WRITTEN BY LONDON SWAMINATHAN

Post No. 13,521

Date uploaded in London – 7 August 2024                 

Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com

Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.

this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.

tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com

https://www.pustaka.co.in/home/author/london-swaminathan

xxxx

My Research Notes on VC- Part 34

2998. பலவுடன் சென்றஅப் பார்முழு தீசன்

செலவறி வாரில்லை சேயன் அணியன்

அலைவிலன் சங்கரன் ஆதிஎம் ஆதி

பலவில தாய்நிற்கும் பான்மைவல் லானே.–Tirumular

(English Translation is at the end)

Tirumular’s indebtedness to Sankara is revealed in the above stanza)

According to Tamil tradition, there are 18 siddhas and Tirumular is one of them. But he is a misfit in the list. He followed Adi Sankara and repeated all the important points from Viveka Chudamani, which is a guide for Advaita followers.

Sankara was the greatest philosopher India has ever produced, and he was the greatest advocate of Advaita/ Monism. Scholars place him between First Century BCE and Eighth Century CE. It is because of two amazingly similar saints Aadi Sankara and Abhi Nava Sankara (Again A New Sankara is the meaning).

(Pronunciation guide:

Tiru moolar, Viveka choodaamani; Aadi Sankara; Siddha- who attained miraculous powers to do Eight Incredible Tasks)

Tirumular repeats Tat tvam asi, Aham Brahmaasmi in several poems. And at the end mentioned Adi Sanara’s name .

My view is that he was a compiler like Veda Vyasa. He has mentioned all Mantra and Tantras, in addition to Pasu Pati, Paasam of Saiva Siddhanta. He is an iconoclast like some siddhas. Tirumular mentioned Omkaaram/Pranava mantra in more than 300 stanzas. He praised Gayatri Mantra.

He used Adi Sankara’s famous similes to illustrate Maayaa (illusion, spiritual ignorance, nescience)

Following are the Sankara’s similes used by Tirumular:

Rope- Snake

Pot- Same clay used to make different shaped vessels

Pot – When broken the sky(space) in it merges with the sky.

Pots- Reflections of hundreds of Suns in them is only illusion

Dream- Sleep

Clouds- Sky

Mirror – Dirt

Six Religions- Six Sects in Hinduism

Aum or Om, Tat Vam Asi, Aham Brahmaasmi (Mahaa Vaakyaas from the great Upanishads are used by Tirumular like Sankara.

Sword of Wisdom, Knot of Ignorance, Snapping the Cycle of Birth and Death, Crossing the ocean of Birth and Death are found in both.

The word Sankara itself is used by Tirumular in many places.

Tirumular explained Many Types of Chakras to be worshipped which we find in Sankara’s Saundarya Lahari

Upanishad’s description of Brahman/God as one who is Near and Far, Smaller than Atom, Bigger than the Biggest are used by both.

Tirumular praise Vedas, Agamas and Brahmins. He praised temple worship unlike iconoclastic siddhas.

Both Sankara and Tirumular entered another one’s body, which is one of the Eight Types Incredible Powers. Even NASA scientists could not understand or achieve those powers until this day. Only few in India did that. The reason being,  for the saints it is only a child’s play. They went beyond it and drowned themselves the sea of Bliss.

When we compare other 17 Siddhas in the list, they look like mosquitoes in front of mighty Tirumular. Saiva Siddhanta followers deliberately twisted many of his stanzas/pomes to fit him into their frame. Those who compare the English translations of those pieces and those who write only simple meaning conveyed in them, expose the Saiva Siddhanta commentators.

To clear anyone’s doubt he praised Adi Sankara in the last chapter. It is actually a ‘Thank You Sankar Ji’ stanza!

xxxx

Here are the supporting proofs for my conclusion:

(in the previous articles compared rope/snake, clay/pot etc)

2998. பலவுடன் சென்றஅப் பார்முழு தீசன்

செலவறி வாரில்லை சேயன் அணியன்

அலைவிலன் சங்கரன் ஆதிஎம் ஆதி

பலவில தாய்நிற்கும் பான்மைவல் லானே.

xxxx

Aham Brahmasmi ( Iam God/Brahman)

மலமில்லை மாசில்லை மானாபி மானம்

குலமில்லை கொள்ளும் குணங்களும் இல்லை

நலமில்லை நந்தியை ஞானத்தி னாலே

பலமன்னி அன்பில் பதித்துவைப் போர்க்கே. 

The Realized Souls Have No Possessions

Mala none; impurity none; pride and prejudice none;

Family none, excellences none; affluence none;

For them who in wisdom

Plant themselves in Nandi

-Firm in His love.

