_________________________________________________________________________________________________
21. The World is a Text and Existence is an Interpretation of It. 22. The
Centrality of Truth Seeking in Metaphysical Life 23. BEING is NOT in the
scriptures 24. The Absolute Certainty, Fearlessness and Bliss
25. The Impenetrable Mystery of
BEING 26. The Combination of Opposites within BEING 27. The Sexual Love and
Pure Love 28. Self-Learning Icon-thinking and Recognizing Blind Spots within
29. The Ego and Its defiance 30. BEING and His AS-IF Plays
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
21. The
World is a Text and Existence is an Interpretation of It.
One of the
views implicit in the Saivism of the Bakti period such as the one of Punitavati
here, is the seeing the whole world as a Gigantic TEXT of a peculiar sort in which the presence of BEING can be read
both in the Surface Structure and the Deep Structure. This is true also of
Tamil VaishNavism that crystallized at about the same and within the same
Hermeneutic framework but all lost because of the Vedantic notions
imposed on the Pasurams.
Within the
notion of World as a TEXT, the READING of it by a person constitutes his
EXISTENCE; the way of life of a person leads is dependent on how he reads the world as a Text. But why should
one read at all? The reading allows the gaining of understanding and hence the
destruction of the inherent BLINDNESS with which one is already afflicted. As we begin to read, the
physical features present themselves as the initial and as we penetrate deeper
and deeper layers, we begin to SEE also
the mental and then the spiritual and so forth. The understanding is taken into
a journey or an excursion, a yaattirai in which deeper and deeper metaphysical
realms are presented and made to understand.
In the
course of such a hermeneutic journey it dawns at some significant point that it
is BEING who presents Himself as the Physical Cosmos as well as the Pure
Consciousness that is at the Deepest level. Thus BEING is understood as the
iyamaanan, the Power that rules, attamuurtti, the Physical Cosmos in its
entirety and as Symbolic of BEING and the Pure Consciousness (njaanamayan)
that is His essence.
Thus we see
the fundamental difference between the Advaitic way of thinking and the
Siddhantic. The Siddhantic does NOT negate any aspect of the world saying it is
not Brahman, it is not Brahman etc.
BEING is everywhere and one can see that if only one has the eyes to
see. Without negating anything one must UNDERSTAND whatever there in the world
and made available in Existence.
Punitavati has
no doubts about it and in this she exceeds even Ati Sankara and the whole lot
of Vedanties and idealists.
21.
«Å§É þÕͼ÷ ¾£ ¬¸¡º Á¡Å¡ý
«Å§É ÒÅ¢ÒÉø ¸¡üÈ¡Å¡ý - «Å§É
þÂÁ¡ÉÉ¡ö «ð¼ ã÷ò¾¢ÔÁ¡ö »¡É
ÁÂÁ¡¸¢ ¿¢ýÈ¡Ûõ ÅóÐ
(«-¨Ã ¾¢Õ
Å¢. ¸)
þ·Ð
þÕÀ¾¡õ À¡ðÊý Å¢Çì¸õ. þÂÁ¡É¡ö -- ¬ýÁ¡Å¡ö. «ð¼ ã÷ò¾í ÌÈ¢ôÀ¢ð¼Å¡Ú ¸¡ñ¸; ( Áñ,
ÒÉø, ¾£, ÅÇ¢, ¦ÅÇ¢, »¡Â¢Ú, ¾¢í¸û, ¯Â¢÷) »¡É ÁÂÁ¡¸¢ ÅóÐ ¿¢ýÈ¡Ûõ «Å§É ±ý¸.
¯¨Ã (¯Ä¸ý)
§Á§Ä
ÌÈ¢ôÀ¢ð¼Å¡Ú þÕ츢ýÈ þ¨ÈÅ§É ¦ÅÇ¢ôÀðÎ
â¾Å¢¸¡Ãí¸Ç¡¸¢Â Åýͼ÷ ¦Áýͼ÷ ¬¸¢Â þÕͼ÷ , ¸ÉÄ¢ý ¾£ , «ÅüÈ¢ü¦¸øÄ¡õ ¾¡Ã¸Á¡ö þÕ츢ýÈ
¬¸¡Âõ ±ýÈÅ¡Ú ¾ý¨Éì ¸¡ðθ¢ýÈ¡ý. §ÁÖõ «Å§É þõ Áñ¾ÄÁ¡Ôõ ¬íÌ ¿¢Ä×õ ¿£÷ ¸¡üÚõ
¬Åý. «¾É¡ø «¨Éò¨¾Ôõ ÅÆ¢ ¿¼¡òÐõ ±ºÁ¡ÉÉ¡ö «¾É¢ý þùÅ¡È¡É ÀÕô¦À¡Õð¸Ùõ
¾¡§É ±É «ð¼ã÷ò¾¢ÔÁ¡ö ¾¢¸úŧ¾¡Î «ÅüÈ¢ý ¯ûÇ£¼¡ö Ò¨¾óÐ ¸¢¼ì¸¢ýÈ »¡Éì¸ñ½¢ü§¸
¸¡½ÅÕ¸¢ýÈ »¡ÉÁÂÛõ ¬Åý ¸¡ñ¸.
þÂÁ¡Éý
< ±ºÁ¡Éý : ¯¼Ä¢¨É ÅÆ¢ ¿¼¡òÐõ ¾¨ÄÅý ±ýÚí ¦¸¡ûÇÄ¡õ.
21.
avanee irucudar tii aakaasa maavaan
avanee puvi punal kaaR Raavaan - avanee
iyamaananaay adda muurttiyumaay njaana
mayamaaki ninRaanum vantu.
Meaning:
BEING described
above as the One of As- If Play is also the One who discloses Himself as the
two kinds of Light, fiery and the gentle, the burning Fire, and the Space that
serves as the Basis of all these. And furthermore He is also the Earth the
Water and the Wind. He stands also as the Lord of this physical Cosmos in
His Form of Eight Murtties and the Pure Consciousness at the Deepest of
Deep Structures - that which visible only for metaphysical eyes.
Comments:
Unlike in
Advaita Vedanta, in Saivism the world is Real as it is the manifest Form that
He takes in order to instruct creatures on Truth by facilitating learning and
thereby destroying the inherent Ignorance, the metaphysical darkness. BEING
dispels the darkness in the soul by assuming the form of this vast cosmos and
hence it is NOT illusory or something to be distrusted and negated. We have to
get involved with the world and LEARN
whatever taught and through that transcend. Only what is learnt and understood
ceases to bind one any further.
Here again
emerges the hermeneutical aspects Saivism holds on to. The World is a TEXT,
a gigantic text in which while the Surface Structure is the phenomenal
aspects of it, the Deep Structure or Deepest of these D.S's is
BEING but as Pure Consciousness, as the Absolute Understanding, the njanamayan.
We can understanding BEING as Pure Consciousness only when we LEARN all
that has to be learnt in the Phenomenal Presentations and then transpose and
transcend to the deeper reaches. At the deepest level the most authentic form
of BEING as Pure Consciousness is met with and which also puts an end to the
metaphysical journey.
The Icon-Thinking of Punitavati-22
22. The
Centrality of Truth Seeking in Metaphysical Life
We have to
ponder over a special feature of Hinduism and which has contributed to its
being-there right from ancient times taking different shapes on its way but
retaining its essence. I central impulse has been that of TRUTH-SEEKING and
hence OPENNESS to receive whatever new thoughts may arise to be rejected only
if found to be a falsity. Thus it is an OPEN Culture, forever ready to change
and assume new shapes provided all are consistent with truth.
This is the
call Punitavati repeats here (cintai atu terintu kaaNminoo): think, reflect,
become clear and then see!
But why this call?
In this she
provides an understanding that has become degenerate as the irrational
Astrology, which has no place in a metaphysical life where rationality is
given central importance. The Ragu and
Ketu, she says, are actually shapes of the Black Hole and which would assail
the mind and darken the understanding by swallowing whatever consciousness that
has been attained.
Learning
earns consciousness and understanding, the Terivu, but there are forces in
nature as already there that would spoil it all. So there must be mental vigilance, the production of NEW
ideas and an OPENNESS to all such ideas
along with critical thinking so that
the false is disconstructed and only truths are allowed to form the mind.
