Devi Mayamma of Kanyakumari

In the holy shore of Kanyakumari, where the three oceans meet, there once lived a great soul. Some called her Amma, others called her Devi, sages called her Mother of the World. That was Devi Mayamma of Kanyakumari, one of the greatest Avadhootas of recent times.

No one knows when Mayamma first appeared on the sea shore. She walked on the hot sand, unaware of the heat or hunger. She was often seen swimming in the ocean or sitting on slippery rocks among the waves. Devotees who flocked to see her would wait for hours till she returned laughing from the sea. On land she was always surrounded by a pack of adoring dogs. She fed them whatever scraps of food she found, and with the same joyful look in her eyes, fed people too. Amma would collect cigarette butts, wet sea-weed and soaking plantain stems that littered the beach and miraculously set them ablaze into a crackling fire at night.

Amma never claimed to be anything special. But everyone who came to her was enveloped by the mysterious waves of kindness and compassion which flowed from her gaze. 

Many claim to have been freed from incurable diseases by Amma’s grace. Many others claim to have been blessed with prosperity and happiness by her boons. Amma had her curious ways too. She would step into any one of the seaside teashops, grab the idlys in the trays and hurl them out on the street for her dogs to eat. Shopkeepers would wait at dawn with baited breath hoping that Divine Mother would step into their shop first. It would be roaring business that day, they claim.

Sri Satya Sai Baba, Mata Amritanandamayi, Sankaracharya, Sri Chandrasekhara Saraswathi, Mouna Guru of Northern India, Jaggi Vasudev and other well known holy persons have sought Devi Mayamma’s blessings and urged their devotees to visit her. 

Renowned Avadhoots like Sri Koti Swamigal and Sri Poondi Mahan have praised her as the Mother of the Universe. She was also visited by President Zail Singh and other dignitaries. And then one day in 1986, Devi Mayamma disappeared from Kanyakumari! Where did she go? Where is she now? 

Devi Mayamma left Kanyakumari along with her faithful attendant and disciple Rajendran. Sri Rajendran used to look after her like a loving son. She moved to Salem (5/184, Mayamma Kovil, Santhi Nagar, Chinnakollapatti, Salem-636008.) and settled into a little house with Sri Rajendran, his wife and three children. She lived in that beautiful place on the outskirts of the pleasant hill station of Yercaud for six long years. Rare and fortunate devotees sought her blessings there till she finally gave up her earthly form in Maha Jeeva Samadhi.

Devi Mayamma passed into Maha Jeeva Samadhi on the day of Sashthi on the 9th of February, 1992. 

Rathinagiri Bala Murugan Adimai

One day in his 27th year, a young man on his way to work as a clerk in the Electricity Department climbed the Rathinagiri Hill to offer his prayers. There was neither camphor nor incense available at the poor and delapitated temple. He walked around the shrine with a heavy heart and was suddenly overcome with divine awakening. He fell in a faint to the ground and on waking up was unable to remember his own self. He dressed himself in a loincloth. He took a sacred vow not to leave until the temple was restored to its former glory.

This memorable event of Swami's spiritual awakening took place on 20th March 1968. Ever since then Swami's spiritual well being of his devotees has continued unabated. Swami maintains maunam all these years, but he agreed to give this written account on 27 October 2001. "(Until that fateful day) I was not so fond of bhakti, but I used to pass by this way every day to reach my office work by 9 am. While passing by I would offer worship just like other people. 

But on that 20th March 1968 I climbed the hill to have darshan. He asked the priest who was doing puja to burn a little camphor for aradhana. He said, "We have no camphor and no incense."

He felt like crying. He came out from the moolasthanam and went for pradakshinai (circumambulation) and worship seeing the Deity.

At that moment he lost all my other concerns and made up my mind to have a vow to make the poor sanctum of Rathinagiri to be as glorious as the Lord's Aru Padai Veedukal.


From that day onwards he have been observing maunam (silence) and doing my prayers. Now when visitors come to the temple, he is offering them food and hospitality. Now you can see the change in status of the temple. It is not I but the Lord or His Grace (that makes this possible).

