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Edited and scripted by V.D.N. Rao
Parama Shiva manifested Maha Maya so as not to bother Him about the nitty-gritty of Universal Creation, Sustenance and Periodical Destruction.The cart each of the Beings is driven by one’s mind and buddhi or the heart aided by Five Horses on either side as Five Jnaanendriyas and Five Karmendriyas , even as the nucleus of Parameshwara being present inside as the mute spectator. The mind and buddhi as the co-drivers aided by ‘praana’ the vital force as the overall string, with which to help to drive the cart of the Maha Maya. It is the dexterity in the form of mind and buddhi that the individual could drive carefully avoiding pitfalls on the way and reach the destination of ‘Paramartha’. There are dark lanes of narakas on one side, births and deaths in the broad midways, and on another side the positive lokas of bhur-bhuva-svahas.The final destination is almost impossible to reach! Yet, the ones in constant struggle never leave hope , faith, and dedication to keep on moving and even struggle hardly in single digits on the ‘jaana patha’ seeking to reach milestones of swarga and further; but most of the Beings wither away through the cycle of of unending ‘ kaalamaana’!
Bhagavan Maheshwara divisioned the ‘Anda Chatushtaya’ or the Four folded ‘Brahmanda’ viz. Shakti, Maya, Prakriti and Prithvi – or the Energy, the Ignorance/ Make Belief, the Nature and Earth. The entire Universe, replete with Parama Shiva, is all-resplendent in Abstract Form, Paripurmam or Entirety- He is on top of the Parama Tatwas viz.as detailed. Shuddha Tatwas or the Pure Elements viz.Shiva, Shakti, Sadaashiva, Ishwara, Sadvidya Mayi, and the Parama Tatwas representing the Swaswarupas or the Forms of Individual Selves as the Unique Integrated Maha Tatwa. The ‘Swa Swarupas’ are representative broadly of Chid-Ananda-Ichaa-Jnaana-Kriya the Pancha Maha Shaktis or alternatively Shiva,Shakti, Sadaa Shiva, Ishwara and Shudda Vidya . The Collective Form is named ‘Atyanta Chamatkaara Swaswarupa’ and there beyond the SHIVA TATWA.
Now what are the Tatwas in depth: Niyati Tatwa relates to where a Purusha resides specifically. Kaala Tatwa specifies the age, maturity of mind and characteristics , sex, and environment and such. Raaga Tatwa of the Purusha concerned, attachment accessories, aspirations and desires. The Purusha seeks fulfillment of this type of material wants. Vidya Tatwa is essentially knowledge based. Indeed knowledge is limitless and as much one acquires, so much more remains. Maha Maya obstructing the clear vision of Pure Consciousness due to ‘Shad Kanchukas’ or Six Layers / Coverings and ‘Malaas’ or defilements of Aaanava, Maayiya and Karma nature, being the inner most, the interior and the outer parts of the husk that cover in three layers before obtaining the pure grain or antaratma with neither desirable nor the totally free from the stains of the pristine Self! Pancha Bhutas, Panchendriyas and Tri-Tatwas viz. Manas, Buddhi and Ahamkara total up to Prakriti. Prakriti is the totality of the 23 products, each produced from the cause and effect cycle and together Prakriti and Purusha activise the entite universe compose of 36 tatwas!
From Prakriti upto Earth, creation encases ‘Chaitanyam’ or the Pure Consciousness by ‘dehabhava’ as concealed, just as chaff covering the food grain. This Chaitanyam is covered by Maya aided by indriyas or the sense organs to specific gross physical elements. Thus creative process is composed by seven steps beginning from Shiva-Shakti-Sadashiva-Ishwara-shudda vidya-maya and kala the creativity. Vigjnaana is a flow of Self Awareness and is conceptual only. Pure Shaivism feels that Supreme Consciousness is possible by ‘sambhavopaaya’ or ‘icchopaaya’ or as coincidental or as being desirable. It may be like the myth of a rope as a snake. But surely Maha Maya has no role in this illusion. Finally one concludes that the Self Consiousness and Supreme Consciousness are true mirror images since the former has no role in the pluses and minuses of the mortal bodies as per their panchendriyas, mind, buddhi sustained by vital foce praana and the Individual Concsiousness is a mute spectator only and surely the photo image of Paramatma!.
