Tiruvasakam1.10 | |
10.
திருக்கோத்தும்பி - சிவனோடு ஐக்கியம் (தில்லையில்
அருளியது- நாலடித் தரவு கொச்சகக் கலிப்பா)
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Hymn X- tiruk kOttumpi |
Our poet-sage, like S. Anthony of Padua, and some other mediaeval saints, had a great sympathy with the irrational creation. This poem is addressed to the humming bee, or winged beetles, which abound in all the topes and glads of South India, and are especially numerous in the shady groves that surround the temples;; having a great preference for the fragrant and beautiful trees which are sacred to the Hindu deities. The insect, here called Gottumbi, is probably the dragon-fly Ruplea Spenders. Here the SOUL is really addressed and exhorted to seek Civa's feet. |
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பூவேறு கோனும் புரந்தரனும் பொற்பமைந்த
நாவேறு செல்வியும் நாரணணும் நான் மறையும்
மாவேறு சோதியும் வானவருந் தாமறியாச் சேவேறு சேவடிக்கே சென்றுதாய் கோத்தும்பீ. 4 |
I.
Mysteriously great.
the Lady blest, in beauty
clothed,
the fourfold mystic VEdic Scroll,
the heavenly ones too, know Him
not:- AND BREATH HIS PRAISE, THOU HUMMING-BEE ! (4) |
நானார் என் உள்ளமார் ஞானங்க ளார் என்னை யாரறிவார்
வானோர் பிரானென்னை ஆண்டிலனேல் மதிமயங்கி
ஊனா ருடைதலையில் உண்பலிதேர் அம்பலவன் தேனார் கமலமே சென்றூதாய் கோத்தும்பீ. 8 |
II. I am nought, yet made like to Him
that
fill my mind? - and me who'd know
He of the temple court, Who erst
in broken skull with flesh impure
! AND BREATHE HIS PRAISE, THOU HUMMING-BEE ! (8) |
தினைத்தனை உள்ளதோர் பூவினில் தேன்உண்ணாதே
நினைத்தொறும் காண்தொறும் பேசுந்தொறும் எப்போதும்
அனைத்தெலும் புள்நெக ஆனந்தத் தேன் சொரியும் குனிப்புடையானுக்கே சென்றூதாய் கோத்தும்பீ. 12 |
III. All sweetness is in Him.
as tiniest grain of millest seed
!
whene'er of Him our lips
converse,
till all our frame in bliss
dissolves ! AND BREATHE HIS PRAISE, THOU HUMMING-BEE ! (12) |
கண்ணப்பன் ஒப்பதோர் அன்பின்மை கண்டபின்
என்னப்பன் என்னொப்பில் என்னையும் ஆட்கொண்டருளி
வண்ணப் பணித்தென்னை வாவென்ற வான் கருணைச் கண்ணப்பென் நீற்றற்கே சென்றூதாய் கோத்தும்பீ. 16 |
IV. His love gives to loveless me.
when He, my Sire, saw this, me
poor
He spake, and bade me come to
Him.
