1. Acting Without Eliciting Karma - Tayumanavar

2. The Imaging of Metaphysical Insights - Nammalvar

3. In LOVE I am in Service to Siva -

4. We can be Free of Karma - Punitavati

5. The Temple as a Media

6. The Technology of Liberation - Punitavati

7. The Art of the Invocation

8. Agamism - Pedadogy and Culture

9. Agamic and Vedic - P.T. Srinivasa Iyengar

10. Hindu and Non-Hindu

11. The Blessing of Transductive Perceptions - Vallalar

12. Worship and Determinism

13. The Confused Hindu

14. Makara Sankranti, Uttarayana & Pongal

15. Idiots of the World

16. In the Heart of Nothingness

17. Nakshatras in the Agamas

18. On Time & Dieties

19. Shivaratri and Maha Shivaratri

20. Indra in the Vedas

21. On Wealth, Sarasvati & Brihaspati

22. Tayumanavar on Chitambara Rahasyam

23. BEING Himself as the Guru - Vallalar

24. Siddhars & Siddhis

25. Time in religion and in life

26. Circumnambulation

27. Message of the Vedas

28. Some Vedic Quotes

29. Sivagnanabodham - Ramanathan Lambotharan

30. Some Verses from Tayumanavar

31. A Satchitananda Experience

32. The Death Experience

33. Poetic Cosmology: The Creation Hymn

34. Envisioning the Gods

35. Saivism is Free of Shastras

36. On Nataraja

37. Conventional Religions and the Real Religion

38. Predestination, Worship and Agamas

39. Ghosts in Hindu Religion – the Preta Concept in Hinduism

40. The Tirukural on War, Defense and Foreign Affairs

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Tayumanavar - AraNam-8

Acting Without Eliciting Karma - Tayumanavar

One of the most fascinating aspects of the Saiva theory of Action is vastly different from that available in Bagavath Gita and many other Indian texts, is that there are ways in which an embodied soul can act but without eliciting any evi karmic traces that bring about many problems in lufe.

This theory is briefly outlined in this fascinating verse.

First he notes that there are two different ways in which he understands actions. The first is that because of metaphysical maturity seeing every action in fact as the action of BEING and thus taking no personal responsibility for them. The actions are seen as the Play of BEING  and thus always good even if the outcomes are very painful.  Such a view frees the soul also from guilt and such other psychological consequences that are quite normal but which can lead mental breakdowns if to the excess.

Now the other view is that with the soul polluted by Siddha Maayai, the Malam pervading in the deepest part of the mental modules, the Siddham, there comes to prevail Ego along with ignorance of the Metaphysical realms. The soul becomes ego-self and with an inability to see the metaphysical realms and hence the Play of BEING, ends up attributing to itself the AGENCY of the actions done.

Now Tayumanavar notes that when this way of thinking and understanding goes unchecked, there come to prevail more and more of the Malam in the mind  destroying the normal mental functioning itself. The person can become insane and fail to be conscious of actions as such, his own and that of others. He loses self-consciousness and with that becomes abnormal with no control and regulation over his own actions.

Now the question arises: How to avoid falling to this state of mental insanity and remain normal?

The solution lies in seeking the blessings of BEING whereby the soul is prevented from becoming excessively egoistic and returns to the view that actions can be that of BEING and that once one suppresses or destroys one’s own Ego, then all actions dome will be in fact that of BEING the universal praxis but now available in the behavior of an individual.  Such actions will never elicit the evil karmic deposits at all but aruL and hence will not result in the destruction of the mind and self consciousness.

All actions will become ToNdu, selfless service to mankind and such actions are in fact that of BEING when the soul becomes one with BEING. When one destroys the normal alienation that leads to seeing oneself as an Ego-self,  intentionality as distinct from that BEING ceases to be there and with that the absence of eliciting Karmic consequences good or bad.

8.
en ceyalinRi yaavu nin ceyalenRu
        eNNuveen ovvoru kaalam
puncey Maayai mayaGki en ceyalaip
        poruntuvee aQtoru  kaalam
pin ceyal yaatu ninaivinRik kidappeen
        pottaneen nannilai peRa nin
tan ceyaalka mudittidal veeNdum
        caccitaananta caR kuruvee!

Meaning:
O my Lord! There were times when I saw every action of mine as that of Yours, but when my mind became polluted by Maayai, the deluding Malam, then I began to see myself as the agent of all my actions. Then as  I became more and more egoistic like this, the Malam destroyed my self-consciousness whereby I became incapable of normal behavior becoming quite insane.  Now O My Lord! To help me to enjoy continuously the good state I with self-awareness, please transform all my actions into that of Yours and which You can do as You are the real Guru with absolutely clear consciousness that  comes along with supreme bliss.

Loga

The Imaging of Metaphysical Insights - Nammalvar

Central to Agamism or Tantrism that centers on Temple worship and right from the Prevedic Sumerian times where might temples were built, we have various metaphysical insights encrypted into various images or icons that become concrete shapes carved out of stones or cast into metallic images. Then we have Icon Thinking  that seeks to recover these metaphysical insights, bring into words and with that enjoy deep visions that are metaphysically illuminating and spiritually elevating.

This is the cultural dynamics of Agamism that is very strongly embedded in the culture of the Tamils.

In this verse of Namazvar we see a clear instance of this imaging  process that sustains deep metaphysical insights.

First it is noted that the BODY of BEING is vaan cudar and which is actually vaal cudar, brilliant and Pure Light.  Now as is the case with almost all mystics throughout the world and right from ancient times, BEING who remains a total mystery with respect to form, shows Himself at the highest reaches of metaphysical excursions as such a light that also coms along with Deep Silence as the language of communication.

But at some lower level comes the figural images like Tirumaal and so forth with head eyes arms legs and so forth. Here we note that the eyes hands (and the feet) are of the Red Lotus to indicate that the SEEING of BEING and the various ACTIONS, the Divine Praxis are out of Deep Love which is symbolized by this Red Lotus. The actions of BEING are not like that of human beings where there is an intention to gain something. BEING acts purely out of love expecting nothing at all in return except the happiness of the souls.

Now Tiru, the Woman or Sakti is held in the chest to show  that BEING holds the Power or Energy  as an integral part of Himself. In Saivism this same notion is imaged as the Androgynous form where Sakti is understood as His equal and the left part of the body.

Then come the generative and destructive processes, the central Divine Praxis that are the Panca Kritiyas when elaborated. Here they are attributed to Brahman who is said to issue from the Navel of Tirumaal, the location of the WOMB in the females.  For the destructive there is no special part of the body BEING becomes Rudra to effect the destruction and elimination of all. Here it is noted that BEING, by virtue of the fact that He in the shape of Rudra destroys all, He himself remains indestructible and hence always there.

We should note here that this metaphysical insights of Namazvar is the same as that in Saiva Siddhanta despite differences in the imaging .
              

2.
tiru udambu  vaan cudar centaamarai kaN kai kamalam
tiru idamee maarvam ayan idamee koppuuz
oruvu idamum entail perumaaRku aranee oo
oruvu idamum onRu inRi ennuL kalantaanukkee

Meaning:
The most authentic shape of BEING, the Fther of all is Pure and Brilliant Light. When He ***umes a shape in the form of a body, His eyes hands (and feet) are in the shape of Red Lotus. The place for Sakti the Tiru is His chest while His navel is the place from which emerge Brahma. When He has to destroy and annihilate anything in the cosmos including the cosmos itself He becomes the Rudra. This means He remains indestructible with no Power above Him to destroy Him. This is the essence of BEING who has become one with my soul.

Loga

In LOVE I am in Service to Siva

One of the most endearing accomplishments of the Tamils during the historical period that covers about 2500 years at least is the understanding and articulation that BEING is LOVE and that the truly spiritually developed are not the pompous and power-greedy Brahmins and such other upper castes but rather the Adyar, those who are always in service to God. A truly religious person become attached to BEING wholly by LOVE and nothing else. This remarkable understanding of genuine religiosity that was elaborated in some magnificent verses by Tirumular, finds a very early expression in this beautiful verse of Punitavati.

What in essence it says is that anyone, irrespective of difference in birth or sex, as long as he/she persists in doing actions that are good and noble, the ethically right, actions that gain the aruL of BEING, and thus always mindful of TRUTH, will eventually develop their senses so that they serve to disclose the metaphysical realms as well.

Here we have the distinction between the ordinary senses transformed to becoming the Siva KaraNam from being the mere Pacu KaraNam. Under normal circumstances the senses remain those which process only the physical information. But as one develops spiritually the senses reveal also the metaphysical realms and the ways BEING as Siva PLAYS the many games to manage the world. The Third Eye gets opened up and with that what were merely physical events subject to the physical laws of cause and effect now become the various games Siva plays and all to illuminate the souls and take them in the direction of Moksa. What remained only inferential and conjectural now become directly seen and witnessed.

Here emerges the spiritual pedagogy where BEING discloses Himself in various kinds of archetypal or iconic forms that develop not only Bakti but also metaphysical thinking of a profound kind that is called Icon Thinking. Such deep and profound metaphysical thinking finally lead to the vision of BEING as Pure Radiance and at which point all the figural icons are concealed from vision. This concealment is put here in terms of the metaphor of covering up the three main deities and hence all with the skin of the Black and huge beast, the elephant.

Such an action by BEING also frees the soul from the narrow kind of Bakti, the kind that enjoys emotional attachment to Siva, VishNu and so forth. When such figural apprehension of BEING dissolves there emerges the highest kind of spiritual development - seeing BEING wholly as LOVE and becoming an Adyar, the One who is humble and who is always in service to God and no one else.

This philosophy, the essence of Saiva Siddhanta is almost dead now having been killed by the VarNa promoting Brahmanism

16.
piNNiyaGkaL ceytanavu,
poynneRikad saaraamee
eNNiyoor aintum
iyaintanaal tiNNiya
kaimaavin iir urivai
muuvuruvum poortukanta
ammaanuku aadpadda anbu

Meaning:
Without falling into the ways of falsities and evils, I kept on doing the right kind of good actions and because of which all my five senses withdrew from the realms of the physical and immersed in the metaphysical realms. Seeing this BEING also concealed the figures of Rudra Tirumaal and Brahma and all such icons from my visions that allowed me to free myself from religious fanaticism and develop LOVE unto all. Because of this LOVE I am in service to Siva.

We can be Free of Karma - Punitavati

As against the predominantly negative world view of Buddhists and Jains who saw no way out from the Karma (except perhaps to torture the body and die) and the possibility of living a life without karma and so forth, here comes a bold and a most significant assertion from Punitavati that strikes a very positive note and which became continuously repeated since then. We can win over death bringing forces, the agents of miseries of all kinds and the karma that throws into a continuous and inescapable cycle of births and deaths and learn to live FREE of all these and in that gain a life full of joys. This life is also the heavenly and NOT that of hell.

All this is possible provided we let go all the egoistic self-defenses that we built around ourselves and all because of metaphysical Ignorance where out of confusions and bewilderments we deny the presence of BEING and with that DISALLOW the divine forces enter our depths and cleanse off all the karmic deposits there that’s source of all thse miseries and so forth.

The life Bakti is a POSITIVE life where fully confident of becoming FREE of all the karmas and so forth, the soul aspires towards the most excellent life, the heavenly while still on earth. It is NOT deterred by man built mental castles such as VarNasra Dharma that fixates what a person in entitled to in social and religious life to birth, or interpretations of Karma that see them as iron chains that bind one forever to their punitive influences.

No --all these can be overcome provided we allow Rudra to enter our inner depths and allow Him to throw the fires of metaphysical illuminations, burn them off to ashes and with that makes us absolutely PURE.

81.
kaalanaiyum veNRoom kadunarakaG kaikazanRoom
meelai iruvinaiyum veeraRuttoom - koola
araNaar avizntaziya ventiiyam peytaan
caraaNaara vintanGkaL caarntu

Meaning:
We have the emerged victorious over the God of Death and gained the aruL of BEING to live longer. We have freed from our hands the hell life of pains and tortures and acquired the grace to live a life in great joy. We have also rooted out the Karma that pushes us into an endless cycle of births and deaths and with that freed ourselves from this historicity. And all these because we surrendered ourselves completely to the Divine Lotus Feet of BEING who as Rudra singes to ash the Lord of Three Castles of bewitching magical play by throwing the Fire of Divine Illuminations.

Comments:

The theme outlined here and perhaps for the first time became the central notions of the whole of Bakti movement both the Saiva and VaishNava. For here we have the themes of conquering death, purifying self of karmic deposits that is the root cause of existential repetition as well as moral anguish that makes existence itself hellish. Here we have Depth Psychology merging with religion very smoothly for it is noted that it is only though submitting oneself without any ego defenses that one can earn the AruL of BEING-as-Rudra who would flood the soul with the Fire of Metaphysical Illuminations which alone would provide the medicine for all such ailments.

The problems of life and which makes it infinitely painful, arise because the mental confusions and absence of clarities and all because of the Mummalam, the aaNavam Kanmam and Maayai and which are seen here metaphorically the Three Castles that imprison the mind and cause the human beings to suffer with moral anguish, mental depressions and even suicidal tendencies. Nothing will solve these problems except becoming PURE and attaining with that the Metaphysical Illuminations regarding TRUTHS. The anma must destroy the various self defenses it has built around itself and with Love must submit itself to BEING who would then burn off all the evil karmic deposits and so forth and with that enable the souls to enjoy a life full of joy.

The archeological records show that temples were built in Sumeria even around 4000 B.C. and surprisingly enough with many donations coming from the women folk. And interestingly enough the most notable verses on Temples were sung by the immensely philosophic lady En Hudu Anna (2200 B.C.) who has also analysed the important psychological and sociological functions of the temple. The Temple was a MEDIA for the formation of the mind and channeling it in the RIGHT direction. We see such ideas below: (taken from Kes Temple Hymns)

32. e* zi-da-gal an-ne us-sa
(Great, true temple, reaching the sky)
33. e* men-gal an-ne us-sa
(Temple , great crown, reaching the sky)
34. e* tir-an-na an-ne us-sa
(Temple, rainbow, reaching the sky)
35. e* mus-bi an-sa-ga la--a
(Temple, whose platform is suspended from heaven's midst)
36. te-me -bi abzu-a si-ga
(Whose foundation fills the Abzu)
37. gizzu-bi kur-kur-ra du-la

Here we have lines describing what is now called the Vimanam or gopuram, the Tower that meets ones eye even from a distance. This has a psychlogical function of lifting up the consciousness by FREEING the mind from the earthly concerns so that a person becomes FORGETFUL of the earthly concerns at least during those moments he wanders into the temple. Here the Temple serves as a MEDIA that transmutes thinking of a person and USHERS him into ANOTHER WORLD, the heavenly world, the world of the Gods. Not only that, the FINITE mind, preoccupied with narrow personal concerns is lifted up to see the VASTNESS of the universe and through that realise how feeble and miniscule he and his thinking is. The temple through the massive tower HUMILIATES and WOUNDS the human EGO by the disclosure of the VASTNESS of the UNIVERSE.

This very ancient idea gets repeated in the following verses of Thirumular.

1712.
ilinga mataavatu yaarum aRiyaar
ilingka maavatu eNdisai ellaam
ilingka maavatu eNeN kalaiyum
ilingkama taaka edutatatu ulakee.

People do not seem to know what is meant by Civalingkam. This vast manifest universe is actually Civalingkam. And all the sciences and arts that drive away ignorance is also Civalingkam. In fact this whole world serves as the Civalingkam i.e. the symbolic media that INFORMS of the presence of BEING.

1718.
tuuya vimaanam tuulama taakumaal
aaya cataacivamaakum naR suukkumam
aaya palipiidam pattira lingkamaam
aaya aranilai aayntukoL vaarkakkee.

The Vimanam or Kopuram is the Gross presentation of BEING who as Cataciva remains as its Suukkumam, i.e, the Hidden reality, the concealed presence. The palipiidam, the spot for sacrifice is the Pattira lingkam, i.e that which is spread out for the individuals to SACRIFICE their ego. Understand by proper investigations that this is how the temple is structured as media for understanding Aran Nilai, i.e the Way of BEING.

So we can see that the Temple is peculiar media which shapes and channels thinking in such a way that a person who allows his understanding to be formed by it is LED to understand BEING-IN-ITSELF and BEING-as-PHENOMENAL-PRESENCE i.e. BEING as Civa and Cataaciva.

The Vimanam or TOWER is for attracting the worldly mind unto the metaphysical depths . The Tower is also ANdalingkam, the Symbolic presentation of this vast universe in its entirety. But this is only the first step, the first kind of mental reorientation it effects. And as the person enters the temple and moves around noting everything inside it including the arcanas the recitation of mantras and so forth, his eyes are OPENED towards the DEEP STRUCTURE that gives SENSE or Meaning for the whole temple as media. It INFORMS but what doe it inform or communicate? It communicates the PRESENCE of BEING , BEING-as- Phenomenal- Presence, BEING-as-THERE for his comprehension -- BEING as Cataciva.

But this happens only when a person witnesses the Deity in the KaruvaRai, the dark chamber when the priest lights it up with camphor. But one should see standing near the spot for Sacrifice which is seen as the Pattira lingakam. The word "Pattiram" means leaves and hence something like a receiver on which we have to place i.e sacrifice something. What we have to sacrifice at this spot is our EGO, our self-conceited ARROGANCE and along with it our METAPHYSICAL IGNORANCE. Only when we sacrifice our EGO that narrows and delimits our horizon of thinking that we can WITNESS the Hidden or concealed presence of BEING.

There are a lot more such notions even in Sumerian literature. Such fine analysis of the metaphysical siginificance underlying temple worship are also elsewhere in Thirumantiram as well as in numerous Siddha texts.

The Pedagogic Functions

The most important function of temples as media is that not only they FREE the mind from the earthly concerns but also PULL it into the DEPTHS and through that make a person SACRIFICE the elements that narrows his vision and hence his understanding. It is a media that transmutes the EXPERIENCE itself so that a person who undergoes it gets PURIFIED by a vision of the Depths. There is TEACHING but in a silent manner, using only GRAPHICS and SOUND so that the mind gets TUNED to its own hidden potentials, and of course to different degrees depending upon the cognitive maturity and sensitivity of the individuals.

The PULLING into the Depths is simultaneously effecting personal growth, the person gets tranformed into a better person. And once a person becomes better certainly his THINKING will NOT be same as before, it will be on a HIGHER level. Now if the thiking becomes PURER and Higher so would be the behaviour.

So we see the immense Sophistication with which Agamism DEVELOPS the mind and because of which it sees the scriptural texts only as adjuncts to such experiences.

Loga
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This is what makes Hindus or Agamists, different from the abrahamic faiths. They are book centered, while Hindus are temple centered, somethign that can be dispensed with. They rely on quotes and authorities, we rely on personal temple experiences for pedagogy.

For Hindus shastras and books are 'fringe adjuncts only' as you concur too. It is for this reason most Hindu homes hardly have any veda or shastra except for little booklets containing bakti hymns. No need for books or shastra as all memorise hymns from young, each hymn equivalent to an entire veda. But all Hindu homes have a little shrine or altar, which is a miniature temple, and all Hindus are pujaris, as they conduct temple like pujas in their home shrines in various degrees of elaborations. This is Agamism. The temple and shastra is built into each other. The temple IS the shastra.

The dharma-viewed perspective of Hinduism (or hindutva) is book centered, making it essentially 'an abrahamic-type of religion'. We need to get the Hindus away from the books to back to the temples.

Regards.

Pathma

The Technology of Liberation

In the heat of many controversies, the common theme of all religions, that of liberation remains forgoten. This study of Punita is just another expression of this universal theme of all religions.

There is an important distinction between seeking immortality and moksa, a difference that goes back to the Sumerian Gilgames and Jiusudra. While Jiusudra, the hero of the FLOOD, escaped death and rebirth and hence after the flood was given existence among the gods, Gilgames failed in this and was to led to immortality, a historical existence in perpetuity by virtue of magnificent achievements. While Jiusudra become wholly celestial in the end, Gilgames remained two-thirds divine and one-third human. The human part never left him and he could not shake it off.

This verse below may answer this riddle in metaphysics, the difference between Immortality and Moksa. Seeking freedom from DEATH is immortality but seeking liberation from the very of death and rebirth is Moksa and this is what Punitavati describes as possible for ALL irrespective whatever difference.

For what it requires is the transmutation of SEXUALITY itself into LOVE and LOVE unto BEING. It is only worship and prayers with unconditional LOVE unto BEING and seeking NJANAM as that what one desires that will grant us this Moksa and as a blessing of BEING. It is this absolute illumination that destroys the inner darkness totally and immediately and which will also cleanse the soul of the eRivinai, the Karma scripts that throw the anma back into the historical world.

Anyone can aspire for this and all who raise themselves to this state of metaphysical existence stand to be blessed by BEING.

87.
naamaalai cuudiyum namiican ponnadikkee
puumaalai koNdu punaintu anpaay - naamoor
aRivinaiyeep paRrinaal aRRee kedumee
aRivinaiyee ennum iruL

Meaning:
The metaphysical ignorance that promotes the presence of Karma that throws one into existential repetition can be destroyed then and there only if the Njanam shines bright within and which is blessed only by BEING. (But how to get to be blessed thus?) One must sing His greatness in beautiful hymns and collecting together fresh blossoms create a garland and submit to the Feet of His Iconic presence with LOVE and seek only this Njanam and nothing else.

Comments:
Anyone can be blessed with Civanjanam, which only can destroy the karmic scripts that throw the anma into endless existential repetition. In addition to composing and singing hymns that disclose the understanding of BEING, we must also offer garlands of fresh blossoms to His Divine Feet in total LOVE unto Him. On top of that we should not be forgetful that what we really seek is Civanjanam for it is only this that will destroy the metaphysical DARKNESS that perpetuates worldly existence by bonding the anma with karmic scripts that throw the anma into endless existential repetition.
But who would seek this Civanjanam as that which one desires and nothing else?

Only those who have transmuted the sexual libido into Universal Love. Only such individuals will garland the BEING with fresh blossoms as indicative of LOVE unto Him and a wish to tie self with BEING and not the wolrd.

Since anyone can raise himself or herself to this state, there is no barrier whatsoever for enjoying Moksa.

