Nine aspects of One Being - mantrA106

srigurubhyO namahA
In the 106th mantrA we see more on the nature of the trinity and the sage sheds light on the divinities resident in the chakrAs.

சிவன்முதல் மூவரோடு ஐவர் சிறந்த
அவைமுதல் ஆறிரண்டு ஒன்றோடு ஒன் றாகும்
அவைமுதல் விந்துவும் நாதமும் ஓங்கச்
சவைமுதற் சங்கரன் தன்பெயர் தானே. 4.9.106.

Nine Aspects Of One Being
Siva the First, then the Three, and the Five following,
With whom flourished Bindu and Nada,
Nine are they all, yet one and the same--
All these but names of Sankara First. 4.9.106.

Com - – Siva the First, then the Three, and the Five following, siva the supreme first principle, appears as the Three and as the Five in the sabhai (court) / plane known as thirucchitrambalam. Nine are they all, yet one and the same – the above mentioned plane is composed of the six psychic centres known as the AdhArAs (the 6 chakrAs from mUlAdhArA to ag~nyA), the downward pointing sahasradaLA padmA (thousand petalled lotus) and the upward pointing sahasradaLa padmA (thousand petalled lotus) with mahEshwarA and sadAsivA respectively. With whom flourished Bindu and Nada, when the bindu and the nAdA begin to grow and wax in these centres, All these but names of Sankara First. the lord of the sabhai/ plane at that stage is known as sankarA, the One.

* This mantra has to be understood with some background knowledge of the various chakrAs and the divinities therein. The sage has used ample metaphors and the famous ‘twilight’ language technique in this mantrA to keep the more esoteric meanings secret. I will try to explain this mantrA as much as possible here, but please note that the full essence of what is said here needs to be learnt from a competent guru directly by the interested disciple.

The Three refers to the holy trinity – namely, braHmA, Vishnu and rudrA.

The Five refers to the above mentioned three together with mahEshwarA and sadAsivA.

The six AdhArAs or psychic centres are mUlAdhArA, swAdishtAnA, manipUrA, anAhatA, vishuddi and ag~nyA.

The two refers to the downward pointing thousand petal lotus and the upward pointing thousand petal lotus. sahasradaLA means the thousand petal lotus situated at the crown of the head. The yOgis state that this lotus on the crown is angled/pointing downwards when the jIvA is involved in the worldly dimension (i.e. involved with the everyday activities of the phenomenal world) and the same lotus is angled/pointing upwards when the jIvA is focused on siva or the spiritual dimension.

The bindu or vindhu refers to the Light principle.

The nAdA refers to the Sound principle.

Thus the mahEshwara mandala refers to the orb of Light while the sadAsiva mandala refers to the orb of Sound. The growth of these two mandalAs within the etheric body of the individual (due to specific practices) to finally saturate the energy body of the jIvA is indicated by the words ‘ ArirandondrOdOndru’ or the ‘six and two with one and one’.

The sage states that when the individual has perfected his energy body by the cultivation of bindu and nAdA (refer above) and the associated mandalAs/ orbs, then the supreme siva manifests as the Five and the Three and gives rise to joy and happiness. Hence He is known as sankarA – the auspicious. Note that the joy described here is sivAnandA or Bliss – a state beyond happiness and unhappiness.

thirucchitrambalam