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Ementus Principals Victoria Colleges
Chulipuram a Ceylon

T ITT T\

mJEj JL ^

Emeritus Professor in University Colleges

Cardiff

LONDON

GEORGE ALLEN & UNWIN LTD

MUSEUM STREET

FIRST PUBLISHED IN 1 934

All nghts reserved

PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY
UNWIN BROTHERS LTD., WOKING

meeting some years ago when I was staying at the
Ramanathan College in Ceylon, has asked me to write
some prefatory words by way of introduction to English
readers. It does not seem to me to call for much in

that way. “Good wine needs no bush”; but even the
best of wines are apt to differ a little in their flavour, i-
Good philosophy, in like manner, is apt to carry a
certain flavour belonging to the country of its origin

and even to the particular school of thought to which
its author belongs. The present work professes to
be an exposition of the Saiva School of Hinduism;

and it seems to be an eminently clear

is mainly ethical ; and, though the ideas on which special
emphasis is laid may sometimes seem a little unfamiliar

lack of familiarity is an advantage rather than otherwise ;
just as most of us have found it an advantage to have
ethical ideas presented to us in ways that are specially

^ 1^4 Hr

ebrew, Greek, Latin, French, or
other foreign nationalities. I think it will be found that
this is eminently true with regard to the present book;

of course, it is specially desirable that English
readers should endeavour to gain some familiarity
with the modes of thought and expression that are
characteristic of those Eastern countries with which
our own has long been wound by very special ties.
I am certainly not acquainted with any book that seems

The Saiva School of Hinduism

to me to be better adapted to contribute to this desirable
end than the present one; and I beg to recommend
it very heartily to all who are interested in ethical
thought,, and especially in the ethical thought of India.

J. S. MACKENZIE

72 Downs Park East
Bristol

July 1933

PAGE

Tools of knowing — tools of desiring — tools of doing —
tools of regulation — the constituents of the physical
body — varying tools of living beings — other worlds and
beings — classification of the products of Maya

CHAPTER VII

PAGE

mams

THE SOUL 88

The conception of the soul — the attributes of the soul —
difference in souls — the activities of the soul — the
purpose of activity — the succession of births

CHAPTER VIII

ACTION (KARMA) IO i

Genesis of action — factors of action' — responsibility
and punishment — classification of action

CHAPTER IX

THE LAW OF ACTION (THE LAW OF KARMA) 1x4

The law — the method of operation — the time of opera-
tion— channels of operation- — the effects of the law on
life

CHAPTER X

THE GOAL

Liberation from Anava — liberation from Maya
liberation from Action — merging in Love of God

CHAPTER XI

THE PATH AND EXERCISES

The first section of the path — the second section — the
third section — exercises for the three sections

CHAPTER XII

AIDS TO RIGHT ACTION

The basis of right action— studies helpful to right action
—formation of right tastes and habits— extension of
principles -conquest of long-standing habits— control
of emotions — the company of the good and contempla-
tion of God-science and philosophy-self-sacrifice

CHAPTER XIII

THE LIFE OF RIGHT ACTION

The need for a definite programme of life— the infant
life— the student life— the householder’s life— the
forest-dweller’s life— the philanthropist’s life

CHAPTER XIV

EXERCISES OF THE SECOND SECTION

The value of the thought of God — forms for the con-
templation of God — method of contemplation — time of
contemplation — minor exercises

chapter xv

EXERCISES OF THE THIRD SECTION

The needs of the third section — the aid of the spiritual
teacher — the exercises of the first stage (Charya) — the
exercises of the second stage (Kriya) — the exercises of
the third stage (Yoga) — the exercises of the fourth
stage (Gnana)

APPENDIX a

IMAGES

APPENDIX b

MANTRAS

Observances of the first stage (Charya)

PAGE

164

172

l8l

I87

*****

is a g
e

its

reli

accept the

m me

The most important members
Saivaism, Vaishnavaism, and Shaktaism, whose addi

PMl#* 11 ****"* ■» MMb

derive their names from Siva, Vishnu, and Shakti.

their akinness, they differ widely in their
ceremonials.

largest number of followers both in
India and in Ceylon. In its orthodox form it is found in
South India, Ceylon, Kashmeer, and Nepal. Shaktaism
is concentrated in Beng al, the capital of which, Cal-
cutta, is named after Kali, a name of Shakti.

As regards the age of Saivaism, it is as difficult
discovery as the age of the multiplication table.
The Saiva religion as well as other philosophical
religions contains truths which are discovered from
time to time by men capable of finding them out*
The truths of Saivaism are discovered by SjyajGnanis,
who may appear xn this world at any time. But it
may be mentioned that reference is made to Saivaism

jp ********* # «» ‘WfW***^***^

and to the Sivagamas in the Mahabharata, which is

^ , r , ^ #•"» w* ^

believed to have been written in the sixth century B.C.I
There seems to be archaeological evidence to show

was Siva worship in the Indus v

. A*

thousand years ago* though there is nothing to show
that it was Agamic. Sir John Marshall, from the
examination of the statuettes* found in the ruins
of Mahenio-daro* and his colleague* Dr. Pran . Nath*
from the inscriptions.^ have, independent of each
other* arrived at the conclusion that Siva worship had
been prevalent there.

The chief characteristic of the religions of India is

the scientific basis of their philosophy and observances.

* -Hr Jb,

Each religion starts with facts obtained from experi-
ence* and proceeds to build up its philosophy. Of these*
Saivaism* or Saiva Siddhanta* as it is technically called*
is pre-eminently scientific* and the most modem
scientific theories of the West find their counterparts
in it. The postulate of the Saiva religion is the law of

universal causation, which is the very foundation of
Western science. Saivaism is able to accept biological
evolution, as it posits the evolution of the whole material

.... m, -i ***

universe and of the souls themselves. The Agamic

■ftjl) it) ■». K| . , KS

meaning of the word Maya.” is that which involves
and evolves* and that of a Linga*” the Saiva symbol of

'ft* m- ft

God* is that which causes involution and evolution.

* “Among the many revelations that Mahenjo-daro
and Harappa have had in store for us* none perhaps is more
remarkable than this discovery that Saivaism has a history
going back to the Chalcolithic age or perhaps even further
still* and that it takes its place as the most ancient living
faith in the world” {Mahenjo-daro and the Indus Civilization*
Preface* p. vii).

t “The cults of Siva and the mother-Goddess had
already been shown to be very old. It is interesting to find
them current as far back as 3000 B.c.” {The Scripts of the

IP* ' 1 yy f v *** **

Indus Valley Seals* p. 25).

n the region

«»***#"*

g as mere

*4, iw **“

• *1 * *$ "8 if*"! ^ . 'll . H

as something which deserves kmd^and sympathetic
treatment instead of abhorrence or hatred. In psy-
dToIogy, Saivaism has no place for faculties, but

0«/ ^ ^ * lisKAft** *** i, ®m*s£s» *

divides mental activities into cognition

volition (Ahankara), and apprehension (Manas). Com-

# # * ** -* ®
ing to physics, it regards substances only as aggregates

of qualities, and derives all mental and material

JL vnip mm ^ *♦

products alike from the same three qualities, sentience,

*®* *** ^*'**#^*^

motion, and inertness, thus making mind and matter
at bottom the same. Its conception of God is that of
a Supreme Being which, far from being anthropo-
morphic or meddling with the universe from time to
time, causes the evolution and the involution of the
universe by means of agencies* in the universe itself,
resembling in this respect the motion of the wheels and
hands of a watch that had been wound. Religion is
not regarded as an external authority based on revela-

** S»w»lw Mfe** '#**%*

tions, but as an urge in living beings which leads them
to their ultimate goal of perfection.

The word “religion” is used in this book as the
equivalent of the word “Samaya,” which literally means

Wl" 'TFpt

that which leads to union. In feet, almost all theistic

religions profess to take their followers to God. Religion
must therefore be a power, and not a lifeless bundle

j* m » - * *

of doctrines and practices to be accepted or rejected

according to the tastes of the follower, Saivaism

* Like K&la and Niyati (see p. 8 i)j wherever mention is
made in this book of God’s Love doing anything, it is as
the ultimate agent and not as the immediate cause.

induism

regards the Love of God as religion itself, because it
alone has the power to take a soul to God. The word

“religion/’ however, is commonly used in the sense
of “Mata,” i.e. doctrines. But mere doctrines are

not

consequence to the evolution of the soul

•tf <1 -a *«#* ««• tatw ' w

the ultimate goal is as untenable as the belie f of the
bigot that his religion alone can take a soul to God,
since it is the capacity of the soul that counts and not

The authoritative works on Saivaism are the twenty-
eight Sivagamas. which are all in Sanskrit. The truths

contained in these books are believed to have come

by spiritual illumination,
meaning so abstruse that

The style

******** «** ** ** *■*

is so terse and the meaning so abstruse that the philo-
sophical portions of these works could not be under-
stood without extensive commentaries. A chapter*
of the Raurava Agama called Siva Gnana Bodham*

J!U tu^c «t» *4 m i .. ,

and consisting of twelve couplets^ saicTto have” beSn
revealed to the great Saiva saint. Nandi as the essence
of the Agamas, was translated into Tamil in the twelfth

.AiHL. < k» foM^'**** 4 j i I .iM.

-g nSr^sf *11 *1 tI “9 * *

century by Meikandar, who also added to it a com-

V-*. , , , „ . , *

mentary. This was expanded by his disciple Arulnandi

* jgf t JF $ !*Vk,( U j* I

in his Siva Gnana Siddhiar. Siva Gnana Munivar*
a great scholar who lived in the latter part of the
seventeenth, century, wrote an extensive commentary

r jr* *

on Siva Gnana Bodham* which covers ji*CjXiX3»
pages of folio in print. He and four others have written
commentaries on Siva Gnana Sidd h iar.

in me

Siva Gnana

— «h» ■**

Bodham and Siva Gnana Siddhiar. The Agamic
method of proceeding from facts of experience* to
general principles has been followed here as much as
possible. The philosophical part of Saivaism has found
very little place in this book 3 as the purpose of this
is to present

has a direct bearing on daily life. An important
omission is the exposition of the various theories
regarding the relationship between God and soul,
as to whether they are one or two or neither.

The first chapter of this book deals with Mata,

Ac * ^

and the second with Samaya. The third gives an outline
of Saivaisnx and is followed by seven chapters which
give a more detailed account of it. The Law of Karma
is often grossly, misinterpreted, and ah attempt is,
therefore, made in the nipth_£hapter to do justice to
it. Chapters eleven to fifteen are devoted to the practical
side of religion. Of these 3 the eleventh chapter divides
people mto. three dasses according to their tendencies
to do wrong, to do right, and to transcend the distinc-
tion of right and wrong. Chapters twelve to fourteen

* ?w '*'**W ►*•“**** *’ ^

deal with„aids, to those of the second class. Those who
belong to the third class are the real Saivites, whose

* In Saiva philosophy* experience includes yoglc vision
obtained by spiritual illumination^ which may be regarded
as a high type of intuition.

j Jfc#

The Saiva School of Hinduism

vances are given in the last chapter. Certain
details., relating to worship* which ought to appear in
the last two chapters* are taken away from them and
given as appendices* since they are not likely to interest
non-Saivite readers.

The conventional nature of religions — the claim
of religions — the falsity of the claim — the failure
of religions — the value of religions- — the reform of

religions

The Conventional Nature of Religions

There was a time when religion* in the sense of a
creed, held undisputed sway over its followers*
permeated their whole lives* and was all in all to

them.

It was the mother of all institutions. The powers

of the king, the laws of the land, marital and family
ties, and social organization derived their sanction
from religion. The head of the State bowed to the
will of the head of the Church; emperors stood on
bended knees before the Pope; and Vishnu, the

*4l

protector of the Devas, is said to have stood trembling:
before the half-naked beggar sage, Dadeechi. Men
braved death with ecstatic joy for the sake of religion.
No thing was prized so highly as religion. This was

because the body was regarded merely as the abode
of the soul, as something of no intrinsic value, and

The soul was considered to be

and

as valuable to the soul
as air and food are to the body. Religion gave sustenance
and strength to the soul, and illumined it. This was
when there was a single religion in a country
a rival. But when other religions came with a sim
claim to divine origin, but with more acceptable views

and impinged on it, it ceased to be supreme a
glory became a thing of the past

g 1X71 ncr lifp clrpnir
a V JTJLgj JLJULG^ O LJL CJugj

to receive them from him. Human irauty worKeo. on
it and gave it a tragic expression. It often assumed a
militant spirit and brought in its train all the ignoble
concomitants

instead of love and peace, contempt and distrust

corrup-
tion instead of sincerity and honesty. The awakening
of this spirit had had its repercussions on its internal
working. Its benign influence was smothered and its
power for good became negligibly small. Several other
circumstances* both internal and external* such as
formalism and commercialism* scientific scepticism
and materialistic tendencies have also been at work
sapping its vitality. Now it serves only as a label to
mark out people* and that for no very good purpose.
It has lost its claim to the name and retains it only by
common consent. It has therefore become almost
conventional. It is useful to find out how it met this

* The advent of Christianity* for instance* was a death-
blow to Druidism in Britain.

***«« •* wiWMs*. «MMt

observances^ and make extravagant claims regarding

-u «•*»

them. The authorship is attributed either to God or
to a godly being. The doctrines relate to the self,
the universe in which it is placed, its goal, and its
master if any. The observances include forms of
worship and rules of conduct. It is claimed by alm ost
all religions that the doctrines are final and infallible
truths, and that the observances lead to the highest
conceivable happiness. The infallibility of the teachings
and the effects of the observances are guaranteed by
their divine origin. Few followers of a religion en-
deavour to examine the validity of these claims. The
belief in them is instilled in childhood along with
unquestioning love for it. This is strengthened by the
faith displayed by other members of the community
and is fed by the love implanted along with it. It
becomes crystallized and its validity seems to be no
more doubted than that of mathematical truths.

The Falsity of the Claim

The belief in these claims has thus no substantial
foundation, and the whole superstructure crumbles

* A

down under the impact of demonstrable truths. Those
who do not by birth belong to a particular religion
and have therefore not been inoculated with a belief

in it are unable to accept its claims. In order to silence

the doubts felt by such strangers

inquirers, an

attempt is made to raise religion to the level of a mystic

philosophy, which is supposed to transcend not
science but also the method of scientific approach.

JL X

A comparative study of any two religions is enough
to make us see more clearly the intolerable nature
the claim for infallibility. Religions contradict one
another on vital points. One religion says there is only
one God, another says there are many,

✓ nj ft/

says there is none. Again, one religion says that souls
exist but have only one birth each, another says that
souls undergo several births. These inconsistent

cannot all be truths, at least final truths
Similarly, observances prescribed by different religions
are diametrically opposed to one another

religions enjoin worship of idols; and some, of images;
and others condemn the worship of both. Some insist
on feasts on sacred days, others prohibit them
insist on fasts. Some divorce life from religion, others
make it part of it. We know that of a number
inconsistent statements for any given purpose, all
are false except one, and in some cases all are false
without exception.

The priests and preachers of religions have admitted
the fallibility of their religions in practice if not in
theory. In this, like their religions, they occupy a

* The following are truths but not final truths: (i) the
body is real, (2) the soul is real and has one birth, (3) the
soul is real and has many births. These become false only
when the reality of other things is denied.

fundamental doctrines of their religions., and have
adopted fresh ones. There are Christian divines who,
on account of the assaults of science., have given up
long-cherished articles of the original creed, such as
the Virgin Birth, the Resurrection, and the Atonement.
They no longer regard the Gospels as trustworthy
documents and have attempted to reconstruct the
life of Jesus. Even the Roman Catholic Church, in
spite of its greater orthodoxy, has entertained the idea
of dethroning the Old Testament. The Vedic religion
had flesh-eating thrust on it by the Shakta commen-
tators of the Vedas, as has been shown conclusive!)
by Swamy Dayanand. It accepted Buddha as an
avathar of Vishnu in order to swallow Buddhism.
Buddhism, in turn, took over the gods of the Vedic
religion to catch the imagination of its followers.
Such conduct on the part of the apostles of the various
religions shows that their claim to infallibility is merely
a pretence maintained for the sake of the effect that
the theory of a divine origin undoubtedly has on the
unreasoning crowd. The relinquishing of this claim
would be followed by the relinquishing of the claim
of divine origin.

If this is the true nature of their doctrines, their
rituals and observances stand on still more insecure
foundations. Of the observances, only some are re-
ligious; the others are really social. Regarding the
social observances, opinion is divided as to whether
they are an integral part of religion or only an 8L(lji
of it. Those who regard them as part of religion

•tmr

The Saiva School of Hinduism

endeavour to follow them with varying degrees of
success, while others set no special value on them
and make no effort to adhere to them. But there was
a time when religious ceremonies were carefully
performed. The belief in their divine origin, coupled
with the hope of reward or the fear of punishment,
compelled adherence. Besides, the priest as the
most learned man in the locality and as the intermediary
between God and man commanded the highest
respect. His influence also made itself felt in the
observance of religious exercises. So these exercises
became almost part of the custom of the community
that professed them, and the thought of giving them
up would not ordinarily occur to any one. But the
earnestness and zeal with which these were observed
depended upon the capacity and the character of indi-
viduals. Most people began with earnestness and
devotion, but when the charm of novelty passed away
the concomitant mental activity subsided and the
exercise became automatic and almost meaningless.
A few exceptional souls were earnest to the very end,
led saintly lives, and enriched their religion by their
precepts and practices. But, on the whole, religious
exercises have always tended to be rather nominal and
unreal. Just now, even this nominal observance is
fast disappearing. Home life is different from what it
was at one time. Parents seldom exercise any influence
over their children. They are themselves not devoted
to religious exercises. Life has become complex.
Man has harder work to do and more problems to
solve, and therefore has not sufficient leisure to think

have diminished their claims to sanctity and the zeal
of their adherents. Besides* these practices give no
tangible results and do not therefore obtain precedence
in daily life over the task of earning a livelihood or
over pursuits which are more pleasant. The ordinary
man selects a few, exercises for observance* and
fancies that he follows the religion. These exercises
are generally of little value* and serve more as the
outward distinguishing marks of his religion than as
spiritual discipline and aids to devotion.

Thus the inner life which is the essence of religion
has ceased to-day to have any value* if it has not* in
fact* been completely forgotten by its nominal followers.

i lur e

e ngtons

religions may be attributed to three
causes : {a) faulty doctrine as to origin* (b) structural
defects* and (c) wrong methods of initiation.

Several religions have grown out of the childish
speculations of primitive peoples* their unsound
inferences* and their natural yearning for the discovery
of some superior being who can help and protect
them in their troubles and sorrows. The human mind\
seeks the cause of every unusual phenomenon that '
comes under its observation. In the absence of sufficient

;e, supernatural powers were in the early
days attributed to natural phenomena. Thunder and
hghtning, rain and storm, were regarded as superior
powers on account of their mightiness, andT became the

2 <

e Saiva School

^ •***>«„ +** ^ ^ V

and Venus, were regarded as gods on account of their
light-giving

** «*f iff q imay>

and cholera

were frightful and were believed to spare the people
only if they were worshipped. Certain trees and rocks

*** 44***

associated with some arresting incident came to be
regarded as the abodes of divine beings. Ancestor-
worship and hero-worship grew but 6F reverence and
esteem. Religions of this type are not worth con-
sidering. The origin of religions like Saivaism and

Y * % * *d -t «#f « <*, * ^f^wsa. «* t ** , * < *® w * w *' m ^

Judaism is shrouded m mystery, and it is impossible
now to trace the failure of these religions back to their
source. The younger religions seem to owe their

power. Snakes and crocodiles, small-pox

.... AUk ... -i* ■ --J -.ud..ro P* M4^ar>A L » . i ■ ■

«» w u Uf #“**

««. **««**<?

<« • » A

were invested with divinity because they

origin to certain men who received higher knowledge.
\Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad are supposed to have
'received such knowledge.

But it may be assumed that they could not have
communicated to their disciples all the knowledge
they had received. For certain forms of knowledge
based on direct experience are not communicable,
such as the taste of sugar, the sweetness of divine
contemplation, and the capacity to see God in all
things. Even of those that could have been communi-
cated, their disciples could have received only what was
within the capacity of their intellect to understand
or their nature to appreciate. Knowledge useful only
to a few cannot be good enough for a large number,
and may not therefore serve the purpose of a national
or a universal religion. Even if all the knowledge
gained had been transmitted, it would not by itself

have been enough for the needs of the religion. Religion
is not a matter of mere knowledge. It relates to life as
a whole and must be able to influence every department

comprehensive scheme and definite means of leadin

said to

practical life* no religion can be satisfactory or really
successful.

