The Agasthiar Spiritual Lineage
"God is beyond beyond your comprehension and calculation," say the Siddhas.
The human brain is not capable of figuring out God.
The methods of the material world can not help us in knowing God.
It's through perfected spiritual faculties that one gets to know God.
This perfection is achieved by patienly persevering on the spiritual path under the guidance
of a Sathguru. Faith in God and the Sathguru is the bedrock on which the mansion of spiritual life
is built. The Sathguru is our spiritual lifeboat in the turbulent waters of the world of matter.
A true Sathguru hails in a spiritual lineage that traces its roots all the way to God.
This Sathguru parampara is of fundamental importance in the spiritual path.
Sathguru Venkataraman is the 1001st teacher in Sri Agasthiar's
Siddha spiritual lineage.
Sri Agasthiar was instructed by God to found this lineage and dedicate himself to
the spiritual upliftment of all beings. Sri Agasthiar has been doing this
from time immemorial.
This article provides some basic information about
this glorious line of divine teachers.
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1. The Vaak Thathva Peedam
Sathguru Venkataraman holds what is known as the Vaak Thathva Peedam of the Agasthiar spiritual lineage.
Vaak = word; Thathva = principle; Peedam = seat.
Here Vaak refers to the pronouncements of the Siddhas.
Thus Vaak Thatva Peedam means that spiritual vantage point from which the
pronouncements of the Siddhas are announced, propagated and upheld.
It's based on the absolute and immediate subtle spiritual presence of
the Siddhas of the Agasthiar lineage.
Sri Sadhaathapa Siddha was the 999th spiritual titan to hold the Vaak Thathva Peedam of the
Agasthiar lineage. Sri Astheeka Siddha was the 1000th and Sathguru Venkataraman is the
1001st titan in this incomparable divine line.
Between any two successive Vaak Thathva Peedam holders, there are 999
Sathgurus who continue the work of the Agasthiar lineage.
These 999 Sathgurus revere the previous Vaak Thatva Peedam holder as their Sathguru.
For example, between Sri Sadhaathapa Siddha, the 999th Vaak Thathva Peedam holder
and Sri Astheeka Siddha, the 1000th, there were 999 Sathgurus.
These 999 Sathgurus continued the work of the Agsathiar lineage before
Sri Astheeka Siddha was crowned the 1000th Vaak Thathva Peedam holder.
These 999 Sathgurus did their divine work as an offering to Sri Sadhaathapa Siddha who
was their Sathguru. Thus the Agasthiar lineage stretches back into the far reaches of time.
2. The Managala Gandharvas
There's a spiritual world of Siddha Sathgurus known as Mangala Gandharva Loka.
This world is home to the the best and the brightest of the Sathgurus,
including Sathguru Venkataraman and his teacher Sri Idiyaapa Eesa Siddha.
It's from this home base that these great Sathgurus manifest themselves in all parts
of the universe and work for the spiritual upliftment of souls therein.
The Siddhas of this world are known as Mangala Gandharvas.
Sathguru Venkataraman is known as Guru Mangala Gandharva
and Sri Idiyaapa Eesa Siddha is known as Siva Guru Mangala Gandharva.
These are the appropriate honorifics for these two great teachers. Those who are not
familiar with Indian languages may refer to them as Sathgurus, but rigorously speaking,
one must refer to them using these honorifics only.
"Where your science ends, there our science starts," say the Siddhas.
As we mentioned before, the workings of the spiritual world can not be comprehended by the human brain.
The science of the Mangala Gandharvas says that Sri Agasthiar's manifestations are 20,000,000,000 in number.
The foremost of these forms is Sri La Sri Idiyaapa Siddha Eesar.
He is the ultimate universal teacher, Siva and Narayana rolled into One.
It's this great teacher who took human form to educate Sathguru Venkataraman
and crown him with the 1001st Vaak Thathva Peedam of the Agasthiar lineage.
3. Lineage Salutations
It's a disciple's holy duty to salute the divine teachers of his Sathguru's lineage everyday.
The serious aspirants perform this salutation many times a day to show their gratitude for
the spiritual guidance given by the Sathguru. These salutations are potent mantras that
can propel one to great heights on the spiritual path.
The disciples of the Agasthiar lineage salute the four immediate spiritual titans of the lineage and then
the lineage itself.
