Chapter 3 - Grace And Ethics

I - Doctrine of Grace:

Lord’s Grace or ‘Arul’ is the Mother. Vedanta Desikar’s conception that while He loves rule, she rules love and overpowers might, is probably the same as that of Shaivite conception of Shiva and Uma; only the Shaivites speak of a final stage when Shiva and Uma are but one. Pillai Lokacarya’s theory about the working of this Grace is more applicable to Arurar, though not his conception of the Mother who according to Pillai is not Vibhu or infinite but only a mediatrix interceding on behalf of the sinner and subduing the retributive will of the Lord by Her overflowing mercy and thereby making the Lord the Saviour and the soul the mukta. The second part of Sri Vacanabhusanam insists on the spontaneity of Divine mercy as opposed to its attainment by our effort. According to Pillai, “Responsiveness to Grace has more religious value than the responsibility of the fiva to merit it. Operative Grace like the free flow of mother’s milk is different from cooperative Grace which is like artificial milk, and the upaya mentality savours of egoity”. Surrender brings on us the Absolute rain of Grace which is bestowed and not merited by egoistic effort. This, very well explains the doctrine of Grace which Arurar refers to as “Kurram ceyyinum kunam enak karutum kolkai”.

Our poet many a time and in many ways praises this Grace of the Lord. He is the Lord of Grace—‘Arulalan’— that is mentioned in his very first verse and the place where the poet was thus saved probably came to be known as ‘Arul Turai’, the Ford of God’s Grace. He is the munificent Lord and His Grace seems to be so unique when it flows towards the poet. He gives Himself to think about Him—“Tannai ennai ninaikkat taruvan”? He feels the munificent Lord is a companion, all to himself. The ‘saulabhya’—‘elimai’ is often emphasized—‘Kanap penumavarkku eliyan’. He makes the poet receive His sweet Grace—“Ennai innarul eytuvippan”. He is ‘Piran’ the Great One, offering all help. He is the divine tree which satisfies all desires—‘Karpakam l His victories (of Virattana) are well known; but our poet, suggesting that all these victories are the victories of His Grace, describes the Lord as the warrior of Divine Grace—“Tiruvarul cer Cevakan” He is the merciful to all. He blesses all without saying ‘no’—“Ellarkkum illai ennatu arul ceyvar”? He blesses his devotees by removing the afflictions—“Pitai tira atiyarkku arulum Peruman”. He is clothed in His Grace devoid of all miseries—“Allalil arule punaivdn” (There is another reading ‘purivan instead of ‘punaivan’. Then it will mean that He will bestow His Grace upon us during the time of our miseries). He blesses us by removing our miseries—“Altai tirt tarul ceyya vallan”. He destroys the karmas at once, even those ancient karmas—“Ollai val vinaikal ketuppan . He helps those attached to Him: “He is One who will not get detached from them—“Urravarkku uta-vum Peruman”; “Parrinarkku enrum parravan”. He is Good to those who come near Him, and who are attached to Him and who praise Him—“Nanninarkku enrum nallavan”; “Parrinar-katku nallar”. It is impossible to leave Him once you move or be in communion with Him—“Viravinal vitutarkariyan”. He forgives all faults and removes them—“Pilaiyaip poruppan”; “Pilaiyelam tavirap panippan” That is His Grace which is the very form of forbearance—“Kamaiyar karunaiyinan”. It leads to Jnana; He blesses by removing doubt—“Cankaiyai ninka aruli”.

II - Karma transcended:

Mind gets purified and the soul proceeds towards communion with God. The never ending cycle of karma is transcended.

All the fetters and ignorance recede away like a mirage which has been deceiving and teasing us as though it were a beautiful pond of pure water in the desert—

“Urattunait terttenap pacam oruva”.

Divine communion results. Therefore, his transcending the karma is very important because salvation is certain thereafter.

All our miseries are the result of karma and God removes our hunger—

“Paci tirppan”.

He sets at naught to our calumnies beforehand—

“Varumpali varame tavirppan”;

removes our sufferings—

“Varut-tam kalaivan”;

removes our anxieties and diseases—

“Kavalai kalaivan”;
“Pini kalaivan”;
“Kattamum piniyum kalaivan”;

removes them for ever—

“Allal ullana tirttituvan”;

removes the obstructions—

“Itar tirkkavallan” 

and the defects—

“Unamayina tirkkavallan”;

removes the sorrow—

“Tuyar tirppan”

This happens because the karmas— the ancient karmas (Pantai vinaikal); cease to have any effect thereafter, receding away as a mirage.

