UNDERSTANDING THE TATTVAS 2

Just as creation is a result of the Pancha Maha Bhutam coming together, the body too is a product of these five elements made in the ratio 1 1/2 part earth; 1 1/4 part water; 1 part fire; 3/4 air; and 1/2 part sky, totaling 5 in any given circumstances. The body that is a composite of these five elements, in their respective and ideal ratios sustains itself and remains in good health. Ajai Kumar Chhawchharia at https://tulsidas-ram-books.weebly.com/my-books.html details the formula that went into the composition of the Pancha Maha Bhutam.

“The supreme creator or Lord called ‘Isha’ took fractions of the five primary elements (i.e. sky, air, water, fire, and earth) that he had created first to create the gross bodies of the individual creature as well as the gross body of the entire creation. In other words, the same ingredients were used by him to mold the individual creature’s body as well as the rest of the creation."

• The ‘earth’ element was used to create the skull, skin, intestines, bones, flesh, and nails. 
• From the ‘water’ element he created blood, urine, saliva, and sweat, etc. 
• From the ‘fire’ element he produced hunger, thirst, heat, infatuations, passions, lust and sexual instincts, etc. 
• From the ‘wind or air’ element he crafted the virtue of ‘motion and activity’ such as walking, sitting, getting up, going places, breathing, speaking, etc. 
• And from the ‘sky’ element was produced such traits as Kaam (worldly desires, passions, yearnings etc.) and Krodh (anger, vehemence, wrathfulness, short temper, indignation etc.). 

"The gross body so produced from these fundamental primary elements naturally had all the traits that were inherently present as an integral part and defining attributes of these individual elements. Therefore, the body of the creature exhibited all the attributes and characteristics present in the ingredients used to make up its body."

By taking the building blocks and its essence from the five elements, it took on its dosas or impurities too. With these, the karma of past actions came to be assigned hence taking a human form that was impaired by these two factors.

"The body that the creature assumed further depended upon the cumulative effects of the deeds which the creature had done in the past. Since the body took birth in as much it had ‘come into being’ and was ‘not eternal and without a birth’, it had to pass through various stages of change and development (i.e. evolution) such as childhood, etc., and had to suffer from their accompanying sufferings."

Before a herb is picked and consumed, the Siddhas have relevant and potential mantras to repel and eradicate the curse or Saabham that comes with the plants. Mataji shared them with me. The picking of the herbs is followed by several procedures to cleanse the herb of its impurities or dosas that come with it. This was shared by Siddha Practioner Arivan. So did they specify procedures towards transforming the physical body from the state of Asuddha Deham, from one that is impaired by impurities to Suddha Deham, or one that is cleansed of them. Hence we understand why Agathiyar engaged us in a thorough cleansing of the house - to make the body an appropriate vessel to receive and accommodate the divine within.

The Siddhas remind us to ensure the ratio of the five primary elements or Pancha Maha Bhutam is maintained well to prevent ailment and in worst cases death. How can then one watch 24/7 over these tattvas? Through ridding our Karma as in performing parikarams or remedies and the periodic acts of doing charity; taking only Satvic food at least once a week for a start; taking specially prepared laxatives once every 4 or 6 months to flush out the toxins and dosas or impurities; and by retraining our breathing pattern and controlling the breath with pranayama and connecting with the prana from the consciousness, that opens the valves and the nerves, clearing the passages for the prana to travel within. With watching the breath, and bringing our awareness to it, the Jeevatma or individual soul is united with the Paramatma or the source, momentarily initially and permanently in time to come.

It is rather timely that Agathiyar too has brought us to watch the breath after having us go through the other phases. It all began with,

• Karma Suddhi or eradication of our  Karma, on the very onset of our journey, that is a major component, that is reason enough to take birth repeatedly, through acts or parikaram or carrying out remedies, doing charity, conducting the sacred fire rituals, and most importantly recitation of the names of the Siddhas.
• Dhega Suddhi or cleansing of the body by restricting the urge to consume more than the body needs, abstaining from consuming processed food and opting for Satvic food rather than those of Rajasic and Tamasic nature. If doing remedies or parikaram cleared out karmic debts, abstaining from consuming Rajasic and Tamasic food and consuming only Satvic food brings within pranic energy that repairs, builds, and rejuvenates the body.
• Bhuta Suddhi or cleansing of the elements in the physical body through taking for instance Agathiyar Kuzhambu, a purgative, specially prepared the Siddha way, rids the body of excess Vata, Kapha, and Pitta and brings the proportions of these three dosas to a balanced state.  If doing remedies or parikaram cleared out karmic debts; abstaining from consuming Rajasic and Tamasic food and consuming only Satvic food brought pranic energy within that repaired, built, and rejuvenated the body;  taking a laxative prepared the Siddha way, rids the body of the three dosas bringing balance and renewed physical and mental health.  
• Nadi Suddhi involves breathing techniques to clear the nerves and channels for Prana to flow through unobstructed and the Kundalini Sakti to traverse through respectively. If doing remedies or parikaram cleared out karmic debts; abstaining from consuming Rajasic and Tamasic food and consuming only Satvic food brought the essential pranic energy within that repaired, built, and rejuvenated the body; taking a laxative prepared the Siddha way, rid the body of the three dosas bringing balance and renewed physical and mental health; cleansing the airways brings in fresh and large supplies of prana that combined with all the earlier measures prepares the body to become the perfect vessel for the divine to take abode in us. 

