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THE CONCEPT OF SOUL AND BONDAGE IN SAIVA SIDDHANTA

Dr. Murugesan Arumugam

Department of Religion and Philosophy
Indian Theological Seminary
Avadi, Chennai – 600 062.

ABSTRACT: - There are three perennial entities namely God (Pati), Soul (Pasu) and Bondage (Pasa)
in Saiva Siddhanta which is one of the ancient religious traditions in South India. According to
Saiva Siddhanta, the soul is eternal, capable of knowing both God and world. The bondage of soul
is characteristically described as utter darkness and ignorance in Saiva Siddhanta. Saiva
Siddhantin believes that there are three bondages (malas). They are anava, karma and maya.
Anava mala is the primary mala which, through eternity, has remained with the soul, as though it
is naturally connected. The other two malas begin to come and join the primary mala later on.
Hence, „avava mala has been called sahaja (natural), and the other two akanatuka (those which
joined later).‟ Anava which obstructs the omniscience of the souls which is known as pratibandha,
maya which limits the pervasiveness of the souls which is known as sambandha, and karma which
ceaselessly follows the soul directing it towards enjoyment rather than towards attaining of release
which is known as anubandha. However, while anava is wholly inimical to the soul, maya and
karma are only partially inimical which helps the soul to come out of bondage. These impurities
are found in the soul even as husk, bran and sprout are found in the paddy grain. Of these, anava
is said to be the root impurity (mulamala) and is as connate to the soul as verdigris to copper. It is
an attempt to bring out the concept of soul and its bondage in Saiva Siddhanta.
Key Words: Pati, Pasu, Pasa, Anava, Maya and Karma.

Introduction feature of the Saiva Siddhanta theory of the

The essence of Saiva Siddhanta is the
acceptance of three fundamental and ultimate
entities that they are Pati, Pasu, and Pasa,
which may very roughly be translated as God,
soul, and matter. Pasu with the help of the
grace of Pati, gets rid of the Pasa and attains
permanent and conscious bliss at the feet of
Pati. Though all three are equally ultimate and
eternal, the first dominates over and controls
the rest. Thirumular in his Thirumanthiram
verse 1115 as follows;
“Among the three that are called Pati-Pasu-
Pasam
Pasu and Pasam, like Pati, are anadhi
(beginningless)
Pasu and Pasam will not go and approach Pati
When Pati nears, Pasu and Pasam cannot
stand.”
The Concept of Soul (Pasu) in Saiva Siddhanta
The Sat and Asat Relationship of Soul
The Siddhantin believes in the
existence of a countless number of souls, each
beings are eternal and ultimate. A special
soul is that it is a strange blend of sat and
asat. In other words, soul takes part in the
nature of things with which it happens to be
associated at the moment. UmaPati Sivacarya
says that when it is deeply implicated in
anava, it is asat and when the soul enjoys in
the sunshine of divine grace, it is sat. Just as
the eye is neither light nor darkness, the soul
is neither sat nor asat, neither God nor
matter. It is neither changeable like maya,
nor unchanging like God. The association of
soul with sat and asat is like „though pure as
it drops as it from the clouds, water changes
in blue and value with the nature of the land
on which it flows. Similarly, though
intrinsically pure, the soul is shaped by its
association with sat and asat. Soul is placed
between God and anava; it is drawn now to
the one, now to the other.‟ Being completely
overwhelmed by anava in the kevala avastha,
it is asat. In the worldly state (sakala
avastha), it is distracted between sat and asat

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and is sadasat; in moksha it is fully immersed
in divine love and is therefore fully sat.
The Classifications of Soul
According to Saiva Siddhanta, the
souls have been classified into three ways. A
more familiar classification of souls is into
Sakalas Pralayakalas and Vijnanakalas. The
first refers to those who are subject to all the
three bonds of Anava, Maya and Karma. The
Pralayakalas are those for whom maya has
been dissolved during cosmic rest. They will
have to work out anava and karma in a fresh
world. The Vijnanakalas are those are to be
freed from anava alone. They reside in worlds
created by suddha-maya. Moreover, in the
Saiva Siddhanta, the souls are classified on
the measure of perfection, such as; the
Paramuktas (the completely librated); the
Jivanmuktas (those liberated while yet in the
embodied state); the Adhikaramuktas (those
with a craving for power which naturally
prevents the higher state).