white ashes, and the golden dust
! AND BREATHE HIS PRAISE, O HUMMING-BEE ! (16) |
The image of this renowned South Indian devotee stands in the temple at KAlahasti (Calastri) near the Pulicat Hills. He was a rAja of UduppUr, and of the Shepherd caste ( a vEdan or Hill-men, perhaps a Kurumban). The story represents his ancient clan as possessing great wealth and authority in a wild hilly district, where their whole occupation was hunting. There is a ZamindAr, who lives there now in feudal state. The old chieftain, the father of Kannappan, whose name was NAgan (the Dragon-man) is represented to us as moving about attended by fierce hunting dogs, armed with every kind of rustic weapon; a skillful archer, around whose mountain-dwelling innumerable forest animals of every kind had their home, and where the cries 'shoot' 'hurl' 'strike' were mingled from morning to night with the howlings of wild beasts, the barking of dogs, and the sound of the horns and drums of the hunters. He had no son, and therefore he and his wife went to the temple of Subrahmanyan ( a son of Civan) - the favourite deity of mountaineers, and probably a pre-Aryan deity of the South, an object of worship, under many names and forms, in every Tamil hamlet. To him they offered cocks and peafowl, made good feasts with copious libations of strong drink, performed wild dances; and in fact, according to the legend, seem to have worshipped much after the rude fashion of the demon worshippers of the present day. The result was that by the favour of their tutelary deity a son was born to them, who from his early childhood shared in his father's pursuits, being brought up, it is expressly said, like a tiger's cub. The proud, happy father used to carry him about on his shoulder, but finding him one day too heavy to be thus borne, gave him the name of 'Tinnan' ('the sturdy man') which remained his pet household name. He was erewhile to bear a more honourable and enduring title! Soon after this the old chief, finding himself unable any longer to conduct the hunting expeditions of the tribe, made over his authority to his son, with whom alone this history is concerned. Henceforth our young hero is ever in the dense jungle with his veteran huntsmen. One day a wild boar, of gigantic size, that had been caught in their nets, escaped and made off with prodigious speed to the mountain side. Tinnan pursued it with two faithful attendants, but it let them a weary chase and did not stop till, exhausted with fatigue, it fell down in the shade of a tree on the slope of a distant hill. There Tinnan with his sword cut it in two. His attendants came up and were astonished and delighted at his success and said, ' We will roast the boar here, and refresh ourselves'. But there was no water at hand, so they took up the carcase of the boar and carried it some distance onward, till they came to sight of the sacred hill of 'KAlahasti'. At the view of the mountain one of the attendants cried out, that on that mountain summit there was an image of the 'God with flowing hair' (Civan). 'If we go thither we may worship him' added he. Hearing this the young giant Tinnan again shouldered the boar and strode on, exclaiming, 'with every step that I advance towards the mountain the burden of the boar diminishes. There is some miraculous power here; I must find out what it is'. So saying he rushed on with great eagerness till he came to the bank of a river, where he deposited his burden, bade his companions make a fire and prepare the feast, while he himself hastened onward till he beheld on the slope of the hill, on the further bank of the stream, a stone lingam, the upper part of which was fashioned into a rude image of the head of the god. The moment he beheld it, as the magnet draws the iron, it drew his soul, which had been somehow prepared by the merit of good deeds and austerities performed in some former birth; and his whole nature was changed, every feelng being swallowed up the intense love for the god, whom for the first time he now beheld. As a mother, seeing her long lost son return, tarries not, but rushes to embrace him, as he threw himself upon the image, tenderly embraced it, and fervently kissed it. With tears of rapture, his soul dissolving like was n the sunshine, he cried out, 'Ah, wondrous blessedness! to me a slave this divinity has been given! But how is that the god remains here alone in a wilderness where lions, elephants, tigers, bears, and other wild beasts dwell, as though he were some rude mountaineer like me?'. Then, examining the image more closely, he saw that water had been recently poured upon it and green leaves strewn over it. 'Who can have done this?' said he. His attendant, who had in the meantime has come up, replied: 'In the olden time, when I came here on a hunting expedition with your father, a BrAhman, I remember came, poured water and placed leaves upon this image, repeating some mysterious words;- perhaps he is still here. So it dawned upon the mind of Tinnan that these and other services, which he himself could render, might be acceptable to the god. 