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

FOURTH SUTRA. 45
CHAPTER II.—LAKSHANAVIAL.
IV
FOURTH SUTRA.
OF THE SOUL IN ITS RELATION TO THE
ANDHAKARANA.
Sutra. The soul is not one of the Andakarana. It
is not conscious when it is in conjunction with
Anavamala. It becomes conscious only when it
meets the Andakarana, just as a king understands
through his ministers. The relation of the soul to
the five Avastha is also similar.
Commentary.
This also treats of the nature of the soul and it consists
of three arguments.
First Argument.
Churnika.—The Andakarana have no activity except
when in conjunction with the soul. Hence there is a soul
distinct from the Andakarana.
Varthikam.—As the Andakarana are only intelligent
(chit) when viewed in relation to the subordinate Tatwas
but are non-intelligent (Achit) when viewed in relation to
the soul, it is established that the soul is not one of the
Andakarana namely Manas, Buddhi, Chittam and Ahan-
kara.

46 SIVAGNANA BOTHAM.
Illustrations.—(a) Manas and other Andakarana have
perception of permanent sensations. The soul perceives the
product of the perception by the Buddhi after such mental
perceptions. These perceptions by Manas and Buddhi
reach the soul as the waves rising in the sea reach the
shore. As the Andakarana are different from the permanent
sensations, so the soul is different from the Andakarana.
(b.) While perceiving so, the soul as Chittam considers;
as Manas it doubts; as Ahankaram, it wrongly concludes;
as Buddhi it determines properly. As it thus apprehends
differently when it is united to each, it is different from
them, just asthe sun, though marking the divisions of time,
is different from it.
(c.) The letter ‘A’ is the symbol of Ahankaram; ‘U’ that
of Buddhi; ‘M’ that of Manas; Vinthu that of Chittam; and
Natham which is inseparable from all these letters, is the
symbol of the soul. The five letters constitute Pranava; when
examined, consciousness arises when the soul and andakarana
meet, just as the tides rise and fall during the conjunction of
the sun and the Moon.
(d.) Iswara and Sadasiva are the deities respectively of
Vinthu and Natham; Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra are deities
respectively of ‘A,’ ‘U,’ and ‘M’.
Second Argument.
Churnika.—The soul cannot see, being shrouded by the
mala.
Varthikam.—It is established that the soul cannot un-
derstand when it is solely in conjunction with its inherent
mala (Anava), as this mala is something which darkens
the soul’s light or intelligence.

FOURTH SUTRA. 47
Illustration.—The soul will not know any thing, unless
it receives the light through its body caused by Maya, as
the eye apprehends objects by the light of the lamp.
Anavamala exists in the soul eternally, becoming one with
it and concealing its lustre as does the firewood conceal
the heat or fire present in it.
Third Argument.
Churnika.—The soul undergoes five Avastha.
Varthikam.—As the soul is in a formless (Arupa) tatwa
form and shrouded by the Mala, it is established that the
soul undergoes five Avastha, namely, Jakra, Swapna,
Sushupti, Thuriya, and Thuriyathitha.
Illustrations.—(a) In the Jakra Avastha of the soul,
when it is in the region of the forehead, it has 35 active
organs including the 10 external senses. In its Swapna
Avastha, when in the region of the throat, it has 25 organs
excluding the 10 external organs. In the Sushupti
Avastha, when in the region of the heart, it has 3 organs in-
cluding Chittam. In Thuriya Avastha, when in the region
of the navel, it has only two, namely Purusha and Prana-
vayu; In Thuriyathitha Avastha, when in the region of
Mulathara, it is pure Purusha having none of these organs.
(b) The soul, which in Jakra avastha is in the region
of the forehead, undergoes all the five avastha in the
same region. That is to say, it becomes conscious of each
perception through each of the organs and, at the same
time, becomes separated from them. Sutta Avastha are
like these five in number.

48 SIVAGNANA BOTHAM.
NOTES.
Andakarana is a generic word, signifying all the internal senses,
but they more particularly mean as here, Manas, Buddhi, Chitta
and Ahankara. The proof of the proposition that the soul is not
one of the Andakarana is given in the Varthika and illustrations.
In dead sleep (Sushupthi) where the internal senses are at
rest, the soul is not conscious. It becomes conscious only
when the Anthakarana become once more active. When the
soul is in Sushupti, it is in conjunction only with Anava Mala
and performing respiratory function. This last function is the
watchman who guards the innermost portals of the Palace of the
King (Soul) when it is in perfect solitude. The Avasthas are
merely the conditions of the soul when it is in relation with
all the external and internal senses or with only some of them or
none at all.

