9. Three categories of persons

 

Teachings to treasure, teachings that transform. 

Thirumoolar Thavamozhi

Motivation

9. Three categories of persons

Our elders group human beings in three categories. 

For each of the three categories of people, our lord showers his blessings in three different ways. He grants knowledge of the blissful awareness as per the evolution of that category of persons.

Category 1: Ordinary persons who are typically in a normal state of evolution are called "Sakalar" (common). They are fully enveloped by the three layers of dirt, "ego", "karma", and "illusion". For this group of devotees who are in this common state, our lord reincarnates in human form as their guru and teaches them the knowledge of the divine -wisdom. What this means is that for ordinary persons, those teachers who are born to teach them that will help remove the three dirts in them are all embodiment of the divine himself.

Category 2: The second category of the persons are slightly elevated than the first category. They are without the dirt of "illusion". They are enveloped and restricted by only the two other dirts, "ego and karma". Certainly they are one step ahead of the first category. For this category of persons, the lord takes a form or an idol that they worship. He grants them the knowledge of the divine (wisdom) through that  worship, and takes them across the cycle of birth and death.

Category 3:  The people in the third category are even one step higher, as they have untangled both the dirts of "illusion" and "karma". However they have not yet gotten rid of the dirt of "ego".  For these persons who have already evolved by escaping from the temptations of illusion, and not restricted by karma, our lord dwells in their hearts as the formless wisdom, and removes their ego with his blessings.

For all three stages, it is the lord's compassion that removes the dirt. Our Saint Thirumoolar reaffirms this lovingly.

களிம்பறுத் தான்எங்கள் கண்ணுதல் நந்தி
களிம்பறுத் தான்அருள் கண்விழிப் பித்துக்
களிம்பணு காத கதிரொளி காட்டிப்
பளிங்கிற் பவளம் பதித்தான் பதியே.  2 

களிம்பறுத் தான் - removed the dirt; கண்ணுதல் - the lord who has the third eye in his forehead; எங்கள் கண்ணுதல் நந்தி - our lord Siva who has the third eye in his forehead who our Saint Thirumoolar lovingly calls Nandi. He used both the  names of the lord  to reinforce that it is the lord siva!

The ignorance (which are the three types of dirts) in human beings is compared with the dirt that accumulates on copper. How does our lord with the third eye on his forehead removes the  dirt ?

களிம்பறுத் தான்அருள் கண்விழிப் பித்துக் -
அருள் கண் - the eye of wisdom;   with His blessing the wisdom opens our eyes.

By opening the eye of wisdom, the lord removes the darkness from the individual soul. 

களிம்பணு காத கதிரொளி காட்டிப் - the lord lights up the heart of the individual similar to how Sunlight enters a dark room; once the lord lights up the heart the dirts of ignorance will not gather anymore.

The  light lit up by the lord is glowing brilliantly so that darkness that left will never return! the brilliance is established inside us ! How ? 

பளிங்கிற் பவளம் பதித்தான் பதியே -
பதியே - the lord who is our divine master; பளிங்கிற் பவளம் - the atma is like a white marble; it is like a mirror. This mirror is covered with dirt. By wiping away the dirt, and making the mirror reflect the light of divine wisdom, our lord lights the lamp of divine wisdom in our hearts. He blesses us that our body is not any more affected by the darkness of ignorance! He achieves this by ensuring the light is glowing without diminishing !

The wick of an oil lamp will diminish after some time. But our lord has impressed his blemishless marble like light in the mirror of hearts. Our Saint Thirumoolar sings that this is only His blessings.

For the first category ordinary people, our lord appears in human form and teaches them the divine wisdom. For the second category of people who have entangled by ego and karm, he appears in a idol, and grants them wisdom through  their worship of the idol. For the third category of people who are evolved and remain in the quest for wisdom, the lord lights up the light of wisdom and pervades as the formless principles in their hearts.

All these three stages are steps of evolution for the soul. A person who has evolved to a higher status, may lose that status. Even then our lord will shower his blessings according to the lower status. Our Saint reminds us, that those who have gone to a higher state should seek the blessings of the lord to preserve that state.

To read other translated pages in these posts, see: Thirumoolar

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