This
feature of Hinduism, institutionalised as tarka debates verbal duels and so
forth, more evident in Saivism than in other cults, is that which will maintain
it forever. A religion that is ready to change forever and all in accordance
with TRUTH will last forever.
22.
Åó¾¢¾¨Éì ¦¸¡ûŧ¾ ¦Â¡ìÌõ þù Å¡û «ÃÅ¢ý
º¢ó¨¾ÂÐ ¦¾Ã¢óÐ ¸¡ñÁ¢§É¡ - Å󧾡÷
þá¿£÷ ¯ÕñÎ «¨É ¸ñ¼ò¾£÷ -- ±í¸û
À£Ã¡ý ¿£÷ ¯õ ¦ºýÉ¢ô À¢¨È
( «-¨Ã ¾¢Õ
Å¢. ¸ )
þá¿£÷:
§Á¸õ, ( ¿£÷ þÕÇø -- §Á¸Á¡¾ø; ¸¡÷§Á¸õ) ±í¸û À¢Ã¡ý ¿£÷, ¯õ ¦ºýÉ¢ô À¢¨È¨Âì
¦¸¡ûÅЧÀ¡ø, þùÅ¡ÇÃÅ¢ý º¢ó¨¾ þÕìÌõ. «¾¨Éò ¦¾Ç¢óÐ ¸¡ñÁ¢ý ±ýÈÅ¡Ú)
¯¨Ã( ¯Ä¸ý)
¦Áö»¡Éò¨¾
§¾Êò ¾¢Ã¢Ôõ «ýÀ÷¸§Ç! þ¨ÈÅÉ¡¸¢Â ¿õ À¢Ã¡ý þÕͼ÷ ¾£ ±ý¦ÈøÄ¡õ ´Ç¢ô À¢Ã¸¡ºò¨¾
°ðÊì ¦¸¡ñ§¼ þÕó¾¡Öõ, «ÅÉÐ ¦ºýÉ¢ô À¢¨È¨Â ¬½ÅÁÄò¾¢ý ÅÊÅí¸Ç¡¸¢Â Ã¡Ì §¸Ð
±Ûõ À¡õÒ¸û Å¢Øí¸¢ «ó¾ ´Ç¢ô À¢Ã¸¡ºò¨¾ ´Î츢, º¢Å¦ÀÕÁ¡ÉÐ þÕñ¼ ¿£Ä ¸ñ¼õ §À¡ø
¯í¸û º¢ó¾¨É¨Â ´Ç¢ÂüÈ ¬¸§Å ¦¾Ç¢ÅüÈ þÕǡ츢 ÁÂì¸ò¨¾ ¯ñ¼¡ì¸¢ ¿¢üÌõ. «ò¾¨¸Â
¦¾Ç¢Å¢ý¨Á §Åñ¼¡¦ÅÉ ´Ð츢 þ¨ÈÂÕ¨Ç ®ðÊ »¡Éò¦¾Ç¢× ¦ÀüÚ ¦¾Ã¢óÐ º¢Å»¡Éò¨¾ì ¦¸¡ûŧ¾
´ìÌõ. «¾¨É Å¢¼¡Ð ¦ºöÔí¸û!
22.
vantitanaik
koLvatee yollum iv vaL aravin
cintaiyatu terintu kaaNminoo -- vantoor
iraa niir uruNdu anaiya kaNdattiit -- eGkaL
piraan niir um cennip piRai
Meaning:
O friends
who are in search of the liberating metaphysical illuminations! Note that the
Snakes in the Space, the Ragu and Ketu (that are manifestations of the Black
Hole,) like devouring the crescent Moon on the head of Siva would devour your
thoughts and make them unclear and Dark like the blue-throat of Siva making you
suffer confusions misunderstanding and so forth. Your real destiny consists in
gaining the Grace of BEING and attain CLARITY and thereby certainty and
therefore do not fail to reflect deeply and attain clarities and thereby the
Absolute Understanding that illuminates all!
Comments:
Saivism
contains within itself a metaphysics that emphasizes the attaining of clarity
of thought , the supremely illuminating being Civanjanam , the Absolute
Understanding that is ALREADY in the bosom of all to attain and enjoy. This is
already the destiny of all though realized only to various degrees by the
individuals.
Having
brought out that BEING stands as the illuminating light in Space, the presence
of confusions bewilderment and irrationalities, misunderstandings and such
shades of thought where there is ABSENCE of illuminations are inquired into
here. Punitavati notes here that there is the DARK, the Black Hole in
Space over and above the illuminating lights of BEING and relates the dark and
non enlightening thoughts of mankind to the presence of this DARK in the
mind also. This is put in a metaphorical term -- the snakes of Ragu and Ketu
swallowing the Crescent Moon and thereby bringing about a psychological eclipse
-- the absence of Light or Inner Radiance in the mind of man.
The
ordinary thoughts of man are cloudied and dark like the Blue-throat of Siva and
only deep and strenuous metaphysical thinking can earn the Grace of BEING and
drive it away. So Saivism favors a life of intellectual combats , struggles and
not dogmatic assertions and parrot-like repetitions. Untruths and hence
cloudied thoughts remain untruths no matter how vehemently they are
proposed propagated and aggressively maintained. The RIGHT thing to do is to
remain OPEN, receive all kinds of thoughts and putting oneself in an inner
conflict reflect boldly to attain CLARITY. Such a way of life where truths
after truths are encountered and assimilated into one's understanding leads in
the end towards the enjoyment of Civanjaanam, that understanding that lights up
all so that such a metaphysical struggle also comes to a natural conclusion.
Against
this view of this magnificent lady , Punitavatiyaar, it is NOT surprising that
Saivism always remained OPEN to a variety of religions, metaphysical
thought systems , the vatams and saGkaRpams, allowing them flourish
but if found erroneous then banished into Parapakkam, the side of the
discontructible and hence the false.
The
Icon-Thinking of Punitavati-23
23.
BEING is NOT in the scriptures
The world religions
are conflict only because of a deep ignorance, the ignorance where they arrest
BEING, the forever FREE and Surplus into some that they call Scriptures Sastras
and what not. Such people are not only ignorant fools but also arrogant and
aggressive even unto God for they dare to arrest and imprison BEING into the
body of the scriptures and Sastras of their choice. It is actually product of a
psychopathological condition arising from a phobia for Openness and Freedom
that the anma actually is.
Punitavati
declares most emphatically that her Love and Allegiance is only for
BEING-as-Siva and NOT for anything else even when He shows no love unto her and
for which there must some reason. It is BEING and not the scriptures including
the mantras there that would redeem the soul. It is only BEING, she declares,
who wears the Crescent Moon, the Snake of Fire and Waters and hence the Power
of life renewal and energising so that eternal youthful vitality is enjoyed and
also the Fire that would singe to ashes all dirt and thereby PURIFY the soul.
It is only
BEING who can grant Sivattuvam, being absolutely Pure and hence being the SAME
as SIVA in essence.
The
scriptures and Sastras are mere shadows contrasted with being in the living presence of BEING which
is actually being in Truth. It is a
sign of spiritual immaturity that people cling to the scriptures and sastras as
if they are an end in themselves instead of taking them only as rafts to swim
across the turbulent sea of life and gain entry into the Final Home, The
TiruCiRRambalam, as Saivites would say.
More below
23
À¢¨ÈÔõ ÒÉÖõ «Éø «Ã×ï ÝÎõ
þ¨ÈÅ÷ ±ÁìÌ þÃí¸¡§ÃÛõ -- ¸¨ÈÁ¢¼üÈ
±ó¨¾Â¡÷ìÌ ¬ðÀð§¼õ ±ý¦ÈýÚ þÕì̧Á
±ó¨¾ «È¡ ¯ûÇõ þÐ.
(«-¯¨Ã
¾¢Õ.Å¢.¸)
À¢¨È -
À¢¨Èî ºó¾¢Ãý. ÒÉø - ¸í¨¸ . «Éø «Ã× - ¿ïÍò ¾£ÔÁ¢Øõ À¡õÒ. ¬½¼Åý «Õû
¦ºö¡¦¾¡Æ¢Â¢Ûõ ±õ ÁÉõ «ÅÉ¢¼í ¦¸¡ñ¼ «ýÀ¢É¢ýÚõ ¿£í¸¡Ð ±ýÈÀÊ.
