Tavayogi was a man of few words, except when he takes the stage to address a crowd. He never talked about anything at length. It was always brief statements or observations. Neither did he dictate things except for an occasional directive that comes with a stern note, telling us that there is no two way about it and that we have to follow. But these were rare and spaced apart. I am beginning to understand him well now. If he had listed the do's and don'ts, imagine we would have held on to his words as the Gospel and followed it out of fear that we would offend or go against the word of the guru and bring upon ourselves their curse or harm. He never intimidated us or controlled us but on the contrary, wanted us to explore on our own. He told me that the soul should never be caged but allowed to fly freely. Today I find Agathiyar too adopts the same approach or is it that Tavayogi was adopting Agathiyar's approach? Somehow I feel these Siddhas they all come with a standard script or dialogue just as we parents do, be it of any nationality, we tend to harp 24/7 on the same things to our children. All parents do come with a standard script. I find Agathiyar saying the same things that Tavagogi told me then.
Agathiyar says it is time now to revisit the asanas and pranayama that we learned from Tavayogi and put them into practice immediately. It was Agathiyar who brought a halt to this practice when I hurt my back sometimes back. It is very obvious that he is still living and monitoring our progress even today, contrary to gurus, devotees, and academians pushing him back into the pages of history.
Agathiyar says it is time now to revisit the asanas and pranayama that we learned from Tavayogi and put them into practice immediately. It was Agathiyar who brought a halt to this practice when I hurt my back sometimes back. It is very obvious that he is still living and monitoring our progress even today, contrary to gurus, devotees, and academians pushing him back into the pages of history.
Just as Yogi Ramsuratkumar refused to bless a seeker who had previously got a blessing from a guru before coming over, and just as Rengarajar refused to bless me as I suppose he knew that I was destined to meet my very first guru a couple of days later, Lord Murugan too refused to say anything to me when everybody else was waiting in line to hear his commandment on surrender. When he was asking each and everyone if they had surrendered, he simply told me that Agathiyar shall take care of you, "உன்னை அகத்தியன் பார்த்துப்பான்."
I jokingly told all those who had gathered to listen to Acharya Gurudasan from Bangalore guide us on the finer points of Yoga on Zoom recently, that Agathiyar too has kept his distance adhering to the call to adopt social distancing in the wake of the COVID-19 virus pandemic. Otherwise, he would frequent our home and say a thing or two giving us advice and guidance and commenting on our spiritual progress. He would ask that I stay by his side and listen on to the conversation between him and his devotees. I never did like to listen to others' problems for they were personal. But he replied that he wanted me to learn from its lessons. He wanted me to see and learn what others go through. He wanted me to listen to how he tackles their problems. The solutions he gave will add to my knowledge of the Siddhas and the mysteries of life. Of course, it has. Of course, he knew that whatever he said would be shared by me in this blog, unless he prohibited me. There were certain things he said and went on to explain its subtle meaning but quickly added, telling me not to share them as yet. He will give the green light later.
Some of these timely and wise advise and clarifications and the parting of knowledge are shared below.
Although the Siddhas are beyond time and space but as the divine's creation is subjected to it they talk on matters relating to time, places, and venues, for we can only perceive and understand things relative to time and space. For instance, Agathiyar says sternly that whatever done at the right moment will give the expected results or success, "குறித்த நேரத்தில் செய்யும் யாவும் ஜெயம்." A lot of factors come into play for an event to take place. Hence if Agathiyar asks us to do it, we should get on it. If we contemplate, hesitate, are doubtful, delay it, postpone it to another time or ignore it entirely, the factors change; meantime people move away, businesses close, contacts go missing etc. Hence when Agathiyar says its time to start or launch something, all things are in place for a conducive and successful venture. Any delay will turn otherwise. Similarly, at times he postpones our venture asking us to delay them, for the same reason that it is not conducive to start the venture immediately. Or a delay may occur beyond our means for the reason that the right surgeon to operate on you is not there, the planetary positions are not favorable etc.
