Category: Tuticorin Shanmugavel

We have a huge duty to put them(children) on this path for which we have to prepare ourselves.

First we have to realise  it ourselves then expound it to others for them to realise.

To be able to realise the superiority of Saivam, one should have knowledge of

• Thothiram
• Sathiram
• Puranam

The story of 63 nayanmars were.

• Thoguthavar – Sundarar (Tiru Tonda Thogai)
• Vaguthavar – Nambi Andar Nambi (Tiru Tonda Puranam)
• Pirithivar – Sekkizhar (Periyapuram)

What one conveys and what one intends to convey are two different things.

Not everyone is capable of differentiating between the two. Most listeners are capable of  only seeing what is conveyed and not what actually is intended, for it requires a deeper understanding of the nuances and experience.

That’s why the scriptures by our ancients have to be looked at with, what is intended rather than only looking at what is conveyed.

Vazhaku: presenting a thing logically (good case)

Sazhaku: bad case

Both these words come in Periyapuram.

• Aandror Vazhaku: how a learned person with explain a thing.
• Seyyul Vazhaku: how it has been explained in a scripture of verse
• Ulaga Vazhaku: how it has been explained in common parlance
• Izhi Vazhaku: taboo or something that can be said only in private

Vinaiyen: karma tainted myself (since G.U.Pope accepts that there is no one single word to  translate Vinaiyen)

There is a cinema actress called Asin, meaning opposite of Sin.

In tamizh there is no negative prefix (vaimai x poimai and not avaimai)

Puranam : the stories which are beyond human timelines and human intelligence and different from human species

We have not seen devas, rakshasas, gandarvas etc., but it does not discount their existence just because we have not seen them. In Kanda Shashti, there are explanations of how many types of peis (ghosts) and pisasis (goblins?) are there. Even in Tirukural, Tiruvalluvar accepts it.

If there is debate for long on whether a certain thing exists or not, then it does exist. E.g., God, Soul, Karma etc., because it has not been disproved.

In law there are three

• Proved – established.
• Disproved – established as not existent.
• Not proved – neither proved nor disproved.

Tiruvalluvar explains it in a single verse that all that our ancients said as existing, there will be those who will say it does not exist.

This is the reason a lot of people nowadays say « does not exist » since one does not have to learn anything. The problem arises only when one says something exists as it must be proved.

The difference between Sathiram and Thothiram.

Thothiram: praises / glorifies God. All praise to God.

Sathiram: what are the specialities? Why should one read them? What are the benefits of reading them?

Some people who are Saivaites demand that Saivaites should not even use the word Hinduism.

Even Satguru SivayaSubramunyaSwami introduces it as Saivaite Hinduism.

The major difference between sastras and thothirams is that sastras will not have imaginations, literary descriptions and episodes.

Sastras have certain characteristics.

The Tirumurais will not have lexicons (for ex., Advaitam is not present hence people say that it’s a north Indian word) but this raises problems since pradosham, Sivaratri does not occur in Tirumurai, and we cannot leave them out.

• For example, Rudraksham will not be called Rudraksham in botany. Hence a botany student cannot say that he will not study botany because there is no Rudraksham in botany.
• Only by using the botanical name, will everyone in the world be able to understand it. Because it’s a scientific name.
• Another example is the technical term for diseases etc.,
• There is more than 2000+ languages the world over and its impossible for anyone to learn all.
• This is why in Sastras, lexicon is used whereas in Thothiram, the lexicons will not be used.

In thothirams, the order of things will or can be changed but in sastras, the order of things are followed and things are explained step by step:

• E.g., education curriculum
• MD after MBBS
• MDS after BDS
• Thothiram will mix everything and only by our experience and intellect will we be able to understand them.

Thothirams do not follow logic / epistemology (darga sastram / Alavei nool) whereas sastras should have logic/Alavei:

• Ezhuthu also means grammar, in tamizh.
• For a great scholar, one eye should be on grammar and other darga sastram(logic).
• Sastras put forth their arguments in form of logic whereas thothirams put forth their arguments via experience.
• This does not mean sastras do not have experience or Gnanam.

