SECTION – II : The Subordinate Tattuvam

1. Puranilei-Karuvikal (புறநிலைக் கருவிகள்), the External (or visible) Instruments, developed from the Elements.

From piruthuvi, earth, spring, these five, viz : hair; bone; skine; nerves and tendons; muscle.

From appu, water, the following five arise, viz : watery secretions, such as tears, phlegm, ear-wax, serum, etc., red-blood; semen; brains, marrow, fat, etc., excrescences, such as warts, moles, white flesh, etc.

From teyu, fire are developed the following five Tattuvam, viz ; appetite, sleep, fear, sexual pleasure; gaping; stretching, etc.

From vayu, air, emanate the following five Tattuvam, viz : running, sitting walking, lying, standing.

Note : These form what are supposed to be the connecting organisms, lying between the soul and other Tattuvam, and which are essential to the existence of the animal phenomena named.

From akasam, ether, are produced the following five Tattuvam, viz : those which prompt to lust; to good and evil acts towards others; to giving and withholding; to desire in general; to admiration, surprise etc.

In all, there are twenty-five.

II. Tesa-Vayukal (தெச வாயுகள்), the Ten Vital Airs (or animal spirits), Viz:

1. Piranan (பிராணன்) that whihc causes respiration, and keeps up all the vital actions.
2. Apanan (அபானன்) that which separates the excrementitious and urinary matter, and prompts to void them.
3. Uthanan (உதானன்) that which causes hiccoughs, strangling, etc.
4. Viyanan (வியானன்) that which absorbs and distributes the chyle.
5. Samanan (சமானன்) that which secures due proportions in the several parts of the body.
6. Nakan (நாகன்) that which produces coughing, sneezing etc.
7. Kurman (கூர்மன்) that which produces bending stretching gaping, etc.
8. Kirutharan (கிருதரன்) that which opens and shuts the eyes, or winking.
9. Tevatattan (தேவதத்தன்) that which causes laughing, smiling, etc.
10. Tananycheyan (தனஞ்செயன்) that which causes swelling in the body before and after death, and which at last splits the head, (skull) and escapes.

Note : These ten are all developed from the Element air. Authors differ somewhat respecting their powers or functions. The specifications above given are the more common, and are taken from other authorities in Tamil. Our author gives merely the terms, leaving it for the Guru to communicate their meaning. These Airs are obviously a device to supply the place of the involuntary nerves.

III. Vasanathikal (வசனாதிகள்), the five Vital Airs (or animal spirits).

These are;

1. Vasanam (வசனம்), Speech
2. kemanam (கெமனம்), loco-motion
3. tanam (தானம்), giving
4. vikarpam (விகற்பம்), excretion
5. anantam (ஆனந்தம்), sexual pleasure

Note : These are a class of Airs which operate exclusively on the five organs of Action. They seem to be, in their functions, what we should style voluntary nervous powers. They perform the offices of what Locke calls “nervous or animal spirits,” conveying to the “seat of sensation” “some motion” which has been produced by “singly imperceptible bodies” that proceed from objects of sense; and, also, convey the commands of the soul to the Organs of Action.

IV. Tesa-Nadi (தெச நாடி), the Ten Tubes (or tubular organs).

These are :

1. idei (இடை)
2. pingkalei (பிங்கலை)
3. sulimunei (சுழிமுனை)
4. kantari (காந்தாரி)
5. atti (அத்தி)
6. singnguvei (சிங்ஙுவை)
7. alampurudei (அலம்புருடை)
8. purudan (புருடன்)
9. sangkini (சங்கினி)
10. vayiravan (வயிரவன்)

Note : The Nadi are the channels for the Airs. They ramify into seventy-two thousand branches, and pervade every part of the human microcosm. I give, from other Tamil authors, a brief accoun of the principal Nadi, and of some of their leading branches.

Idei-nadi rises in the left side of the lower pelvis, from whence it passes off in two branches, one running upwards, and the other down the left leg to the great toe.

Pingkalei-nadi rises in the right side of the lower pelvis where it divides into two parts, one running upwards, and the other down the right leg to the great toe.

Sulimunei-nadi rises ab anop and proceeds ad genitalia, where it several times encircles, the mystic Om (ஓம்), the symbol of the productive powers of Deity; thence its main part, called nilam (நீளம்), runs directly to the head. This is the Maka-Meru (மகாமேரு), or the Golden Mountain, in the human microcosm.