Based on the Ajita MahaTantra as translated by N.R. Bhatt, Jean Filliozat and Pierre S. Filliozat

The purpose of revisiting the agamas is to 'bring it to the fore' in the Hindu's consciousness of his shastras, evoke his interest to the centrality of his religion, the temple and mystic worship practices, and away from puranic myths and fantastic stories which are peripheral to the religion, and away from the superceded vedas and upanishads which is 'redundant' and is a cause of confusion. For the entirety of Hinduism (saivism) may be recreated today just on the basis of the Ajita only and nothing more, with the philosophy built into the rites and rituals and not as a speculative introspection. The objective is a mental reordering and refocussing on vitals - the 'baktiful' worship, the core of the religion, where there is only the worshipper and the worshipped, in supernatural communion, and no shastra nor jaati.

Each of the major branches of Hinduism; Saivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism, each with its own set of agamas, are not a separate component of a tripartite religion. Each is a full and complete system, one of three forms of a total religion. It compares very much to a family of languages, the family having a seemingly endless variations of languages and dialects, and each language has its own structure. Yet all fulfill its most basic objective of communication.

Saivism is a religion of a one God, the supreme Siva. Numerous entities are around Him. They are his creations and consequently his subjects with definate functions. They are *not* other deities, as the nature of the eternal Isvara or 'Supreme Lord' cannot be shared. They participate of his own essence at different degrees. The major ones are told to be engendered by him, or to be an outward manifestation of himself. The other entities or deities are an existence separated from the essence but without altering the unity of the essence. Whatever cause there may be for the coming of an entity to a separate existence, and whatever form it may take, the reason given for these hypostases of the supreme god is the necessity of communication through worship, for the supreme unmanifest god is inaccessible to the senses and the mind. That would render worship impossible. Therefore the supreme god makes himself accessible through these substate entities. The presence of a deity is a prerequisite for worship. This is established at the time of installation by elaborate rites, and reestablished at other times through various rites.

The performance of a dance, play or drama is known for its effect of communion with an audience and the resultant aesthetic experience of pleasure. The performance of temple pujas and rituals involves similar human efforts and ends in creating a sublimated form of communion with God, an unburdening of concerns, and an experience of mystic contentment and happiness.

"Worship' derived from the words puja pujayam and archa pujayam means 'to honour'. In temples there is always a main unique Deity in the mulastanam, the target of a long elaborate sequence of rites and rituals, culminating in the presenting of the final showing of flames or aarathi. Part of the rituals includes the worship of an entourage of divine and semi-divine deities, placed concentrically surrounding the main deity.

Icon, Water & Fire Worship
The mantra-body of Siva is first created by the worshipper in his heart by concentrating on the diety and chanting the bija mantras; it is then transferred from the top of the head of the worshipper to the Linga with offering of flowers and mudra. The linga becomes the body of Siva. The invitation to take residence (avahana) brings the presence of god to the fore. It becomes a full manifestation, accessible to the senses. This brings the presence of Siva in a general manner, for all devotees. Invitation has its counterpart at the conclusion of worship, the rite of giving leave or visarjana.

"The desired coming and going of Siva occur through a body of mantras, like the coming and going of a soul through bodies" (Kamika Agama 1.4.356).

In the installed linga the deity is invited and installed permanently in a ceremony called pratistha, done to create, 'placing' (nyaasa) and let stay, and the latent presence to be reawakened or re-enlivened each day. 'Looking at a spot', niriksana, ritually transfers the consciousness of the deity in the worshipper's mind to the spot or icon looked upon. The mental creation of the mantra body of the god is 'placed' on the spot or icon. This is the essence of Hindu worship. By concentrating on the deity within our minds, as the soul of our soul, then looking at an icon ritually makes the inert icon 'alive'. Worship can then begin.

In the case of movable icons and water pots (kumbha), the rite is for creating and suspending the presence, the contents of the pots being the object of elaborate worship, which is later transferred to the main installed deity by ablution of the 'charged waters' on it, executed with great pomp as the highlight of the ceremony, thereby transferring the divine presence to the linga. In the case of the fire-homa, the effects of the ritual is first transferred to the water pots by touching the pots with a darbha grass, from there later transferred again to the linga by ablutions.

Worship for Oneself and Worship for Others
20.2-4a
Worship is traditionally known to be of two kinds, for oneself, and for others. The worship (performed by) one who has been initiated by a guru, and has received a linga, a movable one, given by him, on that (linga), or on another temporary object, or on a sthandila (a ritually marked spot), or on (a pot of) water, or on an icon, or on a diagram, or on a painting or on canvas, or in one's own heart, will be the (worship) for oneself.

20.4b-7
When on a self born Sivalinga, or on a linga installed by Bana, by a lord of celestial hots, by a god, a sage or man, on all mukhalingas, and manifested ones (murthis), O Janardana, on all numerous lingas installed everywhere, in temples, etc., the worship is done, having one's means of subsistence procured by a king or persons similar to a king, or common people, that is called (worship) for others, because the fruit is given to others.

Notes:
1. The recognition that all can worship, and with or without icons, or with any icon, emphasises the acceptance of the universality of worship practices by all, and in any way.
2. It is on this basis that most Hindus maintain a home shrine where they conduct their daily worship for themselves in a way that they know best. When one conducts a puja in the home shrine he/she is the archaka, no matter what the jaati or sex is.
3. It is clearly mentioned that only archakas can perform congregational worship (parartha pujas), whereas all other four classes and those who do not belong to the four classes, the anuloma classes, savarna, etc. may only perform worship for oneself (atmartha puja).
4. To be sure, as mentioned previously, there is mention of the varna names in the agamas but there is no varna system of the smirthis as shown below!

Three Types of Worship
20.19-21
Here the worship is told to be of three kinds; pure, mixed and mingled. The pure worship ends with the meal. The mixed one ends with the daily festival (nityotsava puja). The mingled one ends with the pure dance. Among these worships, one should perform specifically the mixed one, or the mingled one, as the worship done everyday, in the morning, noon and in the evening.

Notes:
1. Pure worship is that performed in the garbha and ends there with meal offerings.
2. Mixed worship is pure worship followed by the utsava procession around the garbha, and ends there.
3. Mingled is pure and mixed worship followed by singing of hymns, dance and other artistic performances.
4. Mingled worship is mandated three times a day. It is not mandated for other time juncture (yamas) worships.

Worship of the Entourage Deities
The Linga with its representatives, twenty of which are mentioned, is clearly distinguished from figurative forms called murthis. The linga represents sadasiva, while the murthis are emanations of sadasiva who are actors of feats in saiva mythology, and represented as entourage deities in ancilliary shrines surrounding the main. Therefore saiva worship is precisely sadasiva worship and not Siva worship as that is impossible!

20.215-225
After the worship of the Linga, there should be worship of the lord of bulls (Nandi), Nandin (Rishi Nandikesvara), Mahakala at the door, and then the entourage deities who are placed in circles around in the main garbha in concentric courtyards:

1. First Circle of Entourage Dieties: Anantesa, Suksma, Sivottama, Ekanetra, Ekarudra, Trimurti, Srikantha, and Sikhandin.
2. Second Circle of Entourage Dieties:Uma, Chandesa, Nandin, Mahakala, Bull, Vighnesa, Mahasena and Bhrngisa.
3. Third Circle of Entourage Dieties: Indra, Agni, Yama, Nirrti, Varuna, Vayu, Soma, Isana, Ananta and Kamalasana.
4. Fourth Circle of Entourage Dieties: thunderbolt, spear, staff, sword, noose, goad, club, trident, lotus and disc.

Rite of Entering the Siva temple
20.33-34
The worshipper (archaka) should get up early in the morning, complete his daily rites, bath, etc., perform a circumnambulation before entering the temple of Siva. He should clean his feet, sip water and, standing inside the temple or near the door, throw a flower for Brahman.

Notes:
1.This rite applies to the archaka (priest) but all worshippers may execute it, as the primary meaning of archaka is 'worshipper', therefore this rite is applicable to worshippers. The entire Ajita Agama are instructions to the archaka, or worshipper. The secondary meaning is the professional priest of the temple, the sivacharya gurukkal who has received the various dikshas which empower him to perform parartha pujas meant for the benefit of all devotees. No room for societal varna here. Today archaka means gurukkal or desika of a temple, and the primary meaning seems to have been missed.
2. Brahman here means vaastvadhipati, lord of the temple, here meaning the main diety installed, or the linga.
3. This rite of offering a flower is accompanied by the uttering of the mantra, 'aum haam vaastvadhipataye brahmane namah'.
4. Most Hindu devotees today do abide at least some of these injuctions like (1) a bath before a temple visit, (2)circumnambulating once outside the temple walls, (3) washing the feet before entering the temple, (4) the worship act (mudra) of palms together above the head upon entering the temple at the gate, and (5) the simultaneous uttering of a simple mantra like 'siva, siva' when the mudra is performed.
5. These five individual rites, when sequenced and stringed together constitutes a worshipful ritual, a complete worship by itself, even without attending the puja-aarathi, and this is a ritual of the archaka. Thus they (all devotees) can be considered 'archaka' too in the broader meaning.
6. But the details and training required of an archaka of a temple necessitates that only a trained professional can do the job. This has to necessarily remain.

The Worship of Siva in the Linga and in the Fire
The vedas deal with fire worship, whereas the agamas deals with worship of god through murthis, water and fire.

21.2-3
Siva standing in the Linga receives the worship; standing in fire he takes the offering. Siva is absolutely unique. Therefore in both Siva is the same.

Notes:
1. Worship of the linga or worship by homa fire offering is the same as the recipient in either is the same.
2.We recall the first hymn in the Rigveda: 1.1.1
agnim iiLe purohitaM yajnasya devam Rtvijam hotaaraM ratnadhaatamam
I glorify Agni, the high priest of the sacrifice, the divine, the ministrant, who presents the oblation (to the gods), and possesses great wealth (which he presents to the worshipper).
This hymn by Vishvamitra address Agni both as a God (deva), and as a fire - a medium through which oblations are presented to Him and the gods, and a medium, a gateway, through which He and the other gods presents benedictions to the worshipper. Agni is the recipient and ministrant of the oblations - He summons the gods to the sacrificial ceremony to receive the oblations and bestow benedictions on the worshipper. Here, Agni is the archakar.

Dikshas for All
77.11
The diksha of samayin and putra will be 'without seed'; the diksha of sadhaka and acharya will be 'with seed'.
77.12
Now the diksha 'without seed' is taught as being of two kinds; one gives liberation immediately, the other after death.
77.13
The diksha without seed, devoid of the practice of rules, should be for young (people), simple minded, old people, women, those addicted to pleasures, sick persons.

1. The 'seed' is the dependence on execution of rules, etc, which are the means to realise the fruits produced by diksha. Diksha with seed requires much observances, and is meant for priests.

2. The diksha without seed, without much rules or observances is for the masses, and for all. No one is excluded, not even the addict, the prostitute nor the autistic, and liberation is assured while still living (jivanmukta), or on death (mukti on death), depending on the type of diksha and the empowerment of the gurukkal.

The various diksha mentioned in other agamas are the samaya and vishesha for householders, the nirvana, abisheka and archaryabisheka for the priests and assistants as well as monks. In the archaryabisheka diksha, the archaka receives an ablution with the water from five kumbhas (pots) in which have been 'placed' the five mantras of the five faces of Siva, so that the archaka is identifiable with Siva. This is followed by the gifting of the main instruments of the priestly function and regal insignia, referring to the authority bestowed upon him to be an invoker of the gods, on behalf of, and for the benefit of the people.

Agamic Mantras
Mantras are the primary tools of worship, and for an inner religious experience of god, uttered along with a rite and often a mudra. It is a name of an entity, a soul in the top of a hierarchy in spiritual entities and conveys a meaning. The uttering of a name is the contemplation of the named entity, the mental creation of the named entity, keeping it stable in the mind without break or interference, then transfers this mental creation in the mind through the top of the head to the icon.

A bija mantra is used in all agamic rituals. Each deity has a bija and it is only used for that deity. The bija consonant for Siva is H, and each of his different hypostases are distinguished by the vowels that follows next; a e i o u, for the five faces of Siva, indicating that each of the forms of the deity emanates from the root Siva without being different from him. There is no mantra H itself as it makes no sense, as the unmanifest Siva cannot be represented by any icon or mantra. Namasivaya refers to the sat-asat formless form sadasiva.

All the mantras used in the Ajita are agamic mantras. There are no vedic mantras used at all. The Ajita is completely free of vedic mantras. Here are some mantras chanted for atonement of faults, purification, concentration, etc. These mantras are footnoted as it is assumed that the desika is already familiar with it, an indication that there was a parallel running oral tradition of the agamas too.

20.56-68, 87.98-101
Aum hah sivaastraaya phat,
Aum slim pam sum hum paasupatraastraaya phat namah,
Aum brahmaastraaya phat,
Aum sim chim ksurikaastraaya phat,
Aum hum aghoraastraaya hum phat svaha,
Aum aam iim uum vyomavyaapine aum namah,
Aum hum haam ham haam hrdayaaya atmane namah,
Aum hlaam hlaam hlaam hlaam hlaam hrdayaaya hum phat,
Aum saam somaaya namah.

Cooking the Naivedyam (or havis) and bali
There are several offerings to the deity in the course of worship including water, flowers, sandal paste, betel leaf, etc. but the most important of all is cooked food, called naivedyam or havis, or bali which are small rice balls or a small portion of naivedyam.

22.124.128
He (the desika) should do the cleaning (of the pot) with recitation of astra mantra. He should pour the water (into the pot) with recitation of sadyojata mantra in a quantity equal to the rice. Afterwards he should lift up (the vessel) with recitation of vamadeva mantra. After placing it over the fire-place with the recitation of aghora mantra, he should place the fuel with recitation of the astra mantra. After kindling the fire with recitation of aghora mantra, after cooking, after removing (the vessel) with recitation of the tatpurusha mantra, he should wipe all (the cooked items) with a wet hand (a gesture of wiping without touching the food) with recitation of astra mantra.

Notes:
We may be seeing here a source of the garbha and kitchen divides, for only a person who has received the required dikshas are able to perform this simple rite of cooking.

Priests & Patrons
The entire Ajita address only the priest (archaka) and the sculptor (silpin). It addresses the devotee as the yajamana or kartar, the patron who orders the ritual and provides for it and presides over it but himself has very little part to play in the rituals. A client-professional relationship exists here, and again no indication of a discriminatory varna society, as the priest exists and depends on the worshipper. It indicates an interdependent society.

General Info
The pedestal that holds the linga in place is called the pitha, pindika or even vedika, and not 'yoni' with its connotations as erroneously thought. The clothing and attire used to drape the linga and murthis are prepared by a class of weavers, devangas, who have received the samaya diksha. Today, the devanga is a class of weavers in Karnataka.

The Ajita agama does use varna terms like brahmin, kshatriya, vaishya and sudra. But the translators N.R. Bhatt, Jean Filliozat and Pierre S. Filliozat suspect most of those are later additions as most of these varna terms are found in the last few verses of the chapters concerned and not in sync with the main thrust of the Ajita. Nevertheless the translators did not exclude those verses but left it as it is and noted their concerns in the introduction and in footnotes.

A case for a varna society must show:
1. four broad endogamous groups enjoying vocational monopoly,
2. in a top down degrading hierarchy,
3. where there is no access to some groups to study sanskrit and shastras,
4. where moksha giving dikshas are denied to some groups, who have to be born again,
5. and where there is no access to temples by certain groups,

I clearly see the first. I do not see the next four. I have to conclude, as we all must, that there was no varna society, only a jaati society, which itself is quite degrading.

Regards.

Pathma

In the light of the discovery of some very important lines in Mutariibiyam (Sulgi Hymn B) I want to attend to this dimension of Agamism, viz. the importance it attaches to general pedagogy which has also been emphasized by all leading Tamil thinkers throughout the ages. TiruvaLLuvar emphasizes the need to "kasadaRa KaRRal" -- learning to destroy the dirt of ignorance within. Thirumular mentions "KaRpana kaRRu kalai mannum mey yookam"-- learning all that needs to be learned and practising the arts and sciences that afford uniting with Truth -- as very important in metaphysical studies. But long before all these and probably a few centuries before B.C. we have Neduncheziyan who overran the armies of the Aryas (paaNdiyan aariyappadai kadanta Nedunjseziyan) outlining the enormous importance of learning in these words:

uRRuzi utaviyum uRuporuL koduttum
piRRainilai muniyaatu kaRRal nanRee
piRappoor anna udan vayiRuLLum
siRRappin paalaal thaay manam tiriym
oru kudi piRanta palloor uLLum
muutton varuka ennaatu avaruL
aRivudaiyoon aracunj cellum
veeRRumai terinta naaRpaal uLLum
kiizppaal oruvan kaRpin
meeRpaal oruvan avan kaN padumee

It is good to learn without worrying about the future benefits, helping out the teachers and giving them whatever is necessary. Even the mother prefers among her own siblings he who excels in learning. Even in the community members it is not age that matters but rather the quality of understanding that gains leadership. And even among the main social divisions of people , if a person from the lower echelons manages to LEARN and acquit himself, it is he who makes others follow him.

Pedagogy Everywhere

This brief account shows that the Sumerians did not neglect any section of the community including the children, from benefiting from education, something we learn also from numerous other texts. What is however of absorbing interest is that religious life was NOT divorced from learning and that the Temples Palaces and all other important social institutions catered for the learning of the people and fostered pedagogy at all levels and with an UNDERSTANDING of its importance.

This study, no matter how untidy and brief it may be , points out a direction for reform of Hindu Culture and Tamil Culture in particular : re-instituting LEARNING even in religion as the most important ingredient of social culture.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/akandabaratam/message/31113

History of the Tamils from the earliest times to 600 A.D.

P.T. Srinivasa Iyengar

http://books.google.com/bo oks?id=ERq-OCn2cloC&pg=PA112&lpg=PA112&dq=agamas+origin&source=web&ots=Fp6rmuPmvT&sig=9yS2LlaYtukSwqJbVrVo9-dsD58#PPA46,M1

Chapter 8

Nearly thirty years ago, I pointed out in my Outlines of Indian philosophy that the religion that is practised today by the Hindus is almost entirely based on the Agamas and has little or nothing to do with the Vedas. The vaidika cult began to decay after the war of the Mahabharata and has today almost died out. The greater part of the Srauta karma is entirely gone; only a few elementary rites such as Agni adhana, a much simplified Vajapeya, Garuda cayana and Somayaga are sporadically performed by a handful of people. The Smartha karma is also fast dying out, so that judged by the rule that the family of a brahmana whose members have neglected to tend the holy fire for three generations loses its brahmana status, extremely few families can be regarded as true brahmana ones.

..the Agama is technically the name and the Vedas was well understood in ancient days, when the Agamika cults were the rivals of the Vaidika cults; but as the two have now become amalgamated for several centuries, the distinction between them is not realised by the moderns, all the more so as the theory is now prevalent that the Agamas are ultimately derived from the Vedas and do but contain amplifications of the vedic teachings or rather adaptations of them to suit the modern age.

The Agamika methods of worship being entirely fire-less and not being accompanied by the recitation of Vedic mantras must have been developed from the Dasyu rites. The Dasyu rites certainly prevailed throughout India, in the south and in the north, before the rise of Vedic rites.

Now with regard to the rites. the Vaidika rites are fire rites. For each rite a fire has to be lighted and intensified into a flame and on the flame the oblations have to be poured. The Agamika rites are fire-less; the oblations have to be merely exhibited to the object of worship (icon) and then taken away. In the former the oblations is consumed by the gods, because it is thrown into the fire; in the latter the worshipper loses nothing of his offerings because the god can take up only the subtle and unseen parts, so the worshipper consumes it himself and distributes it to his relations and friends.

But the main part of of the Agamika rites consist in the repitition of the numerous names of the gods worshipped with the phrase 'namah' (I bow) added. the essence of the Vaidika rites is the pouring of oblations, but that of the Agamika is upacara, washing, decking and feeding the god, in fact showing him all the attentions due to a human guest or human king.

Hence in the Vaidika rite no physical representation or representative of the deity worshipped was necessary, visible fire representing all the gods; in the Agamika rites the only deity worshipped had to be represented by some visible emblem being a fetish, a tool, such as a sword or club, a living or dead tree, a stone, a running stream, a linga, a salagrama or above all, a picture, or a statue of the deity in brick and mortar, a stone or metal, made in the shape assigned to him by his worshippers.

The culmination ..of the Vaidika..is Jnana.. 'it is by knowing him that (one) becomes immortal here, there is no other path for going (to him)'. The culmination of the Agama way is Bakti. The worship of the gods is but a copy of the methods of the worship of men - chiefly gurus and kings.

"That's why the ardent upholders of all these faiths treat one another so
wonderfully, and live so nobly, making the gods so much happier than they were
before creating Man and his religions."

Hindu and Non-Hindu

Every religion has its glories and blemishes.
Ardent adherents see the glories all too clearly, all too often the blemishes
seem blurred or opaque to their vision.

It is important to realize that in one important respect Hinduism stands tall
above all other religions: Aside from the rich art, magnificent architecture,
glorious music and inspiring poetry that it has given rise to, Hinduism not only
recognizes diversity in religious pursuits, but also multiple paths to spiritual
fulfillment among members of its own fold. Perhaps the most profound insight in
all the Vedas is the one whose essence is that Truth is one, but is called
variously by different people.

After millennia of prophets and preachers, sects and soul-saviors, acharyas and
ayatollahs, the world is beginning to wake up, however slowly, to this most
precious wisdom which alone can save our world from petty sectarian squabbles
and growing global inter-religious acrimony.
Hindu affiliation to groups and subgroups are generally inclusive and not
exclusive. One may follow this religious teacher or that, be it Ramana
Maharishi, Satya Sai Baba, Sri Ramakrishna, Dayananda, Puri Shankaracharya, or
whoever or nobody, and yet be a full Hindu. Many Hindus take this for granted
without seriously reflecting on the fact that this is the greatest religious
boon one can receive.

Thanks to the historical evolution of the religion, Hinduism has escaped the
establishment of any institutional body to dictate how the religion is to be
practiced. Local customs have usually determined this.
Because of this happy circumstance, by and large, Hindu history has been spared
the sectarian persecutions, witch-hunting, inquisition, stoning the apostate,
burning at the stake, and such other abominations that have marred the history
of other great religions.

And yet, because in our own times Hindu culture and religion are threatened in a
hundred ways, there is the strong temptation for some Hindus to adopt
persecuting attitudes towards fellow-Hindus. These super-patriots regard
themselves as guardians of their religion. It was similar-thinking people who
initiated all the horrible things in other religious traditions.

