18 SIDDHAS

Sri Ramadevar 

Ramadevar is one of the 18 yoga siddhas. He was initiated by Pulastiyar and Karuvoorar. He is also known as the mandira siddhar. Some of his works include 24 known works: mantra shastra, medicine etc. He has attained samadhi at Alagar Malai.

 

Second siddar is called Ramadevar alias Jacobu or Jacob. associated with Alagarmalai or palamuthir cholai. He attained the final state in yoga called soruba samadhi ye practising mantra sadhana, means rolling the mantras in a rudraksha bead. Like guru nanak. 

Sri Kudambai 

Kudambai is one of the 18 yoga siddhas, initiated by Alukkani Siddha (disciple of Idai Kadar). Kudamabi siddhar's contributions included siddha philosophy. His place of samadhi has been Mayavaram.

Born into the Yadava clan Sir Kudumbai Siddhar was said to have been an attractive child. His mother used to adorn his ears with kudumbai an ornament and hence his name. At the age of 16 a saint is said to have blessed him with the knowledge of the Self. There after he retired from the materialistic world and wrote of God and self in simple language. His works include Kudumbai Gnyana Soostram 18, Kudumbai Siddhar Paadalgal. 

Mayavaram in Tamil means, a place for deathless boon. As this lady attained Immortality or soruba samadhi here. Mayavaram is also known as Mayil-aadu-durai meaning, a place where the peacock dance in ecstasy. Peacock is a symbol of Lord muruga. Here by the grace of Lord Muruga kudambai attained Immortality. She is depicted as a male siddha, but people who are well versed in her songs will undoubtedly know that she is not a male.

Sri Karuvoorar 

Karuvoorar is one of the 18 yoga siddhas. He was one of the eminient disciples of Bhoganathar after being initiated by him. He is popular for his contribution in constructing the Tanjore temple and other medicinal works. IdaiKadar is one of his eminent disciples. He has attained samadhi at Karuvai (karur). 

Karuvoorar belonged to a family of Viswakarmas. He is said to have sculpted in gold the dancing Nataraja as seen by the Chola king Hiranayavarman. It was under his guidance that the Brihardeeswarar temple was built by Raja Raja Chola at Tanjavur. His famous works are Karuvoorar Vaidya Kaviyam 700, Karuvoorar Pala Thirattu. 



Sri Idaikadar 


Idaikadar is one of the 18 yoga siddhas. He was initiated by both Bhoganathar and Karuvoorar. His contributions include two known works in kaya kalpa. He attained samadhi at Thiruvannamalai. Some of his disciples are Kudambai and Alukkani. 

Idaikadar, a shephered siddha attained soruba samadhi here. This place is well known for Arunaigiri-Nathar, Ramana-maharishi and Yogi Ram Surat Kumar (visiri-swami).  According to purana stories: In this place Yogi shiva appeared as a big tree. Brama and vishnu tried to search for the top and bottom of this tree and failed. 



Sri Kamalamuni 


Kamalamuni is one of the 18 yoga siddhas. He has attained samadhi at Aarur (Tiruvarum). His contributions include two known works on medicine and philosophy. 

Kamalamuni was born on the Tamil month of Vaikasi (May - June), his birth star being 2nd part of Poosam. The siddhar named Kamalamuni belongs to Kuravar social group. He lived for six-eight generations.Kamalamuni is 4000 years and some 300 odd (days) old. He lived in China for a long time.

Sri Kalangi Nadhar belongs to Kannar social group. Many people believe that Sri Kalangi Nathar is siddhar Kamalamuni. In the 63 rd song of " Kamalamuni Suthiram 76 ", a line says that " Kamalamuni alias Kalangi ". Hence it can me true that Sri Kalangi Nathar is siddhar Kamalamuni himself.
In " Bogar Janana Sasthra ", it is mentioned that Kamalamuni attained samadhi at Madurai . However as per the table of 18 siddhars, it is belived that siddhar Kamalamuni attained samadhi at Thiruvavur. 


Sri Valmiki 


Valmiki is one of the 18 yoga siddhas. He was initiated by the great sage Narada. He is very much known for recording the epic work 'The Ramayana'. He has attained samadhi at Ettikudi. 



Tamil siddar Vanmiki wrote Ramayana in North Indian language, attained soruba samadhi in Ettukkudi in South India. Vanmiki’s Tamil works are available from Yogi Ram Sunthar’s 18-siddar kanda yogam .

