The subject of soul and the search for it have exhausted many a lives and disoriented many a minds. Even today, the world is equally divided as to the existence of soul and its non existence.

It may be noted that Bishop Leadbeater of Theosophical Society identified J Krishnamurthi as having the aura of the world teacher at the age of 11 and he was adopted by the Society. The education imparted to J.Krishnamurthi as per the records of the society is somewhat wonderful to know in the sense that the astral body of the boy in his deep sleep state was taken by Leadbeater to the Masters at the Himalayas for lessons and he was brought back to Adyar. J.Krishnamurthi would wake up in the morning and would recall what was taught in the night and use to record the teachings. The education went on like this. It is pertinent to note Theosophical Society believed in the existence of soul and reincarnation or transmigration of the soul is its fundamental subject. But when J. Krishnamurthi was to carry the banner of Theosophy across the world, he declared to Dr Annie Besant whom he called as ‘Amma” that the subject of soul is a mere myth and soul is a mere invention of the mind which wants to cling to some sort of permanency. He renounced the inheritance bequeathed by the Society which paved the way for the present day JK Foundation.

While the question as to how the person who was graduated in the school of theosophy which believes in the existence of the soul, could have acquired diametrically opposite idea that there is no soul continues to puzzle the inquiring minds, it is to be appreciated that the subject of existence of soul is too complex to be comprehended even by the most enlightened minds around this world. Plato and Socrates believed in the existence of soul and its transmigration but Aristotle, the disciple did not have faith in such existence.

In some birth, the soul takes the body of a male and in some births it takes the body of a female. In some births it is born in a family of particular religion, caste and race and in some births, it is born in a family professing different religion, caste and race. In that case, who can be our real father and mother? It is like in this birth, I am son to my father and mother, brother or sister to the co-born and father to my daughter or son, and husband to my wife. Therefore, if there is a question as to “Who I am?”, then, it entails another question “in which birth?” The crust of the earth varies in its form as the expanse of ocean, mass of land, span of ice, sea of sand, range of mountains and so forth. Which can be considered as the face of earth? It is like telling as to which is my real face whether it is my face at birth or at death or the different faces at different ages in between? So also if there is a question as to who I am in all these births in reality, I become alive to my inability to answer such a question. That is why Vallalar strives to free us from the fetters of the present birth fenced by a particular religion, race and caste with so many relations because the experience of the soul in all its births enjoy different religions, races and castes with so many relations.

It may be appreciated that the strength of Vallalar could be correctly appreciated only when we view the philosophy of the saint against the background of many such philosophies.

It is true that Saiva Siddhantam believes in the existence of soul. It is pertinent to note that the quintessence of Saiva Siddhantam is enshrined within the precincts of “Sivagnana Bodham” which comprises of only 12 Sutras. It was authored by. A succinct explanation flows through Saint Meikanda Devanar about soul in sutra No.7;

“Everything is void which is opposite of existence

Soul non dual, conferred with consciousness in duality”

It may be appreciated that Saiva Siddhantam which believes in the existence of soul, has got a different view with regard to the origin of the soul. Saint Thirumoolar speaks about the truth of trinity which has been consistently expressed as Pasu, Pathi and Pasam. It has been impressed by the exponents of saiva siddhantam that god, souls and the relation in between them are timeless and eternal. All these three coexisted right from the beginning without giving room for the inquiry as to which of the origin is first. That means they have coexisted from time immemorial and their origin is beyond the cognition of humanity. Saiva Siddhantam holds that Pasu can never merge with Pathi.

But Vallalar declares that God is the primal cause and the souls are his manifestation and the souls could merge with their Maker but they cannot become the maker himself. Vallalar differs from the vedantha also in this crucial aspect. In that respect, the Maha Vakyam “TATVAMASI” of Vallalar differs from that of the Vedanta. Aghaval Line 249 states that

The above state is like the nandhi crouching before siva lingha as depicted in the temples or any vahana for that matter placed before any god where the left of god remains right of the soul and right of god remains left of soul.

