SANAASI MALAI AADAVAR

My late father used to mention about a samadhi at a temple on a hill in Malacca, Malaysia. Some years back I seeked out this temple when I was in Malacca. It is the Sannasi Aandavar Temple. Since the surrounding area has been filled and development has taken place all around the temple, the hill my father mentioned is no more visible. We had since then visited the temple several times.

The temple management and public celebrated the Maasimagam Fests recently. My daughter participated in the prayers.

Invitation to the festival. All photos courtesy of Praba Shanmugam

Sanaasi Malai Aadavar Temple

Samadhi

The silver chariot

The inner sanctum

AGATHIYAR & THE SAPTHA RISHIS

Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal called to say that he was leaving for Rishikesh and the Himalayas some years back. It was Agathiyar's directive. He would be there for 21 days, he said. I was excited too. Along the way he called me over the phone to update me on his pilgrimage. One fine day I received a suprising news from him. He told me he had just seen the Saptha Rishis. I burst into tears of joy upon hearing him say that. That day I realized that bliss can be contagious. Agathiyar asked him to cut short his trip and return to Kallar immediately.

http://tamilblog.ishafoundation.org/yogigalai-urpathi-seitha-agasthiyar/

From the above blog, interesting facts are revealed about these Saptha Rishis and Agathiyar.

As it is an interesting read,  I have translated it from Tamil to English.

Lord Shiva was in the midst of teaching his seven disciples intricate subjects including Yoga. Amazingly throughout the whole period he dispensed this knowledge to his students without speaking verbally. But yet his students understood and learnt the seven different Yoga methods. 

There are four kinds of sounds. The spoken sound is vaikhaari. Another voice that arises within upon seeing external things is Matyamaa. Pasyanthi is when a voice arises within without any external stimuli. Paravak is the creators or Erai’s voice, or vibration that emits from the source.

This exchange between Lord Shiva and his seven disciples went on for years. At the end of the tutorship, Shiva sent his disciples, now full fledged Saptha Rishis, to all corners and directed them to pass on the knowledge to other worthy students. 

1. One Rishi left for Central Asia. 

2. Another Rishi left for North Africa and the Middle East

3. Another Rishi headed for South America. 

4. Another Rishi took his newly learnt knowledge to East Asia. 

5. Another Rishi sat with Adhi Yogi Shiva, not moving a limb. His meditative power encompassed and resounded throughout the Himalayan range.

6. The sixth Rishi came down from the Himalayas to preach the Kashmiri Saivam at the foot of the mountain range.

7. The seventh Rishi took to the south of the Indian continent. He was Agathiyar. His teachings stood out not as a philosophy, practise or doctrine but became part of life itself. He brought devotion to the commoners and made it part and parcel of their lives. The path of devotion was also instilled in every facet of the commoners daily life. They end up doing some form of Yoga in their daily chores without even realizing it. India is reaping the benefits of his hard work today. We can find his imprint in every Indian home. He went in search of worthy students without leaving even an inch of land out. Hundreds of Yogis were made and moulded under the tutorship of Agathiyar.

See http://www.drsvoboda.com/sacredspeech.htm, http://komarraj.blogspot.com/2012/10/mantras-sacred-words-of-power.html for more on the four degrees of speech.

HEEDING AGATHIYAR'S CALL

Srimathi Nalini Rajalingam from Chennai traveled to Papanasam on 14 and 15 of February 2015. Read about her expedition at http://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2015/02/agathiyars-call.html

I have summarized her journey and posted her photos.

She had a beautiful Jeeva Nadi reading at Kallar where Agathiyar called her to Pavanasam, Agathiyar Aruvi, Sadhu Krishnaveni Amma's ashram, his Moolasthanam at Kalyana Theertham and Senbagadevi Aruvi in Courtallam where he says, "Senbagadevi aruvi karai oram nan irukken en kugai undu en vaasi kol undu adhai un sirasil thottu vanagu", meaning "I am at the banks of Senbaga Aruvi; my cave is there; my Vaasi kol or staff is there; place it on your head and worship".

At Courtallam after walking for about half an hour, a gate stood in their path. Along comes someone and sends them back to get permission from the Forest Department. With permission they start again. After 2 kilometers, her husband meets a friend. They had not met for twelve years now. He leads them to a Baba who was conducting pooja or prayers in the jungles of Courtallam. The Baba happily takes them in, since coincidentally the Baba needed three more people for the pooja. Taking a ride on a jeep that took them to a spot some 17 kilometers away in the mountains and deep forest of Courtallam, was a exceptionally unexpected surprise for Srimathi Nalini and her family. They reached a cave. A Vaasi kol was there. After a pooja they continued another four kilometers to Agathiyar paadham. Here libation or abhisegam, pooja and archanai was conducted. Moving on to the spot where Agathiyar meditated, they located another Vaasi kol. The rituals were conducted again.  Having being blessed by Agathiyar as he had indicated in the Nadi, she returned from Courtallam, just in time to catch her train back to Chennai.

