Hinduism

Shaivaism in Hinduism - part 3

S. Shivapadasunderam

Each of these four section has four sub-divisions. There are thus sixteen stages in Shaivaism, each stage leading to the stage above it. If after ethical transcendence, once has to pass through sixteen stages and then only attain godliness what value can we attach to religions which without any serious program offer divine bliss to everyone, including the most unrighteous of us and solicit, tempt or compel them to join their fold?

But the Shaivaism we ordinarily see is not the real shaivaism. It is what is called superficial Shaivaism, adopted not by merit but by birth. I call myself a Shaivite because my father called himself a Shaivite and he called himself a Shaivite because his father called himself a Shaivite and so on until an ancestor is reached who was a real Shaivite. Just as kings of the present day, though solely by right of birth, live in all the glories of a king, so we live in all the glories of a Shaivite. We get Dheeksha from a Guru no more qualified to be a Guru than we are to be Shaivites. In consequence of Dheeksha we get into one or the other of the four section of Shaivaism, and at the end get a funeral ceremony performed on us which would lead a fit soul to some Shaivaloka. Post-funeral ceremonies, such as the Annual Shraddam, are poojas performed to the departed souls regarded as divine beings.

Immensely benefitted

The question may be asked "why do you follow a religion for which you are not qualified?" Though I am not qualified for true Shaivaism, my birth qualifies me for what is called superficial Shaivaism and I am immensely benefitted by following it. I undoubtedly gain by wearing sacred ashes by the contemplation of Panchaksharam, by worship, by singing sacred hymns etc. This will in due course lead me, perhaps after several births, to true Shaivaism.

A note on Paramukti

Those who attain Paramukti fall into two classes:- (a) those whose Prarabtham is exhausted at the same time as liberation from Anava; (b) those whose Prarabtham is not exhausted at the time of liberation. In the former case, as the Prarabtham has been exhausted, the body perishes immediately and the Soul gets freed from the three malans simultaneously. In the case of the second class of souls, Prarabtham remains and the body remains and the Anava and Karma both remain.

As they get liberation from Anava, while the body yet lives, they are called Jeevamuktas. The Prarabtham that is left would have a tendency to produce its effect on the Soul, but as there is no Anava to start a desire for action, it cannot succeed in inducing the Soul to react. It therefore tries to utilize for action the habits the soul has formed immediately before it attained Paramukti. This is the habit of regarding oneself as different from God. This idea, he easily checks, by the contemplation of the Panchadchara and he is thus altogether free from Vasanamalam.

Infinite love

He can therefore never be assailed by Prarabtha. This habit is called Vasanamalam. It is compared to a potter's wheel which moves for sometime after the potter has stopped moving it. Just as this free motion of the wheel cannot do any work in the absence of the pot, so Prarabtham can have no effect on the Jeevamukta as he is free from Anava. But there are reckless dolts who regard giving vent to sexual desire as a case of Vasanamalam. The soul gave up its illicit sex relation long before the Soul obtained the Samayadeekshai and became a Saivite. This is millions of births away from the true Vasanamalam. It is also noteworthy that the Pramuktars have infinite love for other beings and take the utmost care when they gather flowers for Shiva Poojai. They pick them; but never pluck them as that would hurt the trees.

Sacred books

The vedas and the Shaiva Agamas are regarded by Shaivites as God-given. These contain truths which cannot be reached by the human intellect and are therefore believed to have come from God. Our saints such as Thirumular, Manickavachagar, the Devarakarar and Arulnandhi have said that these works come from God. Every religion has its own sacred books supposed to have come either from God or from saint. The revelation of the Christians is the Bible, that of Muslims is the Koran, that of Buddhists the tripitaka, and so on. Just as no one would be regarded as a Christian who denies the sacredness of the Bibile or as a Muslim who denies the sacredness of the Koran, so no one would be regarded as a Shaivite who refuses to accept this supreme authority of the Vedas and Shaivagamas.

