Saint Thirumoolar

A Brahmana Yogi set out from the Kailasa Mountain to pay a visit to his friend and Guru-bhai, the dwarfish sage, Agasthiyar, in the Pothiya mountain range in the South. He was, what Ramakrishna Paramahamsa calls, an Isvarakoti – a realized soul, a soul which had gained integration with the Godhead. His return to the world was not as a result of past karma. Of his own choice, filled with great compassion for erring humanity, he came down from the presence of God where he had been enjoying bliss of union with the Godhead.

In the south, on his way to the Pothiya-malai (pothigai mountain), he reached one day, at dusk, the outskirts of a village called Sathanoor. There he found a herd of cows lowing miserably round the dead body of their cowherd. Ascetic as he was, whose chief characteristic is, according to Thiruvalluvar, compassion to each and every creature on earth, he abandoned his body by virtue of Yogic powers and entered the body of the dead cowherd, and forthwith that corpse became alive to the delight of the miserable cows. The ascetic in cowherd’s skin took them back to the villagers who were beginning to get worried about their cattle. He returned to the spot where he had left his own body and found that it had disappeared. This was an act of grace of Lord Civan(Siva). So, he continued to remain in the cowherd’s body, and was soon immersed in Tapas (contemplation of God) under a sacred Peepal tree in Thiruvaavaduthurai, a neighbouring Caivaite center(in Tamil Nadu State).

Dr. K.R.Srinivasa Iyengar, the famous Aurobindonian-Poet beautifully sings:

Leaving his Himalayan retreat
Some fifteen hundred years ago
He went in quest of the Southern Sage.

Many and many a year he covered
The spaces of the continent
And saw spread out a motley world.

Beneath that manifold variety
He saw a common humanity
The Mother’s children all.

Eighteen languages they spoke.
Yet he read in all of them
The same thought, feelings, images.

At last one evening he found himself
Where crowding cattle made deep moan
For the beloved cowherd stricken dead.

Steeled against the shocks of time,
But this rude impact of pain
Released the submerged springs within.

Coerced by force of pity
He left his holy tenement
To inhabit the prostate form.

As the cowherd leapt into life anew, The cattle wildly danced for joy
And led him briskly home.
But the waiting anxious cowherdess
Was seized with nameless terror
When he turned his eyes away.
The rejected wife bewailed her lot,
Went round, and asked the elders
To intercede on her behalf.

At length they made report to her:
“A great effulgence sits on Moolan.
He will be a man apart, a star”.

Anon returning to the woods
He searched for his habitual shell
But couldn’t find it anywhere.

He had perforce to continue
In cowherd Moolan’s cast-off frame;
And did it matter, after all?

In the deep of the forest
Moolan sat in meditation
And saw the Sunrise of Self.
Soon disciples flocked to him
And now and then he spoke a verse
And these became three thousand.

Defying the march of Time
And the breaking and making of nations
His Thirumandiram abides with us still”.

According to the traditional lore, which Sekkizhaar (the author of Tamil Saivite classical work Periya Puranam )unquestioningly repeats in his chronicle, Thirumoolar is said to have lived for over three thousand years, being engaged all the time in Yogic contemplation, and coming out of the trance once a year to compose one verse of his magnum opus, the Thirumandiram of 3000 and odd stanzas. Scholars, however, now place him in the fifth century A.D. They also believe that several of the verses in his work are interpolations, but as it is difficult to separate the chaff from the grain, the world of Tamil scholars has accepted all the 3000 odd stanzas as Thirumoolar’s own work.

Courtesy: Periya Puranam (A Tamil Classic on the great Saiva Saints of South India),p.318-
Condensed English version by G.Vanmikanathan and Dr.N.Mahalingam as General editor.
Published by Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai.

A HISTORICAL RESEARCH ON FIXING THIRUMOOLAR’S PERIOD
– 5th OR 6th CENTURY A.D.

