The Layered Teachings of Agathiyar – 2
Verse 4:
Where is the state that is the beginning, middle, and end?
Where is the place that has abolished all six tastes?
Where is the five-headed ruby?
Where is the syllable called the dumb one?
Where is the foot that danced in space?
Where is the syllable spoken with desire?
Those who understand this essence will find refuge in the guru,
And with faith, bow to him.
1) Where is the state that is the beginning, middle, and end?
The Lord has no beginning, no end, and no middle. He has no form, no head, no legs, and no body. Our Lord, who possesses a body without a body, is our Parameswara.
Beginning refers to the sacred feet. This is a known fact to all students. Shouldn’t we learn about the greatness and significance of those sacred feet?
By chanting the divine mantra “Siva Siva Siva Siva Sivaya Nama Om,” we immerse ourselves in the essence of Brama Gnana.
If we chant “Sivaya Nam” with focus, eliminating all speech,
Our thoughts should continuously resonate with “Siva Siva Siva,” resulting in bliss and the annihilation of ignorance (Thiru Manthiram 2718).
By uttering the sacred five-lettered mantra of the Lord and merging the sacred feet with the point of silence, the arts of Shiva will unfold, and the suffering of rebirth will melt away like ice under the sun.
By suppressing the ego and raising the divine name of Siva in the mind,
The path of suffering will be eliminated, and the path of bliss will be achieved (Thiru Manthiram 2717).
The divine feet grant us the ability to perceive the supreme divine nature, recognizing the differentiation of body, mind, and the wisdom principles, and realizing that the divine essence is the supreme truth within us.
The divine feet are the supreme,
The divine feet are the realm of Siva in contemplation,
The divine feet are the path to reach salvation,
The divine feet are the refuge for those who seek clarity (Thiru Manthiram 138).
This understanding helps us comprehend the significance of the divine feet as elaborated in Thiru Manthiram.
Placing the divine feet in the heart, head, and all over,
The divine feet show the true way, revealing the supreme truth (Thiru Manthiram 1596).
Placing the divine feet on my head with grace,
Seeing the great Nandi as the guru,
Realizing the supreme Lord,
I have achieved enlightenment (Thiru Manthiram 1597).
If we correlate this with the grace bestowed upon us by our great Lord Vallalar, it will be beneficial.
Everywhere, in the small temple of the soul,
It is rare to find such a place,
Giving a unique experience,
Merging with the divine, enjoying bliss,
Drinking the nectar of wisdom,
It feels like holding a fruit in my hand,
The great light of grace has blessed me, my king.
Here, the divine feet represent the state of grace in the pure righteous path.
Seeking grace and receiving it is equivalent to worshiping the divine feet.
The small temple refers to the place where the soul resides. The true essence connecting with the soul is the divine feet. The entrance to the small temple is located in our eyes.
The veils of ignorance must be removed to reveal the divine within. When the veil of Nandi is removed, the divine in the soul becomes visible. When the veil of Nandi is removed, grace flows within the soul. This grace is the nectar that should fill the entire body. Only then does the mortal body transform into a body of light, gaining divine strength.
Reading the verses will help you understand.
The supreme nectar of grace,
The true Shiva enters the body,
Those who do not know the grace cannot know us,
Grace enters us, making us divine.
Grace is the one to seek, grace is the form to attain,
Grace makes the body divine, merging with the supreme.
Grace is the true knowledge, grace is the divine mind,
Grace is the divine attribute, making us divine.
Grace is the state of bliss, grace is the divine place,
Grace is the divine knowledge, grace is the supreme being.
Grace is the divine knowledge, grace is the true way,
Grace is the place, grace is the supreme knowledge.
Do not seek the divine feet in religious and sectarian paths. Seeking them in such ways will only lead to wrong paths.
Every soul has its grace within, and that grace is the divine feet.
Keep this in mind.
What will the divine feet do for us? Let us listen to what our Kulaguru Thirumular says.
I remained in this body for countless eons,
I remained in the place beyond day and night,
I remained in the place praised by the immortals,
I remained under the divine feet of Nandi (Thiru Manthiram 80).
By holding onto the divine feet and remaining in the place beyond day and night,
We can live for countless eons without dying. This is what Thiru Manthiram says.
The divine feet are our sacred eyes.
The head is the pinnacle of the divine feet.
The middle is the third divine foot, the great divine foot.
