Pati, Pasu and Pasa are eternal - mantrA 115

SrigurubhyO namahA

In this beautiful verse, the siddar speaks of the triad of the pati, pasu and pAsA - three very important concepts which the reader needs to get quite familiar with. The separate natures and description of each of these three as well as their interconnection are very essential principles for the devotee to recognise. This helps not only in the understanding of the temporality of the phenomenal world, but also serves to fully enable the understanding of reality or self state. These concepts are at the base of shaiva siddhAntA - so there will be plenty more description and sufficient fleshing out of these truths throughout the text. As we are currently in the upadEshA section of the text, the sage speaks of those very important truths that become as it were the foundation of wisdom in the mind of the devotee. Hence the stress on proper understanding.

பதிபசு பாசம் எனப்பகர் மூன்றில்
பதியினைப் போற்பசு பாசம் அனாதி
பதியினைச் சென்றணு காப்பசு பாசம்
பதியணு கிற்பசு பாசம் நில் லாவே. I.1.3.115.

Pati (God), Pasu (Soul) and Pasa (World) are Eternal

They speak of the Three--Pati, Pasu and Pasa;
Beginningless as Pati, Pasu and Pasa are:
But the Pasu-Pasa nears not the Pati supreme:
Let but Pati touch! the Pasu-Pasa is as naught. I.1.3.115.

Com - They speak of the Three – Pati, Pasu and Pasa; (When we consider) the three things that are known as the Pati (lit. Lord) or siva, pasu (lit. cattle) or jIvA and pAsA or bondage/tether Beginningless as Pati, Pasu and Pasa are: we will realise that, like the Pati (siva) the other two (i.e. the jIvA and the bondage) are also beginningless. But the Pasu – Pasa nears not the Pati supreme: (Though this is the case) the limitations of the jIvA hood and the limitations of the bondage do not ever accrue to the supreme pati or siva. Let but Pati touch! The Pasu – Pasa is as naught. (Thus) when the supreme pati siva becomes manifest in the jIvA, then its own pasu ness or limitations to consciousness and the bondage become removed.

# In this mantra we are introduced to the triad which is a very cardinal aspect in the kashmIra shaivam in particular and shaiva siddhAntA in general. First of all we will take a quick look at what these terms mean and what they refer to.

Pati – The word pati literally means Lord, Master, Husband etc. In the context of the siddhAntA this term is used to describe the supreme siva as He is the Lord of all. He is ever free and possessed of the various vibhUtIs or powers of omnipresence, omnipotence etc. The term also implies His supreme sovereignty on both the world and the jIvA or individual soul.

Pasu – The word literally means cattle. In the Hindu scriptures we find that this word has been used to describe people in general and in the tantrAs we can see that this term refers more accurately to a specific type or category of people. In the context of the siddhAntA this term is used to refer to the individual soul or jIvA. This is because the jIvA, unlike the supreme siva, is not free. The jIvA is tethered (much like the cow that is kept tethered to the stake) and can only move within the limits of the ‘rope’ that tethers it. The main implication of this term is that the nature of the jIvA is not free.

Pasa – This is the actual tether or bondage that limits the jIvA and keeps the jIvA from realising its true nature as siva. The scriptures variously describe the pAsA’s to be three, six, eight, etc depending on the school of thought. But keeping within the context of what we are now looking at, it is sufficient to understand the term pAsA as referring to the 3 malAs or impurities spoken of in the preceding two mantrAs (i.e. Anava malA, mAyika malA and kArmika malA). It is of note that it is this pAsA that ‘ties’ the individual soul and prevents the realisation that the jIvA without the taint of these impurities is in reality the supreme siva. To put it simply the root ignorance or avidyA (misapprehension) is what is termed pAsA.

With the above mantra we can understand that the difference between the siva (pati) and the jIvA (pasu) is that the latter is tied down to limited reality due to the effects of the pAsA (tether), while the former is ever free as the supreme lord.

Siva refers to the swarUpa avasthA (Self state) and it is unbroken/ eternal (akhandA) in nature. The word sadAsiva as the sage described in the previous section is that state (tat swarUpA). Thus we have that sadAsivA is who is known as pati or the Lord. Pasu is used to describe the jIvA as the word is indicative of being tied/ tethered by the various attachments which are collectively known as pAsA.

The words’ pasupAsam anugA ‘ means that both the state of limited perception (due to the effects of being tied) and the ties themselves do not attach to siva or the pati. He is forever in a state transcendent to them and is unbroken awareness in nature. The gathered meaning of the above verse suggests that when the akhandA or unbroken aspect of consciousness begins to manifest in the jIvA, then the pasu attitude and the pAsA or ties that bind one to such a limited reality are destroyed fully.

Thirucchitrambalam