¯¨Ã (¯Ä¸ý)
«Ó¾ô
¦À¡Æ¢Å¢ý À¢¨È¨ÂÔõ, ÅÈ𺢨Âô §À¡ì¸¢ ÌÇ¢÷¨Á¨Âò ¾Õõ ÒÉ¢¾ ¿£Õõ, ãġ쿢¡¸¢Â
¸¡Á§Å𨸨 ¯ñÎ Àñ½¢ þǨÁţâÂõ ¦¾¡¼ÕÁ¡Ú ¦ºöÂÅøÄ ¦¿ÕôÒÁ¢Øõ «Ã×õ ÝÊ, þ¨Å
±øÄ¡õ ¾ýÉ¡ðº¢ìÌ «¼í¸¢Â¨Å ±É측ðÎõ þ¨ÈÅý ±ýÀ¡ø þÃí¸¢ «Åü¨È
«ÕÇ¡¦¾¡Æ¢Â¢Ûõ, ±ý ÌüÈí¸¨Ç¦ÂøÄ¡õ ¿£ì¸¢ ¾ý ¸ñ¼ò¾¢ø þÕò¾¢ «¾É¡ø ¾¢Õ¿£Ä¸ñ¼Á¡¸ò
¾¢¸Øõ ±ý ¾ó¨¾Â¡¸¢Â þ¨ÈÅÛìÌ ¾ý ¸¡Ã½Á¡¸ «ÅÛ째 ¬ðÀ𧼡õ ±ýÚ º¢ó¾¢òÐ «¾¢ø
Á¡È¡¾¢ÕìÌõ ±ý ¦¿ïºõ ¸ñ¼¡ö.
23.
piRaiyum
punalum anal aravunj cuudum
iRaivar emakku irangkaareenum -- karaimidaRRu
entaiyaarkku aadpaddoom enRenRu irukkumee
entai aRaa uLLam itu.
Meaning:
BEING
stands wearing the Crescent Moon (of ambrosia of good health), the Pure
Waters of life renewal and the Fiery Snake of sexual desires (that
sustains youthful virility). Now BEING who discloses Himself thus even
if H± does not grant any of them out of love and pity for me, my love
for My Father, the Blue throated Siva remains ever firm and without any lapseî
for He, by removing the Dark in me ( and keeping at his throat) forever
purifies me!
Comments:
One of the
themes that has been part of Saivism right from Sumerian times is that
of life renewal, eternal youth, and vitality and virility as the
true blessings of genuine metaphysical life coming from BEING as Siva and who
wears the Crescent Moon, the Ganges and the Fiery Snake as the symbolic
elements indicative of these. But these are NOT granted to all but only those
who proceed along the San Maarkkam, the WAY of True Liberation.
In our Ego
projects of various kinds, more as expressions of Will to Power and
lord over others, we claim all kinds of
fantastic things and through persuasive rhetoric , propaganda , force,
threat and so forth seek to convert others to our way of thinking
and make them submit to our will. But such attempts, no matter how
powerfully are advocated and propagated , will NOT ensure good health inner
happiness and youthful vitality. For they fail to gain the grace of BEING of
the above powers.
We cannot
fool BEING by pretensions of all kinds for BEING sees through our falsity.
Thus He may
not grant us all these things till we somehow get into the WAY and remain
steadfast in that. But nevertheless even though we go the wrong way and out of
ignorance, BEING as the Blue-Throated Siva does not ABANDON us and imprison us
in Eternal Hell , to suffer forever there.
BEING as
Siva , the Savior is always with us purifying us by removing the DARK within
us, that which makes us do the Evil and Ignoble. We cannot become PURE and
hence ruled solely by LOVE unless we get into serious moral conflicts and out
of the immense pains we suffer we also SEEK the blessings of BEING to be free
from them.
The
Icon-Thinking of Punitavati-24
24. The
Absolute Certainty, Fearlessness and
Bliss
All of us
are in search of something and because of that restless, forever attempting
this and that. At some point in the course of such a way of life, it dawns
that what we are really seeking is
Absolute Understanding, the Civanjanam which on attaining will show from within
itself that is the Siddhanta, the Final Understanding, an understanding that
illuminates all and provides a MEANING for existence beyond any shadow of
doubt.
As is the
case with all genuine mystics throughout the world and throughout history,
Punitavati also locates this in the direct witnessing of BEING as Brilliant
Light, the final phenomenal experience that also puts an end to phenomenality,
the historicity of existence, of suffering endless existential repetition.
The
apodictic certainly this vision breeds clears all doubts and uncertainties
leading to feel that one is at long last in metaphysically SECURE ground.
There is
existential fear and anguish when one lives in false metaphysics and which
disappear forever at the point of witnessing this Supremely Radiant Light, the
essential form of BEING Himself. This experience breeds from within itself that
that experince is not only the most authentic experiencing of BEING but also
the FINAL, the Siddhanta.
More below.
24
þÐÅý§È ®ºý ¾¢Õ×ÕÅõ ¬Á¡(Ú)
þÐÅý§È ±ýÈÉ째¡÷ §ºÁõ - þÐÅý§È
Á¢ýÛï ͼÕÅ¡ö Á£ñ¼¡¦Âý º¢ó¾¨É째
þýÛï ÍÆø¸¢ýÈÐ þíÌ
(«-¨Ã
¾¢Õ.Å¢.¸)
Á£ñ¼¡ö - Á¨Èó¾¡ö;
('§À¾¨Á Á£Çî ¦ºö¨¸ Á£Ùõ -- ¦ºö¨¸Á£Ç ¯½÷Á£Ùõ .. §Å𨸠Á£Çô ÀüÚ Á£Ùõ.. ' -
Á½¢§Á¸¨Ä 30: 119). ±ý º¢ó¾¨É째 þýÛï ÍÆø¸¢ýÈÐ -- (§¾¡ýÈ¢ Á¨Èó¾ Á¢ýÛï ͼ÷ ¯ÕÅõ)
þýÛõ ±ý º¢ó¨¾Â¢ø ÍÆýÚ ¦¸¡ñÊÕ츢ÈÐ. ®ºý ¾¢Õ×ÕÅõ ¬Á¡Ú þÐ «ý§È¡ . ( ͼ÷ ¯ÕÅõ ®ºý
¯ÕÅõ ±ýÚ ¦¾Ã¢Å¢ò¾Å¡Ú ¸¡ñ¸) §ºÁõ - ¿Äý; Ò¨¾Âø ±ýÉÖÁ¡õ.
¯¨Ã( ¯Ä¸ý)
ºó¾¢Ã§º¸ÃÉ¡¸
¸í¸¡¾ÃÉ¡¸ ¿£Ä¸ñ¼É¡¸¦ÅøÄ¡õ §¾¡ýȢ ¦À¡ØÐõ , þùÅÊÅí¸Ç¡ø ¯½÷ò¾ôÀÎõ »¡Éí¸û
±øÄ¡õ Á¨ÈÂ, Á£ñʼ, º¢Å»¡Éò¨¾§Â §À¡¾¢ì¸ÅøÄ Á¢ýÛï ͼ÷ ¯ÕÅ¡ö §¾¡ýÈ¢ þÐÅý§È¡
®ºÉÐ ¦º¡åÀ ÅÊÅõ , «Ð ¯½÷òÐõ »¡Éò¨¾ô ¦ÀÚžý§È¡ ±øÄ¡õ ¿Äý¸¨ÇÔõ ¾ÕÅÐ ±ýÚ
±ñÏÁ¡Ú, ±ý º¢ó¾¨É¨Âì ¸ùÅ¢ Á¨È¡РÍÆýÚ ÍÆýÚ Åó¾Å¡Ú þÕ츢ýÈÐ ¸¡ñ!
ÌÈ¢ôÒ:
«õ¨Á¡÷ ¯Ä¸òÐ ±øÄ¡ ¦Áö»¡É¢¸Ùõ «ÛÀÅ¢ò¾ ´Ç¢ÅÊÅ ¾Ã¢ºÉò¨¾ô ¦ÀüȾ¢ý ¯ñ¨Á¨Â þôÀ¡¼ø
¯½÷òи¢ýÈÐ
24.
ituvanRee
iisan tiruvuruvam aamaa(Ru)
ituvanRee enRanakoor ceemam - ituvanRee
minnunj cudar uruvaay miiNdaay en cintanaikee
innunj cuzalkinRatu iGku.
