शिवज्ञानबोध (मेय्कण्डार - शैव सिद्धान्त का आधारभूत दार्शनिक सूत्र ग्रन्थ)
Sivajnanabodham of Meykandar (Shaiva Siddhanta)
आचार्य मेय्कण्डार / मेयकण्ड देव द्वारा
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,
- when the Akas of the pot unites with the enter Akas
by the breaking of the pot ;
TENTH SUTRA. 101
2. when the man mistaken for a post is ascertained to
be a man ;
3. when the cause of the earthen pot is found to be
earth (causation) ;
4. when the color or quality of a thing is found to be
united to the thing itself, (a thing and its inseparable attribute);
5. when the iron becomes red hot, (iron and heat);
6. when water is mixed with the milk ;
7. when the charmer becomes one with the object of his
Mantra ;
8. when the heated iron absorbs water ;
9. when the man becomes one with the devil when
possessed ;
10. when the fire-wood is covered up by the flames ;
11. when the lamp is lighted before the midday sun ;
12. when two lovers become one by the result of their
love ;
13. when two friends become united by friendship ;
14. when two animals are one by mere resemblance or
similarity such as color, &c.
It would be noticed that some of these relationships are exact-
ly what have been already used as illustrations in the preceding
pages, but it should be carefully noted that they are used as
mere illustrations only and nothing more. These are not to be
mistaken for the actual truth itself and the only similarity in
nature which appoximates almost to truth itself is found in the
relation of the soul and God in the bantha condition. In the
bantha condition soul exists and God is non-existent ; in
102 SIVAGNANA BOTHAM.
Mukti, God exists and Soul is non-existent ; yet in either case
neither God nor Soul is non-existent.
The relationship contemplated in the last Sutra is what is
called that of Gnathuru, Gnana and Gneya. Mukti cannot be
attained if this relation is preserved and unless Adwaitha
relation is established. It is not even sufficient if it becomes
one, for the purpose of rooting out all Karma ; and the soul is
therefore enjoined to consider its actions as those of the Lord.
These injunctions are of course for the Gnani attaining Mukti
even in this life. So long as the human body lasts, the effects
of Praraptha will sometimes linger as the smell of the asafoetida
lingers in the pot, or as the author of Sivagnana Siddhi adds,
the wheel of the pot continues to revolve for sometime even
after the hand of the potter is removed. Sanjitha Karma is
destroyed by the very touch of the Gnana Guru as the seed com-
ing in contact with fire. Praraptha continues and it is des-
troyed by practising the Sadana contained in the last Sutra; and
its effects or Vasana are destroyed by the condition attained
by the Jivan Mukta. But so long as the human body continues,
some acts will have to be performed by the Jivan Mukta, and it
is shown by the illustrations, these acts will not produce any
other acts or form the seed for any future Karma or Akamia and
no other births will be induced.
The arguments point out why the condition attained by
the Jivan Mukta has the effect of destroying Pasa. It is be-
cause the soul thereby loses its Ahankara and Mamakara or
Anava and this last is the source of all evil, all Karma and
successive births.
The learned commentator of Ozhivilodukkum and the author
of several excellent devotional works argues out the existence of
the three padarthas and the rest of the doctrine from the word
Mukti or Veedu itself, in the following stanza ;—
TENTH SUTRA. 103
வீடென் றறைதரு சொற்குப் பொருளோ விடுதலை யாதலி
னால் ;
வீக்குண் டோனும் கட்டுண் டோனும் விளங்கும் திடமாக,
பீடுறு கட்டுத் தானாய் விட்டுப் பெயராது இது சடமாம்,
பிணி பட்டோன் அசதந்தரனாகும் பிணிபெயரச் செய்வோன்
நீடு சுதந்தர முண்டா மொருவன் எனுமிவ் வேதுவினால்,
நிகழ்பதி பசுபாசம் மென முப்பொருள் நிச்சய மென்றருளி,
வேடனை வெல்லும் குருவா யெனையாள் மெய்ப்பொருள் நீ
யன்றோ,
வேதகிரிப்பவ ரோக வயித்திய வேணி முடிக்கணியே.
" As the word Mukti or Veedu means freedom, it imports
clearly a Free Being and an unfreed or fettered being. The
fetters can never become removed of themselves. Hence this
Bantham is Jatam or Asat. So saying, O Thou Healer of Sins !