1. The churnika furnishes the first proof which is amplified
   in the Varthika. The internal senses are active ; you lift your
   Ego to its own place as in Yoga, the Andakarana become
   dead and inactive, thus showing that the Atma is not one of the
   Andakarana.
   The distinction is drawn in the following manner.
   The Andakarana are the faculties of perception and reason.
   They perceive and reason but are not conscious that they
   perceive and reason. This latter function is performed by the
   True Ego, Atma.
   The four Andakarana are distinguished in this wise
   Chittam takes an impression presented by the senses and con-

FOURTH SUTRA. 49
siders what it is. It cannot know that it so considers. Manas
takes such an impression, and doubts whether it is or is not this
or that. It cannot know that it so doubts.
Ahankara ventures boldly that the impression is such and
such. It cannot know that it so ventures.
Buddhi determines properly that the impression is this or
that. It cannot know that it so determines.
(a). The Andakarana are divided into two classes as re-
marked above.
Manas, Chitta, and Ahankara are merely faculties of per-
ception and they perceive permanent sensations and the language
of the text is remarkable as “மன்னு புலன்கள்” exactly mean
permanent sensations. Buddhi is the faculty of reason involving
the sense of agreement and difference among such impressions.
The product of this faculty is what is brought to the cog-
nizance of the soul. The first three ministers merely gather
statistics and prepare them. The Chief Minister, Buddhi
compares the statistics and draws his conclusions and formulates
the proposition to the King (Soul).
As the waves are stirred by the winds, the senses affect
the Andakarana.
(b). Another distinction is that the four andakarana are
four different functions, one not capable of performing the
function of another or all the rest. That which stands above,
cognizant of all the four, is the soul.
(c). It was before observed that the soul was of the form of
Sri Panchatchara and the latter was stated as synonymous with
Pranava. The symbol of Vinthu is a circle and that of
Natham is a line. These two in fact, constitute the Pranava sym-
bol o— or உ and the latter will be seen is the same as Pillayar shuli;
7

50 SIVAGNANA BOTHAM.
No Tamil man will begin the smallest piece of writing without
prefixing Pillayar shuli. The significance being forgotten, it
is thought of as a sectarian symbol, and the bigoted among
Vaishnavas to whom the Pranava is as important, begin now to
use ஸ்ரீ instead. Why it is called Pillayar shuli is, because God,
Ganesha, represents Pure Sat, Brahm and the elephant Head is
the Pranava symbol. Cf. the popular Tamil couplet.
பிரணவப்பொருளாம் பெருந்தகை ஐங்கரன்
சரண அற்புதமலர் தலைக்கணிவோமே.
The popular Sanscrit slokas in praise of Ganesha also des-
cribe Him as Pranava Sorupi. The illustration contained in
this stanza is a beautiful one.
(d). This contains another explanation of Pranava. Sivam
was first stated as True Sat or Brahm. I have shown that the
form of Ganesha shows Him to represent True Sat or Brahm.
The very name of Subramanya signifies that He is True Brahm.
The word Uma meaning Sakti is composed of u, m and a, i. e.
Om manifested. So these different words or mantras are differ-
ent modes of expressing the same Principle, the True Sat, in
symbol, sound and language. So Om, Sri Panchatchara, Gane-
sha mantra, Subramanya mantra and Devi mantra are mere
equivalents and denote the Samashti Pranavu; when analysed i.e.
regarded as Vyashti, it becomes divided into Natham, Vinthu,
a, u, and m. ‘a’ represents creation or origin as its place is the
place of origin of all sounds. ‘u’ or ‘oo’ represents sthithi, as,
when after proncuncing ‘a’ we bring it to a stand for an instant
by converging the lips, ‘u’ is formed ; when we close our mouths
after pronouncing ‘a’ and ‘u,’ ‘m’ is formed and hence it repre-
sents Samharam. Binthu and Natham are the form and sound
of these letters.
2. This explains that man's intelligence only receives play
and brightness and is capable of infinite improvement, when

