“Aathiyum anthamum illaa arumperunj
Sothiyai yāmpāḍa…”
This sacred decad, the Thiruvempavai, is entirely about our Paavai (the pupil of the eye, affectionately called Paappaa), which bears and sustains the auspicious Supreme Lord, Sivam! We light the Paavai Vilakku (Maiden Lamp) in our holy temples! Interpreting the word Paavai simply as a “woman,” people sculpt statues of a woman holding her hands together in the shape of a clay lamp, pour oil into it, and light the sacred flame! The lamp is held in the hands of the Paavai! In spiritual reality, our “hands” are indeed our eyes, and that is precisely where the divine light of the lamp resides—that light is indeed Shakti (the Divine Mother’s Energy), is it not! And Paappaa refers to the Mani (the pupil of the eye), does it not! No matter how many ways one circles around these concepts, the ultimate meaning of all things will inevitably converge only in the eye, in the pupil, and in its divine light.
Rather than writing a conventional line-by-line commentary on the holy Thiruvasagam, I have humbly documented only such crucial Paribhashai (esoteric and coded) explanations of supreme spiritual wisdom (Gnana). I implore you to read the Thiruvasagam in its entirety. This humble servant’s book serves as a master key of Gnana; once you realize the Ultimate Reality (Meipporul), everything will become as crystal clear as broad daylight!
Saint Manikkavasagar exalts the Lord as the “Rare and Infinite Supreme Light that has neither beginning nor end.” He marvels in awe, wondering what great spiritual merit (Punya) he must have accumulated to be blessed with the grace to sing of this! He refers to the Lord here as “Arumperunjothi” (The Rare Supreme Light)! The great saint Thiruvarutprakasa Vallalar echoes this exact truth, revering Him as “Arutperunjothi” (The Supreme Light of Grace)! At the conclusion of every single one of the 20 hymns in this decad, the saint melts with divine love, calling out “Em Paavaai, Paavaai”!
“Muththaṉṉa veṇṇagaiyāy muṉvan thethirezhuntheṉ”
This describes a profound spiritual experience that blossoms when one performs the intense penance of supreme wisdom (Gnana Thavam)! As Sivam, residing in our pupil (Kanmani), smiles—when the pupil opens with that divine smile—the dawn of the Supreme Light (Jyothi) will manifest and be witnessed as a pure, pearl-like white radiance! We will be blessed to behold this immaculate white light right before us!
“Vanthun kadai thiravaai pathudaiyeer”
Oh Divine Lord! When the numbers eight (representing the letter ‘அ’ – A-right eye) and two (representing the letter ‘உ’ – U-left eye) merge, and both physical eyes turn inward to unite at the central point, that sacred meeting place of eight and two becomes ten (‘ய’ – Ya)! The One who resides in that tenth place is Eesan (Lord Shiva)! That is His Kadai(meeting point of eyes) —the ultimate threshold to be opened! The seers beheld it.
Right now, that inner door remains closed to most. How many enlightened saints (Gnanis) have pleaded and sung, “Oh Lord, will You not cast Your sidelong glance (Kadaikkan) upon me? Kadaikkan Kadai means last, Kan means eye. Its eye at end of meeting point of two eyes.
What is this Kadaikkan? When you travel inward through the path of the two eyes, the final eye you reach is the Ultimate Eye (Kadaisi Kan)! That is Kadaikkan—the Third Eye, the Eye of Fire, the Divine Consciousness (Shivam)! Oh Lord, open that inner eye and save us!
The great saint Thiruvarutprakasa Vallalar cried out to the entire world, calling everyone repeatedly:
“Vammin ulagiyaleer maranamila peruvaazhvil vaazhnthidalaam kandeer”
(“Come, O people of the world! Behold, we can live an eternal life untouched by death!”)
With immense compassion, he showered the initiation of divine wisdom (Gnana Deeksha) upon everyone. However, seeing that humanity lacked the burning desire to realize God, he grieved deeply. He was ready to grant wisdom to all, but there was no one willing to receive it! With profound sorrow, grief, and agony, he uttered his famous lament:
“Kadaiviriththaen kolvaarillai!” (“I opened my shop (of divine grace), but there are no buyers!”)
In this context, “Shop” (Kadai) signifies the Kadaikkan (the Third Eye / Divine Vision)! If the graceful glance of a realized Master falls upon us, salvation is instantaneous. Because this humble servant (Adiyen) was blessed by the divine glance of Vallalar Perumaan in a past birth, my current life has been sanctified through his grace.
