CHAPTER IV

MYSTICISM IN VALLALAR

The ArutperunJothi Ramalinga Adigalar, popularly known as Vallalar, the

Great Munificient, may be regarded as the foremost of the saints and sages of
the nineteenth century, considering the heights, widths, depths and intimacies
of his integral realization of the Divine in all the inmost, inner, outer, and the
outermost parts of his being.

Vallalar was the one who affirmed openly and clearly in an unmistakable
language the deathlessness of his body which he attained by the power of what
he called "Arut Perum Jyoti", the Vast Grace-Light of the Divine in which he
identified as the Truth-Light of Knowledge, Satya Jnana Joti. He reiterated
Deathlessness of body as an essential part of the realization of the One blissful
Divine. A saint whose very soul-stuff was made of infinite love and compassion,
a sage of Truth - consciousness who possessed the divine knowledge and
science of deathlessness of body and attained its deathless transformation
along with the self creative power of creating all substances was considered to
be the greatest philosopher. Thulasiram opines:

The knowledge and attainment of deathlessness of body is

associated with the knowledge and power of self-creating all
substances including the divine elements. The Swami also said

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further that the Divine enlightened him. This indicates that the
Swami had the grace of the Lord to see the material or phenomenal
creation in its true nature, when the veil of ignorance was removed
(11).

Of his, six volumes of "Arutpa", the poems of divine inspiration, the last
volume is unparalleled in spiritual history as it gives expression to his
realization of the vast world of Truth-knowledge and the Beyond, and touches
on subjects like transformation and deathlessness of body. Thulasiram
comments:

The quick transformation which the swami had both in regard to his
inner being and the outer physical body was made possible by the
divine grace which crowned him with a crown of the direct light, that
is to say, the Supramental Light had taken its firm station over his
head relieving him from the necessity of ascending to supermind
and descending therefrom as a process of transformation (14).

Besides, he was a critic, writer, publisher and commentator and had

knowledge in occultism, alchemy, astrology, and medicine particularly in the
nutritional and medical values of herbs and leaves. He was a musician too with
a keen musical taste for lyrical songs and he composed lyrics to express, in an
easier and popular style, his highest and sublime realizations of the Divine,
particularly that of Truth-consciousness (Satya Jnana). Thulasiram opines:

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The Swami reveals the clue to transformation into a golden body of

deathlessness. He says that the Lord of Cit Sabha (the
comprehending Supermind or Truth-Consciousness proper, also
called Suddha Siva Turya) embraced him objectively in his outer
being in the plane or session of the Samarasa Sanmarga Sabha
(the tertiary session of Truth-Consciousness called the state of
Suddha Siva Jagrata) and by this embrace the Lord impressed on
his body a deathless golden form of His Body (19).

Ramalinga Adigalar states that God Almighty is said to be existing in the

whole of Great Universe for eternity. With His Ungracious power, He is to
blossom fully from the soul particle of a man of perfect Divinity. This shows that
He is Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscient. Because of these divine
attributes, the One Supreme Almighty alone is expressing out through any
number of Souls of persons come to live on the earth or earth-like planets in the
boundless universe at the time of full ripe.

The appearance of human persons is countless which is not permanent

but ever changing, disappearing and reappearing continuously. However, the
One Divinity working from the Innermost is the Only Entity living through each
of the souls in all times and places. Therefore, the Eternal God alone is making
His appearance in the form of each person only for time being. In reality, the
form of person is the expression of God and God alone. Therefore, the truth of
man is God Himself in fact. Without knowing his own true divinity, the bodily

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being is considered to be the man himself. By the gracious knowledge of God,

coming to the comprehension of completely space-filled great form is the
universal body of God, and the individual human form is His own body of ever
changing aspect. Only for the Divine realization, God is assuming this human
life spun around His small atomic soul Form. From this soul atom, God is
coming to full experience at the omnigracious development. Thulasiram opines:

The soul is a spark of the Divine which is not seated above the
manifested being, but comes down into the manifestation to support
its evolution in the material world. It is at first an undifferentiated
power of the Divine Consciousness containing all possibilities which
have not yet taken form but to which it is the function of evolution to
give form. This spark is there in all living beings, from the lowest to
the highest (i.e. in the worms, animals and man) (187).

Vallalar says that God and Soul are not two, but the same divinity in the
universal and the individual spiritual atomic forms. This true divine soul
knowledge is not understood by the public untill this day. Therefore, the soul
was interpreted wrongly and differently by many people of different times. Now
by the gracious knowledge of God, one can come to correct understanding of
soul, which is truly the primary Divine Light Atom of God Himself exposed at the
very beginning of the creation of the human embryo.

Hence, Soul is but an atomic form of God, giving out all power of life
knowledge and grace for the final salvation. Because the soul of man is God

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Himself, he should rise up from the sensuous bodily plane to the gracious soul
plane. From there the life of Grace must be begun anew. In the course of time,
the blossomed soul graciously fills up in the whole being of man to make him
eternal and Blissful Divine Being, This end is the real goal of man. That is, the
mans goal is to attain the eternal Blissful Life of God Almighty.

The practical experience of the Divine Goal of eternal Blissful life is

given out by our Ungracious Saint Poet, Thiru Arutprakasa Vallalar. In this life
of Divine Goal, God Almighty Himself is coming out in the eternal form of
(Tamil) Arutprakasam which is in practical experiences of Divine Triple Body of
Gnana, Pranava, and Sudda forms. This triple body of Divinity is spoken of in
the Bible, Father, Son and Holy Ghost. With this highest Divine attainment, the
God-man is working now to lift up the humanity to the final Goal of Blissful life.
Ramalinga Adigalars highest truth is above all the human speculation and
conception and it is, by His Grace only comprehended and realized. No
religious prejudice should be entertained in knowing and getting the universal
truth and its goal, which is common to all.

Ramalinga Adigalar portrayed that the world in which we live has some
unknown force, which is ever acting in and around and makes the living beings
to undergo several changes. Of all the living beings, humankind is considered
to have the best form. The reason is that he is bestowed with a mind, with
which he can perceive the inner and outer things. From this, he is given to
understand that the unknown Force is nothing else than the God-Almighty.