The Essential Nature of Soul
The soul is immortal and perennial as
God Himself. The soul is spiritual and not
material in its nature, hence it has no form,
shape, weight or other perceptible attribute.
The essential nature of the soul is described in
Sivagnana Siddhiar, “The soul understands
with the aid of the Supreme Intelligence as it
understands through some sense or other,
forgets what it has learnt, learns from others,
is not conscious of itself does not understand
of itself.” The Siddhantic conception of the
essential nature of pasu (soul) is conveniently
summarized in one verse of Sivaprakasam,
which has been translated as; “the seers of
truth say that souls are countless, eternal,
and sunk in spiritual darkness. By the grace
of God, they take up bodies suited to work out
their twofold (good and evil) karmic
tendencies, and are born as lower and higher
beings. In the course of experiencing the
endless fruits of their karma, they commit
acts of merit and sin, and have births and
deaths. When the season arrives for the
dissolution of the dark bond affecting the soul,
the light of grace in the inmost soul dawns,
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and darkness is dispelled. Then the good
freed souls reach the feet of providence.”
The soul passes through five stages of
consciousness (Avasthas) are called as the
jagra (self-consciousness), Swapna (dreamy
consciousness) Sushupthi (Sub-
consciousness) Thuriya (Pure consciousness)
and Thuriya Atheetha (cosmic consciousness)
and each of these stages has three varieties
the base, medial and the superior. The final
stage is the soul‟s conscious of bliss at the feet
of God. According to Thirumular, „due to the
impurity of soul, the pervasive (vibhu) of atma
appears as atomic. But the malas that
envelope the soul are no part of the soul since
it is pure. If the souls were in essential
features that they could never be cast away
and release would forever become
impossibility.‟ The soul in its essential nature
is form of Siva stands greatly hampered and
conditioned by association with mala and
when the restrictions of malas are removed
then the soul assumes its resplendent divine
form.
The Similarities and Dissimilarities
between God and Soul
The similarities between God and soul
are chit (intelligent beings), and have iccha
(emotion), janana (intellect), and kriya (will)
saktis. But they differ in three respects;
firstly, God ever remains pure and unstained
by malas, the soul is so tainted. Secondly, God
undergoes no change in His condition,
attributes and powers, the soul is from the
beginning, covered by mala (principle of
ignorance), and passes through various
conditions. Thirdly, God is all knowing and
omniscient, the soul, though capable of
knowing, can know only with God‟s help.
Though the nature of the soul is intelligence,
it stands in need of God to come into play.
Hence the soul is known as stula chit,
whereas God is sukshma chit. Siva is Sat,
Chit, and Ananda.
The Concept of Bondage (Pasa) in Saiva
Siddhanta
Definition of Pasa (Bondage)
The bondage of soul is
characteristically described as utter darkness
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and ignorance in Saiva Siddhanta. According
to K. Sivaraman, „the bondage of darkness is
beyond all darkness which is not to be
perceived or plumbed by any human device.
Mala is pre-macro-cosmic, pre-micro-cosmic,
„occasioning‟ the sequence of cosmic functions
and also the sequence of states (avasba) of
consciousness obtaining between the two
poles of oblivion and memory. In either of
them mala functions „from without‟ conscious
man, its presence unfelt and unperceived by
the „I‟. That it is „darkness‟ implies that it
cannot be known from the point of view of the
eye „in darkness‟ but only from the viewpoint
of the eye „in association with light‟. Darkness
has to be searched out by the help of light.
Though „perception‟ is ruled out of court-the
pasu cannot perceive the transcendental
condition of his pasutva while conditioned by
it.‟ Inference and implication may be used to
elucidate what is entailed by the contrast of
bondage and liberation.
Nature of Malas
The Saiva Siddhantin believes that
there are three malas. They are anava, karma
and maya. Anava mala is the primary mala
which, through eternity, has remained with
the soul, as though it is naturally connected.
The other two malas begin to come and join
the primary mala later on. Hence, „avava mala
has been called sahaja (natural), and the other
two akanatuka (those which joined later).‟
Anava which obstructs the omniscience of the
souls is known as pratibandha, maya which
limits the pervasiveness of the souls is known
as sambandha, and karma which ceaselessly
follows the soul directing it towards enjoyment
rather than towards attaining of release is
known as anubandha. However, while anava
is wholly inimical to the soul, maya and
karma are only partially so because, used a
right, these help in the soul‟s emancipation
from bondage. These impurities are found in
the soul even as husk, bran and sprout are
found in the paddy grain. Of these, anava is
said to be the root impurity (mulamala) and is
as connate to the soul as verdigris to copper.