Meaning:
BEING
disclosing His authentic form as Brilliant Pure Light, stays
firmly in mind shining continuously impelling thereby to think of this
form that causes to disappear the understanding that I gained through
contemplating His other and earlier forms such as the Wearer of Crescent Moon, the Ganges, the Blue-Throated and so
forth. The understanding I gain, the Civanjaanam, through contemplating on
this form, I realize now, is that which will gain me all the best in the
world and give the greatest security ever possible.
Comments:
The great
mystics throughout the world are noted to have experienced directly the
disclosure of BEING as Radiant Light, the Sunyata. Even in the 3rd. millennium
B.C. we have another lady Enhudu Anna exclaiming " Nin me sa-ra , u
dalla-e-a" where the 'u dalla-e-a" is really the Ta. uL
teLLiya: clear and radiant light. This BEING is Paraman
(Brahman) where 'par- ' means also bright light as in paruti, the sun.
There are many terms related to this : paal, paan, paar etc. and which
has also given us pakal: day light.
There is
hierarchical organization in the way BEING discloses his various presentational
forms. While the earlier and the archetypal forms may be individually and
culturally conditioned , this Form of Brilliant Light cuts across all the
contextual determinants and emerges as the MOST UNIVERSAL as well as the
HIGHEST
This verse discloses
that though she started her spiritual adventures within the framework of Siva
archetypes but at the end of it all, witnesses directly BEING-as-Brahman
or what is the same BEING-as-Siva, BEING-as-Pure Radiance.
This
presentation of BEING linkers behind in the mind as the unsubverted and
hence INDISPLACABLE . There cannot be any higher or closer form of BEING
than this. And in the contemplation of it emerges Civanjaanam, the Absolute
Understanding, the Cattu, the un-displacable and everlasting. As such it
becomes the "ceemam ", the best and psychologically the most secure
for in the enjoyment of it, there is also the message that it is FINAL , that
there is NO understanding beyond it.
This puts
an end to all metaphysical anguish arising from gnawing doubts and
uncertainties. There comes to prevail apodictic certainty and along with it an
unshakable firmness of mind that disallows any kind of fluctuations. There is
peace of mind at last with a certainly and firmness beyond measure.
The Icon-Thinking of Punitavati-25
25. The
Impenetrable Mystery of BEING
BEING is
wholly mysterious and this, it would appear by design ( technically known as
tirootakam). BEING plays the AS-IF Game in which He shape shifts continuously
and without which we can know nothing. In our Will to Power we think we can
reach the truths with our intellectual acrobatics, little knowing even that is
only because of the Grace of BEING. We are NOTHING if not for His Grace or
blessings.
And to
subdue our Will to Power, He keeps Himself forever beyond the reach of the
mind, forever a Surplus for any means the mind may conjure up for reaching Him.
It will transpire that even when these sadhanas are practiced, they are of no use for reaching Him and be one-with
Him unless He Blesses one and for which purpose one has to kill the Will to
Power and cultivate the Will to Submit
and Serve.
Here it
transpires that He plays TWO important games: that of a beggar in the shape of
Pitcaadana Muurtti and the shape of
destroyer, the Rudra, in the cremation grounds, both shapes quite
central to Saivism. In both games there is taking away the dirt from the anmas,
through the first gently and through the second violently.
While
through the first He deprives us of the
evil in us but without denying existence, through the Dance in the cremation
grounds, He deprives EXISTENCE itself all just to humiliate the arrogant souls.
When peaceful means fail, the nations are burnt to ashes only to be renewed as
more humble.
Whether
mighty Kings, Messiahs, Mullahs, Brahmanahs, Bodhisatvas Tirtangkaras, or even
mighty empires spreading itself across the whole globe and what not, DEATH is certain. The decline is always
there and hence people are told, unknown to themselves that they are
NOTHING at all in front of the MIGHT of BEING who only has the power over not
only their life but also everything historical
But all
these truths are shrouded in MYSTERY
till we become humble enough and learn to live with the will to Submit and
Serve i.e. in genuine Bakti.
25
þí¸¢ÕóÐ ¦º¡øÖŦ¾ý ±õ¦ÀÕÁ¡ý ±ñ½¡§¾
±íÌõ ÀÄ¢¾¢Ã¢Ôõ ±ò¾¢ÈÓõ -- ¦À¡í¸¢ÃÅ¢ø
®ÁÅÉò ¾¡ÎÅÐõ ±ýÛìÌ ±ýÚ ¬Ã¡ö§Å¡õ
¿¡ÁŨÉì ¸¡½ÖüÈ »¡ýÚ
(« -¨Ã
¾¢Õ.Å¢.¸)
±ñ½¡§¾ -- ´ýÚõ ±ñ½¡Á§Ä. ÀÄ¢
¾¢Ã¢Ôõ -- À¢î¨º ²üÌõ. ±ò¾¢ÈÓõ -- «ùÅ¢ÂøÒõ ; ±ùŨ¸ÔÁ¡õ. ®ÁÅÉòÐ
-- Íθ¡ðÊø. ±ýÛìÌ - ±ýÉò¾¢üÌ.
±õ¦ÀÕÁ¡ý
ÀÄ¢¾¢Ã¢¾ø, ®ÁÅÉò¾¡Î¾ø ӾĢÂÅüÈ¢ý ÑðÀò¨¾ «Å¨Éì ¸¡½¡Ð þí¸¢ÕóЦ¸¡ñÎ ±ýÉ ¦º¡øÅÐ?
«Å¨Éì ¸¡½ÖüÈ »¡ýÚ «¨Å¸¨Ç ¬Ã¡ö§Å¡õ ±ýÈÀÊ.
º¢Å¦ÀÕÁ¡ý
´ýÚõ ±ñ½¡Ð ÀÄ¢¾¢Ã¢¾ø ®ÁÅÉò¾¡Î¾ø ӾĢÂÉ, ¬½Åõ ӾĢ ÁÄí¸Ç¡ø ¸ðÎñ¼ ¿¢¨Ä¢ø
¯Â¢÷¸ðÌ Å¢Çí¸¡¦Åý¸. «¨Å¸Ç¢ý ÑðÀõ ÁÄõ ¿£í¸¢ò ¾¢ÕÅÕû »¡Éí ¨¸ÅÃô ¦ÀÚõ§À¡Ð Å¢ÇíÌõ
±ý¸.
±ñ½¡§¾
ÀÄ¢¾¢Ã¢¾ø ±ýÀÐ ¸Õ¾üÀ¡ÄÐ. ¬ñ¼Åý ¯Â¢÷¸û Á¡ðÎ ¨ÅòÐûÇÐ þÃì¸õ ±ýÚ ÌÈ¢ôÀ¢ð¼Å¡È¡õ.
