இலண்டன் சைவ மாநாடு (சிறப்புமலர்)
7வது 6006 மாநாடு இலண்டன் 2004
Introduction to Sivagnana Botham
Siddhanta Vidyanithi S. Shanmugavel
chosen controversies threadbare.
The metaphysics of Saiva Siddhanta is 3. The 39 adhikarnas (syllogisms) which analyse
expounded in Tamil through 14 sastras (doctrinal
works) indited by five authors. They are considered 4.
to be expounding the quintessence of the 28
Sivagamas revealed by Lord Shiva. Sivagnana
Botham, inter alia, is held to be the crown. Though
Sivagnana Botham is the third in chronology, it is
considered yet to be the fore-most, the reasons
being:
5.
1) It is a direct translation in TAMIL of the Pasa
Vimosana patalam of Rourava Agama revealed
by Shiva.
2) Its author Meykandar is the direct disciple on
earth of Kailaya parambara.
3) Its author is further a child prodigy who received
initiation at the age of only two from Kailaya Saint
Paranjothi Munigal around the year 1234 A.D.
4) It expounds the truth in a logical and epistemo-
logical footing.
5) Upadesam (religious instruction) on Sivagnana
Botham was first delivered by Srikantar to
Athikara Nandhi who is supposed to be the first
spiritual preceptor of the Kailaya Parambara.
6) This treatise is making a compromise between
Vedas and Agamas, their import and purport,
reconciliating the so-called discrepancies in the
world of intelligentia.
7) This treatise only explains the facts and fallacies
not with the usual poetical hyperboles, literary
allegories etc. but with dhrushtandas which
means inductive proofs.
8) This only gives the annotations and connotations
in the proper perspective of the intention of the
paribasha (technical terms) used in the Vedas
and Agamas leaving no room for repugnancy.
9) This only is making a compromise between
Vedas and the 12 canonical works of Tamil Saiva
tradition both revealed by the grace of Shiva.
10) Meykandar is held as the primary Acharya in the
outer Santhanacharya lineage like that of
Thirugnana Sambandar in the Samayacharya
tradtion.
Before delving deep into Sivagnana Botham, we
must understand that the treatise of Meykandar is
falling under five categories.
1. The 12 basic aphorisms are considered to be
direct translation of the Agama (Total 40 lines only)
2. The propositions that are subject to be analysed,
they are called "மேற்கோள்" in Tamil.
The 81 dhrushtandas (inductive proofs) or
illustrations which have been relied upon by
Meykandar to explain the mysteries
composed in Tamil Venba metre.
The varthika commentary (succinct notes) of
Meykandar composed in "terse-prose"
containing explanatory notes.
Among the five categories, we have to bear in
mind, the twelve aphorisms only are direct
translations and the other four methodology are
Meykandar's own after accomplishing Nishta
(Ecstacy) before Polla Pillaiyar at the village of
Thiruvennai Nallur.
About Sivagnana Botham, one un-identified
Tamil author gave the following metaphor.
The Veda is the cow; the Agama is its milk; the
Tamil Thevaram and Thiruvasakam of the four
Saints is the ghee churned from it; the excellence
of the well-instructive Sivagnana Botham of Meykanda
Deva of Thiruvennaj Nallur is like the sweetness of
such ghee.
Samayacharyas, in their devotional works
maintained the supremacy of their Vedic faith and
religion against Budhism and Jainism; but Meykandar
made a break through in expounding a highly
developed and logically systematized thinking of
those for whom Vedas are authoritative.
Arrangement in Sivagnana Botham
The contents of the works are
Special Preface (or) Poem Invocation of Lord
Ganesha; Author's apology
158
General Section containing 6 sutras
Sutra 1: Existence of God epistemologically a
must
-
Sutra 2: Relationship of God to the world and to the
souls.
Sutra 3: Existence of Souls - proof.
Sutra 4: Soul in its relation to the Andhakarnas
(inner sensoria)
Sutra 5: God's service to Souls and relationship
between Soul and Body.
Sutra 6: Real nature of God and correct interpretation
of Sat and Asat as used in scriptures.
Special section containing Sutras 7 to 12
Sutra 7: Respecting the soul which is Sadasat.
Sutra 8: Way in which Souls obtain gnosis.
7
வது
6006
மாநாடு
இலண்டன்
2004
Introduction
to
Sivagnana
Botham
Siddhanta
Vidyanithi
S.
Shanmugavel
chosen
controversies
threadbare
.
The
metaphysics
of
Saiva
Siddhanta
is
3.
The
39
adhikarnas
(
syllogisms
)
which
analyse
expounded
in
Tamil
through
14
sastras
(
doctrinal
works
)
indited
by
five
authors
.
They
are
considered
4
.
to
be
expounding
the
quintessence
of
the
28
Sivagamas
revealed
by
Lord
Shiva
.
Sivagnana
Botham
inter
alia
is
held
to
be
the
crown
.
