I was introduced to Ramalinga Adigal's songs first by Sethu, a colleague of mine when he passed me a couple of audio cassettes containing some songs of the saint. I immediately fell in love with Adigal and his songs. As Sethu had only passed a couple of cassettes from a collection, I looked for the rest of the collection at numerous music outlets. I finally found the collection at a music outlet in Leboh Ampang, Kuala Lumpur. I purchased all that they carried on their shelves. It was sheer bliss listening to Adigal's songs set to music. Ramalinga Adigal's songs were pleasant to the ear and I used to listen to them for hours but they did not make much sense then. These was in the early nineties.
Today as we walk his path and gain numerous experiences, we can gather what he went through. Even as we had listened and read his Thiruarutpa several times before, it suddenly dawns on us now that we are seeing similar experiences as narrated by him too. For instance, in his plea to the Lord to open "The Door" and draw aside the curtains or veil and show himself, and take Adigal into his arms and grant the merger, Adigal shows us the same route too.
திருக்கதவம் திறவாயோ திரைகளெலாம் தவிர்த்தே
திருவருளாம் பெருஞ்சோதித் திருஉருக்காட் டாயோ
உருக்கிஅமு தூற்றெடுத்தே உடம்புயிரோ டுளமும்
ஒளிமயமே ஆக்குறமெய் உணர்ச்சிஅரு ளாயோ
கருக்கருதாத் தனிவடிவோய் நின்னைஎன்னுட் கலந்தே
கங்குல்பகல் இன்றிஎன்றும் களித்திடச்செய் யாயோ
செருக்கருதா தவர்க்கருளும் சித்திபுரத் தரசே
சித்தசிகா மணியேஎன் திருநடநா யகனே.
Ramalinga Adigal comes some 147 years later reiterating that "The Door" shall open and the merger is possible to all, though he added that we needed to place concerted efforts towards it too. Then he surprises us by composing a song regarding it and singing it on the spot, and later explaining its meaning to us.
"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.
Agathiyar has countless times told us that all our experiences, be it good or bad, is his divine play, and eventually shall bring us to attain Gnanam. In his "Agathiyar Gnanam" he reveals that it was Lord Siva's play in veiling the truth and it is also Siva who shall bring us out of this illusion or maya, bringing us from darkness to light as one won't know the light if there was no darkness.
தயங்காமற் பிழைப்பதற்கே இந்த ஞானம்
சார்வாகப் பாராட்டும் ஞானம் வேறே;
மயங்குதற்கு ஞானம்பார் முன்னோர் கூடி
மாட்டினார் கதைகாவ்ய புராண மென்றும்
இயலான ரசந்தனிலீப் புகுந்தாற் போலும்
இசைத்திட்டார் சாத்திரங்க ளாறென் றேதான்;
வயலான பயன்பெறவே வியாசர் தாமும்
மாட்டினார் சிவனாருத் தரவினாலே.
Hence we understand now the task of veiling that is stipulated as one of five undertaken by Siva, namely creation, sustenance, destruction, veiling, and showering grace.
Francis X. Clooney writes at https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/, quoting a verse from the Brhadaranyaka Upanisad I.3.28,
தயங்காமற் பிழைப்பதற்கே இந்த ஞானம்
சார்வாகப் பாராட்டும் ஞானம் வேறே;
மயங்குதற்கு ஞானம்பார் முன்னோர் கூடி
மாட்டினார் கதைகாவ்ய புராண மென்றும்
இயலான ரசந்தனிலீப் புகுந்தாற் போலும்
இசைத்திட்டார் சாத்திரங்க ளாறென் றேதான்;
வயலான பயன்பெறவே வியாசர் தாமும்
மாட்டினார் சிவனாருத் தரவினாலே.
Hence we understand now the task of veiling that is stipulated as one of five undertaken by Siva, namely creation, sustenance, destruction, veiling, and showering grace.