þ¨È¨Áì ̽òÐìÌî ¦ºøÅô ¦À¡Õû §ÅñΞ¢ø¨Ä ±ýÀÐõ Å¢Çí̸¢ÈÐ. þ¨ÈÅý ¦À¡í¸¢ÃÅ¢ø
®ÁÅɾ¡Îžý ¾òÐÅõ, ¯Â¢÷¸û ¬½ÅÅ¢ÕÇ¢ø ãú¸¢ò ¾í¸û ¿¢¨Ä ¦¾Ã¢Â¡Ð ¸¢¼ìÌõ§À¡Ð, «¨Å¸¨Ç
Å¢ðÎ þ¨ÈÅý À¢Ã¢Â¡Ð, «¨Å¸¨Çî ¦ºó¦¿È¢ôÀÎò¾¢ þÂ츧ÅñÊ, «ùÅ¢ÕÇ¢ø ´Ç¢Â¡ö ¿¢ýÚ
¬Î¸¢ýÈ¡ý ±ýÀÐ. Å¢Çì¸õ »¡É áø¸Ç¢ü ¸¡ñ¸
¯¨Ã (¯Ä¸ý)
ÓõÁÄò
¾¡ì¸ò¾¢ý ¸¡Ã½Á¡¸ «ï»¡É þÕÇ¢ø ¸¢¼ìÌõ ¿ÁìÌ þ¨ÈÅý ¾É즸ýÚ µý¨ÈÔõ ±ñ½¡§¾
À¢ðº¡¼Éã÷ò¾¢Â¡¸ ±ØóÐ ¬ýÁ¡ì¸Ç¢¼õ À¢î¨º ²üÚ ¯ñÀÐõ, ¯Õò¾¢Ã ã÷ò¾¢Â¡¸ ±ØóÐ
®ÁÅÉò¾¢ø ¦¿ÕôÀ¡ÎÅÐõ þýÛõ þЧÀ¡ýÈ Àø§ÅÚ ¾¢ÕÅ¢¨Ç¡¼ø¸Ç¢ý ¯ð¦À¡Õû ¿ÁìÌ
ÓüÈ¢Öõ ÒÄÉ¡¸Ð §À¡¸Ä¡õ. «¾ý ÑðÀí¸û ¿ÁìÌ Á¨È¦À¡ÕÇ¡¸§Å þÕìÌõ. ¬Â¢Ûõ «Åý «Õ¨Ç «ÅÉ¢ý
¦º¡åÀò¨¾ì ¸¡½ÖÚõ §À¡Ð, «ÅÉÐ ¾¼ò¾ þÄ츽Á¡¸¢Â þò¾¨¸Â ¾¢ÕÅ¢¨Ç¡¼ø¸û ±¾ý ¦À¡ÕðÎ
±ýÀ¨¾ ¬öóÐ ¦¾Ç¢§Å¡õ.
25
iGkiruntu
colluvathen emperumaan eNNaathee
eGkum palaitiriyum ettiramum -- poGkiravil
iimavanat taaduvatum ennukku enRu aaraayvoom
naamavanaik kaNaluRRa njaanRu
Meaning:
BEING has
TWO forms - the In-Itself and the For-Others. When He plays the AS-IF game shape shifting into that a beggar and goes about begging from the
people without expecting anything, and dances the Dance of Destruction in the
Cremation Grounds and such other Games, right now when we are still full of
Ignorance, the deep meanings of these games may NOT be clear to us.
However when BEING discloses Himself in the In-Itself form, we shall then
examine for what purpose these games are played as then the secrets may be
intuitable by us.
Comments:
There is
MYSTERY or incomprehensibility with regards to the workings of BEING as long as
we are in the DARK with respect to the metaphysical world. BEING then presents
Himself in various archetypal forms in which He enacts the various events in
the world but all designed to remove this Metaphysical Blindness. This is what
He begs from us and takes away so that we are less poor in terms of ignorance
but richer in terms being now more illuminated. The same goes for the
Destruction that takes place continuously and at various levels so that our
ignorance is destroyed.
All these
happen without our understanding or consciousness -- in the depths or in the
unconscious. However there comes a point at which we SIGHT BEING and understand
Him as He is in Himself, the Coruubam. At this point where we gain a true
understanding of the essence of BEING, the games He played to bring the anmas
to this level of spiritual maturity become intelligible and hence something
that can pondered at and the TRUE meanings grasped.
The Icon-Thinking of Punitavati-26
The human
beings in their mental atomicity, seek to isolate something that pleases them and
locking themselves within this choice, become blind to other possibilities.
This is so visible in Indian Philosophical traditions that have also become
casteic. The Vedanties go about repeating tirelessly the words of Sankara and
the same is done by VaishNavas who never forget their obeisance to Ramanuja and
so forth all with total indifference to what others say. If at they pay some attention to others, it
is more to dismiss summarily than anything else. Fortunately we are spared of
this philosophic casteism in Saivism and Tamil Jainism where every
philosophical thinking is understood and then disconstructed as in (Sivanjana
Siddhyar, SaGkaRpa NiraakaraNam, Tattuvap Pirakasam, NjaanavaraNa ViLakkam etc)
and as in the Jain Nilakeci (which probably set the model for the Saivites in
this matter)
Underlying
this OPENESS is the understanding that BEING is not only immensely complex but
also someone who combines within Himself the opposites that Punitavati notes in
the following verse. On the one hand Siva’s body is Golden and hence
faultlessly Pure but at the throat there is the Dark Patch that contrasts with
the golden body. This carries the implication that BEING is the source of
eternal joy and also that of infinite pain. More importantly this combination
discloses that it is BEING who can manage the Dark, hold it under control and
through that be the Saviour for the suffering anmas.
Another
such a combination is that of wearing a garland of skulls and by the side a
snake as an ornament. This bizarre combination is there to disclose that it is
BEING who is the source of both DEATH
as shown by the skulls and LIFE RENEWAL as shown by the snake that symbolises
the libido.
We must
note that these symbols are very ancient, very primitive and has been there the
centre of philosophic endeavours at least from the days the Sumerian En Hudu Anna (c. 22oo BC). The metaphysical
secrets these symbols contain within themselves become elements of conscious
prehension for such mumukusus as Punitavati
26
»¡ýÈ
ÌÆüº¨¼¸û ¦À¡ýŨçÁø Á¢ýÛÅÉ
§À¡ýÈ ¸¨¼ Á¢¼üÈ¡ý ¦À¡ýÁ¡÷À¢ý - »¡ý¦ÈíÌ
Á¢ì¸Â§Ä §¾¡ýÈ Å¢Çí¸¢ Á¢Ç¢Õ§Á
«ì¸Â§Ä ¨Åò¾ «Ã×
(«-¨Ã) ¾¢Õ
Å¢.¸
»¡ýÈ ÌÆø
º¨¼¸û - ¦¾¡í¸¢Â ÍÕû º¨¼¸û. »¡ýÚ - ¦¾¡í¸¢. Á¢ìÌ «Â§Ä - Á¢Ìó¾ «Â§Ä ; «ìÌ
«Â§Ä ¨Åò¾ «Ã× -- ±ýÒ Á¡¨Ä¢ý «Õ§¸ ¨Åò¾ À¡õÒ. «Ã× ¦À¡ýÁ¡÷À¢ø Á¢Ç¢Õõ
¯¨Ã (¯Ä¸ý)
«ï»¡É
þÕÇ¢§Ä ¿¡ý þýÛõ ¸¢¼ì¸ ¾ÉÐ þÂøÒ¸¨Ç Å¢ÇìÌõ Ũ¸Â¢ø ¾ý¨É Àø§ÅÚ ÅÊÅí¸Ç¢ø
¸¡ðθ¢ýÈ¡ý. «ÅüÈ¢ø ¾ý¨É ¸¨ÈÁ¢¼üÚ ¿£Ä¸ñ¼É¡¸ ¸¡ðÎÅÐõ ´ýÚ. «Ð
±ôÀÊôÀ𼧾¡¦ÅÉ¢ø, ¦À¡ýÁ¨Ä¢ø ¸Õò¾ ÌÆø º¨¼¸û ¦¿Î¸ ¸£§Æ Å£úÅÐ §À¡ýÚ
¦¾ýÀθ¢ýÈÐ. «ÅÉÐ þôÀÊôÀð¼ ¸¨ÈÁ¢¼üÚ ¦À¡ýÁ¡÷À¢ø Á¢¸ô ¦À⾡¸ Å¢Çí¸¢ §¾¡ýÚõ
Ũ¸Â¢ø À¡õ¦À¡ýÚ ±ýÒ Á¡¨ÄìÌ «Õ§¸ ÓÃñÀ¼ §¾¡ýÈ¢ ¿¢üÌõ.
26
njaanRa kuzaR sadaikaL ponvaraimeel
minnuvana
poonRa kaRaimidaRRaan ponmaarbin - njaanReGku
mikkayalee toonRa viLaGki miLirumee
akky ayalee vaitta aravu
Meaning:
Because I
am still in ignorance, BEING shows Himself in a variety of muurttams (
archetypal forms) to instruct me about His essence. In this we have the
Blue-Throated Siva whose appearance resembles the dark curly hair falling on a
Golden Hill. And in this presentational form we have also the Snake very
obviously next to the garland of skulls he wears on His golden chest.
