THAYUMANAVAR’S POEMS.

சின்மயானந்தகுரு

அங்கைகொடுமலர்வி யங்கமதுபுளகிப்ப

            அன்பினாலுருகிவிழிநீர்

      ஆறாகவாராத முத்தியினதாவேச

            வாசைக்கடற்குண்மூழ்கிச்

      சங்கரசுயம்புவே சம்புவேயெனவுமொழி

            தழுதழுத்திடவணங்குங்

      சன்மார்க்கநெறியிலாத் துன்மார்க்கனேனையுந்

            தண்ணருள்கொடுதாள்வையோ

      துங்கமிருபக்குவச் சனகன்முதன்முனிவேர்கள்

            தொழுதருகில்வீற்றிருப்பச்

      சொல்லரியநெறியையொரு சொல்லாலுணர்த்தியே

            சொரூபானுபூதிகாட்டில்

      செங்கமலபீடமேற் கல்லாலடிக்குள்வளர்

            சித்தாந்தமுத்திமுதலே

      சிரகிரிவிளங்கவரு தட்சிணாமூர்த்தியே

            சின்மாயானந்தகுருவே                                  1

GOD-HEAD AS THE ETERNAL GURU WHO IS KNOWLEDGE AND BLISS.

            O Dakshina-Murthy,* O The Eternal Guru† who art knowledge and bliss, Thou didst for the sake of souls manifest Thyself as such on the mount Sira‡! O The Absolute Giver of the Moksha§ which is announced in the Siddhanta|| Philosophy! Thou didst, sitting on a priestly seat on the said mount under the Banyan tree, reveal in one sacred word the true spiritual knowledge and Thou didst also show the Supreme Eternal Bliss to be attained and enjoyed from such knowledge.

            [* Dakshina-Murthy means the One sitting with the face turned to the South.

            † Guru – Spiritual Teacher.

            ‡ The modern Trichinopoly. This mount was once governed by one Tirusira; hence the name probably.

            § Moksha means emancipation or liberation.

            || Vide note to 5^th verse supra.]

            Upon whom didst Thou deign to confer this boon? Certainly upon those full matured Munis¶, SanakaΩ &c., who most inquisitively stood worshipping before Thee. But, as for my part, I doubt whether I may ever be able to find shelter in the bounties of Thy Grace: Because I have not yet made myself worthy Thy blessings and I am wanting in that kind of emotional worship, which must plunge me in Ananda*, being at the same time attended wit my offering of flowers with my tears of love raining down and my tongue blabbing with addresses directed to Thee such as O Sankara†! O Swayambhu‡! O Sambhu§!

            [¶ Muni – Yogi.

            Ω Sanaka, Sananta, Sanatana and Sanatkumara are the sons of Brahma (of the Trinity and are always called the four saints.

            * Ananda – bliss.

            † God is beneficent and hence the name Sankara.

            ‡ He is self-existent and hence the name Swayambhu.

            § He is beautiful to His devotees and hence the name Sambhu.]

            ஆக்கையெனுமிடிகரையை மெய்யென்றபாவினான்

            அத்தவிதாவாஞ்சையாதல்

      அரியகொம்பிற்தேனை முடவனிச்சித்தபடி

            ஆகுமறிவலிழவின்பந்

      தாக்கும்வகையேதிநாட் சரியைகிரியாயோக

            சாதனம்விடுத்தெல்லாஞ்

      சன்மார்கமல்லவிவை நிற்கவென்மார்க்கங்கள்

            சாராதபேரறிவதாய்

      வாக்குமனமணுகாத பூரணப்பொருள்வந்து

            வாய்க்கும்படிக்குபாயம்

      வருவித்துவட்டாத பேரின்பமானசுக

            வாரியினைவாய்மடுத்துத்

      தேக்கித்திளைக்கநீ முன்னிற்பதொன்றுகாண்

            சித்தாந்தமுத்திமுதலே

      சிரகிரிவிளங்கவரு தட்சிணாமூர்த்தியே

            சின்மயானந்தகுருவே                                   2

            O Dakshina-Murthy, O The Eternal Guru who art knowledge and bliss, Thou didst for the sake of souls manifest Thyself as such on the mount Sira! O The Absolute Giver of the Moksha which is announced in the Siddhanta Philosophy! My finite intelligence has much relied on the durability of my body which is really as infirm as the deluged river-bank excavated beneath; so that any attempt on my part towards the adwaitha|| state of the said Moksha will be as feeble as that of a man crying for the moon.  

