Autobiography of Siddha Raj Kumar Swami

Brammarishi Kagapujandar who is Thalayati Siddha in his latest divine incarnation, is the
oldest of all the Siddhas who has witnessed 750,000 apocalypses according to his disciple
Annai Siddha Raj Kumar Swami, one of the greatest contemporary spiritual masters the
world has ever witnessed. Raj Kumar swami has attained all eight great supernatural
yogic powers (octomiracle -attama siddhis) and has learned 64 forms of art (aya kalaigal
64) by the blessings of his guru Kagapujandar – Thalayati Siddha. He has access to all
the caves, hills, and jungles where siddhas meditated in India. His knowledge about them
is unparalleled by any living person. Under the guidance of his guru, he has fed millions
of needy people and is the only one who created a place for sadhus (sanyasi) socially in
South India.

Siddha Raj Kumar Swami met his Guru Thalayati Siddha when he was twenty-four years
old. Raj Kumar Swami was working as an associate director in the film industry when he
met his guru. Raj Kumar Swami is based in Brammarishi Hills, South India. He has
narrated his mystical experiences with his guru Thalayati Siddha in his biography.

Sight of the Self.

Realizing the self, and the state of bliss and ecstasy that it brings to one – was the request
to the glorious full moon by Ramalinga Vallalar in an earnest appeal for peace and
harmony within the self.
In one of his celebrated verses, Lord Buddha urges one to continuously explore the nature
of the Self and the reason for birth to try to find the answer. Theirs was the path of
wisdom. Before I go into their quest let me retrospectively look back upon the path I
happened to have travelled by way of this biography.
I was born as one of the off springs to Sri Subramaiam an upright Police officer who
climbed the ladder of success through dedicated hard work and integrity in his
department. The lady who bore me in her womb was Padmavathi, and I happened to be
the Prince Rajkumar who was born to this couple as a result of their penance.
I was never academically oriented and my schooling ended abruptly. My ambition and
dreams were to enter the cinema and from an assistant I rose to the position of associate
director. Due to my nature, I was able to attract many friends and became associated with
a few Tamil films of merit like “Ellam inba mayam,” “Kadal Meengal,” and “Kozhli
kuvuthu.” At that time, I was a resident of Tambaram, a suburb of Chennai, living with
my parents regularly commuting from there to the city for my work.
It was sometime during the editing work of the film “Kozhli Kuvudu” in AVM studio,
perhaps during Nov. 1981, an actor by the name Dhanapal had walked in casually
mentioning that he had just returned after seeing a Siddha. Until then I had not really
cared for any so called religious saints or such associations. Yet that day there was an
inexplicable urge within me that carried me and upon inquiring, I was told that the
person was known as “Thalayatti Siddhar” and he was temporarily residing in the
Jupiter Pictures Office nadjacent to Sathya studio. I was also told that he was able to cure
many forms of long standing ailments through Siddha medicines.

The sight of the Siddha.

Like a calf that has been separated from its mother I ran to the abode of siddha. Many
who were not known to me had assembled there already and when Dhanapal introduced
me to him, I prostrated at his feet. He greeted me saying “Come Raja come’ and after
blessing me, gave me some vibhuti and three drops of Sanjeevi oil after the consumption
of which, my entire body mind and excreta were all surprisingly fragrant.
It was very strange and inexplicable that he should greet me saying Raja has at last
arrived and so endearingly addressing me as if I was long lost and found again. Though it
was the first time that he had seen me, yet how was it that he had addressed me thus, as if
I had always been with him? I could not figure out answers to these questions so I
returned home after staying for a considerable time in his presence and with utmost
reluctance to leave him.

The divine being Thalayatti Siddhar was about four and a half feet tall with dark skin and
an emaciated, lean body. The prominently visible veins gave an impression as if he was
only made up of sinews and veins. He had profusely long hair around the length of five
feet; more than the length of his body, which was rounded and tied like a turban on his
head. He wore a long, loose yellow robe and a green veshti around his hip which was
below his knee but above much of his ankles. All the garments tied round his turbaned
hair, the piece of cloth worn as a scarf around his neck, the veshti and the robes were all
of different bright hues of five colours. This was how he looked physically. He was jovial
and moved amongst people with the innocence of a child, lovingly administering
medicines for their ailments and assuring them that they will be free from afflictions of
any sort hereafter.

