Post No. 13,567
Date uploaded in London – 21 August 2024
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Himalayas: From Rig Veda to Tamil Poet Bharati- 2 (Post No.13,567)
Let us look at what Tamil poet Tirumular says about the Himalaya mountain in his work Tirumanthiram. He lived about 1200 years ago. By his time, Tamils knew North India very well. But they have no connection with the Indus -Sarasvati Valey. They mentioned Ganga from the Sangam days. But they never knew River Sindhu ( Indus). They never mentioned the river until eighth century. But Chozas said that they came from Sibi, ruler of North West India. According to Sangam Tamil literature, Chozas came from the North West of India, where Sibi was ruling. Sibi tribe is in Panini and Rig Veda.
Two amazing things struck me. Kalidasa of second century BCE mentioned the 1500 mile long Himalayan range as the Measuring Rod of the earth. How did he see it? There was no map of that area 2200 years ago. Did he go up in space and looked at the Big Blue Marble (earth) like our modern space travellers?
Tirumular made an amazing description of Himalaya/Kailash, Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka are in the same longitude. These longitudes and latitudes are our own modern inventions. But Tirumular knew that these three places are in straight line! (see the last poem given here). He used them symbolically to describe Yoga matter.
Here are some poems from Tirumanthiram (meaning Holy Mantras):
Meru/மேரு, Vadavarai/வடவரை, Kailash/கயிலை, Himalaya/இமையம் are found in the hymns
Tirumular came from the Himalaya
வந்த மடம்ஏழும் மன்னும்சன் மார்க்கத்தின்
முந்தி உதிக்கின்ற மூலன் மடம்வரை
தந்திரம் ஒன்பது சார்வுமூ வாயிரம்
சுந்தர ஆகமச் சொல்மொழிந் தானே. 1
Seven Holy Orders
Seven are the Holy Order, spiritual and true;
Mula, of the first, from the Himalayas sprung,
In the Tantras Nine and Hymns Three thousand
Propounds the Word of Agama in beauty dight.
(but in the poem Himalaya is not mentioned; Tirumular came from Kashmir in the Himalaya range)
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Kailash
. விளக்கிப் பரமாகும் மெய்ஞ்ஞானச் சோதி
அளப்பில் பெருமையன் ஆனந்த நந்தி
துளக்கறும் ஆனந்தக் கூத்தன்சொற் போந்து
வளப்பில் கயிலை வழியில்வந் தேனே. 19
From Siva’s Seat To Earth
Thus expounding I bore His Word
Down Kailas’s unchanging path,
The Word of Him, the Eternal, the Truth Effulgence,
The Limitless Great, Nandi, the Joyous One,
He of the Blissful Dance that all impurity dispels.
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Himalaya used as a simile
இமையங்க ளாய்நின்ற தேவர்கள் ஆறு
சமையங்கள் பெற்றனர் சாத்திரம் ஓதி
யமையறிந் தோமென்ப ராதிப் பிரானுங்
கமையறிந் தாருட் கலந்துநின் றானே. 1
Who Attained Divine Tranquility
The Heavenly Beings, immortal as the mountain Himalayas,
Received the Darshanas that are Six;
“We learned them all and attained the Other World”
-Thus quote they;
But, in sooth,
The Primal Lord is in intimacy within
Of those that have Divine Tranquility attained.
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Kailash again
தனிச்சுடர் ஏற்றித் தயங்கிருள் நீங்க
அனித்திடும் மேலை அருங்கனி ஊறல்
கனிச்சுட ராய்நின்ற கயிலையில் ஈசன்
நனிச்சுடர் மேல்கொண்ட வண்ணமும் ஆமே. 5
Siva is the Light Resplendent
With His peerless rays
He dispelled my darkness;
And the divine fruit’s honey within flowed;
Beaming with benevolent rays
As Lord of Kailas, He stood;
Within me too He stood aloft
As Light Resplendent.
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. போற்றிசெய் அந்தண் கயிலைப் பொருப்பனை
நாற்றிசைக் கும்நடு வாய்கின்ற நம்பனைக்
காற்றிசைக் கும் கமழ்ஆக்கையைக் கைக்கொண்டு
கூற்றுதைத் தான்தன்மைக் கூறிநின்று உய்ம்மினே. 4
Praise Lord and Spurn Death
Praise the benevolent Lord,
He of Mount Kailas;
He as central stood,
In cardinal directions four, our Lord;
With the precious body
That Prana’s vital breath holds
Praise the Lord and be redeemed,
The Lord,
Who with His Feet the God of Death spurned.
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Meru Mountain
. செம்மைமுன் னிற்பச் சுவேதம் திரிவபோல்
அம்மெய்ப் பரத்தோடு அணுவன்உள் ளாயிடப்
பொய்மைச் சகமுண்ட போத வெறும்பாழில்
செம்மைச் சிவமேரு சேர்கொடி யாகுமே. 4
Jiva’s Purification
In contact with color red
White, too, becomes red;
Unto it it is,
When Jiva purified (white)
Reaches Siva (that is red);
In Jnana’s Void
That absorbs universes so unreal,
Siva stands high aloft
As a flag planted on Meru Mountain top.
Here Tirumular speaks about Hindu chemistry and alchemy; white is mercury and red is sulphur. They are only used as similes.
It also refers to a popular Tamil proverb: Even a crow will become a golden bird when it reaches Meru.
Symbolic meaning is a sinner as black as crow will become a saint looking like gold.
Gold before processing looks dirty.
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மேருவி னோடே விரிகதிர் மண்டலம்
ஆர நினையும் அருந்தவ யோகிக்குச்
சீரார் தவம்செய்யில் சிவனருள் தானாகும்
பேரவும் வேண்டாம் பிறிதில்லை தானே. 14
Contemplate in Yogic Way
To the Yogis of intense Tapas,
Contemplating on Mystic Meru Mount
In the radiant Sphere within,
In their rare Tapas
Siva’s Grace, of itself, appears;
Move not from this way;
There is none other too.
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நெஞ்சு நினைந்துதம் வாயாற் பிரான்என்று
துஞ்சும் பொழுதுன் துணைத்தாள் சரண்என்று
மஞ்சு தவழும் வடவரை மீதுரை
அஞ்சில் இறைவன் அருள்பெற லாமே. 10
Siva’s Five Letter Mantra is the Final Refuge
Think of Him in your heart,
Praise Him as “My Lord”
When Death approaches you, say:
“Lord, You alone are my Refuge;”
Then will you receive
The Grace of Lord in Letters Five seated,
The Lord who resides
In the snow-clad mountain of North (Kailas).
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மேரு நடுநாடி மிக்கிடை பிங்கனல்
கூரும்இவ் வானின் இலங்கைக் குறியுறும்
சாரும் திலைவனத் தண்மா மலயத்தூடு
ஏறும் கழுமுனை இவைசிவ பூமியே. 26
Siva’s Spheres of Dance Within
The central spinal column that is Meru
The Nadis, Ida (Left) and Pingala (Right),
The Jiva’s delta-shaped Muladhara
The Sushumna Cavity that is unto Tillai Forest
Where the cool (southerly) breeze from Mount Malaya wafts
All these alike are Siva’s Spheres of Dance
to be continued……………………………
—subham—
Tags- Tirumular, Tirumanthiram, Mount Kailash, Meru, Himalaya, Northern range, Rig Veda to Bharati, Part 2
Tamil and Vedas 