Being a great sportsman, Paramatma plays hide and seek with make-belief and reality and at times he kicks up a mendicant high to great fortunes. Universal Creation, Preservation and Dissolution akin to waking, dreaming, and dreamless sleep sushupti appear in the Parameshwara Himself and on the ultimate state of the jeevatma merging into Paramatma the Supreme Himself! Just as the huge expanse of sky could never be tarnished and polluted by clouds, smoke or dust , could the acts of Maha Maya which are so mysterious and complex otherwise affect the Inner Self whose mirror image is Parameshwara himself! A Being is a soft target to ‘sukha duhkhas’, ‘mayaa vyamohas’, ‘janma-maranas’ and several problems and predilictions.
When ‘ghata gagana’ or ether fills dust in a jar another ether elsewhere at another place too does not fill up with dust. Similarly some human beings might have a tragedy and death in one house but in another street another house might be enjoying a wedding pary. Thus ‘sukha duhkhas’ are dispersed; Parmeshwara is totally unaffected by Maha Maya and in fact He created her himself to assume the Task of Srishti-Sthiti-Samhaara reperitutively. Having dismissed the above misconception, Parameshwara also smashes up the ‘agjnaana’ that the Individual Self or the Antarama is separate from Paramatma as the fomer might be subjected to the pulls of panchendriyas and mind sustained by praana.
The entire Universe is the amalgam of three ingredients viz. Prithivi-Prakriti and Maya and these correspond to the the gross, the subtle and the most subtle. From Prithvi to Maya this Universe is full of differences. Gold which could be in varied forms and shapes like belts, bracelets or rings and similarly in other metals like silver, copper and zinc or alloys thereof. The Supreme Parameshwara is pure, ever tranquil, ‘abheda’ or undiffrentiated, ‘sama’ or equable, ‘sakalam’ or complete, ‘amritam’ or ever lasting, ‘satyam’ or the singular manifestation of Truth, that rests in Shakti who is the appearance of natural radiance.
Enlightenment is three folded to know, to seek and attain. Only these Ichha-Jnaana-Kriya Shaktis are capable of accomplishing the Akaasha Kusuma the Parameshwara. Thus Sada Shiva the Immortal rests and depends on Maha Shakti. Parmeshwara has the facility of possessing the trident of Maha Shakti viz. the ‘iccha-jnaana-kriya Shaktis’ with which He could bestow the Beings of Atma Darshana.
Pure Shaivism thus sums up the concept thus: Iccha-jnaana- kriya , the three Shaktis named as the trident versus their perfect victories of materialism and their combined manifestation of Maha Maya who further makes the merger of the Beings with Parameshwara, even while the latter is totally aware that both the entities are just the same. He acheives the task of external creation of three eggs more with their infinite variety in order to make way into the external world as several subjects and objects to the process of expansion of the balance of the trident Shatkis amalgamated with two further Shaktis viz. ‘Sat Chid Ananda’ or the commanding power of Consciousness and that of Bliss coupled with the erstwhile Iccha-Jnaana-Kriya Shaktis this totalling five forms of Shiva-Shakti- Sadaashiva-Ishwara and Shuddha Vidya are together named Parameshwara.The Supreme Lord makes the wheel of Shakti and declares of ‘Ahmata’ or the ‘I am-ness’ showing various things in the mirror of the Universe the Maha Maaya.
This is how the wheels of Shakti groups are revolved by Parameshwara as His eternal sport stating ‘Ahamta’ or ‘Sarvaswam Ahameva; ‘It is Me’ as the Universe is reflected like jars in a mirror. From me the entire Univese is derived in varied forms and feelings and essentially I alone am manifested in the bodies of all the Beings with panchandriyas and panchabutas with praana and mind besides all kinds of shades be it illumination or darkness akin to knowledge and ignorance. Besides the body and Indriyas, I create Shaktis in multi-faceted swarupas, and essentially by five principal forms with Sat-chit-ananda or the power pure consciousness and the might of bliss and so on. I am engaged in the play of the ‘Srishti Sthiti Samhara’. In me the that the Univese is illuminated and I am the awakenness-dream stage-sushupti and paramartha saara.I am the Vishwa Rupa with hands feet and senses. Yet, even without body and Indriyas,I can see, hear sounds, breath, feel, think and move fastest. The entire Universe is my play ground and illuminate in all modes since the thread of unity ties in all beings like men and women, children , pashus , birds and inanimate beings too.
