Sath-Sang: 17/2010. 5th March 2010.

How is a ‘Guru’ superior to a teacher, a preacher or a Saint?

Preacher should practise.

Contents -

1. The teacher and the Guru
2. Those who give spiritual discourses (pravachans) and Gurus
3. An average individual, a seeker and a Guru
4. A saint and a Guru

1. The teacher (acharya) and the Guru

The teacher teaches for a specific period of time and only through the medium of words. On the other hand, the Guru continues to guide His disciple twenty-four hours of the day both through the medium of words and that beyond them. A Guru takes care of His disciple in any catastrophe while a teacher has hardly any concern about a student’s personal life. In short, a Guru pervades the entire life of a disciple while a teacher is associated with a student only for a few hours and that too confined to teaching a few subjects.

2. Those who give spiritual discourses (pravachans) and Gurus

‘The following table illustrates the differences in speech of those giving discourses and Gurus (saints).

3. An average individual, a seeker and a Guru

The table below gives the desire for performing a particular action, the total action (karma) and the act (kriya) and the proportion of the two in an average individual, a seeker and a Guru. An action implies to an act performed along with a motive whereas an act is devoid of a motive.As one makes progress in one’s spiritual practice, actions of the various bodies excluding the physical body go on reducing proportionately. Thus the total action and act go on diminishing.

Saints give some guidance to accomplish some achievements, in both the materialistic as well as the spiritual realms. When a saint accepts a seeker as a disciple He becomes the latter’s Guru. A Guru guides only regarding achieving the realm without materialistic expectation (God). Once a saint commences His mission as a Guru His desire to help His devotees to overcome their worldly obstacles gradually decreases and finally ceases altogether.

4. A saint and a Guru

Every Guru is a saint, but the reverse is not always true.

Inspite of this being so, majority of the characteristics of saints also apply to Gurus.

The following table grossly compares a saint and a Guru both with a spiritual level of 80 %.

* Both saints and Gurus have a spiritual level of atleast 70%. After crossing 70%, spiritual progress is faster in Gurus than in other saints.

They attain the level of a Sathguru (80%) and

a Paratpar Guru (90%) faster than other saints attaining the same spiritual levels. This is because

They are constantly engrossed in the mission of spiritually uplifting a disciple, while saints at times perform tasks from the Great Illusion, for the sake of Their devotees.

The Great Illusion of nescience (avidyamaya) and the Great Illusion of the Guru (gurumaya)

‘The Great Illusion (Maya) is of two types, the Great Illusion of nescience and the Great Illusion of the Guru.

The former entraps the embodied soul (jiva) in ignorance while the latter liberates the embodied soul from it. Synonyms for the Great Illusion of the Guru are Prabhumaya and Harimaya (the Great Illusion of The Lord).

The Great Illusion of nescience is so deceptive that it does not allow one to perceive its illusory nature. Even great saints have been deceived by the Illusion of nescience.

For instance Saint Eknath failed to recognise that ShrikhanDya who filled water in His home and prepared a paste of sandalwood, was The Lord Himself.

Om Sathguru Sri Seshadri Swamigal Thiruvadikkae-Moola mantra. of incarnation of Shiva-Avathar Seshadri.

Yours Guruji

Thiruvannamalai.

5th March 2010.

Guru describes a spiritual teacher or master. A Guru has the power and wisdom to dissolve spiritual ignorance in a disciple. A true Guru has attained a extreme high degree of spiritual development before acting as a Guru. A traditional Guru has achieved God-realization before starting to teach.

Exceptions are, when a Guru starts to teach while his Guru has still a physical body and spiritually supervises and guides him. In this case he often refers to his Guru when teaching to his disciples. A fully realized Guru having attained God-Union during the present incarnation has no need to refer to anyone else but God, as God is his true Guru and supervisor during his activities while teaching. He acts on behalf of God, never on behave of his personality.

Relationship Guru – disciple (Chela) (Shishya)

The relationship between a Guru and his Chela is an Divine Love-romance lasting many incarnations. A Guru incarnating is looking for his previous Chelas to guide them home to God. His Love for his Chelas is infinite and during the course of his incarnation and by the end of his incarnation he is dissolving most or all of the Karma of his advanced Chelas.

A Guru once selected, remains the Guru for a particular Chela until his Chela has reached God-Realization and God-Union himself. But even after such freedom this love-affair continuous eternally. It is a true friendship that evolved during thousands or millions of years and last forever.

Selecting a Guru from the point of view of a God-seeker is a very delicate matter. A God-seeker must be willing to fully trust and follow any advice of his Guru.

At the same time he is still required to use common sense and good judgment. He must learn to follow his guru’s advice while learning at the same time to become free of any attachment and make wise use of his intuition and mind.

The path to God may be long and “rocky” as it may appear sometimes to be hard work to dissolve all the ego of a new spiritual disciple.

It usually is much easier to gain a victory over another country than it is to be victorious over his own ego.

A Guru will know and realize all your problems and tricky behaviors you may have and help you to overcome your own ego on the most loving and most peaceful path suitable for you.

A Guru however may refuse to accept a particular God-seeker for spiritual reasons. He knows the Karma and spiritual blockages of a potential disciple and knows how serious a God-seeker is striving for his Divine home in God.

From the point of view of a spiritual disciple, the Guru of his Guru is called Paramaguru.

Definition of the work of a Guru:

A Guru teaches how to find the way home to God. Therefor he must have gone this path to truly know it before he can teach others how to achieve God-Union.

While some Gurus prefer to teach in one single spiritual tradition, a God-realized Guru actually can teach any spiritual tradition leading directly to God. He may prefer to teach individually each disciple on a path particularly suitable for an individual, taking into account all the spiritual experiences of a disciple from previous incarnations as well as taking into account the present spiritual blockages prevailing within a disciple.

A Guru in some spiritual traditions may be called master or teacher. The word Guru however is more precise as it traditionally refers to someone leading others to God and being able to act as a facilitator on this way.

He is transferring his enlightenment to his Chelas, which in turn may feel it much easier to meditate or spiritually progress in the presence of their Guru.

Having a physical Guru is a very old tradition. It certainly is of great benefit to each God-seeker to have a physical Guru, as it saves lot’s of time and efforts, if you exactly follow his advice.

In addition the Divine Love between a Guru and his Chela dissolves most of the Karma even during the learning process and makes spiritual progress much easier and faster than going your way home on your own.

However it is possible for any advanced Chela to realize the spiritual guidance of his beloved Guru. Hence the physical presence becomes obsolete.

A true Guru can guide all of his disciples without being physically present. A Guru never dies, as he becomes one with God after his incarnation, all the Divine Bliss he receives from God is forwarded to his serious disciples until they have reached freedom in God themselves.

How do you recognize your Guru ?

You may feel some emotional turmoil within or just fall in love with your Guru, as Love is the only energy he is radiating in his aura toward you at any time. You may feel the extraordinary energy-flow between you and your Guru when approaching him the first time.

A true Guru never charges any money or material fees for his services rendered to you or others, as he receives his revenues from God. Gurus usually may accept donations because this may be the only income they have on earth .

Without full oneness with God a person never qualifies for the spiritual function and work of Guru

But no matter how much you love your Guru, always keep in mind that he is acting on behalf of God, and his only “job” is to guide you to God on the smoothest and most suitable path.

Always pray to God or ask your Guru to pray on your behalf to God.

God is the only being you ever should pray to.

Om Sathguru Sri Seshadri Swamigal Thiruvadikkae. (Moola-Mantra)

Thank You

Yours Guruji

Thiruvannamalai.

5th March 2010.

A devotee should not lament if the unfavourable happens. Every unpleasant thing happens only under the divine dispensation. However unpleasant an incident may be, it is per the will of our Lord – a devotee should consider it thus, and remain happy and hopeful.

The Lord never errs; He does everything considering the pros and cons. With the realization that everything happens by the will of the Lord, as in the case of the child Prahlada, if one remains happy every moment under all circumstances, one would ever find himself in the protection of the Divine Hand!

