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16Agatthiyar lokha neethi 16

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Translation:

The circle of mula (origin), the gurupaadha, as protection

The Origin, the seed for liberation, as protection

The circle of worlds fire, madhi (moon) and nectar as protection

The wisdom-the Vishnu, Brahma and Vishnu, as protection

The circle of vital breath/time, the tip of the whorl and the middle, as protection

The tip of the ray and pingala, the vaasi, as protection

The circle of the beauty, the sacred feet of kumari, as protection

The quality of joining the gurupaadham, as protection.

Commentary:

In this verse, Agathiyar invokes several sacred entities as protection. He calls the circle of muladhara as the gurupaadam or the feet of guru and invokes it as protection. The term guru refers to one who removes the darkness of ignorance. When kundalini wakes up from muladhara the ignorance of a soul is removed. Thus, it is the feet of the remover of ignorance its head being sahasrara, the locus of supreme consciousness. He then invokes the Divine, the Origin of everything, the seed that grants liberation, for protection. Without calling it a name he says the Origin. Hence, this may refer to supreme consciousness. Agatthiyar next eulogizes the fire, the mathi and nectar. Fire is the fire of kundalini which grants wisdom. Mathi, even though refers to moon traditional stands, for wisdom, here. The nectar is the divine fluid that secrets from the lalata following accomplishment of kundalini yoga. It grants immortality to the soul.Next Agatthiyar praises the holy trinity, Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra. They represent the three main actions of creation, sustenance and dissolution. They also represent the three states of consciousness, wakeful state, dream state and deep sleep. He then invokes the vital breath or prana. Kaala vattam may refer to both the circle of time as well the circle of breath, the inhalation and exhalation with cessation in between. The suzhimunai is ajna and the middle are the cakras between muladhara and ajna, the sites through which breath circulates. They are also the loci of limitedness with respect to time. Beyond ajna the soul crosses the limitation of time. Next Agatthiyar calls pingala the suryakala which grants supreme consciousness, for protection. Then he calls the beautiful feet of kumari for protection. Kumari usually refers to Sakthi. We all know of Devi Kanyakumari. The Kumari actually means ku+mari- the one who causes the death of ku or ignorance. It is vaalai or Sakthi, the sakthi of kundalini who causes the destruction of ignorance.

In the last line he praises the good quality, that of joining the sacred feet of guru. Without that quality one would not attempt to kill his ignorance.

(2)Translation:None of the protections will fail if the directions are followed

Even a blind person will see it, see it

No need for any grandeur to go inside the caveBecome an expert by focusing the mind and without shying away

Never in this book,I am uttering the way of Veda, listen to me say it.

There is no other opportunity like this book

See the path with two roads.Commentary:

Agatthiyar talks about the greatness of this work. He says none of the protections will fail to grant the benefit if one follows what is prescribed in this book. The cave that he refers to is the ajna cakra which the siddhas call the dark, stone cave. When consciousness reaches this locus the soul is perceived as a flame, as a multicolored entity. For that experience, one needs to maintain mental focus. Veda mentioned in the verse are not the traditional scriptures. Vedam means that which should be known. The method described in this work is that which should be known for liberation. The path with two roads is breath regulation or vaasi yoga which involves controlled inhalation and exhalation. (3)

Translation:

All the Siddhas, with mercy

They revealed without any treachery,

In their own words/language, after knowing it/experiencing it

They created, in several crores of languages

Several crores of sastra.They uttered while remaining in the angle (sahasrara/ajna)

The essence of all their sastra-See these sixteen to know about them.

Commentary:

Agatthiyar tells us that several Siddhas have had direct experience that they conveyed through their works in several languages. They are the sastras that the world praises. They composed these sastras while remaining in the state of supreme consciousness. konam means angle. It refers to the sahasrara usually. It may also mean ajna. Agatthiyar tells us that this work of sixteen verses is the essence of all those sastras. (4)Translation:

There are no benefits if one perceives it and understands itThe Supreme guru (lack of darkness/effulgent) space will be seenWhat are senses, none at all, in the world

People who have the discrimination (buddhi)! Listen to me tell you

Is there a measure, there is none at all to measure

See it, consider it without getting confused or stunned

Which is the place? Is there poison there?

