Significance of Saiva Temple

Approximate Transcription/Translation

We discussed the philosophic and metaphysic aspect of Saivam which is something very nuanced. As Saivaites, we should have a basic understanding of it. Not everyone is Saivam can fully comprehend that hence but at least a few should be able to go there at least to safeguard those texts/scriptures. Hence classes and discourses are important to share that wisdom.

In the worship of Siva, we discussed about the Siva Lingam. The base of the Lingam should be made of « Ali – neuter » stone.

Silpa sastras, Siddhanta sastras and Tirumurais coming together is the speciality of Saivam.

There are three types in which the peedam/base of Lingam can be made.

• Patra
  • In the form of a leaf
• Padma
  • In the form of a lotus
• Veli Patra
  • Half sculpture

• Peedam should be made of Ali stone.
• Lingam should be made of male stone.
• Aavudai should be made of female stone.

Just as a doctor can distinguish between vein and nerves, there is a text called « sirpa chen nool » by the Mahabalipuram sirpa kalloori using which we can identify male, female and Ali stone.

The Siva Peruman who embodies the cosmos is the one we worship(aavaganam) in the temple. What is there in andam(cosmos) is there in the pindam(body) as well. This is the reason we say « tiru chit ambalam » before and after the Tevaram. Because the first one is for the Siva Peruman in the Andam, the last one is for the Siva Peruman in the pindam.

The body contains the same ingredients that are in the world. Science also accepts this hence the body is a microcosm and the cosmos, a macrocosm.

The daily puja that happens is called “palli arai deevaranai“. Children mistake it for God going to His bedroom. Agamas do not say that. We only call it palli arai. Also, there is the misconception where one should witness the “palli arai deevaranai“.

Viswaroopam Darisanam

• The Sakti comes into the Siva Lingam in the morning during “Aavaganam“.

Siva samyojanam

• The Sakti in the Siva Lingam merges with the cosmos in the night.

This is the concept in aanmartha pujai and parartha pujai.

Andiyeshti in Sanskrit: « Irudi Aagam » in tamizh and not « dikshai irrakuradhu » or « yeturadhu ».

Mayana(Cremation Ground) kriyai and Illai (Home) kriyai.

Preda samskaram (sacrament) is required for all. Andiyeshti samskaram is required only for initiates (those who have got dikshai)

All explanations are available in Saiva Siddhantam.

Sri Palli Nathar is without any form:

• Aarini – power given to Brahma
• Janani – power given to Vishnu
• Roda Ithiri – power given to Rudiran.

Sulam (trident) signifies that all three Saktis emanate from Siva – that’s the connation. One will never find that the Sulam was never used to kill / sublimate anyone in saiva scriptures. It will not come in Saivam but in Saktam.

3 types of Siva worship

• Pujai
• Homam
• Dyanam

These 3 have different types of Kriyai and the method varies.

The wielding of the Sulam means that all 3 are Him.

• Explanation in 11th Tirumurai, Orupa Orupagathu – Patinathar

The three are.

• Brahma
• Vishnu
• Rudiran

It signifies Siva Peruman only when Maha is added before the above 3. Without Maha, it signifies the other devas.

Siva Peruman performs.

• Creation via Brahma
• Sustains via Vishnu
• Sublimation via Rudiran
• Concealment via Maheswaran
• Grace via Sadasivan

Even though the body is one, each organ performs different actions.

Whenever a god misuses the powers, then Siva withdraws it. Like giving and withdrawing Power of attorney. When Kaman (Kama – God of love) exceeded his limits, he was burnt.

The explanation for the death of Yama is given in Kanda Puranam while giving back life to Yama.

The world functions via the three Saktis Aarini (Harini in Sanskrit), Janani, Roda Ithiri and this is symbolically personified by Sri Palli Devar coming into the Siva Lingam or Moolavar(Presiding Deity) in the temple.

We can keep velayudam as name but not Sulayudam. Why?

Tatpurusha Desikar has written.

There are only 2 restrictions that both Sanskrit Vedas and tamil Tirumurais are not to be sung inside the sanctum sanctorum. Only Agama mantras are to be used inside the sanctum sanctorum.

Vadiyars – specialized in Vedas. They are also not allowed inside the sanctum sanctorum.

• Adi Saiva lineage
• Should have got Acharya Abhiskhem according to the agama using which the temple was built.
• He must be married, and no bachelor can touch the vigraham.

This is why Sri La Sri Arumuka Navalar refused to get Thiruneer from Dikshitar at Chidambaram because he had not got Acharya Dikshai according to Makuta Agama.

In CitAmbalam Hall, no Vedas are sung but in the TenAmbalam hall, yes.

Aagamam – the thing that came. Agamas contains all answers. What does agama say, is important rather than arguing whether Siva Peruman gave it, or was it said in Sanskrit or tamil etc.,

Tirumoolar explains that Siva Peruman expounded the Agamas via His 5 faces to the rishis.

If you go on asking something, then the fault that arises is « varam indri ozhal ». Goes on without end.

Sivam is not present in Sanskrit, its Sivaha.

Mahesvara murtham’s : Siva Peruman with His Sakti manifests the 25 different forms we see today.

Deva Goshtam

PaRimara Goshtam: suryan, chandiran, agastiyar, samaya/santhana Kuravargal who all were aanmas and got Gynanam. And these are worshipped after Mahesvara pujai.

Sambubatcham: Siva Peruman Himself takes the form murtham of Brahma.

Anubatcham: Gives the form of Brahma to highly evolved aanmas.

After completing Pradakshinam, Candesvarar must be worshipped.

How to install Candi in different yugas is specified in the agamas. In kali yugam, Candesvara Nayanar is the only one within a Siva temple to have a separate Koil and vimanam.

