Asian Medicine 17 (2022) 17–36

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Scholarly Articles

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Immortality and Longevity through Yoga
in the Tirumantiram

Agi Wittich | ORCID: 0000-0003-3488-2649

Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
agi.wittich@mail.huji.ac.il

Abstract

Tirumūlar yoga reveals the practices through which one may achieve longevity and
immortality. Prolonging life aids the yogi to accomplish yoga’s final transcendent state
of consciousness, samadhi, in which the yogi’s consciousness is absorbed into the
god Śiva. Although a person’s lifespan is determined by the time of their conception,
birth, and actions, life expectancy can be prolonged by certain yogic techniques. This
is attested to in Tirumūlar’s seminal text Tirumantiram, in which he claims to have
reached samadhi and to have lived for thousands of years. Tirumūlar details four yoga
systems – Aṣṭāṅgayoga, Khecarīyoga, Candrayoga, and Paryaṅgayoga – that are meant
to preserve life energy. These systems include practices designed to retain vital ener-
gies such as breath and semen retention, awaken and elevate the life force, and lead
to immortality. The yoga’s final immortal state of samadhi resembles a deathlike state,
which is said to be the ultimate blissful state of living.

Keywords

Tirumūlar – Tirumantiram – yoga – longevity – immortality – siddha

…
© Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2022 | doi:10.1163/15734218-12341505
18 Wittich

Once I perceived the body as foul and dirty

When I saw within [the body] the [eternal] one
I knew God made a temple of my body
I have preserved it ever since.1

⸪
Introduction

This article examines Tirumūlar’s understanding of death and immortality,

along with the yogic practices that lead to longevity and the preservation of the
yogi’s body.2 Secrecy acts as a means of safeguarding the transmission of knowl-
edge and ensuring that the texts can be understood only by the worthy prac-
titioner, likely under the guidance of a guru, while remaining hidden in plain
sight from uninitiated individuals.3 Under the guidance of Pondicherry-based
guru Aakikce Egilane Lebel, this paper explores longevity and immortality in
the teachings of Tirumūlar, a Tamil Siddhar.4 Tirumūlar’s yoga, as presented in
the Tirumantiram, aspires to prolong the yogi’s life and permit the attainment
of an ultimate state of consciousness, or “samadhi” (Skt. samādhi), which is
understood as both self-realization and ultimate union with Śiva.5 Tirumūlar
described the yogi’s consciousness as separate from illusory existence,6 and
taking on a godlike form7 that is inherently different from normal awareness.8
In samadhi the yogi is freed from the chains of the senses and ignorance,9 and

1 Tmd, verse 725: uṭampiṉai mun̲ n̲am iḻukkeṉ ṟiruntēṉ \ uṭampiṉu kuḷḷē yuṟuporuḷ kaṇṭēṉ \
uṭampuḷē uttamaṉ kōyilkoṇ ṭāṉen̲ ru̲ \ uṭampiṉai yāṉirun tōmbugiṉ ṟeṉē. Citations are from
the Tamil-English 2013 edition edited by Ganapathy.
2 This paper is based on the author’s master’s thesis, written in the Department of Comparative
Religions at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.
3 Trawick 1983, 935–45.
4 The standard transliteration is used for Sanskrit terms whenever they occur in Tamil sources:
e.g., Śiva for Civa, yoga for yōkam, guru for kuru, samādhi (anglicized to samadhi hereafter)
for camāti. Also, throughout the paper I have used “yogi,” the English version of the Sanskrit
word Yogin.
5 Tmd, v. 1907.
6 Ibid., v. 122.
7 Ibid., v. 567.
8 Ibid., v. 1906.
9 Ibid., v. 119.

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Immortality and Longevity Through Yoga in the Tirumantiram 19

transcends the cycle of life and death.10 The yogi remains silent, both in con-
sciousness and as regards speech.11 In verse 2846, Tirumūlar shares his own
experience of samadhi:

I knew the way, of experiencing the inner soul

I know the way, of retreat
I need it no more [since]
He and I are one.12

The state of samadhi also establishes immortality of the physical body.

Immortality is a deathless state, which also denotes a state of endless life.13
For Tirumūlar, the body is the medium through which the yogi achieves this
ultimate state. It is of divine origin, given to humans by the god Śiva, and is
regarded as just as important as the holy scriptures.14
Tirumantiram literally translates as Deliberation of the Sacred. It is the tenth
book of the Tirumuṛai, which is a twelve-volume compendium of hymns prais-
ing Śiva, and a part of the Śaiva Siddhānta canon.15 It is also considered a
part of the Śaiva āgama16 and the Periya Purāṇam.17 The Tirumantiram is an
exemplar of medieval Tamil Śaivism as it embodies ideological and practical
traces of Sanskrit Vedic, Āgamaic, Tantric, and Purāṇic literatures, as well as the
expressiveness of Tamil “Sangam” (Tam. caṅkam) poetry.18 The text contains
more than 3,000 verses written in a particular meter (Tam. kaliviruttam)19 and
nine “chapters” (Tam. tantiram) on various subjects, including moral conduct,
nutrition, marital life, and yoga practices. The date of the Tirumantiram is
debated among scholars and is probably dated to the seventh century CE.20

