The bud blossoms and fades, so is human life - mantrA 187

srigurubhyO namahA |
With the 187th mantrA, the sage begins the sub section detailing the transitoriness of life and teaches us the best way to utilise this momentary life.

5. உயிர் நிலையாமை

தழைக்கின்ற செந்தளிர்த் தண்மலர்க் கொம்பில்
இழைக்கின்றது எல்லாம் இறக்கின்ற கண்டும்
பிழைப்பின்றி எம்பெரு மானடி ஏத்தார்
அழைக்கின்ற போதுஅறி யாரவர் தாமே. I.5.1.187

5 TRANSITORINESS OF LIFE
They see the sprouting wanton buds on tender twigs

They see how soon they flash their beauty and die;
Yet they seek not the Holy Feet;
Alas they know not when the sure call comes from High. I.5.1.187

Com - They see the sprouting wanton buds on tender twigs Though the tender (young and full of life) twigs of the flowering shrubs are possessed of beautiful shoots and leaves and the most pleasant flowers  They see how soon they flash their beauty and die; all that which sprouted, budded and blossomed does very soon wither and perish. This is plainly visible for all to see. Yet they seek not the Holy Feet; Even still, the ignorant (most of us, really) do not attempt to utilise the time that we have life in this body to seek the Holy Feet of the Lord (i.e. self knowledge). Alas they know not when the sure call comes from High. Sadly, they do not realise that one day when the call comes from yama (death) , as surely it will someday, they will be unable to contemplate the supreme Lord at that late hour.

*As this is the subsection dealing with the transitory nature of life, the sage brings to our attention the momentary appearance of the leaves and flowers and their subsequent decay.  Though the momentary nature of life is evident from even the most cursory look at the world around us, in our ignorance we continue to while away the precious little time we have here by being occupied with everything apart from seeking self knowledge and fulfilling the very purpose of life. And those that have not been able to seek and meditate on the Lord while alive, would indeed find it very difficult to seek Him when they have but a few breaths left at the end of time. Thus one must utilise this life, however momentary to seek the Lord and obtain His grace.

thirucchitramabalam ||

Before youth passes, praise Him in songs - mantrA 186

srigurubhyO namahA |
The 186th mantrA of the thirumandiram is the last mantrA in this subsection dealing with the transitoriness of youth. Here the sage indicates the method through which nadAntA is attained in the unmani state.

எய்திய நாளில் இளமை கழியாமை
எய்திய நாளில் இசையினால் ஏத்துமின்
எய்திய நாளில் எறிவ து அறியாமல்
எய்திய நாளில் இருந்துகண் டேனே.I.4.10.186

In the days assigned to you, before youth passes,
In songs of praise to the Lord, pour out your heart;
In the days to me assigned, wasting not the minutes away,
In the days to me assigned, I, seeing all, remained apart. I.4.10.186

Com - In the days assigned to you, during the time when one adheres to the practise of (the above mentioned) prasAda neri (the path of Grace) and when the Chandra mandala is made manifest before youth passes, prior to the loss of one’s youth and vitality In songs of praise to the Lord, pour out your heart; (one must) remain focused on singing praises of the supreme Lord. In the days to me assigned, wasting not the minutes away (while one is so engaged in singing praises) one must remain beyond awareness of the constant movement of prAnA. In the days to me assigned, I, seeing all, remained apart. With attention fixed only on the supreme Lord, one must become the ‘witness’ and remain apart (rather than be the ‘actor’ identifying with the world within the remit of Time).

*Continuing the subject discussed in the previous mantrA, the sage provides further instruction on the prasAda neri or the path of Grace. The term ‘இசையினால் ஏத்துமின் ‘ in the Tamil original which has been translated as ‘singing songs of praise’ is an allusion to the practise of nAda sammyam (discussed in a previous mantra) or using nAdA to attain nAdAntA – i.e. transcendent to sound (and thus beyond all form and division). This is a technique that has to be learnt from the guru directly and practised with dedication till such a stage as when the aspirant is able to ‘hear’ the unstruck internal nAdA (that is obtained through the Grace of the Lord) and fixing the mind only on that nAdA to persue it to a point where even that becomes gradually subtler and subtler till there is no further sound or time. This is the state of unmani (which is the final Chandra kalA of the 16 kalAs previously mentioned).  The term ‘எறிவ து அறியாமல் ‘refers to being unaware of the movement of prAnA – i.e. when the prAnA is made to flow through the central sushumnA nAdi instead of flowing through the idA and the pingalA. During this stage, the aspirant is not aware of physical processes and is in a state of suspended animation. The experiencer consciousness remains only as the witness or sAkshi bhAvA – without identification with everything. Instead there is awareness only of the supreme tattvA which is the state of I am.

thirucchitrambalam ||

The sixteen kalAs are within, why then the grave? - mantrA 185

srigurubhyO namahA |
The sage speaks of the prasAda neri or the path of Grace, a process where the strengths of this human condition are utilised to help take one to a level of 'super human'.

ஒன்றிய ஈரெண் கலையும் உடனுற
நின்றது கண்டு நினைக்கிலர் நீசர்கள்
கன்றிய காலன் கருக்குழி வைத்தபின்
சென்றதில் வீழ்வர் திகைப்பொழி யாரே. I.4.9.185

The ignorant ponder not even awhile,
The Kalas twice-eight within them stand;
When Death sets his snare-pit for them to fall,
Headlong they drop to utter stupefaction abandoned. I.4.9.185

Com - The Kalas twice-eight within them stand; Though the sixteen kalAs are ever present (as pathways to the supreme) within one The ignorant ponder not even awhile, the ignorant people do not utilise the kalAs as the way to reach and contemplate the supreme siva. When Death sets his snare-pit for them to fall, Instead when the lord of Time and the lord of death (rudrA) sets them up for (death and) future births by sending them to the next womb Headlong they drop they simply fall headlong into further births. To utter stupefaction abandoned their ignorance and delusion will never be overcome.

*The word ‘ நினைக்கிலர்  ‘ which refers to the ignorant masses who ‘ do not think/contemplate’ is here indicative of the fact that most of us are so caught up in the play of the material world that we do not pause to realise that we are possessed of the shOdasha kalA (the 16 kalAs of the lunar orb or Chandra mandala). To the yOgi who knows how to ascend the 16 kalAs of the moon and reach dvAdashAnthA (at the crown of the head), the supreme principle (siva) becomes manifest as pure radiance and light. This particular yOgic process is also known as prasAda neri – the path of Grace. Taking the entire verse in consideration it becomes clear that one must strive to utilise the body (as the kalAs are present within this body) while it is still possessed of vitality and practise those methods that will enable one to ascend the path of sushumnA. Otherwise, instead of following the path of Grace one is led down the path of delusion – i.e. entanglement in the birth death transmigratory cycle endlessly. The ‘snare – pit’ of death is nothing but yet another womb to take birth in as surely death will follow birth.

thirucchitrambalam ||