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V.Krishnaraj

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10/04/2008

Om Namasivaya

                                                                                               

 

 

 

¿Áº¢Å¡Âº¢Å¡Â¿Á, º¢Å¡ÂÁ¿.  º¢ÂÅ   º¢Å  º¢Å º¢Å

NaMaSiVaYa  SiVaYaNaMa, SiVaYaMaNa

 

       

Mantra is the sound-body of a god; Yantra depicts the sound-body in a diagram: just imagine Mantra is the computer code while Yantra is the computer electronic circuit board.  Mantra = (Man = is to think or meditate + Tra = is to protect = That which protects upon meditation)  Yantra = instrument, engine, apparatus, amulet with mystical diagram endowed with protective occult powers. Yantra is a plate or paper on which geometric figures are drawn which concentrate the power of god. Tantra is  a systemized way of offering worship. Mantras are chanted according to the rules of Tantra; the vibrations gather on the surface of Yantra and bounce off on their way to the specified god.  The vibrations come into contact with the god, gather power and blessings and return back to the Sadhaka (chanter of Mantra) suffuse him with divinity and confer on him supernatural powers. Thus Mantra, Tantra and Yantra are complementary to each other.

An analogy to explain Mantra and Yantra: Mantra is your name and Yantra is your body, depicted on a paper as a line diagram.  When you see your line diagram, you say your name; that is Mantra. Think of the deity who carries the specific Mantra and Yantra.

 

 Mantras are not devised by sages or gods but were revealed by gods. Ajapa (A + Japa = No + Chant) is the primal Mantra. This chantless Mantra pervades the breath going in and out, the subtle sound ‘sah’ going in and the subtle sound ‘ham’ going out.  (Sa = Siva, Vishnu, Lakshmi, or Gauri [Parvati or Sakti]; Ham = I am; so = Parvati.} As one chants this subtle-sound Mantra ‘soham’, a derivative of ‘sah-ham,’ ‘Hamsa’ comes into being by inversion. Soham, Hamsa and AUM (Pranava) are equipotent. Hamsah is the union of the male and the female and the universe is Hamsah--Woodroffe. The Triangular KAmakalA is thus formed by Hamsah; Hamsah pItha is composed of Mantras. KAma is desire and Creative Will and unitary Siva-Sakti, and KalA is their manifestation. Siva and Sakti are known as KAmesvara and KAmesvari. Sakti (KalA) is the manifestation of KAma (desire), which is IcchA Sakti. Siva is Seed and Sakti is Sprout.

 

The origin of Namasivaya and the Sanskrit alphabets according to Tirumular. (verse 891)

Ajapa Mantra----> Soham----> A and U (« ¯) -----> Si  Va -----> Si  Va  Ya  Na  Ma ----->  51 letters of the Sanskrit alphabet.

The Panchakshara Mantra (5-letter mantra) has two aspects: Subtle and Manifest (Suksma and Sthula). Suksma Mantra is Sivayanama. The manifest Mantra is NaMaSivaYa.  As you may notice the head of the Subtle Mantra is Siva and the tail is Nama.  In the Sthula Mantra the head and the tail are inverted or transposed. Significance: Manifest man--embodied soul (Ya) has the head in Nama meaning he suffers from Na (obscuration of spiritual knowledge) and Ma (a load of Mummalams-ÓõÁÄõ: Anava, Kanma and Maya Malas). The liberated man Ya (Jivan Mukta) enjoys Si and Va (Siva and Grace.

 

Tirumular says that AUM, though a three-letter word, is a one-letter Mantra. Soham is the unintonated sound of normal breathing, meaning ‘I am He.’ Hamsa (inversion of Soham), meaning ‘Swan’ as in RamaKrishna Parma-Hamsa, stands for an ascetic --Hamsan. Some call Hamsa a goose (Anser indicus). To the average Indian, goose does not sound very appealing compared to swan, which is said to have the mythic ability to separate milk from water.

