Thirumandiram’s Secret for Immortalizing the Body

Thirumandiram for Immortalizing the Body

This small effort is undertaken to select each of the wisdom songs from the Thirumandiram verses provided to us by Thirumoolar, the Brama Gnana sage of the Tamil language, who performed Brama Gnana penance, and to think and share them for enjoyment. May the primordial Tamil Siddha Gurus bless us all!

Today, we can take for contemplation a Thirumandiram that appears under the title “The Method of Attaining Immortality of the Body” in the third Tantra. The song is:

The three coils of the snake, both eight and two within,
The twelve inches of the fixed mechanism,
With two eggs tied to the tips,
Firmly stay, and the body will not perish.
(Thirumandiram – 728)

Thirumoolar mentions “three coils of the snake” as the first words. Coiling means changing or bending. It means changing or bending in three places. Great scholars, sages, and religious experts immediately interpret this verse. What is the subtle meaning hidden in this verse? What is the true meaning conveyed? How is it performed in a tantric method? If they were concerned about these, they would have discovered the subtlety of the absolute Braman. Can an inexperienced child come and settle down in a white mansion? We shall enter into the true meaning.

The nature of a snake is to move in a winding manner; the movement of a snake is with a ‘s’ sound. The sound of the snake is the power of sound. The nature of sound is to move in a winding manner. Sound is nothing but noise. Therefore, when Thirumoolar mentions a snake, he means the sound traveling with noise in our body. Even the sound of our breath is ‘s’. However, breaths do not move in a winding manner; they travel in a straight line.

The learned say that the three coils refer to the movement of prana and apana in the Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna channels. When we look at the next word in this verse, the three channels mentioned above get invalidated.

“Both eight and two within” is interpreted as sixteen, representing the number of breaths in the Ida channel. This interpretation is incorrect. “Both eight and two within” refers to the left divine foot represented by the number two and the right divine foot represented by the number eight. This method of veiling and revealing knowledge is the tradition of the Siddhas.

Thus, the three coils of the snake are arranged in the numbers of eight and two. This means that the Akaar and Ukaar are coiled in three places. Where are these three places? They are the right divine foot, the left divine foot, and the place of the fire arts shaped in the form of ‘A’.

The twelve inches refer to the right divine foot’s light rays. The right divine foot, referred to as the twelve inches mechanism, is the path through which prana enters the body. Thus, Thirumoolar says, “the twelve inches fixed mechanism.”

Next, “with two eggs tied to the tips” refers to the Akaar and Ukaar. When we closely observe and combine these two arts, the third divine foot will beautifully appear and reveal itself. When we focus deeply without distraction and stand firmly, the three coiled snake will attain an equal number of arts.

This means that the twelve arts of Akaar remain unchanged.
The sixteen arts of Ukaar transform into twelve arts.
The remaining four arts of Ukaar bend towards the fire arts like a white snake and unite with the eight arts of the fire, becoming twelve arts.

Now, when the Akaar, Ukaar, and Mahara arts transform into twelve arts each, there will be an alchemical process in the fire arts. A sound of ‘Thom Thom’ will begin to arise there. When this state is reached in the Brama Gnana penance, and the aspirant continues without closing the eyes, focusing deeply despite bodily pains, the sound of Shiva’s dance will start resonating as ‘Thom Thom’ within his head. This dance is known as Shiva’s dance, the royal dance, Shiva Raja’s dance, and Nataraja’s dance. Although Shiva is of the form of light, the power of sound is definitely needed for Shiva to dance.

When Shiva remains motionless, it is of the form of light.
When Shiva begins to move, it is of the form of sound.

Combining the arts of light and sound is our Brama Gnana penance. Without this penance, it is impossible to grasp Shiva; it is impossible to grasp Shakti;
it is impossible to see the feet of Shiva;
it is impossible to see the conch sound and the light of the discus of Maha Vishnu.

Thus, anyone who consistently combines the arts of Akaar, the light arts, and the sound arts of Ukaar, transforming them into an equal number of twelve arts, making Akaar 600 arts, Ukaar 600 arts, and Mahara 600 arts through alchemical transformation, will have the life bud within them begin to bloom. If they continue firmly in the Brama Gnana penance, this body will attain an immortal state – an undying state – a deathless great life. The true meaning Thirumoolar conveys in this verse is that when the body is firmly rooted in Mahara, it will not perish.

Here is the diagram for this Thirumandiram:

Three-coiled snake

May all beings live happily!
Thiruchitrambalam!