Mayiliragu: Hidden Secrets And Meaning of Vinayaka Agaval

Considered to be one of Poet Avvaiyar's greatest compositions, Vinayaka Agaval contains some of the deepest revelations of the yogic system. It poetically glorifies Lord Ganapati and the science He reveals to Poet Avvaiyar.

I have dissected some verses from this composition.

The entire hymn is mind-blowing by itself. It would be too lengthy should I include them all. Hence, I have condensed the best-picks of mine.

Nevertheless, I encourage you to go through the entire hymn and meditate upon it.

Kanchi Periyava has emphasised the importance of this hymn and has venerated it eminently.

Let's look at the verses :

சொற்பதம் கடந்த துரியமெய்ஞ் ஞான
அற்புதம் நிறைந்த கற்பகக் களிறே

coṟpatam kaṭanta turiyameyñ ñāṉa aṟputam niṟainta kaṟpakak kaḷiṟē.

Meaning : Having transcended the stage of the word, one reaches the profound wisdom of Turiya, filled with enlightenment.

Turiya is the state of absolute consciousness. It is the state which is beyond the other three states ( state of being awake,sleep and deep sleep ). This statement also comes in the Vedas under the Ganapati Upanishad of Atharva Veda in the verse

त्वं अवस्थात्रयातीताः

tvaṃ avasthātrayātītāḥ

Meaning: You are beyond the three states of body awareness

state of being awake : jaagrata

dream state : svapna

deep dream : nidraa

The core motive of the Vedic tradition is to drive one towards enlightenment - the state of realisation of experiencing complete oneness with the cosmos. We refer to this state as 'merging with God' ( sayujyam ).

Poet Avvaiyar quotes pure absolute reality as Lord Ganesha. In other words, God is realised experientially in the state of Turiya - which is what Yoga is defined by. Yoga simply means union. Union with absolute reality.

This is the very declaration of the Vedas , where lord Ganapati is regarded as the very manifestation of brahman ( absolute reality ). It comes in the Ganapati Upanishad of the Atharva Veda in the verses

त्वं प्रत्यक्षं ब्रह्मासि

tvaṃ pratyakṣaṃ brahmāsi

You are the very manifestation of Brahman ( absolute reality )

त्वं साक्षाद् आत्मा सि नित्यम्

tvaṃ sākṣād ātmā si nityam

You are verily the eternal Atma

ஒன்பது வாயில் ஒருமந் திரத்தால்

ஐம்புலக் கதவை அடைப்பதும் காட்டி

oṉpatu vāyil oruman tirattāl aimpuḷak kathavai aṭaippatum kāṭṭi.

Meaning : Through the nine doors, by showing the unique (or single) one, demonstrating even the attainment of the door to the five elements

The 9 orifices in the body include 2 ears, 2 eyes, 2 nostrils, 1 mouth, 1 urethra and 1 anus.

In the yogic system, these are referred to as the Nava Dvaaras ( 9 Gates ). Shri Krshna mentions these gates in the Gita.

It comes in chapter 5, verse 13

सर्वकर्माणि मनसा संन्यस्यास्ते सुखं वशी |

नवद्वारे पुरे देही नैव कुर्वन्न कारयन् ||

sarvakarmāṇi manasā saṃnyasyāste sukhaṃ vaśī |

navadvāre pure dehī naiva kurvanna kārayan

Meaning: Having mentally renounced all actions, the self-controlled embodied soul resides happily in the city of nine gates (the body), neither acting nor causing action."

By shutting the gates, one can raise his spiritual consciousness.

In simpler words, the 9 openings are linked to our 5 senses.

The five primary human senses are:

Gustatory: Related to the sense of taste.

Auditory: Related to the sense of hearing.

Olfactory: Related to the sense of smell.

Tactile (or Somatosensory): Related to the sense of touch. This includes perceptions of pressure, temperature, pain, and more.

Visual: Related to the sense of sight.

By controlling these senses and mastering them, a yogi establishes his path to enlightenment. Poet Avvaiyar beautifully links the 9 orifices with the 5 senses by requesting a mantra from the Lord.

ஆறா தாரத்(து) அங்குச நிலையும் ⁠

பேறா நிறுத்திப் பேச்சுரை யறுத்தே

āṟā tārat(tu) aṅkuca nilaiyum pēṟā niṟuttip pēccurai yaṟuttē.

