He broke into my soul's silent depths - mantrA 118

srigurubhyO namahA
In the 118th mantrA the sage speaks of the five mandalAs and nandi who manifests variously in the different mandalAs and redeems the devotee at each of these spheres to bring him back to his self state by cutting the ties that bind.

மலங்கள்ஐந் தாமென மாற்றி அருளித்
தலங்கள்ஐந் தானற் சதாசிவ மான
புலங்களைந் தான்அப் பொதுவினுள் நந்தி
நலங்களைந் தான்உள் நயந்தான் அறிந்தே. I.1.6.118.

He Broke Into My Soul's Silent Depths

"All impurities we shall expell," said the Lord in Grace
And saying so, from Sadsiva of the Five Spheres came down,
In the sovereign Sabha through His Five Acts Divine,
He broke into my soul's silent depths, Knowing all. I.1.6.118.

Com - from Sadasiva of the Five spheres came down, Through the combined agency of the lords of the five mandalAs, from the pure sadAsiva, ‘’All impurities we shall expell’’, said the Lord in Grace the pAsA of the five malAs or impurities that (seemingly) bind the siva are destroyed thoroughly. In the sovereign Sabha through His Five Acts Divine, The supreme lord nandi who is the actor (playing the role of the jIvA) performing in the cidsabhA/ cidAkAshA, stopped and reversed the action of the mind which is ever flowing outward (through the medium of the five senses) and attaching itself to the products of the phenomenal world. He broke into my soul’s silent depths, Knowing all. Not only that, the beloved Lord who manifests within the heart of the devotee, also cuts asunder the vAsanAs or tendencies that lie within the deep recesses of the mind which serve to attach the mind of the devotee to a phenomenal reality, as He knows all.

# The five spheres or mandalAs are – sivasAdhAkyam, amUrthysAdhAkyam, mUrthy sAdhAkyam, karthru sAdhAkyam and karma sAdhAkyam. These can be understood as five states (of consciousness).

The five malAs or impurities are – Anava malA (taint of ego), karma malA (taint of karma), mAyika malA (taint of mAyA), mAyEyam and thirOdAyI.

The five mUrthys or lords are – sadAsiva, IshwarA, rudrA, vishnU and brahmA.

The word ‘nal sadAsivA’ means the ‘good’ sadAsivA and here stands for the sadAsiva who does good for the jIvA. That is, when the jIvA is sufficiently mature, sadAsiva gradually shifts and reverses the outward/ material inclination and provokes a more internal/ inward inclination and eventually helps in ridding the ties that bind the jIvA.

From the above mantra we can understand that the supreme Lord nandi, assuming the five fold forms (or five mUrthys) is engaged in uplifting the sentient soul in each of the five spheres of its existence by reversing the outward flow of the mind and the inclination towards the smaller and limited joys (that is a product of sensory stimuli), to provoke an inclination towards the siva consciousness and the greater bliss that is a product of knowing one’s Self nature.

The guru, who is verily the sadAsiva in a human form, guides the disciple in the process of turning or arresting the outward flow of the mind by initiating him into the mystic techniques that regulate the flow of energies in the body and mind to enable him to eventually remain unmoved in the face of much external stimuli. It is of note that the mind or the manas tattvA is able to engage with the external world only through the interface of the indriyAs or the sense instruments. By itself, the mind is the antaHkaranA or the internal instrument. In the hatha yOgA, this arresting and reversal of the outward flow of the mind and its attachment to the external products is known as pratyAhArA.

With the right guidance from the guru, the disciple begins to engage in earnest in the path of sAdhanA where he is ever aware of the changing states of mind and being. He notices the flow of the mind and its effects on his being. With careful observation and repeated practise, he is gradually able to affect this outward flow to first focus inward and then later to transcend the flow altogether so the state of being is not affected by the environment externally. Eventually, the yOgi is able to remain in a state of samAdhi or equipoise where there is total absorption in the Self.

thirucchitrambalam