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

SEVENTH SUTRA. 81
(c) The last illustration contains a favorite analogy. God
is the sea or the vast space giving room to a vast volume of
water and things contained in it, "the all Container" "The
Sarva Viyapaka." The water is the soul which is Vyapti and the
salt of the water is the Malam which is Vyappia. The import of
the analogy in this place is that though it is the sea which
gives room to the water and the salt, yet the salt does not attach
itself to the sea (space) but to the water. And the salt though
it is always present in sea water, the water in its original or real
condition, is not so connected and this connection can be separa-
ted.
9

82 SIVAGNANA BOTHAM.
VIII.
EIGHTH SUTRA.
THE WAY IN WHICH SOULS OBTAIN WISDOM.
Sutra.—The Lord appearing as Guru to the
Soul which had advanced in Tapas (Virtue and
Knowledge) instructs him that he has wasted himself
by living among the savages of the five senses; and
on this, the soul, understanding its real nature,
leaves its former associates, and not being different
from Him, becomes united to His Feet.
Commentary.
This explains the Path of attaining Gnanam, and
consists of four arguments.
First Argument.
Churnika.—Souls will obtain wisdom from Tapas.
Varthikam.—Moksha cannot be obtained when per-
forming Sariya, Kriya, and Yoga, unless the supreme
Gnanam is attained by Tapas effected in all previous
births.
Illustrations.—(a) Those who have performed Tapas
enjoy its fruits in the various Tapalokas (Heavens). And
then they attain good births, so that they may get rid of
even these desires, by eating the fruits of these desires,
and attain Gnanam. This is what the learned in the Shasters
say.

EIGHTH SUTRA. 83
(b) The bliss secured by the much praised sacrificial
acts will be like the pleasure derived by the hungry man
after eating and who again becomes hungry. The soul
will join its Gnana Guru when by its indestructible Tapas
(Sariya, Kriya and Yoga) its good and bad Karma be-
come perfectly balanced.
Second Argument.
Churnika.—He who comes as the Sarguru of the
souls is Hara.
Varthikam.—It is established that the Lord appearing
as Guru will teach the souls, as not being separate from
the souls, He shines in the light of the souls as His body.
Illustrations.—(a) God imparts Gnanam to Vignana-
kalars as they dwell in Himself ; to Pralayakalars, He
appears as Guru in His divine form and imparts Gnanam ;
and to Sakalars, He appears as Guru concealing himself in
human form and imparts Gnanam.
(b) The souls will not attain Gnanam unless imparted
by God in order. Those (Pralayakalar and Sakalar) who
are instructed by the Perfect Lord of the world, receive
such instructions in the 2nd and 3rd persons respectively.
Those (Vignana Kalar) who do not receive such imperfect
instruction, attain Moksha Gnanam from God by intuition.
(c.) The milk and tears, which did not exist before,
appear in the person of the well-adorned mother after the
birth of the child as the result of her love. Who will there-
fore understand the Lord who is present in the soul, un-
perceived, like the Akas in the water, if he did not appear
in the form of the Divine Guru ?

84 SIVAGNANA BOTHAM.
Third Argument.
Churnika.—The soul does not see itself when in union
with the five senses.
Varthikam.—The souls, being blinded by the senses
forget their real nature, as the senses do not show the soul
its own nature but only put before it, its own impressions,
just like the colors reflected on a mirror.
Illustration.—The soul, who, after reflecting that the
knowledge derived from the material senses is only material,
like the colors reflected on a mirror, and that these color-like
sensations are different from itself, and after perceiving such
false knowledge as false, understands the Truth, will be-
come the servant of God who is different from such Asat.
Fourth Argument.
Churnika.—The soul will know itself when it forgets
the senses.
Varthikam.—The soul reaches the feet of its Lord
when it sees itself to be different from the senses, just as a
man reaches the ground, when the rope of the swing breaks.
Illustrations.—(a) The soul which becomes bound with
Pasam, like the river flood when stopped by an embankment,
will not leave the Divine Feet of the Lord, who is un-
changeable, after once attaining Them, onbeing freed from
the ties of the world, like the flood which reaches the sea
on the embankments being destroyed.
(b.) If every object is God, then no body need attain
God's feet. If He is not every thing, He is not God.
Everything cannot see Him, as though the eye sees all
objects, all the other senses cannot see. Understand the su-
premacy of eyesight in persons who recover their eyesight.