(Yes, I see the retort coming; when the water is separated from the milk, you get desiccated powder milk. That is a swell swan. Sixty-five years ago and before in India in my time as a child, the milk venders brought the milch cow to the door step, tipped the milk container upside down and milked it right in front of the housewife. [Some owned the cows to avoid the hassle with the milkman.] Tipping was to show her that the milk container did not have any water and or rice flour to add bulk to the milk and fetch a higher price by adulterating it with rice water. Some housewives cocked their ears to the metallic sound generated by the first jets and squirts from the mammillae of the cow's udder. We, as children, listened for the onomatopoetic sound of the milk squirts, "Soin, Soin" when they hit the metallic bottom of the milk can. We went ahead and told everybody that we heard the Soin, Soin, attesting to the honesty of milkman. The milk co-ops, having come to know the rice-water foolery and chicanery, measured the butter fat before they accepted the milk for sale. A better substitute would have been to let the swan do the job! Sep 2008. Consider deliberate addition of melamine in infant formula in China. 'Melamine high in nitrogen helps the milk appear to meet nutrition standards by artificially raising its protein count.'

Melamine: a white, crystalline, slightly water-soluble solid, C3N3(NH2)3, used chiefly in organic synthesis and in the manufacture of resins, esp. melamine resins. Dictionary (RHD)

By early 2006, melamine production in China is reported to be in "serious surplus." Officials estimate that about 20 percent of the dairy companies tested in China sell products tainted with melamine. A steep increase in the price of urea (feedstock for melamine) has reduced the profitability of melamine manufacturing. Currently, China is the world's largest exporter of melamine, while its domestic consumption still grows by 10% per year. Melamine, classified a controlled substance in China has been illegally used in the high profile 2008 baby milk scandal case which led to the death of at least 4 infants from acute renal failure. A toxicology study conducted after recalls of contaminated pet food concluded that the combination of melamine and cyanuric acid in diet does lead to acute renal failure in cats. 

A study in 1953 reported that dogs fed 3% melamine for a year had the following changes in their urine: (1) reduced Specific Gravity, (2) Increased output, (3) melamine crystaluria, and (4) Protein and Occult blood. --wikipedia

 

Hamsa. The wild goose (Anser indicus) is known for its discipline, grace and beauty. The west's association of goose with a silly or foolish person or simpleton does not apply here. Yes, there it is, the culture gap. In Vedic times, Hamsa, the bar-headed white goose was associated with the sun, Spirit, Atman, knowledge, prana, Brahman and life itself. Hamsa = ham + sa. Ham is exhaled breath and sa is inhaled breath; thus, Hamsa is life. Hamsa is a high flyer and thus a metaphor for spiritual endeavor to attain Brahman. The Indian goose is also associated with Brahma and Sarasvati as their Vahana (vehicle of transport). Usually the white swan is portrayed as the Vahana of Brahma and Sarasvati.

 

 

   

Anser indicus

Look For Light gray body, white head with two black bars on back of head
Nesting Area Mountainous regions of central Asia north of the Himalayas
Wintering Area Northern India, some in Burma
Nest Site Grass or tall weeds
Initial Nest During spring-summer of second year
When May or June until July in the nesting area and during the same period at Chenoa
Clutch Size 3 to 6 eggs
Incubation Approximately 28 to 30 days
Recent Papers On
Bar-Headed geese
Anser indicus

International Goose Research Group
Cornell University

 

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Swan above

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                GIANT CANADA

 

Look For Large goose with light gray breast, black neck and front of head, white cheek patches and white spot on black of head-front; male and female are marked the same
Nesting Area Formerly widespread from Manitoba and Minnesota to Arkansas and Tennessee; most of the population today is limited to wildlife refuges
Wintering Area Not Applicable
Nest Site In grass near water on a rise; nest guarded by male and female prior to setting, by male after setting begins
Initial Nest During spring-summer of third year
When April until June in the nesting area
Clutch Size 4 to 6 eggs
Incubation Approximately 26-28 days
Recent Papers On
Giant Canada geese
Branta canadensis maxima

