A Short History of Metaphysical Tamil
The
Metaphysical Tamil-1
Dear Prof Antonio
Thank-you for your
request about the major metaphysical treatises in Tamil. I believe that these
texts do not yet belong to the mainstream Indological studies for a variety of
reasons . I also believe that our understanding of Hinduism and Indic traditions
will be quite different if these texts are also taken into consideration along with Sanskrit and Pali
texts.
With this
preliminary let me give in a nutshell the essences of the major books with
approximate dates and where we can also discern a historical continuity that
dates back to the Sumerian times.
Tolkaappiyam (
c.300BC)
This is the oldest
extant Tamil text, a grammatical treatise that is divided into three major
books, Ezuttatikaaram ( On Phonology) Collatikaaram ( Syntax and Semantics) and
PoruLatikaaram( On Meaning in Existence). The Third book is the most essential
and it is understood that syntactic and phonological studies are subservient to
the PoruLatikarram, the study of MEANINGS that configure human existence as a
whole. Tol. seizes upon the notion of “Speech Act’ ( Ta. KuuRRu) and analyses both
the natural language( vazakku) and literary language ( ceyyuL) in order to
understand the various intentional meanings that configure the various events
in life, the activities of people that make up existence as we know. It also
incorporates a study of gestures and other body languages that come along with the verbal ( KuRippu
Mozi). It is only on the basis of such studies that behavior is grouped into
Akam( the inside or domestic) and PuRam ( the external, the public) and which
are further divided into various ecological grounds where pervade the deities
Muruka VishNu VaruNa Indra and so forth configuring their essences. It is this
ecological thinking that later led to the development of Ataara Cakras, the metaphysical realms
configured by mantras also with a Deity as the ordaining power.
The treatise also
has ascan appendix another one , Marabiyal and in which we have the presence of
the VarNa concepts. I think this text is earlier than Tol.
proper as many archaic elements are found there. However the most important
aspect of this text is that it has the earliest statement on
Indian Logic which is already recognizable as Hermeneutic Logic with its circular
structure. I believe that Nyaya Sutras is not only an adaptation of this logic
but also something that introduced some distortions. The original shape was later recovered by
Meykandar and used as the essential Logic of metaphysical studies in his
Civanjana Botham.
The last sutra of
this text is concerned with literary hermeneutics, the art of understanding a
text without errors and where the INTENTION of the author is seen as it is with
the application of utties ( otta kaaci utti). Kaudilya’s Artha Sastra also
incorporates a similar list of utties ( Sk. Ukti) showing that both are taping
the same ancient tradition. I have pointed that this notion of utti, the movement of
understanding in the direction of greater clarity dates back to the school
pedagogy of the Sumerian edubba, the tablet house, the elementary schools for
children.
I have translated
some of sutras and all are collected together at the following website:
http://arutkural.tripod.com/tolcampus/tol-campus.html
TirukkuRaL ( 200
AD- 400 AD)
Of all the
philosophical books in Tamil this is the most famous and belongs to the
eighteen KiizkaNNu texts produced during the post CaGkam period. Another famous
book, a Jaina one is Naladiyar but probably belonging to the 8th cent AD or so. KuRaL outlines
for the first time ‘samayaatiitam’ the transcendence of religions so that it is claimed by
people of all Indian religions as their own book. KuRal stands neutral both in ideas and descriptive terms so that it
cannot be classified as belonging to any religion, Jainism Buddhism Saivism
VaishNavism so forth but at the same time appealing to all by its universality.
It also introduced a novel metre, the KuRaL VeNba, just a terse verse with two
lines and altogether there are 1330 verses divided into ARattupaal ( On Dharma)
Porutpaal ( On Politics) and Kaamattuppaal ( On Love) . There are already any
websites devoted to this book. It has been also translated into all the major
world languages. This book is immensely alive to this day and has become the
Bible or Bagavath Gita of the Tamils including the Christians and Muslims, an
interesting phenomena by itself. No one can understand the essence of Tamil
culture unless they grasp the essence of KuRaL, written by VaLLuvar , a low
caste in later times.
