Sunday, August 9, 2015

THAYUMANAVAR’S POEMS.
தேசோமயானந்தம்.
     
மருமலர்ச் சோலைசெறி நன்னீழன் மலையாதி
      மன்னுமுனி வர்க்கேவலமாய்
மந்த்ரமா விகைசொல்லு மியமநிய மாதியா
      மார்க்கத்தி னின்றுகொண்டு
கருமருவு காயத்தை நிர்மலம தாகவே
      கமலாச நாதிசேர்த்துக்
காலைப் பிடத்தனலை யமமைகுண் டலியடிக்
      கலைமதியி னூடுதாக்கி
உருகிவரு மமிர்த்தை யுண்டுண் டுறங்காம
      லுண்ர்வான விழியைநாடி
ஒன்றோ டிரண்டெனாச் சமரச சொரூபசுக
      முற்றுடவென் மனதின்வண்ணம
திருவருண் முடிக்கவித தேகமொடு காண்பனோ
      தேடரிய சத்தாகியென்
சித்தமிசை குடிகொண்ட அறிவான தெய்வமே
      தேசோ மயானந்தமே.                                   1

111.     O Bliss of teeming Splendor, O The Supreme Intelligence, being the Indiscernible Sat that hast filled my heart! O for that day of my present life, when Thou wouldst make me be absorbed in the Peaceful Beatitude of Samarasa* Advaita Gnana, neither one nor two; which I can experience indeed, if I be granted the opportunity of serving under the munis† in the cool mountain of best shaded groves of fragrant flower-growths, and of practicing the Siva Raja Yoga‡ of Yama, Niyama &c., given in the Yoga sastra called mantramalika i.e. of purifying the body by taking the prescribed seat such as kamalasana and by pressing with the folded legs and arousing the lunar orb in the body domain of kundalini§ and with the steadfast eyes, enjoying with great pleasure the delicious nectar produced thereby and the consequent bliss of sleepless eternity.
[* Samarasa – Lit. viewing all equally alike. This epithet fits the school better than other schools inasmuch as this school unlike the rest accommodates and assimilates all other schools, without any contradiction or strained construction of ideas or interpretation of srutis. c.f., verses 40 & 46.
Munis are Rishis or ascetic.
§ Vide notes to verse 108 P. Kamalasana is the asana or seat or lotus seat (formed by allowing the feet to rest on the upper thighs). There are nine kinds of seats (vide. 127th verse with notes).]


இப்பிறவி யென்னுமோர் ரிருட்கடலின் மூழ்கிநா
      னென்னுமொரு மகரவாய்ப்பட்
டிருவினை யெனுந்திரையி வெற்றுண்டு புற்புத
      மெனக்கொங்கை வரிசைகாட்டுந்
துப்பிதழ் மடந்தையர் மயற்சண்ட மாருதச்
      சுழல்வந்து வந்தடிப்பச்
சோராத ஆசையாங் கானாறு வானதி
      சுரந்த்தென மேலுமார்ப்பக்
கைப்பரிசு காரர்போ லறிவான வங்கமுங்
      கைவிட்டு மதிமயங்கிக்
கள்ளவங் கக்காலர் வருவஎன் றஞ்சியே
      கண்ணருவி காட்டுமெளியேன்
செப்பரிய முத்தியாங் கரைசேர வுங்கருணை
      செய்வையோ சத்தாகியென்
சித்தமிசை குடிகொண்ட வறிவான தெய்வமே
      தேசோ மயானந்தமே.                                   2

112.     O Bliss of teeming Splendor, O The Supreme Intelligence, being the indiscernible Sat that hast filled my heart! Thou knowest that I am a helpless soul lamenting with tears like a boatman, losing sight of the ship of Sivagnana, and struggling in a besotted state with fear of sea robbers the messengers of death, sunk in the deep ocean of this mundane life, seized by the shark of I-ness or Egotism; rolling with it in the waves of good and bad Karma and tremendously attacked by the storm of sexual love to the woman of blooming countenance with beautiful coral lips; and the rapid streams of increasing desires continually flow into the Ocean life in which I thus struggle.
            O Benevolent Lord, do Thou render me the deed of mercy of enabling me to reach the blessed sea-shore of Siva-Sayujya-Mukti*
[* Vide notes under verses 41 and 108.]
தந்தைதாய் தமர்தார மகவென்னு மிவையெலாஞ்
      சந்தையிற் கூட்டமிதிலோ
சந்தேக மில்லைமணி மாடமா ளிகைமேடை
      சதுரங்க சேனையுடனே
வந்ததோர் வாழ்வுமோ ரிந்த்ரஜா லக்கோலம்
      வஞ்சனை பொறாமைலோபம்
வைத்தமன மாங்கிருமி சேர்ந்தமல பாண்டமோ
      வாஞ்சனை யிலாதகனவே
எந்தநா ளுஞ்சரி யெனத்தேர்ந்து தேர்ந்துமே
      யிரவுபக வில்லாவிடத்  
தேகமாய் நின்றநின் னருள்வெள்ள மீதிலே
      யானென்ப தறவுமூழ்கிச்
சிந்தைதான் றெளியாது சுழலும்வகை யென்கொலோ
      தேடரிய சத்தாகியென
சித்தமிசை குடிகொண்ட வறிவான தெய்வமே
      தேசோ மயானந்தமே.                                   3