Comments:
Now begins unravelling the symbolic meanings
hidden beneath the various archetypal forms in which BEING discloses Himself by
way of instructing the ignorant souls as to His essence. Since BEING is
totally autonomous, we cannot know anything of Him unless He wills to instruct
us on Him and on His own. The various archetypal forms and deep
contemplations on them are blessings of a kind - expressions of His aruL.
Here Punitavati takes up an interesting but
somewhat bizarre form of BEING - that of adorning His Golden Chest with both a
garland of skulls and a very visible snake. But why this somewhat unearthly
combination? Certainly there is DEEP meaning behind it and we have to READ the
meanings to get at what BEING tells us about Himself through such archetypal
presentations.
The meaning is not very difficult to see really. For the garland of skulls indicate DEATH and the Snake, as the symbol of kuNdalini, stands for the libidinal energy that promotes life renewal. BEING wearing both simply means that it is HE who is ultimately the One who decides on the very important matters of DEATH and REBIRTH or death-like experiences in life and its opposite -- that of joy happiness and so forth.
The Icon-Thinking of Punitavati -27
27. The Sexual Love and Pure Love
The Icon-Thinking is a peculiar kind of metaphysical thinking well above logical and where it is essentially Hermeneutic Semiotics, a science of a kind that involves interpreting the icon as a TEXT and seeking out the meanings implicit in the configuration of the icon. Following Dr Rajaram we can even consider the icons as configurations of Pure Energy in various shapes so that it would affect the mind is special ways, stimulate it and thereby activate thinking processes that result in gaining metaphysical illuminations.
However the meanings remain of existential importance, something that makes one UNDERSTAND existence and hence also reality. In becoming iconoclastic, we only deprive ourselves a source of authentic metaphysical illuminations. Agamic Hinduism in the cultic forms of Saivism VaishNavism Saktaism and so forth, has kept alive this kind of thinking and the temple worship that sustains it right from ancient days and despite many challenges to it.
No one would deny that sexuality remains one of the most powerful pressures within that is so so difficult to overcome. Because of the subjugation of self to others and the need to lead an earthly kind of existence and with a spouse, the anma that has become a mumuksu, Liberation Seeking will find itself in a predicament if it is still infected with this sexuality. This realization hits Punitavati and because of which she implores that Siva wears instead of the Snake a golden chain.
But what is the difference?
It is explained below.
27
«ÃŦÁ¡ýÚ
¬¸òÐ ¿£ ¿ÂóР⧽ø
ÀÃÅ¢ò
¦¾¡ØÐ þÃ󧾡õ ÀýÉ¡û - ÓýƢÂ
´ýÉ¡÷ ¾õ
ã¦Å¢Öõ µ÷ «õÀ¡ø ±ö¾¡§É
¦À¡ýÉ¡Ãõ Áü¦È¡ýÚ âñ
(«-¨Ã : ¾¢Õ
Å¢.¸)
¬¸òÐ - ¾¢Õ§Áɢ¢ø. ÓÃñ - ÅÄ¢ . ´ýÉ¡÷ ¾õ -
À¨¸ÅÕ¨¼Â. ¾¢Õ§Áɢ¢ø À¡õ¨À «½¢Âü¸ ±ýÚõ, ¦À¡ýÉ¡Ãõ «½¢¸ ±ýÚõ §Åñξø
¦ºö¾Å¡Ú ¸¡ñ¸
¯¨Ã ( ¯Ä¸ý)
þ¨ÈÅ¡!
¯ý¨Éô ÀÃÅ¢ò ¦¾¡ØÐ ´ýÚ §¸ð§À¡õ. «¨ÉÅ÷ ¯ûÇòÐõ ¸¡Á§Å𨸨 ±ØôÀ¢ ÀÄÅ¡Ú «¨Äì¸Æ¢ì¸î ¦ºö¸¢ýÈ «øÄø ÀÎòи¢ýÈ «ó¾ «ÃÅò¨¾ Áì¸¨Ç ¬ðÎÅ¢ì¸ µ÷
¬Ô¾Á¡¸ ÀÂýÀÎò¾üÌ ¿£ Å¢ÕõÀ¢ ¯ý ¦¿ïºò¾¢ø
⽡РþÕ츧ÅñÎõ. ¯ý¨É ¦ÅÚòÐ ¾õ «È¢Â¡¨Á¢ɡø ¯ÉìÌô À¨¸Å÷ ¬Â¢É¡÷ ¾õ «ï»¡Éì
§¸¡ð¨¼¸û ãý¨ÈÔõ µ÷ «õÀ¢É¡ø ±öÐ ±Ã¢òÐ º¡õÀġ츢 ¾¢Èò¾¢ý ³Â§É ! «ó¾ì ¸¡ÁôÀ¡õÀ¢ý
þ¼ò¾¢ø «ÕÇýÀ¢ý ¦À¡ýÉ¡ÃÁ¡¸ Áü¦È¡ýÈ¢¨Éô âñÀ¡Â¡¸.
27.
aravamonRu
aakattu nii nayantu puuNeel
paravit
tozutu irantoom pannaaL - muraNaziya
onnaar
tam muuveyilum eytaanee
poonnaaram
maRRonRu puuN
Meaning:
For many
days we worshipped and requested you
just one thing : don’t wear on your
chest the Snake that arouses the sexual desires in the heart of the creatures and make them suffer immensely because of it. Instead we implore you that
you wear the golden chain that arouses
Pure Love (that’s above sexuality). For you who singed to ashes with a single
arrow the THREE castles of your enemies, this should not be impossible at all.
Comments:
Punitavati
enters into the semiotics of the symbolic adornments of Siva. The SNAKE and a
GOLDEN CHAIN are compared as tools BEING uses in playing the creatures in their
existence so that pleasures and pains alternate but all in the interest of
purifying them and destroying the ignorance within them. The SNAKE is the form
of Kundalini that provides the ENERGIA
but which initially emerges as the sexual libido and only later as the Kriya
Sakti and Gnana Sakti the Kinetic and Gnostic Powers. Punitavati have been
married and then later suffered the dissolution of the family life on being
abandoned by her husband , and which
almost drove her to suicide. But
her metaphysical understanding stood by her and she with great pains abandoned
the sex based life with a man and chose LOVE based life with BEING, Siva.
It is this
suffering that is behind her request that Siva does not wear at all this snake
of sexual libido around his neck but rather the golden chain
of PURE LOVE.
The golden
chain is the transmutation of the snake -- the spiritualization of the sexual
love into Pure Love. When people are
still with bodily attachments , the sexual libido is the closest they can come
to Pure Love but it has its defect
of possessiveness and because of which there is such a
thing as being a wife, being a husband with duty bound to be faithful to each other and so forth and moral
conflict etc. This creates all kinds of stresses in life for men naturally seek
out as many spouses as possible because of the domination of Natam in their
personality and women on the other hand seek to arrest the man exclusively for
herself, and that because of the domination of Bindu in her personality. This
divergent pulls between men and women create problems in family life and
because of which family life holds the possibility of disintegration and hence
something of excruciating pains.
However
when this same relationship between man and woman is founded upon Pure Love,
that induced in the bosom by the Golden Chain, such divergent tendencies and
contrary pulls are absent. There is NO
seeking to POSSESS but only seeking to GIVE and SERVE and which furthers the bond of love between them.
Having
become a ghost, one who has conquered the body, Punitavati is incapable of sexual kind of Love that comes along
with possessiveness but only Pure Love
that seeks only to GIVE expecting
NOTHING in return
The Icon-Thinking of Punitavati -28
28. Self-Learning Icon-thinking and Recognizing Blind
Spots within
In this verse Punitavati declares her incomprehensibility of the semiotic significance of the various kinds of snakes that adorn the icon of Siva and thereby learns about her own ignorance. The icon presentations and the incomprehensibility of the symbolic meanings of elements there, at first glance not only makes a person bewilder at the inscrutability but also recognize the presence of IGNORANCE, dark spots within oneself. With this recognition gets also defeated the ego-self, that which is confident that by its own efforts (and with a certain method that cannot fail) it can wrest out the metaphysical secrets from nature.