This text also
constitutes a watershed between the essentially secular CaGkam and the Bakti epoch that produced an
enormous range of Bakti literature that constitutes the Teyvat Tamil, the
Divine Tamil and which constitutes the foundation of the religious life of at
least the majority of Tamils to this day.
Naladiyaar, also a
famous book has been translated into English and some other languages. There
are 400 verses collected together and these verses are said to have been
written by various Jain monks. Most of them speak of nilaiyaamai, the transient
character of human existence. They also contain deep insights into the dynamics
of human life.
The Bakti
Literature (300 AD to 900 AD)
While CaGkam epoch
produced the massive collections of essentially secular poetry, the Eight
Anthologies, the Bakti period produced the Divine Tamil, the Saivite Tevaram
and VaishNava Divvya Prabantam, altogether numbering about 16 000 verses the
bulk of them being Saivite. Among the VaishNava Mystics we
have Namazvar whose Tiruvaymozi is the foundation of Sri Vaishnava tradition
and which honors it more than even the Vedas. The Tevaram Adangkan MuRai contains the hymns of
Sambantar Appar and Sundarar among whom Appar is the earliest ( c. 6th cent AD) and Sambantar his
younger contemporary. This was the time the polemics with the Jains and
Buddhists were at the highest and there was a tremendous cultural turmoil as a
result of which Saivism and VaishNavism became triumphant again with the
consequent decline of Buddhsim and Jainism.
Now among the
earlier Nayanmars and Azwars such as Punitavati and Poykaiyar, we see the
ancient tradition of NOT separating into Saiva VaishNava sects and quarrelling
which is greater and why. There is a unitary Saiva-VaishNavism present in their
thinking and where both speak of both families of icons with equal reverence.
Now I am studying some of their texts translating into English with
commentaries.
Some earlier
studies are available at the following website:
http://arutkural.tripod.com/tmcampus/tmc-open.html
Tirmular certainly
belongs to this period (c. 7th cent) and who wrote the
massive Tirumantiram with three thousand verses. Since he deserves a detailed
presentation, we shall do that in the next posting on this series.
The
Metaphysical Tamil-2
The Tirumantiram of Tirumular
This is the book
by the famous Tirumular. A massive one with 3000 verses with some
interpolations adding up to 3069 in the standard edition. It is divided into 9 Tantras
or Agamas but it must be said that the organization is quite flexible with no
strict order among the different Tantras. But it is the most fascinating book
to come down from the ancient world containing within itself many elements from
the deep past and with no books dealing with them surviving except for
this. The word ‘mantra’ occurs in Tolkaappiyam as species of literature but we do
not have any coming from CaGkam epoch.
Now there are many
mythological tales about Tirumular as is the case with many significant figures
in India and which are quite ridiculous to say the least. From internal
evidences we can gather that he was a shepherd or a cowherd but drawn to
mysticism and living in TirvadutuRai Adheenam or some Mutts composed these
verses within a strong Saivite atmosphere. The verses employ a peculiar
but very elegant meter the like of which are found only in some KizkaNakku or post
CaGkam classics and hence the date perhaps around 5th-6th century. I think also that he
is earlier than Appar Sambantar and so forth because there is NO combating the
Buddhists or Jains. Whatever it is, he is definitely before the 8th cent AD as he is mentioned by
name Sundarar in his list of Nayanmars.
Each Tantra has
its own importance.
The most famous
expressions that are quoted often as the essence of Saivism are from here:
Anbee Sivam (Love is Siva), OnRee kulamum Oruvaneeet teevanum (There is only
one caste and there is only One God), Yaan peRRa inbam peruka ivvaiyakam (let
the world enjoy the joys I have enjoyed). He also claims that Siva graced him
with good health and so forth so that he can bring Siva into the Tamil words in
clearer terms than before.
