Tayumanavar Art from Kerala

Saint Tayumanavar (1705-1742) was a mystic poet in the lineage of Tirumular, our lineage. Yogaswami loved and quoted his works, as did Ramana Maharishi, whose website showcases the songs in Tamil. His songs are regarded as among the most beautiful and profound. He wrote some 1,453 songs in all, and the monks are currently editing the English version in preparation for publishing a book next year.

We have been working for about three years on the art that will accompany the songs. Today we look at the canvas about "samarasam," one of the central keystones of the mystic's work. In the slideshow, we reveal the evolution of the art, which may make you smile.

Central to Tayumanavar's teachings is the concept of 'Samarasam,' which literally means "sameness" but also means harmony or equanimity. For Tayumanavar, Samarasam is not merely an intellectual understanding but a lived experience. It signifies the harmonious balance of the mind amidst the dualities of life pleasure and pain, gain and loss, and honor and dishonor. To achieve Samarasam, one must transcend the ego, desires, and worldly attachments. It is this equanimity that allows the individual to remain centered and undisturbed, experiencing inner peace and unity with the Divine.

He applied this idea of non-difference to other paths and faiths, and much of his short life was dedicated to bringing faiths together, eliminating all contention and intolerance. This is depicted by our artist.

While his songs are revered for their personal communion with, devotion to, and ultimate oneness with Siva, perhaps the most consoling message in all the songs of Tayumanavar is his call for unity, his insight that there is no real difference between Vedanta and Siddhanta. During his time, there were contentious debates between Hinduisms two primary philosophical schools. Tayumanavar sought to reconcile these two seemingly contradictory philosophical perspectives through his concept of samarasam. He believed that the experience of oneness with God could unify these two seemingly opposing philosophical perspectives.

Tayumanavar saw samarasam as a state of consciousness that transcended both duality and non-duality, seeing them as complementary rather than contradictory, emphasizing the common goal of spiritual union with the divine. Here the artist shows a Vedantin on the left, with Vedic scriptures, which are a major sadhana for that school. On the right is a Siddhantin, with a lingam before him to indicate his devotional sadhanas. From Sivas divine chalice, light and love are flowing equally into the heads of the two, bestowing on them life, illumination, and grace. Above the Vedantin is a tree of ripe mangos, and behind the Siddhantin is a tree heavy with limes. Thus, the artist has shown us that the philosophical fruits, both abundant, are indeed different. Importantly, the roots of both trees reach into the ground below, intertwining, indicating they share the same source, drawing their life from the same earth.

Aum Namasivaya!

The final art for the book, one of ten canvases. You can move up and down on the art to see the hidden sections.

This is the artist\

s sketch sent to Kauai for review before undertaking the color work. '

Now, for the fun. This was the main part of our concept conveyed to Suresh. Imagine his genius, taking this raw idea and rendering it so artistically.

Good job, Suresh!

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