36. Who accepted the worship?

Verse 36

பூசைபூசை என்றுநீர் பூசைசெய்யும் பேதைகாள்

பூசையுன்ன தன்னிலே பூசை கொண்டது எவ்விடம்

ஆதிபூசை கொண்டதோ அனாதிபூசை கொண்டதோ

ஏதுபூசை கொண்டதோ இன்னதென்று இயம்புமே!                                   

Translation:

You are the ignorant Ones who perform rituals saying worship, worship!

Where did that which is worship itself accept the worship?

Did the Origin accept the worship; did the Eternal accept the worship?

What is it that accepted worship, please tell!

Commentary:

This verse clearly brings out that the Siddha ‘theology’ is not a popular ‘theology’ but an ideal theology (if we can even use the term ‘theology’ to the Siddha view of Godhead).  Appaya Dikshitar in his Śivaparādhakṣamarpana stotra says that an idol worshiper commits three mistakes.  He reduces the formless by giving it a form, he limits the limitless by singing Its praise in words of prayer and he confines the Infinite by thinking that It resides in certain places such as temples etc. Civavākkiyar’s view here totally agrees with these ideas.  By negating the importance of emblems of worship, the Siddhas, stand in striking contrast to the classical bhakti schools and literature.