Francis X. Clooney writes at https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/, quoting a verse from the Brhadaranyaka Upanisad I.3.28,
asato ma sad gamaya | tamaso ma jyotir gamaya | mrtyor ma amrtam gamaya ||
From what is not, lead me to what is; from darkness, lead me to light; from death, lead me to what is undying. The chant is termed an “ascent” (abhyaroha) that leads the person chanting from this world—what is not, what is dark, what is mortal—to the divine world, what is, what is light, what is immortal. Sankara, the great commentator, explains at some length the process of assimilation to the gods that occurs here, as the person chanting comes, for a moment at least, to share their higher way of being. It is a prayer for passing over, to a new way of life.Ramalinga Adigal too says the same that it is all Siva's plot and that he saw through it and arrived at Siva's feet eventually.
வேதநெறி ஆகமத்தின் நெறிபவுரா ணங்கள்
விளம்புநெறி இதிகாசம் விதித்தநெறி முழுதும்
ஓதுகின்ற சூதனைத்தும் உளவனைத்தும் காட்டி
உள்ளதனை உள்ளபடி உணரஉரைத் தனையே
ஏதமற உணர்ந்தனன்வீண் போதுகழிப் பதற்கோர்
எள்ளளவும் எண்ணம்இலேன் என்னொடுநீ புணர்ந்தே
தீதறவே அனைத்தும்வல்ல சித்தாடல் புரிவாய்
சித்தசிகா மணியேஎன் திருநடநா யகனே.
So we are in the right place and time where our soul sees its desires fulfilled, having the experiences that it had sought to live out. Slowly it realizes that all this is false and impermanent. It begins its search to know that which is one and remains forever. At that moment Siva comes has the guru to draw the curtain and show us our true self. Siva who veiled all that he created, expects us to know and experience the false before coming to know and experience the truth. When the veil is then drawn aside, he shows himself, and the truth dawns. Agathiyar has asked us to "Know thy self first, then you shall come to know me."
When Agathiyar came, I was surprised to know that he knew that Mahin and I had spoken about asking for Gnanam the next time he came around, over the phone earlier! Agathiyar was pleased with our asking I suppose for he went on to explain about Gnanam, telling us that, "Gnanam is not gifted but has to be earned and experienced." "When one goes within, as the journey brings upon these subtle experiences, these shall translate into and become Gnanam. As it defers from person to person, as such I cannot possibly define it" he says.
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 too only sought after the divine play or lila, that which results in Gnanam, he reveals.
பொய்யுடையார் விழைகின்ற புணர்ச்சிவிழைந் தேனோ
பூணவிழைந் தேனோவான் காணவிழைந் தேனோ
மெய்யுடையாய் என்னொடுநீ விளையாட விழைந்தேன்
விளையாட்டென் பதுஞானம் விளையும்விளை யாட்டே
பையுடைப்பாம் பனையரொடும் ஆடுகின்றோய் எனது
பண்பறிந்தே நண்புவைத்த பண்புடையோய் இன்னே
செய்யுடைஎன் னொடுகூடி ஆடஎழுந் தருள்வாய்
சித்தசிகா மணியேஎன் திருநடநா யகனே.
His only longing was that the Lord take him into his arms. This was his goal. He says he cannot contain his love and this desire of his any longer and pleads that the Lord take him.
மணிக்கதவம் திறவாயோ மறைப்பையெலாம் தவிர்த்தே
மாற்றறியாப் பொன்னேநின் வடிவதுகாட் டாயோ
கணிக்கறியாப் பெருநிலையில் என்னொடுநீ கலந்தே
கரைகடந்த பெரும்போகம் கண்டிடச்செய் யாயோ
தணிக்கறியாக் காதல்மிகப் பெருகுகின்ற தரசே
தாங்கமுடி யாதினிஎன் தனித்தலைமைப் பதியே
திணிக்கலையா தியஎல்லாம் பணிக்கவல்ல சிவமே
சித்தசிகா மணியேஎன் திருநடநா யகனே.
