SURRENDERING THE BREATH

First, he asked me to come to his path. A choice prevailed. I could have ignored the invitation or gone another way.  But I took it up. I then prepare to leave for India to carry out the remedies given in the Nadi. After three years he brings me to India again, with the utmost urgency, revealing later that there was an urgency in getting to know about him. Through Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal who brought me to the jungles, caves, and abodes of the Siddhas, Agathiyar shows miracles while I am there, I guess only then would I have believed in his existence. While it was a trip down memory lane for Tavayogi, revisiting the places where he had spent years in tavam, I came to see a whole new world out there, in the hills and jungles and interiors of India, a path less traveled, a tour not unlike what the tourist undertook, and bringing me to places of interest to the Siddhas, that was shrouded in mystery, awe, and amazement. Asking me to come to his path Agathiyar made me walk the path that Tavayogi and the rest of the Siddhas had walked in the past. Agathiyar brought me on this adventure and gave me the experience that would serve to guide others on the path, just as Tavayogi's experience became mine.

For instance when Malar read an excerpt from an earlier post

த்யானத்தில் உச்சநிலை ஆகும் பொழுது, அவரவர்கள், தன்னை மறந்து, முருகா என்றோ, அம்மா என்றோ, வேங்கடவா என்றோ அடி வயற்றிலிருந்து எழுப்புவது வழக்கம். உணர்ச்சிப் பெருக்கில், 7417 நரம்புகளும் ஒன்று சேர்ந்து, உணர்ச்சிகளும் ஒன்று சேர்ந்து, ரத்தமும், நரம்புகளும், எலும்புகளும் ஒன்று சேர்ந்து ஒடுங்கிப்போய், உச்சநிலையை அடைவதைத்தான் த்யானத்தின் உச்சகட்டம் என்று பெயர். ஒருவன் எப்பொழுது த்யானத்தின் உச்சகட்டத்தை அடைந்துவிட்டானோ, அப்பொழுதே. முற்றுமே இறைவனிடம் தன்னை ஒப்படைத்து விடுவான். இதை உடல் பொருள் ஆவி என்று அந்தக் காலத்திலேயே சொல்வார்கள்

and inquired as to its meaning from Mahim, he shared his understanding with her.

- When u meditate, the fire in you will arise
- That fire will turn (Porul) your bones, nerves, n other body parts into fire
- tan your breath (aavi) will help to keep the flame higher n higher until u turn into Jothi.

Complementing his answer, he replies to me.

Ellame unga kidda irunthu kattukida Gnanam Anna. Intha anubavam enaku kedaikurathu neengatha kaaranam. Whenever I hear all your experience I tel to myself that I also wan to experience it. So i follow few things that Anna doing, and reading blogs give me a little bit arivu Anna. 

So returning home I was given various tasks to perform, both by Agathiyar through the Nadi and Tavayogi. I was directed to do the same in my home, by Tavayogi, that was not my cup of tea. Nevertheless, out of respect for the gurus' words, I followed in the footsteps of the guru, and with directions and guidance from my gurus, I persisted on. Although Tavayogi did not give me any reasons to conduct the homa,  he had already begun performing and carrying out the ritual of lighting the fire pit or homa at his Kallar Ashram after seeing the extent of the devastation brought by the Tsunami in India and the rest of the world in 2004. Agathiyar reveals to me the reason, that besides contributing towards the personal wellbeing or individual gain and benefit in pacifying, reducing or removing our past karma, the ritual of performing the homa has a bigger and greater purpose - that of healing the universe or prapanjam. I was told that this act of dharma would help sustain the world and all its creation. It brought great joy to us to be given an opportunity to carry out dharma or to be of service to mankind and nature.

Tavayogi had created the ideal scenario for me to begin doing charity by feeding the hungry at his Kallar Ashram. Initiating the noble act of feeding and bringing me to do charity for the very first time, I begin to look for opportunities to do a similar task on a smaller scale, according to my means, individually, once back home. I was later told by Agathiyar that this act of dharma is lauded as the highest service one could give of himself to both man and beast.

As the years passed by, Agathiyar mentions that there is indeed a higher act of dharma beyond the rests. Through Suren's Nadi reading in 2018, Agathiyar says that besides the following: carrying out acts of dharma, singing the praise of the divine, and yearning for his Holy feet that we had engaged in up till this moment, the foremost and highest dharma was of showing the way of the guru and standing by it. 

