TIRUVUNTIYAR

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TIRUVUNTIYAR
OF
SAINT UYYAVANTHADEVA NAYANAR.
GOD THE GREAT PRECEPTOR.
1. @ [ L@u
G
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As the Absolute, unknowable by any, That
In Form appeared: - Rise and fly
He, to become, blessed - Rise and fly.

Notes: - Taking form does not mean being born of the womb: He is the Unborn. A form
is assumed for the purpose of instructing the soul, liberating it from bondage, and for granting
the Blissful Union. The poor soul cannot be led otherwise. He appeared as Dakshana Murti
(@[) and instructed the Renowned Four disciples, Sanaka, Sanatara, Sanantana
and Sanatkumara. The doctrine of Avatara does not apply to the Absolute. To be born of
woman is a limitation. All forms are His and He, the indweller of all souls, and the underlying
life-substance; of everything that is. Why to be born and where to be born? He the Absolute,
Wisdom Pure, the Light effulgent, is beyond the ken of the senses, and the mind: words cannot
reach Him. He is the Ever-present, Light, Life and Bliss. All forms will, in fullness of time
become, formless, and the formless merge into Him who is beyond and behind Form, and No-
Form. To speak of the Absolute as He is far short of the Truth: That is beyond He and
She. That is Unknowable with the ordinary instruments of Knowledge Senses and the
mind, but knowable Realizable. Realizable with Arul J nanam the Inner godly Light of
Grace which is to be had by gradual training and preparation discrimination, introspection
and isolation. Discrimination of the Real and the Unreal, Introspection in order to withdraw
from the unreal, and Isolation to be quite apart and aloof from all forms and instruments of
Maya. The Great Preceptor instructs in divers ways-through the Elders, Teachers, Initiators,
Masters of Religion and finally, when the soul is advanced enough in spirituality, He appears
as Sat-Guru, J nana-Guru-the Light-giver, and absorbs the sanctified soul into Him, and
henceforth no duality, no separation and no seeking. It is all Bliss and Oneness.
That, as the Absolute, is Akanda-Sat-Chitananda-Sivam. In its Vastness of Pure
Consciousness is involved the primordial substance of Matter- Maya (which is indestructible
and eternal), unmanifest and latent. In the beginning, so to say of a Kalpa, after the previous
Pralaya. There was That, the Supreme, the Absolute, and naught else, - (manifest). J ust as after
a storm, there was the vast expanse of the sea only, and naught else-manifest, as all boats and
crafts sank in the storm to the bottom of the deep. In that was also the Sakti Power latent.
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Sakti is threefold: - Ichcha (willing), J nana (knowing) and Kriya (acting). That, the Para Sivam
willed and the Saktis began to act. Although there does not exist any difference here between
the Sakti (Power) and the Sakta (Powerful) except the distinction mentally abstracted by us, as
the possessed and the possessor, it is as well to distinguish the two aspects as The Lady and the
Lord, as is done in our Sastras and Puranas. The Saktis, which are of the Lord and are of
Sinmayam (Gu) (Sentient-Form) act on the Maya (J ada-insentient Form) imbedded in
them; vibrations of the Great nada (sound) starts and evolution begins in what manner and
how is indescribable but the great Masters have given a sequence according to the operations
of the various Saktis. The J nanasakti acts on the Maya (which is to be called Suddha Maya the
reason for which will be explained later) and that state of the Lord (J nana alone) is called the
Nishkala Sivam or u, and of the Maya, Nadataram: the Kriya Sakti acts on the Maya,
and that state of the Lady (Kriya alone) is called Bindu or Sakti and of the Maya, Bindutattva
or Saktitattva. J nana and Kriya Saktis acting equally, that state of the Lord is called Sada Sivam,
and of the Sakti, Manonmani, and of the Maya Sadakya Tattva; of J nana and Kriya, Kriya
predominates and that state of the Lord is called Maheswara and of the lady Mahesvari, and of
the Maya, Isvaratattva; the J nana predominating, the state of the Lord is Rudra, and of the Sakti
Uma and of the Maya, Suddha Viddhyatattva. In this tattva also are Vishnu and Brahma, with
their consorts Lakshmi and Sarasvati. Nada and Vindhu is differentiated into Apara Nada,
Apara Vindhu, Para Nada, Para Vindhu, all the four are Nishkala forms. Thus we get the nine
aspects of the Lord called Navantharu bhedam (@ u) Para Nada, Apara Nada,
Para Vindhu, Apara Vindhu, Sadasivam, Mahesvara, Rudra, Vishnu and Brahma. Sadasivam
is called Sakala Nishkala Sivam, and Mahesvara and the last three are called Sakala Siva. There
are other names besides, Nishkala, Sakala Nishkala Sahala, Laya Sivam, Bhoga Sivam,
Adikara Sivam, Sakhyukthar (Lord of Sakti) Udyaktar (exercising Sakti) Pravirthar (unfolding
Sakti) respectively.
Mahesvara and Rudra forms are many and God is worshipped in those forms. The above
Brahma, Vishnu and Rudras should not be confounded with the lower Brahma, Vishnu and
Rudras who belong to the class of advanced souls, and who function according to the above
powers of the Lord acting through them.
Dakshana Murti and other Murtis are of the Mahesvara forms. The above is a rough
sketch of how the Absolute and the Nishkala of No Form acting on Maya becomes Sakala
of Form. It must be remembered that even the Sakala state referred to above, is Formless,
Arupa in comparison with the Prakriti forms of Maya (grossest) we are accustomed to.
TO BE FREE FROM WORLDLINESS (SAMSARA).
2. lL @ G
LQ G
@ @ G .

Without practicing to give up (old) habits
Why mis-conduct (yourself) dear. Rise and fly
With That One (and commune) Rise and fly.
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Notes: - The old habits of the soul are, running after sense-objects, with a longing for
pleasure and an aversion to pain and sorrow, resulting in birth and rebirth: even the sanctified
soul should be cautious not to be drawn into the old grooves, for as long as the body lasts, its
alleged Karma (Prarabdha) will come in the form of pleasure and pain, and should the soul
develop a longing or aversion, it will be caught again. The Ichcha, J nana, Kriya of the soul (the
will, consciousness and power) which were buried in worldliness should be unearthed, polished
and made to reflect the Light of Sivam, so that one may will, know, and act with His Grace and
be free from old habits, this should be the constant exercise of the soul. The giving up of old
habits is by Discrimination, Introspection and Isolation.
CESSATION OF BIRTH AND DEATH.
3. M M_ @ @[
lM0 G
lLlL l0G .

Through the seen (Guru) they who exhausted Karmas
Will not he born in the womb Rise and fly
No birth and death to them Rise and fly.

Notes: - The Lord Himself who is the life of the soul, and has been immanent, now
appears in visible form as Master, and through Him, all Karmas, Sanchita (accumulated),
Prarabdha (commenced) and Akamiya (impending) are exhausted. The clinging to the body
and its pleasures induces Karma, and the latter necessitates births: the root of Karma being the
clinging the desire Moha: the first step towards the exhaustion of Karma is indifference to
pleasure and pain, dispassion towards good and bad actions, @lLQ, the poise of-
two-fold-actions.
THE UNSPEAKABLE BLISS OF REALISATION.
4. 0 |@G OM@ 0
0 |@ G
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How it was, how shall I tell,
So it was (as realised) Rise and fly
Not knowledge to be known Rise and fly.

