Yesterday was a day where we at AVM brought out thoughts together in remembrance of our guru Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal. He passed away on 3rd July 2018. His tithi fell on this day.
Mataji Sarojini Ammaiyaar called to inform about this day and told us that she would like us to hold a joint prayer simultaneously at the same time she held one at Kallar Ashram. She told us that she would conduct a yagam followed by prayers.
When Supramania Swami passed away, I asked Tavayogi what we were to do. He replied, "Nothing, just pray that his soul is placed in a high place." When the late Hanumathdasan passed away, Agathiyar told his close aids not to carry out any ritual of remembering him, for it would create a conflict of interest as the soul was deemed to continue its tapas while the family and friends were calling him back. Then Agathiyar had mentioned too the need to perform rites for the souls that had passed on in the family ancestry and one's family deity or kula deivam. But there was an exception too. If we had come to the Siddha worship it was not of any importance then. Similarly Agathiyar will suggests numerous remedies or parikara for those who come to seek his Nadi to now the reasons and for solutions to their problems, which includes worship of the Navagraha. But once we begin to hold on to the Siddhas, he tells us that the Navagrahas become our guru who would then guide us rather than watch us go through pain and suffering. I have come to understand that there is a pre and a post Siddha life that reverses all the laws of nature and science, belief and faith, understanding and perception.
So as we had not carried out any tithi prayers in the past either for the guru or ancestors, we did not know whether we should go ahead or otherwise and what we were to do if we were to go ahead. A handful of us at ATM who knew Tavayogi got together. Initially, I told Bala Chandran that we would have a full session prayer that included homa, libation, and singing the praises of the Siddhas just as was planned at Kallar. The night before, talking to Bala over the phone, I decided to follow what Agathiyar had told Bala when Tavayogi passed away last year. He had asked Bala who was in India to light a lamp at Bhogar's sannadhi at Palani which he did. So we decided that we shall light a single aganda deepam and sit in prayer. No homa. No libation. During the afternoon we did not even need to light the lamp as we decided to sit quietly in meditation on our guru instead. We were not moved to sing their praises either. We remembered Tavayogi in a very simple manner without rituals of any kind. Our decision was accepted and endorsed by the Siddhas. As we are always open to suggestions and views and most importantly change, this is how the divine guides us in all our decisions, moving us to carry out their thoughts and wishes.
So as we had not carried out any tithi prayers in the past either for the guru or ancestors, we did not know whether we should go ahead or otherwise and what we were to do if we were to go ahead. A handful of us at ATM who knew Tavayogi got together. Initially, I told Bala Chandran that we would have a full session prayer that included homa, libation, and singing the praises of the Siddhas just as was planned at Kallar. The night before, talking to Bala over the phone, I decided to follow what Agathiyar had told Bala when Tavayogi passed away last year. He had asked Bala who was in India to light a lamp at Bhogar's sannadhi at Palani which he did. So we decided that we shall light a single aganda deepam and sit in prayer. No homa. No libation. During the afternoon we did not even need to light the lamp as we decided to sit quietly in meditation on our guru instead. We were not moved to sing their praises either. We remembered Tavayogi in a very simple manner without rituals of any kind. Our decision was accepted and endorsed by the Siddhas. As we are always open to suggestions and views and most importantly change, this is how the divine guides us in all our decisions, moving us to carry out their thoughts and wishes.