Thou hast appeared to me as my Sar Guru, the victor of the
savages (of the senses) and hast taught me to infer for certain
the three Padarshas, Pathi, Pasu and Pasa from the word Mukti
and hast graciously taken me as thy servant.
104 SIVAGNANA BOTHAM.
XI.
ELEVENTH SUTRA.
THE WAY BY WHICH SOUL UNITES WITH
GOD.
Sutra.—As the soul enables the eye to see and
itself sees, so Hara enables the soul to know and
itself knows. And this Adwaitha knowledge and
undying Love will unite it to His Feet.
Commentary.
The Sutra treats of the way by which the soul unites
with the sacred foot of the Lord and consists of two argu-
ments.
First Argument.
Churnika.—Hara feels what the Gnani feels.
Varthikam.—It is proved that the Lord knows what-
ever the soul knows, as the soul cannot perceive anything,
except with the aid of the Lord.
Illustrations.—(a) As the soul becomes conscious of
such objects only as it comes in contact with each of the
senses separately, it cannot apprehend all the objects of the
five senses at once, but apprehends them only one by one.
But God sees and understands all things at once.
(b). When the soul unites itself to God and feels His
Arul, God covers it with his Supreme Bliss and becomes
ELEVENTH SUTRA. 105
one with it. Will He not know Himself who is understood
by the soul through the intelligence of the soul ?
Second Argument.
Churnika.—If the Gnani has unfailing Love for Hara,
he will become united to Him.
Varthikam.—It is shown that the soul unites with the
Feet of the Lord, through unfailing Love, as He, dwelling
in each man inseparably, metes out to each, according to
his desert.
Illustrations.—(a) The blind will only see darkness even
in the presence of the Sun; just so, the soul entangled in
Pasa cannot see Isa (though he is present in every thing).
Just as the Sun only opens the Lotus flower (when it is
matured), so the darkness of those who understand Him by
their Love will be removed by his Arul.
(b). As the Moon dispels the deep darkness, so God,
who is connected with the soul from eternity, in His Love,
removes the Mala of the soul and attracts it to Himself, just
as the magnet attracts iron and brings it under control.
While so operating, He incurs neither weariness nor change.
(c). When becoming one with God, if the soul perished,
there will be nothing to unite with God, as it perishes. If
it did not perish, it cannot become one with God. Just
like the salt dissolved in water, the soul, after loosing
its Mala, unites itself to His Feet and becomes the servant
of God (looses its individuality). Then it will have no
darkness (no separation.)
(d). Just as the rising Sun is enshrouded by the
clouds and then appears, little by little, and when all the
14
106 SIVAGNANA BOTHAM.
clouds are driven away, spreads its shining rays every
where, so the soul's intelligence is enshrouded from eternity
in Mala and brightens a little from its experience of the
world ; and getting rid of its Mala altogether, recovers
its original intelligence and unites itself to the Feet of God.
ELEVENTH SUTRA. 107
NOTES.
The last Sutra treated of Pasatchaya and the present one
treats of attaining Pathi Gnana or Anubava. Leaving the case
of those who postulate utter annihilation at this stage, in which
case of course there could be no union (illustration 2c) and of
those who postulate no Anubava at all, this Sutra points out how
this Anubava arises. This Anubava is an Anubava of the soul
in one sense, though not so in another sense. Here there is
Adwaitham again. Dr. Bain instances the case of a man enjoying
the keen pleasures of a warm bath as one of pure objective feeling
or attitude; or as we would put it, it is the case of the man
enjoying the pleasures of a cool bath during a hot day or what
comes to the same thing, of the man who gets under the cool
shelter of a spreading banyan tree (அடி நீழல்) after a hot and
weary walk during the midday sun. Now substitute for the
mind, the soul freed of Pasa and for the cool bath or cool
shade, the Glorious Divine Light and its effulgence which per-
meates the soul through and through and diffuses all round 'it.
and completely bathes it in its Arul, and conceive then the soul's
feeling of pleasure, its Anantha, Bliss. It is the soul that no
doubt feels primarily but it ceases to live as such, and that
very moment it becomes transformed into the Divine Feeling or
Anubava itself. Just as the mind, when enjoying the pleasure
of a bath, becomes purely objective, the soul becomes purely
Divine when it feels His Arul and God covers it with Bliss
(Illustration 1 b). As you feel the coolness of the bath or the
shade more and more, your pleasure increases, so, as the soul feels
His Arul more and more, its love of the Lord increases. So
it is this (அயரா அன்பு) undying love, True Bhakti, that is the
108 SIVAGNANA BOTHAM.
cause of the Soul's Supreme Happiness, Bliss and Pathi Gnanam.
