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

40 SIVAGNANA BOTHAM.
we see it is not Maya or objective consciousness. The Atma
occupies a place different from the other two i.e., a middle position.
God is Sat; Maya is Asat; hence Atma is called Satasat
(சதசத்து). The author of Ozhivilodukkam calls it Ali Arivu
(அலியறிவு—Hermaphrodite intelligence) comparing the Divine
Arivu to male and the Maya Arivu to female intelligence.
Though all these are intelligences, they are of different orders.
There is a dependence of the lower intelligence on the higher
and when viewed from the stand-point of the higher, the lower
ceases to exist as it were, the latter becomes Asat. Maya is Sat,
but as compared with Atma, it is Asat. Atma is sat but as
compared with God is Asat; Maya could not be compared with
anything lower, nor God (Sat) with anything higher. So these
latter occupy extremes Asat and Sat and the middle one is called
Satasat, partaking of the nature of both and not being both.
When it identifies itself with Maya, (as in man) it is hardly
distinguishable from Maya and when it becomes identified with
Sat, its presence cannot also be seen. So it is an Ali.
One other distinction between Sat and Satasat is that Sat
is காட்டும் அறிவு or அறிவிக்கும் அறிவு (intelligence that induces
Perception) or Light that removes darkness and the latter is
காணும் or அறியும் அறிவு (Intelligence that perceives after
the darkness is removed by Sat).
The relation of God, Atma and Maya is illustrated by the
following analogy. Atma is the eye which is affected by a
general disability and a particular defect. It cannot see in
darkness nor when its eye sight is defective. God is the sun,
the dispeller of darkness, thereby giving light to the eye and
other objects and enabling it to preceive. Maya is like the eye
glasses which afford temporary relief to defective sight. By
continued use of the glasses (births) and by a touch of the
Surgeon's lancet (God's Grace or Arul Sakti) the defective eye