Mâyâ is nondifferentiation (aviveka) about the principles [of existence (tattva)], such as [limited] activity (kalâ). (3.3)
Dissolution of the parts (kalâ) [should be achieved] in the body. (3.4)
Comments: According to Kshemarâja’s commentary, the kalâs in question are the various ontological principles or categories (tattvas), such as the elements, the subtle elements, and the mind.
Dissolution of the currents (nâdî) [of the life force], conquest of the elements, isolation from the elements, and separation from the elements [are accomplished through yogic contemplation]. (3.5)
[Paranormal] power (siddhi) [results] from a veil of delusion (moha). (3.6)
Through the conquest of delusion, through infinite enjoyment (âbhoga) [of the Real, there comes about] the conquest of spontaneous wisdom. (3.7)
[The enlightened adept is always] awake; [for him] the second one [i.e., the world of duality] is a ray-of-light. (3.8)
Comments: The world is a “ray-of-light” (kara) because the enlightened adept experiences it as identical with the divine Reality.
The self (âtman) [of the enlightened adept is like] a dancer. (3.9)
Comments: The meaning of this obscure aphorism is that enlightened adepts, though they may engage in all kinds of activities, are only play-acting so to speak. They are not really involved in their actions, because they have ceased to identify with the limited body-mind and its functions.
The inner self (antar-âtman) [of the enlightened adept is like] a stage. (3.10)
Comments: This aphorism, which continues with the dramatic metaphor of sûtra 3.8, emphasizes that the enlightened adept is pure witness. He is constantly and continuously aware of the contents of his own mind, which no longer has the power to delude him.
The senses are [like] spectators. (3.11)
Through the force of [transcendental] insight (dhî), power over sattva [is obtained]. (3.12)
Comments: The term sattva, or “realness,” stands for the luminous aspect of Nature. It is one of the three primary constituents of phenomenal existence. The compound sattva-siddhi also can be understood in the sense of “perfection of luminosity.” Both senses are applicable.
[Thus] the condition of independence (sva-tantra) [or liberation] is accomplished. (3.13)
As [the adept accomplishes transcendental independence, or liberation] in [regard to] this [body], so [does he accomplish perfect independence in regard to] all else. (3.14)
Attentiveness (avadhâna) to the “seed” (bîja) [i.e., the Source of the world, should be cultivated]. (3.15)
He who is established in the seat (âsana) [of the transcendental Consciousness] easily plunges into the “lake” [i.e., the ultimate Reality]. (3.16)
He effects creation by his own measure. (3.17)
Comments: Since the enlightened adept is one with the divine Reality, he or she also is the absolute creator of everything.
While wisdom prevails, the elimination of [future] birth [is certain]. (3.18)
Maheshvarî and so forth, [residing] in the classes [of letters of the alphabet] beginning with ka, are the mothers of “beasts” (pashu) [i.e., fettered beings, but they have no power over the enlightened adept in whom wisdom blossoms.] (3.19)
The Fourth [i.e., the ultimate Reality] should be poured like oil into the three [conditional modes of consciousness, namely waking, dream sleep, and deep sleep]. (3.20)
He should enter [into the Fourth] by immersing himself with his mind (citta). (3.21)
Upon the equalization of the life force (prâna), [there comes about [the vision of sameness. (3.22)
Comments: When the breath is no longer erratic and the body’s energies are harmonized, the mind too is balanced. Then everything reveals itself as the same One.
In the interim, [there occurs] the generation of inferior [states of consciousness]. (3.23)
Comments: The yogin, who has not yet fully and stably realized the ultimate Reality, experiences intermittently lower states of consciousness, which lack full awareness of the fundamental sameness of all things.
Upon [ecstatic] union between the self-concept (sva-pratyaya) and objects (mâtra), [the yogin brings about] the reemergence of the vanished [vision of sameness]. (3.24)
He becomes like Shiva. (3.25)
[Retaining] the functioning of the body [for the sake of others is his only] vow. (3.26)
[His] conversation is recitation. (3.27)
Self-knowledge is [his] gift [to others]. (3.28)
And he who is established in Avipa is a cause of [higher] knowledge (jna). (3.29)
Comments: In Kshemarâja’s tenth-century commentary, the difficult compound avipa-stha is explained as “established in the protector (pa) of animals (avi),” that is, “established in those w ho protect the finite beings.” Thus, it is taken to refer to the Goddesses that preside over the letters of the Sanskrit alphabet.
