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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“People of this world will not reform. Do not worry about them. Focus on what you must do.” – said the other Siddhas. But Bhoga did not listen. The people should not perish, they should live here forever. His thirst increased.
“Bhoga! You are going against the divine will. This is not good. Learn everything except the Sanjeevani which brings back the dead. That’s what is good for you.” – said the Siddhas but Bhoga did not listen. I will do whatever it takes and learn this Mantra or will get it through the God’s grace. His ancestors are from Tamil Nadu but they had migrated to China long back. His parents were doing a laundry business there.
He was named as Bo – Yong. Another theory states that Bhoga was born in Tamil Nadu itself and His parents migrated to China only after His birth, and He transmuted himself in to the body of Bo-Yong. As these happend thousands of years back, we don’t have the authenticity of such information. The book ‘Agasthiyar Panirendayiram’ (Agasthiyar 12 thousand) has a song that goes ‘The Bhoga who is greatest of the Siddhas is from the heavy land of China’. He stayed in China and came back to Tamil Nadu after His parents’ demise. He wanted to have the darshan of Siddhas staying in Mount Meru and Himalayas. His main mission was to share the rare herbs hidden in the treasures of mountains all across India and to prevent any disease from attacking the public.
He taught the Munivars and Siddhas in Himalayas on how to make gold. He did so because these men do not get attached to material things and will spend this on the welfare of others. While He stayed in Himalayas, many a students came to visit Bhoga and became His disciples. There were 63 of them including Pulipani, Karuvurar, Sattai Muni, Idaikadar etc., Bhoga disliked the one quality in humans, of not sharing one’s knowledge to others. He arranged for all 63 of His disciples to know everything He knew and to spread them all across the country. He had taught them on how to fly in the sky, to float in the water, the Kayakalpa medicine that helps the body to remain intact and healthy for a very long time.
He tested them too and the students cleared them as well. They then went to the lengths and breadths of the country and tried teaching the public what they learnt. The ignorant masses but didn’t pay heed to such knowledge. Bhoga felt sad but did not give up. He thought that by teaching them about Sanjeevani, they could be made interested in learning the other Siddhis. When He expressed His desires to the other Siddhas, they said what’s been given in the beginning of this post. Bhoga was restless after the Siddhas refused to teach Him the Sanjeevani. He cried profusely that He will give up His life if he will not be taught this skill. The other Siddhas consoled him stating, “if we decide to give up our lives just because what we desired did not happen, there won’t be anyone left in the world. Not everything we want happens. Death is something that the almighty has decided to happen for all humans at a certain time. It is not good to cross this decision. You may incur the wrath of the Lord if you do so. Change your thought to commit suicide. You are a learnt physician who knows everything including Kayakalpa. Why don’t you teach the humans about these and make them live a healthy life? Forget about living forever and teaching it to everyone. The Gnani does not dwell in what is impossible.”
Bhoga left for Mount Meru half-hearted. There He found Kalangi Siddha’s samadhi. When He offered His respects to it, many Siddhas appeared before Him saying, “O Bhoga! We are the disciples of Kalangi Siddhar. Souls like Rama, Pandavas, Dridhrashtra, Harishchandra, Ravana came here and tested what we have learnt. We are staying here since long. What do you want?”
Bhoga mentioned to them that He wanted to learn the Sanjeevani art where no one will ever die, with great respect and humbleness. They pointed him to a place where there were countless rare gems were found. They pointed him to another place where there were lots of gold. His heart felt happy, He thought about the common people even at that time. An ordinary person would greedily take away all he could and try to earn the title of ‘world’s richest’. But Bhoga requested the other Siddhas thus:
“O Siddhas! These are lying here as waste. It looks like there will be more left even if we give away these to all the people in the world. They will live happily with these, why is it getting wasted here?”
The Siddhas gave a grief-filled laughter. “Bhoga! Why are you worrying about the humans? They don’t respect people like us who think of spirituality, neither they search for the grace of Lord. Here you are worrying about such ungrateful humans to get benefitted with these materials here. They don’t deserve to get them.” – and they disappeared that instance. Bhoga felt sad thinking “I was thinking of getting all these wealth to the humans and forgot about the greatest of the wealth – health and to make them live forever. This wealth changes one’s mind like anything. It makes us forget our duties.”
