"Only now the true journey begins," said Tavayogi with a big grin on his face and a twinkle in his eyes, as if he knew beforehand or could foresee whatever was to take place on our journey, as we left the hotel in Trichy on 23 September 2005 and headed for the next leg of our tour, the third, into the jungles and caves of Kutralam. Chauffeured by Prem, we were headed for Agasthiyampalli, Pothigai, Courtalam, and Palani as instructed in my Nadi. Tavayogi was just as excited as I was.
Tavayogi tells me it has been ten years since he went to Agasthiyampalli. We reached Agasthiyampalli, Vedaranyam at 10.30 am. To our surprise, a temple priest, who was sitting with two other locals at the entrance of the temple, as if expecting our arrival, on seeing us alight from the car, came forward to greet and usher us into the temple grounds. He took us straight to Agathiyar’s temple. The priest lit the camphor and showed the flame (arati) to Agathiyar. Tavayogi and I then sat on the floor. Tavayogi began to sing the Siddha hymns and Potri as usual. The priest suddenly interrupted him. He asks that we circumambulate the Lord Siva temple first, giving instructions on how to do it the proper way. He insisted we pray at Lord Siva’s shrine first, implying that he had to leave for another temple. I questioned myself, as it was almost noon, and temples would be closed in the afternoons, why was he in a hurry to go to another temple to conduct prayers?" Tavayogi turned to me and said, "Let us oblige him."
Later in 2010, when Agathiyar, who came into our home in the exact image of his at this temple at Agasthiyampalli, was brought to a temple under a tree in Karai in Perak, a priest mysteriously turned up and carried out the abhisegam or libation to Agathiyar and puja, staying much longer than he had intended.
Tavayogi and I came around the temple grounds as the priest had instructed. We stepped into Lord Siva’s shrine, where the priest was waiting for us. He lit the camphor again and showed the flame. He led us to the open ground and touched a spot, telling us that that was the very spot where Agathiyar had pressed his thumb into the ground to balance the earth that had tilted due to the Devas, Gods, and Goddesses converging in the Himalayas for Lord Shiva-Goddess Parvathy’s wedding. He left us.
Tavayogi and I came back to Agathiyar’s shrine. Tavayogi picked up singing the hymns from where he had left off. Since Agathiyar had promised to open his eyes and see me at Agasthiyampalli in the Nadi reading, I began observing him. He was carved in granite with both eyes shut. His image had been worn down, missing all the details, due to years of conducting libation or Abhisegam on him.
As Tavayogi ended his prayer with a couple of hymns, I continued with the Potri hymns as usual. As I started reciting the Pranavam - AUM, at Agathiyar’s shrine, I could hear and feel the Pranavam reverberate, and bounce off the granite walls. I felt a cool breeze sweep over me even as I was sweating away at the shrine. As I uttered the last line of the Potri hymn, Aum Maa Siddhargale Potri, I broke down in tears. I cried and cried. Sadly, he did not open his eyes even after all the praise for him. Agathiyar had yet to look at me. I begged Agathiyar to open his eyes and see me. However, he did not respond. I shut my eyes as I wept continuously. After some time, I opened my eyes. Tavayogi, who was earlier seated opposite me, was not there anymore. I turned towards the entrance. He had moved to the open air and was standing there observing from the outside.
As I joined Tavayogi where he was standing, he ushered me to his side and whispered to me, “Agathiyar had opened his eyes twice. There is the aroma of sandalwood in the air too”. He asked that I stand at the same spot he had stood. “Concentrate now. Look at the Siddha’s eyes,” he said. I peered at the granite statue of Agathiyar, but I could hardly make out his face, much less see him open and close his eyes. The shrine was dark. I could sense Tavayogi’s disappointment that I could not see Agathiyar open his eyes. This I knew from the tone of his voice when he consoled me, “Never mind, son. Let’s snap some photographs, shall we?”
I entered Agathiyar’s shrine again and was about to sit at the same spot when Tavayogi motioned me to sit with Agathiyar in the inner sanctum. “Go in and sit at Agathiyar’s feet in the inner sanctum. He is our father. Who dares object?” That is when Tavayogi throws his shawl over to me, asking me to lay it on the floor to sit on, as the floor had oil spills and grime.
As I laid his shawl and sat, I glanced at Agathiyar’s face, and what do I see? The Siddha is observing me with his left eye open. I looked hard in disbelief. I was sure they were engraved “closed” as I entered his shrine this morning. I was overcome with joy seeing Agathiyar look at me, and I called out to Tavayogi, “Swami…” Even before I could complete my sentence, Tavayogi understood and told me, “Right! He has seen you, has he, come! They will show themselves, only for a moment.” Tavayogi hurried me from the spot. Even as I came out from his shrine, the Siddha was looking at me with one eye open, grinning away.
Agathiyar performed the same feat and miracle that he did at Agasthiyampalli shortly after, at his shrine at Papanasam. This time, he opened both his eyes and saw us. Again, Tavayogi herded me, and this time, my brother too, who had joined us after attending the programs at Trichy.
Returning from my pilgrimage to India, Agathiyar, in a reading on 20 December 2005, mentions the reason he hurried me to leave for India a month after Tavayogi's departure and the numerous Siddha spots, samadhis, and caves he brought me to. He confirms how he appeared at Agathiyampalli, Papanasam, and Kutralam. Just as he had performed miracles in India, Agathiyar promised to perform the same in Malaysia. And he kept his word till this very day.
It was first-hand experience that both Tavayogi and Agathiyar gave me, something that shall never be erased from my thoughts. They showed me miracles. They wanted me to watch and witness their play. Today I have come to see everything as their play and game. We are mere puppets or pawns in their game. Let us go along and play their game. Let us just watch the play unfold. Bringing me out of solitude, Agathiyar asks me to look at the world and men and just watch them at play, asking me to laugh it off. Later, we learn the same from Sadhu Om, who sang the praises of Bhagawan Ramana and his teachings, that everything was in order and in its right place. I guess we are asked to back off and just watch, unless we are appointed as Jeevan Muktas or Spiritual Catalysts to lead others. Indeed, if we were to lend a hand, then we would start a following that would hold us back longer. Let the Siddhas decide what we should do. We shall watch for the time being, as they say.