Now Rathinagiri Bala Murugan Temple has become one of the famous and notable temples of South India. And it will become one among the Padai Veedus shortly.

Matsyendranath Siddha

Nath Siddha Matsyendranath

Nath Siddha Matsyendranath or the "Fish Lord" is the first Guru of the nine Naths. Along with Gorakhnath, Matsyendranath is regarded as the founder of the Nath, Kaula and Kanphata traditions. He initiated the practices of Laya, Hatha and Raja Yogas. 

According to legend, Nath Siddha Matsyendranath was a fisherman from Kamarupa in Assam who hooked a giant fish and was swallowed alive by it. The fish came to rest on the ocean floor near a hidden place, which Shiva had chosen to convey his most secret teaching to his consort Uma. 

From within the belly of the fish Nath Siddha Matsyendranath overheard these secret teachings and received his mantra directly from Shiva, who had no option but to make Matsyendranath his disciple. Nath Siddha Matsyendranath spent twelve years perfecting his sadhana living in the belly of the fish until he was eventually disgorged onto dry land. He had many disciples, the most prominent of which was Gorakhnath. 

In Nepal, Nath Siddha Matsyendranath is identified with the Buddhist bodhisattva of compassion, Avalokitesvara, who is identified with Shiva as Lokanath-"Lord of the World." Nath Siddha Matsyendranath is the patron deity of Nepal, and is believed to have brought the first grains of rice to this Himalayan Kingdom.

He was popularly known as Minanatha and was an inhabitant of either Chandradwip (Barisal) or sandwip in Bengal.

Kalanginathar

Kalangi Nathar was the guru of Bhogar (or Bhogarnathar). Kalangi Nathar was from Benaras. He was also referred to the great confucious of china who was the back bone of the chinese civilisation.

Kalangi Nathar and bogar were considered to possess an ideal master and student relationship. It is said that they had a mutual care among both of them in their own spiritual progresses. Kalangi nathar, especially took more care and strain towards the spiritual advancement of his disciple bogar. Kalangi nathar was behind bogar's every development and his innovations for the world.

He is often referred to us kanjamalai siddhar. The word "kanjam" stands for the following meaning - gold, copper and Iron and malai means hill. It is said that paranthaka chozha who built sri nataraja temple with golden roof, took the gold from this hill. Also the water falls seen in this hill is called "ponni nadhi".

He is the disciple to the great siddha Thirumoolar. He is one among the seven disciples whom thirumoolar transcended his knowledge. The other six being -Indran, Soman, Rudhran, Kanduru,Brahman and kanjamalaiyan.

The shrine of Kalangi Nathar is found in a small village in Salem, Tamil Nadu. This village is 12 km away from salem city. This place is in via route to Ilampillai.

He is supposed to have been attained jeeva samadhi in this place several hundred years ago.

Kalanginathar is Boghar's father according to Boghar's poem. Boghar gloring kalanginathar in many of his verses.

Main Source: Gavanagar Muzhakkam Magazine

Kumaraguru Paraswamigal

Another classic of the 17th century in praise of the of Tiruchendur is Kandar Kalivenba by Kumaraguru Paraswamigal, a Saiva ascetic. The author was horn in 1625 A.D. of a Saiva Vellala family at Srivaikuntam on the northern hank of the Tambaraparani, nineteen miles from Tiruchendur. His parents Shanmukha Sikhamani Kavirayar and Sivakami Ammaiyar were blessed with this child after a long penance to Muruga of Tiruchendur. The boy grew of age and until his fifth year showed no signs of speech. The parents were pained at this and resorted to Tiruchendur penance again. Weary of waiting for months and seeing signs of approaching speech, the parents determined to drown themselves in the sea along with the child if he would not speak by a particular day.

The day dawned, and yet there were no signs. At last, both the parents and the child entered the foamy waves. Deeper and deeper they went from knee to neck and, as they were about to sink with the waves over their heads a human form appeared with a flower in his hand and asked the child what it was; when lo! the child broke out in praise of the Lord with the words of the lines.

"Pûmêvu cenkamalap puttêLuntêRRiya
Pâmêvu teyvap pazhamaRaiyum…."

