When Thirugnaanasambandhar, merged with his bride and the members of the marriage party in the Effulgence that is Civan, in Nalloor,
when Maanikkavaachakar merged in the Mystery of mysteries, in Thillai,
when Sundaramoorthi Swaamikal ascended to heaven on the white elephant,
when Thirunaavukkarasar merged in Civan, in Thiruppukaloor with these words:“Oh virtuous One, verily, I am coming to Your feet!”
all of them had gained this golden body and it was with it that they merged in the effulgence that is the Godhead.
So too did our Raamalinga Swaamikal when he shut himself up on the 30th of January 1874 in his room in the Siddhi-valaaka-t-thiru-maalikai and vanished from the ken of mankind.
That is how G.Vanmikanathan describes Ramalinga Adigal's final moment of union with the Lord in his PATHWAY TO GOD TROD BY SAINT RAMALINGAR, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay.
Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal told me instead, just as these saints had seeked to merge at the feet of the Lord, that is exactly what we should ask for. I understood fully his statement later in India when I was blessed to spend some time in his company where I saw that each time he was alone be it at the peedham, in the caves, the Siddha samadhis, or temples, he used to weep to the Lord asking the Lord to take him with Him, to merge at His feet.
Ramalinga Adigal's prayer was Tavayogi's prayer too, its transliteration,
Ramalinga Adigal's prayer was Tavayogi's prayer too, its transliteration,
"Indru varumoh? naalaike varumoh?,Tavayogi seeked the space where there is only the bliss of non-participation (summa eru).
allathu matru yendru varumo?
ariyen yen kove,
tundru mala vem maayai attru
vezhikul vezhi kadanthu
summa irukkum sugam."
இன்று வருமோ நாளைக்கே வருமோ
அல்லது மற்றென்று வருமோ
அறியேன் எங்கோவே
துன்று மல வெம்மாயை அற்று
வெளிக்குள் வெளி கடந்து
சும்மா இருக்கும் சுகம்
That was the message to Arunagiri too by Lord Murugan, "Summa eru Sol Are."
Tayumanavar too was asked to remain such by his guru Mauna Guru, "Be silent. Rest in peace. Keep quiet (Summa Eru). Have faith. You will reach the supreme state of Bliss".
Saint Nakkirar too prayed to Lord Vinayagar to create that space where the disciple could merge with the guru,
மோனா ஞான முழுதும் அளித்து
சிற்பரிப் பூரண சிவத்தைக் காண
நற்சிவ நிட்கள நாட்டமுந் தந்து
குருவுஞ் சீடனுங் கூடிக் கலந்து
இருவரும் ஒரு தனியிடந் தனிற் சேர்ந்து
தானந்தமாகித் தற்பர வெளியில்
ஆனந்த போத அறிவைக் கலந்து
ஈசனிைணயடியிருத்தி
மனத்தே நீயே நானாய்
நானே நீயாய்க்
காயா புரியைக் கனவெனவுணா்ந்து
எல்லாமுன் செயலென்ேற உணர
நல்லா உன்னருள் நாட்டந் தருவாய்
காரண குருவே கற்பகத் களிேற
வாரணமுகத்து வள்ளலே போற்றி
mona gnana muluthum alitthu
sirparipoorana shivattai kaana
narshiva nitkala naattamum thanthu
guruvum seedanum koodi kalanthu
eruvarum oru tani edam thanil sernthu
thaananthamaagi tarpara veliyil
aanandha bhotha arivai kalanthu
esan enaiyadi erutthi manathay
neeye naanaai naane neeyaai
gaayaa puriyai kanavena unarnthu
yellaam un seyalendray unara
nallaa un arul naatham tharuvaai
kaarana guruve karpaga kalire
vaarana mugatthu vallale potri
Vanmikanathan has given us a beautiful and much awaited biography cum journal on the life and experiences of Ramalinga Adigal. He traces Ramalinga Adigal's journey and spiritual evolution based on Ooran Adigal's publication of the complete works of Ramalinga Adigal, the THIRUARUTPA. Valmikanathan appreciates Ooran Adigal for compiling the Arutpa chronologically.