EIGHTH SUTRA. 85
(c.) O Thou, who hast found that thou art not the five
senses! The Sakala who has reached the Divine Guru, after
leaving the knowledge of the five senses, yet is not separat-
ed from the five senses. If the result of Mala and Karma
again surround him, as the separated moss covers the water
again, a little while after a stone is thrown, Let him remove
it by contemplating on Him who is never separate from him.

86 SIVAGNANA BOTHAM.
NOTES.
After showing, in the last Sutra, what the Soul has to
achieve, this Sutra proceeds to explain the Sadanas and the fruits
of such Sadana.
To begin with, the soul, by its practice of Tapas in all its
past and present birth must have acquired sufficient knowledge
and spirituality as to be able to attain Gnanam. Tapas as here
used means and includes three out of the four Pathams or Paths
described in this school namely Sariya, Kriya, and Yoga. Sariya
and Kriya include all kinds of altruistic and Moral and Religi-
ous practices. All these three which are placed in an ascending
order bring about what is called ‘ இருவினையொப்பு and மலபரி
பாகம்’ (balancing of the good and bad Karma, and the maturing
of Mala before it can be dropped). The practice of these Sadanas
develope in the soul, true knowledge (Gnanam) and Love (Bakti)
and God who is all Love, appears as Guru and imparts Gnanam, the
fourth Patham by showing it its true nature; and the Soul attain-
ing Gnanam frees itself from Asạt and reaches the Feet of the Sat.
Hence the four paths, Sariya, Kriya, Yoga and Gnanam lead to
four fruits or Sadhia, namely ‘Iruvinai Oppu’ ‘Malaparipaga’
‘Sargurudarsana’ and ‘Sattinipada’ (Reaching Divine Grace).
The illustrations to the first argument point out that it is possi-
ble to attain a good many powers and enjoyments by the practice
of Tapas; none of which however will be lasting or lead one to
freedom and eternal bliss. They only beget further Karma and
further births. The true Tapasi will aim at destroying all Karma
and reach his true Guru. And the second argument points out
who the Sarguru is and illustration (c) shows how He is to be
obtained. This Guru cannot be any other than God and except

EIGHTH SUTRA. 87
by His touch, it is impossible to obtain Gnanam. By practice of
True Tapas, by intense devotion and Love, it is easy to attract
God to oneself as his Guru.
“ அன்பு சிவமு மிரண்டென்பா ரறிவிலார்
அன்பே சிவமாவ தாரு மறிந்திலார்
அன்பே சிவமாவ தாரு மறிந்தபின்
அன்பே சிவமா யமர்ந்திருப்பாரே.”
“The ignorant think that God and Love are different.
None knows that God and Love are the same.
Did all men know that God and Love are the same,
They would repose in God as Love.”
(Thirumanthiram).
It will therefore be seen that the whole of the moral, Reli-
gious and psychical (Yoga) practices are simply preparatory
acts and can never be ends in themselves and can never be of any
use, unless the true end is kept in view.
As our Thayumanavar says :
“விரும்பும் சரியைமுதல் மெய்ஞ்ஞான நான்கும்
அரும்புமலர் காய்கனிபோ லன்றோ பராபரமே.”
(O My Lord, are not the four Paths from the much desired
Sariya to the Gnanam like the unopened flower, the blossom, the
unripe fruit and the ripe fruit). And the author of Ozhivilodukkam
who is a true Siddanthi appropriately devotes three of his chapters
to Sarithai Kalatri, Kriya Kalatri, and Yoga Kalatri, in which he
exposes and reviles in unmeasured terms the practices of impos-
tors, false prophets and Pharisees.
And again, the doctrine of the Divine Guru as expounded
here should be particularly noted and distinguished. In fact, if
one takes all the beliefs and practices of every religion and every
faith all the world over, it is just possible to reduce them all to

