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Bhagavadgita Pages, Chapters 1 to 18

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V.Krishnaraj

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sivagnana_siddhiar

Notes: Prabhavali: look at the arch of flame. There should be only 21 flames; there are too many.

Lord Nataraja: Angam = Main body or body as a whole; Pratyāngam: limbs, component parts of the body (Prati = reflection);   Sāngam: All the limbs; here it includes Siva's trident, snake, Abhaya mudra, fire.  Upāngam: minor limbs, accouterments:  here it includes his clothing, ornaments, flower garland.  All four Angams are infused with Grace.

Note the U on the forehead. In Chidambaram, Lord Nataraja sports three horizontal ash stripes on his forehead.

Right posterior hand holding the drum is the origin of Nāda (Sound), AUM and letters and language. Nāda  is harbinger of creation. Planted right foot depicts concealing of Grace.

Concealing of Grace: It is a difficult concept that may worry and unnerve non-Saivites. It is like the professor of mathematics concealing his knowledge of higher mathematics and letting his preschooler son struggle with simple additions and subtractions. Siva veils the spiritual knowledge until the soul gets rid of its impurities. That is comparable to the professor of higher mathematics concealing his knowledge to his five year old son or daughter. Once his son reaches certain proficiency, the higher knowledge is imparted to him. Once the soul is pure, the spiritual knowledge or Grace descends into the soul (SaktiNipatham / saththinipAtam--ºò¾¢¿¢À¡¾õ).

The soul is laden with Anava Mala, the I-factor in Kevala state before birth and Sakala state during life. It must be removed before the soul can become one with Siva, because Siva is pure and stainless. To remove this impurity one needs detergent, which comes in the form of Maya Mala. The question is why Siva Sakti uses Maya Mala to shed some light on the soul and also partially remove Anava Mala. Why does Siva Sakti use one Mala (Maya) to remove another Mala (Anava)? The argument goes as follows: Washerman uses soap or detergent (compared to Maya Mala) to remove a more ingrained dirt (compared to Anava Mala) from the clothes. Thus by partial cleansing, Maya prepares the soul ingrained with Anava Mala for greater purification by Siva Sakti. (Remember the washer man beats the clothes on a flat slab of stone to remove the dirt along with the detergent.) In modern parlance, the soul in Sakala state attends the school of hard knocks in this phenomenal world; hard knocks of daily living mature and "ripen" the Malas, which when completely ripened, fall off and the soul goes to the next state, Suddha Avastha (pure state). The soul goes through spiritual evolution of this kind over many human births and this progress is proportional to the attenuation of Anava Mala (¬½ÅÁÄõ), which, when expunged with the Grace of God, results in liberation. ¢

(Malas, impurities) are like the plaque blocking the arteries of the heart; for the Grace to flow into the soul, the plaque of Malas has to be removed.)

  Eradication of Anava Mala is complete abandoning of I, Mine, I-ness, and My-ness («¸í¸¡Ãõ, ÁÁ¸¡Ãõ), which coincide with the descent of wisdom into the soul. (As indicated in the diagram and flowchart, Anava Mala dupes the ensconced soul into thinking it is finite like the body.) This stage (eradication of Malas), called MalaParipākam, strikes the death knell of three Malas and sets the stage for IruVinaiyOppu, SattiNipātham, and liberation to enjoy Siva's bliss.

Malaparipākam--ÁÄÀ¡¢À¡¸õ: stage of the soul when its three Malams (impurities) meet with the causes of their removal.  (Causes = agents = detergents)

Iru-Vinai-y-Oppu-- þÕÅ¢¨É¦Â¡ôÒ (= State of the soul in which  it takes an attitude of perfect equanimity towards meritorious and sinful deeds. (My note: the term actually means two actions coming to an agreement.  As you may note, merit and sin do not come to an agreement; the only way each will come to an agreement with the other is for each to come to a naught or become non-reactive and inert. Merit and sin make the fabric of karma which demands reward for merit and  punishment for sin. Reward and punishment are dispensations given to the embodied soul on this earth: that is fettering of the soul. For the soul to go unfettered and enjoy eternal freedom is avoiding actions which carry a load of positive or negative merit.

Sattinipātham =  Sakti-nipātham  = Setting of the Divine Grace in the soul, when it is ripe.

Definitions are according to Tamil Lexicon, Madras University.

Prelude to the descent of divine liberating wisdom into the soul is purification of the soul by removal of impurities (malaparipakam). The next step in the process is Iruvinaioppu which means two polar activities (merit and sin) come to zero sum status individually. The third step is Sattinipatham, descent of Sakti (Satti) or divine Grace into the purified soul cleansed of impurities and dualities of merit and sin.

Saiva Siddhanta

Reason is the basic premise in Saiva Siddhanta (Well-established conclusion, settled opinion or doctrine, received or admitted truth, end of perfection.) Agamas are the fountainhead of Saiva Siddhanta, which depends on means of knowledge (pramana): Pratyaksha, Anumana, and Sabda. Pratyaksha is perception by the senses and direct experience; Anumāna is inference; Sabda (sound) is verbal authority or revelation of Agamas. The soul is the repository of knowledge received by these means.

    Saiva Siddhanta encourages each individual to explore, and find the truth, which may come down cloaked with authority or present anew; old is not necessarily good and new is not necessarily bad; content is the determining factor in accepting it, after diligent enquiry. Truth may not have many voices but is the only choice, one should make. Truth does not come with a label; one should exercise Pratyaksha, Anumana and Sabda; the former two are individual effort and the last one is scriptural authority, which is open for enquiry. Scriptures are called  Sound (and also Smirti, that which is remembered) because they were transmitted from memory by oral tradition, before they were committed to text.

Saiva Siddhanta is of the belief that the individual soul maintains its individuality even after liberation, lives in close proximity to Siva and does not merge with Siva. This stand is opposed to Sankara's nondualism.