Ka. Vellaivaranar tries to fix the date of Tirumoolar on the basis of an internal evidence found in Thirumandiram. In one of the verses Thirumoolar makes a reference about the five mandalas (regions) of Tamil land(i.e. Tamil Nadu state). In a certain period there was only three regions namely Pandiya, Cera, and Chola regions. Later a part of the Cera country became a separate region called Kongu region and a part of the Chola country went separate to become the Tondai region, thus making the five regions of Tamil Nadu. This split of regions into five happened around the third century A.D. Since Thirumoolar makes a reference about the five Tamil regions, the period of Thirumoolar may be fixed after the third century A.D. In another verse Tirumoolar makes a reference about the pon-ambalam, the golden hall of Chidambaram. It is called the golden-hall because the roof of the hall was thatched with gold by the kings of the different regions of Tamil Nadu. It was the Pallava king Cimma-varma-I who thatched the roof with gold for the first time. The period of Cimma-verman-I was fixed as fifth century A.D. Since Thirumoolar makes a reference to the golden-hall he should have lived in the end of the fifth century A.D. or in the beginning of the sixth century A.D.

Suba.Annamalai, who is an authority on the Thirumandiram also shares the same view

The argument of Vellaivaranar and others who fix the period of Thirumoolar around fifth to sixth century A.D. is on the right track. Further Vellaivaranar also shows how freely the phrases, words, and ideas of the Thirumandiram are used in the Tevaram, a compilation of the verses of the Saiva-trio Appar, Sambandar and Sundarar. Of these three the first two, Appar and Sambandar, were contemporaries, and they lived around the sixth and seventh centuries A.D. and one can arrive at the conclusion that Thirumoolar lived before them, that is, between the fifth and sixth centuries A.D.

Courtesy: The Yoga of Siddha Thirumoolar by
T.N.Ganapathy & K.R.Arumugam,p.26,
Published by Babaji’s Kriya Yoga and
Publications Inc, Canada.

THIRUMOOLAR’S POPULAR BIOGRAPHY – A CRITICAL REVIEW FROM THE POINT OF HIS SUPRAMENTAL DEATHLESS DIVINE BODY

Thirumoolar is considered to have lived about 2,500 years before, in the sixth century B.C. According to the internal evidence he was one of the eight disciples of ‘Nandi (the Supramental Ishwara)’, and the others were Vyagra Pada (“the Long or Wide Stepped), Patanjali, Siva yoga Muni and four others who also go by the name Nandi (and are identified by historians as Sanakar, Sanatkumarar, Sanantanar and Sanatanar)-TM 67. Thirumoolar, Vyagra Padar and Patanjali are considered to have worshipped at the temple of Cidambaram when they sought to realize the Sky of Truth-Knowledge- TM 67. Thirumoolar travelled the country up and down twice. He finally settled in Thiruvaduthurai near Narasingan Pettai (in Tanjore District), between Mayavaram and Kumbakonam railway line in Tamil Nadu,South India. He lived there long years under Bodhi Tree or Fig tree – TM 81, 80, 74, 78. Among the disciples of Nandi, four had already become Nandi or Nathars and assumed the name of Nandi, the other four including Thirumoolar now became Nathars by the Grace of the Lord and went into the four directions to propagate the Truth of all-fulfilling divine Lore – TM 70.

Thirumoolar also refers to his seven disciples namely Malangan, Indran, Soman, Brahman, Rudran, Kanduru Kalangi and Kanja Malayan – TM 69, 1443. He says that he came to the earth (i.e., took birth here on the earth) by the word and command of the Lord, the Player or Dancer of Ananda of Truth-Consciousness Light (Mei Jnana Joti Ananda Kooththan), i.e., the supramental Ishwara and came down from Kailas, the supreme Heaven (the Supermind), through the descending worlds of devas, asuras and naras – TM 83, 91. Possibly Soma, Brahma, Rudra are the godheads of the higher world who became his disciples or served him to obtain his Grace. Tirumoolar uses the word “kailas” in several mantras to sgnify Supermind (TM 2105, 1996, 1997, 1998). He calls the supramental Ishwara as Nandi or Per Nandi.

