இலண்டன் சைவ மாநாடு (சிறப்புமலர்)
7வது சைவ மாநாடு இலண்டன் 2004
Sutra 9: Purification of the Soul.
Sutra 10: De-activating the three malas and landing
on Sivayoga.
Sutra 11: Way by which soul finally unites with God.
Sutra12: Mode of worship of God who surpasses
powers of thought and speech.
Epilogue (or) Colophon.
Legend goes like this. Adhikara Nandi was
having some doubts about the total number of
entities as enshrined in the Sivagamas. Once, he
had an occasion to enquire about this with Sri
Ka who was pleased to explain the coherence
to the satisfaction of Adhikara Nandi. This was
handed down to posterity form one preceptor to his
student and so on. This tradition or lineage is called
Sri Kailaya Parambarai.
Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, the
American born founder of Saiva Siddhanta church
and Himalayan academy writes thus about
Meykandar.
"Truth seer". The 13th century Tamil theologian
author (or translator from the Raurava Agama) of
the Sivajnanabodham. Founder of the Meykandar
Sampradaya of pluralistic Saiva Siddhanata.
Sivagnana Botham sutras are to the Saiva
Siddhantins what Brahma Sutra of Vyas alias
Badarayana are to the Vedantins.
Though the 14 sastras are a masterly
compendium on Saiva Siddhanta metaphysics,
they should be interpreted in accordance with the
dictates of Sivagnana Botham.
Meykanda Deva when refuting the other
schools will not explicitly name them; but discusses
their theories only. Doctrine explaining the Saiva
Siddhanta school is called "Subaksha" and
refuting the doctrines of other schools is called
"Parapaksha" For understanding the different
schools un-ambiguously, the latter Acharyas Arul
Nandhi and Umapathy had indited Sivagnana Siddhi
and Sankarpa Nirakaranam respectively.
While Arulnandhi refuted the outer and outermost
schools, Umapathy refuted the inner and innermost
schools in their respective works. The only school
they both refuted is "Mayavada" advocated by Adi
Sankara preceded by his Guru's Guru Goudapada.
Mayavadam: The doctrine that regards the
souls and the material universe as non-existent a
mere myth, a delusion or illusion. A western
philosophical term for the philosophy of Sankara is
"acosmic-pantheism". It is acosmic in that it views
the world, or cosmos, as ultimately unreal, and
pantheistic because it teaches that God (Brahmam)
is all of existence.
Meykandar gave the right exegetical
interpretations for the Vedic terms-Adwaita,
Paramatma, Jeevatma, Maya, Sat, Chit, Ananda,
Nirguna, Thath Dhwam Asi, etc.
Among them, saints and scholars have held
that "Adwaita" interpretation is top-most and unique;
because this word can only create chaos, confusion
and distortion among Hindu philosophers.
The great Saint of Tamilnadu St. Thayumanavar
(held in high esteem by Vedantins and Siddhantins
alike) has put it as follows:-
"All other commentators were deceived by the
word Adwaita While Meykandar is the only one who
has caught the letter and spirit of the word Adwaita"
According to Meykandar, Adwaita does not
mean "Monism" but it does mean "Non-dualism"
strictly applying the Sanskrit grammar of St. Panini.
If there is only one absolute, the very conception of
duality is impossible and un-warranted. The word
Adwaita implies the existence of two entities and
does not negate the reality or existence of one of
the two. It simply postulates a relation between the
two. The souls are capable of a double relationship
implying two kinds of adwaita. They are in Adwaita
relation with maya and simultaneously Adwaita
relation with God. We may perhaps call the first their
objective relation; and the other their subjective
relation.
The souls are distinct eternal entities; but they
cannot exist except in God. Souls do not originate
from God just like consonants do not originate from
the vowels.
Here, mention is to be made about two English
translators of Sivagnana Botham. First is Rev.
Henry R. Hoisington, American born Scholar
belonging to the American Oriental Society whose
translation was published in 1853-54. He mainly
followed the commentary in Tamil of Pandi Perumal.
Second is J.M. Nallasami Pillai, a Tamil savant
of rare caliber published in the year 1895. He mainly
followed the commentary of St. Sivagnana Munivar
belonging to Thiruvavaduthurai Adheenam a great
Saiva Siddhanta Mutt in Tamil Nadu.
N.B: So far, one English translation is available
of the whole "Sivagnana Mahapadiyam" of St. Sivagnana
munivar translated by a veteran Tamil Scholar K.
Vajravel Mudaliar - published by Madurai - Kamaraj
University in the year 1985.
-
I may conclude with one remark. The pursuit of
any student of Saiva Siddhanta will not become
complete without going through the Maha Bashya
on Sivagnana Bashya at least in English if he is not
conversant with poetical and terse Tamil.
Prostrations to the Lotus Feet of Meykandar-
159
7
வது
சைவ
மாநாடு
இலண்டன்
2004
Sutra
9
:
Purification
of
the
Soul
.
Sutra
10
:
De
-
activating
the
three
malas
and
landing
on
Sivayoga
.
Sutra
11
:
Way
by
which
soul
finally
unites
with
God
.
Sutra12
:
Mode
of
worship
of
God
who
surpasses
powers
of
thought
and
speech
.
Epilogue
(
or
)
Colophon
.
Legend
goes
like
this
.
Adhikara
Nandi
was
having
some
doubts
about
the
total
number
of
entities
as
enshrined
in
the
Sivagamas
.
Once
he
had
an
occasion
to
enquire
about
this
with
Sri
Ka
who
was
pleased
to
explain
the
coherence
to
the
satisfaction
of
Adhikara
Nandi
.
