Kanthar Anubhuthi - verse 13

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Transliteration:

 

murugan thanivEl muni nam guruven,

aruL koNd— aRiyaar aRiyum tharamO

uruvanR— aruvanR— uLathanR— ilathan,

iruLanR— oLianR— ena ninRathuvE. 13

 

Meaning:

 

(That is) Murugan, the Peerless Vel Lord and our Preceptor —

Is this possible of being known, unless known through Grace?

Not with form, not without; not existence, not otherwise,

Not darkness, not light; — Thus, the Absolute is.

 

" That (Supreme Being or the Absolute) which can be said to be

neither with form nor without form, neither existence nor non-

existence, neither darkness nor light, is (Itself) Murugan, is

(Itself) the Lord with the peerless Vel, is (Itself) our Parama

Guru, — Is this capable of being known except by those who know it

through (Divine) Grace? (i.e. Except those who realize this by

Divine Grace, no one can know this secret).

 

 

Detailed Commentary:

 

What Lord Murugan revealed to Arunagirinathar

with " summa iru " (be silent)

In the previous verse, we have seen that when the Lord revealed

Himself as supreme silence, Arunagirinathar became silent and knew

nothing of this world. But, then, what did he know in that

condition? Something unknown to the mortal vision was revealed to

him! That experience he pours out as this verse, on return from that

experience, which of course, in the translation, loses its original

charm.

 

In that condition, Arunagirinathar intuitively felt:

 

1. the nature of the Absolute;

2. that the Absolute is Murugan, is the Peerless-Vel Lord, is our

Guru; and

3. that Divine Grace is the only means of knowing this.

 

Nature of Reality

 

(i) What is the nature of the Absolute/Reality/`It' (i.e. God)?

The Absolute is indescribable. But the human mind, which wants to

know even things transcendent through its limited understanding,

will not accept this easily. It will try its best to define and

understand the Absolute also. Hence, the saint gives a series of

negative definitions so that in its effort, which is a condition

necessary for Reality to reveal itself. It is to make the

intellect " understand " that Reality is beyond understanding. When

the intellect knows its limitations and ceasing from its

efforts, " be (comes) silent, " Reality is " known. "

 

The Absolute is not with form, but is not formless; not existence

but not non-existence; not darkness but not light. Such is Reality

says Arunagirinathar.

 

a) Form and formless:

 

Reality is that which is Eternal and knows no change or destruction.

Hence, it cannot be with form, because anything that has form is

subject to change and destruction. Form belongs to the nature of

objects and not of Reality. Can we, then, say that Reality is

without form? No; because whatever is seen here, is nothing but a

manifestation of That alone; for there is nothing second to it.

 

" The whole cosmos, " says the Veda, " is but a fraction of His being. "

 

So, whatever is seen with form cannot be excluded form Reality.

Hence, it can neither be said to be with form nor without form,

because form and formlessness are concepts of the human mind; they

do not obtain in the realm of Reality. It is that which is, said a

great saint — it is that which is without form, and also that which

is with form. Therefore, when we say `It' is, we have said

everything about `It'. `It' is with form, `It' is without form, and

`It' is beyond form and formlessness. Reality `is'.

 

b) Existence and Non-Existence:

 

Reality is said to be neither existence nor non-existence. It is not

existence like the existence of objects. Objects exist now in one

condition and now in another. They change themselves from one

condition to another, because they are subject to the laws and

limitations of space, time, and causation. But Reality is not so; it

is not existence like the existence of an object conditioned by

space and time, as these do not obtain in Reality, they being

posterior to it. It is not non-existence also because `It' is the

substratum for all that exists.

 

Supposing `It' is non-existence, who knows `It'? There must be

someone to know even this non-existence — that someone is Reality.

It is not existence or non-existence as conceived by the human mind;

it is existence as such, which lends existence to both existence and

non-existence. Even on-existence exists or `is'; and that is Reality.

