Note On The Author

“He who translated and commented on Sivagnana  Botham, whose knowledge was imparted by Nandi and his disciples, for the purpose of obtaining Salvation, by pointing out the way to proceed from the knowledge of the body full of sorrow, to the knowledge of the soul, and thence to the knowledge of the Supreme Spirit, enshrined in the Maha Vakya, just as the glorious sun, enables our sight by dispelling the deep darkness from the vast surface of this earth.”

“He, who under the name of Swethavana lived in Thiruvennainallur, surrounded by the waters of the Pennar.”

“He, who left all false knowledge knowing it to be such and was therefore called Meikanda Deva.

“He is the Lord whose feet form the flower worn on the heads of even the holiest sages.”

Such is the brief Sirappu Patiram which is usually affixed to the Tamil edition of the book, giving particulars of the name and place of the author and the merit of his work.

The author who translated in Tamil, Sivagnana  Botham and commented on it was called in early life Swethavana and after he attained spiritual eminence was called Meikanda Deva (meaning Truth finder) and he lived in Thiruvennainallur situated on the banks of the lower Pennar, about 20 miles from Panruti on the S. I. R. line. To this brief account tradition adds the following particulars. One Atchuthan of Pennagadam Village near Thiruvenkadu or Swethavana in Tanjore District, was long childless and he prayed incessantly to Swethavana Ishwara for the boon of a child.

One morning he went early to the temple tank and bathed in the tank and when he got up finishing his prayers, he discovered lying on the steps of the tank a new born babe whom he at once pressed to his bosom, and praising God for his mercy to him, took it home and gave it to his wife. And these two were bringing it up. Being the gift of Swethavana Ishwara, the child was named Swethavana. In course of time, however, his caste people began to murmur against Atchutha, saying that he is bringing up a low born foundling. The parents were in very deep sorrow on this account, and when Atchutana’s brother-in-law had come to him on a visit from Thiruvennainallur and he offered to take the boy with him and bring him up, they glady consented and the babe’s home became Thiruvennainallur from its 3rd year.

It happened, however, that the child was dumb from its birth, but the bent of its mind was discovered in its very play which consisted in making Sivalingam of sand and becoming absorbed in its contemplation. One day, a Siddha, a Jivan Mukta, passing by that way, saw the child in its play and was at once attracted towards it, and observing the child’s advanced spiritual condition, he touched it with Grace, altered its name to that of Meikanda Deva, and instructed the child with the Divine Philosophy contained in Sivagnana  Botham, and ordered it to translate the same in Tamil and let the world know its truth. The sage, however, retained his silence till his fifth year was past, during which interval it is stated he was receiving further instruction from God Ganesha of Thiruvennainallur, who was called Polla Pillayar, and the abstract of the Sutrams and the various arguments called Churnika is said to have been imparted to Meikanda Deva by Polla Pillayar.

However, after his fifth year, he began to speak out and preach his Sivagnana  Botham and he attracted a very large body of disciples. In those days, there lived in Thiruthoraiyur, a famous pundit and Philosopher named Arulnanthi Sivachariar, well versed in all the Vedas and Agamas, and hence called Sakala Agama Pundit. He, with his disciples, came on a visit to Thiruvennainallur; and while there, his disciples became attracted by the teaching of Meikanda Deva and gradually began to desert their former teacher. Arulnanthi Sivachariar came to know of the cause of the desertion of his pupils and went to meet and vanquish Meikanda Deva, face to face. He went there, and the moment the eye of Grace of Meikanda Deva fell on him, he felt his Ahankara or Agnana leave him and feeling vanquished fell at his feet and sought his grace and from thence became his most prominent and devoted disciple.

Here a fact has to be noted. Meikanda Deva was a Vellalah; at least his foster parents were so, and yet Arulnanthi Sivachariar occupying the highest position even among Brahmans did not scruple to become his disciple. Under Meikanda Deva’s inspiration Arulnanthi Sivachariar composed a philosophical treatise called Irupa Irupakthu (இருபா இருபஃது). Under his direction again, Arulnanthi Sivachariar composed Sivagnana  Siddhi, as an authorized commentary on Sivagnana  Botham, two works which have been rarely paralleled even in Sanskrit.

If the genius of Thiruvalluvar gave to the Tamil language all the teachings to be found in the Vedas, Agamas, Upanishads and Dharma Sastras, on the first three Purusharthams, Dharma, Artha and Kamia or Aram, Porul and Inbam, in a thoroughly systematized form, the genius of Meikanda Deva and Arulnanthi Sivacharyar gave to the Tamil language, all the teachings of these books on the last Purushartha namely, Moksha or Veedu, in a similarly condensed and systematized form. The plan of the first work is this. The twelve Sutras are divided into 2 Chapters of 6 Sutras each, general and special. These chapters are divided into two ‘Iyals’ each. Making a total division of the book into four, of three Sutras each. I have, however, divided the work into four chapters, indicating at the same time whether each belongs to the general or the special division.