Attack the mother in her singular house and see.

Commentary:

Agatthiyar is talking about muladhara here. He says that when one reaches the supreme state there are no benefits or fruits of ones action that one has to enjoy. To attain this state one has to know the truth, one has to attain jnana. This is possible only through buddhi or discrimination. The Paramaguru veli refers to the Supreme effulgent space. Parama- supreme, guru- death of darkness of ignorance/effulgence, veli- space. Why do people not see this generally? Because they are deluded by their senses. Hence Agatthiyar says that there are actually no senses. Pulan means senses and pori means sense organs. When he says no pulan Agatthiyar means that it is the mind that creates the senses from the information it receives from the sense organs or pori. Hence, in actuality there are no senses it is only the play of the mind which creates those sensations.

The mother in the singular house refers to muladhara where kundalini sakthi remains in her slumber, in an inactive state. To attain the right knowledge one has to wake up kundalini sakthi. This is achieved by forceful breathing techniques. The siddhas call this as blowing the bellow or thurutthi. (5)

Translation:Saying sweet words and coaxing the mother in the houseTo play so, I waited for the right time, the one with the body/ the one who has the truth

Cherishing the mother who is in the land

If you hold to the two feet/ the two breaths

The loving mother who was in her place, becoming all pervading

You will see the sublime space you will not see darkness

So what if it is as a song, dont you think it will grant the fruit,

See the beautiful mountain of light but charging there,

Commentary:

Agatthiyar says that the mother or kundalini sakthi in muladhara should be coaxed lovingly with sweet words and manners. Then she will wake up and play with you. Agatthiyar says that when she starts playing so, one should hold on to her two kaal. The term kaal general means feet. Here it refers to the breath, the inhalation and exhalation, that is, one has to practice pranayama. This is what is really meant by kaalaippiditthaal mukthi or liberation when the feet are held. This practice will make the yogin experience the effulgent space. There will be no darkness. Agatthiyar calls the experience as the seeing the mountain of light. (6)Translation:See in the middle of the eyes and nose

If you see it without getting frazzled, is there hunger?

Seek the top, the bottom and the middle

Without confusion, merge the four within it

Who is capable of seeing this method?

This is the trick that the mother with grace told me

Even if you roam great distances, is there anyone who will reveal this?

See the function in these subtle sixteen.

Commentary:

Agatthiyar is talking about the experience at the ajna, the cakra in the middle of the brows where the nose and eyes meet. He says that if one sees this spot with focus one will be freed from hunger. Agatthiyar tells the person to see the top, the bottom and the middle- the cakras between muladhara and ajna and the fire of kundalini that traverses these loci. He also tells that the four should be merged here. Agatthiyar is explaining what the four are in the next verse (7) Translation:

See son the method of Veda at the site,

The sixteen and twelve- only that is Veda

The locus, son, the Veda that was born in the five letters

The Good One! Listen to details about the five letters

Consider this son, aa, ee, uu, E, O. These five are the letters

These are the pacifying Veda, the mother.The four Vedas are composed of these.Sakti, Sivam (nadha, bindhu) are the four.Commentary:

This verse talks about another interesting concept. Agatthiyar says that Veda is twelve and sixteen. These two represent the surya kala and chandrakala respectively. Suryakala is breath flowing in the pingala nadi for twelve counts. This is the reason for saying that there are twelve adityas. Chandrakala is breath flowing through the ida nadi for sixteen counts. Hence, the moon is said to have sixteen phases. The difference of four counts is called nakshatra kala which emerges when the inhalation and exhalation are balanced and kundalini arises from its inactive state. Agatthiyar says that learning about the nature of these, twelve and sixteen, is real Veda. This Veda is born from the five letters the long vowels of a, i, u, e and o. The long vowels correspond to Sakthi, the power of manifestation. Agatthiyar calls her the mother and says that the four Veda are born from these five letters. While the four Vedas popularly refer to Rk, Yajur, Sama and Atharvana Agatthiyar calls the four, Sivam, Sakthi, Nadha and Bindhu as the four Veda. (8)

Translation:

When it is questioned what are the four,

The good, manas, buddhi, ahamkara and chittham

This is the foot and the head (beginning and end)

The letters kasi became the ten entrances

The stick, the tip of the whorl, became the middle

The kula, is the middle, foot and head

The milky nectar, became the desiredSee the sixteen and twelve with mercy.

