Manikkavasagar stated that the innermost central part—the pupil of the eye—within the flower/petal of the lotus-like eye where the divine Lord resides, is itself Tiruppoovalli! It is the inner petal holding the gem/seed inside the lotus flower. Similarly, in spiritual wisdom (Jnana), the eye itself is described as the lotus and the pupil as the lily/gem!
Inaiyaar thiruvadi enthalaimel vaithalume
Thunaiyaana sutrangal aththanaiyum thurandhozhindhen
Because the Lord graciously granted His twin lotus feet upon my head as eyes, bestowing spiritual instruction (Jnana Upadesha) and spiritual initiation (Jnana Deeksha), this birth itself has been redeemed! All the relatives, friends, and kin who were supportive until then left and vanished. Ah, what a relief!
Manikkavasagar said he renounced his relatives to become an ascetic, but I (this humble servant) did not renounce anyone—my relatives, kin, friends, and loved ones all renounced me! I was left completely alone.
Only then did I realize the truth of Sage Pattinathar’s words: Sutrangalai vaazhvai kudangavizh neerottamanre iru “Be like water slipping off an inverted pot when it comes to relatives and worldly life.” My Guru pushed me to the state of crying out, “Oh Lord, You are my only refuge!” and paved the way for me to receive the grace of Mother Goddess Vaalai.
I hated no one, yet everyone hated and cast me aside. The song of the Siddhar proved true: “We did not push them away; considering their own ill nature, did they not leave on their own?”
Like birds abandoning a dried-up pond (“Atra kulathil aruneer paravai pola”), when I lost my wealth and suffered, everyone cast this selvam(guru siva selvaraj ayya) aside. But the Lord embraced me with love! This is the absolute truth of what happened in my life. Today, now that times are good, relatives and friends who refused to even speak back then are coming in search of me!
As Vallalar said: “Deceivers trembled and went silent; they declared, ‘You are my refuge, O Lord!’; the members of the Sanmarga Sangam triumphed.” All those who cursed me back then are seeking me out today. Oh Lord, all of this is Your divine play (Leela)!
When I stood distressed in the middle of the street with my family, feeling completely helpless, Mother Vaalai of Kanyakumari called out, “I am here,” and showered her grace! She protected us, sustained us, and gave us life! Even today, she feeds us and provides for our daily needs. Is she not a mother? The very embodiment of grace! Isn’t a mother the true abode of love and compassion? She saved me when I was trembling in agony and suffering.
Unshakable faith and resolute, steadfast penance (Vairagya)—along with the love of Vallalar and my Guru—protected me. Not only in the Thiruvasagam, but every sage describes their own personal experience, which becomes the lived experience of all who perform penance!
They teach us: “All of this will come and happen—do not be shaken! Hold firmly onto the sacred feet of the Lord and never let go!” Those who undergo such experiences gain the encouragement needed to advance on the path of wisdom (Jnana). Sages gave us the sacred scriptures of wisdom precisely to bestow that guidance upon us!
“Ambalaththae aadugindra punaiyaalan”
The word Ambalam means a temple! When it is said “it became ambalam“—that is, revealed—it carries another meaning: what was kept secret until now has become known to everyone! Ambalavanan (Lord), who has taken our body as His temple, is dancing right in our eyes for all to see, as the tool through which we perceive this world, and as the light of the pupil! The eye itself is the ultimate reality (Meipporul)! Bound within the eye, within the pupil, is the Savior (Punaiyaalan)—Light—Shivam! He dances in the Ambalam!
“Aanandhat thaenirundha pondhai paravi”
Inside our eye’s iris, like a hollow in a tree or a cave between rocks, there is an inner path to attain Shivam! In front is the pupil! Those who practice spiritual penance (Gnana Thavam), if they anchor their awareness on the pupil, stay conscious, and remain awake, the light will enter inside that hollow!
“Akkini kunjonru kanden aangge marappondhidai vaithai”
—so sang Mahakavi Bharathi in joy, describing this state of wisdom! Many talk grandly about Bharathi with praise! Yet back in those days, he withered in poverty without food to eat! Bharathi died of starvation!
Noavaalae madindhittaan Buddhan,
siluvaiyilae adiyundu Yaesu setthaan,
theeyadhoru kanaiyaalae Kannan maandaan,
paar pugazhum Iraamanumaeyaattril veezhdhaan
naan paar meedhu saagaadhiruppaen paareer
—despite saying this, Bharathi died of starvation! What a total disgrace! Back then, there was no one to support Bharathi! After his death, the world builds a memorial hall (Mani Mandapam) to honor him?! What a wretched world filled with corrupt people this is!
It is precisely so that spiritual practitioners (Gnana Sadhakas) like Bharathi do not suffer from starvation that Thiruvarut prakasa Vallalar established the free charity hall (Dharmasalai) in Vadalur to serve food! The Dharmasalai was not built for the wealthy to sit comfortably and eat gourmet food! Understand this!