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A universal awareness has now crept in stating that the entire world
should be knit into a single Brotherhood of nations and lives as one family unit.
However, long before the advent of this awakening, Thiru Arutprakasa Vallalar,
a great saint has stressed this and thus dedicated his life and work in preaching
and practising a Universal Religion based on God-centered Beatitude. To attain
this deep, meditation and profound compassion are most essential.

He has composed about 6000 songs and this has been published in the
name of Thiru Arutpa. The theme and inner light of Thiru Arutpa is that the
Almighty, by his own self-will, has expressed in the human body and come to
exist as such.

This Divine compassion led him to write more about this Daeiou and
thereby brought out more than 4000 songs. Until now man by losing his
physical frame, has forfeited the experience of Sathchidaananda. However, by
following the part of this pure Sanmarga, man can become eternal and live
forever in a full-fledged Blissful Divine Life by enjoying all the experience. In
other words, he is destined to live within outward, which has not been gained
by anybody else except Vallalar. This will be a treasure to all those enquiring
feet towards Suddha Sanmarga. Ramakrishna Paramahamsar defines:

An incarnation of God or one born with some of the characteristics

on an Incarnation is called an Eeswarakoti. An ordinary man is
called a jivakoti. By dint of sadhana, a jivakoti can realize God; but
after samadhi, he cannot come back to the plane of relative

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consciousness. The Eeswarakoti is like the kings son. He has the

keys to all the rooms of the seven-story palace; he can limb to all
the seven floors and come down at will. A jivakoti is like is petty
officer. He can enter some of the rooms of the palace; that is his
limit (Qtd. in Vanmikanathan 21).

Understandable Divine mysticism is working from the innermost. The man

of real wisdom rises up to the higher plane of Supreme Grace, wherefrom he
gets by intuition, all the truths of Divine Secrecy. Saint Ramalingam realized the
most mystic Truth of the ins and outs of all. In order to attain the final goal of
Divine Blissful life, the knowledge of man is developing continuously through
innumerable lives. The spiritual soul experience is to be gained up to this earth
through sensuous life lived here. Above the sensuous pleasure and painful
states, dawns the life of Divinity. Omnipresent God Almighty has come out in
the soul particle in the mid-head of man. This soul truth can be practically
experienced only after overcoming all the sensuous and sensual attractions of
material, physical and mental planes. For the higher purpose of raising us to
the top level, all the mystic verses are furnished in this garland. Somasundaram
Pillai opines:

He speaks of the God coming to him, into the poor hut of his soul,
when he was lying tired and sleeping in the night, awakening him to
give food. He speaks, repeately, of how, in the cold and dreary
nights, when all around him was intense darkness, God appeared

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to him and spoke words of consolation. He came and opened the

door of his hut, and gave to him the great gift of the golden mango,
the taste of which transformed the poverty of the soul into the
richness of God. It was this religious experience that he had in the
temple-that was the starting-point of his life as a religious teacher
and as the author of Tiru Arulpa, that is, the Poems of Grace, as his
admirers and people call them (369).

His poem Arut Katchi (Vision of Grace) describes an advaitic experience

which aligned him with Truth and Grace:

I saw a peacock dance

In the skies above!

My friend! The peacock became a cuckoo.

I gave up activities and saw

The Dancing Lord,

O friend!

Having rejected casteist and religious strife

I glimpsed the Glow of Grace,

My friend!

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Destroying illusions I proceeded

And met the Dancing Lord,

O friend! (Qtd. in George 1054).

Unless we live a pure life of Grace from the Soul abode, all the pulls of the
lower planes can never be overcome at all. Almost in all stanzas, one is warned
from falling down into the black hold of hellish life. In each poem, God and soul
are coming to meet one another to get clear all doubts of the Soul. All the
questions and answers are given through the enlightened mind to the humanity
at large. The sweetness of the poems can be tasted well only in Tamil as it is. It
will lose its virgin taste, if it is rendered into other languages. Some learned
persons may try to express the inner meaning of the poetry, but it is doubtful for
putting the reader on the gracious plane. He wishes to let the world be
enlightened to make the whole humanity happy.

The following verse is taken from the Pillai ciru Vinnappam (My
Submission) which is a petition to the Lord explaining how he desires not the
mundane life and prays for divine help to relieve suffering humanity:

My Lord, this boon I desire,

I cannot stand even minor sorrows

That living beings endure in this world.

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Not for a moment can I bear

To see that grief or hear of it.

May your Grace help my aspiration

To bring succour to beings

Struck down by such distress (Qtd. in George 1054).

Vallalar says that Boundless is the universe. This universe is full with some
Omnipotent and Omnipresent Supreme power, which is called God. From time
immemorial, this universe with its countless heavenly bodies existing and going
on eternally. This eternal existence of this great universe is the proof of the
Infinite-Being or God. Because one has been endowed with the Divine
knowledge of Omni, gracious God he is able to understand the real purpose of
this active universe. In order to reveal the Divine Truth, that Infinite God Himself
has involved and evolved into this great universe.

In the limitless ethereal space, the Almighty power was in the unseen form
of ether. From these ethereal particles, His Omnipresence has come to evolve
into all the basic elements to be created into the entire universe. Now, in this
creation, our planet this earth is fully equipped with facilities to bring out the
Divine Truth from the Innermost. The electronic force in the lifeless material
particles has made out all the atoms, molecules and material forms upto stars
in the sky. In every living being, one sees the life force and sensuous

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knowledge. Especially in the human life alone, the mental, intellectual power
has come to play. By this force of mind, man is able to find out many outer and
inner secrets. One sees the wonderful works of the mind in this vast world filled
up with four billions of people. However, the ordinary mind is unable to
comprehend the Inner secret of Man, which is the Divine Soul itself. This Soul
or Self Knowledge comes out and is revealed in ones self only when he
completely turns inward eschewing all the outward flowing of the sensuous,
material forces. In such an inner search, Ramalinga Adigalar discovered the
Divine Soul in the innermost. Thulasiram opines:

The Swami gives a practical guidance to his disciples asking them

not to waste their time and energies any more in the said religions
and philosophies but to follow the way of the Suddha Sanmarga
specially at a time when the coming of God. i.e., His manifestation
on the earth was imminent and that too when he was about to go
into seclusion. He gives them the Mahamantra of vast Grace-Light
as revealed to him by the Divine in assurance of Its manifestation
and consequently to mark the effective beginning of Suddha
Sanmarga.