 

What was there before creation? No-one knows because we, who try to

know that, are all the effects of creation, i.e., we came after

creation began; and so who is to know what was there before

creation? Something was, which can neither be said to be existence

nor non-existence. Hence, when Reality is said to be neither

existence nor non-existence, it is to be understood as that which is

existence and non-existence, and also that which is beyond both

existence and non-existence.

 

c) Darkness and Light:

 

Reality has also been defined as neither darkness nor light. `It' is

not darkness because by light all else shines. But `It' is not light

in the ordinary sense of the term, because `It' cannot be perceived

by the senses. `It' is the light by which the senses are empowered

to behold the mind to think, and the intellect to understand. Who is

to see that light when `It' is the seer? Thus, Reality is both

darkness (to the senses) and (the source of all) light; and beyond

both darkness and light.

 

The negative affirmations are only to show that Reality is beyond

all definitions, though it excludes nothing. It is at once immanent

and transcendent — immanent because `It' being universal is in

everything; and transcendent because nothing can limit or exhaust

`It'. Such is the nature of Reality.

 

Murugan is all — one cannot understand this

without His grace

That Reality Itself is Lord Murugan. That Itself is the Lord with

the peerless Vel. That Itself is one's Supreme Guru. Can one

understand this supreme truth except by His Grace? No, is the

experience of the saint.

 

It is not that Reality is one thing, Murugan is another, the Vel is

yet another and one's Guru the fourth. The One Reality appears as

all this, at different stages of evolution of the soul.

 

(ii) Reality does not belong either to the waking or dreaming or

deep sleep states, but stands transcending them.

a) Wake state — with or without form:

 

All that we sense or perceive in the waking state is either with

form or without form. The endless objects that we see have forms;

the color, the taste, the sound, and the touch have no forms. Thus,

the entire waking state is characterized by either form or

formlessness.

 

But, says, Arunagirinathar, Reality is neither with form nor without

form, which means to say that `It " is not limited to the latter

though the same is not excluded from `It'.

 

b) Dream state — existence or non-existence:

 

The dream experience is characterized by existence as well as non-

existence. The dream world exists so long as one is in dream; to the

dreamer it is real and so it cannot be said to be non-existence. But

it is soon transcended on one's waking up and so it becomes non-

existent. But Reality is neither existence nor non-existence, which

means to say that it is beyond the dream state, and is not limited

to it, though the same is not outside Reality.

 

c) Deep-sleep state — darkness and light:

 

The deep sleep state is characterized by both darkness and light. In

deep sleep, there is no sense-operation and no dream experience. It

is all darkness and there is no perception, mentation, etc. It is as

if everything is dead; darkness everywhere. Yet, there is a light or

awareness that `knows' that nothing is known. When one wakes up from

deep sleep, one says, " I had a sound sleep. I knew nothing. " There

was someone (the awareness) that knew nothing. Hence, Reality is

neither darkness nor light, that is to say, `It' is beyond the deep

sleep state also, and is not limited by it though the same is not

excluded from it.

 

Thus, " neither with form nor without form " negates the waking

state; " neither existence nor non-existence " negates the dream

state; and " neither darkness nor light " negates the deep sleep

state; and " that which stands thus " refers to the Atman or Self,

which cannot be exhausted by any of the three states, which stands

transcending the three states, which is the Witness of and

Substratum for the three states.

 

That Atman is Murugan, is the Lord with the peerless Vel, is one's

Guru — is known by one who knows by His Grace. The Guru-Gita

beautifully puts this thus, " Prostration to Dakshinamurthi, who

appears in the three-fold form of God, Guru, and the Self (Atman),

who pervades everything with his form like the sky. "

 

(iii) The Absolute transcends all three states

The Absolute is defined as neither with form nor without form, etc.,

because it is the Absolute, not the particular. To the Jiva, which

is separated from God, the concepts of form and formless, etc., hold

good because there is something outside it, other than it, which can

be neither with form or without form, either existence or non-

existence, either darkness or light. Where there is duality, there

is scope for dualistic concepts.

