Translated by Dr. B. Natarajan
- Song 4: Chinmayananda Guru, “Adoration to the God-Guru who is Knowledge-Bliss”
- Song 9: Sukavari, “Ocean of Bliss”
- Song 11: Satchitananda Sivam, “Siva That is Truth-Knowledge-Bliss”
- Song 14: Aahara Bhuvanam – Chidambara Rahasyam, “Pervasive Cosmic Form – Secret of the Intelligence of the Infinite Space”
- Song 16: Panmaalai, “Many the Garlands”
- Song 17: Ninaivonru, “One Thought”
- Song 26: Mandalthin, “The Magic Act on the Ground”
- Song 27: Paayapuli, "Leaping Tiger"
- Song 28: Udal Poyyuravu, “Unreal Attachment to the Body”
Song 4: Chinmayananda Guru, “Adoration to the God-Guru who is Knowledge-Bliss”
4.1
With flowers in out-stretched hand, Hair standing on end in joyous thrill, Eyes melting in love, tears streaming as a river – Thus do I not immerse myself into the fervent Sea of Mukti. And so hail You not as ”Oh! Sankara! Oh! Swayambu! Oh! Sambu!” And adore You not in faltering words of ecstatic joy; And pursue not the path of Sanmarga. When such indeed is my unholy condition Will you ever accept me in Your rapturous Grace? With the holy munis, Sanaka and the rest, Seated by Your side in prayer, You revealed the path indescribable by a single word And conferred the bliss of Svarupa *[1]. You, who is seated on the crimson lotus At the foot of the wild banyan tree. Oh! You, the Primal Source of Siddhanta Mukti. Oh! Chinmayananda Guru! Dakshinamurthi *[2]! That is seated high on the hilltop of Sivagiri. *[3]
Footnotes: [1] Nature [2] Dakshinamurti – South facing Siva Guru, who is pictured as seated on a hilltop under the wild banyan tree, imparting supreme wisdom in silentness by His hand gesture chin-mudra to the four Rishis – Santha, Sananda, Sanatha, Sanathkumara. [3] Sivagiri – Tirusira Hill – Tiruchirappalli Hill – Now known as the Rock Fort in the town of Tiruchirappalli.
4.2
How I consider the body real While it is fragile as a river bank. Such indeed is my sinful state of understanding! For me to be filled with love Of undifferentiated union in God Is indeed unto the lame of limbs To aspire for the honey at the top of the tree. When is that day to be that I am to be wrapped up in Bliss, All sentience lost? All that chariya, kriya, yoga Do not constitute Sanmarga; Let them be there. But teach me the secret of attaining The jnana great That is unseated By any faith whatever; Of that Perfection Being that is untouched By thought and speech And would plunge me into the Sea of Sweet Bliss That knows no satiety And make me sport in it And drink deep of its waters. When is that day to be That You will stand revealed to do it? Oh! You the Primal Source of Siddhanta Mukti Oh! Chinmayananda Guru! Oh! Dakshinamurti That is seated high on the hilltop of Sivagiri!
4.3
There is envy; There is anava that is I-ness in its massive fullness; There is miserliness; There is hard-heartedness, too, within. And above these are greed and other dark desires. If so, how can You that is the Truth In my sentience be? But then, are You not the Perfection Fullness Or does that have some other meaning? Oh, You, that comes unasked As the jnana sanjeevi (elixir of knowledge) To revive the jivas that are bound By the serpentine fetters of mala! Oh! The lovely Mount Meru of Divine Attributes That has risen in the midst of the land of redemption! Oh! You the Primal Source of Siddhanta Mukti! Oh! Chinmayananda Guru! Oh! Dakshinamurti That is seated high on the hilltop of Sivagiri!
4.4
You created the five elements And in them created diverse movables and immovables. You created the knowledge goodly And the Vedas and the rest of books holy. You created Saivam and other faiths innumerable. And above them all, You placed the perfect reconciliation of faiths In the silentness that transcends faiths. And yet You have not created the compassionate grace For me to approach You? Oh! You the vision that is not Vouchsafed to those In whose heart falsehood flourishes! Oh! You that appears in the Knowledge of the truthful beings As perfect fullness jnana immense That knows no coming nor going *[1]. Oh! You that is the form of pranava That is the finite finding divine! Oh! You the Primal Source of Siddhanta Mukti! Oh! Chinmayananda Guru! Oh! Dakshinamurti That is seated high on the hilltop of Sivagiri!
Footnotes:
[1] Birth and Death
4.5
When in the days gone by I realized not that this body Made of the elements five Is but a bubble on water – To eat to heart’s content, To dress in fineries And lead a life of pleasure Was the way of life appropriate – Thus I held. But when Your benevolent Grace descended on me And evoked in me the Truth, Where all these went, I know not. Other ways are now spoken too, All disagreeable to me. And if I think deep of birth and death, Unable to sleep, Day and night my eyes melt in love of You As the wax in the gold over fire. Oh! You the Primal Source of Siddhanta Mukti! Oh! Chinmayananda Guru! Oh! Dakshinamurti That is seated high on the hilltop of Sivagiri!
4.6
When in my pre-biographical state, I lay fettered in the dark chamber of anava, You released me And adorned me with the misery’s jewel (of pasa) Like a babe with eyes unopened And named me appropriately And for the illusory body That goes by the name of maya (truth) To be fortified, Fed me with the food of undying karma And created for me the play Of coming and going Across the vast grounds of universes several. And when I slipped from the path of righteousness That scriptures have laid, You got me harassed by the Messenger of Death; And thus removing my obstacles Took me to the House of Bliss That knows neither day nor night And there laid me, saying: ”Do you in accord slumber.” Thus did You perform for me. Oh! My Father who are of Cosmic Mother Form. Oh! You the Primal Source of Siddhanta Mukti! Oh! Chinmayananda Guru! Oh! Dakshinamurti That is seated high on the hilltop of Sivagiri!
4.7
In the midst of this body cavern That holds the birth seed, Me that is like copper with verdigris, You kindled the fire of jnana; And in compassion melted my being within And at the point of time appropriate You alchemized with the mercury of Grace And transformed me into gold of purest fineness And You accepted me in your service. What shall I speak of that Love Divine! You, who flourishes In the finite end of Vedanta-Siddhanta That is renowned and precious. And in the jnana of those great beings That stand in nondual state Who have accepted me in their service And had been accepted by You in Your service. And under the wild banyan tree so sacred. Oh! You the Primal Source of Siddhanta Mukti That flourished in all these! Oh! You, the Primal Source of Siddhanta Mukti! Oh! Chinmayananda Guru! Oh! Dakshinamurti That is seated high on the hilltop of Sivagiri!
4.8
With meeting nor parting none, With attachment none, With contracting nor expanding none, With attributes none, With coming nor going none, With permanent form none, With malas none, With seeking none, With divisions none as top, middle and bottom, With bindu nor nada none, With diversity none of the elements five, With knowledge none of Knower, With drooping none, With one and two none, With searching none, With having drunk deep In the Sea of Bliss of Perfection Fullness – That state indeed is the state eternal. Thus You taught me. Oh! Mauni *[1]! Oh! You, the Primal Source of Siddhanta Mukti! Oh! Chinmayananda Guru! Oh! Dakshinamurti That is seated high on the hilltop of Sivagiri!
Footnotes: [1] The silent one
4.9
Oh! Mauni! You granted me Grace beyond grace. You showed me loving compassion As of a mother. You planted Your Feet on my head. Who, knowing not that The samadhi devoid of consciousness Is the permanent state exalted; Chanted not the mantras sacred; Realized not that the states of mukti are triple; Knew not that It is Light, Void, Form and Nada sound. To vision, thus, seeing and not seeing, Alone will lead to the Finite Grace That has neither cause nor effect – Thus You taught me! Grant me Your Grace To be like Your devotees On whom Grace had descended of itself. Oh! Father! Oh! You, the Primal Source of Siddhanta Mukti! Oh! Chinmayananda Guru! Oh! Dakshinamurti That is seated high on the hilltop of Sivagiri!
4.10
You are the bodha; *[1] You have neither beginning nor middle nor end; You are holy; You are changeless; You are the Bliss that has Neither coming nor going; You are the Perfection that is the soul’s refuge; Yet it is Your Grace that Obfuscates my knowledge And keeps me away From seeking You. And again it is Your Grace That dispels my ignorance And reveals jnana to me. If so, what is it this poor soul Can call its own knowledge? Or what is the harm that comes to him For lack of knowledge? What is karma? And what is the body That comes to consummate that karma? Nothing, nothing is there of my own volition. Will you not lend your Grace And dispel the doubts that baffle me Of this world and the next And accept me in Your service? Oh! You, the Primal Source of Siddhanta Mukti! Oh! Chinmayananda Guru! Oh! Dakshinamurti That is seated high on the hilltop of Sivagiri!
4.11
Standing in the path of bhakti, Circumambulating the world Of nine continents in devout pilgrimage; Bathing in seas And plunging into rivers; Standing in penance amidst roaring flames With neither food nor water; Quelling the gnawing hunger With withered leaves, water and air; Sitting in silentness; Retreating in inaccessible caves; Purifying the ten nadis; Sending up the kundalini fire with prana Into the moon’s circle And containing them there; Oh! You, the Primal Source of Siddhanta Mukti! Oh! Chinmayananda Guru! Oh! Dakshinamurti That is seated high on the hilltop of Sivagiri!
Song 9: Sukavari, “Ocean of Bliss”
9.1
Sweet ambrosia, ripe, rich fruit, Treacle and candy of sugar and honey – Thus You of Yourself gave me The delicious joys sweet. Constantly do Your devotees melt in love and seek – Their thoughts shaken, words broken, Body exhausted, mind swooning, Truly experience in their inner being Your Grace of heavenly love So difficult to experience. A maiden in time appropriate Will hug the love of sex Even if it be bitter as neem. Thinking of the odd thoughts she entertained, Before she met her lover, She will laugh at herself in shame. Unto it, if for this innocent fellow That is truly obedient to you, Your Grace dawns, Begun indeed is Bliss. Oh! You, the Ocean of Bliss That is Cosmic Light! The Pervasive God That is Attributeless Pure!
9.2
You followed me Who knew not the way of love. In the years of my innocence, You filled me with overflowing desire And made me mad, My senses swooning, My being exhausted, My mind confused. Did You but once Take pity on me and embrace me, Flooding my heart with waters of joy? The flower that blossoms in season, Receives fragrance and the bees, But does the bud get them? If You do not take pity on me And I remain lonesome and desolate How will I ever get the everlasting bliss That your dear devotees enjoy? Pray, speak! Oh! You, the Ocean of Bliss That is Cosmic Light! The Pervasive God That is Attributeless Pure!