The

mantra

is

open

and

direct

expression

simultaneously of the truth of the Divine which was to manifest

imminently as also of the way of Sadhana (295).

The true soul knowledge does not easily understood by the people.
Because its subtlety and Divine attribute are beyond the conception of even the

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learned. The most ancient Tamizhian by the Divine Grace had discovered the
soul Truth, and on that, basic Truth the whole Tamizh language itself was
founded. Therefore, with the help of this language one can realize the Inner
Soul. Since the mere Soul knowledge alone was not enough for the highest
salvation of man, it was not, revealed by His Grace for even thousands of
years. In addition, that Grace, only recently has come down and opened the
Spiritual eye of a Soul of a developed Divine Love. That Soul is shining through
Arutprakasa Vallalar. Thulasiram opines:

The Light of the universal Soul or Spirit is the Jnana Sabha or Cit
Sabha the field or world of play of Truth-Consciousness (i.e. the
comprehensive Supermind); the Light within that light is the divine
Spirit, God the supreme Being (i.e. the One-in-One or the Supreme
infinite Light-in-the Universal Light). The dance or play of
movement of this inner light of the Divine is called the dance or play
of the World of Knowledge which is the blissful dance of the divine
dancer, Nataraja (209).

This Swamigal of Divine Grace has been fully revealed of the Divine
Truth. He declares the Supreme God is Arutperum Jothi (Great Light of Infinite
Grace). That Infinite God of Arutperum Jothi by His Divine Omnipresent
attribute is expressing out from an atom held atop of the central brain-the
medulla oblongata. A deep study of this particular atom will reveal us the truth
of our Soul. This mysterious atom is giving out life energy to the physical body,

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sensuous feelings to sense organs, intellectual and mental thoughts to mind.

Spiritual knowledge too comes out from this particle, and finally this is
discovered to be the Divine atom of Soul from which the Infinite God expresses
out completely and immortalizes the surrounding body by His Gracious
transformation. This is what happened in our Swami Ramalingam.

According to Ramalinga Adigalar, the Divine Soul atom is called

Atman. Though (Sol) is meant merely a word, it is taken to represent the One
word Om or the pranavam. Truly, this Om and (Sol) are pointing the Divine
Soul-atom. This word is nothing but our Soul or (Sol). The Soul is a Divine
Atom, which is developed into our whole Being.

Ramalinga Adigalar says that the power of spirit body is wonderful. This
spirit can enter into some childs body and it will be living there for some time.
During that period, that spirit will be revealing its experiences gathered in the
past life. Therefore, it will appear as if the spirit has become incarnated into this
new form. After some time when the spirit departs from that body, the old
memories of the child will fade away and vanish. Often, one may come across
such a story of incarnation with such proof. Some believes and others unaware
of the truth disbelieve it. Either one believes it or not he need not cling to all
these, but he has to lead a Divine life. Thulasiram comments:

It might be said that what one calls spirit is the atmosphere

brought by the Grace into the material world so that it might awake
to the consciousness of its origin and aspire to return to it. It is truly

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a kind of atmosphere, which liberates, opens the doors, releases

the consciousness. It is this that brings in the realisation of the
truth and gives to the aspiration all its power of fulfillment (217).

People hold much respect and reverence towards the past Great men,
Divine personages and many deities. When the Soul truth is realized one can
perceive the one Supreme Almighty Himself is expressing out from each of the
forms. It is better to adore Him in the present circle than to think of Him in the
past bodily forms. One can love and serve the people around him.

Ramalinga Adigalar viewed the Divine Soul in himself. In addition, he

wanted to merge in, eschewing the outer body and life. It was thought and
believed by merging into the soul one can attain the goal of Godhead.
However, the inner life is nothing and there will be no practical experience
without the outer body and life. By the external renunciation, there can be no
prosperity in the worldly life. Therefore, the path of devotion or the bakthi marga
was chosen. All the religions are based upon the idea that man has to return to
Godhead from whom he has been separated somehow.

The Infinite God Himself has come to Soul stage in the human body and
from this stage. He is due to make transformation of the physical into a form of
His gracious light. Hence, in reality the Soul of man is but an atom possessing
the full Almighty Power. This Soul atom is infinitesimal. The Infinite God filled in
the whole of boundless space has come to realize in this very small soul
particle. This is the most supreme power of His Infinite Grace.

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Ramalingar had therefore to be an ascetic that compassion and he be

together and lead his life in this world, that compassion and his life is one, and
that if compassion departs, his life too departs.

Love of God is the

fountainhead of compassion towards all creatures.

Ramalingar said, If

compassion departs form my heart, my life too departs.(Qtd. in Vanmikanathan

10). One could change the words and say with as much truth that if love of
God departs from a persons heart, compassion towards creatures on earth
also departs.

Those who do not love God cannot love His creatures.

Vanmikanathan opines:

When the ascetic is God-oriented, he is a mystic. A mystic has

been defined as one who surrenders to a power of love that is
greater than human, and advances toward God in a darkness that
goes beyond the light of reason and of human conceptual
knowledge. This power of love that is greater than human, this
power of love, which is compassion when world-oriented, this alone
is not sufficient when the ascetic is God-oriented. Besides being
loving, he has to be pure in heart and poor in spirit (10).

The Divine Grace commands from Soul and it is fulfilled in the outer life.
The Gracious God takes charge of the Soul-man and makes him himself. This
forms the headline, Infinite God in finite man. May this God of Infinite Grace
disclose all the secrets and give a blessed Blissful life to all Souls.