The second cause of failure is the defect in the

structure of religions. Every religion must have a
more or less philosophical basis. It must give an answer
to questions such as the following: Is the world real
or unreal? Is a man the mere body or something
higher than that? Is there a purpose in his life* has
he a goal to reach* or is life left to chance? If there is

a goal* what is it? Is man the sole factor in the attain-
ment of the goal or is he guided and controlled by a
superior being? Answers to these and similar questions
will form the foundation of a religion and may
called its philosophy. If the religion holds out a goal,
it must give an account of the path to the goal and the
means of reaching it.

The elements of a religion are thus fourfold, and
if they are fully worked out and co-ordinated, its
structure may be said to be satisfactory. But few
religions possess such a scientific structure.

Lr Jw

religion may have an unsatisfactory theory but a lofty
goal. Another may present a clear-cut path but prescribe
inadequate means. Such religions are not workable and
fail to be of use to their followers.

The third cause of the failure of religions is the wrong
method of initiation. The general rule is that children
automatically become followers of the religion to which
their parents belonged. Here the question of suitability
or of utility never enters. A saintly father may have a
vicious son who follows his father’s religion. If it
suits one, it cannot suit the other. A religion which
demands great self-sacrifice cannot be followed by one
whose intellectual equipment is poor and power
of self-control weak. It cannot be said that the father
and son were bom with the same degree of intelligence
and the same amount of self-control. The inequality
of men even at birth cannot be questioned. Therefore
the religion of the father adopted by the son must
end in failure.

Besides, each stage of civilization demands an
appropriate development in the religions of the
people. A religion which rules by threats and punish-
ments cannot remain long in a country where know-
ledge and freedom have their sway. Then the religion
becomes as useless to parents as to their children and
proves to be practically lifeless.

The second method of adoption is that of being
converted to a religion. Few people, however, are
converted to a new religion by conviction. Before a

man oritrAQ 1111 T110 i*a 1 i cyi rvn nti OTAiitirl 1 h a

XJlJlciLXlL V 4 JI 1U.D JLi.iL o* Li jL IdUuSL ILJ. ILJLX^mLIL JLJLw

is convinced of its errors, he must have had a thorough
and accurate knowledge of it. But even the humblest
religion has a field of knowledge, too wide for the
average man to master. Besides, he requires extensive
knowledge of the physical, mental, moral, and social

accept the new one instead. Such extensive knowledge
of the two religions and of the sciences can be acquired
by very few persons. Therefore* conversion by convic-
tion* which is the only right course* is next to impossible.
Conversion can therefore be made mainly by wrong
methods such as trading on ignorance* appealing to
human weakness* and the offer of temporal advantages.
Men converted in this way cannot be said to have
accepted the new religion on the ground of accept-
ability or of the spiritual value in it.

The Value of Religions

There are religions in an undeveloped state like Loka-
yata (sensualism) which have been serving the evil
propensities of their followers by upholding loose
morals. But the religions of the more advanced peoples
have, as a rule, been able to do good. They present the
ideal of an all-loving God or of men on the threshold
of godliness. The contemplation of these ideals is
open to most of the followers of a religion and tends
to counteract evil tendencies and to strengthen the
good. The practices enjoined by such religions also
serve to exalt the mind, and their rules of conduct
give knowledge of right and wrong. But we know
there is a vast gulf between mere knowing and realizing,
and between realizing and doing. Knowledge is only a

realization* of truth, and action are ends* and if these
are not attained little progress is made.

Another advantage of a religion is that it produces
uniformity in the habits and customs of its followers
and brings about unity among them. It serves to

social aspect of life.

But the unity in a particular religion has often
caused disunion in the larger unit of the nation itself.
The followers of some religions have taken up the
position of distinct political units and created jealousies
and factions in the State. Men have been led to think

of their religion as they thought of their country*

and have endeavoured to increase the number of its
adherents as they would extend the territorial limits
of their country. Some men have been even more
loyal to their religion and ready to sacrifice their
country’s interests for the sake of their religion. Wars
have been fought in Europe on the basis of religion.
Under the impulse of fanaticism* people have gone so
far as to think that men of other religions had no
right to live in the world created by their own God*
and inhumanly to massacre the so-called infidels ;
or to think that those who belonged to other religions
were doomed to eternal damnation* and to use all
means* fair and foul* to save them from hell-fire by

* The realization of a truth compels action. Mere know-
ledge does not. Several people know that all men are essen-
tially divine, but do not translate the knowledge into action
in their dealings with others. But those who have realized
the truth act up to it.

* «

We have seen that very few follow a religion on
grounds of suitability; many of those who appear to
follow a religion do not really belong to
For the sake of a mere name, atrocities are committed,
and persecutions are carried out without a moment* s
thought. Those who run amok in the name of religion
are usually those who are most indifferent to

social and religious obligations enjoined on them.
Their conduct is due partly to ignorance and blind
zeal; but it is also due in part to the decay that has
set in in most religions to-day.

The Reform of Religions

If religious institutions are to last long and be really
useful, they ought to strengthen their weak points
and undergo such modifications as will create inter-
religious harmony and good will. Each religion must
clearly define its scope and purpose and pe rfect its -
fourfold elanents-JProselytizing must cease. The public

must regard it as a crime against humanity and the

State and society must penalize it.

religious institutions may
undergo, they can never become the real religion.

The real religion i s dynamic. It must be able to uplift

, . ... . 1 . . ”
a soul and ultimately unite it with God. The religions

that we know of have nolifeTno driving force. They are

Kmr

and decay* One emperor comes

and wipes it out. The very lives of

The real religion instead
Be _ a,, creator. It must susi

of being
dn the i

a creature must

*** rXW^Iw 4^. Viitu to

being sustained by them. It must be

control us 3 and give us
will deal with it.

next chapter

The existence of Real Religion — its characteristics —
its functions — its relation to conventional religions
— its fourfold knowledge — the agents of religion —

the Saiva view of religion

xistence v

Real religion is

Clir*

* *

which lies behind such phrases

«*&****»/ JiMrt, «,r

iousTexperiences are not understood to have reference

are experi

ences containing an invariable factor, religion,
account of which they are so named. Most of us have
religious experiences. There have been
in our lives when we thought more o
others than of our own, when we had real sympathy
for others, an
serene joy, “a joyless joy.”* This is religious experi-
ence of the ordinary type. Of a higher order is the

thoughts, quite unconscious, for the time being, of
his very existence in this world. This man has no
thought of his body or his worldly possessions. Sacri-
ficing any of these for the sake of others is therefore
a matter of no consequence to him. So he is all good-
and has almost transcended even the ordinary

Joy without excitement,

mfmJr

* *

wrong.

e occasional desire even in a hardened criminal to
help one in distress. The outstanding common factor
of all these experiences is goodness. A religious man,
again, is not a partisan of any one religion, but one who
views life as an occasion to extend his love for others
and to efface himself as much as possible; in short,
he is one who is good.

Thus religion manifests its presence in goodness,
whether it be in “religious experience 35 or in “religious
men . 55 It must therefore be a cause of goodness. An
invariable concomitant of goodness is truth. It is
only the person who is in possession of truth that can
really be good. The man who knows the truth knows
that he is not a mere individual, that he is not even a
mere member of society, that the soul of souls
is_jGod, and he is therefore essentially divine. He

*•*»* s&wtmjxvf ww ^ m ™ ***

will not therefore do what he would if he had thought
of himself as an individual pitted against ot herindi-
viduals. He will not set any value on pleasure or

iFWtwfirtWr t*? <t wm# *»*

possessions. He is
in tune with the infinite, and is therefore good.
Possession of basic truths is thus essential to absolute
goodness. Again, wherever there are goodness and
truth there are peace and harmony, which form

'T*?********

bliss. So wherever there is goodness, there are truth
and bliss. Religion thus manifests itself in three

forms, goodness, truth, and bliss, which are really
its effects. Saivaism calls these Sat*-chit~ananda.

% fSMw **> w til tow**® qum. * *■

* Literally Sat means that which lasts for ever; and
goodness is everlasting.

in various countries

# m

H V

human race. Again, as
and the subhuman
is universal in man
also. As even the most saintly man has the urge to go
higher, there is no limit at which the urge stops.

The objective of

e may therefore define religion as the inward power
which urges all living beings to strive to reach higher

l perfection. As

it produces perfect goodness, it
greater than that. Acting on different kinds of people
the urge produces different degrees of goodness.
These degrees are the goals of different religions in
the conventional sense. Of these we shall
later.

We have posited that the religious urge is universal,
question arises. Why is it so conspicuous by its
absence in our ordinary lives ? In some persons it makes
its appearance after long intervals. It has to be found
out whether it leaves a person when it ceases to
manifest itself, or stays permanently in him but without
being recognized by any one. If it is a force that comes
and goes, it will not go of itself, as its purpose is to do

The Saiva Schoo,

good ; and it has to be assumed
power to put it in and take it out in special circum-
stances. A power greater than religion would not
play with it in an aimless and inconstant manner,

JL J *

as even humble beings like ourselves work

, . - -sr — - * r ... t

definite aims. Besides, it must be more beneficent and

” *****?* quuMMsW »•

would not therefore take away from us an influence
that does us endless good. The urge must therefore

v* 1 ** ^ * amnia ^ i» ft **' ^ ♦ A| *9

exist m all hvmg beings, work incessantly on them,
and lead them along the path towards-perfection

e Functions of Religion

The chief functions of this urge which induces evolu-
non are twofold, the pursuit of ideals and the pr&Ter-

****** t * rnrtlLt W£5

former is the ultimate aim and the
to it, as without life no kind of

vation

Mui******^ H , ^ *****

activity would be possible. Therefore every effort

AW MMUHA A WtM fcAAUUf *>«W ’** SNto+frWHu

made by a living being to procure

to se

easure is

urge,

It may be asked whether what are called wrong acts
also are caused by this urge. The answer is, yes.
Wrong acts are those that do not reach the fixed
standard. Wrong acts differ from right acts only as
failure in an examination differs from passing it. A
pass is obtained if a certain standard is reached.
Failure results in not reaching the standard. A right

certain standard of knowledge.
If the standard is not reached

act requires reaching a
desire, and self-control,
the act is wrong. The
reached all of a sudden.

required standard cannot be
It has to be reached gradually.

right ones. No child can learn to walk without a.
number of falls. Falling is a necessary evil. As falling

is faikng to walk, every
of the cnild losing the

to be a case *
it has attained to wa

adjustment of some set of muscles
proves to be an occasion for gaining
Similarly every wrong act of ours
us realize its evil consequences,

joints and
in walking.

us* makes
tendency to

Wrongdoing is therefore a step towards the goal.
Just as if the child were able to walk without a
fall it would be all the better* so if a man could
avoid wrongdoing it would be desirable; but it is
impossible.

Not only the microcosm but the macrocosm also
would appear to come under its sway. After the world
had been formed and living beings sprang up* evolution
seems to have been working for a purpose. One side
of the purpose is the attainment of knowledge. The
senses came one after another as means of giving
knowledge by direct observation. Finally came the
higher intellect of an Einstein and of those men whose
vision was probably even keener than Einstein’s*
and produced* perhaps* far subtler theories* which
have not reached the scientific world. If evolution!

had been directed only towards physical efficiencyj
no special purpose could be attributed. But its pursuit
of the means of attaining knowledge shows that it is

^^MM*#***^ ^ M ^ V4 u3 (pfM irtPW

•nrgp

% | u i_ Huta^

"^Jlu V**-** 1 **■

Evolution has been wot

WW*»«W* to.

**“*'!!< *»**»« «nt » t , , , f , u „ *¥ ’*

ik> **" in imbuing

ftUtWMntflMM ■<*** Wt*ttlliW«t*l mlum*M,titf jpt ta4 '•“!«*« *» Wu« m **»* MM)#*

too. it IS

m * # — ’ — ’""' — . -

man who is good rejoices even when he undergoes

physical suffering. The thief's mind is not altogether
happy even when he derives comforts and pleasure
out of the wealth acquired by theft. The joy of the bad

V J

man causes bodily excitement and consequent depres-
sion., and is hardly ever steady or lasting. His joy is
really pain compared to the joy of the saint. Besides*
might is giving place to right. The enslaving of
individuals is disappearing. The practice of enslaving
nations is on the decline. Even animals are receiving
fair treatment. There are recent phases in the evolution
of man which tend to make the world good* pointing

****'''"*'•** ^■».mw n« <w*W

to the goal of goodness* truth* and bliss.

0*1 t • 1 • t-Tu « « «

hocial, evolution also marches m the same direction.

The individual sacrifices his interests for the welfare
of the group* which* in turn* sacrifices itself for the
whole society. Selfless co-operation is gaining ground

^ _A „ ~~ ,*,»«»* V< KkA-+- m ^

and will eventually dominate the world. This will

be the .basis of universal goodness* which appears to

*•*“ — «*-** ^

be the very goal of evolution. If we admit this* we must
postulate some factor or power that causes this purpose-
ful evolution of the universe towards goodness. This
power must be an all-pervading one and can be
identified with the power which we call religion.
The third function of the power is thus the evolution
of the universe as a whole.

We referred to

raises different souls and stated that these heights

« ^ ^

might be^caired religions in the conventional sense.

^pi ' +<» ». V, ■** pK »** l *^*’* s **•

These heights are really the heights of truth, goodness*

***%» <XB Klf

and bliss attained by souls* and will have to be measured
in terms of one of these. Smce we have no means
of accurately measuring goodness or bliss* we have to
make the division on the basis of the amount

JK *»* W <i l mv Hr

truths that "come within the purview of a ^w« & ,

may be singled out as a convenient
basis of division. Certain living beings are incapable
of cognizing themselves and have no knowledge of
themselves. Some animals and human beings identify
themselves with their ~ individuality. The religion of
these may be called Egoism. There are some men who

f ,^>T „ »t ***, ihHUMw,

identify themselves with other men, and who may be
called Altruists. Some transcend all these and find a
unity in the whole universe. These may be called
Universalists. These divisions may be further sub-
divided. An Egoist, for example, may identify himself
with the body and the senses, or with the intellect,
or with the empirical ego, and so on. Thus, though
religion itself cannot be divided into segments, its
effects on living beings may be classified and shown to
correspond to some of the prevailing religions. Since
these effects depend upon the state of the individuals,

The Saiva School of Hinduism

they are the measure of the state of these individuals*
and a gradation of these effects becomes a means of
classifying individuals into sections., each of which may
be called a religion in the conventional sense.*

ts Fourfold Knowledge

We must now see how religion takes the souls through

mm t m wnW

various sections of the path one after another,

^ L wai-aB. •u# m «« ***jj|“ ^ *t ^ ^ J~„h w mmx&i * ** W!6| l£s»

The evolution of the individual requires first of all

e preservation of life* and secondly the pursuit of

w ,« rtt itmtuuro, mm at** M WlWW t W *' •** ‘^ttn-awtSssam

ideals /These ideals are milestones in the path of

* * W. xm****» **

evolution. Every individual stands somewhere among
these milestones and strives to reach the next which*
the time being* is his goal. Religion is directly

individual to his chosen
goal. For this* it must provide him with the knowledge
of himself and of his condition* of the goal to be reached*
of the path to the goal* and of the means of reaching
the goal.

As regards himself* a man must know what
essentially is* whether he is the body* the senses* or
the intellect* or a compound of these* of - something

^ i rr « .Mi*i> stum* ** G?

different from these. If he is different from them, he
has to know the essential nature of all these* of his
desires and actions* and of the material universe*
and whether this universe is a fortuitous concourse

* As the sections are successive* the conventional religions
corresponding to them must be successive. One of them
leads to another. Therefore it is wrong to suppose that they
are different paths to the ultimate goal.

of the self, the actions of the self, the material
universe’in which the self is placed, and the Supreme

“ His goal win depend largely on his view of the self.
If he thinks that he is the body* he is a Lokayata
(sensualist), and his goal is sense-pleasure. If he

to m ^WnaiUBkBBSVt, Wf ^astatWfcrttwHMU'^ *rawrw*JH4M|*p

identifies himself with the intellect, he is an intellec-
tualist, and his goal is intellectual enlightenment. If

^ ^ W - ^ **" <W» rt «wc tow

he goes higher he finds himself to be a bundle of Gunau
(character), and his goal is the perfection of character.

The path to the goal consists of the various steps
that lead to it, and the means are the vehicles that take
one through the steps. The path of the Lokayg

° X XT

(sensualist) is luxurious food, drink, etc., and the means
^ *

any method of getting them whether just or unjust.
The intellectualist pays no regard to sense-pleasures
becauseTie has passed that stage. His path begins with

^^a.**^**^ *■ » *> **- * ***'** <**

the acquisition of gross or superficial knowledge.
Then he attains deeper and deeper knowledge, and
finally that of the true nature of the things that concern
him; and the means of attaining this are purity of

life, study, introspection, contemplation, and the

**“*--* •**»-*£

application of knowledge to real life. The path of the
Gunaist or ascetic consists of the successive subjuga-
tion of wrongness and dullness, futile activity, and
calm serene activity. It may be asked why the last

m m iJ

one should be subjugated. Though it is calm and

MW1E *tow3»w«siat

which have no lasting value. Thus ereryman. requires

r*-*". on j*

a fourfold knowledge for ms

JMAMW4WT.HMV WWflK *«v>W**W

is either by intuition or by external know

( ’***&)lt*

.Mb******** W “ 6 ^*

**«*+*!W ■><*■**,*„ M«l%nU<WfM«fc' W *K MM*TO

Tedge. All the conventional religions owe their existence

«S«# <* * Mf « * 1** *

to knowledge supplied by the genuine religious expert-
ence of their founders, and if people follow or profess
these religions, it is part of the scheme of the evolution
of human beings.

Agents of Religio

There is no fear of religion failing to give a person the
knowledge he needs for his onward march to the goal.
Religion is ever vigilant, knows the real knowledge

** '**”• ***** hmm <***•*'

with which to feed one at a given time, and does its
work thoroughly. It is an omniscient, almighty, and
all-loving power, and can do its work infinitely better
than any of our so-called religious teachers. The latter
need not therefore rack their brains over the salvation
of other human beings. If they will follow the lead of
religion for their own salvation, that is the best they
can do in this world. On the other hand, it is very
foolish for a person to imagine that he is the agent
for the salvation of men and that but for him whole
nations would be ^oomedjo hell. These men set an
unreasonably high value on the conventional religion
that has, by the accident of birth or through other
circumstances, claimed them as its own. But there
is nothing wholly wrong even in them, as this way
of thinking is inevitable at their stage of evolution.

guides the universe* of which this earth is only a

^ m l»k ib Mk ft*

particle of dust and we human beings the same fraction
of the earth as it is of the universe. If they can serve
religion with humility and help their brethren without

arrogating to themselves the function of that supreme
Power* they will do themselves and others positive
good.

#Tpf 7

1 n e

tv a View of Religio

.eal Religion is called by Saivites the power of

God (oiva Shakti). This idea is set forth in the second

***** *»*+>*• ^ ^

couplet of Thiruvarulpayan of Umapatishivam : “The
Shakti of God works for the upliftment of all souls
to the condition of God Himself.” She, our mother,'
knows what we need more than our~ earthly mother.
All the conventional religions may perish, but She never
perishes. Manickavachakar addresses God thus: “Only
when the thought comes to the mother does she feed
her child. But you feed us spontaneously, feel for us
much more. You melt our hearts and give us goodness.
You illumine the spirit and reveal the truths; you
pour into us the sweet honey of bliss which knows
no end. You envelop us all round. You are our real
wealth. You are Siva and Lord. I pursued you and have
caught you unawares. How can you now get out of
my grasp?” He praises here the Love of God, which is
the Real Religion.

Having shown what Real Religion is, I propose to

“ V

give

supp
(the
Sain'
a del

Postulates of Religion — God — the soul — Maya —
Anav a— action — path — exercises — -goal

Postulates of Re

Every science is based on some postulate or postulates

f*'

The postulate of Saiva philosophy is “Somethin)

become nothing.”

something and nothing are incompatibles, the truth

a postulate. The reason is that there are philosophies
which make the universe itself an illusion and which
do not admit the reality of anything physical or mental;
and there are others which admit the reality of the
material universe, but maintain creation ex nihilo.
The existence of such philosophies necessitates the
enunciation of the postulate and the explanation of

disappearance of water by evaporation
electrolysis and the appearance of dew-drops on leaves
lead an ignorant man to the belief that something
can become nothing and something can
nothing. Similarly, the involution and evolution of
the universe may be taken even by better informed
people to be an instance of something becoming nothing
and coming from nothing. To understand the involu-

tion and evolution of the universe, it is enough to
understand the processes of the evaporation and
electrolysis of water. We know that, in neither case,
has water become nothing, but that it has turned into
vapour in the one case, and into hydrogen and oxygen
in the other. In both cases, what really happens is
only a change of relationship between the particles that

go to make up the water. When it becomes vapour,
the distance between the particles increases ; and when
it splits into gases, the atoms that form the water
molecules form molecules of their own. This is true
of every kind of change in the universe. When the
universe undergoes involution and evolution, the
relationship between the particles in it undergoes
change, but things neither disappear altogether nor

Since change takes place only in the relationship
of the components of a substance, it follows that
whatever has no components cannot undergo change.
According to the old view of chemistry, an atom was
indivisible and would not therefore
undergo change. But recent discoveries have shown
that an atom has components. In the years to come,
even these may be resolved into more minute compo-
nents. It is safe to assume that a point can be reached
beyond which there can be no further analysis. The
component or components obtained by such ultimate
analysis cannot have any further components and will
not therefore be subject to any change. This leads us
to the principle “that whatever is further unanalysable

in them* they have always been and will always be
what they are. That is* they are eternal. This gives us
the second corollary of the postulate.

