Tuesday 15 August 2017

FROM SELF CENTERED TO SERVICE

Going back reminiscing on the past 15 years....., I began to see a mysterious series of fortunate events unfold. 

When I took up his call to come to his path, Agathiyar revealed a door to a journey that took me on his path and unveiled the curtain that showed my destiny. For one who did not have a vivid goal in life and who was self centered, the door led me to him and the drawing of the curtain showed me the sufferings of others. Just as Sidhartha when he stepped out of the confines of his palace was shown a whole new world of suffering and pain, Agathiyar showed me how ignorant I was of the needs of others till then. 

Agathiyar showed me Supramania Swami of Tiruvannamalai whom I went to see on the pretext of charting a horoscope for my daughter. He became my very first guru. On my second visit, Swami brought his guru Yogi Ramsuratkumar who had gone into samadhi, to his kudil to chant with both of us. This was the very first miracle shown to me.

Swami brought me later to the Yogi's samadhi temple and took me along to visit Annamalaiyar in town and Perumal some distance away. He desired to build a temple and I stepped forward to help gather the funds. This was my very first act of giving.


When I started worshiping the Siddhas, my prayer included reciting the names of the Siddhas as shown to me by Nadi Nool Aasan Sentilkumar of Avinashi on the onset and several traditional hymns of the Siddhas and prayers coined by Thavathiru Rengaraja Desigar of Ongara Kudil. 

One that I picked up and uttered daily was that his army of Siddhas should engulf me and grant all my wishes, and bring me to his Pothigai mountain and that he should take me as his student too.

அகத்தீசா உனது சீடர்களாகிய ஒன்பது கோடி பேரும் என்னை சூழ்ந்திருந்து  நான் விரும்பியதெல்லாம் முடித்து வைப்பதோடு மட்டுமல்லாது உன்னுடைய மலையாகிய பொதிகைக்கு என்னை அழைத்துவர என்னை சீடனாக நீ ஏற்றுக்கொள்ள வேண்டும். 

Agathiyar granted this prayer when Tavayogi offered to bring me physically to the places associated with the Siddhas, bringing me in contact with them and introducing me to a whole new world of mystic and mystery. True to the prayer, Tavayogi mentioned to me that the Siddhas were all around us, ushering us, showering us with flower petals and blessing us as we made our way to the numerous caves, hills, jungles, samadhis and temples. Back then I was skeptical. I had to have a logically reason to belief in anything and have my senses prod the matter on hand. As Agathiyar says, "Let it happen and I shall believe says man; belief and it shall happen say the Siddhas", today I truly believe that anything and everything is possible with the Siddhas.









Once back home Agathiyar brought many gems to AVM to come together in prayers and engage together in service to others. We at AVM gathered together to carry out his dictates that was conveyed through the numerous Nadi readings for all. His only doctrine for us was conduct prayers and help others. He continuously reminded us to carry out puja for the Siddhas and light the homam that he said would remove our karma and rejuvenate and heal the prapanjam. In return he brought us to many places related to the Siddhas in the caves, jungles and hills, bringing us closer to nature and having us return safe, rejuvenated and energized. Agathiyar showed us how interdependent nature and we are.

Puja in the beginning years.

Performing the Homam.

Tavayogi and Mataji arrive to fine tune the rituals of Abhisegam and Homam.

Today everybody at AVM does puja and homam in the comfort of their own homes, with Agathiyar residing over it and guiding them further.

Present day.

We have come far since my very first Nadi reading in 2002 at the Agathiyan Shelter in Petaling Jaya by Nadi Nool Aasan Sentilkumar of Avinash.

Sentilkumar gave me a leaflet that introduced me to Tavayogi some three years later.


Then there was the advert in the papers that led me to Tavayogi in Malaysia.


Tavayogi in turn introduced me to T.Ramesh and since then I have had my readings through him. I am grateful to all these wonderful people who helped me along, as gurus and guideposts.


Beginning my worship with numerous paintings of Agathiyar, in 2009 Agathiyar in the Nadi asked me to commission his statue at Swamimalai. It was to be a replica of that at Agasthiyampalli.



Agathiyar at Agasthiyampalli
Agathiyar on arrival with his original at Agasthiyampalli in the background.

Agathiyar opens his eyes in his paintings as a teaser before eventually performing the miracle of opening them in his statue at AVM that became the talk of the town.

The original before he opens his eyes.

After opening an eye just as he did at Agasthiyampalli and later both eyes at Kuttraleshwar Temple.
The Miracle Photo
After having given us proof of his presence in real time, he brought great masters to AVM. He brought great devotees of his too. He took us another step from devotion to service, in the footsteps of the master.





Agathiyar used the professions and talents of those at AVM to further his work. He gave specific instructions to each individual at AVM that further enhanced his mission. If I was to continue with the rituals, Bala Chandran Gunasekaran, his family and relatives and his friends from Thondu Seivom have been encouraged to continue the feeding programs. Many from the AVM family who could not contribute their time to actively participate in these programs gave in cash and kind through Amudha Surabhi (AS) to help continue this noble service. AS besides its own programmes extended its aid to Agathiyar Universal Mission (AUM) to conduct its feeding programmes, "Pothigai Meals on Wheels" that serves meals to the homeless on the streets and also to school going children who cannot afford a meal. Assistance in several other forms too has found its way to brighten up the lives of the unfortunate.

As for our latest task, AVM is working towards producing an album, songs in praise of Agathiyar that has had blessings of Agathiyar and Tavayogi alike to go ahead. Those who would like to sponsor the tracks (songs) can get in touch with me at agathiyarvanam@yahoo.com.