25. Hear well what I state! Achit cannot subsist before Pure Chit. Chit cannot perceive Achit. The Atma (Soul) is what distinguishes and perceives both Chit and Achit. So,the Vedas declare without doubt.

*Note. - All these 36 tatvas are component parts of the universe of matter (Maya), all powerful and all intelligent, in union with which, the soul gets rid of its darkness, and regains its light. This Siva-tauva and Sakti-tattva etc., forming only matter should not be confounded with the Supreme Siva and His Sakti.

† Note. - This Karma as defined here is exactly what the Buddhists understand by the Individual Ego, or Individuality which of course'subsists from moment to moment and is not anything subsisting permanently.

26. Hear now how the 36 Tattvas cannot be conscious of themselves. The six kinds of taste cannot perceive themselves. So also the Tattvas do not know themselves.

27. As a person has to taste these six kinds of taste and then perceive them, so you are the intelligent person who uniting with these Tattvas perceives each and all of them.

28. "Out of thine undiminished grace, hast thou shown 'me my nature. Explain to me Thy own Imperishable Form."

"As the Sun enables the eye to see, so will we enlighten you and your intelligence."

29. Know more. The senses cannot understand without the soul, and cannot understand the soul. So also do we enlighten you without your being able to perceive us.

30. "As the Vowel letter 'A' is to the rest of the letters, so do we stand as the Life of all life. When we are not present in any soul, then will there be no light. So the good Agamas declare."

31. O Meykanda Natha, graciously expound so that I may understand the nature of the Sacred Dance with the sound of the five letters seen by the sages.

32. "O my son, hear; The Supreme Intelligence dances in the soul formed of the letter ya, with a Form composed of the five letters Si, va, ya, na, ma, for the purpose of removing our sins.

33. Hear now how the Dance is performed! In His feet is na; in his Navel is ma ; in His shoulders is Si; in his face is va; in his Head is ya*

34. ‡ The Hand holding out protection is ya; the hand holding the fire is na; the foot holding down muyalaka is ma.

* Note. - These letters have to be contemplated in those parts. ‡ Note. - This is another form of contemplating the Panchakshara.

35. The archThe Light Of Truth Or Unmai Vilakkam Of Iruvadigai 14 over Sri Nataraja is Omkara; and the akshara which is never separate from the omkara is the Filling Splendour. This is the Dance of the Lord of Chitambara. They understand this who have lost their self (Ahankara). Understanding, they leave their births behind.

36. Creation starts from the Drum. Protection proceeds from the Hand of Hope. The Fire produces Destruction. From the Foot holding down proceeds Tirobhava; the Foot held ' aloft gives mukti.

37. By these means, Our Father scatters the darkness of maya, burns the strong karma} stamps down mala (Anava) and showers grace, and lovingly plunges the soul in the Ocean of Bliss. This is the nature of His Dance.

38. The Silent Jnanis, destroying the three kinds of mala establish themselves where their selves are destroyed. There they witness the Sacred Dance filled with Bliss. This is the Dance of the Sabhanatha whose very form is Grace.

39. The One who is past thought and speech assumes graciously the Form composed of the Panchakshara in the Dancing Hall of Parasakti, so as to be seen by His Consort, Uma, Haimavati. They never see births who see this mystic Dance."

40. O my gracious Guru! Thou hast explained to me beautifully the nature of the Nadanta Dance. Let me now know the nature of the Panchakshara. Can they be one with the letters which are perishable?

41. "The Symbols of these letters may be perishable but not their connotation in any language. The meanings of the five letters respectively are God, His grace (Sakti), Soul, Tirobhava, and Mala.

42. God, Grace, Soul, Tirobhava, and Mala are the purport of the five letters (Sivayanama). If pronounced beginning with na, you will not obtain Grace. You will obtain It when you pronounce It beginmg with Si.

43. If this beautiful Panchakshara is meditated upon, the soul, getting rid of its Anavamala will land in the Region where there is neither light nor darkness, and there, God's Grace (Sakti), will unite it to Sivam.

44. If the Panchakshara is pronounced with the letters denoting the two malas, then will he not get rid of his three malas, and obtain Bliss. If pronounced otherwise acccording to

'law, your jnana will be boundless and you can live in Bliss.

45. In the Panchakshara, are found the Agamas and the Vedas, given out by the gracious God. In it, are found the Puranas. In it, is the Blissful Dance. And in it, is found the silent Mukti, which passes beyond all.

46. The Agamas declare that the nature of the union secured by the Muktas is like that of the fruit and its taste, fire and its heat, the musical composition and its tune.

47. The Vedas with truth declare that as the various Tattvas are found united inseparably in the bound condition, so the souls in the freed condition will dwell as one with God.

48. As the moon's light is indistinguishable in the Light of the Sun, so will the soul unite itself to the foot of the Supreme Lord and plunge itself in Bliss.

49. If it be said that the soul had to go and unite itself to God, then the Omnipresence of Siva will be destroyed. If God is .,said to have united Himself to the soul, then they must be different. But what then is the Truth? The position is like that* of the Sun which surrounds the man who had lost his blindness."

50. Thou tellest me that the Supreme one, who is past thought and speech, is gracious and suffers no taint, and that like this Pati, the Pasu and Pdsa are also eternal. Prove this in Mukti also.

51. "O my Son, Hear how they are in Muktil He who enjoys the Supreme Bliss is the soul. He who imparts this

Supreme Bliss is the First Cause. That which increases this happiness is MALA. Understand this in all love."

52. "O my Father, let me know the unfailing means of securing this Mukti?". "Hear me state this! They who regard and worship the Guru, Linga, and GOD'S DEVOTEES as the incomparable God, will not suffer births and deaths."

53. "Melting in Love, as the cow that had calved recently, the Jivan-muktas will take strong hold of the Guru, Linga and Bhaktas, and will be possessed of great love to them, which will destroy their sins."

The Light Of Truth Or Unmai Vilakkam Of Iruvadigai 15

O, Meykanda-Natha, the fruit of True Penance, Who dwellest in both Tiruvenneynallur and Svetavana, O, Ocean of Grace, I have been saved by thee, saved from being tossed about in the Ocean of Sorrow.

The Light Of Truth Or Unmai Vilakkam Of Iruvadigai 16