Wednesday, December 05, 2012

Worldly desires are never ending - mantrA 175

srigurubhyO namahA |
The 175th mantrA reveals more on the topic in discussion while speaking of the many ways through which the life force can be destroyed the sage reminds us that there is but one path to reverse this tide.



வேட்கை மிகுத்தது மெய்கொள்வார் இங்கிலை
பூட்டுந் தறியொன்று போம்வழி ஒன்பது
நாட்டிய தாய்தமர் வந்து வணங்கிப்பின்
காட்டிக் கொடுத்தவர் கைவிட்ட வாறே. I.3.8.175

Our desires grow, but none the truth to find;
There's one stake to hold but nine exits to leave;
The old familiar faces come smiling to greet and bow;
Deceivers ever, they abandon us without a reprieve. I.3.8.175

Com - Our desires grow, Caught in the worldly life our desires and needs keep constantly increasing but none the truth to find; while (being so enamoured by the world) there are none here who can realise the supreme truth, the one eternal principle. There's one stake to hold in order to preserve this otherwise mortal body, there is but the one path of sushumnA but nine exits to leave;while there are nine paths through which this body can meet its ruin (i.e. death). The old familiar faces come smiling to greet and bow; One’s mother and relatives who have together created the framework of attachment and relationships will come and pay their respects (at death) Deceivers ever, they abandon us without a reprieve. After which they take one to the cremation ground and leave to get back to their own lives.

*The term ‘pUttum thari’ or central stake refers to the sushumnA nAdi. As mentioned before, the aim of the yOgi is to conduct the life force or prAnA through this central channel instead of it continuing its natural flow through the solar and lunar nAdis (idA and pingalA). When the prAnA is made to flow through the sushumnA it is possible to keep this physical body alive for an extraordinary length of time – this is what is indicated by the words there is only one stake to ‘hold’ the life force in the body, i.e. to preserve it here. The nine exits through which it leaves are the nine openings (described in a previous mantrA) or the nava dwArAs through which the life force leaves this body during death. Thus it transpires that there are plenty of methods or paths through which this life is destroyed but only one path through which it’s natural tendency to perish can be reversed. Through the last two lines of the verse the sage opines that one’s devotion to the supreme truth is definitely more capable of delivering one to the state of unbroken happiness than reliance one’s relatives and family. 

thirucchitrambalam |

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sir, in this context, what does "idakalai , pinkalai yaethum arinthilaen naan, inthriyam adakka vazhi ondrum arigilaen naan" in Kanda guru kavasam.

What does this exactly mean.

Ramesh.

mooligai sidhan said...

srigurubhyO namahA |

@ Ramesh,
By mentioning the skanda guru kavacham, you have touched on a personal favourite of mine! I think that it is such a wonderful piece - both in its poetic quality as well as in its superior power and mystical ability.
If you observe the skanda guru kavacham, even though it is composed by a veritable saint and greatly advanced upasaka with the full understanding of mantra shAstra and tantrA, the humility of the poet is very evident. Though a yOgi himself, the emotion of bhakti makes him compare himself as a speck of dust in comparison to murugA/skandA.
So the context where the words you have quoted is when the sage considers that he has no qualities whatsoever to become eligible for the grace of the Lord. Except for the one fact that he holds ever steady to the Holy feet of skandA as the only refuge.
Thus the words " "idakalai , pinkalai yaethum arinthilaen naan," means that he is not a yOgi who is versed in the art of controling the life force and its activity in the idA and the pingala nAdi or energy channels - it is an indication to say that one need not be an advanced sAdhakA who is immersed in the sushumnA or the central channel to obtain the grace of the supreme.

The words "inthriyam adakka vazhi ondrum arigilaen naan" refer to the fact that he is not a master at hatha yOgA where through practise of pratyAhArA or sense control one has attained mastery over the indriyAs or the sense instruments. This is an indication to suggest that again one need not be an advanced practitioner of yOgA sAdhanA to be a fit vessel for the grace of the supreme.

The only thing that he is possesed of for sure is steady devotion to the Lord. Thus he sings, 'kandA un thiruvadiyai patrinEn' - meaning that he chose the path of bhakti or devotion and held fast to the holy feet of murugA as the only object of contemplation.

It is quite another matter that the poet was indeed a superior yOgi who was well versed in the art of residing in the sushumnA, and was a jitEndriyA or one who had conquered the sense instruments and their distracting quality!

Anonymous said...

thanks sir for your lively comments.

ramesh