The first chapter treats of the proof of the three entities or Padarthas, the second dealing with their further attributes or relationship, the third dealing with Sadana or modes of attaining the benefit of the knowledge of the three Padarthas, and the last dealing with the True End sought after by all mankind. The reader of Vyasa’s Sariraka Sutra or Vedanta Sutra will observe that the divisions adopted in the latter work are the same as in Sivagnana  Botham. Further each Sutra is divided into separate theses or arguments and Meikanda Deva has added his commentary called Varthika to each of these theses or arguments or Adhikarana as it is called.

This Varthika commentary is in very terse prose and is the most difficult portion of the work. Meikanda Deva has added Udarana or analogies in verses of Venba Metre to each of the Adhikaranas. These Udarana are not similes of rhetoric but are logical analogies used as a method of proof. The reader’s attention is particularly drawn to these analogies and he is requested to test these analogies with any rule of Western logic, and at the same time test the analogies ordinarily set forth in works on Hindu Philosophy published in English. Sivagnana  Siddhi is divided into two books, Parupaksham and Sapaksham. In the Parapaksham, all the Hindu systems from Charvaka Philosophy to Mayavadam are stated and criticised and it is similar to Sayana’s Sarva Darsana Sangraha, and yet a cursory comparison will show the superior treatment of the former.

The subject which Sayana or as he is better known in Southern India, Vidyaranyar has compressed in one chapter in a few pages, under the heading of Saiva Darsan, is treated by Arulnanthi Sivachariar in his Supaksham in 300 and odd stanzas, and the printed works with commentaries comprise about 2,000 and odd pages. The ground plan of this work is the same as that of Sivagnana  Botham but it contains in addition a chapter on ‘Alavei’ or Logic, an abstract of which has been also translated by Rev. H. R. Hoisington and published in the American Oriental Journal, Vol, iv. Though this is based on Sanskrit works on logic, yet an advance is made in a new classification of logical methods, predicates, &c. And this I might say of the genius of Tamil writers generally, though they have borrowed largely from Sanskrit, the subject receives altogether an independent and original treatment. As my old teacher used to observe, no doubt Gold from Sanskrit source is taken but before it becomes current coin, it receives the stamp or impress of the Tamil writer’s genius.

Then about the date of these works, there is no data available to fix the exact time of these works. But that they must have been very old in manifest from the fact that they have supplied the form and even the language for nearly all the Tamil writers on philosophy and religion, excepting in Thevaram and Thiruvachakam and other works included in the Saiva Thirumurai. And there are also clear data to show that these works were anterior to the establishment of any of the great Saiva Adhinams or Mutts in Southern India and the great Namasivaya Desikar, who founded the Thiruvavaduthurai Adhinam about 600 years ago claimed to be the fifth or sixth in succession from Meikanda Deva and the disciples of this Mutt and Saivas generally call themselves as belonging to Meikandan Santhathi.

One other fact which fixes this much more approximately, I must mention. Umapathi Sivachariar who is fourth in succession from Meikanda Deva, gives the date of his work, Sankarpanirakaranam in the preface of the work itself as 1235 of Salivahana Era. This will make the work therefore 582 or 583 years old and giving a period of 25 or 30 years for each of the Acharyas, the date of Meikanda Deva will be about A. D. 1192 or 1212 or say about A. D. 1200. These facts therefore furnish us with a positive data that these works could not have been at least less than 650 years old. I have not been however able to investigate the matter with all the available sources of information, for want of time and opportunity and I must leave the subject here.

A few words about the commentators on these works are also necessary. There are two short commentaries published on Sivagnana  Botham. One is by Pandi Perumal and it is a very clear and useful commentary for the beginner and nothing is known about the writer and about his life except his mere name; but from the way he describes himself, he must have lived very near the time of Meikanda Deva. The other commentator is a well-known person, Sivagnana  Yogi or Muniver who died in the year Visuvavasu before last, 1785 A. D. The famous Adhinam at Thiruvavaduthurai has produced very many great sages, poets and writers in its days but it produced none equal to Sivagnana  Yogi. The Tamil writers do not think that any praise is too lavish when bestowed upon him; and I have heard pundits of even other faiths speak in awe and respect of his mighty genius. He was a great Poet, and Rhetorician, a keen Logician and Philosopher, and commentator and a great Sanskrit Scholar. He with his pupil composed Kanchipuram which in the opinion of many surpasses many of the Epics in the Tamil language, so far as the imagery of its description and its great originality and the difficulty of its style and diction are concerned. He is the author of several commentaries and works on Tamil Grammar and Rhetoric. He has translated into Tamil the Sanskrit Tarka Sangraha and his commentaries on Sivagnana  Botham and Sivagnana  Siddhi have been rarely equaled for the depth of perception and clearness of exposition and the vastness of erudition displayed by him. His short commentary on Sivagnana  Botham is the one now published, and his other commentary called the Dravida Bhashya has not been published yet.

