Agastyar - Baba Sri Siva

Tradition has it that Agastyar received his own initiation from Lord Shiva, an aspect of God, on Mount Kailas in the Himalayas of Tibet. Agastyar later traveled from Mt. Kailas south to the Tamil region of India. It was in the Tamil city of Courtrallam that Agastya initiated Babaji, whose birth year, we noted, was 203 AD.

Agastyar, considered one of the most famous holy men in India, was a dynamic fellow. In his book, Babaji and the 18 Siddha Yogi Tradition, M. Govindan, relates that Agastyar, “though less than five feet tall,..was a fighter, a famous hunter and an archer, who triumphed over barbarous enemies, and whom, like Hercules of ancient Greece, none could approach in eating and drinking.” The life of Agastyar is detailed in the epic, Mahabharata.

Dattatreya Siva Baba differs from Agastyar, in that he is no longer a great hunter, eater or drinker. Instead, compassion for all life is the greatest virtue for Sri Siva. There are interesting similarities, though, between Agastyar and Dattatreya Siva Baba. Let us examine these:

1. Interest in Language/Literature
   
   Agastyar is considered the father of Tamil language, as demonstrated by his treatise on Tamil grammar, which is cited to have 12,000 statements on the principles of language.
   
   Dattatreya Siva Baba, whose secular name is Baskaran Pillai, received his formal education at the Univerity of Madurai, in India, where he was a Research Fellow and earned a Master’s Degree in English literature, as well as a Master of Letters in Comparative literature.
   
   
2. Interest in Ancient History, Religious History, Theology and Meditation
   
   Agastyar wrote Canda Pooranum, a work on ancient history which contained 1000 stanzas. He also wrote several treatises on religion and theology, including Calikianum, Poorna Soostru and Agastyar Dundakum Nooroo. Agastya was also a master in meditation and, as described, became enlightened on Mount Kailas in the mountains of Tibet.
   
   Dattatreya Siva Baba received a Ph.D. in Religious Studies at the University of Pittsburg. He then served as coordinator of Indian Studies within the Asian Studies Program at the University of Pittsburg, and taught Buddhist meditation. Dattatreya Siva Baba was also an invited speaker on Hinduism at the United Nations World Religions conference and served as an editor for the Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Siva Baba is a master of meditation and has attained enlightenment.
   
   
3. Interest in Religious Rites and the Use of the Rosary
   
   Agastyar wrote Deekshavedy, a work that deals with magic, enchantment and the use of the rosary.
   
   Dattatreya Siva Baba dares his students to “live an outrageously wonderful life,” and teaches them how to manifest their desires in reality. Indeed, this process encompasses the message of Wayne Dyer’s book, Manifest Your Destiny, which was dedicated to Dattatreya Siva Baba. Siva Baba also sells “Mala Beads” on his web site, which are considered a meditation tool and are the equivalent of a rosary.
   
   
4. Interest in Medicine, Pharmacology and Botany
   
   Agastyar wrote numerous treatises on medicine, surgery, pharmacy and the use of plants and herbs in the treatment of various illnesses. Indeed, he is considered the Hippocrates of the Tamil region of India.
   
   For the past two decades, Dattatreya Siva Baba has been involved in the study and use of herbs for healing, and plans to make available herbs from all over the world available through a web site he will manage. Sri Siva has sponsored several conferences on siddha medicine and he is conducting seminars to help AIDS patients enjoy better health.
   
   
5. Interest in Science
   
   Agastyar wrote hundreds of treatises on various aspects of science, including medicine, chemistry and astronomy.
   
   One of Dattatreya Siva Baba's foremost goals is to integrate spirituality and science. He is trained in neuropsychology, which he has used to interpret yogic and tantric wisdoms pertaining to psychobiology, the interface between mind and body. Just as Agastyar was interested in astronomy, Siva Baba is an expert in Vedic astrology. Baba Sri Siva has participated in many university conferences and has been included on panels with Nobel Laureates, including Eugene Wigner of Princeton, who won a Nobel Prize in physics.
   
   
6. Common Leadership Qualities
   
   Agastyar was a leader of the Tamil region of India and was described as a fierce warrior, who defended his people against invaders. He is also attributed as the first Tamil Siddha, or saint, who help found the Kriya Yoga tradition.
   
   In addition to his spiritual aspect, Dattatreya Siva Baba has served as a consultant to leading industrialists on business development and leadership skills. He heads a computer company in New York City and has founded the Tripura Foundation, whose purpose is to help eliminate hunger in the world. Currently, the Tripura Foundation is feeding 1500 people in India daily.
   

In sum, we see that Agastyar and Dattatreya Siva Baba share many qualities. Though an accurate image of Agastyar is not available, Dattatreya Siva Baba has been confirmed to be the reincarnation of Agastyar by Ahtun Re, the spirit guide channeled through Kevin Ryerson.

Interestingly, Agastyar, like Jesus, had twelve disciples. It is possible that Baba Sri Siva’s modern day student, Wayne Dyer, was once disciple of Agastyar almost 2000 years ago.