Our poet says this happens as soon as one falls at the feet of the Lord in self-surrender and the transformation seems to be so sudden that one has to speak there of the Grace of the Lord—

“Tolalum tolvinai tirkkinra coti”;
“Ataivar vinai rtrkkum purivutaiyar”
“Partya vinaikal avai tirkkum Paraman”.
“Paracuvar vinaip parraruppan”;
“Palam vinaikal avm tirkkum Paraman ;
“Pantitta vinaip parraruppan” —

Here it will be also seen that He uproots the karmas.

Even their trace of previous attachment disappears—

“Aritta Nampi atikai toluvar noy ;
“Ataivar vinaikal aruppan ;
“Vinaiyai vitta nanrum nalla Natan ;
“Enrum vinaikal tirppar .

He is the medicine and nectar capable of uprooting even the strongest karmas to those who worship or circumambulate Him—

“Valam kolvaravar val-vinai tirkkum maruntu”.

This Grace of removing the karmas is bestowed upon all in this world—

“Ulakil ullar vinaikal tzrppar”

That is the confidence of our poet, the confidence of universal salvation, for God is One who blesses all—

“Ellarkkum illai ennatu arul ceyvar”.

III - Karma and Grace reconciled:

1. Sivajnana Yogi:

The working of the karma in bringing on this Grace of the Lord is explained by Swajriana Yogi in his commentary on Shiva-jnanabodham. All the good things we do, bring on good results but they are after all gold-fetters as opposed to iron-fetters of evil acts. But these good acts are called ‘Pacu punniyam because they are not done with the proper feeling of self-sacrifice in the name of God, when alone they will be Sivapunniyam. In the pacupunniyam, the ego is not dead, whilst in the Sivapunniyam it is completely erased. How does one escape these fetters by doing good acts? Though the Pacupunniyam is intended to benefit some others in the society, because the Lord is all pervasive, this act intended consciously for some one also, goes unconsciously to please the Lord ultimately. This way, Pacupunniyam leads to Sivapunniyam, Therefore, the immediate result is the gold-fetters, but ultimately, on account of the Sivapunniyam accumulating and transforming the soul, it experiences the Divine Bliss. Sivajnana Yogi asserts, this is the meaning of Arurar s verse, “Vempinopu tin karumpu viravi enait tirttir”. ‘Vempu’ or the bitter margosa-seed-like experience is the experience of karma or fetters. Divine bliss, sweet like the sugar-cane is the unconscious result of Sivapunniyam. In this way the soul is in the end completely transformed—‘Tirttir’

2. Pillai Lokacaryar:

Sri Vacanabhusanam, by Pillai Ldkacariyar, beautifully expresses this unconscious purification of our acts even in our physical and mental plane and it is worth quoting that part of the text here:

“Tripat viputiyile paripurnanupavam natavanirka, atunta turukkattate, tecantarakatanana putran pakkalile pitru hrtayam kitakkumapole, camcarikal pakkalile tiruvullam kutipoy, ivarkalain pirintal arramattdte, ivarkalote kalantu parimarukaikkuk karana kaleparankalaik kotuttu, avarraikkontu vyaparikkaik katana cakti vicesankalaiyum kotuttu, kankana ninkil anaiyittu vilakkuvarkal-ennu kannukkut torratapati, urankukira prajaiyait tay mutukile yanaittukkontu kitakkumapole, tananinta campantame hetuvaka vitamattate, akavayile anaittukkontu atciyil totarcci nanrenru vitiate, cattaiye nokki utanketanay, ivarkal acatkarmankalile pra-varttikkumpotu mitkamattate, anumati tanattaippanni utacinaraip-pole iruntu, mvtkaikkitam parttu, nanmaiyenru peritalavatoru ttmaiyum kanate, nerriyaik kottipparttal oruvaliyalum pacaikana-tolintal, aprapyamenru kanna nirote miluvatu; tanakkera vitam penravalavile, en uraic connay en peraic connay en atiyarai nok-kinay avarkal vitayait tirttay avarkalukku otunka nilalaik kotut-tay ennumapole cilavanrai enittu, matirrvankayitfu, ponvaniyan pon-nai uraikallile uraittu melukale etuttuk kalkalancenru tirattumdpole, janmaparamparaikaltonum, yatruccikam pracankika manusankikam enkira cukruta vicesankalaik karpittukkontu, tane avarnai onru pattdkki natattikkontu porum. Lalitacaritatikalile ivvarttam curukka moliyak kanalam.”