The other four disciples of Thirumoolar were of the earth and they had the Grace of the Lord to follow the discipline (Nyama) in all conditions of life – TM 72. Thirumoolar settled in Thiruvaduthurai in Tamil Nadu to write in Tamil the Veda of Supramental Truth, the Play of the Ishwara in the Truth-World TM 74, 77, 81. Swami Ramalingam of the nineteenth century A.D. (1821-1874) regarded Thirumantram of Thirumoolar as the shastra. Like Swami Ramalingam, Tirumoolar was well versed both in Tamil and Sanskrit. We find a good many Sanskrit words in his Thirumantram, but still his master-piece has no parallel in the whole of Sanskrit literature as known by the Vedic, Upanishadic or Tantric literature. Thirumoolar, before he realized and became a Nathar, was known by the name of Sundaran – TM 101.

t is evident that there were a number of followers of Thirumoolar and mutts were established by him in his name. seven mutts are referred to as mutts of Tirumoolar, founded in his time and they followed the Sanmarga (the Path of Truth and Harmony) according to the Thirumandiram with its nine chapters of 3000 mantras, written by Tirumoolar and which came to be the first basic literature of Sanmarga – TM 101. The heads of these mutts, including one of his namesake referred to as a contemporary and existing Moolar of the time, are named as (1) Ka`la`ngar (possible the same direct disciple of the original Thirumoolar (2) Tambala ghora (3) Maligai Devar (4) Nadantar (5) Paramanandar (6) Bhoga Devar and (7) contemporary Moolar and they are said to have become niramaya i.e., liberated and become free from disease as a siddhi – TM 102. These two stanzas are evidently in the form of tribute to Thirumoolar possibly written soon after his Maha Samadhi, inserted by one or more of his disciples who were heads of seven mutts of whom contemporary Moolar was one.

We have used the word “Maha Samadhi” here to signify a technical death when his soul departed from the transformed deathless body according to the divine will, and not under compulsion of the inconscient law of death. Bhoga Devar and Maligai Devar are considered to have lived in Thiruvaduthurai and had the realization of the Truth-Consciousness. Bhoga Devar is referred to as Bhoga Natha Siddhar. Possibly he was the same Bhogar, the well-known Siddhar whose Samadhi is in Palani temple. Bhogar has also written his words in Tamil.

Possibly the one who goes by the name sake of Tirumoolar and as the head of one of the said seven mutts was the cowherd of Saththanur village near Thiruvavaduthurai who had died while pasturing his cows and was resurrected into bodily life by the Grace of the original Thirumoolar. Much mystery surrounds the traditionally believed story according to which Tirumoolar is said to have left his transformed body and entered the deceased body of the cowherd, who had died while pasturing his cows and that Thirumoolar later found his own body missing by the Will or Play of the Lord and so continued to remain living in the cowherd’s body adopting his name, i.e., Moolan. Added with ‘Thiru’ a prefix of honour and respect, his name became Thirumoolar. This story militates against two basic truths. One who had transformed his body into its deathless-state by Tapas and Grace of the Lord would not assume an untransformed body of another and that too a dead body. Then the whole purpose of the divine mission of transforming one’s body, and serving to help or transform other beings, nature and bodies would be lost over. Entering another body to enjoy leasure of life (Parakaya Pravesa) could not be the motive in the case of Siva Jnana Siddhar or Sataya Jnana Siddhar who attained the eight siddis including Siva Kaya or Siva Tanu the deathless divine physical body (TM 2618, 2619, 2136). This is a lesser siddhi of “maya karya siddhars”, as mentioned or hinted in TM 2133. Again, the missing of his own transformed body is unexplainable, unless it was dematerialized purposefully, but it is usually done in the case of partly transformed body by a lesser power and in order to leave off the earthly embodiment itself seeking a heaven above and in such a case one would not again take to or enter into another body and that Thirumoolar by his power of Truth-Light of Grace resurrected the deceased cowherd who later became a yogi and assumed charge of one of the seven mutts. We may say at best that the cowherd became inspired by Thirumoolar and even lived as an emotion or vibhuti of Tirumoolar but in his own body.

There is at present the famous “Thiruvavaduthurai Mutt” and the ancient Siva temple in Thiruvavaduthurai. In the outer courtyard of the said temple, a shrine for Thirumoolar was found and he is worshipped even today. His image is taken out in procession once in a year along with the deity of the temple. Stone inscriptions and monuments have been later found evidencing the existence of a number of mutts there and the nature of various activities, cultural and spiritual, which were carried on in honour of his name and glory, viz., arts, dance and dramas, etc.