Commentary:

Agatthiyar defines the four as the four modifications of the mind. They are manas- the part the mind that senses things, buddhi-the discriminating part that assesses the experience, ahamkara- the self that perceive them and chittham- the part that enjoys the experiences and realizes that it is enjoying them. These four, Agatthiyar calls as the head and foot. The ten entrances are the apertures in the body- two eyes, two nostrils, mouth, two ears, the instrument for excretion and the instrument for procreation (9) and the opening in the skull. These are the ten entrances through which experiences enter the body. The modifications of the mind perceive them and if they get entrenched in them it becomes the beginning of samsara. Agatthiyar says that the letter kaasi became the ten entrances. This word means light. It is the light of consciousness. If the chittham realizes the true nature of sensual experiences, that they are only manifestations of light of consciousness then the soul leaves its state of limitedness. Thus, the same sense organs that mire one in samsara also help one transcend them.

The sushumna nadi is equated to a pole or a stick. Siddhas generally call the ajna as suzhimunai or tip of the whorl and the sushumna nadi as suzhinai. The sushumna nadi is the one in the middle, which forms the head and foot for kundalini sakthi. The milky nectar is the secretion from lalata. Agatthiyar says that one should seek it and to attain it one should know about the sixteen and twelve. (9 )Translation:See son there is nothing beyond the light

If you cross the locus and go beyond

If you plant firmly in your locus and look

All the worlds will be perceived within the chith andam (universe of consciousness)

Everything seen in the town, the world

Will be seen individually within your body

The protection is stone, tree, ponds and temples.They can be seen in the middle of eyes and nose.

Commentary:

The locus mentioned in this verse is the ajna. Agatthiyar says that if one goes beyond this spot, one will perceive nothing but effulgence. If one plants his consciousness firmly at this spot one and looks carefully one will see all the worlds and the entities they encompass, within their body. Agatthiyar says that the stone, tree, pond and temple are protections. The ajna is called the stony cave. The tree is the sushumna nadi, the pond is the lalata and the temples are the cakras. (10)

Translation:The Vedanta will be seen in the mind

If the head and foot are reversed and joined

The origin Sakthi will be seen.For those who scream emptily, the truth will become fallacy

If you work hard you will see the milk, the nadha

The charlatans will prattle uselessly

The bud will become leaf, unripe and ripe fruit

The bunch will topple, see the sign.

Commentary:

Vedanta means terminus or essence of Veda, the state when textual knowledge ends and experience begins. Reversing the foot and head refers to breath, its flow and kundalini. The kundalini sakthi that is present at the foot, muladhara should be joined to the head, sahasrara. Then one will experience the origin, sakthi, the cause for manifestation, the power that animates everything. Agatthiyar tells us that one will experience the nadha, the state below sakthi in the order of manifestation. This is the nectar or amrit that oozes from lalata. All the experiences will mature and reach the fully ripe state. Agatthiyar cautions that this will happen only for those who are sincere in their quest. For those who scream empty words to gain fame or as a show of pride all these truths will become fallacy. Hence, one should quit talking about them and focus on attaining the experience, reaching the supreme state. (11)

Translation:

See son, the action of the people in the world

I will tell you the benefit of this book that they have not seen

Girls, who have not attained maturity,

They will marry them off to men who are deplorable, the stupid ones!

After the man dies

They will severe her mangalsutra (sacred thread indicating married status) shave her head

If you keep the woman like this, without thinking about it

Will the instrument come under control/will it fear?Commentary:

Agatthiyar is beginning to talk about a very touchy but important topic from this verse onwards. Here he is talking about the barbaric practice of child marriage, the practice of marrying a girl who has not attained maturity yet. When the man dies they cut off her mangal sutra, the thread that marks her as married, they shave her head off and call her a widow. They keep the girl under house arrest. Agatthiyar asks us, if we do so, will her sexual instrument come under control, will it fear the guard.