10 Ibid., v. 567.
11 Ibid., v. 1896.
12 Ibid., v. 2846: āmāṟu aṟintēṉ akattiṉ arumporuḷ \ pōmāṟu aṟintēṉ pukumāṛum ītu en̲ rē̲ \
ēmāppatu illai iṉiōr iṭarillai \ nāmām mutalvaṉum nāṉeṉal āmē.
13 For the definitions of immortality in Vedic mythology, see Scharfe (2002) 2018, 48–49.
14 Tmd, v. 84.
15 Zvelebil 1973; Prentiss 1996, 231–57; Little 2003, 16.
16 Arulsamy 1987, 1.
17 Dehejia 1988, 17–20.
18 Thayanithy 2010, 2.
19 The meter called kaliviruttam consists of four feet in four lines.
20 Tirumūlar claims that he had lived for seven thousand years before composing the
text (see v. 74: oppil eḷukōḍi yugam iruntēṉē). Scholars date him as early as the third
(Siddalingaiah 1979), fifth (Govindam 2000, xvii), or sixth (Narayana 1974, 206) century.
Venkatraman dedicated an entire paper to reassessing the dating of Tirumūlar, which “is
still a problem in the cultural history of the Tamils” (Venkatraman 1978, 101). Some schol-
ars date the text to as late as the ninth (Nilakanta Sastri 1966, 434), twelfth (Siddalingaiah

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20 Wittich

Richard Weiss considers the Tirumantiram to be one of the earliest Tamil

Śaiva siddha texts.21 Considered to be an “integral part of a pan-Indian move-
ment and tradition,”22 the Tamil siddha movement is also part of a “pan-Indian
Tantric yoga movement.”23 As such, it may be considered a synthesis of phi-
losophies threaded together, including ideas that can later be identified as
Vajrayāna Buddhism, Śaivite Tantra, and Haṭhayoga, according to Little.24
Similarly, Shulman positions the Tamil siddha movement as interacting with
the Nāth tradition of Haṭhayoga, alongside Śaiva bhakti movements.25
Tamil siddha texts cover a range of topics, including medicine, alchemy,
astrology, and yoga. The texts exist in both oral and written forms and can be
found on palm-leaf manuscripts preserved in private houses and libraries.26
These texts share the goal of “perfect health and immortality – all gained in
this life,”27 and contain esoteric Yoga that is intended for acquiring “powers”
(Skt. siddhi), and is closely related to “the alchemy of somatic transformation.”28
Accordingly, Tirumūlar is credited with magical powers and a knowledge of
alchemy, medicine, and the secrets of immortality.29 He is considered as one
of eighteen “Tamil Siddhars” (Tam. patiṉēṇ cittarkaḷ), who are regarded as the
ancestors of all Tamils and the “exemplary models of what it is to be Tamil,”
according to Weiss.30
The Tirumantiram is written in “obscure language” (Tam. paripāṣai), which is a
jargonistic code.31 Its language is highly technical and, at times, idiosyncratic.32
In the text,33 certain nouns and verbs take on meanings that differ from their
conventional uses.34 The language of the Tirumantiram can be characterized

1979, 303; Venkataraman 1990), or thirteenth (Goodall 1998, 205–16) century. Others date
it to the seventh or eighth century (Zvelebil 1973; Vaiyapuri 1988; Shulman 1991).
21 Weiss 2004.
22 Thayanithy 2010, 5.
23 Little 2003, 14.
24 Ibid.
25 Shulman 1991, 55.
26 Weiss 2004, 177.
27 Zvelebil 1993.
28 Shulman 1991, 55.
29 Venkatraman 1978, 152; Zvelebil 2003.
30 Weiss 2004, 182.
31 For further reading on the jargonistic code of Tamil siddha texts, see Sieler 2015. On
Tantric texts, such as the Hevajra tantra, see Urban 2001.
32 Weiss 2009, 48.
33 I would like to thank the reviewers for their contribution regarding the Tamil translation
into English, especially regarding ambivalent meanings of certain words that have been
incorporated into the finalized version of this paper.
34 Renganathan 2010, 6, 134.

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Immortality and Longevity Through Yoga in the Tirumantiram 21

as a “twilight language” (Tam. sandhyābhāṣā),35 a “metaphorical language of

deceptive simplicity in which the most sacred is hidden in the form of the
most ordinary.”36 This is common to most Tamil siddha texts, which contain
symbolism that can be understood only by initiates.37