When a thing changes or becomes another, it does
so under the action of a force that produces the change
in the relationship of its components. These forces
also are governed by the postulate and cannot become
nothing or come from nothing. Saiva philosophy
postulates the existence of the material cause and of

the efficient cause of every phenomenon and is there-
fore essentially deterministic. The fundamental prin-
ciples of this philosophy are derived from its postulate
and the corollaries. We shall now consider what it
has posited as the ultimate realities and the relation-
ships between them.

We may start with the assumption that the universe
has been undergoing evolution. In the course of this
evolution, living beings have been variously adapting
themselves to varying environments. There must be
a power in them which makes this variation possible.
Again, the varying nature of the adaptation shows
that the power is not mechanical, but intelligent.
This power we have called “Religion” in the last
chapter. It must be possessed by some intelligent
being. This Being is usually called God. Since He leads
all souls to perfection He must be an all-loving Being.

‘ t/

the soul with certain adjuncts and another man with
other adjuncts, the two men use the same word to
denote two different things and cannot find means of
agreement. The right course is to use the word to
denote the essence of a living being, divested of all its
adjuncts. It then becomes a simple thing that cannot
be analysed any further.

Since living beings are numberless, souls also are
numberless. We see that a living being knows, desires,
and does. Therefore the soul must have the ability to

know, to desire, and to do. But we see that the know-
ledge of a living being, say a man, changes. This
change must be due to the change in the quantity of

being, it cannot undergo change (corollary i). There-
fore the energy of knowing is not a characteristic of
the soul. Besides, if it belonged to the soul, it would be
definite in quality and strength or degree and could
never change. But we see that it does change. Therefore
the power or the energy is not the soul’s and must be
supplied to it by something else. Just as an engine

living being also changes both in degree and in kind.

Therefore the power of desiring cannot be the soul’s.
It can similarly be shown that the power of doing also
is not the soul’s. So, we see that the soul has the ability

to know, to desire

, but

activities. The energy must

• * *

power necessary
therefore be supplied to it by something else

(B#’

Vw,

**<*«*■

which supplies the energy to the soul is called
. It supplies not only the

energrv nut also
necessary for using the energy, namely, the physical
and the mental powers. It also gives the embodied
soul a world to live in and things in the world to enjoy.
All the worlds are products of Maya. These worlds
are constantly undergoing change and are either in
process of formation or in process of disintegration.
In other words, they are evolving or involving. The
word Maya itself means that which (Ma =) involves
and (Ya ==) evolves. The body, the mind, and t
energy have alFoorhe from Maya and are therefore

*. if? — -m-r- -“**»•*>«.- w.

not d iffere nt from one another. As Maya
cannot be further resolved it must be

* ****

(corollary 2).

But the knowledge that the soul receives through the

products of Maya is limited and often leads either to

49 D

iva School of

Hinduism

doubt or to error. Just as, in dim light, a snake

in suspense as

mistaken for a piece of rope or is
being either a snake or a rope* so* with the httle know-
ledge that we derive through Maya* we often mistake
wrong for right or are in suspense regarding
nature of a thing. This limitation of knowle<
be due to some other cause or factor.

This cause or factor is called Anava. The word literally
means that which makes the soul (Anu ==) an atom*

^ * -rnmmiuwimu**. m*#*#***/**^

that is* makes it indefinitely small and powerless.
Anava constricts the soul’s abilities to know* to desire*

.{tract. «*w M. M mwImUMIC *™ 1 **>

^ W

to do* and does not allow energy to have its full

j _d.**e.t *mnwWMtf UW**i***

«*t k "»

scope. But certain products of Maya exert a force in

4*^ A. ^ ■'

opposition to it and allow a gradually increasing flow

iti *™ S WWJrtllb- # ^

of energy according to certam principles, when tne

«*» * J» a ' *— <rf *df -A * * /*%

soul gets a little knowledge* it becomes conscious of
itself* identifies itself with the body* and commits
endless blunders.

The most pathetic feature of its blunders is that it
is hardly ever aware of them. False pride is one of the
first products of little knowledge* but when a person
is actuated by it he feels he is quite in the right.
The consequence is that the person does not realize
for a long time that pride is his bitterest foe. Anava
is thus the root causeoFtSesoul’s blunders and con-

“sgffuStmisery. Maya gives limited knowledge through

*•* ^S^it****** *,***<*.>» < » ^ * *• *“ 1 "* * j*y itotfKmm*

the senses and the intellect, and assists the soul m its

mmmlWA I***"* ^sc^KWw^ «

struggle with Anava.

as circumstances permit* sometimes

as*

arrested several years after the murder and then

punished. The effects of these actions* manifested

’"■WSSK

pain and pleasure* produce a tendency in the souls

***** H«»*«**

to prefer the right and avoid the wrong. This tendency
coupled with the knowledge received during
experience has the power of counteracting the evil

JL 4* C/

effects of Anava. When Anava is completely overcome*
the soul becomes free and reaches the final goal.

T* ^

»» t# up If

The Path

The path to the ultimate goal may be conveniently
divided into three sections. At the beginning of the
first section the soul’s knowledge

* Self — the ego.

tMnks of itself as an important being in the universe
and is filled with the thought of itself and of its great-
ness. It is then individualistic and anti-social. While
passing through this section, it realizes that its own
welfare is to some extent linked with the welfare of
others, and feels the necessity to love and help others
and to be loved and helped by others. In the second
section it puts into practice the lesson it learned
while in the first section, fancies itself to be only a
member of society and not an individual, and endea-
vours to conserve the good of society as a whole.
The love for the society of which it is a member
gradually extends to other societies and ultimately
embraces the whole human race. It no longer considers
service as a duty but feels that it is a natural function
of man and finds satisfaction in its performance.
In this section, the self loses its individuality and
begins to think in terms of humanity at large. This
brings further light to the soul and reveals to it its
identity with that on which the whole universe depends,
namely God. The third section begins here, and the
activities of the soul are directed by this new concep-
tion of oneness with God and take the form of service
to God and through Him to other living beings.
Attachment to God becomes strengthened in this
section and ends in identification with God, which is
the ultimate goal.

Exercises

Each section of the path has exercises specially suited

X X «/

to it. Their purpose is to facilitate the journey through

But these exercises have that special object in view.
Some of these are reminders of the ideals. To this
class belong the sacred ashes of the Saivite, the cross
of the Roman Catholics, and the rituals of various
religions. The cross reminds the Christian of the
sacrifice of the Christ; the sacred ashes remind the
Saivite of the love of God and spiritual illumination,
and rituals generally serve to concentrate attention
on the relationship of the soul to other ultimate
realities. Reading the lives of saints and learning
to love them tend to raise one to their level. The con-
templation of God and of His perfection brings home
to one’s mind one’s own insignificance, lifts one’s
thoughts to high ideals, and directs one’s love to the
ultimate reality. Besides these, there is a whole series
of graded exercises particularly suited to each section
of the path, which make themselves felt in the lives
of men, influence their character, and uplift them.

The Goal

The ultimate goal is becoming one with God. The soul
has no power of its own, but has the ability to use any
power it receives. Its activities depend upon the amount
of power that it receives. This power gradually increases
and illumines the soul. At the goal, the soul is once for
all free from the hold of Anava and is filled with and
enveloped in the love of God. It is then indistinguish-
able from God, just as a crystal pillar in the rays of the

noon-day sun cannot be distinguished from the light.
It has then none of the activities of knowing., desiring.,
or doing. It enjoys the inexpressible bliss which
knows no change, and in which all thought of lover,
love, and the beloved is absent.

The conception of God — the attributes of God — the
love of God — the five acts of God — the contemplation

of God

The Conception of God

almost

views regarding ms
there are religions which

have very primitive views of God, regarding Him
only as a superman and attributing human frailties and

weaknesses to Him, or picturing Him as a tyrant who
is a slave to hatred and anger, pride and revenge.
Such notions demoralize the life of the worshipper

even advanced religions have a popular side, which
depicts God in a human form so as to appeal to the
imagination of the masses. As a corrective of such
notions, a list of God’s attributes must find a place

* A

in religious philosophy, even if it does not help us in
knowing His true nature.

The Attributes of God

The attributes of God may be deduced from the
conception of God given in the last chapter. We had
to postulate the existence of God to explain the evo-

lution of the universe, and presented Him as the
director of the universe. Since He causes the evolution
of the universe, He must be different from Maya,
soul, and Anava, which together form the universe.
Maya, we all know, possesses unlimited energy, and,
as God directs all this energy, several religious philo-
sophies hold that He has unlimited energy. But energy
can be used only to overcome resistance. He has no
occasion to use energy, and it would therefore be
inconsistent with His Lordship of the universe to
attribute power to Him. What is ordinarily understood
by the possession of unlimited power is really the
directing of the unlimited energy existing in the uni-

omnipotence is

verse.

Some theologians attribute to Him omnipotence

of view,

same as unlimited power. But the
word is sometimes used to mean the power to do what
is, humanly speaking, impossible. The incarnation
of God is an example of this. Birth and sufferings
after birth are limitations, and it is therefore as im-
possible for God to be bom as man as it is for a circle
to become a square. It would be trifling with God to
attribute to Him an omnipotence which includes the
performance of acts involving inconsistency, God is
also believed to help His devotees in the performance
of miracles by interfering with the natural course of
events. This is attributing to God the human frailty
of favouritism. Miracles are only acts that cannot be
explained by the knowledge available at present to
the scientist They really obey laws, and when these

Since God causes the evolution of the universe*
it is inferred that there can be nothing m it of which
He is not aware. Therefore He is said to be omniscient.
But He does not derive His awareness as we do by obser-
vation or inference. He transcends time ; and the past*
the present* and the future are equally present to Him.
But omniscience really falls short of a correct notion
of God; for knowing is an action* and all actions
imply change; whereas the idea of God implies that
He is changeless. It is more correct to say that He is

eistne

source

of all knowledge.

God is not a Being of whom any need can be predi
cated. There is nothing that has to be achieved
Him. He is therefore said to be a perfect Being.

If a thing undergoes change, it must be subject
to some power or circumstance outside it, which com-
pels the change. Even when a man changes his plans
himself, the occasion for the change is a circumstance

outside himself. Since all the circumstances in the
universe owe their origin to God, there can be nothing
in the universe which can control Him or compel Him
to change. He is therefore said to be unchangeable.
He neither thinks nor desires nor acts, as each of these
activities implies change. Neither has He likes and
dislikes. A person is said to like or dislike a thing
according as it gives him satisfaction or the opposite.

is nothing capable of affecting God in either
of these ways. It is therefore wrong to say that God

likes certain of our acts and dislikes certain others.
It is just as immaterial to Him whether we worship
Him or despise Him* as it is to the fire whether a man
shivering with cold goes up to it and warms himself
or fails to avail himself of it and continues to suffer.
The Love of God goes as much to the despiser as to
the lover., and in due course draws* him towards God*
just as the fire ultimately attracts towards itself the
man who has been standing aloof and has found the
cold unbearable.

Since God does not occupy space and is in no way
limited by it, He is said to be omnipresent. But the
word is taken to mean being present everywhere* and
the question is sometimes asked how God can be
everywhere* seeing that space is occupied by other
things. The principle* “that two things cannot occupy

substances which alone occupy space. The same error
underlies the idea that there can be no reality besides
God. It is argued that if souls or the worlds should be
realities* God would be limited by the fact of their
mere existence and become imperfect. But* strictly

JL ** ij

speaking* it is wrong even to say that God is every-
where. For* God being everywhere* implies that He
occupies space. To avoid the error* some say that He

* These so-called acts of God may create the impression
that God works just as we do* and drive one to the conclusion
that He undergoes change by these acts as we do by ours.
Since our acts are processes in which energy is spent* they
cause change in us. But God does not act as we do* and there-
fore His acts do not cause any change in Him.

KaKtaiKiitsw

■ RZi

IgsHSBsBI

|B mb ‘HI

*£9

mswm

Kail

Eara^il

M i

H X |

5MI

IfwiinK

. we can comprenena
the only quality the
e to us. We have seen
this precious body*

. energy we require*
es us in our march
1 the crudest form of
ade it live. This is
ave the soul more and
■ the human form was
e the protoplasm to

X X

the human form for the sake of the soul must be
unlimited. Since this is the only quality of God
that we can comprehend* our conception of God must

A, ** X,

be in terms of His love. Just as He is infinite* His
love is infinite. Occasions may arise when even the
mother hates the child. But God hates no one and
has the same infinite love even for the most unrighteous
as for the righteous, the object of the love being to
make all perfect.

WEUi

nsi

* “They are ignorant who say that Siva and Love are
different.” — Tirumantram* 270.

In some philosophies God is called Absolute* and Love of
God is called Siva.

The benefits conferred on the soul by God’s Love
are fivefold, and are intended to free it from the grip
of Anava and to give it the means to make the fullest
use of its abilities to know, to desire, and to do. The

first of these is the gift of the body and the mind, of
a place to live in, and of things to be known, desired,
and attained. The body and the mind belong to each
individual. The granting of these gifts is usually
called creation. If it were not for the Love of God,
there would have been no creation or evolution.
The particles that form our very body would not have
come together and the particles themselves would not
have been formed. It is the possession of the body >and
the mind that makes it possible for us even to think
of ourselves.

The body that a soul received is believed to be
determined by two circumstances. One of these is
the condition of the soul in its relation to Anava.
Anava constricts the capacities of the soul, and during
evolution the constriction is lessened. So

the soul’s relation to Anava is given by the powers of
knowing, desiring, and doing it has already obtained.
At a certain birth a soul possesses a certain amount
of these powers. It will have to start with these and

increase them further after the birth. The body that
soul receives must therefore suit the powers that
it already possesses. The organs that control the body
and those that are subject to them must be such as
can give scope to the soul’s powers. The nature of the

experience

effects
iut, as

s experience

* *

two circumstances become identical and reduce to one .

e power to sustain the

e soul

performs fresh acts and experiences pain and pleasure,
these it is associated with a great many other
s 5 which also perform fresh deeds and undergo
experiences.

erefore a highly complex and involved function

fish in a single draw of net. Several men
them. The fish and the men deserve their experiences
brought about by the act of the particular fisherman.
The sustenance of the life of Napoleon meant the
death of hundreds of thousands of human beings,
the upsetting of empires, and the misery or happiness
of millions who were indirectly affected by his acts.
A Thiruvalluvar or a Tolstoy has saved and will save
many lives by their gospel of Ahimsa. Not only a
single man, but a single act of a single man like that
of the Sarajevo assassin has often affected millions.
In all these instances the acts and experiences of those
who were affected by the acts of the particular indi-
vidual could not have been otherwise, and were inter-
related in the large unerring scheme of things called
the sustenance of the universe.

When a person experiences pain as a result of his

to deter the man from repeating the offence, though
the tendency is often counteracted by the inclination
to wrongdoing due to Anavic influence. Experiencing
pain is thus a twofold boon. It gives intellectual en-
lightenment and creates a tendency to avoid wrong-
doing. Similarly, the experience of pleasure which
conies of doing right gives a tangible proof of the good-
ness of certain acts and strengthens the resolve to
act similarly thereafter. The latter of the two boons
is really a power to counteract the influence of Anava.
These are very valuable indirect gifts of God’s Love
received during life, and may be called enlightenment
and suppression (of Anava) respectively. These are
the third and the fourth gifts of God’s Love.

The fifth gift of God’s Love is disembodiment or
the removal of the physical body. This happens when
the body that a soul has received is no longer of any
value to it. When the body has been removed, the
soul gets a fresh and more suitable body. Disembodi-
ment is thus a change that ought to be agreeable to
the soul, in spite of the dread of death, which is an
expression of the instincts of self-preservation and
fear.

These five gifts of God’s Love* are usually given in

* The evolution of the soul which results from these
five gifts as well as the evolution and involution of the
external universe goes on without any act or effort of God,
though it is due to Him. The evolution of the universe and
its involution go on like the swing of the pendulum.

Receiving these five invaluable gifts from God., our
sense of gratitude would ordinarily fill our minds with
thoughts of Him. But we hardly ever think of Him.
This is due to an error in our way of living. We have

been used to regard the world and the body as ultimate
realities and have fixed our thoughts on these. We find
it hard to extricate our thoughts and use them for the
attainment of real bliss. But there have been men who
have realized the evanescence of the world and the

eternal bond of God’s Love and found real joy in it.
A Saiva Saint, addressing God., says., C€ 0 giver of

1 ■^*^* **' Z mrtm *^«J£**^ *

peace, you gave me yourself and got me in return.

^rtsnu 1 #r- H^rf****** 4

ho is the cleverer of the two? I got endless bliss
from you. What did you get in return? O master,
who has made a temple of my heart, O Siva abiding
at Thiruperunthurai, O Father, O Lord, who has
taken possession of my body, to you I am no equal
as an article of barter.” T hing s of the world do not
give us joy unmixed with grief. Our dearest friend
raises sorrow by his inevitable absence from our
company or by becoming a prey to misfortunes. But
God’s Love is ever with us and undergoes no change
to grieve usTThe highest earthly love known to us

***»>%*»

The Saiva School

^ fyi

is that of a mother., and

atom)*** ”****

appealing to us to conceive

A i C*»

mother. The thought of an unceasing endless store

***** « rff •£ «W 4, <d « ® -I -( "

love, ever with us, helping us, cheering us, and illunain
ing us* should fill us with ecstaticjov. Another Saiva

•f ijtHwtfiS- #** ,wk*^Kvt'*4ia^ .*** |UA ^ ^ in M ^ w,, ^rwn, ** w*# «• n» lW * u, * #4, ' kW *“ ^T^T* *» - r i

g~*\ # 1 1 . & *W # -B .* M ^ ^T****®^^

Saint says* As I quietly and calmly contemplated
God s Love with real devotion* there issued forth

a higher torm of joy. On the day

W . ., * J^e***t/ V?

*%IWrttat- <0(41 «WK*W t^Wt* 4» ta*J*nti» 1*1 ¥***&>

seemed bitter and fresh honey

it* sugar

** o

sour

The Love of God being with us* the loss of worldly
possessions would be nothing to us. Despair in this
world would be impossible. Sorrow or grief would

HUM** •* an ww> ^ _

.find no room. Fearlessness and joy would reign

• “T r~ . ^ CCTT77 T ~i ~ "5**.

m our hearts. A saint says: We are not the slaves of

MiwuwuwBtuM *«<*»*'

any one . We are not afraid of death. We are free from'
woes and sorrows. We have no guile. We are above
all things. We know no diseases. We shall not bow
to anything. It is all joy with us, never sorrow. We are
slaves of one who is no slave of any one. We are
eternally bound to Him.”*

The contemplation of God is far more precious

than even the five invaluable gifts of God’s Love.

Making worldly possessions ^ugk^contSnoliSOTl

•**

fees us TxonT^ giving bhsVlTShes

off ange r, hatred, and lealousy ; taking us to God, it
gives us a mother, father, brother, and friend, insepar-

* He further says* “Seeing that He who made the universe
and found joy in it resides in my heart as mother* father,
and brother* what cares can I have? He is the friend of His
devotees. He of Tirupatiripulyur has always been the
invisible companion of those who contemplate Him ”

Cx^l#

The nature of Anava — the effect of Anava on action
— the effect of wrong action on Anava — the place
of Anava in right action — the effect of right action

on Anava

The Nature of

«»*<

av a

The cause of evil is one of the sreat

V * i ***mu>

nd the

parent are engaged in finding out and removing the

XwS""** «tw *' M *«* "*«*<» *.„„,** ** ^

cause of evil. Different evils are known to have different
causes. But it is the ultimate cause of evil that
sophy tries to discover so as to get
can counteract it and serve as the

evils. One philosophy attributes evil to desire, another
to selfishness, another to ignorance, a fourth to Satan,
and so on. Some desires arc good and others are bad.