It is therefore extremely important for Hindus who fully appreciate what is
truly great and unique in our tradition and to proclaim loud and clear that
Hindus or Hindu groups who dare to define who is a Hindu and who is not, and
characterize their co-religionists as Non-Hindus because of their beliefs,
ideas, practices, worship-modes, or for whatever reason have neither the moral
right nor the legal authority to challenge the Hindu-ness of a fellow Hindu. If
anything, by doing this, they will be relinquishing their own right to be Hindus
because they alone go against the core of the Hindu religious worldview, however
they well-intentioned they are . I would propose that the prayachitta for such
an offense should be a sincere apology.

Agamism of Sacred Tamil literature and perhaps of the whole of India is built upon the enjoyment of Transductive Perceptions (TP) called variously in Tamil as Vinjnaanak kaadci, ARituyil and so forth. The mystics who developed the Sacred Tamil literature, whether Saivite Sakta or VaishNavite all equally enjoyed this TP, the visions of the Third Eye and hence full of metaphysical insights quite unique. For this reason Agamism remains deadly opposed to VarNas for it is well known that the enjoyment of TP’s has nothing to do with birth or caste but only with the spiritual maturity of the soul.

In this verse VaLLalaar reveals that he was blessed as well by these metaphysical visions in which he was taught great truths. First he notes that in these visions he sees BEING assuming various iconic forms- the Devas Asuras and so forth where He also wears a wide variety of ornaments(and weapons?) each disclosing a truth of its own. The gods and goddesses wearing different guises constitute a kind pf Dream Language cracking the codes of which one enjoys profound metaphysical truths to be had no where else and by no other means.

This is the Dance of Siva Sakti, the creation of countless number of divine forms using the Natam and Bindu and configuring various dramas by way of explaining how exactly certain events in life are fabricated.

VaLLalaar observes that BEING is already in a corner of his soul and He dances along with Uma the various dances that are seen by him as metaphysical dreams. Amazed he really marvels at the immense kindness of BEING in favoring him thus forgetting all the evils he has done and continues to do. He sheds tears of immense joy thinking of this kindness of BEING in blessing him with such visions.

He also notes that because of this he also loses his freedom and become virtually a slave of Siva-Sakti, the Father-Mother. He losses his freedom, a will of his own for all his actions become conditioned by the visions BEING configures his actions by regulating his visions. But this is something to be rejoiced for in living as such one AVOIDS doing the erroneous and the evil as BEING will never prompt the evil but only the good and noble.

9.

puuNaata puuNkaLellaam puuNda param poruLee
poyyadiyeen pizai muzutum poRuttaruLi enRum
kaaNaata kaadciyellaam kaaddi enakkuLLee
karuNai nadam purikinRa karuNai en pukalveen
maaNaata kuRaik kodiyeen itai ninaikkun tooRum
manamuruki irukaNNiir vadikkinReen kaNdaay
eeNaatan eninum ammaiyin nin adiyeen
ena aRinteen aRintapinnai itayam malarnteenee

Meaning:
My lord the absolutely transcendent! You appear in so many different guises wearing ornaments not worn normally in the metaphysical dreams. You configure staying in a corner in my soul forgetting all the evils I commit. You also allow me to see visions that I had not seen before and with that enjoy metaphysical meanings that are indeed rare. It is impossible for me to describe the kindness. You show towards me with this Dance in my soul despite the fact in my soul there are things that are not at all noble and great. Each time I reflect upon Your kindness here I shed tears of joy at the love You show unto me. It make me realize that You are Father and Mother unto me and that I am already a slave unto You. But strangely enough after understanding this, my heart swells with joy as it means I shall not do anything evil anymore.

Pongal/Makar Sankranti is a season based festival, marking the end of
winter and the ushering in of spring. We celebrate that! Seasons change
and moves over the centuries but someone fixed the dates to the stars a
millenium ago. So it has cumulatively drifted by 23 days. The
Hindus naively followed without questioning. (why is this a surprise!)

Its simple really. There is NO makara rasi (capricorn) in the vedas or
vedanga jyotisha. There are no rasis in Hinduism. There is NO astrology,
no determinism, no fatalism. There is only uttarayana which is to be
celebrated on the winter solstice! We celebrate that and call it Pongal.

Most people in the west are no longer christian, yet they celebrate the
christmas/new year period, not because they want to honor the birth of christ or
their identity as a christian but simply because its the holiday season and want
to take advantage of it, a time of giving gifts, merry making as well as end of
year celebrations. So these non christians celebrate Xmas, and not Christmas.
'X' can mean any festival for any group, including gays and athiests. So
everyone can celebrate Xmas.

Now I understand Hindus in the west coast of america are beginning to celebrate
PanchaGanapati from 21st Dec to 25th Dec, to coincide with christmas.
PanchaGanapati would be their Xmas! It is a time of gift giving, placing gifts
under a makeshift Ganapati shrine with sugarcane in the living room, all lighted
up just like a christmas tree! On the first day they reach out to immediate
family members, on the second day to relatives, on the third day to friends, on
the fourth day to business associates and culminating on the fifth day, reaching
out to the world at large.

Strictly speaking it is the agamas and the vedas that are the ONLY shastras for
the Hindu. All the rest are commentaries, elaborations and secular works,
persuasive documents perhaps, but which nonetheless are not binding on us, and
can be summarily discarded. It is NO authority. So astrology, or jyotisha, is to
be discarded!

Everyone please keep in mind that we have no concepts of predestination or fate.
What we have is the concept of karma, which cannot ever be known. There is no
way our karma can be charted out and our future predicted based on a horoscope
or palmistry or some mumbo jumbo. There is no mumbo jumbo in the agamas or
vedas.

Everyone keep in mind that we worship the Gods, and not the planets, meteors,
comets, space debris, constellations, nodes of the moon, sun, galaxies or
whatever. Gods are all prevading bodies of light, neither physical nor even
mental, and not restricted to the physical world around us, rather immanent and
transcending it. And certainly not the planets! Gods pervade the entire cosmos
in much the same way our soul-spirit pervades our entire body. They cannot be
constricted or confined to a planet!

That the astrologers came to link the planets to Hindu gods is a devastating
development of the late siddhanta period. It paralysed the Hindus, made them
superstitious, fearful and fatalistic. It provided an argument and justification
for caste, and all the ills of Hindu society and the failings of an individual
or curse of a community! It made Hindus beggers; they go and beg the gods and
planets for favours, worldly favours that is, wealth to be specific, when on the
contrary the entire reason for taking a birth is to resolve karmas, relinquish
all, and attain moksha. That cannot happen when one is still begging for wealth,
fame, spouses, etc, and almost always, sure enough, will be disappointed,
leading to a loss of faith and confidence in the Gods.

This is what we need to delink now; delink the Gods from the planets, delink
predeterminism from karma, delink prayers for wealth from worship for communion
with the Gods and moksha.

Appeals to the Gods for their benign intervention is the basis of worship, for
the Gods alone can intervene. There would be no reason to worship if there is
such a thing as predestination. As the future cannot be known, there are no
prophecies in HIndu shastras unlike the abrahamic faiths. If the future could be
known our shastras would have been overflowing with prophecies.

Where there is worship, that makes it a religion and not just a dharma. It has
become fashionable to describe Hinduism as a way of life and not a religion,
perhaps trying to distinguish and distance themselves from the abrahamic faiths
and establish a distinction. Well thats not true.

Christians and muslims pray, whereas Hindus worship. Its not the same thing.
Worship means 'to honor'. To pray is 'to beg'. Hindus don't beg, but honor the
gods, with agamic tools and technology, seek supernatural communion, seek an
ending to the separation of the soul and God, the aspiration of the worshipper
being to suppress the separation of himself from the object of worship,
amalgamating his self with the supreme self, ultimately the stage in worship is
the identification of the worshipper with the Diety, and in that process seek
moksha - liberation from the physical, mental and emotional. All Hindu worship
is geared towards this, whether we are conscious of it or not. And not for
begging for wealth and fame (which may be ancilliary and not worthy of mention
in the presence of the God). Therein lies the disappointment! For the objective
was grossly wrong, a total misunderstanding!

The Gods respond to the worship, not by providing wealth, spouse, etc., as
repeatedly and endlessly requested by the woefully lost soul, but by unfolding a
scenario in our lives that makes the separation of soul and God less and less
distant over the years. The provision or non provision of wealth, spouse, fame,
children, etc., is merely a means to THAT end!

The gist is the
question of not just calendar dates, but as to whether there is predeterminism
(or fate) in Hinduism. Without which there are no arguments and rationale for
jaati and fatalism. With which there is no basis for worship! This goes at the
roots then.

Instead of working for shastric reform directly, which we all know is not going
to happen, why not pull the carpet from under the feet? With calendar reform!
Let us show how grossly and glaringly wrong Hindus have been on calendars, on
shastras, on determinism, and on caste.

Like the stag caught on headlights beam, the glare is blinding! It always has
been. Let us unblind the dazzled slaves, from the captivity of fatalism! Sorry,
I meant the Hindus. Here's the keys. Now unlock the cages!

Regards.

Pathma

.

Here is my latest exchange with Koenraad Elst.

> In this calendar debate, we have the same distinction.
> Traditionalists swear by what happens to have come down to us, such
> as Makar Sankranti on 14 January. Fundamentalists return to the
> sources, allegedly deviated from by later tradition, i.c. Makar
> Sankranti on 21 December. In this, I'm on the side of the
> fundamentalists, not because to me personally the Vedas are all that
> important or because the tradition has done me any wrong, but because
> in this case the Vedic approach inscribes itself in a rational and
> universal approach. The fundamentalists are more rational, because
> winter solstice is a significant point in the year cycle with a
> unique meaning and a relevance to the life cycles on earth, whereas
> the entry into a constellation (disregarding for now that the
> constellation have no clear borders) happens 12 times a year and has
> no particular relation to earthly events. Historically, it can be
> shown that the shift of Makar Sankranti, and more fundamentally the
> change from tropical to sidereal, is a mistake. No divine Vedic
> revelation with sanatana validity, but a mistake.

KE

This sums up the calendar reform debate. I'm all for it too. We have a finality!
Now its up to the 'pundits' to propose a season based calendar that is in
conformity with modern astronomical calculations, and one that self adjusts for
errors. Please put it up for discussion, followed by attestation by Hindus and
scholars.

Non Hindus, meaning astrologers, need not concern themselves beyond this point!
We make a clean break between Hindu astronomy for ritual and festive purposes,
with astrology.

Those who wish to believe in astrology, horoscopes, compatibility, etc., along
with worship of the navagrahas and its attendant dosha negating prayer-rituals
and talismans may continue to do so, and may claim the siddhanta jyotisha texts
from Varahamira onwards as their own. Hindus would appreciate it if all these
are delinked from Hinduism and Hindu shastras.

> >So astrology, or jyotisha, is to be discarded!<
>
> In Lagadha's Vedanga Jyotisha, the word Jyotisha means astronomy,
> which is not to be discarded, and not astrology. From the fact that
> the Vedas don't do "Vedic astrology", it doesn't necessarily follow
> that "astrology is to be discarded"; they don't mention computers and
> yet you're not discarding computers, are you? All we can say on this
> is that "Vedic astrology" is not based on the Vedas, eventhough
> already the Rg-Veda has notions that were to become cornerstones of
> astrology: bandhu (systems of correspondence), the division of the
> ecliptic in 12 and in 360, 12 season-based months.

By jyotisha I meant predictive astrology, not the astronomy of Lagadha's.

One can find anything in the vedas if one is 'looking for it'. If one looks for
varna, one can find it there too. But its not there if one is not 'looking for
it'.

.
> Isn't the whole idea of yajna, of imploring or somehow effectuating
> beneficial events a case of mumbo-jumbo?

.
This needs to be explained at length. But in short, only a practisioner, one who
has done his daily puja worship sadhanas, and perhaps some meditation, over a
considerable time, say 6 or 7 years, would be able to determine if there is
indeed any benefits, any divine interventions, any insights. To all others, the
doors to this inner experience and knowledge are closed, seemingly non existent.
They merely perform it perfunctorily based on faith or patriotism, or out of a
sense of hopelessness where there are no other options.

I am a long time practitioner and I am able to testify as to its validity. But I
cannot prove it to another. Those who have experienced transductive perceptions,
or are meditators, would have had some inner experience, perhaps a burst of
light, or ecstasy, or hearing inner sounds, or inspirational knowledge. Two
meditators may be able to cross check and verify each others experience. To all
others, this realm is closed, seemingly non existent.

.
>All things considered,
> isn't it more rational to assume that the planets affect our lives
> than that an a ritual act at place A and time X effects an outcome at
> place B and time Y?

.
As explained above. But I agree that the planets do affect our lives. But the
effect is physical, seasonal and environmental changes that in turn affects us
emotionally and mentally. These effects cannot be charted out nor negated in
anyway. But there is no planetary effect to the individual's karma!

The rituals is 'to communicate with the gods', a protocol, an established
tradition well understood by the inner world beings, in much the same way a
dancer or mime artist communicates with and moves the audience by unfolding a
story. Its effect is metaphysical, which unfolds over a long time. People expect
immediate results, and demand all requests be granted, setting the stage for
disappointment and skepticism. It doesn't work like that!

The gods cannot act for individuals and their prayers, unless summoned!
Therefore the rituals. They have their own code of ethics of non interference
with the lives of humans and their karmic evolution unless specifically summoned
and requested by the individual soul and that the requested favour is not in
conflict with that persons karma. That, and the gods and their duties, is
governed by the Great Transcendent Being (shiva).

In the temples they do intervene for the benefit of the devotees, for mere entry
into a temple is a consent for intervention, whether formally verbalised by the
devotee or not. While their metaphysical intervention is immediate, the effects
may be gradual, rather glacial, therefore it cannot be easily measured, B at Y
cannot be linked to the act A at X. The level of divine intervention during each
temple visit or ritual may be described as 'surgical and modest', hence
regularity and consistency in temple visitations is prescribed.

Again it cannot be proved. Self validation comes with practice.

.
> > Everyone keep in mind that we worship the Gods, and not the
> planets, meteors, comets, space debris, constellations, nodes of the
> moon, sun, galaxies or whatever.<
>
> Aren't Surya, Mitra, Vishnu, Savitar personifications of the sun?
> Isn't Varuna a sky-god, Shiva a moon-god etc.? In Sumerian, a glyph
> showing a star meant "god". But I get your point:

.
The established meditator would indeed see Surya in his inner third eye visions,
but it is not an anthropomorphic Being as many imagine and portrayed in the
shastras, rather it appears like an amorphic light 'just like our physical sun'.
Nevertheless this being can take any anthropomorphic shape and communicate with
this daily 'visitor' to the realms of the gods. Same with the other Gods. Rishis
of the past experienced these many amorphic and anthropomorphic shapes, each
with a name (and character), its etymology being self explanatory.

You can verify this with any other established meditator of any tradition! Ask
him to explain it in his own words and see if it corroborates what is said here.

.
> > Appeals to the Gods for their benign intervention is the basis of
> worship, for the Gods alone can intervene.<
>
> See, that's what a skeptic would call "mumbo-jumbo". All
> religionists are skeptics and rationalists when it comes to
> criticizing rival schools eventhough the latter's practices are of
> the same type or based on the same assumptions as their own.

.
As explained above. Yes this exists in the non experiential intellect plane
where all rival practices are mumbo jumbo except their own.

Pathma

The Hindoos are confused, disorientated and their thinking muddled, mangled and fangled. Clarity is hard to come by. Common sense is not there. They are lost, uncertain, hesitant and would rather wait and see what the other guy does first. The pull of superstition is strong.

Sure many Hindus are well read, can quote from the vedas and upanisheds, have read many post modern works, can quote big names like Dawkins, Kripal, etc. and expouse deep concepts, BUT they do not know Hinduism! In the ten years I've been surfing the web, I know most know nothing about the gods. They have read but they do not know.

Believe it or not most of them are not practitioners; readers and scholars yes, but not practitioners. For, they do not talk the language of a believing worshipful practitioner, but they talk the language of a scholar. So its two people talking a different language to each other.

Being mostly western english educated in mostly missionary schools they have been led by the nose to find knowledge, understanding and 'salvation' in books and western conceptualisations, and not in the traditional worships and religious practices. They do not understand that a vastly much more intuitive knowledge comes from actual worship. Ten times more! A hundred times more than what one could possibly have read in a lifetime. The library within, the repository of knowledge and understanding, is the biggest in the world! The purpose of worship is to unfold the knowledge from within.

Secondly, generally most Indians are currently in the hot pursuit of wealth and affluency and this overrides other 'stabilising factors', like beliefs, rationality and common sense, reducing any religious practice to mere perfunctory rituals, and obsession with clutching at straws.

If there is fatalism and astrology in the vedas, then I'm sure our vedic rishis would have written down in the upanishads their prophecies for each of the years; prophecies for 2007, prophecies for 2008, 2009, etc., and that would be nadi leaves for all 6 billion people and more to come. It does not strike the Hindus that there is not a single prophecy in the vedas nor the agamas. It does not strike them that whatever the seasons are for them in the northern hemispehere, its the opposite in the southern hemisphere!

The prayers to the elements and plants in the vedas is a recognition and celebration of our interconnectedness to the universe, our universality, and our wholesome well-wishing and the togetherness of mankind and the world!

If there is no fatalism there is no astrology. If there is worship there is no fatalism!

We have only the concept of karma, and that too just to explain the environment and situation we are in. No more that that. There is no fatalism. We have no control in the short term over the immediate environment that we are facing. We have to accept that, the environment we are in and the conditions we are facing. But we have free will to guide our lives, within the parameters of that environment. But over the medium term even the environment too changes, and new avenues open and old doors close.

A tectonic shift is taking place in India, where 60 million are lifted out of poverty and where 100 million enter the middle class each year! Thats an karmic environmental change for 160 million people, and people are exercising their free will to further their lives. A dragon has been karmically unleashed. Nothing to do with the stars or astrology. Everything to do with collective karma from its distant past that kept it bonded all this while.

Now people have to let go of fatalism to be further unleashed.

Below is a pondering of why astrology is intriguing. It is not intriguing. It is just clutching at straws! Bonded people do that. Simple.

"That astrology lives still in the popular imagination, in both West and East (albeit in very different forms), leaves us with the task of trying to understand why this is so. At that point, we can rightly say whether we agree with the premises of astrology or not -- as Beck does in this book -- and seek to debunk the system if we so wish.

But even a modern social scientist must find it intriguing that in this post-Enlightenment period, people still find room in their heads for a system as fatalistic as astrology."

http://www.classics.und.ac.za/reviews/07-45bec.htm

Its best that you take the initiative and offer a Proposed NewHinduCalendar, where it incorporates a mechanism for adjusting one day every 71 years, and the yearly seasonal festivals.

Makara Sankranti, Uttarayana & Pongal (Jan 14-15, 2008)
Subhamoy Das

The day on which the sun begins to move northwards (uttarayana) is called 'Makar Shankranti' (Sanskrit: Shankramana = to begin to move). Among the Tamils in southern India this festival is called the Pongal. To many people, Makar Shankranti ushers in the New Year. Newly-harvested grains are cooked for the first time on that day. Joyous festivities mark the celebration in every home. The poor are fed and clothed. On the next day, the cow is worshipped, and birds and animals are fed. In Gujarat in western India, the occasion is called ‘Uttarayan,’ which is famous for its kite flying festival.

Seventy per cent of India's population lives in villages, and a vast majority of people solely depend on agriculture. As a result, we find that most Hindu festivals are directly or indirectly linked to agriculture and related activities.
Pongal is one such big festival, celebrated every year in mid January - mostly in the south of India and especially in Tamil Nadu - to mark the harvest of crops and a special thanksgiving to God, the sun, the earth and the cattle.

What's Pongal??'Pongal' comes from the word 'ponga' which literally means 'boil' and so 'pongal' connotes 'spillover' or that which is 'overflowing'. It's also the name of the special sweet dish cooked on the Pongal day. Pongal continues through the first four days of the 'Thai' month that starts on January 14 every year.

Seasonal Festivity?Pongal is directly associated with the annual cycle of seasons. It not only marks the reaping of the harvest, but also the withdrawal of the southeast monsoons in southern India. As the cycle of season rings out the old and ushers in the new, so is the advent of Pongal connected with cleaning up the old, burning down rubbish, and welcoming in new crops.

Cultural & Regional Variations?Pongal in the state of Tamil Nadu is celebrated during the same time as 'Bhogali Bihu' in the North Eastern State of Assam, 'Lohri' in Punjab, 'Bhogi' in Andhra Pradesh and 'Makar Sankranti' in the rest of the country, including Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Bengal.
Assam's 'Bihu' involves the early morning worship of Agni, the god of fire followed by a nightlong feast with family and friends. Bengal's 'Makar Sankranti' entails the preparation of traditional rice-sweets called 'Pittha' and the holy fair - Ganga Sagar Mela at the Ganga Sagar beach. In Punjab, it's 'Lohri' - gathering around the sacred bonfire, feasting with family and friends, and exchanging greetings and pleasantries. And in Andhra Pradesh it is celebrated as 'Bhogi', when each household puts on display its collection of dolls.

Pongal follows the winter solstice and marks the favorable course of the sun. On the first day, the sun is worshipped, signifying its movement from Cancer to Capricorn. This is also why, in other parts of India, this harvest festival and thanksgiving is called 'Makar Sankranti'. [Sanskrit Makar = Capricorn]

Each day of the four-day festival has its own name and distinct fashion of celebration.

Day 1: Bhogi Pongal?Bhogi Pongal is a day for the family, for domestic activities and of being together with the members of the household. This day is celebrated in honor of Lord Indra, "the Ruler of Clouds and Giver of Rains".

On the first day of Pongal a huge bonfire is lit at dawn in front of the house and all old and useless items are set ablaze, symbolic of beginning a fresh new year. The bonfire burns through the night as young people beat little drums and dance around it. Homes are cleaned and decorated with "Kolam" - floor designs drawn in the white paste of newly harvested rice with outlines of red mud. Often pumpkin flowers are set into cow-dung balls and placed among the patterns. Fresh harvest of rice, turmeric and sugarcane is brought in from the field as preparation for the following day.

Day 2: Surya Pongal?The second day is dedicated to Lord Surya, the Sun God, who is offered boiled milk and jaggery. A plank is placed on the ground, a large image of the Sun God is sketched on it and Kolam designs are drawn around it. This icon of the Sun God is worshipped for divine benediction as the new month of 'Thai' begins.