9.3
My Lord! Even stone may melt at one time But not my heart. Is the Four Headed Brahma a God To create the hard heartedness That does not soften in pity? Is the saying untrue That what the Mighty lays down is law? It is for You to stand As the high heavens And rain the bliss of Your Grace And redeem me If the child is wicked Is it right for the mother to reject him? Is there any other place of refuge? If I speak false Will I not become a stranger to Grace And be graded low? No bliss is there If I clamor aloud in words. Grant me Your Grace And make me seated in silentness. Oh! You, the Ocean of Bliss That is Cosmic Light! The Pervasive God That is Attributeless Pure!
9.4
Bones melting, hair standing on end, Body softening, mind melting incessantly As wax on fire, Eyes streaming in tears as torrential rains; For Your beloved devotees Who thus swooned in love of You, You came as the elixir of life And rained waters of bliss! But me, whose heart knows no love, What for did You Take into Your vassalage? Is not the disgust for this carnal habitat, Clothed in odorous flesh, hair, skin, tendon and bone true? Will my thoughts function Believing all this to be true? To be wandering aimlessly In dire distress I will not even in dream desire For the ways of worldly life. Oh! You, the Ocean of Bliss That is Cosmic Light! The Pervasive God That is Attributeless Pure!
9.5
My body cannot stand Even water that is hot. When I run a thorn I draw it out with a sudden pull And, my eyelids closing, I seek the mercy of Your Grace. When someone says something unpleasant Alas, my countenance changing color, I stand drooping in spirit. Lord, You in Your Grace knows this! In sum, I am one given to much fear. Lord, give me not up! At any moment of time That cannot be predicted, This body that had been incarnated Is a burden to be discharged in death. It is a law that takes Its inexorable toll anywhere. Yet, I believe That for devotees like Sukhar And others of ancient tradition Divine Grace is the refuge allotted to mortals. Oh! You, the Ocean of Bliss That is Cosmic Light! The Pervasive God That is Attributeless Pure!
9.6
As you get rid of attachments all You will catch on to the Land of nondesire. From that in the yoga way When you get on to the Land of prana laya You will get rid of mind. Thus did the Mauni Of matted hairlocks, The Self-Realized One speak And teach in compassion deep For us to attain realization. Yet have I realized nothing. Nor have I not realized anything. Rocked in deep distress I splutter and falter in speech. Woman-like I shed tears in profusion. Devil-like I remain For the world around to laugh and deride at me – If to such a degenerate state You leave me, Is there anything for me to speak? Oh! You, the Ocean of Bliss That is Cosmic Light! The Pervasive God That is Attributeless Pure!
9.7
”Oh! Gold Rare! Oh! Gem Pure! My Love! My beloved Light of Knowledge! Oh! The Fountain of Joy that wells From that Knowledge”– Thus did I sing and dance, And seeking and seeking You Called aloud for You, And drooped and pined for You, And screamed for You, My hairs standing on end, My hands folded in worship, My eyes streaming tears As rains from the heaven – Thus, exhausted I swooned. Well may I be a thief of steely heart, But did I ever stand apart from You Even for awhile? From when You were, From then was I your slave, Is it not so? Even though I be but a straw And ignorant beyond measure, Is it just that You abandon me? Gather me into Your fold of devotees! Oh! You, the Ocean of Bliss That is Cosmic Light! The Pervasive God That is Attributeless Pure!
9.8
Revealing the birth of the Limitless Expanse That contains the Earth and the rest of worlds, Revealing the truth of the appetitive expanse of mind, Revealing the truth of this sinner’s nature That is immersed in the expanse of that mind, Revealing the path of thought That is devoid of state, Revealing the state of reality That is constant meditation – For You who revealed all these thus far, Will it take time to reveal The State of Transcendental Bliss? Unto countless clouds gathering And raining hard, You are the Cloud of Compassion That with flashes of lightning Fills the expanses vast And pouring the waters of Bliss Incessant beckons to your devotees. Oh! You, the Ocean of Bliss That is Cosmic Light! The Pervasive God That is Attributeless Pure!
9.9
The warring faiths contradict one another. The Maunis great, having attained nirvikalpa samadhi *[1] Do not speak at all. The Three Eyed God that teaches, Talks straight to awareness With gesture of the hand(chin mudra). My Lord! Who then there is that teaches in plain prose So that birth and death ceases And bliss uninterrupted ensues? Even the attainments reached May well be doubted by yogis as our own. And so, If I remain myself to myself And thus seek solitude, The mayaic mind is sent to test me. And how then is this slave Ever to see redemption – Pray, speak! Oh! You, the Ocean of Bliss That is Cosmic Light! The Pervasive God That is Attributeless Pure!
Footnotes: [1] Absorption into universal consciousness without thought construct or ideation.
9.10
Is it on top of this universe? Or on top of the universe yet beyond, Or in the midst of the expanse beyond and beyond, Or in the midst of fire, Or in the worship of image, That your devotees adore with flowers And a melting heart? Or is it in directions cardinal, Or in the rims of the horizon, Or in the spaces vast, Or in the sphere of luminous bindu and nada, Or in the state of Vedanta-Siddhanta, Or in the innumerable things seen, Or in the state invisible of the Void, Or in the tenses three, Or in the state of creation, Or in the devotees who have conquered The sense potencies and sense organs, Where are You seated? Will You, pray tell The secret to this slave? Oh! You, the Ocean of Bliss That is Cosmic Light! The Pervasive God That is Attributeless Pure!
9.11
When is the day I am destined to receive Your Grace – Thus my heart troubles me. What shall I say That knows no contradiction Between that which went afore and That which followed And that I receive until this day? Is it Your wish That I should be melted like wax on fire In this worldly bondage – My heart gasping in agony? Or that I should swoon again and again in despair? That attaining this Transcendent Bliss Is beyond, beyond me, You know best What You have in Your mind. You are the God That is the Light of my light. Is there anyone else? Is not this body impermanent? Will a wrecked ship Sail in the ocean’s waters As a ship worthy of a voyage? Is it proper for You Who rules knowing all To plunge me in distress? Oh! You, the Ocean of Bliss That is Cosmic Light! The Pervasive God That is Attributeless Pure!
9.12
Were You not with me constantly As Life within my body? I who are the mind and its cognate which is breath Were termed material. And You as (Chit) Spiritual – Thus did someone of yore separate us. ”From the day we heard of it unto this day, Most unjustly You suppressed And kept us under harsh rule. Any by all this What is it that You have gained” – Thus the foolish mind much abuses You, And I to be melting in fire like wax – Is this proper? In ten thousand ways have I complained to You. Yet have You not taken pity on me And conferred Your Grace. How will I now be redeemed? Pray, speak! Oh! You, the Ocean of Bliss That is Cosmic Light! The Pervasive God That is Attributeless Pure!
Song 11: Satchitananda Sivam, “Siva That is Truth-Knowledge-Bliss”
11.1
Does this Earth and its sky take up space at all? So staggering vast Is the Expanse, You are! You are the Self-Luminosity That fire, sun and moon have seen not! You are the Knowledge direct Of all life in this universe and beyond. You are All, You are One, You are Eternal, You are Unattached, You are Attributeless, You are Pure Bliss Beyond thought and word – Thus You stand unchanging. Instead of sitting in quiescence And attaining the Great Bliss, I have sought the devilish mind Like the infant that has lost its mother. Is it to turn insane? That I may not befriend that mind Grant me the abiding gift Of transcendent meditation of knowledge supreme. Oh! You Sivam That is Truth-Knowledge-Bliss! The Cosmic Principle That is Total-Fullness-Perfect!
11.2
Like unto containing the cardinal directions East and West In a tiny quartile measure is this body, Into which is shrunk the elements five. Nine the orifices it has. A walking habitat it is. Bound with odorous white tendons, bones and flesh, It is verily a mini car for the God of Love To hold his festive procession. It is a fleshy squirt That ejects liquids diverse – White, red, tears, urine and pus – A bag of foul smelling fumes. A burning ground Where flourishes the tree of desire That shoots with renewed life Every time it is cut. The gross matter unreal in the end That appears so real. When am I to realize it as ephemeral And stand as spirit eternal? Oh! You Sivam That is Truth-Knowledge-Bliss! The Cosmic Principle That is Total-Fullness-Perfect!
11.3
If I am to sing melting songs I do not have the devotional love in me. If I am to recite the Vedas And the holy Tevaram songs of the Saints Three I do not have the music in me. If I am to practice yoga a little The body does not permit it. If I am to give up food It looks like giving up life itself. If I think of performing some light kriyas I find no respite from desire ridden activities. Or if I am to seek the truth of jnana, In silentness of mauna, Numerous are the conditions required That are not consummated. Oh! You, the Flood of Ambrosia That comes to quench my thirst That arose in mature jnana! Oh! You the Peerless Greatness Rare! Oh! You Sivam That is Truth-Knowledge-Bliss! The Cosmic Principle That is Total-Fullness-Perfect!
11.4
A moment looks like an aeon. This world looks like another dream world. Such is this pleasure from woman Growing in me like the Mountain Meru! ”Do you carry this burden.” Saying this, it becomes the burden And makes me the porter And daily imparting evil counsel It robs me of all good thoughts And performs a Indrajal dance too. Thus is this mayaic mind. Is it easy to subdue it? Are You the Grace Supreme That stands as Light Divine For all those who received Your benediction? Or, are You a delusion? You are the Witness That no faith had discovered. Will You not in secret Unravel this mystery to me? Oh! You Sivam That is Truth-Knowledge-Bliss! The Cosmic Principle That is Total-Fullness-Perfect!
11.5
”Will Your Grace ever come to me?” Thus thinking, my heart yearns for You. Oh! Lord! There is no knowing for certain That these who live today Will be alive tomorrow. Tragic indeed that this body That comes forward saying ”I” Should be yielded to the God of Death! Is it good that all that I learned and heard Wandering far and near Should go to waste? I longed to sit in the solitude of silentness, Closing my eyes, And satisfying gnawing hunger when it visits By nibbling at fruits, ripe or unripe, Fallen leaves or edible roots. Oh! Swami! Do You not know this longing of mine? Oh! You Sivam That is Truth-Knowledge-Bliss! The Cosmic Principle That is Total-Fullness-Perfect!