The first Tantra
is similar in spirit to the ethical literature of 2nd-4th cent. AD and deals with many
such issues overlapping with them in many places. But it contains the Upatesam
of 30 verses and which is a neat summary of his whole philosophy. These verses
have been isolated and studied as a text complete it itself. I have translated
all the verses into English and you can read it in the TirumaRai Campus.
The second deals
with meanings of some basic mythologies and it is here we see what I call
Hermeneutic Semiotics making its appearance, a science that was further
developed by the Tamil Siddhas of later times. Most of the basic elements in
Hindu mythologies are described and given meanings along with some metaphysical
notions related to them. The metaphysical insights are arrived at through
interpreting the root mythical themes.
The Third Tantra
deals with Yoga of various kinds including the Astangka Yoga of Patanjali. It
is interesting that Tirumular claims personal acquaintance with Patanjali of
the Yoga Sutras though the Yoga disciplines he deals with are more
comprehensive than that of Patanjali. Included here are many aspects of
neurosciences that are developing only now in the West. A fascinating part is
his studies on how the various bodily postures and gestures (mudras) can in
fact reach the deeper layers of the human mind, the Unconscious and with that
also gain metaphysical insights, not obtainable otherwise.
The Fourth Tantra
is the a very important treatise, in fact the largest we have with more than
600 verses dealing with Mantras, Yantras and Tantras. Here too we find the very
ancient Mother Goddess worship but given Mantra explanations.
I have translated
a few verses from this book and you can read it below:
The Fifth Tantra
deals with the different schools of Saivism that existed in his time. He also
notes that the differences arise due to differences in intellectual tuning of
the different individuals some preferring the ritualistic ways and others the
metaphysical and so forth. It is here that we have the first occurrence of the
expression Saiva Siddhanta and it’s meaning in a nutshell.
The Sixth Tantra
is quite philosophical but deals mainly with the elements of Guru worship but
where for Tirumular the Guru is Siva Himself or individuals who have lost their
individual essence by being possessed by Siva completely.
Now the Seventh
Tantra is metaphysically the richest and it is here we have the most extensive
treatment of the meaning SivaliGkam, the Siva Tatvas Natam and Bindu and so
forth. The theme of AruL or Grace also finds its most excellent exposition
here. It also contains many verses on the science of longevity where the ways
in which one can learn to live very long are enunciated. Some of these ideas
are really archaic. Historically it is this Tantra that has been most
influential and which created later many Siddhas who developed these sciences to greater heights.
It can be said the science of Alchemy, Rasayanam, that the Siddhas developed
begins from the ideas incorporated in this Tantra.
The Eighth Tantra
is perhaps the most difficult and abstruse dealing with an extensive analysis
of the different states of consciousness quite ill understood even to this
day. It also deals with Vedanta along Natanta and such other schools of thoughts
but still with the framework of Triadism, the Pati Pacu and Paacam are anati
and which is first announced by Tirumular himself. Without understanding this
many have misunderstood Tirumular as an advocate of Advaita, which he cannot be
unless he is also said to contradict himself. There are some terms like
IlakkaNaatriayam and so forth, which may not be original for such terms came
into use only during the Siddha period (12th- 16th cent AD)
The Ninth and the
final Tantra deals with some metaphysical issues related to mantras. But the
most significant theme is that of the Dance of Siva and how it is related to
not only the mantras but also deeper metaphysical darsanas.
This is NOT a
comprehensive summary of Tirumantiram, a text that I cherish reading for the
enormous wealth of metaphysical insights it contains. It appears to me actually
inexhaustible where within a verse of only four lines he compresses so much
information.
Those
interested to taste some of his verses please visit the above websites.
