BOGAR SIDDHAR AND THE SIDDHA TRADITION

Compiled by: Mrs. Sowmya Nikhil

Research Support: Mrs. Rani Pandian, Mr. Sekar Mookkiah,

Mr. Ram Arjun and Mrs. Surekha Prem Anand

The term ‘Siddha’ comes from the word ‘Siddhi’ which means the experience of Shiva. ‘Shiva’ indicates ‘Thatness’, ‘All-that-is’, and the Absolute. The one who has gone beyond the confines of religion or scriptures and has had the experience of being one with Shiva alone is a true Siddha.

Karai Siddhar who lived in the last century distinguishes between a Siddha and a NonSiddha thus: “Siddha is one who directs others in the path of experience whereas a NonSiddha is one who points others to the path of scriptures”.

The Siddhas are not bound by any religion, conventions or rules made by society; rather their lives have been guided by the direct experiences of the Divine.

The Siddhas are classified into three Margas: Kailaya-Marga, Mula-Marga and Bala-Marga. The Kailaya-Marga is led by Agasthiyar, MulaMarga by Thirumoolar Siddhar and Bala-Marga by Lord Muruga. Tamil tradition speaks of ‘Padhinettu Siddhargal’ or the ‘Eighteen Siddhas’.

Bogar Siddhar is one of the great Eighteen Siddhas. His Gurus include Kalanginathar and Agasthiyar. Kalanginathar is the direct disciple of Thirumoolar Siddhar and thus Bogar Siddhar belongs to both the Kailaya-Marga and MulaMarga tradition of Siddhas.

(The details collected are a brief compilation on Bogar Siddhar’s life based on his two important works i.e. Sapta Kandam 7000 and Jnana Sagaram - 557)

Bogar Siddhar’s Origin

There are two theories: i) Agasthiyar 12000, mentions that Bogar Siddhar was Chinese by birth and that he was initiated by Kalanginathar on the banks of the river Yang Tze in China. In China he was known as ‘Bo-Yang’ and was the Guru of his disciple ‘Yu’ who is also known as Pulipani Siddhar.

ii) In Sapta Kandam, Bogar Siddhar himself says, he was born as a South Indian in the lineage of Viswakarma on the day of Bharani Nakshatra in the Tamil month of Vaikasi and was the disciple of Kalanginathar who was the disciple of Thirumoolar. The call to visit China came from his Guru Kalanginathar who wanted Bogar Siddhar to take over his mission there.

Bogar Siddhar states in his book Sapta Kandam that he lived in a foreign country for 12,000 years by transmigrating his soul into the body of a deceased Chinese man.

Bogar Siddhar had attained a ‘Divya-Deha’ or light body through which he could live eternally by his mastery over Kundalini Yoga. Through the Siddhi of ‘Para Kaya Pravesham’, he could transmigrate his soul into another body, and through the science of ‘Kaya-Kalpa’ he could prolong the longevity of the body in which his soul was housed. From this, we can safely conclude that there is truth in both theories.

His Spiritual Journey

In Jnana Sagaram-557 Bogar Siddhar says that he knows about the origin of his soul and that he was born from the Adi-Siddha or Absolute and he was made aware of this, through his Divine eye. He is said to have assumed the form of a bird and flown to Kailaya; he refers to this place as another name for Aum. He was initiated by his Guru Siddha Kalanginathar in Kundalini-Yoga, attained Self-Knowledge and became a Siddha and attained various powers and siddhis. He was named ‘Bogar’ then.

Once Siddha hood is attained, the Siddhas are given a new name. The names are often symbolic. The name ‘Bogar' means “one who is enjoying the bliss of immortality”. Bogar Siddhar says he had mastered the secret of deathlessness by feeding on the ‘Vindu’. In Tamil, ‘Vindu’ indicates the middle of the eyebrows which is the seat of the Ajna Chakra. He is said to have mastered the four stages of Kundalini Yoga and attained the final stage of Kundalini-Yoga of ‘Soruba-Samadhi’, through the direct blessings of Lord Muruga at Pazhani. (In the 'Soruba Samadhi' i.e. the fourth stage of Samadhi, the physical body is transformed to a body of light. The Siddha is capable of bodily experiencing any dimension of space and time).