Kashmir Saivism is of the belief that Siva dances, pervades, vibrates, and pulsates in the individual souls, matter and universe. All is Siva. Spandex is a long-chain elastic Polymer that can expand and contract. Likewise, Spanda in Sanskrit is quickening, quivering, vibration, throbbing, expansion and contraction....  Spanda Sakti consisting of Unmesa and Nimesa is Sakti of Siva. Nimesa = closing of eyes; Unmesa = opening of eyes. Opening of eyes is centrifugal force of creation; closing of eyes is the centripetal journey of soul to Siva.  Though they appear as sequential elements, they are concurrent in Siva. This is a divine energy; it appears to be spent by Siva and or Sakti and yet it does not diminish. Spanda is pulsation, quivering, motion, quickening in the womb…. The universe emerges from Spanda power of Siva. Siva on one hand and souls and universe on the other hand are one. Take a chocolate candy, hard outside and gooey inside. The exterior shell and the gooey inside are the same though they may appear different.  Sivasakti and the universe are same. Spanda power has its hypostasis in Siva and manifests the 36 Tattvas TATTVAS-36, which are the building blocks of the universe and beings. The world is the stage for the Spanda Energy of vibration according to Kashmir Saivism; the same is called in South India the Dance of Siva on the Cosmic Stage; the Lord dances in all elements; all his acts are dance, pulsation,  vibration or orbital motion down to subatomic particle; when the dance stops, the world ends with Nimesa; with Unmesa, the dance starts again and the universe pulsates with life. There appears to be some variance with Sankara's Vedic philosophy in that Spanda theory espouses that this world is NOT an illusion but a reality.

    Siddhantists are of the belief that all men are not equal in their spiritual standing because past, present and future are unique to each person.  All religions help man march along the spokes of their philosophies towards the hub of Truth; but the axle of Truth exists in Saiva Siddhanta. All religions help their flock  march towards realization. One is born in a religion that best suits a person; there are six forms of worship: Vaishnavam, Saivam, Saktam, Sauram, Kaumaram, and Ganapatyam, the worship of Vishnu, Siva, Devi, Sun, Kumaran, and Ganapathy or Ganesa. The wrangling (disputations) among the members sometimes creates problems, while they forget that Tantra is the source of  Mantras of each sect. There is a pointed advice in Bhagavatam (11.3.46) to Vaishnavas: One should cut the knots of ego, and worship Kesava (Krishna) with Vedic and Tantric rites. Book eleven of Bhagavatam goes on further, saying that a Sadhaka should worship the Lord in the image of his choice. It further states that Lord (Krishna) wants his worship can be Vaidik, Tantric, and mixed or Puranik.

Lord Siva is the source of inspiration for all persons, though they may belong to different religions and pray to different gods. Siva is the God of gods of different religions and answers prayers through the surrogate gods. Ultimate Grace is conferred when one is born into Saiva Siddhanta by birth or belief. Of course, Vaishnavas differ and say that Narayana is the God of gods.

Christianity speaks of flock; flock is Pasu (animal(s) or individual soul) in Saiva Siddhanta. Siva (Pati) forms a trilateral relationship with Pasa and Pasu: Pati-Pasu-Pasa. Pasa is impurity that the soul is burdened with. Pati is the Chief or Christianity's Shepherd. Since Pati, Pasu, and Pasa concept existed before the advent of Christianity, it is possible that this concept might be an import from ancient India. Pati (Chief, master, owner of the flock--Siva) in ancient India was associated with animals, which were vanquished and subdued by Siva's meditation and some, as the Bull Nandi, domesticated. Pasu (-animal-anma-soul) is tied down to the post of  Samsara by Pasas, Mummalams (ÓõÁÄõ) and Avidya.  Nandi is considered a theriomorphic form of Siva and the first and foremost devotee of Siva and sometimes his delegate or surrogate. Now we can see how a Pasu has come a full circle to stand tall with Siva once it gave up its animal qualities such as Anava Mala. Tat Tvam Asi = That Thou Art = That (Siva) You Are. All Pasus like the flock or sheep need a Shepherd, who is Pati-Siva of the Hindus and the Lord and Jesus Christ of the Christians. Another note: All Christian rituals are imports from Tantrics, according to Woodroffe.

Samsāra = Birth and rebirth cycle in this world; cycle of mundane existence; a recurrent state of the embodied soul in the living human before the final release or liberation.

Mummalam = three Malas, Anava, Maya and Karma Malas (impurities). See the chart for definition of the three Malas.  Malam in Tamil is Mala in Sanskrit.

Avidya = ignorance (spiritual).

Explanation of the above paragraph

Saiva Siddhantist believes that souls of other religions should excel and achieve the native blessedness of that particular religion; thus, no religion (other Hindu sects included) can give the ultimate release that Saivism gives. When the soul is ripe in its own religion, it will be reborn in Saiva religion. That is not the end of the road; within Savism there are subdivisions or inner religions; once the soul attains excellence in the inner religion, the soul has to take birth in Saiva Siddhanta. Now the soul has to perform Chariyai, Kriyai, and Yogam before it gets Jnanam. These are set in ascending step-wise ladder pattern to reach Siva. The soul has to excel in Dasamarga, Kriyamarga, Sakhamarga and Sanmarga. The above chart illustrates the various Margas, a Sadhaka in Saiva Siddhanta should follow to obtain release.  Dasamarga is the path of servant; Kriya Satputramarga, the way of a child; Sakhamarga, the path of friend; Sanmarga-Sadhanamarga, the path of wisdom. The soul has to go through three events before it gets release: Malaparipākam, Iruvinaiyoppu and Sattinipātam (eradication or maturing of Anava Mala, equable resolution of good and bad Karma, and descent of Grace into the soul).