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According to Thulasiram Religions have multiplied innumerably under

several names such as Saivism, Vaishnavism, Jainism, Buddhism; and their
gods, aims and goals and ways of discipline are only different modifications and
manifestations of tatvas or principles and powers of existence. Ramalingar
observes that they are not the true forms of gods as such, and the traditional
scriptures do not portray the essential forms of gods as they exist in
themselves; so too in regard to the essential nature of the supreme Divine.
These scriptures have given only mental pictures and constructions to the
Karma Siddhis of a partial kind and if one pursue after these siddhis of a little
value and significance, one would miss the main goal of realising the supreme
Divine Ramalingar says:

I myself stand as a concrete example to follow It is not because

of my ardent faith and practice of Saivite religion that God has lifted
me up to this unclaimbable height but because of the equal vision
of seeing gods, all beings and things as the forms and substance of
the supreme Divine, and the feeling of compassion for all both of
which I followed as the Divine guided me in those days (Qtd. in
Thulasiram 291).

The Swami placed the light of a lamp outside his room asking them to
worship, for some time without wasting time, the said light as a form of the
Divine with the attitude and feeling indicated in the said poem, and telling them
that the light was full of the Divine Presence and that he intended to close the

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door of his room. The lamp was lit by the Swami about two years before and
has been kept up burning ever since. Thulasiram opines:

Worship of a divinely sanctified form is not against the way of his

Sanmarga. But is not tied down to worship of form alone. As a
matter of fact, the Swami, in one of his public notices informs that
the light of lamp in the shrine of Satya Jnana Sabha was to be lit up
only until the open manifestation of the God of Vast Grace-Light
takes place which will become known through the performance of
His miracles (296).

Ramalinga Adigalars Sanmargam is composed from the four arts or

discipline. Siriya: The art of divine service in daily life. Kiriyai: The art to perform
Divine devotion or prayer, feeding the poor who have nothing is another form of
action. Yogam: The art of the truth path of communication or yoga is to live in a
good and excellent way. Gnaanam: The art of the truth path of wisdom is to live
absolute felicity while anchoring into the inner light with the Divine grace
presence. This is true knowledge.

Then it is important that to arrive at the level of Suddha Sanmargam it is

necessary to pass twelve levels of experiences, which include the first three
levels of experience described below. These three levels are each time
associated to the four art described above, three times four equal twelve. They
result is to attain the fourth level Saayuchiyam, the integrate union with god.

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Ramalingar described the four levels of experience as Saalokam (Live in

god world), Saamipam (Live near god), Saarupam (Live in the self
consciousness that we are the same as god), Saayuchiyam (Reach the united
union and the unity with god). The united union refers to the inner divinity
realization: saarupam.

Ramalinga Adigalar has the four levels of experience that are combining
with

the

four

Margams.

The

four

Margams

are:

Dhaasamargam,

Satputhramaragam, Sahamargam, Sanmargam. Vallalar gives this meaning to

the four Margams: Become the servant of all living creatures, Become the son
of all living creatures, Consider all living creatures as our friends and same for
the opposite, Consider the life of all creatures as our life. In each Margam, one
have the four arts, four times four equal sixteen types of experience or levels of
evolution.

Ramalingar fulfilled ten disciplines, virtues that are laid down for an
ascetic. Eschewing eating of flesh, Thavam, Avoiding Unbecoming Conduct,
Not stealing, Truthfulness, Not Getting Angry, Not Harming Anyone, Not killing,
Realising Impermanence of Life, Renunciation.

To Ramalingar, God was his father. He asks God:

Son to you am I not?

And legitimate father to me are you not? (Qtd. in Vanmikanathan

23).

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The spiritual lineage of Ramalingar can be summed up with this assertion

of Ramalingar. Sons of men can be orphaned, but the Son of God never. God
was in reality mother and father to Ramalingar. He was never an orphan. For
he had lord Civan, Ammai-appan, as his father and mother. More solicitous
than an earthly mother, Lord Civan looked after Ramalingar. He sings:

O Mother mine, sweet to my soul,

Who, when I was lying weary with hunger on a pial,

Came with a shining basin

Containing delicious food

In one of Your sacred arms, (Qtd. in Vanmikanathan 23).

God was not only a mother to Ramalingar, but a stern father too. A father
who dealt condign punishment when the necessity arose. Ramalingar bears
testimony to this in an entire decad of ten stanzas. He sings:

O Gem of a Ruby

Who bestow grace on those free of ill-repute!

O Munificent One!

I, a sinner, (Qtd. in Vanmikanathan 23).

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God was not only father and mother to Ramalingar, but was also Guru
supreme. And, in this role, God gave Ramalingar the thiruvadi deeksha, the
guru placing his lotus feet on the head of his disciple in token of having taken
him as a slave whose future worldly and spiritual welfare was not longer the
concern of the disciple but that of the guru-god Himself in the case of
Ramalingar. Ramalingar has left a record of this unique event in his life in the
following song:

O my Guru who enslaved me saying:

We have come to know

all the good deeds you have planned to do;

We came to see you in person,

And lay down on the floor

With an intent to graciously place

Your flowery feet on my head,

And, Who, when I haughtily look hold of the feet

And placed them elsewhere,

Laughed and asked:

What did you think, O my son,

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have I not this much right? (Qtd. in Vanmikanathan 24).

Such were the spiritual Parents of Ramalingar, the two-in-One Civan

whose most beloved form is the indivisible one of Ammai-appan, Fathermother, translated by the ignorant as Arda-naareeswarar, the half-woman God,
raising in the hearers mind a picture of a freak instead of an image of the ageold Tamil concept of and ideal balance of Justice and Mercy, Discipline and
Love.

A vision of earthly evolution into a diviner life, which is to take place

because of the due manifestation of the God of Vast Grace-Light on the earth
and requests the people to receive the God of Light here on the earth in full
honour and glory. This vision of the Swami occurs to him more or less on the
completion of the transformation of his body into its deathless state by getting
the triple indestructible bodies of the pure physical, subtle and causal-Suddha
deha, Pranava deha and Jnana deha along with a potential power even to
resurrect the dead into bodily life. Thulasiram opines:

He completely overcame sleep of the body. He observes that the

Lord by withholding sleep, gave him progressive riches of growth,
he overcomes the difficulties and as a result the attainment of
deathless and sleepless body full of blissful impulsions and
energies (662).