இது காலம் மாந்தர்களின் சிரம் பொருட்டு எடுத்துரைப்போம் பல தர்மம் நீதிக்கு ஒப்பாம் மங்கல துதிகளும் கதி உணர்ந்து மகிழ்வுடன் ஏற்றுக் கொண்டோம். உத்தமமாய் தர்மங்களில் சிறந்தது உயர்வான குரு வழியைக் காட்டி நிற்பது.

I was overjoyed for we had already engaged in sharing the way with those who were keen to follow, taking the cue from Tavayogi, and other upagurus. This blog served as a medium and platform to bring the greatness of the Siddhas to others, something I never intentionally started. What started as a showcase of the collection of my vast numbers of artwork which was scanned and digitized, took on a new meaning and direction when I returned from my maiden journey to India. I began to take notes during my travels which I posted on these websites http://indianheartbeat.wix.com/tavayogi, https://www.flickr.com/photos/agathiyar/, http://www.angelfire.com/art/indianheartbeat/. These are now defunct. During my second trip to India, as I traveled with Tavayogi I kept taking notes and posted them too. What started as a personal web site indianheartbeat in the nineties, to showcase my artwork came to include the journal of my maiden journey to India that was followed by an account of my second pilgrimage three years later. I began to promote the miracles of the Siddhas and my gurus that captivated me, sharing with others too on various platforms.

Although Tavayogi had asked me while in Malaysia in the early years of his tour, to talk about Agathiyar and the Siddhas, I had turned it down citing that I was not equipped and knowledgeable enough to undertake a task of such magnitude. When he came out with his first book Andamum Pindamum, he asked me to translate it. I turned it down too for fear of not doing justice to his words and the Siddhas. But I did venture to write eventually. I had published numerous digital books that are available on the sidebar of this page for download. 

Agathiyar according to our temperament and pace, progressively has brought us through the four stages outline in the scriptures. Taking the first step on the way of Sariyai or that of living in the world of Siva, besides carrying out our dharma to family and society, we carried out numerous acts of doing dharma or charity. We served at the places of worship or maintained a similar sacred spot at our homes. We lived with the society to enhance the standing or status of fellow men, beasts, etc. When we were ready, he sent us gurus to guide us into the intricacies of worship by implementing rituals, sacrifices, and offerings. By engaging in Kriya, besides physically placing offerings into the sacred fire, we were brought to surrender all the merits gain through our deeds at his feet and sacrifice them into the fire. 

After successfully completing the first two stages that were more focussed on the relationship between man and his surroundings, Agathiyar brings us to appreciate the self and to work on realizing it. He is asking us to go within for this purpose. Agathiyar explains that the internal journey of going within will eventually, through our efforts and the grace of the divine, bring us to stand at the doorway of the seventh chakra where we will come to realize and understand the reason we are here. Although Agathiyar had revealed the 5 tenets of taking birth as a human at the Tamil Sangam in the past, outlining man's general purpose and contribution, by going within each individual comes to know his specific mission. 

Agathiyar adds that the experiences gained while traversing along the numerous chakras within is true Gnana or true wisdom or true knowledge. All else is false; relevant and real only as long as we are caught in the world of Maya or illusion. But Agathiyar attests upfront that it is no easy, not to discourage but to make us aware and prepare us on the journey. Our attachments to worldly life shall stand in its way. Echoing Tavayogi's words that man's effort is till the Svadishtana, Agathiyar says that we shall stagnate at Svadishtana if a concerted effort is not given to its cause, to break and pierce through the many barricades laid on the path. One has to have the grace of the divine to travel above and beyond it. By his grace, Agathiyar and Ramalinga Adigal come down from there heavenly abode to teach us breathing techniques or pranayama, exactly what Tavayogi and other Siddhas have taught us earlier. Finally, we are told the greatest offering that one could possibly make is to offer his/her outgoing breath to Erai. 

சித்த வித்யார்த்திகள், தானம் செய்வது, தங்கள், மூச்சை. அது பார்க்கக் கிடைப்பது அரிது. அனைத்தையும் இறைவனுக்கு சமர்ப்பிப்பதாக வரித்துக் கொண்டு, இரு கையையும் சேர்த்து, இரு கட்டை விரலும் மூக்கின் இரு பக்கமும் வைத்து, இரு ஆள்காட்டி விரலும் ஒன்றாக சேர்த்து, சுழுமுனையில் இருக்க, மற்ற விரல்கள் மூக்கை மறைத்து நிற்க, பிறர் காணா வண்ணம், இடது மூக்கை அழுத்தி மூடி, வலது மூக்கு வழியாக காற்றை உள்ளிழுக்கும் பொழுது "ஓம் நமச்சிவாய" என்று மனதுள் தியானித்து, கும்பமானதும், "சிவாய நமஹ" என தியானித்து, அந்த நேரத்தில், இடது மூக்கின் வழி மூச்சை, மூடிய விரல்களை திறந்து, இறைவன் பாதத்தில் சமர்ப்பிப்பார்கள். 