மலபரிபாகம்  = Malaparipākam; இருவினை ஒப்பு = Iruvinaiyoppu; சத்திநிபாதம் = Sattinipātam

Go to  The soul according to Saiva Siddhanta for more details.

The means to knowledge are  Pratyaksha, Anumana, Sabda, Upamana and the rest.

Pramâ is knowledge; the means to acquire knowledge is Pramanâ.

Pramanâ according to Vedanta.

Saiva Siddhanta lists one, two and four; Nyâya accepts the first four as the means; Samkhya admits the first three.

Coming back to Chariyai, Kriyai, Yoga, and Jnana. Tirumular makes a reference to them in the 4th chapter under Navagundam (nine sacrificial pits) in verses 1015-1044 and also in Verses 1003-1014.

V1003-1014:  One should worship Siva with flowers (Jasmine, Lotus, Chrysanthamum etc.) Worship is performed in the mansion of the mind. Kriya Yoga leads to accumulation of Karma and thus it is not advocated for Siva Yogis. Bhakti Yoga is fine. Jnana Yoga leads to Nadanta, the divine light and thus to merger with Siva. Kriya Yoga can make a person a Deva or godling but for merger one needs to perform Jnana Yoga. For the Yogi Na Ma are not to be chanted because they are the obscuration and impurities. He should chant only SiVa, which will lead to liberation. Jnana Yoga takes the Yogi to A and U (of AUM) which are Si and Va. Seeking Him by the senses is in vain. Siva's seat is Si and Va and Jiva's seat is Na and Ma. Remove Na and Ma and Si and Va are yours. In Kundalini Yoga, the nectar flows in the 7th center. Jnana light is revealed in the 8th center. Beyond the 11th center is Paraparam. Beyond the 11th is the Great Void, the infinite Dvadasanta space.

Verses 1015-1044: The nine pits correspond to nine openings in the body: two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, one mouth, one genital and one anal opening. Sacrificial pits are nine shapes:

1044.
சாதனை நாலு தழல்மூன்று வில்வயம்
வேதனை வட்டம் விளையாறு பூநிலை
போதனை போதுஐஞ்சு பொய்கய வாரண
நாதனை நாடு நவகோடி தானே.

1044. Four Sadhanas are on four sides of the square; three sides of the triangle for three forms of fire; semicircle for the bent bow; Circular shape for a well; six sides for 6 Adharas (of Kundalini Chakras) within; Eight sides for 8 directions of the earth; Heart shape as in the shape of Peepul tree leaf; five sides for the panchakshara Mantra; oval shape for the golden bowl: These are the shapes of nine sacrificial pits, as you strive to obtain Grace of Siva.

The five functions of the Lord (Pancha krityas) are depicted in the Dance of Siva.

1: Shrsti: The drum held by the right posterior hand represents creation and emanates Paranada, the Supreme sound. It is the origin of all sounds, thus representing Nadabrahman, Sabdabrahman or Sound Brahman. Dhakka (Drum) produces fourteen distinct sounds which correspond to fourteen branches of Vedic learning. Siva produces these fourteen sounds from the drum at the summation of his dance. The summation is called Cappu in Carnatic music, which is beating the upper part of  the right side of the drum (Mrdanga) at conclusion. Pannini, the Sanskrit Grammarian, based his work on these fourteen sounds. Vishnu and Brahma participate in this ensemble; Vishnu plays the Maddala drum and Brahma keeps time.

Chidambaram is the center of the universe where Nataraja dances; that center is in the heart also. Siva is also known as Gangadhara. When Ganges River descended from heaven, Siva caught the fall of Ganga on his head and matted locks, so that the earth was not ravaged by its harsh fall.

Thirugnanasambandar (Thiru-Gnana-Sambandar-TS) was a poet-saint born in Tamil Nadu. He was son of God, Siva. His subtle body carried all the learning that he acquired during his previous births and that at his last birth he recollected all of them so much so that he sang songs of praise of Siva at age three. It is said that he received (infusions of ) Grace in Utero (Karuvile Thiru Udaiyar, God's grace as a fetus). He was the chosen one. He was not subject to five powers (Panchakritya) of the Lord, mentioned above, including veiling (Tirodhana or Tirobhava); predetermined Grace was bestowed on him.  TS lived until sixteen years of age.

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.   

Pati as defined by Sivaraman in his book Saivism in Philosophical Perspective, Page 47.

The Destroyer-God is not the mere deity of destruction who has a co-ordinate function and existence along with the deities of creation and preservation. The term Hara denotes the Supreme Being in a general as well as in a unique sense. Literally, of course, Hara is one that destroys, and yet its application extends not to any destroyer nor again to a mere destroyer but only to a specific one to whom it belongs uniquely. Siva, the Supreme, who is indicated suggestively by the name of Hara is not to be identified with 'Rudra' to whom belongs the office of limited dissolution. Siva is Maha-rudra, not guni-rudra. He is the universal Destroyer of whom Rudra and other deities are only the operative aspects.

The Saivagamas make this crucial distinction in univocal terms. They say that Srikantha-rudra, the agent of periodic dissolution (avantara-pralaya) is but a mature soul belonging to that group or class of Pasus which, though bound are not bound as we the earthly souls are, but whose bonds are snapped at the time of final Dissolution. About Siva Himself it is said that He is Pati, the Lord of the bound (pasupati)  who freely descends and assumes the states of laya, bhoga and adhikara and take on the respective forms of Siva, Sadasiva and Mahesvara and performs the respective functions of dissolution, governance and creation of all the realms of existence including the realm of speech. As referred to Siva the Agent par excellence, differences of the functions of sristi, Sthiti, and samhara (Creation, Preservation and destruction) do not imply a difference in the cause of the functions: Siva, Sadasiva and Mahesvara are functional differences belonging to the same unity behind them, whereas, with reference to the intermediary agencies, their differences involve differences of agents also.