The ashram of the Siddha is situated in the outskirts of Perambalur; it is now a district
head quarters a little away from the Chennai Trichy national highway.
Kasi is a intense devotee of the Siddha and is the son of the famous Jupiter Pictures
Jupiter Somasundaram. Sathya Studios before the ownership of M.G.Ramachandran was
known as Neptune studios and many super hits like Thanga Paadumai, Arasilangkumari
etc., were produced there with big banners and celebrated artists of that period. After the
death of his father Jupiter Somu, Kasi too produced many financially successful films.
Bama Vijayam under the direction of K.Balachander was one such.
After leaving the Studio to M.G.R., Kasi was running his office within the precincts of
Jupiter compound adjacent to Sathya Studio. Thalyatti Siddhar used to come there once a
month and stayed each time for one week. During his stay all food and other facilities
such as breakfast, lunch, and dinner were provided to visitors and devotees visiting the
Siddha. The Siddha witnessing all these activities would silently sit in meditation.
Whenever the Siddha came from Perambalur all those who used to serve him also
accompanied him and went back there with him. Amongst those, one named
Kalyanasundaram was closely attached to the Siddha. I too became a familiar figure,
serving the needs of the Siddha and became instrumental in gathering many like minded
friends, relatives, and acquaintances to the presence of the Siddha. He would administer
medicines for their particular ailments there. Siddha had never fixed any rate for his
medicines. Some used to voluntarily give an amount which the Siddha would never touch
and the retinue following him used to take the money. Some used to inquire “How much
should we give?,” and the Siddha, with a gentle smile, used to reply that whatever was
possible for them to give towards Charity for feeding the poor by way of provisions could
be given. It was a great surprise to me to realize that such a noble being existed and my
devotion to him increased manifold. My desire to be with him constantly grew within, yet
due to four or five films under Gangai Amaran for which my assignment was required I
did not have any time for leisure. Yet whenever the Siddha came, I used to find my way
to him some how or other.

Some of my close associates in the cinema used to make fun of me by greeting me and
stating, “ Welcome (junior) Chinna Siddhare,” followed by laughter. My family too
showed resistence and opposition to my increasing involvement with the Siddha as they
had dreams that I would either mature into a celebrated actor or Director. And having
been born in the middle of the siblings in the family, they feared that I may become a
renunciate or a Sanyasi. With just a few years left for my father’s retirement, instead of
marriage and supporting the family, he is running after the Thlayatti Siddhar like a slave
were the worries of my family.

Once Sri Sondar, a friend of Ilayaraja expressed his desire to photograph Thalayatti
Siddhar after having done the same of Mayamma of Kanyakumari, Koti Swami, Ram
Surath Kumar etc.. The Swami too, after I introduced him as Ilayaraja’s friend, agreed to
be photographed, saying he would let me have a print after the session.
Subsequently the film negative was exposed due to some mishap and no print was
possible and the Siddha jokingly said you Cinema people are not even capable of giving
me a photo of myself.

Divine herb or Shiva herb

The Siddha was a regular smoker of Ganja or Cannabis. He used to push the burning fire
in the smoking pipe with his fingers with the casual ease of stuffing cotton. Within an
hour, he was in the the habit of smoking at least 10 gms of Ganja. Seeing all these I used
to think perhaps I could also become a siddha if I am able to smoke the way he does. I
asked him how he was able to touch the fire with his thumb without burning himself and
he answered that it was like fire walking in temples stating that could they feel
themselves burning. Next I asked, “Is it not illegal to smoke ganja?” to which he
laughingly replied, “That those rules are for you all only.” Then I asked him whether it
was not injurious to his health and he said certainly for the ordinary man it does great
harm as he smokes it just for kicks and intoxication. Only in due course, he becomes a
slave to that habit and the toxin completely dulls his brain and he subsequently indulges
in many evil deeds. One who is habitually an addict to such should never indulge in
sexual activities as it will cause great harm to his nervous system. The body of the addict
will not comply with the directions of his mind and his ability to think and focus will
degenerate, causing permanent damage to the brain. The Grace of Goddess Mahalakshmi
will not fall upon the smoker of Ganja. Poverty and penury will follow him. Wealth will
never be his nor will it stay. Progressively eye sight will fail while the body heat will
increase. Finally the body nourished so carefully through life will be destroyed in death.
Shocked and surprised to hear this I asked, “Swami will all these evil effects not befall
on you?” for which he was silent for some time with his eyes closed. Then he said,
“Rajkumar Ganja is a divine herb.”
Siddhas call it Shiva’s Herb of excellence with reverence and fear. This is associated with
wisdom and siddhas dwelling in the mountain caves do not smoke this for intoxication or
inebriation. They use it to curb and focus the mind and hence, when they smoke this
substance, a great force of divine energy surges within them. They, in that deep state of
ecstasy, merge into the oneness of Divinity. Therefore the heat and other harmful
inevitabilities do not affect them at all. After having listen to this I prostrated at his feet
eliminating the thought that I too should smoke this.

