Thirumanthiram With Explanation In Tamil

[Kassim Sin]

Yoga practices hold a very vital place in this work. Pranayama is discussed elaborately just not as mere techniques and benefits to acquire physical health and mental clarity, but as a means to reach the ultimate goal of liberation from Maya and realise the presence of the Divine (Lord Shiva) within oneself.

Through these 12 weeks, we will be exploring important verses relating to Astanga yoga, specifically, Pranayama. The course will include chanting of these verses, brief meaning and explanation as well as inspirations for practice.

'I' have to first accept that 'I' am Him! And, therefore, if 'I' am looking for the 'Absolute Truth', 'I' (believably a model of the Universe/ image of the Supreme unique being) must first seek the essential 'Truths' in the various 'Untruths' (like sifting sands to reach the gold particles)utilising the facilities provided 'naturally' to me, ie., the limited physical senses with the relisation that those are naturally inefficient - to different levels in different individuals...

Observation of a piece of camphor, as it evaporates/ burns in no time, conveys real life-span as 'zero', whereas a lighted oil-lamp conveys how life-span can get extended indefinitely by a system that provides continuous supply of the required materials, viz. material form of the lamp(s) itself, wicks and oil etc. (reflected in 'Nature' as the ideal by the 'panchtatvas'/ 'panchbhootas' that have apparently helped sustenance of the solar system for over 4 billion years already - or maybe only its projection that appear real to us humans due mainly to inefficient physical senses, and also lack of knowledge how to awaken the sixth sense!)...

'I' might also add that the 'wise ancients' have indicated the 'Absolute Truth' to be related with 'zero'. 'I' had also earlier indicated 'my thought' to seek the basic thought behind 'rituals' and 'meditation' carried through ages (unfortunately 'blindly' today by the 'average person'). 'I' could realise it as a process to reach zero thought or a thoughtless stage in order to communicate with the Absolute Truth who alone believably remains in that state eternally...

Hi Yosee, Because 'I' was exposed to the 'devanagari' script from the childhood besides English due to 'slavery', to me your comment appears like a beautiful painting in black and white - perhaps a piece of 'modern art'! It's perhaps a reflection of our attempt to read in words, irrespective of the script, the communication by the ancients through graphical/ pictorial symbols - just as we understand destructive force represented by the figure of Ma Kali, and so on!

'I' had earlier also cited an example of a relative cum friend, a few years senior to me, who in the Fourties or so reportedly used to see Bollywood films in Hindi with a handkerchief placed over his head in the dark cinema hall. Once 'I' had an opportunity to accompany him and with the report in mind, 'I' noticed that he was wiping away tears from his eyes! Thus 'I' realised the purpose of the handkerchief and the reflection of 'inferiority complex' due to awareness of it as a sign of emotional weakness, which is assocaited only with the female gender!

After the film was over, 'I' asked him why he shed tears while watching representation of a fiction, an untruth? He replied that it was beyond his control. It was natural in so far as he was concerned!

Now, 'I' can similarly believe 'real life' also as projection of images in the apparent human eyes, just as we do not need to switch on some projector to see dreams before we go to sleep - it is accepted as natural by one and all!

Those who practice Reiki or apply Acupuncture/ Acupressure etc. (or even gemstones) for treatment of some ailment, however, appear as if attempting to activate the so-called dormant energy in the 'chakras' indicated to exist within human form by Yogis, just as integrated circuits (IC) in man-made electronic computers...and Krishna called Arjun an instrument, a medium (nimitta matra) - like an actor playing his/ her assigned role in a drama...

Kavitha: sorry, it dint occur to me that you may not be able to read tamil. Since this post is about Thiru Moolar's tamil work, i assumed you'd've read a few of his axioms.

JC: this piece of "modern art"does not have much " meaning" to convey !

Rwitoja: ooops !

Direct translation of the epigraphy: Thirumoolar, considered the first Siddha,dwelt on transcending the mundane and attaining The Light by raising the Kundalini through Yoga ( physical process);he has also taught the esoteric science of ridding ourselves of the 3 malas(i.e. impurities namely aanavam,kanmam,mayai)to attain shivahood (thought process); pointed out the ways to superhuman nature ( attaining ashta maha siddhis); but finally he also dispenses the very rudimentary, very simple prescription : Anbe Sivam ( Love is Sivam)which can be processed by even those with limited abilities. I have called him a Super Market from where everyone can select what he wants and can cope with , to reach that single goal.

Thirumanthiram forms one of the pillars of Shaiva Siddhanta or Meikanda agamam ( "The science of Knowing Truth" )the theology adhered to in the south,laying stress on charya,kriya,yoga and jnana.Of all schools of shaiva siddhantam, Thirumoolar's comes closest to Advaita philosophy. Rest are Dualistic as they recognise three distinct Basics: Pati(Lord),Pashu(being) Pasam(the bond). Thirumoolar's work is called Thiru-manthiram because a man-tra is that which opens or liberates(tra)the mind(man)It is believed that Thirumanthiram works both literally and representatively i.e. some hymns are specific prayers while some work as a sequence of rhythmic sounds whose wavelenghths help in "opening" the mind.Ofcouse, the ultimate mantra given out is Om Nama Sivaya.