            Now, then, what is the true path of attaining the infinite knowledge? Even the sure appliances I have resorted to – namely – Sariya, ¶ KiriyaΩ and Yoga** have not produced any material effect upon me. Of course, no schools of philosophy can hope or profess to succeed without these Sadanas.*

            O, then, for that day when with overwhelming joy, I will become absorbed by Thy Divine Grace in the Eternal Happy Communion With Thee! – The Supreme state of Infinite knowledge and Bliss where even the best of religious cannot reach, as it is beyond all thought and description; and where Thou and Thou alone dost remain to me, everything else including ‘me’ and ‘mine’ being lost and beheld in Thee and Thyself beheld in all.

            [¶ Sariya means and includes all devotional moral practices – where the practiser surrenders his body to God (Siva).

            Ω Kiriya means and includes all religious rituals and worship of God where he surrenders his Indriyas (organs of sense) to God.

            ** Yoga literally means ‘Union’ –viz., Union with the Divine and includes all psychical practices conducive to contemplation of God where he surrenders his andakaranam (internal senses) to Him.

            * These 3 sadanas (practices lead the soul to true Divine knowledge and devotional love and, then, God who is all-Love or Sivam appears as Guru in the human form and imparts Gnana, which is the fourth patham (step) and enables the soul to give up itself to God and become absorbed in Him. Thus the four steps are Sariya, Kiriya, Yoga and Gnana. ]

            ஒளவியமிருக்கநா னென்கின்றவாணவம்

            அடைந்திட்டிருக்கலோபம்

      அருளின்மைகூடக் கலந்துள்ளிருக்கமேல்

            ஆசாபிசாசமுதலாம்

      வெவ்வியகுணம்பல விருக்குமென்னறிவூடு

            மெய்யநீவீற்றிருக்க

      விதியில்லையென்னிலோ பூரணனெனும்பெயர்

            விரிக்கிலுரைவேறுமுளதோ

      கவ்வுமலமாகின்ற நாகபாசத்தினாற்

            கட்டுணடவுயிர்கண்மூர்ச்சை

      கடிதகலவலியவரு ஞானசஞ்சீவியே   

            கதியானபூமிநடுவுட்

      செவ்விதின்வளர்ந்தோங்கு திவ்யகுணமேருவே

            சித்தாந்தமுத்திமுதலே

      சிரிகிரிவிளங்கவரு தட்சிணாமூர்த்தியே

            சின்மயானந்தகுருவே.                                   3

            O Dakshina-Murthy, O The Eternal Guru who art knowledge and bliss, Thou didst for the sake of souls manifest Thyself as such on the mount Siva! O The Absolute Giver of the Moksha which is announced in the Siddhanta Philosophy! Since, as a matter of fact, I see myself not free from many evil qualities such as egotism, envy, passions, desires, depravity &c., I am led to think that Thou art not dwelling in me. Art Thou, therefore, to be called limited and not Omnipresent? Certainly not, I should say. Because, Thou being the only Sat and all the rest asat† before Thee, nothing can ever affect Thy being immanent in all and animating all. And I know, indeed, that Thou art the transcendent motionless lord of the Moksha World and as such Thyself dost manifest and revivify by Thy Gnana Sakti* the souls languishing under the hardest noose of pasa.Ω

[† Asat means and includes all other than the Sat (God).

* Gnana-Sakti means Divine Intelligence (the power of Chit).

Ω Vide note to the 8^th verse.]