Kalaivanan Kannadasan is the son of poet Kannadasan and he worked along with me as
an asst. director under a former Director, G.N.Rangarajan, and is a close friend. As he
had the good fortune of being employed as a Director for a new film for preparations
were being made, I decided to take him to the Siddha for his blessings. The Siddha was
not in the Ashram precincts at Perambalur and was told that he was seated under the
Peepal tree. As soon as he saw us he started screaming in joy saying “Raja has come,
Raja has come” and when I asked him about this he said that I had been with him in so
many previous births and I have called you always Raja. The time for you to merge again
with me in your present birth has come now. And you have come therefore with joy I
called you thus. I was not able to comprehend what he was saying and was confused. My
friend Kalaivanan viewed me in a strange light. Having gathered myself and introduced
him to the swami and obtained his blessings, we left as there were many more people
who had come to seek him.
On our return to Chennai The cry Raja has come Raja has come kept on coming back to
my mind. My entire physical body experienced a chemical change and an exhilaration of
sorts came over.
In this life, time has come for you to come to me again; You were always with me; such
utterences kept echoing within me and I was in a state of total turbulance. I felt as if I
understood and did not at the same time.
My mind was wondering and I was in a trance, slowly and steadily being drawn to the
siddha.
All my ambitions and dreams were vanishing and I gradually alienated myself from
family friends and the rest. The thought of the Siddha was the only reality pervading me
over months and years.

The dream I had:

That was the period when a film called Kozhli Koovudu was in the process of completion
after incessant toil day and night. After the last day on the set, I returned to my house at
Tambaram after long hours of journey and went to sleep instantly because of all the
fatigue and stress. I could hear someone calling me by name and prodding me to wake up
repeatedly. With irritation and anger I woke up to find an elderly man clothed in a white
robe and shaven head, with rounded old framed spectacles and a toothless smile. The face
seemed familiar enough I blurted out, “Who? What do you want?” The figure replied,
“You are the one I want! What, still sleepy? Wake up!” Then the apparition became clear
and I looked at the picture hanging on the wall behind and my head was cleared of
fogginess. The one who has come is the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi. He has
come to my bedroom and spoken to me! An electric shock passes through me and I
became dumb. Looking at me with a compassionate smile, I follow Mahatma as
commanded. He leads us down a jungle path to a small thatched hut which we enter.
There, as if he was waiting for us only, Thalayatti Siddha, who was the resident of my
heart, is seated and greets me with a nod. I look at Mahatma who says, “I have brought
you to the destined place. Let us meet later,” and walks away into darkness. I pay
obedience to the siddha who gives me vibhuti(holy ash) in return. With this experience, I
suddenly wake up and learn it is all a dream and am instantly thrown into confusion. I did
not know why Mahatma had come in my dream to lead me to the Siddha’s ashram.
You have been with me through many births and as the time is ripe, you again must come
back to me. The words of the siddha kept echoing through my head. There is no effect
without cause. The Siddha is beckoning me to his abode as my mind happily told me. I
boarded the bus to Trichy that day itself. At Villupuram, as I got down to have tea, I read
the news in Tamil Daily Malai Murasu of a Yogi by the name of Rajneesh who has come
from America and has said that the U.S.A. has enough nuclear bombs to destroy the
entire earth with the press of a button. Hearing the news, I thought I too will one day be
pulverized by the nuclear bomb and boarded the bus to Perambalur.
I proceeded straight to the ashram, where I was greeted with the words, “Come Raja,
come and sit next to me because you are tired.” I sat with reverence besides him. Then he
said, “What Raja, will you come only if Saata Muni Siddha calls you jovially?” I asked,
with surprise, “Satta Muni who is he?” For which the siddha replied, “The one who
called you in your dream, he is the one,” and laughed loudly. Oh was it Satta Muni who
reincarnated as Mahatma. What grace for me to have had his presence in my dreams was
my joyful thought.