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Three kinds of Mala
Anava Mala
Definition of Anava Mala
Anavam comes from the word Anu,
meaning atom, smallness, and finitude. This
impurity is congenital, intrinsic, and innate to
every soul; there is no embodied soul without
it. It is darkness (Irul), causes confusion
(Marul) and ignorance (Avidya), and remains
antithetical to Grace (Arul). Siddhiyar
explains, „Anava mala as a single entity, but
has many powers and functions. It has no
beginning and clouds knowledge and action
which the individual souls are intrinsically
capable of; it projects an illusion of autonomy;
like verdigris on a copper vessel, it is a stain
on the soul.‟ The Sivajnana Bodham says,
„Anavamala precludes knowledge to the soul.
This is a case of a soul that is intelligence and
consciousness, distinct from inner organ and
senses, and is held prisoner by anava mala,
which (soul) seeks the help of sense organs to
know things; the derived knowledge is
false. Since the soul gathers useless
knowledge through the sense organs, which
are products of maya, it has gained no
knowledge (spiritual knowledge). It is full of
ego. It is a case of I, Me, My, and Mine, a
quadrilateral corral for Pasus.‟
Nature and Function of Anava Mala
Anava Mala is that attitude of the soul
in which it says that it is the author of all
actions that things around it belong to it, that
it feels proud of the pleasures it enjoys and so
on. It is eternal. In short it that frame of
mind in which we find the very large majority
in the world an absolutely rigid materialistic
selfish attitude. The system enunciates that so
long as the soul suffers from anava mala, it
cannot see or enjoy God or Godliness. S.
Satchidanandam Pillai says that “anava even
goes to the extent of saints; anava mala does
not totally disappear but remains as a dead
atom. Anava mala is said to be the seed of
other malas, for it is the presence of pleasures
of the world, and do selfish and self
aggrandizing things. This is obvious from
every one‟s experience and needs no proof.”
Therefore, the Saiva Siddhanta regards that
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the anava mala as the cause of re-birth, cause
of deed, and cause of everything that is not
Godly in the world. This anava mala is one,
but has innumerable agencies through which
it works in innumerable souls. It is capable of
hiding everything from the soul-both itself and
everything else. Just as verdigris is ever
present in copper this mala is ever found in
conjunction with the soul‟s consciousness,
and hides all its inherent power of knowing
feeling and willing. It stands like bran in rice.
It is not an attribute of the soul, nor is it a
product of maya. Just as rice remains purer
when bran is removed, so will the freed soul
shine better after anava mala is removed. It is
not the mere absence of knowledge, but a
positive principle of darkness whose nature is
to hide, though it is jata (unconscious).
From eternity, anava has co-existed in
the soul hiding the soul‟s inner light and will
abide till the soul attains attitude of
indifference to the fruits of deeds. It is
explained in Thiruvarutpayan as follows:
“My lady darkness has infinity of lovers
but hides, Herself from even her spouse with
strictest chastity.” It is anava that is
responsible, in the states of kevala and sakala
for the soul‟s ignorance of itself. It deludes all
living things. It is responsible for the absence
of good thoughts and the presence of bad
thoughts. It prevents the utterance of good
words and causes the utterance of evil words.
It disables one from doing good deeds and
enables one to do wicked ones. It always
obstructs the performance of deeds which
profit the soul and always aids the doing the
deeds hurtful to the soul. It clouds, without a
break, the good sense of the soul and ever
perverts the understanding.
Santalinga Swami imagines, „anava to
be like a mountain of darkness which
threatens the soul, exposes it to the contempt
of five persons (the five senses) and challenges
the Lord Himself.‟ Further he says that anava
is supposed to address the soul thus: “I shall
cause you to increase your stock of karma and
plunge you into birth. If Siva comes to save
you, I shall test His bravery also; whereupon
the soul prays to the Lord, Having said these
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words, anava disappeared from my view. Will
you not be pleased to change this state of
affairs?” In other words, the evil that anava
does to the soul is so staggering that without
God‟s grace, the soul can never hope to
overcome it.