One who lives (vazhum uyirrukku – said by Tiruvalluvar):

• Only when we read in depth, we understand the profoundness of tamizh.
• There are people who call Tirukural as tamizh Veda but have absolutely no clue about the depth in it.
• Jothidar in Sanskrit is known to all but many tamizh don’t know the word in tamizh. The word is « Kaniyan ». In Puranooru, there was a pulavar whose name was « Kaniyan Poon Kondranar » who sang « yaadum oore yaavarum kelir » in Puranooru. The word « Kaniyan » means one who is master in Jothidam.

Refutation through reasoning: In a democracy, when too much rights are given, there is very much the possibility that everything falls off the rails. It has more possibility of getting misused.

• Everyone has a right to refute but to explain why one refutes is different.
• Refutation through reasoning either by scientific or logical means
• Tiru Gnana Sambandhar never sings why we refute Buddhism and Jainism in His songs but sastras will explain the why part
• Saivism not only refutes non-Indic beliefs but also many Indic faiths including those within Saivam.
• Two women went to match a cricket match and it started raining. The one in front opened an umbrella and the one behind demanded to close it since its blocking here view. The first one said I have right to open her umbrella but the second one said that her right ends where her nose begins. So, rights have boundaries.
• Saivam gives one right which has not been given by another other in the world.

Terminologies from Upanishads and agamas will be used in sastras:

• Thothirams will not have this.
• E.g., Nityanandam, Advaitam, nirgunan, satchidanandam
• Today there is undue fear that northern language will overtake Tamizh. This is not true since lots of Vidwans like Navalar, navanna kathirvel Pillai, m k Velupillai, Siva Sundara Pandithar, senjinatha Iyer had so much more passion towards tamizh then all of us combined. So those fears are totally baseless.
• These are Saivaite giants who passion for tamizh is unparalleled but there have been so many misconceptions that we have learnt unfortunately.
• Tamizh belongs to Saivaites, but Siva Peruman belongs not only Tamizh but to all
• Pasupati is one of the names of Siva Peruman and one person in London misinterprets it’s as Lord of Cows/animals in a magazine. This is the basic error that happens because of various reasons.
• Certain people say Upanishads are not relevant to us. To illustrate this, for. Ex., we don’t have to explain bible or koran unless one accepts it as an authority.
• The burden of proof lies on those who accept the scriptures as authority else there is no need to explain.
• So, if someone says they won’t accept Tiruvalluvar, then there is no burden of proof on him to explain Tirukural.
• Meikandar explains Upanishads in 2nd sutra because He accepts the Authority of Upanishads and hence explains it. He could have said it’s in Sanskrit and hence not relevant to us, but he has explained it.
• He explains why the explanations of Sandokya Upanishad by Sankarar, Ramanujar and Madhavar’s vyagyanyam. This means Upanishads is an authority for us.
• The explanation of a certain meaning is very difficult nigh impossible in words and hence create so much misinterpretation and misconceptions.
• One person said that most problems don’t occur because they  don’t know how to say it.
• The difference between class and sorpozhivu(discourse) is that a verse can be explained in depth in class but not in sorpozhivu
• Even though people call themselves as passionate for tamizh, they have Sanskrit names. In Sri Lanka as well. « Sh » « Ja » sibilant are used very often these days.
• Sweta means vellaiammal but people prefer Swetha.
• 99% people have Sanskrit names including actors/actresses. Rajinikanth means lover of nights. Simran means one who meditates. Even politicians have Sanskrit names, but they say they hate Sanskrit.
• Even maraimalai adigal’s real name was vedachalam but he changed it.
• Even Karunanidhi is Sanskrit, and he says he fights for tamizh. Dayanidhi, Durga etc all are Sanskrit names.
• Why are there so many words to denote God? Marriage and wedding both mean the same but why two words?  Hence there is a difference, but you have to say you don’t know it. What is means is that two spouses becoming husband/wife by law is marriage and by religious ceremony is wedding.
• These are called synonyms in english (Oru Porul pan Mozhi)
• The reason for usage of different terminologies in Upanishads cannot be explained by Tirumurais but only by sastras and this explains the role /importance of sastras in Saivism.

