Interpretations of the Mahavakyas by Umapati Shivam

Umapati Shivam refutes all the above concepts and explains the term ‘advaita ’ in another manner. When the word advaita is given the meaning of abhava , it would mean ‘There are not two’. Interpreted in its sadrshya meaning,^[1] the word advaita would mean ‘They are not two’. And these two make the difference. If the sadrshya meaning of advaita is accepted as the shaiva siddhantins do, then it would mean non-difference or non-duality, meaning ‘They are not two’. There is also another ground which supports the shaiva siddhantin’s point. The negative prefix ‘a’ is capable of three important kinds of meaning of abhava, sadrshya and virodha only when it is used in connection with the nouns. But when it is used in connection with numerals, it would give only the sadrshya meanings.^[2] The word ‘ekam ’ with the prefix of ‘a’ becomes ‘anekam ’ and the word dvaitam with the prefix of ‘a’ would become advaitam .

Umapati Shivam enunciates the distinctiveness of advaita of Shaiva Siddhantaas nonseparable non-dualism.^[3] He describes the non-dualism of Shaiva Siddhanta wherein it departs from other systems of vedanta and also other schools of Shaivism. He uses two sets of analogies to bring the significance of the concepts of identity, difference and identity-in-difference.^[4]

According to the first set of analogies, gold and the ornaments made out of gold are illustrative of the identity of God-head and jivatma . Light and darkness are mentioned as illustrative of difference. Word and its meaning are illustrative of identity-indifference.

Many examples of different types are also illustrated to explain the relations. Examples involving aikya sambanhadha like the river merging in the sea,^[5] like the merging of ether in space and the fragrance in earth,^[6] and examples involving bhedadheda sambandha like tune and sound, and like fruit and its essential sweetness,^[7] and like taste and water,^[8] and finally examples involving bhedasambandha like magnet attracting iron are used.^[9]

These may be shown in the following manner.

Bheda	Bhedabheda	Abheda
1. Magnet attracting iron	1. Tune and sound	1. River merging in the sea.
2.	2. Fruit and its essential sweetness	2. Ether merging in space.
3.	3. Taste and water	3. Fragrance in earth.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Sadrshya may be understood by the term anashva which means zebra and not horse.

[2]:

Shivajnana Munivar, Mapadiyam, 114.

[3]:

Pirivarum atthuvidham—Sivaprakasam 7.
Ondri nindru unarum unmaikku
Uvamai anavatthodu ondre .—Sivaprakasam 87.

[4]:

Porpanipol apethap pirapilathai
Irul velipol bhedhamum sorporul pol
Bhedha bhedhamum indri—Sivaprakasam 7.

[5]:

Alaikadalir chendru adangumarupola—Shivajnana-Bodam 8.4.1.

[6]:

Vanagatthin vanum manatthin manamum pola—Tugalarubodam 57.

[7]:

Pannaiyum osaiyum polap pazhamadhuvum
Ennum suvaiyumpol .—Shivajnana-Bodam 2.1.3.

[8]:

Nirum iradhamum pola—Tugalarubodam 36.

[9]:

Irumbaik kandham valitthar poliyaindhu—Shivajnana-Siddhiyar-Supakkam 321.