      ஐவகையெனும்பூத மாதியைவகுத்ததனுள்                

            அசரசரபேதமான

      யாவையும்வகுத்துநல் லறிவையும்வகுத்துமறை

            ஆதிநூலையும்வகுத்துச்

      சைவமுதலாமளவில் சமயமும்வகுத்துமேற்

            சமயங்கடந்தமோன

      சமரசம்வகுத்தநீ யுன்னைநானணுகவுந்

            தண்ணருள்வகுக்கவிலையோ

      பொய்வளருநெஞ்சினர்கள் காணாதகாட்சியே

            பொய்யிலாமெய்யரறிவிற்

      போதபரிபூரண வகண்டிதாகாரமாய்ப்

            போக்குவரவற்றபொருளே

      தெய்வமறைமுடிவான பிரணவசொரூபியே

            சித்தாந்தமுத்திமுதலே

      சிரகிரிவிளங்கவரு தட்சிணாமூர்த்தியே

            சின்மயானந்தகுருவே.                                   4

      O Dakshina-Murthy, O The Eternal Guru who art knowledge and bliss, Thou didst for the sake of souls manifest Thyself as such on the mount Sira! O The Absolute Giver of the Moksha which is announced in the Siddhanta Philosophy! Thou hast produced the five elements and from the five elements Thou hast created the objects of the universe both animate and inanimate. And to all creatures Thou hast thus imparted consciousness and revealed the Vedas and the like Sastras‡ and hast also appointed many religious systems, the Saivaism§ &c. And beyond the reach of all religious controversies. Thou hast fixed the blissful state of Mona||, where reigns supreme the conciliatory peacefulness.

            How is it, then, Thou hast not bestowed Thy Grace upon me so as to enable me to approach Thee?

            O Thou Infinite Lord of eternal entirety, whose form is known to be the Pranava¶ the real end of the Vedas, I do understand Thy real Provident Design: Thou wilt only reveal Thyself in full to true profound Bhaktas*, while, on the other hand, Thou dost never let thyself be felt by the feigned devotees.

            [‡ Sastra means science or philosophy.

            § He mentions Saiva religion being the great post to Moksha and as such the mother school. The Saint later on says “சைவ சமயமே சமயம்” (The Saiva Religion and Philosophy is the perfects of all other systems). [It would appears that the great Ramalingam Pillai of Vadalur used to object to this Samarasa Siddhanta as a Samayam, as it meant a margin and a step merely. It should be merely called ‘Saivam’, ‘The Highest Anubava.’ Ed.]

            || Vide note to the 2^nd verse.

            ¶ Vide note to the 9^th verse.

* Vide not to the 4^th verse.]

      ஐந்துவகையாகின்ற பூதபேதத்தினால்

            ஆகின்றவாக்கைநீர்மேல்

      அமர்கின்றகுமிழியென நிற்கின்றதென்னநான்

            அறியாதகாலமெல்லாம்

      புத்திமகிழுறவுண் டுடுத்தின்பமாவதே

            போந்தநெறியென்றிருந்தேன்

      பூராயமாகநின தருள்வந்துணர்த்தலிவை\

            போனவழிதெரியவில்லை

      எந்தநிலைபேசினு மிணங்கவிலையல்லால்

            இறப்பொடுபிறப்பையுள்ளே

      எண்ணினானெஞ்சது பகீரெனுந்துயிலுறா

            திருவிழியுமிரவுபகலாய்ச்

      செந்தழலின்மெழுகான தங்கமிவையென்கொலோ

            சித்தாந்தமுத்திமுதலே

      சிரகிரிவிளங்கவரு தட்சிணாமூர்த்தியே

            சின்மயானந்தகுருவே.                                   5

      O Dakshina-Murthy, O The Eternal Guru who art knowledge and bliss, Thou didst for the sake of souls manifest Thyself as such on the mount Sira! O The Absolute Giver of the Moksha which is announced in the Siddhanta Philosophy! All the time I was ignorant of the bubble-like nature of my body, the product of the five elements, the summum bonum of my life was merely the pleasures of food, clothing and the like.

            But, the moment I was graciously blessed with Thy knowledge, all my epicurean thoughts and aspirations vanished; my mind does ever since long after nothing else but Thee.

            And what is more surprising to me is that, at the very thought of my mortal condition, my heart shudders, my body wears out like bees-wax exposed to fire, and, both night and day, I simply droop without sleep.

