Verses 21-30
English translation wnd commentray by Dr K. Loganathan 2001
Upatesam 21
பெற்றார் உலகில் பிரியாப் பெருநெறி
பெற்றார் உலகிற் பிறவாப் பெரும்பயன்
பெற்றார் அம்மன்றிற் பிரியாப் பெரும்பேறு
பெற்றார் உலகுடன் பேசாப் பெருமையே.
peRRaar ulakil piriyaap peruneRi
peRRaar ulakiR piRavaap perumpayan
peRRaar ammanRiR piriyaap perumpeeRu
peRRaar ulakudan peecaap perumaiyee
பிழையற்ற திருநெறி , சிவயோக நெறி வழி செல்வார், உலகில் யாண்டும் அனைவருக்கும் உரித்தாய் பிரியாது இருக்கின்ற பெருநெறி பெற்றவர் ஆவர். இதன் வழி ஊய்ந்து அதன் எல்லைக்கு செல்வார், கன்மத் தளைகளை செற்று இவ்வுலகில் மீண்டும் பிறவாப் பெரும்பயன் உறுவர். அதன் எல்லைத் தலமாகிய திருசிற்றம்பலம் அடைந்து அதனின்று விட்டு நீங்காது வாழும் பெரும்பேறும் உறுவர். அங்கு காலக் கழற்சி மெய்யாகுதலின் சுத்தமோனமே மொழியாகக் கொண்டும் இருப்பர் என்பதாம்.
There is the WAY always in the world never disappearing at all and those are the blessed who get the way of Civayoga which is this. And those who progress along this WAY and reach the LIMITS will get blessed with release from existential repetition, being born again and again into the world. And they also attain the END GROUND of existence without ever departing from it. And in the course of the existence here, because they have transcended Time, acquire only Deep Silence as the language of communication
peRRaar ulakil piriyaap peruneRi: they are blessed with WAY that remains in the world without ever absenting itself
peRRaar ulakiR piRavaap perumpayan: they attain the gift of not being born again and again into the world
peRRaar ammanRiR piriyaap perumpeeRu: they attain existence in the End GROUND without ever departing from it.
peRRaar ulakudan peesaap perumaiyee: they attain the high status of having the Language of Deep Silence (as their language of communication)
Commentary:
Here begins an account of what can be called MUKTI or MOKSA a concept that is central in all Indic religions but only imperfectly grasped in the other world religions.
The right WAY, the TRUE RELIGION is already there in the world as something that never absents itself and hence something that anyone can access provided he goes about it the right way. The different world religions are different INTERPRETATIONS of this ALREADY EXISTING ONE RELGION, the religion of religions. It has NO date or a founder for it is already there as a fabrique of the structure of the world itself and hence from the beginnings of the world itself. Different men come along , have an intuitive undersatanding of this and establish, out of their ignorance , different religions. But the TRUE RELIGION is present in all these religions only as the Deep Structure, as that which they aspire to be but which they are NOT.
This TRUE WAY is the way towards the union with BEING, the Civa-yoga NeRi, the WAY towards Being with BEING as HE oneself, the destruction of EGO and allowing BEING to shine forth in place of the Ego.
This WAY leads towards the attaining the VERY MEANING for which existence is , viz, the destruction of the EGO and having BEING itself functioning as the self, where the selfhood of the ordinary anma is displaced with Civahood. This attainment also means the END of the pressure for phenomenal circulation, the need to be born again and again. For once we attain this , the very REASON that underlies being born again and again, then the NEED to be born again and again is NO more and hence there comes the TERMINATION of existential repetition. This notion can also be understood in terms of overcoming the Karma, that which throws the anma into the world as a finite being assuming a bodily structure and so forth.
This movement is intellectually an inclusive and upward movement, incorporating more and more of the universes and finally attaing the END GROUND that forms the foundation of all existence, which in mythological accounts is described as the PARADISE, rather in a metaphorical way. In genuine religious life we have only GIMPSES of it and which sustains us in the metaphysical kind of existence. But most of the time we slip back into the ordinary world retaining the Heaven-Experience only as a pleasant memory but which nevertheless serves us as the GOAL that sustains our life as a kind of Pilgrimage, as an Odyssey towards being-in permanently in this END GROUND. At the LIMIT of this journey, at the point where we attain Moksa, tthe residence in this GROUND, the Tillai, becomes absolutely permanent, there is NO slipping back at all. One is FULLY immersed in it never again to depart from it even for a moment.
Now existence in this GROUND is also TRANS-LINGUISTICAL where the only language of communication is Deep Silence, the Mounam. For at this point there no consciousness of this or that -- in other words there is no thetic-consciousness, the CudduNarvu of Meykandar. Hence between the anma and the world there is no an OTHERNESS, the objective glance that notes as that or this . Hence also the absence of TIME or more specifically TEMPORALITY as a feature of the mind. The cognitive processes are freed of Time Consciousness and hence the ordinary language with Noun and Verb phrases that presuppose Time Consciousness become IMPOSSIBLE for such a person. The consciousness at this point becomes also Absolute Consciousness, the Civanjaanam, that form of consciousness that is the most inclusive and which NEVER fails to indicate that there is NOTHING ABOVE itself from within itself . It also breeds apodictic certainty by it being and showing from itself that it is absolutely PURE and hence faultless.
