Marital Garland of Letters - Sri Arunaachala Akshara Mana Maalai
Marital Garland of Letters - Sri Arunaachala Akshara Mana Maalai
Marital Garland of Letters - Sri Arunaachala Akshara Mana Maalai
L ETTERS
Prefatory Verse by Muruganar
This joyful Marital Garland of Letters,
which resembles a beam of the light of the rising sun,
was sung by the noble Sage Ramana,
the ocean of compassion, with the object of removing the delusion
of the devotees who sought his grace.
Those who look upon it as their sole refuge will realize within
themselves that they are Arunachala
and will reign in the world of Siva.
Invocation by Sri Bhagavan
Gracious Ganapati! With Thy (loving) hand
bless me that I may make this a Marital Garland of Letters
worthy of Sri Arunachala, the bridegroom!
Refrain
Arunachala Siva! Arunachala Siva! Arunachala Siva! Arunachala!
Arunachala Siva! Arunachala Siva! Arunachala Siva! Arunachala!
Text
1. Thou dost root out the ego of those who meditate on Thee in
the heart, O Arunachala!
Pallavi
AruœÅchala Siva AruœÅchala Siva AruœÅchala Siva AruœÅchalÅ!
AruœÅchala Siva AruœÅchala Siva AruœÅchala Siva AruœÅchalÅ!
Text
1. AruœÅ chalamena ahamÉ ninaip-pavar
Ahat-taivÉ raŸup-pÅi AruœÅchalÅ
4. Was it for Thy pleasure or for my sake Thou didst win me? If now
Thou turn me away, the world will blame Thee, O Arunachala!
6. Kinder far art Thou than one’s own mother. Is this then Thy
all-kindness, O Arunachala?
8. Display Thy beauty for the fickle mind to see Thee forever
and to rest (in peace), O Arunachala!
11. Even when the thieves of the five senses break in upon me, art
Thou not still in my heart, O Arunachala?
12. One art Thou without a second; who then could dare elude
Thee and come in? This is only Thy jugglery, O Arunachala!
2
Orig. trans. reads: Why didst Thou then recall Thyself to me?
Sri Arunachala Akshara Mana Malai 23
15. Who can ever find Thee? The Eye of the eye art Thou, and
without eyes Thou seest, O Arunachala!
17. (Unmoving) Hill, melting into a Sea of Grace, have mercy (on
me) I pray, O Arunachala!
20. Save me from the snares of those who are cruel and deceitful
and honour me with union with Thyself, O Arunachala!
21. Though I beg, Thou art callous and dost not condescend. I
pray Thee! Say to me, ‘Fear not’, O Arunachala!
23. Sweet fruit within my hands, let me be mad with ecstasy, drunk
with the bliss of Thy essence, O Arunachala!
27. Dazzling Sun that swallowest up all the universe in Thy rays,
open the lotus of my heart, I pray, O Arunachala!
28. Let me, Thy prey, surrender unto Thee and be consumed,
and so have peace, O Arunachala!
29. O Moon of Grace, with Thy (cool) rays as hands, open (within
me) the ambrosial orifice and let my heart rejoice, O Arunachala!
30. Tear off these robes, expose me naked, and then robe me with
Thy love, O Arunachala!
31. There (in the heart) rest quiet! Let the sea of joy surge, but
speech and feeling cease, O Arunachala!
32. Do not continue to deceive and test me; disclose instead Thy
transcendent Self, O Arunachala!
33. Vouchsafe the knowledge of eternal life that I may learn the glorious
primal wisdom and shun the delusion of this world, O Arunachala!
34. Unless Thou embrace me, I shall melt away in tears of anguish,
O Arunachala!
3
Orig. trans. reads: Thou, unruffled by anger! What crime has marked me off
(for Thy wrath), O Arunachala?
4
Gautama was a Hindu sage who dwelt at Arunachala as well as at Tiruchuli.
Sri Arunachala Akshara Mana Malai 27
36. In silence Thou saidst, ‘Stay silent’ and Thou Thyself stoodst
silent, O Arunachala!
38. Sun! Thou didst sally forth and (the seige of ) illusion was ended.
Then didst Thou shine motionless (alone), O Arunachala!
39. Worse than a dog (who has lost his master’s scent) how can I
track Thee (to Thy home), O Arunachala? 6
41. Not finding the flower open, Thou didst stay, no better than a
(frustrated) bee, O Arunachala! 7
42. ‘Thou hast realized the Self even without knowing that it was the
truth. It is the truth itself!’ Speak (thus if it be so), O Arunachala!