'tt'fe****** * ^ ^ ^ « *” * 4 *.

is bad desires that usually cause evil. Besides,

^ MW im * v * +1 rn \ w

are not ultimate causes. For example, a man
de sires to steal another man’s money. This desire
is the effect of the desire to obtain something he needs,
say .foo d, which in turn is caused by the desire to
avoid hunger. The ultimate desire is the desire to
avoid

iin is a relative term. One man’s pain is
another., man $ pleasure. There are some who

Atfrft At^H'

g sure m starving if they can give their food to others
in need. Pain being thus indefinite, the desire to avoid

Anava

is also

say that

esides, desirin

An effect .cannot
desire cannot be an

as s

* 0

«**»»«*»*(*•- F^MlWfiw*™** m************* «*»»«*< *►>»<*» »•*

*V *+MtMh±

W m. M ittW** WVwwp y* M WW »*» * w * i, *'* tt

0 »

to make

mself happy even at the expense of others. Being
a desire, it too cannot be an ultimate cause.

f* *

Oil

are the result of loose

its

it would bum. The fact is

cause, we

ut these statements

The real cause is its desire to reach beautiful things

rong knowledge may be a cause but not ignorance,
aiva philosophy cuts the Gordian knot by denyin;

murders B, it is good
for A and B. God is the director of the universe, and

under His rule nothing untoward can happen. When A
murders B, the latter gives up the body and gets a
more suitable body. A suffers for the murder and gains
wisdom, foresight, and mental balance, or will throw
off the present body for a fresh one. The dependents
of A and B also will become wiser and more self-reliant.

ut, though 5 aiva philosophy denies the existence
evil, society not only affirms its existence but works
for its eradication. This amazing difference between
religious philosophy and social philosophy is due to

%0t

*Pk£M

. Cdu

tHu

If the murder of B 1
must have thought that
world because he had v

A is a premeditated act, A
had no right to live in this
nged either him or some of

neither A nor anyone else has the ability to form a
correct judgment regarding B’s right to live in this
world. If the murder followed an exchange of words
or blows, it was committed in a rage when the mind
was incapable of forming correct judgments. Here the
cause of murder is insufficient thinking. If the mind was
not clouded by anger, the murder might have been
due to a weak will which could not prevent him from
the act. The murder might also have been avoided.

A X J

some method short of murder. He was not able to
take such action owing to lack of sufficient energy.
So the murder is traced to insufficiency either of
knowing, willing, or doing. We have attributed to the
soul the ability for these three activities. The soul
then would function correctly if it received sufficient
energy. The supply of energy comes from Maya,

^****^ iw ** M ' W ^ . * J

which freely offers al l that the soul wants. H &0c© 'fiiiii x c*
must be a slip jxtween the cup and the lip. The

the full flow of the energy that is offered. This some-

IM. «, ^

1 _

is a sig

ing requires a name, and Saiva philosophy

^ ** M *T MK ortlM ,«.** «^"Tl W» uT

t name derived from the word

“Anu,” which means an atom. Anava therefore means

that which tends to make the soul’s powers indefinitely

hat Anava is, is a matter of great dispute. Some
attribute the limitation or the imperfection of man to
the soul’s tools, the mind and the body. These tools

jLove

•* w m aw M * tl iiiK.miiii in;

not offer

us such imperfect gifts unless they were good for us.
These could not be good for us if the soul had no
limitation, if the soul had been unconditioned and

r* . i •

? *****

not give an impotent

intellect to a soul whose capacity for knowledge is

or none

hmwii #»«*

«Mhm i^iun# m *. toftpNgi

perfect. Therefore some direct limitation of the soul’s
powers must be postulated to j
body and mind with limitations.

Others attribute the limitation to the soul itself
and regard it as an essential quality of it. But we know
that when an essential quality of a thing disappears,
the identity of the thing itself disappears. Suppose a
loosely jointed framework of four equal rods is placed
so that one of its angles is a right angle. The rods then
form a square. But a slight push or pull at a comer
robs the framework of the right angle and hence of
its square form. Along with the disappearance of this

the square which possesses the quality. So* if the limi-
tation should be an essential quality of the soul, when
it disappears the soul also must disappear. In reply
to this objection., it may be said that the soul as soul
does disappear and becomes God. But if one substance

entity formed of the other by the addition of a third
substance. For example* iron becomes rust by com-
bining with the third substance* oxygen. But* as
both God and Soul are eternal* neither of them can
be complex (corollary i). Besides* if souls should
become Gods* there would be many Gods* each of
them directing the universe. Such a conclusion is
prima facie an absurdity. Again* since the soul is
eternal* its essential attributes also must be eternal.
It would follow* therefore* that its limitation must
also be eternal and the soul could never be free from
them* and that evolution would be futile.

The Effect of Anava on Action

We have given the name Anava to that entity which
blocks the passage of the energies to know* to desire*
and to do. Let us consider the condition of the soul's
ability to know. Anava prevents the soul from knowing
the whole truth and thereby causes misunderstanding.
Just as in the dark* for want of sufficient light* a man
mistakes a rope for a serpent* so the soul* in the insuffi-
cient knowledge received by it* conceives things to be

7 °

Anava

different from what they are and blunders at every turn.

Its first and foremost blunder is the identification
of itself with the body or mind. It does not see its own
vast potentiality* the eternal brotherhood of souls* and

its absolute dependence on u-od. It is aware only of

Jim J

things it can perceive with the senses, seeks pleasure
as the summum bonum of life, and makes the search
after it its all-absorbing occupation. Each ego, while
engaged in this work, sees other egos interfering

with its desires, and carries on a perpetual warfare
against them. This fosters the feelings of I-ness and
My-ness. I-ness consists in setting a special value on
oneself and in applying one law for one’s own self
and a different law for others. My-ness similarly

sets a special value on one’s own possessions, sentient
or insentient, such as relations, friends, and property.
The feelings of I-ness and My-ness are the cause
of the majority of our wrong deeds. There are also
other channels of wrongdoing which, as we have
already seen, proceed from the insufficiency of energy
caused by the constriction of the soul’s capacity by
Anava.

The Effect of Wrong Action on Anava

A n ava leads a soul to wrongdoing, uverv wrong is
ultimately followed by the experience of pain. The

^ mu rfr ,, 1 1 1 m u i M jw m r

experience of the suffering that follows it forces itself
into the soul’s stock of knowledge. The painfu l
consequences of an act are eithe r immediat e or remote.
If a thief is caught, he receives immediate punishment.

duis

wrongdoing. The person realizes that the wrong

***** * o

act ought to be avoided, and a strong desire arises to
avoid such wrongdoing. This becomes stronger with
each repetition of it. The act is then alto
up. The constriction of the three capacities is then
overcome though only to a small extent. In some cases,
if a particular form of wrongdoing is overcome, some
allied forms also are given up. A person who has
obtained so much real knowledge and er — •

as to avoid theft mav srive un cheating and!

ent

* B

eno

iapt'

.eve:

pai
.cul

gotten^ or 3 even it it is remem t
ation between it and the suffering m
t remembering and forgetting are
the conscious mind. In the subco
$t impressions are retained nev

ft *

onect the wrong with its painfi
sides 5 the pain by itself might be a
s soul act more righteously thereafh

righteous acts. Almost all human beings are under
the gri n o f Anava. Therefore Anava exercises its
influence even over those who do righteous acts. The
problem is whether it influences the performance of
such acts.

Right action proceeds from fear of suffering, love
of^gain, or the convieti on that i t is right. A person is
dissuaded from a wrong act through fear of direct

Anava

is due to a misapprehension, which is the result of
Anava. Therefore fear of suffering is occasioned by j
Anava, and its share in right acts induced by fear has I
to be admitted. As regards love of gain, gains are
really the opposite of suffering and belong to the same
class. What is true of suffering must be true of gain,
and the influence of Anava on right action proceeding
from love of gain is easily seen. Coming to the third
cause of right action, we find that the influence of

is at its lowest ebb. The

act is able to do what is right, because he

doer of a right

^ *. *****

he sees that a

particular act is right, feels that he ought to do it, and
does it. But there is in him the feeling of I-ness. He

ought to do it, and

says, “I ought to do it” and this “I” is the first offspring
of Anava. Not only in ordinary right actions, but even
in religious worship, when a man adores God as “you”
and refers to himself as “I,” Anava is there and exercises
its influence.

But the domination of I-ness in right acts is more
likely to hurt Anava than benefit it. The moment the
person realizes that right action is beneficial to him,
he will follow it with all his might. It increases his
power to desire and to do the right, and thus works
against Anava. As right acts are followed by pleasure,
there is an additional flow of the power to desire and to
do right. Right action thus causes a steady increase
of the powers of knowing, desiring, ana doing. The
result is that the man mo began to do right to
gain some ends learns to do it in the absence of such

motives. He will do right for its own sake and later
lose even the feeling of I-ness.

■ness disappear all

sees not himself. The so
oody of God. Just as the
and never says that
not that it acts. Anava is gone. All tl

not even joy; for without sorrow there can
What it experiences can only be described i

activities, as we shall now see.

from the book passes into the eye and falls on the
retina. It is carried in some other form by the optic

act the constriction and to allow the energy to reach

This tool
e

>aiva

philosophy has nam

*>< #M

to the soul, it sees it but cannot cognize it. It can

linWMtfettwjSl

COffl

w M M

*JjM «w *k

existence of the thing, f and

requires a tool to relate^ it to things already known.

****** 13 mr *

■(intellect). In the act of cognizing the book, the soul
thus makes use of the power of knowing and the three
tools, the organ of sight, Vidya, and the intellect.

organ of sight, there are the organs of

* The physical eye is by mistake called the sense organ.

and smell, making five organs

E4K %i **“ U, ’ u « Wf

*3 ^ <r*ff

through the senses thus involves

Tools of Desiring

When the soul is aware of the existence of a t hin g,
it desires to have it if it is useful to it. To desire a
thing, the soul must get the energy to desire. Desiring
consists of two elements, the knowledge that a particu-
lar thing is desirable and the act of forming an attach-
ment to the object. The energy necessary for this

* /“Hr ft m. ^ • ***•*•»>*"■' *■* <**■ •" ®*ww m •»-. igm

is that of knowing and doing. This dual energy must

W>W6t<<W» “ 1 ~ u, fl(iu .Illy SmO tqf

readLlhejpul. The ability for desiring being con-
stricted bv Anava, a tool is necessary to relax the
constriction. This tool is called Raga. When the soul
- has got the power of desiring, it requires a tool with
which to desire. This tool is called M an as (an aspect
of the mind). Thus desiring requires the tools Raga
and Manas, besides the energy to desire. The Manas

i Vtf

is ever active, attaching itself to something or other.
This unceasing activity of the Manas makes life much
fuller than it would otherwise be. Once it has got
into the habit of attaching itself to a particular thing,
it goes up to it even if, later, it is of no value or is
even harmful.

7 /* Tr\ *

oo Is of Doing

When the soul conceives a desire, it may follow it up
with action. If the desire is to think, the work is done

means of impulses

sent along certain motor nerves. These., in turn, must
be controlled by some organ. Such an organ has not

been found in the body and must be a superphysical

*/ x x */

tool like the organ of sense. Saiva philosophy calls
it the hand-organ.* This organ is controlled by what
Saiva philosophy calls Ahankara (will). This, in turn,
works at the instance of the soul. For this, the soul
must be supplied with energy, and the Anavic constric-

t i

counteracting tool is called
between the stimuli of the organ of sight

hand-organ is that the stimulus of the former

comes from the Ahankara (will). To the class of hand-
organ belong the organs that control the work of the
mouth, the legs, the excretory organs, and the secretory
organs, making five tools in all.

. The Mowing stxteejjt tools ate txttis fo und to l3e
/ necessary for the three activities of the soul to know^
, to desire, and to do:

1. Five organs of sense.

2. Five organs of action.

3. Three tools for {a) thinking, (b) desiring, and

* The hand-organ controls not only the motor nerves
that move the hands, but also those that cause similar
motions, as that of the eyelids,

4. Three tools respectively to counteract Anavic
constriction, viz. Vidya, Raga, and Kala.

These are tabulated below.

Activities

Bodily loots

Intermediate

loots

Internal Tools

Anti-Anavic

Powers

Knowing

The eye,
the ear*
etc.

Five or-
gans of
sense

tin

Buddhi

(intellect)

"5T

Vidya

Desiring

Manas

Raga

Doing

Hands*
legs* etc.

Hand*
leg* etc.

Ahankara

(will)

Kala

egulation

There are two powers which we have passed over.

e have seen that when we walk along the road many
objects catch the eye but only a few are perceived.
There must be some power to determine what must be
observed or known, what must be desired, and what

done. This power is Kala of Saivaism.
the tools that counteract Anavic constriction according

to a certain law. The law is that the soul must know,
desire, and do what is best for its evolution. This
power obeys God’s Love, which, is the ultimate agent

81 F

follows the
Saiva

desiring:

philosophy calls this Niyati,

The Constituents of the Physic a

We have so far analysed the tools of the soul that are
not found in the physical body, which is itself a product
of Maya. Saiva philosophy holds that it is composed
of five elements, called Bhutas, which also form the
physical universe. These elements are made of still
simpler ones, called Tanmatras, also five in number.
They are supposed to assist the sense organs in differ™
entiating sensations. The Tanmatras, along with the
mental organs, form a subtle body in the same way as

the five elements form the physical body.

It is now possible to give an account of the evolution

of the t mental organs, the sense organs, and the two

<rv

kinds of elements, the Bhutas and Tanmatras. All

$ I £ | ^ ii

these come ultimately from a substance called Mula-
prakriti (lit. ultimate origin), which evolves into a
product called Guna (lit. quality). This is a neutral
synthesis of three qualities, which may roughly be
called sentience (Satva), motion (%jas), and insen-
tience (Tamas). All mental and physical products are
varying compounds of these three qualities. It has to
be remembered in this connection that !§aiva philo-
sophy considers an object to be nothing more than
an aggregate of qualities, and that therefore all things,

The first evolute of Guna is the intellect (Buddhi),
which comes with a large proportion of sentience
(Satva). From this evolves the will (Ahankara) which
is predominantly rajasic (motion), and causes action.
It has to come from the intellect, perhaps because
conation can come only after the decision of the
intellect.* From the will comes the Manas (apprehen-

mm*

sion) and the sense organs, possessing a large propor-

to attach itself to things that interest it. Its main activity
is thus one of motion, and it must therefore be derived
from the will. But as it is concerned with thinking,
there is a large proportion of sentience in it. The
tools of action are derived also from Ahankara (will),
with a very large proportion of Rajas (motion), while
the Tanmatras (the subtle elements) come from it
with a large proportion of insentience. As they
are derived from Ahankara, they are in continual

motion.

We have thus been introduced to twelve new pro-
ducts, the five Bhutas, the five Tanmatras, the Guna,
and the Mulaprakriti. Saiva philosophy makes a total
of thirty-six by adding six others. One of these is the
empirical ego, which is the soul’s self-consciousness
gained by it when it is able to know, to desire, and to
do. The remaining five consist of the different forms

* The conative decision “I will do this” has to follow the
intellectual decision “It is desirable to do this.”

arytng T o i

se thirty-six products of Maya may be divided into
e sections. The first of these supplies energy to
soul for its activities of knowing, desiring, and
e. The second consists of two parts, one of which

id the other counteracts
the constriction of Anava. The third section consists
of mental and superphysical tools and the constituents

A w

of the body. All living beings are supposed to be
endowed with the same thirty-six products, but differ

largely in the sensory and motor mechanisms of the
physical body. Some animals as well as some men have
fewer mechanisms of sense than five.* Plants are
supposed to possess only the sense of touch.

When a man is said to die it is only his body that
perishes. There is nothing to show that the mental
tools also disappear. They are intimately connected
with the soul and are in no way dependent on the body.
Therefore we have to infer that they remain with the

* We are taught that the evolution of the human body
from the protoplasm has been continuous. If, therefore,
man has a soul, there is no reason why an animal or a plant
should not have one.

t h er

d Beings

not omy
existence

states* in the process c
possible that the stars

of evolution. It may seem im

are inhabited. But there an

to below
such a w

res varying from near
freezing point. The pi

the boiling poin

* /% *

wide range of temperature permits us to infe

the existence or living beings m much higher and lowe
temperatures. Besides, living beings should not b
necessarily restricted to the types we are familiar wit!
in this world, and bodies formed of substances differen
from those of our own may exist in other worlds. Then
is nothing to prove or indicate t ha t the existence o
such living beings is impossible.

Saiva philosophy posits the existence in this wona

JL Ju mf JL,

itself of beings called ghosts and spirits having light

f the substance of the mind and of
ots of Maya inhabited by beings
similar bodies.

ien

New worlds are ever in
are in the process of disi:
time will come when the

assification of the Products

It may be useful here to give in a
compact form the thirty-six products that

have come

aya. Maya consists of two
which supplies y and the second
part evolves in succession into

of* rv ’

J Jk UJ.A V Ui

evolution is the Love of God. The second
of two sections, the regulators and the tools. The
regulators are Kala, Niyati, Kala, Vidya
these are added the Empirical ego
prakriti. The tools evolved from
of:

and Raga.
and Mula-
consist

(a) Guna, Buddhi (intellect)^ Ahankara (will) 3 and
Manas (aspect of the mind).

(i) The five organs of sense.

(d) The five elements (Tanmatras).

(e) The five Bhutas.

The evolution of the products is shown in the next
page in the form of a table.

Nada (i)
Bindu (2)
Sadakya (3)
Ishvara (4)

Kala (6) Niyati (7) f Kala (8)

Purusha (11)

j , j

Vidya (9)

Raga (10)

Mulaprakriti (1

Guna (13)
(Satva, Rajas 3
and Tamas)

Shuddhavidya (5)

The conception of the soul — the attributes of the soul —
difference in souls — the activities of the soul — the
purpose of activity — the succession of births

The Conception of the Soul

On no other postulate of religion is there so much
diversity of views as on the soul. This is because the
soul eludes all attempts to discover it, showing itself
everywhere and nowhere. It is in conjunction with
various things, each of which manifests itself but
eclipses this important entity. While in conjunction
with the body, the soul gives it life and makes it move.
The body and its motion are seen, but the soul is not
seen. In conjunction with the mind, it desires and
thinks. The acts are attributed to the mind, and the
soul is lost in it. As a result of Anavic constriction, it
gets such feelings as pride, anger, and lust, which are
attributed to the empirical ego. Thus the soul has been
identified with the body, the mind, and the empirical
ego, and been regarded as a physical or superphysical

and on account of the gifts of God, it has love, light,
and lordship. The soul is like the captain of a ship
who is not seen by those outside it, though the ship
itself is seen and also the sailors. This elusiveness of

ficent beings if it had no choice. Secondly, there is
nothing inherent in the tools to confound such a
perfect being. This theory does not also explain the

JL w JL

possibility of a soul sometimes doing right deeds,
and at other times doing wrong deeds. Besides, the
body, instead of assisting the soul, is presumed to
be a means of doing harm to the soul. There is nothing
in the body or in the mind to lead a perfect being to
wrongdoing.

Another class of philosophers attributes every kind

Ai JL

of perfection to the soul but tacks on to it a free will.

They credit the soul with full power to do what is
right, but attribute wrongdoing to free-will, which may
direct it to do right or wrong. Why, at one time it
directs the soul to right and at another to wrong, is
not explained. This view also is untenable. A whim-
sical power is not amenable to any kind of control or

The Saiva School of Hinduism

improvement, and gives no scope for evolution. There
would then be no goal, no progress, no system. A theory
that would lead to such ends can find no place in scien-

tific investigation. On the other hand, the theory of
free-will is the foundation and justification for punish-
ments in the sense of penalties. According to this view,
it is quite possible for the murderer, the robber.,
and the incendiarist to have avoided the respective
offences.

These and similar conceptions would make the soul
a composite entity. As most of the components such
as the intellect and the will are subject to changes., the
qualities that would be attributed to the soul would
also be of a changing character. This would make the
soul an indefinite entity, and deprive us of a scientific
conception, which is necessary for the formulation of
a theory of life. Compositeness is always a bar to the

various accelerated velocities, very little can be known
of it if only its resultant velocity at an instant is known.
On the other hand, if each velocity is separately
known, it will be possible to give a full history of the
body’s motion. Laws get more accurate as analysis
becomes more and JQ3.0 jrC/ exhaustive. Therefore, if it
is possible to isolate the soul from the intellect and
other tools, it would be unscientific to consider the
soul and its tools as forming a single entity. The soul
is therefore conceived in Saiva philosophy as an entity
which has the abilities to know, to desire, and to do.
Then it cannot be further analysed or be subject to
any change (corollary i).