Just as mentioned in the Nadi, Agathiyar received Srimathi Nalini Rajalingam's family, gave a darshan of his three Vaasi kol in three different places, received their prayers and blessed them. A truly amazing journey and encounter it has been for Srimathi Nalini Rajalingam's family.

At Paabanaasa Swami Thirukovil

At Kalyana Theertam

Agathiyar paadham and another Vaasi kol.

The spot where Agathiyar meditated and another Vaasi kol.

HOW I CAME TO SUPRAMANIA SWAMI & TAVAYOGI

After completing my atonements or parikaram in India, I asked Devanthiran, my appointed driver, to see an astrologer. He points out to me that his uncle was one and was only staying eight kilometres from Thiruvannamalai. He drives me over to see his uncle. A small fragile man came to greet us. Devanthiran introduced me as a tourist from Malaysia who wanted to draw up his daughter's astrological chart. The Swami did not say a word but instead led us to his altar and prayed. He asked his son Ramajayam to bring out the almanacs and lay his deerskin. To my surprise he began to narrate about me. I cried and cried. Those were some lovely five hours I spent with him, all alone. Now I can relate to Nakirar's song in praise of Lord Vinayagar, where he mentions the moment of seclusion where the guru and disciple spent some cherished moments in bliss. He gave me a mantra Teecha. I had found my guru just as Agathiyar had mentioned in my Nadi reading.

Hence started a beautiful relationship until Swami went into samadhi on 7 February 2007, at an age of 76, and was laid to rests off the Girivalam path at Thiruvannamalai. On my second visit to India I read my Nadi to him. He was overjoyed and wanted to see the Nadi too, only to know about his demise from the mortal form. Although his wish did not materialize, he could state in advance, the exact date and time of his leaving, as discovered by Ramajayam after his samadhi, written by Swami in his diary.

His forty year wish to build a temple was, I believe, fulfilled although a Siddha had stopped us from carrying on further. An abandoned kudil stands now on this piece of land, a reminder of a wonderful soul who became my very first guru.

When Sentilkumar read my Nadi the very first time in 2003, he passed me a leaflet announcing the building of a temple for Agathiyar at Kallar in India by Thangarasan Adigal Adigal. I kept the leaflet. In 2005 Tavayogi arrives in Malaysia to officiate a branch. I make an appointment to meet him. Again the moment of seclusion was created for both guru and disciple to spend some time together. I told him I was asked to come to the Siddha path by Agathiyar in the Nadi. He had the branch to arrange for a mantra Teecha or initiation that evening. Both my wife and I, among eight others, were blessed to receive Teecha. Tavayogi points me to Nadi Nool Aasan Ramesh, when I told him I was asked to see the Nadi again at the age of 45, the same year. In that reading Agathiyar asked me to leave immediately and seek Teecha from Tavayogi. Both Tavayogi and I are surprised why again? Anyway he gave me Teecha immediately, in seclusion this time, and by touch.

Although my first trip to India in 2003 was planned carefully, taking into account all the temples I had to visit for the parikaram, I threw caution to the wind and I followed behind the heels of Tavayogi when he invited me over to his ashram. Literally speaking that was how he brought me places - all the Siddha caves, mountains, jungles, samadhis, and temples - I followed closely behind his heels least I should be left behind. Never for a moment did he turn around to check if I was following him. He moved around as if pulled by a force, and I had to keep pace with him. Imagine he was already seventy two then. Just before I left he gave me a breathing technique or Vasi Payarchi and another mantra Teecha. Earlier in Malaysia he had guided us on some asanas and breathing practises that Agathiyar tells me in the Nadi has to be treasured.

If Agathiyar started me on worship and rituals having instructed me to have his statue made and perform libation or abhisegam, Tavayogi instructed me to conduct the homam, a smaller scale of the yagam or yagna. In 2013 Tavayogi endorses all our efforts by honoring us with Agathiyar's Patharatchai or footwear and Vaasi kol or staff. Agathiyar through the Nadi reading, now more then fifty, has always praised us for our efforts too, however minute and even if not to par.

