The Psychoanalysis of Appar - Part 9

Becoming Free of Sexuality and with that Wholly Human

One of the puzzling features of this Patikam is that while it is quite obvious, Appar does not sing the sexuality of human beings that they share with the animals - elephants, cattle, pigs, birds and so forth. It is only in seeing the Deep Structure of animal sexuality that Appar seems to have gained deep metaphysical insights that also show the workings of Siva and Sakti, their Dance of Bliss.

But what is the REASON for this Dance? Is it to keep creatures  enjoying sexual bliss and with that get continuously remain tied down to Samsara, existential repetition where there is endless births and deaths?

No, certainly not - the Dance has a hidden agenda, that of FREEING all creatures from these earth-binding sexual desires, the ropes or chains or Paacaas that throw the anmas into assuming a bodily existence and with that suffer births and deaths.

While this may not be  an animal possibility or a possibility for those humans who are animal-like, it is possible for those exceptional humans, the Civayogies and so forth, described here as “aRRu aruL peRRaar”

Thus Appar provides a new insight into sexuality and hence Psychoanalysis as such: Human beings are both animal and pure human and that they remain animal-like even like Appar as long as they enjoy seeing sexual acts and the Dance of Bliss at the deepest level. Such visions of the Dance of Bliss itself is a joy to behold. But this is NOT the final possibility in the psychological growth of a person. Unlike the animals, man can become totally human without any trace of animalism by transmuting this desire for sexual bliss into Pure Love,  a state of Absolute Purity, a freedom from all desires.

9.

முற்பிறைக் கண்ணியினானை மொய்குழலா ளொடும் பாடிப்

பற்றிக் கயிறு அறுக்கில்லேன் பாடியும் ஆடா வருவேன்

அற்று அருள் பெற்று நின்றாரோடு ஐயாறு அடைகின்ற போது

நற்றுணைப் பேடையொடு ஆடி நாரை வருவன கண்டேன்

கண்டேன் அவர் திருப்பாதங் கண்டறியாதன கண்டேன்.

உரை:

அன்றே முளைக்கின்ற இளம் பிறையை தன் கண்ணியாகச் சுடி சந்திரசேகரனாக விளங்கும் சிவபெருமானை, பெண்மையின் வனப்பெல்லாம் நலமே விளங்கும் அடர்த்தியான கருங்குழல் உமையோடு இணைத்துப் பாடியவாறு ஆனால், பாசங்களை பற்றி மகிழும் நான் அப்பாசக் கயிறுகளை அறுக்காது பாடியும் ஆடியும், என்னைப் போல் அல்லாது இந்தப் பாசக்கயிறுகளை அற்று தூய்தாகி அதனால் இறையருளைப் பெற்று நின்றாரொடு இணைந்து ஐயாறு எனும் சிவத்தலம் நோக்கிப் பெயர்வேன். அதுபொழுது (எனைப் போல் பற்றுகள் அறுக்காது) நல்ல பாசத்தோடு கூடிய ஆண் நாரைகள் தத்தம் பெண் துணைகளோடு மகிழ்ச்சிப் பெருக்கில் ஆடி வருவன 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.

 9.

muRpiRaik kaNNiyaanai moykuzaalaa  Lodum paadi

paRRik kayiRu aRukkilleen paadiyum aadaa varuveen

aRRu aruL peRRu ninRaarodu aadi AiyaaRu adaikinRa pootu

naRRunaip peedaiyodu aadi naarai varuvana kaNdeen

kaNdeen avar tiruppaatam kaNdaRiyaatana kaNdeen.

Meaning:

BEING as Candrasekaran stands as the One wearing the just born young Crescent Moon along with Umai who appears with thick and black hair indicative of the essence of all the feminine charms. I who has seized upon for my delight all the worldly bonds but without severing those ties, came with the great ones who have done so and who because of that enjoy the aruL of BEING singing and dancing away, to AiyaaRu, the great Temple of Siva. There on the way I saw (just with ties like me) the male storks coming with their females dancing away in great joy. 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:

It may be possible that Appar provides a psychoanalytic description of himself by contrasting himself with the Pure Ones who have severed all the worldly ties. This description also explains why in the whole Patikam he describes only the animal sexuality and not at all the  human.

The phrase “paRRi kayiRu aRukkilleen” is very important in connection with this. The word ‘paRRi” is a verbal participle that is concluded grammatically by “kayiRu aRukkilleen” and hence the clause should be interpreted to mean “ having tied my self with bonds (of sexual desires) I did not severe those bonds” and which contrasts with those who have done so and because of which they enjoy the blessings of BEING - aRRu aruL peRRu.

Thus it remains a possibility for all to severe the worldly ties and this through transmuting the sexual cravings into Universal LOVE, that which removes all feelings of alienation and difference. Appar putting himself in the position of a typical man shows that the appreciation of animal sexuality and understanding the DIVINITY behind it all, at the very depths,  would also serve to severe all the worldly ties or bonds and with that prepare the soul to enjoy the blessings of Njanam by BEING. It is UNDERSTANDING the root cause of sexuality that would also help out in transmuting it into LOVE. It should not be negated, repressed or suppressed but rather looked into and the DEPTHS of the genesis of such urges and the reason for them understood to free oneself from it.

ULLAGANAR

( Editing and re-paragraphing by his student )

Tamilar Pancha Marabu Divine Music.

Talk by Dr Sivakumar, University Science Malaysia

The Psychoanalysis of Appar - Part 8

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 )