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ogic of SaivaSiddhanta
for Rational Society
Dr K.Loganathan and Dr.R.Sivakumar
Universitv Sains Malavsia

jv)+

tTth. Dravidian self-respectmovement initiated by Periayar and many others is

I certainlypolitically the mostpowerful eventthat hasrevolutionizedTamilthinking
and which is now spreadingacrossthe whole of India. The main thrust has been the
destruction of the evil and criminal VarNasramaDharma promoted by the upper castes
especially 6y the Brahmins for the selfish motive of retaining their special social
privileges and so forth. Just to note that Brahmins like Barattyar also fought againstit
but becauseof which thev died a miserabledeath.
The movementhasbeenonly partialIy successful.The dominanceof the Brahmins and
Sanskritlanguageareno more. The ordinary Tamils have assertedthemselvesand now
quite successfulin many fields. Tamil languagehas been cleanedoff the comrpting
Sanskritwords and chasteTamil has been recovered.
However one side effect of this great movementis to understandthe RATIONALISM
as somethingOPPOSEDto religion. There are many rationalist movementsin Tamil
Nadu wheretheyridicule religion especiallyHinduism equatingit with superstitious
practices.While the presentday unthinking and blind popular Hinduism even among
Tamils may justiff it, but in reality we find the Hinduism as Agamism as availablein
Bakti literatureimmenselyRATIONAL and scientific.So the questionis: In what sense
SacredTamil Literature is scientific and hence ratronal?
We must note that the founders of the Bakti movement - the Nayanmars,Alwars and
siddharswere greatmastersof logic andwere thoroughlyrational in the true senseof the
word. At the time Bakti was forged, or recoveredtherewere greatBuddhistsand Jains
who developedlogic and maintainedthat metaphysicswas impossiblewithout logic.
Thus people like Punitavathiyaar,Sambantar,ApparTirumular, Naniazvar and so forth
were forced to accommodatethemselvesto the LOGIC of the Buddhists and Jains
and go beyond it. In this they also recoveredthe Tamil's original logic as enunciated
in Tolkaappiyam[3] and which is Hermeneutic Logic. This logic was distorted by
Nyaya and which again was further distorted by Buddhist and Jains. The central
insight that emergedhere is that the creatures(thesouls) SEE only becausethere is a
prior SHOWING and by BEING(the Pati) ( kaaNpaar aar KaNNutal kaaddaakkaalee
-Thirunavukarasar)t11l .

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This acknowledgesthe presenceof NAIURAL PEDAGOGY that God as a BEING

instructs and the embodied souls LEARN. Thus the religious life becomes a field
of Hermeneutic Semiotics. Hermeneutic Semiotics [8] is the the enrichment and
consumptiveillumination through iconic thinking whereby the meaning of symbolic
elementsare systematicallyinterpretedand elucidatedfor proper understanding.This
HermeneuticSemioticsis depthpsychologyof a kind andhencesubjectto Hermeneutic
Logic. The HermeneuticLogic is the structuralexistentialinvestigativeprocesswhere
the Darknessorlgnoranceinunderstandingof apersonis destroyed.Forthoseinterested
to know the essenceof HermeneuticLogic just a perusalof Meykandar'sBotham[6] is
sufficient. Each one of the sutrasare establishedas Axiomatic Truths (piramaaNam)
on the basisEtu(reasons)and edutukkaaddu( evidences).
Not only the West l7l lacks Hermeneutic Semioticsbut also the whole of influential
Brahmanismwhich now portrait as the genuine Hinduism. Agamism the intellectual
and spiritual ielf transformative process that enshrines Hermeneutic Semiotics
and HermeneuticLogic has been pushed to the background.It is this dominanceof
Brahmanism with its attendant authoritarianism and irrational support for such evils
as VarNas and so forth that gives the impression that Hinduism is irrational. The
Tamil Nadu rationalists are RIGHT in this but wrong in generalizingthis to include
AGAMISM and hencealso the Bakti literature.
Once we regainAgamism as a self transformingprocessthat founds religious life and
the WORLD we live as a Holy Scripture,then it is clear we do not need the Vedas,
Gita, Tevaram,Diwyya, Prabnantamand etc. In short we do not need any scripture as
authoritative.Suchbookscanbe studiedand enjoyedbut neednot be takenasabsolutely
authoritative.There is NO AUTHORITY in Agamism exceptthat of TRUTH. Because
of this we do not need the guidance of Brahmins and such other so-calledreligious
figures or Acariyas to guide along the people. In other sensethey become secondary
gods under the name of GURUs and diverting the peoples mind from seeking the
TRUTH as it is (Meiporul kaanpathuarivu- 423 Thirukural)f1].
God is a living entity and lives on both in the cosmosas well as in the souls of all.
There is a natural spiritual pedagogyin every one of us where BEING (Siva) is the
TEACHER (SIVAME GURU endru kurithooraar- Tirumantiram )t101. The Bakti
literature exemplifies the LEARNING that the gifted souls had affected and as such
very useful for us alsoto becomenaturalspiritual learners.We haveto becomeACTIVE
THINKERS and who thinks in terms of the scienceof HermeneuticSemioticsto gain
variouskinds of metaphysicalilluminationsthat would drive awaythe Malam andhence
the metaphysicalBLINDNESS within us. This becomesthe GOAL andESSENCE of
religious life as lived and articulatedby the brilliant Tamil metaphysicalmystics.
The first thing is that allowing oneselfto be taken along by BEING-as-Guru doesnot
in any way restrict our freedom.In fact a man achievesgenuinefreedomonly by being

