Nāda, Bindu, and Kalā — The Hidden Geometry of Creation

“Nāda Bindu Kalātīta Namō Namaḥ” 

 The Hidden Code of Creation 

 In this brief yet profound line from the Tiruppugazh, Saint Arunagirināthar compresses the entire mystery of creation. What the modern scientist calls Matter, Energy, Space, and Time, the mystic perceives as Nāda, Bindu, and Kalā — the three subtle roots from which the universe flowers into being. 

Science and spirituality speak two languages, but they describe the same cosmic pulse: the unfolding of unity into multiplicity, and the return of multiplicity into unity. 

1. Nāda — The Sound of Silence

Nāda is not merely sound; it is the vibration of existence itself. It is the first ripple in the still ocean of consciousness — the pulse that awakens being from its timeless rest. This is the Anāhata Nāda, the “unstruck sound,” a vibration that arises from within silence itself. In simple terms, Nāda is the movement that appears within stillness, the first breath of life that stirs within Śiva’s repose. From Nāda springs the very first expression of the universe, for sound can exist only in space (ākāśa). Thus, when silence stirs, space begins to vibrate — and existence awakens. This primordial nada is 'Om'.

2. Bindu — The Seed Point of Manifestation 

Bindu means “a point” or “a drop.” It is the seed of manifestation, the compact nucleus of infinite potential — the place where the unmanifest gathers itself before expressing as form. Bindu is consciousness concentrated — the still point around which creation whirls. Within it, all possibilities sleep in silence, just as a vast tree lies hidden within a seed. In Śaiva thought, the Bindu is called the seed of Śiva, the origin-point of every vibration and every form. 

3. Kalā — The Ray of Differentiation 

The term Kalā means “ray” or “part.” It is through Kalā that the Infinite expresses itself as the many, the One unfolds into countless forms and experiences. Like the waxing moon, which slowly reveals more of its light until it becomes full, Kalā represents the degrees of manifestation, the unfolding of awareness from potential to perfection. On the new moon, no ray is seen — that is the seed state, the latent unconscious. On the full moon, all sixteen kalās shine — the radiance of complete realization, the fullness of awareness. Kalā thus marks the path of becoming, the bridge between the unseen and the seen.

The Moon as the Mirror of Consciousness 

 Why is the moon the symbol of Kalā? 

Because it embodies reflected light — it does not shine by its own radiance but by the borrowed brilliance of the sun. 

In the same way, mind and matter do not shine by themselves; they reflect the light of consciousness.

 Hence: 

• Sun — Pure Consciousness (Śiva), self-luminous.
• Moon — Mind or Matter, luminous by reflection. 

Vedānta calls this Chidābhāsa — the reflection of consciousness.

 Kalā is therefore the ray that divides the undivided light, revealing within unity the play of multiplicity.

The Prism of Creation 

Imagine a single ray of sunlight passing through a prism. The light does not change, but the prism reveals what was hidden within it — a spectrum of colors. 

 

Likewise, Kalā does not create new realities; it simply unfolds the hidden potential of Infinite Consciousness. It is the differentiating ray — the first movement by which the One becomes the many.

Kāla — Time, the Measurer of Infinity

Closely related to Kalā is Kāla, or Time — another face of Māyā’s power.

This is not merely chronological time, but the principle of sequence, measurement, and change.

Without Kāla there can be no before or after, no birth or death, no growth or decay.

Time gives form to experience; it turns eternity into narrative.

It is throuKāla — Time, the Measurer of Infinity

Murugan — Beyond Sound, Seed, and Ray

In Tiruppugazh, Murugan is praised as
“Nāda Bindu Kalādi” — the One beyond Nāda, Bindu, and Kalā. 

To contemplate Nāda, Bindu, and Kalā is to glimpse the hidden architecture of the universe —

and to realize that the very same rhythm beats quietly within our own breath.

The combination of Nada, Bindu and Kala is Pranava. We will study this in a later post.