Notes: - The bliss of realisation is incomparable, unspeakable, and unthinkable. When
one sees his own self and the inner self, Sivam, with the eye of Grace, and is inseparable, for
experience is beyond words, and there is nothing else for comparison. Thought, word and deed
are within the sphere of Maya (cosmic matter) and this experience is far, far beyond it. If one
is then asked to state his experience, he can only say it was like the experience of the sanctified
souls; let one be and become That.
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THE LORDS MANY ASPECTS.
5.
G
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He that One (in you) and the many (out of you)
Became the Master too Rise and fly
Even us enslaved Rise and fly.

Notes: - The enlightened soul only can see the Lord in truth and in spirit. He is One as
inseparable from the soul, and many as comprising everything denoted by he, she and it
in the world outside, for to the enlightened, the world is a mirror of God and they see God and
not the mirror. He is the Instructor, Preceptor and Master. The depth of his Love and Grace is
to be seen in the redemption of the poor souls and securing for them the boon of lasting bliss.
THE ABSOLUTE SURRENDER TO THE LORD.
6. @ _ _ lGG
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Our agency given up and selves surrendered
Then the Lords acts and He Rise and fly
Himself He offered Rise and fly.

Notes: - If the soul is enlightened enough to be a dispassionate witness and not the doer
or agent, it is said to discern its true nature Atmadarsana. This is hard indeed to attain, for so
subtle is the working of Anava that the notion of agency. Kartritvam sticks to the last and it is
the inner spring of all evil. After knowing the Atma, the knower, as distinct from Anava, as it
is from God, the Instructor, one attains the (darsana) discernment in ceasing to act on his
initiative. The next stage is the complete surrender of self, so that neither individuality nor
objective knowledge, leaves its trace behind, but there is the indistinguishable, inseparable
union with Sivam. Now in the place of the Atma, the Lord himself shines and acts. In return
for the surrender of self, He, who all the while eluded grasp, offers himself, i.e., the soul is in
the realisation of Siva Bhoga (u).
THE UNION WITHT THE LORD BY LOVE.
7. u @@ 0
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Should the heart melt, they become unified (in Him)
Else, for search, He is rare Rise and fly
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(They) the rich in the Highest Wisdom Rise and fly.

Notes: - The soul by dwelling on the Panchakshara and its underlying meaning as
instructed by the Holy Master and on His Boundless Grace which has been ever with it,
uplifting and redeeming it, from the bondage of evil, is mad with Divine Love, melts like wax
and overflows, and the soul-nature gives place to Siva-nature which springs from within and it
is there as Sivam. But to seek for Him with self-consciousness is of no avail. He is even behind
the seeker. They who achieve this Union are in possession of the Higher Riches (of Wisdom).
THE UNION WITH THE LORD BY CONCENTRATION.
8. G
0 Q
l_ G .

Through the Pedestal Regions (Athara) to the Pedestal less (Nirathara) pass
And then to the Highest Abode Rise and fly
That is the abode of the Immaculate Rise and fly.

Notes: - The six Atharas are store-houses of energy, the seat or pedestals of certain gods
or functionaries of the Lord. After meditating on the six deities at the centres concerned, i.e.,
after performing the Adhara-yoga to gain one pointedness, the soul is to see itself, alone,
unattached to the bodily functions Niradhara-yoga. It ceases to act, knowing its peril, and
here is again Atmadarsana with its power of concentration, it flies to the Higher abode, and is
unified in Sivam (Atmasuddhi). Nirmala-Sivam is thus beyond individuality and self-
consciousness. Ninmalam (Gu), Vimalam (lu) is applicable to the Lord alone as
He is beyond Mala, the Eternally Pure, the Eternally Free, the Immaculate. The path of
concentration is very helpful towards the Ultimate realisation. The mind which has been going
forth on all things outside and dwelling on them incessantly, is too weak and dissipated to
turn within and withdraw all its energies from their holds. The secret of spiritual strength lies
in the concentration of the energies of the mind, just as the secret of Port Lights lies in the
focussing of the light. If the Light diffuses its rays on all sides, it ceases to be of use to mariners
at a distance, but, if by a proper arrangement of lenses, the light is shut off on all sides but one
and focussed in one direction, the power is increased many fold and it dispels the darkness for
many miles. The light of the mind is now diffused in all directions, and into pestiferous corners.
All moral laws, religious tenets and Temple worship, Prayers, penances and services, Puja,
J apa and Dhyana, are for the Purification and the concentration of the mind. Beyond these all,
is the sphere of the Soul and beyond that the Highest abode of Sivam. The mind is to be led
from its present surroundings, along gradual steps, from the grossest to the subtlest, until it can
ponder on the nature of the Soul and God and see them both as they are; or rather that the soul
may see itself and God as J nanasvarupa (sentient form), as distinct from the grass, concrete,
J adasvarupa (material form) and lose itself in God-consciousness or Sivajnanam. That being
the end, the goal of all pilgrims on the ladder of Spiritual Evolution, the Sastras prescribe the
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grades by which all must ascend, the weak and the strong, the young and the old, each according
to his or her strength, none shall be left behind, each and every soul to move on as best as it
could, till the goal is reached. Spiritual Evolution is as stubborn a fact as Mental Evolution.
Many children of God, not knowing this grand and rational doctrine of the Siddhanta,
which on this account, can be the only Universal Religion and Philosophy, decry the tenets of
others, who are either in a higher or lower step. It must be said to the credit of the Saiva
Siddhanta that it is the only Religion that recognises all religions, and faiths and creeds as
Gods even Nihilism and Atheism given to man to suit him at each stage of Evolution, until
the goal is reached. The apparent diversity of creeds is nothing but steps in the ladder the one
ladder of Evolution, it goes out of view just as the several hills and dales on the face of the
earth, are lost to view beside the immensity of the globe itself when presented to the eyes.
Would that all come to realise the Truth behind the Sopana Marga (ladder way) of
Siddhanta!
ATHARA YOGA IS NOT THE DIRECT MEANS TO SAYUJYA
(DIVINE BLISS).
9. 00 M 00 0L
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Caused to be, there it is, if not non est
On examination not the Highest Rise and fly
That comes not within conception Rise and fly.

Notes: - The meditation on the deities of the Atharas is accomplished with self-
consciousness and during the meditation only, the deities exist for the meditator, and what can
be achieved by this Yoga at its best is one pointedness of the mind and births in the higher
spheres of existence, according to the success attained realising Saloka, Samipa or Sarupa.
Beyond this is the Higher State of Sayujya, unapproachable with individuality and self-
consciousness. That is Mayathitham, beyond Maya, and as long as self-consciousness lasts,
one cannot leave the prison of Maya, and all Yoga with the nature of I or self is but a lower
stage, although as essential as each rung of the ladder.
That One is beyond the reach of the mind to be realised though and in God-
Consciousness (Sivajnanam).
NIRADHARA-YOGA EXPLAINED.
10. @ @
@ [@
@ G .

