Several days after my first Nadi reading on 14 December 2002, the Nadi reader Sentilkumar of Avinashi who was in Malaysia then, carried out a simple ritual of thanksgiving to the Siddhas and their Nadi as directed by Agathiyar reciting the long list of names of Siddhas. I continued worship to the Siddhas at home, reciting the names in the little book that he passed on to me after the puja. Since Agathiyar had asked me to come to the worship of the Siddhas, which was new to me, besides worshiping the other deities, I thought there must be more to it as in temple and home worship of deities and I went knocking on the doors of establishments and movements showcasing and carrying the name of Agathiyar, looking for more information on how to go about the worship. This brought me to the local affiliate of the Agathiyar Sanmarga Sangam, in Dengkil. Here the focus then was on charity. I guess I wasn't ready to engage in charity then. I moved on after purchasing books and videos of talks by their patron and founder Thavathiru Rengaraja Desigar. I came by the Agathiar Sanmarka Gurukulam in Batu Caves next. Here the recitation of Ramalinga Adigal's Thiru Arutpa and Agaval and the worship of the light or Jothi was the mainstream then. I guess I wasn't ready to take on the worship of Jothi or Jothi Vazhipaadu then. I continued the Siddha puja with whatever little I had in my hands till I made my maiden journey to India to carry out the remedies given at several temples. I came upon my first guru Supramania Swami in Tiruvannamalai as Agathiyar had hinted in the Nadi. Though he was not into Siddha worship, I learned Guru Bhakti, or devotion to the guru, from him. A couple of years later Agathiyar introduced Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal of the Sri Agathiyar Gnana Peedham in Kallar when he was in Malaysia to officiate a local branch in Batu Caves. He officially initiated me into the path. Leaving Sariyai which was shown by our parents, I took on Kriyai, and Yogam which was shown by him. He initiated me into doing charity beginning at his ashram, which was later continued to our shores. He had the fiber statue of Agathiyar and Lord Murugan and carried out Yagam or the lighting of the sacrificial fire in his ashram grounds. Agathiyar had me commission a bronze statue of his and Tavayogi initiated me to start conducting the Homam a downsized ritual similar to the Yagam. Though I had practiced Yoga learning from books earlier, he initiated me into it officially. He had a lighted oil lamp placed on the sixth tier of a granite structure that he named Aaru Aathaara Peedham which was out of bounds to all but those who were ready to meditate. Now I was ready to embark on charity, rituals, Yoga, and meditation on the light or Jothi Vazhipaadu. I guess this is the reason we are told that a guru is needed. He initiates us to do a thing at the right moment. If we had chosen to do it, it might not bring in the desired results.
Indeed, Agathiyar mentions in my Nadi that all the readings and religious and spiritual practices, and Yoga exercises brought no benefits because my past karma stood in its way. With the coming of the Siddhas, they removed these obstacles and showed me to my gurus, who lighted my path. Today they shine as this very light continuing to light the path and my life.
Swami Muktananda mentions in his book SECRET OF THE SIDDHAS, Siddha Yoga Publication, 1980,
“One’s hands can remove moss from water, but they cannot create water. Forgetfulness of one’s true nature is the moss of ignorance that muddies the experience of the self. The Guru is the means of removing it. Just as the wind disperses the clouds but does not create another blazing sun, so the grace of a Siddha simply removes the veil of ignorance so that one realizes that one is already perfect.”
“For this reason, all scriptures and Sadhana are simply means of washing away the filth of ignorance. They have no ability of their own to reveal the wisdom of the self because that principle is self-existent, perfect and always manifest.”
"Before meeting my guru, I had practiced many different kinds of yoga, but it was I who had practiced them. However, that word activated spontaneous yoga within me. I was filled with amazement. After the awakening of the Shakti, this process of yogic movements began to take place within my entire body. The pulsation of his ecstasy pervades my entire body like the movement of the wind. The Kriyas were his, the yoga was his, and meditation took place because of him. The final message that I received was from him. The power of his word permeates each of my blood cells; the fluids of my entire body are his. That is why I am joyful. Gurudev entered me and replaced all my bodily fluids with his. He evicted me and took up residence in me. He annihilated my ego. By making my individuality his, he became me. This is the guru’s compassion. Only when I lost myself in the ecstasy of Bhagawan Nithyananda did I realize who he was."