Day 3: Mattu Pongal?This third day is meant for the cattle ('mattu') - the giver of milk and puller of the plough. The farmer's 'dumb friends' are given a good bath, their horns are polished, painted and covered with metal caps, and garlands are put around their necks. The pongal that has been offered to the gods is then given to the cattle to eat. They are then taken out to the racing tracks for cattle race and bullfight - an event full of festivity, fun, frolic and revelry.

Day 4: Kanya Pongal ?The fourth and final day marks the Kanya Pongal, when birds are worshipped. Girls prepare colored balls of cooked rice and keep them in the open for birds and fowls to eat. On this day sisters also pray for their brothers' happiness.

Like all Hindu festivals, Pongal too has some interesting legends attached to it. But surprisingly, this festival has little or no mention in the Puranas, which are usually bristled with tales and legends related with festivals. This is perhaps because Pongal is preeminently a Dravidian harvest festival and has somehow managed to keep itself away from the preponderance of Indo-Aryan influences.

The Mt. Govardhan Tale?The most popular Pongal legend is the one associated with the first day of the celebrations when Lord Indra is worshipped. The story behind it is, on this day Indra being honored by all, became proud and arrogant. To teach him a lesson, Lord Krishna asked his cowherd friends to worship Mount Govardhan instead of Indra on the Bhogi Pongal day.

Awfully infuriated, Indra sent forth the clouds to generate thunder, lightning and heavy rains and flood the land. But, as the tale goes, Lord Krishna lifted up the Govardhan Mountain on his little finger and sheltered the farmers, cowherd and their cattle. Indra then begged Shri Krishna's forgiveness and the latter re-permitted Bhogi celebrations in honor of Indra.

The Nandi Bull Story?According to another legend associated with Mattu Pongal, the third day of celebrations, Lord Shiva once asked his Nandi bull to go to earth and deliver a special message to his disciples: "Have an oil bath everyday, and food once a month."

God is closer to you than your jugular vein, the kingdom of god is within you, seek (the kingdom of god within), knock (the kingdom of god within) and it shall open, and then you too, like millions before you, shall declare, I and my father are one!

If one is searching for god anywhere outside oneself, in the mosques, churches, in the book, in saints, in gospels, in piety, in mind constructs, in prophecies, in saviours, then one is lost in the dungeons of hell. Because anywhere outside one's self, outside the kingdom of god, IS hell!

The kingdom of god is within all of us at this very moment. No need to go here and there to find it. This makes any convert the utterest stupid person, an openly self-declaring idiot, who hadn't a clue! Idiots of the world, go within!

Pathma

brhac ca tad divyam acintya-rűpam sűkshamâc ca tat sűkshma-taram vibhâti

Vast, divine, of unthinkable form, subtler than the subtle, it shines forth.- Mundaka Upanishad

Even the theoretical void of classical physics is not the last word on
empty reality. For now we have discovered that vacuum is not total spatial
material nudity, stark and still. Twentieth century physics has unveiled a
staggering aspect of what we call vacuum. Calculations and conceptual
penetration into the nature of the empty substratum point to a most astounding
dynamism at the core of nothingness. Pure vacuum is teeming with countless
concentrations of energy that come and go incessantly. Be it in the narrowest
margins between the thickly packed constituents of gross matter or in the dark
expanses of intergalactic void, an underlying palpitation seems to be going on
interminably: subtle entities come into existence and vanish, like flashes of
fireflies in a dark night, but inconceivably smaller in size and infinitely more
quickly.

Physics has revealed that there can be no matter such as we experience
without the incessant appearance and disappearance of unimaginably these minute
entities at the core of emptiness. These sub-natural virtual particles are
responsible for a good many features of the perceived world. They have been
working subtly and invisibly since the dawn of creation until a handful of
probing physicists unraveled their fleeting existence these many eons after the
world came to be. This is the veritable breath of the universe, the cosmic
heart-beat as it were, for should these vacuum fluctuations cease, it would be
the end of the universe of matter and energy such as we perceive it.

The wonder is that it implies that these countless multitudes are being
generated out of nothing and gobbled up interminably, like borrowing and
returning money on a piece of paper. This is in blatant defiance of common sense
and of Lucretius who wrote famously that nothing can be made out of nothing.
Vacuum seems to be, in the phrase of the New Testament as having nothing, and
yet possessing all things.

One may draw an analogy with the conscious mind and the subconscious.
Perceived reality may be compared to the conscious state, and vacuum to the
unperceived facet where the mind is without conscious thought. Underneath all
the noise and action that constitute everyday life, are secret turbulences that
govern our behavior. The dynamism implicit in the vacuum-state is somewhat like
the not-directly experienced turmoil of the subconscious.

This is the picture that emerges from what is called quantum field theory
which has opened our mind's eye to the dynamic aspect of vacuum. The so-called
vacuum energy, which is one of the many revelations of our probes into the
microcosm, is a well-defined and calculable entity, its actual value depending
on a number of factors, including what is called the cosmological constant. The
notion of the vacuum-state in quantum field theory requires the powerful
flashlight of mathematics. There can be no meaningful understanding of atoms or
nuclei or quantum vacuum without sophisticated mathematics.

Thinkers in ancient world also reflected on emptiness. In Buddhist
metaphysics, sűnya or void is ultimate reality: not static nothingness, but a
dynamic substratum. Some have drawn parallels with the notions of nirguna and
saguna brahman. The vacuum of today's physics is of course a horse of a very
different color. And yet, no matter how we approach it, there is something
intriguing, even mysterious, about a mind-bogglingly vast void where so much is
present, an apparent silence where there is incessant activity, and an
all-pervading coldness which contains stellar furnaces of immense heat and
energy.

There is only some mention of kala-s and yama-s for temple pujas, muhurthas, nakstratras, solstices, equinoxes and months in the Ajita, Paramesvara, Makuta, and Candrajnana Agamas. There is no mention of rasis.

Ajita Agama

The Process of the Great Festival (utsava) - the stars and lunar days fit for the immersion in sacred waters

27.1-2
Now, I will tell the process of the festival which brings welfare to all the world. Sava is that which is called 'auspicious' and brings happiness to all creatures. That from which sava is born (ud) is called 'utsava'.

27.8-11
In Caitra the star of Tvastr (Citra) is taught, in Vaisakha Surpa (Visakha) is told, in Jyestha (the star) Mula, in Asadha the star of Visvadevas (Uttara Asadha) is taught, in Sravana it should be Sravistha, in Proshapada (Bhadrapada) Ajaikapad (Purvabhadrapada), in the month of Asvayuj (Asvina) Asvini, in the month of Karttika Krittika, in the month of Margasirsa the star of Rudra (Ardra) is told, in Pushya it should be the star of Brihaspati (Pusya), in Magha the star of Pitr-s (Magha), in the month of Phalguna the star of Aryaman (Uttaraphalguni) should be the star of the immersion (festival).

27.12
(The aforementioned) are stars in conjunct with the full moon (are fit time for the festival of immersion in water).

27.14-15
(Or) in all the months, Caitra, etc., the star fit for the immersion would be the star of Rudra (Ardra). In Magha or Jyestha months the sixth and eight lunar days of the black fortnight (respectively) are taught as being for the immersion; they give all desired fruits.

27.15-16
(Or) the excellent knower of the rituals (desika) should fix the parvan (full moon and new moon) and the fourteenth lunar day of both forthnights, in all the months, for the immersion.

The Process of the Sraddha festival

69.5-7
One should perform the ablution (abishegam) ceremony on a day under the following stars, starting from the month of Ardra, Ardra (Margasiras), Pushya, Maagha, Uttara (Phalguni), Citra, Visakha, Mula, (Uttar)asadha, Sravana, Purvabhadra, Asvini, and the star of Agni (Krittika), in coincidence with the full moon or new moon day of the forthnight or not.

69.9
The wise should perform the festival up to the end of Ardra, every month, on equinoxes, after an eclipse, or after other auspicious days (such as Ganesha Chaturthi, Sarasvati puja, etc.)

Regards.

Only in Hinduism 'Time' has become a part of its Philosophy and Religion. I shall give a few examples.

Kaala has been treated as a God and named Yama. He is credited with upholding Dharma strictly and is therefore called Dharmaraaja.
Bhagavadgita says - kaalah kalayathaam asmi - I am kaala of the reckoners.

The Hindu God Shiva is said to be Kaala of Kaala. So he becomes Kaalakaala. A destroyer of time.

Time also plays a part on the concept of Mahavishnu. Vishnu means all pervading but lies on a bed of time. This bed is conceived as a coiled snake called 'anatha' meaning without end (bothways). He is also called aadi-shesha meaning that he was in the beginning and he will be in the end also. Otherwise with no beginning and no end.

PKR

.

Kaali, the female counter part of Kaala is also symbolic of "Time", as energy.
The names Kaala and Kaali comes from the Sanskrit root word Kal which means
time. There is nothing that escapes the all-consuming march of time, which
always ends in destruction, which can also mean death.
The dance of Kaali, the dynamism of time, is often portrayed as a gruesome
female dancing over the still form of Shiva. If Kaali represents shakti or force
or movement, then Shiva, symbolically, is the passive partner of the two-some,
i.e shiva and shakti. Shiva without shakti is shava. Matter without energy is
without movement.

I think this is what the ancient Hindus were trying to convey. How they came
to these conclusions of matter, space and time is rather intriguing!

The opening lines of the famed Ananda Lahari by Adi Sankara, points to this
theme with these lines:

"Shiva shaktya yukto yadi bhavathi shakta prebhavitum,
Na che devam devo na khalu kushalah spantitumapi,"

Shiva, is able to do creation in this world along with Shakti; without Her
support He cannot even so much as move..........

< What is the difference between Shivaratri and Maha Shivaratri?. >

Mahashivaratri is celebrated once a year whereas Shivaratri can be celebrated on every Chaturdashi of Krishna-paksha.ďż˝ Thus there can be 11 (or even 12 if there is an adhika-masa) Shivaratris but just one Mahashivaratri, besides those 11/12 Shivaratris.ďż˝ The l1/12 Shivaratris are known as masa-shivaratris also.
ďż˝
The criterion for Mahashivaratri is that it must be celebrated on Chaturdashi (i.e. day preceding Full Moon) of (lunar) Magha Krishna Paksha (which is known as Pahlguna Krishna paksha in Northern India).ďż˝ All the Shivaratris are to be celebrated at "nisheetha" i.e. Midnight -- which must normally be LMT i.e. Local Mean Time of the place wherever one may be at that point of time.

As per all the Vedas and Puranas, including the Shiva Mahapurana and Linga Purana etc., the day of Uttarayana i.e. Winter Solstice is known as the start of solar Magha. As such, it started on December 22, 2007.ďż˝ The first New Moon (Shukkla-pratipat) after that is known as the start of lunar Magha Shukla Paksha.ďż˝ Thus it started on January 9, 2008.ďż˝ The first Full Moon (Krishna Pratipat) after that is known as the start of Magha Krishna Paksha (Phalguna Krishna paksha for Northern India like J&K, Bihar, UP etc.).ďż˝ Thus that Magha/Phalguna Krishna paksha started on January 23, 2008. And Krishna Paksha Chaturdashi of that Magha/Phalguna was prevailing at midnight on February 5/6, 2008 (IST).ďż˝ That means that Mahashivaratri was to be celebrated on February 5/6, 2008 midnight.ďż˝

[Maha-Shivaratri, as per the Linga Purana, Shiva Purana,
Vishnudharmotara etc. puranas, is the day preceding the second
New Moon after the Uttarayana i.e. Winter Solstice. As such, there
is bound to be a difference of about one month between the Uttarayana
and the Maha-Shivaratri, but it has to be in Shishia Ritu.]
ďż˝
Unfortunately for Hindu community, these days we go by the edicts of "almighty" Lahiri Jyotishis instead of the Vedas and other shastras!ďż˝ As such, these Lahiriwalas have advised the Hindu-samaj to celebrate Mahashivaratri on March 6, 2008, instead of on February 5, 2008. Since these Lahiriwalas can overrule our shastras---even the Vedas!---that is why I call them "almighty" Lahiris and Lahiriwalas!ďż˝ In fact they are making us celebrate all our festivals and muhurtas on wrong days just to prove their astrological prowess on the shoulders of a so called Nirayana rashichakra, which they call "Vedic astrology"ďż˝ -- despite the fact that there are neither Mesha, Vrisha etc. Rashis nor Mangal, Shani etc. planets in the Vedas!
ďż˝
< what hours do I need to fast between if I live in Britain?.>

Mahashivaratri is a festival specially dear to Bhagwan Shiva!ďż˝ A fast on that day till the time of Shivapuja at "Nisheetha" plus Shiva-puja on that day/night is said to remove the sins of hundreds of "janmas"ďż˝ (births), if that puja is performed with devotion and "shradha' i.e. faith.ďż˝
ďż˝
Now that the real Mahashivaratri is already over for you, thanks to "Vedic astrologers", you may celebrate it on March 5/6, 2008. You will have to fast from the midnight of March 4/5 (at least from the sunrise of March 5!) to midnight of March 5/6 �2008 for Britain. Please note that Trayodashi ends at 8.00 pm GMT/UT on March 5 and it is chaturdashi after that.

Fasting does not necessarily mean that you have to avoid everything completely if you cannot do so, though that is preferable, but you can take some fruits or milk etc. in a limited quantity!ďż˝ The main emphasis is abstaining from carnal desires and concentrating on nothing but Shiva on that date!
ďż˝
If you cannot recite any other mantra in Sanskrit, just keep on reciting OM NAMAH SHIVAYA mentally throughout the day, and if you feel sleepy by doing so, you can chant it aloud. It is just possible that you will continue reciting/repeating that mantra mentally even after Mahashivaratri!
ďż˝
Avtar Krishen Kaul

[This message has been edited by Webmaster (edited February 09, 2008).]

Vedic hymns are devotional songs sung to the gods in worshipful adoration of them, beseeching their blessings and benedictions. Hymn 1.33 and 1.54 of the Rig Veda follows the same pattern of glorifying the god and recalling instances of their past valour or event. The same style is found in bakti hymns where some past event is remembered.

Indra is referred to as the Guide, the Indestructable, Lord of Heaven and Earth, armed with the Thunderbolt, the Invisible, the Wealth Giver. Praising him as the leader of the maruts who can defeat any enemies whom he chooses. He defeated the the riteless, the godless, but wealthy Dasyu singlehandedly, who fled from heaven upon defeat. There is no indication who Dasyu is. It may be a minor asuric god like Surapadman or Ravana, in a retelling in a puranic style, of Indra slaying Vrtya the Dasyu and his followers the Sanakyas. Followers are sometimes referred to as dasas, which means attendants or servants.

Otherwise it is beseeching for wealth (cattle) and rain. Indra is offered stone pressed (probably oil seeds extract) juices which is offered in a fire to Indra, who in return blesses the worshipper with wisdom, which in turn causes the flow of Soma (the treasure) in the worshipper. This Soma is the light of wisdom which increases the lordly power of the worshipper.

In days of yore, cattle was the currency, akin to our BMWs and Ferraris today. It got you the girls and it got you the sons in laws. The offering is stone pressed, like in a stone grinder, or 'ammi-kal' the same technology we use today. The extract which is some kind of oil is offered on a ladle into the fire. This offering is also called 'soma'. Soma is offered to the gods, and in return the gods offer their soma to the worshipper. This soma benediction is the light of the gods that spreads and diffuses through the mind and soul. It is seen as a golden light.

1.033.01 Come, let us get to Indra, (to recover our stolen cattle), for he, devoid of malice, exhilarates our minds; thereupon he will bestow upon us perfect knowledge of this wealth, (which consists) of cattle.

1.033.03 ..the lord drives the cattle (to the dwelling) of whom he pleases. - Indra provides wealth to whom he pleases.

1.033.04 Verily, Indra, you have slain the wealthy barbarian (Vrtya) with your bold; your, single handedly assailing (him), although the auxiliaries (the Maruts) are at hand. Perceiving the impending manifold destructiveness of your bow, they, the Sanakas, the neglecters of sacrifice, perished.

1.033.11 The waters flowed to provide the food of Indra, but (Vr.tra) increased in the midst of the navigable (rivers); then Indra, with his fatal and powerful shaft, slew Vr.tra, whose thought were ever turned towards him.

Vrtya withheld the waters, so Indra slayed him and the earth was bountiful.

1.054.01 ...Indra....you have made the waters of the rivers roar; how (is it possible) that the earth should be filled with terror?

Indra causes rain and the rivers flow and roar, so how can there be terror in the lands? Where there is a drought, famine and terror grips the land. He hurls the thunderbolt and hastens the rains.

1.54.03 ...who is the sender of showers, and by his bounty gratifies our desires...the giver of rain, the repeller of enemies,...

Drought was a major 'enemy',

1.54.07 ...for him (the worshipper) the bounteous Indra causes the clouds to rain from heaven.

He sends the rains and hence gratifies man's desires.

1.54.11 ..preserve us in affluence; cherish those who are wise; and supply us with wealth from which proceed excellent progeny and food.

1.033.05 The neglecters of sacrifice, contending with the sacrificers, Indra, fled with averted faces. Indra, fierce, unyielding, lord of steeds, (they appeared) when you did blow the disregarders of religion from off the heaven, and earth and sky.

1.033.07 .....you (Indra) have consumed the robber (Dasyu), (having dragged him) from heaven, and have received the praises of the worshipper, praising you and offering libations.

Seems like Dasyu and his followers the Sanakyas who were non sacrifiers, were repelled from heaven.

1.033.08 Decorated with gold and jewels, they were spreading over the circuit of the earth; but mighty as they were, they triumphed not over Indra; he dispersed them with the (rising) sun.

Chased from heaven these Dasyus took residence and enveloped the Earth but Indra dispersed them like the rising sun dispelled the darkness.

1.033.09 Indra, as you enjoy both heaven and earth, investing the universe with your magnitude, you have blown away the robber (dasyu) with the prayers which are repeated on behalf of those who do not comprehend them.

Because of the prayers through sacrifices on behalf of the yajamaan (patron who conducts the homa fire ritual but who may not understand the rituals) Indra defeats the Dasyus. The sacrifice achieves its goal.

1.033.10 When the waters descended not upon the ends of the earth, and overspread not that giver of affluence with its productions, then Indra, the showerer, grasped his bolt, and with its brightness milked out the waters from the darkness.

Rain gives affluence along with its manifold productions. When there is no rain (held back by Vrtya), Indra makes it happen with his lightning and thunder which bursts the dark clouds.

1.033.12 Indra set free (the waters) obstructed by (Vr.tra), when sleeping in the caves of the earth, and slew the horned dryer up (of the world).

1.033.13 The weapon of Indra fell upon his adversaries; with his sharp and excellent (shaft) he destroyed their cities; he then reached Vr.tra with his thunderbolt, and (by) slaying him, exhilarated his mind.

1.054.02 Offer adoration to the wise and powerful S'akra; glorifying the listening Indra, praise him who purifies both heaven and earth by his irresistible might, who is the sender of showers (rain), and by his bounty gratifies our desires.

1.054.03 Offer exhilarating praises to the great and illustrious Indra, of whom, undaunted, the steady mind is concentrated in its own firmness; for he, who is of great renown, the giver of rain, the repeller of enemies, who is obeyed his steeds, the showerer (of bounties), is hastening hither.

1.054.04 You have shaken the summit of the spacious heaven; you have slain S'ambara by your resolute self; you have hurled with exulting and determined mind the sharp and bright-rayed thunderbolt against assembled Asuras.

These Dasyu, Sambara and their hosts are asuras.

1.054.07 That eminent person (the yajamaan), the cherisher of the pious, (the institutor of the ceremony), promotes his own prosperity, who, while offering oblations to Indra, pronounces his praise; or who, along with the offerings he presents, recites hymns (in honour of him); for him the bounteous Indra causes the clouds to rain from heaven.

1.054.08 Unequalled is his might; unequalled is his wisdom; may these drinkers of the Soma (the yajamaan who initiates the homa sacrifice) become equal to him the pious act, for they, Indra, who present to you oblations, augment your vast strength and your manly vigour.

It is prayed that the sacrificer becomes equal to Indra upon drinking the soma. By the sacrifice the yajamaan drinks the soma, which means the blessings and wisdom that is produced by the sacrifice. This is the riches and bounty requested for by the patron.

1.054.09 These copious Soma juices, expressed with stones and contained in ladles, are prepared for you; they are the beverage of Indra; quaff them; satiate your appetite with them; and then fix your mind on the wealth that is to be given (to us).

The offering of oil seed extracts into the homa fire is also called Soma. This earthly 'soma' is for Indra, in return the heavenly Soma is benedicted to the worshipper.

1.054.10 The darkness obstructed the current of the waters; the cloud was within the belly of Vr.tra; but Indra precipitated all the waters which the obstructor had concealed, in succession, down to the hollows (of the earth).

It looks like Vrtya is the lord of the rain clouds.

1.054.11 Bestow upon us, Indra, increasing reputation; (bestow upon us) great, augmenting, and foe subduing strength; preserve us in affluence; cherish those who are wise; and supply us with wealth from which proceed excellent progeny and food.

I don't see any references to races, dravidians, aryans, austronesians, caucasians, nor earthly battles like between pandavas and kauravas, Rama and Ravana. Its a simple prayer for cattle, rain, wisdom, food, and progeny, couched in vedic myths. Nothing more to it.

In these verses it is also shown that the homa priest conducts the sacrifice for and on behalf of the patron or yajamaan, who may or may not understand the rituals, yet receives the benefit and the priest prays that the patron becomes like Indra. This is the same today. I am glad to study these verses as it was enlightening and I have a new respect for Indra.

The references to Indra as the Bull, the Invisible, the Indestructable, Wielder of the Thunderbolt, the Showerer, the Purifier, destroyer of asuric cities, Wielder of the Bow and a quiver of arrows, is an unmistakable allusion to Rudra. The maruts are ganas, and sons or attendants of Rudra, are very violent and aggressive, described as armed with golden weapons i.e. lightning and thunderbolts, as having iron teeth and roaring like lions. That Indra does not use them in slaying vrtya is reminiscent of Rudra not using Brahma and Vishnu to destroy the triple cities. Except for the name and a few other changes, the story is the same one.

Thats my take.