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The five (bhutas) to be the five and knower, knower
Unslumbering, discerning be Rise and fly
This is the subtle Truth Rise and fly.

Notes: - Our bodies and worlds have the five bhutas (rudiments) Earth, water, fire, air,
ether for their cause and these are the last evolutes of Maya, the inner and the outer senses
having already evolved. The soul, the sentient, chit, Q, being caught within them, runs
with the mind and after the senses in pursuit of pleasure and identifies itself with the body. One
should carefully discriminate the five from himself, the knower, and dissociate from the body
and the senses. The light he received with the help of the senses, outer, inner and innermost,
now erasing the darkness of Anavamala might again bring about the slumber of Kevala. That
should be guarded against, and the full light of the sanctified soul enjoyed, i.e., the spiritual
nature of Self and Sivam discerned.
Those who do not enquire into the true nature of the soul are slumbering in the lap of
the world, dreaming of the perishable and the evanescent. To discriminate between the
perishable and the imperishable between J ada-Prapancha and Chit-Prapancha, and to hold fast
to the Truth of it, is a great achievement and rouses one from the great Peril of worldliness.
Still, the same slumber will stealthily creep in and overpower the enlightened, unless they are
wary and achieve i.e. unless they are in the presence of the Light of Wisdom. Hence is it
commanded, Sleep not, but Arise and Discern. To know that I am not the world or Flesh
that I am not for the world or for the flesh, but that I am the knower, Spirit Q, whose
Happiness is not in the perishing world of flesh, but in the everlasting sphere of consciousness,
in the Light of Wisdom, is the great awakening of the soul.
To be liberated from the thraldom of the flesh from the modification of the mind, Chitta,
Vritti, and to be watching and witnessing from the closed chambers of the Soul is the great
Liberation of the Soul. To dwell on the nature of the soul and God, on His Grace and Bliss
incessantly and to lose oneself in such Wisdom is the. This is the way and the secret the
quintessence of the Vedas and the Agamas. Great Communion
By whatever path one hopes to reach the goal, the dissociation from the body and its
pleasures is indispensable and the conclusion of all the Sastras is to this effect; it is the
established truth, and the accepted doctrine.
The inner senses are, Manas (mind), Buddhi (Intellect) Chitta (mind stuff), Ahankara
(individuator).
The innermost senses are Kalai (energy-valve) Viddhai (consciousness-valve), Ragam
(will-valve).



TIRUVUNTIYAR

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REALISATION IMPOSSIBLE WITH SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS.
11. G[ _
_ @G
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Affecting (all) and (yet) unaffected stands the one, the Most High,
Looked for, fades (into nothing) Rise and fly
Look (subjectively) without looking for (objectively) Rise and fly.

Notes: - As long as the notion of subject and object lasts, the realisation of Oneness
with him is an impossibility: _u the notion of I as the subject the self-consciousness
will always suggest the object and God cannot become the object, and what is presented then
as object is Maya in some shape or form. Sivam is to be realised in His own abode which is
beyond the sphere of J nathuru, J nana, J neyam, Knower, knowledge and the known.
THE GREATNESS OF THE MASTER.
12. @ l@ @_ lL[
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Who leads to the court yard, the dwellers in the corners
Very Great One is He Rise and fly
To the godly, the Chief Rise and fly.

Notes: - The soul owing to its close attachment to the senses and sense-perceptions to
the detriment of its power, as their master ruler, is said to dwell in the corners instead of in the
free air of its throne. Besides, while it functions in the body, in five states Pancha Avasta, it
descends from its seat in the forehead to lower seats (atharas); the going from the corner of one
Athara to another has become its second nature and marks its bondage. It is not to be understood
that the soul has dimensions and ascends and descend by the working of a pulley or wire shoot.
The soul being Chit sentient has no dimensions or form, it is omnipresent lu in
the body and out of it. The centre or athara where its powers are most manifested owing to
faculties originating from there, is said to be its seat in that state or Avasta. The soul which has
been in the darkness of Anava, unable to know, will or do, exercises its powers through the
faculties given to it more or less according to their number. The master illumines the soul to its
extent in order that it may enjoy the freedom in the court-yard of Chitakas the space of bliss
and knowledge. The one who shows the way and liberates the soul from its corners is great
indeed the Saviour of the soul from the whirl of Samsara. The Guru completely changes the
ways of the soul, its likes and dislikes, and cuts asunder the fetters, cleanses it, anoints it, and
enthrones it in the free and the flagrant atmosphere of Chitakas or J nanakasa. His greatness can
be understood only when the extent of the misery and the woes of Bondage which he removed
by his gracious Touch, is realised.
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THE ABODE OF SIVAM ATTAINABLE.
13. L_ G Q[Q @L
L_ @ @
_ G .

The wisdom which having ceased to run (out) abides, being filled with Pathi,
Ceases to search, there is Sivam Rise and fly
That is not place to be searched for Rise and fly.

Notes: - The moment the soul dissociates itself from its erstwhile companions, the
senses, inner and outer, and knows its pure nature, it is filled with the effulgence of the Lord
and loses its self-consciousness-individuality, and what reigns instead is the God-conscious
Unity. He cannot be brought within the objective perception. The Being of Siva (Svarupam) is
to be seen thus, and the advanced soul which had achieved Atma Suddhi the cessation of
individuality is thus led to experience Siva Darsanam the sight of Siva. Siva Darsanam is
an achievement of the soul, (The 8
th
among the 10 achievements Dasakarya), beyond
description. In this state of J nana, the soul is bereft of the notions of I and mine, is full of
the Grace of the Master to whom it has surrendered in toto, sees but His Grace in the diversity
of the world around, experiences naught but His Grace in all the divers forms of He, She
and It, acts not, but is led by His Grace in the ecstasy of God-consciousness, shuts out
everything but the one experience, dissociating itself from the wily senses of triple form
outer, inner, inmost, falls not into the Sleep of Bondage, nor into the snares of the Enlightened
Ego, (Aham Brahma J nanam), but reflects the Splendour and the Light of the Lord, its Master,
and Preceptor and is in the enjoyment of the everlasting Bliss. The text will clearly show the
different stages of this experience, if one carefully contemplates on the first line.
L_ + _ + G + [Q + @L + L_ + _ + u + u.
THE LIGHT OF SIVAM.
14. l u| @Ll
G
QG MG .

The sleeping Dame pinch and wake
Be one with the heritage Rise and fly
You, it absorbs Rise and fly.

Notes: - The sleeping Dame is the J nanasakti of the Lord which has been ever with you
and near you, but unknown to you, with this only mission of saving and blessing you. Not that
she is sleeping, the ever vigilant Mother, but that Her influence is latent in your consciousness,
and therefore, open the way for the flow with the help of the Master; you are one with the Light,
and the Lord absorbs you into Himself. The sleeping Dame is the grand old Lady, who bears
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in her womb all the myriads of worlds and souls; the Mother of all, the J nanasakti of the Lord
mentioned in the Sastras is @@u or Parasakti and enshrined in the temples as Parvati,
Uma, Sivakami. She is the source of all Power and Light, the Guide and the Saviour; sanctified
souls can only realise the sweetness of her Grace and once they achieve Siva Darsanam, they
see the secrets of the Mother and are unified in Her Tiruvarul. They know the folly of the souls
who dream of their own power, love, and knowledge, when really there is naught but the Power,
Light and Love of Tiruvarul; they know that none acts but Her command and that all the Good
and the Evil, pain and pleasure, are wrought by her Hand; they consequently see and hear and
touch and taste Tiruvarul and or in deep communion with Her. This is known as Siva-Yoga,
the Union and communion with Siva, otherwise known as J nana-Yoga.
THE UNITY.
15. _ L[ _L _L
_ LG
l G .

