Saivism In A Nutshell

Saivism in a Nutshell Written by Swami Sivanandhi Adikalar 1. Saivaite Hinduism believes in Lord SIVA as the supreme Godhead, who is worshipped both in the formless state, symbolically as Siva-Linga or in His various manifestations with form; such as SIVA (Nataraja, lord of dance), Vinayaka (Ganapaty), Murukan (Skanda), Uma (Skakti)-each form exalting one glorious aspect of the single Godhead. 2 Saivite Hinduism is a living, popular FAITH followed by over 200 Million people in the world today, but its traditional bases are in India, particularly South India, North and East Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore and other Southeast Asian countries. Western interest in Saivaite Hinduism has grown steadily over the last 50 years. The DANCE OF SIVA is well known in the world today.. 3. Although Saivism and the Linga worship of SIVA goes back to the period of the Indus civilization (c. 2500 B.C) and even beyond, the philosophy of Saiva Siddhanta crystallised only during the BHAKTI period in South India (c. 600. A. D to 900 A. D.) dominated by the four NAYANMAR-SAINTS , the Founder Preceptors of Saivism -St. SAMBANDAR, St. APPAR, St. SUNDARAR, and St. MAN ICKA VACAKAR. 4. SIVAJNANA BODHAM-the Jnanapada of the Agamas. The School of Saiva Siddhanta Philosophy (also called Southern Saivism) may be said to have gradually evolved from the Saiva Agamas and from the Hymns of Karaikkal Ammaiyar, Tirumular and the four leading Nayanmar Saints. But it was Sri Meikanda Tevar (circa 1250 A.D.) the illustrious saint and author, who systematised the doctrine of Saiva Siddhanta through his original Tamil work: Siva Jnana Bodham, giving an epistemological basis to the whole range of philosophical thought. It is a Tamil text in the form of Sutras, only 12 in number with some explanatory verses. The Sutras were elaborated in marvelous verses by Meikandar's Guru turned-disciple, Sri Arulnandi Sivacarya in his work: Sivajnana Siddhiyar. These Sutras are to the Saiva Siddhantas what Brahma Sutras of Badarayana are to the Vedantis. The Sivajnana Bodham has a voluminous commentary in Sanscrit by Sivagra Yogi (circa, 1564 A. D) from which Sivajnana Swami (d. 1785) drew inspiration to write his learned Bhasya in Tamil prose called Sivajnana Mahapaatiyam. 5. THE MEANING OF SIDDHANTA .

Sri Meikanda Tevar appeared at a time when there was much confusion and controversy due to the conflicting interpretations of the eminent Acharyas like Sri Sankara (Advaita), Sri Ramanuja (Visistadvaita), Sri Madhava (Dvaita), Sri Srikanta (Sivadvaita) and other lesser schools of bhedaabheda (that were in vogue during his period).Meikandar's task was to explain the Saiva stand point in regard to the fundamentals, like Pathi, Pasu, Pasa or God, Soul and universe; their interrelation; the true function of Maya; the destiny of the soul; the doctrine of Grace and finally the nature of Mukti.. The aspects of God's transcendence and immanence explained as one, different, and being together, is definitely the most satisfying interpretation of advaita commented on and realised in the experience of saints and given expression to in hymns and formulated by Sri Meikandar in his Sutras which set out the Jnanapada of the Agamas, together with the sadhana for Mukti. So it is called the crown and fulfillment of philosophic thought - a grand manual of the philosophy of religion which appeals to theist and monist alike. In fact the Sivajnana Bodham covers the whole gamut of Indian philosophic thought and set the SAIVA standpoint crystal clear in relation to other systems. The word SIDDHANTA means 'FINAL CONCLUSION' as contrasted with 'Purvapaksha', which is 'prima facie argument'.. 6. THE 14 MEIKANDA SASTRAS. The Bodham and Sidhiyar, and 12 other pre and post-Meikandar works form the wellknown 14 Siddhanta Sastras, otherwise called Meikanda Sastras, (the philosophical texts revealing True Knowledge). Although these constitute the doctrinal basis of Saiva Siddhanta Philosophy, it is useful to remember that they only underline and systematise the Saiva religious insights enumerated in our PANNIRU THIRUMURAI (the 12 Holy Books of Saivism) Tamil Hymnal literature codified in the eleventh century by Nambi Aandar Nambi and by Cekkizhar in the twelfth century. 7. The scientific and rational approach of Saiva Siddhanta is evident from its reliance on the following eternal principles:-. a. It is based on the scientific principle of SAT KARYA VADAM - what is in the cause must be found in the effect and nothing that is not in the cause can be posted to exist in the effect. b. The metaphysical analysis of all that exists into three eternal realities, including the world of Maya, to gain an insight into Reality. c. The use of logic, psychology, and daily experience, both underline the fact that Truth is always the golden mean between two poles and also to ensure that Truth can be experienced by all.

