THE MOUNTAIN PATH July 1964

[Guest guest]

The Mythology of Arunachala

By T. K. S.

 

A venerable Brahmin, steeped in ancient lore, one of the seniormost of the Maharshi's devotees, tells these stories of the symbolism and mythology of Arunachala. It will be seen that apparently fantastic stories have a precise symbolical meaning,

Sri Arunagiri Yogi* ever shines as the Supreme Lord with the three lines of sacred ash and the tilak spot on his brow, a lustrous garland about his neck, the king of serpents twined round his head and the crescent moon on his head, all signs of supremacy._________________________* A Personification of Arunachala.

We shall relate how the Self-effulgent Siva, Arunadri*, appeared on earth and how the story was told by Siva Himself to Gnana Sambanda, the great Tamil poet-saint.____________________* A name for Arunachala

Singing the praise of Arunachala, the One Being, accompanied by Unnamulai*, her of the unsullied breast, called also Uma, Gnana Sambanda, the child Saint, beheld a venerable old Brahmin gathering flowers by the roadside. Gnana Sambanda asked him courteously where he had come from and what he was doing there.____________________* Siva's Spouse or Shakti.

The old Brahmin, who was none other than Arunachala Siva Himself, replied: "I come from Arunachala. That is my home. I come to gather flowers to be used in the worship of the Lord."

Gnana Sambanda thereupon asked how far away it was and in what direction. The old Brahmin replied: "It cannot be far away since, old, as I am, I come here every day to gather flowers for worship there. I will put you on a good path to arrive there."

In this we see the allegory of the Guru, the manifestation of the Self, showing the path to the aspirant and declaring that the Goal is "not far away".

Gnana Sambanda asked for further information about Arunagiri and was told the following stories.

II - The Column of Fire

Arunachala is the essential basis of all this universe. He is a manifestation of Sambhu* who in ancient times appeared as a column of fire to settle a dispute that had arisen between four-faced Brahma and Vishnu of the four arms.

Both of them were manifested forth from Sadasiva*, whose will it was to appear as many.** In both the egosense arose, each deeming himself greater than the other, and the struggle between them raged until the universe was in danger of destruction from it. Then Lord Chandrasekara*** decided that He should assert His supremacy for the salvation of the universe. He thereupon appeared as a vast column of fire between the two struggling gods._______________* A name for Siva** This recalls the hadith by which the creation of the universe is explained in Islam: "I was a hidden treasure and longed to be known," (Editor)*** Lord of the Crescent Moon, a name for Siva.

The two gods were perplexed at seeing this column of fire transcending the ends of the universe. They agreed that whichever of them could discover either end of it was the greater. Vishnu took the form of the boar Varaha and began digging down through the nether worlds. Brahma took the form of a swan and soared upwards to find the summit. Even though Vishnu descended to the fourth lower world he could not find the end but returned acknowledging defeat. Brahma also failed to reach the summit, but in flight he caught a flower falling from paradise and, taking it back with him, claimed to have reached the summit and found it there.

In this myth Siva, the Destroyer, is the Self or Enlightenment, destroyer of the illusion of a separate individual being; Vishnu, the Preserver, is the ego-sense, preserver of the apparent individual being, stringing all its moments together into an apparent entity. He delves down into himself, seeking in vain for the truth of Being. Brahma, the Creator, is the mind which falsely assumes the creative function, soars aloft into ideas and theories, even receives an intuition fallen from paradise and claims wrongly that it is Enlightenment.

Appearing before them, the Supreme Lord blessed Vishnu for his truth and devotion, but Brahma he cursed, saying that for this offence no temples should be dedicated to him. And indeed, to this day temples are raised to Siva and Vishnu but not to Brahma. At that time Brahma had a fifth head rising above the four faces with which he is now depicted, but Siva in his anger struck it off.

The fifth head of Brahma is the quintessence beyond the four elements, the centre above the directions of space, the pure knowledge above the earthly knowledge of mind and senses. It is equivalent to the third eye of Siva, the unitary knowledge beyond duality. Its being struck off is equivalent to the 'fall of man' in the Christian tradition: man or mind being deprived of the direct intuition of paradise and reduced to the world of opposites, the world of good and evil and the strife between them.

Then, it is said, Vishnu intervened with a prayer to the Lord, reminding Him that, Brahma is the Lord of the four Vedas, to which his four faces correspond, and that the Vedas are not mere meaning but the primal basic sound by which the universe is created and held in being, and if the Lord of the Vedas was destroyed the universe would crumble into ruin. To this Sambhu replied that Brahma was still the Lord of the Vedas and that whatever place the Vedas were chanted would be his temple. And so it has been and is.

