“Nila-neer neruppuyir neel-visumbu nilaap-pagalon
Pulanaaya mainthanau denvagaiyaai punarndhu ninraan
Ulagae lenathisai pathenathaan oruvanumae
Palavaagi ninravaa thonoakkam aadamo”
After starting to write this commentary on the true divine wisdom (Mei-Gnana) of Thiruvasagam, this humble servant is able to perceive more and more spiritual insights! The songs of all enlightened sages, if observed deeply, will reveal the Ultimate Truth (Meipporul)!
“What is learned is a mere handful of sand” is a truth among truths! While writing this book, I realized that there is still so much left to learn! Everyone says that God possesses eight attributes (En-guna-thaan)! Esoterically, they say He exists as eight; in numbers and in script, He exists as eight (‘அ’ / 8)—saying the right eye is Shivam is also esoteric symbolism! That both eyes together resemble an 8 or an infinity symbol (number eight rotated) is a truth discovered through deep contemplation! It was stated because it was ‘seen’ (kanda) as the eye within your body (mey)!!
Here, Saint Manikkavasagar beautifully and clearly tells us that the two eyes are the combination of these eight elements: earth, water, fire, air, ether, soul, moon, and sun! They said He is the one who combines these eight, residing within the eight! He became structured as the five senses! He stood unified as eight forms! He stood as the seven worlds! The six chakras (Aadhara) plus the seventh, the Sahasrara (Sahasrathalam), together are called the seven worlds! God also stood as the ten directions—the eight cardinal directions plus the upper world and lower world!
Who is He? He, the One, transformed into many and stood as such; He is the Supreme Being (Paramporul), the Supreme Soul (Paramatma), who has become our eye! God! Behold Him, rejoice, and sing and dance! If you see—if you look through the eye (kan-daal)—you can behold the foundation! Those who have seen do not speak (Kandavar vindilar)! Those who have seen cannot speak, for they are immersed and overwhelmed in supreme bliss, leaving them speechless! They become ecstatic and forget their body!! How can speech come? They stand stunned in awe!
Possessor of eight attributes! — within eight! — within ‘Ah’ (the letter/number 8)! As the light of both eyes! As Shivam and Shakthi! He shines forth as ‘Ah’ (அ) and ‘Oo’ (உ)! Aha, what a grand truth! Wisdom! Secret!
O Lord, who revealed this for this humble servant to know! O my gem! O Saint Manikkavasagar who uttered the precious verses about pupil (Manivasagam)! O my Master! O Benevolent One, who made me write and convey this commentary of true spiritual wisdom to the world, how can I express my gratitude! What return can I offer! As per your command, I will forever keep conveying true divine wisdom to the world in every possible way!
“Buddhan mudhalaaya pullarivir palsamayam
Thatham madhangalil thattuluppup pattunirka
Sitham sivamaakki seidhanavae thavamaakkum
Athhan karunaiyinaal thonoakkam aadamo”
Various religions created by petty-minded people starting with Buddha, without realizing God and engaging in mere arguments, lack true divine wisdom (Mei Gnana) and remain confused within their own religious concepts! Being stubbornly rigid, they torment their bodies by undertaking harsh vows, only to perish without knowing the truth! Note how Mahakavi Bharathi also sang, “Look, Buddha died of illness!” Those who perish will be reborn! If so, does it not mean that they did not reach the ultimate state of perfection? Only when one realizes the Whole—the Light—can liberation (Moksha) be attained! Did Buddha, who preached love, fail to show love and compassion toward his own life (Jeevan)!?
“Compassion for all living beings (Jeeva Karunyam) is the key to the abode of liberation!” declared Vallalar! To preserve one’s own life, should one not perform spiritual penance (thavam) by amplifying the light of the eye? Performing penance with eyes open, staying vigilant—with awareness and feeling in the eyes—yields liberation (Moksha)! Salvation (Mukthi)!
Saint Thirugnanasambandar established the Saiva path, the divine path, by defeating Jain monks in debate! Saint Manikkavasagar defeated a Buddhist monk in debate and made him embrace Saivism! God Himself claimed Saint Thirunavukkarasar, who was previously involved in Jainism, and engaged him in the Saiva path! In this manner, God Himself taught the righteous path to His devotees and blessed everyone to follow and live by the Eternal Dharma (Sanatana Dharma) that prevails here!
