Consequential bondages

Husk exists with paddy in nature. So also, ‘anavamala ’ exists with the individual self. Hence, ‘anavamala ’ is a primordial bond for the individual self. This bond is called sahaja-mala . The other two malas are karma and maya as said earlier. These are called consequential malas –agantuka malas . All the three malas , being impurities of the individual self, do harm to the individual self by the action of obscuration potency. Their effects on the individual self are limited according to the time taken for the individual self to become matured. This is explained by Umapati Shivam in Shivaprakasham.^[1]

‘Anavamala ’ remains as a single entity. It binds infinite intelligent individual selves. It works on many individual selves at the same time. The release of individual self implies the dissolution of mala . But it is not to be construed as destruction of mala itself. The infinite functions of mala with respect to infinite individual selves are continuous. These functions are subdued or stopped at the respective time limits with reference to the ripened individual selves.

The connate bond of the individual self is one. But by virtue of its infinite functions, it thwarts the intelligent functions of the infinite number of individual selves simultaneously. These functions of ‘anavamala ’ are beginningless and innate in the individual self itself. But these functions are terminable in the long run at different times for different individual selves according to their level of maturity. These functions of mala can be subdued when the individual self understands the world as non-being, i.e., asat. As such the individual self abandons the sense of the world as a passing mirage in valuational sense and not in ontological sense. Meikandar explains in his work ‘Shivajnana bodam’ that the individual self is incapable of understanding the Grace of God through its intelligence. When it understands that the body, five senses, the world as well as the enjoyment it derives therefrom are all a distance mirage, it can attain the Lotus feet of Shiva through the knowledge of His Grace.^[2]

‘Anavamala ’ is also responsible for the three states (avasthas) of ‘Kevala ’, ‘Sakala ’ and Shuddha ’. ‘Kevala’avastha is pre-transmigratory state of isolation of the individual self, i.e., the state of consciousness characterized by ignorance due to impurity of mala leading to aloofness of the individual self. In this state, the individual self’s cognition, conative and affective functions are entirely thwarted by ‘anavamala ’. Sakala avastha is the visible form of active life of the individual self. Liberation is the Shuddhaavastha which is a state of the consciousness enjoying pure spiritual realization absolutely free from impurity of defilement.

The mala is a non-intelligent single material entity and eternal. As per Shaiva Siddhanta, a single material non-intelligent entity will always remain eternal whereas if there are many non-intelligent material entities of the same group, then they will not be eternal and will be subject to change and final destruction.^[3] The individual selves are many, intelligent and non-material. The mala does not act on its own volition to obscure the intelligence of the individual selves. Umapati Shivam herein brings the divine function of God Himself. The power of this divine function of concealing the intelligence of the individual selves is called obscuration potency of the Grace of Lord Shiva–tirodhayi . Non-intelligent material agencies of bondage acted upon by this obscuration potency function with multiple actions of veiling and misdirecting the individual self’s intelligence.

This Divine function of the Grace of God (i.e., tirodhayi) directing the ‘anavamala ’ and maya along with deeds of the individual self is also known as mala only. Umapati Shivam says that this statement is not literally true. It is only a passing phase of Grace. This phase of Grace is the very nature of God. He, out of His overflowing Grace and compassion towards the individual selves under bondage makes them to rise above and 22 get united at His feet.^[4] Umapati Shivam uses two selected words in his work—‘Parindhu’ and ‘karunai miha ’indicating that Lord out of His pure sympathy on seeing the pitiable plight of the individual self with His unlimited Grace covets to contain them under His ever-Blissful state.

Thus, Shaiva Siddhantaspeaks of the process of maturation of the individual self, i.e., concealing power of God Himself activating the ‘anavamala ’ so as to get rid of the same. But where will the individual self function? Umapati Shivam answers that God Himself has created the external world from another non-intelligent material where the individual self has a locus-standi to function. This non-intelligent single entity is activated by God’s accusative as well as assumptive power–Parigraha Shakti called maya. Maya is the material substratum or basic state of cosmic evolution.

Maya unfolds into two parts. The first is the material cause of pure order of creation and the second is the material cause of impure order of creation. Though maya is a single principle, we may consider it in two parts for sake of clarity.^[5]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Aegamai thamkala ellaigalin meelum
Ennariya sathiyadhai irulolir irunda
Mogamaich sembin uru kalimbu aeinthu nitha
Mulamala mai arivu muzhuthinaiyum maraikkum
Bhagamam vagai nindru thirothana sathi
Pannuthalal malamenavum pagarvar athu parinthu
Nagama nathimathiyam pothisadaiyan azhagan
Nanugum vagai karunaimiga nayakkum thane .
The original bond (‘anavamala ’ or spiritual darkness) is one eternal entity with countless powers which lapse their efficacy at the end of their respective time limits.

[2]:

Unak kanpasam unarap pathiyai
Jnanak kanninil sinthai nadi
Urathunaith therthu aenap pasam oruvath
Thnnizhalam pathi vithi ennum anjezhutthe .

[3]:

Ondrathai anega satthi udaiyathai udanai athi andrathai … .-SS.170.
‘anavamala ’, with its many Shaktis , is one, pervading through the numberless jivas .

[4]:

Refer opp.cit., -Sivaprakasam 20

[5]:

Aegan anegan irul, karumam, mayai irandu
Agayivai aru athi il .-TP . 52.
The one God, the many (spirits), Darkness (Anava ), Kanmam, and dual (shuddha and Ashuddha ) maya –without beginning are these six. -Joseph Jaswant Raj sdb, Grace in the Shaiva Siddhantha and in St.Paul , (Chennai, South Indian Salesian Society, 1989), 460. However, Mayai in the above, is considered as Maya (Material Substratum) of the cosmos and Mayeya (The material locus.) -Sivaraman. K, Saivism inPhilosophical Perspective , (Delhi, Motilal Banarasidass, 1973), 632.
Virivaya thanseyalin viyapiyai -Sivaprakasam 22.
Maya is all pervading (vyapaka ) with shuddha maya and Ashuddha maya both being inherent in vyapaka , i.e., vyapa . Maya is a single entity with two sides of pure and impure order just like crab’s red seed.
—Mani Si. Su, Shivajnana Mapadiam with explanatory notes , (Tirunelveli, 2001), 361.