One who gets agitated in adversity and loses faith in the Lord, cannot be called a true devotee. A devotee should consider his life as Divine will in which lies his ultimate welfare. Due to ignorance we fail to understand the ways of the Lord.

If we regard adversity in a deeper perspective, we find that what we take to be unpleasant is a great occasion of joy for us. Consider the following:

1. The unfavourable is only the result of our past deeds. Through these punishments, the Lord makes us pure, and frees us from our sins.
2. The Lord keeps us from sinning further.
3. Through pain, the Lord strengthens our souls. It is s common experience that gold shines purer and brighter, after being heated. Similarly the souls grows purer and stronger, after undergoing suffering and pain.
4. Sometimes we develop in us a false sense of pride in spirituality, when it is not really so. The Lord then puts us to test, purges our pride, and makes us realize the true path to realization.
5. The last but not least is the gain that we remember the Lord in adversities. We often forget the Lord for the sake of trifling worldly pleasures. Sufferings cause us to seek shelter at His Divine Feet, and we are then brought to constant remembrance of His Compassionate Gracious Self, through His Grace. We grow closer to Him, and our bond with Him grows deeper and stronger, and firmer…
6. He reminds us that the human body that He has given us is for spiritual progress, to realize His Divine Self.

Apart from this we cannot realize what and how much good lies in seemingly unfavourable circumstances, the Lord bestows upon us. Therefore we should be ever happy, that whatever He does is only an act of mercy on us and regard it as most beneficial for us.

(Excerpts from Real Love – Means to eradicate sorrow (Gita Press))

While doing Japa, and practising meditation, during worship, and reading sacred texts, chanting hymns, and addressing the Lord in particular, one should lovingly fix one’s mind without interruption on the essence of the Lord, including His virtues, and glory, with reverence and faith, with single-minded devotion, fully comprehending the spirit of sacred texts.

At bedtime as well, one should fall asleep while remembering the Lord with a concentrated mind. Even the period of sleep during the hours of the night can be converted into a period of meditation. For, the six hours or so that a man spends in sleep or dream are spent more or less in the same occupation in which he spends his waking hours. Therefore, withdrawing our minds from all other pursuits, let us make it a point never to forget God. Through uninterrupted remembrance of God it is possible to overcome evil propensities, immoral practices, evil addictions, excessive sleep, lethargy, error and other defects, to end all of the miseries and speedily attain Supreme peace and the Highest Bliss in the form of God-realization.

(Excerpts from The Secret of Bhakthiyoga - The Glory of Constant Contemplation on God (Gita Press))

In this frightful Kali yuga (era), the practice of devotion is the best and easiest way of realizing God. When the Lord incarnates Himself on earth assuming a Form and attributes, ignorant folk fail to recognize Him, for He is veiled by His Maya (Gita VII. 25). He who surrenders himself to the Lord devotes himself to the practice of Devotion, the Lord removes the veil of Maya from before him, on account of which he succeeds in getting a direct vision of the Lord’s Divine Form, possessed of attributes. That is why it is the duty of every individual to the to practise devotion to the Lord, with reverence and Love.

(Excerpts from The Secret of Bhaktiyoga – The Divine Name, Form, Sports and Abode (Gita Press))

The Lord is ever ready to manifest Himself. He, as if, longs that people should love Him, so that He might appear before them. If we can develop the intensity of love, Sita bore towards Bhagavan Sri Ramachandra, we shall find the Lord ever ready for us. He who longs for the Lord, the Lord longs for him, I the same manner and to the same extent….

That our faith and love for the Lord may grow from more to more, that our remembrance of Him may remain constant, that we may not forget Him even for the wink of an eye, should be our goal..

(Excerpts from The Secret of Premayoga – The Longing for God-Vision(Gita Press))

The Lord’s mercy on us is unlimited. He eagerly awaits every opportunity to manifest Himself and tries on every occasion to bless the devotee with His vision. He helps us at every step in all our spiritual effort. It is a common experience in the world that one has to hasten to a place where His affections are centered. He who has special attraction for us compels us to go to Him leaving all engagements aside. When one refrains from going to a place, it indicated that love is deficient there. When such is the case with ordinary men like us, where is to wonder that God, who is an ocean of Love and Compassion, should be ready to grant us Divine Vision, if we possess only a little love for Him?

The main reason for delay in the Lord’s manifestation is our want of attraction for Him. He is the very embodiment of Love and Grace. How can He Himself delay in appearing before us? The reason therefore is clear. We lack the qualification to gain His vision. We are markedly deficient in love and faith. In order to increase our faith and love, we should try to the best of our ability, to gain the knowledge of His truth, secret, virtues, and power. It is never possible that the Lord will not meet a devotee even after the latter has gained faith and love. He becomes compelled, then, to bring the devotee’s faith to fruition.

(Excerpts from The Secret of Premayoga - The Longing for God-Vision (Gita Press))

THE GURU MANTRA

(taken from the Guru Granth Sahib)

Guruji's Divine Thiruppaadam

• While walking and sitting, sleeping and waking, contemplate within your heart the Guru Mantra.
• Run to God’s Lotus Feet, and join the Saadh-Sangat.
• Cross over the terrifying world-ocean, and reach the other side.
• O mind! enshrine God’s Name Within your Heart!
• Love God, and commit your mind and body to Him; forget everything else.
• The soul, mind, body and breath of life belong to God; eliminate your self-conceit.
• This is right conduct, and this is the correct lifestyle to obey the Divine Will;
• This is your Bhagti (Bhakthi) – devotional worship.
  

A handicapped person with diseased or faulty legs needs the help of crutches to go around until his legs are cured. Similarly, our mind is inflicted with a chronic disease of a false sense of ego. It needs help! The desire of worldly pleasures and the fear of pains have crippled it. Dwelling in desires and fear, it has become dense, deluded or ignorant. The Absolute Peace (Sahaj), which is the mind’s True Nature, has been shattered by the Bikaars of the human-mind (lust, anger, greed, attachment, and false pride, and their numerous variations such as envy, obstinacy, ageing and psychological distress, efforts to acquire and abandon hopes and longings, violent expressions, ignorance, deception, cheating, hypocrisy, evil tendencies, crookedness, corruption, selfishness, perversities, fanaticism, and so on).

It’s needless to say that our twisted mind so flawed and conditioned needs help to retrace the steps back to its Real Nature, the Utter Quiescence (the Self or Soul Consciousness). The ancient Spiritual Scientists looked into this diseased and ignorant condition of the human mind, and came up with very potent antidotes.

And one of the antidotes is called Guru Mantra or simply Mantra (the Word of Shabad or Divine Name)! The poison of corruption flowers forth in the four directions; I have taken the Guru Mantra as my antidote.

WHAT IS MANTRA?

Mantra is a Sanskrit word, simply meaning “incantation”. Just as fragrance is contained in the flower, and the light of the sun is hidden in the colors, similarly, the essence of Divine Expression from the Supreme Consciousness is summed up in the Mantra. The letter form of Mantra is the expression of this subtle Primal Sound. Thus, the Mantra is not an ordinary word; it is embedded with the Transcendental vibratory sound that represents the Absolute Purity.

All Mantras are in the name of the Lord. By chanting them we try to invoke the Lord who resides Within. Thus, the Mantra is the Name of the Inner Being whom we call, or want to Realize. Therefore, if chanted with concentration, intuitive understanding, determination, constancy, assiduousness, faith and feeling, the Mantra will open a person to himself – it will bring the person face to face with the Self Within (Guru, Sathguru, Light, God, Atman…)

• Mantra, tantra, medicine and atonement, are all in God’s Name, the Support of the Soul and the breath.
• My Master is eternal. He is seen by practicing the mantra. He never perishes, He does not come and go – He neither takes birth nor does He die.
• In the Society of the Saint, whosoever has seen God within, God’s Name is sweet to him. All things are contained in One (Lord); (from That One Lord) so many various colors are seen (emanating). The nine treasures and the Amrit are in the Name of God. Within that person’s body is the place of rest. The Sunn Samaadhi, and the unstruck sound current of the Naad are there. The wonder of it cannot be described. He alone sees it, unto whom God Himself reveals it.

