In his study on the roots of Srividya Sakta Tantrism in South India, Douglas Renfrew Brooks points out that Tirumandiram has “much in common with certain strands of Tantrism- especially Trika Śaivism” (Brooks 2002: 63). There is a conjecture that Tirumandiram shares its philosophical views with the monistic Kashmir Śaivism. Tirumandiram is the only Tamil Siddha text that discusses consciousness in an elaborate fashion. Five koothu or dances are described here along with the ultimate state, the mona samadhi or state of silence. In the concluding tantiram 9 Tirumandiram discusses the five types of panchakshara indicating their correspondence with the five types of bodies. Types of bodies, states of consciousness and the experiences of the soul in these states form the central theme of tantiram 8. This tantiram contains five sections that describe five types of Aditya, a term used to indicate emergence of knowledge. Tantiram 7 elaborates on the characteristics of a saiva recluse, rituals such as his death ritual, worship, food and receiving alms.
In the sixth tantiram the three concepts, knower, known and object of knowledge are discussed along with the behavior of a true saiva. The fifth tantiram discusses the four main themes of an Agama, the charya, kriya, yoga and jnana, supporting Tirumular’s claim that his work is an Āgama. Ashtanga yoga and special yoga such as paryanga yoga and kechari yoga are the themes of tantiram 3. In tantiram 2 Saiva puranic episodes and the five acts, creation, sustenance, dissolution of both the macrocosm and the microcosm concealment and bestowing of grace are described.
#THIRUMANTHIRAM IN TAMIL CODE#
The work begins with code of ethics in the first tantiram. 1 contains 3047 verses classified into nine tantiram. While the date of Tirumūlar cannot be established unequivocally, as is common with the Tamil Siddhas, T.N.Ganapathy feels that Tirumūlar must have lived between the fifth and sixth century (Ganapathy 2006 :27–32).Īmong the several versions of Tirumandiram, Tiruppanandhāl mata’s version translated into English by Ganapathy et al. Unlike other major Tamil Siddha compositions such as Agatthiyar vāda saumyam, Bogar 7000 and Konkanavar kāviyam, Tirumandiram does not discuss medicinal preparations or alchemy. Tirumūlar’s Tirumandiram, a flagship Tamil Siddha work, is unique in that it blends philosophical exposition with practical techniques such as ashtanga yoga and mantra yoga. While both Vedanta and Āgama are considered as the basis of this school of philosophy, Āgamas are considered to be more specific and pragmatic than the Vedanta. Unlike the philosophical schools that dismiss the body as an impediment, the Tamil Siddhas place great emphasis on the role of body and mind to reach supreme states of consciousness. Kamil Zvelebil’s book, Poets of Power, gives details on Tamil Siddha tradition with its distinct characteristics (Zvelebil 1973: 76). The Tamil Siddha tradition, an off-shoot of the pan-Indian tantric system, uses the body and the mind as a tool to go beyond the limitations of time, space, and causation.
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