 

But when the Jiva is absorbed into the Absolute, as it happened to

Arunagirinathar when the Lord made him " be silent " , the Absolute

Alone is, without a second to it. Duality does not obtain there. In

that condition of Absoluteness, naturally the relative or dualistic

concepts of form and formlessness, etc., do not arise. Such is the

nature of the Absolute, which Arunagirinathar experienced due to the

supreme grace of the Lord when He, speechless, instructed him to be

silent.

 

Summary

In short, Reality (God) cannot be described as this or that.

Whatever definition be given of `It', will fall short. If `It' is

defined as `this', it will exclude the `not this' aspect. Similarly,

if `It' is regarded as `that' it will not include the `not-that'

aspect. Hence, a negative definition has been given, only to serve

as a clue to arrive at `It'. To say that `It' is neither with form

nor without form is only to show that `It' is both the form and the

formless, and is beyond both form and formlessness, which are but

phases of Reality. Even so, to say Reality is neither existence nor

non-existence means `It' is both existence and non-existence, and is

beyond both, which are only aspects of `It'. Similarly, `It' is both

darkness and light, and that which is beyond both and serves as the

substratum for both, which are only phases of `It'.

 

We cannot define God

The Universal includes all in itself and stands transcending them,

that is, not limited by them. The Universal is the Universal;

Reality is Reality; and no definition of `It' can be given in the

human language. But `It' is realizable in inner experience as

Murugan, as the Lord with the Vel, and as one's own Guru, when He

chooses to reveal Himself out of pure grace.

 

When one tries to understand Reality, it is neither existence nor

non-existence, etc.; but when one experiences Reality, it is

Murugan, an embodiment of wisdom (Vel) and one's Guru. When the

intellect, baffled, fails to understand Reality and ceases, Reality

reveals itself as Murugan and says, " I am That I am " , or as the Lord

of wisdom and says, " I am That I am " , or as one's Guru and says, " I

am That I am. "

 

The Absolute, which is neither with form nor without form, etc., is

also Lord Murugan, is the peerless Vel, is the Guru. That means the

latter three are also neither with form, etc. The real nature of the

Lord, the Vel and the Guru is formless; is Pure Consciousness. But,

for the devout meditator and devotee, they appear with form. They

have therefore, two aspects — the physical and the purely spiritual.

 

God, Vel, and Guru have forms from the standpoint of our physical

perception. But when the mind is rendered pure by devotion and

divine grace, their spiritual nature is revealed, when form gives

place to formlessness. Similarly, they have existence in the sense

of limited form in which they appear. But this gives place to

unlimitedness or non-existence, when their higher nature is

revealed. Again, they are darkness, i.e., their true nature remains

unknown until revealed when it gives place to light, when the

limited existence of form shines as the Infinite, unconditioned

Consciousness-Light.

 

The human mind's requirement for form

The human mind, in the initial stages, due to impurities, is unable

to perceive Reality as such. It requires a prop, a support, a form

to concentrate itself upon. So God who is beyond all forms appears

as a personal God, with various divine weapons and also appears in a

human form as one's Guru.

 

By serving one's Guru and following his instructions, by being

devoted to God, the disciple's mind is gradually purified and

becomes fit to understand the higher nature in him. Finally, the

Guru reveals his highest (divine) nature by that unique upadesa

of " summaa iru, " (be silent) being in silence. When this experience

is given, the world vanishes from his perception, both form and

formlessness vanish together, both existence and non-existence

disappear together, and both darkness and light cease. What remains

then? " Summaa Iruththal " (Mere Being) — God's pure existence, the

Jiva and the world duly transformed and absorbed into Himself. It

is " Kevala Asti " (Mere Existence) or " Verum Thaan " in the words of

verse 28.