'But,' said he, 'there is no one here to supply him with food. He is alone, and I cannot leave him for an instant, yet I must perforce go and bring for him some of the boar's flesh cooked for our feast'. So, after much hesitation and unwillingness to lose sight for a moment of his new found treasure he went back, crossed the stream, where he found the food already prepared and his servants wondering at the delay in his return. Tinnan regarding them not, took some of the boar's flesh and cutting off the tenderest portions, roasted them on the point of an arrow; tasted them to ascertain that they were savoury; carefully selected the best, putting them into a cup of teak leaves which he had sewn together; and prepared to return to the woodland deity with his offering. The servants seeing all this, very reasonably concluded that their master had suddenly gone mad, and hastened off home to take the news, and to ask the priestess of their tribe to return with them and exorcise the evil spirit that they supposed had taken possession of their lord. Tinnan unconscious of their departure, hastened back with the food in one hand, and his bow and arrow in the other. As he crossed the river, he filled his mouth with water, with which coming before the image he besprinkled it. He then took the wild jungle flowers from his own hair, and put them over it, and presented the coarse boar's flesh he had brought, saying: 'My Lord, I have chosen for thee the daintiest portions, have carefully prepared them with fire, have tasted them, and softened them with my own teeth. I have sprinkled thee with water from the stream, and have put on thee flowers thou mayest love. Accept my gifts!' [ This presentation of the food to the lingam and other images is often referred to in these stories, and the impression is given that the worshippers believed that the idol itself consumed the offering; but it is never expressly said that the food disappeared before the shrines, though this is sometimes implied.] Meanwhile the sun went down and during the whole night Tinnan with his arrow on the strung bow kept watch and ward around the god and at dawn went forth to the mountain to hunt, that he might provide for the daily wants of his new master. While he was gone on this errand the BrAhman in charge of the lingam, who was a learned ascetic of renowned virtue and holiness, CivagOchariyAr, came at daybreak, and having performed his own ablutions in the river, provided himself with a vessel of pure water for the purification of the divine image, and a basket of sacred flowers and fresh leaves for its adornment and uttering the mystic Five Syllables, devoutly drew near. A scene of unutterable pollution met his horrified gaze. Flesh and bones were strewed around, and the image itself had been defiled with filthy water and common wild flowers! With trembling horror he sprang aside, exclaiming, 'Oh, god of gods!what an unhallowed impious hands of mountaineers have brought these pollutions here. How didst thou permit them thus to profane thy presence?'. So saying, he wept, fell down, and rolled in anguish before the god. But, reflecting that at any rate it was wrong to delay any longer the sacred service, he carefully removed the unhallowed things from the precincts, and proceeded to perform worship according to the Vedic rites: and having sung the appointed Hymn, and many times gone round the right image, and prostrated himself in adoration, departed to his hermitage. Meanwhile the servants, having taken the news of Tinnan's madness to old NAgan, his father returned with him and the priestess of their demon temple. They both attempted to reason with the young enthusiast, and to recall him to the worship to which he had been accustomed; but its wild orgies delighted him no more. His whole affection was centered upon the new found Civan so they regarding him as hopelessly mad, returned sorrowing to their village. [One object of this legend seems to be the reconciliation of the orthodox Civa worship and the ruder forms of demon worship then in use. The contrast is exceedingly striking when the refined and thoroughly instructed BrAhman, with his scrupulous attention to all the minutiae of vEdic worship, who regarded the slaying of animals as a crime, and the eating of their flesh as an unspeakable abomination, and considered that whatever had touched a man's mouth was polluted and that the wild human inhabitants of the jungle were a lower order of creation is brought face to face with the youthful chieftain of an almost savage tribe, whose chief delight is how to hunt down, slay and devour the birds and beasts of the forest; who brings boar's flesh for the unpolluted Civan to eat, and carries water in his mouth wherewith to besprinkle the image; who actually uses his leathern slippers to brush away the refuse leaves from the head of the god, who know no sacred texts; and who worships the same god, indeed, but has nothing to commend him save a rude uninstructed though zealous devotion.] Meanwhile