Innate defilement

Umapati Shivam highlights the existence of ‘anavamala ’ and its effects on the individual selves from the very beginning of his work ‘Shivaprakasham’. He specifically mentions ‘anavamala ’ to be an innate defilement of the individual selves in the nineteenth verse. In this verse, he brings out the exposition of individual selves undergoing the cycle of birth and death, finally getting liberated by the Grace of God that is Shakti.^[1] He proceeds to define the ‘pasha ’ and the order in which ‘anavamala ’ is made to act upon the defiled individual self.

‘Anavamala ’, the defilement of the individual self is insentient (Jada ) and is incapable of acting on its own. The Grace of Shiva, the omnipotent, which dwells in and outside the individual self acts so as to make it get rid of the ‘anavamala ’. While acting so, the Grace of God is known as tirodhayi -the obscuration potency^[2] —of the Shakti itself. This obscuration potency is the main instrumental cause; Pati –Shiva is the intelligent cause. Tirodhayi acts on the individual self through the insentient-cum-everlasting maya and deeds of the individual self. Maya acts as the material cause. Deeds of the individual self as channelized by Pati are the instrumental cause.^[3] Thus, we may see that Pasha ormala consists of ‘anavamala’, karma (the deeds) and maya , but mala generally indicates the ‘anavamala ’ only.

‘Anavamala’ is non-intelligent and a primal impurity. Even though ‘anavamala’ is a single entity, it remains pervasive in all individual selves. We know that the physical darkness is a source of ignorance of all physical things. ‘Anavamala ’ also exercises a similar defiling tendency so that the individual self gets tied to spiritual darkness. Just like a stain sticks to copper till it gets polished, this spiritual darkness also encompasses the individual self till the individual self gets enlightened. This enlightenment of the individual self is also an act of Shakti , the Grace which originally acted as obscuration potency so as to make the ‘anavamala ’ matured. In the process, ‘anavamala ’ becomes inoperative finally.

Umapati Shivam compares the physical darkness with the spiritual darkness. He says the spiritual darkness is crueler than physical one in the sense that the individual self cannot recognize the existence of spiritual darkness. Physical darkness is not as cruel as spiritual darkness because we understand the existence of physical darkness.^[4]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The actions of Lord Shiva are emanating from the static form of stored energy inherent in Him as Shakti like dynamic energy which remains inseparable from Him. These actions are caused by His ever encompassing compassion towards the individual self. This is known as Grace of Shiva. Both Grace of Shiva and Shakti are synonyms in Shaiva Siddhanta literature.

[2]:

Usually anava, karma and maya are the three malas but Shaiva Siddhanta literature speaks of tirodhayi and mayeyaas the additional defilements. Tirodhayi reforms the self and ripens the mala for removal. Mayeya is the effect of maya .

[3]:

Potter makes a pot out of clay using a wheel on the land. The clay is the cause which remains part of the pot before, during and after the process. So, clay is the material cause. The potter is the intelligent cause for making the pot. Wheel and the land are the instrumental cause. The intelligent cause and the instrumental cause will act during the process but remain independent of the pot.

[4]:

Oruporulum kattathu irul uruvam kattum
Iruporulum kattathu ithu .
Veiling all else, physical darkness shows its form as darkness. But this one anava reveals neither one nor the other. Its existence cannot be understood by the individual self nor will it allow the individual self to recognize anything in theright perspective.