In my last post on GRATITUDE & SURRENDER AT THE LORD'S FEET, I had posted photos of devotee's total surrender.
Supramania Swami, my first Guru was a Shiva Bakta, who has since 7.2.2007 gone into samadhi. Swami worshiped all the Hindu deities. Agathiyar told me in the Nadi that since Swami was the one who "opened my eyes", he asked that I worship him once a week. Agathiyar told me to place a garland, worship and meditate at Swami's samadhi when I have the opportunity to go to Tiruvannamalai in the future. Agathiyar wanted me to feed the poor in remembrance and honor of Supramania Swami. Supramania Swami, before he went into samadhi had requested me to send funds so that on completion of his tapas or mauna virudham of 60 days, which he started on the eve of Thaipusam, he could feed 1000 people. But Swami went into samadhi immediately after a couple of days into performing the tapas. I managed to fulfill his last wish of providing food and water for 1000 people at the Tiruvannamalai Girivalam path through Jnana Jyothi Amma and Swami's family only in October of 2013.
Tavayogi had traveled the length and breadth of India during his days of a turavi or mendicant. When I was with him at his Kallar ashram in 2005, he took me to many of these places that he had been to, including temples, samadhis, caves, jungles and mountains. Present day Kallar has the Aaru Aadhara Peedham, a 6 1/2 feet fiber statue of Agathiyar, an equally majestic statue of Thava Murugar, a miniature granite statue of Agathiyar, another 3 feet tall granite statue of Agathiyar placed in the hills of Kallar, a 1 1/2 feet tall, mystical 1 faced Rudraksham weighing 7 kg gifted by a mysterious sadhu, and a Jeeva Nadi that is read for the public on Saturdays and Wednesdays. If Tavayogi wanted us to move on to the Gnana Margam, Agathiyar has directed otherwise.
Jnana Jyothi Amma has traveled vast, visited many temples, many years back, even before she moved to the USA. On returning to India in 2011, and within a short span of time she has gone on an extensive pilgrimage to temples and ashrams that she had once visited in the past and many many more that were shown to her lately.
I had been personally told by Agathiyar to worship him, the Siddhas and all the Gods in the Hindu theology/pantheon. Agathiyar asked that I contribute towards the construction of temples too. Agathiyar even asked that I construct a temple for him. This was all mentioned in my very first reading of the Kaanda Nadi in 2002.
Later in 2009 Agathiyar instructed me to have his bronze statue, a replica of him at Agasthiyampalli made and worshiped at my home, Agathiyar Vanam before placing him at the Sri Jegathguru Raghavendra Mrithiga Brindavanam in Ipoh. But along the way Agathiyar had a change of heart and decided to stay put at Agathiyar Vanam giving my family and friends the honor to continue serving him further. Meanwhile another devotee took up the task to have his statue made and placed at the Brindavanam.
The family and I have been performing the rituals of lighting the sacrificial fire or homam and conducting libation or bathing the statue, according to directives from Tavayogi and Agathiyar respectively, since Agathiyar's arrival on 2.1.2010 till the present moment. Initially I was not keen and comfortable performing rituals. But Tavayogi encouraged me and later, on his visit to Malaysia, personally performed them so that I could learn the finer points and refine these rituals. Agathiyar too revealed some time later. the reason for asking me to perform these rituals. After hearing these revelations my family and I put our heart, soul and mind into it.
Some time back when my wife and I went to see my friend, Siddha practitioner and astrologer Dr Krishnan, he spoke about a Swami who was putting up in his office space. The Dr told me the Swami had an ashram in a neighboring state. At that period in time he was in India. The Dr wanted me to meet him as he too was into the path of the Siddhas.
After having met two wonderful Gurus, I did not want to meet anyone else. My search had ended. I was satisfied and had a sense of fulfillment. Even Agathiyar in the earlier Nadi readings had asked that I meet Dharmalinga Swamigal of Kollimalai, Kundrakudi Adigalar, and Rengaraja Desigar (again), but I told Agathiyar I was not keen any more. I had him (Agathiyar), Supramania Swami of Tiruvannamalai and Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal of Kallar. I did not wish to meet another Swami. I suppose Agathiyar listened to my stand on this matter, because he did not persist nor bring up the subject again in the subsequent Nadi readings.
So when Dr Krishnan was giving me a very brief run through about the Swami, I just listened.
Some time later, the Dr called me to inform that the Swami had returned from India, and I could see him at 5pm that evening. I thought the Dr would not pursue this matter, but it seemed he always had me in mind. As I was obliged to the dear Dr in many ways, so when Dr Krishnan very much wanted me to meet that Swami, I had to give in and submit myself to meet him that evening.
