Now I understand why Agathiyar and Ramalinga Adigal kept asking if we had read Tavayogi's book "Andamum Pindamum" and told us to reread the chapter on tattvas till we understand it. The tattvas hide the Atma from us. As it is continuously engaged with the world around us we miss seeing the Atma that has been kept in cold storage. The guru comes along to bring us an understanding of these tattvas and bring us to an awareness of the existence of the Atma.
The tattvas when they come into play reign and sen the Atma into exile. It needs the guru to release the Atma from the dungeon.
Tavayogi wrote, "The world emerged with the Pancha Maha Bhutam or 5 atoms coming together. Each atom carried 96 Tattvas. These Tattvas function in our bodies too."
இவ்வுலகம் ஐம் பெரும் பூத அணுக்களால் ஆனது. இந்த ஐம்பூத அணுக்களில் உள்ள ஒவ்வொரு அணுவிலும் 96 தத்துவங்கள் அமைந்துள்ளன. இந்த தத்துவங்களே மனித சரீரத்தில் செயல்படுகின்றன.
The Siddhas categorized the human body into 96 tattvas that have come to be known as the Siddha Anatomy. From the first atom, the Paramanu, the Pancha Maha Bhutam came forth, writes Tavayogi. The world emerged with these 5 atoms coming together. Each atom carried 96 Tattvas. These Tattvas function in our bodies too. We are said to be a combination of the same five basic primordial or primary elements that form the building blocks of all of creation, the Pancha Maha Bhutam namely earth, water, fire/energy, air/wind, and sky/space, in descending order of grossness. This is seen as the first layer of elements or Tattvas of creation. These principal forces of Nature are responsible for the creation and coming into being, development and continued sustenance, and completion of every creation of the divine that we have come to know. These tattvas form the basis for the growth, sustenance, and proper functioning of all the regulatory systems within us for the continued dwelling and inhabitance of the spirit and soul within.
In the Varaha Upanishad, the Lord imparts his knowledge to Sage Ribhu. (Source: K. Narayanasvami Aiyar, at http://www.advaita.it/library/varaha.htm), "Some disputants hold that there are twenty-four Tattvas (principles) and some thirty-six, whilst others maintain that there are ninety-six. I shall relate them in their order. Listen with an attentive mind."
The organs of sense; The organs of action; Manas, Buddhi, Chitta, and Ahankara; thus those that know Brahman know these to be the twenty-four Tattvas.
The quintuplicate elements; The bodies; the states of consciousness; The Munis know the total collection of Tattvas to be thirty-six (coupled with Jiva)
Add to them the following: The six changes; the six infirmities; the six sheaths; the six kinds of foes; the three aspects of the Jiva; the three Gunas (qualities); the three Karmas; the five actions (of the organs of action); thought, certainty, egoism, compassion, memory (functions of Manas, etc.,), complacency, sympathy, and indifference; Dik (the quarters), Vayu, Sun, Varuna, Ashvini Devas, Agni, Indra, Upendra, and Mrityu (death); and then the moon, the four-faced Brahma, Rudra, Kshetrajna, and Ishvara - we have 96 in numbers.
It is interesting to note that the tattvas identified varies with the states of the beings as in "those that know Brahman" and "The Munis."
We now understand what Ramalinga Adigal meant when he had climbed the spiritual ladder and standing at the height of his of his accomplishment he brings us the various stages of spiritual experiences, stopping at the 16th rung of the ladder, telling us that there are still higher stages that he hesitates to express.
