Worship of Agathiyar and the Siddhas

I adopted a vegetarian lifestyle without any apparent reason and simultaneously began worshipping Agathiyar and the Siddhas, guided by Agathiyar through the Nadi. However, I realized my lack of knowledge about the entity I was worshipping—Agathiyar's origin and story.

The dreaded question arose when a cousin, aware of my devotion to Agathiyar, discussed episodes from Agathiyar's life, seeking confirmation. Though I couldn't provide details about his origin, I affirmed my belief in his presence and the miracles he worked in our lives, ending the conversation that day.

Discussing with Surendaran Selvaratnam, we decided to seek answers from Agathiyar about his origin during the next Nadi reading. Agathiyar responded at the beginning of this year. In the last post, I shared Agathiyar's brief revelation about himself, translated from Tamil.

According to Agathiyar, in his first mortal birth, he had a vision of Kailash at the age of 10. After extreme tapas, he attained Nirmala at Kailash, receiving blessings from Lord Kailai Shiva. Born as a Siddha, he roamed jungles, had a vision of Goddess Vana Kali, and gained knowledge about medicinal herbs. Lord Kailai Shiva instructed him to stay at Pothigai. Later, he learned about his intended marriage to Lobamutrai, representing Mother Kaveri.

Thavathiru Rengaraja Desigar further explains how Agathiyar attained the highest state, becoming one with Erai, with Supramaniar's guidance. In a past birth, Agathiyar supported Supramaniar's penances, and in return, Supramaniar blessed Agathiyar in the present birth.

Agathiyar learned the Siddha way from Supramaniar, who granted him the body of Light. By worshipping Supramaniar, Agathiyar realized the divinity within himself, attaining Bliss, Siddhis, and Deathlessness. Supramaniar granted him the title Gurumuni and Kumbamuni, instructing him to spread the Siddha way worldwide.

Agasthiyar, a Vedic Siddhar or sage, is credited with many mantras of the Rig Veda. Legends depict his wisdom, contributions to medicine and astrology, and his role in balancing the cosmos. Notably, he is considered the first Siddha and the guru of many others.

Legends tell of Agastya drinking the entire ocean to help the Devas defeat the Kalakeyas. Another story explains how he restrained the growing Vindhyas. Agastya is also credited with receiving the Tamil language from Lord Shiva.