(Sense) attachment-sundering tie, should you lay hold of
That tie He sunders Rise and fly
Within imaging, He comes not Rise and fly.

Notes: - To establish a complete unity of consciousness and the bliss of Siva-
anubhavam, the soul arrives at the last stage, the tenth. It has cut asunder the attachment of the
body, senses, Antahkaranas, and Prana by its union with the great Tiruvarul, it has been in
constant communion with Tiruvarul, it has resigned all acts of Tiruvarul, it has been with the
full blaze of Sivajnanam, but there may be the last vestige of Anava, very slight, indeed, but
rendering Perfect Bliss impossible, which asserts duality that I am in Siva-yoga, I am in
Tiruvarul etc., this is tie in itself, a defect and a bondage this is removed by Soham Bhavana
That am I by dwelling with the out-pourings of Love on the true nature of the Lord as
Master and Benefactor, the all powerful Existence, beside which all else is as naught, and fully
realising the Advaita-Anubhavam, non-dual experience of Bliss as denoted in the
Panchakshara. Then there is oneness. That has merged the soul into its Being; there is Siva
Bhogam, the Lord Himself acting through the soul, Karanas and body. This is the way to be
and to Become Him, the summum bonum, the Final Liberator, Mukti, and the enjoyment of
Sayujya. There is no other way to realise Him, to attempt it with the aid of the mind and the
other inner faculties, to conceive of it and meditate is fruitless. He cannot come within the
imaging of the faculties. He is behind them all and behind the soul. How can the tongs take
hold of the fingers which hold it; How can the eyes see the soul which is vivifies them and at
whose command they see? That which is behind everything, behind mind and soul cannot be
brought within the lenses of the mind and portrayed.
Soham Bhavana or Sivoham-Bhavana has mislead many a soul into the pit-falls of
Anava. The Maha Vakyas have been mistaken and abused and several treatises and discourses
have been published upholding the pernicious doctrines of Ekatmavada and Mayavada. In fact,
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the literature of this so called Vedanta is becoming enormous and many a deluded soul fails to
distinguish between the Aham Brahma J nana and the Tiruvarul J nana. Aham Brahma J nana
when taken hold of at the wrong end is delusion caught at the right end is illumination: Those
who take hold of it at the wrong end require no further instruction than the phrase they have
unwittingly added to the Tamil language they would have themselves used it often G
ululG. Does this mean that he is in Brahmajnana? In Niratisaya Ananda?
They know the answer to be that he is in Anava, in Ahankara. After all the toil of climbing up
the hill, one careless step has brought them into the pit fall of Anava, which they have been
labouring to cross over. Until they wake up from the delusion, it would be as well to meditate
on the stigma on their Sadhana suggested by the expression ulu lG (He is
caught by Aham Brahmam).
Now where does the error come in, let us try to examine Aham Brahmasmi, I am
Brahman. Tatvamasi, That Thou art, are two of the Mahavakyas often harped upon. The
second is the instruction received by the qualified disciple from the Guru for meditation or
Bhavana. The disciple meditates on the first I am Brahman. In this formula, one can see the
identity of two things established, I and Brahman; there must be two distinct conceptions before
one establishes the unity. The disciple cannot realise the unity in his Bhavana unless one or the
other is negotiated, namely that the conception of I is not, or that the conception of Brahman
is not. In the former case while I is negatived Brahman is asserted and in the latter, while
Brahman is negatived. I is asserted: these are the two ends of Aham Brahma J nana. Which
is the right end is the question? The soul which has been all the time under the influence of I
Aham willing, thinking, feeling and acting as I separating itself from the rest with the
notions of You He, She and It, will it be free from the taint of Ahankara, however slight
it may be at this stage when it asserts the I and negatives Brahman in the conception of the
formula. Calm thinking will convince any one that to be free from the taint of Aham one must
negative Aham and assert Brahman, with all force, meditate on the same Vakya Aham
Brahman Asmi, with this intent and force, the result is that the conception of I disappears
altogether, and you are in the realisation of oneness with Brahman, you are merged in His
Being. Those who meditate with the negation of I and the assertion of Brahman know the
play of the Tiruvarul, the J nanasakti of the Lord. They are thus in Tiruvarul J nanam, seeing
and acting with Arul, being as Arul, naught but Arul fills their soul, and everything out of them.
They see in all forms the Arul, the saving Power of the Lord, Mu
0@@l[Q. MG@u@u. they sing day to day.
This is the refreshing and cool atmosphere off J nana, to the weary Soul tired of births and
samsara, a Rest and a Repose with Bliss and Joy unspeakable. Is there a mind so untutored as
to think that all the evils brought about by the assertion of Aham will cease when the same
Aham is asserted on a higher plane? It is the same thing as to assert that a haughty chief will
become humble when he is crowned Emperor of all Lands and Seas or that one drunk in beer
will get over it when he is plunged into a barrel of whisky; on the other hand, the other Sadhana
of the negation of the I is a check on the natural tendency of the soul to assert itself. Stop that
once for all, knowing the peril, dwell on the third person He, to forget the first person I.
TIRUVUNTIYAR

12

He is everything, he is all in all, all else is as naught beside it. St. Tayumanavar very aptly puts
it in one of his verses: -
0 0 L@
0u u _G 0
u _[ 0 G
@.

Will it not set these deluded souls a thinking: To add to the inconsistency of their
position, they begin their treatises with u, @_uu, invoke Ganesa for aid
(LQ), they speak of Arul, deck themselves with Rudraksha and wear sacred ashes: Arul for
whom? For Brahman? They would speak of the reality of the souls and the world in the
Vyavakarika and deny it in the Paramartika. They would not stop to think that absence of a
thing from their conception does not prove the non-existence of the thing. When this is being
written, the writer knows not that there are clothes on the body, that he is in a particular room,
towards this direction, seated in this or that fashion; would it prove the absolute negation of all
that: It was not in his conception. In the same way to the J nani, the world is not, soul is not: all
that he knows and experiences is Brahman. Brahman alone exists for him. Instead of
endeavouring to understand this, they attempt the impossible by talking of Ekatmavada and
running wild into Mayavada that there is only one Atman, what appears to be many is only
illusion due to the power of Maya, just as myriads of suns appear in water when there is in
reality only one. Should we press the point further? Can mind be so weak as to take in all their
postulates without seeing the absurdity of the logical conclusions one is led to.
This is not the place to discuss this point further. Any impartial mind can see the
advisability and the absolute necessity of the negation of the I is to be out of the influence of
I-hood. Negation not of the thing itself, but as naught before the source of all Power and
Grace both in Viyavakarika and Paramartika, and it is helpful here and hereafter. The Polar star
is naught, however bright it may be in the full blaze of the sun. It is quite logical from any stand
point of view. From their point of view it is negation with a vengeance, - the negation of the
apparent self, negation of the plurality of selves, negation of sorrow, negation of diversity,
negation of form: they are all one! They appear to be many! I am That, The Sat Chit Ananda,
I am not in bondage. When there is no bondage, there is no liberation why all the Sadhanas
and Dhyanas? If they are to liberate us from the delusion that we are in sorrow etc., this delusion
is a reality. We, who are the Ever-free are in bondage then!
There is no guarantee that we shall not fall into the same delusion again after once
liberating ourselves, for, the Ever Free has been once under the power of Maya. Why not leave
things to go on as they are, without wasting time and labour in working out our liberation, if it
is only to be in bondage again. Throw the moth a hundred times away from the lamp, it will
return again. Any sensible man will not engage himself in this useless work. Those and other
questions do not suggest themselves to these Aham Brahma J nanis.
TIRUVUNTIYAR

