As Agathiyar brought us to wean off our hold on the multiple facets of Sariyai and distinctive rituals in Kriyai after having given us these direct experiences and slowly led us to go within with the aid of the instrument of Yogam, he told me that there was a need to learn about the tattvas or உடற்கூறு தத்துவம் first, before we could venture into the intricacies of Yogam, asking me to refer to Tavayogi's book "Andamum Pindamum" and "Atma Gnanam". Browsing through his book, I found the reason for Agathiyar and later Ramalinga Adigal to point us to the study of this subject, clearly stated by Tavayogi in his text.
மனிதனான ஜீவனிடம் அனுபவமும் சிந்தனையும் கூடி அறிவு பெருக்கம் ஏற்பட்டு தன் காரண நிலை நாடி ஆராயும் போது புறநிலை நாடி ஆராயும் பொது அந்நிலையில் தத்துவ விளக்கம் ஏற்படுகிறது,
With the relevant experiences and a bit of inquisition and curiosity comes a flood of knowledge as the dam gives way. True to Tavayogi's writings, we stand today at this doorway willing to know, learn, and with this knowledge venture on a new adventure into new frontiers and unchartered territories. Cracking my head trying to comprehend these teachings, I come across a comprehensive and detailed account of the subject written by Ajai Kumar Chhawchharia in his "The Mahavakyas of the Upanishads".
The Siddhas who researched vastly on the subtle unseen causes and its effects that are visibly reflected in the external came to understand the tattvas and recorded their knowledge of the 96 tattvas and the 64 kinds of learning, 18 Puranas, and 48 branches of scientific knowledge naming it Siddhaveda. After extensive discussions held amongst them at Alagan Kulam they presented their work to Lord Dhakshinamurthi for his perusal. The Siddhas categorized the human body into 96 tattvas that have come to be known as the Siddha Anatomy. These tattvas form the basis for the growth, sustenance, and the proper functioning of all the regulatory systems within us for the continued dwelling and inhabitation of the spirit and soul within. They drew up a concise blueprint of the tattvas for mankind to understand and use this knowledge to gain ground and momentum in ascending the spiritual ladder back to the source of all creation.
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. "Their personified forms are imagined to be in the form of their patron Gods who actually control these elements and their functions in creation" says Ajai Kumar Chhawchharia.
From https://blog.good-will.ch/WordPress/2010/10/23/rishi-agastya-a-little-miracle-and-some-stories/ we read an interesting piece about Agathiyar, rather quite an interesting piece of information about how Agathiyar fed these elements by serving people food.
பரமாணுவினால் பஞ்சபூதம் உண்டானது. இவ்வுலகம் ஐம் பெரும் பூத அணுக்களால் ஆனது. இந்த ஐம்பூத அணுக்களில் உள்ள ஒவ்வொரு அணுவிலும் 96 தத்துவங்கள் அமைந்துள்ளன. இந்த தத்துவங்களே மனித சரீரத்தில் செயல்படுகின்றன.From https://blog.good-will.ch/WordPress/2010/10/23/rishi-agastya-a-little-miracle-and-some-stories/ we read an interesting piece about Agathiyar, rather quite an interesting piece of information about how Agathiyar fed these elements by serving people food.
Last week I came across a transcription of a seminar given by Sri Kumar in the Nilagiri Hills in 1996 about Agastya, Master Jupiter. ..... He has great, round eyes, is often traveling with his disciples and loves to cook and to serve. Through serving food he likes to spread himself into the people and thus to adjust any imbalances in the mental, emotional, and physical bodies.
In the scriptures there is the story that once a group of disciples in the Himalaya had the questions who is the one fasting most, and Maitreya told them, “It is Agastya, he never eats.” They wanted to see Agastya and went to him.
Agastya said: "Observe me for three days.” They were very surprised to see him cooking, eating and serving. He was not missing any meal, and every meal was from our standpoint very excessive in its quantity. After three days the group asked: "We have not understood your way of fasting.”
He answered: "In so far as you don’t feel that you are eating, it is fasting.”
He does not think he is eating. He lives in tune with the universal consciousness and in such a tune-up the food is given to all the elementals around him with himself as the channel.At AVM too he asked that we prepare food and serve him and all those who come over. Those who partake this blessed food will have their imbalances corrected.
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.