The touch of the guru is needed to initiate the movement of the divine forces within each of us. Agathiyar just days ago warned us of the inherent and dormant energies within us and what they could do if initiated. We are ignorant of these inherent energies he says. The Siddha shall reveal them to us according to our preparedness, the age factor, and stock of karma. The Siddha shall lead us on. As it would not be the same for all do not compare with others. Each shall have his own journey to travel. This is not a race to compete and win. When these energies are released the body shall go through many transformations. It should be able to withstand its onslaught. Only the Siddha knows.
பல சக்திகள் நம்மில் உறைந்து கொண்டு இருக்கிறது. அதை உணராமல் இருக்கின்றோம். சித்தன் அதைப் படி படியாக உணர்த்துவான். உங்கள் பக்குவத்திற்கு ஏற்ப வயதிற்கு ஏற்ப பாவ புண்ணியத்திற்கு ஏற்ப சித்தன் கைபிடித்து அழைத்துச் செல்வான். அது அனைவருக்கும் ஒரே மாதிரி ஆக அமையாது. அது வெவ்வேறு பயணமாக அமையும். அந்தக் கணக்கு சித்தனுக்கு மட்டும் தான் தெரியும். யாரையும் ஒப்பிடாதீர்கள். இது போட்டி அல்ல முந்தி அடித்துக் கொண்டு செல்வதற்கு. இச்சக்திகள் வெளிப்படுவதால் உடலில் பெரும் மாற்றங்கள் ஏற்படும். அது உங்கள் உடம்பு தாங்கிக் கொள்ளுனும்.
Indeed when Bhogar came to identify the issues of a devoted elderly devotee, who was in terrible pain for some time now, he cautioned her about the age factor and the intensity of the energies that ponded at the second chakra, saying that her body might not cope with its release if he were to initiate its opening. Before pursuing further he referred to Agathiyar and asked permission to release it. Agathiyar gave his blessings. He opened her Suzhimunai. Though she is still in agony, we pray that she shall recover well with Agathiyar's grace.
I guess what she is going through has a resemblance to what happened to me earlier. Agathiyar in releasing the ponded energies gave a warning that when the chakras are activated late in life it would have some adverse or reverse effects or results on our bodies. As for me, the heat of tapas increased in the body, bringing on less blood flow that resulted in numbness. This in turn resulted in urinary and excretion problems. But it was all temporary. The body being an intelligent instrument managed well the crisis with the grace of Agathiyar.
கவலை கொள்ள ஒன்றுமில்லை. தேங்கி இருந்த நீர் வெளி கொண்டது. ஆனபோதும் முதிர்ந்த நிலையில் சக்கரங்கள் திறப்பதனால் உதிர வாட்டம் கொண்டுள்ளது. ஆகையால் எண்கள் மேரு பெறும். ஆங்கில மருத்துவம் கொண்டு அதனைச் சுத்தம் செய்து கோல். முதிர்ச்சியில் சக்கரங்கள் திறக்கும்போது அவ்வுடல் சில பாதிப்பினை ஏற்றுக்கொள்ளும். ஆகையால் மருத்துவம் உனக்குத் தேவை. உனது உடலில் உஷ்ணம் ஏற ஏற உதிரம் குறையும். உதிரம் குறைந்தால் உடல் மறுத்துப் போகும். உடல் மறுத்துப் போனால் சிறுநீர் கோளாறு கழிவில் கோளாறு. மருத்துவம் கொண்டு அதைச் சீர் படுத்திக் கொள்.
Swami Muktananda explains why one needs a master in KUNDALINI - THE SECRET OF LIFE, Siddha Yoga Publication, 1994.
“If he tries to discover a path by himself, he will simply go around in circles, walking for a long time but never reaching his goal. The Guru has found everything you are seeking; that which you want has become the Guru’s wealth. The difference between you and the Guru is that you are the seed and the Guru is the full-grown tree; you are the beginning, and he is the end.”