Meykanda-Sastra

Die Siddhanta - Sastras werden nach Meykandar als 'Meykanda Sattiram' (Skt. Sastra) gbezeichnet

Die 14 Meykanda Sastras wurden zwischen dem 13ten und 14ten Jahrhundert verfasst.

Irupa Virupathu

This work contains twenty verses, ten as Venbas and ten as Agavals and is truly a work of puzzles and riddles. One should take up this work only when convinced that all the other 13 sastras has been mastered. The question raised here are truly mind-boggling. The answers are no dobt contained in the work yet it is not easy to be discovered. The message is ‘Every problem contained the solution in itself’
The problem raised in this work are in reference to the characteristics and mutal relations of Pathi, Pasu and Pasam. Arulnandi Sivachariyar wants his Guru to clear the presence of delusion in him, even after going through the Njana Diksha ( initiation into True Knowledge ).
A careful reading of this work will show how devoted Arulnandi Sivachariyar to his guru. For St Arulnandi, Meykandar was Lord Siva Himself. The first verse of the work is as follows:
“ He is Meykandar of Vennainalloor; concealing
His eye in the forehead and the blue tint in His throat,
He had come forth to quell the malas of the people
On this earth poised in devotion, if people chant
His name even once, they can feel in the core
Of their heart their non-seperateness from Him”

Saiva Siddhanta affirms that souls are non-separate from Siva in their advaitic union. “Verinmai” is the phrase used by author to denote the non-dualistic.
The work opens with a portion called “Pathi Iyalpu”; the nature of Siva. This dwells on the concept of God according to Saiva Siddhanta.
This is followed by Pasu Iyalpu;
“ O Meykanda Deva! If both knowledge and ignorance
Co-exist, am I a knowledgeable person or an ignorance,
What can I say of me? What is my true state?
Pray enlighten me, after due investigation.”

The soul is not all knowing like Siva or it is totally ignorant like pasam. It cannot by itself know bt it can learn if instructed. As both knowledge and ignorance co-exist in the soul it is called Sat-Asat and Chit-Achit.
Verse 4 deals with Pasa Iyalbu; Ananvam, Kanmam and Mayai constitute Pasam.
“ O supreme teacher, when you taught me of the nature of three categories
You spoke about Anavam, Mayai and Kanmam
The qualities of Anava malam is eight; they being 1. Viyarpam ( state which the soul imagines that it is superior to all others; 2) Karpam ( ever busy proposing);
3) Krodam ( anger); 4) Moham (hankering after delusive things;
5) Kolai ( murder); 6)Agnyar (sorrowing when experiencing misery
7) Matham (pride and erogance through speech and action
8) Nagai ( insulting or jeering at men and things)”

The seven qualities of Maya are:
1) Anyanam ( failure to judge between true and false elements)
2) Poi ( falsehood)
3) Ayarvu ( forgetfulness and depression due to it)
4) Moham ( interest and attachment to baseless things)
5) Paisasooniyam (determination and evil desire to have and get more)
6) Maarchariyam ( jealousy)
7) Bhayam ( needless fear of things)

The seven qualities of Kanma Malam are:
1) Irutthal (being lazy in places)
2) Kidatthal ( being in disease)
3) Iruvinai Iyatral ( doing good and bad deeds)
4) Vidutthal ( staying away from worldly commitments- “happy go lucky)
5) Paraninthai ( negative statements about others)
6) Meval ( doing baseless things and being with unwanted men)

“These three malas, inseparably connected with me, drag me in their course, ply me in their ways, overwhelm me and cause me misery in manifold ways”
Verse 5 deals with Pasa Darisanam; verse 6 deals with Pas Darisanam
Verse 7 deals with the natre of Avastas – the states experienced by souls. They being, waking, dream state, deep sleep, the state of temporary loss of consciousness and the state beyond; the condition of protracted loss of consciousness ( Jakartham or Nanavu nilai, Soppanam or Kanavu nilai, Susupthi or Urakka nilai, Thuriyam or Perurakka nilai and Thuriyadeetham or Uyirpadakka nilai ).
Verse 8 deals with Nature of Souls; the problem relating to the existence of the soul.
Verse 9 explains Thuriya state ( Perurakkam )
Verse 10 deals with Removal of Pasam
Verse 11 deals with Souls attachement with ignorance
Verse 12 is the nature of soul’s union
Verse 13 is bodily existence ( is the body true or false)
Verse 14 deals with Karma and its bondage
Verse15 deals with Soul’s connection with Karma
Verse 16 explains the importance of experiencing the Karma by the soul.
Verse 17 deals with the subject matter of How grace is granted ( Uyirum Thiruvarulum)
Verse 18 deals with God’s interaction with Souls and His grace on soul.
Verse 19 explains the retrieval of the soul from its oceanic misery fed by Righteous deeds ( punniyam) and Deeds of sin ( paava seyal )
Verse 20 celebrates the conferment of eternal bliss ( thiruvarul paalitthal )

Literatur

• Śaivism in Philosophical Perspective: A Study of the Formative Concepts, K. Sivaraman, S. 523
• Michel Hulin, Mrgendragama. Sections de la doctrine et du yoga, Pondicherry, French Institute of Pondicherry, 1980, and Hélène Brunner-Lachaux, Mrgendragama. Section des rites et sections du comportement, Pondicherry, French Institute of Pondichery, 1985.
• Śaiva Siddhanta in the Meykanda Śastra, Violet Paranjoti, London : Luzac, 1938.
• Saiva Siddhanta in the Meykanda Sastra, V. Paranjoti- Verlag: Kanti Publications, ISBN 10: 8173120099 / ISBN 13: 9788173120091

Weblinks

• 14 meykanda sastras
• Saiva Siddhantha scriptures