Some of these timely and wise advise and clarifications and the parting of knowledge are shared below.
Although the Siddhas are beyond time and space but as the divine's creation is subjected to it they talk on matters relating to time, places, and venues, for we can only perceive and understand things relative to time and space. For instance, Agathiyar says sternly that whatever done at the right moment will give the expected results or success, "குறித்த நேரத்தில் செய்யும் யாவும் ஜெயம்." A lot of factors come into play for an event to take place. Hence if Agathiyar asks us to do it, we should get on it. If we contemplate, hesitate, are doubtful, delay it, postpone it to another time or ignore it entirely, the factors change; meantime people move away, businesses close, contacts go missing etc. Hence when Agathiyar says its time to start or launch something, all things are in place for a conducive and successful venture. Any delay will turn otherwise. Similarly, at times he postpones our venture asking us to delay them, for the same reason that it is not conducive to start the venture immediately. Or a delay may occur beyond our means for the reason that the right surgeon to operate on you is not there, the planetary positions are not favorable etc.
Agathiyar comes to give us more promising and motivating words in the hours of our need. At times he is soft and at other times he comes hard on us to make us realize the severity and seriousness of his sharings.
He says we are bound by ignorance and only when that veil is drawn aside shall we understand who we are and who he is. Agathiyar says that he is used to all that is taking place, meaning he has seen it through the ages. He brings us to understand that indeed he has lived, is living, and shall continue living throughout all the ages. Who could he be then if not the entity that is forever in existence? He is forever in the state of "being."
அனைத்தும் எனக்கு மிகப் பழமையானவை. நான் அறிவேன். நீங்கள் அறிய மாடிர்கள். என்று அந்தத் திரை விலகுதோ அன்று அறிவீர்கள்.
"I am always here. With you and in your hearts. I am about to take all of you to greater heights. I shall come often through many. Listen and carry out as I say. We are gathered here because of our merits. I know you well. I shall not desert you. If we miss the boat in this birth we shall meet up again in the next. I shall be there for you even then."
நான் வேறு எங்குமில்லை. ஒவ்வொரு வினாடியும் உங்கள் உள்ளத்திலும் உங்களுடன் நான் இருக்கிறேன். உங்கள் அனைவறையும் வேர் ஒரு நிலைக்கு எடுத்துச் செல்ல இருக்கிறேன். நான் அடிக்கடி வருவேன் பலபேர் மூலமாக. என் வாக்கைக் கேட்டு அதன்படி நடந்து கொள்ளுங்கள். புண்ணியம் செய்த்ததனால் தான் இன்று கூடி இருக்கின்றோம். நீங்கள் அனைவரையும் யார் என்று நான் அறிவேன். கை விடமாட்டேன். அப்படி இந்த ஜென்மத்தில் கிட்டவில்லை என்றல் மறு ஜென்மம் சந்திப்போம். அப்போதும் நான் வழி நடத்துவேன்.
I only see your soul. Making mistakes is usual for man. But one needs to have remorse for his acts and change his ways. Making the same mistakes over and over again is sheer stupidity. It brings on karma. The day you are remorseful for your acts your karma shall leave you. Each act adds on to your karma. Good acts will give good karma. Bad acts will give its appropriate results. But the moment you realize and change the karma leaves you.
நான் ஆத்மவை தான் அறிவேன். ஆத்மவை தான் பார்ப்பேன். தவறு செய்வது மனித இயல்பு. ஆனால் வருந்தனும். திருந்தனும். அதே தவற்றைச் செய்து கொண்டிருப்பது முட்டாள்தனம். கர்மத்தை சுமக்க கூடும். என்று நீங்கள் வருந்தித் திருந்துகிறீர்களோ அன்றே கூடி இருந்த கர்மா விட்டு விலகும். ஒவ்வொரு செயலும் கர்மாவை கூட்டும். நல்ல செயல் நல்ல பலனை அளிக்கும். தீய செயல் அதன் பலனை அளிக்கும். அனால் உணர்ந்த பின் அப்போதே அந்தக் கர்மம் விட்டு விலகிடும்.