The lower part of the divine feet holds the Apana Vayu (downward breath).
The pinnacle of the divine feet is where Prana (life force) shines with light.
The middle of the divine feet is the center of the eyeball, known as the spiral node.
2) Where is the place that has abolished all six tastes?
The food for the body consists of six tastes. The detailed explanation is available in the speech titled “Eating – Digesting – Assimilating,” which has been released as a video on our website. You can revisit it there for a complete understanding.
3) Where is the five-headed ruby?
Our life force has five faces. Therefore, it has five heads. The Vedas and Upanishads call this Gayatri. Gayatri Devi has five faces. The five elements also have five faces. Our life force also has five faces, each with a corresponding color.
Gayatri refers to vibration, sound. Science confirms that energy is transformable. Each syllable of Gayatri creates a vibration, and the entire Gayatri creates an additional vibration corresponding to each syllable.
The vibrations of Gayatri create colors for each syllable. When you chant the syllables of Gayatri, the vibrations produced will affect the life force, causing it to reflect the five colors of Gayatri.
These five colors reflect, resonate, and penetrate our eyeballs. The eyeballs are metaphorically called ruby. The true essence of our eyeballs holds the gates for the five elements. Through these gates, the energies of the five elements of the universe enter and exit.
When the life force manifests, it does so in five colors, as previously mentioned in the Telegram lecture. The five colors are red, pearl, yellow, blue, and white. Hence, these five colors were secretly attributed to Gayatri Devi with five faces by our ancestors. Here is another secret: the five gates in our eyeballs each contain five small gates. These five colors dominate our eyeballs, with red and blue being the most powerful. These two colors control the human body. When you chant Omkara, the five colors will prominently surge and flow with red and blue. How this happens will be explained in detail in the Gurukula teachings.
Therefore, the five-headed ruby is our life force and its manifesting true essence. The five heads are our life force. The ruby is the true essence, the eyeball. The eyeball is the ruby of the life force. This is what the poet Kalidasa, who was once ignorant, praised after receiving the grace of Kali and composing the immortal wisdom in Syamala Dandakam. The first verse of Syamala Dandakam starts with:
I meditate upon the goddess who holds the ruby Veena,
Who is drunk with the honey of wisdom,
Whose beautiful speech is filled with grace,
Whose body is as delicate as the blue sapphire,
Who is the daughter of Matanga,
And who is the giver of all knowledge.
Kalidasa concludes the Syamala Dandakam with:
You are the essence of all sacred waters, all mantras, all yantras, all tantra,
All chakras, all powers, all Vedas, all knowledge, all yoga, all colors,
All songs, all sounds, all words, all universes, all classes,
All, all, you are everything, O mother of the universe, protect me,
Protect me, protect me, O Devi, I bow to you, O Devi, I bow to you, O Devi, I bow to you.
When you recite this mantra, you will feel an extraordinary thrill within your life force. This mantra was given to us as nectar by Syamala Devi, amidst a golden, diamond-studded palace, surrounded by jasmine flowers. Until then, I was unaware of the existence of a wisdom hymn called Syamala Dandakam.
In Syamala Dandakam, Kalidasa praised the life force, its colors, and its qualities, pouring out tears of wisdom.
4) Where is the syllable called the dumb one?
Within the dumb syllable is the tortoise syllable, we say.
The tortoise syllable is the five-elemental sound of Omkara,
Comprising A, U, M, bindu, and nada.
Before it manifests as sound, it exists as inner glowing light.
This light is the Pranava Jyoti, the dumb syllable. Om means affirmation.
This dumb syllable is also known as the silent mantra.
In the five letters Na Ma Si Va Ya, one letter is not pronounced with ‘A.’
What is that one letter? How should it be recited?
In the three realms, in the pillars,
In the mouth of the snake that rises from the deep,
The mantra uttered by the mother and father,
That one letter is nowhere to be found, said Sivavakkiyar.
Pay attention to this verse! The letter that comes naturally from the snake’s mouth (mantra)…
That one letter is not found anywhere! What is that one letter mantra? How should it be recited?
The entire secret of the yogic path lies in this one letter and its method of recitation.
How many of us know about this one-letter mantra?
This mantra is known by various names like “silent mantra,” “dumb syllable,” “heart syllable,” “silent letter,” “dog-chasing mantra.”
Konganar says about this mantra:
“Omkara itself contains the dumb syllable.”
