Manikavasagar describes how Erai came to change his hold on the body bringing him to regard it as a treasure whenceforth he brought him into his company and fold.
"Residing in a dwelling made of meat walls and with numerous openings, and a false roof, with worms crawling within, when damaged, fluids begin to flow, whence I am tossed about in an endless whirlpool of suffering; when such a dwelling is regarded as real and turned towards the sparkle of the gem-studded Erai, he brings me into his fold and company of his servants."பொத்தை ஊன் சுவர் புழுப்பொதிந்து உளுத்து அசும்பு ஒழுகிய பொய்க்கூரை
இத்தை மெய்யெனக் கருதி நின்று இடர்க் கடல் சுழித்தலைப் படுவேனை
முத்து மாமணி மாணிக்க வயிரத்த பவளத்தின் முழுச் சோதி
அத்தன் ஆண்டு தன் அடியரில் கூட்டிய அதிசயம் கண்டோமே
That is how Agathiyar came too to us as Gnanam. Gnanam sheds light on the truth and false. If we were quite satisfied as an occasional temple-going devotee in the past he brought us to his Siddha path and his fold and company, giving us a new direction. Giving us a new opening to a new understanding he had us seek and search and experience and learn before he began to furnish the facts. Phasing out Sariyai that was shown to us by our parents and ancestors, and Kriyai and Yogam that was shown by our gurus in physical form now we are prepared by him to enter the realm of Gnanam. But this is not gifted as I had thought. This too needs our effort just as we had placed efforts in the three previous stages of climbing the spiritual ladder. Bringing us into Kriyai from Sariyai and moving us to Yogam we now stand on the threshold of Gnanam waiting for the veil to be drawn apart and the truth exposed. It is the moment of revelation like that of flowering. If the guru came to dispel the darkness bringing in his light, we now take up the light within us, nurture it to attain the greater Light. Then the light shall shine forever and from within. From http://www.ramalinga.com we learn that,
These great saints saw a Column of Light rising above the Sahasrara up to the Divinity. The Column of Light starts to be formed in the states previous to the full Realization of the Golden Body. In one who realizes the Golden Deathless Body, an indissoluble bond is established with the Divinity through this Column of Light. Till this moment, one must make an effort ascending to the Divinity, later having to descend again to the physical level, nevertheless on having been settled the Column of Light one does not need to continue doing this effort, but from this time the Divinity descends on oneself. The one in whom the Column of Light is settled enjoy the continual experience on the Divinity, who, on having descended, resides in one's own Heart (as shining Sun) and fills with Himself the whole Being gradually, even the physical body (which, cell by cell, is completely transmuted up to becoming divine).
At first, the above-mentioned experience has not the same intensity all the time. Moved by His great Compassion, God takes the maximum care of the possible aftereffect in the physical body and that's why He is alternating the intensity to manifest Himself as Divine Light. Sometimes His resplendence is very soft whereas on other occasions It becomes the most intense, seeming that one is going to be melted in It. This experience on God fills the Self with Divine Love and Compassion, which overflow from the Heart like a river flowing endlessly towards the other beings.
Yogi Ramsuratkumar is said to have mentioned that at times he was ecstatic and at other times very ordinary.
Little by little, God is increasing by degrees the intensity of Light and one is becoming accustomed to it, until the time comes when God manifests Himself wholly. Then the Column of Light shines from beginning to end with Its entire splendor. It isn’t visible, except in very rare occasions. This Column of Light is truly the embodied Divine Jothi, which burns constantly so that the Divine Light radiates coming to all the beings. This is the Full God's Manifestation in the Earth.
Ramalinga Adigal sang his experience so that we too should gain it. Its translation, to my ability, goes as follows:
As night became day, I was shown the Holy Feet,I embraced it,
I partook in the divine nectar.
As dawn broke, I was delivered the Holy Feet,
I touched and offered my salutations to it,
I became cleansed.
Sleep left me, the Sun appeared,
the yearning wilted,
I partook in the ambrosia.
Sorrow wilted, sleep was eradicated,
joy came upon me,
the yearning was fulfilled.
Gnanam arose, the divine music was heard,
false knowledge wilted,
I saw Sirsabai.
The veils were thorn away asunder, I beheld the light,
Parai Oli shown with all its luminosity,
My prayers were answered.
The darkness within me left, the light from within me shown brightly,
I tasted the nectar,
to my heart's content.
I saw my Father, all obstacles were removed,
I rejoiced,
I received Siddhis.
I saw my Father, I received the gift of Deathlessness,
I rejoiced,
I conquered Siddhi.
I achieved Mukthi, with this Mukthi I attained Gnana Siddhi,
Taking on these Siddhis,
I became a Siddha.
The young Thirugnanasambandhar took the hands of his wife in marriage and led all those who came to witness his marriage into the Jhoti and merged with it at Nallur. Similarly, the elder Thirunavukarasar held on to the feet of Erai and burst into combustion, and merged with Erai at Thirupugalur, just as the camphor burns and vanishes into thin air. Sundarar mounted an elephant that was sent by Lord Shiva while his friend Cheraman Perumal followed closely behind on a horse at Thiruvanjai. Both reached Erai's kingdom in the physical form. In recent times we know of Ramalinga Adigal who transformed his body to merge with Erai and all of creation. Agathiyar in trying to pacify Tavayogi's daughter told her that Lord Shiva and Parvathi will come on a Puspa Vimanam to bring his soul back with him. Soon after Tavayogi passed away a devotee had a dream where she saw Tavayogi seated with several others dressed in white on a boat that was rowed across the waters by Lord Shiva heading for the other bank where there were many Siddhas, Rishis, Munis, sages, and saints going about their chores.
What then is expected of us after this? Nothing. All our efforts and attempt comes to a standstill. From inertia to activity and back to inertia, we come one full circle. Donald S. Lopez, Jr. writes at https://tricycle.org/magazine/first-there-mountain-then-there-no-mountain/
During the Tang Dynasty, the Chinese Ch’an [Zen in Japanese] master Qingyuan Weixin famously wrote: “Before I had studied Ch’an for thirty years, I saw mountains as mountains and rivers as rivers. When I arrived at a more intimate knowledge, I came to the point where I saw that mountains are not mountains, and rivers are not rivers. But now that I have got its very substance, I am at rest. For it’s just that I see mountains once again as mountains, and rivers once again as rivers.” First, there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is.