The answers of Agastya Muni to the generic questions posted by devotees can be found here. The readers are requested to send their spiritual experiences related to the Siddhas to GnanaBoomi at Gmail dot com. Though the experiences are unique and personal to them, it can shower some light or guidance to those who read them. Thanks!
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When I started to taste the Rama Katha through Agastya’s words, I could not bear anything without hearing it. Even He was mentioning about everything else but Sri Rama Katha in the coming days. I was expecting but the narration. One day I could not just bear it where I asked, “O Lord, why do you do this? The narration of Sri Rama Katha is paused as it is?”
“Hey! Human! Don’t I know when to narrate?! Why are you impatient? I will narrate everything. Have patience. The one who checks the time and date for everything, don’t you understand this yourself? Guruvar (Thursday) is the day when the grace of teacher falls. It is on this day where the teachers, Siddhas and Munivars provide all those great teachings for the welfare of those who surrenders to them. I am making you wait only for this. Sri Rama and Hanuman whom you regard as your Gurus, this story has to be narrated with them as a Sakshi, is my desire. You will realize many a miracles as you go. Hence, wait for the Guruvar!” – he said softly. I felt that it was a scolding however.
[now the readers may realize why the Grace of Siddha and its original translation is being published only on Thursdays, for the English series is scheduled to get published in the Brahma Muhurtha (4.30 to 6.00 AM), the Tamil series is very high in its quality where it was being typed and published only in the Brahma Muhurtha! It is also the Maha Muni’s orders that He will make the readers understand and realize subtle things within their minds.]
I thought to myself, my mind is that of the dog’s tail which never straightens, how many ever times I get such scoldings. I apologized for my mistakes to Agastya then and there.
“It’s alright. You are just impatient because you want to do your part for the welfare of this world and you are naturally interested in the story of Sri Rama, hence you got that question I know. When you narrate these incidents, make the title as ‘Sukam Tharum Sundara Kandam’ (the Sundara Kandam which bestows pleasure), He gave the title as well.
I waited for the Thursday.
On this day, after waking up early, doing my regular duties, I prayed to Vinayaka and Hanuman as usual, chanted Agastya Muni’s holy name and requested Him to narrate the Rama Katha. He came in the Nadi.
“For every man, the marriage is a turning point. Sometimes his life turns upside down. It happened just so in Rama’s life. The turning point where the Ramayana was made, was His marriage. The Almighty which wanted to show the world by action, accepted everything by being in the same mindset, which is what is referred to as the Siddha’s mindset. We Siddhas ourselves learned that even without any yogic practice, to accept everything in its own flow, without happiness and sorrow, one can live like a Siddha from Sri Rama Himself. We were even ashamed of ourselves, can you believe?” – He was all praise for Sri Rama.
When Agastya Muni explained how Rishi-Muni’s, Devas, Gandharvas, Narada, Deva Ganas, Siddhas, everyone around when Sri Rama got married to Sita Devi, I felt as if I myself was present there and was witnessing the whole thing. The mind was floating in a blissful ocean. Who will get such a blessing? I placed the Nadi in Sri Rama’s holy feet and did a Sashtanga Namaskar.
“O Sire! I have attained the purpose of taking this birth. Many many thanks.” I expressed my gratitude.
“You will witness many such things in this holy shrine of Sri Rama, you will feel, you will see. I will narrate them once they happen. Do you know one thing?! Sri Rama named this series as ‘Sukam Tharum Sundara Kandam’ only to make His beloved Hanuman’s glory to be praised. It is His title. The Almighty will make oneself realize for what It is intended to. This title is such, apt. Enjoy the meaning of this title at leisure.
[Gnanaboomi is humbled to change the title of this series thereby from now on].
I sat silent, immobile. No thoughts rose up.
He showed me that the fate started showing up in Dasharatha, Kaikeyi, Sri Rama, Kooni, Baratha, Lakshmana etc., only after the marriage of Sri Rama with Sita Devi. He narrated that the fate itself was witnessing how Sri Rama faces it with awe. Sri Rama took the fate by surprise by wearing the ornament of ‘patience’ in His mindset. He played by the rules of human kind by accepting the rule of nava grahas, He showed.
It is through fate that Sri Rama went exile, instead of having to rule, He played by the rules, wore deer-skin and went to jungle. When Agastya explained it, I felt the chillness experienced in the forests. One can understand how Agastya would have narrated from this very example.
“Such truthful explanations, if released in the form of book for the welfare of mankind, how great it will be?” – I began to think and He replied, “Question again? Have patience for you will realize when the right time comes.”
“Let me tell you another thing that’s happening. Agastya who witnessed Sri Rama’s life by staying close to Himself is narrating this. To hear this, one has to have done a great merit hence, all the Siddhas are here in this room and are listening to it with such a devotion. What else of a greatness do you seek my boy?!” – he said simply, such a great thing.
I was shocked for a second.
“Ok, let us continue in another muhurtha. This is enough for today.”
I requested, “Please ask all the Siddhas to stand up for a while.”
I got up and..
did a Sashtanga Namaskara to everyone and remained there for ten minutes when I felt someone is tapping my back. I placed the Nadi in Sri Rama’s holy feet and began to do the japa…
“Om Agatheesaya Namaha”
~ to be continued…!
Featured image courtesy: The original Tamil book with the author’s name mentioned as Bala. Ramani. The publisher is Ekam Publishers, Chennai- http://haristore.com/index.php/books/tamil/sugam-tharum-sundarakandam.html