International Goose Research Group
Cornell University

 

The Canada goose

Uncomplimentary epithets are appended to people based on goose, such as  goosy, cook one's goose. One among the good attributes of goose is that they mate for life.  Surviving spouse may dwindle to death, a kind of Sati among geese. They are birds of peace unless the clutch and chicks are threatened. The female incubates the clutch turning the eggs now and then. The gander makes a valiant fight to protect the clutch and goslings; its weapons are the beaks and wings; a beaky poke and a wingy flap can disable and rout small predators, foxes, people and the like. They make good parents. The newly minted erstwhile fierce father (the gander) becomes a tolerant baby sitter for creches (goslings from his and other families), once his clutch hatched. The Canada goose has a liking and tolerance for man of peace. They love golf courses and the ponds; they love to eat grass; they go where they please. They love people and children feeding them by the pond. They have a privileged life in the cities where no human can harm them. Of course dogs have their own raucous quarrels with them. If they like the city, parks, lawns, golf courses, ponds, and lakes, they take notes and come back again year after year and introduce the youngsters to the fun of city life, lounging by the lake-side, and munching on tender grass. People annoyed with their leavings on the golf course use collies to chase them, persuading them vigorously to relocate.

Canada Geese fly in V-shaped formation, sometimes allowing hitchhiking small birds to sit on their backs. They are also known to honk, howl and wail, when they come across an injured compatriot; they have been known to attract a human to help the injured compatriot. It appears goose is very intelligent; that being the case, why would anyone want to cook the goose?

All of us including all air-breathing living beings recite this Mantra ‘Soham’ unknowingly for a lifetime. This chantless Mantra (Ajapa Japa) is called Ajapa Gayatri. As you are breathing this chantless Soham in and out, you are identifying your individual self with the Great Self of the Supreme Being. Every breath (and the Mantra) that you take pervades the whole universe of your body. This life giving force or Mantra has the Great Self as the basis. Every time you chant a Mantra, it leads the individual soul to the Great Soul-- the Source, the Essence. All Mantras inclusive of Sakti, Vishnu and Siva Mantras and many but not all rituals are Tantric in origin; that is the reason why Tantra is called Mantra Sastra.  Devi or Sakti says that any Sastra that is in opposition to Sruti, Smrti, and Oneness (Siva and Sakti in Saiva tradition, Vishnu and MahaLakshmi in Vaishnava tradition) such as Bhairava, Gautama, Kapala, Sakala and the like are created by her Maya power for bewilderment of those devoid of Her Grace.

Tirumular (¾¢ÕãÄ÷)says in Tantra Four, Verse 885, that A became the world, A and U became Sakti and Siva and AUM became the Light (Jnana = Wisdom). M became the Maya.

µ÷  ±Øò¾¡§Ä  ¯ÄÌ  ±íÌõ  ¾¡É¡¸¢

®÷  ±Øò¾¡§Ä  þ¨ºóР þíÌ  þÕÅáö

ã¦ÅØò¾¡§Ä  Ó¨Ç츢ýÈ  §º¡¾¢¨Â

Á¡  ±Øò¾¡§Ä  ÁÂ츧Á  ¯üÈ¡§¾. --885

 

By one letter (A), He became all worlds.

By two letters (A and U), he became two, Siva and Sakti.

By three letters (A, U and M), he became the Light.

By letter M, Maya came into being.