The Japa is the prelude to Spiritual Enlightenment.

• The Sathguru has given me the Mantra of God’s Name. By this support, my affairs have been resolved.

The Word of Mantra for Naam-Smaran are usually short, containing only a few syllables. The shorter Mantras of fewer syllables are more effective, because they are more likely to flow better with the natural rhythm of the breathing process, easy to remember and more suitable for concentration and remembrance.

THE GURU MANTRA

As discussed in the second part of this article, the Guru’s business is two-fold:

1. to impart Self-knowledge (to remove the seeker’s veil of ignorance of the Self), and,
2. to give the seeker Guru Mantra (the Word of Divine Name) whose unbroken chanting or meditation brings about mental-control called inner Purity.

God has countless Names, and the Wise call Him by specific names.

• O Lord, who can tell all Your Names? (The Wise) call You or describe You by (special) Names (according to Your) Leelas
• The Mantra of God’s Name is deep within my mind and body.
• The Guru has given the Mantra of the True Word of God. Meditating on this True Word, I sing the songs of joy, and my mind is rid of anxiety. I have found that God, who never leaves; Forever and ever, He sits with me.
• Everyone calls upon You with their palms pressed together, chanting Your Name, “Siva Siva”. O Merciful Lord, everyone cries out for Your Help.

• The Word of the Supreme Being, is the Mantra to rid the man of his mental ego.

Knowing the meaning of the Mantra is very helpful when one is concentrating on it. Then he will know when he reaches the goal which the Mantra is supposed to produce Within him.

• Meditate, O my mind, on the One Name. It alone will be of use to your soul. Night and day, sing the Glorious Praises of the Infinite God, through the Pure Mantra of the Perfect Guru

THE PURPOSE OF MANTRA

One not knowing a treasure of precious diamonds and gold, buried beneath his feet may walk over it repeatedly yet never find it. Similarly, all beings live every moment in the city of the Self-God, and yet never find Him. Why? Because, the illusion created by the false ego and ignorance, have deluded one’s mind.

The Purpose of the Mantra is to help remove the veil of this illusion from our mind. In other words, the Mantra consists in shifting the emphasis from the changeable mind (false ego) and its ephemeral world to the Immutable and Timeless Self, within.

The reason all religions, paths and Mantras exist is because there exists the phantom called the mind. It is so fickle, – even if it is tamed it does not remain steady, but gets restless in a moment like the surface of the ocean. It jumps from one object to other like a monkey jumps from tree to tree. This mind alone provides the senses with their intelligence; who, in turn, generate countless evil desires and notions. Hence, this ghost called ‘mind’ must be destroyed. This is the teaching of all world scriptures and the Masters.

• When the mind is conquered, its turbulent wanderings are stopped. Without annihilating (conquering) the mind, how can God be found? Rare is the one who knows the medicine to conquer the mind.
• The Moola Mantra is the only cure for the mind; I have installed faith in God in my mind

Death of the mind is the birth of the Spiritual Wisdom. How can this phantom called mind be killed or conquered? Depending on the temperament of the seeker, several means are available to him, the Word of Mantra among them.

Meditation on the Mantra helps purge the mind of mundane thoughts, which in turn, helps gain realization of the omnipresent Self (Aatman, Guru or Sathguru, God, Light, Infinite Consciousness, etc.). The Mantra has a great Transcendental vibratory force. Its devotional repetition, aloud or mentally, fills the mind with Divine vibrations that helps neutralize vibrations of material consciousness. When contemplated with sincere feeling, intuitive understanding, determination, constancy, assiduousness, faith and intense concentration it helps elevate the consciousness God-ward.

The mind is nothing but thoughts. Destruction, purification or conquering of the mind simply means the cessation of thoughts. The process for driving all mundane thoughts out of the mind is to make it focused on one thought, for example, one Word of the Mantra (Naam-Smaran). Ultimately, once the mind is purified (“killed”) of all thoughts, this one thought will also disappear, leading the devotee into the state of Sunn Samaadhi (Spiritual Silence). Therefore, the idea here is to clear the mind of worldly concepts, followed by immersion in the Naam-consciousness or Shabad-Surti, spontaneously. The more we contemplate on the Divine Naam in Sahaj Subhaaye (intuitive ease), the more it will sink in the Heart Within, rendering the mind finer and finer, free of material anxieties, agonies, desires and fear.

• The Divine Guru existed at the primal beginning, throughout the ages, in each and every age. The Divine Guru is the Mantra of God’s Name; chanting it, one is saved.
• The mind does not hold still, even for an instant. Distracted by all sorts of distractions, it wanders around aimlessly in all directions. I have found the Perfect Guru, through great good fortune; He has given me the Mantra of God’s Name, and my mind has become quiet and tranquil.

Thus, the purpose of the Mantra is to make the mind quiet and tranquil; free of its perversions and defects; which is its True Nature. However, due to the rise of false ego, it has forgotten its True Nature and has become restless. The proper chanting of the Mantra, aloud or mentally, helps purge the mind of mundane thoughts. So long as the mind is occupied with materialism, mental purity needed to upgrade our animal nature to Spiritual Nature cannot be attained. We have only one mind; either we can use it for Naam-Smaran or for the world-Smaran! The loving and unbroken repetition of the Naam Smaran results in thinning of the sense of ego, and ignorance, while the Smaran on the world manifests opposite effects.

• The Guru Mantra illumines the darkness of ignorance.

Hence the mind crippled by the desires and fear gains strength from the practice of the Mantra. This dispassion and concentration, helps meditation. Slowly but surely the mind becomes one with the Mantra, then one gets to know that the Formless, Infinite Spirit is only fit to be worshiped, everything else is a passing show. Also, one gets to know that the losing of the one’s individuality is nothing but merging in the Self Within.

CHANTING THE MANTRA

The Self is not realized through instruction, much thinking, much speaking, observing external silence and fasting, intellectual powers, stubbornness, rituals, or much hearing.

It can be reached only by the one whom the Self chooses; to Him the “Jyothi-Swaroopa” is revealed. And this fortunate one is He who has purified his mind of desires and fear. He who has not renounced evil ways, who is not at peace with himself, who cannot concentrate with intuitive ease, and whose mind is not composed cannot reach the Self, even by right knowledge.

• I am just a worm, created by You, O God. If you bless me, then I chant Your Primal Mantra.

First of all, the ideal way to perform the Naam-Jap is said to be with Sahaj – naturally, without stubborn mindedness.

Second, when pronounced, the Mantra must be pronounced properly, slowly, thoughtfully, with love and feeling, concentration, spontaneously, mentally hearing its Transcendental vibratory sound. At the same time, we should work to bring out the positive feelings, such as inner joy, happiness or contentment. Thus, it should be a very meaningful experience.

If the Naam-Jap is not performed in the natural way (Sahaj), or if it is performed quickly like mechanical repetition or parrot-like chanting – what can be called “machine-gun Smaran!” – than it will be nothing more than an unmeaning ritual; bringing little benefit to the seeker.

The Mantra is either chanted aloud or mentally, repeating while inhaling and exhaling, effortlessly. In the beginning it is performed aloud. So doing, the Mantra is heard back by the mind and therefore the mind does not wander. Thus, it is relatively easier to concentrate. In the early stage of the practice, the student may want to take advantage of relatively more peaceful hours such as before sunrise and at sunset.

Sahaje Sahaje (slowly slowly) after the Naam-Jap is perfected aloud, it becomes mental. That is, it may be done silently, making the sound internally without the support of the tongue or any other external limbs of the body. This is what the Gurbani calls “Ajapaa Jaap”. The ultimate accomplishment in the performance of Naam-Jap is going to walk, stand, sit, eat, work, etc., while internally the Jap continues without a break, spontaneously. This is meditation. And to meditate, one must be free from anger, jealousy, contentions, fear, desires etc.

