SIDDHAS - WHO ARE THEY?

Dear Readers,

SIDDHAS -  THEIR LIVES AND TEACHINGS

 

SIDDHAS - WHO ARE THEY? – (2)

(SIDDHAR ARUT SELVAR T. GNANASAMBANDAN)

During one of my visits I asked my guru, "From time immemorial we have been hearing about many types of people who caused miracles with their psychic powers (siddhis). But only a few are called siddhas. Why is that?"

My preceptor replied that, "all those who use their siddhis are not siddhas. All those who become one with the Brahmam-rishi, muni or a baktha, they all have paranormal powers. But they all would prefer to retain their own titles and may not like to become siddhas". Understanding, controlling and functioning with their 'chittam' is the hallmark of siddhas (the Sanskrit 'cit' is untranslatable and the nearest rendering of 'cit' is conciousness. 'Chitta' is mental substance in Raja yoga and in Vedanta it is taken as the subconcious mind). In fact the siddhas are capable of going above their 'Chittam' and functioning at much higher a level. But they usually aim at staying and functioning as siddhas only.

This has been lucidly brought out by Bogar. "There are a number of people who can perform many tricks, after learning indrajal and mayajal. These imposters also call themselves siddhas! Here Bogar explains indrajal and mayajal in detail. In addition he has also written a number of poems about certain renowned siddhas. Talking of 18 siddhas, he clarifies that rishis and munis also have siddhis. Does it mean that the siddhas have more siddhis than others? Can one get 'moksa' through chittam? Then what does the word chittam actually mean? When we say that Thirumoolar had researched chittam in detail, a doubt comes to mind whether the other siddhas did a similar study of chittam or not?

The groups called "18 siddhas" were experts in 'Rasavadam' (alchemy). They had a thorough knowledge of the evolution and functions of the human body. They knew the ways and means of preserving the body from deterioration, and could foretell the time of death etc., even while moving around in their physical bodies. They knew anything and everything to do with the human body. Holding mercury and gold in their palms, they can prepare and dispense 'guru medicine'. They are capable of activating all the body chakras (plexuses) while in deep meditation. This is feasible when they merge and become one with the Brahamam. The 18 siddhas have such paranormal powers, that if they so decide, they can switch over and become a rishi or a muni. Similarly rishis and munis are also capable of changing over and can become a siddha. But they all prefer to stay in their own tribes and would like to be identified as rishis, munis or siddhas only. They loath changing over from one category to the other.

Here are some exceptions.

Konganavar was a siddha who had a hankering for earning the title of a rishi. He went to Chidambaram and started learing the intricacies of yoga. When he was busy experimenting the nada tattvas, their vibrations, their effectiveness and the related mantras, many rishis objected to it and hindered his endeavours. They discouraged him in every possible way. They scoffed at him saying things like, "why do you want to become a rishi? Stop meddling. Why are you not satisfied being a siddha?" Somehow Konganavar managed to overcome all those hurdles and became a rishi.

Pulasthiyar was a maharishi, whereas Kamala Muni and Maccha Muni were only munis, who conducted 'havans' strictly as laid down in the vedas. They first became siddhas by mastering transmutation (alchemy), vaidya sastra etc., but inspite of their siddha learning they preferred to stay as yogis only. Some yogis like Pathanjali Muni-he learned yoga and remained a yogi thereafter. Nandeeswara, the founder of nandivargam, orginally a yogi, qualified himself to become a siddha. Great masters like Pathanjali and Sanagadhi munis remain in samadhi only. Though they all are qualified to become siddhas, they like to reamin as yogis forever.

 Each one of the 18 siddhas is an authority is a particular discipline. Once a dissertation is approved by the 'siddha sabha', one's findings would be diluted a little for easy understanding and handed down to the public for use.

Thus, each siddha belongs to a particular siddha sabha – which normally has many disciples. Each one of the 18 siddhas has published his findings, usually in cryptic verses, in a chosen field and is an ultimate authority in that subject. Rests of them are those who learned from them. The siddha disciples would go from one siddha-guru to the other and learn everything first hand. For instance, those who learn from Konganavar would also learn from Thirumoolar and Bogar. Like the soldiers learning the handling of different weapons and the art of war from various experts the siddha disciplea also get inculcated by many siddha-gurus. Now we know that it was Thirumoolar who did intense research and revealed a number of unkonwn facts about the "pancha bootha tattvas".

We have already been told about the existense of the two siddha schools, Nandi and the Thirumoolar vargams. Before we go into the details of the Moolan vargam, it behoves us to know about its founder Thirumoolar and some of the supernatural events he was responsible for.