| Various states of the soul. | The 16 stages and above of spiritual experiences. | Experiences (Nilai). | Stages. | Paths. |
| Human beings leading a mundane life without even a thought of its transient nature. | 1. Jeeva Sakiram. Normal wakefulness. | 1st stage. | ||
| 2. Jeeva Sorpanam. Normal dreaming. | 2nd stage. | |||
| 3. Jeeva Suluthi. Normal ignorance. | 3rd stage. | |||
| Spiritualist aware of momentary nature of life; conscious of the world and external objects; enjoys gross things. | 4. Sutha Sakiram. Perfect wakefulness. 1st state of the soul. | 1st stage. | Sariyai. | |
| Seeking to see the Lord and feels inseparable; untiring search for God; enjoys subtle things. | 5. Sutha Sorpanam. Perfect dream. 2nd state of the soul. | 2nd stage. | Kriyai. | |
| Only God; neither dreams nor desires; soul temporarily one with Brahman enjoys bliss. | 6. Sudha Suluthi. Perfect ignorance or sound sleep or dreamless state. 3rd state of the soul. | 3rd stage. | Yogam. | |
| Lust & veil covering the soul for generations are shed one after the other; soul cleanse by Arutperunjhoti; spontaneous impulse of love for God; absolute union with Brahman. | 7. Sudha Turiyam. Perfect experience. Supra-mental awareness. 4th stage of the soul. | Supreme grace. Arul Oliyal. | 4th stage. | Shiva Jnana Nilai. |
| 8. Para Sakiram. Higher wakefulness. | ||||
| Enjoys grace of Lord and ecstasy. | 9. Para Sorpanam. Higher dream. Supra mental dream. | |||
| Shackles removed by Arutperunjhoti; heavenly experiences. Above this stage, God is un-manifested. | 10. Para Suluthi. Higher ignorance. Supra mental unknowing. | 1st stage. | 1st divine path. Sithantham. Sutha Sithantham. | |
| Tasting God; the glory of Arutperunjhoti; self-realization on the soul as an atom brilliant as the sun; soul charged with divine grace; aspirant realizes the greatness of God's grace and his smallness; self-realization or Atma Tarisanam. | 11. Para Turiyam. Atma Tarisanam. Supra-mental perfection. | Ananda Nilai. | 2nd stage. | 2nd divine path. Vethantham. Sutha Vethantham. |
| Perceive God in the form of light; the soul is saturated with compassion & love; experience of divine life (Uyir Anubhavam); attains purified body or golden body (Sutha Degam); the extent of achievement is dependent on the grace of Arutperunjhoti; sees divinity in all creatures; sees God in the form the aspirant is ready to receive; enjoys supreme grace (Arul Anubhavam); higher stages are heavenly stages and beyond human perception where the mind fails to conceive and all senses cease to function; Uyir Anubavam in Sudha Degam; a transformation to the pure body; love incarnate; the universality of love in all fellow beings; oneness in life; sees the divine in all life forms; sees smallness of one and greatness of God; spontaneous flow of God in him. | 12. Guru Sakiram or Shiva Sakiram. | 3rd stage. | 3rd divine path. Sutha Nathantham. | |
| Descent of divinity in the individual. | 13. Guru Sorpanam or Shiva Sorpanam. Supreme dream. | 4th stage. | 4th divine path. Sutha Kalantham. | |
| Supreme grace flows and prepares the aspirant for the next stage. | 14. Guru Suluthi or Shiva Suzhuthi. Supreme tranquility. | 5th stage. | 5th divine path. Sutha Bothantham. | |
| The body transforms into Pranava Deham or body of grace; merges with Arutperunjhoti; deathlessness or conquest of death. Ramalinga Adigal mentions Muthuthandavar & Tathuvarayar as had attained this state. | 15. Guru Turiyam or ShivaTuriyam. | Anandha Nilai. Periya Shiva Anubhavam. | 6th stage. | 6th divine path. Samarasa Sutha Sanmaarga. |
| There are still higher stages that Ramalinga Adigal hesitates to express. | 16. Sudha Shiva Sakiram. Absolute supreme consciousness. | |||
| Sudha Shiva Sorpanam. | ||||
| Sudha Shiva Suluthi. | ||||
| Sudha Shiva Turiyam. | ||||
| Sudha Shiva Turiyateetam. |