This edition, unlike all previous editions, has for its basis the chronological order of the composition and delivery of the decads. Such an edition is a most invaluable aid for the kind of book which I am writing. We can follow Raamalinga Swaamikal’s progress not only through year to year of his life but also through the several stages of his spiritual journey in their chronological order. I feel so grateful to Ooran Atikal for his work that if it were permissible to dedicate a book more than once and to more than one person, I would dedicate my book to Ooran Atikal as well. For without his edition, I would never have been able to write this book.
I was blessed to meet Ooran Adigal and have my personal copy of the THIRUARUTPA autographed by Ooran Adigal himself when he accompanied Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal and other participants to the First World Conference of Siddha Philosophy held in Malaysia in 2007.
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| Ooran Adigal autographs my personal copy of his publication of Ramalinga Adigal's THIRUARUTPA |
This spiritual evolution on Ramalinga Adigal's part is pretty obvious when one follows his experiences and devotional out-pour, laments, wailing, utterances, plodding, pleading, petitions and revelations as compiled in the form of the THIRUARUTPA.
In Raamalinga Swaamikal’s spiritual experience each of these major stages of spiritual experience are found to be sub-divided into Purgation, Illumination and Union
True enough, hence began a beautiful journey on the Purgative Way.Oh Guru Who came into my mind and bestowed the perception that through ritualistic worship of Pathi (God) and similar good rites the creaturely instrument of understanding called the mind will be rid of impure concepts and stand established in pure contemplation and, thereby, the state of true union with Pathi with result; that, thereupon, buddhi, the power of ratiocination, freed from (the triad of) bonds will merge in the mind, and that, forthwith, the state of absence of incoming and outgoing will be gained in the shape of unwavering real gnosis.
Though the period between 1823 and 1835, i.e., from the date of birth to the 12th year of our Swaamikal has been classified as the period of Kandhakottam, .. which has as its theme-shrine the temple of Murukan in Kandhakottam which goes today by the name of Kandhaswaami koil.
Vanmikanathan continues,
Kandakottam Sri Kandasamy temple, Chennai. Photo courtesy of deccanchronicle.com
And several other prayers rise up from the depths of our Swaamikal’s heart, prayers which you and I and all the world may adopt as our daily petitions to God, our Light in the darkness of doubt and despair, our Saviour from the six serpents of lust, anger, greed, infatuation, obstinacy and pride, and a seventh serpent, rarely spoken of by others, but given by our Swaamikal a prominent place in the evils that stand in the way of an aspirant for the grace of God, the serpent of killing of living beings.Vanmikanathan adds,
All saints and mystics have always been at war with their mind and heart. For these are in love with worldly pleasures and are at cross purposes with the mystics who wish to proceed to the Godhead, the Ground of all being. Raamalinga Swaamikal too has several decads addressed to his heart or mind.
In the second and last lap of the Purgative Way, our Swaamikal goes from Thirutthanikai Hill to Thiruvottriyoor, from Murukan the Son to Civan the Father, from childhood to adolescence and youth.
Photo courtesy of sttdhotels.com
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| Thiruvottriyoor Arulmigu Tyagaraja Swami Thirukovil. Temple. Photo courtesy of holyindia.org |
From the 41st decad onwards, we see a remarkable change in the spirit which pervades the poems. A note of hope, of cheerfulness, of intimacy, of rejoicing, of exultation replaces the note of despondency and despair which marked the decads so far reviewed by us in the First Book.Ramalinga Adigal begins to yearn for the union with the Lord.
"He is eager for the mystic union which is the goal of bridal mysticism."Thus the first lap of his journey on the Purgative Way comes to a close.
In this span of about fifteen years, what was unrelieved misery had become metamorphosed into joy. This is not the effect of the passage of time which dulls the edge of misery, but a genuine change in the outlook on what seemed like misery. This is the result of the affinity - a spiritual rapport between Raamalinga Swaamikal and the Godhead, which has grown stronger and stronger with the years, a rapport that has grown into the relationship of bride and bridegroom.Vanmikanathan writes that,
"Our Swaamikal has left the Purgative Way and has entered the Illuminative Way."
The emphasis has changed. It is no more on his foibles, failings and faults. The Swaamikal shifts the blame from himself to the Lord Whom he accuses of delaying the bestowal of grace.