Swami, I wish to be here with you always. Will you permit me to do as I asked?

“What is there for me to grant you, who else has more rights than you? You have been
born to spread charity, therefore your job is to spread the virtues of dharma especially
those associated with food and feeding. To encourage people to engage themselves in this
divine act of dharma by tirelessly advocating the greatness and significance of giving.

To enable a wealthy man who is constantly in persuit of multiplying his earnings to

indulge and rejoice in the act of Charity and make him evolve into a dharmic person is by
itself an act of great merit. Dharma is the greatest refuge and guardian which will save
one’s life at the appropriate time; thus the siddha preached and elaborated .
This nation is a dharmic and Gnana bhoomi. Brahmarishis, maharishis, great saints ,
siddhas , Alwars and Nayanmars have lived here,. Those great saints have shown a
simple way for the oridinary person to attain greatness without penance and vedic
knowledge. The way of charity – the giving of food and clothings to the needy poor is the
finest way of pleasing the Supreme Being.
He is ever present where charity is done and readily accepts the results of his acts as in
the case of Karna in Mahabharata. All his previous karmic sins as well as the ones being
accrued in his present birth were erased and he attains liberation from his ceaseless
sufferings. Hence the ones who show the path to dharma accrue merits many times over.
Knowing this in the ancient times, Kings and Merchants in India built temples, dug up
lakes, established centres for food distribution and erected schools and halls. Every house
was an abode of hospitality with high platforms offering scopes for passerbys to rest.
Ample food, water, and buttermilk were given to the people who had come to rest briefly.
They went in search of Sanyasis to satisfy their hunger.
All the stories of Nayanmars in the Periyapuranam amply describe the meritorious deeds
of the devotees of Shiva.There are touching stories about one Nayanar (devotees of
Shiva) who goes back to the paddy field in the middle of the night to gather rice thrown
for sowing as he had none to feed the visitor who had turned up.
During the Mahabharath war, it was the chaity of Karna which protects him from his final
exit and Krishna is able to bring about his end only after obtaining the merits of his
dharma. Karna is still a living person due to his magnanimity to barter away his punya or
merits to the reincarnation of God himself.
The great Islamic figure Seethakadi is known as one who gave even after death and is
remembered by all even now. India is known as the abode of the first seven, middle
seven, and last seven munificent donors. Saint Ramalinga Vallalar stands unmatched in
his service to charity and is known as just Vallalar.
The story of Pattinathar is exemplary to share here. After total renunciation, Pattinathar
was begging for food and came to his sibling, the elder sister, who had great love for him
till then and who suffered in shame. She decided to put a stop to the great shame he had
brought to his affluent aristocratic heritage. The one who once fed the entire town was
now begging for food. Seeing this, she killed her sisterly affection and decided to kill him
by way of mixing poison into the sweet appam (bread). She gave it to him when he came
begging for alms. As he received the alms in his begging bowl, Pattinatthar could sense
what she had done as he had a vision of a black hooded cobra in the food. So he threw the
appam on the roof of her house saying, “Ones own karma or deeds will burn the person
and roof.” Appam thus thrown will burn the house and accordingly his sister’s house was
reduced to ashes. During those times, begging for food was considered the most
disgraceful and contemptible way of living by our elders. The word begging was
intolerable to that civilization.
But those who had renounced everything and embraced the wandering mendicants’ way
of life by wearing ochre robes and singing the praise of the Lord. They were seen seated
at temple entrances, begging for alms. Pattinathar and his disciple Bhadragiri together
used to be seated on the east and west side of the temple precints under the respective
towers, begging for alms as every one knows.
But in present times man has become a fast being; In every act of his, you find incredible
haste and no wisdom. He is running at such a pace after money and having amassed
wealth he correspondingly has amassed sins which is kept in a safe. Those days, dharmic
ethics were the guidelines for the kings and rulers. Taxes were levied in accordance with
those noble principles and the populace were well protected by the kings.
But today, everything has turned topsy turvy . Amassing wealth without principles has
harmed society in all possible ways, multiplying wealth illegally. People in power
unscrupulously cheat and betray the people who have elected them. Our rulers continue
living in vulgar opulence and nauseatingly, disgusting, ungraceful life styles while
avoiding taxes and hoarding black money; which, with its parallel economy, is destroying
the nation as their hearts have turned into steel devoid of compassion. Though education
has increased, so have disharmony and conflicts. The scourge of black money has harmed
the nation beyond imagination and is leading it into an abyss of darkness. Money hoarded
illegally is a virus that eats through the vitals of the entire life stream of the nation.