• The mind that does not forget the Chant which is chanted without chanting becomes immersed in the Primal Lord of the ages. Upon becoming a Gurmukh (spiritual being), all the senses are blessed with the five virtues, and one dwells in the Home of the Self deep within. Nanak is the slave of that one who seeks the Shabad and finds this inner Home.

Naam-Smaran is performed only for one reason: to link with the Original Source Within. Therefore, with the help of concentration and feeling, the mind needs to be focused only on the Naam-Smaran. If the mind is allowed to wander into irrelevant thoughts, the benefits of the Jap will be nullified. Thus, complete commitment of the body and mind, regularity and discipline are the conveyance.

Self-imposed limitations of place and time to perform devotional service will also block Spiritual Unfoldment of an aspirant. The word Bhagti (Bhakthi-devotion) comes from the Sanskrit root word Bhaj, meaning “to serve”. Therefore, the process of Bhagti (Bhakthi-devotion) must include three items or three B’s: Bhagat (servitor), Bhagti (Bhakthi-devotion) (service), and Bhagwaan (the served). Accordingly, devotional service should be performed keeping in mind the omnipresence of the Bhagwaan (Infinite Consciousness). A sincere devotee, for that reason, will not limit his devotional service to a particular place or time. They see the All-pervading Being in everything, every where, and all the time. The limitation of time and place belongs only to the ignorant hypocrites (Manmukhs).

• Any time is a good time to meditate in remembrance (Smaran) of God.
• O Lord, without Your Name, there is no place at all.
• If one considers the time and the moment (for Bhagti (Bhakthi-devotion)), then Bhagti (Bhakthi-devotion) cannot be performed at any time. Night and day, one who is attuned to the Name becomes (one with) Truth. If someone forgets the Beloved (God), even for an instant, what sort of devotion is that?

For the practice of Naam-Smaran, Spiritual Company within and without is very important and helpful. In the association (Sangat) of Pious Beings, who’s hearts are already penetrated with the Naam, it’s relatively easy to concentrate. With concentration comes the inner transformation.

• In the Company of the Holy, there is no suffering (sggs 272).
• The Supreme Lord showers His Mercy, and we find the Saadhoo Sang, the Company of the Holy. More time we spend there (in Saadhoo Sang), the more we come to love God.

BENEFITS OF CHANTING THE MANTRA

The Mantra of the Divine Name helps awaken the mind so that the inflated ego may subside. This, in turn, opens up the inner doors to the Higher Consciousness. When chanted properly, it improves the protective aura of the individual, leading one into the Self-knowledge and Self-realization. Thus, taking on the Mantra or Naam is for mind control, Spiritual Unfoldment, Self-realization, or personal Enlightenment.

In the early stages, Truth may taste bitter and unpleasant to our inflated ego as our inner mind reveals to us our shocking crookedness, perversions, and weaknesses. Overwhelmed by these shocks, many seekers may shrink from Naam-Jap very quickly, as the inner self plays back such impurities working Within, becoming a little afraid of what might happen if they are to continue. However, diligent attempt, consistent self-effort, and continuous mental alertness is the key to the conquest. In all earnestness if the Naam-Jap is given a chance, it will sink in and then taste sweet later! As long as Truth does not enter into Consciousness, the Divine Presence is not realized! The Mantra is like a medicine. Scriptures are like label on this medicine. The purpose of label is to describe the medicine’s name, nature, composition, dosage, etc. However, if one keeps reading the label day in and day out without taking the medicine, he cannot expect to be cured! Can he? In order to be cured, one has to take the medicine and stop mere reading of the label; for the healing of the medicine works, whether or not we consciously comprehend it. Similarly, until the mind is engaged in the sincere Naam-Smaran (medicine), the reading of scriptures (labels) will not have any effect on the healing process of the medicine. One may be able to gain all sorts of knowledge by reading the labels, however, Knowledge without Bhagti (Bhakthi-devotion) is empty as one’s married life to an eunuch!

• O mind, there is only One medicine, Mantra and healing herb; center your consciousness firmly on One God!
• One who is blessed with the medicine of the Guru Mantra, the Name of God, does not suffer the agonies of reincarnation.
• God cannot be understood by reading scriptures; deceitful pretenders are deluded by doubt .

Naam-Smaran is a journey to a place within, which we have forgotten. It harmonizes the physical body with the mental body and Spiritual forces through the life force. In turn, it harmonizes various states of the mind, altering the consciousness and taking the devotee to the Realization of the Transcendental vibratory sounds (Panch Shabad, Anhata Dhuni, etc.) emanating from the great depth of the timelessness, formlessness and spacelessness.

The chanting of the Divine Name aids in depolarization and transmutation of the individual consciousness, the false ego. As we intone the Transcendental vibratory sound of the Naam, we release the creative energy into the brain. In turn, the brain pours it out through the body, mind and intellect to create a new world for us. Thus, the unbroken repetition of the Naam bursts forth Spiritual Wisdom (Aatma-Gyaan) from Within.

• All can be enlightened with the Beej Mantra, the Seed Mantra, is spiritual wisdom for everyone. Anyone from four Varnas can meditate on it

The verbal chanting of Divine Name leads to mental uttering, which in turn leads to uttering without the physical or mental utterance (Sunn Samaadhi or total absorption). Here the devotee becomes one with the Divine Name Within. This is the ultimate Realization, the state of living liberated (Jeevanmukta).

• All read, hear and reflect upon God’s Name; but (due to lust, anger, etc.) they cannot develop the Divine Love, and they cannot Experience God within. How can iron be transformed into gold, unless it touches the Philosopher’s Stone? Lust, anger, Maya, intoxication (with pride. arrogance, etc.) and jealousy – these five have combined to plunder the world. (As a result) the knot of skepticism from within, does not get untied.

HOLY MANTRAS ARE NEITHER SECRET NOR FOR SALE

Many fake Gurus, Yogis or Swamis sell Mantras in secrecy in a format like packaged merchandise, and amass wealth from ignorant or unsuspecting people all over the world. This is a mundane business, which has nothing to do with Spirituality. The reason they do not give Mantras openly and freely is that they have no genuine interest in giving people a helping hand. Instead, all they are interested in is how to plunder money out of them. This is because people want to be cheated. In fact many devotees pay dearly to receive the Mantra, only to forget it a few hours or days later! But in this age of Kali Yuga, the people are so deluded that if you charge fee and bluff and cheat them, they will follow you! We must know that, from ancient time, all traditional Mantras were neither sold nor acclaimed secret in India! Because God’s Name is ever free!

The Gurbani (SGGS) comes from the All-pervading Consciousness. It makes it very clear that God’s Word is not a property of any person or a group; for it belongs to the entire mankind. In other words, nowhere the SGGS indicates if a particular group of people has exclusive rights or monopoly over the Lord’s Name. In order to understand the Essence of the Divinity, everybody can take advantage of it. Those who do not take full advantage of the Divine Teaching, or those who have their consciousness devoid of the sincere Naam-Smaran are compared with the animals and insects.

TRANSCENDING THE MANTRA

The object of Mantra-Jap is to Realize that the same Jap is already going on Within even without any effort! To put it otherwise, in the final analysis, the Shabad, Naam or Mantra is the person’s True Nature, which is also the ultimate state of Spiritual Realization. With proper repetition, the Jap finally reveals itself as being Eternal; which is the man’s Real Nature, the Self. This is also called the state of Self-realization.

Once the needed concentration or quietness of the mind is attained, the Mantra comes to its end. In other words, it burns itself out and blends into one’s very existence; like when you stir the fire with a wooden stick, you burn the stick too! The concept or thought disappears, the Essence remains! It’s just like the pair of crutches: a person with broken legs needs the aid of crutches until he is cured. The Gurbani reveals that the state of Pure Being is “Sunn Samaadhi”, which is the state of motionlessness or Spiritual Silence. Therefore, clinging to any type of thought or notion will turn into an obstacle for attaining the ultimate state of Realization, which is beyond any conceptualization.

