Dec 1, 2009, 12.00am IST
Shri Nimishananda.
While Mount Kailash is regarded as is the divine abode of Shiva, the Arunachala Hill at Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, is regarded as Shiva Himself. That is why it impels more than 15 lakh pilgrims to walk barefoot on the 14 km path around it every full moon night.
The Shiva Purana says that Shiva manifested here as a Tejoling or subtle column of the blazing light of knowledge. In the Satya Yuga , the first epoch of Creation, Arunachala was brilliant gold. In the Treta Yuga , Arunachala took on the mellow hue of Panchaloha. In the Dwapara Yuga , it had the lustre of burnished copper. In Kali Yuga , Arunachala appears like a rocky hill with bristles and thorns, but its incredible power remains undiminished. Hence Giri Pradikshina or circumambulation of the Hill is considered auspicious.
The Shiva Purana describes Shiva as the source of power because He contains the energy of the whole cosmos, and yet remains unmoving and stable, with no trace of negative energy. Shiva is static, potential energy and Shakti is dynamic, creative energy. The cosmic dance of Shiva and Shakti creates, sustains and dissolves the Universe. However, while Divinity in the formless state, nirakaar, can be experienced by enlightened seekers, many find this intriguing. So, Arunachala, the subtle column of light being still and as eternal knowledge, froze into a static form in order to become more palpable.
The Bharani Deepam or lamp is lit on its summit every year during the Kartik month, when the Bharani star is ascendant. The blaze, a manifestation of His knowledge, burns brightly on the austere, majestic Hill. It is said that those who obtain a darshan of the Bharani Deepam will receive Shiva’s grace in the form of total awareness of the Self. He blesses each seeker saying – “Let karma and thoughts of this being be dissolved and let the radiance of soul be unveiled.” The flame represents our own atma jyothi, the effulgence of soul.
How does Arunachala unveil the light of your soul? Normally the mind conceals the soul with thoughts and traps you in time and space. The constantly chattering mind prevents you from experiencing the sound of silence and bliss of soul. Arunachala splits the mind, segregates thoughts and burns them in the fire of knowledge. So, when you enter the vibrant aura of Arunachala which pulsates with serenity and tranquility, thoughts disappear, revealing the effulgence of soul. “Aruna” means dawning of light and “achala” means unmoving or still.
Each one of us experiences a pull towards Divinity sometime in life. The pull becomes a propulsion, a constant motion that generates a divine vibration which makes us aware of our Soul. This is the call of Arunachala. The Shiva Purana says we can go to Arunachala only when we get this call. Sages assure us that when we circumambulate the Hill with complete surrender, Arunachala dissolves the ego by burning our thoughts one by one, as thoughts form a base for ego. The process liberates us from the cycle of birth and death. The glowing beacon of Jnana or knowledge activates our souls and liberates us from the shackles of time and space forever by making us aware of the limitations of body and senses.
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