 

Such an Absolute, says Arunagirinathar, is Murugan, is the Peerless

Vel, is our Guru; and this is possible of being known only through

grace. He does not, however, say by whose grace is this known.

Evidently, it is not necessary. Because the three being One only, by

the grace of anyone of the three this is known. And even this truth

is disclosed by that grace alone! What a wonder, indeed. This is the

mysterious " Grace-Circle-Grace " being revealed through Grace; being

known through Grace; and being known as Grace; where everything is

Grace and nothing but Grace.

 

There is no place for the intellect or understanding. That Grace is

the Absolute; That is Murugan; That is the Peerless Vel Lord; That

is the Guru; and That is Arunagirinathar, too, who has packed so

much wisdom and even more in a single verse.

 

Verse 13 is also interpreted as:

 

1) " That Supreme Reality which can be said to be neither with form

nor formless, neither existence nor non-existence, neither darkness

nor light — Is that capable of being known except by those who,

thinking and meditating as `Murugan, the Lord with the Peerless Vel,

is our Guru,' obtain His Grace and know `It' in experience? "

 

2) " Except for one who, obtaining Murugan's grace, knows that

Murugan who has the peerless Vel is one's Guru, is it possible to

know that Reality which can be said to be neither with form nor

formless, neither existence nor non-existence, neither darkness nor

light? "

 

Instruction for the devout Sadhaka

[in that temporary state of divine awareness `given' by the Guru

(verse 12), the great revelation dawns on the aspirant that the

experience of the Absolute is indescribable, that itself is the Lord

who has come as one's Guru and that Divine Grace is the only means

of knowing these truths.

 

It is interesting to compare the sequence and the import of the

epithets " Murugan — Thani Vel Muni — Nam Guru, " of his verse

with " Kumaran — Giriraasa Kumaari Magan — Samaramporu Dhaanava

Nagasan, " of verse 8. A close study of this would suggest that what

is revealed now is implied in verse 8. The fact that the Lord

appeared as the Guru is not openly said in verse 8; it is only

implied and has to be extracted by us — this impliedness is to

suggest that it is not given to the seeker to know the fact at that

stage. But in this verse, it is said in clear and explicit terms —

this is to suggest that that which was a secret so far is now

revealed to him.

 

There is no difference between Guru and God

Consequent on this great revelation, the seeker does not anymore

make a distinction between Guru and God. He feels a total identity

between them. He sees the Guru not as a human, not even merely as

one spiritually evolved, but verily as God Himself, as one's Self,

as the Absolute.

 

The experience naturally infuses in the seeker an unshakable

conviction and confidence that his Guru will no doubt take him to

the grant goal of God-experience.]

 

Courtesy: skandagurunatha web site

[Guest guest]

This is some intense information from SKG website.

 

To make it simple and digestable, what our Guru Arunagiri says here is

Our Lord Skanda is none other than the Guru, Guru's upadesam can be

heard from Inside and not from Outside (contrary to how it is

conducted). He is All prevailing in essence (read last para of

Anubuthi).

 

Who is a Guru: A guru is not to be defined, every single living / non

living entity is a Guru, we learn from them as we evolve.

There is an amoeba and it keeps moving from that birth to being a

human, Brhama sristi happens all the time, Ameoba learns from its

sorroundings and the Eternal Guru: transfers that soul to the next

part...so on and so forth.

Humans out of our egositical artifical knowledge, tending to know

everything, we slip out of grace and fall through the game of Snake n

Ladder unto square 1. Guru is everything, for us and the Almighty

Paramasivan himself. To see Guru and God differently is by itself a

error. God is Guru.

 

God realization is simply 4 blind men and an elephant, God is so

enormous that the brain cannot trap that content as much as it can

under full concious or sub concious states.

 

Two points in Thirupugazh I would like to say in substantiation of

Guru.

 

Song: Sinathil ethanai of Thiruthani

Says of how birth happens in a pond to a mountain to all over the

place and how the Lord guides us (Jeevas to parama).