As revealed in the Gurbani, “Sunn Samaadhi” or the state of “no-mind” is the state of becoming one with the Naam Within – the state where there is no time (or birth and death), no creator, no creation, no destruction, no worlds, no universe, no existence, no names, no forms, no “I” and “me”, no “mine” and “your”, no “this”, no “that”, no truth, no false, no likes and dislikes, no humans, no demons, no elements, no bodies or senses, no mind, no thought, no meditation, no chanting, no remembrance, no forgetfulness, no sorrow, no enjoyment, no gurus, no disciples, no duality, no non-duality, no beginning, no middle, no end: all is at all times, beyond the comprehension of the body-mind-intellect. Only the Infinite Awareness exists there.

Therefore, in the final stage of the Naam-Smaran, the Mantra must turn into one’s actions, the Mantra must turn into one’s love and compassion, the Mantra must turn into one’s life, and it then bursts forth into Intuitive Wisdom. In other words, from that point on, one does not only know the Truth, but he also lives by It; because, as the Gurbani says, this in itself is a Mantra! The Naam then reflects in His words, deeds and speech, rendering him Jeevanmukta (living liberated).

The Holy One has shown the Way to God; I chant the Guru Mantra.

The chanting of Mantra or Naam is thus a way of tuning in with the subtle Divine Forces Within. The scriptures warn the sincere seeker to be careful here to avoid the entrapment of any Siddhis (occult powers) that may come along the way as the by-product of the Bhagti (Bhakthi-devotion). Too often what happens is that the seeker falls prey to their temptations and loses union with God. Since the psychic powers are limited to the restless or egoistic mind, the spiritual teachers and scriptures teach sincere aspirants to avoid their temptations; for they are hindrance to Spiritual Wisdom. Therefore, all inferior powers should not interest the man of Self-knowledge so long he is perfectly content in himself. As Spiritual Wisdom is the greatest gain, the man of such Wisdom is free from the least desire for anything.

• Riches and the supernatural spiritual powers are all emotional attachments (egoism); through them, Naam – the Lord’s Name – does not come to dwell in the mind.

Here is a little story about Baalmeek:

There lived a highwayman by the name of Ratnaakar, who made his living by robbing and killing people. It so happened that one day a holy man fell into his hands. To cut the long story short, the holy man told Ratnaakar he could help him become a good man if he agreed to chant God’s Name. “How?”, inquired Ratnaakar. The holy man gave him the Word “Raam” as Mantra, and asked him to chant it with sincere feeling, faith, determination, and intense concentration. As Ratnaakar’s consciousness had become so filthy by putting people to death, at first his tongue was unable to utter the word “Raam”. The bandit asked the holy man if he could utter “Maraa” (meaning “dead”!) instead of “Raam”. The holy man said, “if you feel comfortable with uttering “Maraa”, so be it”. He then began chanting the Word “Maraa, Maraa, Maraa…”, with utter love and faith. With concentrated practice, first the sound “Maraa Maraa…” spontaneously turned into “Raam Raam…”, then, in due course, he became absorbed in its Transcendental vibratory sound. Later, that bandit came to be known as Rishi Baalmeek, who wrote the famous epic of Ramayana!

• O mind! Be conscious, be conscious, be conscious… Why do you not look at Baalmeek?

Saint Sri Guru Namasivaya – 3

(Disciple of Saint Sri Guhai Namasvaya)

Part -3.

The Holy Arunachala – Chidambaram Temple.

The story begins, according to the Koyil Puranam, the sthala puranam of Chidambaram, in the forests of Tarakam. In that place there was a large multitude of rishis, all following the ritualistic practices of Mimamsa. Siva went there to confront them, accompanied by Vishnu disguised as a beautiful woman, and Adiseshan, the snake. Siva initially caused the rishis to have a violent quarrel among themselves, but later their anger was directed against Siva, whom they attempted to destroy by means of magical incantations. They created a fierce tiger out of a sacrificial fire and made it attack Siva. Unperturbed and still smiling, he caught hold of it and with the nail of his little finger he stripped off its skin and wrapped it around himself like a silk cloth. Undiscouraged by this failure, the sages renewed their offerings and produced an enormous serpent that Siva seized and wrapped round his neck like a garland. Then he began to dance. However, the rishis had not exhausted their tricks. They created a malignant dwarf, Muyalakan, who rushed towards Siva with the intention of attacking him. Siva touched him with the tip of his foot and fractured his spine, leaving him writhing on the ground. Siva then resumed his dance, which was witnessed or accompanied by several of the gods and the rishis. A typical description of the dance scene can be found in Patanjali Charita, 4, 61-7:

At the very sign of his [Siva's] brow, Vishnu takes up the drum mardala which, with its noble rumbling note, starts the musical sound. With his lotus hands, Brahma takes up a pair of cymbals, Indra plays the bamboo flute, while Saraswati plays the lute. Siva ties up his hair with the snake, wraps the elephant hide around his waist and begins to dance.

The myths and legends of Chidambaram state that Siva was compelled to continue his dance at Chidambaram, rather than in the Tarakam forest, because he could see that the original site could not sustain the powerful energies of the dance. Invoking a yogic parallel, he identified the snaking ida and pingala currents in the subtle body with geographical locations north and south of Chidambaram, and then said that the central channel [natuvinadi] passed directly through Tillai, making it the centre of the world and the site of the original cosmic lingam.

It is through this analogy that Chidambaram, according to local tradition, became the centre of the cosmos, the axis mundi around which all the rest of the universe rotates. The dance is so powerful, only the true centre, the heart of the spiritual and material universe, can support and sustain it. According to this tradition, Chidambaram becomes the world centre on the physical plane; on the spiritual plane, the central shrine becomes the Heart-lotus, the still centre out of which emerges the primal dance of creation in the form of Siva’s dance of bliss.

The Suta Samhita (8, 9, 47) declares that the dance is beyond the vision of even the greatest of sages and adds that only Siva’s consort is naturally able to witness the dancing movements of the Lord. Elsewhere the Suta Samhita (3, 4, 6) states:

Devi in her great mercy witnesses what is impossible for others to see. Like the mother who partakes of the medicine that the baby cannot directly taste, though through the mother would benefit by it, she gazes and passes on the benefit of the vision to the children, her devotees.

How then did the sages and gods get to see the dance? In the Tarakam forest it was Siva himself who graciously granted divine sight to the assembled gods and rishis so that they could watch him dance. Without that grace, even they would not have been able to see him.

In addition to Devi, known as Sivakami in Chidambaram, there are two sages who have been granted the boon of being able to witness Lord Nataraja’s dance: Patanjali, who is the incarnation of the cosmic serpent Adiseshan, and Vyaghrapada, the father of the boy Upamanyu for whom Siva created the ocean of milk. Patanjali and Vyaghrapada were worshipping the original lingam at Chidambaram with such devotion that Siva appeared before them and said that he would grant them a boon. They both asked to be eternal witnesses to his dance of bliss at Chidambaram, a request that Siva granted.

For devotees of ‘Koyil‘, Chidambaram signifies both the physical centre of the world and its spiritual Heart-lotus, that space of consciousness in which physical creation appears, and the place where the surrendered mind has to subside and die in order to get a true knowledge of Siva. The Heart is the place out of which creation manifests, and it is also the place where enlightenment takes place. The Heart-dance expresses itself phenomenally as the world and the power that sustains it, but it must be remembered that the place of its origin is the centre into which the jiva must withdraw in order to transcend creation and attain enlightenment. In an explanation of the significance of Lord Nataraja’s dance, the Tamil work Tiru-Arul-Payan (IX, 3) identifies these two aspects and makes the following recommendations:

On each day that Guru Namasivaya travelled towards Chidambaram, the Heart, he called out to a local form of Sakti and begged for food. The rice he received was the grace of the Lord, mediated through his consort. And each time he was the recipient of such grace, he was purified to the extent that he was able to move nearer and nearer to Chidambaram, the space of consciousness.