13

Do people understand the subtle force of Anava? Its greatest power over advanced souls
is seen in the domination of the Ekatmavada and Aham Brahma J nana in them. It will not leave
till the last, it follows ones steps as does his shade. Lights all round will cause it to disappear
as it does the shade, and when light diminishes on one side, the shade is thrown out again.
Therefore one would do well to put himself in the centre of all light, Brahman or Sivam and
cover himself with His Rays, losing his individuality in the Being of the Brahman or Sivam.\
Instead of adopting the risky method of Aham-Brahma Sadhana in which there is the
natural tendency to assert the I and the laborious expansion of the little self to the full Being
of the Great Self, one is instructed in Brahma-Aham Sadhana or Soham or Sivoham Bhavana,
where the merging of ones self in the Great Self is easily effected by the absolute resignation
of ones Ichcha, Kriya and J nana functions, and by the great surrender of Atmasuddhi. The
last trace of Anava (separation) which is to be seen, while in Tiruvarul J nana in the feeling I
am in Tiruvarul is also removed by this Soham Bhavana.
This is well illustrated in the Panchakshara meditation. The whole universe of matter
and spirit, man and beast, God and soul is compressed in the Five mystic letters for meditation
and there are various stages, and formulas according to the spiritual advance of the aspirant to
Sayujya. There is the Sthula Panchakshara on the one side, and the forces of J nana on the other,
but the former being presented prominently in front as the aspirant is still casting his eyes on
the world of Samsara. One step higher, the aspirant is yearning for J nana, has turned his eyes
Godward, although the forces of the world are pulling him from behind: this is aptly
represented in the Sukshma Panchakshara God and the forces of J nana in front, the world and
the forces of Samsara behind, and the soul in the middle turned Godward, a step further what
was behind naturally gets out of the conception of the aspirant, on the same principle as the
proverb out of sight, out of mind, then you have the Karana Panchakshara, the soul between
God and the forces of J nana in front and behind, or say all round on all sides, God and
Tiruvarul and he in the centre. This is also called @lu, as in this
Panchakshara, soul si represented as between two heads representing God and Tiruvarul. The
next step is merging into Tiruvarul, so that only two letters are present to view Mahakarana.
This is where we are in the present verse in Tiruvarul J nana. We are one with the mother
J nanasakti: The last is merging of the two letters into one, the God letter, the Siva letter the
summum bonum is reached. The truths connected with the Panchakshara are to be learnt by
qualified aspirants from qualified masters who will come to them in the twinkling of the eye,
and as sure as day follows night, if only they are sincere and yearn for Liberation. The lord, the
Great Preceptor has his agents ready to redeem souls step by step by sending them in the
fullness of time. When the bud blossoms, fragrance comes to it, it will never fail. St.
Pattinattadigal willing to instruct qualified souls without breaking the restrictions of the Sastras,
speaks of the Truth of Panchakshara in a verse in covered terms and that is our sanction for
treating it here. Would that more liberty was given us by the Sastras and the masters to reveal
to all in print the excellence and the secrets of the Panchakshara Meditation as far as understood
by us however little it may be.

TIRUVUNTIYAR

14

L u
lLLk | QLL_ @
G GlG LlG
L G _ u.

St. Manikkavachakar sings to the same effect, but the commentaries so far available
have not brought out the inner meaning of these verses. It is worth pondering:
gG _l@@ @_Q l@
_Q|@ @@L G
[ _l|@@ @LQ[ Guu
@@ G@ @uM @G|G.

@G|GM @G @0Q_L
lG|G0 GG l_LG u
G|G@| G G l[
@G|G G Gu .

DISPASSION OR NON-ATTACHMENT OF THE SIVAYOGI.
16. [G G_
@ |_G
_l .

Unwhirling discerning Yogis, to nothing
Stand attached Rise and fly
Like the bell of (too) short tongue. Rise and fly.

Notes: - To the Siva yogi who is now firmly established in Siva Bhoga, no sense
enjoyment can be alluring enough. The body and the Karanas have been transformed into
vehicles of Sivajnana; until the body lasts, objects presented through Prarabhda Karma will be
experienced through Tiruvaruljnana and will not have the power to attract them or cause
attachment. They may rule as kings, be householders and deck themselves with silk, flower
and rubies, yet, these have no hold on them as they have their hold on the Sivanubhavam of
Unspeakable Bliss. Like the bell, the tongue of which is too short to strike the cup, yet in form
like other bells, the J nanis are like other men among them and yet they are free from attachment
to sense objects. The bell cannot ring, it is dumb; the J nani cannot sin. He is free.
The process of Enlightenment is four-fold, First Hearing (L0) Truths from the
Guru, secondly Pondering (0) over what was heard, thirdly Understanding
(|0) the true import, and fourthly Realising (L) in ones self the Unity of Bliss.
The Enlightened J nani will be in the fourth stage of Communion or Realisation (L). The
TIRUVUNTIYAR

15

lower processes are steps already trod by the J nani, who now has no ignorance to be removed
by L0, no opposing influences to be counteracted by 0 and no doubts, to be
cleared by |0. The passing beyond these three stages is difficult indeed. But how many
souls, have not yet entered the threshold of this path (L0) being drawn away by the wiles
of the world! Comparing the worldly tendencies of the many with the godly tendencies of the
few aspirants, one can safely say that the J nani who has passed into the fourth stage is the Great
Victor. He will no more have to fight the old battles.
The unenlightened soul cannot know except in union with the faculties of the body. The
faculties are three-fold, the outer, Qu, the senses, the inner - u, - manas
etc., and the inmost u u Kalai etc. See notes on Verse 10. And according as
it joins one or other, or all of these groups of faculties, the soul is said to be in certain avastas
state or condition of knowledge. When the soul is dissociated from the karanas it will be in
the darkness of Kevala; while it is associated with them, it will be in the lamp light of Sakala.
While it is dissociated again after Enlightenment, it is in the Sun-shine of Ninmala. While in
Sakala state, the soul has its waking (J agrat), dreaming (swapna), sleeping (sushupti), fourth
(Turiya) and beyond the fourth (Turiyatita) states.
The Enlightened soul, the J nani, will not fall back into these avastas, as he will ever be
in the Ninmala Turiyatitam that is why we find in the text they are referred to as
[G u. They will neither whirl again through the Processes of
Enlightenment nor toil through the various states of knowledge, they have reached the zenith
of Enlightenment, no more bondage or attachment @ 0@G.
THE SIGNS ON THE WAY.
17. @u G
@ @ulG
[ 0G .

