Sivaprakasam (Study in Bondage and Liberation)
by N. Veerappan | 2018 | 57,559 words
The Sivaprakasam is a 14th century Tamil text belonging to the Shaiva-Siddhanta literature dealing with the spiritual aspects of human life, such as bondage and liberation of the individual self. The Siva-Prakasam consists of 100 stanzas (verses) spread over two parts. The first part deals with the embodied condition of the self whereas the second ...
Seven-fold effects of innate impurity
‘Anavamala ’ dwelling in the individual self has seven-fold effects.[1] The foremost effect is infatuation. This infatuation is the main cause leading to other six effects.
1) Infatuation means the individual self’s incapacitation by being attached to the sense experience, whereas the scriptures indicate that the sense experience is to be avoided and the practice of turning oneself within is to be strived after.
2) The second effect is conceit by which the individual self thinks very high of worldly possessions.
3) The third effect is desire by which the individual self gets attached more and more with the worldly possessions.
4) The fourth effect is worry which produces sufferings by the removal of worldly possessions as a result of the past deeds of the individual self.
5) The fifth effect is sorrow due to loss of health when the possessions are taken away.
6) The sixth effect is the resulting disability of the physical body.
7) The seventh and the last effect of ‘anavamala’ is diversified feeling to make one think of his possessions and feel contented saying that there is no one for him to depend upon for achieving his own happiness.
Mayeya, the evolutes of maya or products of maya serve as the platform for the individual self’s experiences of pleasure and pain.Though they make the individual self to experience, they constrict the cognitive power of the individual self by making him finite.[2]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Vajravelu Mudaliar.K, op.cit., 147.
[2]:
Uruvathi sathurvithamai ondruondru ovva
Unmaiyathai nithamaiondrai yendrum
Aruvagig kanmantham anukkal yarkkum avaramai —Sivaprakasam 22.
“The impure maya is a formless, motionless unintelligent eternal entity from which is evolved reals of diverse qualities and functions, from combinations of which spring up the four categories beginning with bodies. It permeates all its developments and causes perversion to karmic individual selves. During final dissolution of all the tattvas it is the basic resort of all individual selves, and is itself a bond of the individual selves. All the processes in it are due to the energizing of it by the gracious might of the Supreme Being.”
—Subramania Pillai.K., op.cit., 22.