And in this Adwaitha Anubhava, do we get the true definition of
Love or Bhakti and see the profound meaning there is in the
simple Mantra ‘God is Love’ ; and now let us read again the
Divine Mantra (which can bear repetition).
“ அன்பும் சிவமும் இரண்டென்பர் அறிவிலார்
அன்பே சிவமாவ தாரு மறிகிலார்
அன்பே சிவமாவ தாரு மறிந்தபின்
அன்பே சிவமா யமர்ந் திருப்பாரே.”
Herein we have the true Bhakti Marga, or the true Dasa
Marga which at the same time is seen to be the true Gnana
Marga. Herein is seen no conflict between Bhakti and Gnanam.
Yet how often do we see the followers of the so-called Bhakti
Marga sneer at the followers of the so-called Gnana Marga and
vice versa, when neither party have the least title to either
name. The words, Bhakta, Gnani and Mukta are synonymous
and the condition of the Bhakta involves and implies the passing
through of the stages of Sariya, Kriya and Yoga, and it was a
bad day for us when a wave of false devotion spread from the
north to the south, thus undermining all principles of true
progress by the practice of True Tapas and spreading instead,
gross superstition and absurd rituals and ceremonies.
I cannot conclude this Sutra without pointing out an example
of the exhibition of True Bhakti by a Jivan Mukta from the
annals of the Saints recorded in our Bhakta Vilasa. Whom could
I mean other than our Saint Kannappa ?
“ கண்ணப்பன் ஒப்பதோர் அன்பின்மை கண்டபின்”
Says our Saint Manicka Vachaka, whose Divine words are
sufficient to melt even the heart of stone to tears, and where he
has chosen to praise, why need I refer to the host of other
ELEVENTH SUTRA. 109
sages and writers who have loved to sing the praises of our
Kannappa.
Says our Sri Sankaracharya also in his Sivanantha Lahiri.
“ A pair of wooden shoes, worn out in paths becomes a
bunch of holy grass to the person of Siva; the spitting of water
raising the mouth, a holy bath; a mouthful of flesh partly eaten,
a fresh oblation; and a forester, a great Bhakta; for nothing is
impossible for Bhakta.
I dare not follow the subject any further.
Says our Thayumanavar.
“ அத்துவித அநுபவத்தை அனந்த மறை யின்ன மின்னம்
அறியே மென்னும்.”
(d). This is a most beautiful analogy and this being the
last, sums up briefly the whole of the doctrine expounded in all
the preceding chapters. It exhibits in clear and unmistakeable
language the passage of the soul through the Kevala, Sakala,
and Thurya Avasthas. As the first part of the illustration stands,
it would appear that it is the Sun that is enshrouded and that
which appears little by little and then shines brightly. No,
the language will be unmeaning from the stand point of the
Sun. From its position it knows of no covering or shrouds or
shining less or more. It is ever bright in itself. It is from
the stand point of the human eye that all this language is
employed. It is the eye that is enshrouded by the clouds and
prevented therefore from seeing the glorious Sun and when the
clouds are driven away little by little, the view of the Sun be-
comes better and better till at last, during the midday, the full
refulgence of the glorious Sun is felt. The brevity of language,
thus employed, in many of these analogies, have often misled
many a thinker and we find the Hindu idealists use this very
analogy to establish their theory of Ekathma Vatham. As they put
it, the clouds proceed from the Sun and then enshroud it, so Maya
110 SIVAGNANA BOTHAM.
starts from Brahm and throws a Veil over it and then they proceed
to build the whole fabric. In the first place an analogy to have any
probative effect must be true in itself, i.e., the same sequence and
consequence must exist in the thing compared as in the thing sought
to be proved or inferred. Here, in the illustration, if it be true
that the clouds proceed from the Sun, then we can say truly that
the Maya proceeding from the Brahm serves to veil it. In no
sense is the Sun the material cause of the cloud as the Brahm is
said to be the material cause (Upadanakarana) of Maya, Mulu-
prakriti, Jagat or the universe. This essential condition failing,
the whole superstructure must therefore tumble down. But let
me elaborate the analogy properly and see what results it yields.