113.     O Bliss of teeming Splendor, O the Supreme Intelligence, being the indiscernible Sat that hast filled my heart!
            Our life is but a sham. The crowd of persons we would call father, mother, kindred, wife and children are in no manner better than those we shall meet in a market place. This is simple truth. And our happy living in richly ornamented houses and lofty palaces encircled with the four kinds of forces is a mere juggle; and our physical constitution is nothing but a wicked dream, being as it were an earthen vessel full of dirt and filth with the internal malas replete with infidelity, envy and avarice.
            Nevertheless, O Lord, why should my mind be restless with sceptic and unsteady thoughts without determining itself ridden of I-ness into the sole boundlessness of Thy Grace, which is not limited by day and night and where alone does prevail the Eternal Beatitude, void of any unholy concerns of this life?
ஆடாம லோய்ந்திட்டபம்பரம் போல் விசை
      யடங்கிமனம் வீழநேரே
யறியாமை யாகின்ற விருளகல விருளொளியு
      மல்லா திருந்தவெளிபோல்
கோடா தெனைக்கண் டெனக்குணிறை சாந்தவெளி
      கூடியின் பாதீ தமுங்
கூடினே னோசரியை கிரியையின் முயன்றுநெறி
      கூடினே னோவல்லனியா
னீடாக வேயாறி வீட்டினி னிரம்பியே
      யிலகிவளர் பிரான னென்னும்
இருநிதி யினைக்கட்டி யோகபர னாகாம
      லேழைக் குடும்பனாகித்
தேடா தழிக்கவொரு மதிவந்த தென்கொலோ
      தேடரிய சத்தாகியென்
சித்தமிசை குடிகொண்ட வறிவான தெய்வமே
      தேசோ மயானந்தமே.                                   4

114.     O Bliss of teeming Splendor, O The Supreme Intelligence, being the indiscernible Sat that hast filled my heart! Neither could I have the extremest Bliss of my Chittakas being absorbed in advaita union with Thee the Ever Bright Paramikas,* my mind being not yet tranquillized to the state of a steady top and consequently, my ignorance having not yet dissipated. Nor have I exerted myself in the Highest San-marga Sadhana Sariya, kiriya &c. Nor did I, without extravagant indulgence enrich myself spiritually by procuring the great wealth called the Yoga† of restraining the prana that quite pervades all the six‡ centres of my body.
            But alas! I have had the imprudence of becoming a poor wretched soul to waste what I had with no further earnings.
            O God I cannot know how I get this imperfectness.
[* c.f. verses 95 and 100 and notes. P. Vide notes to verse 108. The saint is narrating the course of a devout soul in the figure of speech of anti. First, the Highest Goal of Sivadvaita saivam; Next, the Gnana Sadhana best conducive to the same; Thirdly, the excellence of the Yoga Sadhana included in the Second.
The saint points out here by a figure that Yoga (in Tamil called யோகம் (Yogam) which is colloquially used for ‘good fortune’ or good luck of a thriving individual in this world of sadhana) is THE REAL WEALTH OF A MAN. Without Contemplation and bhakti on account of God, any man’s wealth and fortune in this sadhana world be simply thrown away or productive of evil consequences.
Vide note to ‘Sushmna’ under 36th verse.]
பாடாது பாடிப் படித்தளவில் சமயமும்
      பஞ்சுபடு சொல்லனிவனைப்
பார்மினோ வென்றுசபை கூடவும்
      பரமார்த்த மிதவென்னவே
ஆடாது மாடிநெஞ் சுருகிநெக் காடவே
      யமலமே யேகமேயெம்
ஆதியே சோதியே யெங்குநிறை கடவுளே
      யரசே யெனக்கூவிநான்
வாடாது வாடமென் முகவாட்ட முங்கண்டு
      வாடா வெனக்கருணைநீ
வைத்திடா வண்ணமே சங்கேத மாவித்த
      வன்மையை வளர்ப்பித்ததார்
தேடாது தேடுவோர் தேட்டற்ற தேட்டமே
      தேடரிய சத்தாகியென்
சித்தமிசை குடிகொண்ட வறிவான தெய்வமே
      தேசோ மயானந்தமே.                                   5

