Ulladu Narpadu - second mangalam

[Guest guest]

mangalam ii:

 

" Men of pure minds who intensely fear death surrender themselves unto the

Lord of all, the blissful One, the indwelling Self, who has no death nor

birth. By that (surrender) their ego, along with their attachments becomes

extinguished. How can they, who (thus) have won abode in Immortality, have

any thought of death? "

 

 

 

------

 

This version of the forty verses can be found in the booklet " REVELATION "

which contains a Sanskrit Version of the Ulladu Narpadu of Bhagavan Sr

Ramana with an English Translation by K. Lakshmana Sarma ( " Who " ).

 

Lakshmana Sarma spent more than twenty years in close association with

Bhagavan Sri Ramana and he made a deep study of His teachings under His

personal guidance. One day in 1928 or 1929 Sri Bhagavan asked Lakshmana

Sarma, " Have you not read Ulladu Narpadu? " Lakshmana Sarma replied that he

had not, because he was unable to understand the classical style of Tamil in

which it was composed, but he eagerly added that he would like to study it

if Sri Bhagavan would graciously teach him the meaning. Thus began the

disciple's close association with his Master. Sri Bhagavan started to

explain to him slowly and in detail the meaning of each verse, and Lakshmana

Sarma, being a lover of Sanskrit, started to compose Sanskrit verses

embodying the meaning of each Tamil verse as it was explained to him. After

composing each verse in Sanskrit, Lakshmana Sarma submitted it to Sri

Bhagavan for correction and approval, and if Sri Bhagavan's approval was not

forthcoming he would recompose the verse as often as was necessary until His

approval was obtained. In this way all the verses of Ulladu Narpadu were

rendered into Sanskrit within a few months. But Lakshmana Sarma was unable

to stop with that. He was so fascinated by the profound import of Ulladu

Narpadu that he felt impelled to go on revising his Sanskrit rendering any

number of times until he was able to make it an almost perfect and faithful

replica of the Tamil original. For two or three years he went on repeatedly

revising his translation with the close help and guidance of Sri Bhagavan,

who always appreciated his sincere efforts and who once remarked, " It is

like a great tapas for him to go on revising his translation so many times. "

Because of his repeated efforts to make such a faithful Sanskrit rendering

of Ulladu Narpadu, Lakshmana Sarma was blessed with the opportunity of

receiving long and pertinent instructions from Sri Bhagavan about the very

core of His teachings. (From the Preface to " Maha Yoga " by Lakshmana

Sarma.)

[Guest guest]

Namaste all.

 

ULLADU NAARPADU

 

The famous Vedantic poem in Tamil by Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi

(consisting of two preliminary verses called Mangalam, 40 verses

which form the main text , and another 40 verses called the Appendix)

 

Translation into English by Lakshmana Sharma

Detailed Commentary in Tamil by Lakshmana Sharma,

adapted into English by Profvk

 

 

Mangalam – 2

 

Introduction:

 

By the first verse Mangalam – 1, the nirguNa-svarUpa (nirguna

=attributeless) of brahman was indicated. That itself will show up

as saguNa (= with attributes) for the devotees. In the situation

where there is no mind brahman is nirguNa. When the mind is there the

same brahman is saguNa. Then that itself becomes God Almighty. Those

who show Bhakti or Love towards Him, finally deserve His Grace when

they have offered their Self to Him, and receive the Self-

Realisation Experience already mentioned. This is the truth that is

the content of the 2nd verse in Mangalam:

 

Tamil Text:

 

MaraNa-bhayam mikku uLa am-makkal aRaN Aha

maraNa-bhavam illaa maheshan sharaName caarvar;

tam caarvoDu taam caarvutraar;

caavu eNNam caarvarO caavaadavar.

 

Translation (Lakshmana Sharma):

 

Men of pure minds who intensely fear death surrender themselves unto

the Lord of all, the blissful One, the indwelling Self, who has no

death or birth. By that (surrender) their ego, along with their

attachments becomes extinguished. How can they, who (thus) have won

abode in Immortality, have any thought of death?