Falsity besides the break of the cycle of births and deaths as also the limitations of ‘kaala maana’ and so on get severed even as he finds himself in the effulgence of Pamameshwara Himself basking in the eternity of Surya! Once the physical body is destroyed then whither does he dwell especially the full force of Maya Shakti is freed for ever! Then the husk and bran of the grain of his erstwhile form has no further regermination and no further ‘aanava- maayiya and karma’ tarnishings and defilements.He then attains a state of pure consciousness as of Lord Shiva Himself!
Once the gems of Supreme Vision are collected in the treasure house of one’a own mystic heart, which indeed is akin to that of Maheshwara’s Himself , then in that state of ecstasy, the Self would tend to announce that : ’I am all and everything’! Liberation from the revelation of Maha Shakti that is basically embedded on one’s own true Self is Moksha which severs the knots of ignorance. Agjnana or fantasy of ‘moha’ or the perfect knot. This is what needs to be untied and then discover ‘atma swaatantra lakshama’ or the true feature of freedom of the Self.
As the bonds of ignorance are slashed and liberatoin has dawned, then he realises that the bondage of physical body alone is the hindrance. Once the seed of life would be scorched it would not not be capable of rebirth. As the body once destroyed the limitation on buddhi would be off and the Innerconsciousness merges the unique Pure Consciousness. Once an enlightened person gets the awareness that he is but an agent of whatever is being performed by him is but of Paramatma’s volition only and that he was only of mere insrumental nature. The jnaani who decides to execute an action of virtue gets inspired by his Atma Jyoti or the internal illumination.
The jnaani who decides to execute an action of virtue gets inspired by his Atma Jyoti or the internal illumination. This is how, the Antaratma of the concerned person of whose spiritual consummation is attained yet continues to exist, albeit with neither fear nor favour yet enjoying the sublimity and the play of divinity on the stage of the materialistic Universe! Such a semi insentient Being moves about and behaves without any normal ‘deha vikaaraas’ or bodily action-reaction syndromes like arrogance, happiness at achievemens, anger, lust, fear, avarice and delusion , and receipts of admiration from the onlookers and so on like a dumb and speechless one.
How in illuminated person is totally unaffected much unlike the normal embodied person. How indeed, ‘mada’ or conceit, ‘harsha’ or happiness and such human limitations could affect a person of the radiance of Atma Jnaana as he would already have had the vision of the non-dual Self! He would as well declare that He would be different as He was the all pervasive Brahman himself!! Since the person in that state of he periphery of ‘atma jnaana’ has no value of Brahma’s worship, havana karyas, and of ‘dwaita tatwa’; in that state of non duality, he has no need to worship of a secondary reality as He is Reality already. He has no need to visit Deva Mandiras. There is nothing distinct from Himself to which he has to greet, praise or worship any further! He would thus enjoin those ‘bhaktas’ and praise or pray to since he is already a liberated Being!
To a perfect and mature ‘jnaani’, either his or of another’s is stated as the abode of the Self. This abode comprises of ‘Shat Trimshat Tatwas’ or thirty six Elements. Now, the tatwas are fully equipped with the respective senses too of the physical organism to percieve any external object.Thus the Jnaani realises his body is the temple of the Self. In other words one’s own physical body is the abode of his self consciousness which is the ‘antaratma’ itself. In other words the bodily temple is akin to an external temple itself! The prayer by way of japa symbolises the thirty six tatwas by way of Atma tatwa or Ishvara tatwa and as praana the viral force named Prana Shakti by way of inbreathing and outbreathing and the channel of the spinal chord resulting in ‘naada’ the sound waves expressed as ‘anaahata naada’ arising from ‘ckakra madhyama’ and its apex called ‘Bindu’. In other words when the ‘japa’of a mantra aimed at a certain form of deity , one’s consciouness moves the vital breath in a swing of up and down even without one’s knowledge and the resultant low sound creates ripples of spritualism of varying degrees.
