Tavayogi would sing Ramalinga Adigal's plea இன்று வருமோ yearning for the day when he could join the rank and fold of the Siddhas who had merged into the Light. He would automatically cry each time he began to sing this song and bring tears to our eyes too.
இன்று வருமோ நாளைக்கே வருமோ அல்லது மற்றென்று வருமோ அறியேன் எங்கோவே - துன்றுமல வெம்மாயை அற்று வெளிக்குள் வெளி கடந்து சும்மா இருக்கும் சுகம்.
When I sang this verse to Agathiyar, he questioned me asking if I knew its meaning? I told him I only knew how to sing but never understood its meaning. Agathiyar says,
"வெளிக்குள் வெளி கடந்து" அப்பொருள் அறிவாயா? உன்னை நீ முழுதும் அறிந்து உன்னைச் சுற்றி இருக்கும் கணங்கள் அறிந்து எதுவும் நிலை அற்றது என்று நீ அறியும் அத்தருணம் வெளிக்குள் நீயே வெளி கடப்பாய். அத்தருணமே சும்மா இருப்பது."
Agathiyar explains to me that when we fully understand ourselves and gain self-realization; when we understand the Ganangal or Gnanas or "body of attendants or "the company and assemblage or association of men formed for the attainment of the same aims" or "council or assembly convened to discuss matters of religion or other topics" (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gana); and come to finally realize that nothing is permanent, at that moment we shall enter and remain in the void of space (Vezhi Kadappathu). That is just "being" or Summa Erupathu. Everything dissolves into IT; a state of sunyam or void or silence. When we go within its silence is heard. Mere or sheer existence in its presence is known. No labels, forms nor sound. Just existence. This is the state mentioned by Agathiyar.
Ramalinga Adigal came to bless us and asks that we continue to take the Holy Feet of "Appan Agathiyan" as he addresses Agathiyar, as Satguru, and that he would help remove the veil of ignorance in us and show us to Arutperunjhoti. "His holy feet shall be salvation for you. He is all. Go deeper. He shall take care. He shall bring you to the light", he added. "Agathiyar shall set aside the veil that hides Arutperunjhoti from you", he promised. "Since you came to Agathiyar and his path, he will be the guiding light", he says. He asks that if we continue on his path, Agathiyar shall lead us to Arutperunjhoti. Agathiyar shall remain a guiding light for you, then, now and forever."
அருட்பெருஞ்ஜோதி ஆண்டவர் உங்களை ஆசீர்வதித்தார். செல்லும் வழி சரி. நீ பற்றிய பாதை அகத்தியனின் பாதை. நீ பற்றிய பாதம் அகத்தியனின் பாதம். நீ பற்றிய பாதம் உன்னை கரை தேற்றியது. இனி காண்பவை அவனை மட்டும். ஆழ்ந்து போ. அகத்தியன் பார்த்துக்குவான். அகத்தியன் அருட்ஜோதியை நோக்கி அழைத்து செல்வான்.
என் பெருமானே என்னுள் வந்து அருளிய ஜோதி அது....
என் பெருமான் அருளிய ஜோதி அது....
திரை எனும் திரை எனும் என் பெருமான் காட்டிய திரை அது....
என் அருள் அப்பன் அருள் ஜோதி அது...
சீர்ஜோதி அது பெருஞ் ஜோதி அது... ஏறும் பெரும் ஜோதி அது
என்னுள் அது ஏறும் போது திரை அது விலகியது...
என்னுள் அது ஏறும் நிலையில் ஜோதி அது ஜோதி அது...
திரை எனும் திரை அது அருட்பெருஞ்ஜோதி அது...
திரை விலக உங்களில் இருக்கும் ஜோதி அதனை சுடர்விட செய்யுங்கள். என் அப்பன் அகத்தியன் உங்களுக்குள் வந்து அத்திரையை விலக்கிவிடுவார்.
அதுவே இப்பாடலின் பொருள். என் அப்பன் அகத்தியன் உங்களுக்குள் இருந்து வழி நடத்தி வருகிறார். அவன் வழியிலே நடந்து வாருங்கள். அத்திரை விலக்குவதற்க்கு அவன் அருள் புரிவான். அருட்ஜோதி உங்களை ஆசீர்வதித்தது. அருட்பெருஞ்சோதி ஆண்டவர் உங்களை ஆசீர்வதித்தார். செல்லும் வழி சரி. அகத்தியன் அருட்ஜோதியை நோக்கி அழைத்து செல்வான்.
Ramalinga Adigal comes to asks us to kindle the flame within to burn with such intensity that it shall draw aside the veil or curtain that stands between us and Erai. There is a need to shed the veil or curtain. The means is to light the Jhoti or light or flame in us. "Our Father Agathiyan will come within you to draw the curtain aside. That is the meaning of the song. My Father Agathiyar is in all of you bidding his will. Follow in his path. He shall assist you to drop the veil. Arutjhothi blesses you. Arutjhoti Aandavar blesses you. You are on the right track. Agathiyan shall lead you to Arutjhothi", hails Ramalingam.