The upward branches of idei and pingkalei run diagonally, and meet in genitalibus, where they encircle sulimunei forming an arch over Om. This is Brahma’s seat or throne.

These two Nadi proceed thence diagonally to the sides of the pelvis, and return and meet in the region of the navel, where they again, encircle sulimunei, forming an arch or canopy. This is Vishnu’s seat.

Proceeding thence diagonally upward, as before, these Nadi meet in the region of the heart, or, rather, as the locality is described, in the stomach, where they encircle sulimunei, forming another atharam (ஆதாரம்), seat. This is the throne of Ruttiran or Sivan.

Then proceeding as before, they meet and encircle sulimunei in the back of the neck. This forms the seat of Mayesuran (மயேசுரன்).

Again, passing on as before, they meet in the forehead between the eyebrows. “In this region of light”, they form the throne of the Illuminator, Sathasivan (சதாசிவன்).

From thence they proceed to, and terminate in, the nostrils.

• Kandari-nadi rises in the region of the heart, from sulimunei, and terminates in the eyes.
• Atti-nadi rises from sulimunei, in the region of the heart, and ramifying in several directions, terminates in the bones.
• Singnguvei-nadi branches off from sulimunei, in the region of the heart, and terminates in the tongue.
• Alampurudei-nadi springs from sulimunei, in the rigion of the heart, and terminates in the ears.
• Puruda-nadi springs, in the region of the heart, from sulimunei, and branching out, terminates in the arms, and in the muscles which raise and move the arms.
• Sangkini-nadi rises from sulimunei, in the region of the hear, and making various circuits, terminates in genitalibus et ano.
• Vayirava-nadi rises, and after making different circuits, terminates, like the preceding Nadi.

The connection of the Ten Vital Airs with these Nadi, is here very briefly given, from other authorities.

• Piranan, which is properly the vitalizing Air, and remains in action white life continues, runs naturally through sulimunei; but when the passage of this Nadi is closed, which is the case in certain states of the systerm, then this Air, running from the nostrils, passes around the skull or brain, and then proceeds downwards, sometimesby idei, and sometimes by pingkalei.
• When piranan proceeds by idei, or pingkalei, then apanan courses downwards by vayiravan, and discharges the urine and feces.
• Uthanan proceeds by atti to the neck, arrests or checks piranan, and causes hiccoughs, choking, and swelling or stoppage in the windpipe.
• Viyanan runs through kantari, causes the mouth to give utterance, and disperses the chyle into seventy thousand blood-vessels.
• Samanan flows through sangkini, mingles with the contents of the heart, and gives symmetry to the body.
• Nakan flows along alampurudei, and by means of the brain causes sneezing.
• Kurman flows along purudan, and seizing the arms and the lips causes stretching and gaping.
• Kirutharan runs along singnguvei, seizes the eyelids, and causes winking.
• Tevatattan flows along sangkini, courses through the face, lights up the countenance, and causes laughter, etc.
• Tanagncheyan courses or stands in the skin, and at death, when the other Airs cease, puffs up and breaks the skin.

V. The four vakku (வாக்கு).

These are :

1. sukkumei (சூக்குமை)
2. peisanti (பைசந்தி)
3. mattimei (மத்திமை)
4. veikari (வைகரி)

Note : These constitute the organic bases of intelligent ideas and language, as laid in the human microcosm. They will be explained below.

VI. Mukkunam (முக்குணம்), the three kunam, Moral properties.

These are :

1. Sattuvikam (சாத்துவிகம்)
2. rasatham (இராசதம்)
3. tamatham (தாமதம்)

Note : The term kunam (குணம்) means quality, temper, disposition, etc. But in this system it is a thing, a material existence, the source of moral qualities. According to another Tamil author, the Three Kunam are explained as follows.

Sattuvikam (lit. goodness) prompts to gnanam, divine wisdom; to the proper observance of rules and ceremonies to truth; and to love.

Rasatham (lit. passion, or foul disposition) produces pride and selfishness-possesses the propensities to pride and selfishness.

Tamatham (lit. darkness) prompts to stupidity, laziness, and sleep.

Their relations and functions in the human system will be more fully explained hereafter.

VII. The three Akangkaram (அகங்காரம்), viz;

1. teisatham (தைசதம்)
2. veikari (வைகரி)
3. puthathi (பூதாதி).

These complete the ninety-six Tattuvam.

Note : The term akangkaram means pride, or a sense of self-individualism. In the case before us, it is an organism; and, in its three-fold development and relations in the humans system, operates variously, as will be seen in other parts of this Treatise.