Grammar and applied grammar:

• For ex., there is word « avai » in 1st and 2nd Sutra, but they have different meanings. The first means « the phenomenal world » and the second means « soul » and this is why one has to read the tamizh grammar and can be understood only by sastras
• Explaining the « Invisible God » with the « Visible world » says Tiruvalluvar.

Concept/explanation of Principles:

• These cannot be explained simply using Tirumurais.
• There are 6 different schools of Saivam, and they differ in their principle.
• Siva Sankara Pandithar explains in his book « prabanda tirattu » what Xian religion says, how it developed gradually, and how it does not fit. He calls it « Mleccha » religion also used by Navalar. It means religion of cannibals.
• Mleccha means those who eat cow.
  • Mleccha madam vidarpam
  • Mleccha madam Saram
  • Mleccha madam Kandanam

• Even if you read bible a thousand times, the points highlighted by him will not strike you. His intellect was very sharp. Meaning you can speak for 1-2 hours but you’ll be flummoxed by a simple question and your 2 hours speech is rendered useless. One has to certainly read it.
• Saivam means (how our forefather used that word) the objective of Agamas. (Agamam is a noun and Saivam is the adjective) – menmai kol saiva needhi vilanguga ulagam ellam.
• The anthem of Saivam is written by Kachiappa Sivachariyar. That is why at the end of all vizhas, it must be said.

வான்முகில் வழாது பெய்க மலிவளஞ் சுரக்க மன்னன்

கோன்முறை யரசு செய்க குறைவிலா துயிர்கள் வாழ்க

நான் மறை யறங்க ளோங்க நற்றவம் வேள்வி மல்க

மேன்மைகொள் சைவ நீதி விளங்குக வுலக மெல்லாம்.

ORIGINAL SCRIPT

Vaanmugil valaathu peyga malivalam surakka mannan 

Kohnmurai yarasu seyka kuraivilaa thuyirgal vaal.ga

Naan marai yaranga lohnga natravam veylvi malga 

Meynmaikol saiva neethi vilanguka vulaka mellaam.

TRANSLITERATION

• Saivam talks about all the souls (living beings) living without any problems. It shows how all souls have the right not just human rights. It speaks about a law which is the soul’s right including the ant, elephant etc.,
• Yazhpana Vada(kovi) sabapathy Navalar: in Periyapuram, the « ulagam ellam odharku ariya » he explains the meaning behind that song alone. He writes for about 25 sides for that one song and that shows that we don’t even know tamizh. I felt how nice it would have been if he had written the explanation for the entire Periyapuram.
• Arumuka Navalar started to write explanation for Periyapuram but as per Siva Perumaan’s Grace he wrote until Karaikal Ammaiyar only before he attained Siva Pada. Fortunately, Pandithar mu Kandiah continued from that point to finish what Arumuka Navalar had started.
• Saiva Siddhanta Mandram, Kuala Lampur have released the works of both. Arumuka Navalar Susanam and mu Kandiah Susanam together. These works show the depth of the scholarly works and the nuances they showcase.
• Saivam is from Vada Mozhi is the accepted viewpoint of so many learned scholars. The six schools of Saivam have almost all in common like nothing greater than Siva Lingam worship. All the Murthy worship get subsumed into Siva Lingam worship. Lingam means Index (Kuri).
• Where we agree and where we disagree. We have sort out those points and this is the real analysis.  The intention should not be to cancel but to seek out the truth. All six schools agree Siva Peruman as The One, Agamas as Pramana and Panchaksharam as the most powerful mantra and only Rudraksham / thiruneer are the symbols.
• But there are some subtle differences between these 6 schools. For ex., the same Kural is used by atheists as well to say that God is not present. So why does this difference of opinion occur? This is because of the past life Karmas and not because of education. If yes, all those who have studied M.A or MBBS should think alike but they don’t.
• Silver tongue Srinivasan tutored M.K. Gandhi. He was the first vice-chancellor of Annamalai University which was a private university. When he was in London, he was asked why the bride and bridegroom did not see other until the actual marriage and was made fun of. He replied that once you have spent time to understand Each other etc., then there should not be any divorce, but there is, so why ? Another time while dining, he was eating with hands when others were eating with cutlery. The Englishmen again said it was unhygienic to which he replied that « you can use my spoon but you cannot use my hand »
• 6 schools of Saivam
  • Pasupatha – Saint Lakulisar (200 B.C)
  • Kashmir – Vasugupta (A.D 800) Anno Domeni from Hebrew
  • ViraSaivam – Basavanna (A.D 1200) in modern day Karnataka
  • Siddha Siddhantham – Gorakshanath (A.D 1000) Based out of Nepal, the only Hindu country in the world.
  • Sivadvaita – Nilakantha Sivachariyar (A.D 1050) in Karnataka
  • Saiva Siddhantham – Meikandar (A.D 1234) SivaGnanaBotham