11.6
With gates guarded by elephantine hordes Dark as cumulus clouds, With turrets and towers Reaching to the moon’s heights, Atop the couch worked with moonstone And set with gems, What avails, If with music, song and dance, They sport with damsels of pearly teeth In clusters several Plunged in passion intoxicating? Or, what avails If they stand in the path of yoga Controlling the breath In the inaccessible caves At the mountain tops in wilderness dense, Infested by lions, bears and tigers With dagger-like claws wide stretched? Only those who have attained The silentness of mauna, As sure as the amla fruit on palm Will redeemed be – This the conclusion of Sanaka and the rest of Rishis holy. Oh! You Sivam That is Truth-Knowledge-Bliss! The Cosmic Principle That is Total-Fullness-Perfect!
11.7
Of the findings of the Vedagamas, So palpable as the amla fruit on hand Is Purusarta *[1]. Of these, if mukti exalted is considered, Based on inference, intuition and experience, There is nothing higher Than transcendent samadhi. There is nothing as One and Two. But to say that neither you nor I am there is sophistry. You are there and I, too, am there with my mind. You well know the meaning of the statement – ”I am not.” Will those who know not its meaning ever know? Is the kevala state *[2] that is described Anything in comparison? Oh! You Being Great that has come to save me Through the hands of Mauna Guru That accepted me in silentness! Oh! You Sivam That is Truth-Knowledge-Bliss! The Cosmic Principle That is Total-Fullness-Perfect!
Footnotes: [1] The four objectives or paths of life: 1) Dharma 2) Wealth 3) Love 4) Liberation or mukti. [2] Primordial slumber of the soul before it is activated to incarnate in a womb.
11.8
Who will throw a stone At a tree that bears no fruit? You are God, we are devotees. It is Your Grace which taught us To be entangled in birth Through the karmic network. Those who are well fed, praise. Those who are not, abuse – This is the way of our world. That apart, your Vedic Order says, ”Those who praise you constant Will receive everlasting Grace.” After that it is not meet that I babble. If this is the path suitable For this world and that. Which then is the path exalted? You possess the maternal compassion That forgives the errors of this world. So, You grant me the Grace That my distress forever ends! Oh! You Sivam That is Truth-Knowledge-Bliss! The Cosmic Principle That is Total-Fullness-Perfect!
11.9
If I am to be born again, Grant this monster this boon: ”Let this body become imperishable, The fire in muladhara rising To the mystic moon sphere And my mother, kundalini, bringing me up As an infant in her bosom.” If my destiny is not to be born again, ”Let me in this very existence Be consigned to the Cosmic Mother With incense flame of camphor glowing And be redeemed.” That indeed is better by far. Is there any other alternative than these? If there is, it is beyond this little one. You, the Primal Source of jnana mukti! Oh! You Sivam That is Truth-Knowledge-Bliss! The Cosmic Principle That is Total-Fullness-Perfect!
11.10
If I ask Brahma the Creator, ”How is it that you decreed thus?” He will say: ”It is your karma.” But that karma cannot talk, For it is the product of the mind. And if I search the mind We will be left only with bodha (consciousness). If we search the bodha We will see that bodha emanates from You. This is not false. All the holy scriptures Say unvarying that You are all, You are the Support and the Supported. And so, You are the Dancer And the one who makes me dance, too, In this world below. You are the Grace. You are the munificent Lord of silent jnana, too. Oh! You Sivam That is Truth-Knowledge-Bliss! The Cosmic Principle That is Total-Fullness-Perfect!
11.11
Whether I seek the cool shades of the goodly bower Laden with fragrant flowers, Whether I drink deep of the clear, cool waters, Whether I sport in those waters, Whether I take my gentle stroll on the terrace With damsels of soft fragrance, Whether I delight in the white beams of moonlight That is bright as day, Whether I taste of delicious food of varied dishes, Sweet as ambrosia of the mythical milky ocean, Whether with fragrant garland, Betel leaf and areca nut, I sleep and sleep not sporting in delights, In all, all situations, May I think of your Grace, Never, never forgetting it! This boon do You grant And save this forlorn creature! Oh! You Sivam That is Truth-Knowledge-Bliss! The Cosmic Principle That is Total-Fullness-Perfect!
Song 14: Aahara Bhuvanam – Chidambara Rahasyam, “Pervasive Cosmic Form – Secret of the Intelligence of the Infinite Space”
14.1
Oh! You, the Protector of life Of Your dear devotees, Who received the Cosmic Yoga Grace Through the single word (OM) And the Cosmic Form entire becoming total Bliss! Oh! You the True Friend to me, too! Unto the fragrance in the full blown blossom That opened its mouth as the musical cymbal, You have pervaded the body and the rest of tattvas, Radiant as the Mountain of Divine Bliss!
14.2
You stand as the Life of life Of countless species of lives. You are the abiding source of Bliss. You are beyond the reach of measuring. You are the intelligence That sparkles separate in beings all. You are the Real-Unreal That knows no beginning and end. You the God of the Temple of Grace! That I may not in distress be Like the deer that had strayed from the flock You seated me among Your beloved devotees And elevated me. Oh! You the Most Elevated of all! The solid essence of Bliss fruit, That of itself ripened In the tree of Grace Divine!
14.3
You! The Flood of Bliss Supreme That made me scorn all riches As but dust. You! The Treasure that said: ”All the power of silentness Is for this path And so go to it.” You! That transcended The part frontiers of harsh Mayaic Void And yet remained the undiminished Whole! You! The Primal Love Into which flows all the million, million faiths As do the countless, countless rivers Into the bosom of the ocean.
14.4
You flourish With neither beginning nor end, With neither source nor termination, The holy scriptures wailing, Unable to find You yet! The diverse faiths wandering still In search of You And the polemicists of mountainous proportions Turning into monsters of contention. Yet, You revealed Yourself to us Under the shade of the North banyan tree With Your chinmudra gesture of jnana In silentness enduring. You the Compassionate One That bears the crescent on Your head! You the Purity of Life Eternal!
14.5
Beginning with Immaculate Purity You possess all the attributes That the hundred and eight Upanishads ascribe to You, And even more. You are farther and farther still. You are the Source of Compassionate Grace. You are with us. You are immanent in us. You are extrinsic to us. You are the Witness of Grace That we see. You are our Protector. You are the Attributeless Sea In whom we find nothing but kindness, Even if it be for a moment brief.
14.6
Oh! You are one and many! You are light, space and forms. You are good, bad and indifferent. You are untouched by creation and destruction. You are the present, the future and the past. ”You, our Father, our Master.” For them who yearn for You calf-like, You are the mother cow. You that come and bless us quick. Oh! The Expanse Vast of Compassionate Grace!
14.7
Oh! You, the Juice of Fruit That the Tree of Grace bore, The sugarcane, honey, ambrosia and my eye! The Object that gives All objects rare! The Perfection that knows No separation from compassion! You, the Life that is holy! Becoming the thought within thought, Ordaining time and space And adding tattvas to it, You make all life dance. Oh! Being Holy, listen to my prayer meek!
14.8
The celestials, Indra their king and the rest, The seven rishis *[1] – Narada and the rest – That are experts in Veena, The Countless Siddhas, The Kings of the earth like Manu and the rest, The Munis that are versed in Rig and other Vedas, Did not all these Guided firm by goodly sense, Through this Faith attain Siddhi and Mukti for this world to see And for any one in it, As palpable as the amla fruit In the hollow of the palm?
Footnotes: [1] Differently enumerated – said to have been transferred as the Ursa Major or Great Bear in the sky. [2} The Indian lute of seven strings.
14.9
The faiths numberless, All, all say: ”Our God alone is God.” Those who thus contend unnatural And those who following them Elaborate their doctrine And like Hanuman Expound them at length, Thus in fact there is nothing as untrue And nothing as true as between them, Even for those to whom To see all are one is anathema. This faith is in accord and accord not. Thus is it of its nature, So all faiths revere.
14.10
Unchanging ever in its contents, Possessing the path of eight limbed yoga, Teaching the way of love to bliss, Becoming the procession of fruitful ideas, Gently showing the graded path to the Goal Supreme, Adored by Mantra, Siksha and the rest of Vedic limbs, With doctrine of silentness as the crowning jewel In the diadem of the head. Thus is seated Vaidika Saivam in royal state. How very beautiful indeed!
14.11
Ah! How very wonderful it is! Unto this Faith There is none today That wise men in justness approve; For those who perform Anima *[1] and other occult Siddhis, For those tapasvis great, Who in Silentness firm remain, And the several, several others, Including those who have enjoyed the pleasures The celestial king, Indra, is a heir to, For them all, There is none other the refuge than this. None. This alone the faith That can show the way to Grace Like heavenly Kalpaka Tree of unlimited bounty. This alone, the path of Sanmarga. *[2]
Footnotes: [1] Becoming as small as an atom. [2] The highest or the fourth path of jnana.
14.12
The meaning of sanmarga jnana And the meaning of conventional religion as identical, We do not see in many other religions. When we peer into the Dance Hall of Tillai What is the religion there? All is but expanse. Thus do men of all religions Come and worship there. Even in me that is stony hearted, Rapture wells up as I see it.
14.13
Oh! You are the same God as seen from without And as gleaned from inside the sacred lore. You are the Wisdom Perfection That knows no length, nor breadth, nor height. You are the Everlasting. Likes and dislikes, Nearness and repulsion – All these qualities and measurements As well as categories Such as mind, speech and deed Are not for You. In You are the conjoint, the inseparate, The intrinsic and the extrinsic at once.
14.14
You are the Purity That is proven by objectivity and by inference. You are the Center of all things. You are the Bliss that is espoused by diverse Saktis. You are the Life of life, ever existent. Yet, how is it the darkness of desire, maya and karma Attached themselves to lives all? And how is it, in compassionate endeavor, A Sakti descended as Grace? And what is this nature that is I-ness?
14.15
As the hauteur that is ”I” Affects and harasses you, The maya that pertains to the world Takes diverse forms and pursues you, As flesh, body, organs external and internal, As sky, wind, fire, water and earth, As mountain and forest, Thus is the ocean of sorrow That grows out of this – Who can describe indeed?
14.16
Sights visible, as mountain after mountain, Sights not visible at all to the naked eye, Forgetfulness and remembrance, Sorrows and joys that come as waves from the ocean of maya, And the karmas they bring in their train, And the numerous faiths to end them, And their respective gods, And their devotees, And the numerous paths that claim to be their witness, And the doctrines and logic behind them, Oh, how many, how many are they? Well may the sands of the sea, Easier reckoned be!