 

Translation (Prof. K. Swaminathan):

 

When those who are in dread of death seek refuge at the feet of the

deathless, birthless Lord Supreme, their ego and attachments die; and

they, now deathless, think no more of death.

 

Word-by-word:

 

MaraNa bhayam = Fear of Death (maraNam = death)

Mikka uLa = Who have lots of

am makkaL = those people

araN Aha = `to get rid of' : in this case, the contextual meaning

would be: `in order to get rid of that fear of death (*araN* =

barricade for protection)

maraNa-bhavam illaa = (He) who is deathless, birthless (bhavam =

birth)

maheshan = the Great Lord

sharaName caarvar = do surrender only

tam caarvoDu = along with their possessiveness (*mamakaaram*)

tAM = (their) Egoistic self

cAvutraar = dies, vanishes.

cAvu eNNam = thought of death (cAvu = death)

caarvaro = Would they?

caavaadavar = they who are beyond death.

 

Commentary by Lakshmana Sharma

 

Every one has the fear of death some time or other. But that becomes

ineffective. A temporary dispassion that follows such fear of death

usually vanishes after a further experience of life's goodies. On the

other hand those with a high sense of values do not forget the fear

and they look for antidotes for it.

 

For men steeped in ignorance and worldly mAyA to rise to salvation,

the miseries of worldly life themselves are steps. Bhagavan

says: " When a person is dreaming during sleep, so long as the dream

experiences are pleasurable, he does not wake up. Only miserable

events in the dream wake him up. So also, in worldly life, so long as

things appear pleasant, the worldly man does not wake up from the

mAyic world to realise the Truth. The miseries of samsAra, the fear

of death – these kinds of feelings are the ones that direct him to

the goal. We know death is sure to come. But so long as it does not

confront you, you don't realise the severity of that fear. Therefore

it is the knowledge that comes out of experience that life is full of

miseries, that turns your path towards one of nivRtti (cessation of

activity) " . Rarely a blessed one in a million turns to jnAna-path the

moment he becomes aware even mentally of death. Such are the Buddha

and our own Bhagavan Ramana.

 

When the mind thus turns to nivRtti path, that soul gets into the

Grace of deahtless, birthless Lord. That Grace makes him look inward

and takes him on to the Supreme. That is when the Ego of `I' gets

extinguished along with vAsanas of all kinds of bondage. What

remains is the deathless Atman.

 

What is this Ego? It is the false conviction that the body is the

Atman. So long as that remains, the impending death of the body will

be considered as one's own death. This verse shows that when the Ego

is extinguished the very concept of death is uprooted.

 

(To be continued after Peter posts

The First verse of the Ulladu Naarpadu text.)

 

PraNAms to all seekers of Truth.

PraNAms to Bhagavan Ramana.

profvk

[Guest guest]

Dear ProfVK,

 

It's a real delight and gift for us that you are both able and willing to

translate the Tamil Commentary for on these verses. Would it not make more

sense for you to do so and post them in the timing that is convenient for

you. I, for one, would be very happy with that.

 

Best wishes,

 

Peter

 

 

On Behalf Of V. Krishnamurthy

10 February 2009 17:03

 

Re: Ulladu Narpadu - second mangalam

 

Namaste all.

 

ULLADU NAARPADU

 

The famous Vedantic poem in Tamil by Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi (consisting

of two preliminary verses called Mangalam, 40 verses which form the main

text , and another 40 verses called the Appendix)

 

Translation into English by Lakshmana Sharma Detailed Commentary in Tamil by

Lakshmana Sharma, adapted into English by Profvk

[Guest guest]

In Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi, Bhagavan explains the first two

managalams to a devotee:

 

 

1. The first stanza is the auspicious beginning. Why should the subject

matter of the piece be brought in here? Can knowledge be other than Being?