HOW I CAME TO AGATHIYAR

Agathiyar. I remember seeing him in movies as a kid back then. Yes his role was most often if not always portrayed by the late Sirgazhi Govindarajan solely because Govindarajan fits the physical form of Agathiyar depicted in paintings and sculptures. Short and round with a kamandalam or water vessel and vaasi kol or a staff, this was how we knew Agathiyar, although his is envisioned and painted tall and slim nowadays, a much leaner vision. As I recall, I remember we had a painting of Lord Murugan of Thirucehendur, with Deivayanai and Valli on both sides and a much smaller figures of two saints, one on the right and the other on the left bottom of the picture at our altar. One of them was Agathiyar and the other Auvai. I still don't understand why I would turn around and raise my hands in prayer looking towards my house as I left for school each day. My mother and siblings use to mentioned this peculiar habit of mine even now.

When I landed a job in 1980, I had so much free time on hand that I took up worshipping seriously, waking up in the early hours known as Muhurtha neram to conduct prayers. I repeated the prayers every evening. I had a Chinese carpenter make me a small stage where I placed all the lovely pictures of Gods and Goddesses. I used to pick the flowers a day earlier and leave them in a tray of water overnight. They would still look fresh during prayers the next morning. I had the whole house to myself and would sing my heart out at the top of my voice. I frequented temples in the vicinity too. When I was transferred to Kuala Lumpur from Lumut in 1988, all this came to a stop. I was now occupying a small cubicle with my Muslim friend. After marriage, I moved into a home that I rented. I left all forms of prayers. In 1994 I moved into my own home with my family, but yet I was not praying. In 1996 when I came to know Dr Krishnan, astrologer and Siddha practitioner, he asked that I pray. But I did not. 

I used to frequent Dr Krishnan, when I asked him if his predictions would not materialize. “Yes if you were cursed”, he answered. I asked him to look into my charts and tell me if I was cursed. He replied it would not show on an astrological chart and the only way was to seek a Nadi reader. He explained that Nadi where were predictions written by Siddhas some thousands of years ago on dried palm leaves. That was the very first time I heard the word Nadi and was told about its authors, the Siddhas. I left it at that, not pursuing the matter.

In 2002 my colleague tells me about his experience reading the Nadi in 2000. I became excited and asked him if he could get me an appointment to see mine. The appointment was fixed and I went for a reading. Nadi Nool Aasan or Nadi Guru Sentilkumar of Avinashi was in Malaysia reading the Nadi then. He sent me away after spending a long time and failing to trace or locate my Nadi, asking me to come a couple of weeks later. When I turned up again my Nadi was located in the very first bundle. I agreed the particulars read out briefly in the Nadi were mine. He asked me to come again later for a detailed reading. I went back to him later. It was a beautiful reading. In the reading Agathiyar reveals my past birth and also where I was heading. Agathiyar asked that I pray to Lord Ganapathy, Lord Shiva and Agathiyar himself.

I returned to pay my respects to the Siddhas and the Nadi. A small puja or prayer was conducted by Sentilkumar. He accepted the Nadikku Danam or offering of cash, clothings, fruits and sweets that I passed over to him as stipulated in the Nadi by Agathiyar. I was officially introduced to Agathiyar and the Siddhas that momentous day. Sentilkumar passed me a small booklet carrying the names of the Siddhas that Sentilkumar had memorized and read out during the Puja some moments ago. Shivabalan who housed Sentilkumar during his stay in Malaysia, passed me a painting of Agathiyar to be worshipped, at the same time. Thus, equipped with a painting of Agathiyar and the list of names of Siddhas or Siddhar Potri Thoguppu, started my journey with Agathiyar and the Siddhas. 

I got to perform the atonements or parikarams, what was told in the Nadi, immediately, and started prayers to the Siddhas as done by Sentilkumar. Yet I did not know anything further about these Siddhas and their capabilities. I started searching the book shops for books on Siddhas. The net and Mr Google were not available then. I looked up and checked out the various Peedhams or establishments associated with Agathiyar and the Siddhas in Malaysia. Meanwhile I had finished my atonements or parikaram in Malaysia and was preparing to leave for india to complete the rests.

Satsang with Siddha Heartbeat

Surendaran Selvaratnam returned from a short visit to India recently. His wish to go to Pothigai Peak and have a darshan of Agathiyar materialized during this visit. Although he had wanted very much to go to this holy spot he also wanted Agathiyar's blessing. To his surprise when he sat for his Jeeva Nadi reading at Kallar Ashram on 14 February 2015, a day after his arrival in India, Agathiyar invited him to Pothigai and mentioned that he would take care of him. He also mentioned that Korrakar too blesses him.