As I arrived at the Dr's office, the Dr and the Swami had just returned to the premise too. The Dr introduced us and went into his room to attend to a client. I was left alone with the Swami in the office lounge. I started the conversation asking about him, and his ashram, because I knew very little about him. He told me he was on the path for the past 30 years, was running an ashram and had 20 to 30 disciples under him. He had just returned from India where had perform tapas and meditation for 3 months. He was currently putting up at Dr Krishnan's office premise and was scouting for a convenient, conducive place where he could continue his tapas. A question struck me then. What could be more conducive than one's own ashram. He could always shut the door if he wanted privacy and let the senior disciples manage the ashram in his absence or during his retreat.
He then questioned me on how and what I was doing, as Dr Krishnan had introduced me as someone on the path of the Siddhas. I told him how I came to read the Nadi, worship the Siddhas, worship Agathiyar in my home in the form of a statue, and performing the Homam and Abhisegam.
Almost immediately he recited Shivavakiyar's hymn that we are so familiar with, "Nattu Kallum Pesumoh Naathan Ull Erukaiyil", meaning "Could the stone speak when the Lord was within?".
நட்டகல்லைத் தெய்வம் என்று நாலு புட்பம் சாத்தியே
சுற்றி வந்து முண முணேன்று சொல்லும் மந்திரம் ஏதடா
நட்டகல்லும் பேசுமோ நாதன் உள் இருக்கையில்
சுட்ட சட்டி சட்டுவம் கறிச்சுவை அறியுமோ ? 494
I had to point out to him again that what I was doing was all based on Agathiyar's instruction in the Nadi. But he was harping on Shivavakiyar's songs and he went on with a couple more hymns, implying that what I was currently doing was wrong and that meditation was the only way.
I told him I was a beginner on this path, it has only been 5 years now, and I was an infant. I need a statue, to worship, whereas he has been on this path for 30 years, and might not need it. Just because he does not need it, it is not right to condemn other's believe or practice. Let everyone grow up or advance at their own pace.
This went on for some time until I stopped listening. After a while when I opened my eyes he was not there. I presumed he had gone into his room. I left the place, puzzled as to why Agathiyar arranged for this incident to happen and what was the lesson that I had to learn from it, and for that matter maybe the Swami too had to learn something from this.
I realized that there was indeed something good from this confrontation. Coming back home, I went through the whole of Shivavakiyar's works (524 stanzas) in one sitting. Going through his works, it seems Shivavakiyar had opposed temple worship, all forms of rituals and worship of form. But Shivavakiyar before starting to render the Shivavakiyam, had coined a prayer for Lord Ganesha too!
அரியதோர் நமச் சிவாயம் ஆதியந்தம் ஆனதும்
ஆறிரண்டு நூறு தேவர் அன்றுரைத்த மந்திரம்
சுரியதோர் எழுத்தை உன்னிச் சொல்லுவேன் சிவவாக்கியம்
தோஷ தோஷ பாவ மாயை தூரதூர ஓடவே
கரியதோர் முகத்தையொத்த கற்பகத்தைக் கைதொழக்
கலைகள் நூல்கள் ஞானமும் கருத்தில் வந்துதிக்கவே
பெரியபேர்கள் சிறியபேர்கள் கற்றுணர்ந்த பேரெலாம்
பேயனாகி ஓதிடும் பிழைபொறுக்க வேண்டுமே 1
We are told that Tirumular had taken 3,000 years to compose his TIRUMANTIRAM, coming out of his meditation and rendering a stanza before going back into it. Hence, he delivered one stanza a year, 3108 in total (Kasitirumadam Publication, Tiruppananthal)
In TIRUMANTIRAM: FOUNTAINHEAD OF SAIVA SIDDHANTA, is given as follows,
Legend as it that the sage (Tirumular) retired to a cave where he would sit in samadhi for a full year without moving. At the end of each year he would break his meditation long enough to speak out a single Tamil verse giving the substance of that year's meditations. He wrote over 3,000 verses in all.
Ramalinga Adigal started with worship of the form and moved on to the formless and eventually the light, over a period of 51 years. His experiences have been documented in chronological order in Ooran Adigal's publication of his, "Complete Poetical Works of Sri Ramalinga Swamigal -TIRUARUTPA".
Similarly Shivavakiyar too could have delivered the stanzas over a long period of time. So one would have to identify at what stage in life he had come out with those verses opposing these practices.
Well as Tavayogi told me one would be showered with praises at times and would also be barraged with criticisms, it is all part of growing up.
I do not know what miracle took place that day because, I saw the Swami participate in Agathiyar's Guru Puja held at a temple some time later.
