THE

SIDDHANTA DEEPIKA

THE LIGHT OF TRUTH

THE

LIGHT OF TBUTH

on THE

Siddhanta Dipika and Agamic lieview.

A Monthly Journal devoted to the Search for Truth as revealed in the
Ancient Hindu Mystic Philosophy known as the Saiva Siddhanta or A gamdnta.

VOL. XIII. MADRAS, JULY, 1912. No. 1.

THE DANCE OF SIVA.

“ The Lord of Tillai’s Court a mystic dance performs:
what’s that, my dear?” — Tiruvdcagam , XII, 14.

A great master-of-dancing (Nafaraja) is Siva ! I'he cosmos
is His theatre, there are many different steps in His repertory,
He Himself is actor and audience —

When the Actor beateth the drum,

Everybody cometh to see the show

When the Actor collecteth the stage properties

He abideth alone in His happiness.

How many various dances of Siva are known to His
worshippers I cannot say. No doubt t’-e root idea behind all
of these dances is more or less one and the same, the manifest-
ation of primal rhythmic energy : Siva is the Eros Protogonos
of Lucian, when he wrote :

It would seem that dancing came into being at the begin-
ning of all things, and was brought to light together
with Eros, that ancient one, for we see this primeval
dancing clearly set forth in the choral dance of the
constellations, and in the planets and fixed stars, their
interweaving and interchange and orderly harmony.

A 7 HE LIGHT OF TRUTH

I do not mean to say that the most profound interpretation
of Siva’s dance was present in the minds of those who first
danced in frantic, and perhaps intoxicated energy, in honour of
the pre Aryan hill-god, afterwards merged in Siva. A great
motif is religion or art, any great symbol, becomes all things to
all men ; age after age it yields to men such treasure as they
find in their own hearts. Whatever the origins of diva’s dance,
it became in time the noblest image of activity of God which
any art or religion can boast of. Of the various dances of Siva
I shall only speak of three, one of them alone forming the main
subject of interpretation. One is an evening dance in the
Himalayas, with a divine chorus, described as follows in the
Siva Pradosha Stotra —

“Placing the Mother of the Three Worlds upon a golden
throne, studded with precious gems, Sulapani dances on the
heights of Kailas, and all the gods gather round Him

“ Sarasvati plays on the vuju, Indra on the flute, Brahma
holds the time-marking cymbals, Lakshmi begins a song, Vishnu
plays on a drum, and all the gods stand round about : ”

n Gandharvas, Yakshas, Patagas, Uragas, Siddlias, Sadh-
yas, Yidhyadharas, Arnaras, Apsaras and all I he beings
dwelling in the three worlds assemble there to witness the
celestial dance and hear the music of the divine choir at the
hour of twilight.”

This evening dance is also referred to in the invocation
preceding the Katha Sarit Sagara.

In the pictures of this dance, Siva is two-handed, and the
co-operation of the gods is clearly indicated in their position of
chorus. 1 here is no prostrate Asura trampled under diva’s
feet So far as I know, no special interpretations of this dance
occur in Saiva literature.

The second well-known dance of Siva is called the Tandava,
and belongs to His taniasic aspect as Bhairava or Yira bhadra.
It is performed in cemeteries and burning grounds, where Siva,
usually in ten armed form, dances wildly with Devi, accompan-
ied by troops of capering imps. Representations of this dance

DANCF. OF SIVA

are common amongst ancient sculptures, as at IClIora, Kle^h.inla,
and also at Bhuvanesvara. This tdudava dance is in origin
that of a pre-aryan divinity, half-god, half-demon, who holds
his midnight revels in the burning ground. In later times,
this dance in the cremation ground, sometimes of Siva, some-
times of Devi, is interpreted in baiva and Sakta literature in a
most touching and profound sense.

Thirdly, we have the Nadanta dance of Nataiaja before
the assembly (sabha) in the golden hall of Chitambaram or Tillai,
the centre of the Universe, first revealed to gods and rishis after
the submission of the latter in the forest of i aragam, as related
in the Koyil Purarum. The legend, which has after all, no very
direct connection with the meaning of the dance, may be
summarised as follows :

In the forest of Tara gum dwelt multitudes of heretical
rishis, following of th** Mimamsa. Thither proceeded Siva to
confute them, accompanied by Vishnu disguised as a beautiful
woman, and Ati-Seshan. 'The rishis were at first led to violent
dispute amongst themselves, but their anger was soon directed
against Siva, and they endeavoured to destroy Him by means of
incantations. A fierce tiger was created in sacrificial fires, and
rushed upon Him; but smiling gently, He seized it and, with the
nail of Ilis little finger stripped ofl its skin, and wrapped it about
Himself like a silken cloth.* IJndiscouraged by failure, the sages
renewed their offerings, and produced a monstrous serpent, which,
however, Siva seized and wreathed about His neck like a gar-
land. Then He began to dance ; but there rushed upon Him a
last monster in the shape of a malignant dwarf, Muyalaka.
Upon him the God pressed the tip of His foot, and broke the
creature’s back, so that it writhed upon the ground; and so, His
last toe prostrate, Siva resumed the dance, witnessed by gods
and rishis.

Then Ati Seshan worshipped Siva, and prayed above all
things for the boon, once more to behold this mystic dance; Siva*

* A similar story is elsewhere related about an elephant; and these
account for the elephant or tiger skin, which Siva wear*

THE LIGHT OF TRUTH

4

promised that he should behold the dance again in sacred Tillai,
the centre of the Universe. The dance of Siva in Chidambaram or
Tillai forms the motif of the South Indian copper images of Sri
Nataraja, the Lord of the Dance. These images vary amongst
themselves in minor details, but all express one fundamental
conception. Before proceeding to enquire what these may be,
it will be necessary to describe the image of Sri Nataraja as
typically 7 represented. The images then, represent Siva dan-
cing, having four hands, with braided and jewelled hair of which
the lower locks are whirling in the dance. In His hair may be
seen a wreathing cobra, a skull, and the mermaid figure of
Ganga; upon it rests the crescent moon, and it is crowned with
a wreath of Cassia leaves. In His right ear He wears a man's
earring, a woman’s the left; He is adorned with necklaces and
armlets, a jewelled belt, anklets, bracelets, finger and toe-rings.
The chief part of His dress consists of tightly fitting breeches,
and He wears also a fluttering scarf {angav astir am) and a sacred
thread. One right hand holds a drum ( damdra , udukkai ), the
other is uplifted in ab/iaya mudrd (do not fear): one left hand
holds fire, the other points downward to the lifted foot. The
right foot is pressed down upon the asura Muyalaka, a dwarf
holding a cobra ; the left foot is raised. There is a lotus pedestal,
from which springs an encircling arch of glory, (tiruvdsi), frin-
ged with flame, and touched within by the hands holding drum
and fire. The images are of all sizes, rarely if ever exceeding
four feet in total height.

Even without reliance upon literary references, the inter-
pretation of this dance would not be difficult. Fortunately,

however, we have the assistance of a copious contemporary
literature, which enables us to fully explain not only the

general significance of the dance, but equally, the details of its
concrete symbolism. Some of the peculiarities of the Nataraja
images, of course, belong to the conception of Siva generally,
and not to the dance in particular. Such are the braided locks,
of a yogi : the Cassia garland : the skull of Brahma: the
fig ure of Ganga, the Ganges fallen, from heaven and lost in

DANCE OF SIVA

5

Siva’s hair: the cobras: the different ear-rings, betokening the
dual nature of Muhadev, ' whose half is Uma ’ : the four arms.
The drum also, is a general attribute of Siva, belonging to his
character of Yogi, though in the dance, it has further a special
significance. What then is the meaning of Siva's dance, as
understood by Saivas ? The dance is called Nadanta. Its
essential significance is given in texts such as the following:

“Our Lord is the Dancer, who, like the heat latent in
firewood, diffuses His power in mind and matter, and makes
them dance in their turn.”* f

The dance, in fact, represents His five activities (Pancha-
kritya), viz., Srishti (overlooking, creation, evolution), Sthiti
(preservation, support), Samhara (destruction, evolution), Tiro-
bhava (veiling, embodiment, illusion, and also, giving rest,)
Anugraha (release, salvation, grace). These, separately consi-
dered, are the activities of the deities Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra,
Mahesvara and Sadasiva.

This cosmic activity is the central motif of the dance.
Further quotations will illustrate and explain the more detailed
symbolisms. Untndi Vilakkant , verse 36, tells us :

“ Creation arises from the drum : protection proceeds from
the hand of hope : from fire proceeds destruction : the foot held
aloft gives mukti”. Here mukti is the same as anugraha, re-
lease. It will be observed that the fourth hand points to this
lifted foot, the refuge of the soul.

We have also the following from Chidambara Mu mm ant
Kovai:

“O my Lord, Thy hand holding the sacred drum has

* sitlLi— jp/wedSuireo as>>k gn H-uSaDxQujeuevirix

^t-LfdaSdt&juD miL®&iasr ^tDiDemem QeoenrQaies*^ai)tu.

f KadavuJ Mamunivar’s TiruvatavUrar Puranam, Puttaraivatil,
venratarukkam, stanza 75, translated by Nallasvami PiJJai, Swajuana-
bodham, p. 74. This could also be rendered ;

Like heat latent in firewood, he fills all bodies :

Our Father dances, moving all souls into action, know ye !

Compare Eckhart, “Just as the fire infuses the essence and clearness
i nto the dry wood, so has God done with man

6

THE LIGHT OF TRUTH

made and ordered the heavens and earth and other worlds and
innumerable souls. Thy lifted hand protects the Chetana and
Achetana Prapancha which Thou hast created. All these worlds
are changed by Thy hand bearing fire. Thy sacred foot, plan-
ted on the ground, gives an abode to the tired soul struggling
in the toils of karma. It is Thy lifted foot that grants eternal
bliss to those that approach Thee. These Five-Actions are
indeed Thy Handiwork ”.

The following verses from the Tirukuttu Darsana (Vision
of the Sacred Dance), forming the ninth tantra of Tirumular’s
Tirumantrant, expand the central motif further:

41 His form is everywhere: all-pervading is His Siva-
&akti :

Chidambaram is everywhere, everywhere His dance:

v»

As Siva is all and omnipresent,

Everywhere is Siva’s gracious dance made manifest.

“ His five-fold dances are in sakaja and nishkala ior.u.
His five-fold dances are His Panehakritya :

With His grace He performs the five acts,

This is the sacred dance of Uma-Saluya.*

44 He dances with Water, Fire, Wind and Ether,

Thus our Lord dances ever in the court. t

44 Visible to those who pass over Maya and Mahamaya

Our Lord dances His eternal dance.J

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DANCE OF SIVA

7

" The form of the Sakti is all bliss (ananda) —

This united bliss is Uma's body :

This form of Sakti arising in sakala
And uniting the twain is the dance"*

“ His body is Akas, the dark cloud therein is Muya-
laka,

The eight quarters are His eight arms,

The three lights are His three eyes,

Thus becoming, He dances in our body as the assembly
(sabha).” t

This is His dance. Its deepest significance is felt when it
is realised that it takes place within the heart and the self: the
kingdom of God is within. Everywhere is God : that Every-
where is the heart. Thus also we find another verse:

“ The dancing foot, the sound of the tinkling bells,

The songs that are sung and the varying steps,

The forms assumed by our Dancing Gurupara —

Find out these within yourself, then shall your fetters
fall away”4

To this end, all else but the thought of God must be cast
out of the heart, that He alone may abide and dince therein.
In Unmai Vilnkkam , we find :

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Gp ip. ILI Gar j «oer S^ir i p G-t .

8

THE LIGHT OF TRUTH

“ The silent jnanis destroying the threefold bond are
established where their selves are destroyed. There they behold
the sacred and are filled with bliss. This is the dance of the
Lord of the assembly, “ whose very form is Grace”.*

With this reference to the ‘ silent jnanis' compare the
beautiful words of Tirumular :

“ When resting there they (the yogis who attain the
highest place of peace) lose themselves and become idle. ..Where
the idlers dwell is the pure Space. Where the idlers sport is the
Light. What the idlers know is the Vedanta. What the idlers
find is the deep sleep therein”. f

Siva is a destroyer and loves the burning ground. But
what does He destroy ? Not merely the heavens and earth at
the end of a kalpa, but the fetters that bind each separate soul.
Where and what is the burning ground ? It is not the place
where our earthly bodies are cremated, but the heart of the
bhakta, the devotee, laid waste and desolate. He brings not
peace but a sword. The place where their selves are destroyed
signifies the place or state where their egoity or illusion and
deeds are burnt away: that is the crematorium, the burning-
ground where Sri Nafaraja dances, and whence He is named
Sudalaiyadi, Dancer of the burning- ground. In this simile, we

v«

recognize the historical connection between Siva’s gracious dance
as Nafaraja, and His wild dance as the demon of the cemetery.

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dance of Siva

4

This conception of the dante is current also amongst
Saktas especially in Bengal, where the Mother rather than the
Father-aspect of Siva is adored. Kali* is here the dancer, for
whose entrance the heart must be purified by fire, made empty
by renunciation. A Bengali Hymn to K&Ji voices this prayer:
" Because Thou lovest the Burning-grojund,

1 have giade a Burning-ground of my heart —

That Thou, Dark One/paunter of the Burning-ground,
Mayest dance Thy eternal dance. ”f
*' Nought else is within my heart, O Mother :

Day and night blazes the funeral pyre:

The ashes of the dead, strewn all about,

I have preserved against Thy coming,

With death conquering Mahakila neath Thy feet
Do Thou enter in, dancing Thy rhythmic dance,

That 1 may behold Thee with closed eyes
Returning to the South, we find that in other Tamil texts
the purpose of Siva's dance is explained. In Sivajiiina SMdkr
ydr , Supaksha, Sdtra V. 5, we find,

•' For the purpose of securing both kinds of fruit to the
countless souls, our Lord, with actions five, dances His daike”.
Both kinds of fruit, that is Iham , reward ii: this world, and
Param , bliss in Mukti.

Again, Unmai Vtfakkam, v. 32, 37, 59 inform us

“The Supreme Intelligence dances in the soul for the

purpose of removing our sms. By these means, our Father
scatters the darkness of Maya, burns the thread of Karma,
stamps down Mala ( dnava , avidya), showers Grace, and lov-
ingly plunges the soul in the ocean of bliss (Ananda). They
never see rebirths, who behold this mystic dance ”4

* Vide article on “ What is Kaji ?” in, S.D. Vol. Ill, p. 13. — Ed, S~D.

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2

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7 HE LIGHT OF TRUTH

The conception of Lila, the world-process as the Lord's
sport or amusement, is also prominent in the Saiva scriptures;
thus, Tirumular writes : “The Perpetual Dance becomes His
Play

This aspect of His activity appears to have given rise to
the objection that He dances as do those who seek to please the
eyes of mortals ; to which the answer is given that He dances
to maintain the life of the cosmos and to give release to those
who seek Him.

In another way, more arbitrary, the Dance of Siva is iden-
tified with the Panchakshara, the five syllables $i-va-ya-na ma.
which have a peculiar and special significance in Saiva symbo-
lism. In Ut^mai Vi[akkattt, v. 33-35 they are identified in the
dance as follows :

“ In His feet is na ; in His naval is ma ; in His shoulders is
i>i ; in His face is va ; in His head is ya

A second way of contemplating the Panchakshara is also
given, as follows :

“ The hand holding the Drum is the hand held out is

‘Fa the hand holding out protection (abhaya) is ya ; the hand
holding fire is na; the foot holding down Muyalaka is ma " . t

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isa

DANCF. OF St FA

ii

The text continues :

“ The meanings of the five letters respectively arfc God,
Sakti, Soul, Tirobhava and Mala. ..If this beautiful Five-Letters
he meditated upon, the soul will reach the land where there is
neither light nor darkness, and there Sakti will make it One
with Sivam".*

Another verse of Unmai Vifakkam explains the fiery arch
(tiruvasi): The Panchakshara and the Dance are identified
with the mystic syllable Om, the arch being the kombu or Hook
of the ideograph of the written symbol: “The arch over Sri
N a fa raja is Omkara ; and the akshara which is never separate
from the Omkara is the contained splendour. This is the Dance
of the Lord of Chidambaram ”.f

The Tiru-Artif-Payan however (Ch. ix. 3 ) explains th£
tiruvasi more naturally as representing the dance of Nature,
contrasted with Siva’s dance of wisdom.

“The dance of matter ( Prakriti) proceeds on one side:
tne jiiana dance on the other. Fix your mind in the centre of
the latter”.}

1 am indebted to Mr. Nallasvami Pifiai for a commentary
on this :

The first dance is the action of matter — material and indi-
vidual energy. This is the arch, tiruvasi, Omkara, the dance
of Kaji. The other is the Dance of Siva— the akshara insepar 1 -
able from the Omkara — called ardhamatra or the fourth letter

* tasr ,^a9 r *ujL$».ni J 3(2 mrpu^v-D

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tugsn near 2 p u.i igicggtaa&i

uSgoTI ITaBT fi/ p l) ft .

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J&.Lfjdp ttfaap *i—onu. — ^««irjru>
jffpyri <3) B-ql n omedf) 1
[Jupitpfl tS puupgpi tS'on .

} c« acr ii_6Br (2u.tr gun Qeurguimir
(Grtrssr m — ipirgpi).

12

THE LIGHT Of TRUTH

of the Pranava, Chaturtam and Turiyam. The first dance is
not possible unless Siva wills it and dances Himself.

The general result of this interpretation of the arch is, then,
that it represents matter, nature, praknti; the contained splend-
our, Siva dancing within ana touching the arch, with head, hands
and feet, is the universal omnipresent Purusha. Between these

yr

stands the soul, as^a is between Si-va and na-ma .

Now to summarise the whole interpretation we find that
The Essential' Significance of diva's Dance is threefold: First , it
is the image of his Rhythmic Activity as the Source of all
Movement within the Cosmos, which is Represented by the Arch
Secondly, the Purpose of his Dance is to Release the Countless
souls of men from the Snare of Illusion : Thirdly the Place of
the Dance, Chidambaram , the Centre of the Universe , is within the
Heart.

In these notes I expressly refrain from all aesthetic criticism
and have endeavoured only to translate the central thought of
the conception of Siva's dance from plastic to verbal expression,
without reference to the beauty or imperfection of individual
work9. In conclusion, it may not be out of place to call attention
to' the grandeur of this conception itself as a synthesis of science,
retigiop and art. How amazing the range of thought and
sympathy of those rishi -artists who first conceived such a type
as this, affording an image of reality, a key to the complex
tissue of life, a theory of nature, not merely satisfactory to a
single clique or race, nor acceptable to the thinkers of one
century only, but universal in its appeal to the Philosopher, the
Bhakta, and the artist of all ages and all countries. In these
days of specialisation, we are not accustomed to such a syn-
thesis of thought; but for those who *saw’ such images
as this, there could have been no division of life and thought
into water-tight compartments. Nor do we always realise,
when we criticise the merits of individual works, the full extent
of the creative power which, to borrow a musical analogy, could
discover a raga so expressive of fundamental rhythms and so
profoundly significant and inevitable.

DANCE OF §IVA 13

Every part of such an image as this is directly expressive,
not of any mere superstition or dogma, but of evident facts.
No artist of today, however great, could more exactly or more
wisely create an image of that Energy which science must pos-
tulate behind all phenomena. If we would reconcile Time with
Eternity, we can scarcely do so otherwise than by the concep-
tion of alternations of phase extending over vast regions of
space and great tracts of time.* Especially significant, then,
is the phase alternation implied by the drum, and the fire which
'changes’, not destroys. These are but visual symbols of the
theory of the day and night of Brahma !

In the night of Brahma, Nature is inert, and cannot dance
till Siva wills it.* He rises from His rapture, and dancing sends
through inert matter pulsing waves of awakening sound, and
lo ! matter also dances, appearing as a glory round about Him.
Dancing, He sustains its manifold phenomena. In the fulness of
time, still dancing, he destroys all forms and names by fire
and gives new rest. This is poetry: but none the less, the
truest science.

Again, this Nataraja is not only Truth, but Love.- for the
purpose of His Dance is Grace, the giving of freedom to count-
less individual souls. Lastly, also, how supremely great in
power and grace this dancing image must appear to all those
who as artists have striven in plastic forms to give expression
to their intuition of Life !

It is not strange that the figure of Nataraja has command-
ed the adoration of so many generations past: we, familiar
with all scepticisms, expert in tracing all beliefs to primitive
superstitions, explorers of the infinitely great and infinitely
small, are worshippers of Sri Nataraja still.

