Tirumantiram and Saiva Siddhanta Philosophy

Siddhantarathinam
Dr. S. Sundarabalu ,M.A; M.A; Ph.D
Visiting Professor ,ICCRs Tamil Chair
Institute of Oriental Studies, Dept. of Indology
Jagiellonian University,
Krakow-Poland
sunder_balu@yahoo.co.in

Medical Logo

Sivalingam-

The lingam

is a representation of the Hindu deity Shiva

used for worship in temples. In traditional Indian society,
the linga is rather seen as a symbol of the energy and
potentiality of the God.
The lingam is often represented alongside the yoni, a
symbol of the goddess or of Shakti, female creative
energy. The union of lingam and yoni represents the
"indivisible two-in-oneness of male and female, the passive
space and active time from which all life originates".
"sign", or "inference")

(also, linga, ling, Shiva linga, Shiv ling, Sanskrit , liga, meaning "mark",

lingam and Snake

Parts of Cranial Nerves

CN I

CN II
CN IV

CN III
CN V

CN VI

CN VII

CN VIII

CN IX

CN X

CN XI

CN XII
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7. Crown Center Top of head towards

back; Connection to divinity, spirit, bliss;
Drive to transcend.
6. Third Eye Slightly above midpoint
between eyes; Intuition, metaphysical
wisdom, stillness; Drive to know.
5. Throat Chakra Center of throat;
Self-expression, speaking truth; Drive to
communicate.
4. Heart Chakra Center of chest at
breastbone; Love, compassion, beauty,
joy, balance; Drive to connect.
3. Navel Chakra Just below navel;
Personal
power,
self-definition,
boundaries; Drive to act successfully.
2. Sacral Chakra Internal reproductive
organs; Sensuality, creativity, abundance,
passion; Drive to create.
1. Root Chakra Tailbone; Connection
to earth, nature, physicality; Drive to
survive.
1/24/2015

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SAIVA SIDDHANTA TEXTS

Saivism
The word Hinduism is a common name which denotes many
Indian religions, including Saivism. It is not a religion by
itself. Saivism or Saiva religion is the dominant religion of
the Hindu fold.
Saiva Siddhanta (Saiva Siththaantham in Tamil) is the
philosophy of Saiva religion which considers Lord Siva as
its primary deity. Siddhanta means the final conclusion
(reached after taking into consideration all other
important views).
It is the popular philosophical system of the Tamils of South
India, based on Saiva Agamas, Upanishds, ancient Tamil
works, Thirumurais and Meykanda Sastra works.

Who am I ?

Is there a God?

What are the natures of God, Soul and the cosmos?

What is my relationship with God and the worldly things?

What is the reason for happenings in life over which one

has no control?

Such questions often arise in any philosophical system.

Saiva Siddhanta gives plausible answers and explanations
to them.

Eternal Entities
Saiva Siddhanta believes in the three eternal entities of
God, Soul and Bondage (materials of bondage). These
are called Pati, Pasu and Pasam respectively in Siddhanta
philosophy.
Pati means Lord (of the souls) who is God.
Pasam means bondage.
Pasu means that which is under bondage.
All things known and perceived are included in these three
categories. According to Saiva Siddhanta God is
one, Souls are many and Pasam consists of three impurities
(malams)
called
Anava
(anavam),
Karma (kanmam) and Maya (mayai). Like Pati who is real
and eternal, Pasu and Pasam are also real and eternal.

Existence of God and other eternal entities is established

by various epistemological means. Logical arguments,
based on sense perception, inference and scripture are
important means of proving their existence.
Anything that has a beginning, existence and decay is
made by someone. It has a maker. Our physical body
including the mental and psychological equipments, the
world and the worldly things had a beginning. They exist
for a certain period of time and then decay. They,
therefore, have a maker who is God. Existence of God is
thus established by inference. The existence of other
entities is also established similarly by various means.

God: Siva (Sivam) is the name given to their God by the

Saivites. Siva means One who is perfect and /or
auspicious. His inherent nature is wisdom. He is with infinite
love to benefit the souls. It is His Grace which is part of
Him. Like the sun and its light, He remains inseparable with
his Sakthy which is Grace. Sakthy literally means power or
energy. He is omnipresent. The Tamil word for God,

Kadavul, meaning One who resides outside and inside,

indicates his omnipresence.

Soul: According to Saiva Siddhanta, Souls are many. No

two persons or beings are alike. We may therefore, conclude
that every living being has a soul of its
own. Anma and uyir are other names for soul. Soul has the
capabilities to know, act and desire. These are called
its gnana sakthy, kriya sakthy and iccha sakthy respectively.
These capabilities are impaired by the associated entity
calledanava. Soul has a dependant nature and behaves like
the one on which it depends. When it depends on the
worldly things, it behaves like them. When it depends on
God, it behaves like a divine being. This nature of
dependency is called in Tamil as Sarnthathan Vannamathal.