In existence

As the Vedas are the authoritative works of several other religions also and all have the right to read them, they are still in existence, and have gone even to Europe and America. But the Shaivagamas, held sacred only by the Shaivites and accessible only to those who have had the final Deeksha have been less fortunate. Most of them seem to have disappeared within the last two centuries. Sivagnana Munivar who lived about two hundred years ago, refers to the Shivagamas in his commentaries, but does not complain of the loss of any of them. English education attracted the best of intellects during the last one hundred years and left none to study the Shaivagamas which must therefore, have either been thrown away or eaten by white ants.

Fortunately for us the Kiriya portion of the Agamas are safe in the hands of our priests and Gnana portion has been handed to us by Tamil saints. Thirumoolar who seems to have lived more than two thousand years ago has given us in his Tirumantram some portions of the Gnana section of the Shaivagamas. Shivagnanabodam which is a portion of the Rourava Agama and also its essence was taught by the Paramacharia to Manicavachakar about fifteen centuries ago.

Essence

He reproduced some teachings of Shivagnana-bodam in his Thiruvachakam. Paranjothimunivar taught the same Sivagnana-bodham to Meihandhadevar and asked him to translate it into Tamil; In obedience to his Guru's order, Meihandadhevar translated it into Tamil and added some notes. It has thus been possible for us to have in Tamil the Shivagnanabodham which is the essence of the Shaivagamas. Meihandadhevar taught this to his disciple Arulnandhi Shivam and asked him to expand Shivagnanabodham into a comprehensive Agamic work. Arulnandhisivam, therefore, enlarged it by introducing a good deal of matter taken from the Agamas and named Shivagnansiddhiar, Commentaries of Shivagnanasiddhiar refer to seventeen Shaivagamas which contain truths identical with some of these found in Siddhiar. Arulnandi supplemented Siddhiar by Irupairupahtoo.

Eight works

Our Agamas are thus safe in our own language in the works of Meihandar and Arulnandiar, Agamic truths are also found in Devaram. Arulnandi Sivam's disciple's - disciple Umapathisivam, is said to have written eight works such as Shivapragasam and Thiruvarudpayam which contain some Agamic truths. Three saints who preceded Meihandar wrote Tiruvunthiar, Tirukalitupadiar and Unmaivilakkam. These fourteen works are now called Meihanda shashtrams. To these may be added Shivadharmothram and Sadashivarupam of which the former is derived from Sravakta Agama and the latter is a translation of a portion of Vatula Agama.

Revelations

The Vedas and Agamas are in Sanskrit which was the common language of India for conveying sastric truths. Just as Sanskrit was the common language of the whole of India, so the Vedas were the common revelations of all the religions of India.

They are accepted as revelations by Shaivites, Vishnavites, Shaktistes etc; who have interpreted them to suit the philosophies contained in their respective Agamas. They consist of three sections dealing respectively with rituals, worship and truths (Kanma, Upasana, Gnana). The image used for rituals and worship is fire (Shivagni).

The Agamas consist of four sections; Charya, Kriya, Yoga and Gnana, Shivagnana Munivar says that there are slight differences among the Agamas, in observance (Kriya).

These are due to differences in times and in capacities of Souls. But there can be no difference in the Gnana section, as truth is independent of circumstances. The observances prescribed in the Agamas have been codified into paddhathies for ready use and reference. The Charya section and Kriya section of the Agamas are safe in these paddhathies.

Philosophy

The Thiruvachagam of Manickavasagar is both praise of God and philosophy. It consists of fifty one pathikams containing 658 stanzas.

The philosophy which each pathikam teaches is given at its top. But not being endowed with higher knowledge, we are unable to discover the philosophical truths contained in the pathikams. The utmost we can make out is the surface literal meaning which itself is of infinite value to us. The hymns thrill with the Grace of God, and melt the hearts of the singers and hearers. There is a proverb "that heart can never melt which Thiruvachagam cannot melt." A staunch Roman Catholic student who happened to read Thirvachagam became a convert to Shaivaism as a result of reading it.