Anbudan

On Wealth

Wealth has to be won by deeds of glory. (Rig Veda Samhita 6-19-10)

One shall be led by the fair path to riches. (Vajasaneya Samhita 5-36)

One should tread the sinless path and gather wealth. (Vajasaneya Samhita 4-9)

A man shall strive to win wealth by the righteous path. (Rig Veda Samhita 10-31-2)

One who helps others wins wealth. (Rig Veda Samhita 4-50-9)

One who gets up early morning gets the treasure. (Rig Veda Samhita 1-125-1)

(Source: Article ‘Wisdom of the ages’ in ‘The CTO Forum’ Magazine by Dr. S. Kannan)

Samvibhaga (sharing of wealth) is an important attribute of Dharma. Many Vedic Mantras direct humans to share
their wealth with others. Rig Veda (1-15-8) stipulates:

"Let us become God's instruments and distribute fortune to the poor and needy."

Similarly, Atharva Veda (3-30-7) commands humans to share their comforts with others. Apart from helping the needy, practice of Samvibhaga will unite Hindu society.

Quote
Prejudice can be eradicated only through moral awakening, mistaken beliefs only through informed education, and unconscionable practices only through legal recourse, but only in countries where there are just and enlightened laws. Unquote

On Saravati

Rig Veda 1.3.10-12 Sarasvati
pAvakA naH sarasvatI vAjebhirvAjinIvatI
yajńaM vaSTu dhiyAvasuH

codayitrI sUnRtAnAM cetantI sumatInAm
yajńaM dadhe sarasvatI

maho arNaH sarasvatI pra cetayati ketunA
dhiyo vishvA vi rAjati

1.003.10 May Sarasvati, the purifier, the bestower of food, the recompenser of worship with wealth, be attracted by our offered viands to our rite.

1.003.11 Sarasvati, the inspirer of those who delight in truth, the instructress of the right-minded, has accepted our sacrifice.

1.003.12 Sarasvati, makes manifest by her acts a mighty river, and (in her own form) enlightens all understandings.

On Brihaspati or Ganesha

Rig Veda 2.23.1-2 (2.23.1-2)
gaNAnAM tvA gaNapatiM havAmahe kaviM kavInAmupamashravastamam
jyeSTharAjaM brahmaNAM brahmaNas pata A naH SRNvannUtibhiH sIda sAdanam

1. WE call thee, Lord and Leader of the heavenly hosts, the wise among the wise, the famousest of all,
The King supreme of prayers, O BrahmaNaspati: hear us with help; sit down in place of sacrifice.

Pathma

[This message has been edited by Pathmarajah (edited February 18, 2008).]

Tayumanavar on Chitambara Rahasyam -5

ViNNavr intiran mutaloor naarataati
     viLaGku sapta rishikaL an viiNai nallor
eNNariya sittar manuvaati veentar
     irukkaati maRai Munivar ellaam intak
kaNNakan njaalam matikkat taanee uLLaG
     kaiyin nellik kabipool kaadiyaakat
tiNNiya nallaRivaay iccamayattu enRoor
     cwppariya sitti mutti veernataar enRum
 
Meaning:
There are the celestial beings like Indra Narada the bright Sapta Rigies the Gandaravs who string the VeeNa, the innumerable Siddhas, the great kings like Manu, the Vedic rishies and so forth. All these great beings, human and celestial attained everlasting fame in the wide world only because BEING opened up their Third Eye and let them witness directly the various games He plays and through which He manages the world. There is authentic  understanding developed though such means and which leads to the gaining of Njaanam with apodictic certainty as if the fruit is already in the palms. Such an understanding also blesses them with the various kinds of Siddhies that are difficult to describe and finally the Moksa itself.
 
 

 
Ceppariya sanayaneRi ellaam tattam
     Teyvamee teyvam enum ceyarkkai yaana
Apparisaa varum awtee pidittu aavippaar
     Aduttavanum nuulkaLum virittee anumaanaati
Oppuvittu uraippar iGGan poy meyyenna
     onRillai onRen paarppatu oppaataakkum
ipparicaanj samayamumaay allaavaaki
     yaatu samyamaum vaNaGkum iyalpatu aati.
 
Meaning:
There are many religions the correct understanding of which remain quite difficult.  But nevertheless we see that each religious person extols his own religion and maintains that it is superior to all other religions. Such a pride is quite unnatural and lacking genuine understanding they keep on preaching the greatness of their own religions and which in turn elicit serious objections where many treatises are written with logical principles used to refute the false views. It is claimed that  there are truths and falsities and that through LOGIC one can settle the matter. However such disputes remain beyond resolution and BEING emerges in the mind of such people making them realize that such disputes are in vain. He shows that He is the GROUND of all religions and that at the same time He remains beyond all these religions.  Those who transcend all religions will see that the one and the same BEING remains common to all and beyond all.
 

antoo itu atisaym ic cmayam pool inRu
     aRinjar ellaam ndu aRiya aNimaa aati
vantu aadi tiribavarkkum peesaa Moonam
     vaitturunta maavarrku maRRu maRRum
intiraati pooka nalam peRRa peerkkum
     ituvanRit taayakam veeRillai illai
sanaanak kaRpakam pola aruLaik kaaddat
     takka neRi inneRutee taan canmaarkkam
 
Meaning:
This Way of Life and the true religion is really amazing (because of the diversity it allows) There are within this Way of Life the metaphysically inclined individuals  who seek TRUTH with a true objective mind free from  prejudices. There are also the Siddhas who seek various kinds of Siddhies like ANima and so forth and play various games with such powers.  There are also the Njaana Siddhas who indulge in Deep Silence and enjoy being one-with-BEING without any fissure. There also so many other kinds of people and some who seek out all kinds of earthly and heavenly pleasures, the joys of Indra. For all these different aspirations and many others this Way of Life remains the true GROUND of the origins and where all these divergent expressions are in fact the expressions fo the Grace (aruL) of BEING. Thus this Way of Life is indeed the Sanmaarkkam the Way of True Enlightenment.
 

 
 
sanmaarkka njaanatin poruLum viiRu
     samaya saGkeetap poruLum taanee enRaakap
panmaarkkam neRiyiniluG kaNdatu ilai
     pakarvariya Tillai manRud paartta pootaGku
enmaarkkam irukkutellaam ceLiyaa yenna
     eccamayattavrakaLum vantu iRainjcaa niRpar
sanmaarkka njencamuLLa yenakkut taanee
     kaNdavudan aanantaG kaaNdalaakum.
 
Meaning
The final conclusions of Sanmaarrkkam, the Way of Enlightenment and that of the most authentic reliigion are the same and hence such a unity is not to be seen in the diverse and deviant religions and ways of life.  However as another Secret of Sitambaram it is to be noted in Tillai the greatness of which is indeed difficult to describe. Those who belong to different religions but who come to Tillai and see the secret there exclaim that what is present in my religion but concealed remains clear and open here. And because of this even people of different religions would come here and enjoy praising BEING here. I am of the Way of the Enlightenment and when I see such a unity among people of diverse ways of life, I really see joys all around

 
kaaNdal peRap puRattil uLapadiyee uLLuG
     kaadci meynnuul coluG patiyaaG kadavuLee! Nii
niiNda nedumaiyum akalak kuRukkuG kaaddaa
     niRai paripuuraN aRivaay nittamaaki
veeNdu viduppodu veRuppuc camiibam tuuram
     vilakkal aNukutal mutalaam vivakaaraGkaL
puuNda aLabaikaL manvaakkaati ellaam
     poruttaamal akam puRam piNarkkaiyaaki!
 
Meaning:
O Lord! Once a person gets to enjoy the capacity for transductive perceptions, then he sees inside of all those things that happen in the outside and which understanding also enables him to identify the authentic metaphysical treatises from the false and misleading.  It also happens that these authentic texts also expound the Triadism, that Pati Pacu and Paasam are anaati and that the Pati the Lord is indeed the Supreme God. As I pursue my understanding of You though such visions  I also learn that You are an integral Wholeness who is beyond such spatial measure as width height and so forth. You are also beyond Time and hence the Nittiyam, the SAME always. I also understand that You are full of LOVE for all so that there is no one is either specially loved or despised by You. For the same reason there are none who are specially favored by you so that some are closer and some others distant and so forth. You do not practice the casteic way of keeping some denied of their rights and kept at a distance and so forth,. You are also beyond concepts and languages and hence One who can be understood only in Deep Silence and at which point people will understand You as already with their soul inside out.

malai malaiyaaG kaN kaaNaamai yaati
     maRappenRu ninaippenRu Maayaa vaari
alai alaouaa adikkum inbat tunbamneRu
     malaivikkum viNaikaLenRum athanait tiirkka
talai palavaanj samayamenRum teyvamenRunj
     saatakar enTum avarkadku saadciyaakat
kalai palavaa neRiyenRum tarkka menRum
     kadaluRu maNal ennik kaaNum poolum
 
Meaning:
There are mountains of the absence of seeing directly the metaphysical depths (because of which there is metaphysical ignorance). Also the cognitive processes are assailed by waves of false and misleading constructions  because of which there is forgetting remembering and so forth. All these also cause waves after waves of the feelings both pleasant and unpleasant, These in turn bring about actions that further confuse the mind. Because of it all there come men who claim they are the heads and propose religions and cults to alleviate the pains of suffering humanity. They also invent various rituals and procedures giving also various kinds of justifications and intellectual arguments to support their inventions. If one were to begin to count such religions and cults, it will turn out to be more numerous than the sand particles in the beaches (so that we have to discard all such developments)
 
 
Vantu en udal PoruL aavi muunRum tan kai
     Vasamenavee yattuvaa maarkka nookki
Aintu plan aimpuutaH karaNamaati
     Yadutta kuNam attanaiyum allay yallai
Inta udal aTvvaRiyaamaiyu nii yallai
     yaatonRu paRRin atan iyalpaay ninRu
panatam aRum paLiGkanaiya vittu nii un
     pakkuvam kaNdu aRivikkum paanamaiyeeem yam
 
Meaning:
BEING-as-Siva takes possession of the body soul and meanings and bringing them under His control leads a person in the direction of disengagement - re-engagement so that he becomes gradually more and more liberated. First He instructs the soul and makes it understand that it not to be confused with the five senses the evolutes of the five basic elements and various cognitive utensils attributes and qualities that emerge out of them, Then the person is said to be not the same as the physical body the various forms understanding and ignorance and so forth. Then positively it is told that the soul is a psychic entity that like a crystal becomes that in which it is located but which can free itself from all such bondages. Then BEING says: I am the One who informs all in accordance with the spiritual maturity that has been attained.
 

 
illai yillai ennilonRu ilaatalla
iyalpaaki enRumuLLa iyaRkai aakic
collariya tanmaiyataa yaan taan ennat
toonRaatu ellaam vizuGkunj coruubamaaki
allaiyuNda pakalpool avittai ellaam
     adaiyavuNdu tadaiyaRa anna aRivait taanee
vellavuNdu uFku unnait taanaak koNdu
     veetakamaap pesaamai viLakkun taanee
 
Meaning:
Even though BEING can be said to be not this not that and so forth (as done in the Upanishads) but certainly BEING is not something not within me. BEING stands as my essence and something that remains ever as part of me bit which is ineffable - difficult to articulate in words.  He stands that which swallows all individuations like Self , BEING and so forth so that such differences do not occur at all. Also like the daylight that swallows the darkness,  He swallows all the metaphysical ignorance, overcoming all the impediments making the understanding the same as His. He makes the self the same as BEING and makes this known to the self not by any explicit instructions on it but by throwing the self into a condition incapable of speech.

16
 
cuRRatu maRRal vazi maacuutatu enRu eNNaat
     toNdarellaam kaRkinRaar paNdum inRum kaaNaar
eRRatumbu maNimanRil inba nadam puriyum
     ennudaiya turaitoo naan ninnudaiya aruLaal
kaRRatu ninnidattee pin keeddatu ninnidattee
     kaNdatu ninnidattee udkoNdstu ninnidattee
peRRatu ninnidattee inbuRRatu ninnidattee
     periya tavam purinteen en peRRi atisayamee!
 
Meaning:
There are many great souls devoted to divine service and who do not think ways of life other than that of their own circles as evil and misleading. Now even though such individuals pour over scriptures they are not blessed with the visions of the Dance of Bliss of SivaSakti on the stage of fine diamonds with floods of radiant light. O my Lord! On account of Your blessings, I learned great truths from You yourself. I listened saw, reflected and assimilated the meanings in You. I gained this kind of life and enjoyed great  pleasures in You. I must have done great tapas in my previous births to enjoy such a blessing. However it is indeed miraculous.

The shastras do speak of the 8 siddhis that an accomplished yogi can acquire. These include omniscience, clairvoyance, clairaudience, becoming invisible and flying. It is mentioned in the Tirumantiram, Yoga Sutras and other texts too. The yogis who have mastered these techniques are called siddhar - one who possesses one or more of these siddhis.

The tradition speaks of the '18 Great Siddhars' which includes Ayastya, Tirumular and Bhoga rishi. But of course there were many more persons than just eighteen.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddhar

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddhi

Some of the last known great realised souls was the 19th century Ramalingaswami, who became invisible on more than one occasion, and who disappeared on death. Another was the 20th century Yogaswami of Jaffna, Sri Lanka, who was seen in three continents at about the same time, and who himself confirmed the possibility of powers (except flying!).

Yogis do not 'acquire' these skills by their training. It is 'bestowed' on them by the gods. Most realised souls in this age 'are bestowed' the following abilities:

1. omniscience (satchit - a quality that they share with the gods),

2. to be in a state of ecstatic love and bliss (ananda - a quality that they share with the gods),

3. ability to self cure (it naturally flows from the above two).

Satchitananda! Nothing more! Self cure gave rise to siddha and ayurvedic medicine. Most of the other eight siddhis are 'closed' to mankind or even realised souls in this day and age.

In the forthcoming sat yuga, not trapped and limited by the physical body, mind, and malams, all persons would have all the siddhis.

While jivanmuktas share the same nature as the gods, they do not share their powers. This is one of the meanings of being 'one' (advaita), and 'not one' (dvaita)! On the contrary the jivanmuktas find themselves to be of utmost helpless, and rely on the gods for everything.

Siddhis are different from manifesting or conjuring up items. Those are tricks like that of a performibng magician. Siddhis are also different from occult powers (maandringam) of using inner lower world beings to do one's bidding. That avenue is also closed in this age!

Please take note that any swami, yogi, sadhu or holy man claiming any more powers than the above three are liars.

In this case of this Tiruvannamalai flying yogi in the news recently, I have to conclude that it is just a handphone camera trick. (Though its sometimes positive to remain silent and let it beguile and inspire the ignorant masses.) The person who shot that video is a conman.

Pathma

You are the origin of the worlds and you are Time, their destroyer . -The
Mahabharata

Time has inevitably entered religious worldviews as well. In the Hindu
vision, Time ultimately destroys everything. One name for the God of death Yama
is Kala (from the Sanskrit word for time). We may recall the Latin poet Ovid's
description of time as the devourer of things. (tempus edax rerum). In the Greek
religion there was a God of Space-Time. His name was Chronos. He is said to have
taken birth from the Chaos that preceded the birth of the universe. Thus, there
was no space or time in the order-less confusion that reigned before it became
the ordered Cosmos. In the ancient Greek view, Chronos is turning the zodiacal
wheel through which we recognize the cyclic turn of time in the heavens. An
ancient Greek, word for God was Aeon which also meant Eternity. In Tamil, the
word samayam means both time and religion.

In Christian theology one distinguishes between the finite time of earthly
life and the eternity of life with the Divine. This reminds us of the names
Anadi (Beginning-less) and Ananta (end-less) for Vishnu. In the Middle Ages,
Christendom divided historical time into eras Before Christ and After Christ or
A.D. (Anno Domini: In the year of our Lord).

Nothing can disappear out of space, nor jump away from the temporal axis.
The notion of anything beyond the touch of time is simply inconceivable. The
whole universe, from minute matter to gigantic galaxies, is embraced by the two
arms (Future and Past) of time, as it were. We can't imagine anything for which
time never ticks.

But would it be fair to say that what can't be accommodated in the human
mind does not or cannot exist? An entity that is both particle and wave is a
conceptual oxymoron, for a particle can be constrained into a minuscule cube in
space, while a wave is smeared all over. Yet, quantum physics teaches that the
building bricks of the material universe are corporundals: particle-waves.

Could it then be that there is a reality that spills beyond space and
time? If change is what engenders time, and if time is essentially a
manifestation of change, then if there is something that is changeless, it must
be beyond time too. If we define or envision the Divine as that which is
immutable, as the ever-unchanging principle behind the ceaselessly changing
universe, then the Divine has to be beyond time. The religious vision of a
transcendent God is not without meaning.

Aside from esoteric mysticism,. fundamental physics, strengthened by
rigorous mathematics, has been led willy-nilly to states in this very tangible
universe where time as an entity naturally disappears. If anything should ever
fall into the dismal depth of a black hole, then, says a celebrated theorem of
current cosmology, it would be squeezed out of the temporal domain.
Unbelievable, inconceivable, and fantastic maybe, but this is the translation
into plain English of what the mathematical telescope unveils.

No matter what time may be to physicists, and no matter how we reckon it
or represent it on the dial of a clock or on the markings on an hour-glass, to
each one of us time is an intangible aspect of consciousness that rises and
recedes with waking and sleep. It seems to be trudging ever so slowly in our
early years and zooming at break-neck speed as we grow older. It serves us by
providing a fleeting framework in which we observe events and experience
happiness, sorrow, boredom, excitement, thrill of expectation and attenuation of
grief, and life itself.

As with everything pertaining to origins and ends, as with the ultimate
essence of the vital breath and final death, time is passive and serves us well
when we are indifferent to it; but it becomes a teaser and baffler when we try
to probe into its secrets.

Tirtha yatra refers to undertaking a pilgrimage to sacred places whereas parikrama (or pradakshina or circumambulation) means circling the sacred object.

Circumambulation however has deeper meaning in the religious space, connecting the pilgrim to the cosmos. Pradakshina is performed by circumambulating clockwise around a sacred person, sacred image, a sacred object or a temple in a clockwise direction.

Stoddard (1994: 18) identifies four key elements of pilgrimage: destination, movement, magnitude. and motivation. Preston (1992) adds "spiritual magnetism" to these critical components of pilgrimage. The most important component, of course, is the motivated pilgrim.

Circumambulation or parikrama involves all these elements, but it is the movement around, not toward a center. It is a movement encompassing an object: a temple, a holy site, a sacred mountain, a lake, a river, a city, and even includes circling around oneself.

Circumambulation (parikrama or pradakshina) is imbued with deep meaning for the devotee. In the Encyclopedia of Religion, Diana Eck lists several meanings of circumambulation. Included among them are: honoring, centering, bonding, setting apart, and reaffirmation of the sacred territorial claim.

Additionally, circumambulation may symbolizes the fluidity of meaning characteristic of Hindu thought, such as: completeness yet continuity, fulfillment and quest, contentment and pursuit, comprehension and mystery. The pole star, for example, is the epitome of firmness in the Indian cosmology, yet the Hindu cosmos pulsates; it dissolves and re-emerges.

Most mandirs are furnished with passageways so as to facilitate circumambulation .

Circumambulation takes the worshipper from the doorway of the sanctuary, housing the image of symbol of the Deity, around the sanctuary in a clockwise direction where further icons introduce other aspects of the divine.

An interesting story from the Hindu scriptures is Lord Ganesha circumambulating around His parents, which is accorded a higher status than circumambulating the entire Universe - signifying that the parents in Hindu ethos occupy the same status as God.

By J.G. Arora

Innumerable mantras of the Vedas emphasise oneness, universal brotherhood, harmony, happiness, affection, unity and commonality of entire humanity. A few illustrations are given here.

As per the Atharva Veda, “Devasya pashya kavyam na mamaar na jiryati”, (See the divine scripture. It neither grows old, nor ends). Vedas are ancient Bharat’s timeless and divine scriptures to guide humans in their day-to-day life as also in their pursuit of self-realisation.

Written in Sanskrit, the Vedas are the proud possession and earliest books of mankind. They are the foundation of Sanatan Dharma commonly known as Hinduism. Vedas contain sublime thoughts in sublime language and represent the world’s ancient-most literature. First mantra of the Rig Veda is the first known poem in the world.

Four Vedas viz. Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva Veda, contain altogether 20416 mantras. Rig Veda is the oldest and has maximum number of mantras. Each Vedic mantra has its Devata; and the Rishi (sage) to whom the mantra was revealed and its Chhanda (metre). And all Vedas have got their respective Mantra Samhitas, braahmana, aaranyaka and Upanishad books.

You are ‘Supreme’

While addressing humanity, Atharva Veda informs every seeker, “Shukro-asi, bhrajo-asi, swar-asi, jyotir-asi” (You are pure, you are radiant, you are blissful and you are enlightened). Carrying this message further, various Upanishads proclaim, aham brahmasmi (I am the Supreme: Brihad Aaranyak Upanishad); tat tvam asi (you are the same: Chhandogya Upanishad); pragyanam brahmam (know the Supreme: Aitreya Upanishad) and ayam atma Brahmam (this Atma is Supreme: Mandukya Upanishad). These four maxims are called four Maha Vakyas (great maxims).

Casteless and classless society

Vedas are all-embracing and stipulate a casteless and classless society. Vedas treat all humans with the same affection. Vedas speak of nobility and one-ness of entire humanity (krinvanto vishvam aryam). Mantra number 10-13-1 of Rig Veda addresses entire humanity as divine children (Shrunvantu vishve amrutsya putraha).

Vide Mantra number 5-60-5 of Rig Veda, the Divine Poet declares, “All men are brothers; no one is big, no one is small, all are equal”. Mantra number 16.15 of Yajur Veda reiterates that all men are brothers; no one is superior or inferior.” Mantra number 3-30-1 of Atharva Veda wants all humans to be affectionate and to love one another as the cow loves her newly born calf. Underlining harmony still further, mantra number 3-30-6 of Atharva Veda commands humankind to dine together, and be as firmly united as the spokes attached to the hub of chariot wheel.

Last mantra of Rig Veda further emphasises unity and harmony of entire humanity, “Samani Vha Aakuti, Samana Hrudyani Vha, Samanam Astu Vo Mano, Yatha Vha Su Saha Asti.” (“Let your aims be one, let your hearts be one, let your minds be one, and let your unity go from strength to strength”).

Mother Earth and harmony

Though ecology is claimed to be a modern concept, the best tribute ever paid to environment is found in Vedas. 63 mantras of Atharva Veda (12.1.1. to 12.1.63) pertain to Prithvi-sukta (Hymn to Earth), which glorifies Mother Earth. Vedic sages regarded Earth as sacred and inviolable.

Mantra number 12.1.12 of Atharva Veda calls Earth as the mother and humanity as its children (Mata bhumih putro aham prithivyaha). Prithvi Sukta proclaims Earth as the mother of all creatures, and solicits its blessings.

