Primal Being and the Individual Self

However, we have to remember the exact difference in the “Being” of self and “Being” of God, both not of the same nature . Umapati Shivam cites the analogy of psychic senses in relation to self to bring out the difference. The senses cannot perceive in the absence of self.The self residing in the body “advises” the senses for perception.The psychic faculties do not know that their “ability of perception” is due to the self which identifies itself with the senses.Similarly the self does not understand that its “knowledge” is that of another being.^[1]

Hence it should be clear that the self is not a self-luminous one, whereas God is the only self-luminous spirit. He is all-knowing, independent and autonomous. He only enlightens the self’s knowledge. He is thus the principal of all living and non-living beings and He co-works with the individual self which is subsidiary to it.^[2]

This distinctive fact is brought out by Umapati Shivam by using the term “Amalan” meaning a Being without any impurity, defilement or any such negativity and also not affected by space, time or any other means. Umapati Shivam uses the term “Amalan Thane”—wherein “Thane” in Tamil implies here that there is no other agency except God who can do this help to all the selves.^[3]