Dr. G.U. Pope of the Oxford University, though a Christian, saw its great value and translated it into English. It is regarded as an image of God. Several Shaivites identify it with Lord Natarajah and perform Poojah to it. It is one of the most glorious possessions of the Shaivites. One would rather live in this earth with Thiruvachagam than in heaven without it.

Anonymous

Next in order of time come the Devarams. These were the compositions of Appar, Sambandar and Sundarar and are more voluminous than Thiruvachagam. An anonymous sage has given the headings dealt with by the twenty-five pathigams, which form the Agasthiar Thevara Thiraddu. Whether other pathikams also speak of a particular philosophic topic we are not in a position to say.

Even these surface meanings are of great value to us. But infinitely more valuable than philosphic truths and surface truth is the Grace of God present in them. This is available to every devout singer whether literate or illiterate.

It heals him. Just as a patient who does not know the properties or even the names of the ingredients of a medicine is fully benefitted, so a singer who knows neither the philosophic nor the surface meaning of a hymn gets the benefit.

No Shaivite can justify his birth as a Shaivite if he has not studied at least ten Pathikams of Thiruvachagam or Devaram; and a Shaivite can be proud of himself if he has studied the whole Thiruvachagam or about fifty Pathikams of Devaram. There are some other saints also like Pattanathar and Thayumanavar whose hymns are held sacred.

Never happened

After these come the Puranas which, however, are not authoritative. They have puranic grab and a poetic garb of which they must be divested before the truth in them can be discovered. The author of Kandapuranam says that men of Wisdom must seek and find out the truths contained in the Puranas, meaning thereby that truth is not always on the surface of Puranas. Srila Sri Arumuga Navalar says that none of the three weddings described in the Kandapuranam ever happened and that they symbolise the manifestation of shakthi at the time of creation of the Universe and that anyone who interprets these portions literally go to hell along with the hearers.

Puranic Stories which do not accord with shastric truths must either be interpreted philosophically or be shelved.

If one wants to eat coconut, one must remove the husk and the shell. No one regards the husk as the edible portion and bites it.

But, there are books misnamed Puranas, which are full of filth and chaff and are disowned by us.

Sacred Ashes

The highest, the simest and the universal gift of Shaivaism to its followers is the Sacred Ashes, Thiru-Neeru. The Sanskrit name for this is Vibhooti, which means a priceless treasure and a superhuman power. It is the highest gift because it is the image of the Love of God, the Parashakti. It is simple because it is obtainable everywhere and for nothing. It is universal because everyone who claims to be a Shaivite has to wear it.

Agastyar's Devara-tirattu consists of twenty-five pathikams and the significance of each of these is given in a poem composed by an anonymous sage. Sambandher's Thiruneetuppathikam is one of these twenty-five.

The sage says that this pathikam is a description of parashakti, the Grace of God also called Umadevi. But it does not require a sage to discover from the pathikam that Thiruneeru is Parashakti.

Sambandar gives in the pathikam as many as fifty-four characteristics of Thifuneeru, a great many of which are well-known attributes of Shiva Shakti. He has identified Thiru-Neeru with the mantram which according to Siddhiar (1-58) is caused an influenced by Shiva Shakti. It is said to give liberation to the soul which the Shiva Shakti does. It gives Gnanam which is given by Shiva Shakti.

Late Sri Lal Sri S. Shivapadasunderam was born in a family of Tamil, sanskrit, and Shaiva scholars at Puloly, Vadamarachchi.

The worship of Muruka or Skanda

There is on the South-east coast of Ceylon a lonely hamlet known as Kataragama in the heart of a forest haunted by bears, elephants and leopards and more deadly malaria. The Ceylon Government thinks of Kataragama especially twice a year, when arrangements have to be made for

pilgrims and precautions taken against epidemics. Hardly anyone goes there except in connection with the pilgrimage.

