THONDU SEIVOM PART 4 - DISCIPLESHIP TO A TRUE GURU PART 1

The very first time Agathiyar spoke about Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal, he revealed that "Taraniyile Tavayogi Thangarasan, Thangarasan unmaiyaana guru unakku yenboam" and he sends me to him the same night to get his initiation - again. When translated, "Thangarasan is a true guru, I should say". These were the words of Agathiyar in the Nadi reading for me just after meeting Tavayogi in Malaysia and getting initiated in 2005. Many years later, Lord Murugan in the Gnanaskandar Nadi instructs a family to Kallar Ashram where the Lord mentions Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal was residing in Kallar Ashram as a Munivar.

How true it has been. When I set my eyes on him for the very first time, he was at the office space of the local chapter of the Sri Agathiyar Gnana Peedham located at Wisma Keringat, Batu Caves. It was pretty obvious that he was the one as he stood out from the other two gentlemen with his ocher clothing, bespectacled and bearded. I informed Appana Nagappan and Perumal that I had called earlier to meet Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal. They pointed me to him. They were all seated at a desk. They asked to be excused as they had other pressing matters on hand. That provided me with an avenue to be together with Tavayogi in private. Tavayogi led me to the adjacent room and sat himself on the carpeted floor. I sat directly in front of him and close to him. I took out the leaflet that I had received from Nadi Nool Aasan Sentilkumar three years ago. I asked Tavayogi if it was his. The leaflet mentioned about one Thaai Veedu Thangarasan's intent to build a temple in the mountains of Kallar and that donations were appreciated. Tavayogi answered that it was his.

The leaflet that I had received carrying Tavayogi's name

I continued. I told him that I had seen the Nadi in 2002 and that Agathiyar wanted me to come to his path. Tavayogi replied that I had come to the right place and that all shall be taught here. He went on to explain to me what he was doing at his ashram and invited me over to Kallar. He decided to give me Teecha or initiation that evening. He asked me to bring my family over for he was giving a speech too. Tavayogi introduced me to Agathiyar that day. And so started a wonderful relationship between a guru, Satguru and a disciple. This was in 2005. I was 46 years of age then.

I joined him in India shortly after he left Malaysia.

After 11 years of discipleship, Tavayogi comes down to Malaysia to attend my daughter's wedding and moves on to visit the homes of devotees of Agathiyar, both old and new. I found a quiet moment between his busy schedule, when the family and I met him at the Balachanders' residence, to put a question to him. Recently many devotees of Agathiyar were shown to AVM through their Nadi readings. Having that in mind, I asked Tavayogi for further directions, "What am I to do next?" Tavayogi immediately replied, "What am I to direct my son? Agathiyar is already directing you!"

Tavayogi now

Tavayogi taking a walk with Uva

Tavayogi showed me Agathiyar. He showed me Siddhar Vahipaadu or Siddha worship. He initiated me and my wife the same day we met him. He took me on a wonderful journey to Siddha temples, caves and Samadhis. He showed me what a life of an asramite would be like. I had the opportunity to see how he lived the life of a turavi or sanyasi, and how he survived.

He initiated me to conduct a homam in my home. What began as a ritual lighting of the sacrificial fire in my home went on to extend to homes of devotees of Agathiyar at AVM and AUM and eventually AVM and AUM were blessed to conduct it in temples too. Today we have taken this ritual a step further by streaming the puja live at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/siddha-heartbeat

Tavayogi conducting the Yagam at Kallar Ashram

Tavayogi & Mataji preparing for the Homam at AVM

 

Performing the Homam at AVM

Conducting a Yagam at the Sri Mayuranathar Temple in Dengkil

Conducting a Yagam at the Sri Jaganatha Swamigal Sivalayam in Tapah

Having initiated us in all these ways, Tavayogi took a step back and stood and watched all these years, never once interfering. 

When my family and I visited him again in 2013, he stunned us by saying that he was sad and worried. He said that he had a wish and that wish or desire was to see the Siddha Marga flourish in Malaysia, a country where his Guru Chitramuthu Adigal and Paramaguru Sri Jaganatha Swamigal had set foot. It was not happening he said sadly, but then he added that he had regained new hope and faith that it would take place. His worries were gone, he added.

Recently in Malaysia, as parting words, he uttered the same words but quickly added that he was going back a happy man having seen for himself the amount of bakthi or devotion and dedication to the cause of Agathiyar and the Siddhas especially by AVM, Thondu Seivom, AmuthaSurabi and AUM youths. Those words where like nectar to us and implied that we were headed in the right direction. In the many Jeeva Nadi readings for devotees of Agathiyar, Agathiyar had endorsed the path and thoughts of these devotees. This endorsements brought further delight to Tavayogi and of course to us too.

It is wonderful to walk the path of the Siddhas with a true guru who showed the way, giving us complete freedom to learn for ourselves rather then ask that we walk the exact path trodden by him. Tavayogi did not lay conditions neither did he restrict our movements. There was no doctrines or regimes to follow, neither was there any rules laid. There was no code of practice to adhere to too. Tavayogi once told me a Siddha cannot be restrained. The spirit has to be free to roam, learn and gain Gnana. And most of all, he did not condone worship of him. 

As I write this post, I begin to realized how blessed we at AVM are to have Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal as a guru. Agathiyar was right. Tavayogi is a true guru indeed.