A. K. C.

[• Cliver Lodge, Hibbert Journal, Vol. X, No. 2, 1911.]

THE TEN IDYLLS.

TIRUMURUGARRUPADAI *

CANTO VI.

Palamuth irsola i.

At famous festivals in all and every village,

Where goats are sacrificed and blood mixed with millet is
sprinkled,

At every abode where devotees invoke him,

At every sacrificial ground where V^lan dances,

At every forest, grove and tank and rivtrs and other places,
At squares where three, four and five roads meet,

At flower gardens and village munds and public places,

At places where the cattle are herded together,

At towns where the kur'ava girls,

Fixing the cockbanner, and smearing ghee and white mus-
tard thereon

Recite the mantra secretly and in loving worship,

Offer the flowers, and tying two different pieces of cloths
On their loins and the raksha on their arms,

And sprinkle white fried rice and offer oblations
Of white rice with goat's blood in different corners,

And smear with paste of sandal and fragrant saffron,

And fie up the garlands of red oleander and green leaves
After severing them, and invoke Muruga’s blessing
On their Hill Villages (so that it may be freed from famine,
sickness and enemies).

Offer incense singing the Kurinji melody,

While the music of the instruments mixed with that of the
rippling brooks

* The previous cantos appeared in 5 . D. for April and June 1912.
—Ed. S. D.

THE TEN IDYLLS

i*

And sprinkling the red flowers and millet mixed with
blood

The kurava girls danced a fearful dance to the tune of the
music,

And invoked God Muruga so that unbelievers may be
baffled,

While others of the city make the Holy place resound
With their songs and the blowing of many horns,

And the ringing of many bells, and praising
The Royal Elephant invoke God and obtain boons they
wished for,

In all these places, Our Lord is sure to dwell
This I state of my own knowledge ;

Yet He may dwell in places not known to me.

There where you see Him, praise Him, with your face
beaming with joy and lift your hands over your head in
worship and fall down at His feet and repeat His praises
as follows : —

Thou Oh Lord, sixbodied, of six holy women born,

In sacred pool of Himayam with darbha grass grown
And borne by one of the elemental Gods (Agni),

Thou Son of God seated under the Banyan tree,

Thou child of the daughter of great Himavat,

Thou the Death of my foes, Thou Lord of the Bow
Thou darling child of Victorious and Victory-giving Durga,
Thou Lord born of the Sylvan Goddess well adorned,
Thou, the General of the Suppliant Deva hosts,

Thou, the wearer of the garland and knower of all Arts,
Thou, incomparable in war and victorious in youth,

Thou, the wealth of the Brahmins and the word of the wise,
Thou, consort of Valji and Devasena,

Thou, bull among heroes with spear in arm,

Thou, mighty Lord who split the rock of evil,

Thou, Lord of Kurinji whose hills to sky do soar,

Thou, Hero of whom all bards do sweetly sing,

Thou, Muruga whose station none can roach.

l6

THE LIGHT OF TRUTH

Thou whpse praise is Thou fulfillest all desires,

Thou showerer of grace on those in travail
Thou Lord whose chest Victorious in war is blazoned in
gold.

O Thou who hast no equals in Thy Supreme Wisdom.
Thou liberal dispenser of gifts to those who pray to Thee
Thou whose name is praised by the great
Thou who acquaint the name of strong over evil by your
prowess in Vanguishing SOrapadma and his hosts
Thou the Comparable, Thou the Chief.”

Thus have I praised Thee in words not adequate,

As Thou art difficult of description by mere mortals
And approached Thee to gain Thy Feet

(By the Poet to God Muruga.)

Desiring to mix with the hosts of devotees of all sorts and
conditions

And share in the joy of the Festive ground
This deserving poet of mature knowledge and truth
Has approached Thee, O Lord, desiring to utter
Thy great praises and praising Thee in words of wisdom
and sweetness

Before even these prayers were thus addressed

His devine form of incomparable strength

And His stature extending to the skies

This fearful Form concealing and approaching the Sabha

And showing his old Divine Form of Youthful Beauty

The Lord, will say

“Your Visit I know — Leave off fear.”

And grariously uttering words of love
So that you of all others in the world surrounded by the
waters may shine

He will grant you the boons difficult to obtain.

(Here follow the description of Palamuthirsolai)

He, the Lord of the Hill in Palamuthirsolai.

J. M. N.

THE ORIGIN OF THE NAME TAMIL.

The name ‘Tamil” has afforded no small scope for the
display of etymological ingenuity. Some of the e <pla nations
which the word has elicited from the imagination of both Euro-
pean and Tamil Scholars, can very well serve as examples of
what is called “popular etymology” or etymology of the folk.
Compared with them, even Horne Tooke’s “Diversions of
Purley ” would be thrown into the shade. Sound-etymology
may sound well to untutored ears, bpt can rarely be sound.
Popular etymology is founded on sound association and it is no
wonder that it appeals readily to the uneducated.

The most fanciful account of ‘Tamil’ is its analysis jnto
> + j|r+u>-T@-fi£ (five sounds or letters) with a, view to
explaining Tamil as the language of the Panch&kshmrm or
QiGpOffg) (the scared pentad t)ne may well say

that Tami) owes its name to its gMQjQpjfr* or Pahchplakka-
yarn (the five-fold division of Tamil Grammar); its t Jive peculiar
letters or sounds p , «®, <*, the Jive fold division of genders

and numbers in Tamil Grammar, or, the Jive modes of dressing
ladies’ hair known as which are prevalent among the

Tamils. The folly of etymologising in this fashipn is too patent
to need any further comments. As little importance need be
attached to the above conjecture as to the popular account of
the Hebrew word “cabal” which occurs in English history.

An equally imaginary and calcu^ative etymology has come
down to us from no less a personage th»n the learned Svimi-
natha DeSikar who wrote the Tami] Grammar Jr.

He divides pu 9£ into pti> (one’s own) and && (the letter tf), apd
thereby makes out that this single letter is a characteristic or
peculiarity of the Tamil language.

No doubt it is a distinctive marl^ of Tamil as compared
with Sanskrit and some other languages, but it does not serve

* aif? gs means “letter’* or "grammar" hence is

translatable into Paficbalakkapsm.

3

1 8

THE LIGHT OF I RUTH

at all to distinguish Tamil from Malayajam and some Tibetan
languages which possess this peculiar sound.

A Grammarian who holds up Tamil to ridicule in the
following Words: — “ ©*© ^ir^e^irn^i-iriaDt—Qujear peajoujQQir-,n^a^tn
(the learned are ashamed even to speak out 1 -
that there is a language of five letters) cannot be expected to
give a more scientific and appropriate account of the name
Tamil.

Next in imaginative importance is the myth of an etymo-
logy, invented by a contributor to the Q&iifiiAip* in whose
opinion Tamil is but a corruption of the Sanskrit dhamant
(light or the source of light). In explanation of the connection
between the Sun and this language, it is alleged that that Surya
taught Hanuman grammar, that Sarasvati faces the East, that
Stirya sustains all life, and thereby Sjrya becomes the lord of
learning, and the 'language proceeding from him is called
dhamant or Tamil.

This reminds me forcibly of the explanation which— an
elderly Tamil gentleman once gave for the word He

analysed it into&«v (thought) and (unity) and made his
simple-minded audience believe that its original signification
was unity of thought.

The "Sen Tamil" contributor is actually sailing in the same
boat with this gentleman. Both are at the mercy of imagination
and are equally exposed to the dangers which it may lead to;
only the former is deaf to the laws of sound while the latter does
not feel the * unctuousness' of the Aryan Sneha.

-Curiously enough, SOrya on whom the Tamil language is
fathered has with all heat and light failed to preserve from
corruption the purity of the name dhamant. And it is no less
strange that other tongues have not taken their names after
this wonderful progenitor.

Dr. Oppert has discovered a new source for the name
Tcmll never dreamt of in the philosophy of the Tamils. His

•Saa Tamil — a Tamil monthly of the Madura Tamil Sangam — Ed. S. Q.

THE ORfGIN OF THE NAME TAMIL

19

etym ^logical skill and originality of thought is brought to light
in his derivation of Tamil from Malta — the name of an ancient
South Indian race. The process of change or rather metamor-
phosis, is set forth thus Tirumalla (the distinguished or
well-off malla), Tiratnifa, Tiramida , Tiravida (Dravida), Tamil.

This is no doubt an ingenious etymology, but has the
flavour of fiction, based as it is on the presumption that the
Mallas formed the primitive Tamil race, and that even the
earliest Tamil grammarians, Agastiyar and Tolkappiyar were
quite unaware of this wonderful transformation. “Malla" is
one of the names of Maruta-makka[ (agricultural tribes). Accor-
ding to Dr. Winslow JCuriUchi-MAkkaf (semi-agricultural tribes)
are also known by this name, but Divhkaram (an ancient Tamil
Lexicon) does not recognise this meaning. The word is further
•employed to denote a strong man, “wariior”or “commander
of an army." Evidently the Tamil Media is connected with the
Sanskrit Malta (a strong man, a mixed caste, the name of a
people).

The agricultural Mallas to whom Dr. Oppert obviously
refers in his etymology, have from time immemorial been
recognised as a section of the occupants of the Maruta country
— one out of the 5 varieties of land known in Tamil as
Ancient Tamil works on AgapporuJ (a sub-division or Tamil
Grammar relating to Love and attendant affairs of the heart)
throw some light on the position of the Mallas. But there is no
proof whatever that the Mallas at first occupied an exceedingly
prominent position in society and that the Tamil language was
originally theirs, and was adopted by other ancient inhabitants
such as live Kuravar, Idaiyar, Paravar, Maravar etc.

The prefix tint in Dr. Oppert’s Tirumallam is admittedly
a Tamil corruption of the Sanskrit Sri — splendour, beauty,
wealth, prosperity etc., and implies that the name sprung into
existence after the advent of the Aryans into India.

The Mallas are to-day represented by the Pallas of the
DeCcan and Ceylor and the theory that these Mallas alone
were the true original Tamils is as amusing as it is wild and

20

7 HE LIGHT OF TRUTH

fantastic. But it is consistent with the learned doctor’s deriva-
tion of Paij^iya from an imaginary Pallan^iyan (lord of the
Pallas). To expect men who cherish such a low opinion of our
ancestry and antiquities, to give a better and fairer origin for
our names, is really a case of hope against hope.

Dr. Pope one of the foremost Dravidian scholars, has also
contributed his share to this etymological contention. He takes
Tamil to be a corrupted form of Tenmoli (the language of the
South) and supposes that the corruption set in thus: —

Tenmoli, Temmoli, Temoli , Jemiji, Tamil- In his opinion
the language ws so-called in contradistinction to Vatfugu (the
northern tongue or Teiugu), and the Tamil expressions
Hadamoli (the northern language or Sanskrit) and TenmoU (the
Southern language or Tamil) have accentuated this account.

Others again assign to this alleged, original tenmoli the
meaning of the beautiful tongue (from ten*= beauty). Why not
call it the language of the blacks , or the harmonious tongue , for
ten means also harmony and blackness ?

It should be observed here that the residents of one cardinal
quarter ( dis ) rarely name themselves, or their tongue, after their
own quarter. Persons living in the North are accustomed to
designate those in the south as southerners and similarly the
inhabitants of the South call those of the North northerners.
For instance, the Jaffnese who call the Indians Vatfakhattaiyar
(Northerners) never call themselves Teykattaiyar (Southerners).
But the employment at once of two such contradistinguishing
terms is neither uncommon nor improper. It is further remark-
able that the name Tfnmo[i (Southern tongue) necessarily
implies the co-existence of Vadugu or V adamoli, and therefore
could not have come into being but for the presence erf Vadugu
or V adamoli.

The idea of describing Tamil as the beautiful language could
have occurred only to Tamil struck with its beauty. Similarly
the \*>tkm that sweetness (/n <0$i>) underlies the name Tamil,
must be attributed to a Tamil taken by the sweetness, ot his
speech. This leads us to the conclusion that the Simple primitive

Tl'lE ORIGIN OF THE NAME TAMIL 21

Tamil who first lisped this name, fell in love with his own
tongue, which is absurd. Nor is it at all probable that a
comparative study of languages led him to characterise bis
tongue as 'sweet' or 'beautiful

Again, neither beauty nor sweetness shews itself to advan-
tage in the infancy of a language. And there is no proof what-
ever that Tamil was not christened until it had bloomed into
beauty, and sweetness. If sweetness be the primary meaning
of Tamil, how is the word analysed ?

A more plausible explanation lies however in the identifi-
cation of ‘Tamil’ with the common name Tamil (fdlp) in the
sense of nature. This would make Tamil convey the same radi-
cal meaning as Prakrit (ex Frakriti— nature), viz, natural , origi-
nal or home language as distinguished from the refined,
polished or literary tongue which with the Aryans is Sanskrit
and with the Tamils, Sen Tamil.

The three fold classification of our tongue into Iyal (natural)
Jsai (musical) and ndfaka (dramatic) Tamil, might also be cited
to give countenance to this account.

The talented author of “Tamils Eighteen Hundred Years
Ago” traces the name to Tamalitti (modern Tamluck), in
ancient times a great emporium of trade at the mouth of the
Ganges. The word Tamalitti is the Pali form of the Sanskrit
Tdmralipti—a, name apparently derived from Sanskrit Tdmra —
.copper and lipta — besmeared or covered with. The people who
lived in Tdmralipti were known as Tdmralipta , and it is not
clear why the Tamraliptas or Tamalittas preferred to be known
as Tamils t) on their arrival in South India. It is also open
to doubt that the Tamils did not figure in South India until the
Aryans had come to India and their older and more correct
word Tamralipti or Tamralipta had, in course of time, been
softened to Tamalitti or Tamalitta. The resemblance between
Tamal in Tamalitti and Tamil, seems tome rather accidental
than real. The phonetic difference between / (<*) and / (jp)
clearly favours this view.

Thi; name Tamil is also traced to the Sanskrit Tamra

22

THE LIGHT OF TRUTH

(copper coloured), by such scholars as are inclined to the belief
that the Tamils are of Mangolian origin and their remote
ancestors were a copper-coloured race. Thru a is supposed to
have turned into Tamla , Tamila, Tamila and Tamil in the mouth
of the illiterate. Here as well as in the foregoing etymology,
or «r, is presumed to have changed into y>, but the tendency
of our tongue is quite the other way.

Again the high antiquity of our race and the hall mark of
established usage which Agastiyar and Tolkappiyar clearly
saw on the form (Tamil) are as strongly against this

conjecture as against Dr. Oppert's favourite Tirumallam , and
Mr. Kanakasabhai Pillai's Tamalitti.

Another account of Tamil which smacks of rtetitiousness
is its derivation from the Sanskrit dravida, This was first
suggested by Dr. Graul and readily taken up by the three
Doctors Caldwell, Gundert and Pope. But the iast named gave
it up since for the offspring of his own imagination.

Here comes again the baseless belief that the Tamils gained
their name and position as a race only after the Aryans had
wandered into India. Apart from this, the non-occurrence of
the word dravida in ancient Sanskrit works clearly indicates
that it was a later introduction into that tongue. Euthennore,
the testimony of one of the ablest hands in the field of Indian
Philology not only gives the lie to this etymology, but turns the
tables upon the Sanskrit dravida. Dr. Sten Konow of Christ-
iana University, whose article on the Dravidian figures in the
pages of the “Encyclopaedia Brittanica” (nth edition), notices
there how the Sanskrit Dramida becomes Tiramida in Tamil,
and remarks thus: “ Dramida which also occurs as Dravida is
in its turn developed from an older Danula which is identical with
the word Tamir — Tamil." In view ot the above etymologies it
would not be surprising if some scholar were one day to
connect Tamil with Tamlu and Dhimal (names of two Tibeto —
Burman dialects spoken in Assam and Bengal respectively), or
to i>ace it to the Tamil expression Jetnoli (mellifluous language,
tern — honey, sweetness, and moU -language*.

THE ORIGIN OF THE NAME TAMIL

*3

The itching desire to derive ‘Tamil’ agreeably to our pet
notions about the Tamils, may lead us into even more ludicrous
etymologies. Thus you may resolve Tamilar (Tamils) into tam
(one's own) or tami (detached, separated or unequalled) and
Tlar or Iluvar (toddy-drawers or yadavas), and offer the
following remarks in explanation: —

Says Mr. Arunachalam in the Ceylon Census Report 1901
“When the Tamils are spoken of in South India, I lie VclJahs
are meant as being the Tamils par excellence ”. Now the Vej!a!as
are supposed to be the representatives oi the Ccfir of old, who
arc identified with the Yadavas of the epics. These Yadavas
appear in the Mahabharata under such appellations as Suras,
Somakas and Madhus. In these names one can easily recognise
the words Yadu, Sura, Soma and Madhu, which convey the
meaning of palm wine or toddy. Such Tamilian tribal names as
liar or I Invar, Chirar, Koitker, Ka(lar, Maravar and Lhuliyar
may similiarly be taken to be derivatives from the Tamil words
I lam, Chera or Client, Koiigu, k'af, Maravi or Maravu and
Chuli respectively, which mean toddy. Hence the Synonymy of
the above names. The Tamilian place-names, Ilam (Ce^ Ion),'
Madura and Tondi may also be connected with the correspond-
ing Tamil names of toddy. Moreover, the Rakshasas whom the
Mahal harata calls descendants cf Yadu, the Shanars who claim
kinship with the above named aborigines of India and Ceylon,
the Kurumba shepherds (remnants of an ancient line of petty
kings) who call themselves Yadavalu, and the Ayar or Ifaiyar
who count that Yadava— Indi a named Krishna as their own man,
may all be classed as Yadavas. Therefore the original Tamils
might as fairly be Yadavas as Mallas, and the derivation from
liar, thus appears not more forced and fictitious than that from
Mallar. Nor do the Iluvar of Cochin occupy a lower rung in the
social ladder than the Pallas of l>eccan.

I have introduced this suppositional etymology with a view to
shew clearly the danger of etymologising after Dr. Oppert
and others of his school. Philology is a slippery and dangeroua
ground on which we have to tread with eyes and ears wide open.

94

THE LIGHT OF TRUTH

To my mind the great mistake which some of the above
named etymologists have made is their bold assumption that
the original Tamils where so Called by virtue of their tongue.
It seems to me that these scholars little thought how untenable
their position was. Almost all the known languages owe their
names to the peoples or countries originally connected with them.
This is due to the fact that a people of its country is known,
recognised, or made known to outsiders before its language.
In other words, the existence of a race, or its country, is neces-
sarily felt before its language becomes known. Hebrew, Arabic,
Aramaic, Manchu, Greek, Latin, Mank, English, Italian, French,
Swedish, Saxon, Welsh, Breton, Chaldee, Syriac, Bengalee,
Hindi, Kanarese, — all these names forcibly remind us, of the fact
that our ideas about languages are inseparably associated with
and primarily gained from our ideas about their speakers or
countries ; hence the custom of naming languages after their
speakers or countries.

Just as a knowledge of man, is indispensable to a concep-
tion of 'language’ in general, so is a knowledgeof a people or
its country indispensably necessary to form an idea of its
language.

Such words as, Huzvaresh (a mode of reading the Pehlevi
translation of the Avesta by substituting Italian for Aramaic
words), Zend (properly the interpretation or translation into
Pehlevi of the Avesta), Pali (literally, row, line, series ; the
series, of the Buddhist sacred Texts; hence "the language of
the Sacred Texts ” i. e. Magadhi), Sanskrit (the language which
was completely or accurately formed from one of the Primary
Prakrit dialects of India), Urdu (Persian Urdu — camp; hence the
language which grew up in the camps of the Mohamedan
invaders of India), are seemingly exceptions to the above rule,
but, in reality, are linguistic names which literary or military
punciubstances gave rise to. They have never been national
•filiations, or names which served to distinguish one nation
994 ^ language from another. Thus do we see that Tamil is
qpift unlike any of these names in its application. It denotes

THE ORIGIN OF THE NAME TAMIL

25

not only the language but the nation at large and even its home
in South India.

Preposterous then is the argument that at first the beauty*
sweetness or independence of the Tamil speech won so much
attention and admiration that the speaker and his country
become objects of only secondary enquiry, recognition and
importance.

Absurd again it is to say that the Tamils were a nameless
race when their tongue attracted so much attention. Also far
from probable it is that the maker of this name was unable to
form a conception of the Tamil man but for the winning look,
sweet voice or free gait of his linguistic handmaid.