Being is the core - the Heart. How then is the Supreme Being to be

contemplated and glorified? Only to remain as the Pure Self is the

auspicious beginning. This speaks of attributeless Brahman according to the

jnana marga (method of knowledge).

 

2. The second stanza is in praise of God with attributes. In the foregoing,

to be as one Self is mentioned; in the present one, surrender to the Lord of

all. Furthermore the second indicates (1) the fit reader (2) the subject

matter (3) the relationship and (4) the fruit. The fit reader is the one who

is competent for it. Competence consists in non-attachment to the world and

desire to be liberated. All know that they must die some time or other; but

they do not think deeply of the matter. All have a fear of death: such fear

is momentary. Why fear death? Because of the 'I-am-the-body' idea. All are

fully aware of the death of the body and its cremation. That the body is

lost in death is well-known. Owing to the I-am-the-body notion, death is

feared as being the loss of Oneself. Birth and death pertain to the body

only; but they are superimposed on the Self, giving rise to the delusion

that birth and death relate to the Self. In the effort to overcome birth and

death man looks up to the Supreme Being to save him. Thus are born faith and

devotion to the Lord. How to worship Him? The creature is powerless and the

Creator is All-powerful. How to approach Him? To entrust oneself to His care

is the only thing left for him; total surrender is the only way. Therefore

he surrenders himself to God. Surrender consists in giving up oneself and

one's possessions to the Lord of Mercy. Then what is left over for the man?

Nothing - neither himself nor his possessions. The body liable to be born

and to die having been made over to the Lord, the man need no longer worry

about it. Then birth and death cannot strike terror. The cause of fear was

the body; it is no longer his; why should he fear now? Or where is the

identity of the individual to be frightened? Thus the Self is realised and

Bliss results. This is then the subject-matter: freedom from misery and gain

of Happiness. This is the highest good to be

gained. Surrender is synonymous with Bliss itself. This is the relationship.

Fruit is to reflect on the subject-matter and gain Knowledge which is

ever-present, here and now. The stanza ends with " the immortal ones. "

 

(Talk no. 567)

 

With best wishes,

 

Peter

[Guest guest]

, " Peter " <not_2 wrote:

>

> Dear ProfVK,

>

> It's a real delight and gift for us that you are both able and

willing to

> translate the Tamil Commentary for on these verses. Would it not

make more

> sense for you to do so and post them in the timing that is

convenient for

> you. I, for one, would be very happy with that.

>

> Best wishes,

>

> Peter

Dear Peter-ji,

 

Yes, certainly. But I do not have access to the English translation

by Lakshmana Sharma of the text. Where do you have it online?

 

Secondly, when I lift my posting to Harsha's blog do I have your

permission to also post your supplementary quotes of Bhagavan's

explanations -- which surely enlighten us more!

 

Regards,

profvk

[Guest guest]

Dear ProfVK-ji

 

The English translation by Lakshmana Sharma is not online, as far as I know.

I will type them up and send them directly to you so that you can include

them when you post the verses and commentary. By all means use any (or

none) of the supplementary quotes from Bhagavan that I post, and please feel

free to omit the name of the 'poster' - the important thing being Bhagavan's

own words.

 

Best wishes,

 

Peter

 

 

On Behalf Of V. Krishnamurthy

11 February 2009 01:16

 

Re: Ulladu Narpadu - second mangalam

 

, " Peter " <not_2 wrote:

>

> Dear ProfVK,

>

> It's a real delight and gift for us that you are both able and

willing to

> translate the Tamil Commentary for on these verses. Would it not

make more

> sense for you to do so and post them in the timing that is

convenient for

> you. I, for one, would be very happy with that.

>

> Best wishes,

>

> Peter

Dear Peter-ji,

 

Yes, certainly. But I do not have access to the English translation by

Lakshmana Sharma of the text. Where do you have it online?

 

Secondly, when I lift my posting to Harsha's blog do I have your permission

to also post your supplementary quotes of Bhagavan's explanations -- which

surely enlighten us more!

 

Regards,

profvk

 

 

 

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Harsha