Avvai KuRaL 73 ~ Feeling ShivA in the Heart Temple!

Avvai KuRaL 73 ~ Feeling ShivA in the Heart Temple

உள்ளமே பீடம் உணர்வே சிவலிங்கம்
தெள்ளியர் அர்ச்சிக்கும் ஆறு.

uLLamEy peedam uNarvEy Shivalingam
theLLiyar archchikkum ARu.

Those who prepare their heart (not the one that pumps blood to keep the physical body alive, but the spiritual heart aka Hridhayam) as the pedestal (AvudayAr) on which the intense feeling / emotion expressed towards the divine (devotion / bakthi) is worshipped as ShivA (the omnipresent divine or Parabrahmam) in the LingA form (formless form, representing the origin of creation), are the ones with clarity of mind (thoughtless mind, which is accessible only by the realised beings).

Devotees go to temples (consecrated spaces with divine forms in the GarbhagrihA or sanctum sanctorum), offer flowers and other sacred items suitable for pUjA to the archchakar (priest) and fervently worship the divine form (God / Goddess) as the ritualistic offerings are performed (abhishEkham, alankAram, ashtOthram, aarti or Deepa ArAdhaNai). While there is nothing wrong in this form of worship, attaining realisation through such external methods is very rare.

Those with clarity of mind, i.e. the realised beings, don’t search for the divine externally. They prepare their spiritual heart (hridhayam - not the physical one) as the pedestal (AvudayAr) through austerities / spiritual practices that purify the mind and body (in order to be worthy for the divine to reside, within) and crystallise their feeling / emotion towards the divinity within all beings in creation as the ShivA LingA (the primordial formless form of the divine) and surrender to the divinity within oneself, in pure devotion. This is the appropriate way of worshipping ShivA, i.e. that which is not aka Parabrahmam.

PUsalAr nhAyanAr is one of the celebrated 63 Shaivaite (those who consider / worship / surrender to Lord ShivA as the ultimate reality) saints. He has built a whole temple within his heart, stone by stone, over a period of time. On the day he has earmarked for the consecration of his inner temple, KAdavarkOn aka Rajasimha aka Narasimhavarman II, the mighty emperor of KAnchi (Kancheepuram, capital of ThoNdainhAdu) also planned the consecration of his marvelous KailAsanhAthar temple (in KAnchi). Lord ShivA, the ocean of compassion, appeared in the emperor’s dream and gently advised him to change the date of his temple inauguration as he had to be present at PUsalAr’s temple at the same time. Amazed at someone else building a bigger temple than him, the emperor went looking for the saint. When he met him in his humble dwelling and enquired about the whereabouts of his temple, PUsalAr nhAyanAr simply smiled and pointed to his heart. This incidence highlights the magnificent Truth embedded in Avvai KuRaL 73.

~Swamy | @PrakashSwamy

AvvaikuRaL is Swamy's new nano blog series, interpreting the spiritual treatise by AvvaiyAr, in the magnificent KuRal poetry form (popularly known from ThirukkuRaL by ThiruvaLLuvar) .