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one-with and allows Siva(BEING) to take himself along. This was announcedver)boldly by Appar in his immortal Patikam "flaam yaarkkum kudi alloom: We are NOT
subjectto anyoneand all becausewe have allowed Siva the One who is absolutelyfree
: taanyaarkkum kudi allagtaSangkaran"[11]. What it meansis that only by nearing
and being finally one-with BEING as Siva that we realizeour own intrinsic autonomy.
This the worship of Siva and the pedagogythat He installs in the world, takesthe souls
in the direction of genuine and absolutefreedom This is not simply an ideal. It was
reahzedbyAppar and ahost of other Tamil mystics asyou can seeby studying Sacred
Tami literature. There is no attempt at all to restrict thinking where even Atheism is
allowed. What they do is to allow this freedomto live evenas an Atheist but which they
deconstructto show that it is defectiveand hencesomethingto be passedover.
Spiritual Pedagogyor what is the same,Natural Pedagogyis available as an option in
existencethat lnan is FREE to reject but only at the risk of inviting various kinds of
pains and sufferings.BEING reinforcespositively and Malam negatively so that man
moves in the right way and LEARNS metaphysicaltruths and gets illuminated. There
is no compulsionby BEING but only a HELP. Neglecting to develop and improve by
subscribingto the Natural Pedagogyonly meansthat the souls that opts out falls into
the ways of more Malam and more sufferings.The choice of spiritual pedagogyleads
to great happinessby the inner purity it brings about and makes the soul enjoy the
supremeBLISS. This is again natural and in no way restrictsthe freedom of the soul
only that opting out meansmore pains and sufferings.
It is to the eternal credit of the Sumero-Tamils[5] that so early in the human history
they discoveredthis option and which the historical Tamils have not forgotten. Thus
Suruppak,a name that also occurs in Rig Veda says in his NeRi(nari) dated around
3000 BC that had stated
"Nig-nam kal-kal-en nige me kal kal : Ta. nikaznam kalkaklin nikavee mey kal kal (
you study the happeningsaround,you would really learn truths" . He is also saysthat
if one keepson learningtruths one's eyeswill shinebright and so forth. The Siddhanta
tradition of the Tamils still enshrinesthis pedagogyand becauseof which they have
not allowed scriptural fixations and with that become fanatically religious. The best
of them have always remained OPEN and hence have allowed many religions and
ideologiesflourish in their soil but where they also deconstructedthem if they happen
to false.
Thus it is not an accident that the Siddhanties categorizeunderstandingas Paaca
Njaanam PacuNjaanam and Pati Njaanam which presupposeslearning processesthat
have beentermed asAlpha-LearningBeta- Learning and Gamma-Learning[4].
This Theory of Learning constitutesthe essentialtheoretical foundation of Agamic
Psychology. A11 creatures begin with Alpha-learning, the learning the physical
through their senses.Then they move towards Beta-Learning and which is the self

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related psychologicaland social learning. This leads to the final Gamma-Learning

where BEING is understoodthoughHermeneuticSemioticsas alreadyexplained.The
problemhereis that the creaturescanremainfixatedand refuseto move form Alpha to
Beta and so forth. This is man imprisoninghimself in the false castlesor walled cities
that Siva burns with shootingarrows of metaphysicalwisdom. Such mental fixations
lead to wars and such other social conflicts and which makes man move aheadand
reachthe top and in that also become OPEN and genuinelyhermeneuticscientist.