We do not know what happened to his deathless body. Though his body was deathless by itself with power to live on continuously, it is evident from internal evidences in the nature of general mantras that he should have left it behind to be preserved in Samadhi – as he strongly advocated the preservation of the body of Siva Jnana Siddhar in Samadhi for the eternal good of the people of the earth and that the king of the place should protect it. – TM 1913, 80, 92. Possibly the said shrine was built over his samadhi as is the practice in Tamil Nadu, South India. He also gave instructions as to how a Samadhi should be built and maintained and also the evil effects which would follow if the body of such a Siva Jnana Siddhar were set to flame and burnt, or buried in mud without constructing a Samadhi or tomb. – TM 1910 to 1922.

-Courtesy: Arut Perum Jyothi & Deathless Body, Vol I

THIRUMOOLAR’S UNIQUE REALIZATION OF SUPRAMENTAL DEATHLESS BODY AS IT IS IN THIRUMANDIRAM -THE VEDA OF SUPRAMENTAL TRUTH (HOLY GARLAND OF 3,000 MANTRAS IN TAMIL LANGUAGE)

ETERNAL PHYSICAL LIFE (or LIFE AT WILL) IN THE SUPRAMENTAL DEATHLESS BODY

” After becoming united with the Feet of Grace of the Divine ‘Nandi” (i.e., The Bull, the Supramental Ishwara) and seeing the unfailing play of the Divine in the Golden World of Knowledge, I lived in this body for numberless crores of years (i.e, possibly a concrete sense of living a divine and deathless body for crores or millions of years).”

-Thirumandiram or T.M:74

“By the grace of Nandi, I sought and became one with the Truth-Consciousness. By Nandi’s Grace I lived on.”

-T.M: 92

“If the god of death comes I would throw him out by the sword of knowledge.If Siva the Divine comes, I would surely go with him. I have cut and destroyed the rigid cycle of Karma and birth in the world. Who can stand against the might of Tapas which comes by aspiration in the soul.”

-T.M:2968

IN THE SUPRAMENTAL BODY EVEN THE HAIR HAS BECOME SUPPLE OR TENDER LUMINOUSLY SHINING AND SHEDDING LIGHT

” If the body is allowed to live on (i.e., if I have the will to live on) it will continue to live for numberless crores of years. By the flaming light of the Sun and Moon, which are in the constricting mooladhara (physical center), even the hair has become supple or tender luminously shining and shedding light.”

-T.M:93

[Note: T.M. 93 and 2968 suggest that one who has become deathless in body is free in the soul to depart away from it at his will and pleasure or by divine will, but without any compulsion of the process of death. Thirumoolar advises people to preserve such a body (i.e., after the departure of soul) in samadhi (tomb).

SUPRAMENTAL BODY IS FREE FROM DISEASE, SUFFERINGS AND PROCESS OF AGING

“The Nandi ( Supramental Ishwara) bestowed on me His grace by resolving the conflicting oppositions of life, making me free from disease and process of aging sensibly, and from the necessity of counting my age.The difficulties and sufferings which confronted me before, surrendered reverentially to me(i.e., they were turned into opportunities of progress).”

-T.M.: 2974

SUDDHA DEHA – THE TRANSFORMED PURE PHYSICAL BODY

“If one gets the realization by which he becomes one with the Divine himself, all the impurities and Ignorance will be destroyed.The animal nature will go away. For one who can get this unity with the Divine, his body will become stainlessly pure, dissolving the eight kinds of impurities and it will live on in this wide world as a pure body.”

-T.M: 2320

“I worship day and night the Truth of the Vast world, the seed or source of the Universe, the One who made me enter this world; I am free from darkness in this world of opposition.”

-T.M: 4

UNIVERAL SUPERMIND – BEYOND THE GRASP OF HUMAN MIND

“The Vast Light of Suddha Brahma Turya (i.e., in the summit poise of the transcendent and Universal Supermind), the Light which leads to a turya within turya (i.e., Ubhayambaram or biune infinite) is the Light of Sivananda which is beyond the grasp of mind. It is he Bliss of the Supreme substance of Truth-Conciousness (Satya Gnana Thanip Porul).”