9 °

and power till they become perfect. The soul may be
compared to an engineer and the abilities to the steam
engine. We know that the speed, the direction, and

engine are c

may

:° any

e engineer nor me er

The changes

are caused by the quantity of steam that is supplied,
the direction of the rails, and the distance gone
through. So, while the soul a

unchanged, its activities change as a result of the
change in the quantity of the energy supplied and
the quality of the tools.

ifference

% n

Souls

We seldom find two men or two other living beings
occupying identical situations. There is great difference
in the righteousness of men. Some arc saintly and.
some others utterly destitute of the moral sense.
The cause of this difference cannot be found in the

souls themselves. We have seen that two things can

^ * The engine, no doubt, gets worn and the engineer
tired. But this change has no parallel in the abilities and in
the soul, which undergo no change.

own experience may be either of events or of pain and
pleasure. The experience of events is ordinarily
obtained through the senses. But it is claimed that
the mind is not limited by space and can see things
beyond the reach of the senses. It is also believed
that, in its last stages of evolution, the soul more or
less gets out of its restrictions and can see things in
their absolute form with the help of the divine light
given by God. Every kind of knowledge except the
one obtained by the last means is liable to error, as a
result of various imperfections such as those in the
senses, in memory, and in the method of reasoning.

The next activity of the soul is desiring. To desire
is to form a judgment that a certain thing is useful
and to attach oneself to it. Before I first desire to have
a mango, I form the judgment that it is useful to me,
and then attach my Manas to it. If the desire for the
mango has got strengthened by repetition, it arises
even when it is known to be injurious. The expectation
of the well-known pleasure blinds the intellect for the

time being and goads the Manas on to it. The Manas
is ever active, and this is often a source of great
inconvenience, as when we have to check it from its
usual wanderings and attach it to something new.

A drinker decides not to drink but does drink. This

, *»**•«<

happens because his decision to give up drinking is
ordinarily not quite sincere or final. Where it is sincere*
the pleasure associated with drink draws most of the
available energy* and the intellect is clouded and gives
a wrong decision.

The energy necessary for the activities of the soul*
as we have already seen* conies freely from Maya.
Anava constricts the abilities* but its efforts are
counteracted by Vidya* Raga* and Kala* which force
these energies in* according to the needs of the soul.
The energy of knowing passes on to the intellect. It
forms judgments and decisions* the correctness and
righteousness of which depend upon the available
part of its knowledge. Similarly* the energies to desire
and to do reach respectively the Manas and the Will*
and cause desire and the initiation of action. The
organs of senses and actions are ordinarily put in
motion by the will. The tools in the physical body
obey the behests of the inner organ according to the
amount of physical energy available to the tools. A
man may like to read for five hours at a stretch* but
if the brain is not prepared to spare the necessary
energy* he will not be able to read as long as he likes.
If when a man wishes to run three miles the body

* These do not include reflex actions.

does not possess

tecessary energy* lie will have to

jartly on the energy supplied to

So far as the quantity of physical

The mental organs

seem to depend for energy on the Shuddhamaya* and
the supply determines the quality of the work that is
done. The greater the energy to know* the more

extensive is the knowledge and more accurate is the
thinking.

The Economy of Energy

Repetition effects great saving of energy. We require
great effort to write a difficult letter of the alphabet
for the first time. After a number of repetitions we
are able to write it with almost no effort. The sum of
two numbers, say 8 and 9* is at first not easily got*
but after practice much longer additions are done
with very little exertion of the brain. We sometimes
read page after page with the mind busy with some-
thing else. We are able to get through a chain of
actions without our being quite aware of them. These
are means of saving mental energy. If it were not for
such economy* life would be almost intolerable.
But this economy is often as mischievous as it is bene-
ficial. Unkind words are sometimes said and evil
deeds are done as the result of this economy* leading
to very painful consequences. A large percentage of

0T<

brain* interferes with clear thinkings and starts the
person on to fight. Similarly* the parental instinct is
accompanied by tenderness and drives a man to help
some one else in danger. The man* in doing so* is
not guided by considerations of righteousness or
reward* and makes use of the intellect only for de-
vising means of assistance. There are occasions when
ratiocination would defeat its own purpose and imme-

A* J*

diate instinctive action alone would save the situation.
Both habits and instincts* while saving the labour
of the intellect and the will* also disregard them
and even subjugate them.

On the other hand* the will and the intellect can* in
certain circumstances* gain mastery over instincts and
habits. The problem is entirely a matter of relative

powerful;, and may not be overruled by instinct or
habit. This requires a habit of considerate action and
frequent application of the brake on the organs of
action when they are under the stimulus of habit
or instinct. Then man is said to acquire self-control.
When the will is further strengthened* it is able to
exercise control even over involuntary organic activi-
ties* including the beating of the heart. It is further
believed that the will can control other beings* as man
and beast and even inanimate objects. If a soul has
gained self-control* the intellect assumes sovereign

senses for acquiring information. The senses can only
transmit knowledge of objects that are within their
reach at a given time. But the sovereign intellect sees
the events of all times and of all places.

The Purpose of Activity

The immediate purpose of one’s activity is the supply
of one’s needs. But the ultimate purpose is the attain-
ment of perfection or freedom from Anava. Perfection
can be attained only by practice. Every act of practice,
till perfection is reached* must necessarily be imperfect,

Tt* iq itrmprfprt jspfQ iHhflif* Ipssrl Tn a

11 JLo MX! JJ t X Ivt L dvlOj LLlWl CXUX Cj LXXdLi* AwdUl XU d pClACvl

97 G

act. If a perfect act is called a right act, an imperfect
act can be called a wrong act. Thus wrong acts lead to
right acts and are therefore as useful as right acts.
Every activity of a living being, whether right or wrong,
leads it to perfection and freedom from Anava. When
it has reached perfection, it no longer worries itself
with things of the world, but attaches itself to God
and becomes divine.

Succession of Births

The progress that the average man makes in his
upward march during his lifetime seems to be in-
finitesimally small. His life is an alternation of right
acts and wrong acts. His real character, his power of
avoiding wrong deeds, does not undergo much change
during a lifetime. If the gain in a single birth is so
insignificant, and a soul is so far away from perfection,
it follows that a soul must pass through an indefinitely
large number of births before it can attain the goal.

self-expression and for the experience of the fruits of

JL *&•

certain past actions.

Just as a prince who was living in a palace may have

soul which has been using a human body may r eceiv c
a sub-human body. The body of an animal may be
particularly suited to do certain kinds of actions and
for experiencing the fruits of certain kinds of past
actions. There are authentic stories of animals which
have shown greater gentleness and goodness than
such human beings as butchers and murderers. These
animals are probably more advanced souls than these
men* and might have been human beings in previous
births. Says Manikavachakar :

Grass was I* shrub was I* worm* tree*

Full many a kind of beast* bird* snake*

Stone* man* and demon. ’Midst thy hosts I served.

The form of mighty asuras* ascetics* gods I bore.

Within these immobile and mobile forms of life*

In every species born* weary I’ve grown* great Lord If

The soul has thus to pass through an indefinitely

* This is what is called heredity.

f Thiruvasakam*-Shivapuranam (Pope’s Translation).

ism

c constriction
1 knowledges
hence birth
n and merges

Genesis of action — factors of action — responsibility
and punishment — classification of action

Genesis of Action

except during
tool* must be

brain.

as occasion requires

are the

needs. It is to supply those needs that the body and
mind are so active. But there are some who hold that

living beings work because they possess energy, that
when they have a superfluous supply they work even
in the absence of special needs, and that when the

supply is deficient their work is not sufficient even to
supply their needs. This view is doubly wrong. Energy
is a means for work and is not its cause. Secondly,
from what has been shown, the supply of energy does
not come by chance but is regulated so as to ensure
the maximum evolution of the soul. It can therefore
be neither too much nor too little, but must be exactly
what the soul requires.

The ordinary needs of a living being are threefold;,

* There is a school of philosophy which posits an eternal
entity called Karma (lit. action) which makes the soul active.

101

being as a member of
are food, sleep, escape

the

enjoyment.* Of these four, the first three are necessary
for the protection of the body, and the last for that of

the former for
relief from strenuous
and receiving help,
submitting. Some
of God and have

are knowledge and recreation,
e mind, and the latter for

de giving

and hating, dominating and

pvi ctpri r*p

’Wa.J.d

This relationship causes another set of needs called
religious needs which also cause action for their supply.

actors of Actio

The direction of action, as we all know, is given largely
by imitation. Even intelligent men are not altogether
free from its influence. An extended form of imitation
is the adoption of local, social, or religious customs.
In both these cases the doer gives no thought to the
desirability or otherwise of the acts concerned. Few
of the butchers of Chicago would ever have thought
of the unrighteousness of slaughtering hundreds of
innocent animals every day. Professional thieves do
not feel the iniquitousness of their means of livelihood.
It is when the average man has to go out of the beaten

* St. Appar says, “The worm has four instincts, the same
have I.”

102

nrftfw

have the criterion of right and wrong, and the skill
to apply it to individual cases. The criterion may be
either a single rale which defines right action or a
list of such actions. The knowledge and the skill
depend partly on the tools of knowledge and partly on
the amount of energy supplied to the soul. Of these,
the tools and the energy are products of Maya, but the
quantity of energy is determined by Anava.

Even if a correct judgment has been formed regard-
ing the righteousness of an act, it is not invariably
translated into action. Some judgments are only of
academic interest and do not enter into problems relat-
ing to life. The teachings of great men are studied
rather for the acquisition of knowledge than for
influencing conduct. “Love thy neighbour as thyself , 55
“Love them that hate you , 55 are maxims which cannot
be practised by all. Judgments based on such teachings
cannot compel action. But judgments based on past
experience are dynamic. The experience may be one of
pleasure or pain, which forms an important factor in
life and hence in determining action. The form of
pleasure that influences action varies with different
individuals. With one man, sense-pleasure may be
paramount. With another, sense-pleasure is of no con-
sequence ; the pleasure of self-sacrifice sways him.
To another, even the thought of self-sacrifice is repul-

* There are many who are strangers to considerations
of right and wrong, and are guided solely by expediency.

103

sive ; he finds pleasure in doing good for its own sake,
without the consciousness of having made any sacrifice

for the good of others. Judgments resulting from

such experiences do influence action. But the amount
of experience necessary for determining an act varies

pleasure. A single experience is enough to convince a
child of the harmful nature of fire* because its attractive
power is immediately counteracted by the effect of a
burn. But the moth is not convinced of it even after
several experiences. Every time it gets singed, it flies

such closely repeated experiences are not enough to
convince it of the danger.* We shall consider a few
typical errors and attempt to diagnose them.

fountain pen sees his classmate’s pen on his desk and
finds that he can take it without being seen by anyone.
He has never entertained any thought of stealing a
fountain pen, but the favourable circumstances tempt
him to misappropriate the pen. In this case, the pleasure

A* JE* JL JL A*

of using the pen, which comes from Anava,f is the
ultimate cause of the act. The provoking cause is the
presence of the pen and the absence of other people,
both of which may be traced to Maya. He is one who
does not very much trouble himself with the problem
of right and wrong.

* St. Manickavachakar has compared man’s pursuit of
unwholesome pleasure to the moth’s attraction for light.

f Insufficiency of knowledge caused by Anava leads a
person to regard such possession as an end in itself, and to
find pleasure in getting it.

IOA

lortunateiy, i am not m ms position, ineretorc

will not help him. 5 ’ Here is a man who has learnt t

a hungry beggar should be helped. But his knowlec

does not Influence conduct, as it was not gained

experience. The primitive element of egoism ho

complete sway over the man. This, we have alre

seen, Is a product of Anava. But suppose his w

******

persuades him to offer some help and he gives h
some food. The beggar takes the food and expres
his gratitude to him. The man sees that the loaf
bread he gave the beggar has caused great relief
him and makes him happy. The sight of his re]
and the show of gratitude, which is flattering to hi
are new experiences which confirm the soundness
Ms wife’s advice and the rightness of his act. Th<
form a new factor which, on future occasions, v
plead for the relief of the poor. Experience th
succeeds where mere knowledge has failed.

reason, than that the latter has insulted him or some

one dear to him* or has thwarted some pet project of
his. Taking away a man’s life for such trivial offences
means setting an unlimited value on one’s self and
no value on one’s equal. This is egoism* pure and
simple* the first fruit of Anava.

Besides egoism and immediate pleasure which pre-
vent right action by forming an incorrect judgment*
there are forces that prevent the very formation of a
considered judgment. Narcotics and alcoholic drinks
derange the cerebrum and suspend the normal activity
of the intellect and lead to wrong action. Hunger
and certain states of ill-health impair the functions

106

of the brain, which

false to its lord, the

intellect. Certain emotions also produce similar effects.
Lust and anger, sorrow and fear, often disorganize
the brain and lead to acts which one would not do in
the normal state. These proceed from the body and

owe their origin to Maya.

If, after due deliberation, a decision has been
arrived at regarding a course of action, such delibera-
tion is dispensed with for the repetition of the act.

sideration. During repetition, the effort necessary for
the action gradually diminishes, and after several
repetitions the act becomes what is called a habit.
If the habit crystallizes, action becomes mechanical
and can be performed almost unconsciously. Later,
the habit becomes the master and compels action,
even against pious resolves to give it up.

A drinker, for example, has found great pleasure
in drink, but has seen that its evil effects far outweigh
the pleasurable experiences. He resolves to give up
drink. But when his hour of drink comes, he goes out
ostensibly for a walk, but really towards a liquor shop.
The sight of it starts the desire to drink and leads him
on to the shop. Just before he enters the shop, the
thought of the resolve may come to him. The thought
is of no consequence to him. He goes up to the bottle,
even if someone reminds him of his resolve. The
pleasure that drink has given stands before him in full
force and fills Ms mind. His previous resolve cannot
therefore be considered, and is thrown in the back-
ground. He goes and drinks. When the drink and its

107

maxes rules tor ms 11
for saints* and pimisl
The child should nev
ad libitum. These s
guilty than those wli
broken the laws of tl
school* and the chile
sick man has broken i
should be as irratioj
the parent* he woulc

x ^

similar blow. Exemplai
of punishment* a man
frightened by it and be
or similar crime. In ot
benefit of others. Dete
tion* as it is intended ti
offence and to make hi
ment in the sense of m

the physician is a rational man. He carefu
the disease and assaults the disease instead
the patient. The infliction of pain is no <
as a preventive of its recurrence. But '
more important is that the cause of the cr
diagnosed and removed by suitable tres

crime is as oxten pj
and can be eradicated

often physiological* as psychological

only by carefully thought

sur

im i

:riDc
and
ot e

* T

oh ;
srtai
uses

e u

g c
belie

We have seen that no man is to blame and that all are
good. It is equally true that all the acts also are good.
All living beings are by nature good. It is only when
they are crossed that they fail to be good in the popular
sense. But even when they are not good in the ordinary
sense, they are really and truly good. What is good-
ness? It is not the possession or the acquisition of
wealth or learning, which come and go and are im-
material to the soul. It is not keeping the body safe
and unhurt, as bodies also are material possessions.
Goodness comes of the acquisition of real truths,
truths which are capable of saving the soul from
error. Badness would then mean the loss of such
truths. Such truths are never lost. Therefore badness
is impossible. If badness is impossible, there must
be stagnation or goodness. Stagnation is equally
impossible as activity is the characteristic of life.
Therefore the soul can acquire only goodness, and
whatever it does must be good. If A robs B, the latter
loses a part of his wealth, which is of no consequence
to the soul, and therefore practically loses nothing.
Therefore A is not bad. On the other hand, the
robbery is a means of A’s acquiring real knowledge.
He experiences the painful consequences of robbery
and arrives at the eternal truth that robbery is a wrong
act. B also gets some real knowledge by his loss. He
sees that he deserves the loss, that he has done some
wrong to deserve it, and that wrong acts are undesirable.

But, though all men are good and all their acts are

III

is good
that the

and the act is good, and there is no
answer is wrong. The child is good l

Am? W

is right. So, actions can be wrong or right, and the
classification of actions on this basis is quite sound.

The question therefore arises. What is right? A living

violating them is wrong. A man has a right for the
safety of his body and for the use of his possessions.
To hurt his body or deprive him of his possessions
would be wrong. This is the popular conception of

right and wrong.

Saiva philosophy
lasting good to the
are the first fruits

es ngnt as t

I-ncss and My-ness, which
Anavic constriction, are the

greatest evils of the soul, and any act that results from

the counteraction of either of these is good to the soul,
and is therefore right. What are ordinarily called selfish
acts are wrong, and others including acts of self-sacrifice
are right. It is such acts that find a place in ethical
codes. But these acts are only relatively right, as they
proceed on the assumption that the soul is the ultimate
reality. The right deed according to this view is called
Pashu Karma (lit. soul action) and belongs to the
intermediate stage. But the soul is not the ultimate
reality, and the definition of right and wrong based

* An act is right if it conforms to an accepted standard.

Y T
**L JL

s re
’s r
sht

hem

riiei:

as rneirs*
and think
may be calk
thus be clas

nto

ee are periorm*
ody, the sou
t by those wl
ities and wh

:thics classify
ion and of c
and are the five
Chapter XIII. Other right acts of commission are loving*
forbearing* being just* speaking kind words* helping those
in distress* and so on. The acts of omission include not
coveting other’s belongings* not forgetting other’s kindness*

flesh or fish* not taking intoxicants* not com-
itery* and so on.
f Right acts are those included in Charya* Kriya* and
Yoga* a full account of which is given in Chapter XV.

sse may also be called unethical* ethical* super-
ethical* and spiritual acts respectively.

3 H

The law — the method of operation — the time of opera-
tion — channels of operation — the effects of the law on

life

a w

The law of action may be stated as follows: “Right
action leads to pleasure and wrong action to pain. 35
The truth of the law finds ample testimony in experi-
ence. Those who do right derive the happiness that

comes from the consciousness of doing right, besides
being honoured by society and often receiving the
direct return for their righteous deeds. On the other

to ms own

the commission of the offence, is despised by society
and is often punished by other men or the 5

unaffected by the law of action.

Closer and longer observation shows, however,
that most of those who throve on wrong acts have
ultimately suffered enough, and that those who
endured untold hardships as the result of a right
course of life have been more than rewarded for their

and Ithihasas, tragedies and comedies, demonstrate
the belief in the infallibility of the law of action.

from r uin, it is hard to think of any other human being
who can withstand the painful consequences of

unrii

gs m

revenges.

engineer is

The world is bent on teaching a lesson to the wrong-
doer. The man who does wrong once in a way may

wrong

conceal his identity for long. When he is found out

a wrongdoer is not found out in
the first instance, the success is an incentive to the
repetition of the offence. This leads to the continuance
of the wrong act, which makes the wrongdoer a habi-
tual criminal. A bully first ill-treats weaklings and then

learns to offend others. Among the latter comes a more
powerful man than he who brings him to his senses.

Wrongdoing is thus usually followed by suffering,
but right action gives pleasure at all times. The
satisfaction of doing what is right is itself a source
of great pleasure. This pleasure leads to the intense
pursuit of right action, which gives a rich harvest of
joy and pleasure. The nature of living beings is such
that they like the righteous and dislike the evil-minded,
with the result that society itself endeavours to ad-
minister the law of action. But it cannot be said that
every act gets its f u ll return in this birth itself.

T T-C
I Xji

not

also by the course of evolution. If a
were not to experience pain as the result of

not desist from it and would
path of evolution. Similarly
righteous act is followed by pleasure, righteousness
would not receive acceleration, and the tendency

Besides, we have seen that all souls are in the hands
of God. As God’s Love is perfect, it must be able to
give them maximum evolution in a given time.
Therefore, the utmost use will be made of every action
of each soul and none will be left to chance. The law
of action must therefore be infallible.

It is often asked whether the law applies also to

x x

those who cannot discriminate between right and
wrong. The butcher does not realize that it is wrong to
kill animals. The hardened criminal has no respect for
others’ rights. The old-fashioned teacher does not

egging Doys is wrong, jjo tnese men
suffer for their acts? This question is asked on the
assumption that sufferings punishments. Our

X w*? X

philosophy rejects the idea of punishments, and holds
that misapprehension is the chief cause of wrong-
doing. The question has, therefore, already been
answered. The purpose of suffering is the removal
of mistaken notions. Suffering must, therefore, follow
acts caused by wrong notions. It is true that society
views with leniency acts due to wrong judgments.
But as we have to live with other beings, it is our first
duty to study the rights of others, and failing in our

Tin

right action. The man who is mistaken does wrong
every time he finds an occasion to do it, and becomes a
habitual offender. But the knowing man does wrong
only when he is compelled by circumstances, and is
therefore comparatively free from it. Ignorance,
instead of being an excuse for wrongdoing, is an
offence of the first magnitude.

The Method of Operation

An act by itself is incapable of producing the pleasure
or pain mentioned by the law. It has the usual physical
and mental effects which are different from the pleasure
or pain experienced on account of it. For example,
if "gave a hungry man what I had for my breahfL,
the effect of it to me is starvation. If I keep awake the

whole night to attend on a sick person, the effect is
discomfort to the body. On the other hand, when I
wish the downfall of my enemy I derive joy from it.
If I have stolen a money bag, I derive pleasure by
spending the money as I please. In these circumstances,

JL A *

pain comes from right action and pleasure from
wrong action. These effects do not accord with the
law of action. Therefore the acts themselves cannot
produce the consequences required by the law. It
is worked, as everything else, by the direction of
God’s Love. It has so planned the evolution of the
Universe that every one experiences the fruit of his
act in circumstances that will give him true knowledge.