Upatesam 22
பெருமை சிறுமை அறிந்தெம் பிரான்போல்
அருமை எளிமை அறிந்தறி வார்ஆர்
ஒருமையுள் ஆமைபோல் உள்ளைந் தடக்கி
இருமையுங் கேட்டிருந் தார்புரைஅற்றே
perumai ciRumai aRintem piraanpool
arumai eLimai aRintaRi vaaraar
orumaiyuL aamaipool uLain tadakki
irumaiyung keeddirun taarpurai aRRee
ஆன்மாக்கள் அடைகின்ற தூய்மையின் அமைகின்ற பெருமை, அமையாதபோது விளங்குகின்ற சிறுமை இவற்றையெல்லாம் பிழையாது அறிந்து எம்பிரான்போல் ஆன்மாக்களின் கிடைத்தற்கரிய ஞானத்தெளிவின் அருமையாம் தன்மையையும் அது இல்லாதபோது எளிமையாம் தன்மையையும் உண்மையாக அறிந்து தெளிவோர் யாருண்டு? மெய்யான சிவஞான சித்தர்கள் இப்பிரானோடு வேறற்ற நிலையில் ஒருமையுடன் திகழ்ந்து அதனின் ஆமைபோல் எல்லா புலங்களையும் வேளியே போகவொட்டாது உள்ளே இழுத்து இவ்வுலகவாழ்க்கையில் இருந்துகொண்டே எவ்விதக் பிழையுமின்றி மறுமையைப் பற்றி இறைவன் போதிக்க இனிதே கேட்டிருப்பர்.
Who can understand as it is, the greatness of those pure souls and the meanness of those who are not as such and the rarity of the former and commonness of the latter other than my BEING, my Lord? The illuminarted souls will, like the turtle, will withdraw all the senses from the world but contஇnuing living will also listen to BEING when he discourses on the heavenly existence after death.
perumai ciRumai aRintem piraanpool: like my LOrd, the BEING who can understand the great and the mean
arumai eLimai aRintaRi vaaraar: and the rarity of the former and commonness of the latter and is clear in HIS understanding;
orumaiyuL aamaipool uLain tadakki: withdrwaing all the sense like a turtle would its limbs
irumaiyung keeddirun taarpurai aRRee: they ( the Siddhas) listen to the discourses of BEING on the life after death without any faults.
Commentary.
Here Thirumular outlines a social philosophy that has been thrown into the wilderness into which Hinduism has degenerated but somehow kept alive among the Tamil Siddhas. For he claims that all social distinctions , the hierachical differentiations among people and because of which some are categorised as high and some others as low are ERRONEOUS and that they are BOUND to be so as they are inventions or constructions of the finite individuals and as such always concerned with the Ego. In India people have used BIRTH and caste distinctions to establish this social hierarchy even using scriptures in support for this monstrocity. People in general use wealth education language ethinicity sexuality and even cultic affliations to establish such hierarchies. People of one religion claim they are superior to others and spend all their efforts to convert.
Somehow there is a NEED to categorise people in terms of high and low and most of the people use various categories for this purpose, not excluded in this are the religious affliations
But Thirumular is very clear: there is high and low among the people but the TRUE evaluation belongs to BEING and not to men or even the scriptures they quote. BEING is a living presence and it is HE who can be faultless in this. And for the same reason also one who becomes really the RARE or the UNCOMMON as opposed to being common. Most people pass for as the commoners with various other people chosen by these folks as the rare and gifted. Some chose the heroes valiant in the battles, some others the artists, some others the political leaders and some others individuals with some mystical gifts and prophetic capacities etc. But all these are purely human and therefore attempts of the faulty finite mind --it is BEING who can evaluate faultlessly as to who is the Uncommon etc.
And those wise people who understand this TRUTH are the Siddhas and because of which they REJECT out right all these human inventions and becoming very emotional and fanatical in such claims willing even to kill the opponents and critiques. But the really wise laugh at these human follies and withdrawing the senses, like a turtle would its limbs, become supremely INDIFFERENT to such social mischieves and train themselves only to LISTEN to BEING to be instructed on these matters: who is HIGH, who is LOW and who are UNCOMMON and who are common etc. In this lies UNDERSTADING the earthly life and the life after death for the present life is a PREPARATION for the next and unless we understand what is the NEXT life we will NOT UNDERSTAND the present especially what constitues high low common uncommon etc.
And as to these matters we SHOULD NOT TRUST any man or the even the scriptures that is passed by such people as the words of God. BEING is there always and we should aspire to LISTEN to Him DIRECTLY to get the necesasary clarities on such issues. But we cannot do this unless we LEARN to WITHDRAW our senses from the world and TRAIN ourselves to enter the metaphysical world and LISTEN to BEING who begins to discourse on these matters directly for such individuals.
Upatesam 23.
புரையற்ற பாலினுள் நெய்கலந் தாற்போல
திரையற்ற சிந்தைநல் ஆரியன் செப்பும்
உரையற் றுணர்வோர் உடம்பங் கொழிந்தாற்
கரையற்ற சோதி கலந்தசத் தாமே
puraiyaRRa paalinuL neykalan taaRpoola
tiraiyaRRa cintainal aariyan ceppum
uraiyaR RuNarvoor udabang kozintaaR
karaiyaRRa coothi kalantasat taamee
எந்த கலங்கமும் அற்ற தூய பாலினுள் கரந்து மறைந்து இருக்கின்ற நெய்போல, எல்லா உயர்வுகளுக்கும் உயர்வாக ஆகவே ஆரியனாக இருக்கும் இறைவன் அற்ப ஆசைகளால் தாக்குறாத சிந்தையில் வெளிப்பட்டு ஆனால் கரந்துருவாகவே இருப்பன். சின்முத்திரை வழியாக அவன் செப்பும் ஞானத்தை, உரைகடந்து மோனத்தில் உற்றுணர்வோர், மாயா பந்தங்கள் அனைத்தையும் கழன்றவராய் ஆகவே உடலோடு தாமரை இலைத்தண்ணீராக எவ்வித தொடக்கும் அற்று ஆகவே உடலற்று இருப்பர். அதுபொழுது காலவுணர்வுங் கழற ஆகவே எவ்வித கட்டுகளும் இல்லாது போக கரையற்ற சிவப்பிரகாசத்து இறைவனோடு ஒன்றாகி இறைவனைபோன்று தாமும் சத்தறிவாகிய சிவஞானம் மகிழும் சத்தாக இருப்பர் என்றவாறு.
