Dasha Karya and Guru

The individual self at one stage of its sakala avastha , starts exploring the shastras of wisdom leading into its own self-hood with relation to the Primal Being and outwardly materialistic objects. This exploration, in course of time, due to its elevated maturity level, helps it to loosen its own bondage of desires and egoism. The individual self during this modified position comes to a definite conclusion that its body, world and their relations are false, deceitful, ignorant and also not permanent to rely upon. Hence the self, during this exploration examines its own status leading it to the performance of acts like Carya, kriya and yoga pertaining to the path of attainment of Lord Shiva’s Grace.

The self performing the Carya, kriya , and yoga may be tempted to abandon the same due to the worldly attractions compounded by egoism.In order that he does not become slippery in his attitude because of the imaginary splendor of the pasha , he has to continue with his experiences and exploration through a study of shastras . Then he understands the 36 tattvas or evolutes and the materialistic nature of these non-intelligent and inert ones. This level of maturity accords him the knowledge of tattva rupam and tattva darshanam . When this process of exploration takes place in the person, he also understands interalia the existence of the atma and its nature. This knowledge of “pasha jnana ” and “pashu jnana ” is termed as “Apara jnana”—otherwise known as penultimate wisdom.

The person having attained penultimate or apara jnana is exposed to tattvarupa [tattvarupam], tattva darshana [darshanam] and atma rupa [rupam]. When he performs Carya, kriya and yoga , he shall in due course of time, due to maturity, attain malapariphagam—ripening of impurities of self getting ready for dissipation) and iruvinaioppu—Equanimity of two-fold acts i.e. the balance of mind not reacting to either pleasure or pain and their causes but being steadfast in its belief that all happenings are due to the Grace of Lord Shiva only)

Shaiva Siddhanta tradition says that no person having attained the mala-paripaka [paripakam] and iruvinai oppu and also performing Carya, kriya and yoga without let-off, becomes mature enough to understand the experience of “Para jnana” unless the all-pervasive and compassionate Lord Shiva, out of mercy and great grandness, appears before the self in human form. During this act of mercy, He is known as Guru or preceptor offering “Upadesha”—the moral instruction. This process is known as “Shiva Rupa [rupam]”.

During this event of “Shiva Rupa [rupam],” the person introspects into himself due to the “Upadesha ” received from the Guru. The attachments towards his own body and world get dismantled, disassembled, and detached.He also comprehends that the self belongs to “sat ” and he is not an “asat ”.^[1]

This identification of self is known as atma darshanam . We may therefore realize that the events of tattva shuddhi,atma darshanamandShivarupam do happen simultaneously.

Tattva rupa , Tattva darshana and atma-rupa are the events happening simultaneously with “Apara Jnana ” before, but leading to, the appearance of Guru . The appearance of Guru i.e. Shivarupa along with tattva shuddhi and atma darshana happen simultaneously. The appearance of Guru imparts “para jnana ” to the self.

“Upadesha ” or moral instruction of pancakshara during Shivarupam is known as “diksha”—the divine act of initiation. The word “diksha ” in Sanskrit means the gift (dana) of moksha and loss (kshaya) of bonds of mala . It may be regarded as “jnana ”, the will of Shakti that effects “moksha”—the freedom of the self which is the prerogative of God.^[2] The agama says in clear terms that it is diksha that secures the destruction of pasha and the attainment of mukti inwhich the self is in union with Shiva.

When the self gets upadesha ,it sticks to sadhana which is a constant and continuous practice of chanting the pancakshara . It also performs esoteric and exoteric liturgy.

Exoteric liturgy is the worship with 8 types of flowers^[3] namely:—

1. Punnai;
2. Vellerukku;
3. Senbagam;
4. Nandhiyavattai;
5. Padhiri;
6. Kuvalai;
7. Alari and
8. Sendhamarai.

Esoteric liturgy by self is mainly the observance of 8 virtuesnamely:

1. Abstinence from killing;
2. Control of five senses;
3. Tolerance;
4. Compassion;
5. Knowledge;
6. Truth;
7. Carya, Kriya and yoga along with;
8. Love.

