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Is the Body Intelligent Or the Soul?

Prayer of the Day

Prayer from Thiruvarutpayan (திருவருட்பயன்) 

 

அருளது நிலை

ஊன் அறியாது ஒன்றும்; உயிர் அறியாது ஒன்றும்; இவை
தான் அறியாது, ஆர் அறிவார் தான்?   33

Song as Romanized text

 
aruLathu n-ilai

Un aRiyAthu onRum; uyir aRiyAthu onRum; ivai
thAn aRiyAthu Ar aRivAr thAn.    33

Meaning of the Prayer Song:

 Body does not know anything;
Soul does not know anything;
If these do not, who is it that knows?

 Notes: 

1.  ஊன் அறியாது ஒன்றும் 
Body does not know anything. 
Body is not intelligent on its own.
Body even though having the instruments to know,
cannot know anything unless something else 
powers it to know.

2.  உயிர் அறியாது ஒன்றும்  
Soul can not know anything.
Though soul, arguably intelligent in a limited way,
cannot know things on its own without having the
body and the instruments.
So, soul on its own can not know anything.

3.  இவை தான் அறியாது, ஆர் அறிவார் தான் 
If these do not, who is it that knows?
Body is unintelligent on its own; Soul though intelligent is
incapable of knowing without instruments.
If that is the case, what makes the knowing happen?
It the Grace of Lord Shiva that makes the soul know
through the body!

An interesting analogy is the bullock cart.
The cart is unintelligent to mount itself on the bull.
The bull on its own does not get under the cart.
There is a cart-man who mounted the cart on the bull
making it a useful bullock cart. 

The same way Grace mounts the body on the souls 
for the souls to experience.