BEING emerges but stands as the Unconscious in the mind that becomes unruffled by any earthly desires just like ghee being present invisibly in the pure milk. Those who transcend speech ( by transcending temporality) and LISTEN in DEEP SILENCE to the instructions on Absolute Illumination that BEING instructs on (through the language of Cin Muttirai) will untie themselves from all attachments to the physical body and becoming FREE from it, plunge into Boundless Radiance and through that also become a Sat, an absolute (just like BEING)
puraiyaRRa paalinuL neykalan taaRpoola: like ghee present (invisibly) in the pure milk
tiraiyaRRa cintainal aariyan ceppum: What BEING says within the mind that remains unruffled
uraiyaR RuNarvoor udabang kozintaaR: like becoming free of the bodily attachments by UNDERSTADING the divine disclosures in Deep Silence
karayaRRa cooti kalantasat taamee: becomes the Sat, an absolute by merging itself in the Boundless Radiance.
Commentary:
Here again emerges another important notion in Saiva Siddhanta that is hardly noted in other world religions. The anma is said to sat-asat i.e both historical and transhistorical. In other words it has both the capacities : to be lost in historical processes and becomes simply the physical, the asat or to pull itself out from the world flux and maintain itself in the Absolute, BEYOND the world -flux. The existence is a struggle between these two opposing tendencies -- the physical and metaphysical.
The physical possibilties it has -- to evolve into creatures of various kinds of bodily anatomy, be a subject of biological evolution is there no doubt. But as one progresses and takes note of the DEEPEST desire within one self,to locate oneself in a realm that is UNCHANGING and BE in residence which is permanent , then one also realises the REAL self is this absolute self and NOT the flux-prone earthly self. The anma caught in the flux-prone existence, of existential repetitions where biological births and hence assuming endless number of bodies , and exhausted of this NOTES at that point that that is NOT the only possiblity it has, that one CAN FREE onself from this evolutionary machinery and EXIST FREE from that. This existence free of the Karmic bondages, discloses what is SAT, the Absolute and TRUE.
But is this a fiction of imagination, a mere projection of the historical mind, tired at the thought of being in the evolutionary machinery in an endless manner, without any relieve?
NO! says Thirumular-- it is a TRUTH that any body can ascertain for himself but provided a certain kind of Sadhana is practiced.
The mind must be calmed, stilled so that it remains unruffled by worldly desires. The mind or consciousnees must be made suitable for BEING to emerge into the mind and instruct the anma. In other words the mind must be made like Pure Milk and at which BEING become manifest like the Ghee in it, i.e. as an invisible presence. But then HE will begin to instruct and one can UNDERSTAND what is being communicated only if one TRANSCEND LANGUAGE and which can be attained only by transcending Temporality -- time consciousness. Having attained this and as one continues to be instructed by BEING Himself in this manner, gradually all ties to the body and hence to the world gets sundered and the anma made FREE!
It is this FREEDOM from the biological nature that frees the anma from Asat and enable it to become the Sat. For having freed from cloistering bodily frame, the anma plunges into the Bounldess Radiance, the Brahman and becomes by attaining this state of Being, an absolute in itself.
Upatesam 24
சத்தமுதல் ஐந்தும் தன்வழித் தான்சாரில்
சித்துக்குச் சித்தின்றிச் சேர்விடம் வேறுண்டோ
சுத்த வெளியிற் சுடரிற் சுடர்சேரும்
அத்தம் இதுகுறித் தாண்டுகொள் அப்பிலே
cattamutal aintum tanvazit taancaaril
cittukkuc cittinRic ceervidam veeRuNdoo
cutta veLiyiR cudariR cudarceerum
attam itukuRit taaNdukoL appilee
தன்மாத்திரைகளாகிய சத்தமாதிகள் ஐந்தும் இயல்பாகவே ஆன்மாவைப் பந்திப்பதிலிருந்து கழன்று இறைவனைக் காட்டுவனவாக ஆகிட, சுதந்தரமாகிய சித்துப் பொருளாகிய ஆன்மாவிற்கு அநாதி முத்த சித்துருவாகிய இறைவனைச் சேர்வது விடுத்து வேறிடம் இல்லை. அதுபொழுது ஆன்மா எவ்வித உலகியல் தாக்கமுமின்றி சுத்தமாகி சுடரிற் சுடர் சேருமாபோல், இறைவனோடு சேரும். இதுதான் வாழ்க்கையின் அருத்தம். இதனைக் குறித்து இறைவனது அருளாகிய ஆகாய கங்கையில் குளித்து அறிந்துகொள்!
When the perceptual senses five slowly get transformed naturally into the higher cognitive processes that disclose BEING, the anma as a sentient being has nothing else to conjoin except BEING, the supremely sentient. Having become PURE because of the release it has attained from the sensorial, it enters Space Pure and conjoins BEING like a flame merging with another flame. You must gain this understanding as the MEANING of existence by gaining HIS GRACE, by cleansing yourself with a bath in the cool waters of Metaphysical Ganges.
cattamutal aintum tanvazit taancaaril: If the senses five become slowly transformed into those showing BEING
cittukkuc cittinRic ceervidam veeRuNdoo: the sentient anma has no palce other than the supremely sentinet BEING
cutta veLiyiR cudariR cudarceerum : in Pure space (tha anma will conjoin BEING ) like a flame merging with another flame
attam itukuRit taaNdukoL appilee: That this is meaning of Existence is something that you have to gain as a blessing of BEING by bathing in the waters of Metaphysical Ganges
Commentary
The anma is psychical or sentient and hence capable of UNDERSTANDING and in this it differs from the insentient physical objects. However by the assumption of the physical body by its biological birth, it has also a physicality associated with it and hence a DUALITY which is expressed by Tirumular as cat-acat i.e the anma is peculiar in that it can be both physical and psychical or spiritual. The meaning of existence is escaping from the physicality that remains a possiblity and become a PURE spiritual entity. This is the essence of existential struggle, the battle with oneself and it constitutes also the essence of struggles with our own theistic and atheistic propulsions.