115.     O Bliss of teeming Splendor, O The Supreme Intelligence, being the indiscernible Sat that hast filled my heart!
            Many alien religionist assemble very often and point at me in contempt “Behold! Behold! Pity that this man is bent upon mere utterances and hymns purely emotional in their nature.”
            Nevertheless, I would take to the emotional worship* alone as Summum Bonum and dance and dance and grow slender and slender in announcing Thy Solemn attributes ‘O The Nirmala Being! The Ancient One! The Light Transcendent! The Supreme All pervading Lord!’
            Exhausted and faint-hearted as I became in this manner, yet Thou wouldst not be moved to invite me to Thee.
            O the Inestimable Treasure, revealing Thyself to the pious-minded seekers, did any one ask Thee to be so hard with me?
[* Emotional worship is the Summum Bonum in this life. It is the crowning excellence of this Saiva Siddhanta school that it is the Religion of Love or bhakti. Love is the animating fire of the sadhana Sariya, Kiriya, Yoga and Gnana. Some erroneously hold that this sadhana and love can benefit the aspirer of Moksha severally i.e. either sadhana or love benefit him independently. Not at all. Sariya, Kiriya, Yoga and Gnana are indispensable and inseparable with love (bhakti). Hence it was the successful saints like our Thayumanavar though accomplished in Yoga or Gnana (knowledge), yet, were not, for a moment, wanting in true bhakti or love of devotion to the Supreme Siva and that even the Holiest Four Gnanasambanthar, Appar, Sundarar and Manikavachakar went from temple to temple sang and danced and shed tears of love of extreme reliance on Siva for His Boundless Grace. So in this verse (115) the saint reveals the emotional worship and prayer as the sole aim of existence in this world in spite of censure of the antagonists like the followers of Patanchal &c. Authorities are abundant to support the truth that emotional prayer in temples is the necessary antecedent of bhakti or love to the Supreme Siva and that bhakti or love to the supreme Siva is the essence to be extracted from the Siva-Sariya, Siva-Kiriya, Siva-Yoga, Sivagnana. And as such and as supported by the authorities below stands superior to the said action (Sariya, Kiriya &c), to the said Yoga, and to the said Gnana.
                1.             AUTHORITIES. “Love, as has been declared in the scripture, is superior to action, wisdom and yoga.” Sandilya Sutra 62.
            “The Yogi is superior to the ascetic, he is superior even to the wise, he is superior to the man of action; therefore, become thou a Yogi, O Arjuna. Among all the Yogis, he who with the inner self abideth in me, who full of reverence loveth me, is considered to be the most harmonized – Gita.
                2.             “Then therefore the enquiry into Love” – First Sandilya sutra.
                3.             ‘Sandilya refutes, as follows, the objection of Patanjal to Love which is extreme attachment towards God. The objection is in the sutra of Patanjal running thus:- ‘Ignorance, the Sense of Being Desire Aversion and Attachment are distractions.’
                “Sandilya, however, says that Love is not to be condemned, simply because it is an attachment. Things are not good or bad in themselves but the uses that are made of them. Companionship is not undesirable per se, companionship with had men is no doubt undesirable, but that with good men is to be eagerly sought. Even the deadly poison of colors acts like nectar, while mile like poison, under various circumstances. Similarly, attachment is not to be condemned per se. what the Yoga sutras condemn is attachment towards worldly objects which being on distraction of the mind, but not attachment towards God. Hence as is laid down in the sutra (21) Love is not to be condemned, simply because it is an attachment; for the Love which Sandilya is speaking of in the Love towards the Fountain Source of all that is pure and holy.” – J. Magoomdar’s commentary on Sandilya sutra 21.
                4.             “That Supreme love is the extremely reliant state is clear from the recognition of the purport of the Gita.” – Sandilya Sutra. 83.
                5.             “Every one obtains emancipation from supreme love.” – Sandilya Sutra. 84.
                6.             “Every one will surely receive me, by showing supreme love towards me.” – Gita.
                7.             “Identification with Him proceeds from the extreme dissolution of the mind in Him, by undivided devotion.” Sandilya Sutra. 96.
                (This sort of Identification or identifiableness, a Siva Siddhanti would rightly and aptly call ‘Sivohambhavana.’)
                8.             “He, the Highest Purusha, O Partha, may be reached by devotion to Him only, in whom all beings abide, and by whom all this is spread out.” – Gita.
                (Note here that Sri Krishna teaches to Arjuna the existence of Turiya Murti. This supports Mr. Suba Row’s correct observation that our Krishna Bhagavan was a Perfection Jivan Mukta sent down to procure relief to this world.)
                9.             “Love is superior to others, as they are in need of it” – Sandilya Sutra. 10
                “There are various paths.” Says J. Magoomdar, “leading to release or emancipation, such as the paths of Love, Knowledge, Actions, Yoga and so on; but that of Love is superior to all. Wisdom can achieve nothing without the help of Love. The wise man without Love is invariably a victim to the snare of his intellect, and so is the Yogi devoid of Love to that of self-mortification. It is love that imparts its divine warmth and lustre to wisdom or Yoga. The man of action must also be full of love for humanity or he will be wanting in the main spring of his action” – commentary on the above sutra 10 c.f. 86th verse of Saint Thayumanavar above with notes.
                10.          “He who seeth the Atma thus, thinketh It thus, Knoweth It thus, becometh one whose entire love is to the Atma &c” – Chandogya Upanishad. Mr. J. Magoomdar says “In this passage are given the various stages through which a man has to pass in order to reach the Final Goal and knowledge here is mentioned as a lower stage than love, which is mentioned after the former.” A Saiva Siddhanti goes further and says that all the four stages, (SariyaKiriyaYoga - Gnana), are successively indispensable and, (unavoidable and each inseparable with pure Love. In other words in order to reach the Final Goal a soul pliant with Love should have and could not but have gone through the four stages successively either in final birth or in the birth previous thereto. For instance our Saint Kannappar got through these stages in his previous birth as Arjuna under Sri Krishna, his divine teacher, with the effect that he (Kannappar) was only to be born again amongst the warlike race and, by the emotional prayer with Extreme Love to Siva attained Siva-Sayujya (the Highest Goal for a perfectest soul) in the Sri Kalathi Siva Temple. So, from a Saiva Siddhanta stand-point all the four stages (Sariya etc.,) of action, Yoga and Gnana are all necessary; and a soul ascending through these steps in the ladder should throughout bear in mind the need of the hold or anxiety of pure and holy Love to Supreme Siva. Hence I think that I was, according to our Sruti அவனருளாலேயவன்றாள் வணங்கி (adoring His Feet by the aid of His Grace), inspired by Sikalathi nadhar to sing before Him in the Holy place called Srikalathi.
             அன்பே சரியை பேரன்பே கிரியை மற்றன்பதுவே
      முன்பர மியோக முதிர் சிவஞான முதிர்ந்தவன்பரம்
      என்பே யுருகி யிழிமனமா யதலுமேற்ற வன்பால்
      அன்பே யுருவாஞ் சிகாளத்தி னாதனா மாதலதே.”