Thirumoolar calls it the “dog-chasing mantra.”
The dog-chasing mantra conquers Yama, they say.
The dog-chasing mantra is suitable for this dog,
The dog-chasing mantra will unite this dog with liberation! (Thirumoolar)
Vallalar mentions this mantra as follows:
In one letter, there are five elements, dear moon.
That is the dumb syllable, dear moon.
Agathiyar speaks of the greatness of this mantra as follows:
No one in this world can fully explain the benefit of the one-letter mantra.
The one who sees the one-letter mantra in the body is a Jnani who sees the dance of the divine and attains liberation and powers.
What is this highly significant one-letter mantra?
In Na Ma Si Va Ya, four letters end with ‘A,’ except one letter. Let’s see what it is.
ன் + (அ) = ந ; ம் + (அ) = ம ; ச் + இ = சி ; வ் + (அ) = வ ; ய் + (அ) = ய.
Only in “Si,” there is no ‘A’ sound.
The five elements do not produce sound. Only air produces sound.
The sound of air is nada, which has the power to animate life.
Through sound, the entire universe was created.
Our body and life were formed through sound.
You cannot attain Brama Gnana because you do not bring the sound of nada into your life force.
This is the secret among the secrets of ancient Tamil Siddhars.
Those who understand this will attain Brama Gnana without any hindrance.
Even if the divine wishes otherwise, it cannot prevent this realization.
Now, will you understand and wake up, students?
If you cannot understand even after explaining this secret,
We declare with certainty that you will die.
No one can prevent your death.
Stay very careful, always bringing nada into your life force.
Through nada, one can attain Natha, Siva, Parameswara.
If nada is absent, this body will rot.
We must transform this fleshly body into a fragrant body.
There is no other way, technique, or path in this world other than Brama Gnana tapasya.
Whatever merit or penance you have done, you have received it abundantly in this birth.
Do not miss this opportunity, seek Siva with nada.
That is all we have to say. Let those with eyes see; those with ears listen; those with life realize.
With the sound of “S,” “S” itself…
That is… “S” + “I” = “Si.” Pronounce “Si” and see…
First, the sound “S” itself becomes “Si.”
Thirumoolar calls this the dog-chasing mantra.
How do we chase away a dog? By saying “Si, Si…”
How to recite this special “Si” syllable?
We all know about Ida and Pingala nadis; left and right channels.
But no one will tell you about the subtle nadi (spiral nadi).
The subtle nadi is the upper part of the inner tongue (uvula) with an opening.
This is the subtle nadi. It is the Brahmarandra entrance.
During sleep, the breath flows through the inner tongue.
That is why some people snore.
Our ancestors advised sleeping with the head resting on the hands instead of a pillow for this reason.
Changing the position will change the breath flow.
Implementing the natural breathing during sleep while awake is Vasi Yoga.
When practicing tapasya, practice breathing through the inner tongue.
This is why Pranakriya tapasya was given to you.
During this, your breath will operate with the rhythm of “Kshi.”
When your breath flows smoothly with a rhythm, your spine will naturally become straight.
This “Si” syllable is the dumb syllable. This “Si” syllable is the dog-chasing mantra.
The sound “S” or “Si” that comes when a snake hisses is the secret behind depicting a snake on the linga.
This “Si” should not be pronounced as “Si” but as “Kshi” (K + Si).
Pronounce it and your Kapala entrance will open naturally.
Try it and tell us what happens in your Kapala, students.
Let’s hear what our guru Thirumoolar says about this dog-chasing mantra.
The dog-chasing mantra is the Vedas of the four Vedas,
The dog-chasing mantra is the abode of Natha,
The dog-chasing mantra is the light of Natha,
We do not know this dog-chasing mantra (Thiru Manthiram 2672).
The syllable “Kshi” is the essence of the four Vedas.
It is the abode of God.
It is the transcendental light of wisdom.
Therefore, Siddhars humorously call it the dog-chasing mantra,
Hiding its true nature from others.
5) Where is the foot that danced in space?
“Idam” means the left side, and “paadam” means the sacred foot.
The place where the left sacred foot danced is the space where the light arts move in the left sacred foot, the Chandra Kala.
The true essence where these light arts move is the place where the left sacred foot danced.
6) Where is the syllable spoken with desire?
The syllable spoken with love, affection, and desire is “M.”
This is what we discussed in detail in the Maha Mantra Tapasya.
