Friends
Image Worship, so ill understood by the world at large is central to Agamic Hinduism only because it promotes Icon Thinking as explained by the Verse below by Sambantar. More such verses at:
Loga
The Metatheism of Sambantar-2
Tevarat TirumuRai 3:25 Tiruntu Tevan Kudi
தேவரத் திருமுறை 3:25 : திருந்து தேவன் குடி
The Icons Disclose Truths even Beyond Scriptures
The
Hermeneutic philosophers of the West like Heidegger Gadamer and so
forth while pointing out that understanding is linguistical, have failed
to point out that there are post-linguistical forms of metaphysical
understanding where deep insights are gained through Icon Thinking and
which in its turn lead the mind into the higher Mantra Thinking already
contained in some rudimentary form in Shamanism. Thus we can say that
the whole of the West still remains BLIND to metaphysical truths that
Icon Thinking can afford an individual. This may explain why Temple
Worship, already so well developed in Sumerian times itself, continues
to this day at least among the Dravidian folks and this despite the
attacks on it by Vedism Buddhism (of the non-Tantric variety) Jainism
and so forth. After a temporary relapse and lose, it re-asserted itself
during the Bakti Period (5th- 9th cent AD) with a new depth of
understanding where astute but dry and soul suffocating logical and
linguistic thinking was displaced by the Icon Thinking such as that as
Punitavati Poykai Azwar and so forth and which is RECOVERY of the Icon
Thinking of the Sumerians such as En Hudu Anna and so forth.
They
saw that deep and interrogative engagements with the Icons worshiped,
seeking the MEANINGS they hide within their form and functions helped
them to gain metaphysical insights that were not possible by an ardent
study of scriptures.
The icons they worship so ardently install
themselves in the deepest layers of the mind, and remaining there slowly
unfold deep metaphysical TRUTHS through modifying not only thinking as
such but also more fundamentally the SEEING itself. The eyes are OPENED
up further and with that what were beyond the vision before now come
into the vision. The BLINDNESS is destroyed with more illuminations of
the most meaningful sort and which is curative in their effect. The
karmas and such other defilers within are destroyed just like sunlight
destroys the prevailing darkness.
The curative effect of the
metaphysical illuminations is certainly one of the reasons why temple
culture continues as the earliest and the most enduring aspect of
religious life.
2.
வீதி போக்காவன வினையை வீட்டுவன
ஓதி ஓர்க்கப்படாப் பொருளை ஓர்விப்பன
தீதில் தேவன்குடித் தேவர் தேவெய்திய
ஆதி அந்தமிலா அடிகள் வேடங்களே
உரை:
அஞ்ஞான
இருளில் கிடக்கும் ஆன்மாக்களுக்கு ஞானம் புகட்டுவான் வேண்டி பல வேடங்களைத்
தரித்து விளையாடும் இறைவன், தனக்கு ஆதியாகவும் அந்தமாகவும் வேறு
யாதுமின்றி விளங்கும் அவன் , அதனால் தேவர் தேவாக விளங்கும் அவன், இந்த தீது
யாமில்லா தேவன்குடி எய்து அங்கே வீற்றிருக்கின்றான். அவனது திருவேடங்களை
ஆழச் சிந்த்தித்து ஞானத்தெளிவுகளைப் பெறுவார்கட்கு இவை ஞானவறியர் ஆக்கி
வீதியில் சென்று ஞானபிச்சை கேட்குமா திரியவிடாது என்பதொடு எல்லா
துன்பங்களுக்கும் இன்னல்களுக்கும் இடர்பாடுகளுக்கும் மூலமாய கன்மத் தளையை
ஆகவே ஆணவம் மாயேயம் போன்ற மலங்களையும் களைவன. அத்தோடு எவ்வாறு முயன்றும்
ஞானநூற்களை ஓதி பெறமுடியா ஆழுண்மைகளை இந்த திருவேட ஆழச்சிந்தனை எய்யத்
தந்து உதவும் என்பதாம்.
2.
viiti pookkaavana vinaiyai viidduvana
ooti oorkkappadaap poruLai oorvippana
tiitil teevankudit teevar teeveytiya
aati antamilaa AdikaL veedaGkaLee
Meaning;
BEING
has no beginnings and end but a POWER unto Himself as He can withdraw
His presence and re-issue it i.e. cause His death and rebirth. Such a
BEING wears many guises to illuminate the mind of the ignorant creatures
and sits in the pure temple of Tiru Teevan Kudi in various Icon Forms.
Those who meditate upon them and wrest out the MEANINGS hidden there
will not be driven to the streets to beg for metaphysical wisdom. In
addition to that they will be CURED by being freed of the karmas that
are the sources of all ailments. But most importantly this semiotic
exercises will disclose TRUTHS that are beyond the ardent and deep
studies of the scriptures.
Comments:
The most important
phrase in this verse is “ ooti oorkkappadaa poruLai oorvippana” and
which means that Icon Thinking discloses truths that are impossible to
gain by deep studies of scriptures. Sambantar was born a Vedic Brahmin
and so this is very significant in pointing out he departed from Vedism
for it is Vedism in India that claimed that only the studies of the
Vedas and performing the rituals recommended there, are efficacious in
purifying the souls of the karmas, the source of all evils.
Sambantar
destroys this believe that indirectly sought to displace temple worship
and along with it the metaphysical disciplines of Icon Thinking,
Hermeneutic Semiotics and so forth with Yajnas and recital of Vedic
Slokas. It is NOT an accident that Vedci and Vedantic traditions do not
promote Icon thinking and so forth. BEING is BEYOND language for
anything linguistic is ephemeral - they will die out unless maintained
by a tradition of chanters and which is NOT true of Njanam, the Supreme
Illumination that readies the soul for the final redemption of Moksa.
While
in a way this also applies to ICON THINKING as well but it evolves
into Mantra Thinking that is FREE of any figural thinking including the
iconic. Within the IMAGE of these icons there are TRUTHS which unfold
within the contemplative mind and which are BEYOND words and hence
scriptures i.e Icon Thinking leads to its own death and rebirth into
Mantra Thinking.
The IMAGES of the icon sorts, the Muurtties are
not only prelinguistic but also post-linguistic - they contain within
themselves TRUTHS that are beyond words. While scriptures trap the mind
into words and seek to keep the mind arrested thus, the ICONS promote a
further EVOLUTION into non-iconic mantra thinking. Thus it is not an
accident that it is within Hermeneutic Semiotics that Mantra Thinking
also developed and baktas like Sambantar Appar and so forth also sang
many beautiful Mantra Hymns.
