The Saint-Scientist Vallalar has a precise answer for what you came here for, which is animals have spirits. Itβs a question that can feel deeply personal, and the answer has consequences for how we choose to live. This article explains Vallalarβs teaching on the souls of all living beings, why he considered this a spiritual law, and how it forms the absolute foundation for a life of grace. Many traditions address compassion for animals as a virtue, but Vallalar presented it as a non-negotiable, scientific principle for spiritual evolution. To understand why this distinction matters, we need to look at the man who documented it.
The Life and Teachings of Vallalar
Ramalinga Swamigal, known as Vallalar, was a 19th-century Tamil mystic whose collected writings, the Thiru Arutpa, remain one of the most extraordinary spiritual records ever produced. His life was filled with remarkable feats β though he dismissed anything supernatural, insisting that everything he did was a science. He established a center for feeding the poor that has operated continuously, without interruption, for over 150 years. On January 30, 1874, accounts from those present record that he locked himself in a room in Mettukuppam and was never seen again β his body never found. This event is documented by government records and by British Collector John Henry Garstin.
Jeeva Karunyam: The Science of Compassion for Every Soul
Vallalarβs central teaching is Jeeva Karunyam. The name itself contains the doctrine. Jeeva is a term for the soul, the conscious life-principle, or a living being. Karunyam means compassion or mercy. The teaching is not βcompassion for beings,β but more precisely βcompassion for souls.β This distinction is critical.
For Vallalar, the soul was not an abstract concept or something exclusive to humans. He taught that every living being, from the smallest insect to the largest mammal, possesses a Jiva. This soul is, in its fundamental essence, identical to the human soul. Both are particles of the divine, seeking to return to their source.
Therefore, causing pain, fear, or death to any living being is not merely an unkind act. It is a direct injury to a soul. Vallalar taught that this act creates a dense, karmic barrier that blocks the divine grace-light, or Arut Perum JΕti, from entering a personβs own system. Compassion was not a moral preference; it was a prerequisite for spiritual progress.
Do animals have spirits? Vallalarβs Unambiguous Answer
When asked if animals have spirits, Vallalarβs answer was absolute: yes. They possess a Jiva, a soul, which experiences fear, pain, and the will to live just as humans do. He saw no hierarchy of souls, only different physical forms and levels of consciousness through which the soul expresses itself. This was not a sentimental position but a doctrinal one with clear, practical consequences.
To knowingly cause suffering to a being with a soul is to obstruct oneβs own path to the divine. This is why Vallalar was one of historyβs most uncompromising advocates for a plant-based diet. He taught that eating meat is a direct participation in violence and terror inflicted upon a soul. The fear and pain of the animal at the moment of death are consumed along with its flesh, creating a state of spiritual agitation and density in the person who eats it.
In his text Nithya Karma Vidhi, he provided detailed guidance on a diet that supports spiritual clarity. This diet excludes not only meat but also certain plants that he identified as agitating to the system. The goal was to create a body pure enough to receive and hold the divine grace-light, a process that must begin by refusing to inflict violence on other living souls.
The Soul as the Foundation for a Deathless Body
Vallalarβs teaching on compassion is not an end in itself. It is the mandatory foundation for the ultimate goal of his path, Suddha Sanmarkkam: the complete transformation of the physical body into a body of light. He documented three distinct stages of this process.
The first stage is the Suddha Deham, or Pure Body. This is achieved through the unwavering practice of Jeeva Karunyam and a pure, plant-based diet. Vallalar taught that none of the more advanced techniques can take root without Jeeva Karunyam β active compassion that prevents suffering in other living beings. By ceasing to cause harm and purifying the body, the practitioner becomes receptive to grace.
The second stage is the Pranava Deham, or Primal Body. As the grace-light fills the purified physical form, the body becomes increasingly subtle, luminous, and free from decay. This stage is fueled by devotion and the constant recitation of the Mahamantra: AruαΉ Perum JΕti β AruαΉ Perum JΕti β TaαΉi Perum KaruαΉai β AruαΉ Perum JΕti. (The Vast Grace-Light. The Vast Grace-Light. The Incomparable Great Compassion. The Vast Grace-Light.)
The final stage, which witness accounts attribute to Vallalar himself, is the Gnana Deham, or Wisdom Body. In this state, the physical form dissolves entirely into the divine grace-light, achieving a deathless state. This concept of physical dematerialization is rare but has parallels, such as the βrainbow bodyβ documented in some Tibetan Dzogchen traditions. For Vallalar, this ultimate attainment was impossible without first recognizing the sacredness of the soul in every living thing.
A Concrete Action: Witness a Soul Today
Vallalarβs teaching moves from the doctrinal to the deeply practical. To put this into practice today, take one simple action. Instead of seeing an animalβa bird on a wire, a dog on the street, an insect on a leafβas a generic object, look at it for thirty seconds.
See it as a being with its own life, its own awareness, and its own desire to live without fear. Recognize that a soul, a Jiva, is looking back out at the world through those eyes. This small shift in perception is the first step in practicing Jeeva Karunyam. It costs nothing, but it is the start of seeing the world as Vallalar did: a living ocean of souls, all worthy of compassion.
You came here for animals have spirits and found something worth reading. Want much more?
The Sanmarkkam Journey delivers free teachings, health guidance, and translations of Vallalarβs works, directly to your inbox. We take you by hand, at your own pace.
No pressure, no selling. Just value. Unsubscribe with one click. Join the Sanmarkkam Journey
Want Vallalar's wisdom
delivered free to your inbox?
All directly to your favourite email inbox.
We take you by hand, at your own pace. Step-by-Step.
- Free E-book: Jeevakarunyam Ozhukkam β Vallalar's Guide to Compassionate Living IMMEDIATE DOWNLOAD
- Free E-books, translations & commentaries
- Free health tips from Vallalar's manuscripts
- Free community
- Free Emporium items
- & Much More π
π―οΈ Welcome to the Journey
Look for an email from international@sanmarkkamlife.org. Check your inbox, spam folder and Promotions tab. Your first teaching and your free e-book are on their way.
π We hate Spam. No Pressure. 0 Selling or Pitching.
1 Click Unsubscribe any time.
Privacy Policy Β· Sanmarkkam Life APS Β· GDPR compliant