Written by London Swaminathan

Post No. 15,376

Date uploaded in Sydney, Australia –  30 January 2026

Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com

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 In the Tiruppugaz composed by 15^th century Tamil poet cum saint Arunagirinathar, we come across interesting detail about the structure of an atom.

All of us know the first reference to an atom comes in 2300 Ganada’s Vaishesika sastram. Later we come across the famous quote from the Katopanishad and other scriptures

“Anor aneeyaam mahatho maheeyaam” (अणोरणीयान् महतो महीयान्) is a profound Sanskrit phrase from the Vedic tradition, most famously found in the Katha Upanishad (1.2.20).  It translates to: “Smaller than the smallest, greater than the greatest.”  It occurs in other Upanishads as well.

अणोरणीयान् महतो महीयान्
आत्मा गुहायां निहितोऽस्य जन्तोः ।
तमक्रतुं पश्यति वीतशोको
धातुः प्रसादान्महिमानमात्मनः ॥ – श्वेताश्वतरोपनिषत् ३-२०

This is translated and used in Tamil hymns as well.

But Arunagirinathar’s statement is different from this अणोरणीयान् महतो महीयान्. He says

“aNuvil aNu ena niRainthittu ninRathu oru samprathAyam uthayam ezha iruLvi dinthu: and an atom within an atom”
Only two hundred years ago the western scientists discovered the structure of an atom. Arunagiri said it five hundred years ago. His statement an atom within atom means Hindus know what is inside an atom. I am not making a sweeping statement without any proof.

Before Arunagirinathar’s time, three poets have sung about splitting an atom and the energy it produces. Avvaiyar and Idaikadar, two earlier poets said when atom is split seven oceans can be punt into it. They stated it when they praised the book Tirukkural.

Splitting an Atom

Another poet Tirumular of ninth century CE gives more details in the following poem:

“Take one piece of cow’s hair and cut it into 100

Parts, then take one part of it and again cut it into

1000 parts, then take one part from that and again

cut it into another 10000 parts. The remaining 1 part

from those 10000 parts will resemble the size of the

Atom (Anu in Tamil)”.

He tried to explain the size of an atom to a layman.

***

Following Tiruppugaz has other details about 14 worlds and 96 Tatvas

Song 106 – adhala vidhala (pazhani)

athala vithalamutha lanthaththa langaLena

     avani yenaamarar aNdaththa kaNdamena

          akila salathiyena eNdikkuL viNduvena …… angibAnu

amutha kathirkaLena anthiththa manthramena

     aRaiyu maRaiyenaa runthaththu vangaLena

          aNuvi laNuvenani Rainthittu ninRathoru …… samprathAyam

uthaya mezhairuLvi dinthakka Nanthanili

     ruthaya kamalamuki zhangatta vizhnthuNarvi

          luNaru manupavama nampetRi dumpadiyai …… vanthuneemun

uthava iyaliniyal senchoRpra panthamena

     mathura kavikaLilma nampatRi runthupukazh

          uriya adimaiyunai yanRippra panchamathai …… nampuvEnO

thathatha thathathathatha thanthaththa thanthathatha

     thithithi thithithithithi thinthiththi thinthithithi

          thakuku thakuthakuku thanthaththa thanthakuku …… thinthithOthi

sakaka sakakeNaka thanthaththa kungeNaka

     dididi dididididi diNditti diNdididi

          thakaka thakathakaka thanthaththa thanthakaka …… enRuthALam

pathalai thimilaithudi thampatta mumperuka

     akila nisisararna dungakko dunkazhuku

          pariya kudarpazhuve lumpaippi dungaraNa …… thungakALi

pavuri yidanaripu lampappa runthiRaku

     kavari yidaikalai venRucchi kaNdithanil

          pazhani malaiyinmisai vanthutRa inthirarkaL …… thambirAnE.