For him the universe is an extension of his [innate] power. (3.30)
The maintenance and absorption [of the universe are likewise an extension of his innate power]. (3.31)
Despite such activity [as the maintenance and absorption of the universe, there is] no discontinuity owing to [the enlightened adept’s] condition as witness. (3.32)
[The adept] considers pleasure and pain as external. (3.33)
Free from these, he is indeed alone (kevalin). (3.34)
However, the dynamic [or karmic] self [i.e., the unenlightened personality] is afflicted by delusion. (3.35)
Upon the eclipse of differentiation (based on the unenlightened mind, the adept acquires] the capacity for [bringing forth] other creations. (3.36)
The power of creation [is well established] on account of one’s own experience [in dreams and meditation, etc.]. (3.37)
[There should be] animation of the three states [of unenlightened consciousness] by the principal [State, which is Reality itself]. (3.38)
As with the [various] states of consciousness, [there should also be animation by the ultimate Reality] in regard to body, senses, and external [objects]. (3.39)
For the “confluent” (samvâhya) [unenlightened individual, there is constant] extroversion (bahir- gati) because of desire. (3.40)
Comments: Driven by desire, the consciousness of the unenlightened person habitually flows out toward the external world. This externalizing flux of attention is captured well in the rare word samvâhya, denoting the individual who “flows together” with objects.
For him who is in the condition of being rooted in that [Fourth, or ultimate Reality, there results] termination of individuality (jîva) owing to the ending of that [desire for contact with objects]. (3.41)
Then, he who has the elements for his covering is released, mighty, supreme, and the same as the Lord [i.e., Shiva]. (3.42)
The connection with the life force (prâna) is natural. (3.43)
Comments: The meaning of this aphorism appears to be that even though finite life depends on the connection of the life force with a particular consciousness, in the case of the enlightened adept, this is not an intrinsic limitation. In fact, prâna is a manifestation of the ultimate Reality. Ultimately, prâna is the universal Life itself.
Through constraint (samyama) [i.e., through ecstatic identification with] the innermost center of the nose, how [can the ultimate Reality not be realized] in the left, the right, and the central [channels of the life force]? (3.44)
Comments: This is another obscure aphorism carrying a wealth of esoteric information. The innermost center (antar-madhya) of the nose (nâsikâ) is really the core of the life force or consciousness. By practicing successively concentration, meditation, and ecstasy relative to that subtle central point, the adept is able to abide as the ultimate Reality, regardless of whether the life force Hows through the left channel, the right channel, or the central channel. In Tantrism and Hatha- Yoga. these channels through which the life force circulates are respectively known as idâ-nâdî, pingalâ-nâdî, and sushumnâ-nâdi. The Shiva-Sût
ra uses the word saushumna for the last, which is the most important, since it is the conduit for the awakened kundalinî-shakti, the psycho- spiritual power that brings about a total alchemical transmutation of the human body-mind.
[In the case of the yogin] let there be repeatedly the opening-and-closing [of the vision of sameness]. (3.45)
Comments: The phrase pratimîlana is a technical expression of Kashmiri Shaivism. Here rendered as “opening-and-closing,” it literally means “counter-closing.” It refers to the high yogic art of seeing the ultimate Reality, Shiva, both within oneself and in the outer world. This practice comprises both subjective ecstasy (as epitomized in the closing of the eyes, or nimîlana) and objective ecstasy (as epitomized in the opening of the eyes, or unmîlana). This condition is otherwise known as spontaneous ecstasy, or sahaja-samâdhi.
IV. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD— THE SHIVA WORSHIPERS OF THE SOUTH17
During the period between the seventh and the ninth century C.E., gamic Shaivism also gained momentum in the South. The Tamil-speaking Shaivas deny that their gamas hailed from the North. Be that as it may, they produced a vast and beautiful literature whose doctrines are known as Shaiva-Siddhânta. The metaphysics of this tradition, as already mentioned, is a form of qualified nondualism: Shiva is the One Reality, and the insentient (acit) world of multiplicity is no mere illusion but a product of Shiva’s power (shakti). This is an important distinction from the northern tradition, which favors an illusionist interpretation of the world. In both traditions, however, liberation is dependent on grace (prasâda).