Similarly, Lord Muruga who saves Arunagiri from falling to his death, tells him that he was forgiven the moment he realized his mistakes.
Agathiyar tells us to be focussed on what we came for. Only then shall we reach him. He adds it is a solo journey. The well being of the universe depends on the cumulative karma and the collective efforts in overcoming them.
அவர் அவர் கவனம் அவர் அவர் இலக்கில் இருந்தால் தனித்து என்னோடு இணைவார்கள். கர்மவினைக்கு ஏற்ப அவர் அவர் முயற்சிக்கு ஏற்ப எல்லாம் சுபம்.
Ramalinga Adigal came to ask us to open up our hearts and soul. Even before he came Lord Muruga came to instruct us to do the same. "You are on Agathiyar's path" Adigal acknowledges.
உங்கள் ஆத்மவை திறந்து வையுங்கள், உங்கள் இதயத்தைத் திறந்து வையுங்கள். நீங்கள்பற்றிய பாதை அகத்தியனின் பாதை.
What is obvious is that just as we have a thesis supervisor to whom we are unanswerable, the Siddhas monitor us very closely too. For instance, Lord Murugan takes all of us to task for letting our senses lose; for not been committed enough to the cause etc. For instance, he tells us that whatever we are going through and receiving currently is a result of our past merits. It is we who chose this life and asks for it, without being compelled by others or other forces. But we have forgotten its purpose. He says to a devotee that she had lived this life before, thus it was time she surrendered to the divine and let him work in her. Having explained the circumstances, the most compassionate Lord waits for her to make a decision, again not compelling her in any way.
நீ காண்பது உன் பிறவி பலன். இவ்வாழ்க்கை நீயே கேட்டுப் பெற்றது. வந்ததின் நோக்கும் மருந்து போயின. இப்போது கூறு. சரணாகதியா? உலக வாழ்க்கையா?
He reminds us that he is always with us. He asked to have faith in all our doings and have complete surrender to the will of the divine. Knowing us to be devotees of Agathiyar, Lord Murugan asked to continue to worship Agathiyan's feet. He tells us that in the face of troubles, understand that it is His test and an opportunity for us to learn a lesson from the incident. All that happens around us serves to educate us. Worldly happenings will teach us lessons. He brings us to understand the reasons for delays since it would not serve its purpose if gifted then, when our life and thoughts are in turmoil. Let it settle first before receiving these divine gifts. Only then would it serve its purpose that is in enhancing our soul.
உன்னோடு இருக்கின்றேன். செய்வதில் நம்பிக்கை வை. முழுமையாய் சரண் அடைய வேண்டும். அகத்தியன் பாதம் பற்ற வேண்டும். வாழ்க்கையில் துன்பம் வந்தால் அது நாங்கள் உனக்கு இட்ட படிப்பினை. உன்னைச் சுற்றி நடப்பவை உனக்குக் கல்வி. உலக வாழ்க்கை உங்களுக்குக் கற்று தரும் பாடம். குடும்ப பாரம் மன சஞ்சலம் இருந்தால் நான் எது தந்தபோதிலும் பயன் இல்லை.
But to another two souls, reminding the same that we are born because we ask for it, he tells them to go ahead and experience all that the world provides. He reminds them to engage in charity. Start small he says. It is a start to bigger things. Compassion will set in later and lead to bigger ventures. Step aside. All relationships with the world around us and its people are lessons for us. Keep on learning.
பிறப்பு கேட்டு வருவது. உலக வாழ்க்கையை அனுபவித்து வாருங்கள். சிறு தொண்டு பெருவெள்ளம். அது வளர வேண்டும். அதுவே முதல் கடமை. அதுமூலம் சன்மார்க்கக் கருணை பூத்து விடும். அது பின்பு வளரும். வழி விடுங்கள். உலக வாழ்க்கை குடும்ப வாழ்க்கை அனைத்தும் படிப்பினை. கற்றுக்கொள்ளுங்கள்.