A robber escaping from custody may go round a temple or any spiritual environment. Any sinner may call his friend, perhaps as a brother sinner but who in this country is as usual named after God. Pillai writes that God in writing the account of this soul gives credit for his having been in a holy environment and for his addressing the Lord by His name—“En uraicconnay, en peraicconnay”

The same idea is expressed by our poet—

“Poyye unnaip pukalvar pukalntal atuvum porulak kolvane” —

‘Even if those who praise You, do so without sincerity, You take it as sincere and true praise’.

“Anpilarenum Emperuman enru eppotum alaitta-varkkarul cey.... Adigal” —

‘Even if they have no love, You.... bless those who call or utter Your name always’.

3. Our Poet, Arurar:

We explained the working of karma as a kind of retribution, reformation, cure and education. When our poet sings of God as ‘a cheat unto the cheat,’ “Pulluvarakum avarkku avartamum Pulluvar”“Etilar tamakku etilan” —‘as a stranger to those who look upon Him as a stranger’—there is the idea of retribution—paying them in their own coin. So also he expresses the same idea in the verse No. 60:4, where he speaks of the acts of previous birth inflicting in this birth. The idea of punishment is also there when he says, “Pat appal tanmaiyil nan pattatellam patuttay”; Here ‘patuttay’ means punished or made one undergo. Our poet speaks of the Lord punishing him with blinaness. The reformative theory of karmas is referred to when God is said to be refining and transmuting the mind and the soul—“Tiruttit tirutti vanten cintai itankol kayilaya”. The curative theory, where the conception of karma and of all our defects and our ignorance being a disease is also emphasized by our poet when he speaks of “Pantitta vinaip parraruppan” ‘One who cuts away the fetters of karma in terms of surgery’ and of “Pint kalaivay” —‘You who removes the disease in terms of cure’. Our poet calls the misleading desires as cruel disease of desire—“Vetkai Venndy”. Identification with the imperfection ‘Apurnam and anyata’ which is want of wholeness is disease and the source of every misery. According to an Indian Saint the greatest illness is the disease of existence. Has not Tiruvalluvar said, “Pirapparukkalurrarku utampu mikai?” When the soul turns Godward forgetting its erstwhile identification with the imperfection, and aims at communion with the perfection it enjoys freedom from this disease and the bliss of spiritual health. God is therefore the medicine, “Maruntanar”, He is the medicine curing the chronic karma, “Valvinai tirkkum maruntu”, the medicine on the top of the mountain, “Malaimel rnamaruntu” The last reference suggests the idea of ‘Sa-njim’ or a rare medicinal plant. Maruntu also means nectar. He is the nectar accompanying us on our journey to salvation—“Valittunai maruntu” and we saw the Divine Bliss being spoken of as the nectar of sahasrara in the lay a yoga of “Satcakras”. The Lord is spoken of as ‘Amudu’—‘Nectar’ by our poet himself.

The Shaiva Siddhanta Philosophy coming to the educational theory of karma speaks of the Lord creating ‘tanukarana puvana pokam , body, limbs, the world and the objects of enjoyment, for the experience of the soul which has to be purified ultimately and saved through the experiences. This answers to the modern conception of educational institutions where the child is conditioned in the proper way through experiences provided there. The Lord is spoken of by our poet as a Guru, Gurumamani and Cittern. Real education according to the Hindus is the drawing out of the spirit inside and, therefore, the Lord is the most learned from this point of view—Pattan, the learned. The learned or the really educated, from this point of view, always praise Him—“Periya emperuman enru eppotum karravar paravappatuvan” The result of this kind of education or spiritual perfection is the removal of all miseries—“Karra perumpulavar allal peritum aruppan” Education in this sense becomes in the end Divine Bliss—“Karra kalviyinum iniyan’’ —‘God is sweeter than education’, the means though both are the same because God is the goal and the means. This education or spiritual perfection is not mere theory but an art and an aesthetic experience of God. We had elsewhere explained the artistic mysticism of Arurar and his conception of Art or ‘Kalai . From this point of view Arurar speaks of the Lord being the Art as well as its meaning and significance. He is the fruit of the experience of Art—“Elicaiydy icaippayanay . His All-pervasiveness is brought about by a reference to Art—“Kalaik-kelam porulay”; “Pattakat ticai dkininmn ; “Pannarin Tamilayp Paramay a Parancutare”; “Palkalaiyin porul”.