Maya Mala
Definition of Maya
Maya is the substrate of the universe,
its material cause. The term maya signifies
the principle from which the world evolves and
into which it returns. The word Maya is
derived from Tamil word „Maya‟ „The first letter
of Tamil word „Ma‟ means involution, the
second letter of Tamil word „Ya‟ means
evolution. Formless, indestructible and
eternal, it is a distinct and ultimate principle;
it does not owe its existence to any other
thing.‟ Unlike the Vedantin who is unable to
describe it as neither real nor unreal, the
Siddhantin considers it real and objective.
The soul needs energy for exercising its
cognitive and cognitive abilities. This energy
is supplied by maya. Besides supplying the
energy, maya also furnishes the tools for using
the energy through the physical and mental
powers, an environment to live in and objects
to enjoy. The handiwork of maya includes
tanu (worlds), and bhoga (objects of
enjoyment). It is at once the macrocosm and
the microcosm.
Nature of Maya Mala
Maya is an unintelligent, primordial
matter which, at first, is without name or
form. It is also eternal like Pati and pasu. It
is the stuff out of which worlds are created, as
also bodies, minds, and environments. It
affects all souls through its various powers
which pervade all its evolutes. It binds the
sakalas, souls of the third order very closely,
and provides them with infinite varieties of
bodies, instruments and environments. It
clings to souls so long as the primary mala i.e.
anava clings to them. The Siddhantin says
that maya, unlike anava, is a source of partial
illumination and hence serves as a lamp to
souls lost in the darkness of anava. If the
products of maya are used for our liberation,
maya will not bind us. Maya binds only when
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its products are used for selfish and sensuous
enjoyment. In fact, to rid of anava and karma,
souls have to get embodied and undergo
experience in the world. Hence, the soul need
material world, body etc. It is on account of
the useful part that maya plays in enabling
souls to gains release that maya is considered
to be not wholly evil. Maya helps to remove
anava even as fuller‟s earth is used to remove
dirt; it is dirt removing dirt.
Kind and Function of Maya
In Saiva Siddhanta, it is usual to speak
of suddha maya, asuddha maya and prakrti.
The first is maya in the primordial state, the
second is maya when it is mingled with anava
mala and karma, and it causes pleasure and
pain and occasions imperfect knowledge. The
world proceeding from it is asuddha prapanca.
The third one is maya in the gross state is
prakrti maya. It corresponds to prakrti of the
Sankhya stystem. According to Sivaprkasa,
maya is impure and the soul will be liberated
from the bondage with the help of maya which
is out of the Divine Grace.
The Siddhantin accepts the doctrine of
Satkaryavada (the doctrine of the pro-
existence of the effect in the cause). Hence,
the world in which souls live, the bodies which
they occupy, the objects of their enjoyment
etc. are all traced to a primal staff from which
they evolve. The Siddhantin argues for the
existence of maya as eternal. It is from maya
that the universe evolves and into which it is
resolved periodically. The primal stuff is
twofold as suddha maya and asuddha maya.
From suddha maya, the following five pure
principles (Sivatattvas) emerge: (1) Sivatattva
(nada); (2) Saktitattva (bindu); (3)
Sadasivatattva (sadakhya); (4) Isvaratattva
(mahesvari); and (5) Suddhavidya. This is
evolution into the world of things (artha-
prapanca). The Siddhantin speaks of four
forms of sounds (1) para, which is absolutely
supreme and subtle, (2) pasyanti, relatively
gross but still undifferentiated in the contents
of the peahen‟s egg; (3) madhyama which,
though grosser that pasyanti and
differentiated, is not articulate, being of the
nature vocal organs: and vaikhari which is
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articulate sound. From asuddha maya we
have kala (time), niyati (destiny or necessity)
and kala. Kala evolves into malaprakrti on
one side and on another into vidya and raga,
Purusatattva is the soul when it is enveloped
in the five sheaths viz. kala, niyati, kala,
vidya and raga and when it turns towards
experience of the world. These seven tattvas
kala, niyati, kala, vidya, raga, purusa and
maya are called vidya tattvas. From prakrti
we have twenty four tattvas called atmatattvas
viz. the four internal organs, the five sensory
organs, the five motor organs, the five
elements and the five subtle elements. The
five Sivatattvas are called prerakakanda (the
drective part); the seven vidya tattvas are
called bhojayitrkanda (the part that brings
about enjoyment), and the twenty four atma
tattvas are called bhogya kanda (the part
consisting of objects of enjoyment).