 

As said earlier, Mantra is the sound-body of god; as the tree is contained in a seed, Brahmanda (Brahman + Anda = Brahman's Egg = Brahman's universe) is contained in the Mantra, Hamsa Mantra. Siva and Sakti throb in this Mantra. There is no life without this Mantra; it is integral to life and breathing, not only inspiration and expiration of air but the internal breathing of each cell. To exemplify this fact it is said that Hamsa Mantra is like light in the sun, oil in the sesamum seed, fire in the wood, Sakti in Siva, movement in the wind. All other Mantras do not have any potency unless they are conjoined with this Mantra; it is like saying a little salt goes a long way to make food palatable. Hamsa is Prasadapara (Supreme Grace) Mantra, learned from a Guru and gives release (liberation). Even gods like Vishnu, Rudra, and Brahma repeat this Mantra and gain knowledge, luster, and liberation. An ordinary Pasu (individual soul) becomes Pasupati (the Lord of the pasus). It is so powerful that a lowly man chanting this mantra can consecrate the idols and images. This mantra can be chanted by anyone to obtain its benefits; it erases all class distinctions, and confers liberation. Mantras in general are deity-specific and therefore fruit-specific (specific benefits); Hamsa is the King of Mantras and confers the Complete Fruit. Hamsa is thus Siva and Sakti, SatChitAnada, and Supreme Reality, yielding both Yoga and Bhoga (§Â¡¸õ., §À¡¸õ).

Every Mantra has two Saktis (powers): Vacya Sakti (š츢Âõ) and Vacaka (Å¡º¸õ)Sakti; the former is the seed and latter is the flesh of the fruit; the former is life of Mantra and the latter is the sustainer of life; the Vacya Sakti is subject and transcendent, and Vacaka Sakti is object and immanent; one cannot get to the seed without going through the fruit; one cannot understand the meaning and true nature of Vacya sakti without worshipping Vacaka Sakti (they are like Brahman and Isvara); Vacya sakti is without attributes (Brahman), Vacaka Sakti is with attributes (Isvara); Vacya sakti is seed and Vacaka Sakti is the tree; seed and Vacya Sakti are latent and dormant, and tree and Vacaka Sakti are awake and florid; Vacya Sakti is white light and Vacaka Sakti is spectral or rainbow colors, yellow, blue, red and more of Kundalini Devi. Paramatma (Krishna) is Vacya Sakti, while the son of Devaki is Vacaka Sakti. Vacya is meaning; Vacaka is words, phrases and mutterings of Mantra. The god who is the subject of Mantra is Vacya Sakti and Pratipaadya (to be explained, meaning) Devata and god who is Mantra itself (god's sound body = Mantra) is Vacaka Sakti. Vacya Sakti is like clouds and Vacaka Sakti is like rain water. Vacya Sakti is unlimited; Vacaka Sakti is delimited. Vacya sakti is all-pervasive and unmanifest, while Vacaka Sakti is manifest.  The Vacaka Sakti of Mantra with attributes is awakened by Siddhi of Sadhakas who then with the help Devi step into the monistic world of Brahman knowledge.  (Ref. to white light and spectral or rainbow colors, and seed and tree are author's input.) Vacaka Sakti is the road to Vacya Sakti; the former is the means and the latter is the goal.

 

Mular says that 'Sa'  sound originates in Nada and 'Ha' sound originates in Bindu.  Hamsa = Ham + Sa = Male + Female = Siva + Sakti = Purusa + Prakrti. Hamsa is a bird: swan.

Each Mantra is packed with salubrious vibrations, the release of which spreads through the universe of human body and spirit like the ripples generated by a rock dropped in a pond. It is also compared to a seed, which packs a tree inside, the growth of which depends upon the fertile soil. Such is the power of Mantra. Mere chanting helps, but sincerity and surrender augment its power. Coming back to Soham, conscious recital (Mantra Japa) of a Mantra and increasing the cycles of respiration with accompanying Mantra are performed by yogis. Increasing the respirations without professional guidance is not recommended for beginners for it alters the pH of the blood with some ill effects. The purpose of Mantra in kundalini yoga is to take you from a mere existence at Muladhara plane of four petals to superconscious Sahasrara plane of a thousand petals, where the unwound Kundalini power finds her union with Siva.