14.17
All that are rare to see Will of themselves occur en masse. And to show that all these Are but transient and illusory Like the camphor mountain in blaze – He comes. Eating and sleeping, Experiencing sorrows and joys And possess of habitation and the rest, As unto me He takes the form. And as with deer the deer is trapped He comes as the compassionate Mauna Guru To cleanse me of my impurities.
14.18
Coming thus He takes hold of my body, life and possessions In his own hands And following the adhava path *[1] He points out: “You are not the five senses. You are not the five elements. You are not the several organs. You are not the gunas Nor are you this body And the knowledge and ignorance That pertain to it. You partake the nature of that around you. You are unto the crystal That reflects whatever is near to it. You are the chit That awaits its bonds to sunder – And I am the Teacher who imparts the wisdom Appropriate to your ripeness.”
14.19
If you desire to be enlightened, Transported into bliss, Attain the everlasting state And reach the all pervasive Goal Absolute, That is the Temple of Compassion, I shall tell you in order What you should do. Listen. “May you reach the heart and state That knows no attributes and so live long! May all the dense ignorance lifting, Let you attain knowledge bliss! May your bonds break asunder!”
14.20
He imparted the silent way of true knowledge Of sundering the bonds. That way is devoid of thought, Devoid of I-ness, Devoid of space, time and direction, Devoid of attachment, separation and the rest, Devoid of speech, Devoid of day and night appearance, Devoid of end, beginning and middle, Devoid of inside and outside, Devoid of things all.
14.21
”Devoid, devoid” does not mean Nothing there is. There it is, natural and ever Indescribable is that nature, Appearing not as ”I” and ”You,” Form manifestness that comprehends all; Consuming all ignorance Like the day that has consumed darkness Himself successful Consuming your own knowledge And making you as Your. As Light within In silentness will He shine.
14.22
Nothing will it permit to appear Except it be of its own essence. Even if one appears It will disappear like the flame of camphor Without another land of its own to lodge. The knower devoid of knowledge And the object of knowledge Will slip and slip not away. Oh! Who shall relate its greatness to whom? He that has become It, That alone can say.
14.23
If you say ”it,” The question arises ”what.” And so giving up ”it” totally King Janaka, Rishi Sukha and others Lived like the bee that drank of the nectar. This is the nature of Godhead. As You accepted me in Your service Grant me the Grace To attain the supreme bliss Through transcendental samadhi! Without reaching this goal I will not sleep, I will not do work any.
14.24
All thought of You In this world and next, I shall make a picture of You And mount the thorny fiber-horse In the classical Madal *[1] way, Vowing never to dismount until You accept me. I will cry aloud for You, saying: ”Will You not come? You the Lord of my life?” Encircling me from directions several, You made me all Your own. Letting myself not investigate And knowing further, Like the wounded at heart I wept in silence, Shedding tears in profusion. Sighing and sobbing So did I stand transfixed.
Footnotes: [1] A poem figuratively describing a disappointed lover riding on a thorny palmyra leaf stalk.
14.25
To the horror of Your devotees That have attained jnana and have tasted bliss, Becoming one with You, Some espoused faiths that taught cruel ways. Them I made think clear And turned them back. I sought forest, sea and mountain In search of fruits, weeds and withered leaves That I may eat to keep life going. Straight seeking the mystic moon’s beams as goal, I lie agitated, Like the tower crest of a temple Fallen at the portal front.
14.26
How shall I speak of His greatness? You, night and day! He made you come so regular, Failing never. You, wind! By whom are you blowing? By whom are you circling incessant? Pray, speak! You, the clouds that pour! What is it that you specially perform Which makes you rain bounteous Like the mercy of my Lord! Pray, speak!
14.27
Oh! You Expanse Vast That defies thought! You are pervasive full. But what will be the nature of that Which will at our terminal be? Pray, speak! Oh! You Earth! What will it be like At your end? Will not the serpent king, Sesha, That is of perfect awareness, The Truth reveal? Pray, speak! Oh! You Scriptures! Do you not reveal the Truth Equally to all? What is it that is your finding? Pray, speak!
14.28
Oh! You, the ocean Of indescribable dimension That extends your wavy hands And roars incessant! Who is it that placed you Surrounding this globe Without banks any? Pray, speak! Oh! You, the green parrots of the wild! Oh! You, the bees of striped wings That resort to the lotus! Oh! You, the swans! Has not carrying message been What you have been doing All this time? Have you ever seen and talked To the Great Object that is Perfection? Pray, say for once!
14.29
Foolish I am, unto one, Who wishing to drive away the elephant Makes motions of it with his hand inside a pot. Hoping to unite indissolubly with You, I dissolve salt in water, burn camphor in fire, And stand disappointed! When You, the Being Supreme of compassion great were, Then was I, too. But only to me are the bonds of Anava, karma and the rest. Did not thus limiting me, The holy scriptures speak even then?
14.30
From that day to this What did the millions and millions That were born get? Except to perish in sorrow? Not until this day has mukti been attained. When this body is not to be, I do not know. So even now, Will you not accept me – This vile cur – in your service That my distress be wiped out? You, the Lord of Sikali! You, of Navalur That went as messenger to get gold! You, that hailed Your devotee as ”Our appa!” You, the Lord Of the treasure house of compassion limitless!
14.31
You, Vadavur Deva! You, Tirumula Deva! You, Siva Vakya Master, That came to kindle the desire for mukti In men of this world! You, Arunagiri of fame great That taught the way of Obtaining Grace, sitting impassive! You, the Saints great – Thus I invoke them all. Thus I stand transfixed, Like the faultless image painted That my sorrows indescribable vanish Before I relate them full.
14.32
Is there none like the peerless Sukhar To inquire why, why – so I ask. Will not a silentness be born That destroys difference and nondifference? Will not the Lord that Observes the grand silentness Under the wild banyan tree Come to see the world for once – Thus my thoughts running I became like the yearning cow. I pined like the love stricken maiden. It is your duty to understand and protect me. This I say again and again.
14.33
Long may Your Grace live! Long may Your Nature live Into which is fused time, space and matter! Long may the tradition of love live That espouses holy faiths like Saivam And transcends those faiths, too! Long may that Compassion live That made this humble one Petition thus as length! Long may the Supreme Guru At the foot of the banyan tree live! Long may Your devotees Of infinite Grace live!
Song 16: Panmaalai, “Many the Garlands”
16.1
Garlands many are there for Your worship. But those who have realized their selves Knew Your partiality for garland of songs. And so the goodly souls in numbers sang Your praise. Knowing their excellence I, too, the ignorant one, sang. Tears flowing in continuous stream I, your vassal, stood praising You ever. Knowing my distress – Beckon You to me saying, ”Come, come” And unite me into You. You, my Lord of compassion holy!
16.2
Not a word of kindness have I. Charity know I none. Never have I shed tears Or trembled in fear In response to my feelings. Oh! You, who are my soul Master! I am Your slave. And is it for me alone This confrontation with Twin karmas *[1], the three gunas *[2], Four karanas *[3], The five senses *[4], Lust and the rest of the six *[5], The eight attachments *[6] that assail This forlorn man, more and more? You, of Ninefold Form*[7]!
Footnotes: [1] Good and evil deeds. [2] Sattvam — equanimity, tamas — passivity, rajas — activity [3] 1) mind 2) intellect 3) will 4) egoity [4] 1) taste 2) sight 3) touch 4) sound 5) smell [5] 1) lust 2) hatred 3) miserliness 4) greed 5) obstinacy 6) vengefulness [6] 1) lineage 2) beauty 3) youth 4) learning 5) wealth 6) power 7) generosity 8) liberty [7] 1) Brahma 2) Vishnu 3) Rudra 4) Maheshwara 5) SadaSiva 6) Sakti 7) Sivam 8) Nada 9) Bindu
16.3
You, the Formless One That gave all forms. You, the Pure Heavenly Being! You, Mauna Guru That has girded up Your loins To destroy the mind’s maya of this forlorn soul! Oh, my God! That my impurities vanish, That the waters of bliss flood me, That Your Grace descend on me, Do You place Your feet on my head! You, the Life Cosmic That has neither head nor foot!
16.4
I realized that all life is an illusion. But having realized it I did not look beyond for a way out, But remained here depressed. What is this delusion If this way is now blocked, The way further beyond will also be blocked. Is this fate? Or your play? Or this poor soul’s fault? Pray, speak! No more can I in vain distress suffer. Oh! You, who creates, preserves and destroys all!
16.5
Why did You place in me This ego that says I, I? Why did You place in me The karma, good and bad, And in between the burden of this fleshly body? Why did You place in me the life, too? Indestructible, Pervading itself the cosmic universe entire In all its diverse manifestations, As the nectar of the bliss of jnana, As milk, fruit, treacle of sugarcane And candy of sugar You taste sweet, sweet exceeding.
16.6
However much I center on You, However close I approach You, You are not the Being for me to comprehend. Nor do I have the steadfastness To love You intense enough For You to have compassion for me. Yet this hardhearted man needs a way out. To be thus ever will do no good to me. I am but like a child That is drawn to whoever hugs it. Like the goat that grazes On the tips of leafy bunches, Superficial is my learning and listening, That but confuses me dire.
16.7
I will not seek refuge Of anyone but You. All the learning and listening I had indulged in this world affirm that. You are the Sure Support That is beyond all learning and listening. You are the Compassionate Mother! You are the Nadhanta Cosmic Being That is Bliss! You, that have Narayan *[1] and the rest as kindred! You that is the Radiant Golden Hill!
Footnotes: [1] Same as Vishnu
16.8
As triple forms *[1] stately, As formless, As the flame of divine wisdom, You stood dancing in faiths six entire. Who is it that can peer Through the veil of maya And know You? You, the Guru That can in bliss dance On the arena of loving hearts That think of You! You, the apple of my eye! You, the elixir of life! You, the sea of chin mudra! That of yore taught the silent wisdom To the Four, sitting under the banyan tree! You, the Lord of celestials!
Footnotes: [1] Creator, preserver and destroyer.
16.9
In Your visage, Calm and motionless as the waveless sea, That glows in compassion like melted gold, For the universe entire, I have not seen The sweetness of compassion for me Unto this day. Will it ever appear If I speak a few rough words? When shall it be That You make this insincere one Sit in transcendental samadhi Of Bliss supreme?
16.10
When will the day be That I become Your vassal? When will the day be That I get redemption? Was not this poor creature’s thoughts But confused until this day? Was it ever clear? From the day You gave The one Word for me To vision clear in silentness, Beyond the little whiff of rapture, There was nothing As the flood of Bliss That comes welling up spontaneous. Far, far have I wandered. Only by the bliss Of the constant thought of you, I live.
