A Short History of Metaphysical Tamil
The Metaphysical Tamil - 2
The Tirumantiram of Tirumular
This is the book by the famous Tirumular. A massive one with 3000 verses with some interpolations adding up to 3069 in the standard edition. It is divided into 9 Tantras or Agamas but it must be said that the organization is quite flexible with no strict order among the different Tantras. But it is the most fascinating book to come down from the ancient world containing within itself many elements from the deep past and with no books dealing with them surviving except for this. The word ‘mantra’ occurs in Tolkaapiyam as species of literature but we do not have any coming from CaGkam epoch.
Now there are many mythological tales about Tirumular as is the case with many significant figures in India and which are quite ridiculous to say the least. From internal evidences we can gather that he was a shepherd or a cowherd but drawn to mysticism and living in TiruvadutuRai Adheenam or some mutts, composed these verses within a strong Saivite atmosphere. The verses employ a peculiar but very elegant meter the like of which are found only in some KizkaNakku or post CaGkam classics and hence the date perhaps around 5th to 6th century. I think also that he is earlier than Appar, Sambantar and so forth because there is NO combating the Buddhists or Jains. Whatever it is, he is definitely before the 8th cent AD as he is mentioned by name Sundarar in his list of Nayanmars.
Each Tantra has its own importance.
The most famous expressions that are quoted often as the essence of Saivism are from here: Anbee Sivam (Love is Siva), OnRee kulamum Oruvaneeet teevanum (There is only one caste and there is only One God), Yaan peRRa inbam peruka ivvaiyakam (let the world enjoy the joys I have enjoyed). He also claims that Siva graced him with good health and so forth so that he can bring Siva into the Tamil words in clearer terms than before.
The first Tantra is similar in spirit to the ethical literature of 2nd-4th cent. AD and deals with many such issues overlapping with them in many places. But it contains the Upatesam of 30 verses and which is a neat summary of his whole philosophy. These verses have been isolated and studied as a text complete it itself. I have translated all the verses into English and will post them in due time.
The second deals with meanings of some basic mythologies and it is here we see what I call Hermeneutic Semiotics making its appearance, a science that was further developed by the Tamil Siddhas of later times. Most of the basic elements in Hindu mythologies are described and given meanings along with some metaphysical notions related to them. The metaphysical insights are arrived at through interpreting the root mythical themes.
The Third Tantra deals with Yoga of various kinds including the Astangka Yoga of Patanjali. It is interesting that Tirumular claims personal acquaintance with Patanjali of the Yoga Sutras though the Yoga disciplines he deals with are more comprehensive than that of Patanjali. Included here are many aspects of neurosciences that are developing only now in the West. A fascinating part is his studies on how the various bodily postures and gestures (mudras) can in fact reach the deeper layers of the human mind, the Unconscious and with that also gain metaphysical insights, not obtainable otherwise.
The Fourth Tantra is the a very important treatise, in fact the largest we have with more than 600 verses dealing with Mantras, Yantras and Tantras. Here too we find the very ancient Mother Goddess worship but given Mantra explanations.
I have translated a few verses from this book also.
The Fifth Tantra deals with the different schools of Saivism that existed in his time. He also notes that the differences arise due to differences in intellectual tuning of the different individuals some preferring the ritualistic ways and others the metaphysical and so forth. It is here that we have the first occurrence of the expression Saiva Siddhanta and it’s meaning in a nutshell.
The Sixth Tantra is quite philosophical but deals mainly with the elements of Guru worship but where for Tirumular the Guru is Siva Himself or individuals who have lost their individual essence by being possessed by Siva completely.
Now the Seventh Tantra is metaphysically the richest and it is here we have the most extensive treatment of the meaning SivaliGkam, the Siva Tatvas Natam and Bindu and so forth. The theme of AruL or Grace also finds its most excellent exposition here. It also contains many verses on the science of longevity where the ways in which one can learn to live very long are enunciated. Some of these ideas are really archaic. Historically it is this Tantra that has been most influential and which created later many Siddhas who developed these sciences to greater heights. It can be said the science of Alchemy, Rasayanam, that the Siddhas developed begins from the ideas incorporated in this Tantra.
The Eighth Tantra is perhaps the most difficult and abstruse dealing with an extensive analysis of the different states of consciousness quite ill understood even to this day. It also deals with Vedanta along Natanta and such other schools of thoughts but still with the framework of Triadism, the Pati Pacu and Paacam are anati and which is first announced by Tirumular himself. Without understanding this many have misunderstood Tirumular as an advocate of Advaita, which he cannot be unless he is also said to contradict himself. There are some terms like IlakkaNaatriayam and so forth, which may not be original for such terms came into use only during the Siddha period (12th- 16th cent AD)
The Ninth and the final Tantra deals with some metaphysical issues related to mantras. But the most significant theme is that of the Dance of Siva and how it is related to not only the mantras but also deeper metaphysical darsanas.
This is NOT a comprehensive summary of Tirumantiram, a text that I cherish reading for the enormous wealth of metaphysical insights it contains. It appears to me actually inexhaustible where within a verse of only four lines he compresses so much information.
ULLAGANAR
( editing and re-paragraphing by his student )
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