(Love is Siva-Sariya, Love is Siva-Kiriya, and Love is the much regarded Siva-yoga and Love extreme is the Supreme Sivadvaita-Gnana of Bliss eternal. Such a love is to be acquired by the complete dissolution of our lower manas in the Sikalathinather (Siva-Lord) and by the melting of our bones &c. And it is Love that enables us to become or assimilate ourselves with Sikalathinather who is The Love Supreme.)
12.          Thus, we have seen that action, Yoga and Gnana are but necessary auxiliaries to Love being stimulated in the aspirer of Siva-Sayuja till he attains purity and becomes identified with Siva (God of Love) in the Supreme Advaita Union posited by this school.
13.          So, Sandilya says in his 27th Sutra “Love requires constant stimulation, till purity is attained, as rice is to be struck over and over again, till it is free from impurities.” ‘Similarly, in order to deepen and purify your Love, you are to constantly fix your mind on the Lord.’ – J. Magoomdar c.f. notes to ‘ashtalinga Yoga’ under verse 61 supra.
14.          “Similarly, though nothing can be done without love, still you must not neglect the practice of virtues (sariya, kiriya &c) which will strengthen the hands of Love.” Love and the four stages or steps Sariya – Kiriya – Yoga – Gnana are so connected with one another that one of them cannot render read benefit without the other combined with it. To instance an analogy.
பத்திசே ரன்பைப் பகவன்ன மர்க்கிப் படிபடியாஞ்   
      சித்தி சாதிக்குஞ்சரியை முன்மூன்றைத் தெவிட்டலுறாச்
      சுத்த நீராக்கிச் சுக சிவஞான மறுசுவையாய்
      முத்தியானந்த முடனிலை கொண்டுநான் மோகிப்பனே.”