Immortality among Tamil Siddhars and Haṭhayogis

Various examples in Indic literature, such as Sanskrit medical literature, includ-

ing Ayurveda and yogic “corporal transmutation” (Tam. kāyakalpa), portray the
pursuit of longevity and youthfulness.38 Tamil siddha literature, particularly
that which relates to medicine and alchemy, often describes practices that are
oriented toward longevity, rejuvenation, and immortality.39 Tamil Siddhars
are thought not to die natural deaths.40 Tirumūlar distinguishes between four
forms of “death” (Tam. caṅkāram), of which the last two can be translated as
normal death and yogic death41: Normal death is followed by the death of the
physical body; at this point, consciousness leaves the body and dissolves into
infinity. This is described elsewhere as the “cessation of the pulse” (Tam. nāṭik
karuttu), the “failure of consciousness,” the “departure of the soul from the
physical body,”42 and the “cessation of the physical body and its extinction on
the cremation pyre.”43 The final form of death is occasioned by Śiva’s grace and
occurs when the “soul” (Tam. jīva) is “united with Śiva” (Tam. paraṉ uṇmai).44
The yogi’s main goal is undoubtedly to achieve the final form of death, which
is in fact a deathless state, albeit appearing to be deathlike.
According to legend, Tirumūlar achieved samadhi under a peepal tree in
Tiruvāvaṭutuṟai, where a temple to Tirumūlar stands today. He awoke from
his samadhi every year for 3,000 years to write a “verse” (Tam. mantiram).45
The importance of the physical body is emphasized in Tirumūlar’s legend; he

35 Urbańska 2017, 117–29.

36 Ganapathy 2004.
37 Thayanithy 2010, 5.
38 For more on South Asian literatures that deal with youthfulness and longevity, specifically
in the fields of yoga, Ayurveda, and alchemy, see Wujastyk, Newcombe, and Barois 2017,
with regards to the AyurYog project.
39 Kędzia 2017, 121–42.
40 Bhattacharyya 1982, 26.
41 Tmd, v. 425.
42 Ibid., v. 151.
43 Ibid., v. 150.
44 Ibid., v. 426.
45 Weiss 2009, 58–59, 62–64.

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entered the dead corpse of a Tamil cowherd named Mulan to ease the cows
that were grieving Mulan’s death. Afterward, he realized that he had lost his
original body, and remained in the body of Mulan, which he preserves in good
condition to this day. The legend reveals two special powers Tirumūlar has:
to enter another body, and to maintain longevity and immortality. Although
both powers are worthy of further exploration, only the latter is the focus of
this paper.
One can live for thousands of years,46 according to Tirumūlar, just as he claims
to have done.47 He describes how he remained young, without his hair ever
graying,48 vanquishing death,49 conquering time50 while staying immortal.51
This state of “living liberation” or “unending life on earth”52 is purportedly
achieved as a side effect of samadhi. The yogi who has accomplished samadhi
is called a “siddha” (Tam. cittar) – “the one who has accomplished.”
The yogic techniques described in the Tirumantiram resemble Śaivite Tantric
techniques. Their resemblance to Haṭhayogic techniques has already been rec-
ognized by Mallinson.53 Tantra54 is traced back to the fifth century CE55 and
continued to develop into various traditions within Hinduism and Buddhism,56
emphasizing the human body as a microcosm for the macrocosmic universe.
Tantric traditions such as Śaivite Tantra57 attribute great importance to the
physical body as it is considered the main tool for achieving a higher state of
consciousness.58 Haṭhayoga is a form of Tantric yoga, stemming from Kaula
Śaivism, established by the Nāth lineage (Skt. sampradaya).59
The Tirumantiram consists of both Haṭhayogic practices and the eight-
limbed yoga (Skt. Aṣṭāṅgayoga), prescribed by Patañjali’s Yogasūtra and the

46 Ibid., v. 758.
47 Ibid., v. 724.
48 Ibid., v. 2100.
49 Ibid., v. 574.
50 Ibid., v. 583.
51 Ibid., v. 581.
52 Thayanithy 2010.
53 Mallinson 2016, 25.
54 Some scholars argue that the term “Tantra” is an invented category of Western academia,
and has never existed as a philosophical movement. In this article I refer specifically to
the Tantric texts and traditions, rather than to “Tantra” as a universal discipline. For fur-
ther reading on the problematic terminology of Tantra, see White 2000; Urban 2003.
55 Sanderson 2006, 153–54.
56 Mirnig 2019.
57 Little 2003, 16.
58 Flood 2006; Feuerstein 2012.
59 Mallinson 2016, 2.

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Immortality and Longevity Through Yoga in the Tirumantiram 23