In Siva's administration, the Siddhas are tasked to help us come out of this illusion. Being compassionate by nature, and having seen through the illusion and having found their way back, the Siddhas had asked of Siva to grant them to show us the way back to him too and Siva granted them their wishes. Taking the hand of these Siddhas we are shown the way or path to come to the state of self- realization. Just as the world's governments conduct themselves, the rules of the day stand as nature's law, and numerous other mechanisms are in place to see to it that justice is served in Siva's land too. As the Siddhas had been there and seen through it, they show us short cuts, bring us to secret doors and chambers to enter and secret exits to make our escape, hasten the journey and evade the dangers. When in distress the rules are bent a bit and exceptions are made, they point out trapdoors, show loopholes, based on our pleas and prayers and case to case basis. Convictions and sentences are rewritten making it lighter and bearable.
These posts are not teachings but its one's experience. You will find instructions given to me that I opted to share because in the days gone by when I came in search of knowledge and information I was let down, disappointed, and frustrated, as I did not get the answers to my queries and curiosity. Then Agathiyar sent me two wonderful gurus, and he himself stood as a guru too. Lately, he sent Ramalinga Adigal to help us too. These instructions given by my gurus were addressed to me and the few other faithful ones. These may coincidentally relate to one or two of you out there. These are not messages to the masses, as Agathiyar says each one shall have his own experience based on his desires and past karma. How he interprets and understands these experiences will vary, based again, on his past accumulation of knowledge and experiences and the lessons learned and gathered, thus far.
We are indeed blessed to come this far on the journey. Ramalinga Adigal tells us that it was only possible through the grace of Agathiyar, Supramania Swami, and Tavayogi. He says my gurus who have since left their mortal frame are trying very hard even as they are in the light form now to bring us ashore. My parents introduced me to Sariyai some 60 years ago, taking from their parents, my grandparents, and ancestors. Calling me to the path some 18 years ago, Agathiyar asks me to come to Kallar ashram and his abodes so that I could get to know him closer and better. With the coming of the gurus, he introduced and showed us to Kriyai where, from being a passive witness to many religious rituals in Sariyai, we began to participate and conduct rituals ourselves in Kriyai. Today he has asked us to drop all and move on to observing the breath, a pertinent and important aspect or anga of the 8 fold path of Yoga. We need not revisit Sariyai and Kriyai for we had conducted them well and to his satisfaction. We can now move on to the task on hand. Yoga shall lead one to Gnanam we are told. We are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We are almost there.
These posts are not teachings but its one's experience. You will find instructions given to me that I opted to share because in the days gone by when I came in search of knowledge and information I was let down, disappointed, and frustrated, as I did not get the answers to my queries and curiosity. Then Agathiyar sent me two wonderful gurus, and he himself stood as a guru too. Lately, he sent Ramalinga Adigal to help us too. These instructions given by my gurus were addressed to me and the few other faithful ones. These may coincidentally relate to one or two of you out there. These are not messages to the masses, as Agathiyar says each one shall have his own experience based on his desires and past karma. How he interprets and understands these experiences will vary, based again, on his past accumulation of knowledge and experiences and the lessons learned and gathered, thus far.
We are indeed blessed to come this far on the journey. Ramalinga Adigal tells us that it was only possible through the grace of Agathiyar, Supramania Swami, and Tavayogi. He says my gurus who have since left their mortal frame are trying very hard even as they are in the light form now to bring us ashore. My parents introduced me to Sariyai some 60 years ago, taking from their parents, my grandparents, and ancestors. Calling me to the path some 18 years ago, Agathiyar asks me to come to Kallar ashram and his abodes so that I could get to know him closer and better. With the coming of the gurus, he introduced and showed us to Kriyai where, from being a passive witness to many religious rituals in Sariyai, we began to participate and conduct rituals ourselves in Kriyai. Today he has asked us to drop all and move on to observing the breath, a pertinent and important aspect or anga of the 8 fold path of Yoga. We need not revisit Sariyai and Kriyai for we had conducted them well and to his satisfaction. We can now move on to the task on hand. Yoga shall lead one to Gnanam we are told. We are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We are almost there.