23. Unity in the paths and philosophies of Saints

Teachings to treasure, teachings that transform. 

Thirumoolar Thavamozhi

Motivation

23. Unity in the paths and philosophies of Saints

 

Often, we wonder which religious path did the saints follow or belong to? Were they saivaites? Or vaishavaites ? or dvaities ? or advaities ? or vishitadvaities ? or saiva siddanthis ? – there were many more !

The saint Thayumanvar very nicely dispels these doubts with one clear explanation.

Saint Thayamanavar was a disciple of Mauna guru, who hails from the school of philosophy established by our Saint Thirumoolar. He says “my teacher Mauna guru, who hails from the school of Saint Thirumoolar”.

In the beautiful poems that Saint Thayumanavar has composed, one section is on “Philosophical Saint’s account”. In these poems, Saint Thayumanavar praises the philosophical Saints, saying that these Saints have gone beyond the differences in the various religious paths. They experienced a state of wisdom that attested to the unity of the religious paths.

 

He reiterates that the saints who had achieved the salvation of life through self-realization had illustrated by their experience the unity of the various religious paths. Our Saint Thirumoolar is worshiped as foremost among such saints who had achieved salvation. We see in his poems nice illustrations that indicate the unity of the various religious paths.

 

There are poems in which our Saint Thirumoolar picks up stories from the Hindu epics and explains their inner meaning. Our Saint will go beyond the boundaries of religious paths,  while making these explanations, from the perspective of a Saint with total self-realization. One such explanation is on the burning of the three towns by Siva, called “Tripura samhara”.

 

The story goes that three demons, with the strength of their boons had established three cities where they were torturing the devas. Siva burnt these three towns, and killed the demons, and saved the devas.

 

Our saint Thirumoolar sings as follows:

 

அப்பணி செஞ்சடை ஆதி புராதனன்

முப்புரம் செற்றனன் என்பர்கள் மூடர்கள்

 

அப்பணி – Siva who was keeping the Ganges in his locks; செஞ்சடை – red matted locks; ஆதி புராதனன் – Siva who existed before creation and was the cause of the creation. முப்புரம் செற்றனன் – he burnt the three cities.

முப்புர மாவது மும்மல காரியம்

-   The three cities are the three dirts of ego, karma and illusion that bind the individual soul.

அப்புரம் எய்தமை யாரறி வாரே –

அப்புரம் – that place; எய்தமை – was erased.

 

Our Saint says that we do not realise that God erases with his arrow of divine grace the three dirts in us! No one realizes.

 

Our Saint beautifully explains that the three story of the three cities, in which three demons created havoc, and that Siva with the meru mountain as bow burnt the cities and killed the demons, is not a fictitious story! Those three cities are symbolic of the three dirts inside us, that are torturing the soul in us.

For those who pray with devotion, god mercifully comes down, and erases the dirt and resides in their heart! Our Saint Thirumoolar reminds us lovingly that no one realizes this truth.

 

 

அப்பணி செஞ்சடை ஆதி புராதனன்

முப்புரம் செற்றனன் என்பர்கள் மூடர்கள்

முப்புர மாவது மும்மல காரியம்

அப்புரம் எய்தமை யாரறி வாரே.  5

 

Once we seek god’s grace, with his blessings, we can get rid of the three dirts and enjoy divine bliss. We need to break away the three fortresses of ego, karma, and illusion that have imprisoned us, and free our individual soul to experience the divine bliss. This can be possible only when god mercifully blesses us. Our Saint Thirumoolar lovingly reassures people who doubt whether the blessing of god would be easily available!

 

திரிகின்ற முப்புரஞ் செற்ற பிரானை

அரியனென் றெண்ணி அயர்வுற வேண்டா

திரிகின்ற – the three fortresses of the demons are not stable; they are not in one form; but in many forms. They have imprisoned our individual soul. So he calls them திரிகின்ற முப்புரம்.

 

திரிகின்ற முப்புரஞ் செற்ற பிரானை

செற்ற பிரானை – god who burnt them.

He uses “past” tense to reassure us that god has given his assurance that “he will free the individual soul, by breaking the three fortresses once we seek his blessings.”

அரியனென் றெண்ணி அயர்வுற வேண்டா

அரியன் என்று – he is difficult to realise;  அயர்வுற வேண்டா= do not be depressed that god is difficult to realise.

புரிவுடை யாளர்க்குப் பொய்யலன் ஈசன்

புரிவு – pure love; புரிவுடையாளர்க்கு – the devotees who have pure love for god; பொய்யலன் ஈசன் – god will without doubt shower his blessings.

பரிவொடு நின்று பரிசறி வானே.  

 

பரிவொடு நின்று – lovingly waiting to shower his blessings; பரிசு அறிவானே – he blesses in accordance with the nature of each person. பரிசு அறிவான் – God who is capable of showering his blessings as per the nature and evolution of each individual.

  

திரிகின்ற முப்புரஞ் செற்ற பிரானை

அரியனென் றெண்ணி அயர்வுற வேண்டா

புரிவுடை யாளர்க்குப் பொய்யலன் ஈசன்

பரிவொடு நின்று பரிசறி வானே.  2

To read other translated pages in these posts, see: Thirumoolar

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