In Jnana Sagaram - 557 Bogar Siddhar has given a vivid description of Sathura Giri (Tirunelveli district) in Tamil Nadu, where he had lived. He gives a beautiful account of the mountain ranges and says it’s a place where the Siddhas reside. In Sapta Kandam also known as ‘Bogar-7000’ he describes his life to his disciple Pulippani Siddhar (so named as he used to roam the forests atop a tiger or ‘Puli’), and states that he received deeksha from his Guru Kalanginathar who taught him all sacred Sasthras, the great epics, Yoga and the method to attain Samadhi. He also narrates that he learnt Kundalini Yoga from Nandi Devar and Brahma-Vidya (Wisdom of Ultimate Reality) from Agasthiyar.

Each Chakra is connected to a deity and denotes a certain level of consciousness. Bogar Siddhar states that he has attained the siddhis connected to the Chakras pertaining to Rudran, Ganesha, Subramania, Rama, Krishna and the Divine Mother Sakthi.

He is said to have mastered Science, Mathematics, Astronomy, Occult, Alchemy, Medicine, Astrology, the Ashtma Siddhis, KayaKalpa, Yoga and Siddha Medicine. Amongst his 63 disciples Konganar Siddhar, Karuvooraar Siddhar, Idaikaadar Siddhar, Sattaimuni Siddhar and Pulipani Siddhar are well known. He taught them all Ashtanga Yoga and other siddhis and asked them to use these siddhis for the welfare of mankind.

Bogar Siddhar has narrated some anecdotes in his magnum opus Sapta Kandam which we will see briefly here:

(i) Bogar Siddhar wanted to learn the Sanjeevani Mantra as he wanted to free people from death. He did meditation for this purpose. Due to his meditation, the Nava Nath Siddhas appeared before him and told him that Birth and Death were happening as per Divine Law and one should not interfere with that. Instead of giving him the Sanjeevani Mantra, they blessed and taught him ‘Kaya-Kalpa’, with which he could help people live longer lives.

(ii) Bogar Siddhar in one of his travels, came across an ant hill with a halo of divine light emanating from it. Realising this to be a samadhi of a great Siddha, he sat in front of it and meditated. The Siddha who was not able to bear the heat emanating from Bogar Siddhar’s intense meditation, broke the ant hill and came out of it. He then asked Bogar Siddhar what boon he wished for. Bogar Siddhar replied that he wanted to do something for the welfare of mankind. The Siddha pleased with Bogar Siddhar’s answer, pointed him to a tree which bore many fruits. He told Bogar Siddhar to have one fruit from it, and blessed him. He said that by eating it; he will be ever youthful, his eyesight will never dim, his hair will never become grey, and that he will be ever free from old age. He also revealed to him that this blessing was given to him as he had many things to do especially in the field of Siddha Medicine, which will in the future help humanity. He indicated that he should visit Rome and learn about ‘Rasamani’. (Rasamani is an invention of the Siddhas which helps a person to fly in the air, balance the elements of Vadham, Pittam, and Kapam, which are crucial for the health of the body). Bogar Siddhar travelled to Rome and mastered it. This later helped him in his contribution to Siddha Medicine.

(iii) While living in the Pothigai Mountains, one day, Bogar Siddhar came across some proud brahmins who were chanting Veda Mantras. They asked him to move away so that he should not hear their chanting of the mantras. To teach them a lesson, Bogar Siddhar caught hold of a cat and taught it the Veda Mantras. The cat started reciting the mantras in a high-pitched voice so that the brahmins could hear it. The brahmins realising their folly sought Bogar Siddhar’s forgiveness and he in turn forgave them, and asked them to bring all their utensils and turned it to gold through his mastery of Alchemy or Rasavadha Siddhi and left the brahmins feeling blessed and happy.

(iv) Bogar Siddhar was once in a deep state of Samadhi. A Lion and Lioness who came to stay at the site of Bogar Siddhar’s Samadhi, thought him to be a stone statue as he was sitting so still, deep in samadhi. They killed animals and lived as husband and wife at the site, not knowing its sacredness. One day, the lion laid its head on the lap of Bogar Siddhar and licked Bogar Siddhar’s form. Tears from Bogar Siddhar’s eyes suddenly fell into the lion’s mouth. The Lion attained Jnana through this and realised that it was not a statue but a Siddha in meditation. When Bogar Siddhar came out of his samadhi state he asked the lion who he was. The Lion narrated all that had transpired, and how he had attained Jnana. On hearing this, Bogar Siddhar blessed the Lion and said that he would be born as a king in his next birth.

