Thirumandiram for Uniting with God in Chidambaram

Thirumandiram for Uniting with God in Chidambaram

First greetings to our nectar-like Tamil mother. I convey respects from the divine feet to all Tamil scholars and human beings, and with the blessings of our Sadguru, I am taking another pearl from the ocean of Thirumandiram nectar for all of you. Let’s dive into the next pot of nectar. The Thirumandiram verse we are exploring here falls under the title of meditation in the third Tantra. Here is the Thirumandiram:

Directly between the eyebrows,
Look deeply, the mantra of light,
The place where the Supreme resides,
I joined in Chidambaram. (Thirumandiram – 2770)

By looking directly between the eyebrows, one can join with Chidambaram, says Thirumoolar here. First, we must understand the divine secrets hidden in this Thirumandiram. Then, we will receive the key to the hidden true meaning of Thirumoolar’s words. Once we have the key, we can unlock the secrets.

Thirumoolar mentions “directly between the eyebrows” in the first line. The key to opening Chidambaram, mentioned by Thirumoolar, must be in this space between the eyebrows. Therefore, we must first understand which place is the center of the eyebrows.

All the ancient Tamil Siddhas, including the sages, say to meditate and do penance at the center of the eyebrows. Every religious institution and ashram in the world instructs to focus on the center of the eyebrows and see God. But where is this place? We usually put a dot (pottu) between the eyebrows daily, and it is widely believed that this is the center of the eyebrows. This is a complete misunderstanding, say the Siddhas. Let’s listen to them.

What is the center of the eyebrows? Let’s ask the leader of all Siddhas, Agathiyar:

“The light-filled eye, the center of the eyebrows,
Do not wander, think of the center as a hole,
Oh Father, the tip of the nose is the end.” (Agathiyar)

“The place of stillness is the ultimate,
The eye’s heat is Shiva,
The middle of the curved brow is the center,
The inseparable substance is in the sky,
The path is through the mind and knowledge eye,
See in the whirlpool of the Sushumna.” (Agathiyar)

Next, let’s hear from our ancient Tamil Guru, Kaka Bhujandar:

“Look at the center of the eyebrows,
The supreme Braman is the peak of the universe,
The central nerve,
The stable whirlpool,
The middle of the curved brow,
The center of the eye,
With focus, the five elements will merge as one.” (Kaka Bhujandar)

We can also hear from Vallalar, who clarifies the place of the center of the eyebrows:
“The third eye is the center of the eyebrows,
See it with joy, open and enjoy the middle.” (Vallalar)

Vallalar himself mentions how he performed the great penance of Brama Gnana through his eyes, indicating that the place of great penance is within the eyes. The human community should deeply consider this and follow the true path to see God.

From many Siddha songs, we conclude that the center of the eyebrows is not the place where we put the dot, but the eye located in the middle of the curved brow. Thus, the word “center of the eyebrows” should remind us of the eye, not the dot place. This must be kept in mind. The place where we put the dot is between the two eyebrows. The center of the eyebrows is the single point, the eye.

From Kaka Bhujandar’s songs, the center of the eyebrows is the peak of the universe. The universe (Andam) is spherical. Our eyes are also spherical. The apex of the universe is the pupils of our eyes. The peak of the universe means the tip, which is our pupils. Therefore, the center of the eyebrows is the pupil, as Thirumandiram reveals this hidden secret.

Through this pupil, we must continuously focus without blinking in Brama Gnana penance. Thirumoolar says, “Look deeply, the mantra of light.” The mantra of light means that light energy travels through the pupil both inward and outward. In Brama Gnana penance, we must focus deeply through the pupil.

By continuously focusing without blinking, one can see the place where God resides, says Thirumoolar, “The place where the Supreme resides.” Without attachment, God resides within the pupil, holding our life, which is why Thirumoolar says, “as an attachment to the attachment.”

Chidambaram consists of Chit + Ambalam. Chit means our life. Ambalam means the place clearly revealed. The place where our life resides is openly revealed, so Thirumoolar secretively refers to this place as Chidambaram. Let’s hear what Thirumoolar reveals about Ambalam in his own words:

“Ambalam is the entire cosmos,
Ambalam is the feet of the Supreme,
Ambalam is the water and fire regions,
Ambalam is the meaning of the five-letter mantra.” (Thirumandiram – 2775)

God reveals to us the entire universe, the divine feet of the primordial God, the water region, the fire region, and the inner meaning of the Namachivaya mantra. The divine feet of God reside as a bright light within our life cell. Our eyes contain water (tears) and fire (heat). The light passing through the pupil is warm. Therefore, Thirumoolar calls this place the Ambalam, the region containing water and fire. By continuously focusing the light through the eyes, one can see what happens, as we saw in the following Thirumandiram verse during our previous review:

“The light seen in the unswerving eye,
Look deeply and merge,
The external vision disappears,
Remains unwavering, let’s see.” (Thirumandiram – 600)

The light entering through the pupil,
The dwelling place of life, Chidambaram

Therefore, to see the divine Chidambaram house where God resides, one must focus the light through the pupil in Brama Gnana penance. By doing this, we can reach the divine house of Chidambaram and become one with Chidambaram, become Shiva, which is the hidden secret revealed by this Thirumandiram verse.