Our Swaamikal celebrates his entry into the Illuminative Way by the one hundred and one stanzas of this decad in praise of the Divine Mother (the vadivudai maanikka maalai)Further on Vanmikanathan mentions that,
He continues further,Our Swaamikal will very soon be leaving the Illuminative Way and will be crossing the threshold of the Unitive Way where God with name and form will disappear and where ultimately the worshiper and the worshiped, the seeker and the sought, the soul and the Godhead, will merge into each other, In preparation for that day, in eager anticipation of that day, Our Swaamikal gratefully recalls to mind all the pilgrimage centres with temples where Lord Civan abides in name and form, and, in a sense, takes leave of them. This is the significance of Vinnappa Kalivenpaa, the 2nd decad in the Third Book of the Thiruvarutpaa. In this decad of 417 kannis (couplets), our Swaamikal calls on the Lord abiding in 279 pilgrimage centres and makes a petition to Him..
The saints of Tamilnaadu in the past, Maanikkavaachakar and all the 63 saints in the Calendar, all of them made one and the same petition, the petition for freedom from the bonds of death and birth. It is not strange, therefore, that our Swaamikal, who is a scion of the unbroken line of the saints down the ages, makes the same petition.
On this note of heart-rendering cry for the grace of God (thiruvarul muraiyeedu), our Swaamikal leaves the Illuminative Way and steps on the threshold of the Unitive Way. While this happens on the spiritual journey towards the Godhead, the mundane sojourn in Madras ends hem and our Swaamikal sets out in his 35th year to Thillai...
Thillai Nadarajar. Photo courtesy of chennailivenews.com
On his way to Thillai, he visits various celebrated shrines of Lord Civan, such as Pullizukkuveloor, present day Vaitheeswarankoil, Thiruvaaroor, Thirukkannamangai, Pazhamalai, present day Viruddhachalam, Thiruvathikai Veerttanam, Thiruvannamalai and arrives at Karunkuzhi, a village about three miles from Vadaloor where he will remain for the next nine years of his life.Vanmikanathan too is puzzled just as I was, trying to figure out what the Lord had delivered to Ramalinga Adigal, each night.
Already our Swaamikal has begun to experience the early fruits of the union with the Godhead. He describes one of them in 100 stanzas of the second decad of the Fifth Book. All the stanzas describe in growing amazement only one item of experience. Lord Civan walked on His holy rosy delicate feet all the way and, seeking the door of the house where our Swaamikal was staying, opened the door, hailed him and placed in his hands something accompanied by loving and reassuring words. While all the 100 stanzas describe the same incident, the description of the feet and the expressions of amazement and gratefulness vary from stanza to stanza. Nowhere, however, in any of the one hundred stanzas is there any clue to show us what was the object which the Lord placed in our Swaamikal’s hands.
Whatever it was, the incident made such a great impact on the mind of our Swaamikal that he sang no less than one hundred stanzas to record that incident.
For the first time in his life, our Swaamikal declares that he is freed from misery. Secondly, he states that he has received a great boon. Thirdly, he, declares that he has reached a great state of grace.
But with his entry on to the Unitive Way proper, he has lifted his foot from the mire of worldly life and has set both feet firmly and unretraceably on the highway which is the Unitive Way, the royal road to union with the Godhead.
With the 24th decad of the Sixth Book (with which ends our Swaamikal’s journey on the First Stage of the Unitive Way) cease all self-accusations, self-denigrations, weeping and wailing. Even petitions cease. The later decads are sheer paeans of praise of the Lord.
In the last song (thiruchchitrambala theivamani maalai) we see the budding of the concept of arut-perum-jothi, the Great Effulgence of Grace, for the first time in our Swaamikal’s spiritual life. It is true that this phrase occurs here only with reference to the sun and the moon. Nevertheless, this is the first gleam of the concept of the rare great effulgence which will burst forth in a paean of praise of 1596 lines when our Swaamikal steps on to the last lap of the journey on the Unitive Way.
Our Swaamikal is now ready for the highest of all possible acts of grace, the crowning glory of the long years of thavam. The conferment of the Effulgence of Grace.
Vanmikanathan presents in his words, "Two important claims are made by our Swaamikal in this decad."The Lord, out of His munificent grace, bestowed on our Swaamikal the very power by which He Himself exercised sovereignty over all the worlds. That power is the Great Effulgence of Grace.