Lord Muruga reminded another devotee and all of us too, that a guru comes to initiate the student in many ways. This might seem obvious to all. Besides the outward transmission of a mantra, the guru does at the same time initiate subtly the student who has the potential to grow or a sadhaka who is willing to listen, adhere, and follow. This could be by way of activating or giving a push to an otherwise sluggish chakra. The sadhaka then needs to continue the practice that comes with this initiation keeping the chakras performing at optimum. While some are here to make the world a better place for him and others, others are here to work on themselves and their souls. But the Siddhas let him finish and complete his responsibilities to his family and society before taking him away to work on his true mission or tasks.
We have been reminded time and again that we are here to live out the experiences that come about as a result of the fruition of our desires, vasanas, and karma. We need to go through it as it was our asking. We cannot possibly back off while in the midst of facing its results. If someone comes by to assist in lifting this burden, know that it is the invisible hand of the divine. If what we undergo now is a result of our past actions that have been registered as karma, and it needs to manifest again in this life; or if what we undergo now is a result of us not learning a lesson from experiences that came with our past actions and had us tagged as being defiant; and if these two factors are required to fulfill the criteria to take rebirth, we then better live through what we deserve now without any protest and learn from life's lessons to avoid coming back into the cycle. This is what the Siddhas came to know and did, abstaining from all forms of action and sharing the lessons they learned with their followers. Agathiyar has told us many times that he was sharing only what worked for them and expects us to follow suit. At http://agatthiyarjnanam.blogspot.com/2014/01/agatthiyar-meijnana-kaviyam-1.html, we learn that the Siddha marga is an experiential path, not a dry jnana marga. It is a path where experience and knowledge go together.
He reminds us that he is always with us. He asked to have faith in all our doings and have complete surrender to the will of the divine. Knowing us to be devotees of Agathiyar, Lord Murugan asked to continue to worship Agathiyan's feet. He tells us that in the face of troubles, understand that it is His test and an opportunity for us to learn a lesson from the incident. All that happens around us serves to educate us. Worldly happenings will teach us lessons. He brings us to understand the reasons for delays since it would not serve its purpose if gifted then, when our life and thoughts are in turmoil. Let it settle first before receiving these divine gifts. Only then would it serve its purpose that is in enhancing our soul.
உன்னோடு இருக்கின்றேன். செய்வதில் நம்பிக்கை வை. முழுமையாய் சரண் அடைய வேண்டும். அகத்தியன் பாதம் பற்ற வேண்டும். வாழ்க்கையில் துன்பம் வந்தால் அது நாங்கள் உனக்கு இட்ட படிப்பினை. உன்னைச் சுற்றி நடப்பவை உனக்குக் கல்வி. உலக வாழ்க்கை உங்களுக்குக் கற்று தரும் பாடம். குடும்ப பாரம் மன சஞ்சலம் இருந்தால் நான் எது தந்தபோதிலும் பயன் இல்லை.
But to another two souls, reminding the same that we are born because we ask for it, he tells them to go ahead and experience all that the world provides. He reminds them to engage in charity. Start small he says. It is a start to bigger things. Compassion will set in later and lead to bigger ventures. Step aside. All relationships with the world around us and its people are lessons for us. Keep on learning.
பிறப்பு கேட்டு வருவது. உலக வாழ்க்கையை அனுபவித்து வாருங்கள். சிறு தொண்டு பெருவெள்ளம். அது வளர வேண்டும். அதுவே முதல் கடமை. அதுமூலம் சன்மார்க்கக் கருணை பூத்து விடும். அது பின்பு வளரும். வழி விடுங்கள். உலக வாழ்க்கை குடும்ப வாழ்க்கை அனைத்தும் படிப்பினை. கற்றுக்கொள்ளுங்கள்.
