Secret of the Thirumantra – 01

"மூலன் உரைசெய்த மூவாயிரம் தமிழ்

moolan uraiseytha moovaayiram thamizh

ஞாலம் அறியவே நந்தி அருளது!

gnaalam ariyavae nanthi arulathu!

காலை எழுந்து கருத்துஅறிந்து ஓதிடின்

kaalai ezhunthu karuththuarinthu oathidin

ஞாலத் தலைபவனை நண்ணுவர் அன்றே!

gnaalath thalaibvanainannuvar anrae!"

-திருமூலர் (Thirumoolar)

Out of the Saiva thirumurai, thirumantra is the tenth Thirumurai. Out of the total twelve thirumurais, the first 9 are the words of praise, the tenth one thirumantra is the type of saaththiram*, eleventh is the type of prabandham* and twelfth is the puraanam* type. This thirumantra is the ancient book that exactly speaks about the words of the god and there is no exaggeration in saying that it highlights the fame of Tamil also.

As per my view the thirumantra is a book explains about the tricks to keep your body immortal by doing yoga, staying away from all the earthly pleasures, showing love to all the living beings and uniting ourselves with the lord Siva.

Most of the rare information that is hidden in this book has not been revealed yet. In this week I wish to share the songs which are of simple words in the way I understood. As per the words of Thirumoolar we have got this book with 3000 songs fully.

First let us see how the book is organized. The book is totally categorized into ten parts. The first part is named as “Paayiram” and the other nine parts are collectively called as “Tantras”.

Paayiram

This totlly comprises of 156 songs. These songs are again categorized into 13 types. They are kadavul vaazhththu (prayer song), Andhanar Ozhukkam, Arasaatchi murai, Avaiyadakam, Aranjeyyaan thiram, Aranjeyvaan thiram, Aagama sirappu, Aaguthi vaettal, Mummoorthigalin muraimai, Vaanach sirappu, Vaedhach siauppu, Guru parambarai and Thirumoolar saying about his history.

Taking the length of the post into consideration, I shall finish it up here and continue in the next post.

*Prabandham - a class of literary genres of various subject matters, lengths, metrical forms etc.

*Saaththiram - a treatise on theology, beliefs and practices

*Puraanam - ancient tale

Willingness too charity - Thirumoolar!!

"ஆர்க்கும் இடுமின் அவரிவர் என்னன்மின்

aarkkum idumin avarivar ennanmin

பார்த்திருந் துண்மின் பழம்பொருள் போற்றன்மின்

paarththirun thunmin pazhamporul poatranmin

வேட்கை யுடையீர் விரைந்தொல்லை உண்ணன்மின்

vaetkai yudaiyeer virainthollai unnanmin

காக்கை கரைந்துண்ணும் காலம் அறிமினே

kaakkai karainthunnum kaalam ariminae."

- திருமூலர் (Thirumoolar)

"யாவர்க்குமாம் இறைவர்க்கொரு பச்சிலை

yaavarkkumaam iraivarkkoru pachilai

யாவர்க்குமாம் பசுவுக்கொரு வாயுறை

yaavarkkumaam pasuvukkoru vaayurai

யாவர்க்குமாம் உண்ணும்போதொரு கைப்பிடி

yaavarkkumaam unnumpoathoru kaippidi

யாவர்க்குமாம் பிறர்க்கின்னுரை தானே!

yaavarkkumaam pirarkkinnurai thaanae!"

- திருமூலர் (Thirumoolar)

Whatever you can give, give it without any partiality to everyone, this is only called as charity. Anything that wipes out the sorrow of other living beings is good only. This kind of charity has to be done with whole heart with same thought, action and words. By doing this kind of charity it takes an individual and his people to an higher level.

Also only giving away money and wealth alone is not charity, giving a bunch of grass to a hungry cow and praying to god by spreading an herb to god is also charity. Also talking with words which do not hurt others is also a kind of charity only says Thirumoolar.

A saying that has a great meaning with simpler words!!

Willingness to charity!!

Siththars and Vaishnavism

Though Siththars lived as the essence of Lord Siva, they have told a lot about the Vaishnava gods like Lord Maha Vishnu, Lord Raama. Sivavaakkiyar has told about the greatness of Lord Rama in the following way.

