And the phrase, "Stripunnapumsaka," 'He, She,

It,' mas become a technical phrase with us (see first sutra of Sivajiianabodham) to mean the whole of the material manifested universe and its various forms; and in naming God with words and forms borrowed from matter, we cannot avoid using these words. But then, the difference between principle and symbol, truth and dogmatism, has to be perceived. We tried to make ourselves clear about this distinction about the "Soham or Tattvamasi" doctrine in our last; and in the subject we have been elucidating above, a similar distinction has to be perceived. One says, 'address God always as He'; and if you call him, 'It,' he says you are addressing a cold abstraction. Another

† The genius of the English Language, reflecting as it does the Christian Religion does not allow us to call God, except in the masculine, though of course we have heard that they do not mean to say that God is a male like a man.

claims to have reached a higher Philosophy by refusing to call Him,* as 'Him' and by calling Him 'It.' Both seem to think that there is something degrading in calling Him as 'She.' But the feeling which induces the European to lift the female to almost divine honors, and the tenderest and most passionate of all our emotions which cling round the word 'mother', ought to enable one to realize our ideal of God as the 'Divine Sakti,' One who, St Manicka Vachaka says, "is even more loving than my mother."

Where, of course, the truth is seen, there will be no more room for ignorant dogmatism, and any and all these modes of address will equally be acceptable to Him, if instead of uttering those bare words, we put into them, such love as will "make our bones melt." and such as is described by our own Saint, in his "Pilgrim's Progress". (p. 101.

Siddhanta Dipika Vol. I).

We began our article with the object of quoting from our Lord Manikkavachaka some passages in which he addresses the supreme as "Sivam" in the Superlative Neuter of Prof. Max Muller, and the forgoing remarks will be sufficient to introduce those passages :

p. 25.

" Praise be to " Sivam " beyond reach of thought."

p. 26,

" O Sivam! who dwells in the heart of those who love Him."

* In calling God, 'He' and 'Him', we are following only the genius of the English language.

Mrs. Flora Annie Steel speaks of Uma-Haimavati as the emblem of perfect wife-hood, mother-hood and mystical virginity.

† Consider the following lines also.

‡We give the references from the well-printed and neat edition of Kanchi Nagalinga Mudaliyur, 45, Bairagimatt Lane, Madras.

p. 12.

"Sivam which stood unperceived by Hari, and Brahma and other Gods."

Ibid. "Losing one's 'I'ness became Sivam"

p. 119. "The sweet Siva Padam" (The Mahat Padam of the Upanishat.")

. P 125.

v

" I will not touch those who love not Sivam."

P. 153-

"My Father who took me to His embrace by making me Sivam, after cleansing me of my sin."

These are only a few out of a vast number, and this description is found also in the Devara Hymns and other sacred writings. Probably, if this aspect of Siddhanta had been present to the mind of Prof. Max Muller when he wrote his introduction to the Svetasvatara Upanishat, in refuting the argument that the Upanishat was a sectarian one, he need not have gone to the extreme of trying to establish an illusory identity between a Nirguna and a Saguna God. For, we do not, at any rate, accept the Saguna God as God, the Supreme, at all; for the Saguna God is only a God in name, but a Pasu or Soul in reality. And we here come to a great fallacy which is the source of a very grievous error. The error consists in interpreting such words as Isvara, Mahesvara, Paramesvara, Isa, Isana, Mahesa, Deva, Mahadeva, Hara, Rudra, Siva, Purusha, wherever they occur in the Upanishats, Gita etc., as meaning the lower or Saguna Brahman, and seemingly because these names are also applied to a God who is one of the Trinity or Trimurtis, Brahma, Vishnu, and Rudra. Bur any ordinary student of the Saiva Siddhanta will perceive that the God they worship is not one of the Trinity, though called by the same name, and that their system speaks of Him, as the Turiyam and Chaturtham, both meaning fourth, and these thoughts can be picked up from the most ancient and the most recent books in Tamil and in Sanskrit. The typical passage in the Upanishats is the one in the Atharvasikha.

Dhyayeetesanam pradhyayithavyam Sarvam idam Brahma Vishnu Rudrendraste sarve samprasuyante sarvani chendriya-nicha saha bhutais, nakaranam Karananam dhata dhyata Karanahtu dhyeyas Sarvaisvarya Sampannas Sarvesvaras