Konganava Siddhar’s Bālā Upasana

by

Sri Sakthi Sumanan

Siddha Vidya Vignana Society, Sri Lanka

The one, who in the kāraṇa-śarīra showers bliss on me in the form of Shri Kameshwariyamba
Sameta Kameshwarananda, who in the Sūkṣmaśarīra bestows blessings on me in the form of
Shri Lopāmudrā sameta Shri Agastya Maharishi, and who is present as Shri Annapurnamba
Sameta Shri Amritanandanatha Saraswati - I bow to His lofty lotus feet.

After giving Poorna Dhiksha, Devipuram Guruji blessed me with the following words “Devi
will guide you from within”. Inspired and encouraged by this blessing, I started studying the
texts on Yogic wisdom inherited from my ancestors belonging to the Tamil Siddha tradition.
These scriptures contain intricate, codified verses whose jargon, general linguistic scholars find
it difficult to de-codify. I was familiar with these texts since childhood thanks to my ancestry.
Nevertheless only after obtaining Poorna Dhiksha was I able to grasp and appreciate the deep
meanings of these verses. When I meditated up on each verse, their meaning began to manifest
in the form of thoughts and visuals. As a result, a book in Tamil titled ‘Key to Agastya’s Yogic
Wisdom’ containing meditative commentaries written with insight obtained through the above
said process was published in Chennai with the blessings of our Guruji. The book was well
received by seekers on the path of Siddha wisdom who found it very helpful for their spiritual
progress. I realized that it was the lotus feet of the Guru that provided guidance for writing the
book. I saw beyond doubt that my Guru Sri Annapurnamba Sameta Sri Amritanandanatha
Saraswati was none other than Shri Lopāmudrā sameta Shri Agastya Maharishi whom my
family has been worshiping for generations.

After that, studying the Yogic secrets of Sri Vidya contained in Tamil Siddha songs/verses
became a regular practice for me. Found below are truths of wisdom revealed by Konganavar
Siddhar about Bālā in one of these texts. (Vālai , the Tamil form of the word Bālā, is used in
Konganavar’s text).

In verses composed in praise of his Upasana deity Bālā in the form of ‘Kummi’, a peculiar
prosodic pattern widely used by Siddhas, Konganavar Siddhar reveals about the Sadhana
procedure he followed and how Bālā helped him attain merits. In total there are 111 verses in
this text.

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In keeping with the tradition, Konganavar’s text begins with verses in praise of God almighty
in which he describes the 10 qualities of Bālā. They are as follows:

1. The one who bestows all knowledge

2. The Shakti who resides in all six chakras
3. The Goddess of Siddhas
4. The one who is omnipresent
5. The sovereign of all wisdom
6. She who is the splendid flame of the universe
7. The one who is the origin of all creations
8. The one who incarnated as Meenakshi in the Pandiya kingdom
9. The one who is unique
10. The one who is extremely beautiful

In order to obtain the mercy of Bālā who has the above-said qualities, he begins the text by
worshiping and seeking the blessings of Guru’s feet, Siddhi Vinayaga, Saraswati, Shiva,
Subramanya, Vishnu and Nandeesa.

In the ninth verse he elaborates how this universe was created. Noting that the universe
originated from sound – the cosmic Nāda, he reveals the important secret of Sri Vidya in the
12th verse which speaks of the significance of the akṣara (letter) of the Nāda that caused the
beginning of universe.