Song 17: Ninaivonru, “One Thought”
17.1
To be thinking not any thought Is transcendental meditation they say. That is the state of grace. Grace comes from meditation. It is the state of absence of self-consciousness. The state of Grace kindles Bliss. The nature of Bliss is Bliss itself. Beyond it is nothing. Only those who have attained that Bliss Have become birthless. All the rest is known As wife, children, relations And other tainted attachments. In a word, They are but expressions of desire.
17.2
The one Word expands into several. ”That one Word will dispel impurities Sure, it will.” The statement thus made by Guru Is the beacon light. All the rest is to play the game of dice Without the board. See, You! None other the caused word you have. You were illumined with words sweet as sugar cane. Every word increasingly sweet And you saw that with your own eyes. None the word more here for you to be given. Do you stand as the Being Uncreated That leaves You not And as the Golden Arena that is Bliss filled?
17.3
That this perishable body Is evanescent, you saw. But is not the Loving Grace enduring? But you did not learn to possess it permanent. They why did you learn at all? All that you learned is folly All that you learned is folly – That you even then saw! No use in words. Seize the goal of words And like the monkey, Having seized it, Cling to it tenacious And proclaim it loud That all may know. Know that the Void Without night and day Is our place rightful.
17.4
Seeking position, power and pelf You are constantly running about. And like the dog that strays into the monastery, You are perplexed, driven from post to pillar. Now you are caught! Come hither! Do not be scared away by the foolish heart. Here is the place where nondesire abides ever. In this land, if you stand firm in your object, All worlds will throng to you and obey your commands. Those who stood thus were Sanaka and the rest of beings holy. Do You, who are bound, kick the elephant in musth, Strive, so the fetters of your Pasas are unshackled fast!
17.5
This world and the rest of the universe Are like the mirage in the desert. You have seen this already! See the end of all these. Did anything finally survive? Only the Reality that is inscrutable survives. Be you That and be you There. Wherever you be, you will become That. Even out of curiosity Do not imagine something else and blabber not. Do not vacillate in your thoughts. Do not adopt anything as your goal Without deep thought. Everything will end in Truth, If Truth you seek.
17.6
Thinking it is Truth Do not let your thoughts go after something else. Even as you were taught by the Renunciate Great – Who, pure as the moon bereft of its dark patches, Renounced all, And immaculate in thought became. Plunge yourself in the ocean of Expanse Vast That knows no night or day. And devour the substance of Bliss in profusion, With mouth none to describe its sweetness, With tears welling in continuous streams And body trembling in excitement divine, Bowing low, do you proclaim To the accompaniment of jnana drum ”False is this world, false is this world.”
17.7
Embrace the Expanse Vast That knows neither beginning nor end nor middle. You will have the blissful thought of oneness with God. The entire people will be blessed. Nothing you will want, All your endeavors will succeed. Nothing wanting, nothing full, You may sport in the company of the wise That have attained Grace Like the glow of the morning dawn. You will not in that vain rapture be, which comes Even if all the earth and heaven are given to you. Instead, you will partake of the nature Of children, madmen and ghouls.
17.8
Neither coming nor going, Ever the same, Rendering the Expanse Vast, Consuming the elements, sky and the rest, And melting as heated wax The heart that is stony, steely or wooden – Into waters of Bliss! Is it like sugar cane or candy, Or sugar, or treacle, or honey, Or juice of ripe, rich fruit How it tastes? Only those who have spiritually blossomed know. Will the bud shed fragrance? Will the virgin know the sweetness of sex love? Will those unripe in spiritual understanding Realize the sweetness of divine experience?
17.9
As the world by itself can have no beginning, There should be one Master Spirit Who creates it and protects it. Thus was that inference born. What the state of that Being First At the end of aeons would be Is beyond us to infer. Thus was silentness postulated by the mind. But is not the mind a material object? Be not dismayed thus: He who taught the actual Truth was the Guru. Without his Grace, nothing there is.
Song 26: Mandalthin, “The Magic Act on the Ground”
26.1
Like the breathtaking magic feat, Performed on the ground, Of piling in empty space, Universes upon universes With their cardinal elephants and all, Is the wonder that He has done To make the countless orbs hang In the infinite space of His Mercy. Inestimable it is by anyone indeed.
26.2
The logic of silentness realized By those who reached the Seventh Land of Yoga *[1] That is beyond the counts of One and Two usually spoken of, The Fullness that is perfect, The One Being without none other, The Beginning of all else, The Bliss that is unchanging and everlasting, The Peace that is the state of coolness soothing.
Footnotes: [1] The seven Lands of Yoga and those who reach them are enumerated thus: 1) Subeccai – Those who have renounced bad associations. 2) Vicaranai – Those who have learned the holy scriptures. 3) Danumanasi – Those who have renounced the three basic desires – land, woman and gold. 4) Satvapatti – Those who have realized jnana. 5) Asanjatti – Those who have performed tapas. 6) Patarta Bhavanai – Those who have transcended illusions. 7) Turiyakai – Those who have become Siva.
26.3
Revealing the reward of Grace That is feet of jnana To those who have transcended the states three *[1], Everlasting, unsupported, witnessing all, As the Beginning of beginnings, Transcending varietal differences all, Piercing the darkness of ignorance, As Purity Immaculate, The Ocean of Bliss, The faiths six have in vain sought to reach, The Life that is Silentness Supreme.
Footnotes: [1] 1) Thompadam (jiva turiyam), 2) Tatpadam (para turiyam), 3) Asipadam (Siva turiyam)
26.4
The Ocean of Bliss that all life bestowed, The goodly ambrosia, The gem rare, The gold pure, The tattva that was seated firm in my heart, The essence of advaita, The effulgent light around, The infinite space filled with light, The Bliss of ineffable sweetness, The seven worlds pervaded, The Being that is past, present and future.
26.5
The Inscrutable Expertness By itself blesses those who have self-realized; The Imperishable Manifestness Bliss (svarupa ananda) Before whose effulgence The worlds fade as flashes of lightning; The Despair of the Vedas and the countless faiths That seek to comprehend; The Holy Being adored By the celestials of the golden world And the human beings alike.
26.6
The Pervasive Siva beyond reach of adoration, The Wonder wrought by pasa’s trick That makes He and I two, The Wisdom that is seated in the unitive state, The Paraparam that is seated as on peak of Vedas In the heart of those who know not The relativity of day and night, And of remembering and forgetting, The Space of Finite Intelligence (Chit Akasha) That Bliss leaves not.
26.7
The Fruit of advaita experience, The Eternity that is yet the despair of countless scriptures, The Being free of ailments any, The One that has attributes none, The Supreme Intelligence That of itself Protects and fosters ever, Those who by His Grace vision them Constant in their thoughts, The Space that is Pure Great, The God of Bliss that is Self-Manifestness.
26.8
Oh, mind, that maya creates in diverse forms As jewels out of same gold! Your woes have ended When meditating on the Self within the Self. You have ripened and blossomed into samadhi bliss. Sure will I be redeemed by my own self. Who is there so good to me now as you? None, none. Unto God’s Grace you are, truly. Dear unto my life you are, (oh, mind).
26.9
Of all those the body incarnated None can discard You a bit, Not even Brahma and the rest of the gods. Neither heaven nor earth can do without You. It is in ignorance that they describe You as asat (unreal). You are sat (real), too – so I adulate You. You should now enter the land of Your birth So my littleness vanishes And greatness I attain. (oh, mind).
26.10
Even if you die, Out of grief of having separated from me. With whom you have consorted for long. I will worship in reverence deep The very ground where you lie; Well will I, by the grace of my Master Mauna Guru Bereft of “I” and “mine” Become His own Grace; I will attain the Siddhis eight By you will I be rid Of my sorrows entire, (oh, Mind).
26.11
With this birth will end The unending controversy of myriad births. I will attain jivan mukti *[1] that none can. Ah, ha! Can I compare you To the benevolence of rain laden clouds? Or to the garden in heaven Where the wishing tree of Kalpaka blossoms? Can I praise you greatness enough In all the seven worlds Including here below, oh, mind?
Footnotes: [1] Liberation while still alive.
Song 27: Paayapuli, “Leaping Tiger”
27.1
Even as the calf is held out as bait For the leaping leopard, Unto it have You placed me As target for the cosmic mayic horde? Whatever You ordain is alright with me. Grant but Your Grace Infinite, Mother-like, to Your devotees. You! Being Uncreated! Knowledge-Truth-Bliss!
27.2
As Being Uncreated, As Pervasive Intelligence Dancing in the spaces vast, He stands. Adored by Brahma and Vishnu is He. He granted the heavenly vision For my stony heart to melt. He crushed to dust the roots of my karma. He that is Golden Fullness.
27.3
Tapas have I performed little, False have I been at adoration of Your Feet, When will You grant Your Grace, Oh, You, Lord of Puliyur That I may join the company Of Your devotees true And showering flowers fresh And raising my hands above my head in devotion Dance and melt and be redeemed?
27.4
Oh, heart! How many days will it take For me to vision and adore my Lord? He that is our Father. He of the temple of jnana-space. He, the Pure One that is my very life. He that is the Pure Space. He that is of Bliss Form Eternal. He that is Supportless ever. He that is Blemishless.
27.5
He is the benevolent cloud That rains copious in the hearts Of those who visioned Him. He is the thunderbolt that falls On the city Of those that discard Him And that crushes our karmas, too. He is the Lord that dances Before those that adore Him. To recount all His Forms is verily To see nothing but the Vast Spaces empty.
27.6
If You who is Space Intermingle with the space of my heart, I will go about like the beaming eye And the heavenly sun that lights it up. Oh! You, possessed of the light of triple eyes That dances in the assembly of space, With Ganga’s waters dancing, With the crescent moon dancing, With matted locks dancing, Festooned in fragrant konrai blossoms.
27.7
When is it that You grant me The lifeboat of Your Feet That would save me from being drowned In the sea of passion of damsels Bedecked in fragrant flowers? ”Rise and protect us, oh, our Lord!” Thus do the celestials adore You. Oh! Father! You, Bliss Being Of Form shrouded in ashes white!
27.8
Your Form is Bliss Knowledge. Your Temple Golden is the heart of Your goodly devotees. Thus in rapture You dance in the arena of space. Oh! You, the celestial Kalpaka Tree! Unless I reach the cool shades of Your golden Feet, The sinner that I am, has no chance Of escaping the horrors Of this scorching sun of worldly maya.