IV - The bliss of Love:

The spiritual process is explained in a still more intimate way. Indian books on rhetoric speak of the dictates of the Vedas as the commanaments of the Master to his slave, the Prabhu Samhita. They speak of the Itihasas as the counsel friends, the Suhrt Samhita and the Puranas as the prattling of the child, the Sisu Samhita. Poetry is according to them the captivating speech and request of the beloved, the Kanta Samhita. Naturally Arurar s conception of Art leads us to this relationship of love between God and Soul as the Lover and the Beloved, which ultimately blossoms as an undivided non-dualistic inseparable experience of union or unity. From this point of view, the Lord is the most beautiful (Alakan etc), and the purest (Punitan) and (Ninmalan).

Arurar addresses Him as ‘Alaka and ‘Alakiyar . The Lord is eternal and without end; He is, therefore, to the poet, ‘the eternal Youth’ (Kulakan). To the beloved, He is the bridegroom and the beloved (Manavalan), (Anpan) (Arvan)

He is all sorts of relations of varying kinds of love. This can be interpreted in two ways. Since He is All-pervasive, every relation of ours is ultimately God. In another sense, all these relations of which we speak of in this world are unreal and ultimately meaningless and futile, the real, father, mother, brother, sister, son, wife, teacher, friend, king and Guru being the Lord and none but Him. We are His wealth and He is the owner—‘Vtaiyan’ He is our Chief or Leader (Kon) He is our Iraivan or Iraiyavan, the King or the Sovereign. He is the beloved Lord (Nayakan): Natan. In various hymns our poet, therefore, addresses the Lord as father, mother, master, the beloved, the brother etc. In this also our poet is following closely the footsteps of Campantar

Of all these relationships, that which is the most intimate is that of the beloved. The most intimate experience of the Lord’s bliss is often spoken of as ‘Amudu , the sweetest thing. The Vaishnavite commentators bring out the greatness of this conception of ‘Ara Amudu which is according to them unique in their mystic language. “Whilst sense enjoyment is exciting and exhausting, the joy of Divine contact expresses the inexpressible joy which is satisfaction without satiation”. This term ‘Ara Amudu is however not peculiar to Vaishnavism but is the common basis of all Tamil mystic poetry. Appar mentions it? Arurar calls the Lord Amudu—‘Nectar’; ‘Innamudu ‘Sweet Nectar’; ‘Aramudu’ which is Insatiable Nectar; ‘Ara Innamudu ‘the Insatiable sweet Nectar’ and ‘Kotila Amudu ‘the Nectar free from all dregs’. The Lord is the sweetest experience and for want of words our poet speaks of Him as ‘Kannal Sugar, ‘Karumpu Sugarcane and ‘Katti Sugarcandy and also ‘Ten Honey. “Pavippar manattu urum at ten”, “Atiyarkaltam ullat ten , ™ “Tittikkum ten , “Karumpin teli”, “Mannavar ninrettum karumpu , “Teli ten”, “Tenitai innamudu, marratanirrelivu”, “Kannal innamudu" are the several metaphorical expressions used by our poet, sweeter by themselves. Of these, the last two expressions are the most sweetest as they mention that our Lord is the most sweetest quintessence of all the sweetest things.

He is not far away. He is the beloved of our soul, ever in its embrace. Therefore, He is like the sweetness of the gooseberry in our very palm—“Ankai nelliyin palattitai amudu . The bliss of achievement becomes patent to them who contemplate on Him—“Cintit teluvarkku nellikkani". But all these fruits of the world are nothing compared to His bliss and therefore our poet speaks of Him as the divine fruit of educational or spiritual perfection—“Karrula van kani" “Think of Him! How sweet is He!”—cries our poet and he further states, “His very name is sweet in our tongue and there sprouts forth the nectar”—“Navilurum Nallaran; Amudu”.

