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Sivajnana Bodham

Sivjnana Bodham is a Tamil work by Meykandar on Saiva Siddhanta. The work was published in 13th century CE. Sivajnana Bodham consists of twelve manuals of sutras (aphorisms), divided into general and special sections, which again are classified into four chapters on means of knowledge, categories, means to liberation and the nature of the liberated being.

According to Sivajnana Yogin, a commentator, Siva Jnana Bodham is a translation in Tamil of Papa-vomocana-padalam from Raurava agama in Sanskrit. Some scholars, however, consider it an independent and original contribution in Tamil.

The general section deals with three categories of Shaivism – pati (God), Pashu (being) and Pasha (bondage). The chapter on the means of pramans (knowledge) includes

  • Sutra 1 – to prove the existence of God
  • Sutra 2 – to prove the existence of bondage
  • Sutra 3 – to prove the existence of being.

The chapter on categories includes

  • Sutra 4 – on the nature of being
  • Sutra 5 – on the nature of bondage
  • Sutra 6 – on the nature of God.

The special section begins with a chapter on the means to liberation, which includes

  • Sutra 7 – on the preparedness of a being to attain jivan mukti (liberation while living in the body)
  • Sutra 8 – on the dawn of wisdom in the being by the grace of God
  • Sutra 9 – on the purification of a being by chanting the five-lettered holy syllables na-mah-si-va-ya (prostrations unto Siva).

The chapter on the nature of an enlightened being contains

  • Sutra 10 – on the victory of atman over impurities
  • Sutra 11 – on the being’s attainment of jivan mukti
  • Sutra 12 – on the nature and attitude of a jivanmukta