OmniLight Invocations 365

An old photo of Sathiya Dharuma Saalai (The Home of True Charity) in Vadalur, Tamilnadu, South India – It was opened by Ramalingam on May 23, 1867, and has fed the poor and hungry to this day.

Arutperunjothi Agaval: Couplet: 66

பவனத்தி னண்டப் பரப்பினெங் கெங்கும்

அவனுக் கவனா மருட்பெருஞ் ஜோதி!

Everywhere

In

The

Expanse

Of

The

Cosmos,

The

Substance

Of

All

Substances,

OmniLight Of Supreme Compassion!

Notes:

The Tamil pronoun “அவன்” (avan) refers to the male or the masculine. In the context of this couplet, it connotes “சத்தர்” (sattar) or carriers or wielders of energy, i.e., substances, objects, or entities.

On this interpretation, this couplet affirms that the OmniLight is the Substance of all substances, objects, or entities.

A complementary interpretation is that the OmniLight is the maleness or masculinity in all male entities in the cosmos. It is also the bearer and wielder of all energy within all substances, objects, and entities in the cosmos.

The Arutperunjothi Agaval is Ramalingam’s magnum opus of spiritual enlightenment poetry composed in 798 couplets in 1872.

OmniLight Invocations 365

An old photo of Siddhi Valaagam (சித்தி வளாகம்) or “Abode of Adepthood”, Mettukuppam, Vadalur, Tamilnadu, India. It was Ramalingam’s final residence and venue of his last talk in October 1873.

Arutperunjothi Agaval: Couplet: 65

படியடி வான்முடி பற்றினுந் தோற்றா

அடிமுடி யெனுமோ ரருட்பெருஞ் ஜோதி!

OmniLight Invocations 365

Symbol of OmniLight in the சத்திய ஞான சபை (Sathiya Gnana Sabhai) or The Great Hall of Truth-Knowledge, a place of special manifestation of OmniLight.

Arutperunjothi Agaval: Couplet 64

ஓதியோ தாம லுறவெனக் களித்த

ஆதியீ றில்லா வருட்பெருஞ் ஜோதி!

OmniLight Invocations 365

Entrance to the site of the radiant symbol (Jothi or orb of light) of OmniLight in the Sathiya Gnana Sabhai (1872), or Hall Of Truth-Knowledge, designed by Ramalingam.

Arutperunjothi Agaval: Couplet: 63

என்னையும் பணிகொண் டிறவா வரமளித்

தன்னையி லுவந்த வருட்பெருஞ் ஜோதி!

OmniLight Invocations 365

சத்திய ஞான சபை (Sathiya Gnana Sabhai) or The Great Hall of Truth-Knowledge, and place of special manifestation of OmniLight, designed by Ramalingam without any formal training in architecture. It was constructed in 1871 and opened to the public in January 1872. It has no anthropomorphic idols or images.

Arutperunjothi Agaval: Couplet: 62

உளவினி லறிந்தா லொழியமற் றளக்கின்

அளவினி லளவா வருட்பெருஞ் ஜோதி!

Discernible

In

Solitude

Only

By

Its

Own

Disclosure,

And

Indiscernible

By

Other

Instruments

Of

Investigation,

OmniLight Of Supreme Compassion!

Notes:

The Arutperunjothi Agaval is Ramalingam’s magnum opus of spiritual enlightenment poetry composed in 798 couplets in 1872.

OmniLight Invocations 365

An old photo of Sathiya Dharuma Saalai (The Home of True Charity) in Vadalur, Tamilnadu, South India – It was opened by Ramalingam on May 23, 1867, and has fed the poor and hungry to this day.

Arutperunjothi Agaval: Couplet: 61

பொதுவுணர் வுணரும் போதலாற் பிரித்தே

அதுவெனிற் றோன்றா வருட்பெருஞ் ஜோதி!

Nondual

Reality,

Which

Cannot

Be

Discerned

By

Commonsense

Divisions

Of

“That”

And

“This”,

And

Realized

Only

By

Unitive

Consciousness,

OmniLight Of Supreme Compassion!

Notes:

The Tamil word “பொது” (podhu), in the context of this couplet, refers to that which is common, shared, and public. The addition of the word “உணர்” (unar), which means “sense or understanding”, makes it clear that the couplet is referring to commonsense, or the shared mode of ordinary experience and understanding, and its separative categories of “this” versus “that”.