      காரிட்டவாணக் கருவறையிலறிவற்ற

            கண்ணிலாக்குழவியைப்போற்

      கட்டுண்டிருந்தவெமை வெளியில்லிட்டல்லாங்

            காப்பிட்டதற்கிசைந்த

      பேரிட்டுமெய்யென்று பேசுபாழ்ம்பொய்யுடல்

            பெலக்கவினையமுதமூட்டிப்

      பெரியபுவனத்தினிடை போக்குவரவுறுகின்ற

            பெரியவிளையாட்டமைத்திட்

      டேரிட்டதன்சுருதி மொழிதப்பினமனைவிட்

            டிடருறவுறுக்கியிடர்தீர்த

      திரவுபகலில்லாத பேரின்பவீட்டினில்

            இசைந்துதுயிங்கொண்மினென்று

      சீரிட்டவுலகன்னை வடிவானவெந்தையே

            சித்தாந்தமூத்திமுதலே

      சிரகிரிவிளங்கவரு தட்சிணாமூர்த்துயே

            சின்மயானந்தகுருவே.                                   6

      O Dakshina-Murthy, O The Eternal Guru who art knowledge and bliss, Thou didst for the sake of souls manifest Thyself as such on the mount Sira! O The Absolute Giver of the Moksha which is announced in the Siddhanta Philosophy! Praise be to Thy maternal love to us. Seeing that we (souls) were lying concealed like an embryo in the darkness of anava-mala,* Thou didst benevolently take us out and set us to the cycle of re-births guarding us at the same time with five kinds of pain† and feeding and developing us with fruits of karma‡. And thou didst, then, cause us to play the part of re-incarnation in the worldly theatre and didst rightly call us the characters of ‘Jiva’; Thou didst also shew us from the Vedas the rules of our play to be strictly observed and acted upon; if they be strictly followed by us, we would be placed in the Moksha of Eternal Light and Bliss. Otherwise we would be hurled down to suffer under the horrors of Yama’s§ cruel punishment so as to mend ourselves for the Eternal Liberation without eternal damnation. O Lord, Thou art, thus, also out true Beloved Mother||

            [* Vide notes to the 4^th and 8^th verses.

            † The five kinds of pain are the pain – (1) arising from the state of an embryo, (2) from birth, (3) age, (4) illness and (5) death.

            ‡ Vide note to the 2^nd verse. One of the five functions of God is to cause us to eat the fruits of our Karma. (Anugraha).

            § Yama is the Deity of Death and Hell.

            || Reference is to the motherhood of God (i.e., Arul sakti of God).]

      கருமருவுகுகையனைய காயத்தினடுவுட்

            களிம்புதோய்செம்பனையயான்

      காண்டகவிருக்கநீ ஞானவனன்மூட்டியே

            கனிவுபெறவுள்ளுருக்கிப்

      பருவமதறிந்துநின் னருளானகுளிகைகொடு

            பரிசித்துவேதிசெய்து

      பத்துமாற்றுத்தங்க மாக்கியேபணிகொண்ட

            பட்சத்தையென்சொல்லுவேன்

      அருமைபெறுபுகழ்பெற்ற வேதாந்தசித்தாந்த

            ஆதியாமந்தமீதும்

      அத்துவிதநிலையரா யென்னையாண்டுன்னடிமை

            ஆனவர்களறிவினூடுந்

      திருமருவுகல்லா லடிக்கிழும்வளர்கின்ற

            சித்தாந்தமுத்திமுதலே

      சிரகிரிவிளங்கவரு தட்சிணாமூர்த்தியே

            சின்மயானந்தகுருவே.                                   7

      O Dakshina-Murthy, O The Eternal Guru who art knowledge and bliss, Thou didst for the sake of souls manifest Thyself as such on the mount Sira! O The Absolute Giver of the Moksha which is announced in the Siddhanta Philosophy! Grand was Thy auspicious presence on the beautiful mount Sira under the Banyan tree; grander still was that occasion when great emotion and solemnity were excited in the devotional hearts of the munis that stood then before Thee; and grandest was Thy sacred symbol, Thou didst respond to them, which at once signified the end of all ends or antas*, namely, Vedanta, Siddhanta &c.

