Agathiyar had revealed about the state of the Siddhas in a Nadi reading carried in the previous post.
"Those who saw the subtle divine dance or Anandha Tandavam at Tiru Chittru Amballam or Tiruchitramballam within are Siddhas. Rishis and Devas are always immersed in the dance of the atoms. Watching this state of divine dance the Siddhas remain in a state of bliss and Mukti that is freedom from the endless cycle of transmigration."
If it necessitates they come out of this state for our sake.
I wrote, as the age-old adage to Tiruvannamalai from the Arunachala Mahatmyam goes, "By seeing Chidambaram, by being born in Tiruvarur, by dying in Kasi, or by merely thinking of Arunachala, one will surely attain Liberation."
I wrote, as the age-old adage to Tiruvannamalai from the Arunachala Mahatmyam goes, "By seeing Chidambaram, by being born in Tiruvarur, by dying in Kasi, or by merely thinking of Arunachala, one will surely attain Liberation."
To lay eyes on Chidambaram gives Mukti,
To be born in Tiruvarur gives Mukti,
To die in Kasi (Varanasi or Benaras) gives Mukti, and
just the thought of Tiruvannamalai gives Mukti.
திருவாரூரில் பிறந்தால்தான் முக்தி கிடைக்கும்,
காசியில் இறந்தால்தான் முக்தி கிடைக்கும்,
சிதம்பரத்தில் தரிசித்தால்தான் முக்தி கிடைக்கும், ஆனால்
நினைத்தாலே முக்தி தரும் தலம் திருவண்ணாமலை ஆகும்,
I was made to realize that in actuality it is otherwise. An ardent reader and follower of the blog from India wrote me a mail that has enlightened me on this adage. He gave me permission to share with other readers too.
"Sir,
"By seeing Chidambaram, by being born in Tiruvarur, by dying in Kasi, or by merely thinking of Arunachala, one will surely attain Liberation." This quote is From your recent post. I used to take the meaning of this in a literal form. Some time back, when I was into my Morning dhyana, my Guru, Sadhu Krishnaveni Amma, came forth from the beyond. She explained the meaning of this, as follows:
திருவாரூரில் பிறக்க முக்தி...
another name for the place is Kamalaalayam... the temple of the lotus.... the aadhara chakra..In the muladharam... this essentially means that one must be born into the Siddha path.
காசியில் இருக்க முக்தி... the Ajna chakra is also known as Kasi... One must remain constantly in the Ajna chakra.
சிதம்பரம் தரிசிக்க முக்தி.... The place of the Lord is revealed when one remains absorbed in the Ajna chakra, and one Witnesses the Divine play of Shiva and Shakthi
திருவண்ணாமலை நினைக்க முக்தி... the Divine play results in an effulgence, which has no beginning or end, nor is it composed of the Pancha buthas..."
These are not my views... they are the teachings given me by my Guru. It is Her Will Grace and Bounty. Everything is Her... I am no one and nothing. Regards.
Basically, then for one to be regarded as having attained Mukti he/she should qualify these 4 states rather than be in these places physically. What we thought as a calling to come to the path and our coming voluntarily to the path today is revealed as something that actualizes or takes place only if one is born in the Siddha path. I suppose it took many births for us to get acquainted first, come to follow later, and finally end up taking birth in the path of the Siddhas in this birth. Staying focussed in Kasi or the Ajna chakra gives rise to darshan of the divine play at Chidambaram. Remaining absorbed on the Ajna chakra results in an effulgence that is beyond the tattvas with neither beginning nor end. This is the sacred fire corresponding to the sacred mountain at Tiruvannamalai.
