Agathiyar recently lamented that people have strayed away from the Path of Living the Siddha Way or Siddha Neri Vazhkai Murai. Saying thus, he went on to explain the Siddha way to take a bath. We are to sprinkle water on our heads three times before wetting the feet. Then we can pour water beginning from the legs moving on to the upper torso and shoulders. Then we should wash the face and cleanse the mouth. Only then should we pour water over our heads. This applies to those taking shower baths and those who take a dip in the rivers, lakes or ponds too.
Just as each saint admonishes and teaches the way, according to and based on their experiences, Agathiyar too tells us that they had adopted numerous practices and are sharing them with us, so that we too shall put into practice and live it. He had on numerous occasions dictated many practices through my Nadi reading. I had adhered and followed them. These days he comes in person (through another) and shares many more secrets.
He started me with performing the Nadi Suddhi, the procedure outlined in my Nadi reading in the early years. The tool is the breath that comes with us, stays with us 24/7, that is not easily misplaced or lost or needs an upgrade or to be purchased, hired or renewed. Swami Vivekananda speaking about this practice of Nadi Suddhi or purification of the nerves, quotes from the Shvetashvatara Upanishad on Nadi Sutti:
First, the nerves are to be purified, then comes the power to practise pranayama. Stopping the right nostril with the thumb, through the left nostril fill in air, according to capacity; then, without any interval, throw the air out throught the right nostril, closing the left. Again inhaling through the right nostril eject through the left, according to capacity; practising this three or four times at four hours of the day, before dawn, during midday, in the evening, and at midnight, in 15 days or a month purity of the nerves is attained; then begins pranayama.
Nerve currents will have to be displaced and given a new channel. New sorts of vibration will begin, the whole constitution will be remodeled, as it were.Prior to beginning this simple pranayama, Agathiyar had mysteriously passed the Vasudeva mantra to me through my nephew. My nephew only revealed the source of the initiation that came from Agathiyar through his gurus a couple of years later. R Venu Gopalan in his book, "The Hidden Mysteries of Kundalini", enlightened me further on this mantra stating that the Vishnu Granthi adds obstructions for the sadhaka keeping one under the wraps of attachment and bondage leading to the process of selfishness and supra ego. Hence the mantra is recited for balancing the Vishnu Granthi.
The nadis of the heart chakra is cleansed. It balances the heart chakra. Continuous practice of meditation on this mantra helps purify the thinking process. It also helps in dissolving all the past karmic deeds for a better future.
In another book on Saint Dhruva, it is mentioned that this mantra was given to Dhruva by Saint Narada who initiated Dhruva into the mysteries of yoga and meditation leading to samadhi.
Narada taught Dhruva the practice of pranayama by inhaling, exhaling, and holding the breath. He taught Dhruva to overcome thought fluctuations with the help of breath control. Narada also taught Dhruva to meditate on Vishnu in the sanctuary of his heart repeating the Lord’s name mentally and offer prayers and worship.
This mantra was mentioned in an extract from the English translation of the book "Kriya Yoga Vijnan - The Science of Kriya Yoga", the original by Saint Lahari Mahasaya.
Lahari Mahasaya has named this sadhana, Omkar kriya. This is essentially a pranayama and the basis is the Vasudeva mantra. The sastras have propounded that the Vasudeva mantra is an omniscient mantra. When a sadhaka starts comprehending his awareness as one with the mantra then he becomes omniscient himself. Then his attainment shall be - I am this omniscient Vasudeva. In the Gita it is stated:
"In the very last of all births, the man of wisdom worships me, realizing that all is Vasudeva. Rare indeed is the soul. Then do namaskar to thyself."
Yogi Professor Ramdas Prabhuji who is of the same opinion with R Venu Gopalan, writes at https://lahirimahasayakriyayoga.org/om-namo-bhagavate-vasudevaya/
The purpose of the Second and Third Kriya is to break the heart granthi in order to get the fourth state, Turiya, or Samadhi. The heart knot is the Vishnu-Granthi. Therefore, the supreme Vishnu mantra (mahamantra) – Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya – is used for this purpose. In the light of Kriya Yoga, the fourth state of Turiya, or Vasudeva, is a synonym for Kevala Kumbhaka.
The Vasudeva-mantra of 12 syllables – Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya – is known as a Mukti Mantra because it grants release from Samsara for the one who recites it with devotion and faith.
From Awakening State at http://www.awakeningstate.com/spiritual-awakening/om-namo-bhagavate-vasudevaya/ we learn that,
This Sanskrit mantra can be practiced to attain freedom (moksha) from Samsara – the “Karmic Wheel” that keeps us bound to cycle after cycle of incarnations. This liberation mantra is a karmic eraser. Chanting this mantra with a sincere heart frees your mind and spirit from negative patterns in this life and helps us realize ourselves as a manifestation of transcendent divinity.
Wikipedia mentions the following,
‘Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya’ is a mantra of Vishnu and Krishna both. It has two traditions - Tantric and Puranic. In Tantric Tradition, the Rishi of the Mantra is Prajapati; in Puranic Tradition the Rishi is Narada. Both, however, say it is the Supreme Vishnu Mantra. Sharada Tilak Tantram (Sarada-Tilaka Tantram) for example, says "Dvadasharno mahamantrah pradhano Vaishnavagame" - the twelve lettered mantra is the chief among Vaishnava mantras. Similarly, this is the ultimate mantra in Shrimad Bhagavatam, whose 12 Chapters are taken as extensions of the 12 Letters of this Mantra. This twelve syllable mantra is known as a Mukti (liberation) mantra and a spiritual formula for attaining freedom. This is the principal mantra of the Vedic scripture Srimad Bhagavatam. This can be chanted like Gayatri Mantra. This mantra can also be found in Vishnu Purana.
Agathiyar in the Nadi and Tavayogi taught us to use the breath to tame the thoughts. They parted with initiation into several mantras and techniques to help quieten the mind and subdue the breath. I was told to focus on the spot between the eyebrows initially, creating awareness and concentration on a single thought and a particular spot. On later initiations, I was told to pay attention to the breath. I was given a mantra too to recite silently while watching the breath. After both my gurus in physical form departed, they and their lineage of gurus before them continue to come to our aid. From time to time, Agathiyar introduces a new technique or an advance practice helping to shed monotonous regimes or boredom.
Acharya Gurudasan or whom we lovingly address as Master Gowri has shared tips on Pranayama and its techniques helping us better understand and fine-tune the practice.
A Siddha came during our prayers and surprised us with a technique of observing the breath, leading the way while we followed sometime back. Agathiyar recently brought me back in time to the day I met Tavayogi in Malaysia in 2005 and received his Diksha mantra. Surprisingly he gets me to adopt it as a practice once more, after having introduced numerous mantras along the way and at one point having me drop all such practice too. He told me to begin practice again on certain particular pranayama techniques taught by Tavayogi and practiced by me till I was asked to drop them after I had severe pain in my lower back, citing its benefits if done now.
Acharya Gurudasan or whom we lovingly address as Master Gowri has shared tips on Pranayama and its techniques helping us better understand and fine-tune the practice.
A Siddha came during our prayers and surprised us with a technique of observing the breath, leading the way while we followed sometime back. Agathiyar recently brought me back in time to the day I met Tavayogi in Malaysia in 2005 and received his Diksha mantra. Surprisingly he gets me to adopt it as a practice once more, after having introduced numerous mantras along the way and at one point having me drop all such practice too. He told me to begin practice again on certain particular pranayama techniques taught by Tavayogi and practiced by me till I was asked to drop them after I had severe pain in my lower back, citing its benefits if done now.