Speaking to a friend over the phone last night, he mentioned the story of a lady who faced so many problems share them with his friend. His friend, who knew a bit of astrology, asked her to see an astrologer. She then went missing for some three months. Finally catching up with her, she told him that she was sent by the astrologer to do remedies throughout India, but nothing good came from it. On the contrary, she lost more money in following his direction and instructions. His friend, in shifting the blame, asked her why she did them. I told my friend that his friend was to blame because he should have zipped up. I learned the hard way too, when the counselling, my wife and I gave to strangers who stood at our door after Agathiyar claimed that he would send them over, turned unfavorable to them. Calling up Tavayogi on the phone, he asked me why I interfered. I should have shown them to Agathiyar. Indeed, during the times I sat with him as he listened to the problems of many who came to see him when he was in Malaysia back then, he would listen patiently, explain that all their problems were because of Vinai or past karma, and have them worship the Siddhas. He would not say anything else. Neither would he dish out amulets, talismen, mantras, or remedies. He stayed away from taking on others' karma. So my wife and I, after learning the hard way, backed off asking Agathiyar to end all those visits. He listened and stopped sending people around. Then one day, as I stood before his bronze statue in my prayer room, I heard him ask me where I would go if he were to shut his ears. I was stunned. He wanted me to listen to others just as he would listen to all my outpourings to him. The moment we consented to his wish, he started sending them again. But we zip up these days, just listening and providing a shoulder to cry on.
Then, when a family who had similarly seen the worst of times and did the same as in traveling places that included India for solutions, but to no avail, contacted me to see Agathiyar recently, Agathiyar told them to place all their troubles into the fire pit or Homam that he had them lit in my home, and never look back. Today, they keep coming to thank him because their life has changed for the better. I understood the greatness of carrying out the fire ritual only then. Tavayogi, seeing the onslaught of nature during the Tsunami in 2004, began lighting the Yagam on his ashram grounds the following year to appease Mother Nature, and asked me to do it too, coinciding with the Agathiyar Jayanthi Vizha.
In subsequent years, he had families sit in on individual and personalized fire pits around the main pit that Tavayogi administered, calling it Sarva Dosa Nivarana Maha Yagam. I understand now that he had gotten them to personally take charge of their karma and practically dispose of it in the fire that they lit.
Agathiyar too told us that the Siddhas had sat doing this ritual, asking that Tavayogi's life be extended so that he could settle the affairs of the ashram and hand it over to Mataji in 2017. Given an extension, Tavayogi went into Samadhi the following year.
In bringing a halt to all rituals and charity in 2019, Agathiyar told us that we could take them up if necessary. At the height of the pandemic, Lord Shiva gave us a memo asking that we conduct it to assist Mother Nature and Prapanjam in combating the dreaded virus. Fearing a recurrence, Prapanjam herself, coming through a devotee, asked us to do it again.
I am glad that many in our circle have taken up this simple ritual in times of their needs.