88 SIVAGNANA BOTHAM.
one common law and common principle. Through sheer forget-
fulness of this common principle and through distance of time
and place, the true belief and practice has been lost sight of ;
and if preserved, the mere shadow of them are preserved ; and
when people speculate on them fresh, all sorts of theories and
explanations are given. And these remarks apply with very
great force to the doctrine in question. So far is true, that unless
God comes down as Man and Guru and touches man with His Arul
or Grace, he cannot attain salvation. But when we proceed further
and ask who this Guru is, when and how he appears and acts, why
and wherefore he appears, whom he purifies, and how he purifies, the
answers are returned as each man's fancy dictates to him, without
any reference to God's and Nature's laws. The doctrine of atone-
ment is as puerile as the belief of the villager who seeks to
appease his village deity by sacrificing a cock or hen ; and the
doctrine of mediation, admittedly based on no higher principle
than that of human agency, instances of which are the Judge,
prisoner and lawyer, King, subjects, and Viceroy, &c., which
clearly involves the impairing of the Omniscience and Omni-
potency of the Supreme Ruler of the universe, is equally unsatis-
factory. If the Guru is Himself God, how could he be a mediator.
God is in man and can appear to him as man but cannot become
man. He dwelleth in our hearts and understands all our wants
and He meets all our wants. He knows our disease and our
sufferings and He has a balm already prepared for us. No body
need therefore tell Him, what we want, what our disease and
pain are and to crave His mercy for us, as He is all Love and All
mercy. There is no mediation. The touch of the Guru converts
the already prepared baser metal into Gold. His touch is as the
surgeon's lancet which opens out and heals an abscess fully matured.
Just as the loving mother runs and takes to her breast the
crying child, so God reaches us the instant we lift our voice to
Him. It is also seen that it is necessary for God to appear as Man,
only so far, man and Sakalars are concerned ; and that as far as

EIGHTH SUTRA. 89
other advanced souls, Vignana Kalars are concerned, He induced
Gnanam in them intuitively. The necessity so far as man is
concerned arises, because man cannot know otherwise.
Again the sinner to expect salvation, as he lisps, while he
dies, some dead names and words is absurd, as also to expect
that some dead names will produce such effects for all time to
come. Tested by the truth as laid down in this Sutra, the
ordinary observances and beliefs of almost every religions, Saiva
and other Hindu Religions included, will be a mere mockery and
sham; but still it will be observed, that even among Hindu
Religions, the Saiva Religion does not tolerate hierarchy in
any form.
3. The human soul is compared to the son of a king
stolen by savages, at his very brith and living among them and
who can never understand his identity until informed recognized,
by the King himself. The soul, in its nature, of pristine purity,
developes itself only, as its cosmic covering also evolves, and will
recover itself only with the touch of the Divine Guru. The soul is
again compared to a painted glass or mirror in which the identity
of the mirror is lost and will not be recovered unless the paint
is washed away.
4. The language 'Reaching the Feet of the Lord' is signi-
ficant. The freed soul does not become co-extensive (if we can
use the word) with God. It simply becomes imbedded in it, a
mere drop in the vast ocean, a mere trace as it were. Even
among Saivas, not to say of other schools among Hindu Philo-
sophers, even among the commentators of this very book, there
are differences of opinion as regards the condition of the freed
soul in union with God. The opinion of the author may be
however taken as stated above. The soul is like the flickering
lamp tossed by the wind and darkness and which loses itslf com-
pletely in bright noon day light and remains still and quiet.
12

90 SIVAGNANA BOTHAM.
There is eternal joy however in such a change and passage,
and it may be compared to the great joy of the person passing
from darkness to light and of the blind person recovering his
eyesight.
(c.) This illustration points out that the bodily infirmities or
the effects do not cease altogether even after the touch of the Di-
vine Guru. These infirmities have been so firmly rooted in man
and had become so strong that it takes even sometime after Surguru
Darsan to remove the effects of its former association completely.
During this interval, the soul becoming freed is enjoined to con-
template God, and this last injunction is what is elaborated in
the next Sutra.