27.9
Unless I realize You, Who is inseparable as my life of life And attain the state of sleep and sleep not, Is there any comfort for me? Oh! You, who created worlds all From OM *[1] that is Letters Five *[2] Guides me in ways amiable. Oh, Pervasive Siva Supreme!
Footnotes: [1] Primal sound or nada. [2] Si Va Ya Na Ma (praise be to Siva)
27.10
You, One Being that shines as Nine Forms *[1], Siva, Brahma and the rest That the scriptures speak of! When did my mind, That confers not oneness on me, But seeking solely the sinful senses, Prepare the way for recurring births? When did it dash into me Like the doe of the desert?
Footnotes: [1] 1) Brahma 2) Vishnu 3) Rudra 4) Maheshwaran 5) Sadasivam 6) Sivam 7) Sakti 8) Nadam 9) Bindu
27.11
You are the Deep Sea Into which flow the six shining faiths As unto rivers mighty! You are the Flood of Supreme Bliss That rushed and spread And seeping into the thoughts of the holy beings Of doubt free clear vision, Expanded vast into the universes countless!
27.12
Whether I walk, run or stand, Whether I lie, my thoughts undistracted, Or sit in positive body, My heart ever yearns to listen To messages of godly Grace. I shall cramp it into the mindless tub of purna (perfection) And will woo the sleep of Supreme Bliss to enfold me.
27.13
You, my heart, that thinks unthinkable thoughts! Leave off your distress. My eyes! Do you close in sleep. I swear to you, I shall attain mukti By the grace of silentness That the gracious triple-eyed God would confer. Nothing that we cannot accomplish. All good things will with us be.
27.14
”I am a primal being” – Thus was I speaking. To make me hang my head in shame He, the Primal Being, Himself in fullness appeared And conferred incomparable bliss And consumed all my sentience And made me lose my consciousness And caused the state of silentness. What more am I to say?
27.15
To me who performed neither charity nor penance You came as the Silent Sat Guru, That I may realize the truth of silentness. Compassionate indeed were You To me, so frail. Now, is it not bliss forever To my thoughts? Oh! You, the Supreme One Truth-Knowledge-Bliss!
27.16
I have no will of my own. You are the inexhaustible Treasure That dispels the blemishes of my mind. Oh! You, Being Pervasive! It is for You to come to my succor. It is for Your inseparable Grace to redeem me. Is it meet that You keep quiet in future?
27.17
Will the spacious mansion, Women, children and the rest of worldly things And treasures precious go with you When life leaves the body? Oh! Foolish mayic mind! In the future, you come here And learn of the support silentness gives, The silentness the Silent One (Mauni) firm placed in me.
27.18
This body of foul odor, The walking habitat of nine orifices, The paste that is made of rice, The fleshy chamber that holds The pot of triple impurity, The karmic horde that comes, Swelling like the flood of rivers, The mire teaming with worms – Will this dog that holds on to it Ever liberation attain?
27.19
Impermanent is the illusory world. It is the mirage of the desert – What if I know all these for truth? Can I abandon it? You, that was seated In the shade of the wild banyan tree! Oh! My Lord! My Father! My King! The Ambrosia that has eyes triple!
27.20
You, great King of triple eyes, That eternal sits with the Four (Rishis) Under the wild banyan tree, Wearing the silentness that is ambrosial; Unless You grant me The silent trance of Bliss With heart that melts in love for You, My sigh will verily be my last breath, The dananjayan *[1] that lingers before death.
Footnotes: [1] The last of the ten vayus (airs) to quit the dying body.
27.21
Tongue have I to praise You. When silentness I observe, I have the Grace Mother of silentness To protect me like a child. You, the Bliss Permanent, are there. I am there to seek Your refuge And my heart is there, Melted like wax in fire, Seeking to reach You.
27.22
Pelting stones *[1], striking with the bow on hand *[2], Praising with words sweet *[3], Adoring with tender leaves green – Thus in ways diverse Your tribe of devotees reached redemption. What shall I, bereft of love, do? You, the Gem of Guru of triple eyes That direct appeared To those who hold to nonkilling As penance true!
Footnotes: [1] Sakya Nayanar, celebrated in Periya Puranam. [2] Arjuna, who performed penance towards Siva recounted in Mahabharata. [3] Manicavacagar in Tiruvacagam.
27.23
O! My Heart ! Give up this “I”-ness; If your sentience awakens, Alas, you will have to face a new birth; Why this devilishness on your part? Stand in the way proper; You will realize The Truth-Knowledge-Bliss State unique; The eight Siddhis too, All by themselves.
27.24
Except that by words I repeatedly said ”Mauna,””mauna” (silentness), Did I ever plunge myself into the perfect trance, Losing the mind in totality? Illiterate fool that I am, What shall I do now? You, who are the Causal Factor of all worlds! You are the Omnipotent Silentness That is the Ocean of Unending Bliss!
27.25
To the foot of the Wild Banyan tree Belongs the Causal Source of Silentness That reveals the Vedas and Agamas; If that is visioned, The mercury that it mind Which moves with world and women Will see its end, And the Siddhis eight will attained be.
27.26
Having adored in humbleness The Siddha Mauni *[1], The Northern Mauni *[2] And the Sacred Firepit Mauni *[3], I attained the primary silentless three *[4], Beginning with silentness of sound. None the meditation that I know of Except the daily silentness.
Footnotes: [1] The Guru who gives upadesa. [2] The Guru Supreme – Dakshinamurti. [3] The Guru who ordains – Deeksha. [4] Silentness of word, silentness of mind & silentness of body.
27.27
Lo! I did behold Your Grace. There is a way of beholding myself Grace transformed. That, too, I attained. I sipped and drank deep Of the Bliss that satiates not. And having drunk of it, I rested. Verily I attained the goodly mukti. Oh! Pervasive Being, Nothing do I want!
27.28
The ascending breath *[1] driven down to muladhara *[2], The dumb *[3] mantra showered up the clouds of fire *[4] – That practice I could not attain. But when the Silent Guru that upadesa gave *[5] Conferred it on me, I tasted its sweetness. And beyond will I taste The ambrosia in the cranial regions *[6].
Footnotes: [1] Prana [2] The basic of the six centers between the anus and the genitals, the solar plexus. [3] Ajapa or the unarticulated form of mantra, OM. [4] Kundalini energy lying dormant in the muladhara is roused to ascend upward to the cranial regions. [5] See footnote 1, verse 27:26 ante. [6] The summum bonum of yogic practice.
27.29
Oh! Pervasive Light Divine! Unapproached by word or meaning of word. I have not seen You The way the holy men of hard tapas saw. Nor does my mind pursue the way of yoga. In between, my mind oscillates in bewilderment And I lie sobbing and weeping aloud, day and night.
27.30
Are You the Pure Effulgent Light Of Divine Knowledge That taught me to seek knowledge inside and out, Even though I had knowledge little? Are You the King of indefinable Bliss? Are You the Kundalini that gives ambrosia? Is it after seeing my distress That You sought the shades of the wild banyan tree?
27.31
You are the Munificent that gives me all And yet I do not adore You even in the ritualistic way. I do not offer You even grass or green leaves And in worship stand, Nor do I practice yoga,. Nor learn gracious ways of conduct. How shall I be redeemed, Oh, Being Pervasive?
27.32
Nothing there that I know Oh, Lord of my heart! But listen, these are the things that I always knew: Night and day, hill and dale, Forest, mountain and roaring sea, Home and places of public resort, Mind and other tattvas That constitute the maya.
27.33
To this sinner Who fell into the sea of lust Of ruinous damsels, He wondrous granted The rescue boat of His Feet. He the Dancer of Bliss That dances in the radiant arena To thrill in rapture The heart of His loving devotees. He, the apple of my eye. He, my Father Loving.
27.34
Is it because, To grant Your grace To this sinner of impure heart Would be beneath dignity – That You have not melted towards me? You, the Radiant Being That dances in Tillai For Your loving throng of muktas to witness with tears gushing in perfect love for You.
27.35
”Of poison is their glance, Temptresses are they, Baffling are their tantrums, You have weakened far under their influence” – Thus thinking, He took the form of compassion And seated Himself under the wild banyan tree. Oh! Hard heart! Why did thou not perform penance For me to find the time appropriate To adore that King, in love intense?
27.36
”Bliss, Bliss. Is it to be actionless” – Thus did they daily say. Even though I have been listening to it In my ignorance I paid no attention To the words of the Silent One (Mauni) And so out of my foolishness, I have been wandering In the awesome wilderness of maya. Alas! Alas! Such is my fate.
27.37
As days wear on, Life comes to an end And the truth dawns That life is a dark dream. Yet were we in the belief That kith and kin were the sole support, What will we do when death arrives? Oh, heart! Is there anyone So perfectly foolish like us In all this world?
27.38
How many the seas, how many the mountains – So numerous are the karmas And the bodies for those karmas. Numerous indeed are they, Unto the sands on the shores of sea. Before I shuffle this mortal coil, Can you not remove this curtain of darkness, So I may vision You. Oh! You, Pervasive Being Fullness?
27.39
No thought I think That is not thought of You. And when I think, Does the karma that is so primal Arise without You? Oh! You, the Flame of the gemset radiant lamp That dances on the floor Of the lotus of the heart Of those who have realized their Self And neared You And dances in the golden arena, too!
27.40
Having surrendered me and my heart Into Your hands, Is there any logic In my blaming the deceitful karma? Only for those who are immersed In the waters of Bliss Supreme, Headlong like the cataract That seeks the fall Is the Wise One of Tillai Easy come by.
27.41
Oh! Foolish heart full of deceit! When the cruel messengers of Death arrive, Can they be for the devotees of love true? No. Except for it be the blissful crimson feet – That dances in the arena – To match the canoe shaped feet Of the Mother that created the world, Except for it be, none the refuge there is.
27.42
When you slowly advances Into the nature of Godhead, What matters it What the world that is fleeting like lightning says? Oh, heart, who has realized That the hand which gestured the chinmudra In the Void is the Truth Finite, You and I then both become Ailment (of birth) free.
27.43
Oh, Heavenly Being of Bliss! Bless me that I merge in You That is beyond the vision of human knowledge And of revealed scriptures. Sure it is that I realized You and the Sakti art Mother, father, kith and Guru And the Being Primal.
27.44
Are You not familiar yet with my cry, day and night, ”You are the Refuge. You are the Refuge.” Oh! You, the Silent One That melts even the stony heart Of those that adore You! Is it not when Your Grace falls on me That I will experience that Knowledge Bliss?
27.45
When it is realized That everything is the Will of Siva, Is there any place of refuge But His Sweet Grace? Oh, heart! Do you stand firm on it. Then by you will I be redeemed. What avails it that I be plunged Into the prolonged illusion of this wide world?
