When a devotee looks into the pages of the almanac or panjangam for the right time to hold a ceremony, host a prayer, and for many other reasons, nay even to leave the house, the Siddha goes within and observes his breath. When the breath moves in Pingala he commences his work. When it traverses in both nostrils he sits in meditation. He knows the art of switching his breath and starts immediately on his venture rather than wait for the right moment. He creates each moment to suit his need. Their bhakti or devotion towards Erai made it possible for the Siddhas, Nayanmars, saints, and sages to dictate nature to act in their favor. The planets became favorable to them switching roles in becoming the guru.
Just as we were shown the four stages on the path to realization namely Sariyai, Kriyai, Yogam and now Gnanam, P.Thirugnanasambandhan in his "The Concept of Bhakti", University of Madras, 1971, wrote about how Sage Naradar shows us a way out of Maya that is the source of an endless cycle of birth and death. Avoid unholy association, seek the company of men of large hearts, and become selfless. Develop an uninterrupted flow of love towards God. Being invoked thus he at once reveals himself and fills his devotees with his grace. When there arises Sraddha or belief that there is a moral governor of the world who regulates the destinies of souls according to the immutable laws of Karma, gradually he ceases to perform prohibited acts and begins to perform more and more acts prescribed. Even the acts that he performs, Karmayoga, he learns to do without attachment to the fruit which they may produce but in a spirit of dedication. He then adopts certain Sadhanas. The companionship of pious men produces a transformation in one's attitude to things of the world. Next follows occasional contemplation alternated with worship. Constancy in worship leads to Ruci or a feeling of enjoyment of the life of devotion. Guna Mahatmaya asakti and Rupa asakti is then followed by Puja asakti, various forms of attachments, to his majesty; grace and beauty, and worship respectively. In these forms of attachment, the devotee is possessed with the sentiment of awe and wonder and stands as it were at some distance from the Lord giving expression to his insignificance and sinfulness on the one hand and the majesty and holiness of the Lord on the other. This is followed by Smarana asakti or attachment to the memories of the Lord. By listening to the glories of God or Sravanam; praising and chanting his glories or Kirtanam; constant reflection on his glory or Smaranam; resorting to and paying obeisance to his feet or Padasevanam; worship or Arcanam; offer obeisance or Vandanam; what follows is Dasya asakti or dedicated and deep sense of service at the feet of the Lord; Sakhya asakti or invoking the Lord as a friend; Vatsalya asakti or yearning of a child for the moon, and Kanta asakti or that of a lover as displayed by Appar, Sundarar, Jnanasambandar and Manikkavacakar respectively. Complete consecration of the self in service or self-surrender or Atmanivedan asakti results then. When the devotee completely identifies with the will of his lord, he loses his separate existence in the wider existence oof his lord. He attains the state of Tanmaya asakti. This is the sprouting stage of divine love growing into the state of Paramaviraha asakti, as in lovers separated. This culminates in the devotees' realization of divine presence in himself as well as outside him and verily lives, moves, and has his being in Him. This state cannot be described but only experienced.
Just as Sage Naradar speaks about the need to associate with good people; Sraddha or believing that there is a force that governs all; holding constant thought on the divine; knowing and abstaining from incurring negative Karma and dedicate the positive to the divine; performing Sadhanas or daily spiritual practices; he moves into the flow; going with the flow till the end that is desired is attained, passing through Guna Mahatmaya asakti, Rupa asakti, by Puja asakti, Smarana asakti, Dasya asakti, Sakhya asakti, Vatsalya asakti, Kanta asakti, Atmanivedan asakti, Tanmaya asakti and Paramaviraha asakti, Ramalinga Adigal too identified four புருஷார்த் தங்கள் on the path.
ஏம சித்தி (Yema Siddhi), சாகாக் கல்வி (Saagaa Kalvi), தத்துவ நிக் கிரகம் செய்தல் (Thathuva Nikkiragam Seithal), கடவுள் நிலை அறிந்து அம்மய மாதல் (Kadavul Nilai Arinthu Ammayam Aathal). These shall lead us to attain தாச மார்க்கம், சற்புத்திர மார்க்கம், சக மார்க்கம், சன் மார்க்கம். To attain this four Adigal asks that we adopt four ways or disciplines or நெறி namely: இந்திரிய ஒழுக்கம் (Indriya Ozhukkam), கரண ஒழுக்கம் (Karana Ozhukkam), ஜீவ ஒழுக்கம் (Jiva Ozhukkam), and ஆன்ம ஒழுக்கம் (Anma Ozhukkam).