Mantras are double-edged swords; it can be used only for the good and never for harming anyone. If Mantras are used for evil purposes, it is like digging a grave for someone else but falling and getting interred in it. A Mantra is sound and or silent energy which has transformational power on the person who utters it. By Mantra a Devata is invoked. Chanting of Mantra is like shaking a sleeping person to wake up from sleep. The moving lips are Siva and Sakti; their movement is Mithuna (union). Sabda or sound is the name, artha is Devata whose name it is. The Devata that is produced is his/her manifestation, which is actually a roused, altered or higher consciousness of the Sadaka (aspirant), which can perceive the Artha or the object that is invoked by Mantra. Sabda is cognitive sound, while Artha is the object it denotes and the thought it provokes. Thus the whole universe is covered by sabda and the 50 letters of the Sanskrit alphabet, which is the Vaikhari stage in the evolution of Sound. Go to SOUND.HTM. Mahakali's garland of fifty heads represents those fifty letters; she absorbs the letters, the Sabda, and the Artha into herself during Maha Pralaya (Great dissolution). That is the naked fierceness of absorption or dissolution. 

 

Sabda's causal source is Sabda Brahman, a manifest Brahman, while Para Brahman is unmanifest, soundless and Supreme, which is Turiya Consciousness where sound and thoughts involute. Go to POTPOURRI  --Potpourri two for Sabda Brahman and Para Brahman.

  

 

AUM: Tirumular says that the one letter, A, represents the universe. The two letters A and U are Siva and Sakti, the latter being the all-powerful manifest energy of Siva. The three letters, A, U, and M are Siva, Sakti and Light, the last being Jnana or knowledge.  The letter M is also Maya. Tirumular calls AUM as one-letter Mantra, representing Tandava, the Divine Dance of Siva. Tandava is derived from Tandu, a dancer and servant of Siva. Any act performed by Siva is a dance. The dances are named according to his acts (creation, maintenance, destruction, veiling and Grace), places (Chidambaram, etc.), and competition (Urdhva), 25 Lilas (acts of play). The most celebrated dance is the ‘Tandava’ in Chidambaram.

In the plane of Muladhara (Kundalini, first plane), he stands as Na-Ma-Si-Va-Ya--Na for earth and Brahma, Ma for water and Vishnu, Si for fire and Rudra, Va for Vayu and Rudra, Ya for Akasa and Sadasiva. NaMaSiVaYa has contextual meanings:

Tirodhana sakti = ¾¢§Ã¡¾¡Éºò¾¢

 

Entity

Na

Ma

Si

Va

Ya

The soul’s journey to Grace

Veiling or Tirodhana

Mala or impurity

Lord Siva

Arul or Grace

The Jiva or individual soul

Panchaakshara (Five Syllables)

Tirodhana

The Universe

Lord Siva

Revealing Grace

The Jiva

Body Parts@

the lower limbs

the abdomen

the shoulders

The mouth or face

The eyes or the head.

Dynamic Panchaakshara of Nataraja Fire in the hand Right foot on Muyalakan

 

drum out-stretched hand left lower hand, dispelling fear

Siva’s five functions in Nataraja stance

Destruction (left posterior hand with flame).

Concealing Grace, planted right foot.

Creation, right posterior hand with the drum.