Yogayājñavalkya.60 Mallinson has comprehensively studied the differences

between the two formulations of yoga, and explained how the former is said
to belong to the school of Kapila and other siddhas.61 While for Aṣṭāṅgayogis
the body is regarded as a source of suffering and pain, or an object of disgust,62
for Haṭhayogis the body is an effective instrument for conquering death and
attaining immortality through the practice of yoga.63
Tamil siddha texts, as well as some Tantric and Haṭhayogic texts, offer an eso-
teric physiology and include techniques that are said to awaken the “life force”
(Skt. kuṇḍalinī).64 While not all Haṭhayogic texts associated with the Nāth gurus
describe the awakening of life force as moving through the six energy centers,
or chakras (Skt. cakra), later Haṭhayogic texts such as the Vivekamārtaṇḍa,
Śivasaṃhitā, and the Haṭhapradīpikā65 describe a similar mechanism to that
of the Tirumantiram. In these traditions, the body is understood to be the
locus of metaphysical life energies – such as “breath” (Skt. prāṇa), “life force”
(Skt. kuṇḍalinī), and the retention of “semen” (Skt. bindu, Tam. vintu) – “energy
channels” (Skt. nāḍīs), and “energy centers” (i.e., chakras).66 These energies
can be allowed to waste away, which results in natural death, or be controlled,
preserved, and awakened in order to reach samadhi. Simply put, for Tirumūlar,
samadhi occurs when the life force energy is raised along the spine,67 in the
central energy channel.68
One’s life expectancy can be measured through various techniques of “meas-
uring life expectancy” (caravōțțam) and extended.69 The Tirumantiram explains
that a person’s life expectancy is determined by their time of conception, period
of pregnancy, and moment of delivery,70 as well as by their actions in early
life.71 One such technique, for example, is to observe one’s exhalation: when
the exhalation occurs only from the left nostril for a period of twelve hours,
one can expect to live only ten years more.72 Another such technique involves

60 For further reading on Yoga texts attributed to Yājñavalkya, see Wujastyk 2017.
61 Mallinson 2016, 20.
62 For example, see Patañjali Yoga Sutras 2.40: “From cleanliness arises disgust towards one’s
body” (Śaucātsvāṅgajugupsā parairasaṁsargaḥ).
63 Ellis 2011.
64 Little 2003, 15.
65 Mallinson 2016, 15.
66 Stephen 2010.
67 Tmd, v. 626.
68 Ibid., v. 612.
69 Ibid., v. 724–39, 770–89.
70 Ibid., v. 1944.
71 Ibid., v. 184.
72 Ibid., v. 777.

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feeling one’s exhalation by placing one’s hand in front of one’s face: when the
exhalation is excessive, the life expectancy is of one to six months; when it is
clear and quiet, death is not foreseen in the near future.73 While measuring the
breath is used to assess one’s life expectancy, retaining or altering it enables the
yogi to prolong their life, as discussed in the following section.

Body Powers: Tirumūlar’s Yoga Techniques for Longevity

Tirumūlar describes various yoga techniques that claim to lead to immortality

over more than 300 verses, which comprise around one tenth of the whole
Tirumantiram. These include four yoga systems: Aṣṭāṅgayoga, Khecarīyoga,
Candrayoga, and Paryaṅgayoga, as well as the use of “utterances” or mantras
(Skt. mantrā), “diagrams” (Skt. yantra), “seals” (Skt. mudrā), and medicinal herbs
that are mentioned sporadically throughout the text.
Tirumūlar’s yogic techniques that are meant to lead to immortality are
grouped under the knowledge of the body (Skt. kāyasiddhi, lit. “body powers”).
A few Tamil Siddhars write about body powers, including Agatthiyar and Bhogar,
and a few Haṭhayogic texts, from the Nāth lineage, make use of it as well.74
These techniques include concentrating on various parts of the body, as well as
medical practices that maintain health, alongside yoga postures, breath reten-
tion, and semen retention, which aim to halt the outward flow of life energy.
In a sense, these practices engage in an “antibiological behavior,”75 for example
when sexual practices are not meant to result in progeny, and are “based on the
principle of reversal of nature,”76 for example when breath is retained.

Aṣṭāṅgayoga
Tirumūlar’s eight-limbed yoga (Skt. Aṣṭāṅgayoga, Tam. Aṭṭāṇka yōkam) is
described throughout ninety verses.77 The first two limbs, “restraint” (Skt. yama,
Tam. iyama) and “observances” (Skt. nyama, Tam. niyama), outline moral conduct
and the yogic lifestyle. The third and fourth limbs, “yoga postures” (Skt. āsana,
Tam. ātaṉa), and “breath retention” (Skt. prāṇāyāma, Tam. pirāṇāyāmam), pro-
vide instructions for specific bodily postures and breathing techniques to elevate
and expand the life energy. The fifth, sixth, and seventh limbs – “withdrawal”

73 Ibid., v. 770.
74 On Siddhar Agatthiyar, see Anand 2020; on Siddhar Bhogar, see Weiss 2009, 48. On the
term kāyasiddhi among Haṭhayogic texts of the Nāth lineage, see Olson 2015, 44.
75 Ellis 2011.
76 Thayanithy 2010, 35.
77 Tmd, vv. 549–639.

