29. ParamaSiva and the triad, gold and ornaments

Verse 29

தங்கம்ஒன்று ரூபம்வேறு தன்மையான வாறுபோல்

செங்கண்மாலும் ஈசனும் சிறந்திருந்த தும்முளே

விங்களங்கள் பேசுவீர் விளங்குகின்ற மாந்தரே

எங்குமாகி நின்ற நாமம் நாமம் இந்த நாமமே!

Translation:

Like the gold being one and its various forms have differing qualities,

The beautiful-eyed Viṣnu and Īśa remain gloriously within you,

Ye people who remain arguing uselessly,

The name that is all-pervasive is verily this name.

Commentary:

This verse seems to be out of place in the sequence of verses as a specific name of the Lord is not mentioned here but is referred to it as ‘this name’.  The most appropriate place for this could be next to the verses that praise the glory of ‘rāma nāma’. However, one may think that perhaps Civavākkiyar is saying that God is formless, yet underlying all forms and should not be given any name that demands a specific form. 

Civavākkiyar is explaining this idea with the example of gold and various ornaments made from it.  Gold is a concept.  One cannot explain what gold is, except to describe its qualities like luster, pliability, hardness etc., and see it in various forms.   Similarly, universal consciousness is a concept that has, as its form, various manifestations such as Rudra, Viṣnu, Brahma and other Gods in the Hindu pantheon who are assigned specific qualities (by people).  These Gods are none other than specific aspects of the one and only Divinity, the Universal Consciousness.  Hence, Civavākkiyar reprimands people that arguing who is superior, Viṣnu or Śiva, is a useless as He is the One in All.