-T.M: 2860

SUPRAMENTAL BODY WITH DEATHLESSNESS, YOUTHFULNESS, FREE FROM AGING,SENILITY AND BEAUTIFUL FORM OF THE DIVINE

” One who has the knowledge or inspired knowledge of thrice seven (i.e., twenty one) principles of the Sun (sun which is a symbol of the Heaven of Truth-Knowledge) can attain deathlessness, youthfulness free from aging, senility, a rich transformed body, the beautiful form of the Divine along with a power to give the deceased or dying aspirant the golden earth of one of the seven earths in the summit overmind or the golden Gnostic Overmind itself.”

-T.M: 706

[Note: refer “Seven immortal earths beneath a triple mystic Heaven” in Savitri by Sri Aurobindo:Bk 11-cto 1-p.754. It may be compared with such references in Rig Veda as “thrice seven seats of the Mother” and “thrice seven ecstasies”, vide Sri Aurobindo’s book “On the Veda”-chapters “Victory of the Fathers.”]

SUPREME DIVINE MOTHER BESTOWS CONTROL OVER FIVE ELEMENTS OF NATURE AND ENLARGED, TRANSFORMED EXCELLENT(SUPRAMENTAL) BODY

“When the divine para Shakti(Supreme Divine Mother) being realized within oneself or taking Her abode within oneself, one would get free control and mastery over the group of bhutas, the elements. If these principles or elements mastered by the Shakti’s Presence remain concentrated and harmonized for a year, one would attain an enlarged and transformed excellent body.”

-T.M: 682

SUPRAMENTAL REALIZATION IS NOT POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE PHYSICAL BODY

“If physical body perishes it is a doom to the soul and one would not attain the true knowledge firmly. So by knowing the technique of tending and nourishing the body well, I not only tended and nourished the body but the soul too”

“Formerly I considered the physical body as an impurity or a drag. I have realized the great truth of the Divine in it; the Supreme Divine (Uttaman) has made the body his temple. So I have been supporting and nourishing the body.”

-T.M: 724&725

BOTH VEDANTA AND SAIVA SIDDHANTA ARE REALISED AS SAME IN THE SUPERMIND – AS ONENESS, A FUSION AND AN EMBRACE OF MUTUALITY

“Vedanta is the realization of the self (the same self in all) i.e., becoming as the self in self-identity of knowledge. Siddhanta (i.e. Saiva Siddhanta) is the realization of oneself as an individual soul of being and universalizing himself to become an universal individual. In the pure turya or transcendence realizing the individual self (i.e. true individual self) one reaches the blissful param (i.e. apprehending supermind) by Siva Yoga (by absorbed concentration on the Truth). This is the rare siddhi most difficult to attain. It is attained by freeing oneself from the impurities (i.e. the ego).”

-T.M: 2372

[Note: By realizing the true individual self as a center of the supreme and universal Divine one attains to the second poise of supermind where one can experience both the truth of Vedanta and Siddhanta in effect a triple experience in union with the Divine which is at once an oneness, a fusion and an embrace of mutuality]

-T.M: 724&725

SOUTH INDIA – THE CRADLE OF SUPERMIND

“Who knows Cit Param Jyothi, the Light of the Heaven of Consciousness-Force(i.e.Supermind), as the Lord’s play of Bliss of His being, Sivananda Natana(i.e.. in the Comprehending Supermind), as the Lord’s play of Beauty(Sundara Natana), word and Thought, as the Lord’s play in the Golden World of Knowledge Por Pati (i.e.Por Sabha proper or Anip Ponnambalam, the apprehending supermind which is the source of beauty as also of Truth-thoughts and Words) as the Lord’s play of wonder Adbhuta Natana (i.e. in the tertiary supermind which is called simply as Por Sabha or Ponnambalam) and as the Lord’s play in Por Thillai, the Golden Grove(i.e. the extended realm of supermind into the overmind gnosis or summit overmind).”