In Saivism, Sakti brings maya into existence while simultaneously providing the grace through which one can transcend it. As verse thirty-six of Unmai Vilakkam notes, the energy of the dance scatters the darkness of maya, burns up karma, stamps out the soul’s impurities, showers grace, and finally plunges the soul into the ocean of bliss.

When Guru Namasivaya, at the threshold of the sanctum, bathed in the Siva Ganga Tank, he was immersing his soul in this ocean of bliss. As he commented at the time, those who have been fortunate enough to have this bath ‘will see the effects of all their deeds destroyed [and] will be plundered of all their action’s evil fruit’.

The grace of Sakti brought him, step by step, to the threshold of the Heart; the bath in the sacred ocean of bliss eradicated his karmas, enabling him to move on and encounter the Lord in the Heart-lotus, the inner sanctum of the temple. But there, much to his surprise, he found not Siva but his own Guru, Guhai Namasivaya, thus confirming the ancient truth that God and the Guru are one and that at the moment of enlightenment they can both be found in the Heart.

There is a mystical and mysterious paradox at the heart of Saiva cosmology. Though the inherent power of Siva enables Sakti to arise within himself and perform all the panchakrityas, Siva himself does nothing. He is eternal silence, stillness and peace, untouched and unaffected by the activities that Sakti performs through his power and on his behalf. When one reaches the Heart, the source of creation, and directly experiences the dance of bliss there, one finds that it is a motionless dance of silence, not a frenetic physical act of movement and physical creation. There, as Ramana Maharshi says, Siva ‘dances the dance of stillness in the dancing hall of the Heart’.

Guru Namasivaya’s story can be read on two equally valid levels: the miracle-laden physical and the spiritually symbolic.  Guru Namasivaya was singing a song to Siva, asking him to perform the dance of bliss for all the assembled priests and devotees. Though, ostensibly, he is asking for a physical manifestation, he is also calling on Siva to reveal himself in their hearts. Having, through grace, established himself in the Heart, Guru Namasivaya now has the power and the authority to grant a glimpse of that sublime state to the people assembled in the temple. But, when that glimpse is granted to them, they are paralysed with awe and fear. This is a common reaction in impure souls who are pushed too near the divinity.

Guru Namasivaya was addressing to Lord Nataraja, asking him to perform his dance:

Supreme Godhead! Divine Lord of Chidambaram!

You who perform your divine dance in Tillai’s Hall

as the multitude sing hymns of praise and adoration,

and Tumburu and Narada intone a heavenly melody,

as Vishnu slings a drum upon his hip

and raps out a thunderous rhythm,

and Gauri, Lady Ambika herself,

strikes her bright celestial cymbals

to mark the time in even measure!

Will the day ever come

When my eyes will rejoice to see

that pounding golden foot,

that upraised lotus foot,

that delicate waist and navel’s whorl,

that breast, white with smeared ash,

draped with a fierce tiger’s noble pelt,

those four-fold golden arms

each as great as Meru’s mount,

that blackened throat, that face, that holy head?

When Guru Namasivaya praised him in this way, Lord Nataraja started dancing. Everyone present fell down, overcome by awe, prostrated, and remained motionless, face down.

After a long time had passed, three of the three thousand priests raised their heads and said, ‘The dance has been going on for a long time. Guru Namasivaya, you who are orchestrating the dance, and you, Lord of Tillai, who dance without, in reality, moving at all – your greatness cannot be perceived unless you stop the dance!’

Guru Namasivaya replied, enigmatically, ‘Am, I the one who is asking for the dance? Am I the one who is asking for it to stop?’

‘The one who is keeping time,’ they all said, ‘is the one who should stop first.’

Guru Namasivaya had been beating out the rhythm of the dance. He ignored their request and went on singing to the dancing Nataraja:

Holy dancer of Tillai’s Hall! Our creator and daily benefactor!

Would there by any pain in your upraised foot

and would that other foot ever falter

which pounds upon the demon

Muyalakan if your dance went on and on for all eternity?

Muyalakan is the malignant dwarf who was created by the rishis to attack Siva in the Tarakam forest. Siva broke his back with his toe. In all iconographical representations of the ananda tandava Muyalakan is depicted under Nataraja’s right foot. The dwarf symbolises ignorance, so when Nataraja repeatedly stamps on his body during the dance, he is eradicating the ignorance that separates one from God. Muyalakan is a Tamil name. In Sanskrit the dwarf is known as Apasmara, which means ‘an epileptic’. Ignorance, in an epileptic fit of madness, tries to assail God, but is immediately broken and destroyed.

In response to this new verse, the dancing became even more frenzied. The three thousand priests, still wanting the awesome dance to stop, tried a different approach.

‘Guru Namasivaya is singing the praises of Siva,’ they said, ‘and Siva is obeying him. Let us sing in praise of Guru Namasivaya and see if he will accept our request to stop the dance.’

Countless thousands of verses he has sung

in the presence of Tillai’s Lord,

who delights in the pleasures of the hunt,

and who sports eternally with his consort Kali

as Kama’s body wastes and withers away.

It was on hearing that holy song of Guru Namasivaya

that the Lord was deeply pleased

and raised his anklet foot to dance.

The change of tactics worked. Guru Namasivaya responded by composing a new verse that requested Siva to stop his dance:

My Lord, you who dance in the Golden Hall,

Your glorious foot and anklet are decorous indeed

As they dance to the rhythm tat-taa-taata-ti.

May you now heed my song and cease your holy dance.

The dance stopped as the verse was completed. The priests were so impressed by Guru Namasivaya’s ability to command God himself to dance, they vowed to each other that after his death they would worship the lingam over his samadhi as if it were Siva himself. During his subsequent stay in Chidambaram Guru Namasivaya composed hundreds of verses, many of which have survived. One of his biographers, writing about this period, noted: ‘No poem did he write but it sang the praises of his Guru, and no lesser deity filled his thoughts, only Lord Siva himself.’

This is certainly true of his most famous poem, Annamalai Venba, which extols Siva in the form of Arunachala and repeatedly praises the greatness of his Guru, whom he considered to be Arunachala-Siva in human form. Going through the verses, one can easily visualise him sitting in Chidambaram, dutifully carrying out his Guru’s orders, but secretly dreaming of Arunachala-Siva, Guhai Namasivaya, his Guru, and the blessed period of his life when he had the constant company of both. A selection of verses from Annamalai Venba appears elsewhere on this site. Even the most casual perusal of this poem will give an indication of the reverence, the esteem and the devotion that the author felt for the sacred mountain and for its human manifestation, Guhai Namasivaya.

The story of Guru Namasivaya’s life ends rather abruptly here, for there is no further record of his activities, or even an account of his passing away. The text that is the source of most of the material in this chapter merely says that after performing many more holy works, Guru Namasivaya finally passed away at Tirupperundurai, a town associated with Manikkavachagar. However, to contradict this, there is a stone inscription in Chidambaram, apparently executed shortly after Guru Namasivaya’s death, which says that ‘Namasivaya became one with the Siva lingam upon the mountain Arunagiri’. After this inscription there are three words, vanta guru tanam, whose meaning, in the context, is a little obscure. However, they can be taken to mean that Arunachala himself took the form of Guru Namasivaya and came to Chidambaram to execute his work there.

A devotee, Chinna Nalla Nayan, donated the stone and had the epitaph carved. He concluded his inscription with the following words:

We joyfully offer our worship to him who dwells in the city of the tiger [Chidambaram] in a hall of burnished gold, where Guru Namasivaya, disciple of the godly Guhai Namasivaya, who dwells on the slopes of Arunachala, dedicated himself to the service of the Lord. Praise be to the Lord!