Though
Sivagnana
Botham
is
the
third
in
chronology
it
is
considered
yet
to
be
the
fore
-
most
the
reasons
being
:
5
.
1
)
It
is
a
direct
translation
in
TAMIL
of
the
Pasa
Vimosana
patalam
of
Rourava
Agama
revealed
by
Shiva
.
2
)
Its
author
Meykandar
is
the
direct
disciple
on
earth
of
Kailaya
parambara
.
3
)
Its
author
is
further
a
child
prodigy
who
received
initiation
at
the
age
of
only
two
from
Kailaya
Saint
Paranjothi
Munigal
around
the
year
1234
A.D.
4
)
It
expounds
the
truth
in
a
logical
and
epistemo
logical
footing
.
5
)
Upadesam
(
religious
instruction
)
on
Sivagnana
Botham
was
first
delivered
by
Srikantar
to
Athikara
Nandhi
who
is
supposed
to
be
the
first
spiritual
preceptor
of
the
Kailaya
Parambara
.
6
)
This
treatise
is
making
a
compromise
between
Vedas
and
Agamas
their
import
and
purport
reconciliating
the
so
-
called
discrepancies
in
the
world
of
intelligentia
.
7
)
This
treatise
only
explains
the
facts
and
fallacies
not
with
the
usual
poetical
hyperboles
literary
allegories
etc.
but
with
dhrushtandas
which
means
inductive
proofs
.
8
)
This
only
gives
the
annotations
and
connotations
in
the
proper
perspective
of
the
intention
of
the
paribasha
(
technical
terms
)
used
in
the
Vedas
and
Agamas
leaving
no
room
for
repugnancy
.
9
)
This
only
is
making
a
compromise
between
Vedas
and
the
12
canonical
works
of
Tamil
Saiva
tradition
both
revealed
by
the
grace
of
Shiva
.
10
)
Meykandar
is
held
as
the
primary
Acharya
in
the
outer
Santhanacharya
lineage
like
that
of
Thirugnana
Sambandar
in
the
Samayacharya
tradtion
.
Before
delving
deep
into
Sivagnana
Botham
we
must
understand
that
the
treatise
of
Meykandar
is
falling
under
five
categories
.
1.
The
12
basic
aphorisms
are
considered
to
be
direct
translation
of
the
Agama
(
Total
40
lines
only
)
2.
The
propositions
that
are
subject
to
be
analysed
they
are
called
மேற்கோள்
in
Tamil
.
The
81
dhrushtandas
(
inductive
proofs
)
or
illustrations
which
have
been
relied
upon
by
Meykandar
to
explain
the
mysteries
composed
in
Tamil
Venba
metre
.
The
varthika
commentary
(
succinct
notes
)
of
Meykandar
composed
in
terse
-
prose
containing
explanatory
notes
.
Among
the
five
categories
we
have
to
bear
in
mind
the
twelve
aphorisms
only
are
direct
translations
and
the
other
four
methodology
are
Meykandar's
own
after
accomplishing
Nishta
(
Ecstacy
)
before
Polla
Pillaiyar
at
the
village
of
Thiruvennai
Nallur
.
About
Sivagnana
Botham
one
un
-
identified
Tamil
author
gave
the
following
metaphor
.
The
Veda
is
the
cow
;
the
Agama
is
its
milk
;
the
Tamil
Thevaram
and
Thiruvasakam
of
the
four
Saints
is
the
ghee
churned
from
it
;
the
excellence
of
the
well
-
instructive
Sivagnana
Botham
of
Meykanda
Deva
of
Thiruvennaj
Nallur
is
like
the
sweetness
of
such
ghee
.
Samayacharyas
in
their
devotional
works
maintained
the
supremacy
of
their
Vedic
faith
and
religion
against
Budhism
and
Jainism
;
but
Meykandar
made
a
break
through
in
expounding
a
highly
developed
and
logically
systematized
thinking
of
those
for
whom
Vedas
are
authoritative
.
Arrangement
in
Sivagnana
Botham
The
contents
of
the
works
are
Special
Preface
(
or
)
Poem
Invocation
of
Lord
Ganesha
;
Author's
apology
158
General
Section
containing
6
sutras
Sutra
1
:
Existence
of
God
epistemologically
a
must
-
Sutra
2
:
Relationship
of
God
to
the
world
and
to
the
souls
.
Sutra
3
:
Existence
of
Souls
-
proof
.
Sutra
4
:
Soul
in
its
relation
to
the
Andhakarnas
(
inner
sensoria
)
Sutra
5
:
God's
service
to
Souls
and
relationship
between
Soul
and
Body
.
Sutra
6
:
Real
nature
of
God
and
correct
interpretation
of
Sat
and
Asat
as
used
in
scriptures
.
Special
section
containing
Sutras
7
to
12
Sutra
7
:
Respecting
the
soul
which
is
Sadasat
.
Sutra
8
:
Way
in
which
Souls
obtain
gnosis
.