            O my Master, boundless hath been Thy Grace to me; Seeing my intelligence rusted with ignorance like copper, Thou didst kindly put me in this corneous body and heat me with the fire of Gnana; and when I attained the desired maturity, viz., mala-paribagam, † Thou didst touch me with Thy Grace, which at once like the alchemist’s stone converted me into the finest gold, i.e., realized divinity in me. Thou hast, indeed, made me Thy servant.

            [* The antas (ends) are six in number, namely, (1) Vedanta, (2) Siddhanta, (3) Nathanta (the end of Natham or sound), (4) Bothanta (end of knowledge), (5) Yoganta (end of Yoga), and (6) Kalanta (end of all sciences, philosophies, &c). c.f. The Saint’s couplet

            “வீறிய வேதாந்த முதன்மிக்க கலாந்தவரை – யாது

      முணர்ந் தோருணாவுக் கன்பு வைப்பு தெந்நாளோ”

O for the day when I will attain knowledge like those who knew the six antas from Vedanta to Kalanta.

            † The Tamil is “மலபரிபாகம்”]

      கூடுதலுடன்பிரித லற்றுநிர்த்தொந்தமாய்ச்

            குவிதலுடன் விரிதலற்றுக்

      குணமற்றுவரவினொடு போக்கற்றுநிலையான

            குறியற்றுமலமுமற்று

      நாடுதலுமற்றுமேல் கீழ்நடுப்பக்கமென

            நண்ணுதலுமற்றுவிந்து

      நாதமற்றைவகைப் பூதபேதமுமற்று

            ஞாதுருவின்ஞானமற்று

      வாடுதலுமற்றுமே லொன்றற்றிரண்டற்று

            வாக்கற்றுமனமுமற்று

      மன்னுபரிபூரணச் சுகவாரிதன்னிலே

            வாய்மடுத்துண்டவசமாய்த்

      தேடுதலுமற்றவிட நிலையென்றமெளனியே

            சித்தாந்தமுத்திமுதலே

      சிரகிரிவிளங்கவரு தட்சிணாமூர்த்தியே

            சின்மயானந்தகுருவே.                                   8

      O Dakshina-Murthy, O The Eternal Guru who art knowledge and bliss, Thou didst for the sake of souls manifest Thyself as such on the mount Sira! O The Absolute Giver of the Moksha which is announced in the Siddhanta Philosophy! As Mowna Guru Thou didst instill into my heart that the Final Bliss of Moksha, beyond which there is nothing to be attained, is where one overpowered with eternal joy becomes absorbed in Thee, the All-filling ocean of Bliss, who art beyond the cosmic condition and above sutta maya* and yet inseparably connected with all so as not to be knowable either as monistic or as dualistic; who art the Ninmala† Being of changeless entirety beginningless or endless and hast neither quality nor name nor form nor an upper nor an under nor sides; who hast no such tatwas‡ like mind, tongue, &c. and consequently neither any purpose nor wearisomeness, nor pleasure nor pain; and who art neither the knowledge nor the knower.§

            N. B. - The Saint means to give us to understand by this verse (33) that the nature of Brahman can, in no manner, be determined except by stating that every attribute is denied of Him, c.f. the 18^th verse supra.

            [* Sutta means pure or clear, as in undifferentiated original nature.

            † Ninmala = not subject to mala or pasa or impurity; pure, unsullied.

            ‡ Tatwas. Vide note to 11^th verse.

            § The words in the text are Gnathuru and Gnana which mean the knower and the knowledge respectively. Along with these words ‘Gneya’ which means ‘knowable’ will be used by the Saint later on.]