Considering the highly unsatisfactory character of all the
derivations that have hitherto been announced — I venture to
submit an explanation which I hope is agreeable to reason and
Tamil usage.

According to Dr. Winslow, the name Tamil means (i)
sweetness, pleasantness, melodiousness ; (2) The Tamil Langu-
age ; (3) nature, state, quality c, f. j§)«r?6a>uja/

” — Pihgajantai.

The arrangement of the meaning is apparently in accord-
ance with the doctor’s opinion about their development. But
the explanation is conspicuously incomplete, owing to the
lexicographer’s failure to recognize the fact that the word Tamil
is used in Purananuju {a poetical collection of 400 odes relating
to Purapporul, or objective, which received recognition at
the hand of the last Tamil Sangam) both in the sense of the
Tamil country, as in f (the rightful owners of

the cool Tamil country ), #aar(_u0^> Qun^,Qet><ssuQuif(y^itk (who
will not brook the idea of the cool Tamil country being common),
and (the limits of the- cool Tamil country), and

in the sense of the Tamil people, as in

(at Talaiyalankanam where the Tamils or the Tamil
army were engaged in battle). In addition we have in the term
Tamilakam (properly the home 4 akam ’ of the Tamils), whence
the LimiFike and Dimirika of Greek writers, a good example a

4

26

THE LIGHT OF TRUTH

the use in ancient times of the word T^mil to denote the Tamil
people. Cf. ** sntuCnSI/bp L§LpS'j)tfluj " -^&cvuu£istr tuc.

*ii "—-ifdpgiCjujig'.

As the learned Svaminatha Desikar has ingeniously
suggested, the radical of (Tamil) is, most probably,- pth

(tarn) one's own or proper, but the final y certainly serves a
different purpose from what the Desikar makes out. 1 am in-
clined to believe that it is a formative suffix as in e-u 9 tj> (to spit,
to rinse the mouth), (a grain of boiled rice), (to pass

over, slight or despise), (to be immersed), (sound,

hum, roar, a drum), (to dig out, scoop out — a ditch),
(energy, strength— ©ai*t>) t e-joy? (to join), A#y> (to be angr}'),
*u>&( to be odoriferous), ®u0t£ (to grow into a conical shape, to
bubble), QeSifi (to become loose), QpSy (to fold or close up — a
flower bud), (petals of a flower, lip), (to shine), (out) (to
fasten, bind). The above-named words are, on the face ot them,
quite closely connected with the following simpler words of the
same or similar import : — *-i£> (to spit, to rinse the mouth),

(to boil), g)« (to pass over), «sy-o or (to plunge in confusion,
to cover to dissemble), (an imitative sound), in ^aul^
(depth), jfseosu (inside, interior), c ; & (to rise, to increase, to
be full), «-!» (to join), in *s>qp (to be obstinate, perverse),

(anger), *ii> (to be fragrant), @(j 0 (to heap up conically), <io
become soft or loosened), <30© (to come to a point), (to join,

unite), (to kindle rapidly as fire), &<•& (a lock of hair).

I feel it my duty to mention here that Rao Bahadur C. W.
Dimotharam Piflaii carries off the palm for this sensible explana-
tion of the & in Tamil, -which I hope the examples I have quoted
above fully bear out. He, however, interprets the name Tamil
as meaning the independent language, but it seems to me
more appropriate to attach this epithet to the people or its
country. The Tamil word alS which corresponds to from
pm. (one’s own) has sprung from pu > — plural of *m. It carries
the sense of loneliness, solitariness, detachedness , apartness,
uniquness or' independence . The Yindhya mountains formed a

THE ORIGIN OF THE NAME TAMIL 27

formidable barrier to the Aryans of the North, and the Tamilian
land was pre-eminently free from Aryan aggression. Even the
empire of the Great Asoka did not extend inXo the Tamilian
territory.

In view however of the third meaning of Tamil as given by
Dr. Winslow in his Dictionary , I am tempted to give a slightly
different account of the name of our tongue. Tamil in the
sense of nature, state, quality is evidently, derived from jth- >
one's own, or proper ; hence proprietas , property , quality, nature
or state. Tanmai (,*«-a>xi>) is a word of similar signification,
which has sprung from the singular base cf. in
,*<OTi-^-smallness. '['he same relation exists bet ween (nature)

and «®lc as between and The former two are as

synonymous and interchangeable as the latter two. The <£>
between ,-sai and y is obviously a chdriyai or euphonic letter as
in &>■&#> and If the above abstract signification were at

the bottom of the proper name, Tamil, then our ancestors
apparently meant to designate themselves as the no l mu l born,
or people of natural disposition, of good nature, or n| agreeable,
unassuming or artless character. But it seems more ’probable
that the term was originally employed to designate " being one's
own hence one’s own people , couritry or characteristic .' The
abstract idea is probably not so old as the proper name’. -If
otherwise, the Tamil might lay as fair a claim to deem itin or
decency as the Aryan does to nobility.

Taking puSy (Tamil) to be a variant of ?\A< ^taihiV one
might also explain it as meaning “ those who were by thein selves
i. c. those who remained unmixed and pure. It is dtfticult indeed
to say exactly what the original meaning -was,- but it seems
q bite reasonable to suppose that the: nain’cT.imil has sprung
frrtm taui, a modified form of Ai//i — themselves. ‘W ith ;1

people who employ such terms of ownership as tLji*. tat ),

9 lc«d 9 ear Seer t 9tru, ^sb^djjsbt , r iQf sm, r suc i.'&s, ■ t 4.v

jfiLiS), pifn&Dai, f.icir, 9 as car sur t fiordt, j.ijT, &.i.. if,

fuASijedsr, etc., to designate their fathers, mothers,

brothers, sisters, kinsmen, kinswomen, lord and lady- and- by

28

77//' LIGHT OF TRUTH

whom 'friendship ’ is expressed by such words as £.~jp (as iti
js4T.Tjzu6saem — to make one’s own) and (being one’s own),

the most natural expression to denote their own country or
community, would no doubt be a derivative from the base turn
— ones own or proper. Cf. Sanskrit ‘ Arya ’ in its meaning * of
one's tribe ’

The relation between Tamil and melodiousness is as easily
explained as the relation between ‘Jesuits’ and ‘cunning.’
Melodiousness or mellifluousness is a characteristic of the Tamil
language which even foreigners do not hesitate to own.

A- transition from nature to melody is also easy and accept
able. The secondary meaning of harmony or melody which the
word @<o6v (nature) has acquired bears this out. In any case, it
is significant that our name is synonymous with sweetness or
melodiousness, and carries with it no such bad associations as
do the names Scot (temper or passion — slang), Dutch (gibberish
^-slang), Greek (a sharper or drunkard — slang), Jr<v (Cheat), and
Arya (a mlechcha or barbarian, Tamil classics).

In conclusion I wish to point out clearly the absurdity and
unfairness of tracing our national name to an Aryan or Sans-
krit source. Such a derivation is as unworthy and ridiculous
as an attempt to connect the Sanskrit Marichika with the
French English Mirage (pronounced Mirazh).

If there be any probability in the derivation of Tamil from
the Sanskrit dravida, I fail to see any reason, why the Sanskrit
name Arya should not be traced to a Tamil source. According
to Prof: Max MuTler the word "Arya” with a long a is derived
from Arya with a short a, and this name Arya is applied in the
later Sanskrit to a Vaisya or member of the third caste.

Arya means in Tamil rare , dear , great, high or noble (vide
C. W. Katiravel Pillai’s Tamil Dictionary and the Tamil
Nighandu called Divakaram). It is not improbable that in the
eye of the ancient Tamils the small number of Aryan immigrants
with their rare culour and queer customs was a ram avis.

Nor is it unture that the Rishis, Munivar, Parpar (Seers,
stargazers, tutors, epi^copi, or students of veda), Aiyar (Bralfr

THE OE/GIA Ob THE NAME TAMIL

29

man priests or Fathers) and Sreshtkins or Sreddis (heads or
presidents of trade guilds) who crossed the Vindhya Hills, and
settled in Tamilakam were near to the hearts or affections of the
Tamil people, and were looked up to with awe and reverence-

The word Aryan occurs in Tamil classics as a common or
appellative name and is traceable to the Tamil vocable dr
(rareness, dearness, love, treacle, splendour, beauty, fulness,
acuteness, enjoying, settling 01 residing, earth), and among the
meanings of the Tamil Aryan are the following : — (i)a learned
man, 12) a teacher, (3) a man of high birth, (4) a master, lord, or
wealthy person, (5) a guru or religious preceptor, (6) a friend*
(7) a poet, (8) a doctor, (9) one worthy of worship or veneration,
( 1 o) Surya or Sun, ( 1 1 ) j u pi ter, (12) the god Aiyanar, ( 1 3) Buddha,
(14) Siva, (15) a pole dancer or juggler, (16) a Mlechcha or
barbarian.

Except the last two the above meaning are quite in keeping
with those assigned to the Sanskrit word ‘Arya’ by European
scholars. They say that this name means 'agricultural tribes'
(ex ar — to plough), 'one who must be approached ' (from ar — to go),
or venerated (from arch to adore), ‘the strong' 'a lord’, 'a ruler',
'of good family] l the noble,' ' the befriended' , 'the honourable
4 belonging to the faithful

The derivation of the Tamil Ariyan from dr is clearly in
accordance with the rules of Tamil Grammar. Similar deriva-
tives are Kuriyan (a sharp man) from Kur (sharpness), Siriyan
(a learned, illustratious, or virtuous man) from Sir (beauty,
fame, virtue etc.), Neriyan (a subtle or acute man) from ner
(subtleness or acuteness).

It is further clear that the Tamil derivative Ariyan is
capable of conveying any of the meaning of dr.

Being derived from Ar — abiding, Ariyan mean a house-holder
or settler. Ar — earth would give us Ariyan in the sense of a
cultivator, land owner, or ruler of lands.

Associating the idea of fulness, with that of learning, wis-
dom, virtue, beauty, strength, etc., is not foreign to Tamil
usage. Such terms as Sdnror (property full men, hence the

HIE LIGHT OF TRUTH

T>

wish), Sdlpu (fulness or wisdom), Nirai (literally fulness hence
chastity, justice). A irai-Moli ( wise saying), pofam, polivu (from
the root pol — to be full; hence splendour, beauty), Nirambiya pen
(a full girl, meaning a mature or marriageable girl), Nirambiya
fl/d^wffuH or exquisite beauty), Nirambiya ar.ivu (full know-
ledge or perfect wisdom), bear strong testimony to the fact,

In spite, however, of all the above striking points of resem-
blance between the Sanskrit and Tamil words, and the high
antiquity of the Tamil race, it would no doubt be deemed pre-
sumptuous on my part if I were to assign a Tamil origin to the
Sanskrit word Arya , which is probably as old as the Aryan
people of India. Philologists tell us that different words may
assume the same form, and one cannot therefore say, with any
degree of certainty, whether the Sanskrit Arya by origin,
connected with the Tamil appellative or not. But there seems
to be little doubt that in its connotation of a pole-dancer or
M/echclta, the Tamil word Ariyan refers to an inhabitant of
Aryavarta.

The oldest Tamil Nighandus Divdkaram and Pihgalantai
shew Melechchas and Aryas as synonyms. This is not curious
in view of the fact that the Sanskrit Mahabharata itself calls
tribes settled on the Indus, which tear undoubtedly Aryan, by
the opprobrious name of ‘Mlechcha.’

Here we have incidentally a clear testimony that in the
olden days there were in India some Aryan tribes whose
customs and manners were looked down upon by the lamiK,
and who evidently were so far behind the Tamils in civilisation
that their national name has in Tamil become synonymous with
Mlechcha (barbarian).

Another conclusion that we can safely draw is that th<-
Aryans were the first pole-dancers in the Tamil Country, and
they were so well known in this capacity among the ancient
Tamils that their racial name was easily understood by the
latter in the sense of a pole-dancer or even juggler. The
expression ^ ilitearally Aryan dance i. e pole-danced
is certainly as old as, it not older than, the Tamil provub

THE ORIGIN Ol THE SAME TAMIL

rv

&tr sakr eirajui 1 ^ (even at an Aryan L'arcc
keep an eye on your own aim or affair), Ariyappavai (Aryan
puppet, hence puppet show) is anothei Tamil expression which
reminds us of the wanderings of the Aryans into the Tamil
land as show-men. The use of the Sanskrit word Vidhy a in its
Tamilised form A* i vrttni) for magic or jugglery is also
significant of the source from which tlu- art has come to the
Tamils.

Futhermorc the sarcastic Tamil term ^ (literally

an Aryan garlandl for a woman who wears the breeches
probably has some rctcrencc to the position of woman in Aryan
Society.

s. w c.

SOME SPARKS.

Moderation is t h« « lixu c«t lif<

From th*‘ known leap at h»r unknown.

Always remember the noble, and the ignoble will itself
depart.

He is the man of will who when tempted does not yield.
Not yielding to temptatio i when there is no temptation is no
test.

BRIHAT JABAL0PAN1SHAT.*

lOUk'IH BRAHMANA.

Next Bhusunda asked Kalagnirudra the rules of bathing
by Bhasma.

2 . He replied one should powder the Bhasma reciting Ow
and consecrate it by the seven Praijavas (Bhiih to Satyam). By
the same mantra he should seek protection from all the
quarters (from the evil spirits). Next by the same astra
(weapon) mantra, he should besmear himself with Bhasma, the
head and other oarts of the body. This is called ‘Malasnana ’
(dirt retnovalj.

3. By reciting the five mantras Isana 6rc., one should
apply the Bhasma orderly ; — by Isana the head, by Tatpurusha
the lace, by Aghora the thighs, by Vamedeva the secret place,
by Sadyojata the feet and by Om all the parts of the body.
Thus applying the Bhasma from head to foot, lie should rinse
his mouth and wear a washed or white cloth. This is called
Vidhisnana (bathing according to the rules).

4. In this there are the verses. Take a handful of Bhasma
and consecrate it by the Vedic mantras ; and apply it from head
to foot. This is called ‘Malasnana’ as said above with the
mantras.

5. Next Vidhisnana: By Isana mantra one should apply
five times the Bhasma in the head with earnestness ; by Tat-
purusha four times in the face; by Aghora eight times in the
heart; by Vamadeva thirteen times in the secret place; by
Sadyojata eight times in the feet Thus it should be applied
with earnestness. The application in the whole body should be
repeated in the night also, without neglecting the rules, except
reciting the Isana mantra (for the head).

♦The first three Brahmana* appeared in Vo]. XII, No. 12 , June,
1912. pp. 515-521. — Ed. S. D.

BRIHAT JABALOPANISHAT

53

6. The application of Bhasma is regularly in the two
twilights (Sandhyas), night, morning and evening, after sleep,
after eating and drinking water, after performing any necessary
actions ; in touching the woman, eunuch, eagle, cat, heron, rat,
and similar things, one should' repeat the Bhasmasn^na.

7. In approaching gods, sacred fire, Guru, revered men,
and when seen by the low classmen and treading the impure
places, mere besmearing with Bhasma will not be enough. He
should apply Tripundra, (also) mixed with ccnch water, re-
citing the Panchakshara mantra.

8. The Bhasma powder mixed with a good sandal paste
is productive of Knowledge. Before noon one should not use
the above paste-Bhasma.

9. Next Bhusunda asked the Lord Kalagni Rudra the
rules of Tripundra, (the three lines).

10. (He replied). There are the verse in This. Next one
should draw the Tripundra which represents Brahma, Vishnu,
and Siva, by the midd'e three fingers, or by the first, third and
fourth fingers, reciting the Panchakshara Mantra. (The latter
one will give a little trouble and is not easy enough to observe.
Hence it has become out of practice).

1 1. The Brahmana should apply it first in the face ; the
Kshatriya, in the head.

12. One should apply it in ihirty-two places, sixteen,
eight or in five places. The thirty two places are 1 head,
2 fore-head, 3 and 4 ears, 5 and 6 eyes, 7 nose, 8 mouth, 9 neck,
10 and 11 fore-arms, 12 and 13 elbows, 14 and 15 wrists, 16
chest, 17 and 18 two sides, 19 navel, 20 and 21 the two secret
parts (the generative organ and testicles), 22 buttock, 23 and 24
thighs, 25 and 26 Fore part of the thighs, 27 and 2 S knees,
29 and 30 ankles, and 51 and 32 feet.

13. The presiding deities of the above places are the eight
murties (Earth to Ether, Sun, Moon and Atman) the eight
Vidyesvaras, the eight Dikpalas (the deities of the 8 quarters),
and the eight Vasus, namely, 1 Dharma, 2 Dcuva, 3 Soma,
4 Kripa, 5 Anila, 6 Auala, 7 Pratyusha and 8 Prabhasu . Repeat-

34

THE LIGHT OF TRUTH

ing the names of the above gods, the learned one should draw
the Tripundra in their respective places.

14. In sixteen places one should draw the Tripundra care-
fully. They are r head, 2 fore-head, 3 and 4 ears, 5 neck,

6 and 7 fore-arms, 8 and 9 elbows, 10 and n wrists, 12 chest,
13 navel, 14 and 15 two sides and 16 back.

15. In each place one should meditate on the respective
presiding deities. They are, 1 Siva, 2 Sakti, 3 Sadasiva, 4 ISa,
5 Vidya, 6 to 14 the nine Saktis, Varna &c., 15 and 16 the two
aSvini deities called Nasatya and Dasra.

16. Or the sixteen places are, 1 head, 2 forehead, 3 and 4
ears, 5 nose, 6 and 7 hands, 8 chest, 9 navel, 10 and 11 thighs,
ia and 13 kiees, 14 and 15 feet and 16 the back side.

17. The presiding deities are 1 Siva, 2 Indra, 3 Rudra,

4 Arka, 5 Yignesvara, 6 Vishnu, 7 Sri, 8 Hridayesa (Rudra)
9 Prajapati n the navel, 10 Naga, 11 and 12 two Nagakanyas,
13 and 14 tie two Rishi Kanyas, 15 Samudra in the feet, and
16 the Tirtfas in the back. Thus are the 16 places.

18. Now the eight places are described. 1 the Guru’s
place (head), 2 fore-head, 3 and 4 ears, 5 and 6 fore-arms,

7 chest, 8 the eight is navel.

19. The eight deities are, Brahma and Seven Rishis (Atri
to Angiras).

20. The five places are 1 face, 2 and 3 hands, 4 chest and

5 navel. Thus the learned in the truth of Bhasma say

21. One should observe one of them according to his
ability, time and circumstances. If any one is unable to apply
UdhOlana (besmearing) he can draw the Tripundra in the follow-
ing places : in the elbows, fore-arms, back, head and fore head.

22. The following are the mantras to be recited when the
Tripundra is drawn :n the places : — in fore-head, adoration to
Brahman , in the heart, adoration to Agni m the navel, adora-
tion to Skandha ; in the neck, adoration to Vishnu ; in the
elbows, adoration to Vayu ; in the wrist, adoration to the Vasus;
in the back, adoration to Hari ; in the face, adoration to Sambu .
and in the head, adoration to ParamStman.

HR 1H AT JABALOPAMSHAT 35

23. (There is another reading). One should draw the
Tripuqdra in the forehead meditating on the Lord who has
the three eyes, who is the support of the three qualities and
who is the father of the three (gods), wjiile reciting the mantra
* NamaSsivaya ' ; in the wrist, on the two pitris ; ir the elbows,
on the two Lords (lSanas), in the two sides, on the two Isas ;
in the fore-arms, on the two Svachchas ; in the back, on Bhlma ;
in its two sides, on Siva and Nllakantha ; and in the head, on
the Sarvitman.

24. This (Tripundra) destroys all his sins even acquired
in his previous births. It removes the sins committed by the
organs which are above neck, by the drawing of Tripuijdra in
those places. If it is applied in the ears, the sins and diseases
of them are removed ; if in the arms, the sins comitted by
them are removed ; if in the chest, the sin committed by the
mind is removed ; if in the navel the sin committed by the
generative organ is destroyed; if in the back, the sin committed
by the anus is removed ; if applied in the sides, the sin com-
mitted by the embracing etc., other women is removed. One
should draw the Tripundra in all the parts of the body. By
this he is supposed to be carrying (worshipping) the three
gods, Brahma, Vishpu and Mahesvara, the three sacred tires,
the three gunas, and the three worlds.

Thus ends the fourth Brahmana.