According to Prithvi Sukta, Mother Earth is adorned with heights, slopes, plains, hills, mountains, forests, plants, herbs and treasures; and She takes care of every creature that breathes and stirs. May She give us joy, wealth, prosperity, good fortune and glory!

Universal peace and harmony are integral to the Vedas. Famous Shanti Mantra (Hymn of Peace) in Yajur Veda for peace and harmony to pervade the entire universe is as follows:-

“I pray for peace to pervade all the worlds; I pray for peace in the Sky and Earth; peace in waters; peace in herbs, vegetation and forests; peace among all people and rulers of the world; peace in entire universe; peace for everyone everywhere. Peace, real peace. I pray for that very peace!”

Vedas propagate universal harmony and well-being of entire humanity. Vedic sentiment is “Sarve janah sukhino bhavantu” (may every one be happy)!”

Many Vedic mantras direct humans to share their wealth with others. Rig Veda (1-15-8) stipulates, “Let us become God’s instruments and distribute fortune to the poor and needy.” Rig Veda (10.117.6) further declares that not sharing your wealth with others is sinful, and any one who eats alone incurs sin. Similarly, Atharva Veda (3-30-7) commands humans to share their comforts with others.

Constant efforts made for propagating the Vedic heritage and Sanskrit will certainly save Vedic echoes and ethos in the land of Vedas as Atharva Veda proclaims, “Effort is in my right hand, and victory in my left” (kritam may dakhshine haste, jayo may savya aahitah).

"Who by his grandeur hath become Sole Ruler of all the moving world that breathes and slumbers; He who is Lord of men and Lord of cattle. What God shall we adore with our oblation?" (RV-10-121-3)

"What God shall we adore with our oblation?...He is the God of gods and none beside Him...O Father, thou Creator of Heaven and Earth, by eternal Law ruling - protect us...O Almighty, the Lord of beings, you alone pervade all the created beings..." (Book 10, Hymn: 121.8-10) / p. 98

"We all possess various thoughts and plans and diverse are the callings of men. The carpenter seeks out that which is cracked, the physician the ailing, the priest the worshipper......." (Book 9, Hymn 112.1) / p. 84

"The man who has awakened to the knowledge, becomes perfect. Let him speak for us to the gods..." (Book 5, Hymn 65.1) / p. 49

"May they, our Fathers who in their skill belong to the lowest order, attain higher one, those of midmost may attain the highest. May they who have attained a life of spirit, the knower of sacrifice, the guileless, help us when called upon...." (Book 10, Hymn 15.1-2) / p. 87

"Let gods lead us, let there be a stable union of the wife and husband... May authority be ever yours (i.e., wife's) in speech. Happy be you and prosper with your children, and be ever watchful to rule the household. Unite yourself with this man your husband. So authority will be yours in speech.. May the kinsman of the bride thrive well.." (Book 10, Hymn 85.26-28) / p. 94

The discussion of Tamils' philosophical treatise Sivagnanabodham is a translation from Raurava Aagama or not is ongoing since the time of Maraimalai Adikal. There are opinions of both sides but nothing conclusive. There is a claim the twelve aphorisms of Sivagnanabodham is taken from the twelve aphorisms in the Paasa vimosana Padala of the Jnana Caanda of the Rourawa aagama. There is no doubt that Meykandaar revealed the treatise of Sivajnanabodham in Tamil in the thirteenth centuary AD. But there are some says that the kaaNdikai urai is not his original work.

We hear about the Sanskrit Sivajnanabodham first time by Sathasiva Sivachchaariyar from his urai for Sivajnanabodham in fifteenth centuary AD. This was published under the title of Sivajnanabodham in 1925 in Madras by Sivajnanabodha mudraksaraalayam. This publication claim Sivajnanabodham is part of Rourava Aagama. There is a palmleaf manuscript of Sivajnanabodham's Sathasiva Sivachchaariyaar's urai in GOML. Madras, No. 5556. This manuscript does not claim it as the part of Raurava Aagama. Neither it says that it is from Tamil Sivajnanabodham treatise. But he mentioned here about his Guru Madam in Varnasi at Manikarnikai Khat. So it is probable this treatise was beyond the land of Tamil Naadu in his time. It is possible the translation was made from Tamil to Sanskrit during his time or before in order to take the wisdom of Sivajnanabodham outside Tamil Naadu and beyond as this was the necessacity of the time. The same Sathasiva Sivachchariyaar is the founder of the Sooriyanaar Koil Aatheenam in Tamil Naadu from where Jaffna born IlakkaNam Muthukumara Thampiran Swamikal got a copy of "Sivajnana maapaadiyam" and published first time in 1921. Until that time this book was beyond the reach of ordinary people even the scholars of that time.

Sathasiva sivachchariyar's successer is the famous Sivagra Yogi Sivaachchariyar. He wrote three elaboratory work on Sivajnanabodham called "Lagu theeka" means Sivajnanabodham made easy, "Visthaara Pashyam" means further explnation into Sivajnanabodham and "Bruhat Theeka" means massive explanatory work on Sivajnanabodham. Among these Laku theeka is popular and printed first time by the Banaras Sanskrit College ( Pandit Series Vol. xxxix) in 1917. As this was published from the only available palm leaf manuscript at that time there were lots of errors noted. Jaffna born KuppiLan Kaasivaasi Senthinaathaiyar quoted from Lakutheeka in his book of " Sivajnanabodha vasanaalangaara theepam". Here he quotes from laku theeka the following verse: Rourava tantrantharkatham sivajnanabodhakyam saastram" means Sivajnanabodha Sasthiram part of Rourava aagama. I am not sure this verse was in the Banaras Sanskrit College edition as the book is not available for me until now.

But there was another recent edition of Sivajnanabodha Lakutheeka by the Akora Sivachchaariyaar Trust, Chennai in 2003. This was published an english translation of this book after corrections from comparing with the previous Banaras Edition with two palm leaf manuscripts in French Indology Institute, Pondicheri and one in the GOML, Chennai. In this edition there is no mention of Rourava Aagamam except on the preface by the publishers. There is no mention about Raurava aagama in the two copies of the Sivakra Yogi's Laku theeka urai preserved in French Indology Institute, Pondicheri. These two manuscripts were copied from the originals belonging to Chandrasekara KurukkaL of ThirukkaLukkunram and Chinna KurukkaL of ThruvaNNaamalai.
But there is no mention of MeykaNdaar's Sivajnanabodham in either of these books. It is interesting to note the Sivagra yogi has done a Sanskrit translation of Sivajnanasidhdhiyaar without mentioning the original source.

In another Palm leaf scrit of a book called " Sivajnanabodha Viyakyam" in Sanskrit preserved in Adayar Library No. 68462(20-0-9) there is a verse saying " Rouravaagamaantharkatham thvathasaachsutratmaham Sivajnanbodhakyam" means the twelve Sivajanabodha sutras within the Raurava Aagama.

The French Institute of Indology Published the Whole Rouravaagama available today in three large volumes with original sanskrit, french translation and english preface. There is no sivajnanabodham sutras in this volumes. There is no Sivajnanabodham sutras in the preserved palm leaf and manuscript copies of Rauravaagama parts in this institute. But there is a verse saying " One should give Sivajnanabodha sutras to the apppropriate deciple only after Bhavana Theeksha of Jnanam" in the chapter 58 of Volume 111.
Appaiya Theekshithar of Fifteenth Centuary made an explanatory book for Sivajnanabodham in Sanskrit call Sivaarkka Mani Theepika. In this book when he explains the second aphorism of Sivajnanabodham he says the aphorisms are Aagama without mentioneing the name of the Aagama. The same Appaiya theekshithar also wrote "SivaathiththamaNi theepika" an explanatory book on Neelakanda Sivachchariyaar's Brahma sutra Bhashyam. Jaffna born KuppiLaan Kaasivaasi Senthinaathaiyar has published "Neelakanda Bhashyam" of Brhama sutra the philosophical treatise in Sanskrit for all three major three philosophical schools of Hinduism. So Appaiya theekshithar is the first one to claim the Sivajanabodham as part of Aagama to our knoledge. This could be just an upasaara tradition as is not uncommon for authers to elevate their works with name of the existing famous works. Even Saint Thirumoolar says "Sithai Cheythu aagamam cheppal uttaenae" means I am reciting aagamas when he was composing Thirumanthiram.
So there are two possibilities. One this part of the Raurava Aagama was composed after the time of MeykaNdaar so the verses mentioned here are that of Tamil Aphorisms of Sivajnanabodham. Another possibility is the Sankrit Aphorisms of Sivajnanabodha existed even before the time of MeykaNdaar.

The second also possible as we can see the fourteen Philosophival treatise books in Tamil were well done absorbing, surpassing and trascneding their presedent books such as aagamas and "Ashda pirakaranas" the small eight treatises and so on in Sanskrit. They even explain in a better way and some time differ or reject their presedent works in Sanskrit. Examples are of thirty six entities or thaththuvas instead of thirty in some aagamas, Eight step yoga instead of six steps in some aagamas, rejection of the notion that theekshai alone can give the mukthi or liberation and the supremacy of the higher caste men only elegible to be the spiritual Guru etc. In addition Tamil treatise books have better words, clarity, and deapth of some metamorphic truths and experiences compared to the Sanskrit one. Some of the points and notions can only be found in Tamil texts.

There are eight small treatises of pre MeykaNdaar early Saiva siddhanta in Sanskrit called Ashda pirakaranam. Srila Sri Arumuga naavalar mentioned them in his second book of Saiva Vina vidai Question and Answer no.85. Among Them are Thathva Sangragam, Thathva thiraya nirnayam, Bhoga kaarikai, Moksha kaarikai and para moksha niraasa kaarikai the five books were written by the Satyojothi of Kashmir during 8th centuary AD. The other books are Thaththuva pirakaasikai by Bhoja devar, Naatha Kaarikai by Bhatta Ramakanthar, Ratna Thirayam by Sri Kantha. All the eight mannuals are written in very concise and complex argumentative verses called kaarikai form. The collection was published as one book under the title of Astaprakaranam with the commentary by the Pandita Srivrajavallabhadvivedi publications in Varanasi in 1988. Tamil translation of these eight treatises were published in two small volumes by the Sivaagama Siddhanda Paribalana Sangam of Thevakoddai in 1927.

Thathva sangraha describes the Saivaite Cosmology while Thathva Thiraya nirnaya specifically discusses the relationship between the three basic Saivaite triad of God, bondage and the soul. Ratna thirayam talks about three gems namely bindu, sitsakthi and sivam and establishes bindu is not the kriya sakthi of the Sivam or an evolutionary form of Sitsakthi but a form of sadasakthi from sudda maaya. They also talks about the four fold path to liberation Chariyai, Kiriyai, Yogam and Jnanam. So the notion of Saiva metatheism and triadic ontology existed even five hundred years before MeykaNdaar of thirteenth centuary AD.

Satyojothi Sivachchaariyaar of Kashmir is the recognized authoritative representative of this pre meykaNdaar era of Saiva Siddhanda. He has written commentaries to Raurava Aagama and Swayambhuva Aagama among them parts of Swayambhuva Aagama commentary only survived and preserved. Satyojothi himself says in the closing verse of his Thaththuva Thiraya Nirnaya that he is the auther of the commentary on Swayambhuva Aagama. There is a manuscript of his commentary on Swayambhuva Aagama preserved in the GOML, Madras no: R 16797. There was one edition of this commentary which was published by Venkata subramanya saastri publications, Mysore in 1937. Satyajothi's commentary on swayambhuva aagama was edited and translated in English by Dr. Pierre-Sylvain Filliozat the founder of French Indology Institute of Pondicheri the home for largest collection of Shaiva Manuscripts in the world and published jointly by the Indra Gandhi National Centre for the arts New Delhi and Motilal Barnarsidass Publishers in 1994. He also edited and translated a french version of the same book. Satyajothi's commentary on Raurava aagama has not recovered jet. It is feared that this is lost forever.

Raamakaantha-ii of 10th centuary from Kashmir quotes extensively from Satyojothi's Moksha kaarika and Paramoksha kaarika in his books. Akora Siva a Tamil and Sanskrit Sholar of 12th centuary from Chidhamparam, Tamil Naadu quotes from Satyojothi's Thathva Sangragha and Thathva thraya nirnaya. In addition he has written a commentary to Satyojothi's Bhoga Karika. An English translation of this was done by W. A. Borody Associate Proffessor of phylosophy, Nipissing University, North Bay, Ontario, Canada and published by the Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, Delhi in 2005. This translation has come under criticism form the academic scholars including Prof. Peter Bisschop of University of Edinburg. It is regretable that no review or criticism came forward from the religious scholars so far for this book.

So Saiva Siddhandam was well rooted centuries before the Sivajnanabodham of MeykaNdaar. It was beyond the boundaries of current Tamil Naadu, Andra Pradesh, Karnataka and was flourishing in the North including Kashmir, Nepal and Vaaranasi before the 10th century AD.

The 12th aphorism of the Sanskrit Sivajnanabodham ends with a verse " Aevam vidyaach Sivajnanabodhe Saivaarththa nirnayam". This means " Thus the Saiva theology is established in Sivajnanabodham". Some says 'thus in Sivajnanabodha' means the MeykaNdars Tamil Sivajnanabodham. The twelvth aphorism in Tamil does not have this verse.

Some say the meaning is ' The Saiva theology is established in this Sivajnanabodham" . 'This Sivajnanabodham' means the very text of Sanskrit Sivajnanabodha they say.

The word should be 'Aethasmin" instead of 'Aevam" to take the meaning of 'This" instead of 'thus'. This is the counter argument of Scholars claims the original was the Tamil Aphorisms.

I will try to post the aphorisms of both languages with respective english translation for us to have a closer view.

Kashmir is the place where Siva Siddhanda was flourshing well. There was exchange of ideas between Tamil Naadu and Kashmir. The texts are shared between them. Even in Thirumanthiram song No. 98 says 'Thaththuva jnanam uraiththathu thaazhvarai'. Thazh varai means on the low plains at the end of himalayas and here it indicates Kashmir. Some says it is Mount Kailash but geographycally it is still a high mountain not the low hill plain. Ugrajothi,Satyojothi, Ramakantha 1, Ramakantha ii are well known Saiva siddhanda scholars from kashmir and extensively quoted in the pre MeykaNdar Saiva texts. Somasambhu, Agorasivam, Appaiya deekshitar, Neelakandar are well known Saivaite scholars from Tamil Naadu in the pre MeykaNdaar era. While kashmir scholars quotes extensively form the Aagamas of South indian origin in their books the Tamil Naadu scholars quotes extensively from the texts of these Kashmir scholars. All theese scholars are part of the eighteen greate teachers of Saiva- Darsana of pre MeykaNdaar time.

In the closing verse of his book Thathuva thiraya nirnaya Satyajothi mentiotioned his Guru as Ugrajothi. And also he claims that he was exposed to the direct teachings of Atreya who inturn a deciple of Sage Ruru. Further he went on to say Ruru was directly instructed by Siva Himself. This is comparable to the Monastic tradition of the current Thiruk Kailaaya Paramparai. The Rourava Aagamam could be the reveletion to or revelation by this Sage Ruru eventhogh the traditional Aagamic teaching says the Rourava Aagamam was instructed to Brahma and Nanthi by Lord Siva. There were several teachers in the name of Nanthi as mentined by Sage Thirumoolar in his Thirumanthiram song No. 67 as

illai yillai ennilonRu ilaatalla
iyalpaaki enRumuLLa iyaRkai aakic
collariya tanmaiyataa yaan taan ennat
toonRaatu ellaam vizuGkunj coruubamaaki
allaiyuNda pakalpool avittai ellaam
adaiyavuNdu tadaiyaRa anna aRivait taanee
vellavuNdu uFku unnait taanaak koNdu
veetakamaap pesaamai viLakkun taanee

Meaning:
Even though BEING can be said to be not this not that and so forth (as done in the Upanishads) but certainly BEING is not something not within me. BEING stands as my essence and something that remains ever as part of me bit which is ineffable- difficult to articulate in words. He stands that which swallows all individuations like Self , BEING and so forth so that such differences do not occur at all. Also like the daylight that swallows the darkness, He swallows all the metaphysical ignorance, overcoming all the impediments making the understanding the same as His. He makes the self the same as BEING and makes this known to the self not by any explicit instructions on it but by throwing the self into a condition of imcapable of speech.

Neeree taan uravu pakal kiidaa vaNNam
Nittam varavuG kaLai inniliakkee vaittaay
Aaree aGkavar perumai ennee! Ebpeen
adukinRa kaaRRee! Nii yaaraalee taan
peeraatee suzalkinRaay? Enpeen vantu
peykinRa mukilkaL! Em perumaanum poola
taaraaLamaakak karuNai poziyac ceytynj
saatajam ennee! Karutic saaRRym enbeen.

Meaning:
Taking the whole of the Cosmos as the genuine scripture and reading the various unfailing regularities like days and nights with the arrival and demise of the Sun, I exclaim how great BEING is to establish this Nuhati (regularities) in the cosmos. O the wind that keeps on blowing so regularly ! With the help of whom you blow without deviating ever from your regularities? I will exclaim. And with regard to the dark clouds that shower rains like the love and kindness of BEING, I also marvel at the kindness that makes BEING force such munificence in nature. O you (ignorant fools who take wordy scriptures as the final WOTD of God and fight among yourselves! Bitterly ) consider the visible cosmos and tell me about BEING by studying it.

25.
aayum aRivaaki unnaip piriyaa vaNNam
aNaintu sukam peRRa anbaraiyoo nnat
tiiya kolaic camayattunj cellac cintai
teLintidavunj samaataanam ceyveen vaazvaan
kaaylai pul saruku aruntak kaanam
kadal malai eGkee enavuG kavalai yaaveen
vaayil kumpam pola kidntu puraLveen vaanin
mati katirai munnilaiyaa vaittu neeree

Meaning.
If I become a metaphysically thinking soul always thinking of BEING and who, with that keeps close to BEING then I become at peace with myself and joyous with love unto all. However if I fail in this and let the mind be without BEING then terrorist religions become attractive and I entertain thoughts in that direction, Then I reflect further and become clear as how evil such religions are, I also enter into pacifying myself with some rationalization. However the guilt continues to hit me and I forsaking family life and all the comforts of such a life, decide to become a mendicant wondering the hills seasides and forests eating the fruits grass dried leaves and so forth. Still restless I roll over the temple precincts as if a pot holding the Moon foremost in my thought.

31.
teevar tozum vaatavuur teevee! enbeen
Tirumuular teevee! Ic cakattoor muttikku
aavaluRa civa en vaakkudanee vanta
aracee! Cummaa viruntun aruLai xaap
puulakil vaLar aruNa kiriyee! maRRaip
puNiyarkaaL @ o enbeen purai onRillaa
ooviyam poola asaivaRavubn taanee niRpeen
ootariya turyar jkedavee uraikku munnee!

Meaning:
I will exclaim (after reading Tiruvasakam) O The lord of Vatavuur! You are in fact worshipped by the celestial beings themselves! And then I will say O divine Tirumular! You came down with the civa mantra and pulled many people lost in worldly life into a life where they seek moksa and nothing else. I will also hail AruNa Kiri who taught the art of being action less and with that kind of Yoga of Niddai the soul becomes pure and clean by destroying all the remnants of the Malam still in the deeper recesses of the soul. I will also hail the so many other great souls( who developed Sacred Tamil with its own excellence) Now after studying all these great souls, I remain absolutely still in body and mind like a painting without any defects and in that stillness destroy all possible miseries that may attack me and before they even get mentioned as such

32.
ootariya cukar poola een een enna
oruvar illaiyoo? Enavum uraippeeb taanee
beetam abeetaG kedavum oru peesaamai
piRavaatoo ? aal adiyiR periya moona
naatan oiru taram ulakam paarkka iccai
naNNaanoo> enTenRee naanaavaakik
kaatan miku maNiyizaiyaar ena vaaduRReen
oaruttaRintu puRapatu unmeet kadan mukkaalum.

Meaning:
There was the great Cukar who was very profound that it is very difficult to fathom his depths. Then noticing that there is no one of the caliber of Cukar now, I exclaim; why and why there are no such great philosophers? Then noticing that the little minds pretending to be profound enter into endless disputes about difference or non-difference about BEING and soul. I wish these people would enter the state of Deep Silemce and realize the absolute TRUTH that are beyond words. At this point I also implore the Great Siva who siiting beneath the Bodhi Tree taught the Njaanam through pulling the souls into Deep Silence would just have s desire to see all these vain things in the world. I wonder thus and in many other ways lamenting deeply like a young maiden in deep love lamenting over the absence of her lover. O my Lord! It is Your eternal duty to see such wishes of your devetess like myself and come to their rescue!

33.
Kaalamodu teesa varttanmaana aati
Kalantu ninRa nilai vaazi! karuNai vaazi!
Maal aRavunj saiva mutal mataGkaLaaki
Mataatiitamaana aruL marabou vaazi!
Saala mikum eLiyeen iv vazakku peesat
Tayavu vaittu vaLartta aruL tanmai vaazi!
aaladiyiR paramakuru vaazi! Vaazi!
akaNdita aataara aruL adiyaar vaazi!

Meaning:
Praise is to BEING who despite being above all has descended upon the historical world and remains one with it creating temporality ecological grounds of various sorts and various kinds of processes! Praise to the KINDNESS that is shown by BEING here! There is the tradition of Love and Compassion and which transcends all religions. Praise is to BEING who has created the world religions from Saivism to many others to help human beings to gain metaphysical illuminations but who stands ABOVE all religions promoting the transcendence of all of them. I am also full of gratitude to BEING for blessing me with the task of talking about this transcendence of religions and its importance. I praise BEING who taught the Njaanam as the TadciNaamuurtti sitting beneath the Bodhi tree pulling all into Deep Silence to enjoy the Njaanam. Praise also to the devotees who have destroyed their finitude and have arisen with a universality of understanding so that there are no more prejudices!

> Jill Bolte Taylor - TED
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyyjU8fzEYU

In the case of the brain scientist, it is some brain damage (of a small
part of her left brain) that has led her to what mystics/yogis have been
able to experience without similar brain impairment.

It seems like she 'stumbled' into this experience, whereas the mystics
cultivated it over time and were able to repeat the experiences at will.
Whereas the neuroscientist is unable to replicate the experience
although she says all can experience it. But she has no solution to tell
us how (apart from having a stroke, that is).