(considering my Love to Siva, my practicing the Siva – sariya, Siva – Kiriya and Siva – Yoga, and my Siva – Gnana of Bliss to be as necessary for my attaining the Siva – Sayujya Mukti as rice, water, and six tastes are for our physical health, respectively, I shall sincerely aspire for the said Saiva – Sayujya.)
15.          It will not be out of place to state the marks of Love and definition of Love: -
(a)           “The marks which characterize the Love towards the Lord are: - Veneration, delight in objects resembling Him, joy in His presence, pain in His absence, in difference towards other objects, feeling of Glory in Him, living for His sake, feeling that every thing is His, feeling all is One, absence of Hostile feeling towards Him, and other marks not mentioned for the sake of brevity” – Sandilya Sutra 44.
(b)           “Bhakti is the love of the lover towards the beloved, divested of its sensual nature.”
(c)           “Prayer is the spontaneous outburst of deep emotions that agitate the heart.”
(d)           “True worship consists in being and doing as well in order to being, like unto the Father who is in Heaven, and not merely saying something. The worshipper sets an ideal before his mental vision and tries to fashion his life after that ideal. Sometimes his heart may overflow with the love and reverence he feels for his ideal and sincere prayer is nothing but the spontaneous outburst of his enraptured heart. Set forms of prayer are intended for reminding the worshipper of the ideals of his life. When a Christian “looks towards the Heavens” and says “Father, Thou art merciful”, he, according to his idea, is worshipping God although he has no image of mercy before his physical eyes; and if he is worshipping sincerely he has the ideal of mercy in God before his mental eyes and longs in the heart of his heart to become as merciful as God Himself. If he however rests satisfied with simply uttering the words, “Father, thou art merciful,” without trying to become as merciful as God Himself, his worship is of no use; for, in that case, he does not advance an inch towards his ideal.’ – J. Magoomdar (Note how our Esteemed brother hits at the hidden truth of Christianity being a good Religion of Love i.e. of idol worship or Ideal-worship.)
(e)           Idol-worship, which is a mark of Love, is not a thing to be neglected even in the advanced stage of Siva – Gnanis. “As the very best among us are not without frailties, and would not fulfil our ideals, sages, says Srimat Bagavat, “introduced idol-worship.”
J. Magoomdar c.f. the notes under verses 92 and 93 above. c.f., also what Dr. C. T. Stockwell observes in his paper read before a club in spring-field (vide p.7 Awakened India Vol iv of January 1899. “In this connection let me call attention to the fact that Prof. Wundt of Leipsic, in his “Facts of the moral life” has shown, as stated by a recent writer, “by psychological analysis that the moral evolution has been wrought by the interplay of two factors – the feeling of reverence and the feeling of sympathy, neither of which is adequate to carry it on alone.” If this be true, and it would seem to be capable of proof from a historical point of view, - then do we not need, for the realization of the highest moral progress, a union of the deepest reverence of the theist with the tender and more innate sympathy of the pantheist? – sympathy which comes of that love of universal nature, of universal life in all its forms? Only thus it would seem, shall we arrive at the truest and most effective conception of the fatherhood of God and the real brotherhood of man. When historic theism and historic pantheism shall have advanced to a point where full coalescence is possible, then will the present movement in the world of thought have reached, apparently a destined goal.”]
பிரியாத தண்ணருட் சிவஞானி யாய்வந்து
      பேசரிய வாசியாலே
பேரின்ப வுண்மையை யளித்தனையென் மனதறப்
      பேரம் பலக்கடவுளாய்
அறிவா யிருந்திடும் நாதவொலி காட்டியே
      யமிர்தப்ர வாகசித்தி
அருளினை யலாதுதிரு வம்பலமு மாகியெனை
      யாண்டனைபி னெய்திநெறியாய்க்
குறிதா னளித்தனைநன் மரவுரிகொ ளந்தணக்
      கோலமா யசபாநலங்
கூறினபின் மெளனியாய்ச் சும்மா விருக்கநெறி
      கூட்டினை யெலாமிருக்கச்
சிறியேன் மயங்கிமிக வறிவின்மை யாவனோ
      தேடரிய சத்தாகியென்
சித்தமிசை குடிகொண்ட வறிவான தெய்வமே
      தேசோ மயானந்தமே.                                   6

116.     O Bliss of teeming Splendor, O Thee Supreme Intelligence, being the indiscernible Sat that has filled my heart!
Like an all-gracious Siva-gnana Thou taughtest me to feel the Heavenly Bliss by means of restraint of prana in a state of abstractions. Thou, as the Supreme Lord of Chitsabha,* hast plunged me in the ambrosial joy, having killed my mind and brought me in contact with the inner natham or sound of intelligence. Besides, hast Thou been to me a Divine Gnana and as such made me Thy slave.
Thou didst show Thyself and direct me in Divine law to the ultimate Goal of Siva-sayujya.* And neatly dressed in barks of trees Thou cannot like a Brahmin Guru and didst influence me in the mental recital of Thy Glory. Lastly Thou camest as Mauni and didst reveal to me the blissful state of mona. †
In spite of these spiritual influences brought to bear upon me by Thee, can I be still left a victim to Ignorance? ‡
[* i.e., Hall of wisdom. Our Siva-Lord dances the dance of Joy in the wisdom of souls who have become His devotees.
Vide notes to 2nd verse.
Here the reference is to the power of anava mala. It is quite appropriately called ‘sahasa’ – mala that it is almost the ‘nature’ of the soul it attaches to. To subdue it is so difficult that Siva-Lord has out or pure benevolence subjected the devotees sometimes to the hardest trial as in the case of the Saint Siruttondar, whose only dear son was ordered to be cooked as food for the Supreme who appeared as his guest.]
ஆரா ரெனக்கென்ன போதித்து மென்னவென்
      னறிவினை மயக்க வசமோ
அண்டகோ டிகளெலாங் கருப்பவறை போலவு
      மடுக்கடுக் காவமைத்துப்
பேராம னின்றபர வெளியிலே மனவெளி
      பிறங்குவத லாதொன்றிலும்
பின்னமுற மருவாது நன்னயத் தாவினப்
      பேரின்ப முத்திநிலையும்
தாராது தள்ளவும் போகாது னாலாது
      தள்ளினும் போகேனியான்
தடையேது மில்லையாண் டவனடிமை யென்னுமிகு
      தன்மையிலு மென்வழக்குத்
தீராது விடுவதிலை நடுவான கடவுளே
      தேடரிய சத்தாகியென்
சித்தமிசை குடிகொண்ட வறிவான தெய்வமே
      தேசோ மயானந்தமே.                                   7