Arikku muntiṉa tavveḻuttām piṉṉum

arikkuḷ niṉṟatum añceḻuttām
tarikkum muntiṉa tañceḻuttām vāci
parikkuḷ niṉṟatu mañceḻuttām (09th Song,Tamil Transliteration)

In the ordinary sense, the word Ari denotes Hari – Lord Vishnu. Since there is no letter to
represent the sound ‘ha’ in Tamil, it has been customary to say ‘Ari’ to refer to Mahavishnu.
This verse states that the Nāda that caused the creation of physical universe is the five lettered
Nāda which preceded Hari; lies within Hari, takes the form of man’s regulated, upward breath
(ūrdhva śvāsa) and is the Vāsi (Tamil word), the technique of combining breath with Nāda to
attract the divine power into human body. According to the Siddha tradition, this five-lettered
sound is “Na-Ma-Si-Va-Ya”. Stating that these five letters are the source of everything in the

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physical universe, he goes on to mention in the next verse that it was Bālā that took the form
of these five letters at the beginning of and to form the universe.
Ātiyi laitteḻut tāyiṉāḷ vālaippeṇ
ainteḻut tumeṉṟu pērāṉāḷ
nātiyi ṉūmai yeḻuttivaḷ tāṉalla
ñāṉa vakaiyivaḷ tāṉāṉāḷ. (10th Song,Tamil Transliteration)

Ūmai yeḻuttē yuṭalāccu maṟṟum

ōmeṉ ṟeḻuttē yuyirāccu
āmin teḻuttai yaṟintukoṇ ṭuviḷai
yāṭik kum'mi yaṭiyuṅkaṭi. (11th Song,Tamil Transliteration)

These two verses deal with the origination of Bālā mantra. The phrase ‘Nādhiyin Ūmai
Yeluththival’ means she belongs to the category of ‘Silent word’, , Ūmai being the Tamil word
for ‘dumb person’. Taken literally, one would interpret this as denoting silent syllables.
However, those who know the divine subtleties of Sri Vidya would understand the tacit and
deep meaning lying buried in this phrase. What the word ‘Ūmai’ signifies here is the syllable
‘Ū’ (“ஊ”) and not a silent syllable as interpreted by many Tamil scholars. Sri Vidya Upasakas
would know that the three-lettered Bala Mantra is Aim Kleem Saum. Last Beeja Mantra Sau
evolves from Um. Hence Konganava Siddha reveals that the origini of Bala Mantra is Um.

This also has important relevance to NavaNāda Beeja Mantras – the nine syllables in
“hasakShamalavarayUM’- mentioned in the Gurupaduka which leads to Sadhaka’s liberation.
It is with the help of these NavaNāda Beeja Mantras, Sadhaka progresses on the path of
liberation, clinging on to the Nāda generating ākāśa Bootha tatva, destroying ignorance and
attaining Brahma Gnana, the supreme wisdom. Sadhaka’s Atma, when immersed in illusory
worldly pleasures, gets entangled in the domains of the four elements, namely, pṛthvī , Apah ,
Agni and Vāyu . As the Sadhaka evolves in his spiritual journey, he comes out of the realms
of the above said four elements and begins to progress on the path of Brahma-jñāna by
manipulating his breath with NavaNāda Beeja Mantra. The last Nāda in this journey ‘Ūm’ is
jargoned as Ūmai Yeluthu in Konganavar’s verse. This gets confirmed in the 13th verse where
he states “She is the Ūmai Yeluthu when it comes to Nāda and bestows wisdom”. In the 14th
verse he talks about two mantras fundamental to attaining wisdom:

Ūmai yeḻuttē yuṭalāccu maṟṟum

ōmeṉ ṟeḻuttē yuyirāccu
āmain teḻuttai yaṟintukoṇ ṭuviḷai

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 yāṭik kum'mi yaṭiyuṅkaṭi (14th Song,Tamil Transliteration)
On the path of wisdom, the letter ‘Ūm’ is akin to the body and Ōm is akin to the soul, he says.
He goes on to say, ‘along with these two letters, know the pañcākṣara , the five letters’. In
subsequent verses, he reveals that all divine powers lie within human body and expounds the
way to awaken them through inner sadhana.