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A vinnappam is an address of prayer to the supreme Divine as God of

Vast Grace-Light (i.e. the Supramental Ishwara) who is usually addressed in
the integrality of His Infinite Being, consciousness-force and Bliss manifesting
Himself as the beautiful Truth-form of Sat the Being in the world of TruthConsciousness-force and making the Truth-dynamism or Truth-play of Bliss in
unity.

It seems that the Lord directed the Swami to marry the Grace-Sakthi in
order to overcome the difficulties and reach the highest state of perfection. The
Swami married symbolically the Grace-sakthi (i.e. the Supramental GraceSakthi) after a short announcement to his disciples. This indicates that he had
become one with the Sakthi, the divine Mother. It is by Her help that he finally
scores victory over death and attains all siddhis usually referred to as the triple
siddhis namely karma siddhi or karma jnana siddhi, yoga siddhi or yoga jnana
siddhi and Jnana siddhi proper (i.e. atma jnana siddhi and tatva jnana siddhi)
which are respectively (a) the powers of supramental intuition and inspiration of
ideas, feelings, will, word, etc., fulfilling into inspired arts and sciences.
Thulasiram opines:

According to the Swami a deathless body is constituted by divinized

five elements, namely, deathless ethereal substance, non-ignitable
air or gas, non-flowing liquid (cf: condensation of blood in Swamis
body), soundless fire and non-obstructing matter (cf: his body of
supple and pliant bones and muscles) with a self-creative power of

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constituting or creating all substances of whatever kind including

bodily substances (664).

The Swami admits that he was quickly transformed into the deathless
state of body. His realization of Truth-Consciousness of Satya Jnana or the
Supermind and the resulting transformation of his body too into its perfection
and deathlessness has taken place in an incredibly short time. This became
possible, because the Light of Truth -Consciousness Satya Jnana Joti was
formed above and within him and, by an integral realization and possession of
the summit of supermind. Ramalingar referred the tertiary poise of Supermind
thus:

In the Sanmarga Sabha the Lord kept me uniquely distinct or apart

from Himself O Lord! Thou hast kept myself and Thyself in an
uniting contact of oneness or unity : keeping myself and himself into
one formation, the Lord drew me apart giving me the form of bliss
(Qtd. in Thulasiram 673).

However it is conceivable evident that by the special union with the Divine
at the bodily level on the earth, both the Divine Being of Light and the Swami
with the truth-conscious Light of his being, nature and body should have
descended into the Inconscient or got involved and engulfed temporarily by the
material Inconscience but working out from within the Inconscient matter so as
to play the siddhis in due course of time. Thulasiram opines:

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The swamis sacrifice of deathless body was directed towards a

two-fold purpose. It was meant not only for the manifestation of the
Light or Being of the Light on earth, but also for the preservation of
the gains of His transformed body for the mankind in its
evolutionary march. The Divine should have fixed the Swamis
being, nature and deathless bodily substances into the inconscient
earthly matter in order to make him serve as a medium of
response, as a responding force and being of the transforming
Light in the earth-nature and in its inconscient bed (682).

All glory to the Supreme Divine who has secretly fulfilled Himself through
the sacrifices of Swami Ramalingam and is now fulfilling more openly:

Arut Perunjothi Arut Perunjothi

Thanip Perung Karunai Arut Perunjothi

Vast Grace-Light Vast Grace-Light

Supreme Compassion Vast Grace-Light (Swami Ramalingam).

(Qtd. in Thulasiram 685).

Ramalingar, the Mystic in those decades of the Thiruvarutpaa in which he

plays the role of the bride, and Lord Nataraja is the Bridegroom. Every stage,
every aspects of the journey are on the Mystic Way. It seemed to be therein the
awakening of the self, the purification of the self, the illumination of the self,

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phonic and photic phenomena, recollection and quiet, contemplation, ecstasy

and rapture, the dark night of the soul, and the unitive life. The awakening of
the self, etc. is stages on the Mystic Way.

Ramalingar was, a bride of the Lord from his very birth, nay, from his very
conception. He was indisputably a bride from the day the parents took him as a
child of five months to the temple of Nataraja in Chidambaram. Resting in the
crook of the arm of its mother, the child of five months gurgled with laughter
when the curtain veiling the Mystery of Mysteries, the Chidambara-rahasyam,
was lifted. Vanmikanathan opines:

Ramalingar actually laughed in the presence of his Beloved,

revealing for all the world to know his intimacy with Lord Natarajar,
an intimacy not of today or yesterday but of several past births. He
has declared this in several songs (90).

The purpose of the earthworm, the lowly earthworm is to nitorgenise the

earth. In addition, the purpose of being born as man is to travel towards his
Creator and unite with Him. To realise this is the awakening of ones soul.
Ramalingar-he refers to the soul in the frame of the human being who went by
the name of Ramalingar in the world-that Ramalingar woke to his self in his
very early childhood, even when he was barely eight or nine years old, the age
at which he sang the Theivamani maalai. Vanmikanathan comments:

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Once the awakening of the soul has set in, there is but one thing to
do, that is, set out on the quest of the feet of the Lord. The first
step, a sine qua non step, an indispensable step in the soulsearching, soul-searing one of purification of the self, the purgation
of the self (91).

Ramalingar is ready to travel up the Mystic Way, from Darkness to Light,

from Ignorance to Knowledge. Decads, seventy seven to one hundred and
three of the Second Book of the Thiruvarutpaa chronicle, step by joyous step
the journey on this section of the Mystic Way in language of bridal mysticism. In
Thiru-ula-p-peru, he sings:

(When, in the past), the rare to be sought out One,

the City of Otris Lord, Thiyagesan,

used to come on a state drive,

I used to go in the company

of girls of flower-adorned shoulders

shapely and smooth like a bamboo,

and behold him and rejoice.

