2. The five letters

Verse 2

ஆனஅஞ் செழுத்துளே அண்டமும் அகண்டமும்

ஆன அஞ்செழுத்துளே ஆதியான மூவரும்

ஆன அஞ்செழுத்துளே அகாரமும் மகாரமும்

ஆன அஞ்செழுத்துளே அடங்கலாவ லுற்றதே

Translation:

Within the five letters the universe and beyond the beyond

Within the five letters the primary cause-the triad,

Within the five letters the letters a and m

Within the five letters, the great desire was contained.

Commentary:

            Having established that he will be talking about the five-lettered word namacivāya, Civavākkiyar begins his first verse describing this mantra.  He says that the universes, the beyond, the triads which are the primary cause for manifestation, the letters ‘a’ and ‘m’ and the desire which is the root cause for creation- all these abide in the five letters.

The triads, the primary cause of the manifested world, are the three qualities, sattva (creation), rajas (preservation) and tamas (destruction).  The trimurthi- Brahma, Viṣṇu and Rudra represent these three qualities and the three actions.  The letters ‘a’ and ‘m’ represent the Ultimate Reality and maya respectively.  Maya is the supreme power of the Divine with which the universes are created.  It represents the Divine’s desire, āval, to manifest.  

                                                       

            Tirumular has described namacivaya elaborately in Tandiram 4 section 2 in his Tirumandiram.  In mandiram 966 Tirumular says that the Lord created the five elements from the five letters.  Many forms of life are created from the five letters. The Lord supports the universe by the five letters. He remains immanent in all souls. This mantra is the locus, the logos, the divine word from which all creation emanates. 

            The word, namacivāya , is both the name and the form of Śiva, the Ultimate Reality. 

In the Devāram Tirunāvukkaracar sings as follows:

Wisdom and education are namacivaya

The art I know is namacivaya

My tongue proclaims namacivaya

The right way is shown by namacivaya