Sivagnanopadesa

OUR LORD'S SIVAGNANOPADESA TO NANDIDEVA

BY

Nal. Murugesa Mudaliar

    Our Lord Muruga imparted to Nandideva the Sivagnana from Thanikachala or Tiruttani. Nandideva once prayed to Lord Siva in Kailasa that although by the Lord's Grace he knew all the Vedagama Kalas, he did not know the secret of the bliss of Sivanubhava and prayed to the Lord to impart to him that knowledge. Lord Siva bade Nandideva to go to his darling son Muruga at Thanikachala and receive gnanopadesa. Accordingly Nandideva reached Tiruttani and prayed t our Skandaparamacharya who gave him diksa by His benign look and taught him the gnanapada of the Sivagamas to attain the true Bliss. What the Lord taught to Nandideva is given in the Nandi-upadesa-patala of Tiruttanigai Purana of Sri Kachiappa Munivar. This patalam gives the central doctrines of Sivagamokta Saiva Siddhanta and the way to Siddhanta mukti. It describes the Pasu, Pasa and Pati lakshanas and the Dasakarya, or the ten steps for the attainment of Sivabhogam. It is a complete treatise on Saiva Siddhanta. Nandideva is the first disciple to get Sivajnana in ahachchantava (inner) while Sri Maikantadeva (12th century) was the first to reveal the secret to the world (purachchantava).

    In the following paragraphs a brief account is given of the metaphysics of Saiva Siddhanta.

    Siddhanta Saivam is not one among the many schols of philosophic thought but, as St. Thayumanava calls it, it is Mathaathitha or transcending all.

The transcended stages are:

(1) those schools which concern themselves with an enquiry into the nature of the five elements and their classification into tattvas or 'reals'.

(2) those that go beyond and investigate into bhutha (elements) and nadha (sound) and all the intermediate stages of corporate and incorporate things.

(3) those that go beyond these and conceive of intelligence which postulates the relation between the known and unknown.

(4) those that accept the authority of the seers whose words are described as Vedas.

(5) those divided into 'inner' and 'outer' according to the shades of their acceptance of the true philosophy, the classifications falling into 24 ranging from Lokayata or gross materialismm at one end and Sivadivaita Saivam (accepting the nimitta karana parinama vadha) at the other end

(6) Saiva Siddhanta which is samaya-athitha. Why this is called athitha is that while the rest conceive of |
   (a) athvas becoming murthi,
   (b) Brahmam itself becoming the prapanca,
   (c) Brahmam itself assuming the nine bedhas.
(d) Brahmam itself manifesting as ashta-murthas or the eight forms of power and
(e) Brahmam itself manifesting as sakala, i.e., combined with kala or consciousness, Saiva Siddhanta alone conceives of Sivam imbuing the soul with its own fulness out of Grace (thaanaathal).

    Siddhanta Saiva conceives of atmagnana being transformed into sivagnana, atma-iccha into siva-iccha and atma-kriya into siva-kriya. This is called 'ekanaki irai pani nitral'. This is brought out clearly in the following stanza of Tirumandiram.

    Atanamum ataniyumai nirainthu ninravanai
    cetananai-k-konte telivutru-cetananaai
    cetananile celutti citparattaraai iruppar
    etamara-k-kantavarkal inru.

    In the final cit-parai stage, all divisions cease and it is a state of gnana-athita or monam.

    Tirumular's Thirumandiram (eight Tantra) speaks of six anthas or ends, Saiva Siddhanta as the end of ends.

    1. Kalanta        (prasada yoga marga end)

    2. Nadhanta     (kariyesvara karanesvara end)

    3. Yoganta        (astanga yoga samadhi end)

    4. Bhoganta      (tattva-gnana end)

    5. Vedanta        (gnatru, gnanam and gneyam coalescence end)

    6. Siddhanta      (Siva-sayujjya, transcending the previous five ends)

    This conclusion is reiterated by a later Siddha work called Bhuvanai Kalaignana Dipam and also by Sivayoga-Saiva-Kattalai.

    Kala, nada, yoga, bhoga and veda ends are all intermediate stages. ( It must be noted that Vedanta here does not connote the mayavada which later came to be called Vedanta.) These are only partial illuminations and not plenary.

    The illumination afforded by kala takes the soul beyond the bindu tattva and the sadhana is prasada yoga. ( Note here that Saiva philosophy is intertwined with mysticism as it aims at experience and not mere metaphysical conclusions.) Bhuvani Kalaignana Dipam says that in bhuvana are born the five kalas ( of which the finale is santyathitha and these give the five sakthis which are encompassed in para-bindu. This bestows the para-gnana-inbam because it is vouchsafed by Siva-Sakthi.