      தாராதவருளெலாந் தந்தருளமெளனியாய்த்

            தாயனையகருணைகாட்டித்

      தாளிணையென்முடிசூட்டி யறிவிற்சமாதியே

            சாசுவதசம்ப்ரதாயம்

      ஒராமன்மந்திரமு முன்னாமன்முத்திநிலை

            ஒன்றோடிரண்டெனாமால்

      ஒளியெனவும்வெளியெனவு முருவெனவுநாதமாம்

            ஒளியெனவுமுணர்வுறாமற்

      பாராதுபார்ப்பதே யேதுசாதனமற்ற

            பரமவனுபூதிவாய்க்கும்

      பண்பென்றுணர்த்தியதுபாராமலந்நிலை

            பதிந்தநின்பழவடியர்தஞ்

      சீராயிருக்கநின தருளவேண்டுமையனே

            சித்தாந்தமுத்திமுதலே

      சிரகிரிவிளங்கவரு தட்சிணாமூர்த்தியே

            சின்மயானந்தகுருவே.                                   9

      O Dakshina-Murthy, O The Eternal Guru who art knowledge and bliss, Thou didst for the sake of souls manifest Thyself as such on the mount Sira! O The Absolute Giver of the Moksha which is announced in the Siddhanta Philosophy! With true motherly love and unlimited flow of Thy bountiful Grace, Thou didst as Mowna Guru appear to me and placing Thy sacred foot on my head, didst infuse into my mind that the sole Sadhana* productive of the supremest Blissful experience of eternal and infinite nature is to meditate on Thy Divine Arul†; without ever thinking of the mere Yoga-knowledge being the Highest End; or without employing myself in trying to understand the nature of the Mukta’s‡ union in Moksha §neither as one nor as two, neither as Akas nor as sound, and neither as Light nor as something possessed of a form. O, then, my Lord, it is by the help of Thy Arul Sakti alone that I can ever think of reaching this supreme end of the ancient sages.

            [* Sadhana means preparation or practice.

            † Arul – Grace.

            ‡ Mukta is the sage emancipated from the bonds of existence

            § Vide note to 26^th verse supra.]

      போதமாயாதிநடு வந்தமுமிலாததாய்ப்

            புனிதமாயவிகாரமாய்ப்

      போக்குவரவில்லாத வின்பமாய்நின்றநின்

            பூரணம்புகலிடமதாய்

      ஆதரவுவையாம லறிவினைமறைப்பதுநின்

            அருள்பின்னுமறிவின்மைதீர்த்

      தறிவித்திநிற்பதுநி னருளாகிலெளியனேற்

            கறிவாவதேதறிவிலா

      ஏதம்வருவகையேது வினையேதுவினைதனக்

            கிடானகாயமேதென்

      னிச்சாசுதந்தரஞ் சிறிதுமிலையிகபரம்

            இரண்டினுண்மலைவுதீரத்

      தீதிலருள்கொண்டினியுணர்த்தி யெனைபாயாள்வையோ

            சித்தாந்தமுத்திமுதலே

      சிரகிரிவிளங்கவரு தட்சிணாமூர்த்தியே

            சின்மயானந்தகுருவே.                                   10

      O Dakshina-Murthy, O The Eternal Guru who art, knowledge and bliss, Thou didst for the sake of souls manifest Thyself as such on the mount Sira! O The Absolute Giver of the Moksha which is announced in the Siddhanta Philosophy! Thou art the Perfect Lord of souls showing them Thy mercy and bestowing on them Eternal Heavenly Bliss. It is but Thy mercy that makes me eat the fruits of my Karma unperceived and, when my good and evil should become balanced, that will enable me to know Thee, indeed, as the universal sanctuary affording everlasting rest of Bliss||.

            I cannot therefore, pretend to possess an independent power of knowledge. Blessed with Thy Arul,* I shall have no more ignorance, and no more Karmaic effects and no more embodiments, and in short, no more actions of my own.

            Thou alone must grant me Thy knowledge and make me Thine eternal slave freed from humanity.

            [|| The reference in this sentence is to the last 2 of the 5 functions of God – namely. Dhroupava and Anugraha, the first three being Srishti (creation), Sthithi (preservation) and Samharam (destruction) –Vide Translation of Thiruvartupayan, notes to 4^th couplet. Chapter I.