Lifting me up, removing my shortcomings, and elevating me to the seat of the Guru (Guru Peetam), he made me a true spiritual master (Gnana Satguru). He has blessed me to impart spiritual guidance (Gnanopadesam) and divine initiation (Gnana Deeksha) to hundreds of seekers!
Not only that, he enabled me to write and publish 34 books of true wisdom and commentaries—a rare blessing unattainable by most—thus bringing great honor to this path. In 1992, he guided me to write the sacred text Kanmanimaalai, paving the way for a spiritual revolution through this humble servant!
Astonishingly, 150 years ago in the year 1860, he himself prophesied and sang about the glory of my Kanmanimaalai text:
“Kannuthalae nin adiyaar thamaiyum nokaen, Kanmani-maalai-kkenninum kaninthu nillaen”
What a tremendous blessing it is for this humble servant to receive such grace! Who can attain such a grand privilege? I am filled with immense, boundless joy! The spiritual shop that Vallalar Perumaan once opened is what I, his humble servant, am keeping open today!
O people of the world! Come to receive this true, divine wisdom!
“Kannai thuyintravamae kaalaththai pokkaadhae”
Do not waste your precious time by constantly sleeping! If you reduce your sleep, your lifespan will increase!
Practice remaining awake without falling asleep—this is the path of spiritual penance (Jnana Thavam)!
If someone in a town closes their eyes forever, the locals say if someone in a town closes their eyes forever, they say he is dead—that is what it means! Closing the eyes and meditating is merely Samadhi . But if you perform penance (Thavam) with your eyes open and fully awake, being eternally in a state of wakeful consciousness, there is no death at all!
Do not be deluded! Do not sleep! If you stay awake, you will never face death! If you succumb to delusion and desire, destruction is absolute! Delusion and sleep will only bring fatigue and sluggishness. The ultimate end is sorrow! To avoid sorrow, avoid sleep! Remain in eternal, constant consciousness! Exist in the consciousness of the Supreme Truth (Meipporul)! Then you too shall become the Divine Truth! Transcending this illusory, fragile body of flesh, you will transform into pure Light and live eternally, completely free from death! There is a path to live thus—come, all of you!
“Annavare engannavar aavaar avarukandhu
Sonna parise thozhumbaai paniseivom”
“Annavare engannavar”—The Almighty alone is my Husband! “The Supreme Lord alone is my Divine Consort!” Not only Manikkavasagar, but all the enlightened sages (Gnanis) who have ever graced this world looked upon the Divine Lord as their beloved Husband! (why as husband?) They embraced this divine union and excelled in it! The Supreme Soul (Paramatma), who is the Lord, is the Husband to all living souls (Jivaatmas) in this world! The Paramatma is the sole Male! All Jivaatmas are Female!
Manikkavasagar is female! Vallalar too is female! Andal is female as well! By physical body, one is not male or female; at the level of the soul, all souls are feminine! Once you realize this, you will understand that the Rasa Leela of Vrindavan is not vulgarity, but rather a profound, passionate love directed toward the Ultimate Supreme (‘A’ / அ )!
Manikkavasagar declared, “The Lord alone is my Husband!” Am I not a humble slave to that Supreme Lord? He says, “To perform the sacred duties ordained by my Husband, the Lord, is my entire purpose!” What a wonder! The Divine Lord, who took absolute dominion over me, extracts work from this servant in the very same manner! This humble servant is not even equal to the dust on the holy feet of Saint Manikkavasagar! Yet, I humbly believe that Manikkavasagar has beautifully described my own state through these words!