Lord Muruga reminded another devotee and all of us too, that a guru comes to initiate the student in many ways. This might seem obvious to all. Besides the outward transmission of a mantra, the guru does at the same time initiate subtly the student who has the potential to grow or a sadhaka who is willing to listen, adhere, and follow. This could be by way of activating or giving a push to an otherwise sluggish chakra. The sadhaka then needs to continue the practice that comes with this initiation keeping the chakras performing at optimum. While some are here to make the world a better place for him and others, others are here to work on themselves and their souls. But the Siddhas let him finish and complete his responsibilities to his family and society before taking him away to work on his true mission or tasks.
We have been reminded time and again that we are here to live out the experiences that come about as a result of the fruition of our desires, vasanas, and karma. We need to go through it as it was our asking. We cannot possibly back off while in the midst of facing its results. If someone comes by to assist in lifting this burden, know that it is the invisible hand of the divine. If what we undergo now is a result of our past actions that have been registered as karma, and it needs to manifest again in this life; or if what we undergo now is a result of us not learning a lesson from experiences that came with our past actions and had us tagged as being defiant; and if these two factors are required to fulfill the criteria to take rebirth, we then better live through what we deserve now without any protest and learn from life's lessons to avoid coming back into the cycle. This is what the Siddhas came to know and did, abstaining from all forms of action and sharing the lessons they learned with their followers. Agathiyar has told us many times that he was sharing only what worked for them and expects us to follow suit. At http://agatthiyarjnanam.blogspot.com/2014/01/agatthiyar-meijnana-kaviyam-1.html, we learn that the Siddha marga is an experiential path, not a dry jnana marga. It is a path where experience and knowledge go together.
When the completely unmanifested Divine took up a manifested form, due to the limitations it imposed on itself, some contradictions emerged. The Divine corrected these mistakes by providing its experience. Experience is always correct. When one tries to verbalize an experience, mistakes and shortcomings occur. These mistakes can be corrected only by re-experiencing the original experience. This is possible only by Divine grace. Hence, Agatthiyar says that the Divine corrected the sastras. Also, the various incarnations of the Divine are said to occur to correct the mistakes that had crept in the scriptures and their practices. Siva's Divine play or Tiruvilaiyadal are episodes that occurred for this purpose.With Karma and "being defiant" registered and tagged to it, there is a need for the soul to come back into the cycle of birth and death to undo the knot that is left behind. The soul takes a physical body, again, to see through this. Just as "pure (24 karats) gold is usually alloyed with base metals for use in jewelry, altering its hardness and ductility, melting point, color, and other properties", we come with "impurities" that are required to take on a physical and material form.
"Pure gold melts at 1,948 degrees Fahrenheit while it begins to boil at 5,173 degrees Fahrenheit. But if other alloy metals are present of which copper is the most commonly used base metal, then the temperature required to melt gold will vary. Alloys with lower carat rating, typically 22k, 18k, 14k or 10k, contain higher percentages of copper or other base metals or silver or palladium in the alloy. Gold is the most malleable of all metals. An ounce can be beaten out to 187 square feet. Gold leaf can be beaten thin enough to become transparent."The pure soul that is aware of its past karma and its idiocy in not wanting to learn, change and transform when it had the opportunity earlier, takes on new birth and another body that would facilitate its purpose in correcting itself. It selects the family and the surroundings it shall grow in. As a gold leaf is beaten thin enough to become transparent, the physical or material body, that is made of tatwas goes through much beating from the myriad of episodes in the physical world. Determined to learn this time around the soul is witness to a series of transformations that take place concurrently in all the rest of the bodies namely the etheric/electromagnetic body, the astral/emotional body, the mental body, and its very home the causal body. The guru comes to the aid of the one on the true path, bringing on this transformation successfully. His true nature and potential are revealed. He gains the Siddhis to heal himself and heal/aid others. And finally, he learns the technique to transform himself into the light. Is this what the Siddhas are doing to some souls that are ready to take the plunge?
What is the philosophy of the Siddhas? In "Secrets of the Siddhas - Health, Longevity and Enlightenment" post on Fb, R. Kuppusamy goes into the mind of Ramalinga Adigal to get a glimpse of this series of transformations.
