The body is an empty vessel - mantrA 190

srigurubhyO namahA ||
This is a beautiful verse, poetic and direct. While at the same time there is a hidden / more esoteric meaning that speaks to the initiate. Echoes of the vEdic statements that speak of the oneness of siva and jIvA (the supreme soul and the embodied soul) are visible here.

வேங்கட நாதனை வேதாந்தக் கூத்தனை
வேங்கடத் துள்ளே விளையாடு நந்தியை
வேங்கடம் என்றே விரகுஅறி யாதவர்
தாங்கவல் லாருயிர் தாமறி யாரே. I.5.4.190

The Lord of this body frail that to ashes turns, the Lord of Vedanta dance
Nandi He is, who in this crumbling frame disports
They, who know not what an empty vessel this body is,
They know not what the life sustains and supports. I.5.4.190

Com - The Lord of this body frail that to ashes turns (siva) is the supreme principle which is manifest in the isAna direction (i.e. north eastern direction) on the crown of the head of this physical body the Lord of Vedanta dance (He) acts in this play of life as the principle of vAk (speech/word/sound). Nandi He is, who in this crumbling frame disports It is He (nandi) who is the fire of consciousness, residing within this material body that is destined to burn (when consigned to the pyre after death). They, who know not what an empty vessel this body is, The ignorant people do not understand that He is (also) manifest as this physical body that is perishable They know not what the life sustains and supports And thus they do not recognise siva as the supreme principle which is the very foundation of this body and life.

*Those readers who can read Tamil may be able to enjoy the word play in the verse in the original. The word ‘வேங்கட‘is used specifically with slight changes to imply different meanings in each of the lines. The term ‘வேங்கட‘refers to the principle –siva- that is present in the isAna (north eastern) part of the head. The term ‘வேதாந்தக் கூத்தனை ‘refers to the shabda brahman or the supreme principle that is conveyed through vAk or the words of vEdAntA.  The term ‘வேங்கடம்‘is a composite of vEm + kadam which means this perishable body (this burnable body) and the nandi who sports there is a reference to the truth that siva supports this physical body by being the fire in the mUladhAra chakra. The sage further conveys that we are not aware of the fact that it is the same siva who is also manifest as this body which is a parinAmA (modification) of the panchabhUtas or the five elements. ThirunAvukkarasar writes the same truth as ‘ UnAgi uyirAgi…’  In the last line of the verse the sage indicates that those who are ignorant of the siva tattvA (supreme principle) remain ignorant also of the jIva tattvA (life principle). This points to the siddAntA that siva and jIva are infact the same. 

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