SIDDHA HEARTBEAT: MEETING UP WITH THE PAST

Dr Janar continues his post on his journey to India recently. He describes how he was brought mysteriously to the place of his former birth.

In 2016, when Thavayogi Thangarasan Swami came to Malaysia, he brought along a bundle of Nadi leaves, called the 'Agastiyar Jeevanool'. That was the first time I was introduced to the concept of Jeevanadi. Words appeared as the seeker sat in front of the reader. Thavayogi stayed at Balachander Aiya's residence in Bangsar. I had a reading with him.

2015, was a turbulent year for me in a lot of aspects, particularly in my job. I was working at the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC). It is one of the premier health centres in Kuala Lumpur to be proud of, but I wasn't happy working there. It was a busy hospital and doctors were working like robots. As a doctor, I believed in spending quality time with patients. Listening is a craft. Listening with patience is an art. It was difficult for me to establish that with my patients there. The volume of patients was great. Some were VIPs and as usual, their whims and whines had to be entertained. Even adminstering an injection wasn't easy without a big fuss made. Life was a rat-race. I started feeling burnout very often.

I began to ask 'Big Questions' on existence. I was curious to know why I took this life and what pending karma I had brought from my previous lifes. The answers were revealed at the Bangsar reading of Thavayogi's Jeevanool. Thavayogi began reading Agastiyar's message as Mataji wrote whatever he mentioned in a small notebook.

Once upon a time, I was born in Ilanji, a small village in Tirunelveli. My parents, Narayanan and Visalatchi were devotees of Ilanji Kumaran (A Lord Murugan shrine) at the village. They worked in the temple as Lord Murugan’s servants.

As I was interested in medicine and healing then, I joined Sundaralinga Swami, a Siddha doctor in Ilanji as an apprentice and started learning under him. Sundaralinga Swami had established an ashram, treating illnesses. Under his tutelage, I had mastered the art of combining different minerals (Thathukal) to make medications. In today’s day and age, it would sum up to being a pharmacist. The tablets that we consume are all a mixture of different chemicals and minerals to create the desired effect in the body.

As time went on, I started my own experiments by mixing minerals to invent Kaya Kalpathi, a concoction to promote a strong and healthy physique. As I couldn't find proper prospects to try out the potion, I started trying it on myself. As time went by, the potion had disturbed the composition of the electrolytes and minerals in my body, which began causing hormonal imbalances and increased heat. In a lost state of mind, I committed the heinous act of destroying the chastity of a passing herdswoman. At that instance, I lost all the penance (thavam) I had accumulated.

'Viswamitranai-pol thavam kalanji, ilanji kotathil yen idam kathari aluthai' (You lost your penance like Visvamitrar and cried to me at Ilanji temple). The exact sentence Thavayogi uttered while looking into the Nadi leaves.

'Unake maruthuva sevai seiya intha pirappu koduthom. Sevai sei, kandukolvom!' (I have given you this life for the service of medicine and healing. Serve and we shall acknowledge!) he paused. Thavayogi, looked at me with a smile and asked, "Puriyitha magane? (Do you understand, son?)”

II

March 6th 2019

Courtrallam, Tirunelveli District

Krishna Anna had arranged to meet his old friend at the foothills of Shenbaga Vinayagar temple. We were on the way to meet the family after visiting Agastiyar falls. Krishna Anna called him and he gave our driver the directions to an Amman temple near his house. Our driver was communicating with him on the other side, taking note of the directions to the temple. He mentioned that there will be a big arch on the right side of the main road. We were supposed to turn into the arch and proceed to arrive at the temple. Our driver wasn't very sure so we were moving slowly trying to look out for the arch that was a landmark. After some distance, there was an arch on the right side. Our driver who was excited and relieved took the immediate right passing through the arch and a windy road before coming to a temple. But......

It wasn't an Amman temple. It was indeed a spacious temple complex overseeing a wide green landscape of paddy fields. In the background, the curves of the western ghat mountains (Pothigai Malai) were in bright contrast with the blue sky.

Our driver stopped over and informed the gentleman whom we were supposed to meet. He said, “Wait there! I am coming now.” We ended up at Ilanji Kumaran temple instead.

It was a great and grand surprise! This was exactly where I was born in my previous birth. Getting down from the "Tempo-Traveller', setting my foot on the brown soil, I was speechless! I looked at a huge tree at the corner where a few people were taking shade from the hot sun. I thought to myself, I am sure this tree knows who I am. Plants have a surprising affinity to witness and register events. Especially, huge old trees which have been around for hundreds of years. The daily happenings that took place and the historic events that happened around, would definitely have registered in them.

One may wonder, how can trees live so long despite going through the constant test of time and falling prey to human being’s atrocities due to ignorance. The answer is simple indeed. Plants never speak. Plants are in a constant state of ‘Mounam’, like a Siddhar, witnessing and accepting continuous profanity that happens around.

Each and every granite slab in the temple knew my existence. I embraced a huge granite gently and whispered softly, you definitely remember me better than I do. It was ‘Déjà vu’ for me.