The greatness of a guru does not lie in the number of followers but how many he had brought to his status of a guru. This is what Supramania Swami, Tavayogi, Agathiyar, Ramalinga Adigal and the Siddhas are striving to do. Make us into a Siddha too. When I asked of Agathiyar that he grant me numerous births so that I could serve him, he stopped me abruptly asking if that was my wish and desire. Later I learned that he does not want us to serve him forever but he would delight in seeing us become like him too. Hence he offered to show the way to Gnanam instead. Today I understand that it was he who come as the question and answered it too so that we shall learn.
Just as one who has no knowledge about the stock market could start investing in it via mutual funds with small amounts of money and for many, it’s the first step to amassing wealth, later on, those seeking to amass a different kind of wealth, that is Gnanam, that is never lost but in fact, is carried through the births, and transferred to one's spiritual lineage and ancestry need only place persistent and concerted efforts towards it. Our efforts itself are sufficient to make a vast difference, bringing on a major upliftment in our future births; bringing solace and peace to our ancestors and enriching the state of our spiritual lineage.
When I dissolved the Whatsapp group and moved on a few devotees of Agathiyar kept asking why I destroyed the very thing we worked to build. They could not accept it. I guess today there are two kinds of devotees. One who picks up the tools and toils on his land. Another who needs company and a support group to keep their flame burning and afloat. The satsangs are a sure way to keep the flame burning for those who are attached to groups, society, and associations. This reminds me of Tavayogi whenever he took the stage to speak about the Siddhas always talked about the need to toil the land. An effort is truly needed to excel in all our undertakings.
When I dissolved the Whatsapp group and moved on a few devotees of Agathiyar kept asking why I destroyed the very thing we worked to build. They could not accept it. I guess today there are two kinds of devotees. One who picks up the tools and toils on his land. Another who needs company and a support group to keep their flame burning and afloat. The satsangs are a sure way to keep the flame burning for those who are attached to groups, society, and associations. This reminds me of Tavayogi whenever he took the stage to speak about the Siddhas always talked about the need to toil the land. An effort is truly needed to excel in all our undertakings.
My daughter gave birth to her second child, a cute baby girl Thursday night. Only she knows the experience of a mother carrying a child for nine long months, "putting up with morning sickness, labor pains, messy rooms, and chauffeuring duties". Similarly, words can never fully and faithfully describe our experiences in the spiritual field. One needs to walk the path to discover it for himself. This is where the master comes with some handy tools. Tavayogi first came as a leaflet that I kept with me. Three years on I saw him in person in Malaysia. He gave me two tools: Puja to the Siddhas and austerities (Tavam) that brings them to take notice of us and doing charity and other acts of giving (Dhanam). These tools are enough to pry open the door to the kingdom of Gods as Avvai sings in response to Lord Muruga's request, that has come to be compiled as ஒளவையார் தனிப் பாடல்: 57.
When Lord Muruga asked Avvai to list out the most awful thing in the world; the most pleasant; the biggest; and finally the rarest, she comes out with a thought-provoking list.
கொடியது கேட்கின் நெடியவெவ் வேலோய்
கொடிது கொடிது வறுமை கொடிது,
அதனினும் கொடிதே இளமையில் வறுமை,
அதனினும் கொடிதே ஆற்றொணாக் கொடுநோய்,
அதனினும் கொடிதே அன்பிலா பெண்டிர்,
அதனினும் கொடிதே இன்புற அவள் கையில் உண்பது தானே.
Lord with the long spear (Vel) if you ask me what is the most awful thing in the world, my Lord,
Poverty is awful,
Even more awful is poverty in youth,
Even more awful is an incurable disease,
Even more awful is having unkind women (as a life partner),
Even more awful is to be served by her.
இனியது கேட்கின் தனிநெடு வேலோய்
இனிது இனிது ஏகாந்தம் இனிது,
அதனினும் இனிது ஆதியை தொழுதல்,
அதனினும் இனிது அறிவினர்ச் சேர்தல்,
அதனினும் இனிது அறிவுள்ளோரை
கனவினும் நனவினும் காண்பது தானே,
Lord with the long spear (Vel) if you ask me the most pleasant thing in this world, my Lord,
Being one with the Self and the Universe is pleasant,
Even more pleasant is to worship the Source or Supreme Being (Aadhi),
Even more pleasant is to be in touch with the learned and knowledgeable,
Even more pleasant is to see these masters' in reality and in dreams.
பெரியது கேட்கின் எரிதவழ் வேலோய்
பெரியது பெரியது புவனம் பெரியது,
புவனமோ நான்முகன் படைப்பு,
நான்முகன் கரியமால் உந்தியில் வந்தோன்,
கரிய மாலோ அலைகடல் துயின்றோன்,
அலைகடல் குறுமுனி அங்கையில் அடக்கம்,
குறுமுனியோ கலசத்திற் பிறந்தோன்,
கலசமோ புவியிற் சிறுமண்,
புவியோ அரவினுக்கு ஒருதலை பாரம்,
அரவோ உமையவள் சிறுவிரல் மோதிரம்,
உமையோ இறைவன் பாகத்து ஒடுக்கம்,
இறைவரோ தொண்டர் உள்ளத்து ஒடுக்கம்,
தொண்டர்தம் பெருமை சொல்லவும் பெரிதே.
