Sivam art our father and mother.
Sivam art our dear brethren.
Sivam art the matchless consort.
Sivam art the adorable children.
Verily Sivam art the ruler too.
Sivam art the host of heavenly gods.
This universe and all therein art Sivam.
My own invincible Lord is Sivam.
--Natchintanai.
IN consonance with the Sanatana Dharma, the song Sivam art All contains the quintessence of Siva YogaSwami's teachings. The vibration of the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, the devotional ecstacy of the Saiva Nayanmars and the Vaishnava Alwars, the certitude of the Vedanta-Siddhanta, the symphony of St. Tirumular and Tiruvalluvar, and revealing-experiences of the realised Seers then and now, resound the immanence of the Transcendent Sivam.
That Absolute is Truth, 'Muluthum Unmai,' is the great utterance, the Maha Vaakiam enkindled by Siva YogaSwami's illustrious Guru, Sage Chellappa Swami. The absolute nature of Truth can be rediscovered in the heart beat of Swami's mellifluous song Sivam art All. Wherever he went, he urged the young and old to sing it, and the refrain of this song would be heard floating on the wingless melody of exalted devotion. by those devotee swho sought his grace in his holy abode at Columbuturai, Yalpanam.
SIVAM ART ALL
The song in the Original Facsimile
Appanum Ammayum Sivame
Aria Sahodhararum Sivame
Opil manaviyum Sivame
Audharum mayindarum Sivame
Sepil arasarum Sivame
Devaadi devarum Sivame
Ipuvi Ellaam Sivame
Ennai aandanthum Sivame
In this lucid ode is revived the intuitive perception of the Seer who sang the Isa Upanishad, which recognised the essential unity of all things and beings underlying the diversity of the world.
Isavasyam idam sarvam yat kim ca jagatyam jagat.
“In the heart of all things, of whatever there is in the universe dwells the Lord.”
He alone is the Reality. His universal and almighty presence has been acclaimed by Sri Krishna:
“Yo mam pas'yati sarvatra saram ca mayi pas'yati
tasya 'ham na pranas'yami sa ca me na pranas'yati.”
“He who sees Me every where and sees all in Me; I am not
lost to him nor is he lost to me.”
--Bhagawad Gita, VI. 30
In Srimad Bhagavatam, Suka's prayer to the Lord reverberates this universal truth:
“Oh Thou Lord Supreme, I bow down to Thee!
Thou art the highest in the highest!
Thou art the innermost ruler of every heart.
Thy ways are blessed ....Thou art the Truth.
Thou doest manifest Thyself as the One and the many
according to our understanding.
Salutations to Thee!
--Bk. II.3. 26.
Thus it is that Swami's song on Sivam art All reveals the paramount experience of the profound unity of all things in the One. When we are one with the divine Truth in us, we become one with the whole stream of life.
In that immortal Tamil classic of Tirukural, the opening couplet embodies the truth of the immanence of the primordial God in all the subjective and objective phenomena of this universe.
“Just as the first letter of the alphabet 'A' is inherent
in all the other letters,
So too is the world inseparably knit to the pristine glory
of the all-pervasive Bhagavan.”
In the Eighth Tantra on Mahavaakiam, St. Tirumular alludes to the supreme goal of life as the attainment of the vision of Oneness in the effulgent Sivam.
“They do not know the path to the supreme ideal of life,
Who cannot efface the dual play of knowledge and ignorance,
And cherish the inseperable, ever abiding Lord,
Whose luminous wisdom everywhere illumines everything.”
--Tirumantram, 2580
We now dive into the perennial springs of the sublime devotional canticles of the Saiva Saints, and discover therein many a gem of serene beauty, where the vista-vision of the immanence of Sivam in the universe outside and within the heart of man holds us in worshipful wonder. St. Tirunavukarasar who lived in the seventh century A.D. and who was a contemporary of the great pioneer of Saivism, St. TiruJnanasambandar sang before the Diety at the Tiruvaiaru temple, the well known Devaram:
“Thou art the bliss of purified conciousness,
Thou art the nearest and dearest of kindred,
Thou art the peak of wisdom's perfection,
The fulfilment of the tranquil seers,
More beloved than the loved mother on earth,
Thou'rt the Lord who imprinted thy feet within me.”
--Tirumurai. VI. 38.6
“The all embracing universe art Thou,
The unity that pervadeth everywhere art Thou too.”
