RAMADEVAR SIDDHA / SIDDHA YAKOB

"His original name was Ramadevar Siddha. The miseries of the world and shallowness of ritual practice pushed Yakop to wander aimlessly. People called him crazy. Even he called himself mad. He wandered through many different places and crowds for six long years. One day, he saw a cozy and unconventional-looking man walking the street. Yakop’s madness shattered before the magnanimous intoxication of divine madness that radiated from Sage Bhuthananda, who became Yakop’s first Guru. After receiving his initiation into the Siddha path, from Siddha Bhuthananda, Yakop settled in a mountain cave as per his Guru’s instructions. He remained in seated posture and meditative state for twelve years. The way of the mystics finally flourished! After twelve years, first Lord Subramaniam, Guru of Sage Agasthiyar appeared before Yakop. After this, Siddha Agasthiyar appeared. Yakop received teachings from them through mystical experiences of the Siddha path. In this manner, Yakop had darshan and meeting with all the ancient Siddhas earlier to his time. This entire information has been narrated by Yakop himself in his divine work Yakop Vakara Kandam.

Once, he made a mysterious aerial visit (kagana markkam in Tamil) to Mecca. During this visit, he stood victorious in a debate on the sastras with some Islamic scholars. As recorded in the seventh poem of his work, Yakop Vaidhiya Chintamani, he describes how they lovingly embraced him after the debate and his victory. Perhaps, he converted to Islam influenced by his Islamic preceptor. It was his teacher who named him ‘Yakopu,’ the Tamilised form of Jacob. His leaning toward Islam is understood from the opening poem, as he offers prayer to both, Nabimaar (another name for the Prophet Mohammed) and to the messengers of Allah. The following poems describe worship to the Hindu Pantheon Gods, revealing his attachment to his original faith too. After narrating his autobiographical account, Siddha Yakop (or Ramadevar Siddha) directly proceeds to outline the contents of the whole text dealing with a variety of medicines.

Vaidhiya Chintamani is one of the best treatises on Siddha medicine. Books of this nature are a treasure house of native Siddha system of medicine, the secrets of which are known only to those belonging to the tradition of preceptor and pupil. Detailed instructions on the preparation of hundreds of medicines and drugs using minerals, metal dusts, nuts, roots, barks, acids, spices, herbs, and oils are elaborately presented. One medicine bears the name ‘Chinese limestone’ (Cheenakkara Chunnam) as recorded in poem 241 of this text. In this context, it is not wrong to note that Siddha Bogar had visited China several times and had close contact with people there, as mentioned in his medicinal treatise. Additionally, as revealed in different sources, cultural contact with foreign people is further attested through the anecdotes recorded in relation to the general Siddha tradition, and in particular of Siddha Yakop and Siddha Bogar. At present, our biggest handicap is the unavailability of some of the valued ancient Tamil Siddha literature. Due to repeated foreign invasions, most of the ancient palm-leaf manuscripts have been either destroyed or transported to other countries."

From: "Siddhas - Masters of Nature" by Palpandian, with kind approval.