Listen to Surendaran relate his experience reaching Pothigai Peak. What follows in this video is the Jeeva Nadi revelation by Agathiyar for Surendaran. Surendaran put forth five questions which were all answered by Agathiyar. Besides his career and personal life, he had asked to know about the history of the samadhi at the foothills of Batu Caves in Malaysia purportedly said to be that of one Mauna Guru Siddhar.  Agathiyar explains that the saint, a devout bakta of Lord Murugan had travelled to Batu Caves and went into samadhi. People used to call him Mauna Samy.

Agathiyar says, "Having performed tavam or austerities in the Himalayan range, a saint traveled through Burma to the limestone hills of Malaya. He installed my Guru (Lord Murugan), performed further tavam and gained Mukthi. He maintained silence for years and attained Siddhi. The locals called him Mauna Samy".

Earlier Agathiyar had directed an Indian citizen working in Singapore to pay homage at this samadhi through a Nadi reading. Later Surendaran and many others were asked to light a lamp at this place. Obviously they were keen to know more about the saint and his life. Going over to Batu Caves and having located the samadhi, they began frequently this spot as instructed by Agathiyar. Saravanan Palanisamy did some research too regarding the saint and his samadhi and has posted some information at http://arulgnanajyothi.blogspot.com/2015/01/mouna-guru-sitthar-of-batu-caves.html

DEFEATING KARMA

In the introduction to Lama Kunga Rimpoche and Brian Cutillo’s translation of MIRACULOUS JOURNEY - Further Stories and Songs of Milarepa, Lotsawa,1986, Vivian Sinder and Brian Cutillo write,

Mila's interactions established karmic connections with all sorts of people, enabling him to plant seeds for spiritual development in ways not always immediately comprehensible. The word karma means action. It refers to the operation of cause and effect in the mind; the complex network of past actions which conditions current perceptions and concepts, resulting in the habitual structuring of self and world. Any action, physical or mental, has repercussions within the realm of personal experience; each moment influences the next. Because the relationship between action and experience rules samsara, liberation is not attained by ignoring cause and effect. Instead, by working with it to create conditions conducive to spiritual growth, one creates a solid ground for the ultimate leap to freedom.

Milarepa spoke to simple folk about the need to make use of this precious human existence for spiritual advancement and not to ignore karma.

Similarly Agathiyar says one needs sufficient merits to be born as a human and speaks about the extent of karma from minutest to the most obvious. Agathiyar goes to show how minute and intricate the actions of karma are. For instance he explains the amount of karma that we keep on creating daily, right from picking a tender leaf or a flower bud to the most severe atrocities that humans do. 

A man has to take hundreds of thousands of birth several times just to realize and understand the existence, importance and intricacies of karma. Just as one can stay in the neighbourhood or vicinity of a temple, pass by the temple each day, numerous times but would not consider entering the temple to offer his prayers, similarly Agathiyar says for one just to have the thought of considering the outcome of karma in all his actions, he has to take on many births. My travel agent who arranged for me to go to India both times in 2003 and 2005, has been taking tourist from Malaysia to Vaitheeswaram to have their Nadi read but he had yet to read his Nadi. He never felt the urge or neccessity to consult the Nadi until a few years back.

Seeing a person is seeing karma in effect. Seeing a person is seeing his karma baggage. Mans thoughts is closely associated and driven by his karma. The subsequent actions that arise, result due to the planetary movements, that create an avenue, the space and time for him to reap what he has sowed. Ones karma creates incidents and situations which brings forth experiences to the person concern. These experiences then start to shape his thinking and opinion. If we closely follow, we realize its a cycle. Man has a choice to put an end to this cycle of birth by taking initiatives to exhaust his present and past karma and becoming aware not to create new ones.

Ones previous good karma and the amount of austerities or tavam put in in the past lives decides and determines the state of spiritual life and circle into which and where one would take birth respectively. If one prepares for the next birth by doing good, right here and now, a conducive environment is created for him to further advance spiritually in the next.

On the contrary, Agathiyar cautions us against doing or engaging in bad deeds as a chain of bad deeds eventually transforms itself as a disease. But the most compassionate Siddha has a solution for us. Visiting temples related to these diseases helps ease, bring relief or contain the disease. 

Bad deeds also create ignorance in one that makes it difficult for him to distinguish between the truth and false but rather go after things, working hard to a stage of self-exhaustion, and stressing himself out, all for the sake of things that neither last long nor are permanent. Instead Agathiyar says if at all there is a need to be stressful one should be stressed out that he has not yet achieved oneness with Erai or the Lord.