--Tirumurai. VI. 38. 7
In the spiritual lineage of the enlightened Saiva Seers of the classical and modern ages stands St. Tayumanavar who lived in South India in the latter half of the sixteenth century. That he became overpowered by the experience of the Truth of the Supreme One by the grace of his Mouna-Guru, has been embodied in his Invocation Ode on Adoration to ParaSivam. We recognize in this song, the harmony of the linked lay of the vision of Oneness conveyed in Swami's dulcet strains on Sivam art All.
“ 'Tis not here nor there; It shines everywhere,
Supreme in bliss, what filleth all with Grace?
Who thrives in all as life of life, ordaining
The whole of million, million globes and all
To bide at will within His realm of Love?
What lies beyond the reach of mind and tongue?
Of whom the million noisy creeds and sects
Wage ceaseless war in every clime and age?
All powerful, Blessed, Eternal Intelligence,
What goes beyond the bounds of night and day?
Him who is verily the guest of my heart,
The expanse of Peace that circles all--we adore.”
Swami reiterates in many a psalm in Natchintanai, the truth that Siva reigns supreme in the beateous pure cave of one's heart, as well as in the universe. In a simple sweet song, Swami makes a stirring call to humanity to live thelight of Sivam art All.
LIST TO MY CALL
Oh my brethren and mothers, listen!
Live in the knowable truth that we're divine.
Whoever can decipher and say what we are?
So why need we fear when all art Sivam?
Is it meet to forget the wise axiom of the Seers
That not an atom animates except by His Will?
'Tis blessed to live in the world with the awareness
That not here nor there, but all pervading art Sivam.
It's Sivathondu to live in peace with Sivathondar
Who realised by Eye of Grace the Light of Sivam
Ah! My lowly head adorns the Feet of Sages
Who glorify the Oneness of Truth Supreme.
--Natchintanai 83
We begin our venture, in utmost humility and in token of grateful devotion, into the unexplored region of Swami's territory of experience, wherein he has reported insights which came to him as expression of divine truth. In the hours of meditation, with heightened clarity of vision, he gave out answers to the questions posed by the prancing mind:
“Swami, who am I?
Who art He, The Guruthan?
How far am I from Siva who art all?
Which is the axis of the Mahavaakiam?
What is he to me and I to Him?”
It is our earnest prayer to encourage all seekers after Truth to know Swami's Reflections of Grace-Natchintanai--not for themselves but study of that by which we can realise the truth of Sivam art All. It is our pious belief that a real study of Swami is first hand experience of God. To know him is to have the perfect knowledge which is God.
Sivam alone art--the light adorable and the truth imperishable. Sivam art with form and without forms, eternal among non-eternals.
“Whoever finds Siva within himself,
He finds infinite peace, santam. upasantam”
ADORATION TO SIVA
Sivam sings the litany on Siva, and those around him take up the refrain, Varuha, Varuha--Come, Oh Siva, come and fill our being with thy presence.' The vibration resounds far and near. Stars in their circling, trees in their trembling, the cow and calf in their frolicking, and the tuneful voices of the devotees gathered round him, participate in this symphony of adoration of the Supreme Lord of Perfection. That incessant call of Sivanavan Varuka, Kadauvul, Varuha, Devan Varuha--we hear, calling us to join in the chorus today, this moment, the eternal now. It seems to us that the whole universe evolves round that one single moment.
Come Thou Oh Siva!
Heed Our CallAnd Come!
Thou art beyond the relativity of time,
Thy countenance glows with benevolence.
Creator of all dual and non-dual forms,
Sovereign ruler of our hearts, Come unto us
Thou art beyond the finite conciousness,
Thy glory, no words can express.
Thou pervadeth earth and heaven,
Siva whose splendor blazes aloft, Come.
My Lord, flawless gem so non-pareil,
Radiant flame of benignant rays,
Immaculate one with gleaming holy ash,
Thou Supreme One who sways the ganga, Come.
Thou wonderous One, in manifold forms,
Oh pure One who doth the cosmic dance.
Stainless art Thou with Sakti by thy side,
Illumined rock of the Vedic seers--Come.
Salutation to Thy gleaming Feet of Grace
'Tis the Feet adored by the wise:
Inexplicable is Thy Feet so fragrant,
Repository of Grace to the weak, all Hail!
Incomparable are Thy Feet so lofty,
Yet manifesting like my meek self-
Ever vigilant in its protecting care,
Symbol of Truth universal as the sky, all Hail!
