It is Sexual Union that Allows us access to Civanjaanam, the Absolute Understanding, the Vittai
In Saivism that worships the Androgynous Form of BEING where there is neutralization of sexual polarities, sexual union is also sacred. The SivaliGkam also communicates the same message. However it is also recognized that it is NOT the bodily cravings of sexual desires but rather the psychic cravings for the union of souls through LOVE that is more important for the spiritual well-being of the soul. The sexual union leads to self forgetting and becoming egoless and which is possible only where the union takes place within Deep Love.
Thus the sexual union between a man and a woman becomes also a spiritual Sadhana for understanding Vittai, the Civanjanam. The Love that makes people egoless during such moments creates an interior context for the burst of this Civanjanam and which then becomes something they can contemplate upon.
This verse also contains to well-known PuraNic theme where GaNesha, in competition with Muruka wins the Mango of Njaanam just by circumbulating His Father-Mother while Muruka goes on His peacock to see the whole of Cosmos. It is GaNesha who is the deity of Civanjanam; the Mango for it is He who draws the anmas towards the deeper spiritual grounds where LOVE dominates human relationships including that between a man and woman that may also result in bodily union. It is GaNesha who implants the possibility that each soul can become Androgynous and through that FREE of sexual desires.
23.
1946
வித்திடு வோர்க்கன்றி மேலோர் விளைவில்லை
வித்திடு வோர்க்கன்றி மிக்கோர் அறிவில்லை
வித்தினில் வித்தை விதற வுணர்வரேல்
மத்தி லிருந்ததோர் மாங்கனி யாமே
உரை:
மேலே விளம்பியவாறு, தன் துணையோடு அன்பு மேலீடக் கலந்து வித்துவை வெளியிடுவோர்கன்றி, மகட்பேறு என்றும் ஞானப்பேறு என்றும் ஆகக்கூடிய மேலதாகிய விளைவுகள் இல்லை. இனி அன்பினை வளர்க்கும் வகையில் கலவி செய்து வித்திடுவோர்க்கன்றி, ஆழமான தத்துவ ஞானம் அமையாது. இப்படிப்பட்ட விந்துக்களில் அடங்கியிருக்கும் வித்தையாகிய ஞானத்தை ‘அது' ‘இது' என்னும் சுட்டுணர்வு அற உணர வல்லராயின், அவர்கட்கே உடம்பாகிய மத்துவிலிருந்து கடைந்தெடுக்கப்பட்ட மாங்கனியாகிய சிவஞானமாகும்.
விதற- இதற : இது அற : இது அதுவெனும் சுட்டுணர்வு அற
23.
1946.
vittidu voorkkanRi meeloor viLaivillai
vittidu voorkkanRi mikkoor aRivillai
vittinil Vittai vitaRa vuNarvareel
matti liruntatoor maaGkani yaamee
Meaning:
Except for those who discharge the seminal fluid in sexual union, there cannot be metaphysically higher forms of outcomes. And except for such people the higher reaches of metaphysical understanding are impossible. For those who access the Vittai, the Absolute Understanding buried in the seminal fluid by escaping from the the consciousness of ordinary life, they in fact enjoy the Mango of Divine Wisdom buried in the body.
Comments:
Here I believe Tirumular is referring to the Mythology where GaNapati wins the Njanak Kani, the Mango of Absolute Understanding in the competition for it between himself and Tirumurukan and where while Muruka left on His peacock to round the whole universe, Vinayaka quietly just circled His Father and Mother. It carries the message that the Vittai, the True Wisdom is gained by Understanding the Father-Mother of all universe and NOT the external spread as the whole of the Cosmos.
The Civanjanam, the Vittai, the understanding that lights up all, the Civanjanam, the Absolute Understanding is already in the BODY, buried in the capacity the body has to regenerate itself though sexual unions.
But isn't strange that sexual union, an act of deep cravings for the regeneration of the species, should be linked with the Sadhana for metaphysical illuminations of the deepest kind?
Not really if we understand the psychology of sexual union especially as enunciated in the Ardhanari form where the Female and Male interpenetrate each other so that separate existence of these two are no more available, where there is Female there is also the Male and vice versa, a neutralization of the biological polarities.
While remaining biologically male and female, how is this neutralization possible?