(v) One day, a pregnant cow out of sheer fright, hid in a cave from a tiger. The cow began to live there and eat only Karu-nelli leaves which are medicinal in quality. Since the cow ate these leaves, the calf who was in the womb of the cow also received the essence of these leaves. These leaves had the power to transform a physical body to a light body or a Divya-Deha. Bogar Siddhar who came across the mother cow and calf having Divya-Dehas gave them upadesam. This incident shows that Bogar Siddhar treated all living beings alike with compassion, and helped them in their spiritual progress.

Time Travel

Bogar Siddhar states that through his Yogic powers, he has the knowledge of the exact location of treasure troves from the past, relating to the Kingdoms of Lord Rama, Lord Krishna, the Pandavas, King Ravana, and King Vibhishana. However, he will not reveal these locations to anyone.

Bogar Siddhar due to his Siddhic powers could not only anticipate future events, but he even travelled back in time to meet a Yogi who had entered Samadhi in Krta-Yuga (Satya Yuga). The Yogi imparted spiritual instructions regarding Yoga to him. Bogar Siddhar is thus a ‘Kalatita’ - “one who has transcended time”. It is significant to understand that Time is a continuum (where Past, Present and Future are occurring simultaneously). Bogar Siddhar through his Siddhis could travel through the barriers of time and experience different Yugas and gain wisdom from them.

Travel to Different Countries and Inventions

Bogar Siddhar had the ability to fly through his Siddhi of ‘Vana Sasthram’. He visited many countries astrally, physically and through transmigration.

China

Bogar Siddhar had travelled to China many times during different time periods spanning over thousands of years. He claims to have flown to China in a kind of an aero plane he had built. (Kailasapathy, 1969, p. 197-211). He also is said to have taught the art of flying through a parachute to the Chinese. He states that he had invented ‘Vana Ratam’ or ‘Deva Ratam’, through which he could fly with the help of steam power. He further elaborates that he has carried many Chinese on it and they have gone around the world and seen the seven seas (Red Sea, Caspian Sea, Black Sea, Dead Sea, Indian Ocean, China Sea and the Persian Sea), before getting down near the Meru Mountain.

To jump from a mountain top with ease, Bogar Siddhar speaks about a cage called ‘Kundu’ in Tamil which is made of a circular umbrella with silken threads tied to it and 32 spanning canes with a wheel attached to it , a piece of cloth should cover the spanning canes, tied by a rope with a knot based on the principle of kite-flying . When one jumps with this umbrella tied to him, air enters into the umbrella and makes it a balloon-like object which lifts the man in the air and brings him from the height to the earth safely. (Verses 281 to 284 Canto II of Sapta Kandam).

In a subtle sense, he indicates that by making one’s physical energies light one can ascend the gopuram or heights of Kundalini-Yoga with ease. This type of flying in the air is an attainment of Kundalini-Yoga. He flew to China this way and is said to have taught this technique to the wonder struck people of China.

He also created a steam ship in which he says, he has taken a lot of people. He speaks of a cart which moves with the help of steam or gas (automobile) and refers to a moving cart emitting smoke (Pugai-ratam in Tamil). His inventions of parachute, aero plane, the automobile, steamship, ceramic, artificial gems, scuba apparatus, hot air balloon, plain and tinted glass, kaleidoscope, underwater telescope, handmade paper, spectacle, magnifying glass, automatic printing machine, electro plating amongst others show his scientific attitude and his ability to invent things to help mankind.

South America

The Muycas of Chile in South America confirm his visits in their accounts. They describe him as "Boca, a white bearded man, wearing long robes, who regulated the calendar, established festivals, and vanished in time” (Reference:Other remarkable teachers who had come across the Pacific according to numerous legends of Incas, Aztecs and Mayans) (Lal 1965,p.20)).

Mystical Journeys

i) Bogar Siddhar has been credited with having mystical journeys which extended to realms other than earth. During his meetings with various Siddhas, he once came across a ‘golden bird’ who changed Bogar Siddhar into a bird, and took him to a place, where he experienced wonders such as seeing a ‘red crow’, a ‘white crow’, and a ‘golden eagle’. He also witnessed a cow and a tiger drinking water at the same tank peacefully.

ii) Through his yogic powers he had the experience of meeting Tirumular Siddhar who was in a state of samadhi for three Yugas. He saw the vision of Tirumular Siddhar’s divine glowing body and the various fragrances emanating from him and found it difficult to express this in words. He affectionately and respectfully refers to Tirumular Siddhar as his ‘Pattar’ as Tirumular Siddhar is the guru of Kalanginathar Siddhar, who is Bogar Siddhar’s guru.