d. The classification of the 36 TATUVAS can be explained in a logical and rational way;realities established through empirical analysis. e. It is a religion of Bakti and of life - affirmation of immense practical significance in daily life. 8. PATI, PASU, PASAM: A REALISTIC PLURALISM. The three fundamental categories or entities called the tripadarthas (pati, pasu, pasam) or the ontological status of god, soul and the world according to Saiva Siddhanta are as follows: All three are real and co-eval but their onto-logical status is different:-. a. God is sat and sit (Existence and knowledge). b. Soul is satasat and sitasit c. Bonds are asat and asit. The soul wakes up from its slumber state of Kevala, to the half-awake state of Sakala and eventually of the purified state of Suddha avastha - it is through its very association with Maya that the soul can ultimately be freed from its bondage. 9. The role of SAKTI as the power of Siva Having posted three eternal entities (Tripadartas), Saiva Siddhanta explains certain experiences utilizing the category of Sakti. When paired with Siva it allows the sovereign over souls or the World by indirect contact through its Sakti. If the three realities are bricks then Sakti is the mortar that binds them. Further, SIVA is pure intelligence existing by itself while Sakti, which as instructor, is in contact with other objects, as the sun, through the sun light. 10. BLISS or ANANDA is one of the attributes of God, like Existence (sat) and knowledge (cit) Hence, God is called Sat ChitAnanda as he is the embodiment of these qualities. The AIM OF HUMAN LIFE, in Saiva Siddhanta, is to attain Bliss (also called Mukti or freedom from sorrow) through Prayer and Devotion, BHAKTI, for Gods GRACE which alone can give release to bound soul. This concept of Grace is fundamental to the Saiva Siddhanta Bhakti philosophy.

11. Prayer and worship is normally offered to the Deity installed in Hindu Saiva Temples built strictly according to the Saiva Agamic Rules. Temple worship is central to the bhakti tradition in the souls evolution through the four stages of Sariyai (Karma), Kiriyai (Temple rites), Yoga (internal worship), and Gnana (Wisdom paths to salvation). 12. THE NATURE OF BONDAGE (PASAM). Pasam is the three-fold bondage which prevents the soul from realizing God:a. Maya is the primordial matter which constitutes successive phenomenal worlds. b. ANAVAM is the soul's egoism,manifesting as I-ness and My-ness. c. KARMA is the composite of deeds and their effects. The bearer or support of Karma is maya alone. That man suffers is evidence of his inherent freedom - this question of freedom and the individuals responsibility for it, is what the law of karma encodes. Anavam as the root impurity (moola mala) is connote to the soul, even to the liberated soul, although powerless at that stage), whereas the bonds of maya and karma pertain only to the bond soul. 13. The corner-stone of the PLURALISM of SAIVA SIDDHANTA rests on the concept of SUDDHAADVAITAM the three-fold advaita relationship in which God stands with the souls and the material world in:-. 1. Identification: as in body and soul. 2. Difference as salt and water in sea-water. 3. Togetherness: as in fruit and its essence.. This dynamic concept is unique to Saiva Siddhanta philosophy. 14.THE SCRIPTURE OF SAIVAISM is called the SAIVA THIRUMURAI. A collection of 12 Books of hymnal literature (including the Thevaram and the Thiruvacakam ref fered to as TOTIRA LITERATURE, ment for prayer and recitation.

The philosophy of SAIVISM is contained in the MEIKANDA SASTRAS, 14 in number with the leading work known as the SIVA-GNANA-BOTHAM of SRI MEIKANDAR the SYSTEMATISER of Saiva Siddhanta Philosophy. 15. According to Saiva Siddhanta, in Mukti or Liberation, the soul only attains the bliss of oneness in union with God SIVA, but not oneness in identity. Thus even in Mukti God and soul retain their individualities intact. 16. The catholicity of Saiva Siddhanta is expressed in its positive attitude of inter-faith co-operation through understanding their insights to enrich our total understanding of religious thought. We are guided by the true spirit which proclaims " I know other religions must be true because I know my own religion is true". This only means that given their respective standpoint and perspective each one has its validity.