Thus the self obtains a firm conviction on its own “sadhana ”. Now the Grace of Shiva appears as insight to the self. This is known as “Shiva Darshana ”. During this event, the self is totally committed that everything and every event isdue to Lord Shiva and the self has to surrender in all humility to Him. This self purification is known as “Atma Shuddhi ”.

The self blessed with Shiva Darshana shall remain in union with the great grand Grace of Shiva without any egoism and actions of egoism.^[4]

The self has a clean perception that it remains within the omnipresence of Shiva as though it has no independent existence. The self remaining in “Shiva Yoga ” shall be guided completely by the Grace of Shiva. Total freedom from “me” and “mine” is achieved in Shiva-Yoga . Guru , as a personification of Shiva, sets at naught the entire residual stock of karma , the sancita housed in mayeya . This is done symbolically through diksha by Guru in Shiva Darshana . Shiva dispels the primary evil of anavamala and also stops “agamiya”—the fresh influx of karma due to the worldly life of the self. The portion of karmic life that has begun to bear fruit for which self was provided with a body–prarabdhakarma -is nullified by experience without attachment.^[5]

Having realized Shiva Darshana, Shiva blesses the self with His Grace and the individual self enjoys the union with Shiva in Eternal Bliss—Shiva Bhoga .

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

A prince brought up amongst poor hunters since birth, grows up as one of those without even any idea of his royal blood and of his being the heir to a kingdom. Neither can he so much as discrimate between the stations of a hunter and a king. The king, always full of love for his son, nevertheless waits for the moment, when the latter would be equal to recognizing him, and at the ripe moment reclaims the prince explicitly from the surroundings by revealing his identity by saying “you are my son”, and restores him in all honor to his royal inheritances.—Sivaraman.K.,SPP , 380.

[2]:

Virumbiya mandhira adhigaram archanaadhigaram
Mevumyoga adhigaram enacchamaya vishedam
Varumboru vil niruvanam mandhirangal padhangal
Vannangal bhuvanangal thatthuvangal kalaigal
Irangu adaivilthogai padhinondru, enbathondru aimbathondru
Irunutrodu irubatthu nalu, araru, aindhil
Parandhaneri aruvagaiyum oruvi ninaivu, aridham
Parapathatthul uyirviravap payittrum andre .—Sivaprakasam 9.
There are three forms of initiation; the first known as Samayam qualifies one for the use of Mantras , the second known as Visesha qualifies one for specializing in rites of worship and yogic practice, and the third known as Nirvana leads into the path of spiritual wisdoms by helping the soul to get clean of the six kinds of ways through which the fruits of Karma reach it.—The said ways lie through the region of Mantrams, Pathams and letters on the one hand and that of world centres (Bhuvanam ), Tattvas and Kalais on the other, Mantrams number eleven, pathams eighty one and letters fifty-one and world centres two hundred and twenty four, tattvas thirty six and Kalais five.—Subramania Pillai.K.,SP commentary ,10.

[3]:

Tirukkurundhogai–tiru adhigai virattanam-yettunanmalar kondavan sevadi.—Appar Devaram.

[4]:

Yegan agi iraipani nirka—Shivajnana-Bodam 10.

[5]:

Mundruthirath thanukkal seyung kanman gatku
Munnilaiya muviranda matthu vavin
Andramurai yavaiyarutthi yarutthumala mudhirvith
Tharumparuva madaidhalume yasa nagith
Thondrinuga radhavagai murchei kanmath
Thugalarutthang katthuvat thodakkarave jothith
Thendravudar kanmamanu bhavatthina larutthing
Ginichcheikanma mulamala gnanattha lidippan.—Shivajnana-Siddhiyar-Supakkam 262.