The anma acts using the various cognitive utensils available in the brain. Depending upon what faculties are used it is said to function with Manam when only the external senses are used, with Butti when creative and imaginative capacities are utilised, with Akangkaaram when self-related social perceptions are generated and with Sittam when the Unconscious are explored. However when the anma gradually isolates itself from functioning with these cognitive utensils and become FREE then it has no other alternative except to be ONE-WITH-BEING for at that point only BEING remains as that with it can fuse itself with, become one-with , something natural to a psychic entity, the anma.
Now it is only at this point that the sense faculties that were processing the physical become utensils that process BEING and thus help to generate an understanding of BEING. The Saiva psychologists say that at this point the sense facuties become civakaraNam from being pacukaraNam. Thus unless we train ourselves to transform the sense faculties from being those that process the physical, the pacukaraNam, into those that process BEING i.e CivakaraNam , we shall NOT succeed in attaining the END which constitutes the very meaning of Life-- to merge with BEING like a flame would with another flame.
But this is possible only when the anma becomes supremely PURE and which is NOT possible unless it cleanses itself of all the dirt, the filth, the impurities, the malas that constitute that which make us mere human lacking in genuine spirituality. To become PURE we have to dip ourselves in the Metaphysical River, the Ganges.
Tirumular is NOT refering here to the ritual baths that all religions emphasize but rather the process of becoming psychically pure, becoming Good at heart by allowing the Growth of LOVE for all. To be PURE at heart is to be full of genuine concern and care for all, to allow the aruL, seen metaphorically as a river to dominate the psychic functioning.
Upatesam 25
அப்பினில் கூர்மை ஆதித்தன் வெம்மையால்
உப்பெனப் பேர் பெற்று உருச் செய்த அவ்வுரு
அப்பினிற் கூடி அது ஒன்றாகுமாறு போல்
செப்பினிற் சீவன் சிவத்துள் அடங்கும்
appinil kuurmai aatittan vemmaiyaal
uppenap peer peRRu uruc ceyta avvuru
appiniR kuudi atu onRaakumaaRu pool
ceppiniR ciivan civattuL adangkum.
கடல் நீரில் கரந்து தனித்துக் காணவராது கிடக்கும் கூர்மை, ஆதித்தன் நின்று காய, உப்பு என தனித்து உணரவரும் ஒன்றாகவும், தனித்து பேர் இடப்பட்டதாகவும் உருச்செய்து நிற்கும். ஆயினும் இவ்வாறு ஓர் தனிப் பொருளாக நிற்கும் உப்பு, நீருடன் மீண்டும் கலக்க அந்த நீரோடு கலந்து ஒன்றாமாறு போல் சீவனுக்கும் சிவனுக்கும் உள்ளத் தொடர்பாகும். "நான்" என்ற அகந்தையோடு நிற்கும்போது, உப்புப் போன்று; அது கெட்டு நிற்க, கடலில் கலந்த உப்புபோல், சீவன் சிவத்துள் அடங்கும்
When the fierce sun beats the pungent sea, we have the salt being crystallised as a distinct entity assuming its own name and form. But when it is dissloved in the waters again, it merges with the waters losing its distinctiveness. So is the case with anma -- when it stands with ego, it has its own distinctiveness and identity. However on the dissolution of the ego-sense, it becomes one-with BEING and quite indistinguishable.
appinil kuurmai: the pungency in the sea waters
aatittan vemmaiyaal : because of the heat coming from the sun
uppenap peer peRRu uruc ceyta avvuru: assumes a disctinct name and form and when that substance
appiniR kuudi atu onRaakumaaRu pool: dissolves in the waters , it becomes indistinguishable from it. And in this manner,
ceppiniR ciivan civattuL adangkum.: it can be said that the jiivan, the soul, dissolves itself in BEING , becoming indistinguishable
Commentary
Here Thirumular addresses the question about the meaning of Advaita that has been a controversial issue in the Indian philosophical traditions for millenniums . The absence of Duality, nonseparateness from BEING is the common experience of all mystics and differences appear on the horizon only when a REFLECTIVE grasp is sought about it. The experience of ONENESS is translinguistical, at that moment because there is absence FISSURE with BEING, language becomes impossible. Any attempt to verbalise requires separating oneself from BEING and hence necessarily a dualistic situation where BEING is in a way an object of the-tic understanding, the cudduNarvu of Meykandar.
Thirumular attempts here to give a sense to this enigmatic nature of this dimension of spiritual experience by an analogy where he brings out the point that the one-ness in question is coeval with the destruction of the EGO and NOT the anma itself, and thus understanding NOT as the dissolution of Anma in Brahmam by extricating itself from an uncanny mayasakthi- an inexplicable magic power -- that installs in the first place the separateness of anma from Brahman, BEING-as-RADIANT, a view attributed to Sankara.
Anma can be with or without ego and only when it is with Ego that there is an "I-ness', a separateness, distinctness and an identity. And only because of this ego-identity there are collectivities and communities all within various kinds of tribalistic political organisations. The anmas also use religion language biological endowments wealth culture cults proffessions interests competencies and so forth to band themselves into collectives and play the political game.