NINTH SUTRA. 91
IX.
NINTH SUTRA.
ON THE PURIFICATION OF THE SOUL.
Sutra.—The soul, on perceiving in itself with
the eye of Gnanam, the Lord who cannot be perceiv-
ed by the human intellect or senses, and on giving up
the world (Pasa) by knowing it to be false as a
mirage, will find its rest in the Lord. Let the soul
contemplate Sri Panchaṭchara according to Law.
Commentary.
This treats of the manner of purifying the soul
and consists of three arguments.
First Argument.
Churnika.—The soul can perceive Hara only with His
Gnanam.
Varthikam.—That the soul should see the Lord by its
eye of Gnanam, is established by the fact that the Lord
cannot be perceived by the human senses and faculties and
is otherwise perceivable.
Illustrations.—(a) A person after examining the nerves,
bones, pus, phlegm of which he is composed of and not find-
ing, what he is, arrives at the knowledge that he must
understand with some other intelligence ; and unless he then
understands his God and his own self with the aid of Hara,
how else is he to understand his own self ?

92 SIVAGNANA BOTHAM.
(b.) The eye, which points out all things, cannot see
itself nor can it see the soul which enables it to see. And
the soul, which enables the eye to see, cannot see itself nor
God who enables it to see. As God is one with the soul
when it so understands, so examine the way in which he so
exists in thy understanding.
Second Argument.
Churnika.—Hara will appear to the soul when it re-
linquishes the world (Pasa.)
Varthikam.—It should be found by experience when
the soul sees the world which is Asat as Asat, it will find
its being, where it was, before in Gnana Sorupam; just as
when the colours reflected on a mirror are understood to be
colours, we can see the mirror itself.
Illustrations.—(a.) Will not the Lord who is Nirguna,
Nirmala, eternal Happiness, Tatparam (above all things)
and beyond comparison, and appears to the soul when
it gets rid of the Tatwas such as Akas, &c., will not He
appear as a far transcending Wonder and as an inseparable
Light of its understanding ?
(b.) When thou seest all the world as Asat, then
understand what remains is clearly Sat. Yet thou who
hitherto hadst knowledge of the world art not Sat. If thou
unitest thyself to Sat and obtainest its Divine Form, Asat
will altogether leave thee.
(c.) When the soul leaves Asat on finding that what
he had known is not Sat, and examines the Lord of the
universe in itself and perceives Him as itself, it leaves its
Pasam by His aid, as the snake bitten man is cured by the
Snake charmer contemplating on Garuda.

NINTH SUTRA. 93
Third Argument.
Churnika.—If the soul contemplates Sri Panchatchara
its Vasana Mala will disappear.
Varthikam.—Understand that the contemplation of
Sri Panchatchara according to Law is herein enjoined for
the purpose of freeing the soul of its hankering after evil,
which it does by its long association, even after attaining
the knowledge of the Gneya, just like the worm feeding
on the bitter margosa bark returns to it even after tasting
the sweets of the sugar cane.
Illustrations.—(a) If the soul perceives by pronouncing
Sri Panchatchara that it is the servant of Hara and does
puja to Him in the region of the heart by means of Sri
Panchatchara and performs Homam by the same means in
the region of Kundalini (navel) and contemplates Him
between the eyebrows, the Lord will appear to the soul and
the soul will become His servant.
(b.) If the soul sees the Lord in his heart as the
shadow Planets Ragu and Kethu are seen in the Sun and in
the Moon, the Lord will appear as the Light of the soul, just
as the latent fire appears when pieces of wood are rubbed
together. The soul will then become His servant, just as
the iron becomes fire when heated. Therefore contemplate
on Sri Panchatchara.
(c.) If the real nature of the Heart of the Lotus is
examined its stalk will be the 24 Tatwas beginning with
earth; its petals will be Vidya Tatwas and Sutta Vidya ;
its pollen the 64 Kalas of Iswara and Sathasiva ; its
ovary Sakti, the essence of the Kalas ; and the seeds the
51 forms Natham ; and the Arul Sakti of the Lord Siva
rests on it. Therefore contemplate on Sri Panchatchara.