-T.M: 2723

[Note; The golden Tillai refers symbolically to the town of Cidambaram in South India. Cidmbaram was once a grove of Tillai trees and South India was considered the spinal column of the earth. The divine play in the outer court of Supermind, i.e. its extension in the overmind gnosis has its extension also into our physical world in which South India and its city Cidambaram (literally the sky of Truth-Knowledge) and more particularly its temple with its famous golden doomed Hall of Nataraja are given some special significances. Thus, Golden Tillai, not only refers to the summit overmind but also to its extension in the physical world of which South India is said to form the pivot or spinal column (possibly for a special play or manifestation of the Divine cf:TM 2750,2747) and this significance is extended to the famous “Cidambaram, ” which is about sixty miles off Pondicherry, where Sri Aurobindo and Mother lived, and about twenty miles of Vadalur, the place of Swami Ramalingam. The divine play in Golden Tillai is also extended to human adhara through the spinal column (cf:TM 2754). South India is considered to be the pure spot on the earth and as Siva Bhumi (TM 2754,2755 and 2748)

Courtesy: Arut Perum Jyothi & Deathless Body by
T.R.Thulasiram Vol I, p 458

SUPRAMENTAL DEATHLESS BODY OF THIRUMOOLAR Vs. SWAMI RAMALINGAM COMPARED IN THE LIGHT OF SRI AUROBINDO’S VIEWS- FATE OF DEATH

The concrete sense of living the life of a deathless body for limitless aeonic ages is exemplified by Tirumoolar who observes in his Tirumantram that he has actually lived of a transformed physical body for seven crores of years (i.e., for long ages) after realizing the Divine Play in the Golden World of Knowledge and that his body has become plastic and supple and cool and that if the body is allowed to live on (by the free will of the soul), it will continue to live for numberless crores of years and that he will depart from the body only by the call of the Divine and not at the bid of the god of death (see TM : 74, 80, 93, 668, 2968). Tirumoolar’s realization of a deathless body which could live as long as he willed to live, essentially agrees with Sri Aurobindo’s views of a deathless body, that is to say, a deathless body does not mean that one will be fettered to live forever in the same body – though it is transformed into its deathless state – without ever having the freedom to depart from it and leave it behind, especially even after the Divine mission on the earth is over, but that one can choose to live as long as one likes.

Tirumoolar further observed in TM : 2968 that if god of death were to come upon him he could kick him out by the sword or knowledge and he asks, “who can stand against him (Tirumoolar) who is full of Tapas in his consciousness?”. Possibly this last hint of Tirumoolar may agree with Sri Aurobindo’s following observations distinguishing a personal yoga-siddhi from a natural collective Siddhi which imply according to our understanding the fixing of the powers of transformation and deathlessness of the body into the earth-nature or at the least an endeavor towards such fixation by bringing into manifestation the Divine Light on the earth (universally or at one’s place) as a preliminary requisite.

“…… the endeavour towards this achievement (i.e., supramental transformation) is not new and some yogis have achieved it as a personal siddhi maintained by yoga-siddhi – not a dharma of the nature” (On Yoga Tome I-p. 102).

“…… The complete change down to the physical was only sought for by a few and then more as a “siddhi” than anything else, not as the manifestation of a new Nature in the earth-consciousness” – (Ibid, p. 110)

However, we would like to point out an essential difference between Tirummolar’s state of deathlessness and Swami Ramalingam’s. In stzs. 22, 57 and 61, the Swami says that he has received Grace and Substance of Truth; and Arut Cit Jothi, the Light of Consciousness-Force manifesting Grace, has entirely possessed him and filled his physical body within and without (Pinda) and it has become inherently his own and that the dark god of death, i.e., a force of Inconscient Darkness, runs away from him, shaken in his foundation, and in fear of being shrunk or dissolved away by the touch of Arut Cit Jothi. Elsewhere in poem “Suddha Siva Nilai” the force of Darkness is said to recoil back from him out of fear (12-29-10). In other words, the Divine Light in him has invaded into the Realm of Inconscient Darkness and gained ground foothold there. That realm is also said to have been illumined by the Light stationed in his adhara (“Jothi Agval”, stzs. 75 and 752). In another lyrical poem which refers to his attainment of an ever deathless body without limitation of time, place and circumstances, a state where even the pure and the great by attainment of Knowledge of the Transcendence (Turya Pada) could not reach, the Swami also mentions that he crossed over the ocean of Darkness i.e., Inconscient Darkness and reached the other Shore of Bliss. (Anandap Parivu – stzs 3, 7, 10 and 11).