1 17
* ** f

the mind caused by the subconscious feeling of
meanness engendered by it. These marks are believed
to form the seeds of pleasure or pain which the law of
action gives. Just as moisture is necessary to make a
seed sprout up, so some agent is necessary to work
on the impressions in the intellect to cause pain and
pleasure. Saiva philosophy says that Kala and Niyati
are the agents which lead the intellect to a set of
circumstances where the soul can get the fruits of a
particular past action.

The Time of Operation
The fruits of action must be experienced at such

time and in such circumstances as will give the soul
maximum advantage for evolution. We ourselves
take this precaution when we try to mend our subor-
dinates. When they have done some wrong, we take
care to see that the circumstances in which they are
placed are favourable to their correction. In an un-
favourable set of circumstances, the subordinates may
be driven to desperation and pay no heed to our
correction, or may be in a position of advantage
which enables them to disregard the admonition.
There must be analogous circumstances when the soul

xi8

experience

give the soul the fruits of its acts at the most oppor-
tune moment, after the lapse of varying periods of
time. Some acts may fructify almost immediately,
and some others after several years or even births.

Acts may therefore be classified into three groups.,

bring their fruits in this birth itself, and some others
in subsequent births. There must also be acts whose
fruits are experienced partly in this birth and partly
hereafter.f Therefore the acts whose effects are
experienced in a birth are partly of those of previous
births and partly of those of the particular birth.

Channels of Operation

The law of action operates in three distinct channels
in the course of a single life. The first of these consists
of the circumstances of birth. These are the effects of
action performed in the previous birth or births.
Herein is concentrated a very large volume of effects.
The body, the brain, the parents, and the time and
place of birth determine the life of a person more
than any other set of circumstances. A strong and
healthy body would give a soul a widely different

* See page 81.

f These are respectively called drishtam, adrishtam, and
drishtadrishtam, which respectively mean (those whose
effects are) visible, not visible, and partly visible and partly
not visible.

119

e
ine

Everything that a soul gets at birth influences the
whole life, and contributes largely to the happiness
and unhappiness experienced during the whole life-
time. But once we are born, we are no longer concerned

We can then afford to ignore the contribution of our
past actions and the circumstances in which we are
born, and view life like a rationalist or any other
non-believer in past births.

This leads us to the second channel of the effects
of our actions. In this, we experience the effects of
actions performed in this birth itself. A portion of the

At tJL

acts done in a birth produce effects in that birth.
While the possessions of a soul at birth form its capital,

T 7A

r f\,

strong and healthy body may so behave as to make the
body weak and sickly, and vice versa. A man born in
a rich family may become a beggar., and one born
poor may become a millionaire. These are caused by
long chains of actions done in the present birth.
Apart from such accumulated effects caused by a long
series of acts., we find the law operating in individual
acts. The man who helps a beggar out of sheer pity
gets joy of a high type from his act of self-sacrifice.
This joy is a portion of the fruits of the act and is

experienced immediately after the act. When a man
undergoes hardships to maintain a high standard of
morality, the hardships themselves are a source of
joy. Besides, he enjoys an exalted form of freedom to
do right in the face of difficulties. He fears no one,
feels as if he were “the monarch of all he surveys”
Just as virtue is its own reward, so vice has its own
punishment. Observe the state of a man in rage. His
mind undergoes temporary derangement. He loses
control over himself. He behaves like a beast. He makes
a poor show. He loses respect. He loses enormous
nervous energy. At the end of his rage, he finds him-
self much poorer in many respects. The law of action
has operated immediately. “Pride goes before a fall”
is a well-known proverb. The avaricious man is not

are known to have lost not only their

T T

Jl jLt JL

by legacies and discovery of treasure troves can also
be explained only as results of acts of past births.
These are instances of past actions producing their
results occasionally in this birth.

The Effects of the Law on Life

(a) INDUCEMENT TO DO MAXIMUM WORK

The law of action gives a definite relationship between
an action and its effects. It says that no labour is lost*
and nothing can be gained without labour. Since no
labour is lost* a man is induced to do as much work
as he can. Some men have few needs and when they
are satisfied they may not exert themselves any more.
They may have plenty of energy but find no induce-
ment for further work. But the knowledge of the law
of action can make them do more work. The law says
that if they help others they will be rewarded later
for that help. They may get it in this birth itself.
This is an incentive to further exertion and to helping
others.

T 0*1

atva

lives.

births

at any time. If people wish to make sure of a comfortable
life in the future, they must have a large margin of
wealth. This they can have only by hard work. So, those
who are keen on leading a comfortable life are compelled

Most people can increase their output of work. If
they do so, the effects of past actions can be minimized
and they can be much more comfortable than otherwise.
The amount of happiness experienced in this birth
can be put in the form of an equation. If the total
happiness experienced in a birth is called Y, the
happiness due to acts of past births C, and that due to

JL * X

acts of the present birth X, we have the equation

In this equation C is a constant quantity and X
is a variable depending on the will of a person to do
right and useful work. Therefore Y, which is their sum,
is also a variable. Y depends on X, and increases as
X increases. From this equation we see at a glance the
necessity for malting X as great as possible.

Hard work often leads to righteousness. We have
seen that unrighteous acts are sometimes caused
by the insufficient output of energy. If a person is

124

lie will be free from that kind of unrighteousness which
is caused by its insufficiency. A hard-working man has
no need to rob or cheat. If he puts forth sufficient
energy* he can keep his temper under control and make
himself more agreeable to others than otherwise. He

In other words* he can be a righteous man. Thus the
knowledge of the law of action makes a man not only
energetic and hard-working* but also righteous.

0 b ) INDUCEMENT FOR DOING MAXIMUM OF DESIRABLE ACTS

our possessions at
mined by our past actions. These

are deter

of a man’s life and are an important factor in bringing

During birth, some acquire a predisposition for certain
dangerous diseases, some others are deprived of the
sense of sight or the power of speaking. Some are
placed in miserable and poverty-stricken homes with
hardly any provision for food or protection from the
rigours of the weather. On the other hand, some are
bom free from congenital taint, with all the sense
organs in perfect condition, rolling in wealth, comfort,
and happiness. Observing such differences from day to
day and knowing that these inequalities are due to
past acts, one would ordinarily strive to do desirable
acts and avoid undesirable ones. Every misfortune
that befalls us can be a power for putting us in the right
path so as to make our future at least tolerably happy.

JftiJt

i c

JL dmf

Every stroke
good and

encouragement to

According to the law of action, every suffering to which
we are subject has been caused by our own acts.
Therefore we need not feel sorry for these sufferings.
We can bravely meet them and try to remove them by
our exertion. Some people waste much time over the

and foolishly add unavailing sorrow to the suffering.
The believer in the law of action sees that he richly
deserves it and maintains peace of mind. He has no
fear. He does not die a thousand times before his
death. He knows he will get only what he deserves.

calamity. No one can be harmed except by himself.
If he has been wronged by another person, he thinks
that the wrong was the effect of his own action, regards
the wrongdoer only as the channel of the suffering
due to him, throws no blame on him, and seeks no
revenge. He is free from anger. More than ninety-
nine per cent, of the social and political troubles in our
countries are caused by not realizing the law of action.
If a person unjustly wrongs me, I must certainly
endeavour to prevent the recurrence of the wrong;
but I need not retaliate. For retaliation is wrongdoing,
and according to the law of action, if one retaliates one
will have to suffer for the retaliation itself. This will
mean increase of suffering in the endeavour to prevent

ft*#/ MKW

circumstances can
action in the past
good use of his
being intoxicated by

oCC

• «

birth* and may be induced
wealth and position instead

doing injury to them.

Again* some do good to others expecting good
from them. When they find that these are not grateful*
they give up doing good and sometimes make enemies
of these people. The law of action does not encourage
commercial charity of this kind. It says* “Do good
and you will get good* but not necessarily from the
same person. The coconut-tree which takes water
through its roots gives milk in return through its
top* but not through the roots. If* therefore* one
member of society receives help from you* some other
member may give you the reward. Therefore* do not
expect gratitude but continue your acts of charity
even to the most ungrateful man.” Some render
service and do not get adequate return and therefore
slacken their work. A hard-working teacher does not
sometimes get the salary he deserves* and being
ignorant of the law of action* gets discontented* tells
himself that much less work will do for his pay* and
does injustice to his boys and to the school. The law
of action will give him in a few months the fruit of
his changed course of action. It will take away his good
name, bring discredit on him, and may even deprive
him of his means of livelihood. On the other hand, the
believer in the law of action does not limit the source

127

later and may be rewarded for the past as well as
the present. He is
harmony with all
The knowledge of

man from the unedifyin cr inmnW- “Will it

to identify. The best course, therefore., is not to try to
find out the fruits, but to be sure of having them and
to continue to work with undiminished ardour. The
law of action leads to the higher law, “Do your duty
without caring for the fruit.” Great saints and martyrs
who have undergone endless hardships in the pursuit
of their ideals are the products of this law. The world
would not have had them if they had not been guided

H / W

by this principle. The law of action thus makes men
industrious, righteous, forbearing, noble, and saintly.

Liberation from Anava — liberation from Maya—
liberation from Action — merging m Love of God

iberation from Anava

of the soul has been shown
Anava. In dealing with the goal* we have

effects

.ava are

not refer to himself as
nor anger

Jtie nas neitner pride nor anger, neither sorrow nor
fear. He has no thought of his body, his famil y, his
property, and other things that are ordinarily supposed
to belong to him. The direct effect of freedom is the
free flow of energies to know, to desire, and to do.
The liberated soul therefore possesses unlimited
knowledge. It can transcend time and see the past,
the present, and the future events in the universe,
though it does not, as it has no concern with them.
It is also able to know the true nature of itself, of Maya,
and of Anava. As its I-ness hoc ,v «,■

UK li LU. ju

uwauw xvi xxo \jv vxjl oaivu# xxo xl %*axx get xmlimited

**** I**?

to do, it can do everything that can possibly be done,
But, as it desires nothing for itself, it does not do
anything for its own sake.

T1A

The Saiva School

eration from Maya

The products of Maya serve only as means for the

soul's activities of
the liberated soul has nothing in this world to know,
to desire., or to do, these tools are no more of any use
to it. So the soul may give them up as soon as it attains
liberation, that Is, it may leave the physical body
the mind;, etc. It therefore needs no place to
or things to enjoy, and gets completely out of the
domain of Maya. But some souls do not give them up
immediately. These are called Jivanmuktas, that is
those who are liberated and still live in bodies. These

are the souls that reveal the ultimate truths of religion
to those who need them. We know of ordinary men
called priests who profess to lead others to liberation.
They are but blind leaders of the blind. They are
themselves not liberated, are therefore ignorant of
ultimate truths, and can give little help to others.
The liberated man alone possesses the necessary know-
ledge and is able to assist others in their endeavours
to attain liberation. He is therefore indispensable to
them. The Love of God, in directing the universe,
so arranges evolution that some become Jivanmuktas
and supply this great need of other souls. But these
souls are in no way influenced by their mind or body.
Having seen the true nature of Maya, they cannot be
affected by such an insignificant product of it as their
body or mind.

13°

the body
/ith the
e Jivanm

e rgi ng

soul is li
it can re<
acquire o;

*8L

ated fron

S it t<s /Y
m JLL Jo v£

acts must
it and wro:
anmuktas
s acts who?

course of life
they remain u:

lut, in the midst of these activities

unaffected, all the acts being automatic anc

Their chief value to unliberated
position they occupy. They are mai
and are useful to men in both canac

souls is the dua
and God in one
ties. As they hav<

arouse in us love for God* and their gracious acts
strengthen us and make us masters of Anavic influences.
They are also the best objects of our worship. Of God
we know very little. He is beyond our comprehension.
He is to us merely a name and is pictured as something

objects of our
mortals., but are
If the figure of

spiritual power,
can

our whole attention when we talk to him* how much
more can these divine beings influence our minds?

out of our minds petty objects of the world that catch
our fancy. When our minds have grasped profound
truths and our hearts have tasted endless love* we
desire nothing except their gentle presence. If we
worship them* it will be the best form of worshipping
God.

Their teachings are sometimes written out and
passed on to posterity in the form of books. But
these books, though invaluable in themselves, cannot
take the place of their authors. There is a great differ-
ence between studying the geography of a place with
the help of a book and studying it from a person who
has seen the place and gained first-hand knowledge
of it. These liberated souls embody truths not only in
their teachings but also in the songs sung by them in
praise of God. When their mission is over they give
up the body altogether and attain perfect freedom.

But it must be remembered that this state of freedom
and bliss is not experienced* as is sometimes supposed*

133

*t*r mr

The first section of the path — the second section
the third section — exercises for the three sections

The path to the ultimate goal has three distinct
sections. In the first section, the soul’s ignorance is
so intense that it is concerned only with the conserva-
tion of its own interests in utter disregard of those of
others. It takes special care of its own comforts and of
the safety and well-being of the property, relations,
and friends that it regards as its own. To attain this
end, it is prepared to injure others as much as is neces-
sary and possible. It has one law for itself and a dif-
ferent law for others. Nature’s wealth, which it chanced
to get possession of, is freely spent on injurious
luxuries, while hundreds of its fellow souls which are
as much entitled to Nature’s gifts, stand at its door
on the verge of starvation, covering their nakedness
with rags. A man in this stage of life is not prepared
to put up with any insult offered by another, but is
ready to wound others’ feelings. He is not prepared
to make any sacrifice for the benefit of others, but is
anxious to utilize others for his purposes. Such prefer-
ential treatment of the self is the characteristic of the
souls within the limits of this section. This is what is
ordinarily called egotism. But even those who belong

135

truths than lies. The hardened criminal helps his wife
and children and even others who do not cross his
purposes. He is said to be a bad man, because he does
relatively more harm to society than those in the other
sections. This section is a very long one and can be
divided into several subsections, each of which may
be called a religion in the conventional sense. There
are conventional religions such as demonolatry and
Lokayata (sensualism), corresponding to many of
cue subsections. 'We have seen that the journey to
the goal takes countless births. Therefore a soul
takes a large number of births to pass through a single
subsection.

The Second Section

Man learns by experience that self-aggrandisement
and indifference to others’ well-being are not unmixed
advantages, but bring on positive suffering and misery,
which sometimes far outweigh the immediate benefits
that come from them. Man, as a social animal, has
endless dealings with others. Of these, some are just
and others unjust. These often lead in the end to
pleasure and pain respectively. The frequent experi-
ence of such diametrically opposed feelings as pleasure

«/ X JL JL

and pain coming from justice and injustice compels
him to know and to realize that what he does recoils
on himself, that he reaps what he sows. He sees that
he ought to be just in his dealings with others. He

136

society, a limb, or an organ of the body called humanity.
Just as each part of the human body works for the
well-being of the whole even at great sacrifice to itself,
so he, as a member of the society, feels that he has to
work for the welfare of the whole corporation and that
by that means alone can he himself attain well-being.
Besides, he feels pain when others treat him as unjustly
as he has been treating some others. His experience
shows that he cannot afford to be indifferent to the
consequences of his deeds on others, and creates in
him a desire to be fair towards them. This desire
raised by the consideration of his own interests is
strengthened by other circumstances. Society has made
certain rules for the observance of its members and
endeavours to enforce them. Secondly, the example of
the better class of the members of the society has an
unconscious influence on him. Thirdly, in helping
others he finds joy, to which is often added a reflection
of the joy in the person whom he helps. This forms a
strong inducement to help others, and leads even to

w X

great self-sacrifice. Thus, to his love of himself and his
belongings is added the love of other souls. The
keynote of this section is altruism. This section
also may be divided into a large number of sub-
sections. Most of the better class of conventional
religions are akin to some of these subsections. Saiva
philosophy divides this section into several parts,
and has given each a name such as Buddhism, Jainism,

137

Vaishnavaism, and Mayavadam, which, however, is
not identical with, but only corresponds to, the conven-
tional religion that bears the name. These religions
are defined by the limit of vision of the soul.* Adher-
ents of the above-mentioned religions know no
further than Buddhi, Guna, Prakriti, and Purusha
respectively (the 14th, 13th, 12th, and nth products).

The Third Section

Self-sacrifice implies not only a considerable weakening
of Anava, but also the accession of a large amount of
true knowledge. This great influx of true knowledge
creates dissatisfaction with mere devotion to the
serving of other souls, because it brings on the reali-
zation that other souls are not the ultimate realities
to which one should like to be attached. The feeling
of union with other souls gives way to the desire for
union with God. Love of God is now greater than
love of other souls. The man in this section journeys
towards God and gets closer and closer to him.
Finally he reaches Him, gets absorbed in Him, and
becomes one with Him. While in this section, his love
for other souls starts from a different source. In the
second section he loved other souls as brother souls
and loved them as much as or even more than himself.

* The Buddhist, for example, admits all the tatvas as
far as Buddhi. He does not admit the existence of anything
higher than that. The Jain goes further and considers
Guna as the highest physical existence, and God to be just
above Guna.

138

v he loves them as abodes
1. He lias little thought evei
yy and Mine slowly disaj
lly 5 and all instincts and
amorphosed into love. His
line love., love asserts itself
loves others not because others are souls like himself,
but because love flows of itself and he cannot but love.
He has now found out the truth that his body and
mind are mere tools and not part of his real self, and
s not moved by circumstanc

mind as pain or pleasure. He goes along this path,
and reaches the ultimate goal of God-head. This
section is the conventional religion called Saivaism,

which begins where love of souls develops into the
love of God.

Exercises for the Three Sections

followers. The wearing of a cross by a Roman Catholic
is a special exercise intended to remind him of the
great solicitude Jesus had for the salvation of the

world. This induces him to accept, and to co-operate

exercises.

The basis of right action — studies helpful to right action
— formation of right tastes and habits — extension of
principles — conquest of long-standing habits — control
of emotions — the company of the good and contempla-
tion of God — science and philosophy — self-sacrifice

The Basis of Right Action

Right action has for its basis either the doctrine of
universal brotherhood or the doctrine of the unity of
society. There are some who limit brotherhood and
society to human beings, while others extend them to
animals also. Universal brotherhood is derived by
theists from the fatherhood of God and by agnostics
from the motherhood of Nature. Believers in God
hold that all living beings owe their bodily existence to
Him and personify Him as the Father, while agnostics

personify as the Mother. Brotherhood implies love,
regard, and respect for each other’s rights, which are

last chapter, those who regard society as a unit or a
body are bound to serve one another and work for
the good of society, even at great self-sacrifice, as do
the various organs and limbs of the human body.
This is a better but a more difficult conception than

kjm

brotherhood, and forms the basis of Vedic Dharma.
Right action has two sections, the negative portion

142

Studies

t o

c ti on

The doctrine of brotherhood compels the recognition

******

of the principle that every living being has a right to
the safety of its person and property. Once this
principle is admitted* the injustice of violating the rights
of another must be accepted. But difficulty arises in
the application of the principle* largely as a result of

jr Jl jl Jr J c?

clash of interests. A man may tell himself* “I have
a right to the safety of my body. For this I must eat ;
but having no food I can rob my neighbour.” He for-
gets that he has a robust body which can help him to
earn his bread. To avoid such blunders it is useful to
study some moral code* whether from books or from
the instructions of parents* teachers* and other elders.
The laws in these codes may be extended by analogy.
But the study of these rules is only the first step* as
cases often arise of a complicated nature to which
neither the rales nor their extensions can be readily
applied. To meet such cases* a training in sound

* The present century sees the breakdown of all time-
honoured ethical codes and the replacement of those by the
application of first principles. The questions are asked*
Why should a boy honour his father ? Why should a man
not commit adultery ? and so on. A cultured man may ask
these questions and arrive at safe answers. But* if others
also should attempt to answer these themselves, they are
likely to blunder. This movement unhinges conduct and
causes confusion in society.

act of his on realizing the mistake in reasoning
committed. “Evil is wrought as much through
head as through want of heart.” The study
both deductive and inductive, is necessary

want
of log

sufficient. It ought to be studied with the express

w 1 X

purpose of being used in practical life and must be
followed by such use. Deep scholarship need not be
aimed at. The mastery of the elementary principles
will do.

Logic and ethics can only supply canons and
standards but cannot discriminate between the objects
that have to be measured and judged. We often
misjudge the workings of other minds, and logic or
ethics applied to such wrong judgments can lead only
to wrong acts. Man judges others by his own standard,
and often goes wrong, as the minds of people do not
always work in the same manner in the same set of
circumstances. Acts of injustice are often committed
through misapprehension of their effects. The teacher
who canes a boy with the intention of improving him
may harden him and make him worse. Such errors may
be avoided by the study of the sister science of psycho-
logy. But just as good students of logic often reason
wrongly, so scholars of psychology blunder in their
dealings with others. The study of these subjects
ought to be pursued with the express purpose of using
them in daily life. Not only for avoiding such errors,
but also for gaining success in life, knowledge of the
mental working of man has been found to be of
inestimable value.