FIFTH BRAHMANA.

One should wear 1 he Bhasma consecrated bv the mantra
‘ manastoka*. The uppermost line represents Samaveda ; the
middle one Yajus, (and the last one Rig). The Bralimanas and
Kshatriyas should reciting the Trayavusha mantra apply the
Bhasma, in the fore-head, two arms, navel, head, chest and both
sides.

2. All the first three classes should take the Bhasma
prepared by the Agnistotra. To the house-holder the* Bhasma
prepared by Virajagni is good. The great men declare, the
Bhasma prepared by Virajagni is good for them ; it is better to

36 THE LIGHT OF TROTH

have it from Aupasana fire, as the house-holders worship (it
daily). The Brahmacharins should use the Bhasma prepared
by the Samidadana fire (the fire which is worshipped by the
Brahmacbarins). The §udras should have the Bhasma got from
the hearth of the Vedie Brahmanas.

3. It produces wisdom to the Sanyasins and creates dis-
passion to the forest dwellers. They that are above the caste
and stage rules (ativarna) can have it from the fire of the burn-
ing ground. All of them can get the Bhasma from the temple
of God. The Siva 3 r ogis should have it prepared from the
Sivagni (agni which is worshipped by a certain method). It
can be accepted i f it comes from the Siva temple, or that which
had been applied to the Sivalinga, or that which has been
prepared by the religious ceremonies.

4. In this there are the verses. The Brahmana has studied
all the vedas and heard all and he has performed ail his actions,
wl»o wears the Tripundra in his fore-head. Though one who
has not observed his taste and stage ! ules and not performed
all his actions, he is honoured, if he wears the Tripundra once.
They, who perform the daily ceremonies, without wearing
the Bhasma, do not get rid of the transmigratory life even by
crores of births. O intelligent one, they hate deeply the
wearing of the Tripuiidra and UdhOlana (besmearing) who have
committed the henious crimes and acquired sins in their previous
births. Iheir birth in mixture should be interred by the
learned one, O Brahmana, who hate by looking at those who
wear the Bhasma in their fore-head. It should be decided that
they have not undergone the purificatory ceremonies from the
conception forward, who have no faith always, O Sage, in the
Vedic Bhasma. 'Their existence is inferred by the intelligent,
as born in the Cbandaja families, who beat, O Brahmana, him,
who wears the Bhasma. This is the decision of the Sastras,
that they are possessed with the henious crimes who hate the
wearing of Bhasma and its authority. They insult Siva indeed,
who hate the Tripundra. They carry (worship) Siva who wear
the Tripundra. Fie. the fore-bead where there is no Bhasma.

BR1HA T JA BA LOP A NISH A T

37

Fie the village where there is no Siva temple. Fie the birth
which does never worship Isa. Fie the knowledge who has no
learning on Siva.

5. The holy essence of the Rudragni is said to be the
Bhasma. Therefore one should possess the essence in the form
of Bhasma at all the times. The sins are burned of him who
possess the Bhasma, as he possesses the fire of Bhasma. He is
called the possessor of Bhasma, who has been purified by the
bathing of Bhasma. The person is called the possessor of
Bhasma, who has applied the Bhasma in the whole parts of his
body, who shines himself by the Tripundra of Bhasma, and who
takes his bed in the Bhasma.

Thus ends the fifth Brahmana.

SIX'IH BRAHMANA.

Next Bhusunda asked Kalagnirudra to explain the great-
ness of the five names (Vibhuti Ruksha).

He replied. There was a Brahmana by name Karuna,
born as the son to the eldest wife of Dhananjaya of Vasishtha
family, who had hundred wives. He had a wife called
Suchismita. This Karupa urable to bear the enmity of his
brothers, went to the temple of Nrisimha at the bank of
Bhavani. There, he ate the Jambira fruit brought by some 011c
to be dedicated to the god. Then they who were there cursed
him, O Sinful one, become a fly for one hundred years. He
also receiving the curse, to become a fly, reported this to his
wife and asked her to protect him (during the period of the
curse). Next he became a fly. Having known this, his bro-
thers killed throwing it in the oil vessel. She (his wife)
taking the dead husband, approached Arundati (Vasisfha’s wife).
Arundatl said, enough of sorrow, O Suchismita, I shall revive
him now through the Vibbtiti. Then she threw a little
Bhasma got from the Agnihotra fire in the dead body reciting
Mrityunjaya Mantra (Trayambakam Yajamahe &c). Then by
the fanning of Suchismita a little breaze arose there. Immedi
ately the dead creature came to life by t lie influence ol that

5* 77/A IJt.lH Ol- TRUTH

Bhasma. Then at the end of the period of the hundred years,
again one of his tebtions killed him and five others at KasI and
they were revived by the influence of the Bhasma.

3. I'he Devas and myself who were once afflicted by the
above were revived by the Bhasma. Therefore, O Sinless one, I
shall revive thy husband. So saying, the holy Dadhf . hi Rishi
revived him and assuming his original form resorted to his
hermitage,

4. Now will be explained the power of the Blusma which
consumes all the Sins.

5. At the time of the marriage of C.autama Rishi, seeing
Ahalya (his wife), all the Devas have become enamoured. Then
they lost their wisdom, and approaching Durvasa Rishi. asked
him (the remedy).

6. He replied I stall remove your sin. Once upon a
time 1 gave you all the Bhasma, consecrated by the Satarudra
mantra, in order to remove the sin of Brahmanieide &c. Thus
addressing, he gave them the holy Bhasma. And said again,
you all have become more elightened by ray grace.

7. Then the Devas said, O Sage, we have become sinless
as soon as we applied the Bhasma consecrated by the Satarudra
mantra, in our body lust only we realise this wonderful
influence of the Bhasma.

8. (Kalagnirudra Says) O Bhusunda, hear from me the
another power of the Bhasma. This is indeed endowing wisdom
on Hari and Sankara. This is the destroyer of the Sins of
Brahmanieide &c., and also gives a great prosperity. Thus
saying, taking out a little Bhasma for the heart of Siva by the
nail Hari besmeared himself, tne head and other parts of his body
reciting the Gayatri and the Pancliakshara mantra. Then Siva
said to Hari, meditate in 3’our heart. Meditating in his heart
Hari said to Siva ‘ seen by me. seen by nt-A Then take in a
little Bhasma so said Siva to Hari. Yes. 1 will take in the
auspicious Bhasma. But let me first bathe myself with Bhasma.
Thus addressing the Lord, who is to he seen by devotion,
Achyuta took in the Bhasma Then there was a great wonder.

39

ran ha t ja ba /.or a ay sha r

Yasudeva immediately became white like a crystal, equal to
the colour of the white pearl. From that time forward Vasu-
deva has become white in colour and bright.

9. 1 am unable to understand the power of the Bhasma.
How can I, O Lord, understand thy majesty? Adoration to
l bee. adoration to Thee- I take refuge in Thee. I.et me have,
O Sambhu, always devotion in Thy feet. The wearer of the
Bhasma (only) will become my devotee, (said the Lord).

10. Therefore This Bhttti is said to be the bestower of
prosperity (Bhutikar!). In his (the wearer) front side the Vasus
reside. I he Rudras, in the right, the Adityas in the back side,
the Yisve Devas in the lett, the Brahma, Yishpu and iVlah^s-
varas in the navel, and the sun and the moon are on both
sides.

1 1. This is declared by a verse. Ihe Rigs have been esta-
blished-in the Supreme and imperishable ether (of the heart) in
which all the Devas reside. What will one do with the Rig,
if he does not realise this ? They who realise this, they resort
to (the ether of the heart, apply this to the Bhasma also).

)2. This Brihat Jabala (Upanishad) is the bestower of all
the desires and leads him to the dcor of Salvation. This is the
the Rig, Yajus and Sama vedas, and is Brahman itself and
immortality. He who studys the Brihat Jabala, whether he be
a boy or a youth, attains the greatness. He becomes the Guru
and instructor of all the mantras.

ij. One should tie the * Mrilva Taraka ’ (a single rud-
raksha which transcends one, the death), received from the
Guru, in the neck, in >he (right) arm, or in the tuft of hair (Here
is the Yedic authority to wear a single Rudraksha).

14. Lven the world consisting of the Seven islands is not
enough to give him fee in return. Therefore with devotion one
should give him any sort of a cow. That is the fee, (now it is
reduced to a Gomulya i.e. to the price of a cow, Rs. 3-h' o).

Ihui ends the ^ixth Brahinana.

40

THE LIGHT or TRIJ'1 H

SEVENTH HRAHMAN\.

Next Janaka of the Videha country approaching, addressed
Ysjnavalkya. O holy one, instruct me the rules of the Tri-
puptfra.

2. He replied. The mantra for handling the Bhasma is
the Paficha Brahma mantra ‘ Sadyojala etc ’ ; for consecrating
it, ‘ Agniriti Bhasma, etc ' ; for taking it ‘ manastoke etc ' for
mixing it with water ‘ Trayayusham Jamadiigeh’ etc; for
applying it in the head, fore-head, chest and fore-arms, is
4 Trayambakam, etc Thus the performer becomes pure and
gets salvation. Whatever one gets as the result of reciting the
Satarudra mantra, gets the same by this application. This is
the light of the Bhasma (Bhasma jyotilj). Thus says Yajfia-
valkya.

3. Janaka of Videha country addressed Yajfiavaikya
what is the result one gets by wearing the Bhasma. He
replied. By wearing the Bhashma only one gets salvation and
attains the equality of Siva (Sayujva). He does not take the
rebirth, he does not take the rebirth. This is the light of the
Bhasma. Thus says Yajfiavaikya.

4. Janaka of Videha country addressed Yajfiavaikya,
whether one gets the good result or not by wearing the
Bhasma? He replied. By wearing the Bhasma only the Parama-
hamsa-Samvartaka, Aruni, Srutaketu, Uurvasu, Ribhu, Nidugha,
Jadabh&rata, Dattatreya, Raivatuka, Bhusunda and others have
become the liberated ones, i'his is the light of the Bhasma.
Thus says Yajfiavaikya.

5. Janaka of Videha country addressed Yajnavalkya what
is the result of bathing with the Bhasma '■ He replied. All the
hair-pits in his body become Sivalingas ; whether he be a Brah-
mana, Kshatriya, Vaisya, or Sudra, attains the above position
by merely wearing the Bhasma.

6. Janaka of Videha country, with Pippalada resorted to
the regions of Prajapati. Approaching, he addressed him, O
Prajapati, tell me the greatness of Tripundra. Prajapati replied
him. Just as the greatness of Isvara so is that of the Tripundra.

BRIHAT JABALOPANISHAT

4 »

7. Next Pippalada resorted to the Vaikunfha. Approach-
ing addressed him, O Vishiju, tell me the greatness of the
Tripuijdra. Vishnu replied. Just as the greatness of ISvara,
so is that of Tripundra.

8. Next Pippalada approaching Kalagnirudra addressed
him, instruct me, O Lord the rules of Tripundra. He replied
1 am unable to explain the rules of the Tripundra. He (Pippa-
lada) said, it is true.

9. He who covers his body by the Bhasma becomes freed
from the samsara. He who takes his bed in the Bhasma becomes
equal to Siva. He never comes back, he never comes back.
The recitor of the Rudra mantra (wearing it) attains the state
of immortality. This is the light of the Bhasma.

10. By wearing the Vibhuti he becomes une with Brah-
man. By mere wearing the Vibhtiti one gets the result of
bathing in all the holy waters. By wearing the VibuQti one
requires as much results as he gets by the bathing in the
Varanasi- This is the light of the Bhasma.

11. When the three marks of the Tripundra are seen in
one’s body, one should take the first as representing Prajapati,
the second, Vishnu and the third Sadasiva. This is the light of
the Bhasma.

12. Next Sanatkumara addressed Kalagnirudra, instruct
me, O Lord, the rules of wearing the Rudraksha.

13. He replied. The Rudrakshas have come out from the
eyes (aksha) of Rudra. Thus it is known to the world. Sada-
siva, at the time of destruction, having dissolved the universe,
closes his destructive eye (the third eye). From that eye have
come out the Rudrakshas Hence they are named Rudrakshas.

14. By mere uttering the name of Rudraksha, one
obtains as much result as that of giving the gift of ten cows.
This is the light of the Bhasma as the Rudraksha.

15. The mere wearing of it touching by thehand, brings
one as much result as that of giving in gift of two thousand-
cows. The carrying the Rudraksha in the ears brings one the
result of giving in gift eleven thousand cows ; and also he

42

THE LIGHT OF TRUTH

attains the state of eleven Rudras. When one carries the
Rudraksha on his head gets the result of giving in gift one
crore of cows. Of all the. places, it is impossible to tell the
result of carrying it in the ears. Thus said he.

16. On the head forty-four ; in the tuft of hair one or
three ; in the ears twelve ; around the neck thirty-two ; in each
arm sixteen ; in each wrist twelve ; and in each thumb six.

1 7. Next he should perform Sandhya daily with ntunja
grass (on his hand) and give oblation in the fire reciting the
mantras ' Agnirjyotifi ’ etc.

Thus ends the seventh Brahmapa.

EIGHTH BRAHMMANA.

Next (Bhusupda) asked him, O Lord, tell me the result of
(studying) the Brihat Jabala.

2. He replied. He, who studies the Brihat Jabala daily,
is purified by the Agni, is purified by Vayu, by the Sun, by
the Moon, Brahma, Vishpu and Rudra, and he is purified by all.

3. He, who studies the Brihat Jabala daily, arrests (the
power of) the Agni, of Vayu, of the Sun, the Moon, Water, all
the devas, all the planets, and he arrests the power of poison he
arrests the power of poison. (The repetition is to emphasis it).

4. He who studies the Brihat Jabala daily, transcends ihe
death, sins, the sin of slaying the Brahmapa, the embryo and
the hero ; and he crosses the sins of slaying all. He transcends
the samsara and transcends all, transcends all.

5. He who studies the Brihat Jabala daily conquers, the
Bhuloka, the Bhuvarloka, Suvah, Mahah, Janah, Tapah, and
Satyalokas ; and he conquers all the worlds.

6. He who studies the Brihat Jabala daily, gets the virtue
of Studying the Rig, Yajus, Saman, and Atharva Vedas,
Ahgiras, Sakhas, NaraSamsis (ltihasas), and Purapas, and he
gets the virtue of sudying the Pranavaof Brahman, the Prapava
of Brahman.

7. The uninitiates of one hundred are equal to one initiate
(upanlta); the one hundred of the same is equal to one house-

/JAVA/. 1 T JA HALO l V/ NISH A T

43

holder; the hundred of the same, to the forest dweller; the
same hundred is equal to one Sanyasin; the hundred of the same
to the reciter of Rudra mantra; the one hundred of the same to
the reader of the Nrisimhatapini Upanishad ; the one hundred
of the same, to the reader of the AtharvaSikha ; and the one
hundred of the same is equal to one who studies the Brihat
J aba la.

8. This is, indeed, the Supreme abode of him, who studies
always the Brihat Jabala, where the sun does not shine, where
the wind does not blow, where the moon does not give light,
nor the stars where the fire does not burn, where death does
not enter, and where there is no suffering.

9. This is the Supreme abode, which is ever-blissful, and
happy, calm, eternal, ever auspicious, worshipped by Brahma
and others, and meditated upon by the Yogins ; and entering
which the Yogins do not return.

10. This is declared by a verse. That is the supreme
abode of the all-pervading one, (Vishnu) which the sage sees
always. It is the light ever-spreading, as if that in the heaven.
The seers, when they get rid of anger, and when they are ever
wakeful, realise the supreme abode of the all-pervading one.

11. Ora, Truth. Thus ends the Upanishat.

R. A. SASTRY.

Some Sparks.

If tlu* hearer is prejudiced do not talk to him since you
cannot convince him.

Adopt a calm and argumentative attitude if you want to
convince your hearer.

Strong and vehement words create the like in your hearer
and there will be no agreement.

tiif “ agamic bureau” notes.

I. Saiva Movement.

On Saturday the 29th June 1912 at 6 p.m , in the Amman Kovil,
Krishnampet, a lecture was delivered to the masses about the essences
of religion by Mr. S. Satchitanandam PiJJai (The Secretary of the
Samija). He also said that the causes for the present degiaded condi-
tion of the temples are the temple trustees’ ignorance of religion, the
substitution of prostitutes in place of the original devout servants of god,
the ignorance of religion among the masses; and these were clearly
impressed upon the minds of the people, and the lecturer exhorted the
people to help each other and work for a common cause.

On the 30th June the Alandur Sivanadiyar Tirukkuttam Celebrated
its 2nd anniversary with great eclat. Representatives and members of
the Madras, Saidapet and Kunrathur (the famous birth place of St.
Sekkilar who wrote Peria Puranam) Saiva Sabha's were present on the
occasion. In the morning the Samayacharyas were annointed and wor-
shipped. The members of the different Sabhas went in procession behind
the Samayachariyas chanting the sacred hymns in sweet tones with the
accompaniment of musical instruments. During the Mahesvarapuja, the
founder Srimat Pal Svamiga] worshipped the Sivanadiyars (servants of
Lord §iva) as Siva. This act reminds us the verse “ <srasar(Stur. tmdQifieniu
j-iilsojju nn et'SOi fioip 1 r it sdl je ( g Qp fiujan ” “ Jfiana, \oga,
Kriya, Chariya are the different successive methods of worship to our
Lord; one who is in the path of Juana ran worship god in all the
methods." In the evening Koyapet T. V. Kalyanasundra Mudaliar
delivered a lecture on ‘Advaitam and after it, he exhorted the people not
to hale other sects, that everyone should practise what he teaches rathei
than desire to force his conviction on others. Then the Secretary' of our
Samaja delivered an interesting lecture on “ Sakalopasanai ” and said this
upasanai should be practised in the light of the teachings of our Saints
and that without purity of heart, “ Sakalopasanai is not possible and that
we should try our best to purify and free the vices from the temples whose
worship is the best means for Sakalopasanai.” The orthodox fait a little
bit by the exposition of these two modern young preachers We hope that
not long after, the spirit of intolerance and conservatism among the
orthodox pundits would give place to clear and correct notions of our
duty to duty to man and duty to the world.

TI J L AGAMIC BUR LA C ROTES

45

Report of Mr. K. U. Ponnusvami Mudaliyar, Secretary of Saiva
Siddhama Sabha of Uttaramerur; — On ioth May the Mahesvarapuja of
Tirunavukkarasu SvamigaJ was performed with the recitation of Tiru
murai. About 1000 poor people were fed on that date. In the evening
a lecture on the life of Tirunavukkarasu SvamigaJ was delivered.

On ist June, the Mabesvarapuia of Tirujfianasambanda SvamigaJ
was performed with the recitation of Tirumurai. About 500 joor people
were fed. In the evening a lecture on the life of the SvamigaJ was
delivered.

On 19th June, the Mahesvarapuja of Manikkavasaga SvamigaJ was
performed. About 500 poor people were fed. In the evening a lecture
on the life of the SvamigaJ was delivered.

On 22nd July, the Mahesvarapuja of Sundaramurti SvamigaJ was
performed. About 700 poor people were fed. In the evening a lecture
on the life of the SvamigaJ was delivered.

Lectures delivered by Mr. P. Muthiah Pillai of Tuticorin; — On 25th
May he delivered a lecture at Madura Tamil Sangani on “ What is
Soul !” under the presidency of Sriman Arurr.ugam PiJJai.

On 30th May he delivered a lecture at Haridvaramangalam Stud-
ents’ Tamil Sangam on “Tirukuraj" under the presidency of Kai Bahadur
Mr. Ramanujachariar AvargaJ.

On 31st May he delivered two other lectures at HaiidvarainangalHui
on “ Svanubuti ” and ** Isvara Lpasana ” under the presidencies of Mr.
Evangudi Ramachendra Naidu and Kai Bahadur Mr. Raman ujacliariar
respectively.

On 2nd and 3rd June, he delivered lectures at Ve'angani on Mani-
mantra Audatham’ and 'Pane ha Kritiyam ’ respectively; and on 6th
June at Negapatam on Svanubuti.