117.     O Bliss of teeming Splendor! O The Supreme Intelligence, being the indiscernible Sat that hast filled my heart!
            No amount of dissuasion can affect the most harmonized state of Sivagnana I have attained. My mind will never grow worse by clinging itself to something else but Thee but I will have it brightened in assimilation with Thy unchangeable Paramakas wherein are coiled up myriads of world-clusters in order in a couch spiral form.
            So, Thou must never deny me the Supremes Bliss of Siva-Sayujya Mukti* and, even if Thou shouldst choose to do so, I can never depart from Thee.
            O Thou, the Just God, the connection of the Ruler and the ruled† between us will never cease nor can I withdraw myself from absolute reliance on Thee.
[* It is the highest state of Mukti which is the soul’s (sthula chit’s) advaita union with the Lord-Siva (the Shukshma chit). That is, the soul becomes realized in the Siva-Lord both substantially, spiritually and mentally. The human soul then sees and enjoys for ever the Infinite Siva in all and every thing as that Siva.
The Ruler and the Ruled. This relationship is called in Tamil ஆண்டானடிமை(the ruler and slave). The object of the system of prayers to God is to worship Him and pay reverence to Him for His grace, recognizing His Superiority and Benevolence over us (souls), and to graduate ourselves in the course to the blessed and by contemplating Him by the sacred mantras (the set expressions of His said Superiority and Benevolence) and carry on the contemplation to such an extent that we so contemplating Him lose ourselves in that true Ideal (Lord-Siva) and become the Ideal i.e., one with Him (Lord-Siva); then we, the souls can be said to feel Parama Siva or Parabrahmam in all and everything as Parabrahmam; then the I-ness is dead, My-ness is dead and every thing else, material is discarded and what remains and what alone can then remain to us is the Akandakarayeka Tatva-Siva (The Infinite God of Love). In short we become Love itself, true to the famous saying of Saint Tirumularஅன்பேசிவமா யமர்ந்திருப்பாரே(They will rest themselves in the Blessedness of Love, the Siva) This Siva-sayujya Moksha state of Bliss can, in a speaker’s standpoint, be said to be ‘duality in non-duality’ or ‘neither one nor two nor neither being at one with or becoming one with Siva (Love or in one word ‘The Advaita’ as explained by our Holiest Meikanda Deva. Vide his Sivagnanabotham). But, in a Muktas stand-point, that is, in the stand-point of a soul that has attained the said Supremest Moksha, there is neither dualism nor monism nor non-dualism nor both nor anything in existence except the Blessed Sivanubhava or the experience and enjoyment of the Blissful God of Love and Love alone, that is, Siva, Siva, Siva alone. There exists no speech, no word, no argument, no darkness, no powerfulness of anava and no likes nor dislikes. Anavamala becomes dead like a burnt seed and the Mukta, of course, becomes absorbed in Love (Siva), indistinguishable, say, to the eye of a spectator, just like a man’s shadow which becomes indistinct when he gets under the dark (cool) shade of a tree. This Sivadvaita Gnanananda of the blessed Mukta is misconstrued as mere monism. But as posited by the Saiva Siddhanta school it is dualism as well as monism and goes further beyond and is a Beyond: It is, as I already cautioned myself, in a speaker’s stand-point: -
                (a) the Dualism, in as much as its infant stage or growth in ‘dutifulness to Siva’ i.e., contemplating Siva in the second person, the contemplator feeling himself in the first-person.\
                (b) and the Monism, in as much as its grown up (adult) stage in the maturity of thought and consequent capability of becoming the Parabrahman whom he (contemplated) reflects upon, that is, in other words, in this stage he is said to identify himself with the Parabrahman; or in brief, the soul (contemplator), reaches the Bhavana-Bhavana stage i.e., sunk in reflection (Bhavana) upon the a thing (Bhavagam).
                (c) Lastly, the stage Beyond is the true Advaitam when the above reflection is so much and so far intensified that the soul that reflects becomes the object (Siva or God of Love) reflected upon and sees Siva in all and all as Siva and enjoys the infinite Bliss of Love for ever, of course having melted itself by the above sadana (a and b) Sariya-Kiriya-Yoga-Gnana into that Love. This is the Sivohambhavana (Sivadvaitam). But this Sivadvaitam is not Siva-sama-sivadvaitam i.e., to become equal with Siva). But it is ஏகனாகி யிறைபணி நிற்க (contemplating to be One with the Supreme).
            Thus we have seen that the four stages of Sadana, Sariya, Kiriya, Yoga and Gnana correspond to dualism (Sariya and Kiriya), Monism (Yoga) and the state beyond (Gnana). This must be, and nothing else can be, and the correct reasonable interpretation of dualism and monism. And the worship or contemplation of Siva or Love Supreme being the Highest Truth universally acceptable and accepted, the above four stages may be called siva-Sariya-Siva-Kiriya-Siva-Yoga and Siva-Gnana. These four stages do include, as aforesaid, the dualism, monism and the stage Beyond. The Stage Beyond is predicated by this school, the end which this stage leads to being the Siva-Sayujya Sivananda Moksha. Now, then, therefore it can be safely concluded that the Saiva School includes all schools in their right sense and is yet beyond all schools and is the nearest step to the Highest Moksha (Sivasayujya) aforesaid.
                c.f., Verses 27, 46, 51, 53, 67, 83, 95, 106, 115 with their footnotes. Still, the Saiva School condemns only the bigotry of each other minor schools as wrongly and hastily conclude that the end which they predicate is the Final End and that there can not be ‘an another side’ nor a stage beyond.
                The dualism and monism are the mouth and breath
                Of this embodied soul, the beautiful advait:
                Shut up mouth, breath will stop; shut up breath, mouth will stop;
                And undeveloped will go th’ soul if both me stop.]