According to V.A. Devasenapathy, the
scheme of the cosmos and of its evolution is
elaborate. He argues that „the need to
admit twelve more tattvas than the
Sankhya does. This is likely to evoke the
criticism that reality may not to be. But two
points are worth considering in this
connection. While the Siddhantin is
convinced that it is the all highest of the Lord
Himself who is governing the universe,
animate and inanimate, yet He maintains that
the Lord governs, not directly but through His
agent, so to say. They act under His orders;
He actuates them.‟ The Siddhantin gives an
analogy of the king who governs through his
ministers and hierarchy of officers. The
cosmos is a rich one with souls of different
types and of varied experiences.” Hence, there
is difference in the material from which the
world these souls reside in and the bodies
they tenant are derived.
Karma Mala
Definition of Karma
Karma Mala is one of the third malas
which is to be noticed. Generally, Karma
means any deed, or action which means, in
the present context, any deed, word or
thought done with a sense of agency,
promoting and thwarting the welfare of others.
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It will be noticed here that not only actual
deeds but also words and thoughts count.
Moreover, bad karma includes not only
harmful deeds but also omission to do good
deeds.
Two Fold of Karma
Karma is twofold as good karma and
bad karma. Each of these is threefold as what
is done by thought, word, and deed. Karma
again is what is done in relation to other souls
and to God. Thus, the good karma may be in
relation to souls (merit resulting from this a
Pasupunya) or in relation to God (Sivapunya),
the bad karma, resulting in the acquisition of
demerit may be transgression against souls or
against the Lord. The fruit of merit is pleasure
and the fruit of demerit is pain. Deeds (in
thought, word and physical deed) are called
gross karma. Merit and demerit, resulting
from deeds are called subtle karma. Pleasure
and pain, resulting from merit and demerit are
called very subtle karma. Deeds are known
are agamiya, merit and demerit resulting from
deeds as sancita; and pleasure and pain
resulting from deeds as prarandha. Karma is
like cultivation. As in cultivation some kinds
take a longer time to grow and bear fruit than
others, so also some deeds take a longer time
to bear fruit that some others. Merit and
demerit are likely a granary. Pleasure and
pain may result through divine agency or
through the five elements or through other
souls. Pleasure and pain may be in
accordance with one‟s desires or not in
accordance therewith or they may be
altogether different.
Nature of Karma
The principle of karma is accepted by
all the schools of Indian Philosophy such as;
orthodox and heterodox, except the Charvaka.
There may be difference in emphasis or in
regard to the role it plays in spiritual
evolution. The Siddhantin considers it is one
of the bonds of impurities. As in the case of
maya, here also we find that it is not a wholly
evil principle because, used a right, it can help
in the soul‟s spiritual emancipation.
According to Saiva Siddhanta, the
principle of karma is an account for the
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pleasure and pain of souls. It is not to say that
pleasure and pain are natural to the souls.
Because the opposite natures of pleasure and
pain cannot constitute together and if the
opposites cannot constitute together, then
there must be a cause for each of these
opposite natures. That cause is the previous
deed of the soul, good deed and bad deed
respectively. The objection may be raised that
while deeds done by one in this life may be
accepted as the cause of one‟s welfare or lack
of it, it is necessary to accept deeds done in a
previous life. The objector may say that we
see efforts rewarded with success and lack of
effort, with failure in this very life. The
Siddhantin replies that there are cases of
success without effort in this life and of failure
even where there has been a good deal of
effort. These cases indicate the unseen
potency generated by deeds of a previous life.
Function of Karma
The Karma or deed, done with a sense
of agency becomes bondage of soul. If the
soul claims a deed as its own, then it has to
experience the consequences of that deed.
Even good must be done because it is good,
not for the pleasant consequences that will
ensue from it; likewise, what is bad must be
avoided, not to escape the evil consequences,
it must still be avoided. „Karma provides cause
for the varieties in bodies which are given to
souls, and also in experiences of pain and
pleasure to them, and takes them through
cycles of births and deaths. It is also co-
existent with the eternal souls with which it
remains in contact, and thus accumulates
punya and papa. Souls act with a sense of
agency and accumulate for themselves stores
of good and bad karma. These cannot, in the
normal course, be liquidated without being
experienced. Since they are not experienced in
one life, a succession of lives is required.‟ In
the process of experiencing the consequences
of good and bad deeds, the souls build up
further stores of good and bad deeds so long
as they act with a sense of agency. The
process of unwinding becomes,
simultaneously, a process of rewinding also.
Hence, karma leads to repeated births and
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deaths. But karma operates under the control
of God. So, when the soul gives up its sense
of agency. God ensures that its agamiya will
not increase, and sancita, not operate.