The most respected shaivite scriptures in thamiz the

thirumuRais , were composed almost in the first millenium
developed the in the thamiz people the spiritual
nourishment. Based on these holy texts and developed on
the fertility they made in the thought process gave rise to
many philosophers dwelling in the highly complex
question of the Supreme, soul and surroundings and their
inter-relationship.
Among them four are quite significant and are referred
to as sandhAnak kuravargaL. The texts which are
explanatory/ commentory texts of shiava sidhdhantha,
that were written in this period of 12th to 14th century
are called santhAna nulgal or meykaNda nUlgaL.

While the rest of the thirumuRais are singing the glory of

Lord shiva, the nineth thirumuRai thirumanthiram is the one
that deals in detail about the philosophy and yoga. These
santhAna texts are absolutely dedicated for philosophical
discussions. These texts analyse the various factors, logics
and experiences, refute and support the various
philosophies on the ground of raising and answering
questions. These are excellent food for thought and are
Shaiva sidhdhanthic philosophical tutorials.

Tamil Shaivite Literature taalapuraanam and etc : 705

14 chaaththiram (shaastram)- guidelines
or philosophical treatises

http://www.shaivam.org/siddhanta/san.htm

The Core Saiva Siddhanta Texts - santhAna nulgaL / meykaNda nulgaL Saiva Siddhanta Texts
1. (thiruvundhiyAr)
2. (thirukkaLiRRup padiyAr)

3. (shiva gnAna bodham)

4. (chivanyAna chiththiyAr)

Author
thiruviyalUr uyya vandha
dhEvanAyanAr
thirukkadavUr uyya vandha
dhEvar
meykaNda sivam

aruNandi chivAchchAriyAr

5. (irupA irupaqthu)
6. (chivap pirakAcham)
7. (thiruvarut payan)
8. (vinA veNpA)
9. (pORRip paqRodai)
10. (kodikkavi)
11. (nenychuvidu thUdhu)

umApati shivAchchAriyAr

12. (uNmai neRi viLakkam)

13. ( chaNkaRpa nirAkaraNam )

14. (uNmai viLakkam)

manavAchakaN kadandhAr

 -Sivagnana Bodham

1.

,
,
.

Because the world, consisting of things male, female and neuter, is

subject to the three operations (production, maintenance, and
dissolution), it is an entity produced (by an Agent).Having dissolved, it
comes into being again because of Impurity. The end is the beginning,
say the wise
1. The world perceived to exist in forms male, female, and neuter
undergoes production, maintenance, and dissolution; for, beside
maintenance, production and dissolution also are seen.

http://www.shaivam.org/tamil/sansivae.pdf

2.
.

He, being one with souls and other than souls, abides in
inseparable union with the Power, so that souls experience
going and coming because of twofold works.

http://www.shaivam.org/english/sen-san-sivagnana-botham-jmnp.htm

3. , , ,
, ,
, .

By saying that it is not, by saying my body, by knowing of

the five senses, by knowledge when they are suppressed,
by the absence of feeling and activity in sleep, by knowing
when caused to know, (it is proved that) there is a soul in
the body which is an instrument produced by Maya.

4. ,
,
.

FOURTH SUTRA
The soul is not one of the inner faculties. But being
without knowledge owing to Innate Impurity, it is
associated with them like a king with his ministers, and
has five states.

5.

.

FIFTH SUTRA
Though body, mouth, eye, nose (and ear) perceive by the help
of the soul, they do not know. Like them, souls, (though they
know), by the grace of the Peerless One in their knowing(do
not know). They are like the iron in the presence of the magnet
The five senses perceive by the help of the soul: for unless the
soul in union with them perceives, they cannot perceive. (a)
When the soul like a king is there ruling the five senses, the five
senses do not know the soul. The soul does not perceive unless it
perceives in the senses; and if the soul does not perceive, the
eye cannot see and the ear cannot hear.

7. ,
,

SEVENTH SUTRA
In the presence of the real all things are non-existent; so
the real does not know (them).The non-real is not; so it
cannot now(the real).(Therefore)that which knows both is
the soul which is neither.

11.
,
.

Like the soul which makes the seeing eye to see-in order
that the soul may see, the Lord sees, and makes the soul
to see. Therefore in unforgetting love the soul reaches the
feet of Hara

TIRUMANTIRAM-TIRUMULAR (TAMIL : )

Tirumantiram- Tirumoolar got initiated by his guru Nandhi

devar, he lived for 3000 years and composed Tirumandiram

Tirumular (Tamil: ) was a Tamil Shaivite mystic

and writer, considered one of the sixty-three Nayanars and
one of the 18 Siddhars. His main work, the Tirumantiram,
which consists of over 3000 verses, forms a part of the key
text of the Tamil Shaiva Siddhanta, the Tirumurai.
Legend has it that Tirumlar was a travelling Shaiva saint
and scholar from Kailash who used his yogic powers to
transmigrate (To pass into another body after death) into the body of a southern
cowherd, Mlan. He would wake up from a state of intense
meditation once a year and compose one verse until he
completed the Thirumandiram.