Only if one travels inward through that hollow will the nectar of bliss (Aanandha thaen) be attained! Mother Vaalai is there to bestow it! Precisely so that I (this humble servant) do not suffer from hunger, Mother Vaalai protects me by providing offerings through many disciples! I, Shiva Selvaraj, live on the alms given by my disciples! I carry out spiritual service with complete contentment! With the help of disciples, I write and publish books of true divine wisdom!
Erimoondru thaevark kirangiyarul seidharulich
Siramoond rarathan thiruppuruvam neritharulich
Urumoondru maa gi unarvaridhaam oruvanumae
Puramoond rerithava poovalli koyyaamo
God blessed the world with three fires—the Sun, the Moon, and Agni (Fire)—and energized it! He created them within our head as three: the right eye, the left eye, and the inner Agni eye! Whatever is in the cosmos (Andam) is within the body (Pindam)! For our third eye (the corner eye) to open, we must go through the two eyes on our face—through the eyes themselves! When you knit both eyebrows together and direct your vision inward, the light that travels will reach the Agni! The fire will catch and become a great flame! This itself is spiritual practice (Gnana Sadhana)!
God manifesting as “three forms” (Uru moondru) actually means standing as the three eyes! Some “super-smart” commentators have written in their interpretations that it means Form (Uruvam), Formless (Aruvam), and Formless-Form (Aru-uruvam). You fools! Doesn’t Manikkavasagar explicitly state “three forms” (Uru moondru)? Are “formless” and “formless-form” considered forms? You ignorant people! Bow at the feet of the Guru, learn divine wisdom, cast away your ego, and hold fast to the divine feet! Only when your attachment to the world falls away can you grasp the detached Lord! The eye free from attachment is what cuts off the cycle of birth! This cannot be known simply by reading; it must be known and realized by humbling oneself at the lotus feet of the Guru!
Do you know who that Lord is? He is the one who burned the three cities (Tripura)! How? With a smile! He is no one else, nor is it anything else—it is the Shivam inside our pupil! The eye itself is Shivam. If the pupil “smiles”—that is, if the blocked opening of the pupil opens—the inner fire of Shivam will burn away our three impurities (Mum-malangal), which are the three cities! Thirumoolar scolds those who do not know this truth as fools! If so, what is wrong with me scolding them!?
An educated person driven by arrogance will not respect others! How will he bow to or revere a Guru? At a gathering, a college professor lamented that nowadays not a single student respects teachers! Do these teachers conduct themselves in a way that commands respect from students? In many colleges, dressed in trendy clothes just like the students so that one can’t even distinguish who the student is and who the teacher is, wearing perfumes to mask body odor, and roaming around flashily—how could students respect them? They will just put an arm around their shoulders and say, “Hey, you’re my buddy!” Many college professors are addicted to smoking, drinking, eating meat, and various intoxicants, roaming around driven entirely by lust!
How on earth will students respect you! Be glad that they haven’t trampled you underfoot! In earlier days, there was fear and respect for school masters! Not just students, but society itself respected them. They too lived as men of discipline and wisdom! But today, Upadhyayars (revered teachers) turned into Vaathiyaar and then degraded into Vaathi—just like a donkey wearing down into a tiny ant! There is no respect at all! “Hey Vaathi!” calls out the student! He mocks! Teachers back then dressed honorably, lived honorably in society, and everyone praised them! Today, they don’t even teach lessons in school! Most high school (+2) teachers collect 3,000 to 5,000 rupees for private tuitions and earn lakhs of money! Who can we report this atrocity to? Many eat well, grow fat, and look just like wild pigs! How can a student respect them? Aren’t many of today’s teachers alas—petty men!? Lord, save the students!
“Vanangath thalaivaithu vaarkazhalvaai vaazhthavaithu
Inangath thanseeradiyaar koottamum vaithu”
For us to worship, God has graciously placed His sacred feet upon our heads—as our eyes! That sacred foot is vaarkazhalvaai: vaar (concealed by a veil), kazhal (sacred feet), and vaai (the opening at the center of the pupil). Placing us to praise Him, we must praise Him whole-heartedly, perceive Him clearly with our eyes, and perform spiritual penance (Jnana Thavam). For us to harmonize, gather in holy congregation (Satsang), and engage in truth-seeking inquiry (Sat-vichara), He will also grant us the fellowship of virtuous devotees—those whose eyes have been opened by the Guru’s grace and who have attained refined sight through God’s grace!
“Kannaan urithennai aandukondaan kazhalinaigal ponnaana”
Just like peeling fiber off a stone, He peeled away the fiber—the vaar (veil/fiber) upon the sacred feet (kazhal)—removed the curtain, and ruled over me! God took pity on this humble servant, removed the veil over my pupil—the curtain of the three impurities (Mummalangal)—peeled away and destroyed the bound fiber (vaar/rope), and made His sacred feet shine like gold!
“Anraala neezharkeezh arumaraigal thaanaruli”
Long ago in the past, God sat beneath the shade of the banyan tree and bestowed the precious sacred scriptures upon this world!
It is the Vedas themselves that were graciously revealed by God!