(Indeed, even prarabdha seems to lose its
power. The Lord takes the body of the
released soul as His temple and the soul as
His form and takes its prarabdha as His.
The Relationship among Three
Fundamental Entities of Saiva Siddhanta
The Relationship between Pati (God) and Pasu
(Soul)
According to Saiva Siddhanta, God is
in advaitic relation with the soul. The relation
is explained by an interpretation of the word
advaita. The negative prefix in the word
advaita could be understood in three different
senses: Non-existence (inmai), Contrariety
(marutalai), and Inseparable togetherness
(anmai). The Advaitin interprets the word
advaita in the first sense and hence reality, is
not two, that is, it is one. If it is one, then it
cannot have distinctions like substance and
attribute within itself, and there cannot be any
reality other than the one. Hence, the
Advaitins are called Kevaladvaitins, for the
reality or Brahman, according to them, is
quality less (nirguna).
Before formulating the interpretation of
advaita, the Siddhantin considers several
possible relations between God and self and
dismisses them as untenable. First, the
relation cannot be one of union (aikya) as
happens when the river water merges with the
sea water, or the space inside the pot becomes
one with the space outside when the pot is
broken. If the relation is one of union, then
during mukti, because of the self‟s quality of
assuming the nature of that which it knows,
the self would become non-existent. Second,
if it is one of identity-in-difference (tadatmya)
as it holds between a substance and its
attributes, then the self would become a mere
mode of God. This relation is unacceptable to
the Siddhantin because, the self, according to
him, is a distinct substance like God and not
a mode of God. Third, the relation cannot be
one of conjunction (samyoga), for this relation
can obtain only in the case of substances
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which are non-pervasive. Since God and self
are pervasive substances, the relation of
samyoga cannot hold between them.
According to the Siddhantin, the
relation that holds between God and self is
one of inseparable togetherness. The twoness
of the two is denied, because the self, though
different from God, is similar in essence. The
relation of tadatmya is of two types. The first
type of relation is that which obtains between
a substance and its attributes. In the second
type, two distinct substances exist as if they
are one. The Siddhantin calls that the first
type of relation tadatmya and the second type
of relation advaita. Therefore, the
interpretation given by the Siddhantin is one
of ananya, according to which the two
substances exist as not-two. The advaita of
Siddhanta emphasizes that the essential
similarity and not the substantial identity of
the two substances of Siva and the self.
The advaitic relation postulated by the
Siddhantin between God and self is threefold.
God is one with the self (onray), different from
it (veray) and acts in unison with them
(udanay). The above three relations together
constitute the advaitic relation between God
and self, and hence, includes abheda (onray),
bheda (veray) and bedabheda (udanay)
relations accepted respectively by the
Advaitins, the Dvaitins and the
Visistadvaitins. The analogy used by the
Siddhantin to bring out the threefold relation
of advaita that obtains between God and self
is as follows: The eye and the self are different
by substance, but since the self is all
pervasive, it is one with the eye and shows,
and sees through, the eye. Similarly, though
God is different from the self by substance, he
is one with the self by his all-pervasiveness;
and shows, and sees through, the self by
acting in unison with the self. The advaita of
Saiva Siddhanta is known as Suddhadvaita,
for the advaita in the case of Siddhanta needs
no prefix like kevala and visista. The advaitic
relation is also explained by the Siddhantin as
that which obtains between a pervasive
(uyapaka) substances.
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Advaita is mere non-difference; it is
union in separateness. The entities so united
are ever distinct, yet they are ever united.
Evelyn Underhill says, “The soul‟s union with
Him is a love-union, a mutual inhabitation,
that essentially dualistic relation which all
mystical religions express, not a self-mergence
which leaves no place for personality. This
eternal distinction, the necessary doctrine of
all sane mysticism; for no scheme which fails
to find a place for it can represent more than a
fragment of that soul‟s intercourse with the
spiritual world.” This is equally true to the
Saiva Siddhanta. Thus, God is one, different
and non-different at the same time in His
relation to the soul. He helps the soul to see
by seeing thing Himself, although He is not
affected thereby. He is like the sun which
helps the human eye to see things. This view
of advaitic relation is called in the Saiva
Siddhanta as Suddha Advaitam which is to
distinguish from certain other interpretations
of the Upanishadic term Advaitam. The
Jivanmukta staying in an uninterrupted
advaitic union, the Lord is seen as present in
all reality as the real of the real, just as for the
earthly man only the material exists as the
only real. This enormous difference of
perspectives of men is graphically illustrated
by Thirumular. He sings as;
“The giant rogue elephant screened the wood;
By the wood was screened the giant rogue
elephant.