The Nayanar is said to have been one of the eight students of

Tirunandi Devar. Tirumlar, desiring to see Agastya Rishi in the
Pothia Hills, left Kailasa and journeyed southwards. On his way,
he visited many Saivite shrines. When he came to
Tiruvavaduthurai, he took a bath in the Kaveri River then went
to the Temple. Upon leaving the Temple and walking along the
banks of the Kaveri, he noticed a herd of cows crying because
their herder had died. Wanting to pacify the grief stricken
cows, the Nayanar entered the body of the cowherd after
safely depositing his own body in the trunk of a tree.
Mlan, the cowherd, was a resident of Sattanur and drove the
cows back into the village in the evening. Mlans wife was
expecting the return of her husband but when she approached
him, he would not allow her to touch him, but said: Oh lady, I
am not your husband. Adore Lord Siva and attain Liberation.
He left and went away to a near-by Math.

The cowherd's wife complained to the village elders about

her husbands conduct. They examined him and after they
came to the conclusion that he was a great Yogi who had
attained spiritual eminence, instructed the lady to have no
further contact with him. The next day, Tirumular followed
the cows, but could not find his body in the trunk of the
tree, where he had left it. It was the Lords Leela. Lord Siva
wanted Tirumular Nayanar to write a book in Tamil on
Saiva Philosophy, containing the essence of all Siva
Agamas. Tirumular understood the Lords wish and
returned to Tiruvavaduthurai.

Why i preserve body ?

Why i preserve body

Time was when I despised the body
But than I saw the god with in
And the body , I realized , is the lord's temple
And so I began preserving it
With care infinite -725
725.

Where is the temple of God today?

http://www.hummaa.com/music/album/thiru-moolarin-thiru-mandhiram-thiruthani-n-swaminathan/22696

1823


. 1

1.

2.
3.

4.

Inner core (uLLam; the spiritual heart) is the great temple (perum
kOvil); Fleshy body, the seat of the soul, (the place of union with Paramaatma)
is the temple;
For the compassionate Lord, the mouth is the tower-entrance;
For those with mental clarity, jeevan (life force; soul) soul is the
Shivalingam;

The (deceiving) - five senses are the burning lamps with

within the temple.
1823 Soul is Siva Linga
For the Bounteous Lord
This heart is the sanctum holy,
The fleshly body is temple vast
The mouth is the tower gate;
To them that discern,
Jiva is Sivalinga;
The deceptive senses but the lights that illume

Lord is Atom-Within-Atom

2008

. 2

2008 Lord is Atom-Within-Atom

The Lord is the Beginning of all,
He is the Atom-within-the-atom;
Divide an atom within the atom,
Into parts one thousand,
They who can thus divide
That atom within the atom
May well near the Lord,
He, indeed, is the Atom-within-the-atom.

As Aum is He there?

2804: How Siva is Within

The Lord is in our heart,
As Aum is He there,
As Fire is He there,
As Order is He there,
As Space in body is He there,
He, the One Being.

2804


. 1

five elements of world and human body

space

air
fire

water

earth

2671: God's Form

As mouth, eye, body and life
The Yoga-God is;
Beyond earth, water, fire, wind and sky
Void His Form is.
2671


.

Na, Ma, Si, Va, Ya and human senses

2701


. 4

2701: How Aum and the Five Letters are Distributed

in the Six
Centers
In the six Adharas (centers) within
Are distributed the Five Letters and Aum;
That comprise Aum Nama Sivaya (Na, Ma, Si, Va,
Ya);
In the Muladhara is Na
In the Svadhishtana is Ma
In the Navel Center is Si
In the Heart Center is Va
In the Throat Center is Ya
In the Eye-brow Center is Aum.

52

Touch

Skin

Illusion

na

Taste

Tongue

Arrogance

ma

Sight

Eye

God

ci

Smell

Nose

Power

va

Ear

Sound

Soul

ya

Existence and nonexistence

2941


. 6

2941: Attributes of Siva

Formless is He,
Body less is He,
Blemish less is He,
Rich less is He,
Harmless is He,
Celestial of celestials is He,
Contention less is He,
Bhoota-army possessed is He,
Attachment less is He,
He entered my thoughts.

Love and Siva are One

270: Love and Siva are One

The ignorant prate that Love and Siva are two,
But none do know that Love alone is Siva
When men but know that Love and Siva are the same,
Love as Siva, they e'er remained.
270.



. 1

How Soon the Dead are Forgotten

145: How Soon the Dead are Forgotten

The neighbours gathered wailing loud and long,
Denied him now a name, called him corpse,
And bore him to the burning ghat and the body burnt,
Then a ceremonial dip--and memory dies as the hours lapse.

. 3

Gifts us

252: Charity is Within Reach of All

Easy to all to offer in worship a green leaf to the Lord,
Easy to all to give a mouthful to the cow,
Easy to all to give a handful, sitting down to eat,
Easy to all, good, kind words on others to bestow.

. 2

Among the many revelations that Mohenjadaro and Harappa have

in store for us, none perhaps is more remarkable than this
discovery that Saivism has a history going back to the chalcolithic
age John Marshall

The Saiva religion and its philosophy are praised highly

by scholars.
Saivism is the oldest pre-historic religion of S.
India G.U.Pope
One of the most closely reasoned religious
philosophies found anywhere in
the world. John H. Piet