Siva Linga Worship INTRODUCTION In the history of human culture, there are two broad aspects complementary to each other ; the one is spiritual, while the other is intellectual. In modern times undue importance is attached to intellectual advancement at the expense of spiritual attainments. If different countries are linked together on sacred bonds of culture and spiritual developments, there will be all round spiritual advancement which in its wake is sure to create a better understanding and a feeling of love and sympathy between nations ; for spiritualism knows no barriers between one country and another and culture dares no distinction between one race and another. So far as our country is concerned, the thought has been centered on creative intuition and this has manifested itself in diverse forms many of which come within a range of clearness, while some have been baffling the intellect of ordinary standard. But to an understanding eye with a sympathetic vision, the implication involved in the apparently complicated forms is likely to unravel the mysticism lying latent in them. Some of such forms is Linga or Sivalinga as is more popularly known. Again the other aspect which deserves importance is that this Sivalinga cult is not a mere routine matter of fact worship ; this is also not a mere personal prayer aimed at a personal advancement ; for apart from spiritualism it inculcates, it instills a spirit of brotherly love and

explains the universal toleration. In keeping with the modern times, it embodies in itself, the cultural principles of social service, national unity and universal brotherhood. 1. Sivalinga - a symbolism Sivalinga is a symbolism designed to bring home to the devotees all about God in a nut shell as it were. God has no form or name but all the same, it is within His competence to descend in any form with a view to exercise His powerful influence on this world. The first aspect about God is that of a form and the second is that of a no form at all. To this category, Sivalinga belongs. This aspect is referred to in Sekkilar's Periapuranam. Thus Sivalinga indicates that God can assume a formless form to bring within his fold all that is existing in this universe.Thus Sivalinga is symbolised God, as one from whom everything emanates and with whom everything gets itself merged. Some interpret the word " lingam " as derived from the root " lik " meaning " to depict " and arrive at a conclusion that Sivalinga depicts by itself everything. Some others put forth " the Nadha and Bhindu theory ". God is the embodiment of Nadha or sound. From " Nadha " or sound, " Bhindu " emanated : " Bhindu " is ' rupa " or form. The Nadha or sound is indicated by short line while Bhindu or form is shown by a disc or half circle. The short line and the half circle assume the form of " linga ". All trees, seeds, flowers, burning lights, living beings, earth, sun, moon, stars and the universe conform in a greater or smaller degree, to the form of Sivalinga. It will be very interesting to find a common flower tree with a local name Naga ( serpent ) linga delivering flowers which contain a solid substance exactly similar to Sivalinga in a miniature size, under the ambrosia shade of a hooded head of a serpent form. 2. The mysticism about Sivalinga The mysticism behind the Sivalinga cult cannot, perhaps, be better explained than by the weighty words of the German author Friedrich Heiler translated into English. " In Bhakthi mysticism, the motive of worship is an important factor ; tender mystical piety and the popular cult of Gods merge into each other. The mystical adoration of the divine Lord and Savior, Vishnu or Siva is inspired by God's image, the "arca". In the statue, that has been consecrated by a special ceremony, the God is really and personally present. His image is an "avatar" i.e. a personification and incarnation of God beyond time and space. When the devotees see the statue of his God, illumined by the dim gleam of flickering lamps and veiled in clouds of incense, he sinks down in rapturous amazement and adores in profound devotion the greatness, the beauty, and love of his God who is so present to him. The fervent and the impassioned psalms of the Tamil great mystic Manicka Vacagar which were all written or conceived in the temple of Siva were produced by the contemplation of God's sacred image."