"அந்தி காலம் உச்சி மூன்றும் ஆடுகின்ற தீர்த்தமும்

anthi kaalam uchchi moonrum aadukinra theerththamum

சந்தி தர்ப் பணங்களும் தபங்களும், செபங்களும்

santhi tharp panangalum thabangalum, sebangalum

சிந்தைமேவு ஞானமும் தினம் செபிக்கும் மந்திரம்

sinthaimaevu gnanamum thinam sebikkum manthiram

சிந்தை ராம ராம ராம ராம என்னும் நாமமே

sinthai raama raama raama raama ennum naamamae”

Raama! Raama! If you keep chanting this, it is enough. No poojas, austerities and meditation are needed. Sivavaakkiyar says that by chanting the name of Lord Raama, we can get all the benefits that we get by doing things and also we get the results that could be attained by doing the holy bath in the morning, mid noon and evening.

Also he says the greatness of saying the name of Lord Raama in the following way.

"சதாவிடாமல் ஓதுவார் தமக்குநல்ல மந்திரம்

sathaavidaamal oathuvaar thamakkunalla manthiram

இதாம்இதாம் இராம ராம ராமஎன்னும் நாமமே

ithaamithaam iraama raama raama ennum naamamae"

Agathiyar says about the Vishnu Mohini form in the following way.

"பணியனையன் பாலாழி யமுர்தம் தனை

paniyanaiyan paalaazi yamurtham thanai

நேரப்பா பெண்ணுருவாய் தேவர்க்குப் படைத்தார்

naerappaa pennuruvaai devarkkup padaiththaar

நிகரில்லா ராட்சதர்கள் பெண்ணைப் பார்த்து

nigarillaa raatsatharkal pennaip paarththu

சாரப்பா மயங்கி நின்ற ரசுரர்ககளி லொருவன்

saarappaa mayangi ninra rasurarkakali loruvan" 

"ஓம் நாராயணா என செபிப்போர் நமனையும் வெல்வர்

om narayana ena sebippoar namanaiyum velvar"

says Thirumoolar.

Like wise many other Siththars have also told about Thirumaal's greatness and the specialities of his avatars.

"சதாவிடாமல் ஓதுவார் தமக்குநல்ல மந்திரம்

sathaavidaamal oathuvaar thamakkunalla manthiram

இதாம்இதாம் இராம ராம ராமஎன்னும் நாமமே

ithaamithaam iraama raama raama ennum naamamae"

From this it is so obvious that though the Siththars pray to Lord Siva as prominent god they have also sang about the Vaishnava gods.

From now on I am going to write a topic that most of them were asking to write since I started writing about the Siththars.

God the Siththars prayed to!!

"ஓமெனும் ஓங்காரத்துள்ளே ஒரு மொழி

omenum oangaaraththullae oru mozhi

ஓமெனும் ஓங்காரத்துள்ளே ஒரு அழகு

omenum oangaaraththullae oru azhagu

ஓமெனும் ஓங்காரத்துள்ளே பல பேதம்

omenum ongaaraththullae pala paetham

ஓமெனும் ஓங்காரம் ஒண்முத்தி சித்தியே!

omenum oangaaram onmuththi siththiyae!"

- திருமூலர் (Thirumoolar)

The superior guru to all of us is god only!! For those who has acheived and those who wanted to achieve, god is only the supreme guru. To make us realise about this we need a human guru.

After recognising a guru of that kind, yogic and wisdom practices has to be done with confidence, belief and full of dedication. Those who does with continuously only can attain perception. Like crushing the seed and getting oil, the body has to be strained and enlighten the soul. The Siththars have also enlightened the soul by physically straining themselves.

The Siththars who have attained this higher position has prayed to which god?

Did all the Siththars worship the same god?

There are many opinions about this. This is always been as a controversial topic only. 

Irrespective of what others have told, based on the informations we got all the Siththars have worshipped to only one god. There is no Siththar who have attained theurgy without praying to that particular god. We can say this stubbornly.

Which god is that powerful and great?