iii) Bogar Siddhar states that he has “seen” the disciples of Lord Jesus. In Rome, he has visited the samadhi of Lord Jesus’s apostles. He has visited the Samadhi of Lord Jesus (‘Yesu’ in Tamil) and paid his respects there.

iv) Bogar Siddhar visited Mecca to visit the Samadhi of Mohammed Nabi and to meet his disciples. He met Jacob or Yacoub Siddhar (Ramadevar Siddhar in Tamil) there. Yacoub Siddhar sought Bogar Siddhar’s blessings so that he could “see” (astrally visit) “Kalanginathar Siddhar” and “Kamalamuni Siddhar” and seek his blessings and teachings. These mystical journeys clearly indicate that Bogar Siddhar respected all faiths alike and was a multidimensional time traveler.

Preparation for Kali Yuga

The Siddhas held a conference at Palani before the beginning of the present Kali Yuga in 3102 BC (approximately about 5000 plus years back) to determine the best way to protect humanity, which will be facing challenges spiritually, mentally, and physically during this age. The Bhakti Marga – the path of love and devotion was chosen as the best way to protect humanity.

Making of Medicinal Idols

Bogar Siddhar foresaw the future and understood that humanity will be facing many dreadful diseases. Bogar Siddhar through his mastery of Alchemy created medicinal idols out of Navapashanam which will serve as a ‘Master Medicine’ for many diseases during the difficult age of Kali.

The idol of Lord Dhandayuthapani made of Navapashanam was consecrated in sacred Pazhani - one of the Aaru Padai Veedus of Lord Muruga. The Siddhas entrusted him with the task of defining rituals for their beloved Lord Muruga of Pazhani.

In Bogar Vaidhiya Kaviyam 1000, certain songs give the information about the making of the Navapashana moorthy by making an amalgamation of the following nine pashanams. These include Pooram, Veeram, Gandhagam, Rasam, Velai Pashanam, Gowri Pashanam, Jathilingam, Mridasingh and Silajit.

The idol was created in the form as Lord Muruga appeared to Idumban (Agasthiyar’s disciple) standing atop Sivagiri Hill. It is said that Lord Muruga himself instructed him in the carving of the Moorthy. This idol was completed by Bogar Siddhar and a group of other Siddhas, under the guidance of Agasthiyar and with the blessings of Goddess Bhuvaneshwari. With the help of his knowledge in Astronomy, he positioned the idol in such a way that it absorbs the rays of planet Mars. The Idol built, was more resilient than Granite and stronger than Iron.

It is indestructible by fire or floods. It was built with a strength to last many thousand years during the age of Kali. He defined the Shodasa Upachara and other pooja rituals such as the Abhisekham for the idol in Vibuthi, Milk and Panchamirtham (consisting of fresh fruits and honey). The consecrated liquids from the Abhisekham, and the applied sandalwood paste and Vibuthi on the idol absorbed its medicinal quality. When these were consumed by the devotees, they not only cured their mental and physical ailments but also ensured their spiritual progress. (The composition of a sample of the Navapashanam material of the idol remains a mystery till date, even though scientists have made several attempts to discover the same in the recent times).

After daily worshipping Lord Dhandayuthapani at Pazhani for 250 years, Bogar Siddhar instructed his disciple Pulipani Siddhar, to continue with the spiritual austerities and guard

the entrance of the cave in which he planned to take Nirvikalpa Samadhi. This cave is located in the Palani temple premises, and it is connected to the main sanctum sanctorum via a subterranean tunnel. Pulipani Siddhar dutifully closed the opening of the cave as instructed by his Guru Bhogar Siddhar.

(To be continued)

Om Saravana Bhavaya Namaha

References

(i) The Yoga of the 18 Siddhas – An Anthology by T.N. Ganapathy

(ii) Babaji And The Eighteen Siddha Kriya Yoga Tradition by Marshall Govindan

(iii) Siddhargalin Vazhvum Vakkum – Compiled by Jekatha

(iv) Siddhar Bhoomi – Mr. Chandrasekar’s Interviews on Sapta Kandam

(v) Shri Bogar Siddhar – Part 1 by Mr. Veera Mani Raju - https://youtu.be/527OrPch1MI

(vi) https://www.sanskritimagazine.com/vedic_scie nce/the-scientific-inventions-of-siddha-bogar/

(vii) Other Internet sources and Photo courtesy: www.murugan.org

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