Vallalar knew what the Body of the Future Man would be like. He said this impure body with all its excretions through the nine apertures in the body would be transformed into a pure body (Sudha Deham) with no waste matter at all. Instead the pure body will be producing its own food called nectar. It will not rely upon external food or atmospheric air for its breath or on books for its knowledge. This pure body can last for hundreds of thousands of years in an uncorrupt manner. This pure body belongs to a Siddha.
But this is not the final body. This pure body has to be transformed into a lighter body. It is also called Space Body or Pranava Body or Omkara Body or a Mantric Body or a Sound Body. This body belongs to the Gods and Goddesses. It can be seen and heard but not touched, for it has no physical substance. It can be sensed and perceived only by the mind’s eye. It can last for millions of years but even this is not the final body. This too could meet with death.
The deathless body belongs to God alone. It is the purest of the Pure Body. It is made up of pure light - not a physical light but a light emanating from total compassion or grace towards all beings in creation. This body is indestructible.Mataji Sarojini Ammaiyar, disciple and student of Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal who now heads the Kallar ashram in the capacity of its Peedaathipati, explains beautifully and briefly regarding the path of the Siddhas in the following interview.
I was always saddened that since its inception in the late nineties, the number of devotees to the old ashram and the recent massive ashram built in 2016 on a 2-acre piece of land that lies on the fringes of the Kallar hill has been disappointing. It was envisioned and built by Tavayogi after going through many obstacles. I had always prayed that devotees should throng this place as we see elsewhere happen, as I fully understood that for an establishment of this scale it needs money to operate, maintain, and provide efficient service. With people coming over so does funding to maintain its existence. When a friend who knew I was planning to go to India the first time heard that I was going to spend a few days in an ashram (the old ashram) she quipped that it is free of charge. I had to make her understand that "Yes, of course, it was free because someone else before us had donated towards the upkeep of the ashram that saw us able to spend a few days having our lodging and food taken care of. Now would not it be the right thing for us to contributed an amount before we leave so that another person may enjoy his stay here, as she saw it "free of charge"? Anyway if we were to put up in a hotel, we would have to dish out some money. Why not pass that buck to the ashram as payment for our duration of stay although they do not charge for our stay? Agathiyar finally answered and told us the significance of Kallar Ashram and its future as Mataji too has mentioned in the above video clip.
அங்கு வருபவர்கள் உண்மைகாக மட்டும் வருபவர்கள். நான் அழைத்து வைக்கிறேன். அங்குக் கூட்டம் சேராது. ஆயினும் அது அழிந்து போகாது. அவை என் முலம் தவயோகி செய்தது.
Agathiyar says that that ashram will not be a crowd puller. Instead, it is only for the true seekers. It is only for those who have a calling from him. Although Tavayogi built it, it was initiated by Agathiyar.
P.Karthigayan writes in his book "History of Medical and Spiritual Sciences of Siddhas of Tamil Nadu", that the Siddhas believed that salvation or reaching the state of immortality was possible through the purification of both mind and body. The Siddhas he says asserted that immortality was two-fold or dual in nature. One needed to attain Atma Siddhi or spiritual immortality and Kaaya siddhi or physical immortality. In Atma Siddhi they preserved their soul with the spirit within and in Kaaya Siddhi, they preserved the body and soul.
While Yogis considered their body as a bag of sin suitable only for worldly life and rejected the same; the Siddhas considered the body as a holy abode of the divine and as a means to achieve exalted spiritual heights and finally immortalizing it by scientific means.
The Siddhas reincarnated their spirit with the soul within their own body by eliminating the worldly substances in it. The death without dying, or சாகாமல் சாகும் கலை, a status attained by the Siddhas is a loss of substances related to earth except for the form of their profile. Substances of perishable nature will get replaced by substances of cosmic nature and thus complete the transformation known as Kaaya Siddhi - retaining one's body forever. The Siddhas held the view that "if one "ate" the cosmic substance for immortality, the body will slowly acquire similar cosmic qualities and their mere touch can turn on miracles." For this purpose, the Siddhas discovered Karpam that was of dual nature, strengthening both the spirit and the body. This science is known in the Siddha circles as attaining Kaaya Siddhi or physical immortality or the deathless physical state which P.Kartigayan explains as "possessing the blood of Gods in a lustrous body. This state is attained by altering the natural physical fabric through science that prevailed then."
