The quarantine has been lifted at least for me and we are all fine. My daughters shall end today and my wife the day after. I guess God wanted us to have this experience too and another story to tell. We have crossed another hurdle in life and our lives was spared. Such is God's grace that we somehow want to give back. But how and in what ways? By giving him offerings? But these very offerings are his creation. Being of service to him as in Sariyai? That is a good start, living in his world and taking care of it. By performing Kriyai? That would take us a long way, connecting us to him personally. By taking up Yogam? This would enhance the home and his true abode that is within us, making it suitable for him to reside. By gaining Gnanam? Indeed, this would bring the understanding that we were never separate in the first place.
G. Vanmikanathan in his "Pathway To God Trod by Saint Ramalingar" translates a verse from the "Shiva Gnana Siddhiyar" that classifies these acts as follows.
“Sanmaargam, Sagamaargam, Sarputramaargam, Taatamaargam,
to gain Sankaran (Shiva), good paths four are these;
Jnanam, Yogam, Kriyai, Sariyai,
thus, also these are called.”
The "Shiva Gnana Siddhiyar Supakkam"
- Taatamaargam (Sariyai), or living in the world of Shiva, is also known as the path of the servant.
- Sarputramaargam (Kriyai) or the ritual worship of Shiva is known as the path of the son.
- Sagamaargam (Yogam) or attaining the form of Shiva is also known as the path of companionship and
- Sanmaargam (Jnanam) is also known as the true path.
These 4 Neri or Maargam or path or ways brought its own state of Mukti or spiritual liberation (Moksha or Nirvana) namely
- Salopam or the rare gift of living in the world of the God
- Sameepam or the great honor of living close to God
- Sarupam or the exalted state of taking the form of God
- Sayujyam or the ultimate state of merging with God.
This spiritual liberation is possible for each individual accordingly to the Neri he is on.
Sivavakiyar mentions these four Neri and its relative state of Moksha.
“Upon entering Sariyai, Salokyam shall one receive,
Through Kriyai, Sameepam shall he reach,
In Yoga, Sarupam shall be attained,
Jnanam, these four, Sayujyam shall one attain.”
Sugabramar mentions these four Neri too and the time of its entry in his "Gnana Suthiram".
“When the Parama Guru arrives, the path of Sariyai shall arise,
Slowly when the path of Sariyai is trod, Kriyai path shall arise shortly,
Upon walking the path of Kriyai, Son, the Yogam path will clearly arise,
Walking the path of Yogam, the Jnanam path shall appear.”
To aid us in our understanding, G. Vanmikanathan categorizes the famous four Naayanmaar accordingly in the respective paths and stages of spiritual advancement.
- Thirugnaanasambandhar as a follower of the Jnanam - Sariyai Maargam
- Thirunaavukkarasar is identified as one who followed the Jnanam - Kriyai Maargam
- Sundaramoorthi Swamigal as a follower of the Jnanam - Yogam Maargam, and
- Maanikkavaachakar as the follower of Jnanam - Sanmaargam.
Ramalinga Adigal has spoken of the various states of the soul; the 16 stages or Padi and above of spiritual experiences; the Experiences (Nilai); Stages and Paths. (Source: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Ramalinga Swami by Dr C Srinivasan, published by Ilakkia Nilayam, Tiruchi, 1968).
- Human beings leading a mundane life without even a thought of its transient nature.
- Spiritualist aware of momentary nature of life; Conscious of the world and external objects; Enjoys gross things.
- Seeking to see the Lord and feels inseparable; Untiring search for God; Enjoys subtle things.
- Only God; Neither dreams nor desires; Soul temporarily one with Brahman; Enjoys bliss.
- Spontaneous impulse of love for God; Lust and veil covering the soul for generations are shed one after the other; Soul cleanse by Arutperunjhoti; Absolute union with Brahman.
- Enjoys grace of Lord and ecstasy.
- Heavenly experiences; Shackles removed by Arutperunjhoti; Above this stage, God is un-manifested.
- Aspirant realizes the greatness of God's grace and his smallness; Tasting God; Glory of Arutperunjhoti; Self-realization on the soul as an atom brilliant as the sun or Atma Tarisanam; Soul charged with divine grace;
- Perceives God in the form of light; Soul is saturated with compassion and 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;
- Transformation to pure body; Love incarnate; Universality of love in all fellow beings; Oneness in life; Sees the divine in all life forms; Spontaneous flow of God in him.
- Descent of divinity in the individual.
- Supreme grace flows. Prepares aspirant for the next stage.
- Body transforms into Pranava Deham or body of grace.
- Merges with Arutperunjhoti;
- Deathlessness or conquest of death.
Pandit Gopi Krishna writes in his "Kundalini - Path to Higher Consciousness", Orient Paperbacks, 1976,
"Perhaps anyone who reads this account would be as surprised as I am myself at the marvellous ingenuity of nature and at the wonder hidden in the frail frame of men, which through the clay binding him to the earth, allows his spirit to soar unfettered to giddy heights to knock for admission at the portals of heaven itself. When I look within, I am lifted beyond the confines of time and space, in tune with a majestic, all conscious existence, which mocks at fear and laughs at death. An existence which is absolutely removed from everything in this world, an endless inexpressible wonder that can only be experienced and not described."
Wow! What a wonder. If only we could achieve these states or at least come close in some way to a higher standing and understanding, and maybe continue from there in another birth.