Details in the next post.

Did the Gayatri mantra vanish? Or it was hidden? -Thirumoolar

Mostly all of must be aware of this gayatri mantra. But this post is not about it, please read the title once again.

         

When we keep on repeating the same words or letters in a particular sequence continuously for many number of times then it turns into a power and protects the body and life of the one who chants it. This is the fundamental criteria of mantras.    

Out of such mantras gayatri mantra is the superior one. The one who chants it will attain all good only. Also no bad things will come to them is the belief.

It is also told that those who chants the gayathri mantra, they will be relieved from all the sins they did through mind, speech and body and they will attain the supreme being. As it lead us to reach the most higher state of wisdom i.e., reaching the supreme being (Brahmam), this gayatri mantra is called as ‘Brahmopadhesam'.

Another example to quote about the greatness of the gayatri manta is that the situation in Bagavat Gita where Lord Krishna has told the following:“In Vedas, I am living as the gayathri”.

Such a great gayatri mantra has been given to the world by Saint Viswamitra. He is the one with a great fame. In Gayatri mantra, kaayam (Gaya) refers to body, thiri (tri) refers to the tip of a lamp which means he has attained a body that brightly looks like a lamp. Due to the gayatri mantra and by worshipping of the Lordess Gayatri, mother of Vedas, Viswamitra attained all the theurgies and got the title as Brahmarishi. This is the gayatri mantra told by Viswamitra and it is told in Sanskrit.

"ஓம் பூர்: புவ: ஸுவ:

om poor: buva: suva:

தத் ஸவிதுர் வரேண்யம்

thath savithur varaenyam

பர்கோ தேவஸ்ய தீமஹி

pargo devasya theemahi

தியோ: யோந: ப்ரசோதயாத்

thiyo: yoana: prasoathayaath"

 Thirumoolar has told about this gayatri mantra in Tamil.

"காயத்திரியே கருது சாவித்திரி

kaayaththiriyae karuthu saaviththiri

ஆய்தற்க்குவப்பவர் மந்திரமாங்குன்னி

aaitharkuvappavar manthiramaangunni

நேயத்தேர்ரேறி நினைவுற்று நேயத்தாய்

naeyaththaerraeri ninaivutru naeyaththaai

மாயத்துள் தோயா மறையோர்கள் தாமே!

maayaththul thoayaa maraiyoarkal thaamae!"

- திருமூலர் (Thirumoolar)

Here begins the controversy. Almost all the Siththars have told all the mantras in Tamil. If that is the case, the gayatri mantra told by Thirumoolar is the one told in sanskrit? Did Siththars define a different gayatri mantra for themselves? For further details wait till the next post.

Mantra Yoga - "Panchatcharam" -Thirumoolar

Panchatcharam means made of five letters. It is the "Namasivaya (na-ma-si-va-ya)". 

In that word, Na refers to the earth, Ma refers to the water, Si refers to the fire, Va refers to the air, Ya refers to the sky.

Swathishtana, Manipuraga, Anagadha, Visuthi, Agnjai all these are dynamic centres which are nerve-plexuses in the body. All these corresponds to the panchapoothas* says Thirumoolar.

He also says the Namasivaya as Na refers to Swathishtana, Ma refers to Manipuraga, Si refers to Anagadha, Va refers to Visuthi, Ya refers to Agnjai.

Thirugnana Samandhar says that the word "Namasivaya" is the sole meaning of all the four vedas and is the supreme name for everything.

"காதலாகிக் கசிந்து கண்ணீர் மல்கி

kaathalaagik kasinthu kanneer malki

ஓதுவார்தமை நன்னெறிக்கு உய்ப்பது

oathuvaarthamai nannerikku uyppathu

வேதம் நான்கினும் மெய்ப்பொருளாவது

vaetham naankinum meypporulaavathu

நாதன் நாமம் நமசிவயவே 

naathan naamam Namasivayavae"

- திருஞான சம்பந்தர் (Thirugnana Sambandhar)

"நானேயோ தவம் செய்தேன் சிவயநம எனப் பெற்றேன் 

naanaeyoa thavam seythaen Sivayanama enap petraen"

says Manicka vaasagar about the greatness of panchatcharam.

