THE ESOTERIC
KANDAR ANUBHUTI
OR
THE SECRET TEACHING ON
GOD-EXPERIENCE
(A Treatise on Adwaitic Realization)
OF
SAINT ARUNAGIRINATHAR
| THE ESOTERIC KANDAR ANUBHUTI OR THE SECRET TEACHING ON GOD-EXPERIENCE (A Treatise on Adwaitic Realization) OF SAINT ARUNAGIRINATHAR | |
 | by N.V. Karthikeyan |  |
| verses contents 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 .. 23 this verse in PDF version (4 parts) p-1 p-2 p-3 p-4 complete download of this book |
VERSE-13 முருகன் தனிவேல்முனி நம்குருவென்று அருள்கொண்டு அறியார் அறியுந் தரமோ உருவன்று அருவன்று உளதன்று இலதன்று இருளன்று ஒளியன்று என நின்றதுவே.Murugan thanivel-muni nam guruvenru, Arulkondu ariyaar ariyum tharamo Uruvanru aruvanru ulathanru ilathanru, Irulanru oliyanru ena ninrathuve. ('That' is) Murugan, the Peerless Vel Lord and our Preceptor - Commentary In the previous verse, we have seen that when the Guru (Lord) revealed Himself as supreme silence, the seeker 'became silent' and knew nothing of this world. But then, what did he know in that condition? Something unknown to the mortal vision was revealed to him then! Hence, on return from that experience, he gives it in the past tense, as 'ena ninra athu' (என நின்ற அது). He experienced the Supreme Reality, which is termed as 'Adhu' (அது) 'THAT'. He experienced: (1) It is 'THAT' which was not form, not formless; not existence, not non-existence; not darkness, not light; (2) that THAT Itself is Murugan, THAT Itself is the Lord with the peerless Vel, THAT Itself is our Guru; and (3) that this is not capable of being known except by those who know It through Grace. This was a great revelation to the seeker. He realised that the Absolute or Reality is indescribable; that That Itself is Murugan, the Lord with the Vel and also the Guru (holy man) who gave him instructions (Meipporul Pesiayavar) in verses 8 and 11; and that Divine Grace is the only means of knowing this. The revelation that God and Guru are one is not given to people of mere intellectual reasoning who grope in darkness. It is revealed only by the light of divine Grace. So, it is said: 'Arul kondu ariyaar ariyum tharamo!' -- அருள்கொண்டு அறியார் அறியுந் தரமோ. Consequent upon this great revelation, the seeker does not anymore make a distinction between his Guru and God. He feels a total identity between them. As the Guru Gita says: "Gurur Brahma, Gurur Vishnuh:, Gurur devo Maheshwarah:; Guruh saakshaat Param Brahma, Thasmai Sri Gurave Namah:" -- "Guru is Brahma. Guru is Vishnu. Guru is Siva. Guru is the Supreme Brahman Itself. Prostrations to that Guru." He sees the Guru not as a human, not even merely as one spiritually evolved, but verily as God Himself. The experience naturally infuses in the seeker an unshakable conviction and confidence that his Guru will no doubt take him to the grand goal of God-experience. However, this experience was NOT actual God-Realization; it was a kind of induced Samadhi 'given' to the seeker as an act of grace by the Guru for purpose of encouragement as the seeker was highly disturbed (verses 9 & 10), and also for a "limited purpose" of convincing him of his real nature and his capacity to lead him to God-Realization. The revelation the seeker had was 'limited' in the sense that he experienced that the Absolute is Murugan, the Lord with the peerless Vel and his Guru and that much only; he did not experience that the Absolute was the ALL or the whole of creation as well as his own Self (Guhan) (which he will experience when he has actual God-realisation, in Verses 44 & 51). Why was it limited? Because, this much is enough for him for the present; also as he is still in the beginning stage of Sadhana, he is not yet pure/fit enough to experience that God is everything and also his own Self. Revelations and experiences are always given in stages only, as per one's fitness or capacity to receive and experience. So, that experience (of the previous verse) was not actual God-Realization, but a temporary one given as an act of grace. Hence he says that 'this cannot be known except by grace'. As it was not an actual God-Experience but a glimpse of it 'given', when he returned to normal consciousness and tries to recollect his experience, it is intellectual and hence is given in negative terms as, 'Uruvantru Aruvantru Ulathantru Ilathantru', i.e. Reality is indescribable. But, after due initiation by the Guru (Verse-20), and purification of his mind and heart by prolonged practice (verses 21 and onwards), when he realises God in actual Samadhi (Verses 42, 43 & 44), the description of his experience of Reality as a Jivanmukta (verse-51) soaked in God-Experience is all positive as 'Uruvaai Aruvaai Ulathaai Ilathaai, etc…….' and is all-inclusive, not only the Guru but anything and everything and one's own