This poem, the Kantarakalivempâ of 244 lines is a delightful piece of the Lord's praise and the truths of Saiva Siddhanta. And it is considered even now with great propriety that its recitation with warmth and fervour wards off many an evil attending on man.

Having studied Tamil at the feet of his father Sanmukacikâmani Kavirayar, and attained in it great proficiency by divine grace, he grew up to manhood, took to an austere way of life, left home, and wandered throughout the Tamil country visiting famous places of pilgrimage and composing poems on the presiding deities. When he was at Dharmapuram, he was drawn to the monastery's head Mâcilâmani Tecikar, and begged him to be admitted as his disciple and initiated into the sannyâsa âsrama. Mâcilâmani asked the young poet to visit important pilgrim centers including Benares, and return to him then. Kumarakuruparar felt incapable of such undertaking, arduous and dangerous in those days. He was directed to stay at least in Chidambaram for some time and then apply. He complied with this condition and afterwards took the holy orders. While he was a court-poet of Tirumalai Nâyaka at Madurai, one day as he was inaugurating his devotional poem in praise of goddess Mînâtci at the royal court, the goddess appeared herself as a young maiden and sat on the lap of the Nâyaka king, and taking a necklace of pearls, put it on the neck of the poet and vanished.

Finally, Kumarakuruparar left for Benares. His fame reached even the Mughal court at Delhi. Emperor Aurangzib expressed a desire to see him, and the poet-saint (who had in the meantime mastered Urdu) rode to the Mughal court on the back of a lion, the symbol of courage and pride. The emperor was so much impressed by the poet's holiness and learning that he bestowed on him a plot of land in Benares near the Kedar Ghat, and there Kumarakuruparar built the Kumârasvâmi monastery which became soon the heart of religious activities. He lived in Benares till the end of his days except for a short visit to the South to pay his respects to his guru. The tradition also says that Kumarakuruparar who was very fond of Kampau's Tamil Râmâyana lectured on it in Benares and that Tulsîdâs, the great Hindi poet of Râmcaritmânas, heard these talks and became indebted to Kanpan through the lectures of Kumarakuruparar.

Amongst Kumarakuruparar's other literary works, Meenakshi Pillai-Tamil, Meenakshi-kurram, Neethineri-Vilakkami Madhuraikkalampakam and others are ever popular and widely read.

Main Source: http://murugan.org

Seshadri Swamigal

Sri Seshadri Swamigal, well known as the "Saint with a golden hand", is one of the greatest Indian saints who lived Thiruvannaamalai. He is being worshiped as a religious guru by many Hindus throughout the world.

Sri Seshadri Swamigal was born on January 22, 1870 in a small village near Kanchipuram in South India in the renowned family of Kamakoti. He studied Vedas (Hindu religious literature) at a very young age. An incident in his childhood reveals the greatness of his power when his mother took him to a temple fair and he touched an idol from a seller who had all the idols sold out like hotcakes, which were not getting sold out earlier. This gave him the name "Thanga Kai" (golden hand). His parents died when he was still in his teens. Just before his mother died, she asked him to sing 'Ambe Sive' (a composition of his grandfather's) and then, in the moments before she died, she called out, "Arunachala! Arunachala! Arunachala!" The word Arunachala struck a deep cord in Sheshadri Swamigal. Though he had never been to Arunachala, he sketched the five peaks of the holy hill on a board and from then on worshipped Arunachala every day. Having no worldly attachments, he became a sanyasi (ascetic) and came to Tiruvannamalai in 1889 at age nineteen and remained there for forty years until he died in the year 1929.

When Ramana Maharshi came to Tiruvannamalai seven years after Seshadri Swamigal's arrival, Seshadri was immediately aware of the young swami's state of Self-abidance and he felt a motherly love for him. Sri Ramana spent his time then immersed in the bliss of the Self in the thousand-pillared hall in the front portion of the Arunachaleswara Temple. Urchins, not understanding his state, pelted him with stones. Sri Seshadri tried to protect the young swami who seemed quite unaware of his body and surroundings, but the urchins continued their harassment. To avoid this unwanted attention, Sri Ramana moved into the Patalalingam, an underground vault in the temple. He remained there, in deep meditation, for many day, oblivious to the ants, vermin, and mosquitoes who were feasting on him. Sri Seshadri found him there and asked his (Sri Seshadri's) devotee Venkatachala Mudaliar to lift "his child" out.^[1] He cleansed Ramana's blood-oozing wounds and revealed Ramana as a [saint] to the world.

