Thirumoolar

[Guest guest]

It is said that Thirummolar used to reel out just one verse per year. An old

lady used to serve Him a porridge of greenleaves(Aaakkoora pulusu) mixed

with boiled rice when He used to come out of his cave and sit to reel out a

verse. There are 3,047 melodious verses, captures the essential teachings of

siddha yoga, or the yoga of the perfected adepts. Which means he must have

lived atleast a 3047 years! Well, His age is more than that and He is an

immortal sage.

 

 

 

Thirumoolar

 

'All the world may well attain the bliss

I have received,

If the name of the Lord chanted by

the great ones is repeated,

Within the heart will arise a thrilling

unstruck sound

Which, when practised, will lead to

realization.'(85)--Thirumantiram

 

Time was when I despised the body;

But then I saw the God within

An the body, I realised, is the Lord's temple

And so I began preserving it

With care infinite'. (725)..Thirumantiram

 

 

Face of Thirumoolar

 

His Thirumandiram sparkles with original wisdom and shows a rare knowledge

of the secrets of siddha yoga. He writes about the Divine (in the form of

the god Shiva), the power of love and devotion, the efficacy of mantras, the

connection between breath and mind, higher visions, ultimate

God-realization, and not least the serpent power (kundalani-shakti) and the

esoteric structures of the subtle body. While much of the information given

can be found scattered in the Sanskrit scriptures as well, in the

Thirumandiram it is imparted with a lively immediacy that is absent from

more abstract works like the Sanskrit tantras or the philosophical writings

of northern Shaivism.

 

This is the yogic path of the Shaiva Siddhanta tradition flourishing in

south India. As the name indicates, the Shaiva Siddhanta tradition revolves

around the worship of the Divine in the form of Shiva. The name Shiva means

" He who is Benevolent " , and the adjective shaiva means " relating to Shiva " .

the Sanskrit word siddhantha means " philosophical doctrine " or " accomplished

teaching. "

 

Who was this Thirumoolar?

 

 

 

In the Growing-moon crowned Lord's mount kayilai being the lead of that very

ancient abode of Lord showing the righteous path to the vishnu, brahma,

indra and others is the nandhi(not to be confused with Shiva's vahana). One

of his disciples, vEdhAs learnt sage who attained the eight great

achievements beginning from aNimA wanted to visit and stay with sage

agasthyar at the podhikai mountains in thamiz land. Worshiping the Lord at

kEdhAr the sage praised the pashupati at Nepal. He reached the banks of the

holy river ga.nga which as a small stream falls from His vast matted Hair

glittering like the lightning. Bathing in the river he saluted the Lord's

avimuththam abode and proceeded towards the South. Saluting the Shrishailam

of Shankara, he reached ThirukkALaththi. Praising the enchanting Everlasting

Lord at thirukkALaththi entered His dancing field Alavanam and bowed down to

His raised foot. He came to kAnychi worshipping Lord EkAmbaranAthar.

Involving in discussions with the yoga munis of that city he left in his

journey and bowed down to the Black-throated Mercy at Thiruvadhikai. He

arrived in the Master of Dance's Thillainathar. With his heart brimming with

love he saw the dance of the Golden Beauty that acts making the matters to

exist. Staying and saluting the Lord there for some time he came to the

banks of river Cauvery.

 

 

Bathing in the chill refreshing water of river kAviri he went into the

Lord's abode AvaduthuRai. The yOgi praised in undiminishing love the Lord of

pashu s there. In spite of a feeling of not leaving that holy place emerging

strongly he went out of the town continuing his journey towards podhikai.

But in a short distance he saw the cows crying on the Cauvery bank. mUlan a

herdsman who used to take care of the cows of the village chAththanUr died

when he brought the cowherds for grazing on the banks of the river. The cows

out of their affection for their herdsman went around his body smelling him,

licking him and crying. The yOgi who told the world that Love is Lord shiva

felt he would remove their suffering by His grace. Realizing that only if

mUlan came alive the cows would get consoled, he, a splendid sidhdha

fortified his body and introduced his soul into the body of the herdsman

through air. He rose as thirumUlar. The cows relieved of their gloom licked

him in joy, went around happily grazing on the riverbanks. The merciful

n^AyanAr safeguarded them till they grazed enough and returned after

drinking water from the river. As the sun red in the heat went to have a dip

in the ocean the cows thinking of their calves started walking back towards

the village. The sage who showed a supreme path to the world calmly followed

them to chAththanUr.

 

He waited till all the cows entered their respective houses. Wife of the

herdsman mUlan saw him delaying to enter the house. Anxiously she went to

touch him, but he refused saying there was no relation between them and went

into a common mutt. The lady who had no offspring or relatives could not

sleep throughout the night. She cried and lamented to the elderly people of

the town about his new behavior. Those people of well analyzing capacity

told the girl that he was neither mad nor had he any other association. He

staying beyond the skewedness of mind, in the crystal clear shivayOga, in

the height of glory unmeasurable for any human would not fit into

relationship she had, they advised her.

 

The sage thirumUla n^AyanAr in such a wonderful state got up and returned

the way he came following the cowherd. The sage could not find the body he

had kept it safe. He realized through his vision of spiritual wisdom that it

was God's grace that way in order to give in thamiz through his words the

supreme AgamAs that the Cool-matted haired Lord gave for this world to

follow and get enlightened. He explained to the relatives who continued

behind him the non-continuation of the bonds. After they all left thinking

the holy feet of the Lord of Bull flag n^AyanAr went with great enthusiasm

to salute the Supreme at thiruvAvaduthuRai.