(Source: https://siththanarul.blogspot.com/)

The Siddha Vidyaarthi surrenders his breath to the Holy feet of the divine. By bringing both palms together, the thumbs placed on both sides of the nostril, both the index finger brought together and held at Suzhumunai, and as the rests of the fingers cover the nose, he then presses the left nostril, breathing in through the right nostril, chanting AUM NAMASIVAYA within, retaining the breath in Kumbakam, it releasing it through the left nostril chanting SIVAYA NAMAHA. He opens up the fingers and surrenders the very breath at the Holy feet of the Lord. Just as life started with the first breath, the journey ends by giving one's breath back to the source of the universe. Sacrificing the very breath to God is the way of the Guru. 

Looking back at this wonderful journey that has been a great adventure of discovery too, we were told that the act of lighting the sacrificial fire or homa or yagna is an act of dharma that sustains the world and all its creation. Then we were told that the act of feeding the hungry is an act of dharma that is lauded as the highest service one could give of himself to man and beast. Later we were told that showing the way of the guru and standing by it supersedes all other dharma. And finally, we are told the greatest dharma of all is the act of offering or sacrificing one's outgoing breath to Erai. 

We tend to understand now Tavayogi's statements over time. Chanting the mantra "Arul Gnana Jhothiye Agathin Jhothi Taniperung Kadavule Agatheesar Aavaar", given to us by Tavayogi, we were introduced to Agathiyar and saw him as the most compassionate God, residing within us as Grace, Wisdom, and Light. Then he tells us that Agathiyar was Jhoti or Light. Later he tells us that (Lord) Siva and Agathiyar are one. Then he tells us that the breath or Vaasi is God. 

At the beginning Agathiyar was God (Sariyai, or living in the world of Siva, we reside in Salogam); later he told us that Agathiyar was Light (With Kriyai or worship of the sacred fire we get to be by his side or Sameebam). Then as we progressed he told us Agathiyar was Siva (Entering Yogam one attains the form of Siva or Saarupam); further to that he told us that nature was God and finally brought us to the Final Summation - the merger or union or betrothal or Saayutcham - that the Breath or Vaasi is God.

The journey and it's the corresponding perception of Agathiyar are very much in accordance with Sugabramar's songs and Sivavakiyar's songs respectively. 

நல்லதொரு பரமகுரு வந்த தாலே
நலமுள்ள சரியை வழி மார்க்கன் தோணும்
மெல்லவே சரியை வழி நடந்தயானால்
விபரமதாய்க் கிரியை வழி விரைவில் தோன்றும்
வல்லதொரு கிரியை வழி கண்ட பின்பு
மைந்தனே யோக வழி தெளிவாய்த் தோன்றும்
செல்லதொரு யோக வழி நடந்தாயானால்
திறமையுள ஞான வழி தெரியும் பாரே

When the Parama Guru arrives,
The path of Sariyai shall arise,
Slowly when the path of Sariyai is trod,
Kriyai path shall arise shortly,
Upon walking the path of Kriyai,
Son, the Yogam path will clearly arise,
Walking the path of Yogam,
The Jnanam path shall appear.

தெளின்த நற் சரியை தன்னில் சென்று சாலோகம் பெறும் தெளின்த நற் கிரியை பூசை சேரலாம் சாமீபமே
தெளின்த நல்ல யோகம் தன்னில் சேரலாகும் சாரூபம்
தெளின்த ஞானம் நான்கிலும் சேரலாகும் சாயுச்யமே 

Upon entering Sariyai, Salokyam shall one receive,
Through Kriyai, Saameepam shall he reach,
In Yoga, Saarupam shall be attained,
Jnanam, these four, Saayutchyam shall one attain.

Agathiyar had mentioned that he had come into our lives silently and subtly even before we took the first step. His grace and presence were there since the very first day. With his grace and under his watchful eyes, we took the first steps walking the path of Sariyai. Holding onto and with the aid and guidance of our parents, showing us the image and idol as God we were introduced to worship at the temple. We were also taught to pray in our homes at the altar. We lived fully in the world of Siva, or Saalogam. With the coming of the guru, we came into Kriyai, we came to learn to conduct rituals, Agathiyar standing alongside us or Saameebam. With the advent of Yogam we take on the divine teachings and uphold the practices turning the self, mind, and body to become on with him or as Saaroopam. Finally, we shall await the coming of the divine were we merge with God himself in Saayutcham.