T. V. Kalyanasundra Mudaliyar of Royapet delivered lectures on yth
June at Mirsapet.

II. Current Literary Activities.

We are glad to note that Babu Sitanath Tatvabhusham has com-
menced his series of lectures on Bhagavatgita under the distinguished
patronage of The Maharajah of Piftapur. In the first lecture he points
out that the story of Krishna is more or less mythical and legendary. lu
the 2nd lecture he says that if all that the Mahabharata and the Puranas
say about him is true, he cannot have been an incarnation of God. In

4 C,

THE LIGHT OF TROTH

the 3 rd lecture, which is published in the June number of the Modern
Rev eta, he discusses the question if Krishna was an historical person, in
what sense did he believe and declare himself to be God incarnate and
the cognate question in what sense did Arjuna and the author of the Gita
accept him as such a divine being. In regard to the subject of the first
lecture, the matter is not important to us, as it all depends on the belief of
the people ; and allegorical personages are of greater interest and have
wielded greater influence over peoples than real historical characters.
The second question depends cn a definition of what we consider to be
God. From the stand-point of the vaidika Siddhanti, God cannot incarn-
ate in the flesh at all. The third discourse is of greater importance to us.
Incidentally he discusses the question whether the author of the Gita
believed in Krishna as an avatar and whether he was reproducing all the
scenes and conversations or whether he was drawing on his imagination
and he concludes that the author might have believed him to be an
incarnation of the L)iety but that he is indenting on his devout imagina-
tion the Sitil scenes, in as much as the whole teaching of the Gttii is
derived from the Kathu and other earlier ttfaiiis? nts. We have ourselves
pointed out elsewhere that Chapter xi, is an epitome of the famous
Satarndriyam in the Yajnr 1 'eda and similar scenes are met with in the
Anm;fuan;t l J arva of the Mahabhavata also. In answering the main
question, he says that Krishna could declare himself, anti Ariuna and the
author of the Situ could believe him to be God incarnate only in the
sense in which the national scriptures taught them to do so.

“ Since the days of the Upmisfafs, it lias again and often been taught
that the fully awakened soul, one which has been blessed with a know-
ledge of its true relation to the Absolute, sees that it is essentially one
with the latter and fearlessly declares itself to he so. The typical and
classical example is that of India in the KaushitaH U pan i shat in his
coiloquy with Pratardana. This is discussed and expounded in the
Vedanta Sutras and this exposition forms the accepted key to all declarat-
ions of identity with Hrahman on the part of the avatars in later Sanskrit
literatute. The Sutras exposition refers to the case of Yamadeva in the
R/gteia, implying that Yamadeva spoke in the same spirit as India, and
later writers all accept this reference as correct."

And he also shows by a discv'~ ; on of the passages in the other upani-
shats in the l eda util Sutras that the lully awakened soul can speak from
the standpoint of and in the name of the Absolute self. That this conr

47

THE AGAMIC BUREAU NOTES

elusion is not farfetched will appear to any one who is acquainted with
the Traditional interpretation of the Indian Scriptures by Saivite

v v*

Acbaryas. Sri Nllakaptha Sivacharya in hisBasAya on the same VtduiAa
Sulfas says as follow :

“ When, by the contemplation of the harmonious nature of Brah-
man and Atman brought about by Vedaotic knowledge, Vamadeva
attained to the state of Brahman and was freed from all the imaginary
limitations due to the identifying of himself with the human body and so
on, and his mighty ego expanded so as to embrace the whole universe,
he saw that he was present everywhere and accordingly spoke of him-
self as one with the whole universe including Manu and burya. So, it
may be concluded, it was in the case of lndra. In the passage “ I am
prana, the conscious Atman," (Kaushitaka upanishad 6; Prana refers to
Para-Brahman, inasmuch as lie, blissful by nature, is the cause of ail
life, as said in the sruti “ Prana is the conscious self, the Bliss, undecay-
ing and immortal.” Accordingly il is from the standpoint of Brahman
that lndra taught “ 1 am Brahman,” “ me do thou worship ” So, too,
Kristna saught to Arjuna. and so several others.”

Appaya Dikshita comments at great length on the last phrase
‘so too Krishna’ and Mr. Nallasvami Pijjai quotes th£ passage
from bivajuana Yogi in his bivnjT;iitial>odha p. 21 and which is as
follows.

•‘ The second portion of this stanza illustrates the prim i pie of
Sohamhavaua which underlies ecery Mantra from Pranava downwards.
The devotee (Jivalma) is made to t onlemplatc (“ J am I lie Alma, God"),
and he becomes one with God (Advaitai. This is ihe process of
identification. The author points out when he can be able to say "1 am
all the world." This is also the prim iple which underlies the teaching
of Bhagavat Gita, Kristna is the Jivan Mukta who by his holiness has
identified himself with God Isvara. I leas Guru imparts teaching to his
pupil Arjuna ; and Sivajiiana Yogi observes, “is it not by this process of
Sohainbavana that Krishna when teaching Gita to Arjuna says ‘ i am
all the world ’ and shows the Lord’s Yisvasvarujja in himself and teaches
him to worship him and linn alone leaving ail other Gods; and Arjuna
who believed in him firmly and understood the irue significance of bis
word, performed biva Pujah till his life’s end, and the dowers showered
by him on Kristna in Divine worship appeared on the aacrcd person
ol the Lord. Krishna as one who received biva Diksha l Initiation; from

48

THE LIGHT OF TRUTH

Upamanya Maharishi and had perfected himself in the knowledge cf him*
self and his Lord, bad perfected himself in Sohambavana.”

This principal of identifying oneself as God is called Soham or
Sivoham Bhivana. And it is traditional in all Hindu Schools to view
even ones hur>an teacher as an incarnation of God and works like
Pandaro Mummatfi Kovai, N enjuviduthuthu, all addressed by the Jnana-
churya carry out this idea. And it being rsmembered that the relation of
Guru and Sishya is established between Sn Krisbpa and Arjuna who in the
very beginning says “ I am thy disciple, suppliant to Thee. Teach me.”
(11. 7 ). It may be said that Mr. Tatvabhushan being a Brahmo his
general views are coloured thereby, but Brahmoism is itself a colourless
religion and as he has shown in his Philosophy of B.-ahmoism has been
gathering ideas from time to time, objecting some and picking up
something else and if we can see anything from its movement of to-day, it
is Mr. Tatvabhushan who is moulding and shaping it to-day, giving it a
distinct by Vedantic turn. Of course every man’s view of things is the
combined result of his education and environment, still we must acknow-
ledge where independence of judgment and uncritical sense is displayed
by an author and speaker and we are sure this credit must be given to
Mr. TatvfWhushan. And we are all the more glad that his independent

v»

view is supported by the traditional interpretation of the Saivite teachers
and conhrming thereby also the truth of the Siddhanta.

In the July number of the Modem Review appears an interesting
article on The Drav.dians of Ii dia from the pen of Mr. B. C. Muzumdar
He distinguishes them from Kolarians and Nunedas and includes under
them Telugus, Tamils, Malayalis, Canarese and Coorgs, Gonds and many
Hindu Castes of Bengal. He discusses the various theories of their
origin such as their descent from negritos, mongolians, black Caucasians
and reject them all. He adduces various facts to show that the same
people have been living in the Southern presidency from neolithic age at
the latest and that they were therefore autochthonous and that they must
have spread to the north from the south. He points out that the noted
differences about the colour of skin and shape of nose between the
Southern and Northern people are not such as to warrant us to assert
their independent origin and it is being established that the colour of the
skin was due to climatic influences and he adduces several facts from the
history of the known times to show that the Dravidians were not much

THE Af.AMfC BUREAU NOTES 49

inferior to the Aryans in the remote past either in physical appeacapo etty
in mental powers. He explains away the fact of old hostility betvye$p
the Aryans and Dravidians in the Vedic age, by instancing from history
that in the early stage of social evolution friendly communication does
not exist even between societies of similar development. He also points
out that people belonging to the same stock do develop diffe ent languages
and religious systems, when evolving independent civilizations at different
centres. And his conclusion is that the autochthonous Dravidians
did not and do not differ ethnically from the Aryans who are supposed
by some to he new comers in India in historic times This view may not
lie welcome to some who are always harping about the superiority of
the Aryans over the Dravidians but truth should be welcome to all.

*

* •

Did Jesus tie Christ Live? ( 10 Cents , Peebles Publishing Co.,
519, Fayette St. Los Angeles, Cal. U. S. A;.

There are curious specimens among men who though incapable
of thinking sound like all men go the length of denying the .existence of
great men such as Christ, Krishna and others. Such men will find it
better and more useful to use their inte'.lect and energy in teaching some
sound principles of morality and working for the common gpod of all
humanity. There must have been some one to answer to the names of,
Christ and Kristna else, so much literature and so much philosophy and
such belief might be no where. The miracles of these men could not be
the production of a over-heated imagination, much less could they find
reference by so many contemporaries and in the gospels. This is not the
only reason to support the existence of those personages There are
other facts which strongly go to prove the existence of these personages.
The pamphlet under review is issued by Drs. Peebles and Daniel W. Hull
of America These contributions were sent to the Progressive Thinker
as a reply to an article that appeared in it denying the existence of
Christ. It is regrettable that these contributions were refused publication.
Whenever we publish an article criticising or denying others, we should
be only doing justice to allow the opponent to have his say and then if
there is anything unreasonable, we can again argue

Drs. Peebles and Hull are men of great experien e and knowledge
and their pamphlet exhaustively cites evidences which prove the existence
of Christ. No reference is lost in establishing the truth, anil these two
gentlemen have never lost their calmness in refuting the statements of
the few sceptics. A perusal of the pamphlet will amply repay one by

tit. /./«'/// iff i /\l Til

enlightening one on she way of criticism and the use of sober and sincere
language to unite rents ol brothers. May the supreme Lord of Bliss
and knowledge «-iiimhirn mu hi others who are still in darkness even in
this at >tli cemmv

Oahspe i < y I j. M. Heebies, m.a., m.i»„ >»it.i>. ( / teUa I'ublishidg C» .)

This is a tti i-i'i on a new hihle supposed to lie more original and
truer than the jneseut Holy Bible with \\hi« h we all are familiar. It is
regretted that the 20th century is producing wonderful specimens of
spurious wot ks ( 'ulutspean Bible, as l>r. Heebies puts it, is most un-
scientific, uiispiiiiual and unpsyi hological. This article too was sent to
the Hrogressive I hinker as leply but was refused publication.

***

We are glad to hear I rout Thakui Shri Jessrajsmghji Seesodai that
an association » ailed “ 'I lie London Hindu Sabha” has been started
‘solely t< lostei Hindu feelings* and thought and encourage Hindu
I fharma’. We feel highly gratified that a long felt want in London has
lieen supplied by the Supreme grace and Love of our Lord Siva. We
hope in the near future a I lindu temple will be erected under the aus-
pices of tflts Sabha on the Thames. “ The subscription of the Sabha
is ;sh. 6d quarterly in advance, which will also entitle members to a
free copy of publication of the Sabha. 1 Rule 3)." We give below the
•aims and objects ’ &i\, of the Sabha.

“ To bring together the “Hindus'* residing temporarily or perma-
nently in Gieat Britain into closer contact with one another and to
foster brotherly feeling among them.

“ To render assistance to the Hindus in Great Britain in times of
sorrow, sickness, or distress.

“To keep up and promote Hindu social and religious ideals, and to
organise and celebrate Hindu festivals whenever convenient.

“To advise and organise means for the well-being of Itivdus in
g ri.rtul ".

Names ol Mem Iters of the Managing Committee: — Kumar Shri
Chandradevji Seesodia, (Vice fl&sident). Tbakur Shri Jessrajsingji
Seesodia, ( Chairman aid Treasurer). Lala Ram Rakhamai Bhandari,
(Hon. Secretary). Sundara Raj?, (Asst. Secretary). Hr. Ananda K.
Coomaraswamy, D, Sc., Mr. $.? C. Guha, N. B. Vibhakar, b.a., l.i ..b.,
Thakur Brij Mohan Singh, N. S. Alyar, b.a., B.r.

THE

LIGHT OF TRUTH

OB THE

Siddlianta Dipika and Agamic Review.

A Monthly Journal devoted to the Search for Truth as revealed in the

*? —

Ancient Hindu Mystic Philosophy ki own as the in aiva-Siddhanta or A gamanta.

VOL. XIII. MADRAS, AUGUST, 1912. No. 2.

THE SPIRITUAL VALUE OF MANIKKA VACAGAR’S

TIRUVACAGAM*

“ Love great men ; love, venerate and bow down in sub-
mission before them. Does not every true man feel that he is
himself made higher by doing reverence to what is really
above him?” These words of Carlyle come to my mind when
I think of the great sage that sang the supremely beautiful
lyrics of the lint Manikka Va^agar is among the

greatest of our saints who renounced the pomp and pageantry
of the world to walk humbly with God. No work is held in
higher veneration by the Tamils than Manikka Va^agar’s
“ Sacred Song.” There are few works in Tamil devotional
literature that can compare with — certainly none that excel —
the Tint ITifai'am in light and grace, in earnestness and sweet-
ness, in lofty feeling and fervid piety, in passionate longing for
spiritual peace and purity, and in the uplifting faith in divine
grace in which the human soul, tossed about on the stormy
billows of intellectual and moral puzzles, finds, a safe haven of
rest. The music of Manikka Va^agar’s melting lyrics and their
glowing faith and tervour have for centuries continued to

* A paper read before the annual conference of the “ Saiva Sabha”
of Palamcotta, 1912.— Ed. 5 . D.

5 *

THE LIGHT OF TRUTH

thrill with rapturous emotion the teeming millions of the Tamil
country, whose story of spiritual growth, of spiritual struggle
and spiritual triumph, has bepn permanently influenced by
them. To the Tamils, Manikka Va^agar has always been the
saint whose words are sweetest honey capaWe of quenching
the thirst of their yearning souls, or 'whose utterances are
precious rubies' forming a treasure-house full of accents of the
Holy Ghost. The song of hope and love and redeeming grace
is a rich heritage to humanity in whatever language it may be
written; and a study, however short or imperfect of such a
song immeasurably adds to our worth and wisdon. It is a
living light-fountain which it is good and profitable to be near
even for a short while.

The central incident of Manikka Va^a gar's life is his sudden
conversion to the service^ of God, while he was in the prime of
youth and in the plenitude of temporal power. Every body
knows the story of his sudden passage from darkness into light.
He is commisssioned by his sovereign to purchse a stud of
horses for royal use, and it is in that trip that his conversion
takes place at Tiru-Perum-turai. As the cavalcade with the
youthful prime minister at the head, draws near the town, the
chant of the sacred Saiva Agamas rises in solemn strains
from a neighbouring grove, and the youth involuntarily feels
himself attracted to the spot whence the mystic music proceeds.
From that instant his secular life is over. He beholds with
self-forgetting rapture a mystic Guru seated at the foot of a
spreading Kuruutha (Atalantia Missionis), bedecked with
rosaries of scarlet eleocarpus beads, smeared with holy ashes,
and surrounded by an intently devout host of disciples. The
crisis has come, and the youthful minister of state becomes the
lowliest among God's own. He is initiated, and becomes from
that moment “ one in feeling, soul, power and faculty with the
Infinite Eternal.” In almost every one of the hymns of the
7 iru-Fafogam, Manikka Va<;agar alludes to this great crisis is
his life: but I shall give here only one passionate outburst as an
illustration. It is perhaps one of his earliest songs, and it

MANIKKA VACAGAR'S TIRU-VACAGAM 53

contains a very touching appeal for Sivan’s redeeming grace,
which had first manifested itself to him at Perunturai under the
Kuruntham’s flowery shade:—

“In Perun-Turai girt with ordered stately groves, ’neath
the Kuruntham’s flowery shade,

I call to mind Thy glories all, and pondering yearn, and
as my mighty lord Thee oft invoke.

Ascetic rare! when I Thy servant, craving call, strug-
glingamid the billowy sea,

In grace declare the fitting path to reach Kailas, and bid
me come” !♦ (xxix. 10)

—an appeal which we know was fully answered both
literally for his physical body and spiritually for his soul. Thus
we witness him rapturously exclaiming in one of his later
songs: —

“In senses’ power, sure cause of death, I erewhile ’wildered
lay,

Oft wrapt through realms of boundless space then
plunged in dismal hells!

He gave perception clear, made me all bliss — made me
his own!

I’ve Tillai t seen that holds the Gem, which endless
rapture yields ” ! (xxxi. i)

The man of the world to whom till then the sensual pleasures
of life had remained irresistible, who had wandered through
life plunged in desire of women's charms and absorbed in other
wordly enjoyments, suddenly by the grace of the Master at-
tains freedom from sensual thraldom, and he becomes a Jivan
Mujtta. .Mark the gladness and surprise with- which Mapikka
Va^agar sings of his deliverance from the bonds of sensual
passion, immediately after his conversion at Perunturai.

* The translations employed in this paper are mainly taken from
Dc. G. U. Pope’s well known Edition of the Tirti V&fagam.

■f Chidambaram, the foremost Saiva Shrine in South India.

THE LIGHT OF TRUTH

54

“1 gave no fitting gift, which lavish hand
Of full-blown flowers, nor bowed with reverence meet.
He grace conferred lest I should tread the paths
Of grief, with mind bewildered by soft dames
With fragrant bosoms fair. He came to save,

And showed to me His golden jewelled feet !

As King in presence manifest He stood ;

This matchless miracle I feel not, 1 " ! (xu. 2 ).

He forthwith casts off his rich garments and adornments
and puts on the lowly habiliments of the ascetic and smears
himself with holy-ashes, which as Jfianasatnbhanda tells us in
his Tiru-Nirru-p-Padigam symbolize deliverance from desire.
He wakes

“From the dream, the probation, the prelude, to find
himself set

Clear and soft in new light and new life.”

It is a fundamental doctrine of the S.iiva Siddhanta that our
life is a probation, a period of preparation for ultimate
communion and fellowship with the Supreme. Our life is a
gracious appointment of Siva for the emancipation of the

V*-

human soul. As the Sivajudnaboilam teaches us, the Lord is
immanent in all souls and works in them through His gracious
energy; and as the moon, day by day dispels little by little the
persisting darkness, so the Lord, who abides with the soul from
eternity, little by little as the soul matures, destroys its sense-
evils by His love, and when we really need Him and are
prepared to be guided by Him, He Himself appears in the
form of a guru. This is one of the central doctrines of the
Saiva Siddhanta, viz, that Siva appeals inhuman guise as a
spiritual teacher to teach and save from the cycle of metempsy-
chosis those that have become ripe to receive His teaching and
guidance. Over and over again we are told in the Tiru-
Va$ctgant that the gracious Lord did so appear for the spiritual
liberation of Manikka Va^agar ; and in his Arputha Pattu (the
Wonder deead) he has given expression to his first glad

MANIKKA VAC AGAR'S TIRU-VACAGAM

55

surprise at the vision of the guru. The ecstatic cry of the sage
in that lyric: “This miracle of grace I know not, 1 1 ” does not
indicate that his soul had not matured when he was vouchsafed
the gracious vision of the Divine Teacher. As the SivajTuitta -
bodam explains, * when the soul realizes that heaven and earth
and everything else are transient and renounces all, will not
the incomparable Lord come as a Wonder transcending all
human faculties, and afterwards appear to the soul as the in-
separable light of its own spiritual intelligence?’ The flood of
light of the morning sun bursts upon us in the tropical regions
even before we have realized that day has dawned. Even so
the Lord, who shines in the soul, graciously floods us with
spiritual light before we are conscious that a change is coming.
It is of supreme importance to note that according to the Saiva
Siddhanta the Divine spirit of energy is the active agent in the
redemptive process of the soul. The Lord Himself must begin
the process; the soul cannot take any step in the ppth of freedom
from bondage. As the Sivajudnabodam says: 'The Lord
who by reason of a soul’s good deeds has been an indwelling
Spirit teaching him, appears now in the guise of a Guru and
instructs him telling him that he is an emperor's son living in
the midst of savages-the five senses; and then the soul under-
standing its true nature leaves these savages and unites With
the sacred foot of the Lord inseparably. The illustration of the
emperor’s son, who ignorant of his parentage has grown among
savages, being reclaimed by the father and raised to the
dignity and status that is his due, very appropriately describes
the soul’s release from sensuousness by God’s redeeming grace.
The direct operation of Divine Grace in the redemption of our
life is among the cardinal teachings of the Tiru Va<;agam. The
Supreme Being whom Manikka Va 9 agar praises in these lyrics
is not an abstraction, but a living God having personal
relationship with His universe, a God of abundant grace and
unbounded love, merciful and forgiving, and redeeming the
saint and the sinner from the cycle of births and deaths. Indeed
Pati in the S.iiva Siddhanta is always considered as related

5 6 7 HE LIGHT OF TRUTH

to Pasu , and not as an impersonal abstract entity; and, as
beautifully expressed in Sivaprakdsam, ‘ as the hidden milk of
the cow flows in streams at the mere thought of the calf, so the
Lord in the abundance of His love appears everywhere to His
devotees and bestows His Grace upon them./

Before proceeding further, an objection that has been
sometimes raised against the Siddhanta teaching on the mani-
festation of the Divine Teacher may be noticed briefly. The
manifestation to Manikka Va 9 agar was personal to him, but not
for the world generally. The manifestation that Saivism
teaches is not alleged to have any basis in world-history.
Though Saiva sacred literature instances various manifestations
for, the special redemption of individual souls, a historical
manifestation which has universal reality or validity is not
taught ; and this is regarded as a defect. Whether the £aiva
Siddhanta, even if it did not definitely teach the incarnation of
a universal Divine Teacher, is for that reason defective, is a
matter on which there may be an honest difference of opinion.
Obviously all souls cannot be at the same stage of evolution;
and the universe can develop harmoniously only if each soul
progressed along the path marked out by the law of its life.
Karma and God’s energy are the two agents at work in the
development of the soul. Karma is determined by Svabhava.
From Svabhava originate the three-fold gunas, which give rise
to Karmas. Karmas spring entirely from the gunas of Prakriti
says the Bagavat £*7<S,'and these gunas we bring with us at
our birth. Each soul is placed in surroundings conditioned by
its Karma, and is, by the indwelling Divine energy, given
opportunities of approaching its goal. It is, hence almost a
necessity of thought to hold that all souls cannot reach at the
same time the exact stage of preparation for the reception ot
the light of Divine wisdom from the same Divine Teacher.
Hence the explanation for the familiar three-fold classification
of souls into Sakalar, Pralayakalar, and Vijnankalar, a class-
ification corresponding more or less to Paul’s classification
into carnal, psychical, and spiritual.