கந்துக மதக்கரியை வசமா நட்த்தலாங்
      கரடிவெம் புலிவாயையும்
கட்டலா மொருசிங்க முதிகின்மேற் கொள்ளலாங்
      கட்செவி யெடுத்தாட்டலாம்
வெந்தழலி விரதம்வைத் தைந்துலோ கத்தையும்
      வேதித்து விற்றுண்ணலாம்
வேறொருவர் காணாம லுலகத் துலாவலாம்
      விண்ணவரை யேவல்கொள்லாம்
சந்ததமு மிளமையொ டிருக்கலா மற்றொரு
      சரீரத்தி னும்புருதலாம்
சலமே னடக்கலாங் கனன்மே லிருக்கலாந்
      தன்னிகரில் சித்திபெறலாம்
சிந்தையை யடக்கியே சும்மா விருக்கின்ற
      திறமரிது சத்தாகியென்
சித்தமிசை குடிகொண்ட வறிவான தெய்வமே
      தேசோ மயானந்தமே.                                   8

118.     O Bliss of teeming Splendor, O The Supreme Intelligence being the indiscernible Sat that hast filled my heart!
            No task is so hard as to concentrate and tranquillize my mind towards Thy contemplation. We can rather subdue and control the horse, or the big elephant even while it is in rut. We can fascinate and bind the mouth of a tiger or a wild boar. We can ride on the back of a lion. We can hold a venomous cobra in the hand and play with it. We can live by the alchemic art of changing the fine metals into Gold. We can acquire the siddhi of moving in the world unseen. We can command service from the celestials. We can enjoy eternal youth and successfully practice entry into another’s body. We can walk on water and remain in the burning fire. And we can get many more supernatural power except the said control over the turbulent mind.*
[* c.f., Notes to Ashtanga yoga under verse 61.]
எல்லா மறிந்தவரு மேதுமறி யாதவரு
      மில்லையெனு மிவ்விலகமீ
தேதுமறி யாதவ னெனப்பெயர் தரித்துமிக
      வேழைக்கு ளேழையாகிக்
கல்லாத வறிவிற் கடைப்பட்ட நானன்று
      கையினா லுண்மைஞானம்
கற்பித்த நின்னருளி னுக்கென்ன மைம்மாறு
      காட்டுவேன் குற்றேவனான்
அல்லார்ந்த மேனியொடு குண்டுகட் பிறையெயிற்
      றாபாச வடிவமான
அந்தகா நீயொரு பகட்டாற் பகட்டுவ
      தடாதடா காசுநம்பால்
செல்லாத டாவென்று பேசவா யதுதந்த
      செல்வமே சத்தாகியென்
சித்தமிசை குடிகொண்ட வறிவான தெய்வமே
      தேசோ மயானந்தமே.                                   9

119.     O Bliss of teeming Splendor, O The Supreme Intelligence being the indiscernible Sat that hast filled my heart!
            Though I seldom see any one in this world either possessed with perfect knowledge or with total ignorance, yet I may be passed for one of total ignorance. With all my wretched state of illiteracy, Thou wast, on that auspicious day, gracious enough to acquaint me by the Sign of Thy Hand with the blessed Gnana of Truth. Being ever indebted to Thee as Thy slave,* I cannot think of a meet return for Thy Beneficence. O The Wealth of Divine Grace, that gavest me courage to pronounce even to the dreadful Yama† these words of warning: -
                Oh dark sized ghastly Yama
            Of grim round eyes and teeth
            White as the crescent moon,
            O! you cannot delude!
            O! you I can preclude!
            Though you with bluff dread me
            Your word can’t tell, I see.