The
Metaphysical Tamil-3
The Bakti revolt
was certainly the most momentous event in the cultural history of the Tamils
and which earns for them an important place in the cultural history of India as
a whole but now all ignored in a way perhaps due to the Aryan romanticism that
has taken deep roots and color every Indological study. The Bakti revolt not
only reinstated the AESTHETICS back into the center of cultural life through
promoting music dance and so forth, but also contributed the nuclear ideas for
the birth or recovery of the Hermeneutic Logic that became the central
contributions of the Tamil Saivites in the field of philosophy.
Certainly there
was a severe criticism of the demonstrative logic of the Buddhists and
Jains who pretended that with Logic and hence rational thought alone they can
affirm what is truth and what is not and for which purpose they transformed the
ancient Naiyayika of the Pacupata Saivas (which itself is a distortion of the
Hermeneutic Logic of Tol.) throwing away the Agama PramaaNa and hence with that
the whole realms of transductive perceptions. It is against such reductionism
that Sambantar sang “eetuukkaLaalum edutta mozikaLaalum mikku cootikka veeNdaa,
cudarnterintuLan cooti emperumaan (Do not examine excessively everything (I
say) with your logical mind, BEING stands shining brilliantly in my eyes). He
also added that “ aatpaalavarkku aruLum vaNNamum aatiyin maaNbum keedpaan pukil
aLavillai, kiLakka veeNdaa; (The ways BEING blesses the deserving and His own
forms are beyond the measures of man and so no one can definitely say this is
the Way and so forth). Added to that is the most momentous concept of Appar
“aadduvittaal yaaroruvar aadaataaree? ( if played by BEING who can refuse to
play? ) that brought out the relevance of DANCE metaphor even for metaphysics.
This understanding
slowly worked on the Saivites and finally resulted in the writings of MeykaNda
Sastras and numerous others from about the 11th cent. But interestingly enough
it was the Buddhists and Jains, so severely criticized during the time of
Sambantar that paved the way for the rebirth of Hermeneutic Logic (Ta.
eeraNaviyal) as opposed to the Demonstrative Logic that also prospered up to a
point but later declined. The only book that applies Naiyayika Logic
demonstrating the essences of Saiva Siddhanta is Njaanamirtham ( 11th cent) but which did not take
deep roots in the Tamil mind. What took deep roots is Hermeneutic
Logic and this was done by a masterly manner of Meykandar and his student
AruNandi, and for which there is nothing equivalent in Sanskrit literature, as
far as I know.
The birth and
development of Hermeneutic Logic even within Buddhism and Jainism is all part
of the Tamil cultural institution of debating, seeking out all the possible
views and then determining or deciding what is truth. In Tolkappiyam we have as
part of PuRam or public life a department where different sages and
philosophers (aRivar) come together and sought to vanquish each other in the
court of the kings. Every major festival also had as part of the celebrations
the Patti ManRam where such debates took place. We have also kuRaL ( c. 2nd cnet AD?)declaring “ epporuL
yaar yaar vaayk keedpinum, aporuL meypporuL kaaNpatu aRivu’ (It is the mark of intelligence to
seek out TRUTH no matter what is the subject matter and from whose mouth it
comes)
MaNimekalai (c. 5
th cent) is a unique book in Buddhism that survives in full to this day. Over all it appears to be a
book in Tantric Buddhism with magic and such other supernatural themes playing
a central role. But unlike its earlier twin Cilappatikaaram, the focus is
Buddhist philosophy or Dharma and which is explained in the final two chapters.
Many scholars say that Buddhist Logic outlined here differs in some important
details from that Dharmakirti Dignaga and so forth who were also
Tamil Buddhists who lived in Kancipuram, at that time a famous center for
Buddhist learning. But what is important for us is the 27th chapter, the Samayak KaNakkar
Tam TiRam Keedda Kaatai, i.e. the story of listening to the different schools
philosophy of the philosophers of the times.