    Beyond the kalas is the nadhanta which enables the soul to transcend the stage of Karanesvaras when it proceeds alone to the region of nadha. The sadhana for this is Sivapuja. The conquest in Sivapuja is that it enables one to remain in the region of the mystic 'OM' (which is sometimes spoken of as the sound of the anklet on the lifted foot of the Dancing Siva).

    Beyond the nadha is yoganta which is the stage where the soul steps out of the limitation of the 36 tattvas and is in the pure region of parai. This is the region beyond the bhutas, beyond bindua and nadha, beyond the tattvas and beyond consciousness and is verily the nature of the primordial energy called Tripurai. This is called by Tirumular as samadhi or upasanta yoga where the soul is united to Parasiva through his sakti. However the ego of the soul is not completely extinguished and what is called jiva-bodha persists.

    The conquest of the jiva-bodha is bodhanta. The 36 upadhis of the soul are unlinked here. In this state of pure consciousness without ego, there is intimate bliss. The Bhuvanai Kalaignana Dipam describes it thus-

    Niraiyum ap-bhodathin ulle atankiya nava-inbam
    Uraiyum ap-bhodanta rupamum am enkal uttamiye.

    The step next to Bhodanta is where knowledge is transcended into experience and where the yearning for reaching the Divine by burning out the malas is strong and the consciousness that 'Iam Thou' dawns. But this is not the final step but only the penultimate and this is the Vedanta, that which is reached by consciousness with knowledge. Tirumular describes the distinction as follows:

    Taanaana Vedantam taanenum Siddhantam
    Anat-turiyattu anuvan tanai-k-kantu
    Tenar paraaparam cera Sivogam ay
    Ana malam arru arumsiddhi athale.

    This is the 'Sivoham' stage in Saiva Siddhanta which is Vedanta. It is not final but only the penultimate stage. The words 'taanaana Vedantam' and 'taanenum Siddhantam' bring out the distinction very sharply. 'That thou art' is Vedanta, while Siddhanta says 'That becomes Thou'. Sivoham is only bhavana and not Reality.

    The next stage, Siddhanta, is one of absolute experience where Becoming gives place to Being. Tirumular describes this as

    Nittam Paranotiruntu nil manam
    Sattan mutal aintum tattuvathaal ninki
    Siddham asuddham totara vagai ninaintu
    Athan Paranpal ataital Siddhantame.

    This experience is unspeakable but not inconceivable. Saiva Siddhanta does not equate Vedanta with the Upanisadic Vedanta. In fact it calls the end of ends only as Siddhanta without the qualification 'Saiva'.

    Tirumular calls Siddhanta as 'Vedanta renewed' (Navamana Vedanta gnanam Siddhantame) and it is attainable only by ati-suddhar, i.e., those who have given up the malas.

    antam or arum arivar atisuddhan
    antam or arum ariyar malathaar.

    In Vedanta stage the evolved being is only 'yogi' or 'gnani' while in the Siddhanta stage he is 'moni'. In that stage three states disappear (muppazh). They are maya, jiva and arul. Beyond muppazh is muzhu-p-puzh or the complete annihilation of all imperfections, and taints. This is called anandaaditam or Para-mukti which is attainable within this life itself. This is achieved with the Grace of Siva.

    The philosophic significance of sadhanas known as charya, kriya, yoga and gnana to gain this supreme end must now be explained.

    In Saiva Siddhanta, mukti is the outcome of two concurrent conditions, viz., Paasakshaya and Siva p-peru. (That is, dukkanivritti and sukha-prapti.) Only in this condition can the soul gain advaits-sambanda. This eventuates after the muppazh (three annihilations) and muzhuppazh (total annihilation). The Tiruvanaikka Puranam (Gnanopadesa Patalam) gives a lucid account of the three annihilations. Because of pasu taint the soul fails to see the Lord and believes itself to be the Reality. This Maya-oriented loss. By the concealed grace of the Lord the soul believes itself to be the same as Brahmam. This is Jeeva-oriented loss. Inability of the soul to make the grace everlasting and unconcealed is arul loss. The gain of advaita relation is beyond these stages. The Purana aforesaid says-

    Arulelam ulattazhuthinar telintanar nittai
    Marulelam tapamaruvinar mannum muppazhum
    oruvi mel perum pazh enum ulappil ananda
    porulotu ekamai poruntittu muttaraai iruntar.