Such Ego-anmas are like salt crystals that have a structure and form that distiguish themselves from others when the waters in which they are is dried up by the fierce heat of the sun. The Ego-anma is a crystalisation made possible by identity-confering processes in nature that facilitates concept formation and name-giving .
But why does this happen?
The fact is the anma in itself is APPROPRIATING, naturally it is acquisitive, wants as-for-itself whatever reaches it . The universal processes, the Universal Praxis of BEING, the pankritiyas are appropriated by such anmas as for-itself and with this emerges "for me", "I am this, that" etc. And all this because it is metaphysically IGNORANT, there is DARKNESS in its understanding , caused by a BLINDNESS in its seeing or perceiving.
And BEING allows this but at the same time slowly dissolves or wipes out this acquistiveness, the tendency to appropriate as for oneself through destroying the ROOT cause of it all -- the metahysical ignorance caused by a BLINDNESS. BEING unfolds visions after visions, opening up the eyes so that the BLINDNESS is NO MORE. And it is at this point that the anma, instead of being the Ego-anma, becomes the Egoless-anma and as such unable to distinguish itself as a separate and distinct entity from BEING. It becomes the salt that dissolves in the ocean and becomes thereby indistinguishable from the waters. It is THERE, it has not been evaporated into a nothingness, a non-entity and also it is NOT the ocean waters. It is there but without distinguising itself i.e without any ego functions.
Uparesam 26
திருவடி யேசிவ மாவது தேரில்
திருவடி யேசிவ லோகஞ் சித்திக்கில்
திருவடி யேசெல் கதியது செப்பில்
திருவடி யேதஞ்சம் உள்தெளி வார்க்கே
tiruvadiyee civamaavatu teeril
tiruvadiyee civalookanj cittikkil
tiruvadiyee cel katiyatu ceppil
tiruvadiyee tanjsam uL teLivaarkkee
ஆழச் சிந்தித்துத் தெளியின், சிவம் என்பது நாத விந்து எனும் சிவதத்துவங்களை அசைத்து அசைத்து உலகினை நடாத்தும் திருவடியே யாகும்; எண்புத்திகளும் சித்திகளும் சித்திக்க அடையும் சிவலோகமும் அத்திருவடிகள் நடமாடும் திருசிற்றம்பலமே யாகும்; நல்வழி யாதென்று விசாரித்து தெளிவாக செப்பில், மக்களுக்கு உரிய நல்வழி செல்கதி அதுவே யாகும்; இவற்றையெல்லாம் சிந்தித்துத் தெளிந்து ஞானத்தெளிவு அடைந்தார்க்கு முடிவில் அந்த திருவடிகளே தஞ்சமும் ஆகும்.
At the end of metaphysical illuminations BEING will be known as the Divine Feet that plays Natham and Bindu and regulates the world; and when all the mystic powers are attained the metaphysical world will be known as this ground; the Way that one ought to follow will also be known as the WAY that leads to this world; and for those who attain the Absolute Understanding that illuminates all, this world also becomes the final refuge.
tiruvadiyee civamaavatu teeril: when you reflect and understand, BEING shows Himself as the dancing Divine Feet
tiruvadiyee civalookanj cittikkil: when one attains all the mystic powers it will turn out that Civaloka is this Ground of Divine Feet
tiruvadiyee cel katiyatu ceppil: when we explain it , the WAY towards the Divine Feet is the WAY
tiruvadiyee tanjsam uL teLivaarkkee: and for those who enjoy Abslolute illumination, this Dancing Feet also becomes the Final Refuge.
Commentary:
The way towards BEING, the Most Pure is the way of LEARNING that illuminates the mind. The higher reaches of metaphysical life is NOT possible in an unthinking and irrational life. Every experiences HAVE to be reflected upon and the mysteries surrounding it unfolded. Only in this kind of metaphysical journey where illuminations after illuminations are gained, it will be realised that finally everything in the world is a DANCE , a dance in which everything is moved by moving the basic and fundamental tatvas: Natam and Bintu ( Yin and Yang). This is the metaphorical Divine Feet -- we can see only the Play but the NOT the Player and hence BEING is known only as the Divine Feet.
But attaining this understanding, and living fully in that understanding is actually living in Civaloka, the Metaphysical World , the World of Mantras, the absolutely PURE Universe where only divine thoughts emerge and nothing evil at all. Hence living fully immersed in this World is also living the Divine World, the world of Absolute Purity where there can be only happiness.
And when this clarity is well established the confusions about how to live, which way to follow, what religion or mataphysics to choose and so forth will not arise. It will be clearly grasped that the WAY, the Right Way is the way that leads towards this Divine Feet, towards this Civaloka
When this illumination sets upon one and clarifies the understanding, it DISPELS all doubts and uncertainties and through the a[podictic certainly it breeds, it becomes the REFUGE, the Place where one feels save and secure. It provides the STRENGTH so that one can remain FIRM and UNPERTURBED no matter what kind of problem one faces in life.
