Thursday 18 July 2024

THE SURPRISE

I am getting excited over the whole affair of my 60th wedding (actually I am 65 now) that Agathiyar is practically organizing for me and my wife. Now what did we do to deserve his kindness and attention? When he initially suggested that we carry out the 60th wedding, I told him that I was past 60. He then jokingly said, "We shall celebrate the 70th then". Minutes later, he said, "No. You do it this year." He told me he would update further at another moment. Days ago he intercepted a phone call and gave instructions on how we were to carry it out. The first thing he mentioned was that both my gurus Supramania Swami and Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal would grace the wedding. I was to pay homage to them. He asked that I carry out the Siddha puja first before moving on to the wedding. He asked that we sing from the "Siddhar Paadal Thoguppu" or compilation of songs in praise of the Siddhas that I had prepared for my personal home puja in 2007. 


He asked that I light the homam. Both my wife and I were to carry out Abhisegam or a libation to his statue and that of Lobama with milk. We were to exchange the garland next. We were asked to speak to those gathered about our experiences traveling the path and about the Siddhas. I remember Tavayogi put me in a fix when he told the audience that I would speak about the Siddhas at an opening of a branch of his Kallar Agathiyar Gnana Peedham in Banting during his visit here back then in 2007. I was a new kid on the block having no knowledge of the Siddhas then. I knew something about Tavayogi though and started to speak about him. Soon running out of words I cunningly reverted to singing the Arutperunjothi mantra which everyone began to sing with me too. I had escaped the test. When Agathiyar and Lobama made their rounds to the homes of devotees who invited them beginning June last year, I was asked to speak about the Siddhas again by Agathiyar. Well, I was in a fix again. Just minutes into the talk I invited all those gathered to share how Agathiyar changed their lives around. I escaped the test again. But as I did touch on vegetarianism, Agathiyar later told me that it was not appropriate and asked me to check out the audience first if they would appreciate the talk. So now when he tells me to speak again at our wedding, he surprises me by giving me the script too, so that I do not blunder again. He had me take out a blank sheet of paper and write it down. As the words came through, I understood them too. I then kept it aside. I never went back to reading it. It shall be read out during that day. 

Today he arranged for a devotee to drive us to Klang and purchase a wedding saree for my wife and a traditional suit for me, sponsored by the devotee. We also took costumes for Agathiyar and Lobama. This truly came as a surprise to us. Now what did we do to deserve his kindness and attention?