God and Cosmic functions

God is a spirit inseparable from all selves which have the “mula vinai ”, being the cause of the three bonds. These selves have their likes and dislikes. Hence though God is inseparable from the selves, the latter are themselves incapable of attaining God.^[1]

The “mula vinai ” is not there for God and hence He can take up any form He wills. He can energise for Himself without limit or restriction but subject to His will. Hence this explains the characterization of Shiva’s transcendence. Shiva—“nimalan [nimala]”—free from any empirical or phenomenal thing is a free Being Himself. He can do or undo or do it otherwise, while performing the cosmic functions of creation, protection, annihilation, Grace and release. This characteristic explains how He freely assumes a personality as required by the respective function.^[2] Nimalan means one who is taintless, taint being the defilement, ignorance and any other such impairment. He is ever free and causal agent of the Universe. The world is a place for selves of two genders and neuter—more specifically of him, her and it^[3]. The world is an object by itself. So it cannot be its own cause. Hence it follows that it must have been created at a particular time, conserved / developed from initial stage onwards and also absorbed at appropriate stages of development. The causal agent who performs these actions should be one transcending the objectified world.

Umapati Shivam deals with the question of existence of God. The Universe endures and undergoes involution in due process of time. Later it evolves again so that he and she—the individual selves—may be freed from defilements. It is also to be noted that the forms of these selves and neuter appear, change, move, disappear and also get annihilated. There must be a cause for these changes. This causal agent is the Primal Being and interalia recognized as Shiva. Is it possible that nature, maya, karma or any other individual self may be the cause for universe and its changes? This contention is disputed and rejected by Umapati Shivam. All these are either non-conscious taxonomic units of bonds (pasha) or bound individual selves (pashu). So it may be emphatically concluded that the cause of the universe can be none other than Lord (Pati) who wholly transcends the sphere of bondage.

Umapati Shivam discusses whether the world may be of its own cause, or in the alternative,maya, karma or any other individual self may be its cause either individually or collectively. It is well known that the world undergoes the three processes of creation, protection and destruction. These processes occur periodically, purposefully and in an orderly way. This does not happen automatically or unpredictably. These events happen repetitively for the benefit of the individual selves. When the resolution in the world takes place, the creation follows in due course. From the beginning of time the selves are defiled by a connate spiritual impurity called mala and the same is removed when it becomes fit for removal. This process is known as meaning the progressive decrease of this bondage to the self. Umapati Shivam says that recreation after resolution is occasioned by this factor of impurity and the development of the self.^[4]

But then a question arises as to the process of removal of mala . It is through the processes of creation etc.,that the defiled selves are made to pass through a chain of births and deaths transmigrating from one form of life to another so that karma fructifies.^[5] Karma is removed after its fructification which forms part of process of removal of mala . Nature and its functions are therefore brought in for aiding the self to become free from the impurity and defilement. All these processes and powers thereof are vested in the Primal Being God, He being gracious and omniscient. Maya is unintelligent and unconscious jada . Hence it can play the part of an assumptive power of the Lord. He uses this power for the evolution of the universe. This assumptive power is under the full control of the Lord. Then a doubt arises asto why any other individual cannot be the causal agent in lieu of God. Of course the individual self has knowledge but it cannot exercise the intelligence without having its body. The individual self cannot exercise the power independently also.So the individual self, being dependant on God, cannot be the creative agent of the world having embodied selves and non-intelligent matter. So the individual self cannot be the cause of the universe.

When maya is excluded, next question arises as to whether karma may be the causal agent? Umapati Shivam discusses the same and explains as to what is karma . It is generated or executed by the thinking process, the words spoken of as well as by actions.^[6] These deeds occur after assumption of the body by the self and not prior to the same. Moreover embodiment and execution of deeds are mutually dependent and thereby the implication is something other than these two should be the cause. So it can be definitely concluded that neither maya , nor mala—bound selves, nor karma may be the cause of this world. It can only be someone that transcends all these but is always with them.^[7]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Nanmaiyodu thimaidharu sethananukku—Sivaprakasam 29.
The above wordings are interpreted in cintanai urai that God knows the pleasure and pain of the individual without attachment, but He is not affected by the experiences of the individual.

[2]:

Nindru evaiyum alithiduvan nimalan thane .—Sivaprakasam 15.
The expression ‘nindru’ (standing) means standing inseparably and unchangeably. No effect inflicts upon Him.

[3]:

Avan aval adhuenum avaimu vinaimaiyin
Thottriya thidhiye odungi malathu ulatham
Antham adhi enmanar pulavar .—SB.sutra.1.
ulagamelam oruvanodu orutthi nanrondru—Sivaprakasam 16.

[4]:

Pinnum malamadhanal undagum .—ibid.

[5]:

Pullagip pudaip puzhuvagi maramagip palvirugamagip paravaiyayp pambagik kallai manidharai—TV

[6]:

Uttra thozhil ninaivuraiyil iruvinaiyu mulavam .—Sivaprakasam 31.

[7]:

uruvam mari Varuvadhu povadhu selvadhu adhalanum,
Alaivuil achetanam mayai adhalanum—ibid.