Once the left brain was 'silenced', it freed the mind to be connected
with the cosmic energy and feel the oneness with all manifestation (the
We). This 'We' is not locative within the right brain, not locative in
one's personal mind, not embodied.

Paraphrasing her somewhat, one may think of the brain hemispheres as
being seats of two different personalities: the 'connected self'
versus the 'detached self'; 'We'(right hemisphere) versus 'I' (left
hemisphere). Most of us are left brained most of the time.

The self is indeed disembodied at all times, always at one with
creation. It is the left brain that suppresses that view and makes the
mind think that we are embodied and locative within the physical body
and mind! The left brain provides the ego or anava.

While the scientist stumbled into the experience Hindu mystics have
mastered the art of re-achieving connectedness by meditation (yoga), and
by worship, both requiring long periods of repetitive practice so as to
bring the mind into control.

Meditation is clear; sitting in silence, doing nothing, in maunam,
absorbing the here and now, not analysing. IOW, practising silencing the
left brain and reducing the mind chatter.

In worship, for instance in temple worship, observing the daily puja -
chanting of mantras, ringing of bells, mudras, incense, lights, singing
of hymns, music, etc - is all a feast for the senses. The right brain is
engaged and invigorated, and we absorb the feast, totally in the here
and now. While at the same time the left brain is not engaged, but
stilled and silenced. There is no time to think of yesterday and
tomorrow or to analyse. At times of worship we are right brained.

All of traditional Hindu arts, dances and music is geared towards
activating the right brain and deactivating the left brain.

Over time, these repetitive practices draws us into perfecting being
right brained, and when the background mind chatter becomes less and
less, leads us to experience satchitananda. Being in this state of
awareness is called sarvikalpa samadhi (sama - same as, and dhi -
light/knowledge). In the case of the neuroscientist she experienced
oneness (chit) and euphoria (ananda) and some sat (the free flow of
information and knowledge).

This experience of samadhi of satchitananda is just one perfection of
the divine or Disembodied One Being. We are an indivisible part of that
OneBeing. This is just one aspect. There is more.

There is another aspect, that of piercing consciousness into awareness
of other worlds of existence, where the devas and gods can be seen. Once
the state of satchitananda can be sustained and repeated, this flow of
awareness into new and hitherto unknown worlds of existence is automatic
but it unfolds in stages, and the experience is like there is no end to
worlds to be discovered. This is the second perfection of the divine or
Disembodied One Being.

There is yet a third state or perfection. This is transcending the
time-space axis. Once here, without a time-space frame of reference,
nothing can be described. It is denoted as the Inexpressible. Not this,
not that. Or, Parasiva, Parabrahman.

I have been fortunate to meet and know several persons who have entered
into one or all of these states of experiences (without stumbling into
it via a stroke). Some experience all of these states on a 24/7 basis,
or at will, and others in some states of experience only. These persons
are not any particular yogis rather ordinary office workers, executives
or homemakers who achieved this through worship and meditation.

Once established in these practices, one may experience these states
will sitting on the sofa, cooking or walking, and not necessarily having
to worship or meditate. For all of existence, the trees, the roads,
people, the birds - everything communicates to you the Oneness, the
Euphoria, the feeling of Ecstasic Love and the free flow of knowledge,
as well as the company of the devas and the gods at all times. Its just
like walking to the market with your pal Lord Ganesha! Which until now
one did not realise He was always with you!!

We have shared between us many thousands of experiences and still do
today on a daily basis. A few days ago, on Monday, the 31st of March 2008 has been a
particularly momentous day for me, for I too had a similar experience
though not quite of the same intensity as the neuroscientist. This is certainly not
the first time (I never speak of it) but this is certainly a new level
of experience. And it won't be the last. So this video presentation was
special and meaningful to me. Took the words right out of my mouth.

It is these that makes us speak forcefully with conviction, with
clarity, describe vividly, 'with first hand authority', over and above
any veda, agama or even the thirumurais. We don't need any books to tell
us so, nor argue endlessly over theologies. Rather, we validate the
books. There are more books of knowledge within that has yet to be
replicated in this world.

So, no need for a stroke, no need to be left brain damaged. There are
other ways perfected long ago and the techniques still used and
validated today by countless thousands the world over to satisfaction.

Once our golden body of light relinquishes its physical body (annamaya
kosa), it is consigned to the fire, or buried, as soon as possible. We
have no use for the worn out physical 'earth-suit'.

We need no priests, just a simple gathering of loved ones, the corpse
properly washed and attired by the family, chanting of hymns in
rememberance of the glories of gods, before consigning the body. A
recitation of testimonies of the recently dead might add lustre and
completeness to the service!

Crematoriums provide spaces for these final services that follows the
earlier prefatory services in the home of the deceased.

Most of the doubts and uncertainties over Hindu practices would not
arise if the first principles, ie., we are a golden colored
translucent soul body occupying an earth suit, is kept in focus. This
is what the shastras say, as well as seen and attested by many
psychics. A soul dis-attaches from a physical body faster than one can
take off a shirt! IOW, in less than a second!

The way to live is to cherish each moment with loved ones (and
friends) as if it is the last they will see each other, and
everything that needs to be said has been said, everything forgiven,
all lose ends tied, all the thank yous and goodbyes expressed, nothing
more to say and nothing outstanding at all.

Then there is no reason to keep a worn out discarded garment lying
around the house for three days.

Relatives of the deceased should be happy for the deceased as the
release is the most exalting experience for the soul, a feeling of
being unburdened from a heavyweight ball and chain.

Unleashed the golden soul body soars into the sky right through the
roof in a split second, then into a swirling colorful tunnel and
within another second into an area of the antarloka where he is met
and greeted by a gana, with all memory of life on earth
lost/unburdened. Within two seconds all connectivity with earthlife is
gone!

When this first principles and overview are kept in focus, then
earth-garments and earthly ties to humans are extraneous and
inconsequential.

Poetic Cosmology: The Creation Hymn

One of the grand mysteries confronting the human mind is: How did the world
come to be? Science began to consider this question only in the 20th century.
But the ancients had pondered it. Their answers often came in the religious
context. It was said that the world was made by God. The Book of Genesis in the
Judeo-Christian tradition says how God created the world in six days, making Man
on the very last day. The Holy Qur'an talks of a six day creation from smoke
(dukhan), in two of which the earth was created. Hindu thinkers also reflected
on the birth of the universe. One of their reflections occurs in the famous
NâsadÎya SÝkta of the Rig Veda (X.129) which is known as the Creation Hymn. It
is a beautiful poetic vision of cosmogenesis. It speaks of a pre-creation stage
in which there was nothing in the universe, a poetic view of the pre-Big Bang
phase, as it were.

Not even nothing existed then
No air yet, and no heaven.
Who encased and kept it where?
Was water in the darkness there?
Neither deathlessness nor decay
Nor the rhythm of night and day:
The self-existent, with breath sans air:
That, and that alone was there.
Darkness was in darkness found
Like light-less water all around.
One emerged, with nothing on
It was from heat that this was born.
In it did Desire, its way did find:
The primordial seed born of mind.
Sages do know deep in the heart:
What exists is kin to what does not
Across the void the cord was thrown,
The place of every thing was known.
Seed-sowers and powers now came by,
Impulse below and force on high.
Who really knows, and who can swear,
How creation came, when or where!
Even gods came after creation's day,
Who really knows, who can truly say
When and how did creation start?
Did He do it? Or did He not?
Only He up there knows, maybe;
Or perhaps, not even He.

In an anthropo-sensitive way, the sage-poet says that desire found its way into
that void, suggesting that the primordial seed was born of a cosmic Mind. This
vision affirms a spiritual under-grounding to the world. Note the statement
here: "Even gods came after creation's day," which is another deep insight.
After all, God as a worship-worthy entity was irrelevant before Creation,
indeed before humans. Here we also find a disarming modesty, for the poet
exclaims, "Who really knows, and who can swear!" We are reminded that a
religious worldview doesn't have to be dogmatic.

V. V. Raman
May 6, 2008

[This message has been edited by Webmaster (edited May 08, 2008).]

We are a soul occupying this physical outfit and trapped by it. The 1983 movie 'Cocoon' to get an idea of how light soul bodies occupy physical bodies. I recommend it to every Hindu, most of them who have missed the trees for the forest. From the point of view of the soul body, the physical body is quite irrelevant to us.

In the past our sages and saints had visions of god and gods during their worship or meditations. They also had sleep-visions, transductive perceptions, during the periods after deep sleep. These TPs are quite different from ordinary dreams.

In these visions, with the eyes closed, they saw in their inner minds various images quite unlike anything in this world and mostly indescribable. But in order to explain they used analogies and similarities, things we are used to in this world. In their meditations they saw a point of swirling yellow-golden light and they described it as 'like the sun' or surya. They saw a faint glow of blueish pale white disc which resembles a moon and called it chandra. They saw a large glowing flame and called it agni. They saw a rain like shower of light and called it cipivista. They saw the whole of creation floating in an all pervading cosmic soup and called it visnum. They saw that this cosmic soup was a great peace, a great silence, auspicious, and called it sivam, and flowing with ecstatic love and termed it the flow of soma. They saw this Great Flame, a Pillar of Light like an endless linga emerge from nowhere, from the Nothing, and called it Shiva. They saw the anthropomorphic gods suddenly emerge from the primordial celestial waters or soup, and so they called it Narayana, which is Naara (emerge from) + aayana (waters). And so on.

They also saw anthropomorphic images in their visions. Sometimes just a golden muscular arm, wearing armlets and wielding weapons and which seems like that of an awesome and majestic commander of gods and devonic armies, and praised it as 'namo hiranyabaahave senaan'. And so on.

As the visions unfolded one after another sometimes with these trance like state lasting for hours, the sage had enough time to write it down and string it, and so unfolded a hymn. It is a record of a vision. Many of these visions manifested repeatedly, and to many persons over milleniums and over large geographic spaces, and so the hymns were perfected, and ratified by the 'knowers' or 'those who have seen'. In tamil these knowers are called 'kandavar' or 'arivar'. Sometimes words were heard along with the visions, and those who heard were called 'rishis' in sanskrit.

All these words; surya, chandra, agni, visnum, sivam, cipivista, narayana, soma, etc., are all adjectives. Since these adjectives came to be identified with anthropomorphic images in their morphing visions, they then became nouns, or names of various gods. Since most of these adjective-nouns correspond to some object here in this physical world, like the sun, moon, fire, etc., over time it came to be identified with them.

Take it as nouns and it appears like there are many gods. But take it as adjectives and we see that they refer to a one indivisible multifaceted conscious entity.

These visions are something that is within us, in our stilled inner mind, and has nothing to do with the external world. If we have to describe a supernova, we would describe it like a million nuclear bombs exploding at the same time in your face. You see, we'll always have to liken it to something all of us can at least remotely identify with. But all the same, everyone knows a supernova is not a nuclear explosion. Rather it is the expansion stage in the process of a collapse.

None of the vedic hymns or bakti hymns would make any sense if we refer it to objects in the physical world. Rather, it would appear as most orientalists put it, as nature and idol worship of a polytheistic religion. Take it as visions and everything falls into place and makes sense.

So, Hindus don't worship any of the celestial bodies like planets and suns. They worship the gods who have manifested to them in their visions but are nowhere in this physical or mental world. Of course the vast majority don't quite make all these fine distinctions and ignorantly identify the celestial bodies as gods, or relating to these celestial bodies. Thats quite all right as this is just another learning phase in spiritual development and understanding. If they persist, eventually a single vision will clear up all the misunderstandings.

I'd like to remind Hindus that the gods they worship are not at all connected with anything in this world, or mind, not at all within the dimensions of time and space. They transcend it.

Regards.

Q: So far the Saivite life you have painted appears to be a PASSIVE life - go to the temples, worship this deity or that deity, study these scriptures, sing these hymns, recite these mantras, don¢t do these but do these and so forth. Probably there are more. When there are so many prescriptions what is there of human freedom? Cannot man negate all these and chart out independent ways and which are different from the traditional?

A: Your question raises a fundamental issue of human will and freedom. And here I am reminded of the words of AruNandi in his magnificent Irupa Irupatu: oodi miiLkena aadal paarttidu: BEING watching your antics waits for your return after letting you free to do as you will. Saivism does not tie you down to its way of life and if you want to go away it lets you go away and live with a different religion or without a religion. You can exercise your free will but then in that exercise how can you DENY TRUTH? The human free will is there only to discover the TRUTH and when in this exercise it seeks to lock itself in UNTRUTHS, then it will be unhealthy and Siva will not let you do that. There will be troubles and problems but all to free man from the hold of falsities.

Man is free but not free to lock himself in falsities. Freedom is allowed only where the search is for TRUTH.

Now you must note also another expression of FREEDOM in Tamil Saivism. There is OPENNESS and this openness is retained even for the SCRIPTURES. Unlike in other religions Saivism recognizes the evolutionary dimensions of the human spirit and the fact that there can be continuous production of scriptures, temple architecture dance and music forms and so forth. While there may be selectional restrictions imposed upon such novelties, but nevertheless novelties are NOT disallowed. Even if you take the religious texts there is Paripaadal (c. 100 AD) Tevaram (Thirumurais) and Divviya Prabantam (4th to 9th cent), Tiruppukaz (14th cent) Tiruvarutpaa (19thcent.) and so forth. At any time where there comes along a genius and pours out from his depths hymns of immense beauty and spirituality that touches the soul and lifts it up (as was said by Sulgi in 2000 BC itself), the Saivite mind will receive such hymns and benefit by such NEW disclosures of the Divine Spirit.

In this Tamil Saivism allows itself for self-renewal and perhaps it is this ingredient of its culture that has made it survive from very ancient times and for several millenniums.

And there is another aspect to this: Tamil Saivism offers freedom for the individuals themselves become such aruLaaLar or Adiyaar. Anyone is FREE to sing hymns, write metaphysical texts, create new art forms and so forth and through that enjoy the creative impulses within. A Saivite is FREE to produce his own scriptures or at least attempt at such productions and he will succeed in adding to the already existing pool of scriptures if he happens to be blessed by BEING in such productive tasks. There is NO HOLDING to single scripture as THE scripture and tie down the whole humanity to it. Agamas are continuously produced as are hymns, raising of temples and so forth. And anyone is free to produce a new class of Saivite scriptures and enrich the tradition. Any one who understands the history of Saivism will note these elements there and because of which it has survived while other religions that tried to displace it, declined and disappeared.

So Saivism, peculiarly enough, while recommending various kinds of models of behavior, there is NO compulsion or threat, open or hidden and which emerges from a maturity of mind that is indeed rare to find in the world.

I would like to bring to your attention the murthi of Nataraja, which
in my view is the ultimate in Hindu symbolism. Not only it is
symbolism, but the Lord has been seen in that form by many saints
past and present. As Nataraja he is Mahesvara and Sadasiva, as well as
Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra. This murthi symbolises the five acts of
Siva.

It is important to know why creation is depicted as the beating of
the drum. When the drum is beaten, it creates sound. Sound is therefore
the creation - souls and world. (this has evidence in the vedas and
tantras). It is Siva's creation. Sound is the basis of soul and
malam. Now this DID NOT exist BEFORE the drum was beaten. It 'came into
existence', it was 'emitted', ' it emanated', 'it was brought forth',
'sristi', 'padaithal', - AFTER the drum was beaten. In other words,
there was a point of creation for souls and malam. Before that point,
it was UNCREATED; there was no souls and malam.

Secondly, I would like to draw your attention to the 'veiling grace'
and 'revealing grace' of Siva as depicted in the hands and leg of
Siva in the murthi Nataraja. Here the murthi clearly indicates that at
some point the Lord 'veils' the souls, and at some point 'reveals'.
This would mean that originally the souls were NOT veiled by the
malams. This veiling took place at some point AFTER creation of the
souls. In other words, the Lord veiled souls in order 'for it to grow
and mature' and be like Him. It is not that there is something wrong
with the souls; rather they are like seeds of a tree, and the Lord
wants to plant the seeds so that they grow and mature into his
likeness. This is his grace. Planting the seeds, is like thrusting the
souls in malam, so that they grow and mature. This trusting the souls
into malam is his veiling grace.

Souls and world are like the seeds of Siva, created by him, emanated
from him. It came from him, out of him; like how our seeds comes from
us, and like how women give birth to babies. Where were babies before
they were born? Well, originally they were 'a part of the parent'
like unborn seeds (anaati?), like sperm and ova WITHOUTt separate
identity and existence.

Is there anything wrong with babies? No at all. But they have to grow
and mature. Inorder for that to happen, they must be fed, disciplined,
sent to school, made to learn, etc. This is the 'thrusting into
malam, the veiling grace.

Surely these are better examples at explaining creation, veiling
grace and revealing grace.

A point I am making is that if you look at it this way, it appears
that the SJB DOES NOT conflict with this explanation too!

And the use of the Nataraja murthi symbol, as well as the anology of
creating sound and babies, is far more authoritative, and does far
better in explaining creation and veiling grace of the Lord.

Religion or 'samaya' is that which leads to union. All theistic religions profess to take their followers to God. Religion is therefore a power, and not a lifeless bundle of doctrines and practices, or 'matam'. This article makes a distinction between samayam and matam.

There was a time when religion held unquestioning sway and everyone abided by it. But as new religions and variants came into being there was a clamor for supremacy. Instead of religion giving life, knowledge and ethics to society, it was religion that was to receive energy from society.

Most often than not human frailty worked on it and gave it a tragic expression, assuming a militant spirit and brought all the ignoble concomitants of discrimination, marginalisation, racism, bigotry and ultimately to war in various guises. It sowed enmity and hatred instead of love and peace, contempt and distrust instead of respect and good will, hypocrisy and corruption instead of sincerity and honesty.

The awakening of this spirit had repercussions on its internal workings, doctrines and practices. Whatever benign influences where smothered. Formalities, nominalism, commercialism, skepticism of sciences and materialism began to hold sway. Most of all was the introduction of prejudices and superstitions in its clashes with other religions. Doctrines became dogma. Samayam became matam. Now its serves just as a label to differentiate one from another, to mark out people whether one is with us or against us.

These conventional religions lay stress on doctrines and observances, and make extravagant claims regarding them. Authorship is attributed to God and the texts are the infallible words of God, and it is guaranteed that the practices leads one to the final truths and highest conceivable happiness. The followers ignorantly imbibe this story as few endeavor to examine the validity of these claims. Claims and beliefs are instilled since childhood and the faithful grow in unquestioning faith and love of it, strengthened by the faith of the surrounding community. The belief in the divine origin, coupled with the hope of reward and fear of punishment, compelled adherence. With ignorance and blind zeal, beliefs crystallized.

Those who have not been inoculated in these beliefs are unable to accept these claims. That the beliefs have no substantial or insecure foundations and crumbles upon the impact of demonstrable truths is repressed by further claims. In order to silence them and remove doubts, attempts are made to elevate religion to mystic levels, transcending not only science but also the scientific approach.

With the advent of scientific knowledge, rationalism and discovery of the world, most tall claims by religions are falling apart in the face of adverse demonstrable truths. Faulty doctrines, structural defects and inability to lead a soul to its goal, which are features of nearly all religions leads to its failure as a samaya. If a religion holds out a goal, it must give an account of the path, a road map and the means of attaining it. But few religions possess such a scientific structures as they may not possess one or the other. Such is the state of conventional religions.

A real religion is dynamic. It must be rational with demonstrable truths. It must be able to uplift a soul and ultimately it it to its goal. A real religion is not a creature of mankind but a sustainer of the people instead of being sustained by it.

Most of us have had some 'religious experiences' whether we realise it or not. At some time or other we have experienced altruism, where we exhibited real sympathy for someone else and assisted them in some way, perhaps a donation, or cooked a meal for the family, or drove someone to see the doctor, or made some sacrifices for the benefit of others. This selfless service produced a calm serene joy in us, a joy without excitement. This is a religious experience of an ordinary type.

Such actions are found in all societies and even in criminals, transcending the conventional notions of right and wrong, and us and them. This power is pervasive in mankind and even animals. Animals too exhibit features of altruism like selfless cooperation where the group concerns supersede that of the individual, making religious experiences universal.

The outstanding feature of all religious experience is goodness. A real religion manifests itself in goodness. It must therefore be a cause of goodness. A concomitant of goodness is truth. Goodness and truths goes together, as there is never goodness that is not based on truth or vice versa. Where there is goodness and truths, there is peace and harmony. This is a blissful state. So wherever there is goodness there is truth and bliss. Real religion thus manifests itself as truth, goodness and bliss, or what Saivism calls sat-chit-ananda.

A single act of goodness lasts forever and sat literally means that which lasts forever. Since satchitananda is everlasting, it is real, and as it is pervasive, it is universal. It permeates through all life and all conventional religions. As even the most saintly of persons unceasingly has the urge to do more, to go higher, there is no limit to this urge. The objective of the urge is therefore perfection.

Real Religion may therefore be defined as the inward dynamic power which urges all to strive for perfection. As it produces perfect goodness, it must be something greater than that. Acting on different people it produces different degrees of goodness. These degrees may be defined as the goals of different conventional religions.

This universal power manifesting as an urge in mankind, in all life, for the preservation of life and the pursuit of ideals, must have been put there by some higher beneficent power, which itself is all pervading, and the source of goodness, truth and bliss. The function of this power is, step by step through various religions and philosophies, the evolution of the world as a whole, to the attainment of perfection, that is, attainment to the source of this satchitananda.

This Real Religion, which underlies all religions and all life, the omniscient, all mighty and all loving power which controls and guides the universe, and provides the urge and intuitive knowledge to the soul in its onward march to perfection, is called in the Saiva religion as the Power of God, or the Love of God or Siva-Shakti.

Saiva Siddhanta proceeds from here to built up its philosophy, based not on authority, but on demonstrable truths, or axiomatic truths.

Some of the first postulates are;

1. something cannot come out of nothing, or become nothing,

2. change is a rearrangement of components,

3. whatever has no components, or is further unanalysable, cannot undergo change,

4. that which does not change is real, is eternal,

5. things change under the action of a force or power,

6. that power (Shakti) is held by an Intelligent Being (Siva).

These rational postulates, prima facie, makes all conventional religions and philosophies redundant.

Pathma

References:

1. 'The Saiva School of Hinduism' by Principal Emeritus S. Shivapadasundaram, Victoria College, Sri Lanka, 1934, based on the Siva Gnana Siddiyar by Arulnandi, 13th century.

