शिवज्ञानबोध (मेय्कण्डार - शैव सिद्धान्त का आधारभूत दार्शनिक सूत्र ग्रन्थ)

94 SIVAGNANA BOTHAM.
NOTES.
This Sutra treats of the Sadana that is required for the
Gnana padha, and during the period after Sarguru Darshan, and
before becoming Jivan Mukta, and while in the human body.
The necessity for any Sadana at all during this period is because
as is indicated in the 3rd argument, the human soul by its long
association with Asat, sometimes forgets itself even after it has
found out its own nature and though it cannot do evil, there is
an hankering after evil. This is what is called Vasana Malam
or Thosham, evil of habit or association. The man whose sight
is restored in the beginning loves to shut his eyes a little. The
worm even tasting sweetness forgets it and delights to eat the
bitter bark by its long habit previously contracted. The reason
why it lingers is shown further on by the illustrations of the
potter's wheel which revolves even after the potter's hand is with-
drawn, and the empty asafœtida pot. The Sadana given in
this Sutra for removing this Vasana Malam is the contemplation
of Sri Panchatchara or say Pranavam, and here we pass into the
subject of Aha Dyan as distinguished from Pura Dyan, esoteric
worship from exoteric worship. There is, however, a corres-
pondence between these two and the correspondence is that be-
tween a reality and a Symbol. The various rituals employed in
Temple worship correspond to various real spiritual practices
employed in esoteric worship. The subject is too abstruse even
for me, especially as I am not yet an initiate, and any elaboration
of it is altogether beyond the scope of this work. The object of
the original work itself is to lay down and explain the founda-
tions, the basic principles of our Philosophy and Religion and I