……… Meaning ………

athalam vithalam muthal anthath thalangaL ena: All the seven lower worlds* including athalam, vithalam and others,

avani ena amarar aNdaththu akaNdam ena: this earth, all the seven upper worlds* of the celestials,

akila salathi ena eN thikku uL viNdu ena: all the oceans, all the mountains in the eight cardinal directions,

angi pAnu amutha kathirkaL ena anthiththa manthram ena: the Fire God, the Sun and the Moon with cool radiation (the Three Effulgences), the ManthrAs that mutually intermingle,

aRaiyum maRai ena arum thaththuvangaL ena: the VEdAs that are chanted impressively, the rare tenets** (96 ThathvAs)

aNuvil aNu ena niRainthittu ninRathu oru samprathAyam uthayam ezha iruLvi dinthu: and an atom within an atom; – likewise, It is something omnipresent; in order that such a Principle of Truth emerges in my heart, destroying the darkness of ignorance,

akkaNam thanil iruthaya kamalam mukizham kattu avizhnthu uNarvil uNarum anupavam manam petRidumpadiyai: and at that very moment, for the lotus bud of my heart to blossom, and to enable me to attain enlightenment that can be experienced only inwardly,

vanthu nee mun uthava: You have to manifest before me graciously to help so that

iyalin iyal sem sol prapantham ena: a work of art is composed with sweet words of love,

mathura kavikaLil manam patRirunthu pukazh uriya: rendered in the form of musical poems, with utmost devotion, in lilting meters, to be known as Thiruppugazh (Glory of the Lord); having obtained Your blessings for such a great honour,

adimai unai anRip prapancham athai nampuvEnO: will this servant of Yours ever trust in any other aspect of this world excepting You?

thathatha thathathathatha thanthaththa thanthathatha

 thithithi thithithithithi thinthiththi thinthithithi

  thakuku thakuthakuku thanthaththa thanthakuku thinthithOthi

   sakaka sakakeNaka thanthaththa kungeNaka

    dididi dididididi diNditti diNdididi

     thakaka thakathakaka thanthaththa thanthakaka enRuthALam: To (this) meter,

pathalai thimilai thudi thampattamum peruka: various drums such as pathalai, thimilai, hand-drum and thampattam were beaten making a lot of noise;

akila nisisarar nadungak kodum kazhuku pariya kudar pazhu elumpaip pidunga: the demons who were scattered everywhere began to shake with fear; wild eagles plucked with their beaks fat tissues of intestines and rib bones (of the corpses);

raNa thunga kALi pavuri ida nari pulampa parunthu iRaku kavari ida: KALi, the triumphant deity of the battlefield, danced ecstatically; the jackals yelled; and the vultures blew their feathers as if they were gently swaying the royal hand-fans;

ikalai venRu sikaNdi thanil pazhani malaiyin misai vanthu utRa inthirarkaL thambirAnE.: when You won the war and mounted the peacock heading towards Pazhani, where You are seated as the Lord of the celestials, Oh Great One!

***

* The lower seven worlds are:

athalam, vithalam, suthalam, tharAthalam, mahAthalam, rasAthalam and pAthAlam.

** The upper seven worlds are:

bUlOgam, bhuvalOgam, suvalOgam, janalOgam, thabOlOgam, mahAlOgam and sathyalOgam.

*** The 96 thathvAs (tenets) are as follows:

36 ParathathvAs (internal, Superior Tenets): ‘AathmA’ (soul) thathvAs 24, ‘vidhyA’ (knowledge) thathvAs 7, ‘siva’ thathvAs 5.

5 Elements (external, with five aspects each making 25): Earth, Fire, Water, Air, Cosmos.

35 Other thathvAs (external): ‘vAyus’ (gases) 10, nAdis (kundalinis) 10, karmAs 5, ahangkAram (ego) 3, gunAs (character) 3, vAkku (speech).

—Subham—

Tags- Nuclear Science , Arunagirinathar’s, Tiruppugaz, structure of atom