(VC has the Gunas of realized souls in Slokas 538-546)

xxxx

ஒழிந்தேன் பிறவி உறவென்னும் பாசம்

கழிந்தேன் கடவுளும் நானும்ஒன்றானேன்

அழிந்தாங்கு இனிவரும் ஆக்கமும் வேண்டேன்

செழுஞ்சார் புடைய சிவனைக் கண் டேனே. 2

2958: Become God

Ended the birth; sundered the bonds;

God and I one became; ((Aham Brahma Asmi))

No more for me the way of rebirth;

I have met Siva the Auspicious.

xxxx

Tat Tvam Asi ( You are That)

தொந்தத் தசியைஅவ் வாசியில் தோற்றியே

அந்த முறைஈர் ஐந்தாக மதித்திட்டு

அந்தம் இல்லாத அவத்தைஅவ் வாக்கியத்து

உந்து முறையில் சிவன்முன்வைத்து ஓதிடே. 

Tvam-Tat-Asi Becomes Tat-Tvam-Asi

Attain the State of Tvam-Tat-Asi

Through coursing breath (in Yogic Way)

Consider it as the Tenth State of (Turiya) experience;

Endless is that Experience;

Alter that expression so

That Siva (Tat) stands first

(That is Tat-Tvam-Asi, or Tatvamasi)

 வைத்துச் சிவத்தை மதிசொரு பானந்தத்து

உய்த்துப் பிரணவ மாம்உப தேசத்தை

மெய்த்த இதயத்து விட்டிடு மெய்யுணர்ந்து

அத்தற்கு அடிமை அடைந்துநின் றானே. 4

2491 As Tatvamasi, Practise Yoga

Thus altering the expression

Into Tatvamasi with Siva (Tat) first

Fix your thought on bliss of Svarupa;

And gently hold to your heart

The Pranava mantra (that is “Aum”);

When Jiva thus practises Yoga

He realizes Truth

And stands, in Grace accepted.

xxxx

Suns Reflection in Pots of Water.

घटं जलं तद्गतमर्कबिम्बं
विहाय सर्वं विनिरीक्ष्यतेऽर्कः ।
तटस्थ एतत्त्रितयावभासकः
स्वयंप्रकाशो विदुषा यथा तथा ॥ २१९ ॥

ghaṭaṃ jalaṃ tadgatamarkabimbaṃ
vihāya sarvaṃ vinirīkṣyate’rkaḥ |
taṭastha etattritayāvabhāsakaḥ
svayaṃprakāśo viduṣā yathā tathā || 219 ||

219. Just as the wise man leaves aside the jar, the water and the reflection of the sun in it, and sees the self-luminous sun which illumines these three and is independent of them; 

Notes:

[Independent &c—these being merely its reflections, which serve to suggest the real sun.]

And Tirumular says ,

கடம் கடம் தோறும் கதிரவன் தோன்றில்

அடங்கிட மூடில் அவற்றில் அடங்கான்

விடம் கொண்ட கண்டனும் மேவிய காயத்து

அடங்கிட நின்றதும் அப் பரிசு ஆமே.1965

2002 Sivaditya is Immanent and Transcendent

In pot to pot the sun appears,

Well may you the pots close,

Yet in them you contain him not;

So, too, when Lord that poison swallowed

This body enters,

There can you contain Him not

He pervades all.

xxxx

3043: He is One and Many

The Lord is with creation all

None know His coming and going,

He is distant, He is near; (Upanishads repeat it)

He is constant, He is Sankara,

He is the Adi/ Primal Being;

Multiple He is, One He is,

He Our Primal Lord.

xxxxx

At least two scholars agree with me.

The Saiva Siddhanta Church is of the original Saiva Siddhanta expounded by Saint Tirumular, associated with South India. Of the six sub-sects, it is the oldest and closest to the Advaita found in the Upanishads and Agamas.- Dr B Natarajan who translated Tirumanthiram into English

The Vedanta Tirumular knew was the direct teachings of the Upanishads. If there is one thing the Upanishads are categorical in declaring it is Advaita, “Tat Tvam Asi-Thou art That,” “Aham Bramasmi-I am Brahman.” And when Saint Tirumular says that Siddhanta is based on Vedanta he is using Vedanta to refer to this Advaita, which according to him must be the basis of Siddhanta. This is perhaps one of the most important essentials of Tirumular’s Siddhanta to be brought forward into the Siddhanta of today, for it did, in fact, stray from the Rishi’s postulations.

That is why we occasionally use the term “Advaita Saiva Siddhanta.” It conveys our belief in the Siddhanta which has as its ultimate objective the Vedanta. It sets us apart from the Dvaita Saiva Siddhanta school of interpretation begun by Meykanda Devar which sees God and the soul as eternally separate, never completely unified. It is not unusual to find two schools, similar in most ways, yet differing on matters of theology. In fact, this has been true throughout history. It has its source in the approach to God.

On the one hand you have the rishi, the yogi, the sage or siddhar who is immersed in his sadhana, deep into yoga which brings forth direct experience. His conclusions will always tend toward Advaita, toward a fully non-dual perception. It isn’t even a belief. It is the philosophical aftermath of experience. Most Sat Gurus and those who follow the monastic path will hold firmly to the precepts of Advaita Saiva Siddhanta.—Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami; translated Tirumanthiram into English.

—subham—

Tags- Tirumular, not a siddha, Advaita, mentioned, Adi Sankara, similes ,