Upatesam 27
தெளிவு குருவின் திருமேனி காண்டல்
தெளிவு குருவின் திருநாமஞ் செப்பல்
தெளிவு குருவின் திருவார்த்தை கேட்டல்
தெளிவு குருவுரு சிந்தித்தல் தானே
teLivu kuruvin tirumeeni kaaNdal
teLivu kuruvin tirunaamanj ceppal
teLivu kuruvin tiruvaarttai keeddal
teLivu kuruvuru cintittal taanee
ஆணவச் செருக்கெல்லாம் செற்று தானெனும் அகந்தையும் கெட்டு இறைவனே தானென அமர்ந்திருக்கும் மெய்யான குருவின் திருமேனிக் கண்டால் இறைவனையே காண்பதுபோல் ஆகும் என்பதின், ஐயமும் திரிபும் அகற்றும் ஞானத்தெளிவு உண்டாகும்; இனி அத்திருவுருவினை மறந்திடாவகையில் அவன் திருநாமம் செப்பிக்கொண்டே இருப்பதும், இறைவனை யாண்டும் நினைவினில் இருத்துவதின், ஞானத்தெளிவு மறையாது இருக்கும்; இனி ஐயப்பாடுகள் எழும்போது கேள்விகள் கேட்க அதுபொழுது உதிக்கப்படும் உபதேச வார்த்தைகள் இறைவனது சொற்களேயாகுமென, அவையும் ஞானத்தெளிவு தருவனவே; இனி மௌனம் பூண்டு வேறு யாதையும் சிந்திக்காது குருவின் திருவுருவினை மாத்திரம் சிந்திப்பதால் ஆங்கு விளங்கும் தேசிகத் திருவின் காரணமாக ஞானத்தெளிவும் உண்டாகும்.
When aperson has become absolutely pure having overcome the ANavam and so forth, he becomes BEING-HIMSELF -AS-THERE and on account of it just the mere SEEING the form of the Guru becomes illuminating. And since reciting his name would keep hiச் FORM active in mind, uttering his name இச் also illuminating. Now when in doubt and questions are raised his advises given will actually be the words of BEING HIMSELF and hence supremely illuminating too. And since the FORM of the Guru becomes one of the Forms of BEING-HIMSELF, deep complations of the very form of Guru becomes illuminating too.
teLivu kuruvin tirumeeni kaaNdal: it is illuminating the SEE the divine frame of the Guru
teLivu kuruvin tirunaamanj ceppal: it is illuminating to utter the NAME of the Guru
teLivu kuruvin tiruvaarttai keeddal: it is illuminating to listen to the divine words of Guru
teLivu kuruvuru cintittal taanee: it is illuminating to reflect on the Form of the Guru
Commentary:
Though the institution of Guru has becomes DEGENERATE just as so many institutions in Saivism, nevertheless Thirumular recommends an important place for genuine Gurus for people who would need the guidance of such people. BEING illuminates all according to their innate capacities just as Thirumualr himself has observed in many places. There are the vinjanakalar tye indiiduals who DO NOT require the services of the Human Guru as BEING Himself becomes the inner guru who instructs the Anma DIRECTLY from within but through the language of silence, the Sunya Cambasanai-- the nonverbal inner dialogue.
Thus the services of a human guru are needed only for the Pralayakalar or the Sakalar type-- also a notion available in Thirumanthiram. This is what later Meykandar calls Mun NinRu Unarttal -- appearing through the soul of an anma and instructing THROUGH him by overpowering his soul completely and shining forth as Himself. Such individuals who allow themselves to be taken over completely by BEING are the Gurus meant here.
And as Tirumular has said in many places BEING can take over both the body and soul ( uun udambu aalyam) and through that DISCLOSE Himself as such. The mind and bodies taken over as such become BEING- HIMSELF-AS-THERE and anyone who comtemplates on his form words names he assumes and so forth become another way in which a person can attain metaphysical illuminations and begin to enjoy the absolute illuminatioin -- the Civanjaanam.
The anmas thus possessed are NO MORE HUMAN with the finitude and impurity characteristic of them. Totally absolved of the Malam -- the Dark Stuff that obscures the SEEING , the seeing without any Cuddu, that-ness -- the person loses his human-ness and becomes a locale where shines forth without any distortions BEING Himself. His body becomes the tirumeeni-- the divine body and almost like the ICON that discloses in a concrete form an archetype that remains abstract and invisible for the ordinary eyes. Thus LOOKING at his physical body and noting the special Aura that comes to prevail, it is an away LEARNING and hence gaining metaphysical illumination. The very FORM of the physical body of individuals thus possessed become INSTRUCTIVE in a way about metaphysical truths.
And reciting the names certainly will help the fragile mind that gets lost very easily in mundane matters and hence lose the concentration and focus that metaphysical learnings require. The continous recitation of the name , like the repetitions of mantras works on mind , affects the cognitive processes and LIFTS UP the soul into the metaphysical realms and through that help gaining in illuminations. So would be the deep reflective exercises on the Form of the Guru, the special lustre that comes to prevail there.
The words of such a Guru cease to be words of Human Speech but rather the Bagavath Gita, Civa Gita , Brahma Gita etc-- the words of BEING Himself just as the words of a possessed individuals are no more the words of the speaker but rather that of the deity that takes possession of him.The speech mechanisms are NO MORE that of the individual -- BEING HIMSELF is PRESENT there and the words that emerge are HIS Words and NOTat all that of the individual through whom the words emerge.
Upatesam 28
தானே புலன்ஐந்துந் தன்வச மாயிடும்
தானே புலன்ஐந்தும் தன்வசம் போயிடும்
தானே புலன் ஐந்தும் தன்னில் மடைமாறும்
தானே தனித்தெம் பிரான்தனைச் சந்தித்தே
taanee pulan aintum tan vacamaayidum
taanee pulan aintum tan vacampooyidum
tanee pulan aintum tannil madaimaaRum
taanee tanittem pirantnaaic cantittee
பொறிலியப் பார்வையின் ஐம்புலன்களும் தனித்து வேறாகி ஒதுங்கி நின்றிட அறிவு எம்பிரானைச் சந்திக்க, தானே இந்த ஐம்புலன்களும் இறைவசமாயிடும் என்பதோடு இறைவனை அறிவதிலேயே நாட்டமெலாம் போய்விடும். இதனால் அகத்தே ஓர் ஆழமான மடைமாற்றம் நிகழ, பொறிகள் பசுகரணங்களாக இருப்பதுபோய், சிவகரணங்களாக உயரும்
When the mind , separating and isolating itself from sensorial commerce, it will encounter BEING with its mental eyes. And because of that the senses five will be attracted to BEING and will seek out understanding in relation to BEING only. And because of fundamental transformation of self this brings about , the senses cease to be physicalistic and become genuinely metaphyisical, disclosing perceptions related to BEING
taanee pulan aintum tan vacamaayidum: the senses on their own accord become concerned about BEING
taanee pulan aintum tan vacampooyidum : the senses five will seek out perceptions of only BEING
tanee pulan aintum tannil madaimaaRum : the senses five will suffer on their accord a fundamental change of direction
taanee tanittem pirantnaaic cantittee: when separating and isolating self from , the self encounters BEING
Commentary.