MARKKA VACAGAR'S TIRU-SACAGAM

57

The young sage after he meets his Guru forgets the
mission on which he had been sent ; and for the misuse of the
money originally intended for the purchase of horses for the
royal stables, the king causes him to be seized and cast into
prison. Has it not been said that he who soweth in tears
shall reap in joy ? The ethical significance of pain or suffering
in the perfection of our higher nature cannot be overestimated.
“Put pain from out the world, what room were left
For thanks to God, for love to man ? ”
writes Browning ; and Manikka Va^agar's suffering in prison
while on the one hand illustrating the action of Nemesis,
also helped, as it was ordained to help, Manikka V^agar’s
fuller realization of that Divine grace that was fast ripening
the life of his soul, so that it might soon merge itself com-
pletely in a life of universal love, or in the phraseology

V'

of the Saiva Siddhanata, attain Siva Anubhava and live in
Advaita relation with the Lord. From his prison the saint
sends forth pathetic prayers to the great God that had mani-
fested Himself to him at Tiru Perunturai; and tradition declares
that some of the laments then uttered are preserved in his
'Weariness of Life and his ‘ Supplication ’. The ruling ideas of
these decads are worthy of note in this cannection. The young
sage unable to endure his anguish and suffering cries out,

"I die not yet ! severed from Thee what pleasure can I take?
In grace vouchsafe to bid me, ‘This do thou !'.” (xxxm-6).

He feels that the Lord of Perunturai is withholding His
saving grace from him; and he pathetically asks.

“ Balm of my soul ! is it meet Thy servant suffer pain ? ”

— (xxiii 8).

Is it meet that Sivan’s slave should languish like an alien
and weep aloud as one forsaken by the Lord ? And if he appeal
will the merciful Father withhold His grace and allow His
suffering servant to droop, all forlorn, like a withered tree ?
The sage, therelore, sends forth melting prayers from his
prison,

5« THE LIGHT OF TRUTH

“ Mingling with Thy true saints, that day in speed less joy
1 stood ;

Next day with dawning daylight trouble came, and there
abode.

I pine to seek, O Master mine ! the gleam of fadeless
bliss ;

Distressed I stand, in grace to me, Thy slave, let love
abound ! ” (xxxn-i).

I have already emphasized the important truth that the
God of Saivam is not an abstract Being, standing apart from
and unrelated to His universe. It is one of the fundamental
truths of Saivism that God is Love. 4 Without grace there is
no Sivam ’ declares 5 ivajuana Siddhi. ‘The ignorant think
that love and Sivam are twain,’ says Tirumular. ‘To the eyes
of His saints the Lord is seen to be one with His grace, just as
the sun and its light appear as one to the eye,’ says Meykanda
Devar. The Tiru-vafagam refers to Him over and over again as
Sea of grace, Lord of boundless grace, Flood of grace,

Sun of grace, Temple of grace, Wealth of Grace,

Abode of grace, Ocean of grace.”

1 • ^ ,

Boundless grace towards all souls is one of Sivan’s eight
essential attributes, as His name Sankaran imports. And so, if
Manikkavaqagar implored for grace the great Nllakaptha — the
Supreme Deity who that the universe might live, ate, in His
abundant love, the fiery poison, — would his cry remain un-
heeded ? His cry is heard, and in response Sivan is said to have
performed a lila or miracle, which both saved Manikkava 9 agar

V

and established his sanctity as a Saiva saint for ever. The
possibility of miracles is often confidently denied by certain
classes of thinkers ; but in refutation of that position I shall
refer to the opinions of two very eminent thinkers, one repre-
senting the domain of material science, and the other of
speculative metaphysics. Professor Huxley declares that
nobody can presume to say what the order of nature must be.
He writes : “If a dead man did come to life, the fact would be
evidence, not that any law of nature had been violated, but that

MANIKKA VAC AGAR'S TIRU-VACAGAM 5^

these-laws even when they express the results of* a v<fcry lon^'
and uniform experience', are necessarily based ott incdmpltte'
knowledge, and are to be held only on grounds of more or less
justifiable expectation.” Lotze writes: “The whole course of
nature becomes intelligible only by supposing the eo- Working
of God, who alone carries forward the reciprocal action of the
different parts of the world. But that view which admits a lift?
of God which is not benumbed in an unchangeable sameness^
will he able to understand his eternal co-working as a variable
quantity, the transforming influence of which comes forth kX
particular moments and attests that the course of nature is not
shut up within itself. And this being the case, the complete
conditioning causes of the miracle will be found in God and
nature together, and in that external action and reaction
between them which perhaps, although not ordered simply
according to general laws, is not void of regulative principles.
This vital, as opposed to a mechanical, constitution of nature,
together with the conception of nature as not complete in itself —
as if it were dissevered from the Divine energy — shows how a
miracle may take place without any disturbance elsewhere of
the constancy of nature, all whose forces are affected sympathe-
tically, with the consequence that its orderly movement goes on
unhindered.” As regards the specific miracle that the Lord in
sport performed for the release of Mapikka Va^agar, there are
ever so many references to it in the Tiruvd^ngam which tend to
show that it was really an incident in our Sage’s life, and that
he sincerely believed that it was so, and that it is neither an
allegory nor a conscious fraud on the part of the immortal
singer of the Tiruvdqagam.

With his release from prison, Manikka Va^agar also attains
freedom from sense impurity. In his Tim Ammanai he invites
us to sing with him the illimitable bliss given by the all-glorious
Lord of Perunturai who to loose our bonds rode on a charger,
the expression employed (Bandha) being a felicitous donbli
extendre signifying both confinement in prison and the bonds of
existence. Realizing the world to be phenomenal he renounces

6b the light of truth

ik» Bad with the mendicant's staff and the mendicant’s bowl,
eaten for ever the cool shade of Divine wisdom, and in the
consciousness of Primal Love which,

M Fills infinitude wholly, nor leaves up nor down
One 8 pot for the creature to stand in,”
he becomes the humble slave of the Lord and seeks communion
with the God-head, completely surrendering himself in action,
desire and knowledge to the Supreme. 1 low passionately he
loafed for the Grace of the Lord before the consummation was
attained! Here is one of his earlier utterances.

M J dread not any birth. To death what should I owe!
nor do I crave

Even heaven itself to gain. No power to rule this
earth do 1 esteem.

0 §ivan, crowned with cassia-flowers that sweets distil ;
Our Master great !

Our only Lord ! I fainting cry: ' When comes the day
I find Thy grace ?’ ” (v- 12 ).

Before the redeeming Grace of the Lord, what terror can birth
or death and what value can earth or heaven possess? Without
question he accepts the ascetic life, whatever may be its priva-
tions and trials. He exclaims : —

“ 1 want not bliss of Indra, Vishnu, Brahma ; though
my house and home

Be ruined, friendship form 1 none save with mine own ;
though hell’s abyss

1 enter, I unmurmuring go, if grace Divine appoint
my lot ;

O King ! no other God save Thee I ponder, our
transcendent Good ! ” (v- 2 ).

He seizes ‘the raft of the five letters' that he may cross the sea
of birth and reach in safety the boundless fertile shore beyond.
Of the redemptive power of the Panchdkshara Mahdmantra it
is unnecessary to say much here. Perhaps it is good to call
attention to Saint Appar’s well known lines to illustrate its
supreme efficacy.

MANIKKA VACAGAR'S TIRU-VACAGAM 6r

When to a granite pillar fastened
Thou art thrown into the sea,

4 Nainas ivaya ’ is the surest
Buoy that will afloat keep thee.

This is no mere sentiment ; for that great sage tells us else-
where that it is based on the facts of his own personal history.
When bound to granite, 1 was thrust
By heretics vile into the sea,

My tongue the saving name expressed
Of Hara great and 1 was free.

v ,

T he Siva]7ianabodam explains that the PaTtchakshara is
enjoined as the way to purification of the soul, because the
soul retains through its ancient habits, a hankering after its
sense-knowledge, just as the worm that has been habitually feed-
ing on the bitter bark of the margosa tree, returns to it even
after tasting the sugarcane ; and this hankering or tendency may
be destroyed by the repetition of the holy mantra. The idea
involved is that the soul acquires the nature of that which it
contemplates continually. By the help of the formula, the soul
is enabled gradually to attain the Advaita relation with the
Lord, and to reflect with increasing fulness, God’s life in
Which it is enabled to share. For God is the life of life and the
soul of soul; and the soul is bright with life or is immersed in
darkness according as the Divine Light is given or withheld.
44 Are there not in this world, things which are dark in the
darkness and kindle into brightness in the light ?” asks Uma-
pati Sivacharya in his Tint Arid-Pay an. The eye, the crys-
tal and Hkdsa are mentioned as illustrations of such objects;
and so too is the soul. That it may share effectively in the
bliss of God’s life of love, it has to keep in sight the ideal
constantly, and, as far as it may try to identify itself with the
ideal which is its goal. To the end, the devotee has to achieve
self-effacement by offering up his body, senses, thoughts and
feelings to God, that ultimately his individual, finite life may
merge in the Universal, Infinite Life, in the realization of £iva
Anubhava or Divine beatitude. When he has attained that

62

THE LIGHT OF TRUTH

stage, he has become a truly liberated soul, which finds its
happiness in fulfilling God’s own life of loving activity. We
read in Siva-Juana-Siddhi: 41 The freed soul feels: all iny
deeds are your commandments; You stand within me You
make me do and You do. No deeds are mine, they are yours
and the hymns of the Tiru Fd^agam show that is how Manikka
Vagagar came to feel in time. The Tiru-Vdgagam is a verit-
able Pilgrim’s Progress, describing the passage of the puzzled
soul of our sage from the alluring bondage of the flesh to final
emancipation, by Divine Grace, from embodiment. The young
soul that beheld in amazement the gracious Guru when he first
quickened it with the breath of true wisdom and exclaimed :

44 The wonder this! Say is there aught like this?

He made me servant of His loving saints ;

Dispelled my fear, ambrosia pouring lorth. He came,

And while my soul dissolved, in love made me His
own! ” (v-29).

and after the first flesh of joy. felt itself almost weighted with
heavy despair when it had to confront the obstinate questiorv-
ings that that wisdom raised and cried in plaintive tones when
the Divine Lord would in His Grace call it back to Him :

“ Bridegroom of Her with fawn-like eyes ! our King :

If Thou hast caused me Thine abiding glory to forget ;

If Thou hast thrust me out in fleshly form to dwell ;

If Thou hast caused Thy slave to wander here forlorn ;
Knowing Thy servant’s ignorance, O gracious King!
When comes the day that Thou Thyself wilt show Thy
grace ?

Ah ! When, I cry, when wilt Thou call me back to
Thee?” (xxxui-4),

realizes the supreme beauty of the Lord’s service and forgets
itself in its rapture, and gathering strength and sustenance
from its unshaken confidence in Lin mortal Love, feels that in
every detail of its life, God is thv .active force :

44 The tongue itself that cries to Thee — all other powers
Of my whole being that cry out- -all are Thyself!

MAN IKK A \ r AC AGAR'S TIRU-VACAGAM 6$

Thou art my way of strength I The trembling thrill that
runs

Through me is Thee ! Thyself the whole of ill and weal !*

None other here.” (xxxiu- 5 ),

marches steadfastly onward despising all wordly pomp -and
glory and all earthly ties and attachments, and intent on reach-
ing the Divine feet which alone form everlasting treasure,
yearns, as the cow yearns for its calf, for the cool and comfort-
ing shade of the Holy Feet of the Lord :

“ Nor friends nor kin I seek, no city 1 desire, no name I
crave ;

No learned ones I seek, and henceforth lessons to be
conned suffice ;

Thou Dancer in Kurjalam* dwelling blissful ! Thy re-
sounding feet

I’ll seek, that as the cow yearns for its calf, my longing
soul may melt.” (xxxix- 3 ).

And at last in the fulnes^ and intensity of its self-negating love
forjthe Divine Master, actually reaches His Blessed Feet which
alone in truth can afford it the heaven of rest from its pilgrim-
age:

"Glory 1 ask not, nor desire I wealth, not earth or heaven
I crave ;

1 seek no birth or death ; those that desire not £ivan
never more

1 touch. I've reached the foot of sacred Pcrun-turai’s King,

And crowned myself! 1 go not forth?

1 know no going hence again!” (xxxiv- 7 ).

Mark the exultation at reaching, and the determination not to
leave the Holy feet of Siva. When Manikka Va?agar sang
in ecstasy those melodious strains, his self-abnegating love had
so far developed, that his soul might be said to have almost
realized itself, and that it was on the very verge of liberation.

- — - ■ IT ™

* Commonly spelt Courtalam, one of the most famous Saiva shrines
in South India. Tf\e Courtalam Falls attract large numbers of people
every year and it is three miles from the Railway station Tenkasi.

64 THE LIGHT OF TRUTH

For, united with the sacred Feet of God, the soul shines out
perfect, purified through love and wisdom. The ineffable
happiness of the union cannot be better described than in Saint
Appar’s supremely beautiful words of which the following lines
are a faint echo :

Gladdening like th’ advancing spring-tide;

Cooling like a tank where bees
Drunk with newly-gathered honey
Hum midst over hanging trees ;

Like the evening moon, delightful ;

Like the faultless Vina, sweet ;

Like the zephyr soft refreshing
Are my Father Isan’s feet.

After attaining this stage, the spiritual pilgrim is soon at the
farthest end of the path. Emancipated from embodiment and
redeemed from sin, he enters the golden Temple to live in
conclusive bliss in the full and conscious enjoyment of his
Father’s presence, enters the Home of joy where the Supreme
Lord in abundant love, keeps up through eternity the rhythmic
dance of cosmic life, that he too may co-operate for a great
world purpose. Thereafter, he is no one's vassal and he fears
none, not even death. The grace of the Lord has destroyed the
impurity of his soul and made him pure bliss. He has reached
the goal and has become one of the blest heirarchy of liberated
souls whose happiness consists in helping the fulfilment of God’s
purpose. This is how he sings of his realization of the self :
“This day in Thy mercy unto me Thou didst drive
away the darkness, and stand as the Rising Sun :

Of this, thy way of rising — there being naught
else but Thou — I thought without thought.

I drew nearer and nearer to Thee, wearing away
atom by atom, till I was one with Thee,

O Siva, dweller in the great Holy Shrine,

Though are not aught in the Universe ; naught is
there save Thou.

Who can know Thee.” (xxii-7).

mAnikka vacagar's tiru-vAcagam 6s

That is the story of Mtoikka Vs$agar as told in the Tint Fiifa-
gam ; and in his songs, so sweet with the nectar of devotion
and so redolent of the certitude of Divine Grace, the mission of
his life to his countrymen is enshrined. The hyrrns of the
Tint Vafagam are songs of faith and grace and love and im-
mortality, of spiritual struggle and spiritual triumph — themes
that are of the highest significance to all mankind. They are
songs that have for their theme, the sacred personality ol man,
his infinite relations to God and to life, to duty and to destiny.
Perhaps our Western friends will say that there is a strange
combination of high spirituality and gross idolatry in the
lyrics. That is the feeling of even Dr. Pope who had spent a
whole life-time in understanding and appreciating the thoughts
and feelings of the Tamil people regarding the highest matters,
their conception and solutions of the great problem of God, the
soul, humanity, nature, evil, suffering and redemption. As for
our so-called idolatry, we should really be pardoned if we
refuse to believe that our symbology has been properly under-
stood by the West. The precise import of our symbolical
expressions may not so naturally become patent to people in
the West as to us ; and for this, the settled convictions of ages
that the East and the West have each inherited, are mainly
responsible. Some of the sublimest ideas which the W r est re-
gards as emphatically beyond the sphere of argument and of
the cold intellect, the orthodox Hindu fails to appreciate, how-
ever much he may have been influenced by Western philosophy
and culture; even as Dr. Pope, with all his love and sympathy
for the Saiva religion, finds it not altogether easy to realize in
the symbol of Nafaraja an object to inspire and elevate, The
Hindu realizes in Najaraja the idea of the true Guru who
brings uS redemption, the Divine preceptor who teaches that
mayfi should be suppressed, that the world should become
subject to us and not we to the world, that the Atman is far
beyond the reach of the mind that is swayed by fleeting desires,
that AhankHra should be destroyed and that man should strive
to elevate himself to the region of pure unconditioned eons-

THE LIGHT OF TRUTH

G6

ciousness, free from passion and deception and to deserve the
equability, the bliss, the light and the truth that really form the
self. The foreigner thinks all this is fanciful ; we, however,
hold it as a living faith. We must have our differences, for
otherwise, thought would cease. Nevertheless, both the East
and the West, however different the symbols of their religious
systems may be, must be prepared to recognise that all sys-
tems have their truths which lie deeper than 4 full fathoms five '
in human nature and are essentially and fundamentally the
same for all men and for all time. It is only by such recogni-
tion that the brotherhood of man will be established, and the
kingdom of God maintained on earth ; and for this consum-
mation let us devoutly pray.

K. G. S.

THE SWASTIKA.

** The origin and history of the curious charm known as the Swas-
tika has been exhaustively described by Dr. T. Carr, a member of the
Lancashire’ and Cheshire Antiquarin Society. He claims that the origin
of the Swastika dates back to pre-Christian days. Investigation has led
him to believe that it was originally the symbol of polar star worship, and
that it was the most ancient and widely distributed symbol that had ever
existed. It has been found in Chaldea, among the ruins of the earlier cities
of Troy in Egypt, on the prehistoric relics of Greece on Hittite remains,
on prehistoric American Indian mounds, in South America, on Buddhist
remains in India, on Roman altars, on Runic crosses in Great Britain, in
Coptic churches of the tenth century, on English brasses of the thirteenth
and fourteenth centuries. It is still used in India, Tibet, China, Korea
and Japan as a sign of long life, good wishes and good fortune ; it is also
used by the Lapps and the Finns."

44 (The writer of the foregoing seems ignorant of the fact that the
Swastika is an astrological symbol known as Pars Fortunae, or the part
of fortune. It is a point in the horoscope distant from the ascendant an
equal number of degrees as from the Sun to the Moon in same Chart.
Page 67 of “Practical Astrology for Everybody" shows how to calculate
its place. It is said that the native will be fortunate in things which are
ruled by the “house " in which the Part of Fortune is posited, hence the
common idea that the Swastika is a lucky charm among those who are
unaware of its true astrological import.) — Ed. Aslro’ogical Bulletin a.

SARABHA UPANISHAT.

Om. Next Paippalada (the consumer of the fruit of action)
addressed the Brahma, * Amongst Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra,

0 Lord, who is to be more meditated upon ? Kindly explain to us
the truth alone.’

2. To him the Pitamaha replied. O Paippalada, hear this
speech.

3. The Paramesvara <the Supreme Lord) is to be obtained
by him, who has practised many virtues. I myself, Hari, Indra
and others, are bom from His body.