The mystic lover of the eternal Sakti,
He whose roseate Feet trod the earth.
Oh Thou Absolute and Eternal Sivam!
Consciousness and wisdom, all Hail!
Oh primeval One that art perfection,
Faithful guide of thy devetees true.
Oh Gem that vibrates within and without,
Indweller for ever in my heart, all Hail!
No longer can I endure this finite body,
Oh sweet treasure unattainable,
Thou Absolute One, Divine Lord,
Effulgent luminious, Thy glory we praise.
Oh Supreme Felicity, Verily art Thou too,
Who doth manifest with Sakti by thy side.
Thy Infinite Being not subject to finite laws,
All Hail, Hail to Thy golden Feet.
Praise be unto Siva, praise we Siva, Siva.
--Natchintanai. 34-35
Thus Siva the unattainable, the imperceptible came down to earth with His insignia, in response to the irresistible call of His yearning aspirant, in the form of the Guru. At the sight of His healing Presence, all miseries fled silently. When he who fixes the mind on God's Feet remains disireless amidst tempting desires, then he finds the One; and he crosses the confluence of strife and misery; the ego is enfeebled while the Self becomes ever so dynamic. The knower of God stands aloof from exultation and grief; and with utter self-surrender and equanimity, recognises the Sun of Truth hidden in the world of manifestation, and in the lotus of the heart. He is forever sustained by the continual remembrance of the consecrated Word of God. The surging waves of bliss break on the shores of the heart in a paean of praise.
HALLOWED BE SIVA-SIVA
The single Word hath purified my dross,
The soulful incantation of Siva Siva
No more do I succumb to good and ill,
Nor to the distinction of one and the many.
No more aching sorrows, as I awaken
To the knowledge of my real Self.
Sing ye the hallowed name of Siva, Siva
I've attained the goal of this life.
And am in command of everything around.
I roam at will in sweet leisure,
With the whole world as my ken.
Sing ye in joyful strains Siva, Siva.
The felicity that generates from the Word,
I cannot recount, except be immersed in it.
The end of knowledge is mine without learning.
I hold the key of existence in my hand.
Oh magnify the praise of Siva, Siva.
The macrocosm, the whole of the cosmos
I see with veneration deep within me
Therein I behold His fragrant Feet,
Where arise the devas and the triune.
Enraptured in an ectasy, Siva, Siva.
By constancy of love do I apprehend;
Yet in trepidation, I gaze at nothing,
Magnificent indeed is the mystery
Baffling the ken of e'en the realised seers.
--Natchintanai 18.
SIVA'S WILL SUPREME
According to the Saiva teachings, Siva's Grace directs the manifold activities in the universe. He reveals His Grace in the manisfested objects like the sun, moon, sky earth, fire and water. He gives to each its moving force. His reign of Grace lends charm to the poetry of existence. The operative Energy at work in the universe and in the inner chambers of every human being unfolds the magnitude of His Grace, and the everlasting testimony of the All-embracing Divine Will of the Supreme Sivam. This is the Testament of Swami in the following posy:
Who bids the sun to move?
Who makes the moon resplendent?
Who impels the stars to twinkle?
Who directs the force of sunshine?
Who illumines the eyes to see?
Who animates the air to blow?
Who stirs the waters to rise?
Who inspires the wise to praise?
Who rotates the earth?
Who tends the flowers to blossom?
Who inspires the legs to walk?
Who steers the hands to work?
Ponder deeply and you'll discern
That Siva's Will reigns supreme.
Thus shalt thou attain liberation.
This testament of Swami do thou understand.
--Natchintanai. 132
We recall the odes of St. Manicavasagar and St. Tayumanavar who too have placed similar bonquets at the altar of humanity. They have delineated in moving poetic cadence the showers of Grace that fall upon the universe, and have testified to the supremacy of the Divine Will of Siva:
“He vouchsafes the sun its illumination.
He gives the moon its exilarating coolness.
In the mighty fire, He kindles the flaming heat.
His pervasive power, He places in the either.
Endues the gambolling wind with energy meet;
Imparts savour to the life-giving waters bright;
And to the visible earth, He imbues strength;
Thus to millions of beings and agencies,
He infuses its own distinctive nature.”
--Tiruvacagam. III. 20-28
St. Tayumanavar in the Canzone on 'Pefect Bliss' exalts the Supreme Will of Siva as the moving Force in the universe.
“Stands not the ocean deep without a dam?
Did not the deadly poison turn nectar sweet?