In the Saiva hymns too the same distinction is drawn at innumerable places. Siva's 'office' of Dissolution is not co-ordinate with the offices of the trinity, including that of Rudra. The entire universe with its creators, conservers and destroyers is under Siva's control even as dried leaves whirl under the control of a stormy wind. He is the Creator of the creator. He is the God that sustains the sustainer of creation. He remains hidden from what He sustains. Confounding Siva with one of the trinities is, therefore, a species of theological heresy of confounding God with creature, the transcendent with the non-transcendent, the Ever Free with the Bound, and comes in for a  vehement condemnation at the hands of the Saiva hymnists.  

    Pati (Siva) has a trilateral relationship with Pasu (flock, animal, individual soul) and Paasa (pasa, impurity)--Pati-Pasu-Pasa Triangle. These three are connected with one another. (Remember Siva relates to Pasu through Sakti; He is very averse to impurity of soul; everything is dandy with the soul once it is pure.)  Pati is eternal, the purveyor of Tirodhana Sakti and Arul Sakti in this context. Pasu is the individual soul and belongs to the flock in Christian terms. Pasam is impurity or Malam, everlasting as Pati and Pasu; in its causal state of Kevala Avastha, it is eternal; its ravages are seen in Sakala Avastha of life of soul on earth. A Guru goes a long way in helping the Sadhaka overcome Anava Mala.

 Parviscient: knowing little (Oxford English Dictionary). Parvus: Latin for small

Nescient: knowing nothing; ignorant

"Parvipotent" and "parvipresent" are not in the dictionary; Parvipotent = having a little power; Parvipresent = having mote of a presence, in one's own body. example: God exults over his omnipresence; man sulks over his parvipresence. I coined these words, Parvipotent and parvipresent to explain man's small position in the presence of God (omnipotence and omnipresence).

Pati and Pasa (Siva and fetter) exercise centripetal and centrifugal force respectively on Pasu, the individual soul. They are opposing forces; Siva pulls Pasu the soul or Jiva towards him and tries to morph him to his likeness, while Pasa the fetter gets him more and more entangled in its web of impurities. Pati and Pasu know that Pasu pines for salvation; Pasa is jada (inanimate lifeless matter or entity), not needing salvation; but its pull on Pasu is strong.  Jiva or individual soul is compared to a colorless crystal; it assumes the color of the juxtaposed object; if there are two or more objects of different colors, the crystal projects all the colors. An observer passing by assumes that the crystal is a polychromatic object; in reality it is not. The dominant color prevails; thus, the soul is a "malleable" entity. Siva is Sat and Pasa is Asat. Sat = That which exists through all times, the Imperishable; Asat = That which is unstable and mutable. Under the influence of Pati and Pasa, Jiva or soul is neither Sat nor Asat; the siddhantist claims the soul is a blend of Sat and Asat, taking the qualities of both and thus is Sat-Asat, a two-tone entity.  Siva Sat pulls the soul one way and Pasa-Asat pulls him in the opposite direction. Since it is touched by the Sat of Siva and Asat of Pasa, the soul is Sat-Asat.

    Sine the soul is Sat-Asat, it is eternal and therefore, endowed with Iccha, Jnana and Kriya (desire, knowledge and action), though the Asat part of the soul renders the innate three qualities unexpressed and suppressed, meaning that an external force is necessary to activate the three qualities. The soul is compared to the flower bud which in order to exude its fragrance (quality) needs the sun to open the petals and let the fragrance waft in the wind.

Pati, Pasu and Pasa relationship.

   Kevala, Sakala and Suddha states: Soul's natural state, before birth in a body, is Kevala with Anava Mala (Sahaja Mala, innate impurity) as the coloring agent; When the soul acquires a body on account of Karma, it is in Sakala state, a multicolored state in which Malas and Siva Sakti are the coloring agents; When all Malas are extinct, the soul is in Suddha state, where Siva Sakti is the only coloring agent (colorless translucent crystal).  Kevala Avastha is night in slumber; Sakala state is day in phenomenal awakening and awareness; Suddha state is merger with Siva.

Karma Mala rides on the coattail of Anava Mala. Eradication of these Malas from the soul need the guidance of a Guru, who may be Supreme Siva in the human form or a human with divine qualities of Siva. Guru, after proper initiation, gives the Sadhaka a Mantra, which when chanted, sustains the soul on its long march through Chariya, Kriya, Yoga, and finally to Jnana. Pati and Pasu respectively are the donor and recipient of Arul or Grace; Pasa is that which impedes this transfer.

Pati = Siva Sakti; Pasu = individual soul; Pasa = bondage, world of senses; Jnana = knowledge.

    The world is made of he, she, and it, consisting of Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Ether. A finished product needs a manufacturer, raw material, and machinery. Manufacturer is the efficient cause; raw material is the material cause; the machinery is the instrumental cause. In this instance, the analogy rests on the potter, the clay, and the wheel and the stick. In Saiva Siddhanta, the efficient cause is Siva; the material cause is Maya; the instrumental cause is Sakti.

    Maya is the progenitor of the building blocks of this universe and beings. Maya in its original state is energy of Sakti, invisible, impalpable, and subtle. When these building blocks involute in a retrograde manner, they find repose in Sakti, which in its turn becomes one with Siva; this process goes by the term Samhāram or Odukkam (ஒடுக்கம் = Involution, as of the elements one into another; absorption, dissolution, disappearance, as of salt in water).
     Maya, being matter, traces back to Sakti upon involution and not to Siva, because Siva cannot be contaminated by matter; He is pure Consciousness.  Saiva Siddhanta believes that there is a chasm between Pure Consciousness of Siva on one hand and Maya, Tattvas, and matter on the other hand. This chasm can be traversed by Sakti; there is no physical connection between Siva and matter. He acts through Sakti, who can jump back and forth over the chasm, while matter cannot be traced back to Siva Consciousness. The soul has a proximate connection with Siva Sakti in Sakala, Suddha, and Siva in liberated state; he controls and pervades everything through his Sakti. Sakti acts as his agent and surrogate in contact and connection with matter. Once the soul is devoid of matter and Malas (impurities), acquires Sivajnana, expunges Karma, involutes into Sakti, and receives Arul (Grace), the pure soul merges with Siva.