When the soul enters the sanctum sanctorum, it is one with god and now the right of god remains right of the soul as well and left of god remains the left of the soul. That means the soul has oriented itself in alignment with the outlook of god. In that sense, it is at par with god but it is not god.

Advaitham : Everything came out from the Ultimate and the soul reunites with the Ultimate.

Visistadvaitham: Everything came out from the one but reunion of soul with the Ultimate is not possible

Dvaitham :The Ultimate and the soul are distinct and different.

Saiva siddhantam: holds that the trinity is distinctly different and independent and the Pasu can never merge with the Pathi.

But Vallalar considers the soul not as a witness but as the participant itself thereby the enjoyer of the fruits of its own actions. This is a critical departure from the vedantic concept which regards the soul only in the capacity as a witness. It is a participant as well as a witness of its own participation. The philosophy of Vallalar is that the soul has emanated only from the One and it is merging with the One. It is nothing but Advaitham but while the states of Advaitham are not many sided, Vallalar like a prism splits the colours of light and gives the quintessence of his unique philosophy in Lines 874 to 880 of Aghavalwhich the world is yet to know:

Every day we are passing through the states of wakefulness, dream and sleep. The experience in the physical state, the experience in the dream state and the experience in the sleep state are totally different. In the same way, our existence as such comprises of physical state, astral state and causal state. While the physical state corresponds to Annamaya kosha, the astral state corresponds to pranamaya, manonmaya and vijnanamaya and the causal corresponds to anandamaya kosha.

(with body) (without body) (without body)

Therefore, when we pass from annamaya layer to the other two states by way of physical death, our living continues in the astral state just as we pass from wakeful state to dream state and from there to the sleep state in our daily life. The state of existence as such could be described as follows:

(with body) (without body) (without body)

Whereas there is no body in the astral state, there is no requirement for air, water and food or dress or shelter or vehicle. For the purpose of convenient appreciation of the issue in question we can state that if the span of existence is taken as five parts, then, our existence in body could be apportioned as 1/5^th. In the rest of 4/5^th of our life is without body. Everything connected with body does not have any relevance in that 4/5^th of our existence. That is why Vallalar advises us to ignore the gains attached to the body and seek the gains of the soul. Everyone after death would experience such states. But advanced souls realize and experience the same even while they are in bodily existence. This experience of the soul is the life of excellence.

The body is only conceived in the womb and not the soul which is the creation of god. The soul enters the fetus in the womb directly. It does not come through either the father or mother. In that sense, the father and mother are mere makers of the body only. The soul can enter the body into the womb at any time between conception and prior to delivery. Father and mother are required only for creating the body not for creating the soul.

The present day psychological regression which has paved the way for understanding the truth behind the existence of soul is an eye opener for the skeptics.

Saint Vallalar is available to us in two capacity—One as a person deeply rooted in saiva siddhantam which he has consciously discarded and another as a person who has attained the wisdom beyond all siddhantam by the grace of the glowing glory. The words of the saint uttered in his capacity as a saiva siddhantist are to be discarded if Vallalar is to be seen in his spiritual eminence beyond all Vedas, gospels and canons of this world..

We have to bear in mind one thing that Vallalar did not learn anything from a teacher or master of wisdom. The saint was spiritually evolved only in direct communion with god and the knowledge of the saint was a gift from god to the saint for leading an impartial life in truth leaving falsity and exaggeration. just as the extraordinary scientific knowledge expressed by the saint prior to a century is not available with the scientists even today, so also the critical facts of immortality are not in possession of any human being living today. It is available only with god. Just as Saint Vallalar has received the wisdom by the grace of the glowing glory so also we can receive it from either from god or from Vallalar himself only when we lead a life of impartiality in truth leaving behind falsehood and exaggeration.

What we have attempted here is only to welcome the aspirants to a sat Vichara of wisdom and not to pronounce any judgment. Everyone is at liberty to have his or her own view by contributing their best. The apple tree cannot be judged by the standards of an oak tree. Even a cactus plant has a value in the scheme of living. Let us strive to obtain the grace of the glowing grace in the short span of our existence.

With regards

Sivajayakumar