Agathiyar reveals the secret of rebirth. While the Devas and the more superior atma or souls take birth voluntarily, most man take birth as a result of curses, sins and karma that needs to be exhausted. Man with his sense of differentiating between the good and the bad, can initiate good deeds and do charity and service to humanity, thus eradicating all of his karma in a single birth. Animals are not capable of doing so, hence have to be born again and again as animals to exhaust all their karma. The atma that has taken on a form of an animal, for it to regain the human form, it will takes millions of kalpas. An animal birth is taken to exclusively cleanse itself of karma. It does not add further karma. It lives as long as it has karma to be exhausted. Once its karma is exhausted it dies. Eventually after many births it takes a birth as a human where it can think for itself. That’s the reason the human birth is considered superior and rare.

Agathiyar reveals further that by just being an animal, its karma is not automatically eradicated. Man through his actions of trapping it, capturing it, and torturing it helps remove its karma by taking it upon himself. But be aware whatever little merits that man has is passed on or transferred to the animal. At times, if karma permits, the animal purposely takes on the torture and pain to expedite their evolvement from an animal to back to a higher being.

Karma comes around and around weakening one. The only way out is to seek God, be devoted and perform charity. Thavathiru Rengaraja Desigar of Ongkarakudil has brought together a massive following of devotees who are committed in doing charity by way of feeding hundreds each day. This is a good start. Surendaran Selvaratnam visits both Kallar ashram and Ongkarakudil. I shall post photos that he had taken during his short visit to these places recently, once he passes them to me over this weekend.

A TRIBUTE TO MY PARENTS

Watching Vairamuthu's introductory verse "Ayiram thaan kavi sonnen, azhaazhaga poi sonnen, pethavale un perume, otthavari sollalaiye, kathallam magan paattu, kagithathil avan yezhuttu, urellaam magan pechu, un kirthi yezhutalaiye", from his rendition of a poem, a tribute to his mother and all mothers, made me realize that I had never spoken about my parents albeit a small introduction in one of my earlier books. Then I remember Jnana Jyothiamma remind me that Siddha Heartbeat was to only carry stories on the Siddhas and must stand apart from other blogs; definitely no family stuffs and other mundane things. I suppose I could bend the rules just this once to talk about my parents, as a show of gratitude too.

My late fathers home in Kilsevalpatti, Sivagangai-Karaikudi

My father was from India. He had travelled from his homeland seeking wealth and riches as they were traditionally bankers or chettiars. He serviced businessmen in Rangoon, Burma, Singapore, and finally settled in Ipoh and later in Taiping, Malaysia. He took my mother's hand and brought up a family of seven. 

When the Japanese invaded Malaya, the firing shots from the enemy airplane missed his head by inches just as he stepped out from a bank, clutching on to two bundles of money. He hit the sand and laid still, wondering if he was still alive or dead. He was spared that day. He realized then at that moment that all the riches could not save him from death, if death chose to come. He began giving away his wealth to the needy and whoever came along. His property too was given away. He gave away his brand new Morris Minor to his nephew. 

On one of his many regular trips back to India, he landed at an ashram and served a guru for some time. One fine day the guru called him aside and told him he had responsibilities towards his family and sent him back home. My father came back to Malaysia and continued his charitable endeavours. 

My father was a man of few words, but stood by them. He was a man of dignity, integrity, pleasant and kind. 

On the day he passed away, he went and sat in a corner, took up the padmasana pose and left the body. It was a beautiful death. He had no illness. He did not suffer. I suppose it was blissful.

My mother with Agathiyar

My mother too is a gem of a person. She still prays for all her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Her prayers that I should let go of my anger reached Agathiyar for Agathiyar in the Nadi gave me a long lecture on anger and its adverse effects and asked me to manage my anger.

The mothers prayers is always heard. 

My brother wrote about Mum's Secret Formula for Happiness when he was with the New Strait Times some years back. Read it at http://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnist/mum-s-secret-to-happiness-1.75017.

THE GURU PART 2

Agathiyar has come to help us. When the Jeeva Nadi Guru requested that Agathiyar simplify the writings that appeared in the Nadi, preferably to be in present day Tamil, so that both he and the listeners could comprehend, Agathiyar was saddened that he had to bring down his standards but the most compassionate guru agreed to do so for the sake of his subjects. 