FOURTH SUTRA. 51
brought in contact with human body, by getting frequent births.
That is, by evolution alone, man gets himself perfected.
3. I have not seen any objection to regarding the Soul as
a separate entity more formidable than this, viz.
"If so, while I am in my objective state of consciousness,
my Ego is something existing as a real entity in the physical
body itself. How is it possible to transfer the same to the astral
body ? Then, again, it has also to be transferred to the Karana
Sarira. We shall find a still greater difficulty in transfering this
entity to the Logos itself; and you may depend upon it that un-
less a man's individuality or Ego can be transferred to the Logos,
immortality is only a name." This objection which is stated
with so much confidence will, on examination, be found to be
groundless. In the first place, it is not shown, how it is not possi-
ble to effect the tranference from one Avastha to another under
this theory and that it is possible under the objector's theory.
Besides, the difficulty is more in the language employed, than in
actual fact. And it is, often, in our experience what a fruitful
source of error is the inadequate language we employ, in describ-
ing laws of thought. The objector speaks of the tranfer from
one body to another. On the premises already laid down in the
preceding Sutras and on the view of the Avasthas as discussed
in this argument, it will be apparent that there will be no trans-
fer at all. The atma does not fly from the Sthula Sarira into
the Sukshuma or astral body and leaving this into the Karana
Sarira. It did not enter any new cosmic body at any one time.
Its connection with Maya is eternal. And the law of mental
evolution or evolution of subjective consciousness correspond s
exactly to the evolution of objective consciousness. The huma n
mind cannot evolve unless there is a corresponding evolution
in its body. A pure disembodied mind or Atma is not recog-
nized by this school. In the human as well as in the freed state
(Moksha) it is connected with matter and between 'matter and

52 SIVAGNANA BOTHAM.
God, the Atma is supported like a piece of iron between two
magnets, the one pulling it higher and the other pulling
it lower. And in the human state, the iron is in closest
contact with the lower magnet, and in the Moksha with
the Higher Magnet. In Moksha, the power of maya to
undergo births alone is destroyed, by the Karma having
been eaten up, just as a seed of grain loses its power of
germination in the granary of the ant, by the sprout being
nibbled off or by some other process. In human evolution,
however, we find both the object and subject being evolved
together and there could be no evolution of the one without the
evolution of the other. In its original condition, what is here
called Thuriyathitha condition, the atma is pure Purusha with-
out consciousness of any sort, its body also being altogether
undevoloped. This is the stage before evolution had commenced.
The atma has no consciousness, no intelligence and no move-
ments of any sort. In the next condition (Thurya avastha)
evolution had been started, we have the first beginning of life,
Purusha, in a living breathing body, without consciousness or
any manifestation of any other faculties. They (mind and body)
are evolved a step further in the Sushupthi avastha, and we
have the first beginning of consciousness; and as such the
faculty of Chittam is evolved in addition; and the objective
body is then called Karana Sarira. A step further we arrive at
Swapna avastha, where all the faculties (objective consciousness)
except the 10 external senses (Gnana and Karma Indriyas) are
fully developed and the objective body is called Sukshuma or
astral body. In the final stage of evolution, where man's
consciousness has been fully developed, all the 36 tatwas formed
of Maya, have been also fully developed; this is the Jakra
avastha, and the body is the Sthula body. In this account of
human evolution, there is no transference really. Similarly
when the atma and its body undergo resolution, subjective and

FOURTH SUTRA. 53
objective consciousness ceases little by little or is drawn in as it
were, just as a spider or tortoise draws all its legs and organs
into itself and rolls itself into a mass and becomes dead to all
appearance. In fact, like a revolving prism of many sides, the
attitude of the atma alone changes and this change of attitude
or avastha is brought about, as, in the language of the text, it
it is in a formless (Arupa) Tatwa form enshrouded by mala i. e.,
not being made of matter but being chit itself and encased in
matter. These five avasthas and their bodies are divided into three
states Kevala, Sakala and Sutta. The Kevala state is the
original state before evolution and described in the text of this
sutra 'சகசமலத்துணராது' (It is not conscious when it is in
conjunction with Anavamala). The Sakala state is described
in the next sutra (V) and in the next one (VI) the Sutta
state is treated of.
Having met a few of the most formidable objections taken
to this view of the Siddhanta school, let me here state a few of
the objections to the Idealistic view for which a rational answer
is not yet forthcoming. Evolving Logos and Mulaprakriti
(matter) from Brahm (Sat), why don't you apply the law of
causation and conservation of energy, and say otherwise that,
Logos and matter are not Brahm, and why do you throw a veil
between Logos and Brahm, and why do you say also that matter
is not 'Sat' but Asat, and why should the one energy or
Chaitanyam or Sakti of the Logos subdivide itself and form into
different monads and acquire Karma, and become evil, and
corrupt and bring sin and sorrow into this earth? If Atma is
not a particle of this Chit but a mere reflection or shadow, how
could the shadow and the substance be the same and how
could a mere shadow become individualized and clothe
with thought and action? And why should this shadow work
out its own salvation? Will it not disappear when the
substance is itself resolved. And in the same way as the