The butham constituting the world screened
God;
By God was screened the butham
constituting the world.”
God disappears in the world for the
earthly man; the world as composed of the five
elements (butham), is no more the real for the
mystic; it disappears for him in God. He
vividly sees that God who is present in,
pervading, and sustaining all things.
The Relationship between Pati (God) and
Pasa (Bondage)
According to Saiva Siddhanta, God is
free from bondage and God is not affected by
any three types of malas. Siddhiyar says that
maya needs to be activated by the sakti of
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God. Though capable of motion, it cannot
move of itself. It is set in motion by God. Like
the potter, the Lord, the great Artificer, uses
maya as the material cause and cit sakti as
the instrumental cause. Maya cannot act
except under the Lord‟s direction. This is an
important point of difference between the
Siddhanta and the Sankhya conception of
evolution. According to Sivaprkasa, „the
relation between God and maya is that of the
owner and the owned.‟
The Siddhantin says that since advaitic
relation holds between God the pervader, and
the self, the pervaded in the same relation of
advaita should hold by implication between
God on the one hand, and maya and karma
on the other, for the latter are pervaded by the
self which is pervaded by God. However,
according to the Siddhantin, no relation
between God and anava, the third constituent
of pasa, could be postulated. Because, though
anava is pervaded by God, it does not exist in
the presence of God as darkness does not
exist in the presence of sunlight. It may be
objected that since maya too is non-existent in
the presence of God, no relation could be
postulated between God and maya. The
Siddhantin replies that when sruti says that
maya is sunya before God, it does not mean
non-existence, but only means that in the
presence of God it does not manifest its
energy. Again, if maya is interpreted as non-
existent, it would contradict the scriptural
statement that maya is the parigraha sakti of
the unfettered one. Moreover, products of
maya like earth, water, fire, air, moon, sun
and space along with the self are considered
as constituting the body of God. Therefore,
the Siddhantin concludes that the advaitic
relation that holds between God and self
should also hold between God and maya.
However, the Siddhantin, in spite of
postulating the advaitic relation between God
on the one hand, and the world of selves and
things on the other, is careful to point out that
the self, because it is cit, has special
privileges. This means that the self as a
distinct spiritual substance has freedom. The
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advaitic relation does not annul, but preserves
and guarantees the freedom of the self.
The Relationship between Pasu (Soul)
and Pasa (Bond)
The Relationship between Pasu and Anava
Mala
Anava mala is a peculiar
understanding of Saiva Siddhanta. According
to the Saiva Siddhanta, it is this anava mala
which is the source of ajnana or soul‟s
ignorance, not the mayamala. The soul by its
very nature is Vibhu or all pervading but
owing to this anava mala thinks that it is anu
or confined to and co-extensive with the body
wherein it resides. Anavamala is therefore,
called by the Siddhantins as eternal in its
nature. Thayumanavar says that the
relationship between the soul and the anava
mala is one of advaita. Generally, Advaita is
expressed in Tamil as oneness by close
association, difference by substance and
togetherness by co-working. Anava mala is
like darkness which always hides things.
Whereas physical darkness reveals itself while
concealing other objects, anava (darkness)
conceals itself also from soul‟s view. Maya
serves to afford light, though partial, and thus
differs from anava.
The Relationship between Pasu and Karma
Mala
In Karma mala, the past is catching up
with the present; the past may be recent or
one or many births in the past. Karma mala
brings the soul and body together in a being.
It is the karma from the past or the karma
made new. Karma is thought, word and deed
that bring punyam or papam, meritorious or
painful consequences. The Karmas of past
lives cling like Vasanas (fragrance to the
subtle body) and has the tendency to confer
Samskaras, tendentious behavior, which
might reinforce punyam or papam; thus, the
actions tend to feed upon themselves like a
closed loop and produce more of the same.
R.Ramanujachari says that „the proper thing
to do is to consume the fruits of bad and good
karma and get karma to a zero-sum status,
conducive to liberation. The good and bad
karma cannot cancel each other; they have to
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be enjoyed and suffered. Spiritual practices
and love of God can erase Karma mala. Kriya
Marga (Agamic rites and ceremonies) remove
karma mala.‟
The Relationship between Pasu and Maya
Mala
The Siddhantin believes that the soul
gains knowledge only through the products of
maya; otherwise, the soul must remain
enveloped in darkness. But the knowledge it
affords is only pasajnana, knowledge of the
physical world, and not of the soul or of God.