Ajai Kumar Chhawchharia compliments the above. "Brahm would be like the primary Atom which left to itself is neutral and inactive. It is only when certain changes take place in its core, such as the shift in the position of its electron, etc that the chain of reaction starts that would ultimately result in not only producing newer elements but releasing energy or absorbing matter from the surrounding atmosphere. The Varaaha Upanishad, Canto 1 is entirely dedicated to enumerating the Tattwas, starting from a single universal element that is known as the Param Tattwa, the Supreme Essence, to the 96 Tattwas. From these primary elements came forth the secondary elements that form the second layer of elements or Tattvas of creation. Finally came the tertiary elements - the various Anatahakarans, the various Vikaars and Vrittis, the three Gunas, etc, that would form the third layer of elements or Tattvas of creation."
As the body is relative to the universe around us, a study of the former will justify a study of the cosmos too. Tavayogi gives us an idea of how creation took place in his "Andamum Pindamum" and "Atma Thathuvam". He quotes from Supramaniar Gnanam 32 where it is revealed that at the beginning there was Sivan. From it emerged a sound. From that sound emerged Sivam or a spark, light, (or the divine spirit, as P.Karthigayan calls it), without a form or formless. The vibration that resulted was Sakti. The first vibration created as a result of the first sound was known as Akaaram (A). The vibratory waves that pursued as in the ripples in the water, came to be called Ukaaram (U). Maakaaram (M) was the field or the pond that helped contain these vibratory sound and its corresponding waves. The three came together as "THAT", that was to become the source of all creation. An assembly of these three came to be known as AUM. As we are part of the universe too, the physical body resonates with these vibrations too, functioning effectively.
From https://www.ananda.org/yogapedia/aum/ we learn the same that "AUM is the vibration by which the Supreme Spirit brings all things into manifestation. Paramhansa Yogananda has explained that everything - all matter, all energy, all thoughts - exists in AUM." We read further that "AUM, therefore, encompasses the three vibratory energies required to create, preserve, and destroy, and each of these energies vibrates at a different frequency. The three letters of AUM represent these three vibrations inherent in creation."
From https://tulsidas-ram-books.weebly.com/ we learn that "Before anything came into being, Brahm, the supreme consciousness and the ultimate truth of creation, known as Shiva, was established in his own radiant effulgence or self-illumination symbolizing his splendorous glory, majesty, and divinity. Hence he was called ‘Prakash’, literally meaning light. When he decided to deliberate and actually started the process of deliberation in order to start the process of creation, there was a subtle throb or imperceptible movement which transformed into a vibration. The waves generated by this initial vibration developed in the cosmic ether and gradually coalesced with each other to give rise to higher waves of higher amplitudes. This produced the cosmic sound called the Naad. Since the creation was conceived in the bowl of the cosmic ether, the energy of the initial sound was focused at a central point, called the focal point or the dot or ‘Bindu’. This Bindu contained the combined powers of both the male Shiva and the female Shakti like a dicotyledonous seed which produced the two separate entities called Shiva and Shakti. The union of these two resulted in the unfolding of the rest of the creation. Thus it will be observed that whatever exists in this creation can be traced back to this primeval Naad. Hence, the latter is called ‘Shabda Brahm’, or the Brahm as sound."
KR Sivakanthan in his "Sittargal Tathuvamum Yoga Neri Muraigalum", Tirunelveli Then India, Saiva Sitthantha Noor Pathippu Kazhagam, Chennai, 2003, writes on the subject of creation too. Creation began in Paraparam from which Param emerged. From Param came forth Sivan, Sakti emerging from it later, followed by Naadham. Vinthu emerged from Naadham, Sadasivam from Vinthu, and Maheswaran from Sadasivam. Uruthiran emerged from Maheswaran, Vishnu from Uruthiran, and Brahmam from Vishnu. Brahmam gave birth to the Pancha Maha Bhutam, which came about or evolved from each other. The five elements saw their beginning from the sky, from which came forth the element air. This gave rise to fire. Water emerged from the fire, and earth from water. Finally, man, animal, birds, plants, mountains, and rivers rose from the earth. The reverse takes place at the end of the cycle, all returning to the form from which they came forth.
In the context of Yogam, it is interesting to note that Akaaram is linked to the left eye and Ukaaram with the right. Tavayogi explains that the breath that flows through the left nostril is known as Akaaram and that running through the right nostril is Ukaaram, creating vibrations in Edakala and Pingala respectively. These Nadis vibrate creating further ripple-like vibrations, called Maakaaram, in the midst of the head. The spot where these three sounds and their related vibrations congregate is known as Suzhumunai.