Shree Pambatti Siddhar-Aaadu Pambe!!

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Shree Pambatti SiddharA most popular and well known of the siddhars is "Pambatti

Siddhar"(the snake siddha) who may be taken to be a true representation ofhis

tribe. He takes the snake for a symbol to represent the humanSoul and uses the

expression : "AADU PAMBE" (De thou, Dance Snake) asa refrain at the end of each

stanza of his poem.

 

 

The poem of thissiddhar is fewer than six hundred lines and deals with

philosophicand spiritual matters in the authentic siddhar pattern with

greatpassion.

 

 

 

 

He sings the praise of Lord Siva as the Supreme Power of the Universe.

 

 

 

 

About Siddhar's (Siddha's)

 

Who is a siddha ? A siddha is one who has attained siddhi, i.e. "power, prowess,

strength, ability", then a special kind of psychic and supernatural, miraculous,

occult power. There are eight kinds of super natural powers called as "Ashtama

Siddhis":

Anima (shrinking) -- Power of becoming the size of an atom and entering the smallest beings.

Mahima (illimitability) -- Power of becoming mighty and co-extensive with the

universe. The power of increasing one's size without limit.

Lagima (lightness) -- Capacity to be quite light though big in size.

Garima (weight) -- Capacity to weigh heavy, though seemingly small size.

Prapthi (fulfillment of desires) -- Capacity to enter all the worlds from Brahma

Loga to the neither world. It is the power of attaining everything desired.

Prakasysm (irresistable will) -- Power of disembodying and entering into other

bodies (metempsychosis) and going to heaven and enjoying what everyone aspires

for, simply from where he stays.

Isithavam (supremacy) -- Have the creative power of God and control over the

Sun, the moon and the elements and

Vasithavam (dominion over the elements) -- Power of control over King and Gods.

The power of changing the course of nature and assuming any form.

According to the book "Valmiki Suthira Gyanam" authored by Valmeeki Siddha,the

mind and attaining perfection one becomes a siddha (Tamil Chittan); He is

indeed fit to be called SIVA".

A classical definition of siddhas is given by Siddhar Thirumoolar: "Those who

live in yoga and see the divine light and power through yoga are the siddhars

(Tamil Chittar)".

According to Kamil Zvelebil, there are some features which are typical for all

or almost all siddhars as a body of thinkers.

 

First, in sharp opposition to the bhakti tradition, they refuse to allow

themselves be carried away by idol worship in particular temples.

Second, in contrast to bhakti which emphasizes passionate devotion to God, the

siddhar emphasize knowledge, yoga practice, and character, moral behavior,

right conduct. Anger, lust and egoism are the worst sins.

Third, almost all siddhar's raise a protest against caste and casteism.

The whole atmosphere of siddha thinking is empirical and experimental. Their

writings are not in the nature of clear cut formalized statements of any well

defined doctrine. Hence, it is difficult to extricate a philosophical system

out of their writings, at least at the present state of our knowledge of their

works. However, it is possible to point out a few essential features, and one

day, when their writings are better known, it should be possible to state their

philosophy more explicitly.

 

Nandi Devar

Agastyar

Thirumoolar

Boganathar

Konkanavar

Macchamuni

Goraknath

Sattamuni

Sundaranandar

Rama Devar

Kudambai

Karuvoorar

Idai Kadar

Kamalamuni

Valmiki

Patanjali

Dhanvanthri

Paambatti

 

Sri Pa

The 18 Siddhars

There are 18 siddhars in the tamil siddha tradition. Each of the siddhars had

lived in varied places under different names. The following are most common

names of the 18 siddhars. They are listed in the order of their time period.