Just as we were shown the four stages on the path to realization namely Sariyai, Kriyai, Yogam and now Gnanam, P.Thirugnanasambandhan in his "The Concept of Bhakti", University of Madras, 1971, wrote about how Sage Naradar shows us a way out of Maya that is the source of an endless cycle of birth and death. Avoid unholy association, seek the company of men of large hearts, and become selfless. Develop an uninterrupted flow of love towards God. Being invoked thus he at once reveals himself and fills his devotees with his grace. When there arises Sraddha or belief that there is a moral governor of the world who regulates the destinies of souls according to the immutable laws of Karma, gradually he ceases to perform prohibited acts and begins to perform more and more acts prescribed. Even the acts that he performs, Karmayoga, he learns to do without attachment to the fruit which they may produce but in a spirit of dedication. He then adopts certain Sadhanas. The companionship of pious men produces a transformation in one's attitude to things of the world. Next follows occasional contemplation alternated with worship. Constancy in worship leads to Ruci or a feeling of enjoyment of the life of devotion. Guna Mahatmaya asakti and Rupa asakti is then followed by Puja asakti, various forms of attachments, to his majesty; grace and beauty, and worship respectively. In these forms of attachment, the devotee is possessed with the sentiment of awe and wonder and stands as it were at some distance from the Lord giving expression to his insignificance and sinfulness on the one hand and the majesty and holiness of the Lord on the other. This is followed by Smarana asakti or attachment to the memories of the Lord. By listening to the glories of God or Sravanam; praising and chanting his glories or Kirtanam; constant reflection on his glory or Smaranam; resorting to and paying obeisance to his feet or Padasevanam; worship or Arcanam; offer obeisance or Vandanam; what follows is Dasya asakti or dedicated and deep sense of service at the feet of the Lord; Sakhya asakti or invoking the Lord as a friend; Vatsalya asakti or yearning of a child for the moon, and Kanta asakti or that of a lover as displayed by Appar, Sundarar, Jnanasambandar and Manikkavacakar respectively. Complete consecration of the self in service or self-surrender or Atmanivedan asakti results then. When the devotee completely identifies with the will of his lord, he loses his separate existence in the wider existence oof his lord. He attains the state of Tanmaya asakti. This is the sprouting stage of divine love growing into the state of Paramaviraha asakti, as in lovers separated. This culminates in the devotees' realization of divine presence in himself as well as outside him and verily lives, moves, and has his being in Him. This state cannot be described but only experienced.
Just as Sage Naradar speaks about the need to associate with good people; Sraddha or believing that there is a force that governs all; holding constant thought on the divine; knowing and abstaining from incurring negative Karma and dedicate the positive to the divine; performing Sadhanas or daily spiritual practices; he moves into the flow; going with the flow till the end that is desired is attained, passing through Guna Mahatmaya asakti, Rupa asakti, by Puja asakti, Smarana asakti, Dasya asakti, Sakhya asakti, Vatsalya asakti, Kanta asakti, Atmanivedan asakti, Tanmaya asakti and Paramaviraha asakti, Ramalinga Adigal too identified four புருஷார்த் தங்கள் on the path.
ஏம சித்தி (Yema Siddhi), சாகாக் கல்வி (Saagaa Kalvi), தத்துவ நிக் கிரகம் செய்தல் (Thathuva Nikkiragam Seithal), கடவுள் நிலை அறிந்து அம்மய மாதல் (Kadavul Nilai Arinthu Ammayam Aathal). These shall lead us to attain தாச மார்க்கம், சற்புத்திர மார்க்கம், சக மார்க்கம், சன் மார்க்கம். To attain this four Adigal asks that we adopt four ways or disciplines or நெறி namely: இந்திரிய ஒழுக்கம் (Indriya Ozhukkam), கரண ஒழுக்கம் (Karana Ozhukkam), ஜீவ ஒழுக்கம் (Jiva Ozhukkam), and ஆன்ம ஒழுக்கம் (Anma Ozhukkam).
In the preface to his "Manumurai Kanda Vaasakam", the original in Tamil by Rengaraja Desiga Swamigal and translated into English by R.G.Rajaram (Swamigal R. D.), Rengaraja Desiga Swamigal list Ramalinga Adigal’s teachings and his path that of Samarasam which contains these four disciplines :
1. Indriya Ozhukkam (Ozhukkam means self - control) that is of two kinds,
a. Gnana Indriya Ozhukkam: listening to the praise of god, preventing bad words entering our ears, avoiding looks of harshness and wickedness, abstaining from touching evil things, abstaining from gluttony, etc.
b. Karma Indriya Ozhukkam: speaking sweet words, telling no lies, resisting by all means from harmful deeds to other living beings, leading a religious life, associating ourselves with people of a saintly character, and maintaining a healthy body.
2. Karma Ozhukkam: the mind has to be directed to the Cit sabhai (Cit sabhai is the heart in which the divine abodes) by taking it away from other objects, not to enquire into the faults of others, not to be wicked.
3. Jiva Ozhukkam: the discipline that teaches one to treat all human beings as equal, and feel the presence of oneself in all human beings, one must not be affected by the various distinctions as social, national, linguistic, caste, religion, etc. because the soul belongs to a different sphere where no differences exist.
4. Anma Ozhukkam: the further development of Jiva ozhukkam wherein the soul looks upon all living beings alike (not only human beings but also other beings). The soul feels great compassion for all the beings, considers ‘Anma’ as the ‘Sabhai’ and the ‘inner light’ as God.
Having taken the bull by its horns, we then need the strength from within to hold on to it and bring it to its knees. All these tools serve to bring us to face the bull. With inner strength that was gathered along the way through these spiritual Sadhanas, with a renewed and energized Atma Balam or Soul power we tackle the bull then. All sense of the surrounding that stood before us is lost that instant. We become the bull. We subdue it with all our strength.
Hans-Ulrich Rieker’s translation of the "Hatha Yoga Pradipika of Svatmarama", the Aquarian Press 1992, carries the following:
Having taken the bull by its horns, we then need the strength from within to hold on to it and bring it to its knees. All these tools serve to bring us to face the bull. With inner strength that was gathered along the way through these spiritual Sadhanas, with a renewed and energized Atma Balam or Soul power we tackle the bull then. All sense of the surrounding that stood before us is lost that instant. We become the bull. We subdue it with all our strength.
Hans-Ulrich Rieker’s translation of the "Hatha Yoga Pradipika of Svatmarama", the Aquarian Press 1992, carries the following:
“Since there is a path to liberation, there also must exist the means to pursue it to the end. And all the means that we require to reach our ultimate goal, however high it may be, lie within us. The problem is only how to release them.”The divine comes within to make us aware of our inner strength and shows the means to release it. Belief in the Self. Strengthen the Faith. Half the battle is over. With his Grace, the other half is won.