    Siva is immanent in the souls. Does it mean that he enjoys or suffers the pleasure and pain of the embodied soul? No, He does not. The analogy goes as follows. The human body harbors in its intestines (GI tract) bacteria and worms; they are born, live, and die; their hunger, pain, and death do not cause similar effects on the host; in like manner, Siva is not subject to pain and pleasure, life and death and this and that of the human beings, though he is immanent in every soul.

    Our skin, mouth, body openings and pores, and large intestines are full of commensal organisms, which eat what they thrive on. Parasites, bacteria and minute worms (e.g., Giardia lamblia, helicobacter pylori and pinworms) can affect the human GI tract; when they reside in the body below critical mass, they do not cause any trouble to the body. When they proliferate beyond a critical mass, they cause symptoms, signs and disease.

Saktas believe that Sakti is the Mother Goddess of the universe and beings.

    Maya is of three types: Suddha, Suddha-Asuddha, and Asuddha (Pure, Pure-Impure, and Impure). Suddha Maya is forbidden zone for Anava Mala, which finds its home in Asuddha Maya. Asuddha Maya is the cause of beings and material universe. For details go to TATTVAS-36.  Siva and Sakti belong to the Suddha Tattvas (Pure Principles); Maya and the individual soul belong to Suddha-Asuddha (Pure-Impure Principles);  Matter belongs to Asuddha Tattvas (Impure Principles). Students of Saiva Siddhanta say that Siva is the First Cause; Sakti is the Instrumental Cause; Maya is the material cause.

Antahkarana, Janendriyas and Karmendriyas belong to the body of the soul, while the Tanmatras belong to the object or the outer world and impinge upon the senses in their subtle and gross forms. Ahankara, one of the Tattvas (#15), has modifications in Taijasa, Rajasa, and Tamasa Ahankara, which are known as Tattvikas. Antahkarana consists Manas, Buddhi, Ahankara, and Chitta; Manas avidly grasps; Buddhi resolves; Ahankara is restless and roving; Chittam contemplates on that which the mind grasps.  Chittam by contemplation leaves impression on the soul reinforced by experience.

Tattvikam = That which is connected with tattva.

Manas = mind; Buddhi =  power of discernment or judgment; Ahankara = Ego; Chitta = determinative faculty.

    Indriya refers to faculty of sense, organs of sense. Indriyani is more appropriate word for organs, Indriya is more appropriate for innate function of the organ.

The Tattvas and Tattvikas constitute the sphere of experience and activity for the soul and the body and are fourfold: Tanu (body), Karana (organs), Bhuvanam (world), and Bhogam (Experience). Bhogam is of eight kinds (Ashtabhogam): women, clothes, jewelry,  eating, Tāmpūlam (Betel leaves and areca nuts, pansupari), perfume, song, and bed of flowers. Another source says Bhoga is of five kinds: enjoyment arising from sound, sight, smell, touch and taste. As you may notice, Bhogam is indulgence of the senses and that is why Siddhantist calls a person Pasu (animal). Bhogam has no intellectual or spiritual aspirations.   The gunas (Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas = virtue, motion and passion, and darkness) bring both pleasure and misery.

    The body is made of five elements: Ether, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. Agamas mention that yogis can visualize these elements in shapes and colors depicted below. People eat what grows on earth, grazes on grass (salad) or swims in the ocean; we drink the water; we breathe the air; we keep our body warm from metabolism; we have empty spaces in our body; thus, we are made of elements. Symbol for earth is diamond; water, lotus; fire, swastika; wind, six dots; and Ether, Bindu.

    Brahma is the creator, Vishnu the sustainer, Siva the destroyer, Mahesvara the obscurant, and Sadasiva the giver of Grace.  In accordance with their portfolios, Brahma is the god of earth, Vishnu water, Siva-Rudra fire, Mahesvara air, and Sadasiva Ether. Rudra exercises his portfolio of limited dissolution, while Siva is Maha-Rudra, not Guni-Rudra. Siva is the Universal Destroyer, of whom Rudra and other deities  are only operative aspects, according to K. Sivaraman in his book Saivism in Philosophical Perspective, page 47.

The Earth is golden; water is colorless or white; fire is red; wind is blue or black; Ether is smoky. Each element is assigned a Bija letter (Bija--root): Earth is Lam; water is Vam; fire is Ram; wind is Yam; Ether is Ham. Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet and the vowel sound represented by this letter; similarly Sanskrit alphabet sounds are Lam for La, Akara for A, Ukara for U, and Makara for M.

Bija Mantras are seed letters (of Sanskrit language) which are the visual forms of Primeval Sound. If pen (written word) is mightier than a sword, Primal Sound is mightier than visual sound (Pasyanti) and written word. Go to Sabda or Sound. Bija mantra is a single-character Mantra; there are exceptions like Hreem, a compound. Primeval Sounds apparently have no meaning, so is the case with Bija mantra sounds; they possess mystic meaning. Since Sound (Nada) is the source of the universe, the Maha-Bhutas (gross elements) have Bijas.

The Great Elements, Bija Mantras, Chakras and Specific Deities.

Go to  TANTRA for more information on Bija mantras.