27.46
Oh, Light! Awareness of Light! The Bliss that wells up in the rapture of that Awareness! The Thought that enjoys that Bliss! The Void that consumed that Thought! The Joy that arises in the Void! Even after seeing the determination of Sukha *[1] I have not become doubt free, Nor revere those who have become doubt free. What shall I do?
Footnotes: [1] Sukhi Rishi renounced the world even at birth and so remained for the rest of his life.
27.47
Dying is like forgetting. Being born is like remembering. Alas! Limitless indeed are deaths and births. When is the day That I, Your slave, am free Of this sorrow that is birth and rebirth? Oh! You, Being Pervasive!
27.48
The organs of the intellect are but maya. The pomp that this body is, Is but a pond for the I to swim about. The I that was placed in it Has no sentience of its own. You gathered them together and made them dance. Lovely indeed is this play, oh, God!
27.49
Oh, mind, You are a vicious monkey That has seized me and all things around! Do not transform me your way. Oh! Void of Grace, I shall be the way You are. In a word will I enter into the trance of Grace And sport in Pervasive Bliss Perfect.
27.50
Oh, heart, come you here. Bundle up all your evil ways. Who are you that should frequent here? Advice in the thousands have I given your foolish head Yet will you not understand? Damned be you! You will see that I will murder you. I will vanquish you. All by my Lord’s Grace alone.
27.51
Every month a moon is born and dies. You have not kept this in your thoughts. Oh, empty, despicable heart! In scriptures, in human logic, Can He not be discerned? In bindu, in nada, Can He not be contained? Such is that Heavenly Being. Do you seek Him!
27.52
You are the Awareness that is all pervasive. Yet, who is it that prevented You From knowing the distress in my heart? You are the Ocean of Compassion That rises and swells breaking all dams For those who adore You in body and mind With love intense. Oh! You, Divine Teacher of Wisdom Perfect!
27.53
The pleasures of worldly women and of gold And of the illusory impure body – All these they hold as real. The wisdom of Your devotees, The sure goal of liberation, The scriptures true – All these they hold as false. Of the friendship of such men of untruth When shall I be rid? Oh! You, that is Pervasive Perfection!
27.54
Unto the rotten fruit am I In distress that karma has wrought. Will the time be When I am ripe to receive the vision clear? Oh! You, Being Exalted That dances to the exultation of Your devotees As light, love and unending bliss – All rolled into one!
27.55
O Lord! Who destroyed the Cities of the unholy That sought You not; You created me Who has little love for Your Golden Feet, And fettered me in this world With the lengthy chain of Karma, And thus made my heart in spirit droop. Oh! You, who owns all! All these are but as ordained. What is it that I have done?
27.56
Like the dancing whirl and the potter’s wheel They but go round and round the country and wilderness. What else will those wretches, Who performed not tapas by Your Grace, Do when the God of Death comes seeking them? Oh! You, the Flame of Knowledge that is Pervasive Bliss!
27.57
What avails learning and listening, If they still wander about in lust? They have but learned the art of the whirl In gyrating pleasures. Oh! Fully foolish heart! Do you put your faith entire In the congregation of devotees true Who waxes in virtue overwhelming And wanes in blemishes rare.
27.58
Tender unto mother You came As the Guru of silentness And made me aware that You and I are not entities separate. Thus did You prevent me From straying into worldly ways And protected me as Your liege child. Oh! God Supreme! Is there anything that I can do to recompense You, Impoverished that I am to the extreme?
27.59
Without letting me wander Like a man in a fit of fury, You gave me a body bouncing in health. With tenderness as unto a mother Until this day, You appeared before me and instructed me. Oh! You, the Silent One, Now will I perform the niyama And the rest of the eight limbed yoga, Even as the books have taught.
Song 28: Udal Poyyuravu, “Unreal Attachment to the Body”
28.1
If attachment to body is unreal, What is the attachment to be that is real? God’s benign Grace, obviously. Examine this deeply and see. The one Word of the Silent One alone is Truth. Hold onto it firmly and see. All the rest is empty.
28.2
When you see close, The elements earth and the rest Are but the manifestations of that Being Supreme. Oh, heart, we shall straight seek To stand in Divine Grace. What else are we to learn in the future?
28.3
When the reality of Truth dawns Will there be room for the unreality to exist? My Lord! The firm state of desirelessness has come not yet. How then can the state of being Your vassal be?
28.4
Ignorance overweening Ignorant I stand. To such as me knowledge is but empty show. You instruct and I learn. Is it because of this relation That I am given the name of knowledge, too?
28.5
“Be you action free.” Oh, heart! Where have you left that truth that was taught to you? You argued and argued Like the disputant that wantonly came. Where is your wisdom? Where is your knowledge?
28.6
If you realize all the phenomenal world is unreal, Is not sorrow and joy also unreal? When is the day that I am to be In the bounds of advaita exalted, That leaves me not, above or here below?
28.7
Is it candy or honey or juice of fruit or milk? How shall I describe that which is beyond my words? Such indeed is the ambrosia that wells up in the center Of the bowlike mystic heavenly moon Which the Silent One in silentness showed.
28.8
Will the chronic ailment that knows no relief be cured By listening, contemplating and clarity of thinking? Only those who seek and espouse meditation true Will the unreality of birth-death leave.
28.9
Will those who care not for the illusory world Ever be caught in the earth and the rest of tattvas? They will seek the state of benignant Grace. This their way. Know you thus, oh, you, heart.
28.10
All world is unreal. If this you realize, Then the Grace that dawns there Is alone the real. Do you follow it in love intense And reap the fruit of the experience. That indeed is the way appropriate.
28.11
The Vedas and Agamas all Speak of Him as Bliss Perfection And Essence of Truth. Have you not noticed that? And why do they say so – Have you thought deep about it? Oh, heart, speak!
28.12
Instead of standing straight In that state of silentness You wandered about loud mouthed. Woe unto you! Think deep and thaw for Him on whose head The snows of Ganga thaw into wavy streams. Melt Him with your tongue and your stony heart will melt.
28.13
You, silly mind! All worldly existence is but a dream, Know you. Truth this is, I tell you. Do you learn to sing a song That will lift me into that region beyond imagination And there keep me actionless.
28.14
Will evil ways ever reach The holy ones that constant hold – ”All, all is Will of Divine Grace?” No, never will they. Only to Bliss will their ways go. Will Vedic music reverberate aught else?
28.15
Possessed of ear, impervious to words, Hard as pelted stone or potsherd or clay, You made me stand as one of dark heart. Is this just? Oh! The Being Uncreated! An imposter I am not. May You, Yourself judge!
28.16
That Substance (God) and the soul Are both of the same category, Chit (Spirit), So the scriptures say. No doubt about it. The silent trance That the Agamas speak of Is but dvaita, however considered. But advaita is when The union of the two takes place.
28.17
Real indeed is the Siva-awareness That comes radiant through Vedic beginnings, Oh, heart! Is this bodily attachment a reality? Do you realize the truth clear.
28.18
The Lord is He Who devised the way of reaching the silentness That is subtle beyond perception. A vassal am I to all life He created. And so, little room is there to speak Of I and mind. Long, long may live the protective Feet Of our Holy Guru who taught: ”Be you rid of desires all.” Only to those of divine knowledge Who thus adore in directions all, Will the fruit of Bliss in the hands be.
28.19
Only the goodly tribe of Silent Ones, Beyond the approach of thought and speech Are the holy ones. Know it is they who possess The imperishable path of mukti.
28.20
Oh! Light of mine eyes! You, sugarcane of silentness. You are of the nature of light within light That all cares uproot. Why has Your heart not softened toward me? None other the way can I have vision of You. None other the support that I have.
28.21
When it is with ignorance, It partakes of its nature. When it is with knowledge, It stands that way. By attributes it (Soul) is Sat-Asat (Real-Unreal). It receives awareness Only when Grace imparts it And takes the name of knowledge. This, the truth.
28.22
He is the Holy Form combined Of Guru, Linga and Sangamam *[1]. Only those who are not given This body that is the seed of birth But are vouchsafed the vision of Grace Can Bliss enjoy. What will they get Who the rest get?
Footnotes: [1] Saiva faith as an aggregate of Guru, Siva image and gathering of devotees.
28.23
He has the skin of tiger. He has the army of bhootas *[1]. He begs and still protects all. He of golden locks filled with gushing waters. He is the Holy One of triple eyes. Nothing impossible for those who find refuge in Him. Everything desireable, they full possess.
Footnotes: [1] Goblins.
28.24
Why speak day and night Of the Bliss Being beyond words as We? Those who have attained Sivajnana true Will say: ”We are not.” That indeed is the way of having become silentness.
28.25
Oh! Lord Arunagiri *[1], Father! Who is it there that spoke The One True Word like You? The men in the world here below Despaired that it is impossible to speak it. The peerless God of triple eyes – my Father – But gestured his hand in directions four *[2]. Footnotes: [1] Arunagirinathar, the sinner turned saint from Tiruvannamalai, who composed Tiruppugal in honor of Murugan. [2] Dakshinamurti gesturing the Cinmudra to the four saints – Sanaka, Sanadhana, Sanandhaya, Sanarkumara – in silentness under the wild banyan tree in Kailas.
28.26
What avails it If you bundle and preserve The palm leaf scroll that has lost Its binding hole and tie? So, too, is this body. Well may they stand as consciousness pure, They, the holy ones, Rather than return to this world below. But even if they do, Unto the Uncreated Being will they be Witnessing all, uninvolved.
28.27
If in the impure heart of this deceitful thief, It is said The Lord of Pure Grace, Who bears the waters on His matted locks, Will not be, Then can it not be said That it is correct to claim That He is not all pervasive?
28.28
Do not be wrestling with the tattva devil And be breaking your head. Seek to hold the Gracious Lord of silentness Ever in your heart. Then will your hands lift of themselves in adoration And your eyes will throb in the desire of seeing Him.
28.29
Will I, who whirl in distress To the command of the karma past Attain Your unbounded Grace? Oh! Guru of prowess great, The Silent One! That comprehends all In Wisdom Divine! Pray, speak!
28.30
Oh! Lord of eyes three, Functions three, Gods three, That pours His Grace on worlds three. You, who is tender as unto a mother, Is there a God like unto You? Pray, speak!
28.31
In loving thoughts I held You dear And there I stood, adoring You in full. Beyond that I knew not But oh, Silent One, When will the state of supreme trance come? I know not.
