BEATING THE GAME

When times are good, man does not want the good times to end. He does not want any change. But if he undergoes sufferings he immediately wants the misery to end. He wants change for the better. If he is healthy he does not bother to think about his health further. But when he succumbs to illness he wants a remedy and cure that ends his pain and discomfort. If he is gifted with good things he accepts without giving a word of thanks, but if what he desires is stalled, delayed or seen as not possible he tries all means including prayers and worship trying to get the divine to clear the way and grant him his heart's desire.

I have perfect eyesight but then why is it I can't see in the dark? I have a perfect body but why is it if the breath that went out never returns I drop dead? Why is it when I do not get to drink I die? I am dependent on the light out there. I am dependent on the air out there. I am dependent on the water out there. I am dependent on the earth to give me food to keep me alive. I am dependent on the fire and heat it gives to keep me warm on cold days or in the freezing winters. I am so dependent on nature to keep me going. I won't survive a minute without nature sustaining me. Yet we give a damn about nature that is sustaining us all these while. Our ancestors took great care of Mother earth. In return she nourished her with her wealth of products.

I might have a say in who becomes my wife but I cannot possibly choose my child. I cannot for sure say that I will have child too. Who or what determines my life henceforth? It pretty well shows that we have very little avenue in making choices. We can chose a meal, choose a job, choose a car, choose a wife but all else is determined by other factors beyond our creation and means.

The wise coined the word karma, the law of cause and effect that determines one's life and where its heading. Knowing the reason for all our sufferings, misery, pain, delays brings us to accept our fate knowing it was all our doing in the first place. Although the law of nature and the divine is set in its place, and works pretty well, the most compassionate Siddhas have devised many ways to subtly work around these laws. They have managed to come out of the hold of karma and nature.

Hence today they tell us that mans fate is not written in stone. With the grace of the divine, with hope, faith and belief matched with positive and uplifting and discerning thoughts or arivu, and with one's concerted efforts, man can work towards bringing change. He can map a new destiny for himself.

But first we need to come to their path. We need to submit ourselves to their way of life and teachings. This is where the 5 tenets of Agathiyar comes in useful. Besides these 5 markers or milestones on the path the Siddha turn up at the right moment to endorse our previous efforts and clarify and instruct further.

By knowing our purpose in taking this birth, that which the 1st tenet speaks of, we will be geared towards serving our purpose rather than be distracted and spend more time here. Belief in God, that is the next tenet, brings the draw bridge down for us to begin the sacred journey to his kingdom. The divine and his apostles come down to meet us on the way up to speedily bring us over. I was told to go to Tiruvannamalai on a Pournami too. I was told to do the circumambulation or Girivalam of the Holy hill Annamalai too during a full moon. Agathiyar never told me the reasons. I just did as told. At the end of it I met my very first guru Supramania Swami.

Agnilingam Arunachalam who took over to pen the post on the blog https://siththanarul.blogspot.com/ shares the views of the Siddhas on this holy site.

திருவண்ணாமலை - சித்தர்கள் பார்வையில் ஒரு அதிசயமாக பாவிக்கப் படுகிறதே! திருவண்ணாமலை, அகத்தியர் கூற்றின்படி, நித்தம் நித்தம், ஒவ்வொரு நொடியும், அதிசயங்கள் நடக்கும் இடம். நிறைய மனிதர்களுக்கு, அவரவர் கர்மாவின்படி, அதிசயத்தில் பங்குபெறுகிற, காண்கிற வாய்ப்பை சித்தர்கள் அளித்துள்ளனர். அப்படிப்பட்ட நிகழ்ச்சியே, பலரது வாழ்விலும் மிகப்பெரிய திருப்புமுனையாக அமைந்தது, என்பதும் உண்மை. 

(Tiruvannamalai in the eyes of the Siddhas is seen as a mystery. According to Agathiyar, each day and second a mysterious happening takes place. The Siddhas provide for man according to their karma to participate or witness these mysteries. These events have become the turning point for many too.)

ஒவ்வொரு கிரிவலமும், முறையாக, அமைதியாக, சிவநாம ஜெபத்துடன், உள் முனைப்புடன் செய்தால், அந்த ஒருவன்/ஒருவள், வந்த பொழுது வாங்கி வந்த மிகப்பெரிய கர்மா கட்டை, அவிழ்த்து, அண்ணாமலையார், தன் மீது கட்டிக்கொள்வர். இவனுக்கு/இவளுக்கு கர்ம பாரம் குறையும்.

(If each Girivalam is done with a pious intention and devotion, Lord Annamalaiyar takes on willingly the karma baggage that we have brought hence lightening our burden.)

வாழ்க்கையில் மனிதன் இயல்பாகவே சேர்த்துக் கொள்கிற கர்மா என்பது, கிரிவலத்தின் பொழுது செய்கிற தானத்தினால், உடனேயே விலகும்.