In the wake of the resonance of the ankles, press forward.
And the Dancer adore Rise and fly
Directly there standing Rise and fly.

Notes: - Those who, by the Grace of the Lord, have succeeded in subduing the turbulent
senses, are free from the tumult and the row of the passions. There will be a calm and quietness
which is in itself a relief and pleasure. If in this calm, the soul trained in dhyana and dharana
(meditation and concentration) pauses and listens, it will hear the Nadha and Vindhu of the
Lord (the primal vibrations in the Suddha Maya region) which have been ever sounding their
sweet music on the deaf ears of the soul. The soul was deaf to their music, because, it was in
the midst of the noisy senses; just as children fully engaged in their plays in the court-yard are
deaf to the sweet call of the parents from inside the house; these children of God fully occupied
in the plays of the senses heard not the inviting music of the Great Father. Once the play is
TIRUVUNTIYAR

16

over, they rise and go, direct into the house in the wake of the music which proceeds from the
inner apartments where their parents are. Once in, they are in the embraces of their Mother,
who presents them to the watchful eyes of the Father. The dear ones seated on the lap of the
father, look up to him with hopes to receive his favour and bounty, his caresses and kisses,
entirely resigning themselves to the sweet will of the Father, and forgetting their actions and
activities in which they were erstwhile engaged.
In this attitude of the child is the salvation of souls. It is the great surrender, the atma-
suddhi. To realise the eternal Dancer, Natarajah, as the source of all power and action, the
spring of life and joys, the controller of all worlds and regions, the director and the dispenser
of souls, mundane and celestial, is the way of peace; to adore him, as such, is to keep oneself
constantly in his presence; and to enjoy experience of the highest Bliss. Paramanandham, even
so, as the child on the lap of the Father, enjoys the sight and the bounty of its Graceful parent.
This experience is disturbed, should the child cease to look up to him, and cast its looks
on the play ground and its playmates. Delusion and mis-conception are two of the deadliest
diseases of the soul, hard to cure and frequently relapsing. To subdue them and keep them away
one should unswervingly strait away, fix his whole attention and heart on the doctor of all
diseases, Vaidya Nathan. As the effect of the delusion and mis-conception Mayakka Vihalpam,
the soul will be driven to prize that which is unworthy, perishable and deceitful, as
praiseworthy, permanent and charming. One requires a strong will power, proper guidance and
right understanding to rise above the bewildering and enchanting advances of the power of
Maya. That is why the soul is enjoined not to fall back into the old grooves of sense-enjoyment,
but to go directly to the fact of wisdom, with all mind and heart, and straight away, without
distractions and delusions, doubt and delay.
Adepts in yoga declare that while seated in firm concentration, as the result of constant
efforts is raising the latent powers of Kundalini and forcing it through the centres of energy in
the Sushumna canal the music of Natha and Vindhu is quite perceptible, and that it is the fore-
runner of the subsequent calm quietude in the region of the sakti. There too, they see a light
effulgent and beaming, as if it were artificially lighted with myriads of moons. These stages of
yoga are not to be talked about or preached. They have to be attained by diligent application.
Above this music and light is the seat of the eternal Dancer, which is to be seen through
Samadhi.
@l 0|@L
@l 0@L
@l L@L
@l @MM

Yoga is a training to the physical and mental vestiges of the soul enabling them to
prepare the way to the direct vision of the dancer. In fact, all training is a form of yoga whether
in the nursery or in the academy. The higher stages for the control and the purification of
oneself, are not taught in colleges or universities. They are to be learnt at the feet of masters
TIRUVUNTIYAR

17

who have seen and can show the hold of samadhi, the Ashtanga yoga (the eight steps of
unification) should be practised by the soul before it can attain the final Bliss.
The music in temples, the surrounding of the conch, and the gong, the ringing of the
bell are but the outward emblems of the inner Nadha, which is to be heard, while in the worship
of the inner Svamin.
THE KEY OF DELIVERANCE
18. @g @gu@G
@
l0@uG .

Delusion and (mis) understanding will die away
His Grace (you) forget not. Rise and fly
Thats the secret here Rise and fly.

Notes: - The knowledge of and attachment to the things of the world, commonly
referred to as (u) Pasajnanam is one of the and perhaps the first of hindrances to the
realisation of Sivajnanam. The pleasures of Maya present themselves in regular array and keep
the soul captive within their walls and the soul naturally untutored as it is thinks that the highest
ambition of life is the enjoyments it has been wont to seek. It loses itself so much in the pursuits
of this pleasure, that it knows nothing but the dazzle of the bewitching world, father, mother,
wife and child, brothers and sisters, relations and friends, power and glory, kingdom and crown,
these are too great to die from its memory: the long ties of kinship and friendship, with the
powers of maya are too strong to break off from its hold. But the truth of it all is known to the
truth-seekers who ask the less advanced in plain, unequivocal words _Q
MG [, lG[ O ye, shameless creatures, what have you profited by
the false show of life! To prize the fleeting pleasures of the world, and to hanker after them is
indeed the great delusion of souls. It is the Mayakkam (u) Marul (@u).
While in this delusion, the soul does get glimpses of itself, in the light of which it
distinguishes the perishing from the everlasting. This is certainly knowledge or understanding
as opposed to ignorance and delusion. But this understanding leads one into the belief that he,
the knower is a self-sufficient entity existing as if by its own powers; in short, that he is the
centre and pivot of all things around. This sort of understanding is referred to as
(@ul0u) Therul vikalpam and is really mis-understanding, in view of the correct
understanding of the truths. Neither marul nor therul will lead one to the blissful goal. This
hindrance of Pasu J nanam is as equally harmful as that of Pasa J nanam. These two must
disappear without the least trace of their existence before one can be said to be in the complete
realisation of the bliss of Pati J nanam or Arul J nanam. But the two are formidable enemies of
right understanding, a most invincible and over-powering; very few can withstand their
weapons of attach. It is a case of cannon to the right of them, cannon to the left of them, cannon
in front of them and what is more, these enemies lurk within in the inner chambers of the heart
TIRUVUNTIYAR

18

and mind and the rendezvous of the soul. Their subtlety and treachery are such that one more
often surrenders after winning many a battle which is disconcerting and painful. The victory is
soon won if one is in possession of the key of deliverance, which is true J nanam.
One can defy the powers of maya by throwing over them the veil or Arul. They come
in the forms of women, wine and wealth, position, pomp and power; by distinguishing the
perishable from the imperishable, the evanescent from the everlasting, by the light of wisdom,
and by firm resolution to be attached to the imperishable and the everlasting one, weans himself
from old habits. Add to this that in all beings the Lord is immanent, as he, she and it, see him
in all things presented to your view as he, she and it, as there is no power besides His Sakti,
Arul, see all things with this conviction as Arulsvarupa forms of his Grace. Every object
presented to you will then be naught but Arul, forms for worship and reverence. God whom
you saw in the temple as spirit ever present there, is seen within you, is also seen without you
and by a further step in Bhavana is seen as you and you realize I am that Aham Brahmah
asmi that full and lasting Bliss Paripurana paramanandham the consummation of
Bhavana. Descend not from this experience to the lower stages of Bhavana and let in forces of
maya; The higher you ascend in Bhavana, the lesser the forces of Maya; reach the highest stage
of Sivoham Bhavana, the forces of maya cannot reach you, you are blissful but the tendency in
the clutches of maya. As a preventive against this tendency to descend down, hold fast to the
vision of Arul and be firmly seated in the experience of Sivoham, that is, ever be in the light of
Brahmajnana - @u . That is the way and the secret the goal is reached and you
are that Tat tvam asi.
This is the fruit of Bhavana. These maxims Mahavakyas should not be mistaken to
be postulates against the existence of the Tripadhartha, the three entities. They are ever existing,
and you be lost in that through the way of Bhavana, they do not exist for you in your vision
except as that.
THE QUICKNESS OF SIVANUBHAVAM GOD REALIZATION.
19. @G@G @L
@G uG
QG[G .