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Thereis an evolutionaryview ofthe developmentofthe soulsdeeplyentrenchedaspart

of Siddhantaand which allows for the Karma Theory. Of courseeventuallynot only
this Karma but also the ANava Malam transcended and the soul becomes,Nimalam,
purejust like BEING which the preconditionto be blessedwith Moksa is. At this point
thereis no more learning for the soulsabsolutelyilluminatedand glowing in Njaanam
has no more any shadeof ignoranceand hencewithout any need to learn. This also
meansthe soulis freedfrom being thrown back into embodiedexistence

-l:*t

Agamism as such and as a disciplinethat has incorporatedreligious form of life into

the field of HermeneuticScienceof a kind, holds the possibility to be owned by all
and without any religious conversion.Agamism doesnot seekout conversionslike
Christianity, Islam and so forth but simply appealsto the inherent rationality akeady
availablein all andAPPLY it to the religiousdimensionsof one'sown existence.There
is alreadyan intuitive understandingof the presenceof BEING in the soul of all and
it is various kinds of ideologiesthat stand as mental blocks towards acknowledging
and accommodatingoneselfto it. ThusAgamism is alreadyin the depthsof all though
they may lack consciousunderstandingof it all. Theseideologiesare the Muppuram,
the ThreeFalseCastlesin which men arrestthemselvesand enjoy a falsesecuritytill a
crisishits them and freesthem from suchdefensemechanisms.
But why it is so difficult for men to be OPEN and be truly RATIONAL where they dare
to bring eventheir religiousexperiencesinto the field of HermeneuticScience?

t, ---

There is a kind of objectivity that is a pre-requisitefor bringing even religion into

science.This kind if objectivityis more demandingthanthat ofpositive scienceswhere
instrumentalmeasurementsdo the job. In Positive Sciencesuch measurementsand
the statisticalanalysis,becausecan be repeatedby anyoneand re-tested,is said to
objective,,not somethingof a fiction but objectivelythee is the world. Now as against
this and in a more inclusive mannerwe have the hermeneuticobjectivity as shown
and describedin Tolkaappiyamf9].No one can deny that this massiveTolkaappiyam
is very scientific but not in the positive sensebut rather in the hermeneuticsense.
Here we have the notion of objectivity as in "vinaiyin niiGki vilangkiya aRir,u: an
understandingthat is truly FREE of various kinds of PREJUDICESthat distort and
deform the understanding".When one managesto SEE a phenomenonobjectively,as
it is from within itself by suppressing
the tendenciesto IMPOSE one'sown prejudices
on it, then we havethis HermeneuticObiectivity.

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This seeing a phenomenonobjectively by bracketing off one's own pre-existent