4. The Devas and others do not know, by ignorance, the
great Lord who is the Supreme lsvara, and the father.

5. He, who first created the Brahma, and gave out to him all
the Vedas, is to be praised, who is the Divine Lord, father of the
Devas, and creator of myself and Vishou.

6. He is the Supreme one, who dissolves all the worlds, at
the time of dissolution. He alone is the ruler of all.

7. He, the Supreme Lord, assuming the terrible form called

1 Sarabha’ (divine bird), the mighty one killed (was about to kill)
Nrisimha, the world destroyer (after drinking the blood ofHira-
uyaksha, Nrisimha became very troublesome as he could not
digest it). The lords of Devas requested h,m uho was taking
the life of him (Nrisimha) by his feet, ‘Do not, O mighty one, do
not take away the liie of Vishnu, the person, in this dead night.'

8. The Lord by His sharp nails opened (his body and drank
the venomed blood) out of compassion, and the mighty one, clad
by his skin, is called 4 Virabadra ’ (the pacifier of heated ones).

9. He, the Rudra, alone should be meditated upon in order
to accomplish all .

10. Let there be adoration to that Rudra, who was jthe
destroyer of the fifth face of Brahma.

1 1 . Let there be adoration to that Rudra, who by the fire
spark coining out of his forehe-d, reduces all the worlds into

3

r»s

THE EIGHT OF TA’C " TH

ashes, again cronies and protects them, thus revealing His own
independence.

12. Let there be adoration to that Rudra, who byllis left
foot killed the Death, (Markandeya’s Story) and who drank the
temble poison.

13. Let there be adoration to that Rudra. who bestowed
the disc (chakra) on Vishnu, who worshipped him by one of his
Eyes on his left foot. (When Vishnu found wanting one lotus
flower, he pulled out one of his Eyes, making offering, completed
the Sahasranamarchana).

14. Let there be adoration to that Rudra, who, the mighty
one, at the sacrifice of Daksha, after conquering the multitude of
the Devas, bound Vishnu by a big noose.

15. Let there be adoration to that Rudra. who, as if by
play burned the terrible three cities ; who has the sun, the moon
and the fire as his three eyes; to whom all the Devas have become
servants (Pasus) and by this reason who assume the name 1 Pasu-
pati ' (the Lord of Pasus, the ignorant jivas).

16. Thus praising him by many ways, (the Devas) pacified
Nilakantha, the great Lord.

17. Let there be adoration to that Rudra, who, the ancient
Lord, killed the terrible and troublesome incarnations of Vishnu,
namely, Matsya, Karma, Vara ha, Nnrasimha and Vamana; and who
reduced Manmata* into ashes. Thus by many hymns, (the Devas)
pacified Nilakantha, the great Lord.

19. He, Paramesvara, removes all kinds of sufferings, birth,
death &e., caused by the three kinds of afflictions. Thus praised
by the hymns, the ancient Lord, the self of all the embodied ones,
Sankara, protects all the beings. He be praised, who transcends
the mind and the speech, the great Lord, whose lotus like two feet,
even now Vishnu is seeking to find out. The Lord shewed his
grace to Vishnu, who was bent w T ith much devotion.

20. Realising the Bliss of Brahman, from whom speech returns
with mind without obtaining him, one never fears at any time.

* The God of Love.

SARABHA V PARISH AT 69

21. He is subtler than the subtlest, and the bigger than the
biggest, tlte Atman is secreted in the cavity of this being. By
his grace sees his glory, he who has no desire and who has no
sorrow.

22. lie is meditated upon in the heart, by Vasishtha, Vyasa,
Yamadeva, Yirifx hi and others ; the ancient Lord, Mahesa, is
praised by Sanatsujatiya, Sanatana and others. He is the truth,
eternal, the witness of all, Mahesa, everblissful, unchanged, form-
less, who has unlimited energy, and who has no Lord above him,
has created by his own avidya, the object.

23. The maya bewilders, t) observer of food vows, me
much and Vishnu. By the meditation on his feet it can be crossed
easily, though it is very difficult to cross.

24. Vishnu, the origin of all the worlds, with his own
manifestations, and along with my manifestations, protects all the
worlds. The same become dissolv ed by time. Therefore (except
him) all others are false.

25. Let there be adoration to that Rudra, who is the great
consumer, the great Lord, the trident holder, the amscious and
Mahesvara.

26. The omnipresent one is the great Being. There are
many other beings. The eternal one, being the self of beings
enjoys all, pervading through all the three worlds.

27. The omnipresent one be pleased with me, who wor-
shipped by the four syllabled mantra twice, by the two syllabled
one, four syllabled one, and again by the two syllabled mantra.*

28. The eternal the oblation, the eternal clarified butter, are
offered in the eternal ; the fire by the eternal ; unto the eternal,
verily shall he go who in his action meditated wholly upon the
eternal.

29. (The definition of Sarabha). The Saras are the jivas.
They are always shining (Bha) in His body. Hence the (all) con-
sumer Brahman is called Sarabha, O the great sage, the direct
giver of Salvation.

* Vide my Vish?usaltairauuv:a translation for explanation.

70

THE LIGHT OF TRUTH

30. The Devas are bewildered by the influence of His M&ya,
through the ideas of ‘ mine ' and others.

31. One is unable to describe His glory, even a particle of it.

3;. Brahma is above Para (the world) ; above him is Vishpu;

above him is, indeed, JSa. Equal or superior to him, there is none.

33. There is only one §iva, eternal : Except Him all else is
false. Therefore, giving up all other worshipful gods, Siva alone
is to be meditated upon for ever, who is the remover of all the
sam saras.

34. To Him, adoration, who is the great consumer, the
Mahe 5 vara.

35. This great Sastra, O Paippalada, is not to be given to
any indiscriminately ; to the Atheist, ungrateful, bad character,
evil-minded one, egotistic, sinful, rogue, utterer of falsehood. It
is to be given to a good fellow, Devotee, observer of good vows,
good conduct, devoted to guru, calm and quiet, good-hearted, and
the devotee of Siva. This work of Brahman, Can be handed down
through him who has the above qualifications. This is to be
instructed only to one’s own pupils, who do not break down the
good vows, O Sage; and not to others. It is to be kept in secret
always ; O the best of the Brahmanas.

36. The twice-bom one who studies and hears this Paippa-
lada Sastra, becomes freed from birth and death. He who
understands this, attains the state of immortality. He is freed
from the dwelling m the womb ; becomes purified from the sin of
tasting the liquor; from the theft of gold; from Erahmanicide; from
the sin of lying down with guru's bed. He gets the virtue of
studying all the Vedas, of meditating on all the Devas ; he becomes
purified from all the heinous crimes ; he gets the virtue of taking
the pilgrimage to Kasi. He becomes ever beloved of Siva. He
attains the equal state of Siva. He does never return, does never
return. He becomes Brahman only. Thus says the Lord Brahma.
Thus ends the Upanishat. Draw

R. A. SASTRY.

POETRY OF ST. APPAR.

I.

St. Appar’s DevAram and the Tamilian World.

It is a great pity that St. Appar’s Devaram is now being
overlooked even by our Tamil scholars. Beyond a few chapters
containing some of the popular songs which had been tradit-
ionally selected and handed down to us by our musicians, aftd
thus made even the illiterate get them by heart, very few of our
friends have taken the trouble to go through and think about
or discuss the matter or the diction of St. Appar’s Devaram as a
whole. A complete study of the same is felt somehow tedious
not because that any one can finger at any poem devoid of
beauty, eloquence or absorbing interest, but perhaps because
its readers had not fecilities for undergoing a peculiar training
which the dying pial schools once possessed for appreciating the
beauties of Devaram which flow out like a clear spring as the
water is being baled out.

The difficulty presented to the readers in reading patiently
the whole of St. Appar’s Devaram may also be due to two
other causes. The chief cause seems to lie in the very simpli-
city of its diction. Had it been written in an elevated style
interwoven with intricate Sandams, it would have attracted the
attention of many modern scholars, and would have been more
widely studied. As it is, a superficial study of the Devaram
gives but a poor or discouraging idea of the work, and the
greater the number of times the poems are read, proportionately
the better is the light reflected on them from within. The
second cause, which is quite apparent, is the absence of any
commentaries. St. Appar’s disciples might have chosen to
write one with no difficulty. But, there continued a deplorable
notion unto this day, that for anyone to venture a commentary
on an " JigaraiirsQ 5” or divinely inspired saying is being con-
sidered an intolerable piece of audacity. Perhaps this is the

72 THE LIGHT OF TRUTH

reason why our renowned Tamil men of letters who might have
written accurate notes on St. Appar’s Devaram passed away
without committing what would be styled as the sacrilege of
annotation. So we find in many places even in St. Appar’s
Dev2ram apparently simple words or phrases for which we
can now give no definite interpretation, (which some centuries
ago could have been easily given,) as w r e are now removed from
St. Appar by at least thirteen centuries in which there is almost
a thorough change in the individual and the social life of the
Tamilian, and to some extent even in the language spoken by
our forefathers.

Such difficulties though they may be unwelcome to the
readers of St. Appar’s Devaram, propose many interesting
problems to the scientists who explore the history ol our past.
For instance the simple poem quoted below containing appa-
rently the simplest words possible is still a puzzle to the student
of Numismatics.

«• unUf.u Gupp utHfdG uyiiiiabii *

ail l ailLL.ijB.i af S ulci tjtsustauuQijirG
Qpi^d Qatr&sor'd fa) (T^suntijQpa d Q,%Giup>j)
fptf-u Quirijsha Gairaflpp&tT QpeorQitrG^iir

— ^(/^d^^dGpna ».*, Stanza 7.

We are totally in the dark as to what is meant by the
fading of an old coin ( “ u^ii*** a*/_” ) and what was the
process of its rectification, which seem to be referred to in the
above poem.

Not only to those who are interested in exploring our past
history and civilisation does St. Appar's Devaram stand as a
main source of information but it stands as a monumental
record to the linguist who is interested in knowing the evolu-
tion of the modern Tamil tongue. Many of our colloquial
words, phrases, and pithy expressions which are used in our
ordinary conversation, find an elevated use in St. Appar’s
Devaram. Colloquial words such as “Gu.tr

paop”, “adui", “ )&i (*,&(£'' etc., and such phrases as

“^JSsrtLinp," etc., were not ostracised from literary

POETRY Ot ST. APPAR 73

use during St. Appar’s time. Many words which had a wide
significance during the time of Appar have now been narrowed
in their use.* St. Appar’s vocabulary shows that Tamil had
greater affinity with other branches of the Dravidian than it has
at the present day. Some words in Tamil have now lost the con-
notation \hey had during the time of St. Appar, and they
acquired new meaning which they nevei before possessed. § A
detail treatment of those facts would be out of place in the
present discourse.

St. Appar’s DevSram as an indirect evidence of the history
of our past, is practically unimportant when compared with the
social and religious reforms which it goads us on to do, and to
upset the tyranny of custom that we slothfully submitted to.
In the age of St. Appar, for instance, it was never the custom
in our temples to pay respects to Siva through the medium of
an Archagar or priest. The Saivaite devotee of any caste (per-
haps Pafichama and such other down-trodden castes excepted),
is expected to go into the heart of the temple, and worship Cod
with his own hand.}: There is not a single stanza in St.

* Cf. the modern and the ancient use of the words 4 a/<j t

* tifcl ’ etc.

§ The word * iSfmja ’ had not then its ignoble tinge.

♦ (i) " riuiuGvavaFT — -

L^ isnniuns\)Lli^-u GypaMm — miir isn * puajQeardr :t "

— fijQQj&JMu.a'iev.

(ij) “ inlev l§ # ? pguf <s a n&

ujQJoQuti $ LLCvii^Jr QiiTvBBr i—r. isj atrri fojaif inarQarea&ipfi
ggFua, efifs/aS^eSh— aievAiri r&(g4
s^udlS's vfijb siLut-^utrsv a.7 r~©t_ 6 g/f "

(iii) “ sruQfiu) p u d <i mljp. / Qatr igLC&ird &Qm&m Q & ij£> ”

— Line. 2. Stanza 2 of ■£@Qv*jjfiiTsoru)-£i(» i Qmiflm<r,

( i V ) “ (?■< llait / t or Q sir sir S

Ujtf bo o?D L ’iL Git rrsoB’ i? eisari3 ^B)A)iLSAniLuf.

6^/resft as}i_ i£@juQ amdi-i 0 p fif- Bi—dooio

mirmmt—i <2 f ppdGujt & BAsSfePu utugppQpGar ". — Stanza 3 ,

11 jy0«TJ jff jiUf-'ijQ 0A>e> it ld’G- SBj&uS tar llsvH «(?«r i/f
LcQfpn n & p<kiQ*idi—nh ^c\'LCU 0 J^^^.<^<■vlt (0 0 .’ ,

— Lines 3 and 4 of stanza 3, fi^suawM^nu.

74

THE LIGHT OF TRUTH

Appar’s Dev&ram (or even in any other Devaram) which can
show the appointment of a paid substitute to worship our God
as it is done in modern days.* It is indeed very painful to our
senses to observe that a guruhkaf who was too lazy to bathe in
the morning, and with a heart less pure than his body is allow-
ed to go to the mulasthanam with his apparent show of piety
and cleanliness, and to touch and worship therein — not at all
with bhakti but for the sake of his belly on the devotee’s money
— the Sacred Lihgam, whereas we with a purer heart and a
cleaner body are not allowed to go near mulasthanam , but are
asked to stand some yards off wherefrom Sivalingam is generally
invisible except when camphor is lit. When birth thus deter-
mines the worth of the devotee in our temples, he generally
forgets the object of his visit, and ponders over the irrational
customs which give monopoly to one caste only the right of
personal worship. It shall be the duty of every £aivaite to
fight for the right of personal worship in our temples which
we never had cause to lose, and to restore the state of equili-
brium that existed in our temples during the time of St. Appar.

St. Appar never believed in the arbitrary differences bet»-
ween man and man. He hated the caste distinctions, for they
could serve no purpose to any Siva Bhakta. f He says “ lSobuo
Lysvi0 laou Qlhiliujitu Qupu®&Gsr p i/rsrr^ He affirm-

ed that all human bodies when dissected § are similar but minds

* Even to-day, in the Ceded Districts and Kalinga and northern India,
Other castes except the lowest can worship with their own hands. — Ed.SD.

f 4< u6vGu4r(Q

(SmirjfilrrQfia QsoQpii i Q#uj«tf/r

uirj£)i &aiQu>earj)i uzsstijslGj’fo

lUi/f&iaaOMQ ub (yejLOir p Qlj pQ <7 . ”

• — ^t(^u.npQujpi — Stanza 3.

§ " aitevQ&irSlp Q/*$guDi-i (ipLLi$.& ir tsOuDun&aDajjnn

jsl SiLtsiLiy-p Q^ir^LouSlir QuaLi p *_od djj.”

— js)@&Q&irsBNL£-j&DLD Stanza 3.

Again. “ s@a./rSla @^lcl90e^ 7 r

#0 ibgLOLj Wayafr Qw gv G&iriQp neerr^S ”

plQflfln&siL-n'ijj Stanza 6.

POETRY OF ST. APPAR.

75

only differ. The only division that he could make of mankind
was between those that are Siva hhaktas and those that are not*
i. e. those that are emancipated from the pleasures and pains of
this world and those that are subject to the same. This is the
reason why he sang the following famous lines: —

fi, gasafi jitua*) y gpi uo

wiigaitr uajrrQ lo^uQuit

u.C* suit& i a'a)i u i i

sG>LC6vn i£i gaapi jtyBp O patyGisirtufir
'jjtrsyrflpsj p $sis7 &it£££L£i lj6Vuj(b ESJUlo
swao&a'iTT cfscoL—dsui^nns sarui iz£

aiaiixaiar ls.it iurrj.ajeBa ’Elgin st^eyarirQ g

His reconversion from the Samanam made St. Appar
believe that even the vegetarian propaganda of old cannot be
the be-all and end-all of life, l and that a man who eats even
the most objectionable kind of meat may still attain salvation.

Not only to the social and religious reformer does St.
Appar stand as a guiding spirit, but also to one who may be
interested in St. Appar’s contemporary theology. Samanam
which is now practically dead was no unimportant religion.
For over ten centuries it played a very prominent part in the
history and literature of the Dravidian kingdoms. Though we
have a large portion of Samana literature in Tamil, it is still

* The devotees of Siva are described as follows ; —

“ tetTsori gjatriktSQeveir ui6sor <SLhuLLESQ6u6or ihirsvajeaaxji
pgsorigloa isj@ j’teo&QujnflQsuZBr peea gy
l£ sorhuUf-Q sti&5T eS&iu—tr s$ L$Qsc<asr Gsu^re^&eonr
($svQu)'T&r Qsuirgsu sp isa lLulLl- etj^^LoiriCSs , n

— -saiR# ,%?0 «a Stanza 8 .

♦ “ «ir«v*/T®<*60fF,£7 jdifluSQ&ieir

treBTiAlhir jS Q&iuuSQev’Ssr

ixw &Bt u[ avm G i^ 1 (I |p sun G0 GoO^sr

ninj sui ii’ser iessiS’iv^)(ou.'.'’

— Stanza (> unm*-* r V:

4

76

THE LIGHT OF TRUTH

difficult to understand whether Samapam was a theism or
atheism, whether it was a form of Digambara Jainism or one
which is prior in origin to Buddhism or Jainism. In Devarattt,
we find the dark side of Samanam. But in spite of the sarcas-
tic remarks of St. Appar on the habits and customs of Samanas,
we get in his work a glimpse of the life and ideals of the
“ QsirweixiGevfts) " (the religion of not killing anything living on
the face of the earth) much better than what we have from
Jfianasambandar. St. Appar’s criticisms of Santapam are
never unbearably pungent, but are generally calm and based
upon the universally accepted principles of hygiene* which
Samapas set at naught.

St. Appar keeps Samanam on a par with Buddhism. For
both these religions do not take the trouble to go beyond the
experience of the five senses, J and their materialism was despised
by him. He condemns their Atneism § which is consequent upon
the beleif that the present course of life is real and permanent.
He says that they cannot understand the fact that the present
stage of life is only a preliminary step for something higher

* The following is the general tenour of his criticisms : —

“ LDjbflt—tJilsBrfi ld’Sot £/ pi p sv gggw) euwevitem a ",

M 5?0a/tf.a5<sar ( rf ", [*Lomir ,, f

“ LDitfloaff^iu/Suj Qioeeffuir , \ or ** u>» f/uusarLO/r-* Qi&uJWjiTuevidljviT<?
“ i gpa>(euij gi e-an^i-w? su^&sbi : r ", or ** Qp.ij3!>s& sir (Suit ty /6aar

“ frm vans 6 vm 6 bbtt ", ",

“ &aQudsst s/ 0«wt_£ ”,

“ ulL'#. Qj>LuSp <s^p)2jjirir p w'2i£>arQ pear soft ”,

“c?«iS<ao* ingrj Jo QutttjjQpirir ^&fQn>ar2peaasaf) ”,

“ — “ pilif-Qui jutesrir ", etc.

+ ** 0«wl _(? a fficinl 0 r ’9ojV<o/j t £7 Searjr

aesai—Gp * Qgr&n i s ar sg pQpearg*)

— jigGinfienr Stanza 9 .

£ “ emu Qt^x'2 ujdrjp n n#jgl&uD Qu#r2fi

LJSBL-SeirQuiT<sv «0 u^^lcit

psai—Qejirsar fiea fi 1 l> ^«rw. . ijrisQtsir _o

jfj&t— Li isof'Sij.niufiiir, &eaa<mnG». "

POETRY OF ST. APPAR

77

beyond the so-called death 1, that should be attained by our
strenuous attempts in the right direction. And he had abso-
lutely no hope of convincing them in arguments that they were
wrong, and that such an attempt would prove futile is express-
ed very beautifully in the following stanza.

“ A_«MMT0U> 0«D S 4i_fiUt><B)L0«DlU<5

Oi_(rs0(?aff su.Qeom peoGuirp
unmi&irrflseir uutfl Qfarusrr/b
GpaiiGfim Q&iar QuQi/fmes>uiGuj ",

— ^ neas Stanza 5.

