Miscellaneous - Religion   

Cause and effect

CHENNAI : The Saiva Siddhanta tradition is based on the Vedas, Agamas and the works of saints. There are two streams in its canonical literature, namely, the Tirumurai (12 in number) and the Meykanda Sastram, which comprises 14 works. The Tirumurai works are experiential in nature and philosophical concepts are incidental, with a few exceptions. The Meykanda Sastram works composed during the 12th-14th Centuries A.D. helped to systematise the philosophy of this tradition.

In his discourse, Sri V.Sivasubramanian said the Unmai Vilakkam of Manavasakam (13th Century A.D.) was one of the texts of the Meykanda Sastram, which extensively discussed the cosmology of the Saiva Agamas. The material world that is evident to sensory experience is the effect and there are subtle categories corresponding to them. This can be seen from the five elements (Panchabhuta) — earth, water, fire, air and space. These five elements of nature are amalgamations and do not function separately. The proportion in which they combine to form a particular element is explained in the scriptures by the concept of `Panchikaranam'. Land constitutes only half of the Earth and the other half is made up of the other four elements in equal measure. This is true of all the elements.

The example of making an ornament with gold is apt for this. Gold has to be mixed with another metal like copper for this purpose as it is not possible to make ornaments only with gold. Similarly, the other elements also when they manifest from their subtle states undergo the process of `Panchikaranam' to attain their gross state.

This is a cause-effect progression in which the subtle element is the cause and the gross form that is evident to sensory experience, the effect. The relationship of a seed to a tree can be used to explain this phenomenon, the seed being the cause of the tree (the effect).

Another verse of the Unmai Vilakkam gives spiritual insight into the reason why man is unable to resist the attractions of the material world. The five senses responsible for perceiving sound, touch, form, taste and smell originate from the quality of `Tamas' during creation and hence they delude man, and he finds it difficult to overcome them.

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