This interesting
episode is said to take place in Vanjci Maanakar, the capitol city of Kerala
and MaNimekalai, in the guise of ayoung man, listens to ALL the different schools of
philosophy active at that time before deciding upon the TRUE
WAY of Philosophy, the Dharma. There were the followers of Viyasa of Veda, Jaimini and Mimamsakas,
Lokayatas and Kirutakoodi and so forth who propounded Demonstrative Logic which
are further developments of modifications of Naiyayika Logic of Gautama who is
also mentioned. But as distinct from them we have also mention of Saiva Vaati
and VaishNava Vaati perhaps indicating that Bakti movement was already
beginning or was in the formative stages. It is interesting that the Vedantic
schools, particularly the Advaita of Sankara, is NOT mentioned at all and in
this in Vanjci in Kerala, the birth place of Sankara!
But any way the
point is there is this pressure to LISTEN to different schools of philosophy
and the NEED to evaluate them or de-construct them before deciding what is
true. This de-construction is very poorly done in MaNimekalai - it is simply
stated that these philosophies do not make sense in a summary
fashion and without clarifying in what way they do not make sense.
But this important
defect in the structure of Hermeneutic Logic is made good in the Jaina
classic Nilakeci (c. 9th cent AD), which also very fortunately exists in full and with several
scholarly commentaries. It is cast in the form of epic tale, a product of a
dream experience in which the seductive woman ghost Niili goes around debating
with the different philosophers active at that time. The strategy is quite clear.
In the first chapter the basic principles of true philosophy is outlined and in
the light of this and their implications the different schools are
de-constructed. The de-constructed include Vedism, different schools of
Buddhism Samkhya and so forth but interestingly enough not
Saivism and VaishNavism, which were immensely active at that time. However we
have here more structure given to Hermeneutic Logic where not only the different schools of
thoughts are understood but also de-constructed one by one.
It is this form
that is seized upon by MeykaNdar and AruNandi but with a reversal. AruNandi
divides his massive Civanjana Cittiyaar into Parapakkam and Supakkam where the
Parapakkam contains the different schools of thought that are de-constructed
and Supakkam that which cannot be deconstructed and hence the TRUTH and which
happens to be Saiva
Siddhanta.
We shall take up
these in some details next.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The
Metaphysical Tamil-4
Let it be noted
that in the History of Indian Philosophy there does not exist a book like
Civanjana Botam (CJB) that is a marvel of both depth of metaphysical insights
and clarity of logical thinking. A divine gift, as the story goes, it
established very firmly the metaphysical foundations for Saivism in the most
inclusive sense i.e. a philosophy that accommodates all shades of metaphysical
thinking but at the same time bent on pointing out the erroneous quite
mercilessly so that only TRUTH prevails. Tantric Buddhism of MaNimekalai should
be credited with its beginnings and the philosophical Jainism of Nilakeci with
further and substantial developments. However it is Meykandar who raised it to a level of
astuteness that was the very peak of such a development never to be repeated
ever since. Saivism stands like a solid rock unshaken and unnerved by any kind
of new religion that came to India and try to rob of its foundations. For the
point is Meykandar accomplished through CJB something even beyond Husserl’s
attempt to found philosophy as a rational science with his phenomenology of
eidetic reduction and what not. It is not philosophy that has been transformed
into a science but the whole realms of metaphysics and hence the religious
dimensions of human existence itself. Of course the insights were already there
in Tirumular’s Tirumantiram and the hymns of Appar Sambantar Sundarar
Manikkavasakar and so forth. But while these baktas opened new vistas through
their aesthetics, there was also a requirement for the rational foundation of
even this aesthetics and it is this that is accomplished by Meykandar and
followed with AruNandi Umapati and so forth.