The other is,He claims that God conferred on him the power to raise the dead. Saint Thirugnaanasambandhar, Saint Thirunaavukkarasar and Saint Sundarar, all three of them have raised the dead not merely from their graves but from their very ashes. Moreover, they raised such dead not immediately after death but after the lapse of quite a long time, and in one cue several years. I
"... is that of being given by the Lord the power to exercise the five functions of creation, sustenance, destruction, concealing, and bestowing mukthi."
Satya-gnaana-sabhai
Our Swaamikal later installed curtains in the Satya-gnaana-sabhai in front of the flame of the lamp which he set up there to represent the Effulgence of Grace.
Vanmikanthan clarifies the question as to why the good Lord should chose to veil or conceal.
Our Swaamikal refers to the curtains which hide the Great Effulgence of Grace from unregenerate man. It is not some extraneous agency which places the curtains between man and the Godhead. It is the Godhead itself which does so out of infinite mercy, for no unregenerate man my look on the face of the Godhead and survive.
After having gained all the Siddhis and attained the highest possible state, a man of such stature, Ramalinga Adigal chose to stay away from the limelight but the Lord acts otherwise.
The Swaamikal was modesty incarnate. He did not like the limelight before which he was exposed to the world.
He (God) spoke to Raamalinga Swaamikal who was the chosen Son of God in the nineteenth century to establish a universal brotherhood of man freed of all shackling fetters of castes and creeds, of rich and poor, of black or white, a universal brotherhood born of a sense of oneness in the eyes of God and based on compassion, on compassion alone.
The Son of Man has become the Son of God, and he who was unknown and who did not want to be known was dragged much against his will to discharge his preordained mission on earth, to commence his ministry on earth, in order to establish the Pure Universal True Path to God, a path, a religion, based on compassion towards all creatures on earth, a religion based on intense and one-pointed love of God, a religion freed from the stifling influences of caste, country, race, language, conflicting creeds, petty cruel gods and inhuman sacrifices, freed from the dialectics of learned scriptures.
Vanmikanathan aptly theorizes that people around Ramalinga Adigal mistook him and his teachings, as in the following entry of his.
It is inconceivable that the Swaamikal, who was so strongly attached to the sacred ash and who, personification of compassion as he was, yet felt so deeply as to say:“Forsake giving even as much as half a sesame seed to the base curs, the vile ones, who do not wear the sweet ash”, retracted all these beliefs in his last days. This idea has got about, I believe, through a thoroughly erroneous recording and/or interpretation of some of his last days’ utterances by the disciples who heard them. He did not recant, he grew out of them; he evolved.
A mystic treading the Unitive Way loses all identity with caste, creed, sect, specific gospels and scriptures. Religious scriptures have nothing more to teach him; in fact, by the light of his direct experience of God, the teachings seem to fall far short of the ineffable truth.Just as Tavayogi told me no one could shackle a Siddha, Valmikanathan writes,
For the Swaamikal was a revolutionary thinker in matters religious and no imprisoning shackles of dogma and doctrine of institutional religions could ever fetter him. He was a free bird of the sky, a lark singing in the soaring heights of sunshine and clouds, of rain and wind, of thunder and lightning, of the sun and the moon, of the planets and the stars, of space-less space.Vanmikanathan writes about the moments before Ramalinga Adigal's disappearence,
As I have said before, these one hundred and one stanzas and the four (satthiya arivippu) that follow were sung on the 30th January 1874, and concluded just sixty minutes before our Swaamikal vanished for ever from the ken of mankind. He sings:
Vanmikanathan beautifully concludes the majestic journey of our beloved saint and guru Ramalinga Adigal.My Sire, my Monseigneur,the Lord of my soul,comes today and takes seatat the place where I am.In the two and a half naazhikai-s which follow,He will blend with my grand bodyand will abide in my heartwithout ever departing therefrom.By the strength of my great thavam,I proclaim with full knowledge of what I am saying“This is the truth, the truth indeed!”Oh damsel with waist which resembles lightning,my words will become clear to youwhen two and a half naazhikai-s are past!
Thus ends the tale of all the major acts of grace done to our Swaamikal since his infancy by God. The journey of our Swaamikal to the Godhead ends here in the brahmamuhoortham, at the hour of dawn on the 30th of January 1874. And that day was a full-moon day in Thai.