This couplet is affirming that the nondual reality of OmniLight cannot be discerned by means of these separative forms of ordinary experience and understanding.

The Arutperunjothi Agaval is Ramalingam’s magnum opus of spiritual enlightenment poetry composed in 798 couplets in 1872.

OmniLight Invocations 365

An old photo of Siddhi Valaagam (சித்தி வளாகம்) or “Abode of Adepthood”, Mettukuppam, Vadalur, Tamilnadu, India. It was Ramalingam’s final residence and venue of his last talk in October 1873.

Arutperunjothi Agaval: Couplet: 60

உனுமுணர் வுணர்வா யுணர்வெலாங் கடந்த    

அநுபவா தீத வருட்பெருஞ் ஜோதி!

Constituting

Instruments

Of

Cognition

And

Transcending

Them,

The

Reality

Beyond

All

Experience,

OmniLight Of Supreme Compassion!

Notes:

The OmniLight constitutes the instruments of cognition such as mind (the instrument of awareness and thought), intellect (the instrument of reasoning), etc., to facilitate the progressive liberation of the individual soul sunk in ignorance, but it cannot be experienced or realized by the use of these ordinary instruments of cognition.

The previous couplet described the OmniLight as “Transcendental Reality-Experience”. This couplet affirms that the OmniLight is “beyond all experience”. How do we resolve this apparent contradiction?

The Tamil expression “அனுபவம்” (aṉupavam) refers to ordinary forms of experience or enjoyment marked by the separation of subject and object, or enjoyer and object of enjoyment.

But the OmniLight cannot be experienced or enjoyed in this dualistic form. It can only be experienced or enjoyed in a non-dualistic form, one in which the division between subject and object dissolves. The subject becomes one with the object.

The seeker becomes one with the OmniLight, or rather, the OmniLight abolishes the dualism of ordinary experience and enables non-dual union with itself.

This is the import of the expression “அநுபவாதீதம்” (aṉupavateetham) or “beyond all experience” in this couplet.

The Arutperunjothi Agaval is Ramalingam’s magnum opus of spiritual enlightenment poetry composed in 798 couplets in 1872.

OmniLight Invocations 365

Symbol of OmniLight in the சத்திய ஞான சபை (Sathiya Gnana Sabhai) or The Great Hall of Truth-Knowledge, a place of special manifestation of OmniLight.

Arutperunjothi Agaval: Couplet: 59

தநுகரணாதி கடாங் கடந் தறியுமோர்

அநுபவ மாகிய வருட்பெருஞ் ஜோதி!

The

Transcendent

Reality-Experience

Beyond

The

Range

Of

Sensory

Perception

And

Cognitive

Faculties,

OmniLight Of Supreme Compassion!

Notes:

The Arutperunjothi Agaval is Ramalingam’s magnum opus of spiritual enlightenment poetry composed in 798 couplets in 1872.

OmniLight Invocations 365

Entrance to the site of the radiant symbol (Jothi or orb of light) of OmniLight in the Sathiya Gnana Sabhai (1872), or Hall Of Truth-Knowledge, designed by Ramalingam.

Arutperunjothi Agaval: Couplet: 58

சாதியு மதமுஞ் சமயமுங் காணா

ஆதிய நாதியா மருட்பெருஞ் ஜோதி!

Beyond

The

Ken

Of

Caste,

Creed,

And

Schismatic

Sect,

The

First

Cause

Without

Cause,

OmniLight Of Supreme Compassion!

Notes:

The Arutperunjothi Agaval is Ramalingam’s magnum opus of spiritual enlightenment poetry composed in 798 couplets in 1872.

OmniLight Invocations 365

சத்திய ஞான சபை (Sathiya Gnana Sabhai) or The Great Hall of Truth-Knowledge, and place of special manifestation of OmniLight, designed by Ramalingam without any formal training in architecture. It was constructed in 1871 and opened to the public in January 1872. It has no anthropomorphic idols or images.

Arutperunjothi Agaval: Couplet: 57

பிரிவுற் றறியாப் பெரும்பொருளா யென்    

னறிவுக் கறிவா மருட்பெருஞ் ஜோதி!

The

Supreme

Being,

Inseparably

United

With

My

Being,

And

The

Supreme

Intelligence

Which

Enables

My

Intelligence,

OmniLight Of Supreme Compassion!

Notes:

The Arutperunjothi Agaval is Ramalingam’s magnum opus of spiritual enlightenment poetry composed in 798 couplets in 1872.