54 SIVAGNANA BOTHAM.
Logos manifested itself in various bodies, as the sun in
various pots of water, cannot the Logos itself gather up its
lost energies or cannot the energy pass into the Logos as
soon as the body dies, just as the sun's reflection ceases as soon
as the water pot is broken ? With what grace can the objection
be stated that unless the man's individuality .is transferred into
the Logos itself, immortality is only a name, when for no reason
or end, the human monad is evolved from Logos, and when there
is an equal chance for the individual attaining immortality to
evolve agaia as a human monad ?

FIFTH SUTRA. 55
V
FIFTH SUTRA.
ON THE RELATION OF GOD,
SOUL AND BODY.
Sutra. The senses while perceiving the object
cannot perceive themselves or the soul ; and they
are perceived by soul. Similarly, the soul while
perceiving cannot perceive itself (while thinking
cannot think thought) and God. It is moved by
the Arul Sakti of God, as the magnet moves the
iron, while Himself remains immoveable or unchan-
geable.
Commentary.
This treats of the way in which God renders good or
actuates the souls and consists of two arguments.
First Argument.
Churnika.—The Tatwas act with the aid of the soul.
Varthikam.—It is established that the five senses per-
ceive only as the instruments of the soul, as they can
perceive nothing when not acting together with the soul.
Illustrations.—The soul has regal sway over the five
senses ; these are not conscious of the soul and its sway,
and the soul itself will have no consciousness except
through the five Senses ; but if the soul itself is not active

56 SIVAGNANA BOTHAM.
the eye though seeing cannot see, and the ear though
hearing, cannot hear.
Second Argument.
Churnika.—The souls understand with the aid of Hara.
Varthikam.—As the soul cannot perceive itself, in the
same way, the five senses cannot feel except with the aid
of the soul, it is established that the soul also perceives
with the aid of God.
Illustrations (a). Thou who hast even forgotten the
text of the Veda which says that the world (animate and in-
animate) becomes developed in the presence of Siva,
understand that the soul knows (the world) only according
to its Karma with the light of Siva. As all Asat is sunya,
He cannot experience Asat.
(b). Just as the stars which lose their individual light
in the light of the sun and yet do not become the sun itself,
so the soul receiving impressions from all the five senses
with the aid of God who is the only Truth, becomes indis-
tinguishable and inseparable from Him (without becoming
one or different from Him.)
(c). The Arul of Isa exists eternally with Him. It is
His Sakti. Without Him, Sakti does not exist; and with-
out Sakti, He cannot be. Hara (and His Sakti) appear as
one to the gnanis, as the sun and its light appear as one to
the eye.

FIFTH SUTRA. 57
NOTES.
This Sutra points out the essential limitation of all human
senses, faculties, and the soul. The power of each is limited
to knowing or perceiving the lower one and it cannot perceive
itself or the higher faculty, and one faculty cannot perform the
functions of another. The external and internal senses and the
soul are therefore placed in an ascending order. Of these the
highest, the soul can only perceive and know what is subordinate
to itself. It cannot know itself nor know God. It is on this
analogy and for this reason that God is imperceivable by the
human senses and inconceivable by the human mind or soul;
and it will be seen further that the soul cannot see God at any
time by its own powers and that even the Yogi sees nothing but
a figment of his own brain.
Not only are these human powers limited in their nature
but there exists an interdependance of the lower over the higher.
In the last sutra, it was shown that the soul does not become
conscious till the Andakarana are evolved from matter; and it is
here shown that the Andakarana themselves will not act unless
the soul influences them and act together; and that the Andakara-
na have no independent action. And it is further seen that the
higher consciousness exists or even predominates when the lower
ones cease. That which stands therefore to the soul as the soul
stands towards mind, is God, 'முற்றறிவன்', Perfect Intelligence
பேரறிவன் 'Supreme intelligence' or as described in the next
sutra 'Siva Sat' or 'Chit Sat.' And herein consists the most
important distinction between God and man, and which entitles