Some so-called spiritual paths espouse devaluation of human body, dismissing it as being
corporeal, not realizing the fact that human body is the vehicle through which Sadhaka could
attain divine progress. Deviating from such traditions, Konganavar, in verse number 24,
emphasizes that human body is not to be thought of as ‘filthy corpse’ since it is in this very
place that Bālā resides. He goes on to point out the exact location where she resides in the body
in the next verse. She resides as Jothi – bright flame above uvula and below the crown of the
head. In modern anatomical term this location refers to pituitary gland which controls the
whole functions of the body. Next he goes on to talk about ‘six houses’ lying below this spot
in the body, referring to Six chakras (starting from Ājñā to Mūlādhāra ) and says they are
always illumine without requiring any external fuel but from the inner light which reside in the
above said location signifying Bālā.

For someone who is yet to progress on the path of Brahma-jñāna, these Chakras and Nāḍī’s
appear twisted and are not cleaned, Konganava Siddha says. And the way to untangle this
twisted rope is Vāsi yoga as indicated in verse 27.

A special technique used by the Siddhas, Vāsi Yoga concerns manipulation of breath with
Mantra shakti. When a Sadhaka starts to practice Vāsi yoga, he starts to rebuild the three
Mandalas, namely, Chandra, Sūrya and Agni. Konganavar states that these mandalas and
chakras will be awakened through Vāsi yoga. The Vāsi Yoga konganavar talks about in this
context refers to the practice of manipulating one’s breath with Bālā mantra. There are different
kinds of Vāsi Yoga practices in different Siddha traditions differing from one another in
relation to the mantra used. From verse 32 to 36, he indicates the deity of each chakras: Ājñā
Chakra – Sadhasiva; Viśuddha Chakra – Maheswara; Anāhata Chakra – Rudhra, Maṇipūra –
Mahavishnu. No deity is mentioned in regard to Svādhiṣṭhāna and he skips to Mūlādhāra where
he says Brahma resides.

This clear case shows that one has to have the mercy of an enlightened Guru for spiritual
progression and such progression cannot be attained merely by studying the texts. Because
such deep truths are hidden and codified in these literatures.

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One who has access to the wisdom behind Devipuram Guruji’s Kalavahana practice would
know what is in play here. Guruji has mapped the route of the six chakras: Brahma is in
Mūlādhāra, Vishnu is in Svādhiṣṭhāna, Rudhra is in Maṇipūra, Maheswara is in Anāhata ,
Sadhasiva is in Viśuddha , Devi is in Ājñā .

This is an aspect widely found in Siddha literature. When Sidhhas reveal practical aspects of
Sadhana, they intentionally hide certain aspects or use jargon belonging to the clan. They do
so to ensure that such high wisdom is acquired only by those who have developed required
qualities through appropriate means from an enlightened Guru.

In verse 74, he indicates those who worship Bala become Siddhapurusha; those who can
meditate themselves as Bala become Lord Shiva.

“Only those who labor should get the wages”, says Konganavar in the same verse, highlighting
the fact that attainment of such heights require stern practice.

In verse 98, he mentions two versions of Bala Mantra: 6 syllable mantra and 3 syllable mantra.
He doesn’t specify the full form of Mantras in any of the verses in the text.

Talking about the benefits of Bala upasana, he says Bala gives Pūrṇa Ayush (Complete
lifespan), body devoid of diseases, protection from evil forces, being with the Sadhaka each
and every minute, as well as makes the enemy powerless and chases away Yama - the god of
death. She who created billions of universes and Devas is present everywhere as oil is present
in sesame, says Konganavar.

Attempting to talk about the might and splendor of Bala with words is akin to wanting to drink
up an endless ocean. What I have attempted in this brief account is to highlight the unique
aspects of Bala Upasana as found in the Tamil Siddha tradition in relation to Konganavar’s
text.

About writer:

Sri Sakthi Sumanan, a Poorana Dheeksha granted disciple of Devipuram Guruji, has
been researching and writing about Sri Vidya practices of Tamil Siddha lineage as part
of his spiritual practice. He is also academically trained Environmental Science
professional. He can be contacted at sithhavidya@gmail.com

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