1. Sri Pathanjali Siddhar

2. Sri Agasthiar Siddhar

3. Sri Kamalamuni Siddhar

4. Sri Thirumoolar Siddhar

5. Sri Kuthambai Siddhar

6. Sri Korakkar Siddhar

7. Sri Thanvandri Siddhar

8. Sri Sundaranandar Siddhar

9. Sri Konganar Siddhar

10. Sri Sattamuni Siddhar

11. Sri Vanmeegar Siddhar

12. Sri Ramadevar Siddhar

13. Sri Nandeeswarar Siddhar

14. Sri Edaikkadar Siddhar

15. Sri Machamuni Siddhar

16. Sri Karuvoorar Siddhar

17. Sri Bogar Siddhar

18. Sri Pambatti Siddhar

 

 

The Other Siddhars

Apart from the 18 siddhars given above, there are also other siddhars. It is

possible that the siddhars given below are the same siddhars (the 18 siddhars),

but under different name. They might also be the disciples of the siddhars, who

by the process 'Transmigration of Souls' became the one and same as the Guru

himself. Only a true Siddha Yogi shall do any classification with full

confidence.

 

1. Sivavakkiyar

2. Pattinattar

3. (List to be expanded later)

 

Table of 18 Siddhars

Sl. No

Name of the Siddhar

Tamil month of Birth

Tamil Birth Star

Duration of Life

Place of Samadhi

1

Sri Pathanjali

Panguni

Moolam

5 Yugas 7 Days

Rameswaram

2

Sri Agasthiar

Markazhi

Aayilyam

4 Yugas 48 Days

Thiruvananthapuram

3

Sri Kamalamuni

Vaikasi

Poosam

4000 Years 48 Days

Thiruvarur

4

Sri Thirumoolar

Purattathi

Avittam

3000 Years 13 Days

Chidambaram

5

Sri Kuthambai

Aadi

Visagam

1800 Years 16 Days

Mayavaram

6

Sri Korakkar

Karthigai

Aayilyam

880 Years 11 Days

Perur

7

Sri Thanvandri

Iyppasi

Punarpoosam

800 Years 32 Days

Vaideeswarankoil

8

Sri Sundaranandar

Aavani

Revathi

800 Years 28 Days

Madurai

9

Sri Konganar

Chitthirai

Utthiradam

800 Years 16 Days

Titupathi

10

Sri Sattamuni

Aavani

Mrigasirisham

800 Years 14 Days

Thiruvarangam

11

Sri Vaanmeegar / Valmiki

Purattasi

Anusham

700 Years 32 Days

Ettukudi

12

Sri Ramadevar

Masi

Pooram

700 Years 06 Days

Azhagarmalai

13

Sri Nandeeswarar

Vaikasi

Visagam

700 Years 03 Days

Kasi

14

Sri Edaikkadar

Purattasi

Thiruvadirai

600 Years 18 Days

Tiruvannamalai

15

Sri Machamuni

Aadi

Rohini

300 Years 62 Days

Thiruparankundram

16

Sri Karuvoorar

Chitthirai

Hastham

300 Years 42 Days

Karuvur

17

Sri Bogar

Vaikasi

Bharani

300 Years 18 Days

Pazhani

18

Sri Pambatti

Karthigai

Mrigasirisham

123 Years 14 Days

Sankarankoil

 

 