Now we also see why the SYMBOLIC and mythical along with it, is an integral part of genuine metaphysical life. The person who confronts the icon and puzzles as to the various meanings that remain encrypted or buried in the depths, also recognizes his own ignorance and hence the fact that within his soul there are elements that would block his visions and introduce a blindness and against which he has to battle.
Now we also understand why some people DENY the icons and refuse to enter into icon-thinking - it would disclose the presence of ignorance within them and thereby humiliate them, pierce the shell of egotism within which they shield themselves for fear of suffering this humiliation. They become iconoclastic and sometimes worse still destroyers of icons to banish icon-thinking and all to avoid the recognition of ignorance within, of blind spots within and through that also the ugly side of oneself. They remain glued to the false and pompous image of ideal self, the self as Brahman and so forth out of mortal fear to recognize the ugly side of oneself and accommodate oneself to it. They perpetuate the Will to Power and refuse to move towards the Will to Submit and Serve with either destroying with violence every form of icon-thinking as the Muslims do or inventing philosophies that would deny reality to them as is done by the Advaitins.
The meanings of the different kinds of snakes on the body of Siva are given below.
28
⽡¸ ´ýÚ
Ò¨É󦾡ýÚ ¦À¡í¸¾Ç¢ý
¿¡½¡¸
§ÁýÁ¢Ç¢Ã ¿ý¸¨ÁòÐì - §¸¡½¡¸õ
¦À¡ýÓʧÁü
ÝÎÅÐ ¦ÁøÄ¡õ ¦À¡È¢Â¢Ä¢§Âü(Ì)
±ýÓÊž¡¸
þÅ÷
(«-¨Ã ¾¢Õ. Å¢.¸)
´ýÚ â½¡¸ - ´Õ À¡õ¨À ¬ÀýÁ¡¸. ´ýÚ -
Áü¦È¡Õ À¡õ¨À. «¾Ç¢ý ¿¡½¡¸ -
ÒÄ¢ò§¾¡Ä¢ý Á£Ð «¨Ã »¡½¡¸. §¸¡û ¿¡¸õ - þý¦É¡Õ Å¢¼ô À¡õ¨À. ¦À¡È¢Â¢Ä¢§ÂüÌ - «È¢Å¢Ä¢Â¡¸¢Â ±ÉìÌ. ±ý
ÓÊž¡¸ - ±ýÉ Å¢ÇÅ¢ò¾ü¦À¡ÕðÎ, þÅ÷
(º¢Å¦ÀÕÁ¡ý) Ò¨ÉóÐ, «¨ÁòÐ, ÝÎÅÐ ¦ÁøÄ¡õ
±ýÈ¢¨Âì¸.
¯¨Ã ( ¯Ä¸ý)
«ï»¡É þÕÇ¢ü
¸¢¼ó¾Å¡Ú §ÁÄ¡É ¾òÐÅ»¡Éõ þøÄ¡¾, «Åü¨Èì
¸ñÎ Á¸¢Æò¾Õõ ¦À¡È¢Â¢Ä¢Â¡¸¢Â ±ÉìÌ, ¬ÆÁ¡É ¯ñ¨Á¸¨Ç ¯½÷ò¾§Å þ¨ÈÅý Ìñ¼Ä¢É¢ ºìò¾¢Â¢ý
ÅÊÅ¡¸¢Â ¿¡¸ò¨¾ ¸Øò¾¢ø ¬ÀýÁ¡¸ «½¢óÐõ,
, º£Ú¸¢ýÈ ¾¢ÈòÐô À¡õÀ¡¸ þ¨¼Â¢ø «¨Ã
»¡½¡¸ì ¦¸¡ñÎõ, Á¢¸ô¦Àâ ÅÊÅòÐ §¸¡û ¿¡¸Á¡¸ ´ý¨È ¾¨ÄÓÊ¢ü ÝðÊÔõ ¾ý¨É
¦ÅÇ¢ôÀθ¢ýÈ¡ý. ¬É¡ø «ÅüÈ¡ø ¬ÌÅÐ ±ýɦÅýÚ
¿¡ý «È¢Â¡Ð ¸¢¼ì¸¢ý§Èý ¸¡ñ.
28.
puuNaaka
onRu punaintonRu poGkaLin
naaNaaka
meenmiLira nakamaittuk - kooNaakam
ponmudimeeR
cuuduvatu mellaam poRiyiliyeeR(ku)
enmudivataaka
ivar
Meaning:
For me who
is still in the Darkness of Ignorance, the meanings are NOT clear at all as to
why BEING (Siva) discloses Himself as the wearer of various kinds of snakes,
one as an ornament on the chest, another and a violent one on his tiger skin
waist and another a large one on His head. The metaphysical significations of
these are not clear to me at all.
Comments:
Punitavati is
still locked with her semiotics of the Snake that stands as an element in
iconographic representations but t here in the very presentational form of
BEING, the muurttam. That she declares that in her ignorance she is perplexed
as to their meanings is already a hinting at the meanings for she isolates this
symbolism as something very meaningful though she is not clear as to what is
communicated. Certainly something deep
and profound is communicated and she hints at their meanings through describing
the varying forms of snake in relation to the anatomy.
The Snake,
a ubiquitous symbol of the Coiled Power, the ENERGY that is NOT just physical
but also psychical is the snake of deep dreams, mythologies and captured as
iconographic feature of not only Siva and VishNu but also many other deities
The golden
snake that rustles as a chain on the neck is the form of Libido that
establishes Pure Love as the bond that establishes social cohesion of self with
others. The chest is the location of the heart and the libido of the heart
appears as the FEELINGS of Pure Love and which is source of existential
happiness. He who is capable of LOVE unto all, do not suffer existential
anguish of whatever kind.
The life
and hissing snake on the waist and around the attire of Tiger Skin is the form
of Coiled Power that emerges as sexual libido along with Violence and Anger.
The sexual dynamics always comes with immense possessiveness and violence both in the males and females. This is something Punitavati had personal
experience of and which with immense struggle she had overcome and because of
which she became a ghost, living but dead to the enticements of worldly
pleasures.
The libido
that remains sexual is also the source human anger and violence and unless it
is transmuted, the violent disposition cannot also be overcome and soul gets
cultured.
The large
snake, the KooL Nagam on the head that Siva wears stands for the psychic energy
that underlies the mental, the metaphysical excursions in which remote seeing
or transductive perceptions become what are cognised and analysed. This is also
the Aticeedan of VishNu, sleeping over which he enjoys the ARituyil or
Yoganidra - the transductive perceptions that make available the seeing of the
concealed and hidden.
But what
does Punitavati communicate in describing these different kinds of snake on one
of the muurttams of Siva?
The Coiled
Power, the ‘me’ (Ta. moy) of the
Sumerians and which is lorded over by In-anna, the Generatrix of all is the
Pure Energy and which allows being transformed into various forms. Just like
the same energy is transformed into heat by electric iron and light by the
electric bulb so forth, there are
YANTRAS, translating machineries of various kinds within the body of an
individual. These snakes at the various locations of the body are such yantras,
which are actually mantra complexes (probably as softwares in the brain) that
transform the energy when become available into the above sorts.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
The Icon-Thinking of Punitavati -29
29. The Ego and Its defiance
One of the sources of human violence is the inability of man to let go the ego and hence the Will to Power. It is not that there are no archetypal presentations of BEING for every meaningful dream, as already pointed out by C.G. Jung, is full of them. Anyone who studies world mythologies folklores and so forth will not fail to note the presence of the famous archetypes - snakes trees angels, ghosts and so forth. But then we also find that from ancient days there are people who refuse to acknowledge their presence as well as the important role they play in shaping our fate. The acknowledgement would mean admitting that whatever that happens in one’s life happens not because always one wills it but that there is BEING an He wills it that way. Over and above the frail human will there is Divine Will that man cannot ignore. The strong Ego refuses to acknowledge that one is shaped, as what one is by the Play of BEING and that one is powerless in the face of it.
So defiance is born and they become the prodigal son who wanders away from the given and real, constructing and inventing all kinds metaphysical castles either to refuse to admit or ridicule the icons or muurttams. But BEING remains, as AruNandi puts it (in his Irupaa Irupatu) ‘oodi miiLkena aadal paarttiddu’: watching the follies saying will return to the path after running away.