Rejecting the Vedas, the Tamil Shaivas have their own sacred corpus, the Tiru-Murai, also often referred to as the “Tamil Veda.” This collection of ancient hymns in praise of God Shiva was put together by Nambiyândâr Nambi, who lived toward the end of the eleventh century C.E. These hundreds of hymns are arranged into eleven chapters, of which the tenth is the best known—the famous Tiru-Mantiram of the adept bard Tirumûlar (seventh century C.E.). It consists of more than three thousand verses. Tirumûlar’s teaching is a mixture of devotionalism, yogic technique, and gnosis (jnâna).
We may see in Tirumûlar an early master of the widespread Siddha tradition, which will be addressed shortly. In one stanza (1463), he defines a siddha, or adept, as someone who has experienced the divine light and acquired power (shakti) through yogic ecstasy. For the historian of Yoga, the most important part of Tirumûlar’s work is the third section, consisting of 333 verses, where he explains the eightfold limbs of the Yoga path à la Patanjali, and the fruits of correct Yoga practice, including the eight great supernormal powers (mahâ-siddhi). He also introduces several Tantric practices, notably the khecâri-mudrâ, which is defined in verse 779 as the “simultaneous arresting of the movement of breath, mind, and semen.” The Tiru-Mantiram is as important to southern Shaiva Yoga as the Bhagavad-Gîtâ is to the northern Vaishnava Yoga tradition.
The Tamil-speaking South still revers its great saints, the Nâyanmârs, who lived between the sixth and the tenth centuries C.E. Tradition knows of sixty-three Nâyanmârs (“Leaders”), whose saintliness and spiritual heroism is still annually celebrated in the Aravattu-Muvar-Ula festival. Their largely legendary life stories are preserved in Cekkilâr’s Peria- Purânam, an eleventh-century compilation. This popular work is as edifying to read as are the Christian hagiographies, providing we put ourselves in a spiritually receptive mood and are willing to ignore cultural differences. For the human heart speaks a universal language. The Peria-Purânam is filled with samples from the poetic outpourings of the saints, in which they glorify the Divine Lord, asking for nothing but to be devotees, forever absorbed in contemplating Him.
The four most revered saints of southern Shaivism are Appar, Sambandhar, Sundarar, and Mânikkavâcakar. Appar, who lived in the seventh century C.E., is generally deemed the first of the Nâyanmârs. He was born into the Jaina tradition, but after he was miraculously cured from a painful stomach ailment when praying in a Shiva temple, he converted to the Shaiva faith. Wandering from temple to temple where he performed menial services, Appar sang his love poetry in honor of God Shiva. His songs were widely influential. In one of them, he speaks of himself as a fool who fails to appreciate Shiva’s constant proximity.
Like am I
to the profitless fool
who milks a dry cow
in a darkened room!
Fool that I am
trying to warm myself
by the twinkle
of a glow-worm
when a bright fire
is at hand!
As vain
as seeking alms
in a deserted village!
Is it not futile
to bite at an iron rod
when a piece
of sugarcane
is close at hand!18
Appar, who saw himself as Shiva’s humble servant, dismissed conventional religious practices like pilgrimage, penance, or study of the sacred scriptures, teaching instead that a profound love for Shiva is sufficient to achieve freedom and lasting happiness. His message caused great rancor among his old Jaina community. Legend has it that he was brought before the Jaina ruler Gunabhâra (alias Mahendravarman Pallava) at Kanchipuram, who asked him to renounce his new faith. When Appar refused, the king had him thrown into a lime kiln, but the saint was kept alive by his continuous chanting of the mantra nama-sivaya (Sanskrit: namah shivâya). When even poison, a mad elephant, and drowning could not end the saint’s life, the ruler finally capitulated in shame and became Appar’s disciple.
