The Saint-Scientist Vallalar has a precise answer for what you came here for, which is spiritual symbols of life. This article explains the three stages of bodily transformation that Vallalar documented, showing how a living person can become the ultimate expression of divine life itself. I have often found that a search like this begins with a deep and quiet curiosity. Much writing on spiritual symbols focuses on external icons or abstract concepts. Vallalarβs teaching is different: he documented a precise, repeatable science for transforming the physical body into a living symbol of divine light. To understand his claim, we must first look at the man himself.
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 still operates today, serving food to all without question, based on his central principle of compassion for all living beings. 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.
Beyond Static Icons to a Living Symbol
When we search for spiritual symbols, we often look for external objects: a cross, a lotus flower, a star. These symbols point toward a deeper reality, but they are not the reality itself. They are maps, not the destination.
Vallalarβs teaching presents a more direct possibility. He taught that the human body, through a specific and disciplined process, can cease to be a mere vessel and become the very expression of divine life. Instead of looking for a symbol of life, the practitioner becomes the symbol.
This is not a metaphor. Vallalar documented three distinct, observable stages of physical transformation. Each stage is a living milestone, a symbol more potent than any icon because it is manifested in a human being. This process moves spirituality from the realm of belief into the realm of biology.
The Three Living Spiritual Symbols of Life
Vallalar detailed a progression of bodily change in his work, Thiru Arutpa. These are not merely energetic shifts but tangible, physical transformations that mark the bodyβs increasing saturation with Arut Perum JΕti, the divine grace-light.
Suddha Deham: The Pure Body
The first stage is the Suddha Deham, or Pure Body. This is the foundation upon which all other changes are built. A person who achieves this state has a body that is perfected, free from illness, and impervious to the natural processes of aging and decay. Vallalar taught that this is accomplished through two primary practices: a completely plant-based diet as detailed in his Nithya Karma Vidhi, and the constant practice of Jeeva Karunyam, or active compassion. The body stops producing waste in the conventional sense and radiates a natural purity and light. It becomes a perfect physical instrument, a living symbol of clarity and health.
The second stage is the Pranava Deham, or Primal Body. As the grace-light continues to permeate the cells, the physical body grows increasingly subtle. Those who witnessed Vallalar in this state documented that his body became translucent and eventually ceased to cast a shadow. The physical form becomes ethereal, no longer bound by the dense laws of matter. It is a body of light and sound, visible yet not entirely physical. This Primal Body is a direct symbol of the bridge between the material and spiritual worlds, a state where a person lives simultaneously in both.
Gnana Deham: The Wisdom Body
The final stage, the Gnana Deham or Wisdom Body, is the complete dissolution of form into pure light. This is the state Vallalar is recorded to have achieved. The body does not die but is fully transformed into Arut Perum JΕti. This is the ultimate spiritual symbol: not an image of God, but a complete merger with God. The individual consciousness becomes one with the vast, intelligent light of grace. While some traditions, like Tibetan Buddhism, speak of a similar βRainbow Body,β Vallalarβs account is unique in its scientific framing and detailed documentation. This final transformation is presented in his teachings as the true, deathless destiny of a human being.
The Foundation for Transformation
Vallalar was clear that these bodily changes are not mystical accidents but the natural result of specific, daily practices. They are available to anyone who follows the path with sincerity and discipline.
The absolute, non-negotiable foundation is Jeeva Karunyam. Vallalar taught that none of these techniques can take root without Jeeva Karunyam β active compassion that prevents suffering in other living beings. This begins with the refusal to eat meat, as he taught that consuming the flesh of frightened and killed animals introduces energies of fear and death into the body, making transformation impossible. A person who eats a plant-based diet and actively works to relieve the suffering of others purifies their own physical and subtle bodies. A practitioner, after weeks of this compassionate living, might notice a new physical lightness or a clarity of mind that was previously absent. This is the first echo of the Suddha Deham.
This compassionate life is supported by the daily recitation of the Mahamantra. It is the practice of calling the grace-light into the body:
AruαΉ Perum JΕti β AruαΉ Perum JΕti β TaαΉi Perum KaruαΉai β AruαΉ Perum JΕti
This translates to: The Vast Grace-Light. The Vast Grace-Light. The Incomparable Great Compassion. The Vast Grace-Light. Chanting this mantra aligns the practitioner with the very force that powers the transformation, inviting it to saturate every cell.
One Act of Compassion Today
The path to becoming a living symbol starts with a single, conscious choice. Before your next meal, pause and consider its source. If it required the suffering and death of another living being, choose a plant-based alternative instead. This one act of Jeeva Karunyam, of refusing to participate in harm, is the first and most powerful step Vallalar taught. It is the practical beginning of the science of compassion.
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