 

Sitting under the shade of arachu tree in ultimate shivayOgam he gave the

holy thiruman^dhiram (1) a marvelous medicine for the illness of

incarnation. Starting from 'onRavan thAnE' he completed theTamil garland of

three thousand flowers for the Lord who charmingly wears the horn of the

boar. Staying on this earth for those three thousand years, a blessed time

for the upbringing of humankind he reached in non-separation the holy feet

of the Almighty.

 

 

 

Thirumoolar was, in fact, one of the earliest Shiva-worshipping adepts of

the south. He achieved no particular fame during his lifetime, but, as is

often the case with the saintly, his greatness was increasingly recognized

after his death. Several centurieslater, his masterful work was incorporated

into the Shaiva canon, and today he is remembered as one of south India's

greatest yoga adepts.

 

 

 

The teachings of Thirumoolar is known as Tirumandiram and is reckoned as the

tenth of the 12 Tirumurais of Saivism. In Tirumantiram all yogas - Hada

Yoga, Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Tantra Yoga, Mantra Yoga and Daya Yoga are

explained. His Saiva devotional works are based on devotion or bakthy while

the philosophical works are based on knowledge or gnanam. The first category

is called Thothiram, and the second category is called Sathiram. The

Thirumanthiram is considered as thothiram book and classified as the tenth

thirumurai volume. However, because of the philosophical views in it, it is

also seen as a sathiram book.

 

Thirumanthiram book contains many Saiva Siddhantha views. It is the first

Tamil work to carry the phrase Saiva Siddhantham. It begins with innovation

to God as its preface or Payiram, which speaks of vethas, agamas etc. The

first verse beginning as 'Onravan thane' speaks of the nature of the divine.

 

 

Thirumanthiram contains three thousand verses, divided into nine chapters

called Thanthirams.

 

The First Tantra called the upathesam part expresses Shaiva Philosophical

views and divine experience. It also has verses speaking about impermanency

of the physical body, love, education etc.

 

The Second tantra contains verses relating to Siva's glory, His divine acts,

classification of souls etc.

 

Yoga practices and applications find place in the Third tantra.

 

Details dealing with manthiram, thanthiram, etc., are given in the Fourth

Tantra.

 

Various branches of Saiva cult and the four paths of chariyai etc., are

given in the Fifth Tantra.

 

The Sixth tantra gives details such as Siva coming as Guru and bestowing His

grace, the required practices to receive His grace etc.

 

Various images of Sivalingam, Siva poosai, control of the five of senses

etc., are expressed in the Seventh Tantra.

 

The Eighth Tantra deals with the experience stages of soul.

 

The Ninth Tantra gives details relating to Panchadsara manthiram, Siva's

dance, state of samadhi, etc.

 

Sekkizhar, the author of Periyapuranam, designated this Tamil classic as

" Tamizh Moovaayiram " since it possesses 3000 poems. These poems have a

unique metrical structure, with each line consisting of 11 or 12 syllables,

depending upon the initial syllable. This is the earliest exposition of

Saiva Agamas in Tamil. He discusses on the four steps of spiritual progress

viz., Karya, Kriya, Yoga and Gnana, concept of Pati, Pasu and Pasa and

fourfold sadhanas, Vedanta, interprets the Upanishadic Mahavakya, " Tat tvam

asi " (Thatthuvamasi) through grammatical technique of " Lakshanatraya " . the

Vedantic concept of sevenfold adjuncts (Upaadhi) of Jiva and the same number

of Upadhis of Isvara, the absolute and transcendental Reality as Sunya

devoid of any attribute.

 

There are portions in his treatise, identifiable as Tantrasastra, as they

are rich in materials on basic principles of Shakti worship, diagrams,

Chakras, magic spells and their accessories.

 

The third section of the text is on Yoga. The ethical aspects of avoidance

of vices and adoption of virtues, known as " Yama " and " Niyama " are presented

with details, not found in the Sanskrit text of his contemporary, Patanjali.

 

 

Similarly particulars of " Asanas " , the physical postures and " Pranayama "

(the breathing exercises), " Pratyahara " (withdrawal of senses from going

astray), " Dharana " (fixing the mind on the point), " Dhyana, " (meditation)

and " Samadhi " (absorption) are also expounded. He had firm conviction that

the practice of Yoga would culminate in the realisation of the oneness of

Atman and Brahman. He calls this method " Sivayoga " .

 

He describes the ways and means of attaining immortal body, called

" Kayasiddhi " . Tirumoolar advocated a theory of preserving the body so that

the soul would continue its existence (Udambai valarthen uyir valarthenae).

 

Tirumoolar was a moral philosopher. He teaches the ethics of ahimsa,

abstinence from slaughtering, meat eating and drinking. He condemns coveting

another man's wife. He declares that " love is God " . He proclaims the unity

of mankind and God. He stresses on the acquisition of knowledge through

learning and listening.

 

The final section of the Tirumandiram named " Sunya Sambhashana " (esoteric

dialogue) is full of metaphorical sayings communicating mystical and

speculative thoughts.

 

" There are five cows (Indriyas) in the house of Paarppaan (Paar- to see;

seer i.e. body of man) which without a cowherd (preceptor) wanders

everywhere. If they were controlled and their thirst quenched, then they

would give out milk (bliss) " .

 

 

 

 

--

Krishna Prasad

 

.. Yad yad aacarati sreshtah, tad tad eva itaro janah. As the Gita puts it,

consistency of purpose and a spirit of dedication and, if necessary,

sacrifice, should characterize the new spirit.

We Must

THE CULTURED GIVES HAPPINESS WHEREVER THEY GO, THE UN-CULTURED WHENEVER THEY

GO!

- Swami Chinmayanada