Bides not the seismic fire within the deep?
Do not the unnumbered orbs move firm on high?
Speed not the floating clouds at Indra's bidding?
Was not the stone made to live again?
A bashful maid by touch of Rama's feet?
Do not men get what'er they want on earth,
By talismans, magic and by spells?
It is hard for Thee some means to plan
Somehow, to subdue the accursed mind of mine?
Oh perfect Bliss that leaving nought, fill All.”
--St. Tayumanavar. II.9.
HIS WILL BE DONE
My son, live well on earth, unattached
Tangent like the dewdrops on the lotus.
Invoke Siva within and strive to do good.
Revere the virtuous and know thyself.
Your father, mother and kindred are all
A motley group as seen in market places.
Love God the Father always--His will be done.
Now is the right moment to draw nigh.
He is dear to me and dear is He to everyone.
Matchless is His infinite glory.
The subdued tusker's hide adorns His body.
And He dwells in Lanka's pleasant groves.
He holds the Axe and deer with Devi by his side,
All-pervading, all powerful. incomprehensible
To Brahma-Mal who sought Him above and below,
His temple is Lanka with fragrant groves.
--Natchintanai. 104.
THE ARMOUR OF GRACE
The Truth of Oneness is my protection.
So are the devotees of God my protection.
The ascetic adepts and devas are my protection.
And the shelter of Grace illumines my mind.
The eight Vasus afford me protection.
The bestower of bliss divine is my protection.
The eight directions extend their protection,
And succor I draw from the eternal Siva-Sakti.
The inhaling and exhaling breath is my protection,
As also the vibration of the vital Pranavam.
Who dons the serpent and Ganga is my protection,
And strength I take from the Grace of my Guru.
The five sensations afford me protection.
Thy adoring saints are my protection.
The elephant-faced One is my protection.
And refuge I seek from Thy child Vadivel.
The Sun and Moon give me protection,
As well as all sentient beings everywhere.
From the Vedas, Agamas and incantations sacred,
From this great Earth do I inhale protection.
--Natchintanai. 192
Truth is not formed by ripe scholarship, by feats of illustrious sacrifices and penance nor by exalting the I-ness in man. He who studies the Guru's word gets rid of egoism, and the light of Truth is felt when the mind is happily engrossed in chanting the name of the Lord.
“He with one Word, with grace prevenient, made
me His, and made me live by love.”
--Natchintanai. 145-146.
The words of the Guru are sweet, and thrice blessed is he in whose heart the perfume of the Word prevades. This song has the mystic formula of the Mulamantra Aum as its refrain, and many a time Swami would sing this song or get it sung, and convey by speechless silence the potency of an earnest worship of the Lord for divine succour. The ceaseless resonance of Aum, connotes an unconditional submission to His Will.
“One word, a wonderous word, there is
Which in itself contains
All other words; by it is cleansed
The soul of all its stains
It is the word the Guru gave
One word, unmoving goal
Fixed as a mountain top is firm
Towards which moves the soul.”
--St. Tayumanavar. 186.
At the sonorous vibration of the Pranava mantra of Aum, egoism gets subdued from within. God Himself comes to the rescue of the loving devotee, by taking His abiding place in the soul of His beloved one, till he is immersed in peace and felicity. In this canticle of praise, we find the God-Guru enthroned in the hearts of all devout souls.
Sivam is All in All. There is no other above or beyond Sivam. The idea is echoed by St Tirumular who dwells on Siva's Immanence and Transcendence, and glorifies His peerless divinity, in his Invocatory cantos on ParaSiva Pirabhavam:
St. Tayumanavar too prays for the cessation of sorrow, to be made an 'heir of Grace,' and be restored to the life of beatific bliss. “My sinister deeeds of past births weigh me down in this life. Have you not the compassion to turn to me and save me from the encircling gloom? Not for my sake, but for Thy own graciousness will it be a score, as it will be a reflection of Thy glory, Oh Life of Perfect Bliss!”
In Natchintanai Odes, Lord Siva is depicted as the source of Truth, Love and Grace. He alone can dispel the gloom of life's afflications by the light of His wisdom, if we evoke continually the Word of God-Aum. Therefore Swami bids the devotees worship Him by constant remembrance of His Name and Grace. Grace is an unearned gift of God. Those imbued with the grace of Siva have no burden of darkness and error to carry in their heads and hearts.
