If, before coming to the worship of the Siddhas, I continued the family tradition of visiting the temples and lighting an oil lamp at the altar of our family home, taking up Siddha puja, we took up lighting a Homam now. With Agathiyar coming as a bronze statue, we took up libation to his statue just as done in the temples. If Lord Muruga in a Nadi reading told me that my home was a temple, Agathiyar endorsed it in February through a Nadi reading. Agathiyar spoke about the home being a temple and spoke about the Sivarathri that we had observed recently.
எங்களை தினமும் தொழுது தெளிவு தேற்றம் ஏகாந்த நிலை கண்ட மைந்தன் நீதான். மங்களங்கள் தன் இல்லில் நாளும் கண்டேன். மகத்துவ சக்தி கொண்ட இல்லம் அப்பா. இல்லமதில் என் ஆசி கருணை எல்லாம் ஏற்றமுடன் நீ காண வழி வகுத்தேன். இல்லமதில் எல்லை இல்லா அருளும் ஆசி ஏக்கமில்லா மாந்தர் வாழ கருணைக் கோட்டம். கோட்டத்தில் அடைக்கலம் புகுந்தோம் நாங்கள். ஆட்சியாய் வாசம் செய்வோம் உன் இல்லில் தான். ஆனந்தம் பேரானந்தம் உந்தன் இல்லம். உன் இல்லம் என் இல்லம். வினைப்போக்கும் குருமுனி பீடம். வித்தை எல்லாம் கற்றுவிக்கும் விருட்சம் அப்பா. அப்பனின் அன்னையின் ஆசி நிறைந்து ஆறுமுகன் கருணைப் பார்வை நிறைந்து மூப்பான நிலை அடைய வைக்கும் இல்லம். முக்திக்கும் சித்திக்கும் பஞ்சம் ஏது பஞ்சமில்லா ஞான வேட்கை தணியும் அப்பா. பரமசிவன் இரங்கி வந்து மகிழ்ந்த இல்லம். கொஞ்சி விளையாடியே மகிழ்ந்தோம் நாங்கள். அங்கு பல அற்புதங்கள் அதிசயங்கள் ஆனந்த நிலை அடைந்தார் சீடர் மாந்தர் பலர். ஓங்கியே சக்தி ஆசி ஓங்கி ஒளியும் ஓங்கி விதவிதமாய் போற்றி பூசை மகிழ்ச்சி.
Its translation is as follows.
"Through your daily worship of the Siddhas, you have gained clarity. We saw joy and bliss prevail daily in your home. It is a powerhouse. I have provided for my blessings and compassion to all who step within your home. Your home is a compassionate home. We have sought refuge and come to stay in your home. Joy and bliss prevail in your home. Your home is my Peedham. All practices shall be made available here. Lord Siva, Parvathi, and Lord Muruga shall bless all. Mukti and Siddhi shall be in abundance. The hunger and thirst for Gnanam shall be relieved here. Lord Siva has come down here. We played our divine game, and Lila here. Blessed are those who stayed for Sivarathri. They saw miracles and bliss that night."
With the coming of the youths whom he sent over to watch and participate in our Pornami or Full Moon Puja, we named the home Agathiyar Vanam Malaysia (AVM). Agathiyar later called it Gnana Kottam. Then Lord Muruga called it Agathiyar Tapovanam. Now Agathiyar calls my home his Peedham, "Guru Muni Peedham" and Karunai Kottam. We are truly blessed to have earned these recognitions.
If Agathiyar came by to drop in on us during his leisure time or when en route or returning from Pothigai or Kailash, spending brief moments in our Vanam or garden, later he came to bring discourses to us, turning it to his Gnana Kottam. Then he began to stay longer to meditate, bringing our home to become his Tapovanam. Now he has come to stay for good and showers his compassion and love, turning this home into his Peedham (Guru Muni Peedham) and Karunai Kottam or Fort of Compassion.
And it all started with worship. Armed with a book of names of Siddhas and his painting, I began home puja to the Siddhas. Agathiyar had me go on my maiden journey to India the following year, in 2003, where he showed numerous miracles. With the coming of Tavayogi, he initiated lighting the Homam besides showing many more miracles. He officially started us on Yoga too.
Prayers are potent and have the potential to materialize the words chanted or sung. Agathiyar had previously told us about the benefits of conducting Puja many years back on 12.7.2010.
"There are many in this world who utter my name (Agathiyar),Prayers done truthfully (to Sidhas) shall gain many benefits,
Prayers shall bring much joy,
Prayers done moderately but splendidly and honestly shall help protect the world,
Prayers done with fellow devotees will bring many benefits,
Many shall rise in stature and power,
Prayers will lead to a state of bliss,
Prayers done on full moon days shall strengthen the Jothi within,
Prayers will help remove doubts,
Through prayers, one shall attain godhead,
Strength, grace, and wealth shall be gained,
Stay on this path of devotion, and the family bond shall be strengthened,
All that is asked for shall be gained,
Prayers shall lead to meditation and charitable thoughts,
All ills shall be removed,
God shall listen to prayers,
Idiots shall become geniuses,
The benefits attained from prayers are indescribable, for many changes shall take place."
Taking up a plea or prayer of Thavathiru Rengarajah Desigar that I found in his book from his Ongarakudil publications brought me to the exact moment where Tavayogi took me into the woods, telling me that the Siddhas were ushering us and showering flower petals.
அகத்தீசா உனது சீடர்களாகிய ஒன்பது கோடி பேரும் என்னை சூழ்ந்திருந்து நான் விரும்பியதெல்லாம் முடித்து வைப்பதோடு மட்டுமல்லாது உண்னுடைய மலையாகிய பொதிகைக்கு என்னை அழைத்து வர என்னை சீடனாக ஏற்றுக் கொள்ள வேண்டும். நான் உய்வதற்கு அருள் புரிய வேண்டும். அகத்தீசா உனது அருள் பூரணமாகப் பெற்றல் வேண்டும்.
This was a prayer to Agathiyar to bring all the Siddhas together to grant all our wishes, and bring us along to his abode in the Pothigai Hills, taking us as his students. I asked that he bless me so that I could progress spiritually. This was my daily prayer in the beginning. The prayer was granted when I had to go back to India a second time, this time to visit several temples mentioned in the Gnana Kaandam of the Nadi. Tavayogi volunteered to take me to the specified places. As we walked through the scrubs and jungles, making our way to the temples, shrines, and caves in the Pothigai Hills, Tavayogi began to point out to me that the Siddhas were ushering us, showering flower petals on us.
After traveling places out there, seeking him out and coming to know him as existing equally in the Prapanjam, as I had written in the last post, brought on subtle changes; it was the journey in going within that supercharged it, just as Ramalinga Adigal had sung about and that Tavayogi and Agathiyar spoke about. Tavayogi used to say that our efforts shall bring us only till Svadishtana, the second Chakra, and that we need the grace of the Siddhas to take us further. Indeed, after taking up the Yoga Asanas that Tavayogi showed me and several others in 2007 on one of his visits to Malaysia, in traveling within, taking the route of the Kundalini, this practice that Agathiyar described as a treasure, activated the sleeping serpent in the Muladhara that took two steps and began to pond at the Svadishtana, not able to travel further. This brought on much pain and suffering. So it is of importance that all these practices are done under the supervision of a guru in physical form or under the directive of the Siddhas, which I shall write about in the next posts.
Indeed, these Puja do more than what the eye sees. It creates subtle vibrations that trigger actions within us and work in us the magic, unknown to us.