Arunagiri Naathar

[Guest guest]

Earlier I had narrated the story of Saint

Arunagirinaathar. Following is the translation of one of his

works.<br><br>A translation of Arunagirinaathar’s Perutta

Vachanam: Tiru Vaguppu-5 <br>Source: Saint Arunagirinaathar

<br>by Swami Anvananda (Madras: Pongi Publications,

1975) <br><br><br>[1] <br>Within and beyond the three

worlds <br>Traversed by the Sun, <br>What fills

everything, <br>As the happy essence is THAT. <br><br>[2]

<br>The blissful silence controlling <br>The many mental

modes, again making <br>Everything blossom forth is only

THAT. <br><br>[3] <br>The foolish and vain votaries of

the Six Faiths, <br>Debating fanatically and

prattling aloud;<br>What lies beyond all such differing

conceptions is THAT. <br><br>[4] <br>For them that wallow and

sink,<br>The dark mire of the three impurities,<br>My and

Mine, karma and maya; <br>What helps them to cross

'over the useless ways is THAT. <br><br>[5] <br>The

Guru of Lord Shiva <br>Who wears the arka and cassia

flowers on his head<br>Is our Lord Muruga, who manifests

as THAT. <br><br>[6] <br>The amounts of good and bad

deeds <br>Added up, makes this dirty body of ours.

<br>Subtracting our identification with it, <br>What becomes the

answer defying comparison is THAT. <br><br>[7] <br>Even

if all the learning and arts, <br>Beginning from the

Rig Veda, <br>Will fail to counter-balance<br>If

weighed against THAT. <br><br>[8] <br>When messengers of

the Lord of Death<br>Come before one at the time of

death, <br>What endows one with a natural ability to

cross over to safety, is THAT.<br><br>[9] <br>Where the

thickly-set Upanishads end<br>At that edge, what exists alone

as the crest is THAT. <br><br>[10] <br>Without form,

what lies concealed<br>The core and essence<br>Of

Fire, Earth, Ether, Wind and Water <br>Which fill

things, nought left out, is THAT. <br><br>[11]

<br>Thought, Object and Thinker vanish:<br>What evolves the

state where<br>One abides forever and ever is THAT.

<br><br>[12]<br>To the unwavering devotees, their hesitancy

gone:<br>Released of all troubles,<br>The precious treasure they

enjoy is THAT. <br><br>[13] <br>What makes thought,

word and deed lie submerged<br>Making it possible to

experience the joy <br>Of bathing in the divine grace is

THAT. <br><br>[14]<br>As the light of lights, as space

beyond space<br>And as the life of lives,<br>What

manifests forever and ever is THAT. <br><br>[15]<br>Lord

Shanmukha, the valorous One,<br>He rode on the strong

peerless peacock<br>To fight the asuras who ran and hid

themselves.<br>He married the hunter girl, wearing a

dress<br>Fashioned of beautiful foliage. It was He, <br>The

incomparable One who graciously taught me THAT.<br><br><br>OM

TAT SAT