He whose inmost heart is pure, in him is cut off all fear and misery. No more bondage. Siva's unfailing fountain of perfect Love has the saving power to endow all true devotees with the certainty of His grace. It is the highest gift, which a Divine Guru alone can have it conferred on the suffering humanity. Before the infinite light of Siva's Eye of wisdom, and the beauteous solace of His Feet of Grace, all discords and ills flee, and every soul is exalted to the radiance of His Presence--this is indeed to attain 'Mukti' or liberation, the illumination of His Feet.
'Thy lowly one has no prop other than Thy valiant Feet, Aum
Be Thou the strengh of Thy beloved bondsman, Aum
--Natchintainai--145.
By selfless worship in obedience to the divine will, and actuated by intense love, Swami assures one and all, the inheritence of the Kingdom of Siva.
“Oh Devotee true, make that Beloved your undying friend,
and always fix the mind on the sole Support of your life.
The delight of the word of God, Aum, and His overflowing
Grace shall fill thy heart with the nectar of bliss.”
Hearts and minds dissolve in ecstatic Love as this incantation is sung. It embodies the loving gift of the selfless soul to the supreme Siva; and prostrating at His Feet so tender and beauteous, the devotee in an act of total surrender, exalts in singing this song of adoration and love:
“Thine are We, of Siva Aum,
Thy locks bespangle with the cresent moon.”
--Natchintanai. 145.
Swami elicted this song from us so spontaneously on certain memorable occasions, as when we left SivaThondan Mission to the West and on many a sacred Sivarathri and Tiruvathirai days. We hang this vibrant song in his hermitage, after the termination of every local Pada-yatrai, and the fatigue of our weary limbs would dissappear in an upsurge of his grace. The vibration of the incantation AUM pulsated in intensity in His Presence, and peace, serene peace, filled the atmosphere and tugged at our heart strings, when we sang this canticle at the moment of His final emancipation from the coils of mortality, as the clock struck three in the early dawn of March 24th, 1964.
“Illumine us to know that all things
Move to thy Supreme Will--Aum.
For ever shield Thy lowly devotees true--AUM.'
--Natchintanai. 146.
In the melody of this song which can turn man into a god, and all the world into a sweet scented garden, Swami has woven the harmony of Grace. The soothing panacea from the parched heat of worldliness with its agony of folly, vice and shame would be the holy society of Jivan Muktars--Adiyavar, meaning a coterie of conscecrated and loving saints of Siva:
“Oh beautious Aum!
The delight o f Saints who see Thee in their inner Self.”
“Oh Plenum of Aum!
In submission meek art Thou sought by the virtuous”
The God-Guru's role is to show the Way to the seekers after Truth to realise Him in beatific union, in the galaxy of the blessed servitors of Siva. This highest objective of the Saiva darshana is cited in Sivajnana Botham, Sutra XI:
“The soul in union with the eye causes it to see, the nature
of the eye being to see when it is caused to see; and the
soul itself sees. Similarly God in union with the soul
causes it to know; and God Himself knows. Therefore,
by love, in which the soul never forgets but firmly maintains its union with God, it attains the experience of divine bliss, the Sacred Feet of God.”
The eye cannot by itself see an object unless an illuminating light uniting with the light of the eye falls also upon the object. Similarly souls, whose nature it is to know when helped to know and cannot know unless God's knowledge unites with theirs, cannot by themselves perceive or know anything. Therefore God must be in union with the soul and know, so that the soul may percieve and know.
“Oh Ambrosial Aum!
Embalmed in the hearts of illumined seers!”
--Natchintanai. 146
When the soul, never forgetting that its true being is in advaita union with God, praises Him with devotion, it attains the Sacred Feet. It attains Mukti--the blissful experience of communion with the Lord. It is the experience of Divine Blessedness of the soul in inseparable union with Siva.
“Glory to the Primal Source of Being, Grace divine Aum.”
--Natchintanai. 146.
The ceaseless abidance of the Grace of Siva in the soul, and the sublime experience of intimate communion with Siva is the Theme of the Guru in this canticle. This is also the import of the truth propounded by St. MeikandaDevar in Sivajnana Botham, the classical text of Saiva Siddanta.
THINE ARE WE, OH SIVA AUM
Thy locks bespangle with the cool cresent, Aum.
Indweller, whom the select devotees treasure, Aum.
Yogi, with Grace by Thy side and comely bull, Aum.
Thou Effulgence that illumines heaven and earth, Aum.
Oh Hara, who holds the flame aloft in Thy palm--Aum.