When a Malaysian approached the Jeeva Nadi Guru of Chennai for a reading, the subject had difficulty in understanding the readings from the Nadi and the clarifications giving by the guru. To the guru's surprise Agathiyar asked him to hand over the Nadi to the subject. One peering into the Jeeva Nadi the subject realized that words appeared in the Malay language, a language he was well versed with and familiar. He read what Agathiyar had to convey to him by himself and understood.

Tavayogi out of the blues told me over the phone recently that my family, friends and I were blessed for Agathiyar to be residing at Agathiyar Vanam while he had to traverse the length and breadth of India seeking him. Agathiyar too had mentioned several places that I had to visit in my Pothu Kaandam, Shanti Parikara Kaandam, and Gnana Kaandam and perform atonements. This I did in the year 2003. Later in the Aasi Nadi he invited me over again to more places where the Siddhas had traveled. This I accomplished in 2005 with Tavayogi leading the way. Again on returning to my homeland Agathiyar mentioned several more places that I ought to visit. That's when I told Agathiyar I do not wish to come over, as I was satisfied with all the sights, miracles and blessings he had shown. I told him instead, that if at all he wished to show me a thing or two, let that take place, here, in my prayer room at Agathiyar Vanam. Agathiyar did not bring up the subject again. Only when in September/ October of 2013 did he ask me to visit my guru Tavayogi and pay my respects to him. I left immediately with my family, and I am happy I did. 

Tavayogi does not have a following, never encouraged one, but has set up and inaugurated numerous temples, peedhams or institutions honoring Agathiyar and the Siddhas, both in India and Malaysia. He showed us the path and left us to walk it, experiment, and discover. He was always there to catch us if we should trip and fall. He was always there to redirect us if we should deviate in our ways. There was no conditions laid; no rules; he gave us all the space and freedom to engage in all things of our likings, but only requested that we had the thought of Agathiyar at each moment.

Agathiyar too remodeled the path to suit current trends and times and made it easy for seekers to adopt the path. He weaved a routine, spiritual practice and teaching taking into consideration the seeker's life style, ability, cultural upbringing, financial standing, his career - all tailored to suite the candidate. Agathiyar had always this words to say to them - Be Patient.

When my nephew found it difficult to perform prayers daily as requested, Agathiyar gave him an option to participate once a month in any prayer done on Pornami or Full moon. When the Jeeva Nadi Guru of Chennai had erked Agathiyar for some reason, Agathiyar withdrew appearing in the Nadi as a reading. The guru regretted and asked for forgiveness. Agathiyar submitted after some time asking him to chant a divine mantra a certain number of times. As the guru felt the figure mentioned was unattainable and an impossible feat, again he pleaded to Agathiyar to shower his grace and lessen 'the punishment' . Agathiyar asked him to chant a lesser number of times. Even this was not feasible to the Nadi Guru. He begged of Agathiyar to lessen the number of chants. Agathiyar pleased him eventually. 

When Agathiyar came over to our shores in the form of a bronze statue, he had asked to chant his mantra 100,000 times besides performing other rituals that he strictly stipulated and I had to adhere too. I was figuring how I was to achieve that figure. I timed myself for ten minutes. If I was to chant non stop it would take me six days, which was not something feasible. If I chant during the day (4am to 10pm) taking time to sleep at night, it would take me ten days to complete 100,000. Again this was not feasible. Thats when Mataji Sarojini Ammaiyar was making her rounds in Malaysia, preaching the Siddha path. I consulted her. She told me to gather the family and friends and get all of them to chant together, rather than I chant alone. We did just that. But after an exhausting two hours of chanting Agathiyar's moola mantra, we only managed to put in a mere 45,000. We gave up. Our throats were parched and dry. Some even lost their voices. 

Some days later Agathiyar called me for a Nadi reading. To my surprise  he accepted our prayers. Then I realized the numbers were not important but its rather whether we take the initiative to do as he says that matters.

When a Punjabi lady came for a Nadi reading with Nadi Guru Ramesh, she was instructed to feed the monkeys and the birds.  She headed for Batu Caves. But there was no monkey to be seen that day. She fed the birds and left the food that she brought for the monkeys behind. Later she went again for a reading, feeling guilty that she could not carry out Agathiyar's directive. But the most compassionate father told her he had accepted her atonement.

THE GURU PART 1

Sri Raghavan posted on fb the following:

Wherever the Master went, a huge crowd followed, causing much inconvenience to the locals. The Master taking notice of this once thundered, "You fools! Follow my path and not me!"
~ There was wisdom, even in the anger of the Master.