As in the Temple of Maha Bhairava Shiva along with his intrinsic Shaktis, incessant worship is carried on by way of abhisheka, tarpana, archana, homa karyaas and so on. What type of worship is done! The reply is ‘Atma Paraamasha’or self analysis! Who are the ‘parivaaraas’ worshipped! These are ‘Chitanya kaarana bhuta shaktis of Chid-Ananda-Icchaa-Jnaana-Kriya-and Vaibhava Swarupis along ‘chakshu-rasana-vaak-ghraana-twak-shrotra indriyas’. Thus the Unity of diversity of inherent Shaktis signifies ‘abheda-ananta-atma devata’ and the ‘naivedya arpanas’ are excuted by maamsa-rudhiramajjaadis at the samsaara-smashana shareera/ devaalayas!
An enlightened spiritualist who could vision the totality of the Universe as a single entity and could harness his own consciouness into that of a ‘smashana’ or the ultimate resting point of Beings should be able to realise his own body to be the symbol of the skeleton and drinks the essence of the Universe from his own skull with his own hands! This is the seemingly impossible but to a genuine spiritualist an easy austerity as a ‘Vrata’. In other words a true spiritualist able to see his own dead body as but an example of nothingness and as a non- reality or Maha Maya at the threshold of Pure Concsious -ness represented by Pamameshwara ; thus an austerity in the form of a ‘vrata’ towards seeking the Ultimate Truth of discovering the Inner Self as the Almighty alone manifests itself in countless forms and species! ‘—Visiting a holy place or Tirtha yatras noboubt results in punya or merit and deaths in unholy huts of chandalas would invariably transfer the Soul to narakas. This indeed the usual belief. But in what way does an already person of proven enlightenment get affected by further visiting punya kshetras?
Just as a grain of rice if separated from the husk and bran would not be utilised for sprouting like other grains, the pure consciousness in the enlightened Beings when separated from their coverings viz. the six ‘kanchukaas’ or coverings or the offsprings of Maya Shakti around , then the pure consciousness is like Shiva Himself.. The individuals are freed from the karmik and other defilements, then there is no reason as to why that seed would not sprout once again. The universe and its diverse objects is called by nescience or deep ignorance. The stages of a Being from the actuality or of awakenness-dream stage-sushupti- and finally the pragjnatwa despite the continuance of the physical body. However ‘taadaatnya’ or merger is possible only afer the mortal body falls off. In other words, Samsaara begets Agjnana or Ignorance, swaatma jnaana as a result of the removal of the six kanchukas and three malas of aanava-mayiya-karma phalas, jeevan mrityu stage might be possible when the self feels like the Supreme but ‘tadaatmya’ or final merger of the ‘Prajnatwa’ only after the body falls only.
In respect of the generally ignorant persons at the critical time of death the state of destiny causes a merit or otherwise; this may be so not only for a human being but in respect of an animal, bird or reptile but to a person of constant purification of the self with the incessant practice of virtue and merit, the minute of departure would be perhaps as chosen; to such a spiritualist already surfiet with the Shiva Tatwa the moment of departure would not be the simple issue of transmigration from one self to another self as per the destiny.
The Enlightened Self in him at that time of enlightenment visions the Supreme Self as a mirror image, even with or without the mortal body. Thus the embodied soul associated with the erstwhile karma and other blemishes, if any, would now not be adding further blemishes barring the past stock. Once the enlightened Self has the blessing of Paramatma to reveal Himself from mountain top as it were, that glimpse was no doubt invaluable from a distance. But the distant view is not visualised as the quintessence as all of the tatwas is not; the gradual steps reveal themselves as the mountain’s elevations are crossed and clearer visions are facilitated.
After experiencing the pleasures of swarga and higher lokas, the spiritualist, fallen midway on the path of yoga, returns again and again to human births to enable him to further pursue the yogic path in fits and starts. But to the extent of the practice as per the steps earlier crossed in erstwile births would be intact. Whatever had been gained and enjoyed is a running account of the previous births too. Therefore, who- soever could make all out efforts in as short number of repeated births and deaths as least needed instead prolonging the agonies of ‘adhibhouthika’-adhyaatmika-and adhidaivika- natures. This indeed is the substance of Shiva tatwa, the all pervasive Bliss of the Supreme Learning at the feet of Maha Deva Himself!
( Based on Essence of Paramartha Saara on Kashmiri Shaivism published by the website of kamakoti.org)