Murugan has a Different Candi: Sumitra Canda

Siva Peruman has a different Candi: Candesvara Nayanar (Thoni Canda)

Vinayagar: Kumbothara Canda

Ambal: Yamani Candeeswari

The Chief accounts officer of Lord Siva is Candi. Chitragupta is for worldly punyam.

Yama Logam and Pitru Logam is under Yama’s control. (Thenkulathar in Tirukural refers to pitrugal) in English it’s called Manes.

If one must understand Tirukural correctly, then Parimel Alagar’s explanation is the only one and Kovana Vadivelu Chettiar’s work to read certain aspects of Parimel Alagar’s work. It’s the key for Parimel Alagar’s work. For those criticising Parimel Alagar’s work, then ask them to explain his explanation of the 27th Tirukural. Explain first and you can disagree later.

If one can understand Parimel Alagar’s explanation of the 27th Tirukural, then one can consider that 50% understanding of Saiva Siddantam has been achieved.

Go alone to Candi and do Kovidana Mudrai: clapping with index and middle finger on the other palm and asking for the fruits of Siva Darisanam to be given.

Out of 33 not to do things in Sivalayam: Navalar, Saiva Vina Vidai 33

1. One of the 33 is Stepping or crossing the Nirmalayam (the things that are offered to Siva Peruman)
2. Since we do a circuit, we cross the Nirmalayam, hence we go to Candi and ask for cleansing the not to do thing.

Nirmalayam(ablution) is different from Neivediyam (oblation)

Pujai: Liturgy Is the nearest equivalent.

Abhishekam: Anointment

As Sivaya Subramuniya Swamy says, it’s the nearest equivalent and not the exact one.

If one gets Visheda Dikshai, one can do Agni Karyam. But Parartha Pujai cannot be done. Any activity after the Temple Flag, only (qualified)Adi Saivas can do. In Sivalayam, no one other than qualified Adi Saivas can do pujai. Even unqualified Adi Saivas cannot perform pujai.

Uchavar: He has to come as one of the Pancha Murthis. Oorvalam word will not be used. Pancha murthi veedhi vizha is the word that will be used in print by the temples.

Shankaracharya sect do not follow agamas, but they have different process.

Those who follow Vedam but not agamas are Pura Samayam.

Arya Samaj : Swami Dayanand Saraswathi who said that temple worship is not required. They follow Vedas but not agamas hence they are pura Samayam. There is a difference between Saivam and saiva siddantam. (Siva is The One and acceptance of 6 as without origin)

Who need temple worship?

• Saiva Vinai Vidai 207, 208, 209, 210 by Navalar
• Even Gnanis must also perform temple worship but the way Siva Peruman bestows grace will be different for them.

E.g., a normal person and VIP would be accorded different welcomes in different countries. Similarly, its different for Gnanis, yogis, normal person in sariya etc. Meykandar finishes the Sivagnanabotham with need for temple worship with His 12th Sutra.

Jeevan Mukthargal need no scriptures as they are already in consonance with Siva. They will not be born in a mortal coil once they shed this body.

Dargam and ilakanam are both required to understand/establish the profound nuances of a language.

Saivam will give credit to only to two commentators who have given explanation for Tamizh: Parimel Alagar(vaishnavite) and Senavaraiyar.

He was parisaragar not a bhattar meaning he gives the items to those who actually do the Kriyai in the sanctum sanctorum.

In Tiruchendur, there are different persons who do puja for moolavar, Arumugam, other deities. This is as per tradition. Varnam is by birth only. For e.g., an Englishmen, a Canadian, or a tamizhan is by birth only. But that alone does not signify importance hence Varna Ashramam(deeds) dharmam and not simply varna dharmam.

Even MKG himself who was against caste says in his book that he was born as a baniya (trader).

Even in oxford dictionary, Welsh and English are different. Even in Koran, Mohammed Nabi was born in Qureshi community. Man cannot change this but this reform will happen on its own accord. The problem arises when one says that one will come to God only when all these societal problems are resolved. It’s akin to saying i will take dip in sea only when the waves stop. Almost many have died holding such an ideal without understanding the deeper nuances.

The person who said the world is round got stones hence one cannot generalize the particular.

Today admission and work is based on castes in India. Those who come 500 years later will call it stupid. We are saying to remove caste/community columns but gov is not doing it. It will be simple. Hence its only for votes and not for action.

Siva punyam and worldly punyam : in Periyapuram, it deals only and mainly with Siva Punyam and it cannot be applied to the world at large.

AaN adhikam – spirituality a male bastion?

People say that its prevalent in India but not in western countries. To them, the first question i ask is

« There are 12 apostles all male, why no female ? « 

Ladies were not permitted in Oxford university until a certain time period.

Even after admission, they were not awarded degrees.

In English poets, there are no lady poets. There are no lady poets in neither Greek nor Hebrew. Whereas we have so many lady poets even in Sangam literature. Around 40.

Religious reforms are the purview of the society especially in Hindu dharma. One comes into Aanmeegam(Spirituality) only when only realises that birth is not the beginning and death is not the end.

There are 19 other philosophies in India regarding the soul and all these 19 are refuted by Tiru Arulnandi Sivam in Siddiar.

But in Sivagnanabotham, Meykanda Deva only deals with 8 philosophies. 7 in 3rd sutra and 1 in 4th Sutra.

J.M.Nallaswami Pillai says that the 3rd sutra is a remarkable example of  condensation of thought  and brevity of expression.

They are the only commentators who are equally proficient in tamizh and Sanskrit and logic as well. (On being accorded enormous respect to Senaraiyar & Parimel Alagar).