The Supreme Lord, who forcefully intervened and took dominion over me, showered His grace through Vallalar Peruman in the year 1980, granting me divine initiation (Gnana Deeksha) through the Trichy Gnana Siddhar, Jyothi Ramasamy Desigar! I performed rigorous penance! I became clarified! I ascended! In the year 1992, by the immense grace of the Lord, they sowed the seeds for a spiritual revolution through the book Kanmanimaalai! Immediately after, by the grace of Vallalar, marriage and a child followed—the Self-Effulgent Light (Suyam Jyothi)! Later, for a few years, past karmas played their part. I thought everything was over and even reached the brink of losing my life! But they rescued me! I could not fathom why! I had resolved to end it, but they did not let me go; instead, they directed me to perform sacred service at the Shiva Temple in Kanyakumari …they made me do it! And that too, completely! They seated me upon the sacred seat of the Guru (Guru Peedam)! I traveled back and forth repeatedly to Chennai and Vadalur, the holy places where Vallalar lived. For what purpose? My Husband, the Supreme Lord, commanded me: “Make this humble servant a Guru, bestow spiritual instructions (Gnana Upadesam) and divine initiations (Gnana Deeksha) to those who seek you, and continuously write many books of true spiritual wisdom!” Therefore, from that day until this very moment, I have been performing this sacred service alone!
Am I not a humble slave of the Almighty? Acting as a true spiritual master (Gnana Satguru), I am spreading true divine wisdom across the entire world, performing the sacred duty entrusted to me by my divine Husband! Apart from this, this humble servant has no other work or purpose! If one holds onto the Divine, all worldly attachments will fade away! Is not the Lord completely free from all attachments? To make us like Him, He will make us detached from the world as well! We must hold onto Him tightly! We must never let go! Shouldn’t we hold fast to our divine Husband?!
There is an old proverb that says, “Even if he turns to stone, he is still your husband (Kallanalum kanavan, Pullanalum Purusan); even if he becomes as lowly as grass, he is still your man.” People in every town have built temples and kept my Husband, the Supreme Lord, as a stone idol! But that does not matter! Even if He is made of stone, He alone is my Divine Consort! He who exists as the atom within atoms, inside all moving and non-moving living beings, inside every blade of grass and flower, is indeed the Supreme Lord! He is my Husband! Even if He is like the grass, He is my Man! I shall live only as a completely faithful, chaste spouse to Him!
The Supreme Lord—the Paramatma, the Great Effulgent Light of Grace (Arut Perunjothi)—the One who took absolute dominion over me and commands my service, the One who is everything, He alone is my Husband! I shall not touch anyone else, even in my thoughts! This is the absolute truth! All enlightened sages (Gnanis) like Manikkavasagar and Vallalar are perfectly chaste spouses to the Lord! We too must become such purely devoted spouses!!
“Kaiyaal kudainthu kudainthun kazhalpaadi”
By hand—meaning, when we perform deep penance (Thavam) using our eyes and travel inward, what can we do if the door is locked and a veil blocks our way? We must ignite the inner light of the eye and pierce through! As the light increases and intensifies, piercing inward, the cave-gate will gradually open up little by little! Entering into that inner space which resembles a cave, we can bow down to His holy feet with that divine Light, sing His glories, and merge with Him! We must continuously perform this spiritual penance (Jnana Thavam) without ever giving up!
“Ingunam illangal thorum ezhuntharuli
Sengamala porpaatham thantharulun sevagane”
Here in this world, illangal thorum (in every home)—there is no one without a home! That home (illam) is nothing but our physical body! He who manifests within all living beings and exists as the vital life force (Jiva) is that all-powerful Lord Shiva Himself! Inside our home—that is, inside our body, right at the center of our head. He resides within. He has blessed us with our very own two eyes to serve as His beautiful holy feet, His golden feet that resemble the crimson lotus flower! When we perform deep spiritual penance (Thavam), our eyes will turn red and appear like the red lotus flower! Kamalam means lotus flower! The eye-flower itself has become the golden lotus feet (Sengamala Porpaatham)!
Saint Manikkavasagar has beautifully turned the Lord, who is our Husband, into a servant (Sevagan) here! Why? Is it not our Husband who fulfills all our needs? Is He not the one who works for that sake? At home, a wife sits like a queen and asks her bridegroom, “Go buy vegetables, go buy a broom, buy a saree for me; buy everything needed for cooking, washing, sleeping, and living!” The husband is the one who earns, works hard, fulfills all her needs, and makes her happy! The husband is truly a servant, is he not? There is absolutely no doubt about it! One must get married somehow, and then one can rest easy!
It is the exact same situation for the Lord who created this universe! On one hand, there are things we ask from our Husband, the Supreme Lord; on the other hand, the Lord is the ideal Husband who understands and fulfills His wife’s needs without even being asked! For us, His devotees—the souls, the spouses—the Supreme Soul (Paramatman) who created us all is not just our Husband! He will even manifest as a servant to us, His true devotees! He will shower His divine grace! We are His servants! If we become true devotees to Him, He becomes a servant to us!