Then the two gods prayed to Sankara4 to withdraw His effulgence and let the column of fire assume the appearance of an inert hill that the world might be blessed and not destroyed by it. Graciously hearing their prayers, the Lord withdrew the effulgence into himself and remained in the form of a hill with the name of ARUNACHALA, that those who come to it or even turn to it in their heart may be blessed in this life and ultimately attain Liberation. Every year at the festival of Kartikai* a beacon of ghee donated by devotees is lighted on the summit of Arunachala in reminder of its real nature as a column of fire._________________________* Falling at full moon in October or November by the Western calendar.

III - Uma's Tapas

In my article entitled 'The Secrets of Arunachala'* I told how Uma, the Spouse of Siva, known also as Gowri and as Parvati, playfully closed the eyes of the Lord with her hands and thereby brought about the dissolution of the universe, which exists only in the sight of Siva. I indicated also the symbolism of this myth._________________________* In our issue of April 1964. (Editor).

Sambhu remained unaffected. It is the same to him whether there is kalpa or pralaya, manifestation or dissolution. Uma, however, His Shakti or 'Energy' had to do penance in order to be reunited with the Lord. For this purpose she went to Kanchipuram where, taking up her abode beneath a never-aging mango tree beside the Kampa tank, she performed all the prescribed duties and penance. She made a Siva-lingam of clay, consecrated it and worshipped it with great fervour. To test her constancy Siva set the Kampa river in flood; but the goddess thought only of saving the lingam, which she clasped to her bosom, so that the form of her body was imprinted on the wet clay.

Then the voice of the Lord was heard:

"Let this lingam remain sacred in the world, perpetuating the imprint of Shakti upon Siva. I Myself am manifested in the world as Arunachala, the boon-conferring Lingam of Light. Go there and do penance at the Ashram of Rishi Gautama*, under his guidance, and there I will reveal My radiant form to you." _________________________* Another Gautama, not the Buddha.

Here Uma is the great prowess of Siva, inseparable from Him sent forth into manifestation in order to find her way back to union with the Lord who is her Beloved and the very Self of her. First she does penance under the ageless tree of revealed dharma, fulfilling all the obligations of the law. Then, by making and worshipping the lingam of clay, she adds devotion to duty. When the river of fate floods she clings only to the lingam, showing that devotion is her sole treasure. Only then is she directed to the Hill of Enlightenment where her Guru awaits her.

IV - Rishi Gautama

Receiving the Devi at his Ashram, Rishi Gautama bowed down to her and said: "I perceive that you are here at the behest of Lord Siva. Arunachala is His most sacred place. Here the Lord revealed Himself to Brahma and Vishnu and assumed the form of the Hill that is called Arunagiri."

The attitude of the Guru to his disciple is indeed one of reverence, since he sees in him the beloved of the Lord. When our Bhagavan was asked once about people prostrating before him he said "Before they bow down to me I have already bowed down in my heart to the Siva in them."

Gautama then gave Uma instruction in the form of stories about Arunachala. He told her how Brahma once created a beautiful maiden to distract the yogis from their penance, but so enchanting was she that Brahma himself fell in love with her and pursued her. She changed into a deer to escape him and he gave chase as a stag. Then she changed into a bird and he into the male bird. As a bird she flew here and cried out: "Arunachala, I submit to Thee!" Immediately a hunter emerged from the hill to protect her. Brahma was freed from the illusion of desire and prayed for forgiveness. Siva said: "You are cleansed of your sins by the mere sight of Arunachala. I am the effulgence of Arunagiri, the Supreme Whole. Go round Arunachala silently a hundred times and you will be purified." Brahma did so and became Lord of the paradise of Satyaloka.

The beauty of Maya is such that Being itself becomes enamoured of it. The allure of the mind's fabrications is such that the mind itself pursues them. Only on receiving an intuition of the Self is it freed from the snare of delusion. Then it is bidden to revolve constantly around the Heart in silence, that is in stillness of mind.

The next story Gautama told concerns Vishnu. Hari* is the substratum of the universe. At the beginning of each kalpa** Brahma issues forth from him to perform the task of creation. Once, however, Hari slept untimely and Siva had to undertake the work for him._________________________* A name for Vishnu. ** Cycle of manifestation

Just as the universe goes through alternate phases of manifestation and dissolution, so does the sadhaka through phases of expansion and contraction. He may, however, fall into a state of laya or yogic sleep, pleasant but infructuous, and cease from inner strife. He must shake himself out of this and turn to Arunachala, to the heart, for renewed guidance.

On waking, Hari said: "This is the work of Maya. What shall I do to expunge this sin? I shall take refuge at the feet of Sankara." At this very thought, Sambhu stood before him and said: "I am Arunachala, by merely looking at which darkness is destroyed. Though outwardly a hill of earth and stone, I am fire inwardly. The rains that are absorbed in Arunachala do not flow out. Anything sought there is obtained. Worship Arunachala and take up your work again."