Sri Aurobindo in his symbolical epic poem Savitri foresees the eventual fate of Death, and describes how Savitri the incarnate Mother blesses god of Death allowing him to live a while but as Her instrument and orders him to obey Her will and relieve the “soul of the world called Satyavan” from his black mask. The God of death refuses to obey Her. Savitri applies her divine Forces and Light on him and he suffers the consequences.

“Light was a luminous torture in his heart ……
His darkness muttered perishing in her blaze ……
He called to Night but she fell shuddering back,
He called to Hall but sullenly it retired ;
He turned to the Inconscient for support,
From which he was born, his vast sustaining self ;
It drew him back towards boundless vacancy
As if by himself to swallow up himself :
He called to his strength, but it refused his call.
His body was eaten by light, his spirit devoured.
At last he knew defeat inevitable
And left crumbling the shape that he had worn.
Abandoning hope to make man’s soul his prey
And force to be mortal the immortal spirit.
Afar he fled shunning her dreaded touch
And refuse took in the retreating Night.
In the dream twilight of that symbol world
The dire universal Shadow disappeared
Vanishing into the Void from which it came.”

(Sri Aurobindo’s Savitri, Bk 10 – cto 4 – p. 748 – 749)

The Swami also was aware of the universal problem of Death and its solutions on an universal and collective scale (see notes on stz. I – V – 10 – 61 and the relevant stz. 12 – 22 – 20). His utterance agrees with Sri Aurobindo’s above lines, in spirit and substance.

Thus, we see that whereas Tirumoolar had the power of tapas of yoga-siddhi not only to defend himself from any possible attack of the god of death but also to overthrow him by a sword of Knowledge, that is to say, to maintain his deathless state of body by his force of yoga or yoga-siddhi, the Swami on the other hand had a natural and spontaneous deathless state of body rather due to the powers of Grace and Light which sets the god of death to run away in defence and safety lest he should be shrunk or dissolved by the light of the Swami’s transformed body. This marked contrast has to be noted particularly in the background of the remarkable transformatory changes in the Swami’s body that culminated in its deathless state and his foreseeing of the imminent Manifestation of the Supreme Divine Light on the earth and his drive for its collective fulfillment. He even felt himself to be an instrument for the progressive manifestation of the Vast Grace Light for the whole benefit of the world. He openly assured the people of the imminent manifestation of the Divine and applied himself for its fulfillment and also preached deathless transformation of physical body. He himself claimed and affirmed in an unambiguous language that the Divine gave him a triple deathless body in order to give himself in self-play to one and all everywhere and that he had he had the power even to resurrect the dead into bodily life. (see “Irai Vara Vyambal” 12 – 25 – 5; “Ulakap Peru” 12 – 30; “Suddha Siva Nilai” 12 – 29 – stzs. 17, 27, 33, 34 & 39).

From his last written messages, songs and spoken words to the disciples, it is evident that the Swami has played a role or part in the endeavour for brining into manifestation and fixing the divine Light here on the earth at his place as a preliminary to or for the further eventual and consequential play of the Light (called the Grace Play of the Divine) in transforming even he aged into youth and resurrecting the dead into bodily life. With his deathless body he also wanted to enter into and become one with all the physical bodies universally. For these purposes at once collective and evolutionary, he had to sacrifice his deathless body by dematerialized dissolution, though after living for about a year or two since attaining a triple deathless body. Possibly by Sri Aurobindo thought of his dematerialized dissolution of body like other general cases of dematerialization in which body is dissolved to disappear before effectively realizing the Truth-consciousness and even before attaining transformation of the physical body, or much less before reaching its state of deathlessness. So it appears that Sri Aurobindo dispensed with the necessity of considering the Swami’s case in its more essential details, and further, his attention was not drawn to the passages containing the unparalleled transformatory changes in the swami’s body.

However, in the background of the Swami’s eventful life, his material physical body is proved to have acquired the characteristics of a natural and spontaneous deathlessness, more as a natural siddhi of Grace, with a natural and inherent power not only to live in the very ignorant conditions and surroundings of an untransformed earth-nature without any imperative or inevitable necessity of dissolving the body, but also to aim and work for bringing about the necessary conditions for transforming the earth-nature and for which he eventually sacrificed his deathless body by consciously resorting to an uniquely new process of dematerialized dissolution.

Courtesy: Arut Perum Jyothi & Deathless Body, Vol II