Thanks Yosee for the explanation.

The concept of Yoga or fusion of a component of the one and only immortal Supremesoul (Siva), ie, the immortal soul, and each one of the innumerble mortal physical bodies responsible for the variety and heirarchy in 'Nature' in all its aspects could perhaps be called the basic 'Hindu' thought.

Also, from the observation that the 'wise ancients' in general indicate time to move from Satyuga (the period during which moral value in humans is believed to have a range between 100 & 75 percent over 1.296 million years) to Kaliyuga (a duration of 0.432 million years and efficiency ranging between 25 & 0%), one at any time or place could perhaps realise why material forms/ virtue in humans appear to deteriorate with passage of time. Whereas the 'churning of the milky-ocean' indicates evolution to have taken place in four stages - from poison (mortality) to Amrit (immortality)...

To add to the above further to appreciate human behaviour, one could perhaps visualise how the 'perfect' being, the immortal one could utilise 'essences' or 'satva' of say 8 planets rendered immortal to create human form and its varieties utillising permutations and combinations of those 'essences'...and then review his path from zero to infinity any numbers of time...for the 'wise ancients' indicate each Yuga to get reviewed (perhaps over) 1000 times during one day in the life of 'Brahma' that, as per them, has a duration of 4.32 billion years...however the 'present day' estimate indicates about 4.6 billion years already elapsed in the life of our solar system, which perhaps could be explained by adopting 1080 cycles (and not 1000)...

Thus each human being, representing some stage in the life of the 'Creator' during evolution is believed to be also be 'perfect', but needs certain exercises, such as Yoga to activate the 3 components, called physical, mental and spiritual which define the overall balanced development at the end of Satyuga when perfection was believable achieved by Siva...and 'mantras', 'tantras' and 'yantras' are recommended for use as tools by an 'average human being'...

very nice of u, I've been visiting tamil nadu for quite some times. the temples are very addorable...but its not all about temple n prayers...the country need to progress well, eliminate corruption which exist everywhere includes one needs to bribe the priest to worship!!!!!
poverty is saddest thing in human life. wonder when can ths issue can be resolve?
dhaanik

Before 'I' attempt answering the query of Shri Dhaanik, for academic interest, 'I' would like to correct the duration of Satyuga to 1.728 million years (the duration indicated earlier relates to Tretayuga, which is 3 times that of Kaliyuga)...

'Poverty' today (understood by the 'wise ancients' as reflecting the era called 'Kaliyuga', literally the 'Dark Age' when 'halahal' or 'poison' that is overall 'pollution', reflected by 'corruption'/ 'indiscipline' in humans due mainly to lack of knowledge of one's purpose had emerged due to start of 'churning') is used to indicate only the lack of 'material' by a large percentage, relatively larger in number in 'India' that is 'Bharat'...there is no measure devised to evaluate the 'spiritual' component, which is 'blindly' believed to be high if one visits temples, or the 'char dham' - as indicated by the 'wise ancients'...

Only 'silver lining' that Kaliyuga is believed to have is that it brings 'Satyga' back once again when one can expect perfection/ near perfection even in humans - unless it is the time for Brahma to go to sleep for over 4 billion years at the end of the present Kaliyuga if it happens to be His last one - just as man retires at a certain age from 'active service'!

Ah! thirumanthiram!!!......how melodiously the word thrilled the very existence of me!...One of the mentors in my life who almost was a thatha to me used to loudly recite a tamil sloka to elucidate his point of arguement in spirituality.The recitation would drip into my being like honey eversince my ears received them.Day after day I felt as if they thenil karumpaga inikkuthe....and these verses were from thirumanthiram.He entered into samadhi some 10 years back and eversince I have been choosing to read and contemplate on articles written on thirumanthiram.The presentation "path to shivahood in the thirumanthiram"was gone through with great voracity and for some 10 or more minutes of its reading I had been revelling as though i had been in front of my thatha- mentor.Namasthe kavitha for giving such a rare experience with your warming literature.I dont know tamil well and such enlightening articles on tamil/shaiva philosophy elucidating the essence of them in english with sanguine expression are heartily welcome.I would like to add a tailpiece...my thatha-mentor would explain the meanings of some recitations ,and would say that you need not worry if you don't get the point...just enjoy the beauty of the alignment of each word to the other..how elegantly they resonate when they are recited.. how vividly similar words are used by repeating them to mean different things..etc...by saying this he would recite some more musical utterances in thirumanthiram enhancing my mind to some inexplicable level....while complaining that the meanings are not coming,he would say thaan patra patra thalaippadum thaane.....Namasthe kavitha once more for giving such an enchanting account...thank you...

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