Iconoclasm and the refusal to indulge in Icon-Thinking is an ego act of defiance that arises not knowing that BEING is the ground of utter destruction and also the regeneration. When the human Ego goes to excesses, there is the burning and destruction of all perhaps and also existence itself but all just to shatter the ego that is so stubborn.
29
þŨÃô
¦À¡Õû ¯½ÃÁ¡ð¼¡¾¡÷ ±øÄ¡õ
þŨÃ
þ¸úŧ¾ ¸ñË÷ - þÅ÷ ¾ÁÐ
â째¡Ä
§ÁÉ¢ô ¦À¡Ê⺢ ±ýÀ½¢ó¾
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29
ivaraip
poruL uNaramaaddaataar ellaam
ivaraip
ikazvatee kaNdiir - ivar tamatu
puukkoola
meenip podipuuci enpaNinta
peeykkoolaG
kaNdaar piRar
Meaning.
BEING
assumes a countless number archetypal forms to instruct about the metaphysical
truths to the anmas enmeshed in the Darkness of Ignorance. Those who do not
seek out the MEANINGS communicated by each one of these archetypal forms, out
of arrogance born of ignorance, will insult and ridicule them. But those who do
not do so and sincerely seek out the different meanings communicated thus, will
understand why BEING, on his Lotus coloured Red body wears the white ashes
symbolic of the eventual destruction and why He dances as a ghost in the
cremation grounds wearing the garland of skulls.
Comments:
Throughout
the history of metaphysics and as it is even to-day, there are always individuals who cannot accommodate themselves to
the reality of the hidden or concealed forces that actually configure whatever
that happens to them within and without. Being full of Ego, they cannot
accommodate themselves to the fact that even their egocentrism is there only
because BEING conceals Himself from their vision and thereby allows them the
vicarious satisfaction of thinking of being their own masters of destiny etc.
Such
individuals are the PoruL uNara
maaddaataar, those who are incapable of acknowledging and understanding the
hidden forces in the Depths. Their vision remains physical with metaphysical
understood simply as the fictitious constructions of an aberrant mind. They are
capable of only the sensory viewing but not the remote viewing ( or
transductive perceptions) and hence something they ridicule in order to
cover-up their inadequacy.
However there
are also individuals who not only acknowledge the reality of the subterranean
forces but also the fact BEING assumes various archetypal forms to instruct the
anmas on them. Each archetypal form encrypts within itself a whole book on
Metaphysical Truths and one has to INTERPRETE them judiciously to understand
them and thereby destroy the metaphysical ignorance in which the anmas are.
There must the practice of Hermeneutic Semiotics such as Punitavati is doing here in relation to the symbolism of
snake and so forth to be illuminated
about metaphysical truths and hence gradually but definitely move in the direction Civanjanam, the Absolute
Understanding, the LIMIT of all the hermeneutic endeavours.
She also
affirms that only such individuals will understand why BEING assumes the form
where He wears the ashes over glowing fiery body and dances in cremation
grounds like a ghost wearing the garland of bones.
BEING is
the Causal Ground of Maha Cagkaaraam, the total and final destruction of
everything phenomenal and by virtue of
that also the Causal Ground of the Regeneration of all, the antam-aati of
Meykandar. BEING is the primordial
Ground of all and hence the provider of whatever we enjoy as ours. Once this
understanding is grasped, the inflated ego will be punctured and anma made
truly humble and thus transformed into a form where further blessings become
possible.
The Icon-Thinking of Punitavati - 30
30. BEING and His AS-IF Plays
One of the most important notions that emerge as we examine the personal metaphysical experiences of Punitavati is that BEING plays an enormous range of AS-IF plays that bewilders the human mind and destroys all the egoistic arrogance it has. The Will to Power is destroyed and Will to Submit and Serve is installed by such games of BEING. It is these AS-IF plays that are captured by the metaphor of dance that has become enshrined as the central metaphor of Saivism.
He plays in such a way that He is totally beyond all attempts to comprehend on the one hand and on another One who is easily understood. This enigma does not cease here : he dances both with the angelic gods as well as the ghosts and that too in the middle of the night and in the cremation grounds playing with Fire and wearing the skulls. In this bizarre dance, He plays a game where EXISTENCE is wiped out and a person so attached to existence is led to declare “ vaazvee maayam, maNNaavatu tiNNam’ as Sundarar declared. Existence one loves and exults in, is all of a sudden made distasteful, something bewildering and magical (maayam) and even meaningless where DEATH lurks at every corner telling one that the body that he cherishes so much and to which he is attached so dearly (as Sundarar was and who went around in the attire of a bridegroom) will surely become dust.
This is not Advaita Vedanta for in that way of thinking where Brahman, the Resplendent Reality is a kuudastan, the Unchanging, there is no dance of BEING and the understanding of the historical and phenomenal, including the existential and hermeneutical as all the result of the AS-IF Plays of BEING.
We should note that such insights are gained by Punitavati NOT by a study of scriptures or even recalling such studies but rather by DIRECT teachings she receives from BEING Himself and which He does through a course on Icon-Thinking. It is also a form of individualized instruction tailor made for Punitavati here and something consistent with her tastes and aptitudes.
30
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30.
piRar
aRiyalaakaap perumaiyarun taamee
piRar
aRiyum peeruNarvun taamee - piRarudaiya
enbee
aNintu iravil tiiyaadum emmaanaar
vanpeeyun
taamum makizntu
Meaning:
For those
individuals caught up in the physical world and hence remain incapable of
remote viewing, BEING remains the concealed presence and hence the Above and
Beyond. But for those who are capable
of this He discloses Himself in many archetypal forms by which the realms of
consciousness is continuously extended. And for those who are still in
Metaphysical IGNORANCE, He brings about death only to be resurrect them
by dancing with the powerful ghosts in the cremation grounds wearing a
garland of bones.
Here
emerges Punitavati’s way of apprehending the Pancakritiyas , the Five Fold
Universal Praxis of BEING, that is noted everywhere and as fundamental
variations of the primordial MOVEMENT that He installs in the world and because
of which the universe grows decays differentiates multiplies transforms and so
forth
BEING
enacts an As-IF Play of various kinds and all directed towards the pedagogic purpose of illuminating the souls already in the
Darkness of Ignorance.
For those individuals
who have NOT graduated from sensorial perceptions and hence would ridicule
transductive perceptions , HE remains the Concealed Presence and because of
which such individuals will be materialistic
or naturalistic and
in which
they will seek to understand everything in physicalistic terms and hence
without bringing the spiritual elements into the picture at all. Such individuals are thrown into Atheism by
BEING by concealing Himself from the comprehension of such individuals , making
them thereby SUFFER in various ways
with DISCONTENTMENTS of all kinds. The soul remains discontented and in anguish
till metaphysical illuminations of a profound kind become available.
Now
for those individuals who are capable
of this transductive perception, He becomes the Guru and instructs them by
presenting Himself in various kinds of archetypal forms where each form
discloses some TRUTHS of a fundamental kind that would serve to clarify also
Civanjnanam, the Absolute Understanding. One of the main things that happens to
such individuals is MIND EXPANSION and hence the widening and deepening of
Consciousness so that it is less atomic and more expanded and universal. The individuals capable of remote
seeing, being instructed by BEING Himself cannot but become UNIVERSAL in their
consciousness and thinking.
In Savism
the above concealment is noted as Tirobavam, casting a screen over oneself and
the latter disclosures as aruLal, the engracing that uplifts the souls. These
are the Fundamental Universal Praxis of BEING without which the world and
existence in it will NOT have the structural forms it has.
Now against
this the empirical matter of DEATH
assumes a peculiar importance. There is death and renewal and in this lies the
EVOLUTIONARY dynamics and which comes about because BEING slowly UNCONCEALS
himself at such resurrections. So in
order to bring about the EVOLUTION into the higher , and here it means becoming
capable of seeing MORE AND MORE and which includes becoming capable of remote
seeing as well, BEING destroys all creatures so that all the particularising
details of a certain birth are destroyed
fully. The ghosts are destructive powers and it is noted that BEING is
also with them . Like scavengers in nature who clean up the dirty and filthy ,
so the ghosts of BEING clean the dead completely so that the world becomes a
suitable place for continuous re-habitation, resurrection.