58 SIVAGNANA BOTHAM.
this school of philosophers to call themselves Asthika and all
the rest (theistic and atheistic) Nasthika. In the latter theistic
schools, their ideal of God is a purely personal or human one i.e.,
man raised to a God, or as in the idealistic school, God is brought
down to the level of man, in either of which cases, the conception
of God does not soar higher than that of man and the true ideal
of God is never reached. Coming to the distinction noted above
God and man do not differ in mere place or quantity or quality
or in degree of power, strength or intelligence. It is not the same
order of being differiug merely in the amount of strength and
intelligence. Man is not a particle of God, so that the requisite
number of particles of human souls will make up one God. Put
thus, the idea is absurd enough, yet one finds thousands of people
believing in the theory. The real difference is that God and
man belong each to a different order or plane of existence. Just
as we ascend from the plane of objective consciousness to the
plane of subject or mental consciousness and just as we ascend
from the latter to the consciousness of true subject or soul, so
also do we ascend from the latter consciousness to True Sat or
God. The base of the lower rests upon the higher but not as
effect and cause. Such expressions as உயிருக்குயிர் (Life of
life) அறிவுக்கறிவு (Intelligence of Intelligences) express the
relation clearly and yet we find these expressions freely used by
Idealistic philosophers without any meaning. According to the
latter school, God will be an அறிவு (Intelligence) and not an
அறிவுக்கறிவு (Intelligence of Intelligences). When Siddhanthis
use the expression “ எல்லாம் சிவன்செயல் ” “ All actions are
God's actions,” they are also misunderstood often times, and the
expression simply means that God is He who sustains our very
being and actions as He vivifies our intelligence. Though there
is dependence of the soul on God in respect of its Itcha (will)
Gnana (Intelligence) and Kriya (action) yet the souls' self action
and responsibility is not destroyed. For instance when I move

FIFTH SUTRA. 59
my arm, not only is my volition and energy (Itcha and
Kriya Sakti) brought into play but the same action is
sustained by and is possible only in the presence of the supreme
energy (Kriya Sakti) of God. When I think also,
Gnana Sakti of God is also brought into play. Only when God
works, He does not work as we do. As the 1st illustration to
the second argument points out, His Presence produces these
effects (சந்நிதிக்கே ஐந்து தொழிலாம்). And even then, He does not
suffer any change as pointed out in the Sutra. Analogous are
these. All the actions of the human body are supported and
aided in the end by the Force of Gravity which is one and uni-
form, and yet in ordinary language we do not recognize its power,
though a scientic account of all the causes must include it as
well. Similarly, all our visual perceptions are aided by the Sun's
Light which is one and uniform. Yet I say merely ‘I see.’
Accordingly the ignorant do not recognize and feel the Power of
the Lord, but the wise recognizing this Power, try to realize and
feel it by withdrawing more and more from themselves and
bringing themselves more and more into contact or rapport with
Him, aided thereto by His Arul Sakti. And the last illustration
appropriately discusses the nature of this Arul Sakti. The
approximation of man to God results in the end in adwaitha
relation as described in the 2nd illustration. In day light, the
light of the star is completely lost to all sight and yet not lost.
The light of the star blends with and becomes indistinguishable
from the light of the Sun. Its identity is lost and not itself.
There is no annihilation of the soul but its individuality or
Egoism is lost, its Karma having been eaten. This is Moksha
or Nirvana, according to the Saiva Siddhanti. Then and then
alone will its action, if it has any, be in reality that of the Lord.
The subject is further discussed in the next Sutra.
The limitation of the human intelligence is thus described in
Sivagnana Siddhi, “The soul understands with the aid of the

60 SIVAGNANA BOTHAM.
Supreme Intelligence as it understands through some sense or
other, forgets what it has learnt, learns from others, is not
conscious of itself, does not understand of itself."
On the other hand God is described as 'Swa Para Prakasam'
'He who is self luminous and illumines others.' On this subject
the same authority raises several other questions and gives beauti-
ful replies.
If God illumines all souls, He must illumine all of them equally
well. If each one's intelligence follows his own Karma, then no
God is required. The answer is that Karma itself acts through
God, though God cannot change Karma. And the analogies of
the earth which yields according to the labour of the peasant, and
the sun who can only ripen those fruits that are matured, are
pointed out.
The theory that the soul is self luminous or self intelligent
is refuted by the fact that the soul is only conscious when in
union with the senses; and the opponent is compared to a man
who would say that a man, with the full power of eye sight, finds
out objects by feeling with his hands.
Man's intelligence is in fact analogous with his eyesight.
He is not blind (non-intelligent) nor is his sight such as to make
him see in the dark and dispense with the aid of the sun's
light (God's grace.)