Thou who bideth for e'er with Thy dearly loved ones, Aum.
Who bestows the timeless vision of oneness, Aum.
Thy faithful devotees are we who seek Thy solace, Aum.
Lovely in Thy bee-stalked garland of Konrai, Oh Siva Aum!
The delight of saints who see Thee in the inner Self--Aum.
Come Thou, Guru mine, to grant Thy unfailing love, Aum.
Bestow on me the boon to extol Thy Feet in holy company, Aum.
A thousand names betoken Thy glory, Siva with cresent, Aum.
Soaring bliss bestirs those who acclaim Thee thus--Aum.
Thy lowly one has no other prop than Thy valiant Feet. Aum.
Be Thou the strength of Thy beloved bondsmen--Aum.
Forbear Thou our concious and entrenched ills, Aum.
Siva who vanquished the force of the god of Death, Aum.
Our Father who art all-powerful, Aum.
Lord, who dwelleth in beauteous Nallur as the Guru, Aum.
Absolve me from fearsome acts and lead me in grace--Aum.
Oh adorable one whom the pious praise with tender blooms, Aum
And protect for e'er Thy fervant devotees true--Aum.
Thou friend of the virtuous and the pure, Aum.
Light resplendent, unseen by Vishnu and Brahma, Aum.
Fountain of Truth and source of Grace, Aum.
Endless and beginningless art Thou, luminous Wisdom, Aum.
Ambrosia embalmed in the hearts of illumined seers, Aum.
Lord of devas who adore Thee in joyful strains, Aum.
King of heroic hordes with trident arms, Siva Aum,
in homage meek, Thy hallowed ones implore Thy Grace, Aum.
Glory to the Primal Source of Being Grace divine, Aum.
Oh plenum, sought by the virtuous in submission meek, Aum.
Transcendental yet Primal Cause of existence, Aum.
Radiant Flame with sheltering grace, my Protector, Aum.
Peerless One whose lighted Eye gleams midst holy ash, Aum.
Thou art the goal of the legion of sanctified seers, Aum.
Oh Siva with insignia of Ganga, Moon and thumbai, Aum.
Bless Thy beloved bondsmen with Grace ineffable--Aum.
--Natchintanai. 145-146.
THE MYSTIC WORD-AUM
Sarve veda yat padam amananti, tapamsi sarvani ca yadvadanti,
Yad icchanto bramacaryam caranti, tat te padam samgrahena bravimi:
aum ity etat.
Etadd hy evaksaram brama, etadd hy evaksaram param.
Etadd hy evaksaram jnatva, yo yad icchati tasya tat.
Aum is the word which all the Vedas rehe arse,
And which all austerities proclaim,
Desiring which men live the life of religious bramacharya.
That word is Aum.
This syllable is the imperishable spirit!
This indeed is the highest end.
Knowing this syllable, truly, indeed.
Whatever one desires will be his.
--Katha Upanishad. 1-2-15-16.
The aim of all religious quest is to realise through all form, the Formless. Every mode of expression is struggling to reach that ultimate Reality, the One without a second. The primordial sound substratum concieved as a form of monosyllabic mantra, AUM, aims at the total elimination of subject-object by the expression of sound rhythms. In the undifferentiated substratum of thought, an intention or mental impulse appears and that is ParaVac, the self radiant. 'The monogramammatic syllable AUM represents the totality of all sounds and the music of the spheres chanted by the resonant Sun. This audible symbol serves as a support of contemplation.' “One infers the unseen in the seen, the unheard in the heard,” as expounded by Dr. Ananda Coomaraswamy.
The sound without vibration which is called anahata dhvani or the voice beyond, can be heard by the Yogi who is indrawn, and this pranava sound is the aggregate of all existing sounds, and gives birth to the cosmic process itself. It is the basis of the Nada--Brahman. The moment we think, an unheard sound is formed. As an idea gets visualised, the sound that occurs spontaneously, the voice that sees, is the basis for all forms. Sound is thus the soul of all form.
Vac is thus classified into four stages. Para Vac is the unmanifest stage. It gives rise to sound effect called pasyanti, the potential sound which is the vehicle of thought, visualising towards the visible in all directions. Pasyanti throws light on the idea. When this sound begins to crystallise into luminous sound, it becomes light, madhyama. It is the stage where the idea takes a yet silent verbal form. Madhyama is seen through the mind. Luminous sound by creating patterns makes the definition of space possible. Forms accesible to human experience are projected and the finale stage of Vaikaari, sound in the form of articulate syllables, opens possibities of myriad permutations out of the one harmonious primal sound. It is the word manifest.
