They walk into light of siva - mantrA 126

srigurubhyO namahA |

Continuing from where we left off some months ago, without preamble, I will proceed to the next mantrA in the text.

முப்பதும் ஆறும் படிமுத்தி ஏணியாய்
ஒப்பிலா ஆனந்தத் துள்ளொளி புக்குச்
செப்ப அரிய சிவங்கண்டு தான்தெளிந்து
அப்பரி சாக அமர்ந்திருந் தாரே. I.1.14.126

They Walk Into Light of Siva

Ascending thus the steps,
Thirty and six of Freedom's ladder high,
Into the peerless Light of Bliss they walked;
And Siva, the inexplicable, they saw--
Having seen, realized and so stayed. I.1.14.126

Com -Ascending thus the steps, Thirty and Six of Freedom’s ladder high, (The siddars) ascend high towards the final goal of mukthi or liberation using the knowledge of the thirty six (see previous mantrAs) tattvAs, that are enumerated in the AgamAs, as the ladder. Into the peerless Light of Bliss they walked; ascending thus they merge into the luminous plane beyond compare – that of endless sivAnandA or supreme bliss, And Siva, the inexplicable, they saw – (and there) they had the darshan / vision of the supreme siva, that supreme principle which transcends description by way of words, Having seen, realized and so stayed. And having seen the supreme, they realized the truth about their Selves (as siva) and the siddars remained so (as siva).

# The term ‘padi mukthi EniyAi’ in the original, refers to the fact that the siddars consider the thirty six tattvAs as the ladder to liberation. That is, they ascend the spiritual path through transformation while still being engaged with the tattvAs (i.e. the phenomenal world, the body, the mind etc). Unlike some other schools of thought which encourage (and expect) the aspirant to suppress or overcome the distractions by understanding all phenomena as unreal or illusory, the siddars are those whose philosophy is accepting of the various tattvAs. They are understood correctly to be the various modifications (parinAmA) of the one siva.

Thus the sage makes clear that the true siddars are those, who have reached the highest goal of liberation through the paths that use the thirty six tattvAs as the ladder to spiritual heights. And having reached such heights, the siddars remain in that self-state being verily like siva Himself.

thirucchitrambalam |