Formation of Right Tastes

d Habits

£>

second section is anxious to do right

, action
as the man in
ut if his

traced to the folly on which it is based.* and an attempt
must be made either to remove it or replace it by right
ones. The excessive use of liquor deranges the brain
and leads to wrong deeds. The taste for liquor is thus
an unwise one 3 and must be replaced by a distaste
for it. The taste for luxurious life leads to pecuniary
ruin 5 which in turn compels one to unfair means of
making money. Habits due to an inflated ego such as
revengefulness, easily taking offence and harsh treat-
meat of inferiors, require close introspection and
re-examination of the points of view. Habits of loose

thinking in which sufficient regard is not paid either
to principles or to their application also lead to wrong

X X XX

acts. These can be avoided by adopting a well-regulated
life based on definite principles. One must find pleasure
in undergoing inconveniences and hardships for the
sake of rigid adherence to principles. Life is not worth
living without principles and without experiencing
privations and sufferings for the sake of principles.
In the initial stage, there is often a great struggle as
there is in learning anything of real value. We had
many a fall followed by tears when, as infants, we

XAK K

are as

walking and fi
So also, the

cheap

prrnci]

value of such a life and the intense pleasure that comes
of that life.

Extension of Principles

There are some who have profound respect for certain
principles and religiously follow them but break other
equally important principles. Some men have a great
regard for honesty and condemn those who lack that
virtue. But they are cruel, hard-hearted, and loose in
many other ways. This is due to a one-sided training
which can, however, be improved. They realize that
principles ought to be respected and strictly followed
at any cost. That is why they lay so much stress on
honesty. They will, therefore, endeavour to follow
other principles also if they give due thought to them
and direct some energy of will in order to follow them.
As already stated, the adoption of a new principle
entails a great strain at the beginning, and when
this stage has passed, loyalty to principle causes great
joy. When it has become crystallized, the conquest of
another principle may be attempted. Thus a person
who respects one principle can gradually extend his
loyalty to other principles and become a thoroughly
righteous man.*

* The gradual conquest of wrong habits is not an invariable
method. A person sometimes loves righteousness and gives
up a number of wrong habits simultaneously.

Conquest

;ut

it is a

action. No pious resolution
determined effort of will
tendency to do it. To

avoid it* not the most
Iways withstand the
this habit, the reflex

mechanism must be rusted by disuse. The circum

stances

cause

long period of time and some innocent pleasure must
replace the one caused by it. The drinker must alto-
gether avoid the company of drinkers and places where
drink is available. When the thirst for drink comes and
endeavours to occupy the mind., it must be diverted
immediately by plunging into some other occupation.
One may go to a teetotaller friend and discuss with him
questions of great moment or take to some favourite
sport or game. The habit may also be amenable to
medical treatment.

Control of Emotions

Violent emotions often cause wrong actions. Emotions
were meant by Nature for self-protection. Animals
have neither law courts nor means of oral defence* and
must either flee from an enemy or use all energy at
their command to disable it or kill it. The emotions
that make these possible are respectively fear and
anger. When these emotions arise* reserve sugar in

147

The Saiva School of Hinduism

the liver is liberated for the creation of additional
energy, and the animal exhibits extraordinary energy.
This is necessary for the safety of wild animals. But
we have passed that stage and we have several other
means of safely dealing with our enemy. These emo-
tions are therefore not necessary for our ordinary
purposes and should not be allowed to assert them-
selves. Besides leading us to other dangers, they waste
our reserve energy which took us several months to
store up.

Similarly, sorrow is an incentive to additional exer-
tion to make good the loss that has been sustained.
If a man’s house has been burnt, he feels sorry, works
harder to earn more, and builds a new house. But our
sorrow, not unlike fear and anger, often defeats its
original purpose by disorganizing the body and reduc-
ing even the usual output of energy. Sorrow for the
loss of relations or friends is mere folly, as they cannot
be made good. Sorrow sometimes leads to despair.
When a man is desperate, he sets little value on his
own life and consequently on those of others. Such
men sometimes murder others and themselves.

Instances are not wanting of men who admit that
their acts are unreasonable but justify them on the
ground that their feelings were irresistible. Emotional
life is injurious to the individual and to society, and
emotions should not be allowed to get the better of
discretion. The control of emotions is an education
by itself, and can be acquired by careful and diligent
practice. The realization of the evils they cause can
do much to keep them under subjection. The man who

A great aid to right action is the company of the
righteous. The imitative instinct is powerful in man
and influences his thoughts, words, and deeds. People

the writing of those whom they admire. The unique
advantage of imitation is the saving of strain that is
ordinarily needed for change of habits. It works almost
unconsciously and replaces the old habit stealthily
and without any kind of straggle. The man who wishes
to be in the right must seek the company of the
righteous, who will readily take him if he makes known
his purpose. If their company is not available, their
writings and their lives can take their place. A man
is what his thoughts are. If his thoughts are fed
with the words of righteous men and with the
accounts of their deeds, he slowly and steadily
becomes one of them, if opposing forces are reduced
to a minimum.

Similar to the company or the thoughts of the
righteous is the thought of God. Our conception of
God is that of a perfect Being, and the contemplation
of a perfect Being is a great aid to the righteous life.
Divine contemplation overcomes wrongdoing in three
ways. It brings home to us God’s greatness and

140

consequently our insignificance. This deals a fatal
blow to I-ness which is the most prolific cause of
wrongdoing. Secondly, it reminds us of the fact that
all living beings are essentially divine and requires
us to be considerate and kind to them. Thirdly, it
shows that things of this world are of no real value and
crushes the desire to possess and enjoy certain things
for which we have no justification. Besides being an
infallible cure for wrongdoing of every kind, it is a
powerful stimulus to acts of positive righteousness.
The disadvantage of divine contemplation is that it
is one-sided. What gives zest to company is conver-
sation, which is impossible in communion with God.
But the disadvantage is felt only at the commencement.
As the attachment to God increases, contemplation of
God becomes sweeter than the company of friends
and finally than anything else in this world.

Almost as valuable as the contemplation of God is
the contemplation of saints, who are human as well
as divine, and easily bridge the gulf between man and
God. But they do not appear in this world at all times

«/ X JL

and in all places. We have their lives, however, and
the songs they have composed, which often melt
our hearts and make them readily respond to whatever
is righteous and detest everything that is wrong.

Science and Philosophy

The last, but not the least, aids to right action are
science and philosophy. Man often does wrong in

X JL v

his pursuit of sense-pleasures. But science says that

I5O

Castor oil is unpalatable because it is not a food;
toddy gives an unpleasant smell because it is not
wholesome; treading on thorns gives pain because it
injures the tissues. Feelings of pain and pleasure
arose in the course of evolution,* to point out where
the safety of the body lies. They had no intrinsic value.
Those things that cause pleasant sensations are
ordinarily good for the body. Sensations are thus
only indices of the values of things. But we set a real
value on them, hanker after pleasant sensations, and
get beyond proper limits. Philosophy says that this
is folly. A great many of our wrong acts are the results
of seeking pleasure for its own sake, and if we listen
to philosophy we can make up our minds to minimize
them.

Philosophy goes further and says that the body and
other possessions of the soul are intended for the
suppression of Anava and must be used for that
purpose. Anava leads to the pursuit of those sense-
pleasures which are injurious to us and to others.
It also intensifies the sense of I-ness and My-ness.
Therefore when we propose to perform an act, it is
our duty to see whether it subserves Anava in any form
or on the other hand suppresses it by following truth
and justice and by sacrificing the self’s worldly interests
for the benefit of other souls. The question must be

* If an animal had felt pleasure while experiencing some-
thing injurious lo its well-being, that species would have
perished.

151

Philosophy also says that the soul of souls is God
and that the soul is* therefore., essentially divine. It
must avoid wrong acts not only because they are
unworthy of its divinity but also because its goal of
self-realization can be reached only by basing its acts
on the truth of its essentially divine nature.*

S e If- s acrifi c e

We have hitherto been considering only the negative
side of right action, the avoidance of wrong. But the
fostering of the positive side is of greater importance,

self is the basis of wrongdoing, so the effacement
of the self is the foundation of righteousness. The
self here stands really for the body and other products
of Maya, with which the soul usually identifies itself
through Anavic influence. When a man gives his
food to another and starves himself, it is the satisfaction
gained through the body that he sacrifices. If he helps
a person suffering from a dangerous infectious disease,
he is prepared to sacrifice his life. If he spends for
the benefit of others the time and energy which he can
devote to his personal advancement, he sacrifices

* The soul is compared to a prince brought up by a
savage and fancying himself also to be a savage. When God,
his Father* comes up to him and convinces him of his
ancestry* he gives up his foster-father* goes up to Him*
and enjoys endless bliss.

others is not

ctrlA A;T Ttcrfit*
oIULC U1 IlgJLIL

arises

acrifice

reason is that mere possession is of no value to the
soul. None of the products of Maya that the soul
possesses belong to it for ever. They come and go.
Their value to it depends on the use to which they can
be put. If they serve I-ness or My-ness they are
injurious to it, and if they serve selflessness they are
beneficial. Hence the justification for deeds of self-
sacrifice. The man in the second section knows that
other living beings are also souls like himself, that
they experience sufferings like himself and would
like to be free from them. He therefore helps them

when they are in distress. We have seen that of all the
emotions of man, love alone is divine and must be
fostered. It leads to self-sacrifice and is measured by
it. It makes a person identify himself with another
and leads him to share his woes and 0

oxid its fruit of self-sacrifice multiply each other, in
the same way as a tree brings forth fruits and fruits
bring forth trees. In the course of the rapid growth
of love, self-sacrifice becomes as pleasant as self-serving
is to the man in the first section. He merges himself
in the selves of others.

In the initial stage of self-sacrifice, love for others is
not sufficiently intense to induce one to make appre-
ciably great sacrifices. The intellect must compel the

I <3

man to help others. The gratitude that is often returned
causes \

besides, the act itself reacts on the emotion and

followed., love
issues forth accompanied by sympathy and tenderness.

to assert itself, it grows steadily
and very rapidly if it is assisted by

The need for a definite programme of life — the infant
life — the student life — the householder's life — the
forest-dweller’s life — the philanthropist’ s life.

The Need for a Definite

gramme

sions

force

so numerous

occa

line of least resistance, which not infrequently leads
to wrongdoing. At times the mind from one point of
view prefers one course of action, and from another
the opposite course. It has also to decide between the
two, accept one and reject the other. It is thus plaintiff,
defendant, and judge, and occupies an exceedingly
difficult position. It must therefore be placed in a
definite groove so that it may conform to right
standards of life. There ought to be different stages
in this groove so that it may be possible for every
person to make the fullest use of his stay in this world.
Each stage must be progressive, enforcing a discipline
and a set of duties which fit a man for those of
the next.

It is proposed to consider here the Vedic life, which
consists of the following five stages: the infant, the

155

student* the householder, the forest-dweller, and the
philanthropist. In the householder’s life., one’s love
extends to relations, friends., and acquaintances . In the
next stage, the love goes up to all those who live in a
village, province, or country. This is disinterested love
confined to an area. In the last, the love extends to
humanity as a whole, in full recognition of the principle
of univ ersal brotherhood. If a man places himself in these

three stages, his love for others is bound to expand.
As a rule, it is good to reach these stages in succession
so that the duties pertaining to each may be
performed. We see how householder politicians often
fail in their domestic duties as well as in their duties

to the country. But there is nothing to prevent a
householder from doing social and political work if
he can attend to both satisfactorily and if he has
genuine love for the country. It is also permissible for
one to pass from student life directly to philanthropic
work, if one is qualified to do so.

The Infant Life

In the earliest years a child lives under the guiding
authority of its parents. Wise parents treat their chil-
dren with strictness, kindness, and consideration.
Nothing else in this world requires so much earnest
thought as the dealings of parents with their children.
It is easy to spoil them by indulgence or cruelty.
The character of a child begins to be formed at about
the first year. A Tamil proverb says, “The habit
formed in the cradle remains to the end of life.” The

156

logy is more important to parents
gnorance of this science has caused

the ruin of countless lives.

S indent

When the child has reached a certain stage., the parents
hand over the child to the teacher and delegate to

possess. This age varies
according to the aptitudes and future careers of the
children. An intelligent child destined to intellectual
life begins its studies at the age of five. A child intended
for State service begins studies later, to ensure a strong
physique. Those who are less intelligent begin st
later and have a
classes had both cultural and vocational training. In
early Hindu society, those who were found fit for
original work spent thirty-six years on their studies,
the second class eighteen years, and the others nine
years. These periods can now be cut short by about a

W W 0

The student life is erroneously held by some to be
the preparation for the householder’s life. The Saiva
religion considers the student life to be the most
important part of life and the others only as appendices
to it. The early part of life is surer than the others.
The student has, therefore, to make the best use of
his life, and devote it to attain the object of his birth.
He is expected to lead a purely religious life and is
hence called a Brahmachari, which means, “one who
walks in the way of God.”

157

stance is
:e must

* 0

ial schools must
:n of high charai
with whom is in<

Hindu society, great te
>assed the householder’s
ir lives to service of this
its as their new or a<

stage

kind.

man, had his passions well under control, was of a
serene, calm, and cheerful disposition, and had gained
first-hand knowledge of the world by experience. His
affection and tenderness, his saintly life, and his vast

teac

was on morning and evening worship, which gave
concentration of mind, development of the will, and
Love of God. Thirdly, came Intellectual education.
The teacher allowed the pupil to proceed with his

& X X

studies in his own way and at his own pace, and
only gave assistance when it was needed. The pupils
grew accustomed to deep and sustained thinking, and
the intellect became strong enough to gain mastery
over emotions and impulses. The amount of discipline
gained during the period was enormous. The animal
instincts were sublimated by the good influence of
the teacher. Self-conceit was transformed Into self-
respect. Indignation for personal affront issued through
the channel of what is called righteous indignation.
The love for pleasures of the world was transmuted
into love for the welfare of other living beings. The
veneration for the teacher (Guru) extended to venera-
tion for God, the great Teacher (Parama Guru).

rvy W T T If 7 w •

the Householder s Life

With such Invaluable equipment, the young man
entered the life of a householder, which was the touch-
stone of his student life ; for, this stage of life has always
been one of great trial. Bringing up children in the
right way has always been one of the severest of tasks.

* The use of certain foods such as flesh, fish, and alco-
holic drinks, was prohibited as exciting causes of unwhole-
some passions.

JkitM

T CO

patience, self-e:

“putra,”

“he who saves one from hell. 35

form their duty in the proper manner. One unkind
word> look* or deed has sometimes been the cause of

changing the attitude of the child and of ruining one
who would have become a gem but for the father’s
blunder. A man has no right to marry who has not
studied the method of bringing up children, or who
does not possess the necessary patience and earnestness
to look after these tender beings and their infinite
potentialities for good *

Besides this sacrifice to his children, the householder
had five others to make. The first was the Deva
Yagna, which was his sacrifice to God. He offered his
love to God and rendered service in and to places of
worship. Every act of his must satisfy the condition
that it was a means of honouring God. The second was
the Rishi Yagna, which was a sacrifice to the Rishis,
who were the givers of knowledge. The householder’s

to the existing stock of knowledge by original contri-
bution or by the dissemination of existing knowledge
by teaching or by helping teachers and authors. Next
came the Pitr Yagna, which was sacrifice to one’s
parents. Parents are gods on earth. Personal service

* No man begins agriculture without studying the art
of agriculture. But few learn the art of bringing up children
before they marry. It is thought that a human child is a
thing of much less importance than a tobacco seedling,

x6o

need of protection or support. The fourth is the
Athithi Yagna. This is helping strangers who are in
need of help., such as the side, the poor* and the de-
formed. The last is the Bhuta Yagna, which consists
in helping the subhuman species* such as the cattle*
the horse* the crow* and the dog.

The householder has also social obligations and has
to obey social laws. These sometimes put him to very
trying discipline. A healthy public opinion is an impor-
tant determining factor of his acts. He is bound by the
laws of the land and by his duties to the country. All
these tend to put him in the right path and to make his
life good and useful.

The Forest-Dweller’ s Life

The next stage was that of the forest-dweller.^ When
the son was able to take charge of the household*!
the man transferred to his son the burden of household
management and devoted his time to spiritual con-
templation and to the service of others, i Some rendered

JL «

* He is called Vanaprastha, He lives in the forest dose to
the village, having reduced his needs to the barest minimum.

f “When he observes wrinkles and white hairs upon his
person* and beholds the face of the child of his child* then
let him retire to the forest” (Mann VI. 2 ).

$ “Let him befriend all creatures and think tenderly
of all beings. Let him give ever and take never 5 ’ (Manu VI. 8).

T&T T

«*>* V*

social service to their neighbours, and others to the

village or the city,
activity and served a whole district or a country. Some
became great teachers and rendered invaluable service to
the rising generation. They led a simple life, and served

service

reward. This was the first step in selfless work. For,
the tinge of My-ness that appeared in serving one's
own country was unintentional, and hence unreal.
Service was done in ons s country, but not because
it was one’s own. On the other hand, service to one’s
country on the ground of patriotism is rank selfishness,
and has no place in this stage. A large part of the time
of those in this stage was spent in religious exercises
which had an elevating effect and formed the lever
for selfless acts.

The Philanthropist' s Life

The fifth stage was that of the philanthropist. His
characteristic was intense love for God and for
humanity. He abandoned his home and found no
difference between his son and an utter stranger in
a remote comer of the world. He did not know where
he would get his next meal or where he would rest for
the night. He had no thought of his own village or
country, and loved the world as he once loved his own
country. He went from house to house, from village
to village, from country to country with his first-
hand knowledge of spiritual truths, imparting joy and

happiness to those who met him and rendering them

_ .

I02

and the erring. The rules of this stage of life did not
allow him to stay in a place for more than three day$ 5
as a longer stay might create in him an attachment to
the spot. He would not be hurt by insults or provoked
by any unpleasant acts of others. He regarded everyone
as his alter ego. As his business was to serve others
and not himself, he had no thought of himself and
viewed respect and disregard,, praise and abuse., benefit
and injury with the same serene indifference.

These five stages in a man’s life give five different
kinds of discipline to a person. The parents in the
first stage, teachers in the second, and the duties
prescribed for the other stages form the external
authorities for the enforcement of right living.

The value of the thought of God — forms for the
contemplation of God — method of contemplation —
time of contemplation — minor exercises

The Value of the Thought of God

The essence of all religious exercises is the thought of
God. It is of value to us in three ways. It presents to
us the highest conceivable ideal. The knowledge of
ideals leads to the desire to realize them and then
to the effort to attain them. Biographies of good men
are useful to us chiefly on this account. Secondly, the
contemplation of lofty ideals is a source of serene
joy and chastening of the mind.* Thirdly, God is
the only reality with which we are concerned and which
must be the ultimate object of all our endeavours
and activities.

Forms for the Contemplation of God

The contemplation of anything must be centred on
something the mind can grasp. Most people have
mental pictures of the objects they think about. Some
do not form mental pictures but use qualities! of those

* Even, atheists cannot deny these two values of the thought
of such an ideal of goodness.

f The word quality is used here to denote essential
characteristics, and attributes to denote non-essential ones
like relationship.

164

objects to raise the thought, which is thus image-less.
But, when the object of thought has neither a form nor
definite qualities, the name itself forms the peg of
thought. In the formation of any valid conception of
God, the first method is of no assistance, because
God has no form. Nor is the second method any
better; for His qualities are beyond our comprehension.
We can think of Him only with the help of the name.
But this thinking does not serve the purpose of con-
templation. It serves only as an index of what we mean.
Contemplation requires something more substantial
than a name and more intimately connected with the
object. We have therefore to resort to some incorrect
forms of contemplation. We must create some picture
of God, possessing or depicting attributes that describe
Him. Any picture of God that we create can only be
anthropomorphic. But we can supplement it by assign-
ing attributes of God to the various parts of the picture.
In addition to the mental picture, we can also create
material forms to serve in place of mental pictures.
Mental pictures are a strain on the mind and are not
likely to be steady. Material forms appeal to the eye
as well as to the mind, and have therefore a distinct
advantage over mental images. Most conventional
religions use material images,
those who use mental images fancy that their images
are the real forms of God and despise those who use

tfm*

material forms. Everyone who has not become God is
incapable of knowing Him, and must therefore use
some image or other; and it is unfair for the worshipper
of one kind of image to look down upon a worshipper

165

erent

purposes and different classes of people. First of all,
there must be an image which symbolizes all the

so that they may all be present before us. There must
also be images, each of which symbolizes only a
particular aspect, so that the mind may dwell on it and
form a deep impression of it with its assistance. These
two kinds of images are like a map of the whole world
and maps of different continents’ Advanced worship-
pers do not require an analysis of the attributes of
God. They are satisfied with a single all-inclusive
attribute which can be represented by an amorphous
image*

Method of Contemplation

With the help of these images the worshipper fixes
his mind on God. The first requisite of contemplation
is the attitude of devotion or love for God. We love
those things that are desirable to us. The drunkard
loves toddy, the miser his money, the child its mother,
the scientist the discovery of truth, and the saint the
Reality. If the worshipper is a saintly man, his mind
goes of itself to God. His love goes exclusively to Him.
He finds no difficulty in spiritual contemplation.
But the ordinary man must take pains to withdraw

* An account of images used by Saivites is given in
Appendix A.