“Omkaarathin Udporul aanavan”
--Natchintanai. 194.
The Casual Word which represents the Divine thought, the source of existence correspond to the power of will known as Siva-intention or Iccha Sakti. The power of knowledge known as Vishnu-formulation or Jnana Sakti, and the power of action known as Brahma-expression or Kriya Sakti, also express the Casual Word. Para-Vac is the unmanifest fourth stage in this principle of speech--Sabda Brahman or the word principle. It is also known as the Vac-Tattva. Swami makes reference to this principle of Nadanta in Natchintanai. The power of action is expressed as the word-principle.
The sound before sound or the Anahata Dhvani reverberates upon itself and produces sound energy that evolves as forms with resonance. Sound is the reflex of form and form is the product of sound. Therefore every form has its density of sound as an accompaniment of its energy.
The sound Aum is the sound symbol of the supreme One. It is composed of three matras A-U-M-, and corresponds to a straight line, a semicircle and a point. Every divine form possesses a bija mantra which is a germinal syllable or nuclear syllable. The bija as the smallest sound unit represents the essential nature of divinity when sound vibrates. Light is sound at a particular frequency. Thus every phenominal object is seen as the concentration and reflection of light in a certain pattern. All forms--rupa emerge in light, and all names--nama in forms. Matter and energy are dependent upon the existence of light, and light itself on sound.
When a Mantra is pronounced correctly, its corresponding form--rupa begins to manifest itself, the quality of manisfestation depending upon the nature and intensity of the pronunciation. Hence Mantra or thought-forms to be effective must be imparted by the Guru, the spiritual preceptor.
“Take up the contemplatation of AUM, my little ones.”
--Natchintanai.
The mystical utterance of Aum is understood also as an expression and affirmation of the totality of creation. A--is the state of waking-conciousness. U--is the state of dreaming-consciousness. M--is the state of dreamless-sleep, the natural condition of the quiescent, undifferentiated conciousness. The silence following the pronounciation of the Pranava Aum is the ultimate unmanifest, wherein perfected supraconsciousness totally merges with pure transcendental essence of Divine Reality. Aum is the sound-symbol of the whole of consciousness-existence, and its affirmation:
“Aum did originate the worlds.
Aum too is the truth of Involution.”
--Natchintanai. 260.
The glorification of the contemplation of Aum is found in the Upanishads, and it is hailed as the soul of the Hindu Religion. In Chandogya Upanishad it is said that the essence of essences is the Udgitha which is a combination of Rik (speech) and Sama (vital breath) and which is the syllable Aum. Devas adopted the threefold knowledge of the Vedas, protecting themselves with the metrical hymns called Chand as but they were not free from Death. Finally they entered the asylum of voice--Swara (Aum). Taking Its support, they became immortal and secure. Brihadar-anyaka Upanishad says that this Aum is the Veda, and that one knows through it all that has to be known.
Svetasvatara Upanishad states that the soul is pervaded within the body by the sacred word Aum, like the fire is concealed in its cause, the wood. Making the body the lower piece of wood and the sacred Pranava Aum the upper piece, one shoould practise meditation as the rubbing and realize the Self as the concealed fire is made manifest through percussion. One should hold the upper part of the body erect, other parts steady, and subdue the senses and the mind within the heart, and should, with the raft of mystic Aum, cross over all the dreadful worldly currents.
In Naradaparivrajaka Upanishad, Paramesti (Brahma) enlightens Narada thus: Aumkara is Brahma, being both Vyasti (individual) and Samasti (cosmic). Brahma Pranava is one only, the substatum and support of the whole universe. Aumkara is indestructible in past, present and future, immortal and ageless. Become aware that your Atma is Parabrahman.
Aum is called Pranava as it runs through prana or breath or pervades life. Aum is both saguna and nirguna. Taittiriya Upanishad declares that the Lord of all, pre-eminent among the Vedas in the form of Aum, is ever immortal and leads one, with such knowledge of the Self, to immortality.
The glorification of the contemplation of Aum is found in the Principal Upanishads:
“Aum iti brahma, aum itidam sarvam, aum ity etad
anukrtir.”
“Aum is Brahman
Aum is this all.
Aum is verily compliance.”
--Taittiriya Upanishad. 1. 8.