The happiness is still further spnken of as ‘Inpu’ and ‘Inimaf. He is the sweet bliss devoid of all miseries—“Tunpamum turantu inpiniyan”, “To praise Him is to enjoy the sweet bliss”—thus feel the Bhaktas and the Siddhas, “Pattar Cittar paraviniyan” (There is another reading pariviniydn instead of paraviniyan). He increases the bliss of those who contemplate on Him. He is the sweetest bliss in communion—“Tilaittarku iniyan” “Enak ?????”—‘He is sweet is sweet unto me’ cries our poet. He is sweet not only to him but also to all his people—“Tamarkkiniyavan”, He is sweet, not at one moment or once, but all through the sevenfold births—‘Elumaiyum”.  He is sweet to our heart—“Manakkiniyavan”.

His all pervasiveness appears as His all pervasive bliss, sweet to the ear, sweet to the eye, sweet to the nose, sweet to the tongue and sweet to the heart of the artist:

"Pannit ait tamil oppdy palattinir cuvai oppdy
Kannitai mani oppdy katu irut cutar oppay”.

"Ilaikkum eluttirku uyire ottiyal
   ilaiye ottiyal unaiye ottiyal
Kulaikkum payirkkor puyale ottiyal
   atiyar tamakkor kutiye ottiyal”.

"Vacattinar malark konrai yullar”

V - Ethics and the Absolute:

The saint, when he attains realization, transcends thus the wheel of karma and ethics. But this is not a negation of moral laws but their fulfilment and transcendence to the higher, more wonderful and more mysterious harmony of the Absolute. Westerners often misrepresent it as a non-moral, if not immoral state. In the Absolute, all the contradictions, all the ‘dvanavas’ (dualism) are transcended and harmonized and therefore, it is beyond the ‘dvanavas’ like moral and immoral which have meaning only in relation to the desires and activities of the self-conscious mind.

The ascent to the Absolute starts with the purified and moral state. Therefore, there is no question of this path being immoral. Arurar emphasizes this importance of ethics. He speaks of the removal of the faults, the removal of the angry mind, the false sense of prestige and the vain desire—“Kuca nikkik kurra nikkic cerra mana rukki vaca malku kulalinarkal vancamanai valkkai acai nikki”. He also refers to the necessity for conquering or transmuting the six passions. The worshippers are described as those whose mind has become calm, without being disturbed by the heat of the passions—“Arum anpar” They are also described as the good—“Nallavar”; “Nallatiyar”. They are those who have no end—“Antamilla atiyar”. Our poet calls them as those who are devoid of all blots—“Pacarravar”; “Unamilla atiyar” and “Kurram il (tan) atiyar” —those free from all faults. They are free from confusion—“Malakkil (nin) atiyar” They are so attached to Him that they know nothing else—“Matam utaiya atiyar” God is pleased with the character and behaviour of those who are capable of worshipping His feet—“Kalai pena-vallar cilamum ceikaiyum kantuvappar”

It is said that doing good to others is the highest Dharma. Internal purity engenders this state of mind where this sympathy and pity become almost an instinct. Ramanuja has truly said that he, from whose heart escapes the cry ‘alas’ at the suffering of others can be sure of his salvation. It is, therefore, wrong to assert that Hinduism develops selfishness in its spiritual development. It aims not at individual freedom but freedom from individuality—aims at the blossoming of the individual into the universal and the Absolute where there is not mere fretting and weeping but real love for all in that universal consciousness, if one may speak of it in those terms. When this sympathy is absent there is no hope of salvation.

When, the feeling of desolation overtakes our saint and he begins to condemn himself, he feels a revulsion at his imagined unsympathetic mind.

“The helpless with eyes sunk low come and beg; even then I am not inspired by that power of sympathy”—

“Kan kulintirappar kaiyil onrum itakkilen”;

“I do not give even an iota to those who beg”—

“Ciruc cirite irapparkatku onru lyen”; 

“Wealth seems to be dazzling to me and I do not part with it”—

“Kotukka kirrilen onporul tannai”

“I have not helped the desperate in any way” —

“Alantarkal oruttarkku utaviyen alien”.