The beggars are destined to bestow virtues as they receive them from the hands of the
rich; they also take a part of their sins in the form of karma. But those who are rich hardly
ever realize this and pay no heed to the famished hungry and starving. Though outwardly
lawful, they carry the burden of sorrow, and peace does not come to them even in the
innermost sanatorium of the temples. All natural calamities like drought, famine,
earthquakes, cyclones, murder, bribery, corruption, and misuse of power by corrupt
politicians are rampant. The politicians who have discarded all norms of decency and
ethics, have become highway robbers of societies. The government is the very reason for
caste madness and its sustenance. Man has become beast due to religious
fundamentalism. To avoid the catastrophic destruction due in 2010, the dharmic path of
virtue is the only means and you must tirelessly strive to establish charity and dharma
from now onwards,” said the Siddha.
On hearing all this, I was perplexed. Is it possible for me to carry a burden of such
magnitude on my young shoulders? Why did he choose me for this? I am neither old nor
rich, famous or in any way powerful
People will only listen to people who posses such traits and how am I, such an
insubstantial being of little consequence, to effect these changes or bring about such
transformation. Sensing this doubt the Siddha said, “Raja this is indeed a hard task. A
Chisel is capable of transforming an ungainly rock into a sculpture of beauty and grace,
isn’t it? Hereafter seek those granite rocks which are suitable for the purpose of dharma
and begin to chip and chisel them; Fabulous sculptures will emerge and you will be the
sculptor.”
After having said thus the siddha got up and sat on a log under a banyan tree behind his
hut adjacent to an Ayyanar temple. I followed and sat at his feet and as the Siddha was
lighting the Ganga pipe I began to question him to get answers.

“As you said this country steeped in dharmic and spiritual virtue – why has it fallen from
those values?”

“It is all due to the changing times as man does not live as man today.
When Ramalinga Vallalar was once seated in solitude, a man who appeared to be
mentally disturbed was walking around with a hurricane lamp in his hand in broad day
light scrutinizing every face of the passersby remarking, “Oh this is a Jackal, this is a goat
and this is a buffalo, tiger ,scorpion,Hyena etc.”
When he came to Vallalar, holding the lamp close to the saint’s face, he said, ‘At last
here is a man,”.and joyously crying aloud, ran away. The one who identified Vallalar thus
was a Siddha. Searching for humans in the crowd he was able to find only Ramaliga
Swami as a real human meaning all living beings at that time except Vallalar was
inhuman beasts. Realizing I was not able to grasp what he said the Siddha said Raja our
puranic texts called Kings as the incarnation of Vishnu. That is why the Tamil name ‘Ko”
denotes the king and Kovil is known as the abode of the king. And we call the temple of
deities also Kovil without differentiating between the two. Hinduism proclaims that
humans pass through seven births and God too has taken many births.
Has not Appar sung “Even if I am to be born as a worm, oh spotless one, grant me the
boon to hold on to your sacred feet.”
Manikavasagar has sung and I had been born as grass, weed, vermin and lofty trees.
Good and evil are as inseparable as light and darkness and as such great opposites that
exist as Laksmi and Jeshta Devi are sisters. Similarly the celestial devas and Asuras were
born of the same father but different mothers. Devas were born of Aditi and Asuras, the
demons to Surai. Devas represent virtue and demons evil. For many eons, they have been
at war and the story of Hiranya and Ravana is well known.

The legends of Narasimha and Rama avatara repeatedly stress upon the reincarnation of
Mahavishnu to destroy the demons Hiranya ksha Madhu Sishubala, Danta vakra etc in
every epoch and age. Why I am saying this is both the Deva and Asura clans are
perennially inhabiting the earth. Deva or divine clans protected people and there was
prosperity and joy as opposed to Asura clan rule, who were not able to grow. The
kurukshetra war of the pandavas in Mahabharata was fought by devas as the pandavas
were deva clan. Krishna was the incarnation of Vishnu, Yudishtra dharma devata, Bhima
Vayu, Arjuna- Indra and Nakula and Sahadeva Aswini devatas.
Duryodhana and the rest were all demonic asura forces. Vyasa Muni has predicted that in
Kali yug dharma the cow stands on a single leg. All dharmic norms will perish evil will
flourish and the Brahmins born to protect sastras and rituals and other norms will cease to
do all that and will exist as Brahmin just by name only. See for yourself no one is
engaged in his assigned caste role.