A true master would not want devotees worshiping him but instead uphold the path shown to him. Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal scolded me for falling at his feet. He wanted me to only submit to Agathiyar and no one else. His only mantra was the name of Agathiyar. He also asked us to recite the names of the other Siddhas. Agathiyar says a disciple need not live like the guru but instead should uphold the principles taught to him. 

Tavayogi trained us well. The very day he visited my home, I had a bashing from him. He killed my joy of having a saint in my home for the very first time, all for a reason, I understand now. When my family and I ended up advising devotees who came to Agathiyar Vanam, which in turn brought inconveniences to us, he bashed me again saying, "Why do you want to interfere. Show them to Agathiyar".

Tavayogi also showed us humbleness and down to earth compassion and love in many situations. He loved my children very much, always having the younger girl sit beside him. When he changed his mind and asked that we cross the Kallar river to the other bank, he went for both his sandals and mine. When I was struggling to carry the heavy sack of vegetables purchased at the Methupalaiyam market, he practically snatched the burden from my hands and heaved the sack over his shoulder and back and strode off like a magnificent warrior.

When we had both washed our clothes at the waters of Agasthiyar Falls, we laid them to dry on the boulders before we climbed the steps up to Kalyana Theertam. Upon returning, his cloths, a mere piece of linen called kaavi were dry but not my pants and shirts. I packed them back into a plastic bag and we headed for Courtallam caves to spent the night. After the overnight stay, as we headed back downhill, he snatched my bag of dirty linen and started off on the hike down the hill. 

He left his family to become a monk, a choice he made voluntarily, but not without taking care of the family first. He passed on his business to his wife and children so that they could sustain themselves.

Whatever contributions and donations that came from charitable persons and from charges for the Jeeva Nadi readings, were channeled to upgrade and maintain the Ashram; to feed devotees who frequent his Ashram for the Jeeva Nadi reading and Pornami prayers; and to provide stationery and school uniforms to the native children or Aadhi Vaasi who have come to settle around his Ashram.

At the end of our visit to Kallar Ashram in October of 2013, he honored my family and me with Agathiyar's patharatchai or footwear and these words, " I had a worry whether the seed I had sowed in Malaysia will see the light; today that worry has left me".

Abhisegam @ Agathiyar Vanam Malaysia

AGATHIYAR'S CALL

Srimathi Nalini Rajalingam from Chennai met Bala Chandran Gunasekaran, Surendaren Selvaratnam and Dyalen Muniandi at Kallar during the Agathiyar Jayanthi and Guru Puja and Sarva Dosa Nivarana Maha Yagam recently. The trio invited Srimathi Nalini's family to accompany them to get Othiappar's blessings at Othimalai. They set out on a memorable pilgrimage to Othimalai and back. View photos from their journey at http://agathiyarvanam.blogspot.com/2015/01/three-missionaries-of-agathiyar-part-5.html

Srimathi Nalini had earlier visited the Kallar Ashram.When asked whether she liked the place she replied, "I started crying when I was there, could not understand myself"

She shared her journey to Papanasam last Sunday. In her own words,

We had been to Pabanasam last Sunday. Had a nice dharshan of Pavanasaswamy and Ulgammai. Then had been to Agathiyar falls, had a shower. Then been to Sadhu Krishnaveni Amma Ashram. It was closed. We sat there for some time and then to Kalyana theertham. Was very very happy to sit with Agathiyar Ayyan and Ulobamudra Amma. We were there for sometime. I bought a vasthram and one food parcel, thinking that to give to any sadhu. We were in search of a sadhu but could not find one. At last, at Kalyana Theertham the food parcel was taken by monkeys over there and the "vasthram agathiyar ku en kaiyal satri vazhi patten".

In Jeeva Naadi (read at Kallar) Agathiyar ayya asked me to visit Pabanasam, then Agathiyar aruvi, Sadhu Krishnaveni Amma ashram and his moolasthanam at Kalyana Theertham. Next he asked me to visit Coutralam. He asked me to come to Senbagadevi aruvi. "Senbagadevi aruvi karai oram nan irukken en kugai undu en vaasi kol undu adhai un sirasil thottu vanagu".

We stayed at a lodge in Tenkasi. The next day is the climax. Next day, we started from Tenkasi and went to Coutralam. It was just 4 kms from where we stayed. We never had been there. Husband and I along with our two kids started around 9 am. We walked for around 1/2 kilometer ... there was no place to move ahead. The gate kind of thing was closed. We were waiting there for sometime and one person came from the other side. He told that we could not go like this because the route is closed. We need to get permission from Forest department. Again we came back the same way, went to the forest office and got the permission to enter the forest. Our driver also accompanied us. When we were on the way, all 3 of us do not know where Agathiyar kugai is. We walked for almost 2 kms suddenly my husband met one of his Yoga Friend whom he meets after 12 years. We asked that Ayya whether he knows where Agathiar Kugai is. That Ayya told that Agathiyar kugai is closed now and nobody can go there.

