At the age of twelve, Subharayan received spiritual initiation from two Tamil saints, Sachidananda Maharaj and Sri Chitti Paradeshi, who used to visit his father.
They informed his family that he had a special assignment in life: he was destined to serve humanity in another place, and when the time was right, they would come to take him and prepare him to fulfill his duty.
His biographers and disciples state that by this time, he had acquired the Ashtasiddhis, or divine powers, including the ability of astral travel.
It is said that his devotion was so profound and his prayers so powerful that when he recited the keerthans, the temple bells rang by themselves, and the doors opened to give him darshan.
[2] One day, while a family gathering related to a marriage was taking place at the house where he was staying, a very old, lean woman told him that someone from his village would come to meet him and advised him to go to the nearby traveler’s shed that night.
McGregor, who was interested in Indian religion, language, and culture, became fond of the English-speaking Tamil villager and established a friendship with him, eventually becoming his student.
The works that are identified as his include: Ayyavu Swamikal played a crucial role in shaping the personalities of many spiritual, cultural, and social leaders in erstwhile Travancore during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Ayyavu Swami had about fifty disciples from diverse fields and castes, ranging from palace residents to those living in huts, including Nambuthiries, Nairs, Ezhavas, Nadars, princesses, administrators, doctors, engineers, Muslims, Christians, and Hindus.
His predictions included that the younger Maharani's son would become the last Maharaja, North India would eventually separate, Ayyankali would be appointed to a participative administrative body to help the downtrodden, and the date of his own Samadhi.
Ayyankali was nominated to the Sri Moolam Assembly and honored by the rulers, and his statue was later unveiled by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Ayyavu Swamikal was an adept in 'Siva Raja Yoga,' an ancient technique practiced by Tamil Saiva Yogis such as Agasthyar, Bhogar, and their lineage.
He was one of the great teachers of Siva Raja Yoga in modern times and belonged to the line of Tamil Siddhas, including Agasthyar, Bogar, Tirumular, Tirujnana Sambhandhar, and Manikka Vachakar.
The movements initiated by Ayyavu Swami and his disciples were grounded in Humanism, Rationalism, and Democracy based on universal love, rather than following the European models of Renaissance or Reformation.