3. The general structure of Sivalinga There are three main parts. The lower part or the root part is the creative part which represents Brahma, the creator. This part is embedded in earth and is not therefore visible. The second part or the middle part has got eight sides each side representing one of the eight sakthies or energies. The eight sakthies together with the common sakthi or energy as the ninth sakthi contribute to the middle part which represents Vishnu. Vishnu the protector is considered the sakthi of Siva. The top most portion is that of Siva, the lord of divine grace conforms to the Pravana Mantra OM . 4. Tirumular's Sivalingas. In his immortal work Tirumantiram he describes the different aspects of Sivalinga. i. Andalinga or universal-linga The first one is based on a universal conception. In this aspect, the Akas or ether forms the upper part and the remaining part is the world below. The entire universe with the mountains, meadows, trees, plants etc. form the lower part of the lingam. The worshippers of Sivalingam in this aspect consider themselves as particles of the great universal lingam. This conception chalks out the basic principle of universal brotherhood of man and fatherhood of God. ii. Pindalinga As Saint Thayumanavar points out " people do not know how He (God) stands as the life of the world and also as the world." In this sense, His devotees are themselves Sivalingas worth veneration. They are mobile deities. The main theory in this conception is that God gives his devotees his own form and speaks through them. While politics may press the need of equality and fraternity, the principle enunciated here deifies man who is worshipped in the form of Sivalinga. Following this principle rigorously, one can render devout service to the destitute, helpless orphans etc. iii. Gnanalinga Gnanalingam is the personification of Gnanam based on deep meditation. Limitless bliss is gained by self realisation and this self knowledge is equated with blissful knowledge which is otherwise known as Gnana. The worship of this gnana in the form of Sivalinga is expected to lead the devotees to the ultimate bliss.

iv. Other lingas There are several lingams in concrete forms. The temple tower, the temple flag staff, the sanctum sanctorum are symbolized as Sivalingams. Sivalingams installed in temples are generally made of stone. For daily worship, Sivalingas are made of earth, river sand, rice, butter, sandal paste, turmeric paste, sugar etc. There are also lingas made of different metals and materials. Thus we have got gold linga, silver linga, copper linga, brass linga, iron linga, diamond linga, stone linga, mountain linga, wood linga, grass linga, marble linga etc. Lord Siva is worshipped at Tiruvarur in Tanjore District as the element of earth, as water element at Thiruvanaikoil in Tiruchirapalli district, as fire element at Tiruvannamalai in North Arcot district and as air element at Kalathi and as ether element at Chidambaram in South Arcot district. There are also lingas with the abstract qualities personified. Beauty linga is called Chokkalinga or Sundaralinga ; the linga which heels diseases is Vaidya linga ; that which ensures immortality is Amrithalinga ; that which has sprung of its own accord, without any human effort, is Suyambulinga. According to Puranas, Sri Vishnu and Brahma worshipped Sivalinga at Thirvanamalai. Uma Devi (Siva Sakthi) worshipped Sivalinga at Kanchipuram in the form of Mulalingam (Original Sivalingam). Sri Ganesa worshipped Sivalinga at Tiruchengattankudi in Tanjore District after he won the battle against Gaya Mughasura. Sri Subramanya did similar worship at Tiruchendur in Tirunelveli District after he defeated Surapadma and others. After achieving victory in the fight against Ravana, Rama performed Sivalinga worship at Rameswaram. So also did Hanuman at Rameswaram after getting one from Benares. v. Sivalinga worship in scriptures The holy scriptures refer to Sivalinga worship. Yajur Anu 16 pays homage to " Goldlingam ", "Godlingam " and " Bava lingam." The references are very pointed. "

Hiranylingaya

namah!

Thivyalingaya

namah!

Bhavalingaya

namah!

"

Kamika

Agama,

Suprabhadagama, Mahutamaga, Karanagama have abundant references to Sivalinga. Dr. R. G. Bandarkar is inclined to think that linga worship dates to stone age. Some are of the view that " Kandali " mentioned in Tholkappiam refers to Sivalinga. Hodder M Westrop has collected information about the phallic worship in several countries such as Greece, Egypt, Rome, Assyria, Ancient America etc. Linga worship or worship of Peripus or fascinum or pripe gala continued to exist according to Bondin till 12th century A D. in Germany Slavonia and France.