THONDU SEIVOM PART 3 - THE MULTIFACETED DISCIPLE

Agathiyar has shown a perfect disciple to the world in the form of Bala Chandran Gunasekaran. Similarly there is someone else whose heart and soul is filled to the brim with Agathiyar. Here is the story of a multifaceted disciple of Agathiyar.

Even as a student, he had came to know about the Nadi first and then came to know about Agathiyar and the Siddha path. He was under the care of his uncle having lost his parents at an early age. His uncle, a devout devotee of Agathiyar, used to bring over numerous Nadi Nool Aasans from India to read the Nadis of the locals. He used to provide them accommodation and all forms of assistance and also translate the Nadis for non-Tamil speaking clients. Living under the same roof, that is how this young teenager came to know about the Siddhas and the Nadi. 

As a result of his indirect involvement initially and later coming into the path of Siddhas, today he is very well versed with the Nadi and its mysteries. He is a witness to many amazing readings and mysterious happenings too.  

As they were married to each other in the last birth, Agathiyar brought him and his wife together in this birth too, mentioning them in each others Nadi. At one stage they had to go through tough times but yet they held on to the feet of Agathiyar firmly. It was precisely at this moment that Nadi Nool Aasan Murugan came along and revealed many revelations from Agathiyar through further Nadi readings. In one particular reading, Agathiyar was prepared to take charge of their lives and bring about a complete turnabout as they had firmly held on to Agathiyar through the many years of turmoil and sufferings. 

In wanting to help them end their karma, Agathiyar sent this loving couple to many places of worship, both locally and in India, where they performed parikarams or atonements. Thus they were shown many sacred places, hence giving them an advantage, to bring others over too to have their parikarams or atonements fulfilled too. Going by the amount of knowledge they have accumulated on the Nadi and its parikaram it is no surprise that they were chosen to bring over seekers who were in dire aid and need of performing atonements. And that became this couples dharma and mission for this birth.

Sri Krishna recalls his very first effort to gather and arrange to bring 14 individuals to India to fulfill their parikarams with amazement. He had not a penny on him then yet Agathiyar asked that he go ahead. After putting up an advertising on the trip, initially many responded well but some others pulled out later. But Agathiyar brought 14 people together eventually. The itinerary that was planned ahead was changed by Agathiyar on arrival in India. The devotees covered a total of 70 stalas or religious places. While traveling, Agathiyar gave more parikarams to the entourage to perform. After having successfully accomplish their given task, this couple moved on to make it a regular event.

Over the years this couples faith on Agathiyar multiplied manifold. Taking heed of Agathiyar's indication that they would run a peedham in the future, they seeked out suitable places but nothing materialized. Agathiyar then told them to take their Siddha puja performed during full moons, into the homes of individuals first. 

Then they came to know that the late Louis Anton Selvarajah was looking for a property to rent, to house a Peedham for Agathiyar. As they were into real estate too, this couple closed a deal for Louis. They then began to frequent Louis's place of worship in Petaling Jaya. While there Sri Krishna was given the privilege and honor to conduct libation for Agathiyar who was residing in the form of a granite statue, while his wife cooked for devotees gathered to hear their Nadi readings made available by Louis through Nadi Nool Aasan Murugan. Agathiyar blessed the couple further that they would take up cooking as a means of livelihood and continue doing charity at the same time. Later Louis moved the statue of Agathiyar to the Sri Raja Sakthi Nageswari Amman Temple at present day Eco City in Bangsar. Both Sri and Srimathi Krishna continued to frequent and worship Agathiyar at this temple.

Agathiyar has now come back to this couple just as he had indicated. Both Sri and Srimathi Krishna have taken over the puja for Agathiyar now residing at this temple since the past year. They are assisted by Sri Balachander Aiya and Saravanan Palanisamy.

Sri & Srimathi Krishna watch Sri Balachander Aiya perform libation for Agathiyar at the Sri Raja Sakthi Nageswari Amman Temple at Eco City

The Krishnas' added another task among the many they already shouldered by feeding the poor and homeless on the streets in Kuala Lumpur through a a monthly program that falls on every pusam star. They aptly call it Pothigai Meals on Wheels.

Sri Krishna (far left) leads the team to walk the streets of Kuala Lumpur to seek out the poor and hungry

Balamurugan joins Pothigai Meals on Wheels

Shanga hands over the food parcel & drink

Krishna (center) and Sugu had over food and drinks to a hungry man

Bala & Sugu hand out food packets

Dyalen joins them too

Sharmanan helps distribute food too

Suren helps too

Shanga joins them too

Shanga gives the thumbs up to Krishna's Pothigai Meals on Wheels at the end of the distribution

Agathiyar surprised Sri Krishna just recently when he revealed in the Jeeva Nadi in possession of Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal that he had lived during the era of Agathiyar where Agathiyar was creating a Shivaliga out off the sands of River Kaveri, which is the present day Nattadreeswarar temple at Kangayapalaiyam at Erode. Sri Krishna had ferried Agathiyar in his coracle to the middle of Kaveri then. A further surprise was in store for both Sri Krishna and Mataji Sarojini Ammaiyar. Sri Krishna had ferried Mataji too who wanted to attend and witness the completion of this feat by Agathiyar at the end of his three mandala of performing tapas.