Meaning : Given six, the state of the ankusha (hook), halted the speech and stopped

The yogic system recognises 7 main energy centres ( a junction where the "nāḍī meet - "nāḍī are energy circuits in the body ). They are known as chakras.

Each of these 7 chakras have its own quality. Muladhara is located at the lowest point and Sahasrara - at the highest.

The Muladhara is the root chakra. As per the Ganapati Upanishad of Atharva Veda, Lord Ganesha presides in this chakra. We find this in the verse

त्वं मूलाधार स्थितोऽसि नित्यम्

tvaṃ mūlādhāra sthito'si nityam

Meaning: You eternally abide in the muladhara chakra

Muladhara activation initiates Kundalini awakening.

A yogi has to transcend through these chakras to reach the top in the journey of attaining enlightenment. Poet Avvaiyar here requests the Lord to bestow her knowledge on the 6 chakras and to finally hook her with the angkusha to the 7th, crown chakra where enlightenment is realised. In the state of complete union with the Lord who is the manifest absolute reality, speech stops. Teaching drops. It is just absolute divine communion.

இடைபிங் கலையின் எழுத்தறி வித்துக்
கடையிற் சுழுமுனைக் கபாலமும் காட்டி

iṭaipiṅ kalaiyiṉ eḻuttaṟi vitthuk kaṭaiyiṟ cuḻumuṉaik kapālamum kāṭṭi

Meaning: Through the paths of Ida and Pingala, from the seed essence of the spiritual journey, it culminates and reveals itself at the tip (or summit) of the skull, in the Sahasrara chakra

The iDa and Pingala are two NaDis ( energy circuits ) in the spine. They represent the dualities - ShivaShakti, YinYang, Masculine feminine or other parallels to it.

suṣumṇā is attributeless. It is the state beyond everything through which anything can be manifested. Once someone activates the suṣumṇā, He expresses Vishnu-tattva ( all pervasiveness ). He becomes everything and anything. A boy amongst boys, a woman amongst women, and God ( pure consciousness ) when alone.

அமுத நிலையும் ஆதித்தன் இயக்கமும் ⁠
குமுத சகாயன் குணத்தையும் கூறி

amuta nilaiyum ādittan iyakkamum kumuta sakāyaṉ kuṇattaiyum kūṟi.

Meaning : The nectar state of the lunar channel, the motion of the solar force, complemented by the lunar energy, speaks of their harmonizing virtue.

A direct revelation of Haṭha Yoga. Ha means Sun and ṭha means moon - the basis of Hatha Yoga is about utilizing the source of Life directly - the Sun and moon.

In the Vedic culture, Manu is the progenitor of the human race. He is the son of the Sun (Sūrya). One of his sons, Ikṣvāku, pioneered the Sūryavaṁśa. Ikṣvāku's sister Ilā married Budha, who is the son of the Moon (Candra). This initiated the Candravaṁśa.

Everyone is carrying the genetic makeup of Sūrya or Candra. Haṭha Yoga is about directly connecting to the source of life on this planet - the origin of the DNA chain.

Life started on this planet only due to the sun, which provides solar energy for plants to utilize in photosynthesis. All beings on this planet owe their nourishment from this solar energy. If we trace back to the primitive genetic makeup from which all of us originated, it leads back to the Sun.

அணுவிற்(கு) அணுவாய் அப்பாலுக்(கு) அப்பாலாய்க் ⁠
கணுமுற்றி நின்ற கரும்புள்ளே காட்டி

aṇuviṟku aṇuvāy appālukku appālāykkaṇumuṟṟi niṉṟa karumpuḷḷē kāṭṭi

Meaning: Revealing the atoms within atoms and distance beyond distance, within the sugarcane.

Sugarcane here refers to the spinal column. Importantly, Poet Avvaiyar talks about how time and space are relative.

tvaṃ kālatrayātītaḥ ( thou art beyond the three frames of time - past, present, future ) - So says the Ganapati Upanishad of Atharva Veda.

Time and space are units that act only on the physical plane. The body ages, not the Atma ( spirit )

In the spiritual realm, time and space do not exist. Therefore, one who has awakened his spiritual awareness through the spinal cord is beyond time and space - be it the space between atoms or the distance between galaxies; they are all relative.