166

it has given him this body* and more than his mother
it gives all the other countless bodies that the soul gets
by turns. God’s Love is our eternal mother. We
therefore feel bound to direct our love to God. We
thank our earthly physician who cures us of a dangerous

Physician who cures us of the eternal disease of the
soul. Thoughts of this kind should precede or form the
preliminary to contemplation of God. In contempla-
tion proper, the images themselves are such as can tell
us what we should think.*

Time of Contemplation

The times of worship must be either those which are
favourable to it or those that particularly need it. 00
The time that satisfies both conditions is early morning.
The mind is then fresh and vigorous after sleep, and

JL, 0 ?

has had no preoccupations which usually distract
worship. It is therefore a favourable time. It is a
psychological fact that the first object in the morning
that powerfully impressed itself on it is likely to persist
in it for a long time during the day. This persistence
is highly desirable, and worship is therefore particularly

* The suggestive nature of an image is given as a sample
in Appendix A.

1 67

as worries aismrD sleep

rk that takes place during sleep,
isions, the worship with sacred
ite as it is simple,
tendency to become mechanical
:s value. Care must be taken to
s earnest and real. If this is not

e done once a week 5 a fortnight^
rval longer than a month will
is the effects of the special wor-
168

is is

aiKS
ible

depends upon the effects of the circumstances that

Minor

xer cts e s

e is likely to

n: The worldly man cannot have at
ought of God or the sense of justice*
go amiss. must be

;-stone for right doing. This is possible
;on examines himself periodically and

difficult circumstances, he has been in the right,
and how often he has missed the right path. He must

attention to the circumstances that were respectively
favourable to right and to wrong. He must devise
means thereafter to create the circumstances that
favoured the right deed and to overcome the circum-
stance that turned him aside from rectitude. People
are sometimes taught to be sorrowful for a wrong
done, and even to punish themselves. But sorrow
causes mental and physical depression which would
rather lead to wrongdoing than to abstinence from it.
What is required is finding out the means of avoiding
circumstances that lead to wrongdoing. This can be
done in quite a manly way.

(2) Religious study: The determination to avoid the
circumstance that caused wrongdoing is necessary but
not sufficient. The repetition of the desire to avoid
a particular act may possess the mind and weaken its

A, ** X

power to avoid it. The m ind cannot catch negatives.
It abhors them more than Nature abhors vacuum.
It must be given something positive to prevent it
from wrongdoing. “Lives of great men all remi n d us,
We can make our lives sublime.” One must read the
lives of great men. If the company of good men is
available it is all the better. Seeing has much greater
influence than reading. Besides, their kindness and love
are highly infectious.

Devotional songs composed by one’s self or by saintly
men are useful to the growth of love for God and to

170

The needs of the third section — the aid of the spiritual
teacher — the exercises of the first stage ( Gharya ) —
the exercises of the second stage ( Kriya ) — the exercises
of the third stage (Yoga) — the exercises of the fourth

stage (Gnana)

The Needs of the Third Section

The aspirant to the third section has outgrown social
life and thirsts for communion with God. Hitherto
his primary occupation has been the serving of souls,
and the worship of God has only been secondary.

that union with God is the ultimate goal. As, in an
elephant made of wood, the ordinary man ignores
the wood of which it is made and thinks only of the

the first section regarded himself as a body rather than
as a soul. In the second section he views all sentient
beings as souls. It is in the third section that he sees
that the essence of the soul is God. Hence in the third
section, serving souls is only serving God. Wrong-
doing in the ethical sense is impossible for a man in
this section, and he requires no aids to right action.
His main occupation will be the service of God, and
it is for this that he requires aid.

A j &

gets from a more advanced soul whom he
Gum and who gives him the necessary
and training to enable him to get through
course., This equipment is called Deeksha
, on three occasions: the first on entering

this section, the second on reaching the second stage,
and the third on reaching the fourth stage. Each
Deeksha consists of six elements. The first element is
the winning a man over by means of his gracious
look.* We all know the part played by the eye in
expressing feelings. We have experienced the relief
that the mother’s look gave us when we were in
distress. Her gracious look instantaneously stopped
our crying and gave us joy and peace of mind. The
Guru is the spiritual mother. His look literally
captivates the disciple and makes him almost one

JL JL

with him.

The second element is the spiritual toucfa.f The value
of this we have had many occasions to realize. When
convincing arguments fail to change a young man’s

course of action., a pat on his back has often succeeded
in converting him. The spiritual touch makes a captive
of the impulses and instincts in the body, which
becomes the willing slave of the Guru and places
itself at his disposal for the exclusive service of God,
The Guru next obtains control over the mind!

* Called Nayana (lit. sight), intended to weaken Anava.
t Called sparsa (lit. touch), intended to weaken Maya,

! Called Manasa (lit. mind), intended to weaken Karmic
effects in the mind.

MB* MW jHHtL

T 74
*** / 3

mind gets into contact with the disciple’s* wipes out
the impressions of worldly things* and takes it to its
own way of thinking.

Fourthly* he teaches his pupil the eternal truths.*
He tells him that God is the ultimate reality; that the
things of this world* including the body* are Maya
in its process of evolution* that the soul attaches itself
to these things as a result of the limitation of knowledge
caused by Anava; that duties must be performed in
utter disregard of their fruits ; that the ultimate goal
is perfection and union with God. These truths are
taught to the disciple in a manner which carries
conviction and realization.

Then he is given spiritual formulasf which embody
these eternal truths and which can guide and con-
trol him in his activities. The teacher has thus
supplied the disciple with true knowledge and the
means of making use of it. He now makes the
soul realize God’s Love.i The soul then gets
a faint vision of God and is inspired with love for
Him.

The ceremony of Deeksha is a very long process
attended by the worship of God in the image of fire.
It equips the disciple for the exercises in the first
stage of this section. A course of exercises is prescribed
to him for increasing purity of mind and attachment

* Called Vachaka (lit. words)* intended to rectify know-
ledge.

f Called Mantra (lit. protecting)* intended to rectify
action.

4 Yoga (lit. union)* intended for union with God.

174

ter. They
1 act, an
iya* Manta
>1 is also p

of controlling and concentrating the mind.

Besides the special religions observances of this
stage* every other act of his life is made religious.
When he bathes* he considers the water in which he
bathes to be the Love of God* and the bath itself as
a symbol of union with God. Since he regards the body
as the abode of God* he considers the food that he takes
to be an offering to Him. When he meets others he
regards them as God and raises his hands in token
of worship. He regards every work that he does as
service to God who is enthroned in his heart. In his

leisure hours, his tongue repeats mystic letters with
his mind directed to God. He also spends some time
every day in temple worship and temple service.

His love for God in this stage is compared to that of
a servant for a master* and this stage is hence called
Dasa Marga (the path of a servant). When he has

caned Jxriya iviarg

Lire in this stage therefore requires a tr
supply of spiritual energy, which, as b(
supplied by the Guru in the course of a i
The most important exercise in this sts
ship of God in the amorphous image,
It is pillar-like and represents the strait

w ft*

is the graphic representation of pure
(Nada). It is sometimes called the pillar
it burns evil and gives the soul the light c
which serves to remove its ignorance. T
stage has such deep attachment to God t
only a broad hint to give its heart to Gc

The soul in this

od. It does not

:•¥£

sia

tive

rsltj

ent

subsidiary and supplementary. It is intended to

scope

of the

eyes, the hands, t
to serve God and

the tongue, and the

give

rest

body is the temple, the mind is the servant, truth is
purification, the heart is the Lingam, love is the liquid
with which the Lingam is bathed.” St. Vallalar says,
“Worship is not merely the offering of water and flower.

presence there at all times.”

External worship consists of sixteen elements
of which saturate the mind with the thought and

__ „ :s of

worship to God. According to Saivaism, every action
has a corresponding reaction or effect, which must be
experienced by the doer. But worship of God is not
intended for any gain. It is the overflow of the love

: as the love

for a child manifests itself in a kiss and a caress
without a definite purpose or object in view. Thi
worshipper therefore renounces the fruits or result;
of worship and offers them to God Himself. The las

to <joa, to be g

the

orsnipper may t
igaged, his heart
;xt staae called 1:

iat<

and denotes the stage at which the soul attains com-
munion with God, This stage is also called the Sakha
Marga (the path of the friend) and marks the highest
intimacy of the soul with God. It is a natural conse-
quence of the exercises of the second stage, and comes
of itself. Yoga consists of the following eight elements :
Good qualities (yama), good acts (nyama), right
posture, breath control, removal of mental distraction,
concentration of the mind on God, spiritual contact
(yoga), and spiritual experience.

Good qualities (yama) are ten in number: Non-
injury, truthfulness, honesty, chastity, kindliness,
purity of heart, forbearance, courage, devotion to the
performance of daily duties, and bodily purity. Good

i) are also ten : Se
God, worship of (
study of philosop
gs, and penance.

-control comes b
breath-control be

PJireil ¥ *

(sSl

|| M I t Ik W ^ 1

14 jf 1 1 1 B

I85BR

m3*mi

g the highest love. This intense love

to a

characteristic of the next and the last stage called Gnana

xercises of the

{Gnana)

r th Stage

Entry into this stage requires the third and the last
Deeksha. This can be given only by a liberated soul*
The Anava of a soul at this stage is almost exhausted.
It is time for liberation. Therefore all the past acts in
arrears have to be experienced rapidly before liberation.
This is made possible by the Love of God during the
Deeksha ceremony. When the Deeksha is over, the
Guru presents the ultimate truths and takes him
through four sub-stages. In the first of these, called
Shravanam, his disciple learns truths taught by the
Guru. The second step is called Mananam, in which
he ponders over what he has heard. In the third,
called Nithidyasanam, he realizes the truths, which he
experiences in the fourth called Samadhi. He realizes
the universe as a product of Maya and his own body
as distinct from his real self. He understands the true
nature of the soul and of the Love of God in which it
is bathed. He sees the Love of God everywhere and
forgets his own individuality. He has therefore no

179

action of his own. He gives himself up to the Love
of God and is entirely worked by it. He sees that he
has ah this time failed to realize his complete depen-
dence on the Love of God, just as the ordinary man
fails to note the importance of the heart that keeps
him alive, of the ground that supports him, and of
the space in which he moves about. If he helps others,
he does not feel that he helps but finds himself to
be merely a tool of God’s Love. Later, he merges in
the Love of God which takes him to God, like the
boat that takes the passenger to port. When this
union with God has taken place, the body either
perishes at once or persists for some years so that the
soul may serve as a

The Peria Puranam speaks of sixty-three persons
who have attained liberation. Some of these were
kings, ministers, cultivators, potters, washermen, and
so on. The Saiva religion offers the final goal to
all fit souls irrespective of the ordinary differences of
sex, birth, or position, and assures divine bliss in due
course to all souls.

180

External

(a) Images symbolizing all aspects . — One of the most
comprehensive images is Nataraja. It has four hands
and two legs. The hand that bears the dru m repre-
sents God’s act of evolving the universe and giving
us our bodies. Just as a drum produces vibrations
in the air and causes sound, so God produces motion
in Maya and causes the evolution of the universe.
This is how the drum symbolizes creation. Another
hand, with the palm turned towards the worshipper
telling him not to be afraid of anything, represents
the sustenance of the universe. A third, having fire,
indicates the involution of the universe. As fire burns
things and makes them disappear, so God makes the
universe return to its original form of Maya. The
two feet represent the double aspect of the goal. The
foot that crushes the dwarf symbolizes the Love of

the soul from its hold. The uplifted foot stands for
eternal bliss which is the second aspect of the goal, and
the fourth hand points to it. The smile of love also
has a double significance. It silences the gospel of
hatred and suspicion preached by Anavic influences,
and offers a cordial welcome to the worshipper. The eye

f&h

induism

God and

representing single attributes of God* five are essential.
God’s first and foremost attribute is love. There should
be a separate image to represent love and nothing but
love. The highest form of love that is known to us is

sented as the mother. To signify God s Love* the
image must possess something super-anthropomorphic.
The Saiva image of God’s love is called XJma.* It
represents a mother* but has four hands instead of
two. Almost all images of Saiva worship have at least
four hands* two of which are the same in all. One
of these two is the uplifted hand corresponding to the

JL JS*

second hand of Nataraja* which exhorts the worshipper
not to be afraid of anything and offers to protect him.

J C? JET

The other hand* like the fourth hand of Nataraja*
points to the feet which symbolize the ultimate goal

JL «/ w

of true knowledge and infinite bliss. In pointing to the
feet* it tells him by implication that it is wrong for

lly wants and cares* and

ACC

wOO i

jtiese

tiveh

s the

Stic

lid

The Saiva doctrine calls such an image Vinayaka
(lit. He who has no lord above himself). This image
has something like the proboscis of the elephant.,
of which the straight portion represents the universe
of knowledge and the bent portion the universe of

These two images remind the worshipper of God’s
infinite love and His Lordship of the universe. In
spite of the knowledge of these two great attributes,
man forgets God and gives the first place to himself,
i.e. to his bodily self. If he has a business that concerns

prefers to attend to his worldly business. Thoughts of
his worldly affairs drive out thoughts of God. It is
important to root out this tendency of giving first
place to oneself and second place to God. An image
that can show this idea then becomes necessary. A
great Saiva saint said: “Is there any one in this uni-
verse so insignificant as myself or so great as You?”
The Saiva image that instils this thought is called
Bhairava.

Another tendency in man is to give second place
to God and first place to a My-ness/ 5 i.e. to something

* Maya in the unevolved form has no specific properties
and is therefore represented geometrically by a point, which
has only position but no dimensions. The first evolute of
Maya, which is the universe of knowledge, is represented
by a straight line, as it is the first element of geometrical
figures. The second evolute is the universe of motion and is
represented by a curved line which is the second geometrical
element,

183

important to him from a worldly point of view. A story
is related of a person who was at worship when his
official superior called at his house. The man broke
his worship and rushed to see him. This is giving first
place to his superior and second place to God. This is
the second obstacle to religious life. An image is
necessary to impress this thought, ^aivaism has pre-
scribed such an image and has called it Veerabhadra.

Having overcome the assertion of I-ness and My-
nessj man is able to devote himself to the uninterrupted
and single-minded worship of God, and now wants
to submit to God for His guidance and control. He
stands pledged to implicit obedience and discipline as
before a Guru. The fifth partial image that he requires
is therefore that of a Guru. This image is named
Subrahmanya. It is more comprehensive than even
Nataraja, because it represents the Guru as well as

4 (

God. It has six faces, which represent respectively the
Lordship of the universe and the five great acts of
God, creation of bodies, sustenance, destruction,
counteraction of worldliness, and the illumination of
the soul. It has twelve hands symbolizing various
attributes. One of these holds a javelin, which is the
symbol of pure knowledge.

( c ) Amorphous image . — The Siva Linga is an
amorphous image. It resembles a pillar and repre-
sents the spiritual flame that destroys all ignorance
and enlightens the soul. Being synthetic in form, it is
suited to the worship of more advanced souls.

(d) Simpler images . — The images mentioned above
are so complex that people of inferior mental powers

cannot g

mens used
One of these is
sent the five gifts of God, two branches

trident. Its three

two each and the third representing one. The main
part of it symbolizes God Himself. This is a very simple
image both for external worship and for mental worship.
The second is the sacred ashes. This represents the

love of God. Fire has burnt cow dung-, removed its
impurities^ and has changed it to a beautiful form.
So the Love of God nullifies the power of Anava and
makes the soul divine. When a worshipper wears

sacred ashes on the forehead, he must feel that the
Love of God is on him, and cultivate the habit of
avoiding deeds that are unworthy of one who wears
the Love of God. Besides, as he puts on the ashes
he repeats songs in praise of the Love of God, which
heighten the feeling.

The Suggestive Nature of Images

In the image of Nataraja, the first hand tells the wor-
shipper that God has given him his body and habitation
for his benefit, and that he should make the best use
of them and of his time. He must use them in the
service of God and not in securing fleeting and harmful
pleasures of the senses. The second hand is the hand
of hope, indicating that man need not fear anything
but should work for his salvation. The third hand
warns him of the uncertainty of his life in this world,

185

Anavic influence and all the wrong desires created
by it. The fourth hand and the uplifted foot show his
destination of infinite bliss. The smile engenders
love for God, and the three eyes exhort the worshipper
to think correctly, desire correctly, and act correctly.
The eye on the forehead particularly condemns wrong
desires. This image is a perpetual sermon, initiates
religious contemplation, and serves as a suitable object
of long and continued adoration. It attunes the mind
to God and attaches it to Him. The min d is then filled
with the thought of God, and the body influenced
by the mind becomes the tool of God. The tongue
sings praises of God, the body prostrates before Him,
and the mind goes into ecstasy at the thought of
Him. The man loses his individuality and is possessed
by God.

186

The Mantras are formulas embodying vital truths in
a condensed form. The simplest of these is AUM,
composed of three elementary sounds A, U, M, with
a continuation of the last sound. The continuation is
split into two subtle sounds. These five sounds repre-
sent God, God’s Love which gives true knowledge,*
the soul, God’s Love which causes evolution,! and
Anava. The same five things are represented by
another Mantra consisting of five distinct letters.
Each of these Mantras is called Panchakshara (lit.
five letters).

They are used in two ways. They may be repeated
either for contemplation or as accompaniments to some
other exercise. The middle letter represents the soul
and each pair of letters on either side represents the
things to which the soul attaches itself. On its left-
hand side are God and the Love of God which gives
true knowledge (Parashakti), which are the real goal of
the soul and give it endless bliss. On the right-hand
side is Anava, with the Love of God that causes
evolution (Adi Shakti). When the soul contemplates
these five letters, it sees that it cannot but lean towards

* Parashakti. f Adi Shakti.

187

the left-hand side and avoid things on the right, the
things of the world that bring on endless suffering.
The contemplation attaches the soul more and more to
God, draws it away from tilings of the world, and leads
it to truth, goodness, and bliss. The more often these
formulas are contemplated in the right spirit; the more
free one is from the deceptive nature of things as
presented by the senses. The thought of God will
dominate the mind; and all the things in the world will
more and more reflect God.

Besides these two formulas or Mantras, there are
eleven Mantras which serve a great many purposes.
These indicate the various parts of an image of God
which is used for the purpose of contemplation. The
first five stand for the five faces of the image repre-
senting the love of God which confers on souls the five
gifts of spiritual illumination, suppression of Anava,
destruction, sustenance of life, and creation. The
remaining six stand respectively for his heart, head,
hair, clothing, eyes, and weapon, which symbolize
His being the great reality, His perfection, His winning
over the souls, His protecting them, His being the
origin of the universe, and His power of dispelling
ignorance.

They are also used to make the body manifest the
divinity that is in it. Though the body is made of
products of Maya, it is quickened by the Love of God,
and is therefore essentially and potentially divine.
Men of the Cl^rya stage have known this truth, and
the association of the Mantras with the various parts
of the body brings home to them this truth and makes

188

e first five

e and is fit for

divine service. He then consecrates his heart and then
other parts of the body with the appropriate Mantras.
His body has thus assumed a divine form.

The mind and body are further purified by the
application of sacred ashes with appropriate Mantras
to sixteen parts of the body, and by various other means.
The worshipper then practises control of breath.

which is believed to aid concentration of mind. With
these preliminary aids, he begins the worship of God.
There are several elements in the systematic worship
of God, of which bathing the image and offering
flowers are the chief. The water in which he bathes
the image is love, and the eight kinds of flowers
which he offers represent non-injury, control of the
senses, forbearance, sympathy, love, truth, spiritual
contemplation, and service. When the worship is over
he surrenders himself to God.

GEORGE ALLEN & UNWIN LTD
London 40 Museum Street, W C i
Leipzig. (F Volckmar) Hospitals! r 10
Cape Iown: 73 Si. George’s Sirfet

Toronto: 91 Wellington Street, Wfst

Bombay, 15 Graham Road, Ballard Estate
Wellington, N Z * 8 Kings Crescent, Lower IIutt
Sydney, N.SW: Australia House, Wynyard Square:

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