The above inference given by Sadhu Krishnaveni Amma reminds me of Dr. Bhani's exposition at a gathering. He mentioned a song by Avvai that had three different meanings to three different levels of people at three different periods in life. He mentioned how a song in praise of Lord Ganapathy that was an expression of love for the deity; was a song laced with names of components to make a herbal Siddha concoction when read and understood by a Siddha practitioner. When the Dr. stepped onto the path of Jnana it took on a new meaning. His guru Yogi Ramaiah told him that it was entirely dealing with Jnana. Similarly, S. Janarthanan in his book "Dhyana Yogam", published by Arulmigu Amman Pathipakkam, Chennai, 1990 mentions the Vinayagar Agaval composed by Auvaiyar as both a song of praise and a song on yoga. The Tamil Guardian posts at https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/introduction-auvaiyar%E2%80%99s-vinayagar-agaval, carried the following piece that runs parallel to Dr. Bhani's experience and Janarthanan's observation too.
Auvaiyar’s poem is a many-layered experience of philosophical concepts brought to life via devotional poetry. It begins with contemplation of the external form of the God ... The Vinayagar Agaval swiftly moves beyond the contemplation of the feet to the adoration of the face and body of God. Auvaiyar now moves away from the contemplation of external form and the material universe into her metaphysical journey.
The poetess explains further her experience of the physical yoga tradition, which is first mentioned in the circa 3000-year-old Rig Veda texts. She refers to the energy centers of the body and energy rivers (“Nadis”) such as the Ida and Pingala. She talks of wakening the “Kundalini” energy source... achieved through meditation and physical yoga, signifying spiritual awakening....leading to immortality and miraculous powers.
We are introduced to these Siddhis,
The term Siddhanta is also connected to the term “Siddhi”, meaning miraculous gifts and so the Siddhanta is the discipline of awakening these gifts. Hence the eight modes are thought to be the eight Siddhis or miraculous powers gained through the awakening of the Kundalini as described in the Tirumantiram text dated circa 500 AD. We should note that Auvaiyar throughout uses the language of “gift” as opposed to that which is acquired or earned. Wisdom, clarity, bliss, eternal life: these are all gifts of the God.
Auvaiyar’s poem remains in essence devotional, born out of her experience of the divine.
In https://www.alchemywebsite.com/vinayaga.html, Layne Little writes,
At first glance, the work seems conservative enough; as it begins with the traditional contemplation of the god from foot to crown. But it promptly veers off into the domain of the mystic as she invokes Ganesha as the embodiment of Turiya. Turiya, or "the Sleepless Sleep" is a state of deep yogic trance, where the aspirant sleeps to the illusionary and transient realm of gross sense phenomena and wakes to the infinitude of the inner realm.
Avvai accredits her advancement to Lord Vinayar, having moved from Bhakti to Yogam and Gnanam.
In https://truthdiveblog.wordpress.com/category/culturereligion/
She (Avvai) proceeds to end the poem by coming back to Bakthi. This Bakthi is a total surrender since Avvaiyar dedicates each and every step she passes in yoga to Vinayagar. Avvaiyar assigns everything to the lord as if She has done nothing.
When Supramania Swami who built his cottage or kudil on the piece of land some distance away from his guru Yogi Ramsuratkumar's samadhi temple initially left an opening in the wall of his living area that was the window to watch the holy mountain of Arunachala from his bed, I could not help but notice on my next visit that he had covered the window with a gunny sack. When I enquired the reason he replied that the mountain was too fiery or நெருப்பு மலை and that he could no longer bring himself to see or watch it. Hence the reason for closing it up. He also told me he saw Siddhas and Rishis going about their tapas or tavam on that holy mountain. I only saw a mountain. But then he was a Gnani and I was a commoner. Could he have meant in another but subtle way that he was watching the effulgence in his Ajna chakra that was externally exhibited as Arunachala for the masses?
With the passage of time, many things including sayings get corrupted and lose their true meaning, getting distorted or lost in its inner meaning. Staying focussed in Kasi or the Ajna chakra has over time come to be referred to as dying in Kasi brings Mukti. Or the other possibility is that it is seen as true in the eyes of the common folk like us. As Agathiyar says "Let it be", these days he has asked us not to question but assures us that our experiences will bring us the answers, as Tavayogi says when our mind is set in solving a problem, we eventually will come around finding an answer.