Self (Guhan). This experience of God 'given' by the Guru as an act of grace (Verse-12) was temporary, a glimpse of Samadhi or induced Samadhi. Only Maha-purushas, Great Souls, Yogis and Gurus of the extraordinary type (Brahma-nishtha Gurus) can give such experiences to the disciples and can further safely take them through all the trials and obstacles in the path until they attain the Goal. Hence Sankaracharya says, at the very outset of his famous work "Viveka Choodamani": 'Durlabham trayamevaitat devaanugraha hetukam; manushyatvam, mumukshutvam, Maha-Purusha samshrayah:' -- "Three things are difficult to get and we get them purely by God's grace; they are: (1) a human birth, (2) an intense longing for liberation or freedom from all limitations, sorrow and suffering, and (3) to come under the care, guidance and protection of a Maha-purusha. One who is fortunate to come under the care of a Maha-purusha is perfectly safe. And if one is sincere in one's longing for liberation, God Himself comes as, or sees that he meets, a Maha-purusha Guru. There is one more very important thing to be noted in this verse. He says 'nam Guru' (நம் குரு) 'our guru'. He does not say 'yen Guru' (என் குரு) 'my guru', or 'un Guru' (உன் குரு) 'your guru'. By this he means every Maha-Purusha guru is a manifestation of God and we should not make a distinction (inferiority or superiority) among such Gurus. Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj has written a book entitled "Guru Tattwa" (The Guru-Principle). He commences the book thus: "The Guru is God Himself manifesting in a personal form to guide the aspirant. Grace of God takes the form of Guru. To see the Guru is to see God. ………." It is interesting to compare the sequence and the import of the epithets "Murugan - Thani Vel Muni - Nam Guru," of his verse with "Kumaran - Giriraasa Kumaari Magan - Samaramporu Dhaanava Naagasan," of verse 8. A close study of this would suggest that what is revealed now is implied in verse 8. The fact that the Lord appeared as the Guru is not openly said in verse 8; it is only implied and has to be extracted by us - this impliedness is to suggest that it is not given to the seeker to know the fact at that stage. But in this verse, it is said in clear and explicit terms - this is to suggest that that which was a secret so far is now revealed to him. That Reality Itself is Lord Murugan. That Itself is the Lord with the peerless Vel. That Itself is one's Guru. This truth is realised only by His Grace. It is not that Reality is one thing, Murugan is another, the Vel is yet another and one's Guru the fourth. The One Reality appears as all this. The Absolute, which is neither with form nor without form, etc., is also Lord Murugan, is the peerless Vel, is the Guru. That means the latter three are also neither with form, etc. The real nature of the Lord, the Vel and the Guru is formless, i.e., is Pure Consciousness. But, for the devout meditator and devotee, they appear with form. They have therefore, two aspects - the physical and the purely spiritual. The human mind, in the initial stages, due to impurities, is unable to perceive Reality as such. It requires a prop, a support, a form to concentrate itself upon. So God who is beyond all forms appears as a personal God, with various divine weapons and also appears in a human form as one's Guru. Such an Absolute is Murugan, is the Lord with the Peerless Vel, is our Guru; and this is possible of being known only through grace. It is not said by whose grace is this known? Evidently, it is not necessary. Because the three being One only, by the grace of anyone of the three this is known. And even this truth is disclosed by that grace alone! What a wonder, indeed. This is the mysterious "Grace-Circle" -- being revealed through Grace; being known through Grace; and being known as Grace; where everything is Grace and nothing but Grace. There is no place for the intellect or understanding. That Grace is the Absolute; That is Murugan; That is the Peerless Vel Lord; That is the Guru; and That is Arunagirinatha-Guru, too, who has packed so much wisdom and even more in a single verse. |
| contents 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 .. 23 this verse in PDF version (4 parts) p-1 p-2 p-3 p-4 |
| ... www.kaumaram.com ... The website for Lord Murugan and His Devotees முகப்பு கௌமாரம் அட்டவணை மேலே தேடல் home Kaumaram contents top search |
 If you do not see Tamil characters or for 'offline' viewing, please install 'SaiIndira' fonts from Azhagi.com download Free Azhagi software |
Kaumaram.com is a non-commercial website. This website is a dedication of Love for Lord Murugan. Please take note that Kaumaram.com DOES NOT solicit any funding, DIRECTLY or INDIRECTLY. [xhtml] .[css] |