VI - Arurar’s ethical excellence:

The importance of the ethical excellence in inspiring the Grace is emphasized by our poet both positively and negatively. God blesses only those who have this moral grandeur and from those who are devoid of this purity and love He hides, not for ever, but till they are transformed. To those rooted in Truth, contemplating and recollecting His glories, He comes as the very Truth and He is untrue unto those who are devoid of this Truth. He increases here and hereafter the happiness of those whose heart melts in love—“Kacintavarkku immaiyotu ammaiyil inpam perukkum Nampi”. He shines as the brilliant light of Truth to those who praise with their tongue Truth itself. He hides from those whose heart knows no such love or pity. But if those think of Him for a moment with a melting heart, He enters their heart and resides ever taking it as His abode. He is impossible of approach to those who do not come to Him with the loving contemplation. He is the Great and Birthless who never forgets those whose mind is free from deceit. He goes not into the minds of those full of deceit. He does not come even for a moment near the deceitful heart. He is a Cheat unto the cheats —“Pulluvar akum avarkku avartamum puUuvanar”. Has not Sri Krishna said “Dhyutam chalayatam asmi?”— ‘I am the dice of the gamblers’. He is there in the mind of those who do not swerve from the right path. He is the beloved of the virtuous—“Puwniyattar necattinar”.

VI - Moral grandeur of Shiva:

Our poet describes our Lord as the very embodiment of moral grandeur. He not only loves morality in His followers but He is Himself pure, holy and moral and helps his followers to becorne pure and moral. He is the Truth—‘Meyyan’. He is the pure—‘Punitan’; the Holy—‘Tirttan’, He is the Holy of holies destroying sin—“Pavittira pava nacan”; the very form of virtue—‘Punnit/an and Punniyamanan’, He is pure as the rare Tapas or He is the pure in His rare Tapas—“Aruntavattir ruyar . Our poet’s theory of Art or Aesthetics brings out this great Truth. In the Tirupputtur hymn, he sings of God alternately as Punitan or the Holy and Alakan or the Beautiful. The Beautiful Absolute therefore can only be the Purest.

It is not the followers alone that are full of the virtues required for attaining the final release. He is both the goal and the means. In the path of love, He comes like the Beloved to the soul. Therefore, He is also pure, and holy, like His followers. He is not only the Lord and Pacupati, but He is like His beloved one, a Siddha, a Mukta and a Bhakta, though conferring siddhi and mukti on them and worshipped by Bhaktas, Saivas and Pasupatas. The Brahmainanis who have achieved realization of the Absolute are sometimes distinguished as Brahmavid, Brahmavara, Brahmavarya and Brahmavarista, and Shiva, the Lord is also like the Brahmavarya, the Brahmavarista stage being Absolute quiescence.

He is our great prince of Tapas, He the Prince, who frowns on the (misleading) five senses—“Pulanaintum ciru Nampi”. He loves the character and behaviour of others—“Cilamum cey-kaiyum kantuvappar”, His form itself possesses in abundance this virtuous character— Czlantan peritum utaiyan”, He is, therefore, the real attachment unto the true tapasvins—“Parri-narkkenrum parravan”. ° He is the Dharmic saint—“Aravan”, “Aravar”; “Adigal”, the saint with the eye of Dharma—“Arakkan enattakum Adigal”, the great gem of a master—“Gurumamani”. He is not only the learned, but the leader of good conduct. .The phrase Sistacara speaks of sistas as such leaders.

He is full of those rare and good attributes and there is no comparison to Him in this respect—“Oppariya kunatttin”™ Because of the infinite attributes, He has a thousand names—“Per or ayiram”. These groups of attributes are spoken of as being eight in number.

According to the Jains these are:

1. Infinite knowledge;
2. Infinite perception;
3. Infinite power;
4. Infinite bliss;
5. Indestructability;
6. Absence of any name;
7. Absence of any class;
8. Absence of any limited life.

As pointed out by Parimelalakar, the Sivagamas mention these attributes in a different way:

1. Infinite bliss;
2. Infinite power;
3. Infinite Grace;
4. Omniscience;
5. Absolute self dependence relying on none else;
6. Being an embodiment of purity;
7. Being by His own nature free from fetters and
8. Being possessed of Absolute intuitive wisdom.

