Garland of mantras - mantra 86

Sri gurubhyo namaha.

Here we are at the eighty sixth mantra of the first tantra of the Thirumandiram. In this mantra the sage speaks about the mantras and the Thirumandiram also referred to as the garland of mantras.

பிறப்பிலி நாதனைப் பேர்நந்தி தன்னைச்

சிறப்பொடு வானவர் சென்றுகை கூப்பி

மறப்பிலர் நெஞ்சினுள் மந்திர மாலை

உறைப்பொடுங் கூடிநின்று ஓதலு மாமே. 14 .5.86.

Garland Of Mantras

The Heavenly Beings with folded hands approach

Nandi the Lord above and free of the bonds of Birth;

Deep in their hearts the Holy Hymns revolve

And, devoutly fixed, chant the immortal strains. 14.5.86.

Com – Nandi the Lord above and free of the bonds of Birth The supreme Lord who is beyond the cycle of birth and death, who is known by His name, Nandi, The Heavenly Beings with folded hands approach is approached with folded hands (humbly) by the heavenly beings endowed with superior virtues. Deep in their hearts the Holy Hymns revolve Keeping Him firmly fixed in their hearts (without pause) worship Him with this garland of mantras, And, devoutly fixed, chant the immortal strains chanting it by being deeply devoted.

* Through the above mantra the author reveals the nature of those who are fit to learn this text – Those who have received initiation (Upadesam) from their guru and who have realised the Siva who is manifest in the Sushumna nadi (as a result of the initiation and their practise), are the people who are fit to learn this text called Thirumandiram. (The above mantra does not however mean that those who have not been initiated are not eligible to study this text. It merely conveys that those who are initiated would be able to make the best use of this text – as this is a text that concerns itself with many of the practical applications of spirituality and the spiritual path, it helps to know the subject thoroughly and to have the guidance of a competent teacher/guide). Here the term 'garland of mantras' refers to many things simultaneously - first to the 3000 mantras of the Thirumandiram that are as it were 3000 beads strung in a peculiar sequence, next it alludes to the core tantric concept of mAtrukA mAlA or the garland of the (Sanskrit) alphabet which in itself forms the matrix from whence all the other 72 billion mantras originate from.

Here again, the definition of the suitable candidate for the study of this text is evidence of the fact that the Thirumandiram is a text with practise in mind. It is like most other works under the umbrella of tantra, of a very practical nature. So the upadesham or initiation by the guru which confers on the student the authority to pursue with the study of the ideas/concepts mentioned herein will have the capacity to transform the individual inside out. This is the main aim of the classical texts - to transform the knower by the deep rooted changes to the consciousness by the assimilation of the knowledge. Otherwise (as mentioned earlier) it fails to achieve its purpose and remains merely intellectual knowledge - which just sits like a lump of clay and as such is non different to the delusional knowledge of the world phenomena.