• All above accept that Sanskrit is an important language including Meikandar. So, the role of Sanskrit cannot be neglected as the agamas cannot be fully comprehended without Sanskrit.
• The closest to saiva siddhantham is Sivadvaita Saivam of Nilakanta Sivachariyar. Senthilnatha Iyer in SL asked which is the most important for one reading saiva siddhantham? So, a student of saiva siddhantham must read Sivadvaita Saivam of Nilakantha Sivachariyar. Senchinatha Iyer has translated from Sanskrit into tamizh his works. He has done around 42 works which is of great service to us. To remember that they did not have xerox copies or modern technology like us these days.
• Kala Sambakshana Sangam of Tanjai has released this book for around 400 Rs. We should buy and keep these texts so that someone in the present or the future will come and take up these texts and explain them for the benefit of the world. Whether we read these texts or not, we should preserve them for future generations.
• Only Sastras will be helpful in understanding the differences between 6 schools of Saivam. Sivadvaita Saivam is in Sanskrit, but its explanation is in Canarese language. To understand fully the works of Meikandar one must be proficient in both Sanskrit and tamizh. To understand Vira Saivam, both Sanskrit and kannada one must be proficient. Kashmir Saivam is in multiple languages. All of these schools have as many texts as Saiva siddhantham.
• To highlight the superiority of a philosophy, only comparative religion is not enough. The speciality of Bharat is that along with the rise of religions, there was also darsanam. The Munivars expounded the underlying and base aphorisms along with religion. Satguru Sivaya Subramuniya swami calls darsanam as insight.
• The MeiGnanis gives comments on these insights because it was their duty. Those who gave these darsanams are Munivars or vedic scientists. The below are the different darsanams (shat (6) darsanams/insights in Sanskrit)
  • Mimamsa
  • Nyaya
  • Vaisheshikam
  • Sankhya
  • Yogam
  • Vedantham

The explanations for the darsanams are available only in sastras in which the comments of the saints have been recorded.

How does the duty of learning /studying these sastras for a Saivaite comes about?

Sastras Arivu (intelligence)

Sastras unarvu (experience)

Sastras payirchi (practice)

without any effort it will come via sastras introduction, Sastras Education and sastras practice.

Payirchi: it means parsing. Means it should not tell the meaning but grammatical aspect of word. In tamizh it’s called « ilakanam kurippu » or « Si vigiri petra thozhil peyar »

Without knowing the « parsing / ilakana Kurippu » one should not explain the tamizh words. That is why « pulavars » were very much important and respected in those days.

In english its root, in Sanskrit its Tharu.

When the present participle does the function of a noun, it’s called a gerund. In tamizh it’s called thozhil peyar. Languages have many similarities. Even english has so much depth and only by learning at such depth, will mastery of a language occur.