But I never knew myself smitten

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with languishing love for Him.

But now, the moment I beheld Him,

my saree has slipped down

and my bangles have slid down my wrists!

O friend with flower-bedecked tresses,

tell me why I stand rooted here,

a very embodiment of desire (Qtd. in Vanmikanathan 92).

Ramalingar records a greater vision. The Presence Ramalingar saw in

the Hall was Natarajar, the Godhead, and the Brahman. He who knew the
boon, which Ramalingar received, was God in time. God who becomes and
disbecomes the journey on the Unitive Way is composed of several factors of
experience: Recollection and Quiet, Contemplation, Ecstacy and Rapture, Dark
Night of the Soul, and Unitive Life.

The omnipotent God eternally exists in two aspects. One can see and
sense in the external universe is the outer aspect of Him. The cause and effect
of this boundless universe is the Inner aspect of Him. Though these two
aspects are eternal, the outer - one is visible and ever changing on the other
hand the Inner - one is invisible and changeless. From the Innermost, the
Almighty power is ever expressing out all to appear, disappear and reappear in

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the whole universe. The man with all his sense organs, reasoning mind material
and mechanical aids is unable to find out either the Outer-most of the universe
or the Innermost of himself. The spiritual philosophers and yogis have gone
deep into themselves and there they have experienced some Divine mystic
power. From this Inner experience of the self or soul, which is permanent, the
knowledge of the two aspects of God becomes known.

According to Ramalingar along with that life energy, sensuous knowledge

too develops and blossoms into intellectual mind in the human life. This mind
has been endowed with the reasoning power by which the man is exploring all
the outer and inner truths. The life-giving atom in man is found out, to be
shining from the mid head of the man through out his lifetime. The mystic atom
of life and light is switched on and off by some unknown agent. The higher
psychic knowledge of yogis has revealed that the mystic atom is the Divine soul
atom of Atman. This soul atom is the Eternal abode or God who is One
Supreme. It is existing Omni presently forever. He is commanding and ruling
from this atom for all the creation and destruction in the world.

The soul atom of man is really the Eternal throne of God Himself, His
Omnipresent attribute makes Him to express out from everywhere. In any form
of expression, He projects only very small portion of His Being; but that too
comes to realization when the man transcends to that soul plane. There is none
but Him existing Eternally without changing in the innermost and with changing
outwardly. Hence, in man too, the soul and living body are really the double

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expression of God Himself. Untill now the man was holding himself to be a
physical being of temporary life. Even a yogic philosopher by his unripe soul
knowledge was thinking that he was only a soul being brought out to this
physical life in order to get the self-realization. After that soul realization, he
merges into it and loses the outer frame. Thus, his Divine knowledge and soul
experience end. To this soul atom, the eternal life is to come through the outer
life only. From outside one cannot life as eternal life. Therefore, he must at first
take his lodging at the soul abode.

The soul atom is common to both God and man. In reality of higher Divine
experience, man and God are the same. Without clinging to the sensuous life,
the man is to live a pure life of Divine Love from the Innermost. By His Omni
grace, this Divine man is entitled to live an Eternal Blessed life. This Eternal life
of God is the Divine right of man. To be unaware of this Divine right and
passing away ignorantly is not the Will of God.

Death is not the end of the man. In death, only the physical body is lost.
After the physical death, the soul unfolds its life energy to form another body of
new birth in this world. Here, one is to know something about the spirit body
and the spiritual world. At the time of death, the outer body begins to decay and
dissolve in the meantime the spirit form that comes out of the corpse continues
a ghost life for a longer period. This spirit or ghost may enter in some other
body and reveal something not a holy one of Divine quality. This spirit of a
departed person may be guiding its devout followers and worshippers for a long

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time. However, through that medium, no one can get the highest salvation. The
true Divine life is to come directly from the Soul itself.

The soul knowledge and life are obtainable only in the physical life of
material world. Unless one realizes his Divine soul life in this world, he cannot
live in Oneness of Him. Therefore, he who lives in God will be blessed with
immortalization. This is the Deathless life. Without understanding this Eternal
Life, all the people of the world are passing on and passing away. The worldly
religions are not teaching the humanity about the Supreme Truth of Almighty
God, who is Only One for all. The present scientific mechanical life, the
religious material life and the physical spiritual life cannot enable the man to
obtain the Blessed Eternal Life.

Deathlessness and a Blissful life is the goal of man. This life opens from
the soul or Innermost of every one. Therefore, it is not bound against any
religion. There is no hindrance to any body to live in any circumstance.

Ramalingar says that people of the world without knowing the most
Supreme Divine Truth are imagining and demonstrating many things about
God, Atman, soul and spirit. The religious scriptures, philosophical treatises,
scientific theories and all the isms of today have not brought a peaceful and
happy life in the world. It is seen that some fast changes are happening in all
the life of humankind. The Omni gracious Light of God is spreading on the
horizon of the Inner world. This truth of Divine Light has been revealed and
realized by our Swami Ramalingam (Thiru Arutprakasa Vallalar of Vadalur). As

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a Proof of his true realization, he has attained immortality. Those who come to
abide in the Soul Divine can perceive him and live a life of compassion in
Oneness of himself. The old attainment of soul stage is, not at all a death less
life. The life that is evolved from that Eternal soul transforms the nature of body
to fill up by everlasting light of Grace. Hence the deathlessness to man is the
Divine Will and order.

According to Ramalingar Omni grace God Infinite is ever present in the

boundless space of our limitless universe. With his full power, He is revealing
Himself from the Innermost of everything. In each expression of Him, He is
expressing only a very little amount of His power and attribute. In the beginning,
the whole space was supposed to be vacant, but in reality it is not so, it is
eternally filled with the Divine force of Omnigrace, which is being implemented
to evolve into this multifarious universe. Vanmikanathan opines:

The mystic Five Letter mantra -Na-Ma-Ci-Vaa-Ya- in its various

forms, was very dear to our Swamikal. The mantra is called
ainthezhutthu in Tamil, and panchaaksharam in Sanskrit. Even as
the Four Camaya-Kuravars had sung on the greatness of the
mystic five letters, so has the swaamikal as well (61).