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

NINTH SUTRA. 95
need not pass beyond this either. The principle of this Sadana
is contained in the 2nd argument and brought out more fully in
illustration (c). This principle is what is called Soham bavana
Soham is from the root 'Ṣa' meaning It (denoting Brahm) and
Aham meaning I or Me (denoting soul). The word 'Sivoham'
is also its equivalent; and the word means Brahm is myself or I
am Brahm. This in fact is also the purport of the four Maha
Vakyas in the Veda which are 4 Mantras intended for practice
or Sadana and to be taught by the Guru to the initiate. Like
every other Sadana provided for the first three stages which are
mistaken for the end itself, this Soham Sadana is mistaken for
the end itself by Vedantists and these proclaim that they are them-
selves God. And the caution is therefore conveyed and repeat-
ed several times in the 1st and 2nd arguments and in the illustra-
tions (see especially illustration 2 (b)) that the soul practising
Soham bavana should not mistake itself for God. This practice
of the Gnani therefore is as much a symbolic worship or Bavana
as that of the Yogi (illustration 2 (c) Sutra VI.) But the Yogi
gains certain Sudhia or Siddhis by his Bavana and the Gnani
also gains something and what this is shown in the 3rd argu-
ment. The great mistake of Vedantic writers and Vedantic books
consists in this that instead of treating of the Maha Vakya in
its proper place and confining it within its proper scope, they
discuss it, when they speak of proof or in the argumentative or
expository stage. And this is what makes many of these books
ridiculous. To say to ordinary mortals that he is God and he must
believe himself to be God is certainly absurd when as we have
seen above, to whom and by whom this instruction (Mantra) has
to be imparted and even then, accompanied with proper caution.
This then is what constitutes throwing pearls before swine and
who is the more blame worthy of the two?
I must now proceed to explain the principle of Soham bavana
contained in 2 (c). As the illustration of the Snake charmer points

96 SIVAGNANA BOTHAM.
out, this is the under lying principle of all Mantras. By frequent
practice of the Mantra, by contemplation of the principle under-
lying the Mantra, the person contemplating becomes converted
into the Mantric idea or principle itself, i.e., the idea becomes the
actuality and this also explains the Siddhis acquired by Yogis by
Will-power. So when the Gnani contemplates on Sri Panchat-
chara and that he is Brahm or Sivam, he becomes Brahm itself.
Here note again the difference. It is not total conversion. What
happens is this. What was before non-apparent and in himself
becomes apparent as the invisible shadow planets become
visible in the Sun and Moon at Eclipse time. With this effect again,
however, that the first (soul) goes down and becomes non-appa-
rent and the other (Brahm) becomes apparent and Supreme, as
the invisible oxygen always in contact with a piece of wood, when
it chemically combines with the wood, altogether changes its
form into its own as a living, shining fire (3rd argument illustra-
tion b). Here it is seen, it is the fire or oxygen (Brahm) that it is
supreme, and not a piece of wood or iron (soul) which the former
subordinates. So even in Mukti, the soul is really the servant of
God.