the mountaineer guards the god by night, returns at eventide to Offer his gifts and perform his rude service, and spends the day in providing flesh of beasts for the god's repast.At dawn, when the young woodman has departed, duly comes the pure and exclusive BrAhman having scrupulously made his own ablutions, cleanses the precincts, and performs his ceremonious worship. These men so different serve by turns before the same lingam, which they both regarded with equal reverence! But this cannot long continue so. The BrAhman makes a passionate appeal to Civan to guard himself from these pollutions, the author of which he cannot trace. He then return to his hermitage sad and utterly perplexed. But in the night the god appears to him, and then addressed him: ' That which thou dost complain of is to me most dear and acceptable! Thy rival ministrant is a chieftain of the rude foresters. He is absolutely ignorant of the VEdas and the Caiva texts. He knows not the ordinances of worship. But regard not HIM, regard the spirit and motives of his acts. His rough and gigantic frame is instinct with love to me, his whole knowledge - in thine eyes craze ignorance - is summed up in the knowledge of Me! His every action is dear to me; the tougch of his leathern slipper is pleasant to me as that of the tender hand of my son Skanda. The water with which he besprinkles me from his mouth is holy to me as the water of the Ganges. The food he offers me - to thee so abominable - is pure love. I regard not the externals of worship. He utterly loves me, even as thou dost; but come to-morrow when thou shalt see his worship, and I will give thee proof of his devotion to me'. The BrAhman slept no more that night, but at daybreak was put in hiding behind the lingam by the god himself. And now Civan, who knows the hearts of worshippers, in order that Tinnan's truth might be manifest, caused blood to trickle down from the right eye of the image. The young worshipper drawing near beheld this, and exclaimed : ' Oh, my master, who hath wounded thee? What sacrilegious hand, evading my watchfulness, has wrought this evil?' Then seizing his weapons he proceeded to scour the neighbourhood to see if any mountaineer or wild animal could be detected as author of the mischief. Finding none, he threw himself on the ground in despair; but at length reflected that he had heard of remedies which would staunch the flow of blood. So he went and sought out in the jungle some herbs of virtue, and applied them; but the wound bled all the more copiously. Then a happy idea struck him; ' for a wounded eye the remedy is another eye applied,' said he; and pausing not an instant, with his arrow he scooped out his own right eye, and applied it to the bleeding eye of the image, from which at once the blood ceased to flow! At this his rapture knew no bounds. He sang and danced, and poured forth uncouth expressions of ardent thanksgiving; but on looking at the image once more, alas! blood was seen issuing from the other eye. After a moment or two of bewildered sorrow, his countenance was lit up with a radiant light of gladness; for he has still one eye left, and the efficacy of the remedy has been tried already; so he raises himself up, puts his one foot close up to the image's suffering eye, that he may be able to feel, when he no longer can see, where to apply the remedy; and proceeded to scoop the other eye. But this last sacrifice is too much for Civan to permit to be consummated; from out the lingam he puts forth a sacred hand, and grasps that of the youthful enthusiast, who still holds the arrow ready to accomplish his pious intention, and says: 'Stay, Tinnan, stay thine hand, my loving son! Henceforth the place for ever shall be at my right hands, on my holy mount'. CivagOchari had learnt the lesson that LOVE AND SELF-DEVOTION AND MORE THAN CEREMONIAL PURITY, and fell prostate; while the choirs of heaven chanted the beatification of the Saint, who is from age to age adored while his title of Kann-appan - the devotee who gave his eyes for the service of his God. |
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அத்தேவர் தேவர் அவர்தேவ ரென்றிங்ஙன்
பொய்த்தேவு பேசிப் புலம்புகின்ற பூதலத்தே
பத்தேதும் இல்லாதென் பற்றறநான் பற்றிநின்ற மெய்த்தேவர் தேவற்கே சென்றூதாய் கோத்தும்பீ. 20 |
V. The only god.
the Gods, men wrangling say, and
thus
upon this earthly stage. And I
might cease to cling, to Him I
clung ! AND BREATHE HIS PRAISE, O HUMMING-BEE ! (20) |
வைத்த நிதிபெண்டிர் மக்கள்குலங் கல்வியென்னும்
பித்த உலகிற் பிறப்போ டிறப்பென்னுஞ்
சித்த விகாரக் கலக்கம் தெளிவித்த வித்தகத் தேவற்கே சென்றூதாய் கோத்தும்பீ. 24 |
VI. He elevates, calms and purifies
the soul-
from
birth and death, that ceaseless spring, -
and learning's store, men prize
and seek; -
and clears from error's mists the
soul. AND BREATHE HIS PRAISE, O HUMMING-BEE ! (24) |
சட்டோ நினைக்க மனத்தமுதாஞ் சங்கரனைக்
கெட்டேன் மறப்பேனோ கேடுபடாத் திருவடியை
ஒட்டாத பாவித் தொழும்பரைநாம் உருவறியோம் சிட்டாய சிட்டற்கே சென்றூதாய் கோத்தும்பீ. 28 |
VII. Nothing shall draw me from Him !
shall he fare ill?