Only for bringing out the hidden Truth of Divinity, all the universal activities
have been set in motion. We misconceive space as a void, it is ether with its
electronic force and this forms important elements, which are numerous in
science, but all grouped into five elements in our conception. These elements

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have served out planet to manifest as all animate and inanimate things and
human lives. In human life alone, the Divinity has to be evolved to supreme
knowledge into the full development of inner core of man.

Ramalingar says that there are vast unknown regions in the material,
physical, mental and spiritual planes. Man with his power of mind has the
potential power to probe into them. The Eternal Divine Soul of man is revealed
to a certain extent commensurate with his inner development and the outer life
of stainless Live-Divine. In the past, the knowledge of Divine Soul was not
clearly comprehended, but through meditation and yogic practice, some
spiritual powers and attainments were obtained from the lower nervous centers
and from the brain centre. Thulasiram opines:

Man is an evolving being. As the principles and powers of the outer

nature of his mind, life and the physical become increasingly
purified and refined, they enable him to enter into inner depths and
levels of consciousness in the universal ranges of Mind, life and the
physical which have secret contact with or are open to influences
from their corresponding heights in the overhead planes and levels
of consciousness. The inmost depth of the soul opens itself to
receive even influences from the high-seated divine world of Truth
or the Supermind but modified in transit through the intervening
planes of Overmind and Spiritual Mind ranges. Not being satisfied
with influences and visions from the overhead planes, the man in

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yoga on and with the realization of his soul followed by selfrealization

can

ascend

directly

to

these

overhead

planes

successively from the spiritual Mind to overmind from the overmind

to its summit and from the summit overmind into the Supermind of
divine Knowledge (309).

There were of the view that the soul was seated in the heart centre, but it
is now discovered to be functioning from the head centre. By the grace of
Arutperunjothi the plain Truth of Soul and God is now becoming known by the
practical experience of Thiru Arutprakasa Vallalar of Vadalur in Tamil Nadu. By
this Omni gracious experience, all the doubtful ideas of God and Soul have
been cleared.

According to Ramalingar God, the Omnipresent eternally exists infinitely,

that means, He is present both in the smallest particle, and in the limitless
universe. However, He is complete, both in the minutest spot and in the largest
space. He becomes known in the mid head, where it has been kept lit up from
first moment of the creation of the human embryo in the womb of the mother.
This light particle is not a newly created one, but it has come to be embedded
from its unseen presence to a cognizable state. From the very same Light
particle, every person is getting all his life energy, intellect as well as natural
and supernatural powers.

This light particle of Divinity is the same Divine Light filling the whole
space. It is revealed by His Omni grace that One Supreme God alone, though

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indivisible in His form, is coming to enlighten the small spot in a person. This
particular particle of the supreme God Himself is the soul of a person. Hence,
this soul particle is really the form of God placed on the head of the human
being for his realization Thulasiram opines:

The Swamy himself distinguishes Grace-Light from Vast GraceLight and the both from God of Vast-Grace-Light. Vast Grace-Light
is the divine Light as in the Vast Realm of Truth-Consciousness
(Satya Jnana Peru Veli). Grace-Light is an operation or a working
of the Vast Grace-Light in the earthly field to guide the fit persons.
God of Vast Grace-Light is the supreme Being possessing
integrally the Self-Light within the Vast Grace Light ((Tat Joti within
Cit Joti or Arut Perum Joti). He also called the Divine Light as
Satya Joti the Truth-Light; Cidambara Joti the Light of TruthConscious Sky of Knowledge; and as Joti Yut Joti the Light within
Light; Tat Joti within Cit joti; Tat Joti within Arut Perum Joti, the
Supreme Light of the Supreme Being within the Vast Grace-Light.
Tat Joti and Cit Joti (or Arut Perum Joti) are inseparable and each
implies the other also (901).

This Soul-atom evolved into the human being, is only a manifestation of

God, from the innermost of us. Ramalingar realizes our Divine Soul-Truth has
no separate existence except Him only. This Divine Truth of ourselves was not
until now known and experienced by us because of our worldly sensuous life.

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Only when we transcend to the Divine Soul plane, we are able to know this
Truth.

This bodily presence is to make us live the Divine soul-life in this world.
Without this personal life, the Divinity can never be experienced. Therefore, to
live a Divine Life of Bliss, the physical body is essential to begin a new life of
grace from the soul place itself. With this higher purpose in view, our Sathya
Gnana Sabai, the abode of true Wisdom is now opened in us and our Vallalar
symbolically establishes this abode of True Wisdom in Vadalur.

The new era of Divine Omni grace began on the fine morning of 24 May
1867. It was a time of gracious period to get enlighten in both the Inner World of
Soul and the outer world of earth and heaven. At that time, the Almighty, with
Arutperunjothi for the Deathless Life of Bliss, solemnized Swami Ramalingam.

After his inner realization, a shrine of Grace was planned to be

constructed, at Vadalur, on a large area of elevated land thirty kilometers from
Chidambaram. This place is the only altar where one can come across the one
Supreme God of the whole universe. Here alone, universe (the bodily being of
man) and the greater universe of boundless space. By having Dharsan (seeing)
of the Divine Light in the shrine of Wisdom at Vadalur, an aspiring soul can get
enlightenment in the Inner shrine of Wisdom. Thulasiram comments:

Ramalingar was feeling the Lords Presence concretely not only in

himself but also in and around his place of living and he expressed

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it in unmistakable terms that Vadalur and its vicinity bear a very

sacred atmosphere of purity and power where human aspirations
for realizing the Divine and for transformation into deathlessness of
body could be realized for ever and where also miracles of
resurrection to bodily life and transformation of the old into youth
would occur (555).