There is a poem on his Guru, Who is credited with super naturalpowers. He then

boasts of the similar powers of his tribe in a moodof fantastic self-adulation,

where his imagination runs riot. "We canmake men women", he says and adds, "We

can destroy" this greatuniverse. He asserts that they have power equal to that

of God andcan control the elements. He is there, merely expatiating on

theAshtama SiddhisHe then bursts out that they, like Prahima can create new

worlds,make him his servants and live in a status of equality with Lord Sivaand

make Him play with them. Then there is usual tired against thislife and its

short lived sensual pleasure. The value of reminciationand sacation is also

dealt with. He ridicules ideal worship and theVedas. Agomas and other

Scriptures. The cast differences aredenounced by him. He has also several

stanzas

on mystic knowledge ofYoga.As a poet, he is not contemptible (deserving to be

treated withcontempt). He has a facility of expression and an imaginative

flavourin thought. He holds that those who have no feeling of love in

theirhearts can never attain salvation. His God vision is pictured in afine

stanza. This poet uses entirely the common speech of the peopleand has produced

powerful effect.Each one of the stanzas of his work ends in the world "Aadu

Pambe".Probably that may be the cause of his name. He seems to belong

toMaruthamalai in Kongunadu. It is given in the work above that he

gotinstructions from Sattamuni. As per the lines

"Pathir-ar-SankarankoilPambatti" found in the old

stanza, which is given as source so far,his place of Samadhi has to be taken as

Sankarankoil is TirunelveliDistrict of Tamil Nadu (India).The nobility and

sublimity of the Cobra, which symbolicallyrepresents the power of Kundalini in

human beings, is hailed withmystical flavor in more than a hundred verses by

Sri Pambattisiddhar, each ending with the refrain 'Dance Thou Cobra!'.He is the

last among the noted 18 siddhars. He belongs to the Kozhayifamily. The Himalayas

are their ancestral land. Essentially theKozhayi's were cowherds and sheep herds

and dependent on the productsof cows and sheep. Slowly they moved out of their

place and in duecourse came to South India . Some say that Sri

Pambatti Siddhar wasborn at Thirukkokarnam, near Pudukkottai and some others in

thePandya Kingdom . Mrigasirisham was his birth star in the Tamil monthof

Karthigai (November-December). He was considered a manifestationof Lord Siva.

On being given spiritual initiation by his GuruSattamuni, as the disciple

changed the five elements into a five-headed cobra, he came to be known as

"Pambatti siddhar". There are afew who say that he got this name because he

lent symbolically in hisverses the image of a cobra to the Kundalini power.Sri

Pambatti siddhar attained the eight supernatural powerscalled 'Ashtamasiddhi'

after performing penance for a very long timein a cave on Marudamalai, near

Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. Also helived in places like Mahalingamalai in

Vathiraayiruppu, Kollimalai,Madurai , Puliyur and Bhavani.Sri Sivaprabhakara

Siddhayogi Paramahamsa was the worthy disciple ofthis great siddhar. The former

was born in a Namboodiri family ofKaladi, Kerala. As the Guru and his follower

remained inseparable,they did atonement for 45 years on the Himalayas and came

toSankarankoil. Sri Pambatti Siddhar established the statue of GoddessGomathi

Amman there. Later, at the south-west corner, about a furlongbehind the temple,

amidst punnai trees (now door number 15,Puliyankudi Road). Sri Pambatti Siddhar

got established in the stateof Nirvikalpa Samadhi (also known as Jeeva Samadhi)

at the sacredhands of his disciple.Some books mention that Sri Pambatti siddhar

attained samadhi atVirudhachalam and some at

Thirukkadaiyur. However, their claims haveno established proof. It may be

assumed that Sri Pambatti siddharwould have lived in those places and in order

to reveal that thedisciple could himself assume the frame of his master, might

have gotestablished in samadhi in these two places in the guise of SriPambatti

Siddhar. This might have been possible for him because SriPrabhakarar got into

the bodies of 15 persons at different times bythe unique process called

'Metempsychosis' (Transmigration) andproved himself to be the noble student of

his aspired preceptor.It can be authentically proved that Sri Pambatti siddhar

got samadhionly at Sankarankoil. Some such proofs are cited below:1) In his

book entitled "History of Siddha Medicine" written inEnglish by Mr. N.

Kannuppillai and published by the Government ofTamil Nadu in 1979, under the

chapter "Eighteen Siddhars", the authorhas written on pages 364-366 about

Pambatti

siddhar and clearlymentioned that he attained samadhi at Sankarankoil.2) In the

hoary palm leaves of Pulithevar entitled " NerkattumSeval " in the form of a

song there are references to the placeswhere the 18 siddhar's had attained

samadhi and in it is mentionedthat Sri Pambatti siddhar's place of samadhi is

at Sankarankoil.3) Dr. Yogi S. A. A. Ramiah in his book " A Collection of the

Versesof the Eighteen Siddhars for Daily Recitatio n" (in Tamil) too makesa

similar mention when he records that Sri. Pambatti siddhar in orderto attain

Svarupa samadhi in Sankarankoil kindled his cobra power ofKundalini.

roman" color="#4a234a">4) The Gayatri Mantra of Sri Pambatti siddhar is :"Om

Sankaranaalaya Pathivaazh SittharaayaVechitra Rupaaya Pambatti Sittharaaya

Namaha" .This also makes an identical proclamation.Thus, beyond doubt, it is

established that Sri Pambatti Siddhar'sJeeva Samadhi is only at Sankarankoil

and not anywhere else.The sole disciple of Sri Pambatti Siddhar was Brahmananda

SriSivaprabhakara Siddhayogi Paramahamsar and that of the latter isBrahmasri

Siddharaja Swamiji, who has, at the behest of his Guru, hadundertaken the great

task of constructing a sacred samadhi Temple forhis Guru's Guru. Brahmasri

Siddharaja Swamiji had taken up someother truly useful missions to the society.