28.32
In knowledge higher, I will lose my ignorance And there standing as knowledge higher I will be inseparate bliss filled. If thus I become attributeless Then will I no more birth desire. I would long to stay in this body itself Forever (as jivan mukta) oh, Lord!
28.33
Despising this body And feeding it not proper Will they seek to abandon it? Intense I desire to have this body. I have not yet learned the truth About this body. Oh, Lord! You know all.
28.34
Oh, Lord! Do You not know me? Why did You leave me To wander in aimless ignorance? Will the calf, if it loses its way, Go to hill and bush? Will it not seek its mother?
28.35
When I attain not, bathed in Divine Light, The undisturbed bliss of samadhi trance, Why did I remain, Bearing the burden of this body, my Lord? Grant me the Grace of Your silence of divine potent.
28.36
What have we gained here Talking constant of the body’s burden? By the body will bliss by itself be *[1]. Why this misery then?
Footnotes: [1] The importance of preserving the body in sound condition so as to facilitate yogic practices is emphasized here on the lines of Tirumular’s teaching.
28.37
The days when you were tossed about In the ocean of misery are gone. Be you now in the Ocean of Bliss. That Bliss will soon be, To gently dissolve you In the torrent of your loving eyes.
28.38
To dissolve and dissolve In the torrent of my eyes, To think of You constant in love And to hasten toward transcendental samadhi – These You gave me, oh, the Silent One! And I gave You my self entire.
28.39
Oh, stony heart! If day and night You are steeped in love surpassing, Will not even stone melt? Why did you then think of ways unbecoming? When your self forever died Then was bliss instant true.
28.40
Myself I gave. The moment I gave, I tasted Bliss. And forever I lived close to You And I received Your Grace And was redeemed, My birth’s bonds sundered. I, Your vassal lowly.
28.41
“Birthlessness we attained, Silentness we learned” – What is there to speak thus? When uninterrupted Bliss envelopes you And you are lost wholly in it And speech becomes paralyzed, How will tongue speak?
28.42
He spurned the God of Death. He burnt the God of Love. For all the world to wonder He turned the ocean of milk To follow the Infant *[1], so he may feed. What will they get Who seeks not His mighty Grace?
Footnotes: [1] The infant referred to is Upamanyu Muni, son of Vyagrapada Muni. The baby, Upamanyu, hungry, cried for milk and Siva gave him the ocean of milk.
28.43
Their eyes in tears flowing Unto as a heavenly torrent, Their hands in adoration upraised, Saying ”Oh, Waters of Ambrosia, Mountain of Bliss.” Only the hearts of devotees such as these Are filled with light of knowledge divine.
28.44
He of the russet matted locks That bears the infant moon, He that is beyond description, He that is wreathed in fragrant konrai blooms – Verily, He sat under the wild banyan tree And taught a Word That all may redeemed be.
28.45
Swooned in the senses five, I, Your slave, am tossed in distress, My thoughts distracted. Oh! You, the Silent One That is the goodly Cit! Siva! Will there be birth again, If I but devote myself in frenzy at Your Feet?
28.46
Will a full vessel hold any more water? What will they aspire for Who has known silentness? Oh! You, the Learned One of Kailas Who weareth the crescent moon! Oh! You, the Holy One of Vedas Of crimson-hued form, speak!
28.47
Oh! You, bearing the axe, the deer and the trident! Wearing the matted russet locks, Studded with the moon, Riding the mount of bull, Clasping Sakti on the side, Sporting the red eyed serpent And placing Your Feet on my head, You, You, my refuge art!
28.48
A benevolent sweet cloud is my Lord, Of triple eyes is He, An ocean of juicy ambrosia is He, A candy of sweetness exceeding is He, The Primal Being unique is He, The everlasting is He, The All Pervasive is He, The Immaculate One is He, The Pure One that fills all in fullness, Our refuge ever and ever.
28.49
Seated under the shade of the wild banyan tree, He in order taught The Truth untaught yet To the blemishless tapasvis – Sanaka and the rest. He, the Sun of Divine Jnana, Siva, the Silent One.
28.50
The jnanis in whom Acts of body and mind in yoga merge – Do they any peer have? Will they ever in passion’s distress live? Oh, soul! In the frontier beyond I-ness, In impassive quiescence be you.
28.51
In quiescence dawns Bliss. Why this alluring yoga now? Will it (Bliss) ever be From the I-ness of your little knowledge? Seek to answer not, You, that is a rigorous practitioner of karma, A child you are, yet.
28.52
Are you not there, Even in the state of meditation Where you are lost? Puzzled be you not, You who are speechless. Even when you are lost, You will still be. You are forever there. Distressed be you not. Bliss there is, come!
28.53
”Come, come” – With the eyes that beckoned Bliss thus You wept ”Aha, aha,” oh, soul! Hearken you, You gave all for us, And as you gave, so do you stand.
28.54
Think not of impermanent things. Speak not of the unspeakable things within you. Godly indeed is the path That came in the wake of Guru Holy, Who in compassion leads to Bliss.
28.55
This the way, This the way not; If thus you speak Ill becoming indeed; Those who visioned Grace Spoke to you alone And for your sole benefit; And from that very moment All, all, is Void Vast, And you see all, all.
28.56
“Unreal is world all” – Thus can none renounce As unto Pattinathu Pillai. Nonpareil indeed his renunciation of mind; Of such, think of the one That is most suitable to you.
28.57
Thinking and thinking not, Seeing and seeing not, The light within you – If thus once you meditate, Will not the Flood of Bliss Spread in directions ten Overflowing its banks?
28.58
If I-ness comes and assails me, Will not there be the mayic elements? Listen, You, of Wisdom supreme! As though I were Your friend Invisible within You, Be You forever within me.
28.59
When I asked of You, my Lord, “Grant me the state that knows not I and you and this and that,” You revealed to me things in the way, Which a mother cannot do even to her child. You made me know in the heart of my heart.
28.60
Those who spoke Will not in transcendental meditation be; Those who went into meditation Will not speak to you; The Great One sits, Silent and Rapturous within Under the shades of the North Banyan Tree, Gesturing with His hand in meditation transcendental.
28.61
Why does my Holy Father Thus in meditation transcendental sit? That you know not. Is it not that all the world, Its bondage may sunder? Is it not for an object specific That the dance is performed By Him that makes all dance?
28.62
He is the God. He is the Guru.
He is the Universe all. He is the Self-Created.
He is the Guru for me.
When is the day to be
That I stand as He?
28.63
Day by day, without wasting any, You took refuge at the Feet of our Lord, Oh, heart! If there is intention none of throwing you back, Then am I your own, without doubt.
28.64
“To end the difference of I and you Is the blissful state of mindless trance.” Thus did the Lord of Arunai *[1] speak. Why do you not listen to it, oh, heart? You appeared and dragged me hither and thither Unto the washerman who beats and beats My clothes to exhaustion, threadbare, For the layer of dirt to remove.
Footnotes: [1] Arunagirinathar
28.65
If you stand undifferentiated, “Everywhere is Siva;” Bliss abiding will be. Do not think of this and that. Do not needless make me whirl In the cycle of death and birth, I am your responsibility.
28.66
By calling truth as false and false as truth Will they ever be so? Oh, false heart that knows no truth! If you doubt-free approach Him as Truth, Bliss shall it be for both, To me and to you.
28.67
The glades of flower-laden arbour, The ambrosia freshly distilled And the copious rain of Bliss That is laden with tranquility – You leave not ever, The site on earth where I was In silentness pure, Surpassing grave of the dead.
28.68
Pleasant site, sweet music, Goodly things, pleasurable accessories, All these, he came and gave me at one Word, He, the Silent Guru, Possessed of the peerless bounty Of the Kalpaka Tree. Be you calm oh, heart! Why still in doubt you are?
28.69
Bounty, Tapas, Jnana The indescribable Siddhi and Mukti – All, all will themselves be By the one word the Silent Guru spoke; Be you calm, O Heart ! Why still in doubt you are?
28.70
“Give me your self, your body and your possessions.” Thus demanding he (Guru) made me his slave. If you but abide constant To the one Word he spoke, Forgetting it never, Oh, heart, No more shall birth be for me Because of you.
28.71
No more is there any affinity between you and I. And so deciding The Silent Guru gave me the blissful state of silent trance Beyond description. Oh, heart, No more will I regard you Even as a penny worth!
28.72
As the Silent Guru of Bliss suffused in me To accord with the silentness of my knowledge, My words became sweet in silentness, My actions, too, assumed silentness, All, all took the form of silentness – verily all.
28.73
As all, all assumed pervasive silentness, The goodly people everywhere Sought the state of silentness. Why then did I let this I-ness raise its head And so aimless wandered? Oh! Guru of silentness!
28.74
The silentness that the Guru of silentness gave, Alone is Bliss. It is that which confers knowledge supreme. It is that which is I. It is that which constitutes the elements five. It is that which is dear to my heart. Thus I knew and Bliss it was.
28.75
No knowledge there is, except that knowledge – The knowledge that comes of the silentness Rid of the agitated mind; That knowledge overflowing, He established me in the land of Bliss And there made me a home forever to abide – He the Guru of silentness.
28.76
Even before, as Guru, You bestowed Your Grace on me, Oh, Silent One. You thought it proper That I should surrender My body, life and possessions. Is there anyone else – who holds the Truth And to whom I can listen to in the future?
28.77
He placed the ball of sweetness on my tongue, Its juicy sweetness left me not. And since the moment silentness was born, I could not alone be. And nothing but silentness I learned As my way of redemption.
28.78
“Silent be you Whatever happens” – Is it, for this command mysterious, Or for the instruction imparted As invisible support, Or for killing the I in me, Standing inseparate from me? What exactly does this silentness signify?
28.79
In the assembly of those Who neither form nor attribute possess, You made me stand forever As knowledge behind knowledge. And there, inseparate, You made me, In impassivity sit, And showered Bliss on me. Oh! Silent One, How shall I recompense You ever?
28.80
If but the different I and You appeareth, Sure, will You not fill in me As heaven’s expanse; Certain am I; By silentness Maya overpowering mind And taking not its abiding root, Will taste of knowledge-bliss.
28.81
You are the Guru Of the Path of Jnana; You are the Guru Flourishing in Siddhi, Mukti, Bounty and Penance; You are the Guru That in motherly tenderness Sought me in love And gave myself unto myself. You are the Guru That temples in my thoughts.
28.82
“Beyond Siva is neither spirit nor matter” – Thus did he teach us in love, He, the Eternal Guru Supreme. And we attained the state of purity, oh, heart! We learn the mystery of silentness That forever sunders birth.