Just as Ajai Kumar Chhawchharia speaks about how "the process of Bhut Shuddhi or purification of the elements is of paramount importance during worship rituals", he goes on to explain the importance of formal purification of the five Bhuts in us too, showing us the way too from the Upanishads. The process essentially consists of imagining the merger of the Pancha Maha Bhutam, one by one, into a single entity, and "finally into super consciousness or the supreme transcendental Brahm." "This process purifies the body as it does away with its grossness and transforms it into the subtle pure consciousness," says Ajai Kumar Chhawchharia. He provides a detailed account of the process of imagining the body part and its associated element, shape, mark, color, and the Beeja mantra associated. Ajai Kumar Chhawchharia leads us progressively conquering each element one by one, bringing it to merge into its source of origin.

"All these five elements should be merged with one another in a sequential form, beginning from the earth at the bottom of the body and going right up to the cranium where the sky element is located. In other words, the earth is made to submerge itself into the water element, the water into the fire element, the fire into the wind element, the wind into the sky/space element, and finally the sky/space element is freed from its confinement inside the skull to assume its original form as the vast, infinite, measureless and endless cosmos called the Prakriti or Nature in its macrocosmic dimensions. This Nature is without any specific attributes and is all-pervading and all-encompassing."

"When his mind is engrossed and focused in meditating upon the earth element and contemplating about it, he acquires the mystical powers that allow him to take his mind to any corner of the earth, even in beyond it to the nether world called Patal. That is, this mystical power empowers him to transcend all physical and geographical barriers that usually impede the reach of an ordinary man, and his mind can go anywhere without any hindrance. He can think of everything that exists on this earth, and his mind can even visualize what is hidden inside the bowls of the earth and beyond it. While living on one part of the earth, he can know what is happening on its other side. This also would imply that nothing in this world would ever influence his mind and captivate it by trapping it in its charm and preventing it from breaking free from its shackles and proceeding ahead."

This entrapment is what Agathiyar tells us is difficult to come out of. But he does not give up hope on us. He gives us techniques to pursue and combat the onslaught of the forces of Maya that have engulfed us in its charm. There is yet a long way to go. 

"When his mind is engrossed and focused on meditating upon the water element and contemplating about it, he has nothing to fear from this element. That is, he need not fear any harm being caused to him from water in any form, such as drowning in it or suffering from any waterborne disease or some internal medical problems arising out of the water such as edema of lungs (a condition caused by excess fluid in the lungs. This fluid collects in the numerous air sacs in the lungs, making it difficult to breathe), dropsy of tissues (the swelling of soft tissues due to the accumulation of excess water) and other diseases due to misbalance in the water content of the body."

"Similarly, when his mind is engrossed and focused in meditating upon the fire element and contemplating about it, he has nothing to fear from this element. That is, he cannot be burnt by fire; his body never has to suffer from lack of vital heat and energy; he never suffers from fever and other diseases due to misbalance in the fire element in Nature. Besides this, his speech acquires all the potent of this element because fire is said to be an integral part of the faculty of speech. He has proper eyesight because again the fire and its light are responsible for the faculty of sight to function properly. He has not to suffer from a lack of hunger or digestive problems because the fire is responsible for the proper functioning of both."

"When his mind is engrossed and focused in meditating upon the air/ wind element and contemplating about it, he is deemed to have acquired the ability to move in the sky like birds. That is, he becomes so light that he can float in the air."

He who has come this far has conquered the elements. He who has come this far is beyond the effects of the planets. He who comes this far if consumes poison lives yet. He is prapanjam and the prapanjam is in him. He is indeed a Jeevamukta then, living in the world yet living apart from it. Ramalinga Adigal expresses a similar state in his தனித் திருஅலங்கல்/ tanit tirualankal from his Thiruarutpa.

155. காற்றாலே புவியாலே ககனமத னாலே

கனலாலே புனலாலே கதிராதி யாலே
கூற்றாலே பிணியாலே கொலைக்கருவி யாலே
கோளாலே பிறஇயற்றும் கொடுஞ்செயல்க ளாலே
வேற்றாலே எஞ்ஞான்றும் அழியாதே விளங்கும்
மெய்அளிக்க வேண்டுமென்றேன் விரைந்தளித்தான் எனக்கே
ஏற்றாலே இழிவெனநீர் நினையாதீர் உலகீர்
எந்தைஅருட் பெருஞ்ஜோதி இறைவனைச்சார் வீரே.