Most of us are curious about what the future holds. Rishis were holy sages who through their spiritual practices were graced with the power of foresight with which they were able to know the future. The rishis made predictions for people who would come forward in the future for a reading. They were all written down on palm leaves, the paper of ancient times. The predictions were written in Sanskrit and later translated into ancient Tamil. A nadi reader is a person who has access to and is able to read these predictions. These palm leaves or copies thereof still exist, and contain everything about one’s life from family life to finances, parents to enlightenment and death, past, present and future. 

At the Nadi Reader

In my early days in India I had a nadi reading done. At the appointed day I arrived at 9 am at the nadi reader’s office. The first time the nadi reader talked with me was at 10am. I told I was interested in three chapters for the reading. He said as a foreigner I had to get all twelve chapters because foreigners go back again, they have more questions, and then there is a problem with helping them further. I was to pay Rs 12,000 for a total of twelve chapters. I thought it was too high. Then he said he could do three chapters for Rs 7,000 which was more expensive. I knew that his Indian clients would not have to pay this much. I said no and made a price suggestion. Then he gave this Indian drama of feeling insulted. His assistant came and said he did not ever want to see me again and that Agasthyar, the guru of all nadi readers, gave him some other work to do. He did not have time to discuss any further. When I said that I came such a long way only to see him, the nadi reader had me tell through his assistant that, ok, he will see me later, in perhaps a year or half a year. So it went on for some time until I agreed to pay the full price and he did the reading at 7pm in the evening.

I gave the assistant a thumb print of my right thumb; gents would give their left thumb print. Then they found some leaf. Many questions pertaining to my family, profession, guru, etc followed to narrow down the exact leave that had to be found. During this process I could give only ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers. It took about an hour during which the nadi reader had to get a second set of leaves to find the right one for me. After this the nadi reader did his work while I was waiting for the translator. After the translator’s arrival the nadi reader read to me what he had translated from old Tamil to modern Tamil language. The translator then translated for me from Tamil to English. I took plenty of notes but also received a recording of the session.

The Results are In

The nadi reader told me I had been to India many times before in previous births. This explains why I felt so comfortable in India from the first day. Interestingly the nadi reader told that at one time I was one of the three daughters of one of the Chola Kings Raja Rajeshwara who lived around 1000 A.D. The nadi reader told that I did not follow the wish of my kingly father and did not marry the person he had chosen for me. Instead I married a man of my choice. The king being upset cursed me not to have a family life anymore. Even during this lifetime I had only a short marriage lasting 5 years. I was told that during this lifetime that it is my last one, I will not have family life anymore. The first years of my life I was having a family life and during the other part of my life I would live the life of a saint.

Until my death at 82, this being my last birth, I will have only Nithyananda as my guru. Many predictions were made in regards to guru and me. The nadi reader also told, when I would live at the ashram and when I would take sannyas, a renunciate lifestyle dedicated to enlightenment and serving humanity under the guidance of a master.

As a result of my meditation efforts, my mother will attain moksha or liberation in this life. It is her last birth. From that I will benefit. There were many good predictions for my son. Even my ex-husband will benefit spiritually from my meditations. Such is the cosmic connection. It was really amazing to learn how far-reaching relationships extend. Then again, this goes completely contrary to what I know about the law of karma.

He spoke on three books including this one that I would write, that my body will become pure because of my pure vegetarian diet, and about the development of my chakras.

The publishing of an autobiography cum healing book will bring enough income to practically retire and make it possible to travel and visit temples.

I will visit and get to know about the history of over one hundred temples mostly in Tamil Nadu in South India; Shiva Temples like the ones in Tiruvannamalai, Chidambaram, Kanchipuram, and others. I will meet rishis and mahants some of which are older than one hundred years. I will have visions of them and hear the voices of rishis and their chanting.

The nadi reader made suggestions to remedies to minimize the effects of past negative karmas that I still have to go through. These were to visit the Arunachaleshwara Shiva Temple in Tiruvannamalai, the Eight Ashta Lingams around the sacred Arunachala Hill, and feed the poor.

The nadi reading gave a lot of clarity and direction in my life. I still have to figure out the details but it takes the guessing out of life as the main direction is given. It eliminates going the wrong way here and there, wasting time and resources.

(C) 2015 Udaysree Nithyananda – All Rights Reserved.
Excerpt from ‘ARUNACHALA – Living in the Foothills of a Sacred Mountain in South India’