This
was
handed
down
to
posterity
form
one
preceptor
to
his
student
and
so
on
.
This
tradition
or
lineage
is
called
Sri
Kailaya
Parambarai
.
Satguru
Sivaya
Subramuniyaswami
the
American
born
founder
of
Saiva
Siddhanta
church
and
Himalayan
academy
writes
thus
about
Meykandar
.
Truth
seer
.
The
13th
century
Tamil
theologian
author
(
or
translator
from
the
Raurava
Agama
)
of
the
Sivajnanabodham
.
Founder
of
the
Meykandar
Sampradaya
of
pluralistic
Saiva
Siddhanata
.
Sivagnana
Botham
sutras
are
to
the
Saiva
Siddhantins
what
Brahma
Sutra
of
Vyas
alias
Badarayana
are
to
the
Vedantins
.
Though
the
14
sastras
are
a
masterly
compendium
on
Saiva
Siddhanta
metaphysics
they
should
be
interpreted
in
accordance
with
the
dictates
of
Sivagnana
Botham
.
Meykanda
Deva
when
refuting
the
other
schools
will
not
explicitly
name
them
;
but
discusses
their
theories
only
.
Doctrine
explaining
the
Saiva
Siddhanta
school
is
called
Subaksha
and
refuting
the
doctrines
of
other
schools
is
called
Parapaksha
For
understanding
the
different
schools
un
-
ambiguously
the
latter
Acharyas
Arul
Nandhi
and
Umapathy
had
indited
Sivagnana
Siddhi
and
Sankarpa
Nirakaranam
respectively
.
While
Arulnandhi
refuted
the
outer
and
outermost
schools
Umapathy
refuted
the
inner
and
innermost
schools
in
their
respective
works
.
The
only
school
they
both
refuted
is
Mayavada
advocated
by
Adi
Sankara
preceded
by
his
Guru's
Guru
Goudapada
.
Mayavadam
:
The
doctrine
that
regards
the
souls
and
the
material
universe
as
non
-
existent
a
mere
myth
a
delusion
or
illusion
.
A
western
philosophical
term
for
the
philosophy
of
Sankara
is
acosmic
-
pantheism
.
It
is
acosmic
in
that
it
views
the
world
or
cosmos
as
ultimately
unreal
and
pantheistic
because
it
teaches
that
God
(
Brahmam
)
is
all
of
existence
.
Meykandar
gave
the
right
exegetical
interpretations
for
the
Vedic
terms
-
Adwaita
Paramatma
Jeevatma
Maya
Sat
Chit
Ananda
Nirguna
Thath
Dhwam
Asi
etc.
Among
them
saints
and
scholars
have
held
that
Adwaita
interpretation
is
top
-
most
and
unique
;
because
this
word
can
only
create
chaos
confusion
and
distortion
among
Hindu
philosophers
.
The
great
Saint
of
Tamilnadu
St.
Thayumanavar
(
held
in
high
esteem
by
Vedantins
and
Siddhantins
alike
)
has
put
it
as
follows
:
All
other
commentators
were
deceived
by
the
word
Adwaita
While
Meykandar
is
the
only
one
who
has
caught
the
letter
and
spirit
of
the
word
Adwaita
According
to
Meykandar
Adwaita
does
not
mean
Monism
but
it
does
mean
Non
-
dualism
strictly
applying
the
Sanskrit
grammar
of
St.
Panini
.
If
there
is
only
one
absolute
the
very
conception
of
duality
is
impossible
and
un
-
warranted
.
The
word
Adwaita
implies
the
existence
of
two
entities
and
does
not
negate
the
reality
or
existence
of
one
of
the
two
.
It
simply
postulates
a
relation
between
the
two
.
The
souls
are
capable
of
a
double
relationship
implying
two
kinds
of
adwaita
.
They
are
in
Adwaita
relation
with
maya
and
simultaneously
Adwaita
relation
with
God
.
We
may
perhaps
call
the
first
their
objective
relation
;
and
the
other
their
subjective
relation
.
The
souls
are
distinct
eternal
entities
;
but
they
cannot
exist
except
in
God
.
Souls
do
not
originate
from
God
just
like
consonants
do
not
originate
from
the
vowels
.
Here
mention
is
to
be
made
about
two
English
translators
of
Sivagnana
Botham
.
First
is
Rev.
Henry
R.
Hoisington
American
born
Scholar
belonging
to
the
American
Oriental
Society
whose
translation
was
published
in
1853-54
.
He
mainly
followed
the
commentary
in
Tamil
of
Pandi
Perumal
.
Second
is
J.M.
Nallasami
Pillai
a
Tamil
savant
of
rare
caliber
published
in
the
year
1895.
He
mainly
followed
the
commentary
of
St.
Sivagnana
Munivar
belonging
to
Thiruvavaduthurai
Adheenam
a
great
Saiva
Siddhanta
Mutt
in
Tamil
Nadu
.
N.B
:
So
far
one
English
translation
is
available
of
the
whole
Sivagnana
Mahapadiyam
of
St.
Sivagnana
munivar
translated
by
a
veteran
Tamil
Scholar
K.
Vajravel
Mudaliar
-
published
by
Madurai
-
Kamaraj
University
in
the
year
1985
.
-
I
may
conclude
with
one
remark
.
The
pursuit
of
any
student
of
Saiva
Siddhanta
will
not
become
complete
without
going
through
the
Maha
Bashya
on
Sivagnana
Bashya
at
least
in
English
if
he
is
not
conversant
with
poetical
and
terse
Tamil
.
Prostrations
to
the
Lotus
Feet
of
Meykandar
159