WRITTEN BY LONDON SWAMINATHAN

Post No. 13,614

Date uploaded in London – 31 August 2024                 

Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com

Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.

this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.

tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com

https://www.pustaka.co.in/home/author/london-swaminathan

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One of the longest living animals on earth is Tortoise; records show that it can live up to 300 years, thrice the life span of human beings. Hindus discovered the secret before the biologists. Lord Krishna and Manu of Rig Vedic age used it in their books. Tamils copied it from them. Tirumular gives more details in his Tiru manthiram, book of 3000 Tamil verses. Tirumular, from Kashmir, Himalayas migrated to Tamil Nadu just 1200 years ago.

Here are some stanzas from Tiru manthiram of Tiru mular

பெருமை சிறுமை அறிந்தெம் பிரான்போல்

அருமை எளிமை அறிந்தறி வாரார்

ஒருமையுள் ஆமைபோல் உள்ளைந் தடக்கி

இருமையுங் கெட்டிருந் தார்புரை அற்றே.

Senses Controlled, They Saw This World and Next

Who there be who, like our Lord, distinct know

The great and the small, the difficult and the facile?

They, unto tortoise, drawing in senses five under the shell,

They heard and saw This and Next, all impurities dispelled.

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ஊமைக் கிணற்றகத்துள்ளே உறைவதோர்
ஆமையின் உள்ளே யழுவைகள் ஐந்துள
வாய்மையினுள்ளே வழுவா தொடுங்குமேல்
ஆமையின் மேலுமோ ராயிரத் தாண்டே

(திருமந்திரம் 2264, 2304)

Merge in Silentness, Senses Withdrawn

Deep in the Well of Silentness (Mauna)

Is a turtle–Jiva–(with Malas Five withdrawn)

If from Truth you deviate not,

And in (It) merge entire,

You shall indeed live

A thousand years beyond the turtle.

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ஊமை எழுத்தொடு பேசும் எழுத்துறில்

ஆமை அகத்தினில் அஞ்சம் அடங்கிடும்

ஓமயம் உற்றுஅது உள்ளொளி பெற்றது

நாமயம் அற்றது நாம்அறி யோமே. 17

 Turiyatita Experience

When with silent letter “M”

The articulate letters “A” and “U” conjoins,

The Five Senses are withdrawn,

As limbs within the tortoise;

Then Jiva is by “Aum” pervaded;

The light Divine beams from within;

The Self its sentience loses;

–This we know not.

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Breath Control Explained

திருமூலர் தனது பாடலில்:-

விளங்கிடு முந்நூற்று முப்பத்தோ டொருபான்
தனங்கொளிரட்டிய தாறு நடந்தால்
வணங்கிடு ஆமைம்மலம் வாயுவெழுந்து
விளங்கிடு மவ்வழி தத்துவ நின்றே

Breath Control For Ridding Malas

If ten times three hundred and thirty

The breath twelve finger-length

As Prana ascends upward,

The Malas Five subdued are;

So do the Tattvas, according.

Normally a man breaths 26,000 times a day. God has sent us with a specific number of breaths. When you exhaust them, you are no more. Tortoises and turtles use very less number of breaths compared to humans. Tiru mular says, do Yoga and control your breath , you can live longer. Brahmins are taught the breath control called Praanaayaama from the age of 5; Kshatrias from thee age of seven and Vaisyas from the age of 9 says our law books called Smritis. If you use less breaths every day, you get more time to live.

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Tortoise in Bhagavad Gita

. Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 2, Verse 58

यदा संहरते चायं कूर्मोऽङ्गानीव सर्वश: |
इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता || 58||

yadā sanharate chāyaṁ kūrmo ’ṅgānīva sarvaśhaḥ
indriyāṇīndriyārthebhyas tasya prajñā pratiṣhṭhitā

yadā—when; sanharate—withdraw; cha—and; ayam—this; kūrmaḥ—tortoise; aṅgāni—limbs; iva—as; sarvaśhaḥ—fully; indriyāṇi—senses; indriya-arthebhyaḥ—from the sense objects; tasya—his; prajñā—divine wisdom; pratiṣhṭhitā—fixed in

yada sanharate chayam kurmo ’nganiva sarvashah
indriyanindriyarthebhyas tasya prajna pratishthita

Translation

BG 2.58: One who is able to withdraw the senses from their objects, just as a tortoise withdraws its limbs into its shell, is established in divine wisdom.

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Tortoise in Manu Smriti

Manu took it from Mahabharata. We find 200 Manu Smriti slokas in Mahabharata.

नास्य छिद्रं परो विद्याद् विद्यात्छिद्रं परस्य च ।
गूहेत् कूर्म इवाङ्गानि रक्षेद् विवरमात्मनः ॥ Manu 7-१०५ ॥

nāsya chidraṃ paro vidyād vidyātchidraṃ parasya ca |
gūhet kūrma ivāṅgāni rakṣed vivaramātmanaḥ || Manu 7-105 ||

His enemy should hot know his weak points, but he must know the weak points of the enemy; he should hide the departments (of government) as the tortoise does its limbs; and he should guard his own weak points.—(7-105 Manu Smriti)

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It is Tamil Divya Prabandham of Alvars too (2360)

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Tortoise in Tamil Veda Tirukkural of Tamil Saint Tiru Valluvar

தமிழர்கள் கண்டுபிடித்த ஆமை அதிசயம்!

ஒருமையுள் ஆமைபோல் ஐந்தடக்கல் ஆற்றின்

எழுமையும் ஏமாப்புடைத்து (குறள் 126)

Like a tortoise, if one is able to restrain the five senses

It will give lasting strength through all his seven births- 126

Or

English Couplet 126:

Like tortoise, who the five restrains
In one, through seven world bliss obtains

Or

If a man learns to control his five senses in one birth as the tortoise, that power will stand by him in his seven future births.

Or

Couplet Explanation:

Should one throughout a single birth, like a tortoise keep in his five senses, the fruit of it will prove a safe-guard to him throughout the seven-fold births.

—-subham—-

Tags- Tortoise, Breath control, Bhagavad Gita, Manu Smriti, Tirukkural, Tirumular, Learn Tiru manthiram through Pictures – Part 4