Was it not the Supreme Lord who carried sand in exchange for sweet rice cakes (Pittu)? Was it not the Supreme Lord who received blows from a cane? Was it not the Supreme Lord who came as a groom for the horses? Who else but our Lord is the servant of servants, even to His devotees? Our Husband, who grants us supreme bliss (Perinbam), is also the servant who blesses us by fulfilling our needs! First and foremost, we must be a good, devoted wife to Him!!
“Potri aruluganinf aadhiyaam paathamalar
Potri aruluganinf anthamaam senthalirkal
Potriellaa vuyirkkum thotramaam porpaatham
Potriellaa vuyirkkum pogamaam poongazhalgal
Potriellaa vuyirkkum eeramaam inanaiyadikal
Potrimaal naanmuganum kaanaatha pundarigam
Potriyaam uiyyaat kondarulum ponmalarkal
Potriyaam maargazhi neeraadelor empaavaay”
Oh Lord, praise be to Your lotus feet which are the beginning—praise be to my eye-flowers, bless me! Oh Lord, praise be to Your crimson, tender shoots which are the end—praise be to the refined, youthful pupils of my eyes, bless me! Oh Lord, praise be to the golden feet that grant the power to see the origin of all living beings—praise be to the light of my eye-pupils Bless me!!
Oh Lord, praise be to Your flower-like holy feet that bestow the supreme bliss of enjoyment to all living beings—praise be to my very eyes, bless me! Oh Lord, praise be to Your twin holy feet where You reside equally within all living beings—praise be to my eyes, bless me! Oh Lord, praise be to the lotus feet that could not be perceived even by Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma—praise be to my lotus-like eyes, bless me! Oh Lord, praise be to the golden flowers that take dominion over me so that I may be saved and attain liberation—praise be to my eyes which are golden flowers, bless me!
Oh Lord, praise be! Come, let us bathe in the month of Margazhi, empaavaay! ‘Maari’ means chest, and ‘kazhi’ means to wash away or eliminate. So, my chest—my heart—is my very eyes! To wash away and dissolve the veil of past karmas (vinai thirai) present in the eye, which is my heart, come, let us bathe! Where is em paavaay? Em paavaay refers to the pupil of my eye. If one meditates by remembering and feeling this pupil of the eye, tears will flow in torrents, and we must bathe in them. Saint Manikkavasagar calls out aloud to the world to come and bathe in this manner!!
“Come to bathe, oh dear companions, oh women”—it is us, the individual souls (Jivaatmas) of this world, whom Saint Manikkavasagar is calling! The attitude of looking upon the Lord as the Husband and oneself as the Wife (Nayaka-Nayaki Bhava) is what ripens into supreme wisdom! The seekers of wisdom (Jnana Sadhanas) who immerse themselves and rejoice in this spiritual penance, regard themselves as a woman. Knowing that the one Supreme Lord (Purushottama) is the only Male, and realizing that merging with that Divine Lord is the only path to attain supreme bliss, they toil hard!
Saint Thirumoolar says,“Pennoru pennai punarnthidum peethamai”
He declares that individual souls (Jivaatmas), acting as women, trying to unite with each other is a state of ignorance! Realizing that for us, who are individual souls in the form of a woman, the only Male is the Supreme Lord (Paramatma) who is the Master of this universe, and merging inseparably with that Divine Lord is supreme bliss! Thirumoolar states that this alone is true wisdom! How? For us, marriage should happen only with the Divine—with the Supreme Lord! That alone is the sacred wedding (Thirukkalyanam) that takes place between us and the Divine!
The true spiritual master (Jnana Satguru) is the priest who solemnizes this sacred wedding between us and the Lord! Come, I will show you the Bridegroom! If you like Him, the sacred wedding is certain! Become spiritually mature to receive supreme bliss! This is the sacred task entrusted to me by the Divine! To grant wisdom to the individual souls, to mature them, and to unite them in sacred marriage with the Supreme Soul (Paramatma)!
The Lord will protect those wise children (Jnana Kuzhanthaigal) who are born to chaste spouses! The realized seers (Jnanavankal) will stay right beside them as foster mothers and safeguard them! To help us attain this wisdom, those very seers are our support! They shall bestow their divine grace upon us.
-Gnana Sarguru SivaSelvaraj