Strictly speaking it is the agamas and the vedas that are the ONLY shastras for
the Hindu. All the rest are commentaries, elaborations and secular works,
persuasive documents perhaps, but which nonetheless are not binding on us, and
can be summarily discarded. It is NO authority. So astrology, or jyotisha, is to
be discarded!

Everyone please keep in mind that we have no concepts of predestination or fate.
What we have is the concept of karma, which cannot ever be known. There is no
way our karma can be charted out and our future predicted based on a horoscope
or palmistry or some mumbo jumbo. There is no mumbo jumbo in the agamas or
vedas.

Everyone keep in mind that we worship the Gods, and not the planets, meteors,
comets, space debris, constellations, nodes of the moon, sun, galaxies or
whatever. Gods are all prevading bodies of light, neither physical nor even
mental, and not restricted to the physical world around us, rather immanent and
transcending it. And certainly not the planets! Gods pervade the entire cosmos
in much the same way our soul-spirit pervades our entire body. They cannot be
constricted or confined to a planet!

That the astrologers came to link the planets to Hindu gods is a devastating
development of the late siddhanta period. It paralysed the Hindus, made them
superstitious, fearful and fatalistic. It provided an argument and justification
for caste, and all the ills of Hindu society and the failings of an individual
or curse of a community! It made Hindus beggers; they go and beg the gods and
planets for favours, worldly favours that is, wealth to be specific, when on the
contrary the entire reason for taking a birth is to resolve karmas, relinquish
all, and attain moksha. That cannot happen when one is still begging for wealth,
fame, spouses, etc, and almost always, sure enough, will be disappointed,
leading to a loss of faith and confidence in the Gods.

This is what we need to delink now; delink the Gods from the planets, delink
predeterminism from karma, delink prayers for wealth from worship for communion
with the Gods and moksha.

Appeals to the Gods for their benign intervention is the basis of worship, for
the Gods alone can intervene. There would be no reason to worship if there is
such a thing as predestination. As the future cannot be known, there are no
prophecies in HIndu shastras unlike the abrahamic faiths. If the future could be
known our shastras would have been overflowing with it.

Where there is worship, that makes it a religion and not just a dharma. It has
become fashionable to describe Hinduism as a way of life and not a religion,
perhaps trying to distinguish and distance themselves from the abrahamic faiths
and establish a distinction. Well thats not true.

Christians and muslims pray, whereas Hindus worship. Its not the same thing.
Worship means 'to honor'. To pray is 'to beg'. Hindus don't beg, but honor the
gods, with agamic tools and technology, seek supernatural communion, seek an
ending to the separation of the soul and God, the aspiration of the worshipper
being to suppress the separation of himself from the object of worship,
amalgamating his self with the supreme self, ultimately the stage in worship is
the identification of the worshipper with the Diety, and in that process seek
moksha - liberation from the physical, mental and emotional. All Hindu worship
is geared towards this, whether we are conscious of it or not. And not for
begging for wealth and fame (which may be ancilliary and not worthy of mention
in the presence of the God). Therein lies the disappointment! For the objective
was grossly wrong, a total misunderstanding!

The Gods respond to the worship, not by providing wealth, spouse, etc., as
repeatedly and endlessly requested by the woefully lost soul, but by unfolding a
scenario in our lives that makes the separation of soul and God less and less
distant over the years. The provision or non provision of wealth, spouse, fame,
children, etc., is merely a means to THAT end!

Ghost in Hinduism is referred as ‘preta’, ‘pey’, ‘pret’ or ‘pretam.’ Do Hindus believe in ghosts? It depends on the individual but it is believed that majority believe in ghosts. The concept of ghosts in Hindu religion is often associated with those people who had an unnatural death like murder, accident, etc and those dead people who were not given proper Hindu dead rituals like Shraadha or Tarpan.

In Hinduism, there is the concept of Kshooshma shareera apart from the physical body. This Kshooshma shareera is a sort of carbon copy of all the impressions of the five senses of the physical body. It is said in the Brahma Sutra that this acquired impressions is carried by the soul when it leaves the body.

What is left of these impressions on natural world, also referred as pinda shareeram, are completely destroyed through the various rituals performed to the dead in Hindu religion.

So the primary aim of Hindu death rituals is to destroy all the impressions that are left of a dead person in natural world and to release the soul. Therefore, what is popularly referred as ghost is completely destroyed by Hindu dead ceremonies.

If you carefully examine all the ghost stories, you will realize that the ghosts are associated with those people who had met with an unnatural death or whose ‘pinda shareera’ was not destroyed through the usual Hindu dead rituals. Such ‘pinda shareera’ will only get destroyed after a longtime and the natural destruction will depend on the aspirations and desires of the ‘pinda shareera.’ And such people are believed to roam the graveyards and there are references in the Puranas of Lord Shiva having an army of pretas or ghosts.

Now can a preta enter another person’s body? No. This is against the basic tenant of Santana Dharma (Hinduism) as a body can only have a single soul.

But hearing about the unnatural death of a person can make the listener sympathize with the dead person. And sympathy will become empathy and it can go to such an extent that the listener will assume the role of an agent to help the person who had met with unnatural death. This particular aspect has been widely used in Indian movies and folk stories and is often misunderstood as ghost.

All latent impression of dead person referred as ‘pinda shareera’ is destroyed by Hindu dead rituals like Shraadha and Tarpana. So the question of such souls roaming around as ghosts does not exist. Those ‘pinda shareera’ that did not receive proper burial get destroyed in due natural course.

But the greatness of Santana Dharma is that while performing rituals to dead ancestors, people knowingly or unknowingly perform rituals to all the dead. Thus it is believed that annual sharaadha ceremony performed destroys all the latent impressions of all the dead. Thus what is called ghost is properly dealt in Hindu religion and is given proper rest through rituals.

The Tirukural on War, Defense and Foreign Affairs

"Only a few of us know the name of Tiruvalluvar. The North Indians do not know the name of the great saint. There is none who has given such a treasure of wisdom like him."
Mahatma Gandhi

I thought about the question, "Which is superior, Sanskrit or Tamil?" Sanskrit and Tamil are equal in their greatness. We cannot say that the one is superior to the other. The reason is that the Vedas are in Sanskrit, and in Tamil we have the Kural. If there were nothing equal to the Vedas in Tamil, Sanskrit should have been said to be superior. The Kural is present in Tamil as the equal of the Vedas. Both languages, Sanskrit and Tamil, are now seen to be equally great.
Sankaracharya Swami Chandrashekharendra, Kanchipuram

"There hardly exists in the literature of the world a collection of maxims in which we find such lofty wisdom."
Dr. Albert Schweitzer

The world knows of Chanakya, also known as Kautilya (350-275 BCE) and his Arthashastra, as well as Sun Tzu (400-320 BCE) and his Art of War as it deals with statecraft and military strategies. Lesser known is Tiruvalluvar (circa 200 BCE, some say 200 CE) and his Tirukural which deals primarily in Ethics but devotes some chapters to statecraft and defence.

THE PRINCIPLES OF WAR

The Elements of a Comprehensive Military Power Verse 381-390
Verse 381
He is lion among kings who is well-endowed with these six possessions: Army, citizens, wealth, ministers, allies and fortresses.

COMMENTS
Here he lists sizeable and well equipped armed forces, a large population, economic wealth, allies, capable military leaders and defences & well stocked supplies as the six components of a comprehensible military power.

The Element of Surprise & Timeliness Verse 481-500
Verse 481
A crow can overcome a powerful owl in the daytime. A king desiring to defeat his enemy must pick the proper time.

Verse 485
Those who aim to own the world must wait, unruffled, for the fitting hour.

Verse 487
When angered, men of understanding never show it outwardly then and there. Holding it inside, they watch for an opportune moment.

Verse 488
Bow humbly when greeting an enemy. His own head will bow humiliated when in time he greets defeat.

Verse 489
When a rare opportunity comes, do not hesitate, but swiftly accomplish tasks that are otherwise impossible.

Verse 490
There are times to stay still as a stalking heron. There are times to move swiftly as a heron's strike.

COMMENTS
Surprise, timeliness, patience, feigning inaction, emotionless but resolute are the keys to success. Let him restrain himself like a heron, motionless, and then strike swiftly, when there is a favourable opportunity.

The Element of Intelligence & Spy Network Verse 581-700
Verse 581
Competent spies and the esteemed codes of law, consider these two as the eyes of a king.

Verse 583
Without assessing the intelligence reports of spies a king cannot enjoy conquests.

Verse 588
Before believing a spy's espionage, have another spy espy the information.

Verse 589
See that spies do not know each other, and accept their findings only when three reports agree.

Verse 633
He who can divide the enemy, bind friends more firmly and reunite estranged allies is indeed a minister.

Verse 673
Direct action is good whenever feasible, but when it is not, seek other means of success.

Verse 675
Before acting resolve all doubts through consideration of these five: cost, means, time, place and the action itself.

Verse 695
The emissary neither eavesdrops nor inquires into matters. Rather he listens raptly when secrets are revealed.

COMMENTS
This deals with spies and intelligence networks as crucial to a state. Furthermore he counsels that there be separate and independent spy networks, disguises and clandestine operations and information be doubly confirmed by three separate sources. today this would mean satellite intelligence, human intelligence as well as electronic communications intelligence.

The Element of Preparation for War Verse 741-770
Verse 746
A worthy fortress, stocked with all needed goods, needs good men to fend off all attack.

Verse 761
An army which is complete and conquers fearlessly is foremost among all a king's possessions.

COMMENTS
This chapter deals with importance of fortresses and preparations for war by stockpiling, countermeasures and offensive capabilities. In today's world a an impregnable military base would be one with air defences, aerospace support and IRBM capabilities.

The Element of Courage and Valour Verse 771-780
Verse 761
An army which is complete and conquers fearlessly is foremost among all a king's possessions.

Verse 763
So what if an army of rats roars like the raging sea? The mere hiss of a cobra will deaden their din.

Verse 768
Even without a winning offense and defense, a well-appointed (with competent commanders) army may win renown acclaim.

Verse 774 Having hurled his spear at a huge bull elephant, the hero finds another piercing his body and grabs it with glee.

Verse 775 Is it not a disgraceful defeat to the courageous warrior if his glaring eyes so much as blink when the lance is hurled at him?

COMMENTS
To die in battle is to have truly lived.

The Element of Weighing Options Verse 461-480
Verse 461 Before undertaking a project, ponder what will be gained, lost and ultimately achieved.
Verse 465 To strike out without a well-pondered plan Is one way to cultivate an enemies' strength.
Verse 464 Those who dread derision and disgrace will not commence a task that is unclear.
Verse 471 The prudent act after weighing the strength a deed demands, one's own strength and the strengths of allies and opposition.
Verse 465 To strike out without a well-pondered plan is one way to cultivate an enemies' strength.

COMMENTS
Clarity of goals, full battle strategic and tactical plan with well thought out objectives, public relations and media management and exit policies.

Other General Elements
Verse 855 Who is there who could conquer those who keep themselves free of all hostilities?
Verse 671 When a decision is reached, deliberation ends. To delay that decision's execution is detrimental.
Verse 674 Reflect on this: Both efforts and enemies, if left unfinished, can destroy like an unextinguished fire.
Verse 675 Before acting resolve all doubts through consideration of these five: cost, means, time, place and the action itself.
Verse 676 Discern a deed's outcome, obstacles and opulent earnings successful effort affirms - then act.
Verse 677 The way to accomplish any task is to ascertain the inmost thoughts of an expert in that task.
Verse 678 Just as one elephant may be used to tether another, so one task may be the means of accomplishing another.
Verse 679 Rather than bestow kind favors on friends, hasten to befriend your unkind enemies.
Verse 680 Fearing their people's inner apprehensions, men of minor realms bow before mightier rulers, accepting terms.
Verse 691 Those who associate with irascible kings should be like men who Warm themselves at a fire, moving neither too near nor too far away.
Verse 862 How can the man who is unloving and who has neither powerful allies nor the strength to stand alone overcome his mighty enemies?
Verse 869 If the foe is ignorant and afraid to fight, the victor's joy cannot be far away.
Verse 874 The world abides beneath the greatness of noble natured rulers who befriend their enemies.
Verse 875 Finding he faces two foes with no allies, alone man lures one to side with him.
Verse 894 For the powerless to wreak harm upon the powerful Is to summon Death with the hand.
Verse 967 Better to die right where you stand, the saying goes, Than to live running after those who despise you.
Verse 969 Shorn of its hair, the yak will refuse to live; such men exist, who prefer death to the loss of honor.
Verse 970 The world will extol and exalt honorable men who exult in death rather than dishonor.

The consciousness exemplified in the Tirukural on war and statecraft was and still is the mass consciousness of the tamils then and till today! It is strategic, realistic and proactive. It is not an accident that the most popular god among the tamils is Lord Skanda-Muruga, the god of war!

Whereas this is quite different from the mass consciousness of the people in the rest of India especially in the north where their
consciousness is best exemplified by the themes of ramayana and the mahabharata, which is romantic, idealistic and unrealistic. Recent examples would be the gandhian approach to independence, wars and relations with Pakistan over Kashmir, war and relations with China which can be described as wooly headed, the fictitious and unrealistic non-alignment policy, as well as inept statecraft over the many social problems faced by the people in India.

Indian policy makers and bureaucrats should study the Tirukural and reorient themselves. There is no one who is as merciless as Tiruvalluvar is to cowardice, dishonor and injustice! In Tiruvalluvar's eyes, India today would have been described as a disorientated, senseless and bumbling coward bringing dishonor to humanity and should be immediately put to death!

Verse 236
If you must be born, be born for glory, those born without it would be better off without birth.

Pathma

NOTES:
The world knows of Chanakya, also known as Kautilya (350-275 BCE) and his Arthashastra, as well as Sun Tzu (400-320 BCE) and his Art of War as it deals with statecraft and military strategies. Lesser known is Tiruvalluvar and his Tirukural which deals primarily in Ethics but devotes some chapters to statecraft and defence. Yet the Tirukural, originally written in Tamil has been translated into over 30 languages, making it among the most translated and published book in the world after the Bible.

Tiruvalluvar, circa 200 BCE (some say 200 CE) was a lower class weaver, considered a dalit today, lived in Mayilapur, Chennai in South India. King Ashoka's famed reign had just ended and the great Chola Empire of Tamil Nadu, where the weaver lived was just beginning its thousand-year rule. Here he wrote the Tirukural; kural is a short strope, a sloka in two lines, in the difficult and disciplined venpa metre. It consists of 133 chapters, each containing 10 slokas and each chapter deals with one aspect of life. The 1330 slokas covers Aram (Dharma or Virtues), Porul (Artha or Wealth and Statecraft), and Inbam (Kama or Love). Due to its ecumenical tenets it is free of the dogmatic bias that commonly attends religious scriptures and therefore has been claimed by other religions as their own. In the matter of authorship, it is probable that not all the maxims are Tiruvalluvar's own, but that he also versified some which were already ancient maxims of the people. Today the Tirukural is sworn upon in the courts of law in Tamilnadu and taught in schools, where children memorise the verses and chant in competitions.

Aram translates as 'justness' (which flows from within as compassion, charity and justice, and which is inherent in everyone) and not dharma which is 'righteousness or duty' (imposed from the outside by society). There is no word in the sanskrit language for aram. It is not in their vocabulary. Hence the shortcoming.

A great deal can be learnt of the character, life and status of Tiruvalluvar by the legends passed down orally relating to his wife, Vasuki, considered the epitome of devotion and wifehood; traditional intelligent cooperation with her husband thats manifests the marvellous harmony in their marriage. When the proposal of marriage of Vasuki, daughter of an affluent farmer impressed with Tiruvalluvar, was brought to him, he decided to test his future bride. He gave her a handful of sand and requested he boils it into rice. In perfect faith and without the slightest hesitation she boiled the sand which miraculously became rice which she then served her future husband.

To a question by a guest as to whether an ascetic life or that of a householder is better, Tiruvalluvar called for his wife who was drawing water from a well. Instantly abandoning her task she rushed to her husband's side, but to the astonishment of the guest, the bucket of water did not fall back into the well but remained suspended in mid air till Vasuki returned to her chore. Tiruvalluvar's unspoken answer to the question by his guest was it was best to follow the path of a householder if a wife is like Vasuki.

On her dying bed, Tiruvalluvar asked her if there was anything that he could do for her. Vasuki replied that she has only one question; all her life while she set out his meals, he had requested a cup of water and a needle be placed along side, which she did. "Why did you bid me do this, although not once did you ever use it. He replied that while serving him, if any rice dropped, he would have used the needle to pick it up and rinse it, but in all these years you never dropped a single rice and therefore there was no occasion to use it. With that Vasuki breathed her last. To this day, Vasuki is the role modal for the Tamil women in much the same way Sita and Savitri is in the north.

An English translation in prose has been used in this article, thereby losing the rhythmic beauty of the Tamil language as well as innuendos, nuances, admonitions, puns, wit, insinuations, and satire, but nevertheless still serves well to impart the intended meanings.

The sage and lawgiver speaks of the king's duty to execute murderers, speaks of a strong military, of spies, advisors with personal agendas, of fools and their ways and wastes. He knows of the wiles of real enemies and has much to tell modern man about overcoming opposition and surviving the attacks of foes. He speaks of making money and of how money is squandered. The weaver has no mercy when he speaks of the preservation of honor - no mercy at all.

Sir C.P. Ramasamy Iyer places a befitting tribute to its grandeur on record. In his preface to the French Translation of Thirukural Sir C.P.Ramasamy Iyer says “ It has been rightly remarked that the Kural addresses itself to all classes and communities, and indeed to the whole human race and charges itself with the promulgation of virtue and of right conduct in the guise of familiar and friendly advice. In a series of pithy maxims, it lays down rules of universal acceptability dealing with most of our domestic and social problems and situations. In the well known words of the philosopher, Spinoza, it is written sub specie eternitate though characterized by tenderness and comprehensive human sympathy, human life and love in all their forms as well as the regular of existence in the social and economic fields are alike dealt with on the basis of practical spirituality”.

Thirukural, the secular book on morals had been translated in many languages and is next to that of Bible in the number of such translations. The French version of Thirukural rendered by a great littĂŠrateur Mr.Gnanou Diagou had fascinated many scholars. It is a matter of pride to all Pondicherrians that Mr. Gnanou Diagou is one of the illustrious sons of this soil having earnt a name and fame in the 19th century.

Thirukural had been translated into the following languages. 1) Burmese Mr. Myo Thant, Thirukkural 2) Chinese Mr.Chi Eng Hsi, Thirukkural (1967) 3). Czech Mr. Kamil V Zvelebil, Thirukural (1952-1954 4) Dutch Mr. D.Kat, Thirukural (Netherlands, 1964) 5) Fiji, Mr.S.L Berwick, Na. Thirukkurala, 1964) 6) Finnish Mr. Aalto, Pentit, Kural - The Ancient Tamil Classic (1972) 7) German Albrecht, Fenz and K. Lalithambal: Thirukural von Thiruvalluvar aus dem Tamil, Madurai (1977), Mr.A.F Cammera, Thirukural Leipzig (1803) Mr Karl. Graul, Der Kural des Thiruvalluvar, (London 1854), Mr. Karl Graul, Der Tamu lische gnomes dichtar Thiruvalluvar, (Leipzig, 1865) Mr.Frederick Rickert Thirukural, selections, (Berlin, 1847) Mr. William and Norgate, Der Kural des Thiruvalluvar, (2nd ed, London, 1866) , French Ariel, M, Kural de Thiruvalluvar (traduits du tamoul), Paris, 1848, Barrigue de, Fontaineu, G, Le livre de l"amour de Thiruvalluva, Paris, 1889, Danielou, Alain, Thiruvallouvar Kural, Pondicherry, 1942, Jacolliot, Louis, Kural de Thiruvalluvar, (selections) Paris, 1767 Lamairesse, M, thirukural in French, Pondicherry, 1867) 9) Latin Graul, Charles, Kural of Thiruvalluvar, Tranquebar, 1866 Veeramamunivar, Thirukural (Books I and II), London, 1930 10) Malay Ismail, Hussein: Thirukural sastera kalasik Tamil yang, Kuala Lumpur, 1967, Ramily Bin Thakir Thirukural (in verses), Kuala Lumpur, 1964 11) Polish Umadevi, Wandy Dynowskiev, Thiruvalluvar Kural, Madras, 1958 12) Russian J.J Glazov and Krishnamurthi, A, Thirukural, a book on virtue, politics and love, Moscow, 1963 Glazov, Thirukural in couplets with illustrations, Moscow, 1974 13)Swedish Frykholm Ingya, Thirukural, Uddavalla, 1971. The list is incomplete.

The Tirukural is more well knows for its ethics.

A Selection of Verses on Ethics
31 Virtue yields Heaven's honor and Earth's wealth. What is there then that is more fruitful for a man ?
66 "Sweet are the sounds of the flute and the lute," say those who have not heard the prattle of their own children,
83 If a man cares daily for those who come to him, his life will never suffer the grievous ruin of poverty.
100 To utter harsh words when sweet ones would serve is like eating unripe fruits when ripe ones are at hand.
110 Having killed every kind of goodness, one may yet be saved, but there is no redemption for those who let gratitude die.
156 The joy of the vengeful lasts only for a day, but the glory of the forbearing lasts until the end of time.
170 There are no envious men who have risen to prosperity. There are no men free from envy who have fallen from it.
176 Desiring grace and doing his duty, a man who desires wealth but acquires it wrongly is destroyed nevertheless.
203 To commit no wrong, even against one's enemies, is said to be supreme wisdom.
204 Only the forgetful plot another's ruin; others remember that virtue itself devises every plotter's downfall.
214 He who understands the duty of giving truly lives. All others shall be counted among the dead.
236 If you must be born, be born for glory, those born without it would be better off without birth.
251 How can he practice true compassion who eats the flesh of an animal to fatten his own flesh?
999 To those who cannot smile in joy the wide world lies engulfed in darkness even in broad daylight.
1004 Unloved by even a single soul, What could such a man imagine he might leave behind.
1007 The wealth of a man who gives nothing to the needy Is like a beautiful maiden growing old unwed.
1027 On a battlefield the burden falls upon the brave; In the family, a comparable weight is carried by the most competent.
1029 Behold the man who shields his family from all suffering. Has not his body become a willing vessel for affliction?

References:

On Tirukural
http://www.tamilnation.org/literature/kural/kuralE1.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Academy/8357/kcha049.html

On Chanakya:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/8107/chanakya.html
http://www.mssu.edu/projectsouthasia/history/primarydocs/Arthashastra/index.htm

On Sun Tzu
http://www.sonshi.com/learn.html