According to Ramalingar to realize the Divine Light in the Innermost, one

have to traverse the four stages namely sensuous body, mind, life and soul. All
these stages are depicted in the Temple by the octagonal structure and in the
inner central sanctuary with seven colored screens in the front of the Light. At
the time of Thai poosam, the aspirant realizes, the Inner Light or Omni grace
along with the rising sun and setting full-moon on the eastern and western
horizons. There are significant representations of pure golden and silver rays
on right and left. By this effulgence, one can led into the oneness of
Arutperunjothi in the shrine of Wisdom, from where to live the Divine life of
universal Love. In all the material, physical, vital, mental and spiritual
developments, that Divinity has been gradually growing to reach the final stage
of Divine Grace for Self-realization. Now in this human life, the Gracious God
has come to self-realization viz. that both man and God are the same in him.
All-powerful Omnipresent God has manifested from the Innermost Soul-abode
in the form of a developed man of gracious wisdom. Thus, this gracious wisdom
is now experienced as a true altar of Him.

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The Swami describes the Vast Grace-Light as having self-determined the

universal five-fold functions of (1) creation, (2) maintenance, (3) destruction for
purification, control, renewal and re-creation, (4) orderly veiling or obscuring by
involution Tirodhana and (5) orderly unveiling or unfolding and illumining and
bringing out into consciousness by evolution which is an act of grace.

The soul in man was considered a separate entity other than himself, a
physical being; and for obtaining the Divine Soul life; it was believed that man
had to be relieved from the bodily bondage. Nevertheless, by relinquishing the
body, the soul loses all the life and experience and there would be no blissful
life after death. Therefore, if the soul needs a practical experience, then it must
be given a new human life of Divine knowledge.

The aim and goal to conquer physical death not only on an individual basis
but also on the universal level, is common to Swami Ramalingam.

The

Swamis Will and Command, based on the sanction of the divine Lord of Vast
Grace-Light, that god of death should withdraw and run away not only from the
heavens but also from the earth and more especially from the black waste or
dark vast realm of the Inconscient and become depleted in resources of its
substance and strength and die its own death, indicates essentially the problem
of universal Death and its solution.

Swami opines that the God of death had to run away from him in safety
because of the Truth-Light of Grace in him and in his body and due to his
victorious transformation and possession of a deathless and indestructible

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body. His promise to come again in body to give deathless transformation of

body to others, especially after the stable manifestation of the Divine Light or
rather the God of Vast Grace-Light on the earth, has to be read as his further
mission intended for rooting out the universal Death. Thulasiram comments:

Swami had the power to relieve the sufferings and difficulties of

other around him by taking or absorbing them and canceling them
in himself or in his atmosphere, but without himself or his body
being affected in purity and without the need of suffering on that
account, because his deathless body had become and remained
absolutely and eternally pure (884).

Death or god of death was shaken in his foundation and perforce put to
the necessity of running away from his for safety and survival. Though this was
outwardly an individual fulfillment of the Swami, yet it has its collective impact
and influence as he wanted to make the result of his gains or conquest of death
available to everyman by entering into all bodies and by bringing about the
stable manifestation of the death-conquering Light on the earth and more
especially the concentration of its forces at his place Vadalur. Thulasiram
opines:

Swamis final promise to come again in body, to give deathlessness

of body to those who are purified and prepared especially when the
God of Light manifested on the earth also indicates his future
mission in a new incarnation (887).

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According to Ramalingar, a divine body can be thought of to have the

powers of Knowledge, Love and Light to influence others in their purification
and transformation of nature through not only the higher centre and faculty of
mind to reach into the lower. Ramalingar says:

I prayed for a never-decaying body such as is not liable to be

destroyed either by the wind, or by the earth, or by the sky, or by
the fire, or by the water, or by the Sun and the Moon or by the Lord
of Death, or by the diseases, or by the destructive weapons, or by
the planets, or by the ever so many other destructive acts of living
beings. O! People! Sure, it is. Dont think meanly of this. Bestir
yourselves to reach my Heavenly Father, the Sovereign Lord of the
Eternal Light (Qtd. in Somasundaram Pillai 370).

Our outer Wisdom Temple of Vadalur is pointing out the Inner Truth with
which one inseparable Divine life is to be realizable. This Divine Life is intended
to be given to everybody who has come to live upon this earth. This kind of
Godly life is common to all; it is not attached to any particular religion or to a
particular sect only. All, the atheists or theists, religious or non-religious,
materialist or spiritualist are entitled to get in contact with Inner Light of Omni
grace-Arutperunjothi from where a new reverence for life makes the worldly life
blissful. All the people of the world in any occupation are in need of a true
happy life upon this earth. To achieve the real demand of contented and blissful
life, the old and new ways and means have not aided and guided the humanity

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towards the true Goal of Blessed life, but through the Omni grace of
Arutperunjothi directed from the shrine of Wisdom, the whole humanity will reap
the harvest-the Goal.

Our Vallalar of Vadalur, the first God chosen man of Grace by living the
gracious life from the Inner shrine of Wisdom, has been awarded the deathless
Divine Life of Bliss. Indeed the Eternal Supreme God, though omnipresent was
not recognizable until now in His pristine and pure stage, because of His
impersonal Form. Now, He Himself has filled the Form of Vallalar to live here in
all His Personal spiritual and impersonal Forms for bestowing his grace on
humanity at their different stages of spiritual development. Somasundaram
Pillai comments:

One should court the company of the good that focus their thoughts
on thine lotus-like feet with single devotion; should shun the society
of those whose heart and lip disagree; should extol the greatness of
Thine august Self; should desist from uttering falsehood; should
walk in the path of Righteousness; should not be possessed of the
devil madham; should clean forget the tempting lust of womenfolk;
should never forget Thee; be endowed with Mathi and the wealth of
Thy Grace, and enter eternal life, free from disease (372).

Vallalar known to the world as a human body is now completely Divinized.

In other words, the Supreme God Himself has assumed the triple divine form of
Arutprakasar to govern the entire universe for eternity. The One Omnipresent

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God of Eternity is now recognizable in this full Divinity in the form of Vallalar.
This God-Man is the supreme among the Divine Masters. Because the others
simply merged in God and disappeared while Vallalar divinized in its earthly
body it. Therefore, the whole humanity will be profiled by this unique guidance
of Arutprakasar.

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