Why Siva is Golden in Body but Dark at the Throat?
Meaningful icon-thinking, an interpretive understanding of the metaphysical insights encrypted into a Muurttam begins only with the PLAY of BEING after letting an Imago-Dei overpower the soul of a person who is sufficiently ripe for such a possession. Then begins a PLAY that is essentially PEDAGOGIC, that of instructing directly the possessed soul by a variety of strategies or tantras.
Here we see that for Punitavati, the Muurttam, that of the Blue-throated Siva, is no more just a representational reality and installed as sculptures wrought in different media, installed in a temple and made an object reverential worship. She is well past this state of Sariyai and Kiriyai and even Yoga and have ascended to a stage of Njanam where she is possessed by the LIVING Muurttams and that too to INSTRUCT her about the ESSENCE of BEING and by BEING Himself.
No more Vedas, Agamas and such other scriptures of words, no more gurus, rishis and such other human beings who pass as authorities in religious matters. She is directly experiencing a Muurttam form of BEING in a personal way and where there is an intimacy of LOVE that emboldens her to relate to BEING in a very personal way, as the closest friend, confidante etc.
But strangely enough there is an INDIFFERENCE on the part of BEING as to her plights and pains and which makes her ponder at the MEANING of the DIVINE INDIFFERENCE. It is at this point the meaning of the FORM of SIVA where while His whole body is resplendent, bright and red but the THROAT in contrast remains dark (and about which there are many puranic stories). Perhaps, she thinks, BEING can by design ABSENT Himself and through that show that as part of His PLAY, He can CONCEAL Himself and that Blue Throat signifies this aspect of divine Play!
More below.
4.
ளாஆனோம் அல்லல் அறிய முறையிட்டால்
கேளாத தென்கொலோ கேளாமை- நீளாகஞ்
செம்மை யானாகித் திருமிடறு மற்றொன்றாம்
எம்மையாட் கொண்ட இறை
(அ-ரை: திரு.வி.க)
கேளாமை - கேளாமைக்குக் காரணம். நீள் ஆகம் செம்மையான் ஆகி - நெடிய திருமேனி செந்நிறமுடையானாகி. திருமிடறு மற்று ஒன்று ஆம் -- திருமிடறு (கண்டம்) மற்றொறு (கரு) நிறமாயிருப்பதாகும்.; ஒன்று செந்நிறமாகவும் மற்றொன்று கருநிறமாகவும் இருப்பது காரணம் என்றவாறு. கருமை குற்றமுடையதாதலின் என்க
(உரை: உலகன்)
இவ்வாறு இனி மற்றொரு தேவனையோ மானிடனையோ தலைவனாக ஏற்றுக்கொள்ளாது, என் நெஞ்சைக் கவர்ந்த சிவபெருமானுக்கே ஆளானோம், அதனை அவனும் அறிவான் என்று காதலின் எனது அல்லல்களை அவன் அறிய பலவேறு வகையில் முறையிட்டால், என்னே அவன் ஓர் சிறிதும் கேளாதே இருக்கின்றானே! ஏன் இவ்வாறு கேளாது இருக்கின்றான், என்ன காரணமாக இருக்கமுடியும் என யான் சிந்திக்க அவனைப் பற்றிய ஓர் தெளிவு பிறக்கின்றது. தனது உடம்பெலாம் தெளிவின் செம்மை நிறத்ததாக இருக்க, அவன் மிடறோ அதற்கு மாறுபடும் வண்ணம் கருமை நிறத்ததாக இஇருக்கின்றது. யாதையும் கண்டுகொள்ளாதும் கேட்காதும் இருப்பதைத் தரும் அந்த கருமைதான் இவன் கேளாமைக்குக் காரணம் போலும்!
4.
aaLaanoom allal aRiya muRaiyiddaal
keeLaata tenkoloo keeLaamai - niiLaakanj
cemmai yaanaakit tirumidaRu maRRonRaam
emmaiyaad koNda iRai
Meaning:
Having resolved that I shall be subservient only to Siva and no other and believing that He knows this, I complained to him about my tribulations out of my immense LOVE for Him. But alas ! He doesn't seem to listen and appears to be indifferent to my plights. What can be the reason? I inquired. Then it dawned that Siva whose vast body is red and brilliant, has a throat that is, in contrast, DARK. Perhaps He can , when He chooses to, be indifferent or turn a deaf ear to the pleadings of those who love Him because of this!
Notes:
In her struggles to come to terms with the fact that she has abandoned all love for the worldly things including being one with a man as her husband, and that she has only Siva to go to as the confidante, she pours out her heart in the believe that He would listen to her and do the necessary. But unfortunately this is NOT so. Despite her continuous complaints and pleadings nothing changes but in that INDIFFERENCE, indirectly disclosing to her a TRUTH about Himself.
The iconic representation of Siva with brilliant body but with DARK throat ( Niila KaNdan) comes to her mind and now she begins to UNDERSTAND the metaphysical knowledge encrypted into that image. BEING as SIVA is actively present but with the capacity to be INDIFFERENT as well and it is this meaning of the icon that comes as a flash to her mind. This is one aspect of Tirotakam, drawing a curtain around Himself so that He is absent to the anma and which is perceived as Siva is NOT listening or BEING is not there and so forth.
Even in ordinary life we see amidst parents and children, gurus and sisyas and even among friends. One complaints but the other chooses to ignore knowing perhaps there is no substance in the complaints and that in time they will subside on their own. Perhaps in the course such complaints and pleadings it dawns to them that their actions are misplaced and that there is NO reason to complaint at all.
But any way we see here that in the existential struggles of Punitavati with her LOVE for Siva, there is already UNKNOWN to her BEING disclosing to her in various ways and because of which the ICONS that she has been worshipping become ALIVE with NEW meanings, that she can INTERPRET them and begin to appreciate the CONCEALED or encrypted meanings in such iconic representations.
ULLAGANAR
( Editing and re-paragraphing by his student, Ari Marappan )