He is, therefore, a mountain of these good qualities—“Kunakkunru”. The same idea is expressed in a negative way. The Absolute is a mountain completely devoid of all evils—“Titila malai”. Shiva’s attributes have no faults—“Kurramil kunattan”. He is perfect; His perfection is complete in itself—the Absolute; He is the fullness without any deficiency—“Kuraivila niraivu”. He is perfect; therefore, there is no question of reforming, rectifying or improving this perfection—“Tiruttalnkatay”. He is devoid of all faults—‘Unamili” or rather devoid of all deficiency. He is without birth which is the basis of all defects. He is “Uttaman” the Supreme Being who is possessed of all moral attributes. He is “Oppariya kunattan” who is second to none in moral perfection. He takes His place, therefore, in the hearts of those who are complete in their ethical perfection. The very term ‘Enkunattan’ is mentioned by our poet to represent our Lord as having all the attributes grouped into eight in accordance with the Shaivites” conception (Enkunattinan),

VIII - Self-condemnation explained:

In a moment of desolation overcoming him, at the sight of the world, especially after his mystic experience of the Lord, our poet often bears on his shoulders the crushing weight of the faults of the world and sings because of this racial memory of the human race, his hymns of self condemnation. This self condemnation paints the poet sometimes in the darkest colour, as the very embodiment of all that is immoral. As against Tapas and control of the five senses and their sublimation, which all form the path of the Lord, he speaks of his own slavery to the senses and of his being caught within the net spread out by the common women who entice by their beauty. The whole of the 8th hymn speaks of his revulsion from this kind of life.

In other places, he exaggerates his faults. He regrets that he cannot transmute the six passions in the path of the Lord. He speaks of this life as a life of falsehood and meanness.

He complains of his vain knowledge and of his behaviour of not walking in the footsteps of the just. He speaks of himself getting fatigued after having wandered like a devil or ghost. He calls himself a liar and a cheat, the hard-hearted who does not love the feet of the Lord, being himself caught within the fetters of confusion, the cruel fool without any wisdom. He speaks of wandering away from the Lord doing all things false.

He continues in this strain: His is a body of dirt; he whirls like the water of the whirlpool and so does his mind; he has not contemplated on the moral conduct and attributes of the Lord.

He exclaims in despair:

“I cannot escape the misery of the desires; I do not see the path”.

“I have become fatigued having decided on actions which are not good”.

“The karmas of the past inflict me in this birth and I have wasted my time as an obstinate fool”.

“I have not learnt the truth of the arts or wisdom. I have done very very cruel acts. Alas! a sinner! I have committed many sins”.

“I cannot leave off the faults of resentment. I revered none and did only improper acts. I wander about, resentful and obstinate”.

“I do not speak except in opposition. I am not a help even to those who follow me; alas! mine is a heart harder than stone”.

“My path, my knowledge, my attachment, my rule of behaviour, all of these are very bad and cruel. I am fond of tormenting and punishing others. I wander about doing things according to my whims and fancies”.

“I am fond of wealth; I wander about in vain. I am no help even to any of those who are desperate. I am not an aid even unto those who are attached to me. I have nothing of propriety in me”.

“I do not care for others or my own people”.

“To every one I speak in resentment and opposition”.

“I am not capable of cutting away my manifold desires”.

“I am a cruel one”.

“I am an evil one, a hardhearted one, never doing any act of good, a cruel one passionately attached to whatever is seen”.

Our poet sings in this strain only in moments of despair when he feels for the world or when he feels he is away from God. This does not represent the truth about him but only the value he sets on ethics. Having undergone the purgation he is the purest soul, an embodiment of morality.

He himself gives expression to his conviction.

“I do not think of this body of fat as something permanent. I took refuge only in mind which thinks of you”.

“I am not proud of this human birth. I shed tears when I think of it”.

“I do not love anyone but you”.

“I serve you without fear and what shall I aspire for?”

“I have resolved to reach the ideal to be attained”.

“I renounced my kith and kin and took refuge in you”.

“I do not consider my relations as of any help”.

“I have left off or abandoned this life of worlaliness”.

“I thought of your feet as the real and permanent thing of the world and I became rid of my anger”—‘Calcim’.

“Whatever faults I may commit, I shall not commit any unto your feet”.

“Even if I slip and fall down I know of no other cry but of Your name”.

“Even if I become fascinated by other things, I shall not commit any fault to your feet and even if I do, I have agreed to undergo all that you can do for me”.

“I have not known my doing any excess”.

“I do not remember even a single fault I have committed”.

“I have not committed any crime”.

In spite of the five Lords of the senses I tether You to my mind with the garland of words”—

“Alvar kakkinum vakkennum malai kontu unnai en manattu arkkinren”

Is not our poet a ‘Paramanaiye Paduvar’?