(By feeding or doing annadhanam during Girivalam ones karma is shed immediately.)

The 3rd tenet, paying the respects due to our parents, ancestors, the guru lineage, the deities that care for our lineage, village and its borders, the spirits that stand guard at the temples, jungles and other sacred places, bring upon us their blessings that clear the obstacles and frustrations in our ventures and daily lives. It is said that a seeker who chooses to take up monk hood shall appease the souls of 21 generations before him. The 4th tenet, that of serving fellow mankind and helping them rise up the ladder of evolution of the soul through sharing food with them and food for their souls and spirits helps speed up the evolution of souls. The final tenet that of helping the lower species to rise beyond their state and provide them too with an opportunity to take a human birth next time is a mandatory task of humans too.

Having completed the journey on this physical plane man's journey does not stop here but continues beyond to the realms of the divine. As Supramania Swami looked through the opening placed strategical to have a view of the sacred hill Annamalaiyar, he could see the hill become a hive of activity. Siddhas, Rishis, Munis, Jnanis, Mahans etc were going about their routine tasks and chores, a continuation of what they did when they walked the earth. Kogie had a dream where Tavayogi after his departure from this world, was taken on a boat ride across a river with several others clad in white with the grand master himself at the oars. Lord Shiva was rowing them over. Up ahead was a mountain and the sages where going about there activities. Agathiyar had told Tavayogi's daughter, to pacify her since the father had decided to leave the family and her to become a wondering monk, that both Lord Shiva and Parvathi will come in a flying object the Puspavimanam to take his soul away. Medical astrologer, Siddha medicine practitioner and Guru Dr Krishnan who passed away recently had mentioned to his family of a dream he had some days before his departure. He was picking herbs in another plane.

The author who penned the posts originally for siththanarul.blogspot.com, Velayudham Karthikeyan Aiya shares a story about his friend with me, the late Jeeva Nadi Guru from Chennai about whom the blog revolves around.

நண்பரின் ஆத்மாவை, உடலை விட்டு பிரியும் நேரத்தில், அகத்தியப் பெருமானே வந்து கூட்டிச்சென்று, பொதிகையில் 90 நாட்களுக்கு தவத்தில் இருக்க வைத்தாராம். ஆதலால், அந்த 90 நாட்களுக்கு ஒருவரும் அவரை நினைத்து, அதனால் தொந்தரவு செய்யக் கூடாது என்று உத்தரவும் கொடுத்தார். இதை அறிந்த நாங்கள் அனைவரும், வெகு நாட்களுக்கு அவரை நினைக்கவே இல்லை. ஏன் என்றால், நம் நினைப்பு கூட ஒரு தொடர்பை அந்த ஆத்மாவுடன் உருவாக்கும்.

(When his friend's soul departed Agathiyar came forth to take him and place him in the hills of Pothigai. He was kept in the state of tavam for 90 days. No one was to disturb his tavam by remembering him.)

Karthikeyan Aiya told me he (Aiya) had desired to worship Agathiyar as a statue but was never granted his wish. He tells me very subtly that we are blessed to have him in our home.

நான் சில வருடங்களாக அகத்தியரிடம் உத்தரவு கேட்டுக் கொண்டிருக்கிறேன். உருவ வழிபாட்டுக்கு ஒரு சிறு சிலை வேண்டும் என்று. இதுவரை தரவில்லை. பொறுமையாக காத்திருக்கிறேன். அவரே தீர்மானம் பண்ணட்டும் என்று.

 He wrote:

அகத்தியரை தொடர்ந்தது முதல் ஒரு விஷயத்தை புரிந்து கொண்டேன். அவர் நடத்தும் நாடகத்தில், எந்த பாத்திரம் யாருக்கு சேரும் என்று அறிந்தே அருளுகிறார். அதற்கேற்றார் போல் தான் நிகழ்ச்சிகளும் நடக்கிறது. ஆசை படும் அருகதை கூட நமக்கு கிடையாது என்பதே உண்மை.

(After following Agathiyar I realized a truth. In his play he decides which role will fit whom. We do not even have the right to hold desires.)

We have come to see this enacted in our lives too. Agathiyar knows what is best for us. If one submits to Agathiyar's wishes, surrendering even his wants and desires, needs and every deed he does, Agathiyar decides for him. Many who are staunch devotees of his come telling me that he does not fulfill their needs, prayers, wishes, desires and asking. I tell them to take it as a blessing for he knows best. A father would definitely not want to approve your list of wants and needs if he knows it is going to bring you pain and suffering later. But if one still continues to belief that he is in charge even after coming to Agathiyar, Agathiyar gives what he desires knowing pretty well that it will do more harm than good, cause distress and misery and suffering and pain. The reason is simple. We desired it. But he does not desert us. He waits for us to turn up at his door, beaten, feeling cheated, angry, sad. He comes forward to hug us and lighten us up. He draws another path for us to travel then, since we have learned from the experience on the path that we had chose and stood adamant, wanting to travel on it.