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Immortality and Longevity Through Yoga in the Tirumantiram 25

(Skt. pratyāhāra, Tam. pirattiyākāram), “retention” (Skt. dhāraṇā, Tam. tāraṇai),

and “reflection” (Skt. dhyāna, Tam. tiyāṉam) – refer to concentration tech-
niques, while the final limb refers to a different state of yogic awareness of
union with Śiva.
Tirumūlar’s Aṣṭāṅgayoga resembles Patañjali’s well-known Aṣṭāṅgayoga,
2.29–3.3. However, Tirumūlar’s Aṣṭāṅgayoga is more elaborate.78 For example,
the Tirumantiram outlines ten restraints in 554 and twenty observances in 556
and 557,79 while the Yogasūtra outlines only five of each, in 2.30 and 2.32. In
addition, Tirumūlar recommends that,80 as well as restraints and observances,
the yogi should use mantra and seals, which are elaborated upon later in this
paper.81 Aṣṭāṅgayoga is declared to be the most preferred system of yoga among
others described in the text.82 This is because Aṣṭāṅgayoga is described as aid-
ing the practitioner in purifying the consciousness, adopting a simple, clear,
and disciplined lifestyle, and achieving sublime yogic knowledge.83
Aṣṭāṅgayoga is said to result in longevity through strengthening the energy
channels and balancing the breath.84 These, in turn, are said to enable the yogi
to restore his youth and preserve his physical body,85 achieving an immortal body
and avoiding death.86 Tirumūlar claims that this can be achieved by all eight
limbs, such as yoga postures,87 sense withdrawal,88 and concentration.89 The
practice of breath retention, for example, is described as allowing more “vital
energy” (Skt. prāṇa) to enter the body and spread in the cells,90 which then
purifies the body.91 According to verse 779, the yogi can prolong his lifespan by
four years by maintaining a constant flow of vital energy. However, one’s life
expectancy drops to only three years when the vital energy flows erratically.92
Also, Tirumūlar describes a practice of breath retention with regard to the

78 For further comparison between Trimular’s and Patañjali’s Aṣṭāṅgayoga, see Wittich 2014.
79 Tmd, vv. 554, 556, 557.
80 Ibid., v. 550.
81 Ibid., vv. 884–913, 2675–2721, 914–1002.
82 Ibid., v. 551.
83 Ibid., vv. 632–39.
84 Ibid., v. 567.
85 Ibid., v. 575.
86 Ibid., v. 569.
87 Ibid., v. 739.
88 Ibid., v. 588.
89 Ibid., v. 594.
90 Ibid., v. 571.
91 Ibid., v. 572.
92 Ibid., v. 779.

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retainment and movement of vital energy in the body, which is assumed to

cause immortality:

Inhale deep and steady, so that prāṇa fills the ten nāḍīs
Exhale slowly, without stirring the body
Retain prāṇa breath, and downward move the āpaṇa breath
Sit erect and vanquish death.93

To regulate the vital energy in the body, Tirumūlar suggests maintaining the
air flow through the right or left nostril, according to the days of the week
and depending on the lunar phases94: air should flow through the left nos-
tril on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and through the right nostril on
Sundays, Tuesdays, and Saturdays. On Thursdays, when the moon is waxing,
the air should flow through the left nostril; when the moon is waning, it should
flow through the right nostril.95 Another technique is described in verse 758, in
which Tirumūlar explains how one can live for thousands of years, achieving
immortality in fact, by preserving the body:

Those who achieved the known centuries

Nourished their bodies, will see thousands [of centuries]
One more thousand, their bodies [will be] without blemish
They ripen, for a million ages.96

Breath control techniques that control vital energy, that is, breath retention,
are also mentioned in several yogic texts. For example, in Aṣṭāṅgayoga texts
such as the Vasiṣṭhasaṃhitā and the Yogayājñavalkya the practice of breath
retention is described as raising the life force,97 similarly to the descriptions
of the Tirumantiram; Haṭhayogic texts such as the Gorakṣaśataka and the
Vivekamārtaṇḍa also mention these practices as means to stimulate and awaken
the life force. The Vivekamārtaṇḍa, for example, describes how breath reten-
tion techniques raise the life force, through the chakras, to a certain point in
the head named the “entrance point into Brahma” (Skt. brahmadvāra).98

93 Ibid., v. 574: iṭṭatu avvīṭu iḷakātu irēcittup \ puṭṭip paṭat taca nāṭiyum pūrittuk \ koṭṭip
pirāṇaṉ apāṉaṉum kumpittu \ naṭṭam irukka namaṉ illai tāṉē.
94 Ibid., vv. 790–96.
95 Ibid., v. 790.
96 Ibid., v. 758: cāttiṭu nūṟu talaippeytu nin̲ ra̲ var \ kāttuṭal āyiraṅ kaṭṭuṛak kāṇparkaḷ \ cērt-
tuṭal āyiram cēra iruntavar \ ūttuṭaṉ kōṭi yukamatu vāmē.
97 Birch 2018, 21.
98 Mallinson 2016, 7.

