Tirumantiram - TANTRA TWO - Verses 492 to 508 of 548

Tirumantiram

English translation of the Tamil Spiritual Classic by Saint Tirumular

 

TANTRA TWO - Verses 492 to 508 of 548

 

15 THE THREE CATEGORIES OF JIVAS

 

492: Play of Sakti-Siva Infuses Divine Spirit

 

Out of Sakti-Siva Play

Life blossomed;

And Jiva who was in pure Kevala state

Of Turiya quiescence

Was freed and consigned to the folds of Maya,

And the Lord then entered Jiva's thought

And suffused his being with Divine Spirit.

 

 

493: The Three Categories From Ten Classes

 

Vignanars true are of groups four

Pralayakalas are of three;

Sakalars below are another three

Thus are Jivas grouped, ten in all.

 

 

494: The Four Classes of Vijnars

 

Vijnanakalars are of classes four;

Those who are in Kevala (Anava) state,

Next are those who are Self-realised;

Those who reached the state of Eight Vidyeswaras,

And finally are those who rank as the Seven Crores of Manthra Nayakas;

Those who are of Egoity Impure rid

Are the truly realised beings (no more are they Jivas).

 

 

495: The Three Classes of Pralaya Kalas

 

Of the Pralayakalars three,

Are those who Mukti attained;

Another, by malas twine (Egoity and Karma) bound;

Yet another, the Rudras Hundred and Eight;

The Sakalas have all malas three.

 

 

496: The Three Classes of Sakalas

 

Sakalas three are:

Those who have attained Siddhis miraculous,

Those who have attained Mukti (Jivan)

Those who have attained neither

--All powerless to conquer Malas three

And in sound and other senses immersed.

 

 

497: Stages of Attainment in Mala Riddance

 

They who are of five malas hard rid,

Themselves Siva become;

They blemishless become,

They become Siddhas,

Attain state of Mukti Finale,

They uproot Jiva's bondage,

End cycle of births;

They alone are,

Who truth of peerless Tattvas realised.

 

 

498: Nine Gradations of Jivas

 

Vijnanakalas are of gradations three;

Those who in quiescent Anava alone abides; (the Pralayakala among Vijnanas)

So are Pralayakalas of gradations three;

And Sakalas too;

Thus are there nine classes of Jivas,

Evolving in gradations separate.

 

 

499: How Sakalas Among Vijnanakalas Attain Siva-State

 

Vijnanakalas may by karma assume form corporeal;

But by performing holy deeds,

Acquire Celestial frame

And higher Jnana Form;

And Constant striving thus,

Gain wisdom perennial

And in the end Siva Himself become.

 

 

500: How Jivas Reach Siva

 

Rid themselves of Anava entire

And consciousness lost of all Jiva memory,

They Bindu and Nada become,

The highest heavenly goal

Of one-ness with Siva Tattva;

Albeit all three, Sakala and the rest of yore possessed,

The primal impurities triple,

Anava, Maya and Karma.

 

 

16 THE WORTHY SOULS

 

501: Give Freely to Sivajnanis

 

Give a wee bit to Sivajnani,

You shall attain Siddhi, Mukti and heavenly bliss;

Give a world of gold to the witless,

You shall become poor losing all joys.

 

 

502: Lord's Devotees are Elevated Souls

 

Death waits for the moment due

And seizes lives;

But the Lord seizes Death's life;

Such indeed, His Prowess is;

He blesses all who know Him true;

They who sought Him, immortals became.

 

 

503: Lord's Feet are unto a Self-Effulgent Lamp

 

I gave Him not up even while in womb;

I forgot not the truth of His holy Feet;

I gave up falsehood and sought them;

The Feet of Lord of matted locks

Are a Lamp no oil feeds.

 

 

504: Lord does Things Appropriate to Those of Tender Love

 

Those that are destined to be

Let them be;

Those that are destined not to be

Let them not be;

Those that are destined to go

Let them go;

Those that are destined to come

Let them Come;

The Mighty Nandi shows all

And witnesses all:

All things appropriate,

He does

To those of tender love for Him.

 

 

17 THE UNWORTHY SOULS

 

505: Giving to Unworthy is Undesirable

 

Well may you tender her;

And with fresh grass feed her,

The barren cow can no milk give;

Even so is giving

Unto those who neither good nor holy are;

Unto a crop they are,

Raised in season improper.

 

 

506: Do not Give to Those Who Have no Love for God

 

Give only unto those

Who follow the way of Yoga, Iyama, and Niyama,

And who adore Lord, in constancy abiding;

To give those who have no love for God,

A heinous crime, indeed it is.

 

 

507: He Who Gives to Sivajnanis will Become a Jnani

 

He who gives to Gods, Guru,

And the Goodly ones

Who are of passions rid,

Will a Jnani become,

Imparting Jnana appropriate to disciples several;

For him is not the burning hell,

That is destined for perpetrators

Of deadly sins five,

Who know not consequences dire.

 

 

508: Do not Give to Unworthy; the Giver and the Receiver Both Reach Hell

 

You may give away wealth

As massive as a mountain;

Yet if you give it

To those that adore not our Lord,

You shall with them reach

The Seventh Hell of ineffable pain.