The sacred Foot
But those who cleave not to that
Foot,-
their very forms we will not
know! AND BREATHE HIS PRAISE, O HUMMING-BEE ! (28) |
ஒன்றாய் முளைத்தெழுந் தெத்தனையோ கவடுவிட்டு
நன்றாக வைத்தென்னை நாய்சிவிகை ஏற்றுவித்த
என்தாதை தாதைக்கும் எம்மனைக்குந் தம்பெருமான் குன்றாத செல்வற்கே சென்றூதாய் கோத்தும்பீ. 32 |
VIII. His grace to me and mine
that none can count, - a tree of
grace !
and caused in state aloft to
ride,
the mighty
PerumAn is He ! AND BREATHE HIS PRAISE, THOU HUMMING-BEE ! (32) |
கரணங்கள் எல்லாங் கடந்துநின்ற கறைமிடற்றன்
சரணங்க ளேசென்று சார்தலுமே தான்எனக்கு
மரணம் பிறப்பென் றிவையிரண்டின் மயக்கறுத்த கருணைக் கடலுக்கே சென்றூதாய் கோத்தும்பீ. 36 |
IX. His self-forgiving compassion.
all powers of thought that men
possess !
and He, straightaway, delusions
all
within my being caused to cease. AND BREATHE HIS PRAISE, O HUMMING-BEE ! (36) |
நோயுற்று மூத்துநான் நுந்துகன்றா யிங்கிருந்து
நாயுற்ற செல்வம் நயந்தறியா வண்ணமெல்லாந்
தாயுற்று வந்தென்னை ஆண்டுகொண்டதன்கருணைத் தேயுற்ற செல்வற்கே சென்றூதாய் கோத்தும்பீ. 40 |
X. His tender love has followed me.
a weaning calf, - in ceaseless
change;
enjoyments that a dog might
share, -
He
came in grace, and made me His ! AND BREATHE HIS PRAISE, O HUMMING-BEE ! (40) |
வன்னெஞ்சக் கள்வன் மனவலியன் என்னாதே
கல்நெஞ் சுருக்கிக் கருணையினால் ஆண்டுகொண்ட
அன்னஞ் திளைக்கும் அணிதில்லை அம்பலவன் பொன்னங் கழலுக்கே சென்றூதாய் கோத்தும்பீ. 44 |
XI. He gave grace without upbraiding
'deceiver', 'obstinate of mind;
and in
compassion mad at me Thine;
in beauty rich, where swans
disport ! AND BREATHE HIS PRAISE, THOU HUMMING-BEE ! (44) |
நாயேனைத் தன்னடிகள் பாடுவித்த நாயகனைப்
பேயேன துள்ளப் பிழைபொறுக்கும் பெருமையனைச்
சீயேதும் இல்லாதென் செய்பணிகள் கொண்டருளந் தாயான ஈசற்கே சென்றூதாய் கோத்தும்பீ. 48 |
XII. The loving Lord, Who taught, wretch as I am,
my lip to sing. His jewell'd
Feet;
of me, a very fiend in sooth;
nor spurns my worthlessness ! AND BREATHE HIS PRAISE, THOU HUMMING-BEE ! (48) |
நான்தனக் கன்பின்னை நானுந்தா னும் அறிவோம்
தானென்னை ஆட்கொண்ட தெல்லாருந் தாமறிவார்
ஆன கருணையும் அங்குற்றே தானவனே
கோனென்னைக் கூடக் குளிர்ந்தூதாய் கோத்தும்பீ.
52
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XIII. His love demands my all
I know it, and He knows it too !
on
earth shall surely see and know.