The function of metaphysical life is to ENCOUNTER directly BEING who is present AS-THERE always. However HE remains invisible only because our seeing is NOT sufficiently gifted deep wide and sufficiently OPEN to see HIM. Under normal circumstances we suffer from metaphysical blindness, live in CIVA RATRI and hence live like a blind man, unable see what is there resplendently. Here is located the function of genuine religious life: to open the eyes, reduce the metaphysical blindness by destroying the inner darkness in which we are already.
This requires the isolating of senses from the sensorial commerce, the physicalistic perceptions in which we are normally LOST unable to extricate ourselves from being carried away by it. This is the physicalistic life where the real and meaningful appear to be only the physical and we tend to live, with this kind imprisonment, in the physical world leading the materialistic kind life. This perpetuates the blindness and furthers our metaphysical ignorance. Thus in order to avoid this living in Metaphysical Ignorance, we have to isolate the self from the senses and freeing the mind from their clutches, remain OPEN to receive whatever this sense-isolation would allow.
It is this point that the nonphysicalistic world dawns and become available fஒர் perceptions and in it we also ENCOUNTER the presence BEING perhaps not sufficiently clear but nevertheless as an undeniable reality. However this constitutes the conversion as much as transformation for subsequent to that, on their own accord the senses cease to process the physicalistic and seek out the metaphysical. The materialistic way of life recedes to the background as unappetising , uninteresting and the spiritual way of life becomes that which is desired, enjoyed etc.
There comes to be a fundamental change in motivational dynamics too. The mind ceases to process the ordinary cognitive but become well established in transductive perceptions, perceptions related the metaphysical or the Unconscious.
Thirumular does NOT advocate propaganda and preaching for bringing about "conversion" that he calls "madai maaRRaM' , a rechanneling of the motivational dynamics in the direction of the metaphysical. He recommends the opening of the capacities for transductive perceptions that all persons naturally have by enabling them to extricate themselves from the senses that imprisons them to the physical.
Upatesam 29
சந்திப் பதுநந்தி தந்திருத் தாளிணை
சிந்திப் பதுநந்தி செய்ய திருமேனி
வந்திப் பதுநந்தி நாமம்என் வாய்மையால்
புந்திக்குள் நிற்பது நந்திபொற் போதமே
cantip patunanti tantirut taaLiNai
cintip patunanti ceyya tirumeeni
vantip patunanti naamam en vaaymaiyaal
puntikkuL niRpatu nantipoR pootamee
ஐம்புலன்களின் ஆக்கரமிப்பிலிருந்து கழன்று மெய்ஞான விசாரணையில் விடாது செல்ல, சந்திப்பது இறைவன் சத்தி சிவனாய் ஆடும் ஆட்டத்தின் திருத்தாள் இணைகளை; இணையடிகளைக் கண்டு பிறகு சிந்திப்பது இறைவனது சுத்தத்தின் செய்யத் திருமேனியினை; இவ்வாறு இறைவனை நலமே அறிய அதனின் நன்றிப் பெருக்கால் வந்திப்பது வாய்மையாக இறைவனது நாமத்தினையே; இவ்வாறு செய்வதின் என் புந்தியில் எப்போதும் இறைவனது ஆன்மாவை களிம்பு நீக்கிப் பொன்னாக்கும் சிவஞானபோதமே நடக்கின்றது
When I free myself from being enchained by the senses and venture into the metaphysical world, I encounter there the Twin Feet of BEING with which he executes the dance with Natam and Bindu; and having understood the workingச் then the thinking becomes about the very body of BEING; and having understood in this manner the form and function of BEING there is only truely praising Him overcome with gratitude ; and as I do that , in my mind there continues instructions on Absolute Understanding ப்ய் Bஏஈண்G Hஇம்செல்f that makes the soul golden
cantip patu nanti tantirut taaLiNai : what is encountered (in the metaphysical journey) are the Twin Feet of BEING
cintip patunanti ceyya tirumeeni : what is deeply reflected upon is His Radiant Body
vantip patunanti naamam en vaaymaiyaal : what is praised truely by me are His names
puntikkuL niRpatu nantipoR pootamee : and because of this there is continuous intructions on Absolute Understanding that makes the soul golden
Commentary
=========
The genuine metaphysical life is a THINKING life and most certainly not the unthinking irrational life that is unfortunately so common in the modern world where dogmatism and nonreflective ritualism prevails. Thirumular here virtually outlines the thinkiing life he practiced and as a result of which he enjoyed instructions from BEING Himself on absolute undersanding that purifies the mind and soul and thereby making it Golden.
The golden is metaphor and indicates two things: that of limiting Purity and that of everlasting Joy. The metaphysical life is a life that increases true joy and that too by making the soul purer and purer , free of the Mummalam that 'dirties' it, make it mean inhuman atomic and beastly.
The genuine mataphysical life, as a life of ENCOUNTER of BEING is most certainly not of reciting dogmas and tenets of ones creed. The workings of the world are deeply reflected upon and through that the presence of the different combinations and permutations of Bindu and Natam are noted. There is NOTHING in the world, be it physical or metaphysical which is not shaped by the use of the Civa Tatvas Bindu and Natam, the Yin and Yang.