Acharya Gurudasan too did mention during our recent Yoga session on Zoom, that the herb Karisalai that Ramalinga Adigal advocates and in fact all the other herbs too have a positive effect both on the physical body and the subtle too. This surprised me for as I could see the effects of the said herb on helping dispel the phlegm from my throat and chest, I had no idea that it worked on the subtle too, although Ruzbeh Bharucha had written that healing the causal body will bring a similar relief in the physical too. This was miraculously shown when Lord Muruga came in the Nadi and through a devotee simultaneously and used the feathers of the peacock to heal my aching back by stroking it. Ruzbeh wrote that the Sufi masters were known to do the same, working on the causal body to heal its copy in the physical plane.
As we rid our body of this phlegm that Ramalinga Adigal says brings death to an otherwise healthy person, coupled with the Yoga asanas and pranayama practices, that we once learned from Tavayogi in 2008 which Agathiyar asked to do now as it was the right moment for engaging in it, the very nerve channels were opened up and all obstructions in its path removed. This brought in the prana in a tremendous quantity, on its own without the need to exercise it. Just bringing the thought to the breath itself and becoming aware of it, engages a sort of a valve to open up and let in all the prana from the surroundings. Even the pores of the skin have begun to breathe in the prana after the act of cleansing the body and its internals through Budha Suddhi with Agathiyar Kuzhambu and coupled with cleansing the nerve channels with the breathing technique Nadi Suddhi.
Karthigayan after explaining the means to attain Kaaya Siddhi now shows us the way of the Siddhas in attaining Atma Siddhi. The means to purify the mind was to meditate on the original abode of the mind, the center of the forehead, called Lalaadam. Concentrating on this spot soon one is led into a thoughtless mental state that of Mounam, says Karthigayan. Prolonging this state is Thavam. Probing the questions in Thavam is Gnanam. He says, "It is believed that such questions will be answered by our own conscience through our spirit's connection to the cosmic library." Agathiyar told us the same. "You had asked for Jnanam. It is not given by me but rather needs to be earned by learning lessons. When one goes within, as the journey brings upon these subtle experiences these shall translate into and become Gnanam. It defers for each person. As such I cannot possibly define it."
நீ என்னிடம் கேட்டது ஞானம். ஞானம் என்பது நான் தருவதல்ல. நீ கற்பது. ஒருவன் தனக்குள் உள்வாங்கி அவனுள் பயணம் துவங்கும் நேரம் அப்பயணம் தரும் பாதிப்பே ஞானம். அவை ஒவ்வொருவருக்கும் மாற்றம் பெரும். ஆகையால் அவை நான் இதுதான் என்று சொல்ல இயலாது.
Ramalinga Adigal says the same that there comes a time in the journey going within where words cannot express the experience. As Geeta Anand wrote, "When one tries to verbalize an experience, mistakes and shortcomings occur", Ramalinga Adigal stops at that and does not venture further to describe those realms of experiences.
Karthigayan refers to Bhogar on how one is slowly groomed on the Siddha path. He starts with the purification of body and mind first, only then is he introduced to the true wisdom distinct from the false that is short-lived.
If a seeker has genuine interest he stays to further himself, otherwise, he proclaims himself as a guru and leaves. For those who stay, the divine knowledge shall be revealed slowly based on their determination and merit. Finally, he is given a divine bead that serves as armor in his journey, writes Karthigayan.
It is amazing how when we heed Agathiyar's call to come to his path, he begins to lay all the groundwork and materials and techniques in front of us, couching us all the way till we excel in these practices that eventually on passing the test makes us a graduate of his school of philosophy.