Work and employment are no longer related to their particular community and caste
traditions. Money is the only motive yet they cling onto the caste tags irrevocably more
than ever before. Look at the politics of caste today. It is a most shameful nation where
every human is identified by his caste and branded under that nomenclature.
During Vallalar’s period itself humans were a rarity and to say all were beasts was true.

Kali Yuga
Once upon a time, all animals intensely prayed to Shiva and when he appeared before
them they said, “Oh Lord supreme we were living peacefully in our jungle territories in
accordance with your law. But the humans come here and kill us for their food in the
form of hunting. Deer, rabbits and so many birds are killed for their pleasure. They
capture elephants, horses, dogs and other animals for domestication and make those into
their slaves. They separate us from our offspring, parents and siblings. They tear apart
couples living in love and harmony away and robbed us of our freedom; we live in great
fear and we too should live like them, one day subjecting them as our slaves.” Shiva
laughingly said, “In Kali Yuga, you animals will be born as humans and do all
these things and will vanish.” Much before the incarnation of Vallalar, only one in a
million was born as Man. The rest were all birds,reptiles, mammals, fish, and insects etc.
Such beasts and vermins are today born in the form of man observing which rishis,
Siddhas and saints retired to mountains and caves to do penance and meditate. How could
such divine beings live among animals and beasts of prey? How can they live in honour
in the midst of animals? When you see, evil keep away is the saying. Can charcoal ever
be white? Though he is human in form, his acts will betray his true nature in accordance
to each animal he represents. Can you ask the blind to look majestically? Once if there
was enmity and war amongst rivals, they face each other and follow the ethics of warfare
like you cannot kill one unarmed or lame. If a person was to lose his garments, he would
be given time to cover himself again and as well as so many other codes of conduct. They
all followed dharmic laws even during war. But now you read in the News paper how a
single unarmed man is brutally chased and killed by mobs every day. It is like a pack of
canine animals pursue each other, brutally biting and killing it. One party man will hate
another party man. One caste will hate another caste. For one state the adjacent state
within the country itself is unacceptable. Vaishnavaite would not enter Shiva Temple.The
very sight of Shiite Muslims invoke murderous feelings among Sunnis. Protestants want
to wipe out Catholics.
In the animal kingdom, the lion is an enemy of the elephant. Tiger is an enemy of lion.
Mongoose and snakes don’t get along. Eagles prey on smaller birds. If one animal of the
same species enters the territory of another there will be brutal fights. The leopard has to
preserve the body of the animal it has hunted with great pain atop of a tree to prevent
other animals like hyena, lions or jackals from stealing its food. Meanwhile vulture and
foxes will claim the meat. The tough survive in the animal kingdom. Look at the human
scenario, is it any different? Brutal rapes and murders take place in society and to live
humanely is difficult. Bribery and corruption are rampant. No patriotism and criminals
and killers and illiterates and smugglers are the deciders of our fate.

Money is god. Political decency, ethics, and propriety has no place. Money buys degrees
without exams, medical school seat,diplomas etc. For the politician, this has become a
vast commercial commodity. All institutions like medical polytechnic and engineering
law are privately owned by scrupulous politicians. The rich continue to become super
rich and the poor wallow in degrading poverty. No one cares, thinking, it does not matter
whether Ravana rules or Rama rules. Soon this will all end”said the Siddha.

Prior to all these I was in a world of cinematic luxury and vulgar comfort. Wherever we
stayed, the house was air conditioned and we indulged with fellow actors in non
vegetarian food like chicken fry and crab, and prawn. Every possible meat of living
creatures was pushed into making my stomach a veritable cemetery. There were actors to
buy whatever dresses I chose and I was learning the art of ingratiating myself to many.
On account of which my stock was rising along with learning the art of cinematography
with a view to make the average man a slave to the film and tinsel world.