Song: Sivanar manam kulira - Palani

St. Arunagiri says, upadesa mantram iru sevi meedilum pagar sei

Gurunaatha. Now how can a physical model be constructed where a

person can whisper a mantra in both ears ? It is impossible but true,

so for that to happen, the mantra must come from inside when the

exits to soul are shut down and the mantra rings from inside as

pranavam. Only God can do that sort of initiation and that God is our

Lord of Valli.

 

-- Vetrivel Muruganukku Arokara.

Ravi

 

dhandapani , " r_ramasamy " <rramasamy wrote:

>

> Transliteration:

>

> murugan thanivEl muni nam guruven,

> aruL koNd— aRiyaar aRiyum tharamO

> uruvanR— aruvanR— uLathanR— ilathan,

> iruLanR— oLianR— ena ninRathuvE. 13

>

> Meaning:

>

> (That is) Murugan, the Peerless Vel Lord and our Preceptor —

> Is this possible of being known, unless known through Grace?

> Not with form, not without; not existence, not otherwise,

> Not darkness, not light; — Thus, the Absolute is.

>

> " That (Supreme Being or the Absolute) which can be said to be

> neither with form nor without form, neither existence nor non-

> existence, neither darkness nor light, is (Itself) Murugan, is

> (Itself) the Lord with the peerless Vel, is (Itself) our Parama

> Guru, — Is this capable of being known except by those who know it

> through (Divine) Grace? (i.e. Except those who realize this by

> Divine Grace, no one can know this secret).

>

>

> Detailed Commentary:

>

> What Lord Murugan revealed to Arunagirinathar

> with " summa iru " (be silent)

> In the previous verse, we have seen that when the Lord revealed

> Himself as supreme silence, Arunagirinathar became silent and knew

> nothing of this world. But, then, what did he know in that

> condition? Something unknown to the mortal vision was revealed to

> him! That experience he pours out as this verse, on return from

that

> experience, which of course, in the translation, loses its original

> charm.

>

> In that condition, Arunagirinathar intuitively felt:

>

> 1. the nature of the Absolute;

> 2. that the Absolute is Murugan, is the Peerless-Vel Lord, is our

> Guru; and

> 3. that Divine Grace is the only means of knowing this.

>

> Nature of Reality

>

> (i) What is the nature of the Absolute/Reality/`It' (i.e. God)?

> The Absolute is indescribable. But the human mind, which wants to

> know even things transcendent through its limited understanding,

> will not accept this easily. It will try its best to define and

> understand the Absolute also. Hence, the saint gives a series of

> negative definitions so that in its effort, which is a condition

> necessary for Reality to reveal itself. It is to make the

> intellect " understand " that Reality is beyond understanding. When

> the intellect knows its limitations and ceasing from its

> efforts, " be (comes) silent, " Reality is " known. "

>

> The Absolute is not with form, but is not formless; not existence

> but not non-existence; not darkness but not light. Such is Reality

> says Arunagirinathar.

>

> a) Form and formless:

>

> Reality is that which is Eternal and knows no change or

destruction.

> Hence, it cannot be with form, because anything that has form is

> subject to change and destruction. Form belongs to the nature of

> objects and not of Reality. Can we, then, say that Reality is

> without form? No; because whatever is seen here, is nothing but a

> manifestation of That alone; for there is nothing second to it.

>

> " The whole cosmos, " says the Veda, " is but a fraction of His being. "

>

> So, whatever is seen with form cannot be excluded form Reality.

> Hence, it can neither be said to be with form nor without form,

> because form and formlessness are concepts of the human mind; they

> do not obtain in the realm of Reality. It is that which is, said a

> great saint — it is that which is without form, and also that which

> is with form. Therefore, when we say `It' is, we have said

> everything about `It'. `It' is with form, `It' is without form, and

> `It' is beyond form and formlessness. Reality `is'.