prejudices demands phenomenologicalstances that were called "Iyal NeRi" in
Tolkaapiyam.Onemustsee,includingthe innerprocesses
of oneself,asit is asthey shou
up and recordthem as such.We must let the things speakto us from within themselves
as Heideggerwould put it. A Muslim or Christianshouldnot wipe out immediatelyas
un-Islamic,non-Christianif in some of their metaphysicaldreamsthe various icons.
figure emerged. A Saivite should not dismissVishnu if He appearsin somevisions:
so also a Vaishnavitewith regardto Siva Muruka and so forth. The interestshould
be the metaphysicalMEANINGS without worrying about the particular religious or
cultic traditionsand affiliations. One shouldsimply seekout the MEANING that gets
encryptedin that vision. Certainly this is where most human beings FAIL and fail
miserablyand becauseof which there are inter-religiousconflictsratherthan friendll
exchanges
But why shorTldone bring religion into the fold of HermeneuticsLogic? What is the
intrinsic appealof it?
There are TWO benefits here- one is quite immediate, that of general mental and
physical heathand the other,a more distantone and is the attainmentof Moksa and this
rising ABOVE the endlessexistentialrepetition.
The mental health part has to do with the hermeneuticobjectivity conditioning the
whole of existenceso that in the mind of such people there is no more the social
prejudicesthat lead to tribalism and its variantslike caste(1ati),colour (varNa) , race
and so forth. Such pure peoplebegin to declareas the SangkamTamils did "Yaatum
UureeYaavarunGKeelir : The whole world is my city and all are my brethren"f10].
This also explainswhy Agamists have always been active and vehementcritics of
VarNasramaDharma,a sociologythat imposesa hierarchicaldifferenceon the basisof
birth alone.The pure mind shiningin hermeneuticobjectivity will never supportsuch
a socialsystemthat would be seenas evil.
Such HermeneuticScientistsand who may be isolatedindividualsall over the world.
live mentally a castelessand race-lesslife. It makesno differenceto them whethera
personis black or white yellow or brown. Suchindividualslive asmembersofAgamic
Society,alwaysOPEN and alwaysseekingmetaphysicalilluminationsno matterfrom
where it comes.They remain essentiallythe Gamma Learnersand in that live a life
in active contact and presenceof BEING. Punitavathryaarcalls herself a Ghost, a
Peey only becausewith the Third Eye opened she lived a life of active pursuit of
metaphysicaltruths,"meiporuL kaaNumviti udaiyeen"l2]. There is OPENNESSand
a social universalismthat in itself breedscalmness,a state of absenceof STRESS
and which brings about a healthy life also. Each metaphysicalillumination gained
servesas a medicinal pill that cures both the mental and physical ailments as have

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beenexperiencedby all the greatTamilmysticswho have composed

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Of coursethe final great benefit is the attainmentof the Fundamental

Meaning of
Existenceas that of gaining Moksa and which is freeing oneself
from bein_ethrown
into biologicalexistenceendlessly.Metaphysicallythe mostmiserable
conditionof the
soul is being thrown into embodiedexistencewhich brings along
with it DEATH. To
be born as a biological creatureis to remain still infectedby Malam
that brin,esabout
decayof the body andfinally death.What the metaphysicalilluminations
in the practice
HermeneuticSemioticsdo is removethis Malam from the soulsand
makethem pure Ni-Malam, Freeof Malam. This is the attainmentof Moksa,the ultimate
understandin_e
of fulfillment of life, that has beenwith the Tamils since the Sumerian
times. Such
possibilitiesas above constitutesthe benefitsof Spiritual Technology
as foundedby
Metaphysicsas HermeneuticsLogic as already*.tt articulatedby
Meykandarin his
Sivanjanabothani
References:

j - t l ] t

t1]
12]
:,

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l4l
t5]
t6l
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t8l

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S;

[ 10]
[11]

ThevaneeyaPaavaanar,(2000).
ThirukuralTamil Maraburai.Chennai:Sri Indu
Publication
Kalyanasuntharanar,V. (1994). Karaikal ammayarThirumurai. Chennai: pari
Nilayam
Loganathan,M.K. (1996). Ltterary Hermeneuticsin Draviclian
Linguistic
Tradition.Journalof the Instituteof Asian Studies,Madras,Vol.XIV
No.1.
LoganathanM.K. (1983).The TantricTheoryof Learning.SaivaSiddhanta
Vol
XVII.
Loganathan,M.K. (1989).SumerianNin-me-sar-raas a Text in Archaic
Tamil,
Journalof the InstituteofAsian Studies,Madras, Vol.VI No.2.
Loganathan,M.K. (1996). Metaphysica Universalis of Meykandar.
Uited
kingdomK: World SaivaCouncil
Mueller-Vollmer,Kurt(Ed),
( 1986).TheHermeneuticsReader.UnitedKingdom:
Basil Blackwell
SivakumarR.,,YahyaA.H, (2008).Neo-Onto-Hermeneutic
Ddjd Vu Lif'e Cycle.
The 12thWorld Multi-Conferenceon Systemics,Cyberneticsand Informatics:
WMSCI 2008,proceedings
Vol.I!. No.11,pp 32-31.
Tolkappiyag(l9l 5).Tolkappryam,Commentaries
by Illam puranar,Teivasilayar,
Kalladanat, andSena'fara
iy ar.India: SaivaSiddhandapubli shing Society
Yatatatajan, C.( 1985). Tirumantiram with commentary by C. yaratarajan.
Tamilnadu: Palaniy appa B rotherspubl i cation.
PanniruTirumurai, web Accessed:6-April-20r2

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