Agathiyar comes to show the way too. He tells us that for this to take place we need to strengthen our soul power (and the chakras) or Atma Balam. He reminds us not to engage in anything that disrupts or weakens the chakras. He asks us to maintain our composure and never give in to extreme emotions that are likely to disrupt the chakras' health and oscillation that we have painfully worked to strengthen. This monumental task that lies ahead of us is accomplished only by going within. As the layers are peeled and the curtains removed pure understanding dawns upon us on this internal journey. Maya that is also a product of creation leaves us for good, revealing the truth. Ajai Kumar Chhawchharia adds,
"This Prakriti is also known as Maya which is the delusion-creating powers of Brahm, the Supreme Consciousness. So, in the final step of purification, it is obligatory to remove this Maya altogether."
Maya he says gives us the erroneous and mistaken notion that "the pure consciousness that is the true self of all living beings" is gross in nature consisting of elements of varying degrees of grossness and that this body lives in a world which also consists of elements in varying degrees of grossness."
Ajai Kumar Chhawchharia adds that "a thorough cleaning and rinsing of the inner-self is required so that all forms of delusions and misconceptions are removed."
"When both the Maya (delusions and their attendant misconceptions and hallucinations) and the Prakriti (a person’s natural habits, inclinations, and temperaments) are eliminated", the practitioner "is freed from all of their tainting effects."
"This results in his ability to relate himself with his truthful and immaculate form as the ‘pure consciousness’ rather than the gross body as well as the gross world consisting of the five elements in their varying degrees of grossness. In other words, the ‘self’ of the individual merges with the ‘cosmic Self’ or the cosmic Consciousness of creation known as Brahm."
"In this way, the seeker/aspirant/worshipper should meditate for some time and imagine that he has merged himself, i.e. his Atma or soul, with the supreme Soul called the Parmatma (the cosmic Consciousness known as the supreme Brahm) so as to become inseparable from the latter."
When there is no distinguition between the subject and the object all that remains is oneness.
"Then, after recovering from deep concentration and meditative trance, he should imagine that his body is being recreated from that supreme Brahm by following the reverse sequence of events. This newly created body will have been purged in a symbolic way of all the sins and faults which were present in the worshipper’s earlier body."
This is akin to recreating the self, based on new norms and a new blueprint that is in accordance with the desires and wishes of the divine rather than that which is tainted by impurities of the 5 primary elements and karma.
Ajai Kumar Chhawchharia explains that,
"When the enlightened ascetic is able to experience the presence of the supreme transcendental source of eternal bliss and peace known as Brahm in the region of the Vyom Chakra and the Brahm Randhra Chakra by focusing the attention of his mind and the energy of his vital winds called Pran there, he experiences the presence of Amrit (the elixir of eternity and bliss) in the head."
"He is able to vanquish thirst and hunger (for worldly things, sensual pleasures, and material comforts) along with overcoming the bad effects of all (spiritual) poisons. That is, by becoming Brahm-realised and experiencing its attendant spiritual ecstasy and bliss, the ascetic has nothing more to desire and wants nothing in this material world. The enjoyments and comforts of this material world are transient, artificial, and inconsequential as compared to this spiritual high of ecstasy and bliss experienced by Brahm-realisation. He is deemed to have overcome all spiritual hurdles by way of overcoming the numerous faults and imperfections that create uncountable obstacles in his spiritual progress and reaching of the ultimate goal of emancipation and salvation."
"Theoretically, it is like taking a new birth with a detoxified and purified body. The worshipper becomes a different person from his earlier self, ... Hence, the body has been purged of all earlier impurities and has now become worthy to worship the Lord who is immaculate, holy, and divine. The all-pervading, omniscient, omnipotent, attributeless, almighty, all-encompassing, and auspicious supreme Soul is present as the seeker’s or worshipper’s Atma in his own body. This process is deemed to be the best way for the symbolic purification of the body that is needed to offer worship to the Supreme Being."
Hence the best offering a devotee could give to his or her creator is to offer himself/herself. This is the true sacrifice not slaughtering another life or making offers of existing things that in the very first place is his to credit. Even this offering of the self is tainted with ego when we come to understand that the self too is his, to begin with. When Agathiyar came around asking others what they wanted and finally came to me. I had nothing to ask for myself. But as I really wanted to give back to him for all his kindness, compassion, and grace I thought that taking more births and serving him would be the answer. But he questioned me back whether that was what I wanted prompting me to hold back my wish. I knew something was not right. Then I recalled how Tavayogi lamented that people came to him asking to solve their marital, financial, and other petty problems that according to him could be solved by themselves using the brain or arivu. He was saddened that no one had asked for Gnana. I discussed this with Mahin over the phone. The next time he came he told me that I had asked for Gnana, listening on to my earlier phone conversation with Mahin. He went on to show the way and the means telling me subtly that that was what we ought to seek from him. Even that he told me was not his to give but that we needed to work for it. I needed to put in the effort. Later when Ramalinga Adigal came along he asked to continue what I was doing. I asked him how I could repay for his kindness, compassion, and grace, he told me the same, that I needed to put in the effort. Giving our best shot and effort in all the tasks allocated to us is a sure way of pleasing them. That is the only thing they ask of us.