Ere you think, He flows, ego-melting
The Unique dames lord, rise and fly
A rarity for thought, rise and fly.

Notes: - The one, who has trained himself to see the forms of grace all around,
Arulmayam need not labour long at Sivoham Bhavana. The moment he wishes to see and
realize Sivam through this eye of Grace Tiruvaruljnanam He, the lord of Arulsakti,
overflows and engulfs the last vestige of self-consciousness which melts and dissolves instantly
in his expanse of wisdom, as he has been near ever heating the hardened soul through the rays
of Grace. Henceforth what is there except the Being, the Will and the Act of the Lord. Thus do
you see the Lord and be with him in the great experience of Siva-Bhoga-unalloyed, everlasting,
TIRUVUNTIYAR

19

serene and blissful existence. You cannot know him through the senses and the mind; nor can
you see as long as you are within the folds of I hood however light.
Through the contemplation of the forms of the Deity, one attains that stage in which he
assumes I am that it is a bhavana assumption that, Aham I am, Siva Sivam, Siva-
Aham-bhavana Sivoham bhavana. The assumption of the unity of self with the one unchanging
existence sat.
THE NECESSITY FOR CONSTANT REALIZATION.
20. Q0lG|@
llllG
llG .

Within the space of Bliss, devoid of night and day
Mix and permeate, Rise and fly
Fast and Fast Rise and fly.

Notes: - The night and day are the night of Kevala and the day of sakala. The soul in
conjunction with Anava is under the veil of darkness darkness of Ignorance, absolute
ignorance. It cannot know the surroundings nor can it perceive itself as an existing entity it
is in a state of unconscious aloneness. This kevala state is the night of the soul, in which it is
utterly without the powers of knowing or willing or acting, like the toper in his slumber,
stupefied by liquor, unable to know his state or whereabouts. This kevala state is not the
assumption of Theology but a fact to be inferred and experienced. We see, we hear, we touch,
we smell, we taste, we think, we infer, we conclude, we remember, we reflect; we are tired of
these exercises we are at ease, thoughts loosen themselves from us, there is a blank, slumber
creeps in, we cease to will or know, we know not that we are, we rise again, and know that we
did not know anything in that sleep over night, we need not labour long to convince those who
accept the existence of a soul within, that in these various experiences the soul functions with
some or all of the senses outer and inner; now with the sense of sight again, with the sense of
hearing and so on, now with the mind (manas) and again with the intellect (Buddhi &c., now
with the thoughtless sphere of chitta, and again beyond the folds of the mental plane. Thus
recedes the Atma from the outer and to the inner, and as it ceases to be active in the mental
plane, it is in the darkness of slumber, just as the lord of the house is seated in the blazing light
of the veranda and the drawing room and finally in the darkness or dim light of the bed-room.
Thus the Atma knows when it is in conjunction with the instruments of knowledge and when
it recedes, it is in the darkness of ignorance. This ignorance cannot be its essential quality or
lakshana, for then, it can NEVER KNOW, but it knows it IS ABLE TO KNOW, therefore it is
in conjunction with something which enshrouds its conscious quality. That something is called
Anava. It may be argued that if Atmas consciousness is enshrouded it should not know
anything during the recession from the mental plane nor can it know anything about it
afterwards. It is correct. The fact that it does know afterwards about the experience of deep
sleep and its ignorance of things, shows that there must be other subtler faculties round the soul
TIRUVUNTIYAR

20

and that it is not absolutely alone with Anava. The souls J nana, Ichcha and Kriya saktis are
not absolutely under veil is evident from this experience; therefore it is postulated that the soul
is with the subtler faculties which, to some extent, keep the dormant saktis of the soul awake.
These faculties are termed Kalai (Kriya) Viddhai (J nana) and Raga (will). These with Kala
(time) and Niyati (Dispenser) form the five coats of the soul which in that state is called the
five-coated or Panchakanchukan or Purushan, inclined towards the pursuit of pleasure through
the outgoing energies. It is why the purusha knows that he slept well and knows that it did not
know anything in that state. As the soul recedes inward from the various faculties, darkness
overtakes it and it is not difficult to infer the absolute darkness in which the soul will find itself,
should it recede from the five tatvas above mentioned, the Panchakanchukans which are
faculties or instruments of inner-most Karanas shaped out of maya. This darkness is the
veritable night of the soul the causal state of bondage the unconscious aloneness Kevala
avasta, the original condition of the bound soul, Pasu, before each cycle of projection, shrishti.
The misery of this kevala-avasta can be imagined by comparison to the condition of the eyes
in utter darkness, the next condition as Purusha is like the eyes wide open, in utter darkness,
and helped with a candle light; the former is the night and the latter the dawn or day of the soul.
As kalai etc., are coated over the soul, the latter is called s-a-kala (with kalai) state. In kevala-
avasta the soul is lost in ignorance or darkness of Anava. In sakala-avasta the soul has but
limited knowledge very meagre indeed in comparison to what it can attain if not for its
imperfection. Both the states are mala-Avastas in which the soul is under the sway of Anava in
a more or less degree and mark the whirl of samsara, the rotation of the night and day of the
soul. There is still a higher state of Purity, a state of freedom and Bliss where the mala is absent,
hence called ninmala-avasta or suddha-avasta.
A clear grasp of the group of ninmala-avastas, which are said to be the effects of
suddha-avasta is essential for all aspirants after Freedom and Bliss for here is the culture of the
spirit or spiritual enlightenment five mile-stones in the Path.
Many are the causes of sorrow. We are attached to wealth, woman and wine, friends
and relations and a host of other things. A merchant gets news of his ship sinking. He cries I
am lost. I am done up; the house is on fire, then again rises the cry I am lost, I am done up;
wife dies, I am lost I am gone; the son is no more, a friend is drowned, a pet horse is
injured, still the same cry of woe. To come still nearer, my silk gown is stolen, gold watch
is lost. Poor me I am done up, I am getting lean, I am getting old, my hair turns grey,
my teeth are shaky, I cannot now digest a rich meal, my sight is dim and so on. I am sick
I am dying dying, oh my wife and child, my estates and lands and a thousand and more
attachments.
Have the cries of millions ever stopped the course of events? Can sorrow cease by many
more adding to the cries and wails? If the merchant is sensible be ought to know that his ship
is ever under the mercy of the sea and the wind. If it escapes from these risks only, it is his so
to say, then why wail over it, when it sinks, there was the risk and the ship succumbed. My
wife dies I ought to know that she is mortal as anybody else; the same will happen to me; when
a mortal dies, why wail over him or her, the time was up; each man, woman or child, beast or
bird must have the end sooner or later. J ust as the clock chimes the hours, quarters and halves,
TIRUVUNTIYAR