TENTH SUTRA. 97
CHAPTER IV. PAYANIAL.
X.
TENTH SUTRA.
THE WAY OF DESTROYING PASA.
Sutra.—As the Lord becomes one with the Soul
in its human condition, so let the Soul become one
with Him and perceive all its actions to be His.
Then will it lose all its Mala, Maya, and Karma.
Commentary.
This Sutra treats of the way of destroying Pasa, and
consists of two arguments.
First Argument.
Churnika.—Become one with Hara.
Varthikam.—It is pointed out, here, that the Soul
should become one with Parameshwara as He had become
one with it, as, when it does so, it joins His feet by losing
its pride of self and self-knowledge.
Illustration.—When the Soul asserts its own know-
ledge by distinguishing its acts from those of others, the
Lord losing His identity, will appear as the Soul. But the
Soul which says that there is no such thing as itself and
that all actions are His, the Lord unites to His feet and
reveals His real self to it.
Second Argument.
Churnika.—Consider all your actions to be those of the
Lord.
10

98 SIVAGNANA BOTHAM.
Varthikam.—It is enjoined that the Soul should
perceive its actions to be those of the Lord’s, unceasingly,
as it will not act, except with His Arul, and, in consequence,
ignorance and Karma will not enter it.
Illustrations.—(a) If the soul determines that the
senses are not itself, and that their actions are not its own,
and that the perceived objects are also not itself, and that
it is the servant of Hara, and then arrives at the conclusion,
that everything is His work, then none of the actions of
the Soul which, thus, attributes every work to Him, will
affect it, in whatever body it may be encased. And
Praraptha Karma will also then cease.
(b.) As it is the prerogative of the great to protect
those who resort to them, so God raises those who approach
Him and yet bears no ill-will (to the rest). He transforms
His devotees into His own Form ; and the rest who do not
approach Him, He makes them eat the fruits of their own
Karma. These two functions He performs according to the
deserts of each.
(c.) Like the smell which is present in the pot, even
after the asafœtida is removed, the effects of the Gnani's
previous Karma will be felt in the material body and
yet they will not furnish food for a future birth, as it,
having been transformed into the Lord is fixed in Him.
(d.) Like the Siddha who, sitting in fire, is not burnt
by it, and like the horseman who, riding on the fleetest
animal, does not lose his hold, the Gnanis who, ascertaining
the true path, fix their thoughts on the Divine Feet of Hara,
will not, though, having perception through the senses,
be affected by such perception, and leave their true nature.

TENTH SUTRA. 99
(e.) If one, finding the truth that he is Satasat, under-
stands only with Sivagnanam, he will not be affected by
Anavamala and will become united to Sat. Then will not
the affections of the senses influence him, just as the dark-
ness will have no effect before the fierce light of the Sun.

100 SIVAGNANA BOTHAM.
NOTES.
———◇———
In the last Sutra, it was enjoined that the soul should contem-
plate on Sri Panchatchara for the purpose of effecting its purifi-
cation. The present chapter treats of the Palan or ends to be
achieved by the Sadanas mentioned in the foregoing chapter.
The end, it is agreed on all sides, is what is called Moksha or
Mukti or "Veedu" in Tamil. The word literally means freed or
freedom and it therefore imports two things. When the soul
attains Mukti it is freed from ignorance or Pasam (Pasa and
Pasu Gnanam) and attains Pathi Gnanam. The very act which
separates the soul from Pasam (Jagat) unites it to the Pathi
(Brahm) as was before illustrated by the case of the man reach-
ing the ground by the breaking of the rope of the swing. Of
these two results of Mukti, this Sutra treats of Pasatchaya or
the mode by which the soul is freed of Pasu. This is achieved
by the soul becoming one with God and by considering all its
actions as those of the Lord. Becoming one with God means
attaining Adwaitha relation, and to remove all doubts about what
this Adwaitha relation is, the Sutra points out that the soul
should become one with God in Mukti as God was one with the
soul in its bantha condition. This relalionship is further ex-
plained in the next Sutra in explaining the attainment of Pathi
Gnanam. Some of the Purvapaksha theories relating to the
condition of the soul in Mukti are as follows :—
Freedom or unity is reached,

1. when the Akas of the pot unites with the enter Akas
   by the breaking of the pot ;