Well, the Sun (Brahm) is not the material cause of the clouds
(Mulaprakriti) but yet it is a cause of clouds. It is by the
action of Sun's heat (Kriya Sakti) the clouds (Mulaprakriti)
are formed out of water (Maya). Water itself cannot pass off
into vapour and clouds but by the action of the Sun. So Maya
cannot evolve into Jagat or the universe but for the Kriya Sakti
of the Lord. No doubt, when the clouds are formed by the
action of the Sun, these clouds do enshroud, well, not the Sun
but the human eye. The very instant you use the word shroud-
ing or veiling, you imply a third thing placed on the other side
of the veil. The human eye can no more be derived from the
Sun than the soul or human monad from Brahm. Though in
either case the eye or the soul can only see or know but with the
dim or full light of the Sun or God, Brahm. The greater or
less dimness is caused by the thickness or lightness of the clouds
or Maya coating. And as the eye and the Sun approximate
nearer and nearer, the clouds are dissipated away. And so, as the
soul comes nearest to God, Maya vanishes.
Take another example of Analogy used by the same school
of thinkers ; and this is a most favorite one with them. It is the
simile of the Sun shining in many pots of water, serving to
ELEVENTH SUTRA. 111
illustrate the principle that the souls are derived from God.
Here the resemblances are not exact and the consequence does
not follow. In the one case we have only Brahm from which
we have got to derive many souls. On the other hand, we have
one Sun and many pots which are also filled with water to
reproduce not many Suns but merely the shadow or reflection of
the Sun. Neither is the shadow the same as the Sun nor are
the pots and water derived from the Sun. But let us view the
analogy from another point and see how pregnant it is. The
Sun is Brahm, the pot is Maya or Pasa binding the naturally
expansive water or the soul. And the reflection of the Sun is
God's presence in Man and the Sun's reflection or light passes
through the water and lies on it and yet is not contaminated nor
touched by it. So God being a Gnana Sorupi, chit or Mahachai-
tanyam, though in contact with the world and souls, are not
tainted by it and feels no weariness nor change (illustration 2b).
And the breaking of the pot, Pasatchaya, releases the water from
its confined condition and it vanishes into invisible vapour before
the heat of the Sun. (Arul of God). In the same way, almost
every analogy employed by the Hindu idealists can be easily
shown to falsify their own position and support the position
herein established.
Analogy I may say is largely used in this work as a method
of proof, as any other kind of proof is hardly possible when
dealing with the nature of the very ultimate of all existences.
The conjunction of the mind and body, it is admitted, is a unique
phenomenon in nature. Its conjunction cannot be proved, being
the very ultimate of all facts; and the position can only be proved
or illustrated by various analogies, say for instance, the analogy
of vowels and consonants (Vide Sutra No. 2). So we pass on
from this conjunction of mind and body to that of Soul and mind
and to that of Brahm or God and Soul, and the unions in all these
cases are analogous.
112 SIVAGNANA BOTHAM.
XII.
TWELFTH SUTRA.
ON THE MODE OF WORSHIP OF GOD
WHO SURPASSES POWERS OF
THOUGHT AND SPEECH.
Sutra.—Let the Jivatma, after washing off its
Mala which separates it from the strong Lotus feet
of the Lord and mixing in the society of Bhaktas
(Jivan Muktas) whose souls abound with Love,
having lost dark ignorance, contemplate their Forms
and the Forms in the temples as His Form.
Commentary.
This treats of the mode of finding and worship-
ping the Pathi who cannot be seen and thought of,
and consists of four arguments.
First Argument.
Churnika.—Get rid of the three Mala.
Varthikam.—It is pointed out that the three Mala
should be got rid off, as they will only beget ignorance or
evil, instead of wisdom.
Illustration.—Let the true Gnani leave alone the three
Mala, namely, Karma, which is the effect and cause of
good and bad acts; Maya, from which is developed the
TWELFTH SUTRA. 113
tatwas from earth to motive; and Anava, which begets
Ahankara, as these will harm him.
