Four kinds of knowers as Thirumoolar says

How many ways of knowing are there! The great mystic of Siva, Thirumoolar speaks about many types of knowers.

Some knowers are like rainy water. They are always reductive. They reduce everything to mundane level and interpret accordingly. Some are like pearl-divers. They dive in one place and go on exploring in one square. Some are like winds. When knowing they go about vast areas, without staying-put anywhere. They like to spread and spread always. May be their grasp of anything is shallow. Some are really knowers with clarity. They are precise and clear in their understanding.

So as per Thirumoolar we can classify knowers into four types. Rainy-knowers, Diving-knowers, Windy-knowers and Clear-knowers. Shall we say the formula is RDWC? 

Rainy-knowers - thaLi arivaaLar
Diving-knowers - kuLi aRivaaLar
Windy-knowers - vaLi aRivaaLar
Clear-knowers - theLi aRivaaLar

Sri Thirumoolar says Rainy-knowers (thaLi aRivaaLar) are like rain-water which always flow towards low levels. For them the Ultimate Truth looks always banal and materialistic.

Diving-knowers (kuLi aRivaaLar) concentrate always in one point and one angle and they lose sight of the whole.

Windy-knowers (vaLi aRivaaLar) always go about roaming and blowing here and there, around. So they may by chance get at the Truth, perhaps. May be they may not hold on to that.

Clear-knowers (theLi aRivaaLar) are those who are in grasp of the Ultimate Truth. The Truth resides in their thought.

First I will give my attempt in translating the verse and then the original.

For the Rainy-knowers It appears as if mundane and reductive
For the Diving-knowers the Whole Truth evades their grasp
For the Windy-knowers perhaps by chance they may come across
For the Clear-knowers He the Ultimate Truth resides in their thought.
(Thirumanthiram, 51 Theertham, 510, pp 74, Saiva Siddhanta Mahasamajam, 1940)

தளியறி வாளர்க்குத் தண்ணிதாய்த் தோன்றும்
குளியறி வாளர்க்குக் கூடவும் ஒண்ணான்
வளியறி வாளர்க்கு வாய்க்கிலும் வாய்க்கும்
தெளியறி வாளர்தம் சிந்தையு ளானே.

(This is just my attempt in understanding the verse. Great scholars can kindly excuse.)

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