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Immortality and Longevity Through Yoga in the Tirumantiram 27

Another technique that is shared by Tirumūlar and Haṭhayogic texts is the

chanting of mantras. Several Haṭhayogic texts, such as the Khecarīvidyā and the
Śivasaṃhitā, mention mantras, although “the coded definition of the mantra
was obscure to commentators and the verses in which it is taught were unintel-
ligible to scribes.”99 For Tirumūlar the chanting of mantras is a means of increas-
ing one’s vital energy and is said to bring about samadhi. Mantras are said to
resonate with the chakras, and are to be chanted silently in the heart,100 instead
of out loud. Among the mantras that generate longevity and lead to immortality
are the “om mantra” (ōm),101 the “om namah shivaya” (ōm namaḥ Śivāya),102 and
the combination of the two, which forms a six-syllabled mantra.103

Khecarīyoga
Apart from Aṣṭāṅgayoga, the Tirumantiram outlines another yoga system,
Khecarīyoga. Like Aṣṭāṅgayoga, this system also aims at samadhi and longev-
ity, by channeling life force energy upward in the metaphysical energy chan-
nels. Unlike Aṣṭāṅgayoga, in this system the raising of life force is done by using
finger,104 eye, and tongue gestures, or seals. While the text often mentions
seals without detailing its technique,105 emphasizing the importance of the
oral teachings of a guru alongside the reading of this text, two main seals are
described in the text in detail: the “beloved” (Skt. śāmbhavī, Tam. cāmpavi),
and the “inward movement”106 (Skt. khecarī, Tam. kēcari).107 Both practices are
mentioned in later Haṭhayogic texts such as the Vivekamārtaṇḍa, Khecarīvidyā,
Śivasaṃhitā, Gorakṣaśataka, and the later Haṭhayogapradīpikā.108 Verse 1893
in the Tirumantiram refers to the abovementioned seals as a single practice,
involving the inward rotation of the tongue.109 Several verses describe the

99 Mallinson 2007, 199.

100 Tmd, v. 739.
101 Ibid., v. 918.
102 Ibid., vv. 2698–2708.
103 Ibid., v. 2701.
104 A seal using the fingers, vv. 1093–94.
105 For example, general references to “seals” (mudrā) are found in vv. 550, 1089, 1175–76, 1423,
1612–13, 1675, 1900, and 2398. The “conch seal” (caṅku mudrā) is referred to in v. 1096, and
the “wisdom seal” ( jñāna mudrā) in vv. 1382, 1592, 1594, 2331, and 2331–32. Both of these
seals are not described in detail, but only mentioned by name.
106 Mallinson translates this as “the mudrā of the class of yoginis called Khecari,” as well as
“the sky-roving mudrā” (2018, 198).
107 Tmd, v. 1893.
108 For further reading on these practices in Haṭhayogic texts, see Mallinson 2007, 2008, 2016;
Goldberg 2009; Taylor 2015.
109 Tmd, v. 1893.

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28 Wittich

inward movement seal as involving centering the life force energy in the main
energy channel, the “gracious” (Skt. suṣumnā), either by closing the nostrils
with the tongue, by pointing the tongue upward110 without touching the
upper palate,111 or by touching a specific point.112 Other verses describe its
practice together with yoga postures,113 or with the chanting of “om.”114 The
practice of the inward movement seal is said to lead to longevity, immortal-
ity, and samadhi.115

Candrayoga and Paryaṅgayoga

Two yoga systems, Candrayoga and Paryaṅgayoga, cause longevity and sama-
dhi through retaining the vital energy, namely semen. In both systems semen
is a sexual energy, though only in Paryaṅgayoga is it indistinguishable from
seminal fluid. Semen can be lost in the waning days of the moon116 or dur-
ing sexual intercourse.117 The practice of Candrayoga requires long meditation
that can last for days in which the yogi channels the vital energy flow in certain
energy centers and channels.118 Like other yoga systems in the Tirumantiram,
this system is also said to bring about longevity, allowing the yogi to achieve
immortality.119 As explained in verse 874:

For ages they don’t leave, these yogis

They meet death in their measured time
They transcend the world of time
The world bows to the candrayogis120

In Tirumūlar’s Paryaṅgayoga, he discusses seminal fluid retention and sexual

practices. Tantric texts, such as those of the Nityā tantras, the Vāmakeśvarīmata,
and the Kaula tantra texts, as well as Haṭhayogic texts such as the Dattā­­
treyayogaśāstra, the Śivasaṃhitā, and the Haṭhayogapradīpikā, mention sexual

110 Ibid., v. 808.

111 Ibid., v. 802.
112 Ibid., v. 803.
113 Ibid., v. 799.
114 Ibid., v. 1894.
115 Ibid., v. 803.
116 Ibid., v. 877.
117 Ibid., v. 879.
118 Ibid., v. 861–66.
119 Ibid., v. 881.
120 Ibid., v. 874: ūḻi piriyā tirukkin̲ ra̲ yōkikaḷ \ nāḻicaiyāka namaṉai aḷapparkaḷ \ ūḻi mutalāy
uyarvār ulakiṉil \ tāḻaval lāric ccivan̲ n̲a rāmē.