Thirumoolar was orginally a disciple of Nandi! Afer the completion of his training, while travelling in south india, forced by circumstances, he entered the body of a cow-herd called Moolan, by metempsychosis (transmigration of the soul) and later came to be known as Thirumoolar. He trained under Agasthiya for a period and after getting his blessings started his county wide prechings. It is an axiom that he remained in samadhi for 3000yeas and during that period wrote one poem each year. Thus came into being the Tamil treatise called 'Thirumandiram'.

"How many years, in all did he spend in samadhi if he took 3000 years to write Thirumandiram alone?" is the question. In 'Saiva siddhantam' it is clearly given that Thirumoolar lived for about 8000 years. That is to say he was alive for about 5000 years before he wrote Thirumandiram. It is believed that he was alive during both Ramayana and Mahabharatha periods!

While Thirumoolar was travelling from north to south (Ramayana period) during his sojourns he used to spend many years at a stretch in one place. When the Mahabharatha was came to an end, Lord Krishna was killed by a hunter and the semi burnt body of His was recovered from a nearby river. Later a monument was erected and consecreted, which subsequently came to be known as Puri Jaganatha temple. During that period Thirumoolar was present in Puri as per the Saiva Siddhantam accounts.

Thirumoolar led a simple life. Both Nandi and Agasthya had a soft corner for him because of his unassuming attitude and simplicity. When he saw some of the cown grieving for their cow-herd Moolan, he entered the body of Moolan just to give solace to the cows. This incident alone speaks volumes about his kind heartedness and simplicity. Though he preferred to stay in samadhi, he spent maximum time with the common folk. He used to travel through the air-and sometimes through the space.

These points along with some more interesting facts which I will be sharing with you in future about Thirumoolar were all given to me by my guru. Thirumoolar was never in favour of using siddhis for getting thigs done, though he was quite capable of it. Mostly he spent his time treating patients, giving discourses and correcting temple rituals etc., He wanted people to get close to him so he never showed off his supernatural powers. He was mostly worried about getting a bloated ego, which could have caused his spiritual downfall. Thirumoolar wrote a medical treatise called ' KARUKKIDAI VAIDYAM' and also authored many other books including 'MOOLAN MUNNOORU'.

 People are always on the run to get something or the other because of 'maya'. Maya and Jyothi – that is Maya and Gnanam (GYAN) cannot be separated nor can they be done away with. To lead a happy life one need all the creature comforts. One may lead a luxurious life but one should not drown oneself in it find happiness. But that happiness should not bring in misery, so limit your enjoyments to that extent only. What is the limit of enjoyment? If you can enjoy without losing yourself in your happiness, without taking for granted that it is all yours and without having any attachment to anything, then you are well within your limits. Such an enjoyment will not cause any misery.

We stay with our relatives, we accept their hospitality, we use their household articles like TV, fridge etc., But we do not have any right to own any of them. Similarly we have come to this world, a creation of the lord, where we can enjoy within the limits, but have no rights to own anything. Where such an attitude exists, ther will not be any unhappiness and jnanam increases as well. Instead when we start claiming the mountains, rivers and justify the possession of the other created things, it leads to the beginning of selfishness.

We go for a walk in the garden. We may enjoy the scenery, the flora and the fauna, the gentle breeze etc., but may not consider the ownership of the garden. Selfishness starts when one thinks, "I want that plant". Then follows the ideas of watering, fencing and the safe guarding of 'that' property, which would result in attachment. Thirumoolar had explained a number of methods to get rid of such selfish notions.

"This world is not meant for me. I must return to my original abode after enjoying my short stay, without any attachment", should be tha aim of each human being. For instance, we do not linger around the office after working hours. We go there only to work. In the evenings we drop everything as they are and go home to our near and dear ones. The same is applicable to our lives – both birth and death. Nothing is permanent. We should always bear it in mind that, "I have a permanent place and somehow I must return to it at the earliest".

How to go about it has been explained by Thirumoolar in his books. He narrates the story of evolution and then continues to discuss the 'nada-vindu tattva'. Then about the 'Akasa tattva' – akasa representing intellect. Men can read, understand and learn about many things. Like the akasa the intellect is vast. Then comes 'Vayu'. This vayu is known as 'Manas'. When intellect reaches the vayu stage it becomes manas. Both vayu and manas are not visible. We may talk about them but can not see them.

After these tattvas comes 'Agni' tattva. What does agni tattva signify? ….

 

Source - http://omgaarasakthi.org/services.htm

Regards,

Admin