar told me to come another day for the full reading.
The full reading of my Kaanda Nadi prediction was done on 14 December 2002, with a chapter from the Gnana Kaandam thrown in upon Sivabalan's request. Sivabalan gave me my very first painting of Agathiyar to worship that day. Today this painting adorns my father-in-laws altar. Sentilkumar gave me a small booklet containing the names of Siddhas to recite.
In that reading Agathiyar asked me to extend financial help towards building temples and to build one for him too. As my ego inflated on hearing that the divine had chosen me to build him an abode, I began to float on cloud nine, Sivabalan brought me back to reality by telling me not to be elated as Agathiyar had mentioned this to fifty others who came for a reading! But he added that if I had the resources to do what the others did not.
Sentilkumar extended a leaflet to me. It was a donation drive for building a temple/ ashram for Agathiyar in Kallar, India. It carried the name of the guru one Thaaiveedu Thangarasan M.A.
And so I eagerly scouted around if I could have a sannadhi build for Agathiyar in existing temples knowing that to erect a completely new one would not be feasible due to several restrictions and high cost. None of the temple committees I met where accommodating. I let it rest at that.
After becoming acquainted with Supramania Swami of Thiruvannamalai he passed the message through my nephew who had returned from India that there was a directive for him to build a Murugan temple in his village Nachananthal some 8 km from Thiruvannamalai town. I jumped at the idea and agreed to help out. Swami wrote about the envisioned temple in subsequent mails to me. He called me over the phone some time later and told me that the temple now had to be in town close to his Guru Yogi Ramsuratkumar's ashram. He scouted for a suitable land and with the help of some dignitaries in town made the purchase and had it registered. He came into the town during the day to supervise the preliminary works and returned to his village after night fall daily. Understanding that the construction cost was high I suggested that he build a kudil where he could stay, carry out his profession of reading astrology and source for more funds from the locals. He built a 30 feet by 11 feet kudil where he slept, cooked and prayed besides charting horoscopes for the public.
One fine day a stranger arrived at his hermitage and asked him to come out! As Swami approached him he asked why Swami being a gnani, was taking a step back into bakthi? He left the spot immediately after saying this. Swami called me to say that he was dropping the idea.
Swami lived in the kudil till his samadhi in 2007. It was at this kudil that he brought his guru the Yogi who had himself gone into samadhi in 2001, to join us in chanting his name.
I thought that since we had taken the initiative to start building the temple that Erai soon stopped, I had fulfilled my obligation to Agathiyar as per the Nadi. But it was not to be.
In a Nadi reading on 8 December 2008, Agathiyar reminded me about my initial interest in complying his request to build his temple and told me that he would facilitate the venture. He told me that he had already spoken to Sundara Arumugam Aiya who was working towards building a Mritiga Brindavanam for Sri Raghavendra in Ipoh about this and he has agreed to comply. In the next few readings Agathiyar began to dictate specific instructions on his bronze statue that I was to commission and have made in Swamimalai, India and began to monitor the progress and delivery of his statue to AVM before leaving for the Brindavanam. Agathiyar arrived on our shores a day before his Jayanthi on 3rd January 2010. He never left us. He stays at AVM till this day. A devotee placed Agathiyar's statue at the Brindavanam later when we indicated to Thiru Arumugam that he was not coming over.
Tavayogi and Mataji when they arrived in Malaysia many years back, asked of us to come out of bakthi into gnana. But Agathiyar made him build a temple too. When I questioned him about the construction, he told me it was for the public. His temple cum ashram today houses many turavis, devotees and weary travelers who came along the way, the latest of whom were turavis who came down to participate in the 1008 Yaaga Kundangal Anandha Maha Velvi and Sarva Dosa Nivaarana Yagam held recently at the Sarva Mangala Dhyana Peedham.
Swami lived in the kudil till his samadhi in 2007. It was at this kudil that he brought his guru the Yogi who had himself gone into samadhi in 2001, to join us in chanting his name.
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| Supramania Swami with his family |
In a Nadi reading on 8 December 2008, Agathiyar reminded me about my initial interest in complying his request to build his temple and told me that he would facilitate the venture. He told me that he had already spoken to Sundara Arumugam Aiya who was working towards building a Mritiga Brindavanam for Sri Raghavendra in Ipoh about this and he has agreed to comply. In the next few readings Agathiyar began to dictate specific instructions on his bronze statue that I was to commission and have made in Swamimalai, India and began to monitor the progress and delivery of his statue to AVM before leaving for the Brindavanam. Agathiyar arrived on our shores a day before his Jayanthi on 3rd January 2010. He never left us. He stays at AVM till this day. A devotee placed Agathiyar's statue at the Brindavanam later when we indicated to Thiru Arumugam that he was not coming over.
Tavayogi and Mataji when they arrived in Malaysia many years back, asked of us to come out of bakthi into gnana. But Agathiyar made him build a temple too. When I questioned him about the construction, he told me it was for the public. His temple cum ashram today houses many turavis, devotees and weary travelers who came along the way, the latest of whom were turavis who came down to participate in the 1008 Yaaga Kundangal Anandha Maha Velvi and Sarva Dosa Nivaarana Yagam held recently at the Sarva Mangala Dhyana Peedham.
On 30 Jan 2018, in my 52nd Nadi reading and the first by Lord Muruga, he surprised me when he asked that I build a temple for him now. As I thought to myself, "Oh no! not again!" and asked myself, "How many temples do you want Muruga. Isn't the existing temples sufficient?", he replies instantaneously as if having read my mind, that there was a reason for it. I let it be.
On 16 Feb 2018 as we performed libation or abhisegam for Lord Muruga upon his request at the Sri Maha Mariamman temple in Carey island, Agathiyar brings up the subject again asking me if I was not going to build it. Again my mind raced through time asking "What! you want us to move?" He told me the reason. I kept extremely quiet not responding to his request.
Several minutes later when my wife approached him he brought up this subject to her too. When I went back to him he explained further the need for a temple. I did not want to commit then.
Several minutes later when my wife approached him he brought up this subject to her too. When I went back to him he explained further the need for a temple. I did not want to commit then.
Traveling this journey, I had lost the excitement and interest in building a temple for various reasons. Already as it is we have way too many temples many of which are a white elephant with only a handful of devotees frequenting them. Then I have seen temple committee members fight among themselves for the posts and power and recognition that comes with it. Then there are interference from other quarters too. I did not like the idea of seeking for funds from the public fearing that I shall earn their wrath, "What another temple? Don't we have enough temples as it is?" and questioning my intentions in carrying out this venture.
Both Lord Muruga and Agathiyar's request stays for now. I have not replied them.
Who can comprehend the ways of the Siddhas and Erai? They made Tavayogi build their temple; they stopped Supramania Swami; they reversed their decision to go to the Brindavanam; and I am not sure of if AVM moves or stays. Only time can tell. But it has been an interesting journey till now.
Who can comprehend the ways of the Siddhas and Erai? They made Tavayogi build their temple; they stopped Supramania Swami; they reversed their decision to go to the Brindavanam; and I am not sure of if AVM moves or stays. Only time can tell. But it has been an interesting journey till now.