It is possible where there is psychic union through LOVE and at which the body is forgotten and along with that also sexual polarity. The DEEP LOVE between a Male and Female makes them self-forgetful and egoless. These may be very precious moments but certainly takes place between a man and woman truly in LOVE each other even within desires for sexual union. During these precious moments they also enjoy the state of being androgynous and at which point Civanjanam, the Vittai also dawns.
Ganesha and the Mango
I want to return to the meaning of the Icon, GaNesha, using the following verse of Tirumular where, I think he refers to the puraNic episode where GaNesha wins the Mango by going around Siva-Parvati while Muruka takes to roam the whole cosmos on his peacock.
But before that I want to say something about the possible causes of misunderstanding both on the part of some Western Psychoanalysts and some Hindu patriots.
We must note that an ICON like GaNesha is a TEXT with a DUALITY of structure, a double-text where we have both the man and god and hence it is man-god complex. Seeking out the Mango does not pertain to God, as he does not seek out anything, being Himself ParipuuraNan, a complete and integral whole lacking in nothing. The seeker of the mango is the man and he becomes GaNesha when in his unconscious emerges a presentation of BEING to direct his behavior so that his actions are not only ethical but also such that he is freed of the sexuality inherent to him. Sexuality pertains to man, but its transmutation into LOVE belongs to the actions of the Divine Powers and all as expressions fo the Grace (aruL) of BEING.
In this while some of the Western Indologists who bring the psychoanalytic framework to the study on Hindu icons sees ONLY THE MAN and confuse it with the god, the Hindus see the God and His Grace in which his own sexuality is transmuted into LOVE and with that he is also FREED of sexuality. Thus GaNesha evokes reverence and Bakti unto God as it disclose Divine grace.
Here too there is a difference between the Saivites ( Tantrists) and Vedanties.
The Vedic tradition has from ancient times opposed the worship of SivaliGkam as is evidenced by the story of CaNdiicar who chopped off his Vedic Brahman father's leg when he tried to smash the sand SivaliGkam CaNdiicar built and was worshipping. (I shall attend to this in my analysis of Sisna deva in progress). The Vedantic tradition does NOT provide an UNDERSTANING of the human nature and how the Divine Powers interfere in their existence and transmute them into spiritually PURE beings. The Vedantic tradition is concerned only with Brahmanahs and with their thirst for Brahmavidya, they are BLIND to the sexual dimensions of human beings. I believe that such Vedanties get emotionally worked up when the sexual dimensions of man are exposed for it forces them to come out from their Vedantic preoccupations and SEE also the reality. It also exposes a huge weakness in the whole of Vedantic tradition where in seeing man only as Brahmanah they FAIL to see sexuality as vital force shaping human ( and animal) behavior.
In Saivism that worships the Androgynous Form of BEING where there is neutralization of sexual polarities, sexual union is also sacred. The SivaliGkam also communicates the same message. However it is also recognized that it is NOT the bodily cravings of sexual desires but rather the psychic cravings for the union of souls through LOVE that is more important for the spiritual well-being of the soul. The sexual union leads to self forgetting and becoming egoless and which is possible only where the union takes place within Deep Love.
Thus the sexual union between a man and a woman become also a spiritual Sadhana for understanding Vittai, the Civanjanam. The Love that makes people egoless during such moments creates an interior context for the burst of this Civanjanam and which then becomes something they can contemplate upon.
This verse also contains to well-known PuraNic theme where GaNesha, in competition with Muruka wins the Mango of Njanam just by circumbulating His Father-Mother while Muruka goes on His peacock to see the whole of Cosmos. It is GaNesha who is the deity of Civanjanam; the Mango for it is He who draws the anmas towards the deeper spiritual grounds where LOVE dominates human relationships including that between a man and woman that may also result in bodily union. It is GaNesha who implants the possibility that each soul can become Androgynous and through that FREE of sexual desires.
A Brahmanah is a Brahmacaarin, someone who practices celibacy with Vairakkya and so forth and therefore NOT someone who enjoys states of selflessness in sexual union where LOVE dominates. This is Tantrism, as its best and something, I believe, implicitly disliked by the Vedanties especially the Advaities. In the vast range of texts on Advaita, nowhere we can find any EXPLANATION of the sexual nature of man such as those available in Tirumanthiram, Tevaram, Divvya Prabantam, the Siddhas treatises and so forth
Dr K Loganathan @ Ullaganar
( editing and re-paragraphing by his student )
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