Many are the uses of St. Appar’s Devaram to a reader
whether he is a Saivite or not. Yet what is most interesting to
any student of our literature who may have a chance of going
through St. Appar’s Devaram is the personality of St. Appar
as revealed by his poems.

E. N. T.

Part 1, Finis.

^ u 9(3 iS/DuiSmn aniCedj tija&K sgi isnaxi)

(yt aiif>£G£u.Lj OuwainirilLH t
t^puiGuff^ gteniijtg) l cvjtyQ
aytfjHrgpf&iiCa t-*eu citriTLcarjjjjgpQ
aj fnlusiau iugpuiSld(£

mr aiicomr c uut^.9ouj tutscrif 1

SjpuLfih QaijtmSiun T uSfgijlti Qe<r p($<&tL
Gi^mpGuignsrumir i+spi/ttiiiQp ".

— l^irani 90^^0^>a«irL.ai>Stanti J.

MY MASTER’S VOICE.

PART II.

THE GURU AND THE ISHTA DEVATA.

(Atimsamyama Yoga).

“ Take from the Harmony a single tone —

"A single tint take from the Iris bow,

“ And lo! what once was all, is nothing — while
“ Fails to the lovely WHOLE one tint or tone ! ”

— The Veiled Image of Isis (Schiller.)

That which people call ‘ renouncing ’
is truest 4 grasping ’ be thou sure.

None indeed becomes ‘God-Grasper’ (Y6giJ

who has not grasped and ‘renounced’ the thought-making Mind.
“ Nahya sawyasta sankalfo Yogi bhavati kachchana ”.

In the first part of this exposition of “ My Master’s Voice ,r
or “ the silent teaching of the one Guru ” I called pointed
attention to the preliminary perfection of Discipline involved in
Karmasanyasa y6ga which the spiritual aspirant must undergo
to qualify himself as Disciple to receive the initiation into the
Higher Mysteries of Life.

The First Stage is Havana, graduation in which in-
volves the clearance of all doubts and misapprehensions of the
mind by instructions received from the Guru. This is the first
Diksha stage, and equips the pupil with clearness of under-
standing.

The Second Stage is Manana , graduation in which in-
volves the clearance of all delusive appearances or vain imagin-
ings of the Thought-making Mind which are not in accord with
the Great and Eternal Facts of Existence and a consequent
apprehension and clear expression of the truths or meanings of
facts in language which at once becomes the slave of Thought.
So that all Vikshepam is destroyed. This prepares the path for

MY MASTER'S VOICE

79

fullness or perfection of understanding by the worship or Upd -
sana of the Ishla Devatd, which helps the cultivation ot the Will
to a very high degree.

The Third Stage is Nidhidhyasana t graduation in which
involves the elimination of all incongruous elemf its in Ideal
building which lead to the entertainment of what is commonly
called " impractical ideals ” — a negation in term, as all ideals
have to be realised or are built up for realisation and not for
dilly-dallying. Even the highly cultivated Will and perfected
understanding of the pupil who has taken his degree in the
first two stages above mentioned are apt to flounder, when he
begins to pull down his own previously formed habits of the
mind and rebuild his character after the idea t he has imbibed
and worshipped. “Character-building ” is even more difficult
than “ideal-building” as the former involves a fundamental
alteration in the formation of one's self. It amounts to a Spiri-
tual Transformation and this the advanced pupil cannot accom-
plish without the aid of transformed souls who have realised
the Truth in their own individual lives. This is called
Sahgam. This is the apprentice course, which the pupil after
his graduation in receiving instructions and in mastering the
general theories in the Science of Life must necessarily undergo,
to make himself sure that “theory and practice ” do not differ
from each other and cannot possibly differ in the Great and
Practical Science of Life. It is the most exacting of all Exact
Sciences and until one has graduated in Nidhidhyasana or the
Assimilation of Knowledge, he has not qualified himself to
enter the stage of Discipleship which qualifies him to receive
the Higher Mysteries. Here again he is guided mostly by his
cultivated Will (made perfect by the worship of Ishta-Bevzta
or ■ Updsana) purified and made constant by intercourse with
realised Souls ( Sat-sangam ). Manana and Nidhidkyttfana
therefore are mutually helpful, just as at an earlier ‘stage,
Sravana and Manana were found to be mutually helpful.

With his completion of the apprentice course or sat-iafigam
oar pupil has attained to that stage of preliminary preparation

8o

THE LIGHT OF TRUTH

when he becomes a fit subject for initiation into the Higher
Mysteries of Life. The transition stage from Pardksha to
Aparoksha however is marked by another obstacle which
neither Guru nor self-effort can remove. The Karma of the
disciple must have become ripened by this time, so that it may
fall off of itself like the full-ripe fruit which falls off leaving its
stem. The one only way to get over this obstacle is to work
off one’s Karma with a will, by making life and thought more
intense and less diffuse. Indeed the brave Yogin who is deter-
mined to take the Kingdom of God by force, makes a violent
— by which is meant nothing more than a truly valiant , effort to
work out his Karma.

It is quite true that “ the Kingdom of God often suffer eth
violence and the violent take it by force!" But the force they
employ is not outward or outgoing, but inward or drawing
more and more within by the intensity of the concentration they
practise. One indeed cannot shirk the debt one owes to past
Karma which has begun to fructify : but one can surrender
oneself wholly and let Karma , work its course or pay itself
without one’s helping it in taking account. There is at the
present moment a Ydgin at Negapatam who has turned “ the
current that knows its way ” entirely inward, leaving the body
absolutely to take care of itself. For nearly two years now he
has neglected to minister to the wants of his own body remain-
ing ever in samddhi or intense union with the Antarlakshya of
his Heart and Soul : Though utterly neglected by him, the
body yet lives in utter defiance of all the conventional laws of
body and life ; but in due obedience to the eternal laws.

The Guru at the disciplinary stage of * Kartnasanydsa '
leads the soul (JivaJ up to the fshfa-Devatd — the abiding Light
within it being that which is the eternal witness of all action
without its ever partaking of the fruits of action, The Ishfa-
Devatd again when the updsaka has attained to oneness with it,
leads the cultivated or grown up soul to the company of
Masters or Sat-sangam that it may learn the oneness of the
subjective and objective realisations from the example of their

MY MASTER'S VOICE Si

life which it cannot itself supply. When the Guru and the
lahta-Devatt have completed their work with the pupil who
has taken refuge in them, the lessons of Dharma and Upisa$m
are completely learned and there remaineth yet the obstacle of
Karma alone which none can help the pupil to get over, except
himself and that by the intensity of life which he by his prelimi-
nary training is able to live, without, of course, breaking the
thread of consciousness, which to him is Death. The unbroken
thread of consciousness is the all pervasive thread-line (Brahma
sUtra) which threads the incidents of one’s life from its first
beginnings in the remote past which is anterior even to the
Birth of Time, to its Last endings or “ the Final Goal ” which
is " the Home of the Lord.”

All Sadhands are but various devices, systematic and
well-arranged, for attaining the necessary discipline and the
consequent will-power necessary to control the modifications of
the Mind. This is what the Science of Yoga teaches. “ Yoga
is Chitta-Vrithy-NirOdhana ” says Patanjali Bhagavan, the
accomplished author of the Yoga SQtras. But “ the modifications
of the mind " — the thought-making mind — and the laws that
govern them must first be known and fully ' grasped ’ and
assimilated before any intelligent attempt can be made to gain
.ontrol over them. Sravana-Manana-nidhidhydsana leading
up to the Yogasamyonta siddhi are the means to attain this
necessary knowledge. The full control is not attained until the
Samddhi State of Knowledge, with its 25 angas and sixty
states, is fully entered into and the whole field of consciousness
is thoroughly investigated and the ‘ field limit ’ transcended.
The transcendent state or Final Realisation , DakshinimQrti alone
can teach. It is in fact no State— it being a transcendence of
all states. * When the Immanence of God is realised, the Ishfa-
Devata merges in the Jnana Guru or Dakshindmurti, who is the
Guru of all Gurus.

I say ‘ Guru of all Gurus,' because the Path of Realisation
is an immense and infinite process, which the Initiate may not
be able to realise all at once. For such, it is, for the sake of

THE LIGHT OF TRUTH

convenience, divided into easy stages, all which merge one into
the other, and therefore do not militate against each other. The
Mumukshu will, however be well-advised if he sticks to a given
path without turning his back on it in favour of another when
he has proceeded half-way. All paths lead to self-realisation
when pursued and persevered in with a will which takes no
defeat and uses them all as stepping stones to rise above one’s
own limited and therefore weaker self. All limitations are so
many weak points in the armour of one’s self and every defeat
is an indication of the defect in the shield which the Yogin must
set about mending or ending without much ado.

A student of Brahma Vidya who says that he has been initi-
ated into the mysteries of Vedanta by his Paramahamsa Guru
and that for fifteen years he has been worshipping his Ishtn
Devata which is Daksb i n a murti, wants to know how to attain
to Mano-laya. Here one must make oneself sure of the prelimi-
nary facts, which for the sake of clearness I reiterate more fully
below : —

Firstly , — the student must make himself sure that the Science
he is studying is Brahma Vidya and that there is nothing
imperfect in the Sravana he has gone through. He must
have heard from the Guru all that he has to hear on the
subject of his study, which means a long course of attacn
ment and apprenticeship to the teacher involving the resi-
dential principle and the exercise of personal influence
through character-building in teaching and watching the
expansion of Soul.

Secondly , — the novitiate must make himself sure that he has
understood what he has heard which is the process known
as manana.

Thirdly , — the novitiate must make himself sure that he has
assimilated the teachings of the Guru by living up to the
principles of the precepts in his every-day-life, so that in
due course he becomes saturated, so to say, with the
teachings of the Guru. Then and then only is he fit for
Initiation. Otherwise the process of initiation will do him

MY MASTER'S VOICE 85

no good but may, on the contrary, do him infinite harm by

his misunderstanding the meaning of the words and sym-
bols of Initiation.

When the preliminary foundation is thus well and truly
laid, the initiation into the higher mysteries hardly ever fails to
produce the intended result.

When a student says that he has been only initiated into
the mysteries of Vedanta by his Paramahamsa Guru and that
as a result of such initiation he has been worshipping Dakshind-
murti as his Ishfa-Devatd, the inevitable inference naturally
follows that his theoretical knowledge is complete and that his
efforts to reduce the theory to practice has been stretched over
a period of 15 years.

But when he asks one “ how to attain Mand-laya ? " he
stultifies himself, for the worship of the Ishfa-Devata (and that
Ishfa-Devata being Dakshindmdrti\) presupposes that he has
been duly initiated into the mystery of the process which result
in Mand-laya. For Dakshindmurtl is the Devatd of the Asi-
fadha Mantra.

All Mantras have but one object in view : it is making the
mind one-pointed and causing it to flow in a continuous current
through that one poii.t to the total exclusion of all other points
of exit. When the mind is so concentrated and directed towards
the predetermined goal or Mantra- Devatd, the effect must
inevitably be the merging of the Mind in the Devatd-form .
The worshipper and the worshipped become indissolubly one,
and the burden of leading the Mind onward henceforth rests
on the Ishta-Devata, which in obedience to the Law of its own
being, is bound to lead him on and on to the ultimate goal.

The only power which can successfully way-lay him and
prevent hi’s further progress is the Law of Karma, which when
his previous actions are ripe for harvest, will insist on his
reaping the same as a preliminary to further progress. Even
here, if the Ishfa-Devata is truly and rightly worshipped and
the oneness of the worshipper with the worshipped is steady
and indissoluble in all states of consciousness, the Ishta Devatd
5

86

THE LIGHT OF TRUTH

will stand surety for him and afford him the means (by the right
of his past achievements or sidd/tis in the path) of paying his
debt to Nature (i.e. the Law of Karma) and thus help him on
(byccrtain Siddhies) in the path of realisation.

The life-story of Sri Chidambara Svamigal the great
Ascetic who built the renowned temple at Tirupporur (in the
Chingleput Dt.) is to the point and aptly illustrates the mean-
ing of the above. His Guru noticed his intelligence while
going his round for Bhiksha and beckoned him to approach
him. But the man was a scholar engaged as a tutor in a vil-
lage where he was greatly honoured and respected. His pride
of learning prevented him from obeying the beck and call of
the Guru and so he slighted him. But the Guru perceived his
weakness, and intending to cure him of his pride of learning,
found faults in his teaching and challenged him to prove that
he was in the right. The scholar accepted the challenge, found
himself thoroughly routed in the learned contest, and as a
result of his inglorious defeat he recognised him as his Master
and Guru. The pride of learning quelled, the scholar proved’a
most apt pupil and he was soon initiated into the “Higher Mys-
teries " — the Ideal placed before him for realisation by his Guru
being the highest. The disciple readily grasped the mystic
meaning of the Guru and clearly understood the Ideal placed
before him. But when he began to realise it, he found that all
his efforts were frustrated and he bitterly complained of this to
the Guru. The Guru tested his methods of practice and finding
no fault therein enquired of him whether he has practiced Murti
Dhydna and if so who and what the Murtam was which he
has been worshipping and meditatating upon. He confessed
the truth and said that he has meditated on Madura-Minakshi
Amman as his Ishta-Devata. The Guru immediately told him
that he had nothing more to teach him, but that he must go to
the presence of his fs/rta-Devatd and there realise the Highest
Truth he has taught him. He accordingly went to Madura
and prayed to Sri Mindksln Amman to grant him the boon of
Highest Re alisation as taught him by \X\? Juai a Guru.

MY MASTER'S VOICE

»7

The Holy Mother made Herself manifest to him and said
She would grant him the boon on his implicit obedience to Her
behests. -The worshipper yielded himself up to his Ishta-
Devjta and She, the 1 Inly Mother, granted him then and there
the Highest Realisation of Truth Absolute but bade him go up
to Tiruponir and there build a temple to Sri Subrahmapia on
the hill there. This command, the realised soul readily took
upon himself as a supreme vow, and he simply went there and
did the work, overcoming all obstac les and achieving the object
of his visit to the spot by his indomitable will and energy with
no other help than that of the Grace of his lshtx-Devata which
was all sufficient for anything and everything he willed. The
Holy Man’s Kurina lay that way and his lshta-Devata simply
stood surety for him and set him about working his karma out.
It is impossible for the Guru to initiate the pupil into the
Higher Mysteries if the: foundations are not well and truly laid;
and if after all that has to be done by nature of self-effort, has
been well and truly doijc, if he finds that there is any residuum
of Karma which needs to be washed out, he will direct him to
his lshta-Devata who alone can and will guide him through the
labyrinthrnn maze of Karma unharmed and untouched by’ the
actions he may find himself compelled to perform in working

V*

out his past karma. Great souls and world -workers like San-
kara and others also did all their work by the aid of the ]■ s/ifa-
Dei ata who alone has the power to grant KishkarmasMdhi.
Hence the all-absorbing importance of the Ishfa-Devata to the
Vbgin and disciple who will be saviours not only of themselves
but of the world. For there is no saving of one’s soul without
saving the world. The vyashti and samashti are both bhavas
and you cannot transcend bliCiva by working at / yasbti alone.
It (individual development) is only a training ground to tackle
with the larger Ski.f in the Samashti world. Individual Freedom
cr Jivanmnkti is possible only with Universal Freedom (Para-
mukti) and the enfranchised sou / has no other purpose on earth
but to work for the Progress of the World according to God's
own mysterious purpose. “ M 3 ' Father works and I work ”,

88 THE LIGHT OF TRUTH

is ever the motto of the enlightened and enfranchised soul on
earth. Aum.

PART III.

(Mohskaianyasa Yoga).

“ So have I writ its wisdom here, — its hidden mystery,

For England ; O our India ! as dear to me as k She ’ f ”

K. S. S. A. or “WINNING THE SPURS."
Kumara-Gurupara Satyananda-Santi-Avadhuta-Sdkshi Diksha.

To the Goo Enlightened Hierophant

yr ye r

Sri Sri Sri VirajAnanda SvarOpAtman
Tending the Altar-Fire of God at the Holy Shrine
Of BhAraiI Mata in the Ancient But
Ever New Temple {PR A NAVAL AY A)

Of Prabuddha BhArata
Nursed in the Lap of MAyAvati
In the Dakshina Pari&a
Of HimavAn,

This “ nice article” from the Infinite Stork
Of Skif-Exprrirnck, ‘7,’ an “ offering made” afore.

As a Loving Tribute and Abiding Testimony to
The Living Power of the Son of God on Earth.

Aum 5 aravanabhava-Natnonamak .

“Tbe Kingdom of tbe World ii become the Kingdom of God and HU Son' — Rer elation*

It was Monday, the Day of the Moon, sacred to the abiding
Deity of the reflecting Mind. The body was writhing under rack-
ing pains, due to a neglected wound which has developed into a
troublesome lacerating sore. The nerves were tattered to pieces
so to speak : but the purified mind reflecting the self-effulgent

* Tbs text of the Sermon in tbe Coronation Durbar Camp preached
by tbe Bishop of Madras at Delhi.

MY MASTER'S VOICE *9

rays of the Atman was calm and serene* and refused tb be
disturbed by the agonies of the body. I have for twenty years
now worked on the principle that “Our Theism is the purifiC'
ation of the Human Mind ”.• Chiita fsuddih is the primary end
to be attained and the ultimate aim of all religious disciplines
known as Siksha and Diksha . When this is obtained “ the
Kingdom of God within ” must open the gates. As the Svami
Vivekananda has sweetly sung, —

“TO ME THEY OPEN MUST.”

And the Prodigal’s Voice is heard by the Mother who
quickly responds to “ the knocks at the door ” of Her Son who
crieth aweary, —

“ Open the Gates of Light, O Mother

To Me Thv tired Son !

1 long, oh, long to return Home !

Mother, my play is done.”

When the Prodigal set out on his wanderings he hoped to
have an easy time of it ; but bitter experience taught him a
good lesson. He now realises t that it is not he that went out,
but it was his Mother who sent him out in the Dark to Play.

The inspired lines of the Sv&mi Vivekananda describing
the bitter experiences in the world of the wandering wayward
soul are most beautiful and record the universal experience of
all enlightened souls. They will bear repetition and 1 beg to

* " Purification of the Human Mind ” Chiita suddhi : — cf. Bhagavad
Gita xyij, 16, 17.

“ Serenity of soul, benignity.

Sway of the silent Spirit, constant stress
To sanctify the Nature, — these things make
Good rite, and true religiousness of Mind.”

“ Such threefold faith in highest piety
Kept with no hope of gain, by hearts devote,

Is perfect work of Sattvan, true belief.” — Sir Edwin Arnold^

t Cf. B. G. xvin 61, 62. There lives a Master in the hearts of men.
Maketh their deeds by subtle pulling strings,

Dance to what tune He will. With all thy soul
Trust Him and take Him for thy succour. Prince !

So— only so — Arjuna ! — shalt tbou gain —

By grace of Him — the uttermost repose.

The ETERNAL PLACE ! "—Sir Edwin Arnold.

gt> THE LIGHT OF TRUTH

quote them as describing the life-experiences of One who has
docked at the door until it has opened.

'* You sent me out in the dark to play and wore a fright-
ful mask.

Then Hope departed terror came, and Play became
a Task.

Tossed to and fro from wave to wave in this seething

SURGING SEA

Of passions strong and sorrows- deep, griff is and Joy
to be,

Where life is living death alas ! and death,— who knows
but ’tis

Another start, another round of the old wheel of Grief
and bliss ?

Where children dream bright, golden dreams too soon to
find them dust.

And aye look back to hope long lost and life a mass of
rust!” (Cf. ii.G. A rjuna - 1 'ishtxdayoga ) .

From such an experience of the world of sense one must
sooner or later, sooner than later, get tired, though the motor-
wheel of recurring births and deaths “rushes on and on”
unhindered by the woeful cries of victims crushed beneath its
maddening rush, and unhampered by the victory of those who
with the motto of “ Dare and Do ” graven in gold in their heart
of hearts, do boldly jump out of it and escape its onrush know-
ing that “ 'Tis but delusion’s toy, false hope its motor ; desire
nave; its spokes are giief and joy”, and that sticking to it
will only end in “ 1 go adrift and know not whither.” They
leap out of the rushing “motor-ear” with the magic name of

V

Moth t ( Sri Mafri') in their heart and the heart-rending cry of
Grief and Pain endured in their lips

“Let nevermore delusive dieims veil off

Thy Face from Me.”

1 have realised so far, and realising laid the racked body
down at the holy feet of my Guru with the mystic words re-
sounding from the cave of my Heart made whole,—