Why is the soul subjected to so much of hardships over so many births and rebirths?  Soul in Kevala and Sakala Avastha is burdened with Anava Mala, the I-Factor. I-Factor is more than I and You; It is the forgetting of the soul of its putative and filial connection to the Lord. The I-factor is a stain on the soul; thus, it is not ready for Grace. Did you (the ego factor--I am) ever consider to upstage and humiliate your boss and hope to stay in his grace and obtain a promotion? Siva was the First One to say, AHAM (I). Still He is the only I in the universe. For us to arrogate ourselves with an I is Avidya (ignorance).Consider lime or lemon, the acid fruit which is not easily edible unless it is sliced, diced, cubed, pickled, aged and matured. Once it is undergoes marinading, pickling, aging and maturing, it is delicious and edible. The acid of the fruit is Anava Mala of the soul. The embodied soul is given the body, organs, world and experience (the pickling and maturing process; now you know what it means to say, "I am in a pickle.") through the Tattvas and Tattvikas; the soul is embodied, jettisoned and jostled in the sea of Samsara (life on earth) over many births so that the Anava Mala becomes ragged ready to fall out and drop dead; Jnana enters the soul. Once the Anava Mala drops out of the soul, Grace enters; that process has many steps: Malaparipākam, Iruvinaiyoppu and Sattinipātam (eradication or maturing of Anava Mala, equable resolution of good and bad Karma, and descent of Grace into the soul).

Grasp* = give and take

Tanmatra = merely that, the subtle rudimentary element.

First came Tanmatras, the subtle rudimentary elements, from which gross elements developed. Let us concentrate on Sound, the very first Tanmatra. Sound became Ether and pervaded all substances and spaces. There is no substance without space, like the space inside the atom. Sound and its product Ether can carry sound wherever there is space; the next step in the evolution is that an instrument with a sound receptivity and appreciation is necessary; the ear fulfills that function.  When steps are taken backwards from the ear to the sound, one can appreciate sound is the essential element for all the other linear elements that came from it. If there is no sound there is no need for an ear; if there is no auditory center in the brain, the proximal elements are redundant and useless. The same premise applies to all other rudimentary elements and their respective products. 

Go to BG Chapter 13 The Knower, the Field, the Nature for details on Tanmatras.

The reason for elaboration of Tattvas, Tattvikas, elements, their medium, peripheral and central organs and functions is that the soul comes under their sway and thus, is deeper in the world of matter and senses than in the world of spirit. This leads to action and more Karma, which guarantee rebirth.

     These Anma (Atma Tattvas, prakriti Maya Tattvas, mulaprakriti derivatives) Tattvas (mentioned above) are the lowest Tattvas that the soul mires in. They keep the soul tethered to matter. Anava Mala is the millstone around soul's neck; it looks for some relief from Suddha-Asuddha Tattvas (Asuddha Maya, Vidya Tattvas; they are numbered from six to twelve as follows: 6. Maya Tattva, 7. Kāla Tattva, 8. Niyati Tattva, 9. Kalā (Kalai) Tattva, 10. Vidya Tattva, 11. Rāga Tattva, and 12. Purusha Tattva.  Rāga Tattva = Arāga Tattvam (Tamil version.) 

6. Maya Tattva is the progenitor of Vidya Tattvas.

7. Kāla Tattva. It is the Time element. Each created element has a time clock ticking inside it; it is finite; it has a beginning, middle, and end. This is not the case with the Tattvas in Suddha Maya from one to five (Tattvas). But surely, they also disappear into Sakti by involution. Time is a spinning wheel; people and matter drop into and out of the wheel.

8. Niyati. Niyati brings order to beings and matter. Sakti, as in all Tattvas, acts on Niyati, which makes sure that destined itinerary and karma of the soul are strictly observed and fulfilled. It keeps a master record of all events pertaining the soul.

9. Kalā (Kalai) Tattva. Kal is to learn or study. Kalā Tattva

Kalā is energy of Sakti that stimulates dormant Jnana, Iccha, and Kriya (knowledge, desire and action) intrinsic to the soul. By Kriya sakti, the soul acquires some Jnana which helps Buddhi partially efface the obscuration caused by Anava Mala. It is like rending the cloud to let some sunshine in; thus, the soul acquires some spiritual knowledge.

10. Vidya Tattva stimulates Jnana faculty of the soul. It is soul's ability to discriminate. Vidya is a cognate of  Vid, Cid, Veda, and Vittai. It takes its origin from Kalai, 9th principle, gives wisdom to the soul, and helps the aspirant overcome the asuddha maya tattva consisting of prejudice, misconception, wrong belief, illusion, delusion, distortion, and obscuration.

11. Rāga Tattva activates Iccha (will, desire) in the soul. Arāgam (Tamil spelling). It is soul's desire to experience the world. Ragam is desire, passion and love. It is the evolute of the 10th  principle, Vidya. It is the Iccha Sakti (desire) of an individual to acquire, posses, and exploit objects and people and enjoy the world. It is modulated by Buddhi and Vidya.

    Iccha, Jnana, and Kriya (desire / will, knowledge, and action) are the three faculties of the above Suddha-Asuddha Tattvas which link the soul with organs, objects and environment; thus, Purusa, the 12th Tattva, the embodied soul, exercises its will, knowledge and Kriya.  (Iccha (Will) is Moon and prelude to creation; Jnana is Fire that incinerates all actions; Kriya is Sun which shines and makes all things visible to the eye [of wisdom]).

12. Purusa Tattva: Sakalar class soul having all three malas. Purusa is the individual self  wrapped in Tattvas as above (#6 to #11 plus Anma Tattvas), endowed with consciousness, Ichha, Jnana and Kriya (desire, knowledge, and action). He is the common man (Purusa) who is mired in three malas (mum-malas).

The body, compared to a house, has nine gates or portals: two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, one mouth, one genital opening and one anal opening. The resident soul of the house looks out through these windows, gates or portals and receives impressions of objects which first impinge on the mind; this is the raw data coming in; therefore, it is called undifferentiated perception (raw data). Rāga, that is modulated by Buddhi and Vidya, is expert enough to digest, compare, interpret, collate (even collage and montage) all data into a cogent or disparate images and pictures; this is differentiated perception. The latter perception is burnt into memory as personal experience.

