When we thought just like we work our way up in the material world, that it was all our doing in placing the effort towards riding the spiritual waves Ramalinga Adigal tells us through his songs that it is the sheer grace of the divine that brings us up the spiritual ladder. How many then appreciate the hidden hand of the divine and pay homage to them for their spiritual growth. Manickavasagar before him too spelled it out. Ramalinga Adigal in closely following the songs of Manickavasagar has penned many songs in which he attributes the state or stage he was in was solely possible through the grace of the divine.
When I went to look up Tavayogi who was in Malaysia in 2005 after reading an advert on an opening and officiating of an Agathiyar center by him, a regular devotee at the center asked me what was my problem. I was puzzled. He told me that all those who came there had problems. Later sitting with Tavayogi I realized that was true. All those who saw him shared their problems. He would not give solutions but rather ask them to worship the Siddhas telling them that it was all the result of their vinai or karma. After carrying out the Siddha puja myself and having many turn up at my home to witness/participate in my home puja, some visitors shared the same with me too.
When we were serving cooked food and distributing groceries and clothes to those in need their background was from the estates. Having been displaced from the nearby estates they ended up renting flats. Their lives were gloomy and the living conditions were deplorable. We could only help relieve their burden of the cost of living by giving out these handouts.
So having sat with Tavayogi and listened to people's problems Agathiyar had us see for ourselves some of these problems in life. A friend and senior devotee and an AVM family member who helps out twice daily at the temples assisting the handful of priests struggling to upkeep their daily duties in carrying puja without fail told me that he was often shaken up by the stories of suffering and pain as devotees stood before the deity and him. They would beg that he brings their problems to the attention of the deity as they are close to them serving them. The senior would then bring their plight to the deities' attention. They leave with the hope that God shall take care of their miseries. My friend I guess has been chosen to help relieve the burden of those who sought these deities.
I was surprised by a change when the host of the home where Mataji Sarojini Ammaiyar spent her days in Malaysia in 2019, told me that he made it big in life having a promising business and assets. Again when she was here recently his mother told us his success story. I was delighted to hear their success stories. She who made a living tapping rubber in the estate had brought up her 7 children and 25 grandchildren to be successful in life. Here was one family that was grateful and was returning back the favor to God by supporting Mataji's ashram.
Many who came to read the Nadi in the possession of Mataji never went beyond that to enquire how she was running the ashram. Recently Agathiyar asked that Mataji get them to recite the names of the Siddhas or Siddhar Potri and carry out a homam to relieve themselves of their misery and sufferings even before seeing the Nadi. He added that these rituals will clear their lives and stressed that his Jeeva Nadi in Mataji's possession now was to be read for those seeking Gnanam complying with the name of Kallar Ashram, the Sri Agathiyar Gnana Peedham.
It is not easy running an ashram. Gone are the days of volunteers and devotees wanting to engage in Sariyai coming by to serve and work at these ashramas. As this is missing, these days she needs to employ people to do the housekeeping, gardening, tending to the cows, watching the ashram, and conducting regular puja. Then there are the utility bills, quit rent, and expenditure to ensure there is no break in the daily or Nitya puja, etc. Visitors are served food and drinks. All these needs money. Money only comes when people visit the ashram. Mataji travels to give speeches in many venues at the invitation of the host, which brings in small tokens. Besides this, the Nadi reading done twice a week brings in some revenue to pay for all the above. When I ask Agathiyar why people are scarce at Kallar ashram, he says it shall not be a crowd puller. Only those seeking Gnanam shall step within its corridors just as its name portrays Sri Agathiyar Gnana Peedham
I was taken aback when Mataji mentioned that some ashrams have come up for sale. There we some who offered to take over Kallar Ashram too she said.
Someone asked me what we had gained worshipping the Siddhas. Everything is so profit-orientated these days. Even before we engage in a given practice we already want to know the benefits. I prefer to walk the talk first before exploring the benefits. If I were to know its benefits beforehand there would be much expectation on my part and I shall be frustrated and disappointed if I do not see the said results. So too as I went for a walk in a nearby park last evening I invited my daughter to follow me to do the practice of walking in figure 8 as the Siddhas have given us. I told her that I had not read up on the practice that is covered in a small book titled "Walk 8 Break Diseases" by S.Srinivasan, given to me by Master Uva for the above reason. She being a great fan of Marvel movies quoted Dr. Strange "The warnings come after the spells". She asked me to read the whole book before I started the practice.
So I dusted my collections of books and found it. I share some of the benefits claimed in doing these practices. Many ailments shall be checked or arrested and possibly cured too writes the author who has been doing it for 10 years as of the date of publication of the book, February 2014. He advocates that those under the influence of the planet Saturn that runs its 7 1/2 years course tend to benefit much from this practice as the planet Saturn's number is 8.
LDL cholesterol, Arthritis, headaches, obesity, bronchitis, the excretory system shall function well, the vertebral column will be toned up, the oxygen required is obtained, eyesight improves, blood pressure normalizes, arrest diabetes, it helps settle the mind for meditation, and one shall have a good sleep.
To derive full benefit the figure * has to conform to the following size and space.
Between 14 and 16 feet in length and 7 to 8 feet in breadth.