vi. Famous Sivalingas The following twelve Sivalingas have got an ancient origin : 1. Somanath linga installed underneath the earth near Somanath temple of historical fame. 2. Sri Saila linga in Kurnool area. 3. Ujjain Maha linga. 4. Onkara linga on the bank of river Narmada. 5. Ujjain Amareswara linga. 6. Vaidyanatha linga in Patna area. 7. Rameswara linga. 8. Bhimasankara linga. 9. Thriambasewarar linga in Nasick area situated. 10. Gowdameswara linga. 11. Viswanatheswara linga. 12. Kedara linga. In the far South there are Sivalingas of ancient type in places like Kudimallan and kudimianmalai. Scholars ascribe these lingas to second century A D. Mahendra Varma I of Pallava dynasty who ruled over Kanchipuram from 600 to 630 A.D. has stated in his Sanskrit inscription on the Tiruchirapalli rocks that he took to Sivalinga worship. Sembian Devi, wife of Kandarathithar of Chola dynasty ( 949 - 957 A.D.) had a temple built in a village which stands in her name even now and worshipped her husband in the form of Sivalinga. These images and structures can be seen even today. vii. Effects of Sivalinga worship The effects of worshipping various kinds of Sivalingas are marvelous. Worship of Sivalinga made of gold grants all wealth ; Sivalinga made of cooked rice ensures plenty of food for the worshipper ; Sivalinga made out of clay collected from river banks blesses the worshipper with landed property ; the worship of Sivalinga made of butter ensures a jovial temper ; Sivalinga made of Rudraksha seeds grants knowledge and one made of jaggery ensures fulfillment of all the aims. Again Sivalinga worship does not stop with the fulfillment of worldly ambitions. The symbolism of Sivalinga is the personification of Siva's gracious will to assure the humanity at large the salvation which should be the ultimate aim of one and all. Courtesy : 63rd Annual Conference Souvenir; 1968 Saiva Siddhanta Perumanram, Chennai.

SAIVA EXISTENTIAL PHILOSOPHY AND FAMILY LIFE World Saivism and The Renewed Interest in Family Life We are not Brahmanism dominated Hindues but Siddhanta instituted Saivites, or more specifically World Saivites. World Saivism is the new name for the old Hinduism the fundamentals of which are immensely distasteful to us. In calling us as Saivites and not Hindues, we imply many fundamental changes in our existential philosophy. In this paper I want to work out the philosophy of family life by pointing out its enormous importance for existence as a whole, including the religious. Most of the great thinkers who shaped Tamil thoughts were family men or at least men who understood the enormous importance of the FAMILY as an institution for the general well being and personal growth of man and woman. We can name Tolkappiyar, Thiruvalluvar, Thirumular and so forth. And the greatest of them Meykandar and his foremost student Arunandi were family men. Meykandar as a conclusion of his philosophical investigations does not recommend Brahmacaria or even Vanaprastha - wondering in the woods eating leaves, roots and fruits in the old age - but rather intense social existence of a religious kind. One ought to live a life where there is always a struggle to purity ourselves from the ignorance that obstructs our Being one with SIVA; exist amicably with people treating them as friends, respecting those genuine sivajnanies pure in heart, worshipping without fail the deities in the Temples as SIVA Himself in various presentations. Living with people treating them as "anbar" - people dear to oneself is possible only when we realize the truth that SIVA IS LOVE and sivatattuvam is being full of LOVE. Everyone should strive to become an embodiment of LOVE itself in order to attain the supreme illumination that is CIVAJNANAM which on its wake bestows MUKTI. The attainment of such SIVAJNANAM is the meaning of Existence and Saiva Existential Philosophy articulates ways of living consistent with this. It also claims that this is the TRUTH on the basis of researches that are thoroughly rational. This philosophy is not articulated as an exercise in imagination but rather as a discovery of TRUTHS that actually found authentic existence through hermeneutic researches into the hidden elements that fabricate human existence as such.