All those religions that originated in India vanished, and Sanatana Dharma alone endures to this day! Christianity and Islam that arrived from other countries also could not thrive here! Sanatana Dharma, shining in Bharat, is an egalitarian, righteous path (Sanmarga) free from discrimination of caste, religion, race, or language! Therefore, no matter how many religions or paths arrive or emerge, this Sanatana Dharma will never perish and will endure forever! Truth resides in this! Truth and righteousness are forever imperishable!
Sanatana Dharma instructs us to consume vegetarian food! It blesses, “May all living beings live happily!” It proclaims, “Every city is my native place, and all people are my kin!” It asserts that a human should live as a human, elevate through spiritual unity (Aatma-neya orumaipadu), and ultimately reach the feet of the Lord without dying!
Do not all other religions say that whoever is born will die?! Sanatana Dharma, which shines here, possesses peerless, rational, and clear wisdom! In the future, Sanatana Dharma alone will shine across the whole world! The hardships taking place in today’s world have deeply impacted people’s minds! Slowly, the world is shifting toward vegetarianism and the righteous path (Sanmarga)!
This is something to rejoice over! May the Almighty God grant grace so that people live peacefully and unitedly without fights or quarrels! Let no one drag anyone saying, “Come to my religion!” It is enough if everyone lives in discipline and righteousness, refraining from the five major sins (Pancha Mahapataka), considering all people of the world as brothers and sisters, and living in unity!
God is One! Light is God! Your eye itself is His holy feet! Merge your soul with God! Live! Live a noble life! Live receiving all prosperity! Those who establish Shiva in their consciousness and perform wisdom-penance (Jnana-Thavam) will live a grand life! They will live well on this earth! Afterward, they will reach the feet of the Lord! This is the absolute truth! Everything done by such practitioners of wisdom-penance is penance itself! Everything they utter is a mantra!
“Nirai-mozhi maandhar aanaiyir kilandha
Marai-mozhidhaanae mandhiram enba”
—so states the Tolkappiyam aphorism! Those who perform wisdom-penance are complete human beings; what they say itself is Veda and Mantra! Such a person will only do good. They will surely do good, without a doubt! By God’s grace and compassion, those who practice wisdom-penance become enlightened sages (Jnani) and reach the feet of the Lord! Behold that God, sing, and dance!
When Sanatana Dharma—the peerless, supreme, and noble way of life—flourishes here, no other religion, path, or creed could shine here! The state of other religions is merely like coming to sell needles in the street of blacksmiths! We have no religion—we have no ego! We only have a way of life! We need no distinctions such as caste, religion, race, or language! We are human beings, that is all! Among us, there are only two divisions: one is male, and the other is female! We need nothing else! We are all children of the Almighty God!
“Pangayam aayiram poovinilor pookuraiyath
Thangkan idantharan sevadimaer saathalumae
Sanggaran empiraan sakkaramaat karuliyavaaru
Enggum paravinaam thonoakkam aadamo”
When Lord Vishnu (Thirumal) was worshipping Lord Shiva with a thousand lotus flowers, it is said that he fell short by one flower! Immediately, he plucked out his own eye and offered it as a flower at Lord Shiva’s feet! Pleased by this, Lord Shiva granted the divine discus (Chakrayudham) to Vishnu! Let us praise, sing, dance, and rejoice everywhere spreading such glory of Lord Shiva!
“Bhiraman ariyendru iruvarundham baethaimaiyaal
Paramam yaamparamam endravargal padhaippodungga
Aranaar azhaluruvaai anggae alavirandhu
Paramaagi ninravaa thonoakkam aadamo”
While Vishnu and Brahma were arguing out of their ignorance, each claiming “I am the Supreme! I am the Supreme!”, Lord Shiva stood rising immensely between the earth and the heavens as a colossal column of fire, stilling their agitation! Brahma turned into a swan and flew up searching for His head, while Vishnu turned into a wild boar and burrowed down searching for His feet—they went on and on continuously. Unable to find either the top or the bottom, they returned exhausted! They accepted that Shivam alone is the Supreme!