Tirumantiram - TANTRA FIVE – Verses 1419 - 1437 of 1572

Tirumantiram

English translation of the Tamil Spiritual Classic by Saint Tirumular

 

TANTRA FIVE – Verses 1419 - 1437  of 1572

 

 

4 SUDDHA SAIVAM

 

1419: Four Paths of Saivam

 

The Lord created earth in wisdom infinite

And He made it abode of man

How shall I sing His Majesty!

He is mighty as Mount Meru,*

From whence He sways the three worlds;

And He is the Four Paths of Saivam* too here below.

 

 

1420 School of Suddha Saivam

 

Those who tread the path of Suddha Saivam

Stand aloft,

Their hearts intent on Eternal Para;

Transcending Worlds of Pure and Impure Maya,

Where Pure Intelligence consorts not with Base Ignorance,

And the lines that divide Real, Unreal and Real-Unreal

Are discerned sharp.

 

 

1421 Suddha Saivam is Saiva Siddhanta

 

Having learned all that learned must be,

Having practised all Yoga that have to be,

They, then, pursue the path of Jnana in gradation sure;

And so pass into the world of Formless Sound beyond;

And there, rid of all impurities,

Envision the Supreme, the Self-created;

They, forsooth, are the Saiva Siddhantins true.

 

 

1422 Suddha Siddhanta is Vedanta

 

Suddha Siddhanta is Vedanta;

They who have scaled the heights of Nada sphere

Have verily had the Vision Unwavering;

Comprehending Tattvas from world of elemental matter

To the Finite End of Jnana (Bhodanta)

They become Perfection in Nadanta;

They verily are the ardent seekers of Jnana.

 

 

2 FOUR PATHS OF SAIVA

 

1423 Path of Chariya-Kriya

 

They who walk the twin paths of Chariya and Kriya

They ever praise the twin Feet of Lord;

On their limbs they wear holy emblems

The twin rings in ear lobes

The twin rudraksha garland around the neck,

And adopt the twin Mudra

All, in amiable constancy.

 

 

1424 Path of Dvadasa Marga Saivam (Yoga)

 

In the lobes of their ear,

They wear the double ring of gold,

Around their necks

They wear the double string of rudraksha;

Their holy body thus adorned

They sit quiescent, chanting mantras

And feel their way inward

Through the twelve steps in the ladder

Of the Soul's ascension to Siva

Of such are the peerless school of Saivas.

 

 

1425 Pure Suddha Saivam (Jnana)

 

They who transcended the nine spiritual Centers

Verily saw God,

Whom the nine continents seek;

They saw the Continent beyond all continents

They, indeed, are the Pure Suddha Saivas.

 

 

1426 Characteristics of Jnani

 

The Jnani masters all sacred lore on earth,

And the attainments sixty and four

And espies the Land of Mauna

And all other land besides;

He sees the goal of all Vedas

And sees Lord and himself in union one.

 

3 SAN MARGA SAIVAM

 

1427 Jnana Path is for Suddha Saivam

 

The golden emblems of Siva,

And the holy smear of ashes

Apt are they the insignia

Of those in Saiva Path stand;

But the path of Jnani

Is the path that no evil ever crosses

That his emblem, the holy path of Sanmarga (Jnana)

So beloved of Suddha Saiva.

 

 

1428 Greatness of Jnani in Suddha Saivam

 

The blemishless Jnani is king of Wisdom's realm,

He is the Sun, whose beams pierce the massive lore of Vedanta-Siddhanta

His is salvation True

He, the immortal one

And devoted true to Suddha Saiva way.

 

 

1429 Conclusions of Suddha Saivam

 

Nine are the Agamas of yore

In time expanded into twenty and eight,

They then took divisions three*

Into one truth of Vedanta-Siddhanta to accord

That is Suddha Saiva, rare and precious.

 

 

1430 Doctrine of Grace in Suddha Saivam

 

She transcends the worlds of Matter, Pure and Impure,

And the seven states of Turiya awareness

And the categories of Real and Unreal,

She is Paraparai;

She grants the soul deliverance;

She is ever within;

She is the Lord's Divine Grace,

The Arul Sakti that is all pervasive.

 

 

1431 Sakti's Grace for Jnani in Suddha Saivam

 

They transcended Categories Real and Unreal

That cognize neither Chit nor Achit

They attuned themselves to Sivoham meditation,

And in Mukti, in the bliss of Sakti

They were immersed deep,

And there

All Siddhis abounded in surpassing prowess.

 

1432 Suddha Saiva Strategy

 

The Self, Para and the Sadasiva that is Lord,

The categories threePati, Pasu and pasa,

The Immaculate Ancient One,

And the Tattvas that bind Jiva

And the goal of Liberation

On All these in accord contemplate

They, of the path of Suddha Saiva.

 

 

1433 Vision of Suddha Saivam Path

 

They fixed their thoughts on Perfection

And lost consciousness of Self's existence

They have reached the End of Vedas;

They followed the Twelve-Way route

To divine rapture

That their vision is,

Those of Suddha Saiva Way.

 

 

1434 Way of Jnani

 

He stills the incessant flow of thought

That even Yoga's severity stills not,

With Jnana he effaces the Self

And in Bhava identifies with Siva;

That in brief is worthy Jnani's story.

 

 

1435 Vedanta is Siddhantin's Finite Goal

 

The Vedantins envision Brahman

Adepts are they in Brahmaic art;

They hold all phenomenon as illusion entire,

Those who envision Nadanta

Are yogis unwavering;

But Siddhanta that accords not with Vedanta,

Is the common Saiva's lot.

 

 

1436 God is Beyond Reach of Pasu and Pasa Knowledge

 

High be the clouds that soar

They never shall touch the heaven's roof;

Varied be the sights that loom

They never shall touch the eye's orbs;

Even so,

Neither Pasu nor Pasa shall reach Him,

Whom contemplation scarce comprehends.

 

 

1437 Siddhanta is to Unite With Siva

 

You and He are not two separate

You and He are but one united;

Thus do you stand,

Freed of all sectarian shackles;

Adore the Feet of Paraparai

And with Siva become One;

That the way Siddhanta fulfills.