ARUL AND SIVATTUVAM To understand the many developments of the philosophical thoughts of the Tamils, how they battled with the life negating dry asceticism of Buddhism, Jainism , Vedanta and some Saiva sects and established the relevance of family life for the religious struggles of man, we have to return to Tolkappiyam particularly Porul Atikaram, where it all begins. The thought processes channelled by this text, unfolding also many hidden elements beneath its overt articulations constitute the history of Dravidian philosophical adventures culminating in the celebrated Civajnana Botham of Meykandar. (henceforth C.B.) There is an amazing continuity despite many revolutionary changes, a continuity that constitutes the identity of the peculiarly Tamil as distinct from the Buddhist, Jaina and Vedanta forms of thinking. In this intense philosophic struggles that lasted for millenniums, deeper and deeper insights were gained, more and more of the hidden mysteries accessed and through that deeper and deeper illuminations attained. Meykandar's C.B. is a milestone in these struggles, the finest achievement of not only the Tamil Saivites but also of man as a whole. The more recently produced World Saiva texts such as Arut Kural, Thiru Nerit Telivu and so forth continue to articulate these same insights carrying them forth further and further so that a comprehensive philosophy of Authentic Existence is made available. One of the important notions that constitutes this identity is the notion of Divine Games or Pancakrittiyam, the view that life is constituted for us, as for ourselves by mantric powers that remain however unconscious for most of the time. Tolkappiyar mentions this in terms of the different deities that constitute the different phases of Human Existence; Appar describes it beautifully in the words : "Aatuvithal yaar oruvar Aadhatharee?" If played by the Divine Powers, who can fail to play? Karaikkal Peyar articulates the same in the words : "Arulee Ulakellaam Aalvippathu" It is divine Grace that rules the whole world. In Arutkural we come to a conscious understanding of it, how Thiru Arul has worked out the immense history of mankind and continues to work ceaselessly. The Saiva Existential philosophy has this notion of ARUL as its foundation and seeks to propound a way of living so that we gain more and more of this ARUL and through that finally SIVATTUVAM. And it appears that for this the family life is important - in order to attain SIVATTUVAM a man and woman must come together and maintain a family. The family unit becomes central not only in social existence but also religious. But why this is so? In order to answer this question we have to go back to Tolkappiyam where it all began. Analysis of Life in Tolkappiyam and Arutkural

Tolkappiyam divides existence into Aham - domestic - and Puram - public - with Uham - the religious considered as part of Puram. Arutkural overcomes this confusion and maintains the tripartite division of existence into Ukam, Aham and Puram giving a foundational status and importance to Ukam. Each one of these forms of life is entered into by people all over the world and are reflective of fundamental DESIRES that exist in them. These desires are manifestations of psychotropisms pulls that exist in the psychic interiority of all creatures in response to the PULL OF SUPREME BEING that leads towards MOKSA in the end. But this pull though felt, is considerably weakened by another, that of ANAVAM that always tend to obstruct and destroy the pull of the DIVINE. The creatures thus can always FALL and degenerate into the beastly. It appears that the DIVINE BEING in order to arrest this FALL and hence self-destruction discloses Himself in the forms of SIVA and SAKTI with SIVA establishing lumenotropism that constitutes political life and SAKTI establishing charmenotropism that constitutes family life. We can view SIVA and SAKTI also as the CIVA TATVAS - BINDU and NATHAM. A man is overall a psyche dominated by Natham and hence in need of Bindu. A woman is overall a psyche dominated by Bindu and hence in need Natham. A man thirsts for fulfillment through appropriating Bindu; a woman thirsts for fulfillment through appropriating Natham. These thirsts emerge as sexual desires and hence the institution of marriage. Through living as a family their cravings are satiated up to a point and an equilibrium attained. This is the model that is potrayed to us by SIVA in the archetype of arthanarisvara - an androgynous deity having the Male and Female in equal measures. Why family Life is Important for Religious Development? A man and women who have not overcome their sexual desires through ways and means consistent with fundamental moral principles, will be forever in search of such fulfillment rather than the higher. The sexual cravings are immensely powerful and unless satiated reasonably well, desires for its satiation take grotesque forms sometimes even making the person insane. Desires are hierarchical in nature, as it has been noted more recently by Abraham Maslow - unless the lower are satiated, the higher will not arise. This knowledge has been the foundation of Saiva Family life at least from the days of Tolkappiyam if not earlier. More recently Tamil siddhas such as Pokar Korakkar Agathiyar and so forth have reaffirmed it both as physicians as well as civajnanies. CIVA in disclosing himself as arthanariswara - sung eloquently in every line of Devaram - TELLS us humans that it is a NECESSITY of a FUNDAMENTAL KIND for the psychological well being of all.