>

> b) Existence and Non-Existence:

>

> Reality is said to be neither existence nor non-existence. It is

not

> existence like the existence of objects. Objects exist now in one

> condition and now in another. They change themselves from one

> condition to another, because they are subject to the laws and

> limitations of space, time, and causation. But Reality is not so;

it

> is not existence like the existence of an object conditioned by

> space and time, as these do not obtain in Reality, they being

> posterior to it. It is not non-existence also because `It' is the

> substratum for all that exists.

>

> Supposing `It' is non-existence, who knows `It'? There must be

> someone to know even this non-existence — that someone is Reality.

> It is not existence or non-existence as conceived by the human

mind;

> it is existence as such, which lends existence to both existence

and

> non-existence. Even on-existence exists or `is'; and that is

Reality.

>

> What was there before creation? No-one knows because we, who try to

> know that, are all the effects of creation, i.e., we came after

> creation began; and so who is to know what was there before

> creation? Something was, which can neither be said to be existence

> nor non-existence. Hence, when Reality is said to be neither

> existence nor non-existence, it is to be understood as that which

is

> existence and non-existence, and also that which is beyond both

> existence and non-existence.

>

> c) Darkness and Light:

>

> Reality has also been defined as neither darkness nor light. `It'

is

> not darkness because by light all else shines. But `It' is not

light

> in the ordinary sense of the term, because `It' cannot be perceived

> by the senses. `It' is the light by which the senses are empowered

> to behold the mind to think, and the intellect to understand. Who

is

> to see that light when `It' is the seer? Thus, Reality is both

> darkness (to the senses) and (the source of all) light; and beyond

> both darkness and light.

>

> The negative affirmations are only to show that Reality is beyond

> all definitions, though it excludes nothing. It is at once immanent

> and transcendent — immanent because `It' being universal is in

> everything; and transcendent because nothing can limit or exhaust

> `It'. Such is the nature of Reality.

>

> Murugan is all — one cannot understand this

> without His grace

> That Reality Itself is Lord Murugan. That Itself is the Lord with

> the peerless Vel. That Itself is one's Supreme Guru. Can one

> understand this supreme truth except by His Grace? No, is the

> experience of the saint.

>

> It is not that Reality is one thing, Murugan is another, the Vel is

> yet another and one's Guru the fourth. The One Reality appears as

> all this, at different stages of evolution of the soul.

>

> (ii) Reality does not belong either to the waking or dreaming or

> deep sleep states, but stands transcending them.

> a) Wake state — with or without form:

>

> All that we sense or perceive in the waking state is either with

> form or without form. The endless objects that we see have forms;

> the color, the taste, the sound, and the touch have no forms. Thus,

> the entire waking state is characterized by either form or

> formlessness.

>

> But, says, Arunagirinathar, Reality is neither with form nor

without

> form, which means to say that `It " is not limited to the latter

> though the same is not excluded from `It'.

>

> b) Dream state — existence or non-existence:

>

> The dream experience is characterized by existence as well as non-

> existence. The dream world exists so long as one is in dream; to

the

> dreamer it is real and so it cannot be said to be non-existence.

But

> it is soon transcended on one's waking up and so it becomes non-

> existent. But Reality is neither existence nor non-existence, which

> means to say that it is beyond the dream state, and is not limited

> to it, though the same is not outside Reality.

>

> c) Deep-sleep state — darkness and light:

>

> The deep sleep state is characterized by both darkness and light.

In

> deep sleep, there is no sense-operation and no dream experience. It

> is all darkness and there is no perception, mentation, etc. It is

as

> if everything is dead; darkness everywhere. Yet, there is a light

or

> awareness that `knows' that nothing is known. When one wakes up

from

> deep sleep, one says, " I had a sound sleep. I knew nothing. " There

> was someone (the awareness) that knew nothing. Hence, Reality is

> neither darkness nor light, that is to say, `It' is beyond the deep

> sleep state also, and is not limited by it though the same is not

> excluded from it.