Now we must note
that CJB has TWO levels of logical structure, the General and Local. The
General Structure pertains to the PROGRESSIVE structure of the text as a whole
and which was noted in Tolkaappiyam as the Atikaara MuRaimai, how a text has
SEQUENTIAL organization and which is simultaneously progressive. The truth of
the First Sutra gives birth to the Second and which both collectively gives
birth to the Third etc. So by the time we come the final sutra, the 12th, the
truths of all the earlier sutras are presupposed. Now within this
organizational structure is superimposed another - the Potu and CiRappu where
the first 6 sutras are the Potu and remaining 6 are the CiRappu. What is Potu
is the Metaphysica Generalis, metaphysical truths that are UNIVERSAL and hence
already there in the understanding of all human beings, the past present and
future and not only among the Saivites but in the mind all people whatever
their religion or culture. Such truths are the AXIOMATIC TRUTHS and therefore
NOT the peculiar possession of any one-person religion or culture. Now the
CiRappu is Metaphysica Specialis and which is the APPLICATION to existence so
that existence becomes AUTHENTIC - not the false and misleading but the true.
The true Existential Meanings are worked out and presented as what one OUGHT to
seek out and hence what one OUGHT to do by way of attaining that for which
existence is. And this true meaning is Moksa and which requires that one should
worship BEING in attuviti anbu, in LOVE that sees no difference at all with
any.
So collectively
the whole text can be said to be Metaphysica Universalis with the component
parts of Metaphysica Generalis and Metaphysica Specialis (to borrow some terms
from Kant)
But what makes
this exercise something in Hermeneutic Logic?
This is where the
impact of Tol. MaNimekalai and Nilakeci are evident. The whole text is cast within the structure Showing
in order make others See what one has in fact seen. This kind of logical
dialogue was called KaaNdikai Urai in Tol. where the word KaaNdikai is a noun
derived from the injunctive KaaNdikaa! , Please you see. This is also the structure of
Nilakeci where the first chapter outlines the darsanas, what one has seen as
truths and the remaining chapters deconstructed against this intial description
of truths. The same structure is followed by Meykandar and which is quite
visible in the LOCAL structure where each sutra is divided into various theses
and each thesis is SHOWN to be true so that others can SEE what is shown and
through that come to an agreement.
Each sutra is
divided into a number of atikaraNam or theses where again collectively these
atikaraNams would lead to the truth of the sutra. . But each atikaraNam has a
MeeRkooL, the truth that is asserted accompanied with REASON (eetu) and UtaaraNam
(argument). Here again we see the Circular structure that we also see in
Tolkaappiyam and later taken over by Naiyaiyikas, where the Pratiknja is also
the same as the Nigamana but with a change in the logical status, as Pratiknja
it remains an assertion but as Nigamana it becomes something collectively
agreed upon and hence accepted as truth. The MeeRkooL, that which is asserted
or shown as true is given the REASON and illustrations so that others can also
SEE what is shown. The term MeeRkooL is derived from the verb meeRkoLLal and
means accepting as true, presupposing as true and so forth.
Thus in this way
Meykandar gives a detailed and very elaborate structure to the Hermeneutic
Logic, a kind of Communicative Logic and in which through an immensely rational
activity of the mind, the gifted who has seen the Axiomatic Truths labors also
to MAKE SEE OTHERS what one has seen and here not invoking any authority
whatsoever. It is this aspect of it which makes the whole a text in science
i.e. in Hermeneutic Science.
And as part of
this Hermeneutic Logic, the deconstruction of UNTRUTHS is unavoidable and this
is done in a masterly fashion of MeykaNdar throughout the whole text. For
example the first Axiomatic Truth is that there is BEING and He is ONE - not many.
In showing that this is truth several schools of thought contrary to this are
deconstructed and in that deconstruction the truth is allowed to emerge as that
which cannot be deconstructed. Here the understanding is that the
TRUTHS cannot be deconstructed, the attempt to deconstruct and with that
destroy and disperse them will FAIL with that failure itself establishing it as
a truth.
It is this insight
available in CJB that is taken over and given an epic like dimensions in the
massive Civanjana Cittiyaar by AruNandi where attempts is also made to
delineate explicitly the Hermeneutic Logic of MeykaNdar in CJB.
We shall see some
aspects of it next.
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