12.Purusa: Sakalar class soul having all three malas. Purusa is the individual self  wrapped in Tattvas as above (#6 to #11), endowed with consciousness, Ichha, Jnana and Kriya (desire, knowledge, and action). He is the common man (Purusa) who is mired in three malas (mum-malas).

Suddha Maya consist of the first five Tattvas of pure variety: Siva Tattva, Sakti Tattva, Sadasiva Tattva, Isvara Tattva, and Suddha Vidya Tattva. 1.Siva Tattva, 2. Sakti Tattva, 3. Sadasiva Tattva, 4. Isvara or Isa Tattva, 5. Suddha Vidya Tattvas. Remember these five foremost Tattvas are derived from Sakti and are nowhere as pristine as the First Perfection, Siva. In Siva Tattva, Jnana or Knowledge exists without Iccha and Kriya; In Sakti Tattva, action (Kriya)  occupies the centerpiece; In Sadasiva Tattva, knowledge and action (Jnana and Kriya) are in balance; in Isvara Tattva action is dominant while Knowledge is in the background; in Suddha Vidya Tatttva, knowledge is dominant while action is in the background.  These are Pure Tattvas with higher consciousness, though Siva Tattva is the purest Consciousness ( and yet lower than the First Perfection)  and others from 2 to 5 are progressively less pure (by small amounts) and have linear degradation in their consciousness, representing five generations of consciousness. Human consciousness is less pure than the five Suddha Tattvas, meaning we are further down the line. Animals don't even come close. They have instinct and subconsciousness. Saiva Siddhanta asserts the power of Sakti (Tattva) exists in all beings and matter. Consciousness sleeps in the stone, feels in the flora, senses in the fauna and thinks in man. Sentience runs parallel with consciousness. Go to TATTVAS-36 for more details. Gnostics call the material world of Tattvas by the term, Simulacrum of higher level Consciousness and Reality.  Simulacrum =  a slight, unreal, or superficial likeness or semblance.  There is a suggestion of Panchadasi's  philosophy that the world and beings are mirror reflections of Brahman (Kutastha vs Pratibimba).  Brahman is Real and all else is mere reflection.  No Brahman...no reflections.

Sometimes KAma (God of Love) is portrayed as the Cosmic Lover whose Iccha (will or desire) produces the universe with all its desires and passions. Now we have to assign the blame and flame of sexual desire of beings to the God of Love (KAma).  If it is not for him, we would have been assigned to live an insipid stale life of parthenogenesis (whiptail lizard (genus Cnemidophorus), whose progeny are just clones , that are not capable of adaptation to changing environment. Consider the dull life of polypoid corals. I don't really know whether their life is dull or exciting. Recombination is the way to go for man, the Primal God decided. Here we are, the products of recombination, one day shooting to the moon and next day fighting to death in wars and violence. Karma is in play. We also escaped gynogenesis and hybridogenesis.

Another source gives the following: Iccha is Gauri (Consort of Siva), Jnana is Vaishnavi (Consort of Vishnu), Kriya is Brahmi (Consort of Brahma).  Here Consort may be equated to respective Saktis.

Citta in Sanskrit is Cittam in Tamil, meaning determinative faculty or intelligence. God and man are at two ends of the spectrum, the former omniscient and the latter parviscient. Parvus (Latin) = small. Animals are not considered here because they have instinct and not intelligence as we know in man. Some animals do have the capacity to learn by imitating and some actually use tools. One instance shows a bird probing the tract in deadwood with a stick, getting grubs at the end of the stick and eating them. Birds are documented and videotaped to have built nests inside Home Depot, fly past the sensors to open the doors and enter the automatic doors so as to feed their chicks. God's faculty (Jnana along with Iccha and Kriya) is of the size of limitless universe, while man's is a mote floating in the air as seen in the shaft of sunlight. God's presence is seen in Jnana, Iccha and Kriya of all beings and He pervades all. Man is put on this earth, equipped with Tattvas, Tattvikas, and body to experience this world of sound, touch, form, taste, and smell and their gross products (Mahabhutas.); all experiences in this universe are contained in Tanmatras and bhutas and meant to purify the soul.

    God is Sat, Cit, and Ananda in their fullness; matter is Asat and Acit; soul is Sat and Cit or Sat-Acit), Ananda missing. God is Being, Intelligence and Bliss in full measure (measureless unimaginative enormity).  Christians call this fullness as Godhead.  Gnostics and Colossians call this fullness, Pleroma. By contrast, the individual soul is being and has a mote of intelligence. Matter is not being (Asat) but existing; it is not intelligent (Cit); it is not sentient (Acit). The difference between Sat and Asat is the difference between Sunshine at high noon and total darkness in moonless cloudy night. God's Cit is not acquired; His constitution is knowledge; He has prior knowledge of everything known and unknown in a direct sense and simultaneously; He does not need learning, because He is full of knowledge. Soul's intelligence and knowledge depend on those of God. He is Bliss; his constitution is Bliss, meaning that He neither seeks Bliss from outside, nor experiences it (but dispenses it to mature souls). Experience indicates contact with an external object. Soul's journey in the world of experience, resolution of Karma, maturing of Malas, and descent of Jnana and Bliss into the soul are the events that presage union with Siva; union is soul's equal but separate existence in relation to Siva, enjoying Siva's bliss.  Siva is like a nursing mother and soul is like a suckling infant; if the soul has to imbibe Grace, it has to be a separate entity. Before union, the soul wallows in a world of Acit, Asat, Malas, Maya, Tattvas, and Tattvikas;  Sat has a minor presence and sits in the company of the said impure elements.  Soul has to get away from all impure elements and move towards Sat, Cit, and Ananda of God.

