23. No goat, no stick, none at all

Verse 23

ஓடம்உள்ள போதலோ ஓடியே உலாவலாம்

ஓடம்உள்ள போதலோ உறுதிபணிக் கொள்ளலாம்

ஓடம் உடைந்தபோதிலே ஒப்பிலாத வெளியிலே

ஆடும்இல்லை கோலும்இல்லை யாரும்இல்லை ஆனதே!

Translation:

Only when there is the boat one can roam about,

Only when there is the boat it can be ensured,

When the boat broke, in the incomparable space,

No goat,  No stick, no one present. It became so.

Commentary:

The boat mentioned here is the human body.  As long as the body is present the limited soul moves about in this world. All actions are possible then.  When the boat breaks, when the limitations of time and space are removed so that the limited soul is no more embodied, then it remains as the pure consciousness in the supreme space.  At this stage, there is no director or the directed.  There are no separate entities.  Only pure consciousness remains.  

In Tamil Siddha tradition liberation is referred to as veḷi or empty space or incomparable space.  By saying that within incomparable space oppilāda veḷi there is neither a goat nor a stick, Civavākkiyar means that there is neither a controller nor anyone to be controlled; neither a teacher nor a taught; neither a knower nor the known.