The Psychoanalysis of Appar - Part 5

The Geographical is Sacred.

We see here one of the fundamental insights that sustains Tamil Hinduism, is that the Geographical is Sacred and not simply physical, an aggregate of stones and rocks, rivers and vegetations and all kinds of animals. Appar says that he Worships with raised hands as he walks through such  geographical localities and dances away with joy at finding them sacred.

What can be the reason?

The woods, countrysides and hills are places where abound the Living Things - the plants, trees, various kinds of animals and insects and of course human beings. And these living beings disclose the presence of the fundamental processes of death and regeneration. As the parents die, their kind of species is carried over by the young in various ways. Thus these locations serve as TEXTS that within their naturalistic exterior, discloses the divine interior, the presence of Siva-Sakti. As one manages to get the deeper vision by tearing the eyes from being trapped by the external and physical and manages a peep into the DEPTHS and with that manages a glimpse of the presence of BEING, the lands become natural temples, localities where the Siva-Sakti is present. Thus Appar having gained this vision is not only moved to worship it also dance away in boundless joy.

This also carries the implication that the Natural World is the genuine scripture, a notion well entrenched in Saiva Siddhanta.

5.

ஏடு மதிக் கண்ணியானை ஏந்திழையாளொடும் பாடிக்

காடொடு நாடு மலையுங் கைதொழுது ஆடா வருவேன்

ஆடல் அமைந்துறைகின்ற ஐயாறு அடைகின்ற போது

பேடை மயிலொடுங் கூடிப் பிணைந்து வருவன கண்டேன்

       கண்டேன் அவர் திருப்பாதம் கண்டறியாதன கண்டேன்

உரை:

இளைத்து மெல்லிதாகி நிற்கின்ற இளம்பிறையை சிரிசில் சூட்டி நிற்கும் சந்திரசேகரானாகிய சிவபெருமானை, அவனோடு சரிபாதியாக நிற்கும் அழகிய அணிகலன்களைப் பூண்டு வனப்பு மிகத் தோன்றும் உமாதேவியாரை இணைத்து அவர்கள் இணைந்து நடம் புரியும் விலங்குகள் வாழ் காடு  மக்கள் வாழ் நாடு  மரஞ்செடிகொடிகள் வாழ் மலையும் திவ்வியமான இடங்களே என்று அறிந்து கைதொழுது ஆனந்தக் களிப்பில் ஆடியவாறு, அவ்வாறான ஆடல் பாடல்கள் நிறைந்த சிவத்தலமாகிய ஐயாறு என்னும் திருப்பதியை அடைவேன். அதுபொழுது அங்கு ஆண் மயில் தன் பேடை மயிலோடு இணைபிரியாது அன்பின் பிணைந்து வருவன கண்டேன். அதுபொழுது ஊனக் கண்ணால் காண்டற்கு அரிதாகிய சிவபெருமான் நாதவிந்துக்களை பெண்னென ஆணென உயிரினங்கள் எழுமாறு அசைத்தாடும் ஆனந்தத் தாண்டவத்து திருப்பாதங்களை ஞானக்கண்ணிற் கண்டேன்; அதுவரையிலும் நான் கண்டறியாதிருந்த ஆழ் உண்மைகளைக் கண்டு மகிழ்ந்தேன்.

5.

eedu matik kaNNiyaanai eewtizaiyaaLodum paadik

kaadodu naadu malaiyuG kaitozutu aadaa varuveen

aadal amaiwthuRaikinRa AiyaaRu adaikinRa pootu

peedai mayoloduG kuudi piNaintu varuvana kaNdeen

       kaNdeen avar tiruppaatam kaNdaRiyaatana kaNdeen

Meaning:

Siva appears as Candrasekaran wearing the slim Crescent Moon on His tuft while Uma stands as His equal half wearing bright ornaments and hence immensely attractive. While singing their joint presence I came to AiyaaRu, also a place filled with dances and music on the way traveling through the woods countrysides and hills worshiping them with raised hands and dancing away with immense joy. And on the way I saw the peacock coming united with its female as if inseparable. At that point I saw with my mental eyes, the Divine Feet of Siva (where he creates the male and females of all species with agitating the Natam and Bindu). Thus I saw what are impossible to witness with the fleshy eyes alone.

Comments:

Siva is still described as the wearer of Crescent Moon, that which is installed in the human bodies and allowed to secret the Amutu that provides the bliss. But this is possible only when the Female appears there as the most beautiful and seductive and which is the way the Woman- Uma-  blesses the human beings. The Male has to encounter a seductive and alluring Female to enjoy the presence of the Crescent Moon within and which would secrete the Amutu, the elixir of deathless life.

However the most attractive part of this verse is the precondition where Appar sees the forests, countrysides and hills and WORSHIPS them, dancing away with immense joy. The seeing of the DIVINE, the joint presence of Siva and Sakti at the depths of even the love life peacocks requires a certain kind of subjectivity and here it turns out that the kind of subjectivity that SEES the DIVINE in the woods, countrysides and hills. The Siva-Sakti is present not only where there is sexual life among the animals, birds and so forth but everywhere.

ULLAGANAR

( Editing and re-paragraphing by his student )

( photo of peacock taken from https://www.dreamstime.com/ with thanks )