    Anava Mala  (Adhikara malam) is weakened, tattered and discredited in Mukti or liberation. What happens to it? Anava Malam does not actually fall out, dissipate, dissolve, and disappear out of existence. It is still there; it has a second birth as it were by morphing. The blocking glob of a plaque of Anava Malam has morphed into a conduit for the flow of Bliss. It is like a kinked, pinched, twisted, bent, and blocked malleable rubber tube suddenly becoming straight and conducting smooth flow of liquid. It is like spiritual angioplasty.

Here is another view from Sivagnana Siddhiar Suppakam Verse 82

Sivagnana Siddhiar by Arul Nandhi Sivanar

Verse 82.

ºò¾¢¾ý ÅÊ×  ²Ð?  ±ýÉ¢ø ¾¨¼  þÄ¡  »¡Éõ  ¬Ìõ;

¯öò¾¢Îõ þ  ¦ºö¾¢  þ¨Å  »¡ÉòР ¯Ç§Å¡?  ±ýÉ¢ø

±ò¾¢Èõ  »¡Éõ  ¯ûÇР «ò¾¢Èõ  þ  ¦ºö¾¢

¨Åò¾Ä¡ø  Á¨ÈôÒ  þø  »¡É¡ø ÁÕÅ¢¼õ  ¸¢¡¢¨Â  ±øÄ¡õ.  82 

One may ask, "What is Sakti's Form?"   (Siva) Sakti's Form is without obstruction or limitation. That is also known as Parasakti.  Does knowledge have in it Desire and Action Saktis? Knowledge has in it Obscurant  Sakti. As Knowledge prevails so prevail Desire and Action. Therefore cognize that they (Desire and Action) are not separate from Knowledge.

Purport: Siva has three Saktis or powers: Iccha, Jnana and Kriya = þ, »¡½õ, ¸¢¡¢¨Â = Desire or Will, Knowledge, and Action.  By these powers Siva creates, reigns and destroys this universe of beings and matter. Man has the same powers in a truncated form. Siva has the Will and exercises His Knowledge and Action. Man on the other hand has to have knowledge before he can exercise his will and action. That is the difference between Siva and the Mini-Sivas (We the people). Siva's sequence is Will, Knowledge and Action; Mini-Siva's sequence is knowledge, will and action.  Man does not go anywhere unless he has the knowledge; his will has no place before knowledge.

Siva is Pure Consciousness; human consciousness is a dumb-down version of Siva's.  We came from siva. Our soul is contaminated with impurities. We have to remove them before merger with Siva. Until we carry these impurities on our soul, Siva does not reveal Spiritual Knowledge; that is obscuration (Tirodhana or Tirobhava Sakti (Sanskrit) = ¾¢§Ã¡ÀÅõ = obscurant power), which is contained in the Knowledge of Siva. This Obscurant power morphs into Anugraha («Õû = Grace), when the impurities fall off the soul. Thus Obscuration and Grace are Knowledge Sakti with two morphologies, depending upon the impurity or purity of the individual soul.

Soul is the eye; Jnana is Light of Wisdom; the soul can choose from among the illuminated objects and discard those that do not contribute to salvation. Anava Mala is the controller of the soul as long it is in charge; once it is removed, morphed or fashioned into a conduit of grace, the soul undergoing Iruvinaiyoppu, Malaprapakam, and Saktinipatam receives grace; Sakti of Siva takes control of the soul; at this juncture activity of the soul does not generate any Karma and is not responsible for its actions.  Soul is responsible for its action under the aegis of Anava Mala and not under Siva's.

    Soul is without spiritual knowledge at entry into this world in Sakala state; if soul is full of divine knowledge, it has no use for a body of sense organs, which gathers Asat knowledge. Siva is Sat; Soul is Sat-Asat; matter is Asat. Sense organs take their origin from Tattvas, belonging to Asat. Knowledge gained by Asat Sense organs is Asat knowledge, which is useless for entry into the world of Siva. Siva Jnana (Siva knowledge) is available only from Sakti; Siva Jnana is Sat and only a Sat entity (Siva Sakti) can offer Sat Siva Jnana.  For Sakti to inject Siva knowledge into the soul, the soul has to be prepared for its receptivity; for that to happen, dualistic karma must come to equable resolution and the Malas including Anava Mala, and Karma of the soul must (be ablated) come to an end by process of Iruvinaiyoppu and Malaprapakam. It is like ablation (destruction) of native diseased bone marrow in a leukemic patient by radiation and chemotherapy before the patient is given a new bone marrow transplantation.

    The next step is acquisition of Siva Jnana from Siva Sakti. After Jnana acquisition, the soul undergoes Odukkam ( ஒடுக்கம் = Involution into Siva Sakti.) and the soul is liberated and merges with Siva.  (Siva) Sakti is the intermediator (intermediate)  between Siva on one side and the soul and Tattvas on the other side; Siva Sakti is one with Siva. The soul sheds its association with Malas and Karma, acquires Siva Jnana (darkness departs), becomes pure, associates with Siva Sakti and becomes one with Siva. The pure liberated soul has a separate but proximate existence with Siva, enjoying Arul (Bliss). Siva is mass of Bliss (Terul); only he can confer Arul. The donor of Terul is Siva and the recipient is the soul.

When all Tattvas involute in Sakti in Great dissolution, and when Sakti involutes into Siva, Siva is ஒடுங்கி (Odungi), the one into whom Sakti involutes.

 Perfected souls  who do not want 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 (us people! = we the people) not in the know chant NaMaSiVāYa (which is the proper Mantra for the imprisoned soul).  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 cloud cover of Malas; obscuration will last until Malas are eradicated (Malaprapakam) and Iruvinaiyoppu is 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." After the Light of Knowledge (Jnana) descends (Saktinipatam) into the soul, it undergoes Odukkam (Involution into Siva Sakti.) and  the soul is liberated. At this juncture the mantra is SiVaYaMaNa or SiVaYaNaMa; in this instance, liberation is achieved and individuality subsumed, Siva and Arul (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 (SiYaV