>

> Thus, " neither with form nor without form " negates the waking

> state; " neither existence nor non-existence " negates the dream

> state; and " neither darkness nor light " negates the deep sleep

> state; and " that which stands thus " refers to the Atman or Self,

> which cannot be exhausted by any of the three states, which stands

> transcending the three states, which is the Witness of and

> Substratum for the three states.

>

> That Atman is Murugan, is the Lord with the peerless Vel, is one's

> Guru — is known by one who knows by His Grace. The Guru-Gita

> beautifully puts this thus, " Prostration to Dakshinamurthi, who

> appears in the three-fold form of God, Guru, and the Self (Atman),

> who pervades everything with his form like the sky. "

>

> (iii) The Absolute transcends all three states

> The Absolute is defined as neither with form nor without form,

etc.,

> because it is the Absolute, not the particular. To the Jiva, which

> is separated from God, the concepts of form and formless, etc.,

hold

> good because there is something outside it, other than it, which

can

> be neither with form or without form, either existence or non-

> existence, either darkness or light. Where there is duality, there

> is scope for dualistic concepts.

>

> But when the Jiva is absorbed into the Absolute, as it happened to

> Arunagirinathar when the Lord made him " be silent " , the Absolute

> Alone is, without a second to it. Duality does not obtain there. In

> that condition of Absoluteness, naturally the relative or dualistic

> concepts of form and formlessness, etc., do not arise. Such is the

> nature of the Absolute, which Arunagirinathar experienced due to

the

> supreme grace of the Lord when He, speechless, instructed him to be

> silent.

>

> Summary

> In short, Reality (God) cannot be described as this or that.

> Whatever definition be given of `It', will fall short. If `It' is

> defined as `this', it will exclude the `not this' aspect.

Similarly,

> if `It' is regarded as `that' it will not include the `not-that'

> aspect. Hence, a negative definition has been given, only to serve

> as a clue to arrive at `It'. To say that `It' is neither with form

> nor without form is only to show that `It' is both the form and the

> formless, and is beyond both form and formlessness, which are but

> phases of Reality. Even so, to say Reality is neither existence nor

> non-existence means `It' is both existence and non-existence, and

is

> beyond both, which are only aspects of `It'. Similarly, `It' is

both

> darkness and light, and that which is beyond both and serves as the

> substratum for both, which are only phases of `It'.

>

> We cannot define God

> The Universal includes all in itself and stands transcending them,

> that is, not limited by them. The Universal is the Universal;

> Reality is Reality; and no definition of `It' can be given in the

> human language. But `It' is realizable in inner experience as

> Murugan, as the Lord with the Vel, and as one's own Guru, when He

> chooses to reveal Himself out of pure grace.

>

> When one tries to understand Reality, it is neither existence nor

> non-existence, etc.; but when one experiences Reality, it is

> Murugan, an embodiment of wisdom (Vel) and one's Guru. When the

> intellect, baffled, fails to understand Reality and ceases, Reality

> reveals itself as Murugan and says, " I am That I am " , or as the

Lord

> of wisdom and says, " I am That I am " , or as one's Guru and says, " I

> am That I am. "

>

> The Absolute, which is neither with form nor without form, etc., is

> also Lord Murugan, is the peerless Vel, is the Guru. That means the

> latter three are also neither with form, etc. The real nature of

the

> Lord, the Vel and the Guru is formless; is Pure Consciousness. But,

> for the devout meditator and devotee, they appear with form. They

> have therefore, two aspects — the physical and the purely spiritual.

>

> God, Vel, and Guru have forms from the standpoint of our physical

> perception. But when the mind is rendered pure by devotion and

> divine grace, their spiritual nature is revealed, when form gives

> place to formlessness. Similarly, they have existence in the sense

> of limited form in which they appear. But this gives place to

> unlimitedness or non-existence, when their higher nature is

> revealed. Again, they are darkness, i.e., their true nature remains

> unknown until revealed when it gives place to light, when the

> limited existence of form shines as the Infinite, unconditioned

> Consciousness-Light.