    This state is anandaatitam. The sadhanas are four to gain this supreme end. They are

Charya - is the discipline or tapas to make the body establish in acts which will seek the Grace.

Kriya - is the discipline to train the indriyas (senses) not to be carried away by things which will bring about recurrent birth and death but seek grace.

Yoga - is the discipline which trains the antah-karanas (inner senses), viz., manas, buddhi and chittam, to be free from desires but get established in the light of Sivagnana.

These three are each of two parts, upaaya and kriya.

Gnana-is the consummation where charya, kriya and yoga are established in tapas, the result being gnana.

    The philosophical and psychological significance of these four paths are explained as follows:

    God manifests his presence in three forms, viz., sthula, suksma and ati-suksma. Man at the lowest stage of spiritual evolution is able to cognise only the sthula forms and so he offers his tapas through his own sthula body by performing bodily acts of worship. By this he gains knowledge only of the sakala form of the Immanent. This is charya.

    At the next higher stage man regards the sthula form only as the abode of the sthulaniskala form and so offers his worship not only by his body but also by his antah-karanas or inner senses. Being a combination of the outer as well as inner senses and not purely the latter, this is not yoga. In performing this kriya, he must follow the injunctions of the Sivagamas because they are intuited by the Grace of Siva.

    In the next higher stage of yoga, man realises that sakala and sakala-niskala forms are all only abodes of God and so offers worship only by his mind and not necessarily by his body. This is the beginning of gnana.

    In the gnana stage man realises that the svarupa lakshna of God and regards the sakala, sakala-niskala and niskala forms as only the forms assumed by God in his Grace for the soul's progress. In this stage the service by body and service by mind give place to kettal (hearing), ninaittal (meditation), telital (discrimination) and nitral (establishment in the Reality).

    These four stages are like bud, flower, unripe fruit and ripe fruit, says Arulnandi Sivacharya in Sivagnana Siddhiyar. They lead to saloka, sarupa, sameepa and sayujjya mukti and the last is the final.

    The integration of the four sadhanas is tapas where work and meditation are fused. It is called Swaraja yoga. The gradations of the tapas in the four paths are as follows:-

Charya in Charya:-

1. Body service in the temple, like cleaning, lighting etc.

2. Worship of one of the twentyfive murtams or images of the Lord.

3. Dhyana, in the mind, of Rudra.

4. Anubhava by bhavaabyasa dhyana.

Charya in kriya:-

5. Gathering materials required for Sivapuja.

6. Worship of Sivalinga after self-purification.

7. Antar-yoga puja from navel to the centre of eyebrows.

8. Anubhava gnana.

Charya in yoga:-

9. Iyama, niyama, asana and pranayama.

10. Pratyakara and dharana.

11. Yoga and dhyana.

12. Samadhi.

Charya in gnana:-

13. Sravana of pati, pasu and pasa knowledge through a Guru.

14. Removal by manana of the three doshas, viz., avyapti, ativyapti and asambava.

15. True knowledge of pati, pasu and pasa (nitityasana), and

16. Parama sayujjya or Para-mukti.

    Gnana and nista cannot be gained through books but only through a Guru. Learning alone will not inform the spirit just as the sea does not quench the thirst. Knowledge imparted through experience alone will profit, taking the initiative of the Guru as part of the luminous gnana puja. Pati is gnana-nanda swarupi and so the guru's grace is necessary. This brings about the ananya relation with the Pati. Siva puja, only if initiated by a Guru, becomes a gnanapuja and not otherwise. The process to real knowledge through the Guru are-

Kettal - Hearing about the three entities, Pati, pasu and pasa from a Guru.

Cintittal - Knowing flawlessly the true nature of the three entities by meditation.

Telital - Knowing the svarupa lakshana of Pati.

Nistai - Standing in inseparable union with Pati.

    Without gnana nistai, the souls will get only pada-mukti (or lower stages of mukti) and not the Nalla-Siva-Mukti. Those who attain Siva mukti are not born again. While they live in this world all their actions become Siva's because Siva abides in them. They are called Sivagnana ceyalutaiyar. Siva intuits these matured souls just as the sun induces glow in the sun-stone. The souls stands in eternal love and communion with Siva in this Suddha state. This is called 'ekanaki irai pani nitral'. This state is not kevala but suddha.

This is the true suddhaadvaita mukti, the end of ends, conceived by Saiva Siddhanta.