Seshadri Swamigal's behavior was quite eccentric and unpredictable. He acted like a mad man at times to fend off worldly people, but to earnest seekers he was extremely gentle and considerate.^[2]

Sri Seshadri blessed his devotees and helped cure their illnesses with his wonderful touch. While roaming the streets of Tiruvannamalai, he would sometimes enter a shop and dump the cash from a cashbox or throw the articles from the shops. The shops he entered used to do good business on that day and so shop keepers would eagerly await his arrival. To this day, the shops in Tiruvannamalai have his photos as a symbol of good luck and prosperity.

Sri Seshadri was a great worshipper of Shakti.

Sri Seshadri died in January 1929, at the age of 59. His body was not cremated but buried, as is the custom in the case of a saint. It is believed that Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi was present at the place silently observing the rituals till it was completed. It is often quoted that the devotees called Sri Seshadri "Periya Seshadri" (elder Seshadri) and Sri Ramana Maharishi as "Chinna Seshadri" (younger Seshadri).^[3]

Yogi Ramsurathkumar

Yogi Ramsuratkumar (December 1, 1918 – February 20, 2001) was an Indian saint and mystic. He was also referred to as "Visiri samiyar" and spent most of his post enlightement period in Thiruvannaamalai, a small town in Tamil Nadu which is famous for attracting spiritual seekers worldwide and has had a continuous lineage of enlightened souls. He acknowledges the contribution of three of the most well known saints of his time in his evolution to enlightenment. These individuals were Sri Aurobindo, the founder of Integral yoga, Ramana Maharishi, one of the "spiritual superman" of his time, and Papa Ramdas, Yogi's eventual guru.
Pre Enlightenment History
Yogi Ramsuratkumar was born in a village near Varanasi on December 1, 1918. In his childhood, he loved very much to meet the yogis and monks. He was befriended by a number of holy men who built their huts on the Ganges shore or simply wandered nearby.
He grew up as a Grihasta but eventually, the tugs of spirituality in his heart took over. In search of a guru, he visited and spent time in the ashrams of both Sri Aurobindo and Ramana Maharishi. He later moved to Kerala at the ashram of Swami Ramdas. In his own assessment, Sri Aurobindo gave him Jnana, Sri Ramana Maharshi blessed him with Tapas and Swami Ramadas gave him the nectar of Bhakti. Swami Ramadas initiated him into the holy mantra : " Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram ", by pronouncing it thrice in his ears. Yogi Ramsuratkumar often refers to this instance as his "death", since from this moment on, his ego no longer existed, and he had a profound spiritual experience.

Post Enlightenment History
Yogi Ramsuratkumar travelled across India from 1952 to 1959. Not much is known about the exact whereabouts of the yogi in this period. He finally reached Thiruvannamalai in the Southern India in 1959. He was a "hidden" saint during this early period, with not too many individuals realizing that this "beggar" was someone who would bring riches to the lives of countless many. He was seen near the Temple chariot, at the corners of the Road,under the trees of the Temple. As more and more people started acknowledging the divine presence in him, Swamiji then began living in a small house in Sannadhi Street beneath the Temple. He continued to bless the devotees who thronged by the thousands to his house at the Sannadhi Street. At a point, his devotees became too many to be handled in a small house and the devotees wished him to have an Ashram which he gently accepted after much persuasion for the sake of his devotees. The Yogi Ramsuratkumar Ashram was constructed at Agrahara collai and occupies total area of 3.5 Acres. Yogi Ramsuratkumar attained samadhi on February 20th 2001 at Tiruvannamalai in the Ashram premises.
Yogi Ramsuratkumar's Message to the world.

To his followers, he assures that the mere thought of him and meditation with the repetition of the following mantra would address any difficulties that they have in dealing with their day to day problems.

