I used to read that Erai had three job scope - Creation (Padaithal), Sustenance (Kaathal) and Dissolution (Azhital). Soon we saw two other jobs added on Veiling (Maraithal) and Grace (Arulal). Ramalinga Adigal sings in his Arutpa that he was blessed to have been given a moment to take the stand of Erai, take his seat and staff and do his job.
I used to wonder why did Erai choose to veil the vision? In the "Metaphysics of Saiva Siddhantam - Sivagnana Boodham by Thiruvilankar Canagarayar, l96l, we read that,
Elsewhere Agathiyar tells us that the prerequisite to take birth is that one needs at least a small amount of ego in him, be it even in the case of a saint who intends to come back to continue his mission. With karma exhausted to a certain extent through temple worship and by performing fire rituals like homa and yagna, finally, the remaining karma is exhausted in the fire of Tava Kanal or heat generated in intense meditation or tapas or tavam. The illumination of the soul is hastened and actuated by the process of karma and by serving its dues, as some saints choose at times to live it out rather than change it or soften it. With true understanding of the process and karma burnt, comes the lifting of the veil. Hence Maya too retreats and true knowledge dawns, and remains. Jnana illumines.
We are told many souls are waiting in line to take birth to realize their wishes and see their desires fulfilled. But that needs a myriad of conditions to come together, with perfect and flawless timing so that each soul that has agreed to come along to fulfill its part and help the other realize, too needs to take birth either simultaneously, ahead or come around in the future. Agathiyar says my children asked to be born to us.
If it is true that upbringing plays a prominent role in developing the character of kids, why then do children born of a couple vary in character? The soul carries the template for the character to develop. A simple observation is seen in the piece of granite rock that makes its way to the temple and inner sanctum as the idol that is worshipped and another that is laid at the doorway and stepped on by worshippers. Similarly, man is of different nature due to the characteristics that he brings along as a result of his past births.
P Karthigayan in his book "History of Medical & Spiritual Sciences of Siddhas of Tamil Nadu", published by Notion Press Chennai, 2016, explains the reason based on Siddha texts. The Siddhas speak about the nature of animals, plants, and minerals that are carried across as the souls are elevated to the higher platform that of humans.
This explains the drastic variations in the characteristics of people. Hence the reason for souls to wish to be born in a particular family to see through their purpose in taking birth is fulfilled and maximized.
In order to purify the soul, the Primal One by His infinite Grace, applied Maya and Karma Malams, (the other impurities) to the fettered soul, just as a washerman applies Fuller’s earth and cow-dung to remove the dirt in a piece of cloth. The husk, bran and sprout or germination of a paddy seed are comparable to Anavam, Maya, and Karmam that encompass the soul. When the husk (Anavam) and bran (Maya) are removed the paddy seed will not germinate, and the sprout (Karmam) will not spring up. Similarly, when the Anavam retreats and Maya retires, then the energy (Karmam) of maya also retires with Maya. When the Anavam retreats from battle field its opponents Maya and Karmam retire. When Maya and Karma Malams counteract on Anavam, the ignorance of the soul, being the effect of the function of Anavam, is removed from the fettered soul and its intelligence illumines.So it looks like we only carry Anava Malam or Ego while both Maya and Karma are the doings of Erai then. Why then did the most compassionate Erai choose to dump the later two on us? Sivagnana Boodham has the answer.
In order to purify the soul, the Primal One by His infinite Grace, applied Maya and Karma Malams, (the other impurities) to the fettered soul, just as a washerman applies Fuller’s earth and cow-dung to remove the dirt in a piece of cloth.So we now understand that Erai out of love and compassion for us, however painful it might be, chose to cloth us in Maya or illusion and subject us to acts that accumulate Karmam. Only after having to go through a systematic mechanism of cause and effect and having gone through pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow, beaten and molded, we tend to come out polished and shining minus the ego that dies a natural death.
When the Anavam retreats from battle field its opponents Maya and Karmam retire. When Maya and Karma Malams counteract on Anavam, the ignorance of the soul, being the effect of the function of Anavam, is removed from the fettered soul and its intelligence illumines.Now I understand why Agathiyar told me in the very beginning, through the Nadi reading, when he pointed out the wrong and harm I had done in the past births, that it was all his doings and that it was excused. I had to learn and gain experiences essential to my spiritual growth. He pardoned me. But as the effects of these wrongful past actions had been generated and were released, I still had to carry out remedies that he stipulated deemed fit to subdue the results and damage on my life. I took heed and came on round doing my parikaram to his satisfaction.
Elsewhere Agathiyar tells us that the prerequisite to take birth is that one needs at least a small amount of ego in him, be it even in the case of a saint who intends to come back to continue his mission. With karma exhausted to a certain extent through temple worship and by performing fire rituals like homa and yagna, finally, the remaining karma is exhausted in the fire of Tava Kanal or heat generated in intense meditation or tapas or tavam. The illumination of the soul is hastened and actuated by the process of karma and by serving its dues, as some saints choose at times to live it out rather than change it or soften it. With true understanding of the process and karma burnt, comes the lifting of the veil. Hence Maya too retreats and true knowledge dawns, and remains. Jnana illumines.
We are told many souls are waiting in line to take birth to realize their wishes and see their desires fulfilled. But that needs a myriad of conditions to come together, with perfect and flawless timing so that each soul that has agreed to come along to fulfill its part and help the other realize, too needs to take birth either simultaneously, ahead or come around in the future. Agathiyar says my children asked to be born to us.
If it is true that upbringing plays a prominent role in developing the character of kids, why then do children born of a couple vary in character? The soul carries the template for the character to develop. A simple observation is seen in the piece of granite rock that makes its way to the temple and inner sanctum as the idol that is worshipped and another that is laid at the doorway and stepped on by worshippers. Similarly, man is of different nature due to the characteristics that he brings along as a result of his past births.
P Karthigayan in his book "History of Medical & Spiritual Sciences of Siddhas of Tamil Nadu", published by Notion Press Chennai, 2016, explains the reason based on Siddha texts. The Siddhas speak about the nature of animals, plants, and minerals that are carried across as the souls are elevated to the higher platform that of humans.
According to Agathiyar (in Pariporanam 1200) there are seven types of qualifying categories from which the human beings are created. Devas, humans, animals, birds, aquatic creatures, reptiles, and finally plants, trees and minerals.Manikavasagar in his rendition of the Sivapuranam states the various states the soul goes through to attain a rare human birth and beyond.
This explains the drastic variations in the characteristics of people. Hence the reason for souls to wish to be born in a particular family to see through their purpose in taking birth is fulfilled and maximized.