Animals live a mere existence. Are we destined the same too? Only man can know his Atma and reach out to it. Separated after a period of co-existence, the Atma is veiled from us for the rest of our lives for most of us. The saints rediscover it. When we are caught in the grips of Maya or illusion in this world we never realize the existence of the Atma. By engaging in Aram we offset karma. The Atma comes to do its part in ridding it completely later. When the ego, desire, and attachment are surrendered we are freed completely. Tavam brings the grace of the Atma to draw the veils aside. Agathiyar draws the veil and has us realize through his short and brief memo to us that there is only one Atma that is immersed in all of creation. That one single Atma that is the source of all creation, prevails in all of his creation. Period.
After some 17 years of Tavam and some 9 years of Aram, he had us wind up on all the activities related to it. He brought us from learning the external traits in doing rituals and conducting puja and participating in the joy of giving and doing charity, to go within. In asking us to go within he had us gain the knowledge of something that was so close to us and internal - the Udal, Uyir, and Atma. In asking us to know about the Udal both Agathiyar and Ramalinga Adigal came again and again to ask and remind us to read Tavayogi's books. They asked us to read the chapters on the tattvas to know the Udal and how it is formed and functions. We did read but could not comprehend much. Agathiyar had me consume his Agathiyar Kuzhambu to cleanse the filth and trash I had carried all this while in my internals. This set the three dosas back into their respective proportions for a hale and healthy body. Even as I type these words this process of cleansing is ongoing and believe me it is not pleasant nor a delightful encounter, counter to what Agathiyar told us that this too was bliss. I understand that he wants us to look at pain and discomfort as such.
After bringing us to understand the Udal he brought us to experience the Uyir. He had me start again certain practices that Tavayogi taught me and I had practiced since then in 2008 only to have Agathiyar halt it in 2011. In this phase, Ramalinga Adigal came to link us to the Prapanjam through the breath. We experience the Prapanjam. Henceforth the whole body began to absorb the prana contrary to the past where it was available in some quantities coming within, hitching on the breath; coming within as food and water and assimilated and absorbed; absorbed from the water as we took a dip in the river and sea or had a bath at home, and through the suns rays and in the outdoors. Through the practice of Pranayama the volume of prana intake increased multifold as we created contact with the Prapanjam.
Having given us the knowledge of the Udal and preparing it to receive the might of the Prapanjam through Uyir or breath, taking Pranayama as a tool, he brought us to the threshold of Gnanam. Tavayogi in his book defines Gnanam as the moment of realization of the Atma. This is true enlightenment. We become enlightened by the very Atma that was with us throughout our lives albeit for the period when we thought we were in charge of our lives. Once we realize that it is not so and that there is a divine hand that moves us and when we surrender our will to it, the Atma moves in again and leads us to enlightenment. Mahakavi Bharathi realized this and shares it in his song "Nennai Saran Adainthen Kannama". Hence we understand why Lord Murugan came and in telling us that he had something to give all of us insisted that we had to surrender first. The Atma that is supposed to take hold of the Udal and Uyir controlling it sadly is driven to the shadows as we exhibit ego and the "I" in us takes an upper hand. It is only when we surrender the "I" that the Atma returns to reign. Its reign of course would be in line with the divine as opposed to that of the "I" that exercises its superiority. When the Atma comes back to regain control of the Udal and Uyir it brings on massive transformation within the body often without our input and brings on the whole of Prapanjam within too. We understand the state of Agathiyar now when he says that the Prapanjam is in him and he is in the Prapanjam. When we know the Atma that is Atma Darisanam or enlightenment or gaining Gnanam. We have read about how several saints, were shown the dance of Siva, the Atma as a child in their homes and in certain temples. Later as one pursues the path that the Atma identifies for us after the karma is cleared and we surrender, the Atma begins to express its thought and actions through us. We become an expression of the Atma. The individual then is an expression of the divine and divinity.
And it all starts with worship at home and in the temples.