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Immortality and Longevity Through Yoga in the Tirumantiram 29

practices of semen retention.121 Similar to Haṭhayogic techniques such as the

“diamond lineage” seal122 (Skt. vajrolī), the “immortal” seal (Skt. amarolī), and
the “innate” seal (Skt. sahajolī), the Tirumantiram also describes sexual prac-
tices that involve retaining semen, mixing it with other ingredients, returning
it into the body, and elevating it upward, to awaken life force.123
In thirty-nine verses, the Tirumantiram explains sperm retention during
sexual intercourse as a means of attaining immortality124 and samadhi,125
since semen is perceived as the source of life force.126 The retention of semen,
by drawing it to the highest energy center, the “thousand-petaled” (Skt. sahas­
rāra cakra),127 is equivalent to withholding time, while the release of semen
wastes the yogi’s life span.128 According to Thayanithy, the importance attrib-
uted to the retention of semen reflects the view that it embodies the divine
presence in the physical body.129 It is worth mentioning that in other parts of
the Tirumantiram the text details guidelines for marital intercourse,130 which
differ from Paryaṅgayoga both in practice and in result: marital intercourse is
meant for progeny. Still, sexual activity that results in progeny is advised for
those who have mastered the art of Paryaṅgayoga first.131
Not much is detailed about the actual practice of Paryaṅgayoga: The prac-
tice of yogic sexual intercourse is meant to last two and a half hours and should
not cause tiredness132; in it the yogi preserves his semen, channels it upward
in the energy channels, and evokes life force.133 The practice is said to cure the
body of all sickness and lead to immortality:

121 White 1998; Mallinson 2016, 9. For example, see Haṭhayogapradīpika 3.88: “The yogi that
retains his bindu overcomes death, since death comes with the loss of bindu, and life is
preserved by preserving it” (evam saṃrakṣayed binduṃ mṛtyuṃ jayati yogavit \ maraṇaṃ
bindupātena jīvanaṃ bindudhāraṇāt).
122 Mallinson translates this as referring to an older Tantric term which means “Vajra line-
age” (2018: 197). According to his hypothesis, the name was appropriated from a Tantric
practice of a different nature, mentioning the Buddhist Avalokiteśvaravajroli, from the
fourteenth century.
123 Tmd, vv. 1960, 1962, 1929, 833, 834, 836, 837.
124 Ibid., v. 1948.
125 Ibid., v. 2032.
126 Ibid., v. 1923.
127 Ibid., v. 834.
128 Ibid., v. 1954.
129 Thayanithy 2010, 180.
130 Tmd, vv. 451–91.
131 Ibid., v. 831.
132 Ibid., v. 830.
133 Ibid., v. 1937–76.

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30 Wittich

The man and the woman that meet in close union

Should set their mind on the golden art
And to learn to make themselves one with the other
So they would live for thousands of years on earth134

Of the four systems of yoga described by Tirumūlar, Aṣṭāṅgayoga is the most

detailed. Still, the descriptions of practices appear to be inadequate for one to
apply them based on the text alone. Thus, it is clear that not only is the lan-
guage of the Tirumantiram metaphorical at times and highly technical, but it is
also evasive for the uninitiated reader. The following section describes the pre-
service of the yogi’s body that has achieved samadhi through the mentioned
techniques in this paper.

The Perseverance of the Body in Samadhi

The Tirumantiram prescribes rituals that are to be performed to the yogi’s body,
by the yogi’s students, after he has achieved samadhi.135 In many ways, the yogi
appears to be dead, since this state is characterized by inactivity136: the yogi’s
body is said to simulate death as the senses and body appear dead,137 the cog-
nitive consciousness ceases to exist,138 as salt dissolves in water.139 Resembling
postmortem rites, these rituals bring to mind those mentioned in early Tantric
scriptures, such as the Saiddhāntika texts,140 since some of them required bur-
ial and not cremation of the body. In Śaiva Tantric funerary rites, “the soul of an
initiated person was considered a liberated entity that had lost its individuality
and immediately realized its godhood at the moment of death,”141 similar to
the descriptions of samadhi in the Tirumantiram. In like manner, Feuerstein,
referring to Patañjali’s Yogasūtra, describes the yogi who attains liberation as
ceasing “to exist as a human being,” adding that “his body may live on for a

134 Ibid., v. 841: min̲ n̲iṭai yāḷumiṉ ṉāḷaṉūṅ kūṭṭattup \ pon̲ n̲iṭai vaṭṭattiṉ uḷḷē pukappeytu \
tan̲ n̲oṭu tan̲ n̲ait talaippeyya vallārēṉ \ maṇṇiṭaip pallūḻi vāḻalum āmē.
135 Ibid., vv. 1910–22.
136 Ibid., v. 127.
137 Ibid., v. 121.
138 Ibid., v. 1789.
139 Ibid., v. 136.
140 Mirnig 2019.
141 Ibid., 2.

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Immortality and Longevity Through Yoga in the Tirumantiram 31

period of time, though in a state of catalepsy, and before long goes the way all
finite things go.”142
The rituals described in the Tirumantiram include placing the yogi’s body in
a cave or room deep in the ground, in the “lotus position” (Skt. padmāsana).143
The room is coated with five metals and nine gems and should include various
elements, such as grass, holy white ash, turmeric powder, honey, flower gar-
lands, sandalwood paste, musk, and rose water.144 The site of burial should be
somewhere beautiful, such as near a lake, a flower garden, forest, or at the base
of a mountain.145 The yogi’s body should be protected from wild animals,146
washed,147 anointed with white ash and various powders,148 clothed in ritual
dress, and should be seen last by the yogi’s students.149 The yogi is presumed to
remain alive, immortal, in his physical body, in a deathlike state. I have had the
good fortunate to visit three such sites in Tamil Nadu, where the common belief
was that the Siddhar has been buried alive for centuries under the ground.
At certain auspicious times, I was told by people around me, the Siddhars
awaken from their samadhi for a short period of time, and then resume their
eternal state. This made it clear to me that the descriptions contained in the
Tirumantiram are alive today, at least in the minds and hearts of aspirants.