Revealing Grace, left anterior hand pointing down to left foot--Jiva's refuge

Maintenance (Sthiti), right anterior hand with supinated upright palm. (A-bhaya mudra—fear-not symbol)

[high-five position of palm]

Five Elements

Earth

Water

Fire

Air

Akasa or ether

Bija Mantras

Lam

Vam Ram Yam Ham

Muladhara triangle-Kundalini

Earth and Brahma

Water and Vishnu

Fire and Rudra

Vayu and Rudra

Akasa and Sadasiva

AUM

 

 

A (Siva)

U (Sakti)

 

Perpetual Bliss

 

 

Bliss

Bliss

Bliss

Jnana (knowledge)

 

 

Knowledge

 

Knowledge

Pure Joy

 

 

Pure Joy

Pure Joy

Pure Joy

Tandava dance of dissolution merges in

 

 

Si

Va

 

Agamic Mantra

 

 

A (Sadasiva)

U (Sadasiva)

 

Pati-Pasu-Pasa Triangle

 

Pasa

Pati

 

Pasu

Siva and Sakti

 

 

A (Srim)

U (Krim)

 

A and U

 

 

Body of Siva

Body of Siva

 

The dance letters of Siva’s rhythmic dance steps.

O

I

U

A

E

 Five groves@@

 

 

 

 

 

Five hoods of snake@@          
Five finger@@
five Cupid's arrows@@          

 

Na Ma Si Va Ya
Earth Water Fire Air / Wind / Vayu Sky / Akasa
Lam Vam Ram Yam Ham

@ = Thiruvarutpayan sings praise of Lord Nataraja and ascribes the alphabets to body parts of Nataraja: NA for foot, Ma for abdomen, Si for shoulders, Va for face,  Ya for crown of the head.

@@ = Thiru-gnana-sambandar's list of fives.

Panchaaksharam, the five-syllable mantra, represents Siva in Lingam and Nataraja.

Tirumular says that anagram Mantra, Na-Ma-Va-Si-Ya stands in the sphere of Fire; Va-Si-Ya stands in that of Sun; and Va-Si stands in the sphere of  Moon. The basic Mantra is Na-Ma-Va-Si-Ya. See variant example below. When the soul Ya is flanked by Na and Ma on the front and Si and Vā in the end, Na and Ma representing Tirodhana and Mala lead the soul into bondage and  rebirth and Si and Vā representing Siva and Arul confer salvation and Grace to the soul.  

 

Na Ma Ya Si Vā

In the above Mantra, obscuration and impurities are the burdensome front load (Na Ma) on the soul Ya, Siva and Grace Si Vā come once the soul is divested of the front load of Na Ma.

Na Ma Ya Si Vā:  Strike Na and Ma (obscuration and impurities). This is what you want. At this juncture the soul Ya moves and sits between Si Vā (Siva and Bliss) and the new configuration is Si Ya  Vā. This is bliss; this is liberation.

 

Na = Tirodhana Sakti or Obscurant Siva Sakti (¾¢§Ã¡¾¡Éºò¾¢).  (ºò¾¢ = ºì¾¢)

Ma = Malas or impurities

Si = Siva

Vā = Grace

Ya  = soul

 

Kēvala state is dream-sleep state of the soul Ya before birth.

Sakala state is awake state, life of the embodied soul on earth (Na Ma Ya).

Suddha state is deep-sleep state, merger with Siva (Si Vā Ya---> Si Ya Vā ); Na Ma left the soul.

 

The soul Ya is bound by Na and Ma and set free by Si and Vā .  Soul's Kevala state harbors inactive and indolent Anava Mala; Sakala state is active and redolent of life; Suddha state is inactive, benign, and full of Bliss. Sakala state depicts NaMaYaSiVā in that there is a front load of NaMa (obscuration and Malas) on the soul while the soul is in bondage and body in the phenomenal world; in Siva Suddha Jnana state, SiVāYaNaMa depicts SiVā, (Siva and Grace) in the forefront in the soul and NaMa are the tail--empty shells of Tirodhana and impurities. 

 

    It is not proper for Ya  to interpose between Na and Vā, obscuration and Grace; by enlightenment and salvation Ya  interposes between Si and Vā.

 

SiVā is perfection; Siva is Grace; when the soul interposes between Si and Vā as SiYaVā in Mukti (liberation),  Ya  becomes one with SiVā, loses its individuality and stands with SiVā in complete effacement and suffusion in the effulgence (of SiVā)SiYaVā introduces another element in the unified state, making Ya appear distinct. (Remember that soul in merger with Sivasakti maintains its distinct status but is so suffused with effulgence of Sivasakti, the distinction is not apparent.)