Sri Vaanmeegar's birth star is Anusham in the Tamil month of Purattasi (September-October). There is an argument that the Valmiki who wrote Valmiki Ramayana is different from the siddhar Vaanmeegar of the south. However, siddhar Bogar in his script "Bogar 7000" proclaims that they are one and the same. He says that Vaanmeegar is the name of the siddhar who wrote Valmiki Ramayana in song (verse) number 5834. He makes a clear distinction between the names Vaanmeegar and Valmiki.

Further, in his next song (verse number 5835), Bogar says that Vaanmeegar's age is 700 and some odd days. He also says that he is a learned scholar in Tamil language. He also makes a reference about his samadhi. This author is not able to understand the exact meaning of the second part of that song.

It is also said that Sri Vaanmeegar alias Valmiki wrote the epic Ramaya on getting the spiritual knowledge from Narada.

Sri Pathanjali 


Pathanjali is one of the 18 yoga siddhas. He was initiated by Nandi Devar. He is known for his works on yoga sutras classic. He has attained samadhi at Rameswaram. He is also known as father of yoga. Patanjali wrote the yoga sutras in north Indian Language. 

Sri Pathanjali is considered the first siddhar. The information on Pathanjali is available only in Purana's. Pathanjali is considered as a form / incarnation of Adiseshan (the snake associated with Lord Vishnu). Lord Vishnu sleeps over Adiseshan. Once, Lord Vishnu saw the Siva Thandava (the divine dance of Lord Siva) and got extremely happy. Adisheshan could not bear the weight of Lord Vishnu in such a state. So, when Adiseshan informed Lord Vishnu of his difficulty, He was told about the Siva Thandava. Adiseshan also wanted to see the Siva thandava. So he did penance and Lord Siva appeared before him and granted his wish to see the divine dance. Lord Siva told him that he and Viyakramabathar would see his dance in the southern city of Thillai. Thillai is the other name of Chidambaram and it houses the famous Nataraja temple (please refer to the note below for details about the dance of Lord Siva).
Hence, Adisesha came to Thillai in South India and performed poojas for Lord Siva along with Viyakramabathar. Eventually, both of them witnessed the Siva Thandava.

Afterwards, Pathanjali (Adisesha) stayed in Thillai forests for a long time. He wanted to teach his script (Vyagarana Suthiram) to his disciples in the thousand-pillar structure in Thillai. However, Pathanjali was afraid that Himself being the form of Adisesha, his disciples would be burnt when they come near his breath.

Hence, he arranged for a partition between himself and his disciples. He taught his disciples sitting behind the partition. Sixty students (disciples) were learning under him. The students were very much impressed with their master and were anxious to see his face.

Once, a student got very apprehensive and pulled the partition to see the face of the master. All the students were burnt at the same instant. However, one of the students, Kaubathar did not attend the lecture on that day due to an external work. On seeing his fellow students being burnt to ashes, Kaubathar was terrified. Pathanjali changed his form and pacified his student. Pathanjali was very happy that one of his disciples is alive and he taught all the skills to his disciple, Kaubathar. Kaubathar's disciple is Govinda Bhawat Badal, who is also considered as the Guru of Adi Sankaracharya.

There are varied schools of thought that the Pathanjali who wrote "Maha Bashyam" in North India is different from the Pathanjali who wrote "Gyana Sutra" in Tamil. As siddhars have been known to live for ages, the period of the life of Pathanjali and the exact duration of his life can not be known. Moreover, there are no definitive texts available about Pathanjali. Both Pathanjali and Viyakramabathar had lived in Tamil Nadu in a period where siddhars had also lived there. Both of them had observed the divine dance of Lord Siva at Thillai in Tamil Nadu. Both of them attained their Samadhi at Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu. Hence the argument that Pathanjali could not have written texts in Tamil could not be true.

Sri Dhanvanthri 



Dhanvanthri is one of the 18 yoga siddhas. He is known for his contributions on medicine, alchemy, kaya kalpa, 22 known works. He has attained samadhi at Vaideeswaran Kovil. 

Dhanvanthri is also known as an Incarnation of lord Krishna. During Kumbamela time,  Dhanvanthri appears to save the amirtha (nectar) from the asuras and to save the devas. Dhanvanthri is known as doctor of medicine amoung the siddha circles. Lord shiva is known as Vaitheeswaran (doctorof medicine), in vaitheeswaran koil. Here underneath a neem tree (famous for lord shiva, also caled Sivanar-Vembu), Lord shiva taught the sience of siddha medicine to Dhanvanthri.



Sri Pambatti (Paambatti) 


Pambatti is one of the 18 yoga siddhas. He was initiated by Sattaimuni. His contributions includeworks in siddha philosophy. He has attained samadhi at Harisankaran kovil. He was originally a snake charmer before he met his guru Sattaimuni. Later after being initiated by his guru, due to his intense sadhana he has became a siddha.