History of Medical and Spiritual Sciences of Siddhas of Tamil Nadu

About the Book

Siddhas were mystics of ancient India. They believed that human race was created to excel in knowledge and help human societies form an advanced civilization on the Earth. They knew that they needed to live longer and even become immortals to achieve this goal.

In Indian context Siddhas were considered as doctors but in Western context, such people were called Philosophers. Nevertheless, a deeper understanding of Siddhas' poetic scripts reveals their different faces such as scientific thinkers, social reformers, priest kings, pioneers of advanced cultures, etc. Siddhas speak about spirit, soul and body in their scripts. They also compare cosmos, nature and earth in their science.

The unique attainment of Siddhas could be their mastery over physical and cosmic sciences. Siddhas believed that physical science is comparable with cosmic science. Thus, through their physical and cosmic observations, they succeeded in inventing ambrosia of Gods and many became Gods themselves.

Hailing from a family of Siddha medicine practitioners and being influenced by ancient matters from childhood, P Karthigayan, the author, had many pressing questions on creation, nature, gods, fate, etc. His attempts to understand these oft-debated topics related to society led him to be interested in mythologies, folklore, ancient literature, religious scripts, medical notes and finally Siddhas' works, including their seemingly religious renderings. He felt that most of the scripts of Siddhas were not transparent and had some secret teachings interlaced in them that led him to research other spheres of knowledge related to his quest.

His quest for truth in this line of study necessitated him to an in-depth study of Indian, as well as international, mythical works and other related writings with newer insights. He believes that his writings will enlighten the ones, who seek knowledge in the fields of health care, spiritualism, ancient wisdom, histories of the ancient and mythological times, etc. It would also serve as a valuable reference work on ancient matters .

Siddhas, the immortals of the ancient Tamil land, belong to a mysterious cult that was presumed to be religious, propagating principles related to the physical, spiritual, intellectual elevation of individuals and their societies at large. Their presence and role in ancient Tamil history was as legendary as those of mysterious cults of immortals present in many of the world's ancient civilizations; and therefore the historic legends of Tamil Siddhas too, are often considered as products of vivid imagination of ancient dream makers.

In the beginning, Siddhas were fascinated by the human body; they believed that the body is ruled by something inside, which commands the body to fulfill its wishes as long as it dwells within the body which is commonly referred to as the Spirit in body.

Their quest in understanding the mysteries of body enabled them to understand that the body is composed of Physical and Spiritual Matters sandwiched by a bridging factor known as Soul. Siddhas believed that the Body is a functional machine driven by Spirit, operated through the components in the bridging network of Soul. They believed that the decay of the Body is, in fact, the developmental sign of the decay in the Soul. Their spiritual teachings inculcate a hidden fact that while the body is nourished by food, the soul, on the other hand, is nourished by practices triggered by thoughts emanating from our mind.

Siddhas believed that human beings are created for excelling in knowledge, understanding the nature, and helping their fellowmen to form a divine civilization on earth. They needed to live longer and even become immortal, to achieve this goal.

Spiritual purification seems to be the first known path for salvation in ancient world. Since purification of spirit is important for their cult, the Siddhas adapted the ancient practices to suit their ideals to better achieve the goal of salvation sought by them. What they perfected may be called as Immortality of the Soul or Aathma Siddhi.

All civilizations have mysterious records of their observation on cosmos. Siddhas also observed cosmos and defined its role on earth in a logical order of sky, air, fire, water and earth. Their observation concluded with certain cosmic secrets that led them to adapt rhose secrets to attain mythic longevity. What they discovered may be called as Physical immortality or Kaaya Siddhi. This status is attained by altering the natural physical fabric through a secret science that prevailed in the ancient Tamil land and spread elsewhere later.

It is an epic belief that immortality is closely related to spiritual salvation, later date explained as a cherished spiritual status attained by staunch religious practice. Hence, immortality was invariably believed to be a spiritual acquisition by religious saints of Tamil Nadu. But, Siddhas were very clear in their assertion that immortality is of dual nature, namely, Arhma Siddhi (spiritual immortality) and Kaaya Siddhi (physical immortality).

The Siddha cult was a path of freedom in every respect. Each one took some theme of research and passed on his findings to the society through his disciples and literary records. The main focus of their research was body and the cosmos. Followers of Siddha cult were considered mysterious because their quest is towards a little understood sphere of understanding that is neither mundane, nor religious, or priestly. In western civilizations they were referred to as 'Philosophers.' Siddhas speak about spirit, soul and body in their scripts. They compare cosmos, nature and earth in their science. They synchronize knowledge, wisdom, intuitions in understanding their art. From them originated, unusual schools of thought that are different from the regular streams of spirituality known to ancient civilizations and hence referred to in later years as mythology.

Siddhas were pioneers of many scientific inventions and discoveries in ancient Tamil Land. Siddhas like Siva, Nandhi, Subramaniyar, Thirumoolar and Kaalaangi had shown special interest in health, longevity and immortality. Agathiyar had shown special interest in body concepts; his explanations of body functions, ailment symptoms, and surgical details were quite amazing. Bogar had shown special interest in physics and exploiting natural resources for the benefit of mankind. Chattaimuni had shown special interest in alchemy and succeeded in turning base metal into highest touch gold. Konganar had shown special interest in making the fabulous multi-functional magic beads, probably the smallest air carrier that can bailie scientists of aviation. Karuvoorar had shown special interest in metal castings added to alchemy and presented the unique idol of Nataraja sculpture. Jothimuni researched and perfected precious stones. Idaikkaadar researched the cosmos and predicted their effects during each year. Sivavaakkiyar shunned irrational and superstitious beliefs and attacked the society with his rational questions and helped in the formation of an intellectually elite society.

Hope, this will be a comprehensive reference book for everyone in quest of knowledge.