At that time a light appeared and came through Bhoga, it’s light was blindfolding. He covered his eyes with his hands and looked in between in the direction of the light. It came from an ant-hill which was almost the height of a full grown man. He walked towards the ant-hill. He heard breathing from that ant hill. Bhoga sensed that the breathing is not that of a snake but of a human who is perfected. He realized that this person must be a great Tapasvi and that He could learn the art of Sanjeevani from Him. So He sat down in meditating about this person right there deciding that He will wait. The heat of this meditation touched the Tapasvi inside the anthill where He came out. He was a person who knows everything past, present and future. He woke Bhoga up saying ‘O Bhoga!’
Bhoga was surprised, “Swami, how do you know my name?” for which the Tapasvi said it is not difficult for Siddhas to know each others. Bhoga wanted to know how long he was doing this penance for the Tapasvi asked which yuga it was. Bhoga replied, “Kali Yuga”. The Tapasvi exclaimed on how fast the time runs, I have been meditating since beginning of Dhvapara Yuga and a full yuga is gone. Bhoga, I know your wish as well. First, eat the fruit of that tree there and quench your hunger. As soon as Bhoga ate the fruit, he felt very light as if he was floating and he sat down as it is. The Tapasvi handed over a doll to Bhoga saying, “this doll will answer all your questions.” – and went in to the anthill again. Bhoga asked the doll on how to live without getting defeated by death. The doll spoke everything about the birth till death but said that it cannot share the knowledge of living forever in spite of it knowing it due to the law of creation and disappeared. Bhoga felt depressed but he did not give up. Bhoga climbed up the Mount Meru one day where he saw rocks of gold, due to the rare herbs being used by the rishi-munis. He could not withstand the brightness and was about to fall down. The rishi-munis held him.
“Bhoga, we are living here for four yugas. We appreciate your sincerity and perseverance in making the humans live. The Sanjeevani is here in a cave. We shall show you and also teach you the mantra. Bhoga’s joy knew no bounds. They entered a particular cave which contained this herb which was not touched by dust, shining due to the radiance of making one live forever and bring back the dead. The rishi-munis explained the usage of Sanjeevani to Bhoga in detail. Bhoga became the personification of gratitude. He prostrated at the feet of these holy men thanking them profusely for their help and bid farewell. His joy did not find any limit where he jumped and danced out causing the place to tremble. Many a Siddhas appeared before Bhoga and addressed him thus: “Bhoga, it is during happiness that one should remain calm. You have disturbed our penance with your dancing and shouting. Our penance which happened for many yugas has become useless for which we will curse you. We curse you that you will forget the usage of this Sanjeevani for which you spent all your life’s effort, just as we are standing helpless with all our penance going for nothing.” Bhoga was devastated.
“O Siddhas! What have I done? I did a great mistake. Please don’t! Please don’t! You have the responsibility of sustaining this world too right? Please do not punish the people for whatever happened between us here. Please forgive me, please forgive me!” – but there were no one to listen to his cries for the Siddhas had disappeared. Bhoga was broken apart for he kept lamenting about his mistakes and fell unconscious. This drama was orchestrated by the almighty to show that the world is governed by Him and there is a reason for everything. But why did He then create Sanjeevani, a question may rise. The answer is known only to Him.
A bird flew near Bhoga and went in to the cave. This bird is Anda Bagiranda Bird. It plucked a leaf from a herb and made Bhoga inhale its fragrance. Bhoga woke up. It said, “Bhoga! Do not worry about what happened. There are countless Siddhas doing penance here and your movement may wake them up. It is enough of what you have learnt all the while. Help the people life healthy with this knowledge. Do not make another mistake of waking the other Siddhas up and end up lose whatever remaining you know. The person who is contended is the wise one.” Bhoga flew back to Podhigai hills and sat for meditation. Goddess Parvathi appeared in his meditation and said, “Bhoga, grieve not. It is my task to create and destroy the world. Go to Pazhani hills and worship my son Muruga!” and disappeared. Bhoga reached Pazhani and found Lord Subramanya in the form of Dhandayutha Pani wearing just the loin cloth. He instructed Bhoga to make the Nava-Bashana idol of himself and instructed Him on the ways He should be worshipped there in detail.” Bhoga felt very happy and did what the Lord mentioned, and was doing regular Pooja and Abisheka. Those who got those prasada lived a healthy and long life. This is why a lot of people visit Pazhani
Malai.
Bhoga then reached Thiruchengodu near Namakkal. It is said that he made the ArdhaNareeshwara idol in Nava Bashana there as well. He flew to China frequently as well. Pulipani Siddha went to China and brought Him back. He had many disciples such as Konkana Siddha, Idaikadar, Kamala Muni, Machcha Muni, Nandeesar etc., He came back from China and stayed in Pazhani, eventually attained Samadhi here in Pazhani.
~ to be continued…!
Featured image courtesy: Pazhani Aatheenam