This song condemns the horrible practice of child bride and her widowhood.

(12)

Translation:

After the husband has gone, keep her so- they will say

By keeping her so will her instrument die?Charging the thread with the ghostly mantraWill mere adornment of the sacred thread make one a member of Brahma kula-brahmin

Adorning the sacred thread over the neck

The worldly people will threaten, Go

When bid crawl, like the ghost or a dog

After chasing so, they will keep her under guard.

Commentary:

After reading this verse one wonders, but for the Siddhas who would question social injustices! Agatthiyar asks, will mere adornment of the sacred thread after imparting mantras to it make one a Brahmin? A true Brahmin is one who is interested in brahmajnana or knowledge about the Supreme, the Brahmin, the truth about everything including the soul. No one becomes a Brahmin by merely adorning the thread. However, the Brahmins claim superiority and chase the widow as if she is a dog or a ghost and keep her under guard. (13)

Translation:The worldly people will keep (her) so, out of pride.If she speaks they will say shame!They will cheat the world adorning the thread

Without considering the past and present, like fools

Some will talk like a donkey.Without knowing the mantras they will tell others to see it/teach others

They will laugh at women, shaving their hair

They will banish them calling them bad omen.

Commentary:

Agatthiyar says that people banish a widow because of their pride, their superiority complex. They call the girl bad omen. If she speaks they call it shame. Agatthiyar says that they do all these and cheat people proclaiming themselves as superior because of the thread they are wearing. They do not know the truth about the mantras, that they are eulogizing the woman, Sakthi, but they teach others and tell them to understand their meaning. (14)

Translation:It is said, That is not good, she is a widowWhere will her physical requirement (desire) go?

The ninety six instruments will not go anywhere

Wont the hair chopped off grow back, you smart man!

The desire in her heart will one get cookedBy merely shouting and shaving her hair off

This sin will never go away

If will affect all the families, it will, it will.

Commentary:

Agatthiyar questions, If you call the girl ill omen and banish her will her physical desire and the 96 instruments, the components of her body, die out? If you chop her hair wont it grow back? When she dies will her heart burn as it has undying desire? Agatthiyar calls this practice a great sin that will chase several generations in the family. One wonders whether the word gosham is actually dosham.

(15)

Translation:It will burn, the sin unleashed towards a woman, like a fire

It will hurt those who do so

Even if you utter mantras

Will the sins overlook it? Those who are smart!

Please see the sastra, you will gain punya (for god sake!)

See it will buddhi, those who are in this world!

Commentary:

Some lines in this verse are missing. Agatthiyar says that a Brahmin who commits this sin towards a girl cannot hope to gain any benefit by reciting mantras. The sins will overwhelm any good action. Agatthiyar urges such Brahmins to read the sastra with buddhi or discrimination, for god sake! --- (16)

Translation:In every sastra, they recommended that gurupuja should be performed,

They said this in every book, elaborately, as a rule,

Do not roam far and wide searching for the essence

See the essence/the slope in the hill within you, with valor

Seeing this, all the siddhas, with valorProclaimed this in every one of their books.Knowing the truth in the mind, seeking the sacred feet of the siddha

You will realize this, in this world, Ye smart ones!

Commentary:

Every Brahmin who reads the scriptures knows that a lady is the embodiment of the primal sakthi, one who should be treated with respect. Shakti is the guru, the remover of the darkness of ignorance. Thus, gurupuja is actually worshipping Sakthi. Brahmins do not see this, that a lady is a representative of Sakthi and treat her so badly. They unleash unspeakable torture towards her and banish her from any form of social life. Agatthiyar feels that this is ridiculous as such Brahmins are going about uttering mantras and living as a Brahmin without realizing the truth. He pleads to them to read the sastra correctly and stop this monstrosity. He explains that the Siddhas who realized this stupidity, who saw this truth are banishing such deplorable practices in every one of their books. The Brahminical and conservative world treats the Siddhas as outcasts, as trouble makers, as the Siddhas question stupid social practices while they are the true Brahmins, those who have the wisdom about Brahman.

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