The sacred lamp lit by the holy hands of Vallalar Peruman at the Dharma Salai, Mettukuppam,
and several other places has been carefully protected by his devotees, continuing to
shine brightly for over 150 years to this very day.
Vallalar instructed his devotees to light an earthen oil lamp and place it inside a tin-and-glass enclosure to keep it from going out. If you ask ordinary Sanmarga followers, they will simply say that the glass enclosure was recommended to prevent the wind from blowing the flame out. However, the one who understands the true hidden meaning behind this is a true Sanmarki! Such a person is spiritually mature enough to practice Jnana Sadhana (spiritual realization).
The Architecture of the Soul: The Glass Lamp
The tin-and-glass lamp is actually a miniature model of the Sathya Gnana Sabhai (The Hall of True Wisdom).
- The lamp resides inside the glass frame.
- We can see the flame from the outside because of the transparent glass.
- If it were blocked by a thick curtain or a wooden door, the inner light (Jyoti) would not be visible to us, would it?
Vallalar designed this specific method of worship to reveal a profound spiritual secret to us.
The Grand Secret: This glass-enclosed lamp represents the exact structure of the human eye.
The earthen lamp inside symbolizes the Atma Jyoti (the Soul Light) residing deep within the
center of our head (the crown/mid-brow). The transparent glass represents how the inner light reflects outward through our eyes.
Piercing the Veil: The Spiritual Mechanism
At the center of our pupil, there is a needle-thin aperture (hole) covered by a delicate, glass-like membrane.
- To trim or brighten the wick of the tin-enclosed lamp, one must open the glass door first.
- Similarly, to kindle and awaken the inner Divine Light within us, the thin membrane covering our inner eye must be opened.
- In spiritual texts, this veil is referred to as the Seven Veils (Ezhu Thirai) or the Three Impurities (Mummalam-Karma, Maya, Ego).
Achieving the State of Gnana (Wisdom)
When you constantly contemplate, deeply realize, and melt with intense devotion, the light in your eyes will intensify. The pupil will open, the outside expressed divine light will merge within, and the Atma Jyoti (Soul Light) will blaze forth in all its glory!
Ah, what a spectacularly wonderful explanation this is! This is Vallalar Peruman speaking directly from within me. This, indeed, is the ultimate state of Gnana/Jnana (Enlightenment).