21

so time (u) and the great Dispenser () regulate all things. While on the beach, we
laugh with the children when the bubbles rise, we laugh with them too when the bubbles burst.
But we come home and sigh when similar bubbles burst. We know not that we are midst of
bubbles, ourselves, bubbles, only of a harder texture than those on the waters. This awakening
must come to all some day, the discrimination between the perishing products of maya and the
imperishable soul, Atma. One must know that the soul is not to be tied down to ones own
possessions or body (which are jada) and that it undergoes experience with the aid of the
instruments of knowledge given it by the Grace of God, that pleasure and sorrow is not in the
things themselves but in the attitude of ones mind, that freedom from sorrow is to be gained
by right understanding and detachment of the soul from its old grooves of ignorance and
passions; that all instruments of the soul are for the service of God; and that the soul is the
master and not the slave of the senses, outer and inner. This right understanding is the first step
in the spiritual path. It is termed Ninmala J agrat the Spiritual awakening.
Between this awakening and the actual realisation is ones experience of his
separateness from the products of maya, there is the unsettled state of running into the old
grooves once and withdrawing again, a state of slumber and awakening of the understanding
hence called dream state of J nana ninmala swapna, now with understanding and again with
ignorance, now with light and again with darkness oscillating like the pendulum. But even in
this state there is a distinct advance from the former step, of shutting the door against the objects
of senses and examining the inner apartments of the manas, Bhuddi & c. Now a thought arises,
desires propel it, all the antakaranas give it form and shape and it knocks at the door to pass
out into the plane of the senses; the door is locked, it presses forward on all sides impatient of
its captivity; it knows its usual path of degrees; kicks at the door with all vehemence lo! the
door gives way, and it is at once in the sense plane in old company. But if one is watchful and
holds the reins with understanding, and at the same time keeps the door well bolted, the thought
must die of exhaustion within the closed apartment. This is the great struggle for mastery. To
be or not to be asks each thought as it jumps forward from the garrison of the chitta, the same
struggle goes on, the same warfare, they die or run out according to the more or less the strength
and watchfulness with which the doors are kept closed. The soul must be ever on the alert and
cry enemy abroad, bolt the door but if the soul should act in collusion with the enemy
(forgetting that in this way it gives up its mastery or kingdom) the citadel is lost and the enemy
passes it and out as before. The one who has seen this warfare and fought these battles only
can realise the immensity of the kingdom within and the forces required to guard it from the
lurking enemies who are also within. That man who subjugates his thoughts and desires is
victor indeed, the great conqueror of the forces of maya. This is the next higher step in the Path
called the Ninmala-swapna, the Spiritual watch.
Watching alone will not bring Peace of mind. A child watches from the beach the rising
wave in the sea and clings to the fathers hand in terrible fright and runs up to him as if the
wave will devour it in his absence. The father shows the child a rocket coursing through the
sky and the latter jumps about in joy and anxiously looks for the next. Even so are the children
of larger growth watching the joys and sorrows of the world, whether concerning themselves
or others. They are drawn away by these experiences and are fallen or bent in that direction.
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To them spiritual sight is hard to attain. They can neither understand the true nature of the soul
nor keep vivid in their consciousness the ever present Grace of God. To go further forward they
must withdraw from that attitude and stand firm and unmoved by joys and sorrows like the
grand papa on the lounge watching children at play, with toys. Children get up a wedding party
of toys and invite grand papa too for the feast. He joins them: the next moment it is a funeral
march among them with all the paraphernalia of a military band; the grand papa has to join in
this too. He does, but in all these actions he is dispassionate or unmoved. This frame of mind
should be attained by those aspirants who wish to take leave of the toys of the world, wife and
child, friends and relations, pomp and power, joys and sorrows. And in addition they should
see themselves as chitrupa shining with the light of Grace and stand aloof from all products of
maya. This state is named the Ninmala sushupti. It is really sushupti, dead slumber to the
fascinations of the world outside as an unconcerned witness but wide awake to the Grace of
God and himself as the Ruler within it, can therefore he said to be the Spiritual witnessing.
The curtain is now well drawn against the world and the back turned towards it. The
only two subjects for consideration are himself and the Grace of God, ones inability to act,
will or know without the rays of Grace are clearly seen and therefore ones dependence on the
latter. The evil of self assertion is well brought home and the aspirant sees that in vain has he
been boasting himself as the ruler within but that in reality he is the helpless blind man, led by
the staff of Grace. Drop the staff drops the man. Hence will he feel the power of Grace and
resign himself to it, as his Guide and shelter. No more is he present in his own consciousness
but all is arul, arul and nothing elsewhere is the aspirant now; he has retreated into the bosom
of Grace. And he is said to be in the Ninmala-Thuriya state which had better be called the
Spiritual Retreat.
One step and more and that is the Final. The cow that has been grazing amidst the
dangers of the jungle is now on the guarded farms of her master led by the mistress of the
house. She must be driven home to rest. Then is there Peace and plenty. Grace or Arul as the
background of all creation, mother of all activities, should be understood as involve in the
Existence, Consciousness and Bliss of that which alone persists through all time and change.
All activities cease and there is an expanse of Bliss, undisturbed and unruffled. As one has been
dropping off things of the world on his march onwards, he has been picking up bliss of the
spirit at the same time the farther from the world, the nearer God, the nearer the light, the farther
from darkness, and now the summum bonum is attained and there is only the chitakasa of Bliss,
one vast expanse with nothing else to disturb or limit the consciousness.
The soul is in the great expanse of Sivanubhavam or Sivanandham. This is the
G| referred to in the Text. It is called the Ninmala-Turiyatitam, the Spiritual
beautitude.
This is the imperfect description of the state of Vimala Mauna J nana by a venture some
writer; great adepts will pardon the presumption, as, from one point of view leading one at least
from the nooks of bondage to the free air of the G|, even by an imperfect description
of the path and the destination is more desirable than leaving all to shift for themselves.
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How brief the text Q0 lG| and how expansive is the
significance, the whole teachings of the shastras, are there in a nut shell and also the experiences
of Ions and Ions of time. Can any one fail to note the toil of climbing up and also the danger of
falling down. A moment of weakness will send you down many a mile of weary journey;
therefore the masters who know the pitfalls, say ll, llG Hold fast, be
firm press forward and inward into the Being of the Father (who is your shelter) to be safe
from the attacks of your enemy. Do not hesitate or lose time and opportunity; every moment
lost keeps you in the cold; therefore hasten hasten l lG . Will not
the sanctified, out of love cry aloud to their erring brothern, hasten, hasten, danger all around,
come home to rest.
R. S. SUBRAMANIYAM.