SIXTH SUTRA. 61
VI
SIXTH SUTRA.
ON THE NATURE OF GOD AND THE WORLD.
Sutra. That which is perceived by the senses is
asat (changeable.) That which is not so perceived
do not exist. God is neither the one nor the other,
and hence called Siva Sat or Chit Sat by the wise ;
Chit or Siva when not understood by the human
intelligence and Sat when perceived with divine
wisdom.
Commentary.
This treats of the nature of Sat and Asat and consists
of two arguments.
First Argument.
Churnika.—Every thing that is perceived by the
human understanding is liable to decay.
Varthikam.—As an object exists or does not exist ac-
cording to one or other attitude of the soul, it is established
that the object perceived by the human understanding is
Asat.
Illustration. Hear, O! thou who art ignorant of the
real nature of Asat. All those that are perceived by the
human faculties and senses will be found to be Asat by him
who has understood Sat.

62 SIVAGNANA BOTHAM.
O! Thou, who art not Asat. If similes are required to
illustrate that the world is Asat, they are the figures formed
on the water, the dreams and the cloud-car. They disappear
before Him, as does darkness before the sun.
Second Argument..
Churnika.—The Being so arrived at (that is not per-
ceived by the soul) is Hara.
Varthikam.—All objects understood by us do not require
a light to know them by, and all not so understood cannot
be known even with a light. Hence that which is not
included in these two and which is beyond the ken of human
powers and is within its ken also, that is Sivam which is
Sat.
Illustrations.—(a) If the meaning of the expression
that God is neither what can be proved and known by us
nor what cannot be known is asked, he who has found the
truth will say that He exists. He cannot be seen by the
human understanding as He will then become Asat. He
must be seen by the Arul Sakti of Siva who cannot be
known by man. This Arul Sakti is His Foot.
(b) The faculties by which the Soul perceives are Asat.
Therefore none of them can perceive the One. Even
thou, who so perceivest, cannot understand Him. If
examined, what thou perceivest will be different from
thee. He who has understood himself will perceive him-
self to be not different from Him, as he merges his per-
sonality in Him and understands through His Arul.
(c) If God is capable of being meditated by man, He
becomes Asat. If He is regarded as a Being beyond human

SIXTH SUTRA. 63
meditation, He will be a mere fiction. If He is meditat-
ed as neither, He will be a nonentity. If He is meditat-
ed as an object of meditation though He is beyond human
meditation, this will be also a fiction. The Param can only
be meditated with the aid of His Arul. Therefore He is
not a nonentity.
(d.) To be known by the soul, He is not different from
itself. As He is even present in its understanding it can-
not know Him. As He in fact makes the soul see, its
understanding cannot comprehend and point Him out to
the soul, just as the eye which the soul enables it to see
and yet is one with it cannot see the soul.
(e.) God is not one who can be pointed out as "That."
If so, not only will He be an object of knowledge, it will
imply a Gnatha who understands Him as such. He is not
different from the soul as an object of knowledge. He be-
comes one with the soul pervading its understanding
altogether. The soul so feeling itself is also Sivam.

64 SIVAGNANA BOTHAM.
NOTES.
This Sutra contains the true and only definition of God, and
all other attributes of God follow from the two given here. The
way in which these attributes are derived is thus. In the first
place, God must either be an object of human knowledge or He
is not. If the first, everything that is perceived by us is liable
to decay and change and we cannot regard God as liable to
change. Therefore God is beyond human perception and hence
called Sivam or Chit (Pure Intelligence). If it is not an object
of knowledge, is it nonentity? Of course not, and hence He is
‘Sat’ ‘that which subsists’ ‘The only Truth.’ These two form
the components of the word ‘Satchithanantham,’ so freely
applied to God in the Saivite and Vedantic lore. This is our
only definition of God and it is seen that any definition of
God must contain these elements and the conception of God
could not be simplified in any degree. Stated thus, very few
religionists would quarrel with our definition of God. And
yet how very few of the religions of the world even those,
which charges others as polytheistic and idolatrous have an
ideal of God which conforms to this definition. Their tradi-
tions, beliefs and methods of worship destroy this true idea.
For instance if our definition of God, that He is inconceivable
by the human intelligence and imperceptible to human powers,
is true how are all those religions which believe in Avatars,
Christianity and Vaishnavism included, reconcileable with our
definition. When God is born in the flesh, is He not a tangible
thing, a thing to be seen by our eye, felt by our touch and com-
prehended by our senses. How can we then call Him indescrib-
able and imperceivable. How can the Author of evolution