“Aum is the one eternal syllable of which all that exists is but the development--The past present and
the future are all included in this one sound, and all that exists beyond the forms of time is also implied
in the word Aum.” “Aum is the self--Atman indeed. He who knows this, with his self
enters the Self.”
--Mandukya Upanishad. 1.1 12.
“Aum is the one indestructible sound the Immensity. He who abandons the body, his mind intent
on me, uttering the syllable Aum attains the supreme purpose of his destiny.”
--Bhagavad Gita. 8. 13.
The syllable Aum which is the imperishable Godhead is also the Universe. Whatever has existed, whatsoever exists, whatsoever shall exist hereafter is Aum, and whatsoever transcends past, present and future, that also is Aum. By meditating on the three aspects of A-U-M, man can realise the Reality of the God-head. Beyond it is pure unitary consciousness, wherein awareness of the world of multiplicity is completely effaced. It is ineffable Peace. It is Sat-Chit-Anandam.
“Beyond the thirty six Tattvas is the Dance of Bliss.
Beyond the thirty six Tattvas is the Home of Bliss.
Beyond the thirty six Tattvas who can compare,
Beyond the thirty six Tattvas coalesce the beatific.”
--Natchintanai. 255.
Thus Aum is the Name of the Nameless, the common symbol of God, Isvara, or Brahman. Aum is the essence of the Vedas and Vedas are the exposition of Aum. is the basis for life, thought and action. Aum covers the three-fold experience of man. Aum is the first and the last word of every religious ceremony. The aspirants that realize the meaning and mystery of Aum, enjoy supreme bliss. The assimilation and application of Aum destroys the undercurrents of passion, greed, hatred, pride, jealousy and egoism, root and branch; Aum is the solace of life and the Ultimate Reality. The whole world is in and of Aum. The universe comes from Aum, rests in Aum, and dissolves in Aum. Aum is the alpha and omega of everything: So sang Swami.
All names and forms of this universe are contained in this mysterious, sacred mono-syllable Aum for their existence. Aum is the solemn and solid reality radiating peace, joy calmness, and it denotes our true nature of divinity. There are four aspects, namely, Sabda, Artha, Jnana, and Anubhava. Sabda means sound, name, Nama. Artha means rupa, form. Jnana means wisdom of Satchidananda, the basic universal Conciousness behind and beyond name and form, nama and rupa. Anurbhava means self-realization, and the attainment of Satchidananda-- Bliss.
When we say or hear 'Aum ' it is sabda. When the sabda denotes Sat Chit Anand, our true nature, it is artha. The sabda 'Aum' and its artha (meaning) are comprehensible and relative, being only intellect-deep. When we go still deeper, and transcend the theoretical and superficial experience of mind and intellect, and of name and form of the universe, we touch the basic principle Satchidanand which is the true dawn of wisdom beyond the worldly triplet--knower-knowledge-known. This is Jnanam. When this wisdom of the Self Supreme becomes our very being, then it is anubhava, (practical realization), the glory and goal of life.
Swami reveals that the mystic Aum indicates everything which is beyond the conception of time. Aum is all-pervading. He declares Aum as the axis of contemplation in his Garland of Dhyanamalai.
Know Aum which is soundless and of infinite sounds.
It is ever-peaceful on account of negation of duality.
It is free from all distinctions.
This Truth has been realised as non-dual and free from the illusion of the manifold, by the Wise who have overcome fear, anger attachment and ego.
It is the Guru's verdict that the ceaseless chanting of Aum will lead a Meyadiyar, bondsman of Truth, to attain the highest wisdom of the Self.
“Don the indescribable Feet of Grace,
Establishing the Alone in the Void.”
--Natchintanai. 187.
Swaimi bids one and all to chant Aum with profound feeling. Chant Aum, knowing Its omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence. Pour forth Aum vibrations from the depth of your heart into the world at large, with vigour and vitality.
Chanting Aum will shut out worldly thoughts and bring your being in tune with the Infinite.
To chant Aum is to melt the mind and intellect into the Infinite.
To chant Aum is to realize that you are the Light of lights. Aum instills in you the divine energy and makes you a spiritual dynamo.
Thus Aum is the symbol for Absolute Reality--ParaSivam. He who knows this is a See-er.
“Behold Aum to be the ParaSivam
Ever luminious in the inmost soul of all,
All-pervading and All-knowing
Everlasting abode of Bliss ineffable.”
--Natchintanai. 215.