Inner Purity and Seeing the Sacredness of Sexuality
In the psychoanalysis of Appar we have something quite interesting viz, the subjective conditions of the observing self over and above the events that are indicative of sexual unions. That Appar sees the sexual unions of even animals in natural life is quite obvious and therefore if he had also seen the depiction of such activities even in temples, he would have seen the dance of Siva Sakti there.
The psychoanalysis a person advocates is not FREE of his own subjective self and if it happens to be IMPURE and IMMATURE he will also be BLIND to the sacred dimensions available in the Depths, as the Deep Structure of such surface structure phenomenon.
The subjective conditions are a kind Inner Purity where the Njanam, the Absolute Understanding is about to dawn like a great sunrise and where only fresh blossoms are chosen as that which ought to be offered to BEING. Also along with this there is re-evaluation of what is real wealth. It is NOT gold and gems of the physical world i.e. the material riches but rather the metaphysical illuminations, the undying and axiomatic TRUTHS, the Sattiya Njanam that is the real wealth.
When a person has such a subjectivity, in seeing the sexual union whether in natural life or their depiction in temples, it will not be revolting, obscene, dirty, despicable and so forth. When there is NO DIRT in the self but only purity, such scenes would not be dirty but will be seen as Divine, the Sacred Play of Siva and Sakti.
விரும்பு மதிக் கண்ணியானை மெல்லிய லாளொடும் பாடிப்
பெரும்புலர் காலை யெழுந்து பெறுமலர் கொய்யா வருவேன்
அருங்கலம் பொன்மணி யுந்தும் ஐயாறு அடைகின்ற போது
கருங்கலை பேடையொடு ஆடிக் கலந்து வருவன கண்டேன் கண்டேன் அவர் திருப்பாதம் கண்டறியாதன கண்டேன்
உரை:
பாசங்களிற் பட்ட பசுக்களாகிய ஆன்மாக்களோடு வானுலகத் தெய்வங்களும் விரும்பிப் போற்றி மகிழும் சந்திரசேகரனாகிய சிவபெருமானை, அனைவர் உள்ளத்தும் மென்மையின் அன்பினை எழுப்பும் மெல்லியலாளாகிய உமை அம்மையோடு இணத்து பாடி, புறவிருளை தன் ஒளிக்கதிர்களால் போக்கும் பெரும் புலர் காலைப் பொழுதே தவறாது எழுந்து, அதுபொழுதே பூத்த பெரிய நல்ல மலர்களைக் கொய்து இறைவனுக்கு சாத்துவான் வேண்டி, அருங்கலன்களாகிய ஞானப் பொன்னும் மணியும் உந்தும் ஐயாறு எனும் சிவத்தலம் நோக்கிப் பெயர்வேன். ஆங்கு கரிய வண்ணத்து கலைமான்கள் தத்தம் துணைகளோடு இன்பம் தூய்த்தவாறு உளங்கலந்து ஆடிவருவன கண்டேன். அதுபொழுது ஊனக் கண்ணால் காண்டற்கு அரிதாகிய சிவபெருமான் நாதவிந்துக்களை பெண்ணென ஆணென உயிரினங்கள் எழுமாறு அசைத்தாடும் ஆனந்தத் தாண்டவத்து திருப்பாதங்களை ஞானக்கண்ணிற் கண்டேன்; அதுவரையிலும் நான் கண்டறியாதிருந்த ஆழ் உண்மைகளைக் கண்டு மகிழ்ந்தேன்.
Meaning:
Civa as Candrasekaran is One who is loved not only by the anmas infected with the Paacaas but also the celestial beings. With Him stands Uma, she who brings love and softness in the bosom of all and because of which she stands as of the gentle natured. Having woke-up in the early morning of great sunrise and having plucked great fresh blossoms to offer to BEING, I moved towards AiyaaRu where the river brings along with its flood great riches gold and gems. There on the way the saw the male deer coming along with their females in great joy in the union and dancing joyously. 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:
Now Appar sees the same sexual dynamics among the male and female deer and which because of it are happy in their sexual union and move along dancing away. This observation goes to reinforce the universal presence of sexuality, its presence even among such animals as deer and so forth.
However the real significance of this verse is carried by the metaphors of great sunrise, the plucking of large fresh blossoms and the flood river carrying great riches of gold and gems. These metaphors are descriptive of the SUBJECTIVE CONDITIONS that would enable a person to see the presence of Siva and Sakti in the very mundane and commonplace sexual activity of even the animals by transcending over the sense of revolt of disgust of the spiritually immature.
The great sunrise symbolizes the DAWN of Civanjanam, the deepest metaphysical illumination and towards which all creatures are moving knowingly or unknowingly. In this movement which is there as the undercurrent in the existential struggles of all, there comes a moment where the self is sufficiently PURE, free of the dirt and filth of Mummalam so that the Njanam DAWNS on its own and as the blessing of BEING Himself. This inner purity is also shown by the choice of fresh and large blossoms for offering to BEING and which indicates the severance of all kinds of animism within. The SACRIFICE in terms of animals or even various aspects of self, is no more and there is only the offering of flowers and as indications of inner purity and beauty. The self aesthetically beautiful, free of all kinds of UGLINESS, chooses flowers only as that which ought to be offered to BEING.
ULLAGANAR
( editing and re-paragraphing by his student )