Om Sathguru Sri Seshadri Swamigal Thiruvadikkae

Saint Sri Guru Namasivaya – 2

(Disciple of Saint Sri Guhai Namasivaya)

Thiruvannamalai. Tamil Nadu. South India

Part 2.

Chidambaram Temple. It has as its sanctum the Chit Sabha, ‘The Hall of Consciousness’, from which the town itself derives its name. It contains the akasa lingam in the form of empty space, denoting the unbroken expanse of consciousness in which all manifestation arises) and a large bronze image of Nataraja. Immediately in front of it, serving it as a mantapam, is the Kanaka Sabha, ‘The Golden Hall’ that Guru Namasivaya often refers to. The Nritta Sabha, which commemorates the Kali-Nataraja dance contest, is in the second prakara. There is also the original lingam shrine (Mulasthana) that faces east and antecedes the other halls. This was the original temple before Lord Nataraja came to Chidambaram to perform his dance of bliss.

Returning now to the narrative, Guru Namasivaya completed his bath in the Siva Ganga Tank and walked into the temple, expecting to have the darshan of Lord Nataraja in the inner shrine. Instead, in that place, the Lord gave him darshan in the form of Guhai Namasivaya, who was then still living on Arunachala. This unexpected manifestation prompted Guru Namasivaya to compose a verse in praise of Siva:

Lord of the Golden Hall! King of Heaven!

You who grant to those who praise and worship you whatever it is they most desire,

whether they be spiritual adepts or mere disciples!

How was it that you came to dwell on holy Annamalai

in the from of my Guru, Guhai Namasivaya,

and placed your twin feet upon the head

Of such a wretched devotee as I?

This is something that my understanding cannot compass.

One account of his life written in verse, describes this manifestation of his Guru in the following way:

The Lord whose golden image resides in that place

Appeared to him in the form of a loving Sathguru.

Awakening from a swoon, he pondered deeply to himself, ‘What ill can befall me if I remain here in this place?’

His realisation deepened until it encompassed all of creation.

In an ecstatic state he composed another hundred verses, all praising Siva, in less than half an hour. Afterwards, he retired to a secluded room in the temple and became absorbed in the Self.

It will be remembered that Guhai Namasivaya had told Guru Namasivaya that if the latter did not have darshan of his, Guhai’s, form at Chidambaram, he could return to Arunachala. The manifestation therefore meant that Guru Namasivaya had to stay in Chidambaram and attend to the renovation work that Guhai Namasivaya had given him. At this point in the story Siva himself interceded and made the temple authorities aware of Guru Namasivaya and the works he was destined to perform.

At that time there were three thousand brahmin priests(Thillai Vazh Anthanargal) who were permitted to serve in the Chidambaram Temple. The Chidambara Mahatmyam, a compilation of local legends and myths, has an account of how these priests came to occupy their position.

There was a legendary king from North India called Hiranyavarman who rebuilt the temple as an act of gratitude after he was cured of leprosy by taking a bath in the Siva Ganga Tank. He also brought back from North India the 3,000 Dikshitars, the original priests of the temple who had, for some reason, emigrated to the north. On their return there were only 2,999, but the original number was restored when Siva agreed to be counted as one of the 3,000.

This legend may have arisen out of a need to explain why the Chidambaram Temple does not follow the traditional rules and rituals prescribed in the Saiva Agamas, the scriptures that lay down the regulations for all acts of worship in South Indian Saiva temples. Instead, the temple rites are governed by a manual attributed to the sage Patanjali. This was brought back from North India by the Dikshitars when King Hiranyavarman persuaded them to return home.

The temple suffered no loss of prestige by adopting these strange rites. On the contrary, for many Saivas, the Chidambaram Temple is the holiest place of worship. Its unique sanctity can be gauged from the fact that millions of Tamil Saivas refer to it as ‘Koyil‘, meaning ‘the Temple’. For them, no further name is required or ever given to it.

When Guru Namasivaya appeared in Chidambaram, the priestly caste was headed by three of these Dikshitars – Jivanmukta, Jatamukta and Mahamukta. By virtue of their seniority they were entitled to be carried from place to place in a palanquin. Shortly after Guru Namasivaya’s arrival, Siva himself appeared before these priests and gave them the following instructions.

‘A very great person has come from Arunachala. He is very much absorbed in yoga. You must arrange a secluded place for him. Many holy works are destined to be done by him on my behalf. If you were to ask, ”What place shall we put him in?” I would tell you that his place is on the northern side of the temple beyond the temple border. I have twice placed my foot there in the past: once when writing the Tiruvachakam of Manikkavachagar, and also when I brought the milk ocean for Upamanyu. You can take him there.’

Upamanyu was the son of the sage Vyaghrapada and his story appears in the Mahabharata. He had acquired a taste for milk, but none was available in the forest hermitage where he lived. He asked his mother for some, but she was unable to give him any. She explained that they were living simply and primitively and that they depended on Siva for all their needs. Seeing in this statement a chance to take his request to a higher authority, the boy demanded to know who Siva was and asked how he could earn his grace. His mother taught him how to mediate, without being aware that her son was only learning in order to beg for milk.

When the boy had mastered the technique of meditating on Siva, Siva appeared before him and said, ‘Child Upamanyu, I am pleased with you. You are a sage already. You are a great devotee. I have seen that you are a brahmarishi in the making. You will have eternal youth and lustre. An ocean of milk will be there for you whenever you want it. You can enjoy this with all your friends and relatives and finally you will have bliss by attaining me.’

A local tradition locates this incident at Chidambaram. The Tirupparkkadal Tank – ‘The Tank of Divine Milk’ – is situated to the north of the main temple compound. Adjoining it is a math that is supposed to be the place where Manikkavachagar, the ninth-century Saiva poet-saint, composed many of the poems that are included in the Tiruvachakam, his principal work.

The priests took Guru Namasivaya to his appointed spot near the Tirupparkkadal Tank and returned to the temple.

Guru Namasivaya sat there, absorbed in the Self, until the pangs of hunger again brought him back to the world. In his usual fashion he called out to Parvati for food:

My lady Sivakami whom the wise praise

with the sweet nectar of their words!

I offer praises to your golden foot

that treads the realms of heaven,

that you may preserve from starvation

this flesh-bound bodily frame.

I beg you, bring me rice!

At the conclusion of the song, the Mother brought him food. As she was approaching him, she sang a verse in reply:

I, Sivakami, sister to the great Lord

who in ancient times drank with relish

milk at the demoness’ breast, have brought rice to delight

the servant and slave of Guhai Namasivaya.

From that day on Lady Sivakami daily brought food and gave it to Guru Namasivaya. He continued to sit there, absorbed in his yogic practices.

While he was staying in that spot, many people who frequented the place used to leave money in front of him because, seeing him, they felt that he was a very great spiritual being.

After some time, when a large amount of money had piled up in this way, Guru Namasivaya looked at it and commented, ‘This wealth is a killer of man’.

He told the people who were nearby at the time to take it all for themselves. This they did. When the three thousand priests saw what was happening, they were upset because they felt that a lot of wealth was being wasted. They went to Guru Namasivaya and begged him to change the place where he sat and did his yoga.

‘Because you are staying here, outside the temple, all kinds of people are taking away the money that is being given to you. If you come inside the temple and let us collect the money for you, a lot of holy works and endowments can take place, So, please come and sit inside the temple.’

‘I have come here at the request of the Lord of Chidambaram,’ replied Guru Namasivaya. ‘What reason is there for me to go inside?’

The three thousand priests felt that Guru Namasivaya would never come inside if they alone invited him, so they asked the three principal priests to intercede directly with the deity.

They went to him and said, ‘If Guru Namasivaya comes inside the temple, money will come and many holy works and endowments can start.’

‘Yes, this is good,’ said the Lord. ‘But he won’t come if you call him. I myself will go and fetch him.’