Actors with charisma among the populace could themselves act as angels forgetting the
path of spirituality and have total control and a hypnotic trance over the cine going crowd
and still behave like saints while they themselves may be so lowly evolved and crude.
It was really a great gift and grace that was bestoed upon me whereupon I became a
chosen one of the Siddha.
Leaving the comforts of the tinsel world I became a resident of the 16x10 thatched hut
with mud and clay walls the entrance of which being so narrow one has to crawl inside.
His dwelling place was infested with cobras, scorpions, centipedes and wasps. Under the
deer skin on which the siddha sat, millions of insects and vermins were sheltered. Birds
used to come to him in flocks and ten cows and many dogs were also under his care. A
white crow was a habitual visitor at an appointed time and after being fed, fly away to
return at the same time next day.

Having forgotten the luxuriously debilitating and atrophic cinematic life I had thus far led
in Chennai, I had entered a sort of magical and mesmerizing cave of the Siddha. Though
unable to ascertain what could happen to me in this bewitchingly tantalizing abode of the
saint, I was able to feel the surging spirituality within while learning various asanas and
yogic exercises like breath control and concentration between the brows and basics of
Pranayama which collectively gave me a feeling of exultation and great joy combining
serenity and harmony. Indeed I had at last caught the flame of my love with unwavering
steadfastness and this very thought permeated me with ecstasy.

My visit to the hills

“Tomorrow we proceed to the hills” said the Siddha that day and I was at loss to
comprehend what he had said. At the break of dawn 15 members who had come to the
hut of the Siddha prior to my arrival were assembled in a state of readiness. When I asked
one of those who was already known to me as to where we were proceeding, I was told
that the Siddha saint frequently used to assemble people to accompany him to the
mountains to collect herbs and on that day we were to go to Pachhai Malai at a
distance barely discernible to us.

Periyazhvar has sung in praise of the Lord Krishna likening his hue to that of this Pacchai
Malai which literally is emerald green to behold. The famous Kuravanchi
Lyrics contain references to this same mountain. It is the motherland for the mountain
tribes living there.
All provisions including cooking utensils were bundled up and all of us were ready with
our belongings to proceed up the hill. I obtained Siddhas’ consent to distribute food at the
hill to the needy and we set off. En route we purchased sufficient provisions for alms
giving and started to ascend the mountain. Cool mountain breeze greeted us and the
beauty of the mountain proclaimed why Periyazhvar had compared it to the Lord.
The siddha patiently explained in detail the importance of the legends concerning the
mountain. “The Pandavas during their last phase of exile had come down to the south and
particularly to this mountain range and before leaving, left a few of their belongings
hidden, it is said. This is the abode of Goddess Adhi Kamakshi and the king
Kathavarayan too held his court here. There are many caves on this mountain and all of
them have housed great tapasvis and saints doing penance. This is the preferred mountain
of Lord Muruga the God of Kurinchi and Maharishi Agastya too as he would follow Lord
Muruga wherever he goes. Thinking of them and looking at me is the same.
Siva Bala, Agastya and me are all one and the same”, saying thus the Siddha was
covering the range like a prancing calf and we could not match the speed of him nor did
we have enough oxygen to keep pace.
 I grew up in luxury and my mind was confused like the monkey which had it’s tail struck
between the vice. Yet there was an inner voice commanding me to proceed as such
blessings are not easy to obtain and I am to witness much of the Siddha’s miracles and
wonders. After such a thought all fatigue and doubts vanished and I was filled with
energy renewed. The siddha waited for us to catch up with him and laughingly said we
youngsters couldn’t keep up with him and asked us to rest awhile. We started to partake
of the snacks we had brought while the Siddha had lit up some fire with twigs and
prepared some sort of herbal tea with some forest leaves.
We selected a place for the preparation of lunch and it was beside a small stream and we
needed a big log and twigs etc for fuel. A companion had gone up to collect some logs
which he intelligently pushed into the stream so that we can collect them down stream. At
that time we saw a miracle the logs were floating down the stream except one which was
going up the stream! Surprised we pointed out this incident to the Siddha.

The Siddha said, “This is a very rare tree log which is called ‘Eru Singhi’. This is an
exceptional herb. Bring all these for the Yagna (Fire ritual) we plan to hold tonight.
When we put this into the Yagna fire, Devas, Siddhas and Saptha Kannikas etc will be
attracted and will dance around us with joy, clapping their hands in happiness”.

To be continued.