Another luminary of southern Shaivism is Sam- bandhar, whose poems open the sacred canon. He was a younger contemporary of Appar, with whom he traveled for several months, visiting temples and singing songs of praise that touched the hearts of many. Some traditional authorities believe that he is obliquely referred to in Nârada’s Bhakti-Sûtra (83), where he is called Kaundinya (which is indeed Sambandhar’s gotra or lineage name).
In his songs, Sambandhar often glorifies both Shiva and his divine spouse Pârvatî, and unlike his more ascetic counterparts he freely extolled the beauty of the female gender and of Nature. Sambandhar also is remembered as a worker of miracles, and according to a well-known legend he even revived a young girl who had already been cremated. He himself indicates in one of his hymns that the Lord blessed him with certain powers, including the power to drop his body at will.
A third much-loved poet-saint is Sundarar, who lived in the early part of the eighth centuiy C.E. The mood of his songs is strikingly different from the poetry of his predecessors and the other Nâyanmârs, for Sundarar considered himself not a slave or servant of Lord Shiva but his friend. Because of the extreme familiarity with which he addresses God in his hymns, Sundarar came to be known as the “insolent devotee” (Tamil: van tontar). In his lyrical poems, he calls Shiva a madman, teasing the God for his strange attire. He even dares to ask for Goddess Pârvatî’s hand in marriage, which all-benevolent Shiva grants to this impudent devotee.
Later, Sundarar fell in love with a beautiful girl by the name of Sangili who made flower garlands for the temple, and he asked Shiva to bring about their marriage as well. The request was granted on the condition, stipulated by the girl herself, that Sundarar would never leave her. After a few years of marital bliss with Sangili, the eccentric saint longed to be reunited with his first wife, Pârvatî. Upon breaking his vow, Sundarar promptly lost his eyesight. Now he traveled from temple to temple, reproaching Shiva for punishing him with blindness. He chided the Lord for depriving him of his eyesight, given that he, Shiva, has three eyes—the third eye being located on his forehead. Taking pity on his wayward devotee, Shiva restored the sight in one eye, and when Sundarar continued to lament his fate and blame the Lord for his misfortune, even healed the other eye.
Though not counted among the Nâyanmârs, Mânikkavâcakar (“He whose utterances are rubies”) is remembered as one of four Nalvars, or great Shaiva saints, together with Appar, Sambandhar, and Sundarar. M
ânikkavâcakar lived in the middle of the ninth century C.E. and was the prime minister of King Varaguna Pândya of Madurai. While on a royal mission to purchase horses, Mânikkavâcakar encountered a charismatic teacher—Shiva in disguise—who set his spirit on fire so much that the young minister spent the king’s purse on building a Shiva temple at Perunturai. The ministerial saint was swiftly thrown into prison and was released only after the intervention of Lord Shiva himself.
Many of Mânikkavâcakar’s exquisite love songs tell of his mad passion for Shiva and the mood of uncontrollable ecstasy that often overwhelmed him. In one composition he sings:
While unperishing love melted my bones,
I cried
I shouted again and again,
louder than the waves of the
billowing sea,
I became confused,
I fell,
I rolled,
I wailed,
Bewildered like a madman,
Intoxicated like a crazy drunk,
so that people were puzzled
and those who heard wondered.
Wild as a rutting elephant which cannot
be mounted,
I could not contain myself.19
For Mânikkavâcakar, God is ever merciful, and his grace knows no bounds. The path to God is intense love- devotion (bhakti), accompanied by deep meditation upon the Lord. The poet-saint sees no greater good than to be united with Shiva, the divine lover, clinging to him lost in ecstasy. Mânikkavâcakar’s poetry is found in the Tiru- Vâcakam, the eighth book of the Tiru-Murai, which is sung daily in numerous temples and homes of Tamilnadu.
The southern Shaiva saints were ascetics of the heart, for in their external lives it would have been difficult to distinguish them from their neighbors. Most of them were married and had children, work to accomplish, and properties to care for. But they had inwardly renounced everything and become humble servants of Lord Shiva, ennobling their entire culture by their own love and humility. The age-old Shaiva community thus continued to cherish and perpetuate the spirit of Bhakti-Yoga and the ideal of loka-samgraha, or benefiting the world.
The Yoga Tradition Page 54