>

> The human mind's requirement for form

> The human mind, in the initial stages, due to impurities, is unable

> to perceive Reality as such. It requires a prop, a support, a form

> to concentrate itself upon. So God who is beyond all forms appears

> as a personal God, with various divine weapons and also appears in

a

> human form as one's Guru.

>

> By serving one's Guru and following his instructions, by being

> devoted to God, the disciple's mind is gradually purified and

> becomes fit to understand the higher nature in him. Finally, the

> Guru reveals his highest (divine) nature by that unique upadesa

> of " summaa iru, " (be silent) being in silence. When this experience

> is given, the world vanishes from his perception, both form and

> formlessness vanish together, both existence and non-existence

> disappear together, and both darkness and light cease. What remains

> then? " Summaa Iruththal " (Mere Being) — God's pure existence, the

> Jiva and the world duly transformed and absorbed into Himself. It

> is " Kevala Asti " (Mere Existence) or " Verum Thaan " in the words of

> verse 28.

>

> Such an Absolute, says Arunagirinathar, is Murugan, is the Peerless

> Vel, is our Guru; and this is possible of being known only through

> grace. He does not, however, say by whose grace is this known.

> Evidently, it is not necessary. Because the three being One only,

by

> the grace of anyone of the three this is known. And even this truth

> is disclosed by that grace alone! What a wonder, indeed. This is

the

> mysterious " Grace-Circle-Grace " being revealed through Grace; being

> known through Grace; and being known as Grace; where everything is

> Grace and nothing but Grace.

>

> There is no place for the intellect or understanding. That Grace is

> the Absolute; That is Murugan; That is the Peerless Vel Lord; That

> is the Guru; and That is Arunagirinathar, too, who has packed so

> much wisdom and even more in a single verse.

>

> Verse 13 is also interpreted as:

>

> 1) " That Supreme Reality which can be said to be neither with form

> nor formless, neither existence nor non-existence, neither darkness

> nor light — Is that capable of being known except by those who,

> thinking and meditating as `Murugan, the Lord with the Peerless

Vel,

> is our Guru,' obtain His Grace and know `It' in experience? "

>

> 2) " Except for one who, obtaining Murugan's grace, knows that

> Murugan who has the peerless Vel is one's Guru, is it possible to

> know that Reality which can be said to be neither with form nor

> formless, neither existence nor non-existence, neither darkness nor

> light? "

>

> Instruction for the devout Sadhaka

> [in that temporary state of divine awareness `given' by the Guru

> (verse 12), the great revelation dawns on the aspirant that the

> experience of the Absolute is indescribable, that itself is the

Lord

> who has come as one's Guru and that Divine Grace is the only means

> of knowing these truths.

>

> It is interesting to compare the sequence and the import of the

> epithets " Murugan — Thani Vel Muni — Nam Guru, " of his verse

> with " Kumaran — Giriraasa Kumaari Magan — Samaramporu Dhaanava

> Nagasan, " of verse 8. A close study of this would suggest that what

> is revealed now is implied in verse 8. The fact that the Lord

> appeared as the Guru is not openly said in verse 8; it is only

> implied and has to be extracted by us — this impliedness is to

> suggest that it is not given to the seeker to know the fact at that

> stage. But in this verse, it is said in clear and explicit terms —

> this is to suggest that that which was a secret so far is now

> revealed to him.

>

> There is no difference between Guru and God

> Consequent on this great revelation, the seeker does not anymore

> make a distinction between Guru and God. He feels a total identity

> between them. He sees the Guru not as a human, not even merely as

> one spiritually evolved, but verily as God Himself, as one's Self,

> as the Absolute.

>

> The experience naturally infuses in the seeker an unshakable

> conviction and confidence that his Guru will no doubt take him to

> the grant goal of God-experience.]

>

> Courtesy: skandagurunatha web site

>