Om Sri Sarva Sri
Saaktha Parabrahma
Sri Devi Baktha
Sri Venkatarama Siddha Eesa
Guru Maharaj ki jai
Salutations to Sri Venkatarama Siddha,
that most auspicious Saaktha
who has merged with Eesa and become Parabrahman
and who is a devotee of Devi, the Universal Mother.
Om Sri Sarva Sri
Saaktha Parabrahma
Sarpa Rakshaka
Sri Astheeka Siddha Eesa
Guru Maharaj ki jai
Salutations to Sri Astheeka Siddha,
that most auspicious Saaktha
who has merged with Eesa and become Parabrahman
and who is the protector of serpents. (The scriptural texts known as the Puranas
describe Janamejaya's vengeful sacrificial ceremony
wherein all the serpents of the world were to be offered to the fire.
Parikshith, an ancestor of Janamejaya, had succumbed to snake bite and
Janamejaya had arrived at the erroneous conclusion that he had to avenge his
ancestor's death by ridding the world of snakes.
It's not man's purpose to decide which beings should live and which shoudln't.
So Janamejaya had to be stopped. But who could do this? The spiritual community turned
to Sri Astheeka Siddha who made Janamejaya realize the error of his ways.
Because of this act, the great Siddha is known as Sarpa Rakshaka, the protector of serpents.
At the very mention of Sri Astheeka's divine name, snakes will retreat from one's presence in grateful
memory of the great master's act of kindness and protection.)
Om Sri Sarva Sri
Saaktha Parabrahma
Kaalastheesvara
Sri Sadhaathapa Siddha Eesa
Guru Maharaj ki jai
Salutations to Sri Sadhaathapa Siddha,
that most auspicious Saaktha
who has merged with Eesa and become Parabrahman
and who is the Lord of Kaalahasthi. (The Lord of Kaalahasthi is Sri Siva Himself.
It was Siva who manifested as Sadhaathapa Siddha.
Sadhaa = eternal; thapa = spiritual austerities.
Sadhaathapa Siddha is eternally engaged in spiritual austerities for the spiritual
upliftment of one and all.)
Om Sri Sarva Sri
Saaktha Parabrahma
Maharishi Mahesvara
Kousthuba Purusha
Sri Idiyaapa Siddha Eesa
Guru Maharaj ki jai
Salutations to Sri Idiyaapa Siddha,
that most auspicious Saaktha
who has merged with Eesa and become Parabrahman
and who is the Mahesvara of Maharishis and the Kousthuba Purusha Himself.
(Siva is the Mahesvara of Maharishis. Sri Narayana is the Kousthuba Purusha, the One who
wears the Kousthuba gem. We salute Sri Idiyaapa Eesa Siddha as Siva and Narayana rolled into One.
Idiyaapam is a dish made from rice noodles. Given a plate of noodles, can one say where it begins
and where it ends? Thus Idiyaapa Eesa Siddha is One who is beginningless and endless.
He's the ultimate master of everything, the Paraapara Guru.)
Jai Thiru Kailaaya Pothiya Muni Parambarai
Sathguru Mahadeva Saranam Saranam Saranam
Salutations to the spiritual lineage of Sri Agasthiar (Pothiya Muni) who hails
from Kailash, the abode of Sri Siva. (Pothiya Muni is Maha Guru Sri Agasthiar.
By the command of Siva, Sri Agasthiar settled in the Pothiya Malai Hills
in the south of India and is hence known as Pothiya Muni.)
Jai Thiru Venkadatthu Urai Kumba Muni Parambarai
Sathguru Narayana Saranam Saranam Saranam
Salutations to the spiritual lineage of Sri Agasthiar (Kumba Muni) who resides
in the Venkadam (Tirupati) Hills, the abode of Sri Narayana.
(Kumba Muni is another name for Maha Guru Sri Agasthiar. To this day,
the great master visits Kailash and Vaikuntha everyday and offers worship
to Siva and Narayana. This master of 20 billion forms is present everywhere;
he's the indweller of all.
he's in Kailash, Vaikuntha, Venkadam, Pothiya Malai and in all other places.
There's not a place in the universe that's not filled with the spiritual
presence and grace of Sri Agasthiar.)
All glory to the Sathguru and the Sathguru lineage!
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