* Arul. Vide note to 34^th verse.

c.f. also 27^th verse supra and notes there to about sariya, &c]

      பத்திநெறிநிலைநின்று நவகண்டபூமிப்

            பரப்பைவலமாகவந்தும்

      பரவையிடைமூழ்கியு நதிகளிடைமூழ்கியும்

            பசிதாகமின்றியேழுநா

      மத்தியிடைநின்றுமுதிர் சருகுபுனல்வாயுவினை

            வன்பசிதனக்கடைத்து

      மெளனத்திருர்துமுயர் மலைநுழைதனிற்புக்கு

            மன்னுதசநாடிமுற்றுஞ்

      சுத்திசெய்தும்மூல ப்ராணனோடங்கியைச்

            சோமவட்ட்த்தனடத்துஞ்

      சொல்லரியலமுதுண்டு மற்பவுடல்கற்பங்கள்

            தோறுநிலைநிற்கவீறு

      சித்திசெய்துஞ்ஞான மலதுகதிகூடுமோ

            சித்தாந்தமுத்திமுதலே

      சிரகிரிவிளங்கவரு தட்சிணாமூர்த்தியே

            சின்மயானந்தகுருவே.                                   11

                       

           

           

O Dakshina-Murthy, O The Eternal Guru who art knowledge and bliss, Thou didst for the sake of souls manifest Thyself as such on the mount Sira! O The Absolute Giver of the Moksha which is announced in the Siddhanta Philosophy! The Highest end of Moksha can never be attainable by Sariya, Kiriya alone, i.e., either by doing bhakti going on a pilgrimage all over the nine† continents and to all sacred bathing places, or by strict observance of the vow of silence curing the pain of hunger with dry leaves or water or air, or keeping the stomach empty withal its fire ‡ of digestion arising in seven flames§.

Nor can the Divine End be reached by the mere science of Yoga, in the practice of which one sitting within a mountain – cave enjoys the sweetest nectar produced by cleansing his ten veins* and controlling and uniting in the Soma’s† orb the vital spirit and the fire in his body, or he acquires the super human power of preserving his body for many a Kalpa‡

How then, can the final liberation of bliss be attained? Certainly only by knowing and uniting myself in love to Thee, which is the Pathi-Gnana§ the end and aim of all Gnana.

            [† The geographical positions of the 9 continents cannot be known.

            ‡ The fire of digestion is the vital air called – Samana which equally carries and distributes what is eaten and drunk. Its place is the stomach and its function is to digest food. There are 10 vital airs called தசவாயு (Dasavayu) which will be mentioned and explained in the appropriate place. (Vide Shwetashwetaropanishad Ch. 1, 4 and notes to it (Dr. E. Roer’s Translation) and Brihadaranyakopanishad I, 5^th, Brahmana and also Prasna and Mundaka Upanishads).

            § The seven flames are the openings in the head, viz., the 2 eyes, the 2 ears, the 2 nasal cavities and the mouth. The fire of digestion arises through these openings.

            * The 10 veins or தசநாடி (Dasa-nadi) are: - Idai Kala the canal which passes from the end of the spinal column to the head through the left nostril; (2) Pingala, the canal which passes as the above through the right nostril; (3) Sushumna the canal which passes straight through the six centres the anus, the private part, the navel, the heart, the uvula, and the fore-head; (4) Kandhari, the canal dividing itself into seven passages for the seven kinds of natham or sound being produced and located in the neck; (5) and (6), Atti and Sikuvai dividing themselves into ten branches in all occupy the eyes; (7) and (8) Alampudai and Purusha occupy the ears; (9) kuku which connects the navel and the generic organ; and (10) Sankini which occupies the organ of generation.

            † Soma is the moon which is said to remain in our forehead for our benefit.

            ‡ Kalpa is the cosmic period from the renovation to the destruction of the worlds.

            § Pathi = Lord; Gnana = true knowledge; true knowledge of the supreme Lord (God).

            || Gnana are of three kinds in general, viz., Pasa-Gnana (knowledge of Prapancha), Pasu-Gnana (knowledge of self), and Pathi-Gnana (knowledge of the Lord).

R. SHUNMUGAM MUDALIAR.