Recently Lord Muruga has asked of us to surrender completely to him. Though we did not quite understand his request but submitted to him. Today we realize the inner meaning of surrender. Today we realize that the divine wanting to save us from impending danger and harm, sufferings and misery, conflict and pain, asked for our surrender - so that he could help us survive the ordeal without crumbling to the ground under the weight of the disaster. Agathiyar too comes to our defense even before these issues crop up, with remedies or ways or guidance. We need not worry about issues that might confront us for Agathiyar, Lord Muruga and the host of sages are by our side in our times of need. We at ATM have lately been told several times to worship the light that keeps burning at our altar that they identify as Aganda Deepam. We brought the earthen lamp to center-stage and sat around in silence, worshiping the Light as Erai and as instructed. We did not question further but just followed.

Then siththanarul.blogspot.com carried a message from Agathiyar that spells out the same and giving the reason to do so.

ஆனிமாத முடிவில் ஏற்பட்ட, சந்திர கிரஹணத்துக்குப்பின், நல்லதை செய்கிற ஏழு கிரஹங்களும், ராகு, கேதுவின் பிடிக்குள் மாட்டிக் கொண்டுவிட்டது. இதனுடன், பஞ்ச பூதங்களும், அந்த இரு கிரகங்களின் கட்டுப்பாட்டுக்குள் சென்று விட்டது. இது, கார்த்திகை மாதம் முடியும் வரை தொடரும்.

(As a result of the Lunar eclipse that took place at the end of the Tamil month of Aani, (16th July 2019), seven planets known to do good have come under the grip of the shadow planets Raghu and Kethu. So have the 5 elements. This will extend till end of Karthigai 16th December 2019)

இந்த காலகட்டத்தில், நிறைய அனிச்சையாக, சம்பவங்கள் நடக்கும். மனித மனதை, எண்ணங்களை விஷப்படுத்தி, தனிப்பட்ட வாழ்க்கையில், குடும்பத்துக்குள், பொது வாழ்க்கையில், வேண்டாத விஷயங்களை நடத்திவைக்கும். இது, பக்தி மார்கத்தில், சித்த மார்கத்தில், மிக உயர்ந்த நிலையில் இருப்பவர்களையும் தடுமாற வைக்கும். தேவை இல்லாத கெட்ட பெயர், பேச்சு, தூற்றுதல், போன்ற நிகழ்ச்சிகளை உருவாக்கும்.

(During these periods peoples thoughts will be poisoned. Even the spiritually elevated will not be spared.)

இவ்வுலகில், நடக்கும் அனைத்தும் இறைவன் அருளால் நடப்பதால், எவ்வளவோ பக்குவத்துடன் இருந்தாலும், சேய்கள் மனம் கலங்கத்தான் வேண்டிவரும். ஆகவே, இறைவன் உத்தரவால், அனைத்து சித்தர்களும், ரிஷிகளும், முனிவர்களும், அனைத்து ஆத்மாக்களையும், இந்த நேரத்தில், அருகிலிருந்து, வழி நடத்தி, காப்பாற்ற அனுப்பப்பட்டுள்ளனர். நாம் காப்பாற்றப்பட்டு, வழி நடத்திட, என்ன செய்ய வேண்டும் என ஒரு வழியையும் அகத்தியப் பெருமான் அருளியுள்ளார்.

(But the most compassionate Erai has summoned all the Siddhas, Rishis, Munis to stay with the devotees and care for them.)

இறைவனை, ஜோதி ரூபமாக, தினமும் காலையிலும், மாலையிலும் அவரவர், வீட்டில் ஒரு விளக்கேற்றி வைத்து, முடிந்தவரை, குறைந்தது ஒரு நாழிகையாவது, த்யானம் செய்யச் சொல்கிறார். நடப்பது எதுவாயினும், மனதுக்கு பிடிக்காததாக இருந்தாலும், பொறுமையை கைபிடித்து, பெரியவர்கள் இருக்கிறார்கள் என்ற திடமான நம்பிக்கையில், இறைவனிடம் அர்ப்பண மனோபாவத்துடன் இருக்கச்சொல்கிறார்.

(All we need to do is to light a lamp and worship Erai as the Jhoti, sitting in Dhyana, and sitting with the thought of total surrender, at least for 24 minutes, twice a day in their homes.)

We come here to be molded into a better person. We come here so that the soul is strengthened by the experiences gaining Atma Balam. These shall be achieved by taking the hands of Agathiyar.