This is the first step in the direction of genuine metaphysical wisdom and to note which one has to tear oneself away from the all prejudices that thwart the objective seeing of the world. And now having seen the Dance , and the two feet that executes this marvellous dance, the next for metaphysical rrflections become BEING Himself, His true essence, what He is in Himself, the coruubam. This pressure within also brings about an understanding of His essence and from which glows that He is Full of AruL, that HE IS LOVE itself and because of which He graces the world with this Dance, that enables the world to be, to move and because of which the creatures LEARN and become pure at heart.
At the burst of this understanding what else can a person do except praise BEING in as many names as possible? This is true Praise, true prayer, the prayer that enuciates His essence in thousands of names and sings his LOVE in terms of the atttributes these names mention.
And this ensures the continuos presence of BEING in the mind and hence continuos intructions on Absolute Understanding by BEING Himself.
Thus in this way and very briefly Thirmular enunciates the goals of true religious life -- not to IMPRISON the mind in dogmas and meaningless rituals but make it move in the direction of true freedom where BEING takes over the instructions directly.
Upatesam 30
போதந் தரும் எங்கள் புண்ணிய நந்தியைப்
போதந்தனில் வைத்துப் புண்ணியராயினர்
நாதன் நடத்தால் நயனங் களிகூர
வேதந் துதித்திடப் போயடைந்தார் விண்ணே
pootan tarum engkaL punniya nantiyaip
pootantanil vaittup puNNiyaraayinar
naatan nadattaal nayanang kaLikuura
veetan tutittdap pooyadaintaar viNNee
பற்பல திருவிளையாடல்கள் வழிஞானம் தெளிவித்து போதம் புகட்டி அனைவரையும் புண்ணியமே செய்யவல்ல புண்ணியர் ஆக்கும் எங்கள் புண்ணிய நந்தியை, என்றும் மறவாது அறிவிலே வைத்து அந்த நற்செயலால் இன்னும் புண்ணியராயினர். இறைவன் தொடர்ந்து நடித்து நடித்து சிவஞானம் சுடர்ந்திடச் செய்ய கண்களும் அருட்கண்னே யாக அதனின் களிகூர உலகத்தையே திருகூத்தாகக் கண்டு, எழுந்துவரும் நன்றிப் பெருக்கால் அவனை துதித்து துதித்துப் பாடி அசுத்தமாய உடலை விட்டு சிவலோகம் அடைந்தார்
BEING is the respledent who instructs continuously and through making the souls become illuminated also makes them righteous and for the reason that He is also the Supremely Righteous. And those who keep Him thus forever active in their mind become by that very act even more virtuous. And the because of the tireless DANCE BEING executes to make all creatures pure, their eyes become that dominated by GRACE itself and hence experience only Bliss seeing now nothing else but the Dance.. And overcome with gratitude for this immensely satiating experience , they sing the glories of BEING and enter the heavenly world, discarding the physical body when the time comes.
pootan tarum engkaL punniya nantiyaip: Our ritghteous BEING who illuminates the mind
pootantanil vaittup puNNiyaraayinar: in understanding they keep Him thus and through that become even more virtuous
naatan nadattaal nayanang kaLikuura: the eyes becomes graceful and enjoys supreme bliss and all because able to see the Dance of BEING
veetan tutittdap pooyadaintaar viNNee : the virtuous overcome with immense gratitude praise the glories of BEING and enter the heavenly world.
Commentary.
This is the final verse on Upatesdam, the General Advise that Thirumular sets himself to give as the essence of all his metaphysical excursions and the clarities he had attained. And fittingly it is about Mukti, the END towards which all creatures are moving or are taken to perhaps unknown to themselves. To the ordinary individuals lost in existential struggles of all kinds, the underlying Game of BEING that lies at the deepest layers may still be uncosncious but this is NOT so for the illuminated who manage to have a glimpse of those deep currents that fashion our wakeful life events, the historical because of which they become like the waves that ripple on the surface of the sea but shaped as to what they are by the invisible undercurrents deep deep down.
But whatever the experience however painful the existential struggles are , they are essentially INSTRUCTIVE and hence illuminative, BEING gives Pootam, understanding though all these and makes the souls become purer and purer. The existential anguish, conflicts and clashes, the gains and loses and so forth are PURIFICATORY at the deepest level and because of which the souls become PURER and hence BEING is understood as the PuNNiyan, the supremely virtuous.
Ultimately what matters is our ethicality --- ethics rules divine illuminations. The wicked individual, no matter how sharp and analytical he is, can never gain the deep illuminations which are GIFTS of BEING and they are gifted only for the ethically good. So the wise who knows this, will keep BEING as the TEACHER but within their ethical self and because of which they also become Pure.
And as deeper and deeper disclosures are gifted and the hitherto hidden mysteries unfolded in transpires that BEING plays a Game, that everything in the world is His Play, a marvellous Play and when the eyes begin to behold the World as Play and BEING as the Player, there is sublime Bliss, a bliss that satiates and fulfills beyond measure. There cannot a greater measure of happiness than this.
This is the meaning of existence, that towards which all these existential struggles are leading to, or taking us to. And when we finally attain it , interest in the continuity of existence recedes to the background, drops from being a fabrique of human consciousness; cease to be the component of our motivational dynamics. One realises only at this point the supreme LOVE that BEING has shown and continuos to show all, and overcome with the most moving and meaningful gratitude, the self simply breaks out into lyrics and sings the munificence of BEING and when the time comes ascends to the heavens never to descend again assuming another rebirth.
This is the attainment of Mukti , finally escape from the endless existential repetitions, being born again and again.