"அஞ்சுக அஞ்செழுத்து உண்மை அறிந்தபின்

anjuga anjezhuththu unmai arinthapin

நெஞ்சுகத்து உள்ளே நிலையும் பராபரம்

nenjagaththu ullae nilaiyum paraaparam

வஞ்சகம் இல்லை மனைக்கும் அழிவில்லை

vanjagam illai manaikkum azivillai

தஞ்சம் இதுவென்று சாற்றுகின் றேனே

thanjam ithuvenru saatrukin raenae"

- திருமூலர் (Thirumoolar)

"சிவாயவொடு அவ்வே தெளிந்துஉளத்து ஓதச்

sivaayavodu avvae thelinthuulaththu oathach

சிவாயவொடு அவ்வே சிவனுரு வாகும்

sivaayavodu avvae sivanuru vaagum

சிவாயவொடு அவ்வும் தெளியவல் லார்கள்

sivaayavodu avvum theliyaval laarkal

சிவாயவொடு அவ்வே தெளிந்திருந் தாரே

sivaayavodu avvae thelinthirun thaarae"

- திருமூலர் (Thirumoolar)

says Thirumoolar about the greatness of panchatcharam.

"சிவாய மென்ற அக்கரம் சிவனிருக்கும் அக்கரம்

sivaaya menra akkaram sivanirukkum akkaram

உபாயம் என்று நம்புதற் குண்மை யான அக்கரம்

ubaayam enru nambuthar kunmai yaana akkaram

கபாடம் அற்ற வாசலைக் கடந்து போன வாயுவை

kabaadam atra vaasalaik kadanthu poana vaayuvai

உபாயம் இல்ல ழைக்கும் சிவய அஞ்செ ழுத்துமே

ubaayam illa zhaikkum sivaya anje zhuththumae"

- சிவவாக்கியார் (Sivavaakkiyar)

says Sivavaakkiyar about the greatness of panchatcharam.

In the next post we shall see about the sakthi mantra.

*Panjapootham - the five elements viz., earth, air, fire, water and sky. 

Mantra Yoga - "Pranavam" -Thirumoolar

In the previous post, we have seen that the "OM" mantra is the pranava mantra. We shall see the meaning of the 'OM' mantra in this post.

The pranava mantra "OM" has to be added in the beginning of any other mantra and chanted. 

It is also called as thaaraka mantra and pranavam. The thaaraka mantra means the one that makes you cross something. Ship has thaarakam as another name for the reason that it hepls us to cross the ocean. Like wise the mantra is considered as pranavam mantra as it helps to cross the ocean of life.

The word Pranavam means pra - Universe, na - no, va - for you, means your relationship with the world will be cut if we chant the mantra.

All the vedas have been originated from the "OM" mantra. Hence whoever chants this mantra would get the benefit of chanting all the mantras.

In kaasikandam, it is said that Brahma has got that position of brahma only after chanting the "OM" mantra. In kandhapuranam, it is told that when Brahma was unable to tell the meaning of this pranava mantra he was put in jail by Lord Muruga. Then Muruga has taught the meaning of the pranava mantra to Lord Siva also and thereby he got the name Swaminaadhar.

For the earthly creations and its protection, the small drum in the hand of Lord Siva and the conch in Vishnu's hand named as Paanja sanyam keep making the sounds of "OM" mantra. 

This thaaraka mantra is called as Panchatcharam by Saivites and Sutchuma sadatcharam by Vaishnavites. The siththars have also stressed about the importance of this "OM" mantra.

"ஓங்காரத் துள்ளே உதித்த ஐம் பூதங்கள்

oangaarath thullae uthiththa aim poothangal

ஓங்காரத் துள்ளே உதித்த சராசரம்

oangaarath thullae uthiththa saraasaram

ஓங்காரத் தீதத்து உயிர் மூன்றும் உற்றன

oangaarath theethaththu uyir moonrum utrana

ஓங்கார சீவ பரசிவ ரூபமே!

oangaara seeva parasiva roobamae!"

says Thirumoolar about the greatness of OM mantra.