Further, the knowledge that maya provides is
often mistaken, delusive and often riddled
with doubts and uncertainties. Since it
occasions delusive knowledge binding the soul
to earthly existence, it is called a mala, an
imperfection and pasa (fetter). The use of
maya is providing the souls with knowledge of
some kind, being pasajnana.
R.Ramanujachari says that „maya is an evil; it
is a dim light which makes one confuses the
wrong for the right. At the time of pralaya, the
soul is steeped in anava; it is in a state of
torpor. From that it enters into a new state, is
associated with a body formed of maya. It
enters a prison house as it were. Surrounded
by a host of objects, the soul is seduced,
invited to identify itself with them. The tattvas
out of which the body is formed support the
allurements of the outer things. Maya causes
the soul to be disturbed through excitement of
desire and aversion, joy or sorrow, compels
the soul to come under the law of karma and
delivers it to transmigration.‟ Thus, maya is a
fetter which afflicts the soul in the most direct
way and is found and known by the observant
soul earlier than karma and anava.
The Siddhantin uses a homely
illustration to explain the functions of all the
three malas in relation to the soul. Karma
mala as the material cause produces pleasure
and pain, just as the sprouting potential in a
grain of paddy brings out the sprout on
sowing. Maya mala as the instrumental cause
may be compared to the bran which helps the
sprout to come out. It produces and pervades
the Tanu karma, bhuvana and Bhoga of souls
(bodies, instruments of knowledge and
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activity, and the experiences therewith). 5.Ramanujachari, R. Saiva Siddhanta,

Anava mala as the efficient cause or nimitta Annamalainagar: Annamalai University, 1948.
karma corresponds to the husk in the paddy 6.Sachidanandam Pillai, S. Saiva Siddhanda,
which is equally essential. Anava mala helps Annamalainagar: Annamalai University, 1952.
the souls to enjoy the fruits of their karma 7.Sivajnanamunivar, Sivajnanamapadiyam
with the facilities afforded by maya. As maya (Eng.Trans.), K.Vajravelu Mudaliar, Madurai
furnishes souls with the substantial Kamaraj University, Madurai,1985.
background of their enjoyment, the 8.Sivaraman, K. Savism in Philosophical
Siddhantin compares it to light, not to Perspective, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass
darkness. It is the anava mala that produces Publishers Pvt. Ltd., 1973.
darkness or ajnana. Umapathi Siva compares 9.Umapati Sivacariyar, Tiruvarupayan &
it to a dark bride who is to chaste to appear Arunmuraittirattu (With an English rendering)
before her husband, meaning thereby that Devasenapathi V.A., Tamil University,
souls in the grip of anava mala are totally Tanjore, 1987.
unaware of the bondage which is the result of 10.Umapati Sivacriyar, Sivaprakasam, The
its grip. South India Saiva Siddhanta works Publishing
Conclusion Society, 1969.
According to Saiva Siddhanta, the souls have
been classified into three ways. A more
familiar classification of souls is into Sakalas,
Pralayakalas and Vijnanakalas. The first
refers to those who are subject to all the three
bonds of Anava, Maya and Karma. The
Pralayakalas are those for whom maya has
been dissolved during cosmic rest. They will
have to work out anava and karma in a fresh
world. The Vijnanakalas are those are to be
freed from anava alone. They reside in worlds
created by suddha-maya. Moreover, in Saiva
Siddhanta, the souls are classified on the
measure of perfection, such as; the
Paramuktas (the completely librated); the
Jivanmuktas (those liberated while yet in the
embodied state); the Adhikaramuktas (those
with a craving for power which naturally
prevents the higher state).
References
1.Balasubramaniuam, P. Special Lectures on
Saiva Siddhanta. Annamalai Nagar:
Annamalai Universtiy, 1959.
2.Devasenapathi, V.A. Of Human Bondage
and Divine Grace. Annamalai Nagar:
Annamalai university, 1963.
3.Manikkavasakar. Thiruvasakam, Eng. trans.
by G.U. Pope, Madras: University of Madras,
1970.
4.Panniru Thirumurai Peruntirattu, Madras:
The south India Saiva Siddhanta Works
Publishing Society, 1961.

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