[* Slave. The souls are ever co-existent with Parama-Siva and subordinate to Parama-Siva. Both in the bhanda and moksha states, they are so. Even the Gods and Trimurtis are so. Here the saint’s argument is that Parama-Siva’s Benevolence towards His dependent souls flows freely without any return to be expected from them and that therefore a dependent soul can never repay it in any way. The only repayment is the undying Love to Parama-Siva.
Vide notes to 95th verse last para.
Yama is God of death.]
மின்போலு மிடையொடிய மொடியுமென் மொழிதங்
      போல் மென்சிலம் பொலிகளார்ப்ப
வீங்கிப் புடைத்துவிழு சுமையன்ன கொங்கைமட
      மின்னார்கள் பின்னேவலாய்
என்போ ல்லைந்தவர்கள் கற்றார்கள் கல்லார்க
      ளிருவர்களி லொருவருண்டோ
என்செய்கே னம்மம்ம வென்பாவ மென்கொடுமை
      யேதென் றெடுத்து மொழிவேன்
அன்பால் வியந்துருகி யடியற்ற மரமென்ன
      வடியிலே வீழ்ந்து வீழ்ந்தெம்
அடிகளே யுமதடிமை யாங்களெனு நால்வருக்
      கறமாது பொருளுரைப்பத்
தென்பாலின் முகமாகி வடவாலிருக்கின்ற
      செல்வமே சத்தாகியென்
சித்தமிசை குடிகொண்ட வறிவான தெய்வமே
      தேசோ மயானந்தமே.                                   10

120.     O Bliss of teeming Splendor, O The Supreme Intelligence, being the indiscernible Sat that hast filled my heart!
            None will get so mad after the tender sex as I do, either among the literate or the illiterate. I am magnetized by the electric flash of their slender waists over which their swelled breasts would roll too heavy.
            O Lord, what can I do? I cannot sufficiently describe the sinful miseries I am beset with. What an abominable wretch I am!
            O The Supreme Guru of bountiful grace, Thou wast manifest as Dakshina-Murti, below the banyan tree in the North, in order to teach the real meaning of the Purushartha Chatushtaya* to the four munis† who befitted themselves to it and prostrated themselves to Thy Sacred Feet, unconsciously out of an intense desire to be taught the ultimate goal of the Jivan Muktas. ‡
[* Vide notes to ‘Dharma’ under 41st verse.
Vide notes to 26th verse.
Jivan Muktas are those souls who have obtained final liberation while yet in this life. Our Lord Sri Krishna in the type of a perfected Jivan Mukta. So in Gita, he does and has a right to say that he is the Parabrahmam i.e., is identifiable with Him.]
புத்தமிர்த போகமுங் கற்பகந னீழலிற்
      பொலிவுற விருக்குமியல்பும்
பொன்னாலகி லயிரா வதத்தேறு வரிசையும்
      பூமண்ட லாதிக்கமும்
மத்தவெறி யினர்வேண்டு மாலென்று தள்ளவு
      மெமாலுமொரு சுட்டுமறவே
வைக்கின்ற வைப்பாளன் மெளனதே சிகனென்ன
      வந்தநின் வருள்வாழிகாண்
சுத்தபரி பூரண வகண்டமே யேகமே
      சுருதிமுடி வானபொருளே
சொல்லரிய வுயிரினிடை யங்கங்கு நின்றருள்
      சுரந்தபொழி கருணைமுகிலே
சித்திநிலை முத்திநிலை விளைகின்ற பூமியே
      தேடரிய சத்தாகியென்
சித்தமிசை குடிகொண்ட வறிவான தெய்வமே
      தேசோ மயானந்தமே.                                   11
121.     O Bliss of teeming Splendor, being the indiscernible Sat that hast filled my heart!
            Happy be Thy blessing to me in manifesting Thyself in Guru-Mauni who consecrated me to the Divine Mona of beatitude, where all aims temporal, would cease or fail which only sinful souls would hail and hail; To wit – the drink of nectar sweet and fresh; The Kalpataru’s shade of changeless bliss, The luck to ride on Indra’s elephant, And the life of this earth best effluent. O! Praise be to Thy Graciousness, O The Infinite One of Bliss everywhere! O The Pure Cloud that dost shower down blissful grace to all deserving souls! O The Blessed soil to originate the states of evincement of siddhis and the states* of Moksha!
[* Variety of Muktas or Mahatmas must cause variety of Moksha states to be assigned to them individually by the Supreme. Of course this can be without any contradiction in terms or experience, just as the eves of creatures, many as they are, in this world, can yet be enabled to enjoy light by the help of the Sun with no contradiction of any kind.
                கண்ணொளிகள் விண்ணொளியின் காட்சிமுனக் கண்ட
      திண்ணமுடன் முரண்குன்று செயலதனைக் கண்டேன்
      கண்ணொளியுட் பசுத்தொன்கரின் கலப்புற்ற கலப்பில்
      எண்ணலுற முரணின்றே யெங்கள் பசுபதியே.” 

            (I see without any doubt that the eyes of creatures are able to see in the presence of the Sun and that, in such enjoyment of sight, there is no contradiction either in terms or in experience. Likewise there is no contradiction in saying, O Lord of souls (pasus), that the souls, either emancipated or not may all be in Thee or experience Thee or enjoy Thee.)]

R. SHANMUGA MUDALIAR.

No comments:

Post a Comment