Then, assuming the form of a sangama, he went to the place where Guru Namasivaya was staying and stood before him. When the Lord arrived, carrying a stick and a water pot, Guru Namasivaya was absorbed in the Self. As he came out of this state, he saw the elderly Saiva monk in front of him and exclaimed respectfully, ‘Slave of your feet!’

‘Where have you come from?’ asked Guru Namasivaya.

The sangama replied, ‘We reside at Tillaivanam [another name for Chidambaram]‘.

‘And what is your name?’ enquired Guru Namasivaya.

‘My name is Ambalatthaduvar [The Dancer in the Hall].’

‘And what is the purpose of your coming here?’ asked Guru Namasivaya.

‘I need some food,’ said the sangama. ‘I went all over this place. Some people told me that if I came here I would get some food.’

Guru Namasivaya told him, ‘Mother Parvati brings food for me every day. I don’t even have a vessel.’

The sangama responded by saying, ‘Here is the vessel,’ as he pointed at the moon.

Then, to demonstrate how he got his food, Guru Namasivaya looked in the direction of the Goddess, and some food immediately appeared.

Addressing the sangama, he said, ‘Please take this.’

The sangama refused, ‘I won’t take it,’ he said.

‘Why not?’

‘If you give me food every day in this way, only then will I take it. Not otherwise.’

‘You appear quite old,’ remarked Guru Namasivaya. ‘I travel about a lot to places like Kasi and Rameswaram. How can I promise that I will offer food to you every day? You may not be anywhere near me.’

‘If I walk in front of you,’ replied the sangama, ‘then you must give me food. If I am behind you, I do not need food.’

Guru Namasivaya agreed: ‘If you stand in front of me I will give you food. Otherwise I will not.’

‘I agree to those terms,’ said the sangama. ‘I will stand in front of you if I need food.’

‘So now please eat,’ said Guru Namasivaya, offering him his first instalment of food.

The sangama then tried to revise the conditions, ‘If you offer food after first touching your vibhuti pouch or rudraksha beads, then I will take it.’

Guru Namasivaya refused to agree to these new conditions. He repeated his previous commitment: ‘If you stand before me, I will give you food.’

The sangama backed down. ‘Good,’ he said. ‘When I need food, I will come and stand in front of you.’

‘And if you do,’ reiterated Guru Namasivaya, ‘I will give you food.’

Just as the Lord was assuming a position which indicated that he was about to take Guru Namasivaya’s food, he said, ‘I need water to quench my thirst’.

Guru Namasivaya made no attempt to serve him personally. ‘The Tirupparkkadal Tank is over there,’ he said, pointing in the right direction. ‘You can take water from there.’

The Lord did as he had been instructed, went to the tank and then suddenly disappeared. He reappeared in the temple, still in the guise of a sangama, and spoke to the three thousand priests.

‘I have arranged a plan. All of you should now take the palanquin in which I ride and all the ceremonial banners that have come into existence here for my sake. Get him into the palanquin, arrange all the banners around him, and then take him along all the four streets that surround the temple. Afterwards, bring him to me.’

The priests took the palanquin and the banners, went to Guru Namasivaya and politely requested him to come to the temple with them.

When they asked him to get into the palanquin. Guru Namasivaya refused, saying, ‘Why a palanquin for me? There is no need.’

The three thousand priests responded by telling him, ‘This is not a palanquin, it is a tiger-skin seat, appropriate for a yogi like you’.

Guru Namasivaya, still disinclined to go with them, replied, ‘No, it is not fitting’. Then the priests tried a new approach.

‘Yesterday afternoon our Lord came to you. What did you tell him?’ Guru Namasivaya remembered the strange encounter he had had on the previous day and the thought came to him that the sangama may not have been just a simple monk. He went into a yogic trance and saw in that state that on the previous day it had been the Lord Himself, who had come and given him darshan.

He resumed his normal state and remarked to the priests, ‘After he came here, he must have gone to tell you what happened’.

When he finally understood what had been happening, he composed the following verse:

Appearing as a Virasaiva mendicant,

The Lord himself manifested to me

and asked me to give him alms.

But when I offered him food,

He bade me create all the endowments

to guarantee his service every day.

Only after reciting this verse did he finally consent to get into the palanquin. As he was being taken around the streets of Chidambaram, he sang another verse in praise of the Lord:

Our Lord in Tillai’s Hall, Consort to her whose breasts are ample and shapely,

to whom I daily raise my voice in praise.

Will he abolish the births, past, present and future,

upon this great wide earth

of those who have not known his holy heart?

Will he cut out their good and evil deeds

and bestow his twin feet upon them?

Singing this song, he reached the temple. He disembarked from his palanquin near the flagpole, took off his sandals outside the Panchakshara Compound, walked into the Golden Hall and had darshan of the Lord there.

He then looked at the three thousand priests and asked them, ‘What endowments shall I create?’

The Lord Himself then spoke through an oracle in the temple: ‘Create endowments for all people.’

Guru Namasivaya thought that if the Lord himself gave a donation to start the endowment, and gave it in such a way that it was witnessed by all the assembled devotees, it would be certain that the endowment would continue forever. He therefore sang the following verse while holding a golden plate in his upraised hands:

Lord of Chidambaram’s Hall, you who held me in your sway

in the form of my revered Guru!

I beg you for alms

so that no holy endowment shall be lacking

in the worship of your lotus foot.

As soon as he had completed the singing of this verse in front of the Lord, a gold coin came from the sky and fell onto the plate. All those present said that the Lord himself had given a donation. Feeling that this was a sign that the Lord wanted them all to contribute, the devotees present gave an abundance of gold, pearls and other things. Guru Namasivaya handed over all these donations to the three thousand priests and began to walk away from them.

As he was attempting to leave, his steps faltered and he enquired rhetorically of the priests, ‘What is stopping me now?’

The priests, not knowing the answer, replied, ‘How can it be known to us?’

Guru Namasivaya again went into a yogic trance to ascertain the reason for his inability to leave.

When he resumed his normal state he enquired, ‘Has there been any jewellery made for the Lord?’

After thinking for some time they replied, ‘Tinkling anklets [silampu] and a girdle of tinkling bells [kinkini] have been made. That much we know. Apart from this, there is no other jewellery.’

On hearing this answer Guru Namasivaya called the artisans and said to them, ‘Silampu, kinkini and veerakantamanai [a ring with little bells worn on the leg] have to be made. How much money will be needed?’

‘Fifty thousand gold coins.’ They answered, very optimistically.

Without querying the amount, he took all the money that had been collected and gave it to them, asking them to make the necessary jewels.

Later, when he was resting, all the three thousand priests gathered together and spoke bitterly among themselves.

‘We all thought that we could benefit through him. But now he has given all the wealth to make jewellery!’

Then they all united in ridiculing him, saying, ‘If the Lord wears such expensive jewels, then he will have to dance as well.’

One of them also said, sarcastically, ‘So our Lord is now going to dance just for him.’

Guru Namasivaya heard all their comments. On the fortieth day, when all the jewellery had been completed and brought to him, he called all the three thousand priests and said to them, ‘If the Lord now dances, will you all be willing to witness it?’

To this they answered immediately, ‘How much merit must we have acquired to see such a sight! If we see it, twenty-one generations of our line will be redeemed.’

Then Guru Namasivaya thought to himself, ‘The people here are very sceptical. If the Lord moves, they may say that it is merely on account of the breeze.’

He therefore ordered that all the windows be closed. He adorned the Lord with the jewellery that had been made and then, earnestly seeking darshan of the Lord’s dance, he sang the following verse:

Lord of the Hall, can we ever perish

if but one of your feet dances?

To behold all the gods in heaven

could not compare with such a sight!

And could that foot ever grow weary

which delighted victorious Patanjali

and the fierce tiger-footed Vyaghrapada too?

To understand the significance of this and subsequent verses, it is necessary to digress a little into the background and traditions surrounding the ananda tandava, the dance of bliss that Lord Nataraja performs in Chidambaram.

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