Second Argument.
Churnika.—Join the Society of Sivagnanis.
Varthikam.—It is pointed out that the Society of Siva-
bhakthas should be sought, as others will only impart evil.
Illustration.—The Karma will not affect the true
Gnani who leaving the Society of ignoble persons (who
forget themselves and suffer in Mala), join the Society of
Bhakthas and understand with the Light of God.
Third Argument.
Churnika.—Worship Sivagnanis and Siva Linga as
Siva.
Varthikam.—It is enjoined that the forms of Bhakthas
and the Siva Linga should be worshipped as Parameshwara
as He snines brightly in these Forms, though He is present
in everything.
Illustration.—(a) The Lord Pathi wishing that all
should understand Him gives His Form to His Bhakthas
who desire to know Him and makes them know Himself
and keeps them in His own self and makes Himself visible,
as butter in curds. To those entangled in Pasa, He is in-
visible as is butter in milk.
(b) As the fire appears distinct from the pieces of
wood rubbed together, So the Lord who exists in all visible
forms, and yet is different from them, will be present in a
visible form composed of Mantra. To those who can view
the Form itself as God, will He not appear as that Form
itself.
11
114 SIVAGNANA BOTHAM.
Fourth Argument.
Churnika.—Cease not to so worship Him.
Varthikam.—The worship of Him in these Forms is
enjoined, as though these Forms are not Himself, yet He is
in these Forms ; just as man, though constituted of muscles,
bones, nerves, &c., yet is neither muscles nor bones, &c.
Illustration.—(a.) To the Seer, God is neither different
from all things, nor is He one with them, nor one and
different from them. He is in the general Adwaitha rela-
tion with them, and everything is His form ; and yet let
the Adwaithee worship the Form which excite his Love
most.
(b.) As acts only lead to ignorance unless the previous
Karma is removed, Gnanam will not rise. This Karma will
cease and Gnanam will rise when the Society of Gnanis is
sought and they are worshipped. Therefore worship them
in all Love.
(c.) To forget the Lord who made him know himself
and transformed him like unto Himself, is an inexcusable sin.
Though he who was always a servant, is now transformed
like unto Himself, yet he continues to be only His servant.
Hence his strength consists in the worship.
(d.) O thou student of Saiva Siddhanta, those who
have one and two mala, namely, Vignanakalars and Pralaya-
kalars, lose their mortal nature and attain the Divine
knowledge, by respectively being taught intuitively by the
innate God, and by being purified by the eye &c., of the
Divine Guru. This book is intended to be taught to
Sakalars who have three Mala by their Supreme Guru.
115
TWELFTH SUTRA.
NOTES.
In Sivagnana Siddhi, the purport of this Sutra is given
as Adiavar Lakshana or Bhakta Lakshana. The Jivan Mukta,
even after he has obtained the Anubuthi as described in the last
Sutra, cannot afford to indulge in Karmic acts so long as he is
encased in the flesh. There is no playing with fire. If he does,
he is sure to be brought back again into the Cycle of Karmic
evolution. Hence the caution conveyed in the first argument.
But if he should do anything or wish to do anything, let him join
the Society of Bhaktas, and avoid the Society of sinners. He is
also directed to love them and worship their forms and the forms in
the temple. In this mode of worship, is pointed out the way for
other mortals, of worship of God who surpasses powers of
thought and speech. In the preceding pages, I have pointed out
why it is not possible to know God. Yet in our own heart of
hearts, we yearn to worship and glorify Him, and this necessity is
also provided for. The principle of it is found in the fact that God
is Omnipresent and is one with or in Adwaitha relation with
everything, animate and inanimate. We must worship Him
as one of these. Hence it is, in the Veda, in Sri Ruthram, God is
addressed by naming every object of creation. The Gnani who
sees the objects, does not see them though, but only God's
Presence. However for mortals, they have got a choice. God,
though He is present in everything, is non-apparent as the ghee
in the milk. But there are forms, in which we can feel His
Presence more apparently like the butter in the curds.
“ விறகிற்றீயினன் பாலிற் படுநெய் போல்
மறைய நின்றனன் மாமணிச் சோதியான்
உறவு கோல் நட்டு உணர்வு கயிற்றினால்
முறுக வாங்கிக் கடையமுன் னிற்குமே.”