The Nectar of Thiruppugazh

From Śuddhāśuddha to Prakruti (प्रकृति) As we saw in Part 3 , the soul, once infinite and unbounded, gradually became limited through the Śuddhāśuddha Tattvas. The universal “I” contracted into individuality, poised between freedom and finitude. These veils prepared the soul for the next stage — the Prakṛti Tattvas, where consciousness fully manifests in the world as mind, life-energy, and matter. The Three Domains of Manifestation Prakṛuti is the primal matrix of creation. Through it, the One expresses itself as the living universe. Here Consciousness unfolds into three interrelated domains: Mental : Intellect, mind, and subtle perceptions — the instruments through which the soul perceives, thinks, and learns. Vital : Life-energy (prāṇa) that animates action, emotion, and movement, bridging mind and body. Physical : Elements, organs, and bodily structures — the tangible forms of experience and interaction. The Tattvas: From 24 to 96 From this manifestation ari...

In the earlier part , we saw how the still, boundless awareness of Śiva expressed Itself through Śakti and gave rise to the pure, luminous principles known as the Śuddha Tattvas. In that realm there was no separation between the knower, knowledge, and the known — only the steady radiance of pure consciousness. But as this radiance flows outward, a subtle veil appears. Awareness begins to perceive difference. The limitless Self takes on the sense of individuality, and creation enters a mixed region — neither entirely pure nor yet material. This is the domain of the Śuddhāśuddha Tattvas, also called the Vidyā Tattvas. It forms the bridge between spirit and matter, where consciousness still shines, though partly covered.

The First Steps of Manifestation In the previous part, we saw how Śiva, the Supreme Consciousness, alone is real, eternal, and self-luminous. Everything else — the cosmos, mind, and body — is a manifestation of this infinite awareness. But the question remains: how does the One, still and undivided, appear as many? How does consciousness begin to unfold into the world of forms, time, and space? In Śaiva Siddhānta, this unfolding is explained through the tattvas — the fundamental principles or building blocks of existence. The first set of tattvas are the pure tattvas, also called śuddha tattvas, which reveal the earliest stages of manifestation. They arise from Parāśiva, the absolute and unmanifest consciousness, through the power of Parāśakti, the dynamic energy of Śiva. Parāśiva and Parāśakti: The Absolute and Its Power Parāśiva is the ultimate reality, beyond name, form, and thought. It is pure, infinite, and unchanging. Parāśakti is the divine power of Śiva. It is not separat...

“Nāda Bindu Kalādi 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.  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...

"நாத விந்து கலாதீ நமோநம". திருப்புகழின் இவ்வரிகளில் படைப்பின் ரகசியமே அடங்கி இருக்கிறது. அது எப்படி என்று விரிவாக காணலாம். நவீன அறிவியல்  “Matter – Energy – Space – Time” ஆகிய நான்கு கூறுகளே பிரபஞ்சத்தின் அடிப்படை (fundamental) அம்சங்கள் எனக் கூறுகிறது. அதேபோல், சைவ – சாக்த மரபின் ஆன்மிகக் கோட்பாட்டில் நாதம் (Nāda), பிந்து/விந்து (Bindu), மற்றும் கலா (Kalā) ஆகிய மூன்றும் படைப்பின் முதன்மை அடித்தளங்களாகக் கருதப்படுகின்றன. நாதம்: மூல ஒலி அதிர்வு  நாதம் என்பது சப்த தத்துவம். நிலைத்த மௌனத்தின்  முதல் அசைவு நாதம். அனாஹத நாதம் எனப்படும் இந்த நாதம் முதன்மையான ஒலியின் அதிர்வு (primordial sound vibration). அனாஹத நாதம் என்பது தட்டாமலோ, அடிக்காமலோ இயற்கையாக ஏற்படும் ஒலியைக் குறிக்கிறது.  அனாஹதம் என்பது உணர்வு (Consciousness) என்பதின் இயக்கம் (dynamic aspect); மற்றும் அறிவையும் உணர்வையும் இணைக்கும் மையம் ஆகும். எளிதாகச் சொன்னால், நாதம் என்பது அசைவற்ற சைவத்தின் (stillness of Śiva) உட்பகுதியில் தோன்றும் அசைவு; மௌனத்திலிருந்து எழும் உயிரின் முதல் மூச்சு போன்றது.  நாதம் த...

The Descent of Consciousness Saiva Siddhanta begins with a bold premise: Consciousness (Brahman) alone is real — eternal, unchanging, and self-luminous. Everything else — the cosmos, time, space, body, and mind — is but its appearance or manifestation. In this vision, the universe is not a creation outside Consciousness, nor a product of matter or chance. It is the līlā or self-expression of that same infinite awareness — just as countless waves arise and dissolve upon the surface of the ocean, without ever leaving the ocean itself. But how does the One become many? How does the stillness of Shiva seem to transform into the movement and multiplicity of creation — into Jiva, the individual soul? This series, From Shiva to Jiva, traces that profound journey: from the Absolute (Para Brahman) to the manifest world, from pure awareness to embodied experience. It reveals the timeless process by which the unmanifest becomes the visible universe we inhabit.

உருவாய் அருவாய், உளதாய் இலதாய் மருவாய் மலராய், மணியாய் ஒளியாய்க் கருவாய் உயிராய்க், கதியாய் விதியாய்க் குருவாய் வருவாய், அருள்வாய் குகனே. uruvAi aruvAi uLadhAi iladhAi maruvAi malarAi maNiyAi oLiyAy karuvAi uyirAik gadhiyAi vidhiyAi guruvAi varuvAi aruLvAi guganE! You are the Supreme Being, who has form, and who has no form! You are an existent being, and You are also an invisible being! You are the fragrance, and You are also the flower having the fragrance! You are the precious gem, and You are also its lustre! You are the cosmic embryo, and You are also the life that moves the embryo! jYou are the ultimate refuge and You lead the path of the destiny of jeevatmas towards salvation. May You be gracious enough to appear before me as the Preceptor, and bestow on me Your grace! Brahman is the Absolute Reality, the source of all things into which all things will eventually go back. It is a pure, blissful consciousness that is infinite, eternal, and unchanging. Advaita...