Lord with the long spear (Vel) if you ask me the biggest thing in this world, my Lord,
The world is big,
But then the world is a creation of Lord Brahma,
Lord Brahma though came from the navel of Lord Vishnu,
Lord Vishnu though sleeps in the big ocean,
The big ocean was contained within Agathiyar's kamandalam (drinking vessel),
Agathiyar was born in a small pot (Kalasam),
The pot is but a small portion of this wide big earth,
The earth is a burden for one of the thousand heads of Aadhi Seshan who carries it,
The Aadhi Seshan though is a ring in the finger of Goddess Parvathi,
Goddess Parvathi is a part of Lord Shiva,
Lord Shiva resides in the hearts of his servants,
Praising the servants of Lord Shiva is the biggest thing.
It could also mean showing the way of the masters is the biggest thing as Agathiyar reveals the greatness of our deeds in ascending order, beginning with Puja, Annadhanam or Feeding, and finally showing the way of the gurus.
அரியது கேட்கின் வரிவடி வேலோய்
மக்கள் யாக்கையிற் பிறத்தலும் அரிதே,
மக்கள் யாக்கையிற் பிறந்த காலையும்
மூங்கையும் செவிடும் கூனும் குருடும்
பேடும் நீங்கிப் பிறத்தலும் அரிதே,
பேடு நீங்கி பிறந்த காலையும்
ஞானமும் கல்வியும் நன்குறல் அரிதே,
ஞானமும் கல்வியும் நன்குறும் ஆயினும்
தானமும் தவமும் தரித்தலும் அரிதே,
தானமும் தவமும் தரித்தார்க் கல்லது
வானவர் நாடு வழி திறவாதே.
Another version goes,
அரியது கேட்கின் வரிவடி வேலோய்
அரிது அரிது மானிடர் ஆதல் அரிது;
மானிடர் ஆயினும் கூன் குருடு செவிடு
பேடு நீங்கிப் பிறத்தல் அரிது.
பேடு நீங்கிப் பிறந்த காலையும்
ஞானமும் கல்வியும் நயத்தல் அரிது
ஞானமும் கல்வியும் நயந்த காலையும்
தானமும் தவமும் தான்செயல் அரிது
தானமும் தவமும் தான்செய்வராயின்
வானவர் நாடு வழி திறந்திடுமே
Lord with the long spear (Vel) if you ask me the rarest, my Lord,
Being born as a human is rare,
Having born as a human, it is rarer
To be born without the disabilities of one hunched back, blind, deaf, or dumb,
Even if born without these disabilities, it is rarer
To have Gnanam (Divine wisdom) and education,
Even if one has Gnanam and education, it is indeed rare
To have benevolence (charitable) or (Dhanam) and austerities (Tavam),
With Dhanam and Tavam,
Heaven's gates shall open showing the way.
Each time Agathiyar came in the Nadi he expressed his happiness in us having conducted ourselves well and continuing our Tavam (தவம்). But I knew I wasn't doing any extreme form of austerities or practice. All I did was to conduct puja and rituals and doing a little bit of charity. I haven't achieved even an iota of what the masters speak off. Yet he keeps saying that. I did not deserve his praise.
So what is Tavam? https://ta.wikipedia.org describes it as comprising anything and everything that aids in excelling on the spiritual path, using the body, speech, mind, that leads to its achievement in a Satvic way. Austerities that discipline both body and mind, like fasting, Dhyanam, or meditation, upholding certain disciplines, pilgrimages, dipping in Holy waters, Puja, Japam, Praising the Lord, are some examples.
தவம் (Tapas), ஆன்மீக முன்னேற்றத்திற்காக உடலாலும், வாக்காலும், மனதாலும் செய்யப்படும் அனைத்து சாத்விகமான ஆன்மீக சாதனைகளும் தவம் எனப்படும். உடலையும், மனதையும் உருக்கி செய்யப்படும் நோன்பு, தியானம், விரதங்கள், பாதயாத்திரை, தீர்த்த யாத்திரை, பூஜை, ஜெபம், ஓதுதல் முதலியன தவத்திற்கு சில எடுத்துக்காட்டுகள் ஆகும்.
So what is Tavam? https://ta.wikipedia.org describes it as comprising anything and everything that aids in excelling on the spiritual path, using the body, speech, mind, that leads to its achievement in a Satvic way. Austerities that discipline both body and mind, like fasting, Dhyanam, or meditation, upholding certain disciplines, pilgrimages, dipping in Holy waters, Puja, Japam, Praising the Lord, are some examples.
தவம் (Tapas), ஆன்மீக முன்னேற்றத்திற்காக உடலாலும், வாக்காலும், மனதாலும் செய்யப்படும் அனைத்து சாத்விகமான ஆன்மீக சாதனைகளும் தவம் எனப்படும். உடலையும், மனதையும் உருக்கி செய்யப்படும் நோன்பு, தியானம், விரதங்கள், பாதயாத்திரை, தீர்த்த யாத்திரை, பூஜை, ஜெபம், ஓதுதல் முதலியன தவத்திற்கு சில எடுத்துக்காட்டுகள் ஆகும்.
Ramalinga Adigal who is widely known for his "Tiruarutpa" has other works to his credit too. A narrative on Ramalinga Adigal's work "Nithya Karuma Vidhi", "Karana Ozhukkam", and "Upadesa Kurippugal", explains the many facets of Dhyanam that surprised me. Dhyanam is way beyond our understanding that of just sitting alone or in a company and meditating. As it is said that the thoughts are the finest form of prana, Adigal too says that it all begins with the thoughts.
As we are struggling to engage in Tavam we are given hope by the masters and gurus through their missionaries as in this wonderful talk on and revelation of Vethatiri Maharishi.