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Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com)

Miscellaneous

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Religion

 

 

Sekkizhar's approach to philosophy of life

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHENNAI, JAN. 26. One of the glorious traditions of Hinduism, common to all

schools of thought, is the extraordinary emphasis laid on the reverence accorded

to saintly souls who have derived spiritual power by virtue of their austerities

and who are ever in communion with God. If a question is raised as to who

between the two (God or apostles) is greater, devotees will be told that if they

hold on to the feet of these servants of the Almighty and prophets, they will be

led to the altar of God, as their appeals will be submitted by them.

 

In the Saiva Siddhanta, Lord Siva is the Supreme Deity and His glory has been

focussed through the lives of 63 Nayanmars, by Sekkizhar in his work, Periya

Puranam, which can be called the constitution of Saivism. This author, a chief

minister of a Chola Kingdom, had based his embellished treatise on two earlier

works. Because of its validity, it is placed as the last and the twelfth

Thirumurai (Saiva canon), as the biographies of the 63 saints have been woven

into a splendid epic.

 

Explaining Sekkizhar's approach to the Saiva philosophy, Prof V.

Rathinasabapathy, in a lecture, touched on the slight difference between

``Siva'' and ``Saiva''. In his view, even the Lord has accepted that His

servitors are ``greater'' than Him. ``Hitherto you have been coming to Me. But

in future you can seek their guidance and they will take you to Me.'' In the

life history of Sundaramurthy Nayanar, for instance, when he was taken by the

Lord to His abode (Kailas), a doubt crops up about the future of his bride. On

the philosophy of ``Bhaktha Panchaksharam'' it is held that she could have also

reached that holy kingdom by constantly uttering Sundarar's name. The moral is

``Seek the help of Godmen and adepts of God- love''.

 

Referring to the incident in one of the temples, even when the main entrance

remained closed, by rendering a hymn, Appar Swamigal got it opened to enable

devotees to offer direct worship. Is this permissible, it can be asked and it

has been duly commented upon that this represented the relationship between God

and His messengers. No doubt, these divine servants obeyed Siva's commands as

unalterable but His grace permeated through them and they could also extend it

to those who depended on them. Peria Puranam is a document of Hindu religious

history and its author, Sekkizhar, has presented to the people, a corrective

philosophy of life in a palatable form.

 

 

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