General Brownrigg, Governor and Commander-in-Chief, visited this desolate spot in 1819 at the close of military operations in the Uva country, and seven decades later Sir Arthur Gordeon (afterwards Lord Stanmore) who attended the festival in July, 1889. Sportsmen are drawn to this region by the fame of its sport, but Kataragama itself is outside the pale of their curiosity. Few even of our educated classes know its venerable history and association.

High esteem

It was already held in high esteem in the third century before Christ, and is one of the sixteen places said to have been sanctified by Gautama Buddha sitting in each in meditation.

The Mahavamsa in enumerating those who welcomed the arrival at Anuradhapura of the Sacred Bodhi-tree from Buddha-Gaya in charge of Sanghamitta, the saintly daughter of the Indian Emperor Asoka, gives the first place after the King of Ceylon to the nobles of Kajara-gama, as Kataragama was then called. It was privileged to receive a spalling of which an alleged descendant still stands in the Temple court. About a third of a mile off is the Buddhist shrine of Kiri Vihare, said to have been founded by King Mahanaga of Mahagama, cir. 300 B.C.

Divine glory

Kataragama is sacred to the God Karthikeya, from whom it was called Karthikeya Grama (“City of Karthikeya”) shortened to Kajara-gama and then to Kataragama.

The Tamils, who are the chief worshippers at he shrine, have given the name a Tamil form, Kathirkamam, a city of divine glory and love, as if from kathir, glory of light, and kamam, love, or town or district. By Sinhalese and Tamils alike the God Karthikeya is called Kandasami; by the Sinhalese, also Kanda Kumara (Kanda being the Tamil form of Sans. Skanda and Kumara meaning youth), and by the Tamils Kumara Svami, “the youthful god”.

More often the Tamils call him by the pure Tamil name Murukan, “the tender child”. He is represented in legend, statuary and painting as a beautiful child or youth.

The priests worship him with elaborate rites and ceremonies, the rustic with meal and blood offering, the aboriginal Vedda invokes him also with dances in the primitive manner of the woods. The philosopher meditates on him in silence, adoring him as the Supreme God, Subrahmanya, - the all pervading spirit of the universe, the Essence from which all things are evolved, by which they are sustained and into which they are involved, - who in gracious pity for humanity takes form sometimes as the youthful God of Wisdom, God also of war when wicked Titans (Asuras) have to be destroyed, sometimes as the holy child Muruka, type of perennial tender beauty, always and everywhere at the service of his devotees.

Battle field

“In the face of fear,” says an ancient and popular verse, “His face of comfort shows. In the fierce battle-field, with ‘Fear not’, His lance shows. Think of Him once, twice He shows, to those who chant Muruka.”

“A refreshing coolness is in my heart as it thinketh on Thee, peerless Muruka. My mouth quivers praising Thee, lovingly hastening Muruka, and with tears calling on Thee, Giver of gracious help-hand, O warrior! With Tirumurukarruppadai Thou comest, Thy Lady in Thy wake.”

The scene of his birth is laid in the Himalayas. His birth and exploits are described with poetic embellishments in the Skanda Purana, an epic poem which in its present Sanskrit form dates from about the fifth century and in its Tamil version from the eight. “Dearest,” cries a Tamil poet of the 1st century, “whom the cool blue waters of the tan on great Himalaya’s crest received from the beauteous hands of the peelers one of the five (elements, i.e. Agni, god of fire) and who in six forms by six (Naiads) nourished became one.”

Primitive God

Though born on those distant Northern mountains, his home now and for over twenty centuries has been in the South, and his workshop prevails chiefly among the Tamils. He appears to have been the primitive God of the Tamils and to have passed with them to the South from their supposed early settlements in N. India. He is now little known or esteemed in the North, where he has given way to other Gods, as the Vedic Gods Indra, Varuna, Agni gave way to Siva, Vishnu etc. and as in Greece, Uranus gave way to Kronos and he to Zeus.

Poet Kalidasa

Skanda had a great vogue in the North for centuries among the Aryan, Scythian, Mongolian, Hun and other invaders who succeeded the Dravidians, and intermingling with them, became the ancestors of the present inhabitants. To be continued