Conclusion

This paper has described Tirumūlar’s proposed yoga systems and techniques
for attaining longevity and immortality. In his yoga systems, the body is under-
stood as a medium to reach samadhi, or as a temple in which the ultimate
state of yoga can be achieved, as mentioned in verse 725. It is the body that
enables the yogi to retain vital energies and awaken and uplift them to merge
his consciousness with that of Śiva in the state of samadhi. The Tirumantiram
describes various techniques, framed as body powers, that are designed to
achieve longevity, promote health, prolong youth, and ultimately attain immor-
tality. This paper has also compared similar techniques with those found in sev-
eral Tantric and Haṭhayogic texts.

142 Feuerstein 1989, 142.

143 Tmd, vv. 1912–14.
144 Ibid., vv. 1917–18.
145 Ibid., v. 1915.
146 Ibid., v. 1910.
147 Ibid., v. 1921.
148 Ibid., v. 1919.
149 Ibid., v. 1920.

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32 Wittich

The knowledge of the Tirumantiram is said to be first-hand since the yogi

Tirumūlar claims to have achieved samadhi. His empirical experience, along
with his claim of having lived for thousands of years, is a perhaps mytholog-
ical testimony to the potential power of his teachings. To him, the physical
body is necessary for the yogic experience; therefore, it is to be protected. Life
expectancy should be measured and prolonged to give the yogi a better chance
of achieving samadhi. In one sense, Tirumūlar’s yoga aims to manipulate and
reverse the natural path of life in which life energy flows outwards, which
results in possible progeny and certain death. In an antibiological manner,
such as breath or seminal fluid retention, Tirumūlar instructs the yoga prac-
titioner to alter the natural path of nature, transcend it, and achieve a higher
state of existence.
The prescribed yogic techniques are described in four different kinds of yoga:
Aṣṭāṅgayoga, Khecarīyoga, Candrayoga, and Paryaṅgayoga. All aim to retain the
yogi’s life energy within the body, heal it, and bring about the desired samadhi by
raising life force energy along the central energy channel. Aṣṭāṅgayoga, which
is said to be the most favorable system of yoga, consists of moral conduct,
yoga postures, breathing techniques, mantra chanting, and concentration
techniques. Khecarīyoga involves certain seals, the main one being the inward
movement seal, which involves rotating the tongue while visualizing, concen-
trating, and maintaining certain yoga postures. Candrayoga and Paryaṅgayoga
use the techniques of semen retention and elevation, through concentration
and sexual practices.
It can be questioned whether Tirumūlar’s immortal state can be considered
as eternal life or merely a never-ending deathless state. Upon achieving sam-
adhi, the yogi’s body assumes a deathlike state in which he is immobile and
unresponsive. His body remains in a yoga posture, smeared with powders and
flowers, for eternity. Indeed, the modern reader may question whether this
transcendent state is worth the vigorous efforts of the described yogic tech-
niques. One might ask, what is the use of a deathlike or lifeless immortality?
Yet, the positive descriptions of samadhi should not be overlooked. The mun-
dane life is described as filled with confusion and suffering; samadhi is blissful,
graceful, and full of divine love. Tirumūlar is aware of this doubt, stating that it
might be asked: “What does the Siddhar gain?”150 In response to this, the Tamil
Siddhar challenges the modern reader with the contrary question: What could
be better than to rest for eternity in the primordial consciousness of existence,
which is filled with love and truth?

150 Ibid., v. 1907.

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Immortality and Longevity Through Yoga in the Tirumantiram 33

Acknowledgments

I am thankful to Yohanan Grinshpon, David Shulman, and Aakikce Egilane

Lebel for their constructive and supportive guidance with the master’s thesis
that served as a foundation for this paper. I am also grateful to Roman Sieler,
Patrick McCartney, and two anonymous reviewers whose helpful comments
helped improve the original manuscript.

Author Biography

Agi Wittich is a PhD candidate at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Her

main interests are Hinduism, yoga, and gender. As a scholar-practitioner, she
researched theory and practice in Tirumūlar’s yoga practices for her MA, while
her current dissertation explores contemporary Iyengar Yoga practices that
are women-oriented. Her latest publications include: “Iyengar Yoga for Women:
A Practicing Tradition in the Making” (Religions of South Asia 11, nos. 2–3 [2017]:
231–253) and “Changing Face of the Yoga Industry, Its Dharmic Roots and Its
Message to Women: An Analysis of Yoga Journal Magazine Covers, 1975–2020”
(Journal of Dharma Studies 3, no. 1 [2020]: 31–44).

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