He only is my being's King ! TO BREATHE HIS PRAISE, O HUMMING-BEE ! (52) |
கருவாய் உலகினுக் கப்புறமாய் இப்புறத்தே
மருவார் மலர்க்குழல் மாதினொடும்
வந்தருளி
அருவாய் மறைபயில் அந்தணனாய் ஆண்டுகொண்ட திருவான தேவற்கே சென்றூதாய் கோத்தும்பீ. 56 |
XIV. He came to me as my Guru
yet in this world too, seen;
in mercy manifest, He came;
He stood revealed, and made me
His. AND BREATHE HIS PRAISE, THOU HUMMING-BEE! (56) |
நானும்என் சிந்தையும் நாயகனுக் கெவ்விடத்தோம்
தானுந்தன் தையலுந் தாழ்சடையோன்
ஆண்டிலனேல்
வானுந் திசைகளும் மாகடலும் ஆயபிரான் தேனுந்து சேவடிக்கே சென்றூதாய் கோத்தும்பீ. 60 |
from Him the loving Lord
remained,
He with the Lady,- made me His !
of earth and of the mighty sea ! AND BREATHE HIS PRAISE, THOU HUMMING-BEE ! (60) |
உள்ளப் படாத திருஉருவை உள்ளுதலும்
கள்ளப் படாத களிவந்த வான்கருணை
வெள்ளப் பிரான்என் பிரான்என்னை வேறேஆட் கொள்ளப் பிரானுக்கே சென்றூதாய் கோத்தும்பீ. 64 |
XVI. The thought of Him is joy.
which every thought of man
transcends,
that ne'er delude, swept o'er my
soul.
me ever fully His alone. AND BREATHE HIS PRAISE, O HUMMING-BEE ! (64) |
பொய்யாய செல்வத்தே
புக்கழுந்தி நாள்தோறும்
மெய்யாக் கருதிக்கிடந்தேனை ஆட்கொண்ட
ஐயாவென் ஆரூயிரே அம்பலவா என்றவன்றன் செய்யார் மலரடிக்கே சென்றூதாய் கோத்தும்பீ. 68 |
XVII. He saved me from senses' bondage
each day of earthly prosperous
joy,
in grace revealed, He made me His
!
of Tillai's sacred temple-court; TO BREATHE HIS PRAISE, THOU HUMMING-BEE ! (68) |
தோலுந் துகிலுங் குழையுஞ் சுருள்தோடும்
பால்வெள்ளை நீறும் பசுஞ்சாந்தும்
பைங்கிளியுஞ்
சூலமுந் தொக்க வளையு முடைத்தொன்மைக் கோலமே நோக்கிக் குளிர்ந்தூதாய் கோத்தும்பீ. 72 |
XVIII. Civan as depicted in ancient
myths.
the ears' round golden ornaments,
so cool and sweet, the parrot
green,
and ancient fair array He owns, AND BREATHE HIS PRAISE, O HUMMING-BEE ! (72) |
கள்வன் கடியன் கலதியிவன் என்னாத
வள்ளல் வரவர வந்தொழிந்தான் என் மனத்தே
உள்ளத் துறதுய ரொன்றொழியா வண்ணமெல்லாந் தெள்ளுங் கழலுக்கே சென்றூதாய் கோத்தும்பீ. 76 |
XIX. Visited me, nor despised my
unworthiness
all
this to me He did not say;
nor took His Presence from my
mind !
in any wise was left with me ! AND BREATHE HIS PRAISE, O HUMMING-BEE ! (76) |
பூமேல் அயனோடு மாலும் புகலிரதென்று
ஏமாறி நிற்க அடியேன் இறுமாக்க
நாய்மேல் தவிசிட்டு நன்றாய்ப் பொருட்படுத்த தீமேனி யானுக்கே சென்றூதாய் கோத்தும்பீ. 80 |
XX. His grace to the lowly
were grieved - for He was hard to
reach !
fulfilled of exultation stood !
endued right well with worthiness
! AND BREATHE HIS PRAISE, O HUMMING-BEE ! (80) |
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