His plan was toconstruct

separate buildings for siddha research centre and for massfeeding, to be housed

within the proposed building complex of thesiddhar samadhi.Just in front of the

siddhar samadhi lies a big water tankcalled "Govinda Peri", meant for the annual

float festival of thetemple. The Eminence of Sri Pambatti Siddhar's SamadhiSome

special features of Sri Pambati Siddhar's Samadhi are presentedhere:1) It is a

historically recorded evidence that in order to curePulithevar, a daring

patriot, of his excruciating stomach pain thethen pontiff of Thiruvaduthurai

used the ant-hill soil on the Samadhiof Sri Pambatti Siddhar. It readily

reveals the curative efficacy ofthe Samadhi soil. Daily devotes who throng the

shrine take the soilto their homes as 'Prasadam'. The Tulsi tank water in the

templecures many diseases and protects devotees from many diseases.2) There is

a grill-structure with 18 lamps, just behind

theSiddhar's shrine. The Pranava Mantra "OM" is at its centre. There isa

"Trident" at the top of the lamps to refer to the Three Lords, bornout of the

Pranava Mantra. Each lamp encompassing "OM" stands for aSiddhar.The prayers of

those devotees who keep a small cloth packetcontaining Sesame seeds in each of

these cup like lamps, fill withgingelly oil, light them and pray sincerely are

heard and fulfilledat once. This is what devotees who gather at the shrine in

multitudesoften assert. Brahmasri Siddharaja Swamiji himself once directed

someof his devotees to observe this rite in order to rid them of theadverse

effects of Mars in the 7th house of their horoscope (Commonlyreferred as

"Sevvai Dhosha" in Tamil Astronomy) or the hostileinfluence of Raghu, Kethu and

Saturn. Those who follow thesedirections fervently get the following

favours:Those who suffer fromSevvai Dhosha get a good life partner,Saturn's

retardation get peace of mind,Issueless beget children,unemployed get suitable

jobs, etc.3) There is a big lamp which is kept burning all the 24 hours of aday

at the Sanctum Sanctorium of Sri Pambatti Siddhar. It consumesone litre of

gingelly oil per day. Sri Pambatti Siddhar protects theinterests of those who

keep it burning and workship him earnestly.Daily devotees bring garlands,

flowers, camphor, incense sticks,coconuts, bananas and other fruits for the

daily adoration of theParabrahamam Statue established on the Samadhi of Sri

PambattiSiddhar. No doubt they get His blessings in full measure.4) This is an

exquisitely carved four-sided idol. At the top it is a14-headed cobra spreading

its hoods, with figures of Lord Vishnu onthe east, Lord Siva and splendid

Goddess Gomathi on the south, LordMuruga on the west and Lord Ganesh on the

north. This signifies thatthe 14-headed Cobra, Sri Pambatti Siddhar, contains

the Three Lordsin Himself. This also implies that HE is Parabrahman Himself.5)

This Siddhar temple is popularly known by the epithet 'Samadhi ofthe Munificent

Philanthropist' for the obvious reason that largescale mass feeding was

frequently conducted here by Sri SiddharajaSwamiji. Currently the mass feedings

are organized by the S.P.S.S.P.trust. True to the epithet, on the days of Adi

Thapas in the month ofJuly-August, a very extensive mass feeding is performed

every year.So far 16 such feedings have been accomplished and over 20,000

peopleare fed on each occasion.Further, all devotes who visit the shrine are

fed daily and hencewithout an iota of exaggeration it is called 'Annadana

Samadhi'.Everyone is invited to go in large numbers to this famous shrine ofSri

Pambatti Siddhar at Sankarankoil, get His blessings and have aforetaste of the

celestial bliss.

Yours Yogically,

Shreeram Balijepalli

 

 

Purity, Powers, Parabrahmam...

 

 

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