The rain of Grace that falls upon the heart does not flow forth in waste but remains there to fertilise it.

In Satya-yuga Arunachala was visible fire (the radiance of Truth naked and visible); in the second age it was a mound of gems (the inexhaustible treasures of spiritual powers and experiences were apparent to all); in the third it was of gold and now, in this kaliyuga, it is a hill of earth and stone, its radiance concealed.

At all times, but especially on auspicious occasion such as Sivaratri (the Night of Siva) and Kartikai, when a beacon is lit on the summit, Gods and invisible Rishis go round Arunachala, blessing the humans who go round and fulfilling their wishes. There is no spot more sacred. Mount Kailas is the abode of Siva but Arunachala is Siva Himself.

All this Rishi Gautama explained to Parvati*, whereupon she decided to do penance here and requested him to give her a hut to live in, which he gladly did. Though seemingly young, her devotion and detachment were great. Her frail body shone like a golden creeper, full of lustre._______________* A name for Uma.

V - Mahishasura

After spending some time at the Ashram of Rishi Gautama, Uma established herself in a tapovanam, a place of austerities, at Pavalakunru on a spur of Arunachala. She put aside her jewellery, let her hair grow unkempt and matted, clad herself in the bark of a tree and smeared her body with sacred ash. She now lived a life of severe tapas.

At this time the demon Mahishasura created such havoc that not only was the whole earth disturbed but the heavens also. Fearing for their safety, the Devas appealed to Uma for protection. The demon attacked her tapovanam and fierce battle raged between his forces and her attendants. The latter were driven back, and finally Uma herself assumed her terrible form as Durga, her of the sixteen arms, and sallied forth against him, a weapon in every hand. Long and fierce was the battle between them, but in the end Durga overthrew the asura, trod him underfoot and pierced him with her trident. Then she cut off his head and danced in triumph on it. The Devas rained flowers upon her and sang her praises. There was divine music in the heavens. All the directions of space were brightened.

Finally, as this myth indicates, the ego of the sadhaka rises up in revolt and must be destroyed. Until this is done the higher, heavenly faculties are disturbed as well as the purely human, the gods as well as men. There is disturbance everywhere and danger of total ruin.

But the demon can be destroyed only by the sadhaka himself.

Neither God nor Guru can do it for him. When he achieves victory there is rejoicing in heaven and earth.

In the neck of the slain asura Durga beheld a Siva-lingam. She touched it and it adhered to her hand and would not come off. This made her fear that the demon had been a Siva-bhakta, a devotee of the Lord, and that she had committed a sin in slaying him. Rishi Gautama reassured her but she was not convinced. Then came the voice of Siva instructing her how to make ablution in the sacred waters, and after due ablution the lingam came away. It was consecrated and worshipped on earth under the name of papanasa lingam, the 'sin-destroying lingam,' and the sacred waters as 'khadga tirtha.'

 

VI - The Consummation

Surrounded with the fires of tapas on all four sides and with her eyes raised towards the sun, Ambika, the Divine Mother, shone like a jewel. At sunset on the evening of Kartikai the full moon rose above the horizon to gaze upon her splendour. A radiant light burst forth on the crest of Sonagiri. Vishnu and Brahma appeared. Uma slowly walked around Arunachala, singing praises to the Lord. Suddenly He stood motionless before her, glorious in His own radiance. She stood with downcast eyes before Him.

"Oh Devi!", He said, "Why should you suffer? Are you not One with Me and worshipful in all the worlds? Are we not One, like the moon and its rays? Are we not united beyond time and space? I am Narayana* and you are Lakshmi*. I am Brahma and you Saraswati*. I am the Ocean and you the Ganges. I am ahankara* and you the intellect.

I am Purusha* and you are Prakriti*. You are that Shakti which brings about creation, preservation and destruction.

Imagining yourself to have a separate existence from me has brought all this suffering upon you.

Awake now from this delusion."_________________________* Narayana - A name for SivaLakshmi - Vishnu's Spouse or Shakti.Saraswati - Brahma's Spouse or Shakti.ahankara - The I-sense.Purusha - The Spirit.Prakriti - Universal, Primordial Substance.

So saying, Lord Parameswara* lifted her up and she was absorbed into his being. Merging, they became one androgynous whole, the right side red and the left white, the right side male and the left female. Thus was the Mystic Union achieved as human and Divine became one whole. Thenceforth was she Unnamulai** and He Annamalai.

Here at the place of their union, at this Arunachala, Grace is abundant and sadhakas are blessed in their efforts. This is the heart-centre this is the Holy Hill. ________________* The Supreme God. ** A name for Uma