I told that I got the Nadi reading like this, so Agathiar will definitely call me to his place. Then that Ayya told that a Baba is there, he is guiding a group of people for some pooja, "Let us ask his help". We all agreed and I sat in the same place with my two kids. My husband went along with that Ayya to meet that Baba. He came after 10 - 15 mins. He said that Baba is waiting at nearby place there are moving to some place for a pooja and has accepted to take us along with him. We all went and met that Baba. We got his blessings. He said that he is going to do some special pooja that day, suddenly 3 people in his group could not come and that we 3 had joined.

After that from that place, we went in a jeep for around 17kms in that mountain. You will not believe it is such a forest and mountain I have never seen. Nobody can enter that place because it is a private property of somebody. We reached a Kugai where it was told that all Sidhar Perumakkal are still in meditation. One vaasi kol was there. We all prayed and again walked for around 3 -4 kms and reached Agathiar Padam. There Baba performed abhishegam, pooja and archanai for Agathiyar Ayya. It was around 2.00 pm. We all had the pooja prasadham. Suddenly I started feeling unwell. Baba told me that Agathiyar has showered his blessings on all of us. Then he gave me a lemon to hold in my hand. The moment I got it, I felt refreshed.

From Agathiyar padam we went to a place where Agathiyar did meditation. Again there was a vasikkol. "Innum 3 vaasikkol ange sedhukka pattu irundhadhu". We did abishegam poojai archanai over there too. "Ange irundha ellarum andha vaasi koolai engal sirasil thottu vananginom".

We all started around 4.45 pm and came to the place where the jeep was there around 5.30 pm and came to the land around 6 pm. Our train to Chennai was at 6.45 pm.

A truly amazing journey and encounter it has been for Srimathi Nalini Rajalingam's family.

Surendaren Selvaratnam is at Pothigai peak currently. Suren left for Kallar on 13th February 2015 and had a Jeeva Nadi reading the next day. Agathiyar called him over to Pothigai peak.

I happened to see a post on fb by Palaniappan Annamalai. Palaniappan had reservations for 15 to go to Pothigai peak and extended an invitation to interested devotees.

பொதிகைமலை செல்ல விருப்பமுள்ளவர்கள் [சிவராத்திரியன்று] என்னை தொடர்பு கொள்ளவும். 15 நபருக்கு அனுமதியுள்ளது. பழனியப்பன் 9842136007

Since Suren will be in India during Shivarathri I thought he could make use of this rare opportunity to go to Pothigai peak. Suren contacted him and Palaniappan immediately accepted him. Having read in Agathiyar's Nadi revelation where he had stated that he was not in favour of the masses moving up to Sathuragiri unless they were invited or had a calling to go to Sathuragiri, Suren asked Palaniappan to hold till he read the Jeeva Nadi. He wanted to go to Pothigai peak with Agathiyar's blessings. 

Agathiyar in the Jeeva Nadi reading called him over, telling him that he would personally give him a helping hand to climb and overcome the treacherous and slippery boulders. Agathiyar added that Korakar would accompany them, giving Suren the confidence to hike up to Pothigai peak.

When Suren called me from Kallar to inform me of his reading and Agathiyar giving him the green light to go to Pothigai peak, I was happy for him. I mentioned to him that he was not going to Pothigai peak for himself but was representing his family, friends and all devotees of Agathiyar. The late Jeeva Nadi Guru of Chennai too was told by Agathiyar that the benefits of pilgrimages undertaken  by individuals will befall their families and loved ones to a certain extent. When I was geared up to leave on my pilgrimage to Kallar, Palani, Vedharanyam and other places indicated by Agathiyar in my Nadi reading, Supramania Swami too said the same thing to me, "Raja, nee intha payanam unakkaaga seirathu ille. Yenakkaaga seigire", meaning I was undertaking the pilgrimage not for myself but for him too. Although I loved to have both my gurus accompany me on that pilgrimage, but due to Supramania Swami's failing health I had to leave him behind at Thiruvannamalai. The long journey would have taken a toll on him. He most graciously told me that, "Yennaal un payanam pathiga padakudaathu Raja, nee poi vaa", meaning he did not want to cause any inconveniences or hindrances to my journey. 

I shall update readers of Siddha Heartbeat the moment Suren returns with more news, videos and photos.