        Perfected souls  who do not want and will not be subjected to rebirth and suffering in this world chant SiVāYaNaMa . By this Mantra one invokes Si and Vā (Siva and Grace) to come to Ya (the soul) so that Na and Ma (Tirodhana and Malas) leave the soul. Siddhas in the know chant the Mantra in the right order, SiVāYaNaMa ; Sakalars not in the know chant NaMaSiVāYa; they have the frontload of obscuration (of grace) and impurities.  In SiVāYaNaMa, the lead is taken by Siva and Grace while in NaMaSiVāYa, the lead is taken by Tirodhana and Malas, which shroud and lead the soul astray. We are Sakalar class souls and thus the Mantra sequence for us is NaMaSiVaYa, indicating that the cloud of Tirodhana obscures the sunlight of enlightenment or Siva Jnanam shining on the soul which is under the deleterious influence of Malas; obscuration will last until Malas are eradicated (Malaparipakam-ÁÄÀ¡¢À¡¸õ) and Iruvinaiyoppu (= þÕÅ¢¨É¦Â¡ôÒ) are realized. Iru-Vinai-y-Oppu ) Two Deed resolution = equable resolution of good and bad Karma. According to Tamil Lexicon it means "State of the soul in which it takes an attitude of perfect equanimity towards meritorious or sinful deeds." Simply put good karmic fruits should be enjoyed and exhausted to a null entity; bad karmic fruits should be eaten and exhausted to a null entity.

Let me explain this concept of Iruvinaiyoppu. You have ten good deeds and eight bad deeds in your karmic bag; that does not mean that you have 10-8 = 2 good deeds, entitling you to merge with Siva with a positive balance sheet. Siva does not like any load of good or bad deeds clinging on the soul, which has to be completely devoid of any extraneous elements; it has to be pure and pristine. This 10-8=2 good-deed-man has to eat the ten good fruits of ten good deeds and eight sour fruits of eight bad deeds; that brings the score to zero, zero load of karma on the soul.

 

 

 After the Light of Knowledge (Jnana) descends (SaktinipAtam--ºò¾¢¿¢À¡¾õ) into the soul, it undergoes Odukkam --´Îì¸õ (Involution [oneness or absorption] into Siva Sakti.) and the soul is liberated so that it merges with Siva. At this juncture the mantra is SiVaYaMaNa or SiVaYaNaMa. In this instance, liberation is achieved and individuality subsumed, Siva and Arul («Õû--Grace) are the leading elements of Mantra and Siva is the object of worship. Siva and Arul are the head; Soul is the middle; Malas and Tirodhana are the tail.

In Kundalini Yoga at Ajna Chakra, this Panchakshara Mantra (SiVaYaMaNa, five letter Mantra) becomes three letter Mantra (SiYaVa) for the sage of spiritual development and attenuation or disappearance of Malas and Tirodhana. Is there anything more beatific than the soul resting between Siva and Sakti?

 SiYaVa (three letter Mantra) is meant for the Sadhaka whose spiritual development has taken him to the level of Ajna Chakra (between the eyebrows), where Ya (soul) is comfortably placed between and flanked by Si (Siva) and Va (Sakti); herein the soul serves at the feet of Siva and Sakti in prayer, meditation and sacrifice.  Mular sings the glory of the fourth letter VA as follows in Tirumantiram Verse 971.

¿¡Ä¡õ  ±Øò§¾¡¨º  »¡Äõ  ¯ÕÅÐ

¿¡Ä¡õ  ±Øò¾¢Ûû  »¡Äõ  «¼í¸¢üÚ

¿¡Ä¡õ ±Øò§¾ ¿Å¢Ä  ÅøÄ¡÷¸ðÌ

¿¡Ä¡õ ±Øò¾Ð  ¿ý¦ÉÈ¢  ¾¡§É. --971

971. The sound of the fourth letter forms the world. Inside the fourth letter abides the world. The fourth letter for the chanting ones is the fourth letter that shows the right path.