The original manuscripts are in the possession of His Holiness the Pandara Sannadhigal of Thiruvavaduthurai and very many attempts were made during the lifetime of His Holiness the late Pandara Sannadhigal to induce him to publish this work but without success. I have interviewed His Holiness the Present Pandara Sannadhigal, and he appeared to me to be very enlightened in his views and sentiment and I have every hope that His Holiness will have no objection to publish the work provided he sees that the people are really earnest about its publication. A few glimpses that have been obtained of the work here and there fully justify the great expectations entertained of it as a work of very rare merit. Sivagnana  Yogi has fully followed in his dialectics the dictum laid down by the author of Sivaprakasam that everything old is not necessarily true and that everything new is not necessarily false. This view accounts generally for the greater freedom of thought displayed by Tamil Siddhantha Philosophers in the treatment of their subject without being tied down too narrowly by any Vedic Text, &c., than Sanskrit writers.

In these days of boasted toleration, and the proclamation of universal truths and universal religions from every little house top, it will be interesting to note what an ideal of toleration and universal religion the Siddhanta writers generally had.

The gist of this is contained in the phrase ‘எல்லாமாய் அல்லவுமாய்’ “all and not all or above all” which again is the Lakshana of Adwaitham, as I have elsewhere explained. In India, at the present day, certain phrases or forms of Idealism are put forward as expressing universal Truth and a large body of ignorant and credulous people are misled by it. Idealism is being exploded and discredited in Europe, and as M. Barth truly observes, Idealism when pushed to its logical conclusions leads one to Nihilism.

The Siddhanta Sastras are 14 in number. The first is Sivagnana  Botham of Meikanda Deva; and two works of Arulnanthi Sivachariar I have already mentioned. Another of Meikanda Deva’s pupils by name Manavasakam Kandanthar composed a treatise called ‘Unmai Vilakkam’ ‘Light of truth’ and this little work contains an explanation of many a profound truth in Hindu Philosophy. Two works, Thiru Unthiar (திருவுந்தியார்) and Thiru Kalitrupadiar (திருக்களிற்றுபடியார்) are ascribed to a Sage Uyavantha Daver, who is said to have come from the north; and eight works were composed by Umapathi Sivachariar, the principal of which Sivaprakasam has been also translated by Rev. H. R. Hoisington.

The authors of these treatises together with Maraignana Sambanthar are regarded by Saivas as their Santhana Acharyas, expounders of their Philosophy and Fathers of the Church as distinguished from their Samaya Acharyas, Thirugnana Sambanthar, Vakisar, Sundarar, and Manickavachakar who were authors of devotional works, and maintained the supremacy of their Vedic faith and Religion against Buddhism and Jainism, and but for whom the modern Hindus would be reading the Thripitaka and Jataka tales instead of our Vedas and Upanishads and works founded on them, and would be one with the Atheistical Siamese or the highly idolatrous and superstitious Chinee.

And here I might take the liberty of addressing a few words to my Hindu countrymen, at least to those whose mother tongue is Tamil and who are born in the Tamil country and are able to read the Tamil language. It is not everybody who has the desire to study Philosophy or can become a Philosopher. To these, I would recommend the devotional works of our Saints, whether Saiva or Vaishnava. Unlike the Hindus of other parts of this vast Peninsula, it is the peculiar pride of the Tamilian, that he possesses a Tamil Veda, which consist of his Thevaram, Thiruvachakam and Thiruvaimozhi, and this is not an empty boast. As Swami Vivekananda observes, Vedas are eternal, as truths are eternal, and truths are not confined to the Sanskrit language alone. The authors of the Tamil Veda are regarded as avatars and even if not so; they were at any rate Jivan Muktas or Gnanis.

And as I have explained in my notes to the Eleventh Sutra, these Jivan Muktas are true Bhaktas and they are all Love. And the Tamil Veda is the outpouring of their great Love. My old Christian teacher used to observe that the Dravidian is essentially and naturally a devotional man; and is this not so, because they had early received and imbibed the Great outpourings of Love of our Divine Saints? To the student or enquirer who is more ambitious and wishes to fathom the mysteries of nature, I cannot do better than recommend these very books as a first course and the conviction will surely dawn upon his mind as he advances in his study of Philosophy and compares what is contained in the Tamil Veda with the bare bones of Philosophy that he has nothing better for his last course than what he had for his first course; and as the Divine Tiruvalluvar says, what is the use of all philosophy and knowledge if it does not lead one to the worship of his Maker in all truth and in all love? However, as a course of philosophical study, the Siddhanta works contain the most highly developed and logically systematized thinking of the Hindus. And if it is thought necessary, a study of the Vedas and Upanishads may follow. Without this preliminary course, a study of the latter will only end one in chaos and confusion. I address these remarks as a student to a student, as one enquirer to another and I claim no more weight to my words.

I give below a stanza which shows in what high estimation, Tamilians hold the present work and other works referred to above.