Coming to Know SIVA Through Family Life Family life though a life where sexual desires are overcome through satiation, is also important for another reason. There is LEARNING of a fundamental kind that a man and woman effect rather unconsciously in living as a family. It is this aspect that is not understood by the Vedanties and others and because of which they extol Brahmacaria even for the unripe youths that results in psychological disasters of various kinds. When a man loves a woman and establishes a psychical fusion with her, along with quenching his thirst for sexual bliss, he causes the BINDU hidden within him to emerge to the foreground of consciousness so that BINDU too along with the pre-existing NATHAM shape his psychology. BINDU is that TATVA that makes a person soft, gentle, loving, kind and so forth. Thus through loving a woman and entering into an intimate life with her, a man causes BINDU to become more pronounced in his psychic being and through that acquire motherly qualities of Love, kindness and so forth. His masculine aggressiveness and arrogance gives way to loving and nourishing; from a selfish individual he becomes a Tondan - a social worker. The woman on the other hand, develops rather in a different way. The existing BINDU dominance makes her soft, gentle, submissive and timid, a person always seeking a support system that would provide the psychic security that she badly needs. The more she lacks Natham the more submissive and non-independent she becomes. When she holds a man in her heart in loving devotion and psychically fuses with him, she gets also surfacing to the foreground, the civa tatva NATHAM within her psychic interiority. When this process continues happily for several years, there comes a point where Natham is quite dominant within her and because of which she loses her timidity, anxiety, submissiveness and so forth and becomes just as independent and bold as a man. Thus we can see that though they develop in different ways but are complementary to each other and at the end both become psychically alike - both have BINDU and NATHAM in equal measures so that they are in fact archetypally arthanarisvara in effect. But what is the relevance of this for religious life? The Beginnings of Genuine Religious Life A man or a woman hungry for sexual gratification cannot and will not enter genuine religious life which is a quest for pleasures of a different kind - Sivanantham. Unless the thirst for bodily pleasures are satiated and the psychical imbalances in terms of Natham and Bindu overcome this desire for SIVANANTHAM will not arise. For it involves seeking the heavenly as opposed to the earthly, the spiritual as opposed to the material. Only when the psyche becomes an archetype of Arthanarisvara - sexually androgynous with an intimate fusion and unity with the Male and Female

elements in equal measures, that the desire for physical pleasures is neutralized. Thus now the stage is ripe for the bursting forth the higher desires, the desire for spiritual illuminations, religious excursions into the realms of the gods. And having Bindu and Natham is equal measures within their psychic interiority they are also able understand matters that are spiritual, religious, metaphysical and so forth. They provide the pre-understanding that makes the spiritual discourses intelligible. But is that all to Family life? No, certainly not - an important and universal institution such as this should certainly serve many more useful purposes. Kundalini and Family Life As it has been voiced by many siddhas and civajnanies, the sexual act is that act which secures Kundalini which also serves as the amirtham - that which provides the psychic energy that ensures virility, excellence of health, cheerful disposition and a desire to live. When overcome with miseries and melancholy, the desire for Death arises making some commit suicide or effect actions that are equivalent to that. Premature asceticism that Vedanta favors is a form of such a death - the person though living is spiritually dead as she or he becomes totally indifferent to whatever that happens around him or her. The feelings of compassion and so forth are deliberately killed by suffocation and rationalized as Brahmavidya to subdue the guilt that arises along with it. Meykandar in enunciating authentic existence as that founded upon the principle of LOVE, is totally against such Vedantic monstrosities. A life full of LOVE and designed to further the loving disposition requires that one to be cheerful, happy and so forth. Since Kundalini is that which underlies cheerfulness in disposition and so forth, sexual life within the framework of genuine LOVE is strongly recommended. The Siddhas, being physicians as well, recommend it also for reasons of good health - the Kundalini is the amirtham, the medicine supreme that battles with all the death bringing diseases, vanquishes them and thereby ensures longevity. At higher levels, the sexual act gets transformed into uniting with God Himself; the ordinary human love becomes BAKTI, love of God. The human sexuality becomes transformed into divine sexuality. It is at this point that a person becomes a Saiva Ascetic in the sense that he does not anymore care for the earthly pleasures but only the heavenly. The Sannyasam in Saivism is not a life based upon INDIFFERENCE to the worldly but only indifference to the personal. He seeks universal happiness by sacrificing self happiness. And this because he lives among the Gods and loves them deeply as did our Nayanmars and Alvars.

To rise to the stature of a Nayanmar and be fit to receive the ARUL of SIVA is the aim and goal of Saiva Family Life. And this means a live of intense concern and care and not total indifference.