NA1 MA2 SI3 VA4 YA5:  The fourth letter VA is Sakti, while the third letter SI is Siva.  The universe proceeds from the Tattvas generated by Sakti.  Sakti shows the right path to the one who meditates on the fourth letter.

As you see, Va denotes either Grace or Sakti.

 

    Tirodhana, NA1 : obscuration or concealment of Spiritual knowledge. Tirodhana Sakti, belonging to Sakti, is an obscurant of divine knowledge, instigator of Anava Mala to its self-destruction and impeller of desires, and creates in the embodied soul a sense of belonging to the world of pain and pleasure until the soul is ready (mature enough) to give them up for progress towards Suddha Jnana (pure knowledge) state. It is like the professor of mathematics withholding and concealing his knowledge of higher mathematics and letting his preschooler son struggle with simple additions. Once the son grows up and matures, Knowledge of higher math (SI3) is imparted.

    Malas, MA2 : impurities of the soul. Go to primer_in_saiva_siddhanta.htm for more details.

 

The fifteen entities as listed below form the aggregate, the nature of which the soul perceives.

Akaram1 (A) directs Ahamkaram1A; Ukaram2 (U) directs Buddhi2A; Makaram 3 (M) directs Mind3A; Bindu4 directs Cit4A; Nada 5  directs Intellect5A Ayan1C, Hari2C, Aran3C, Isan4C, and Sadasivam5C

Ayan1C = Brahma.   Hari2C = Vishnu.  Aran3C = Siva.   Isan4C = Mahesvara, another form of Siva who obscures Siva Jananam.  Sadasivam5C  = A form of Siva who confers Anugraha or Grace so the soul is liberated from birth and rebirth.

Akaram1 directs Ahankaram1A under aegis of Ayan1C or Brahma. The rest follows.

AUM has five components as depicted in the table and the diagram.

Pranava-Tattva-Deity Components of AUM The directed Entities The Presiding entities
Pranava-Tattva-Deity Akaram1 Ahamkaram1A Ayan1C
Pranava-Tattva-Deity Ukaram2 Buddhi2A Hari2C
Pranava-Tattva-Deity Makaram 3 Mind3A Aran3C
Pranava-Tattva-Deity Bindu4 Cit4A Isan4C
Pranava-Tattva-Deity Nada 5 Intellect5A Sadasivam5C

 

 

OM is the progenitor sound of all Bija Mantras. Nada and Bindu are two saktis (power). Naada (Nada) is sound and Bindu is dot, or point. Nada and Bindu are the progenitors of Tattvas, the building blocks of the universe. Nada is Sakti and Bindu is Siva (Siva-Sakti); Nada is action and Bindu is static; Nada is white and Bindu is red. Nada (Moon-dot = Chandrabindu/ Nadabindu) over the Omkara is the couch, on which Paramasiva in his Bindu form is reclining. Chandrabindu is Nada and Bindu, Sakti and Siva in one unit.

The crescent moon with the dot is Chandrabindu (Nadabindu) or the couch of Tripurasundari in union with Paramasiva. The icon presents five components: A, U, M, Nada (the Crescent), and Bindu (the dot). Just imagine the crescent moon being the couch! Nada is Sound, Bindu is the derivative of Nada and the source of the universe. Nada is called Visvamata or Mother of the Universe; Bindu is Duhkha Hara, Pain Killer or remover of pain. All Bija Mantras have three, four or five components: one, two or three syllables, Nada and Bindu. Nada is generally Mother Goddess and Bindu is Siva, remover of pain.

Bija Mantra has no meaning; it is neither a language, nor a word, nor a character;