Yogi Ramsuratkumar Yogi Ramsuratkumar
Yogi Ramsuratkumarara Jaya Guru Raya

The following excerpts are taken from one of his addresses to his followers. He often referred to himself as a "beggar" as a message for followers to not take their egos seriously.

"This beggar learnt at the feet of Swami Ramdas the divine name of Rama, and beg, beg all of you not to forget the divine name Rama. Whatever you do, wherever you are, be like Anjaneya -Maruthi thinking of Rama and doing your actions in this world. Live in the world and the problems will be there. If we are remembering the Divine name, we are psychologically sound. May be, we may feel a little some of the problems. Even then the intensity with which we feel if we don't have faith in God is much more than a man of faith - a man who remembers the name of Rama. So this beggar is always begging, begging for food, begging for clothes, begging that you should compose songs on this beggar, build a house for me - a cottage for me - this thing - that thing - so many things. But this beggar will beg of you this also, and you are always giving what this beggar has begged. So this beggar begs please don't forget the name of God. This Divine name has been always of great help to all in the world. You read Kabir, Tulsi, Sur, Appar Swamy, Manickavasaga Swamy - how they emphasized Namasivaya. Don't forget it- this is your heart- this is your soul. Whether it be Om Namasivaya or Om Namo Narayana whether Rama, Siva or Krishna whatever name you choose, whatever form you choose doesn't matter."

"But remember the lord with any name, with any form of your choice. Just as when there is heavy rainfall, we take an umbrella, and go on doing our work in the factory, in the field, wherever we go for marketing and catching hold of the umbrella we go though the rain is falling there. But still we work-still we work-do our work. Similarly we have got so many problems all around. This divine name is just like an umbrella in the heavy rainfall. Catch hold of the divine name and go on doing your work in the world. This beggar begs of you and this beggar has received all he has begged of you. So I think none of you will shrink away, when this beggar begs of you, don't forget the divine name. This beggar prays to his father to bless you all who have come here. My Lord Rama blesses you- My Father blesses you. Arunachalaswara blesses you. It doesn't matter to me what name it is. All the blessings of my father for all of you! Well, that is the end. That is all."

Yogi's sayings
“This name Yogi Ramsuratkumar is not this beggar’s name. It is my Father’s Name. My Father has invested in this Name. Whoever remembers this name my Father will come to their rescue.”
“This beggar has three Fathers. Ramana Maharishi, Sri Aurobindo and Swami Ramdas. Ramana kindled, Aurobindo did a little more and my Father Swami Ramdas completed the process."
“My Father alone exists. Nobody else. Nothing else. In the past, in the present and in the future, My Father alone exists.”

"Ramana Maharshi was suffering from cancer. There was much pain. He cried once. Someone said, "Bhagavan, you are crying. You are suffering like this!". They felt, "Bhagavan is dying." Then Ramana Maharshi sat upon the cot and said, "Have I been teaching only this all these years?" It is the body. All diseases, all sufferings come to the body only. Not to the soul. If you are firmly established that we are the eternal spirit, not the body, suffering will not touch us. That is the meaning. There will be no fear of death. You are the soul - all pervasive, all intelligent, all powerful soul. All sufferings, pain, disease, death come to the body only."

Main Reference: Wikipedia

References:
Rangarajan, Sadhu (1987). Glimpses of a great Yogi. Sister Nivedita Academy.
Wadlington, Truman Caylor (1972). Yogi Ramsuratkumar, the Godchild, Tiruvannamalai. Diocesan Press.
Parthasarathy, S. (2006). Amarakavyam, biography of Yogi Ramsuratkumar. Parthasarathy.
Mani, A. (2004). A Man and His Master: My Years with Yogi Ramsuratkumar. Hohm Press. ISBN 9781890772369.
Ammann, Olga (2008). Yogi Ramsuratkumar, the miracle of becoming God. Yogi Ramsuratkumar Bhavan.
Young, M (2003). Yogi Ramsuratkumar: Under the Punnai Tree. Hohm Press.
Ryan, Regina Sara (2004). Only God: A Biography Of Yogi Ramsuratkumar. Hohm Press.