Thus Spake the Divine - Lightening Compassion

Thus Spake the Divine

Lightening Compassion

Brahmam divides into Shiva and Shakti and unifies as Ardhanareeshsvara. Thereafter, they divide again and reunite to create the Power of Lightening, which is Subrahmanya Swami! What an exotic presentation of Subrahmanya’s birth! Go through the entrancing descriptions of Maha Periyava.

There is yet another evidence to substantiate that the suffix Swami belongs only to Subrahmanya. There are people, who associate Lord Subrahmanya with Tirupati. They claim that Venkataramana Swami (Deity in Tirupati) is none other than Subrahmanya. Paramatma has transformed Himself into Venkataramana Swami and thus He is Perumal and He is Parameshvara as well.

That is why we see archana being done to Perumal in Tirupati using Vilva leaves (Vilva leaves are used only to perform pooja and archana for Lord Shiva). And He is Ambal (Goddess Ambal too. That is why the abhishekam (sacred bath) is done only on Fridays (which is relevant only for Ambal). Only saree is used for Perumal’s dress.

Another reason is that Subrahmanya temples are located on hill tops. Here, Balaji is also on the hilltop. North Indian devotees call Him as Balaji in which “Bala” means child, which denotes Child God Subrahmanya Swami. The sacred pond in Tirupati is called as Swami Pushkarani and there is another stream, which is called as Kumara Dhara. All these are yet other evidences to identify both Venkataramana Swami and Subrahmanya Swami as one and the same.

The term “Swami” means one who owns (Swam is to own in Sanskrit). All the animate and inanimate substances (living and non-living) of this Universe are owned by Him and they are His assets. Let us see the unique privileges for Subrahmanya Swami to own that title.

We see a lightening in clouds just for a miniscule of a second. It emits high voltage electricity, which cannot be generated even by several power houses. While this power is emitted only through lightening, it does not mean it is non-existent prior to that. If something is not pre-existing, how can it ever appear at all? Science says that electricity is all-pervasive but it cannot be seen. Then, when is it visible?

When vapour transforms into clouds, some portion of the electricity, which is present there, separates as positively charged and another portion separates as negatively charged. Thereafter, when it rains, there are clashes and vibrations within clouds. At this juncture, both positively charged and negatively charged electricity suddenly attract each other and embrace. This transforms into lightening, which is visible to our naked eyes. The all-pervasive electricity is seen as lightening when the oppositely charged portions that separated earlier come into contact with each other again. In other words, when the separated two unite together again, there is a glittering lightening, thunder follows and enormous electric charge flows out.

This electricity is akin to an inanimate substance, which has no consciousness. The sources (origin) for this non-conscious inanimate electricity are the Chit-Shakti (Power of Happiness) and Jnyana-Shakti (Power of Knowledge), which are present everywhere. Initially, the electricity remains Param Porul without knowing its own strength and power. Then, it divides into positive and negative. This is what is called Shiva and Shakti.

The positive and negative elements (right and left) are quite appropriate for the posture of Ardhanareeshsvara. When split as Ardha-Nari, Ishvara is on the right side and Ambal is on the left. (Ardhanareeshsvara is depicted as half male and half female in the same image, split down the middle). Instead of Ambal, if Vishnu stands on the left of Shiva, He becomes Shankara Narayanar. It is not just enough for electricity to divide into two. It is not just enough if clouds are formed with opposite forces. There should be the power to produce the lightening. It is not enough if Brahmam, which is One, has just become consciously aware of Itself and divides into Shiva and Shakti to create the Cosmos. Needed is power of lightening to bestow grace and benevolence on Cosmos forever.

It is only for this reason that Shiva (right) and Shakti (left) unite again and create the Power of Lightening, which is Subrahmanya Swami with Vel (Spear) in His hand. When the attribute of Brahmam turns out to be an idol form or shape for wellbeing of the universe, it becomes Subrahmanya. “Su” in Subrahmanya means “Highly prosperous”. What was Brahmam or Brahmanyam, with no prefix or suffix, becomes Su- Brahmanyam. When sheer Brahmam turns the benevolent Subrahmanya, He gets the title of Swami.

The main reason for Shakti and Shiva to divide, unite and again divide and reunite with a force is only to produce this lightening power of Subrahmanya. The lightening that we see in clouds temporarily eradicates external darkness, whereas Subrahmanya is the eternal light and eternal wisdom. This eternal light and wisdom eradicates both the external and internal darkness forever. If a man is electrocuted, he cannot escape the clutches of electricity. Death is the final outcome. Similarly, when the electricity of benevolence draws us towards it, we cannot act against it. Its aim is to transform us in the form of light and make us immortal.

Arunagiri Nathar, in Kandar Anubhoothi, speaks of this great experience of one dividing into two and reuniting into one as one removing our ‘perceived manifestations’, which finally absorb us into that One.

This article is a snippet from the Book Thus Spake the Divine, is available online at www.giri.in and across Giri Trading Agency Private Limited, A chain of Speciality Stores dealing in all kinds of products needed in Indian Culture and Tradition.