43. That each one is himself Reality Itself, Thou wilt of Thy nature
show, O Arunachala! 8
5
Prarabdha is one of the three karmas, the part of destiny due to past actions
which bears fruit in this present birth.While sei-vinai means ‘prarabdha’, it
directly refers to the harmful influences of others.
6
Alternate trans.: A dog can scent out its master; am I then worse than a dog?
Steadfastly will I seek Thee and regain Thee, O Arunachala!
7
Alternate trans.: (In sunlight the lotus blossoms), how then couldst Thou, the
Sun of suns, hover before me like a flower bee, saying ‘Thou art not yet in
blossom’, O Arunachala?
8
See Professor Swaminathan’s trans. in Five Hymns to Arunachala, p. 42.
Sri Arunachala Akshara Mana Malai 29
45. Weak though my effort was, by Thy grace, I gained the Self,
O Arunachala!
47. Let me dive into the true Self, wherein merge only the pure in
mind and speech, O Arunachala!
48. When I took shelter under Thee as my One God, Thou didst
destroy me altogether, O Arunachala!
50. On seeking Thy Real Self with courage, my raft capsized and
the waters came over me. Have mercy on me, O Arunachala!
51. Unless Thou extend Thy hand of grace in mercy and embrace
me, I am lost, O Arunachala!
53. Mock me not, who seek Thy protection! Adorn me with Thy
Grace and then look at me, O Arunachala!
54. Does it not shame Thee to stand there like a post, (leaving me)
to find Thee by myself, O Arunachala?
Sri Arunachala Akshara Mana Malai 31
56. Unite with me to destroy (our separate identities as) Thou and
me, and bless me with the state of ever vibrant joy, O Arunachala!
57. When shall I (become) like the ether and reach Thee, subtle of
being, that the tempest of thoughts may end, O Arunachala?9
59. When I melted away and entered Thee, my Refuge, (I found) Thee
standing naked (like the famous Digambara10), O Arunachala!
61. Fruit shrivelled and spoilt is worthless; take and enjoy it ripe,
O Arunachala!
63. Regard me! Take thought of me! Touch me! 11 Ripen me! Make
me one with Thee, O Arunachala!
66. With madness for Thee hast Thou freed me of madness (for the
world); grant me now the cure of all madness, O Arunachala!
67. Fearless I seek Thee, Fearlessness Itself! How canst Thou fear
to take me, O Arunachala?
70. Mere thought of Thee has drawn me to Thee, and who can
gauge Thy Glory (in Itself ), O Arunachala?
71. Thou hast possessed me, unexorcisable Spirit, and made me mad
(for Thee), that I may cease to be a (wandering) ghost, O Arunachala!
74. Show me the warfare of Thy Grace, in the open field where
there is no coming and going, O Arunachala!
12
‘Stupefying powder’ refers to vibhuti or sacred ash. Wandering ascetics are
said to spirit away children as disciples in the renunciate life by ‘stupefying’
them with an offering of their vibhuti.
Sri Arunachala Akshara Mana Malai 35
77. Shine Thou selfless, sapping the pride of those who boast of
their freewill, O Arunachala!
78. I am a fool who prays only when overwhelmed (by misery), yet
disappoint me not, O Arunachala!
80. Thou hast cut the knot which hid the vision of Thy head and
foot (the limitless Self). Motherlike shouldst Thou not complete
Thy task O Arunachala?13
82. Let us embrace upon the bed of tender flowers, which is the
mind, within the room of the body, O Arunachala!
83. How is it that Thou hast become famous from Thy constant
union with the poor and humble, O Arunachala?
13
The cutting of the knot which binds man to illusion implies the attainment of
nirvikalpa samadhi; completion of the task refers to the state of sahaja samadhi.
Sri Arunachala Akshara Mana Malai 37
85. Thou didst shave clean my head (and I was lost to the world),
then Thou didst (show Thyself ) dancing in transcendent space,
O Arunachala!
86. Though Thou hast loosed me from the mists of error and made
me mad for Thee, why hast Thou not yet freed me from
illusion, O Arunachala?
88. Who was it that threw mud14 to me for food and robbed me
of my livelihood, O Arunachala?
91. Let us enjoy one another in the house of open space where
there is neither night nor day, O Arunachala!
92. Thou didst take aim (at me) with darts of love and then
devoured me alive, O Arunachala!
93. Thou art the primal being, whereas I count neither in this nor
the next world. What didst Thou gain then by my worthless
self, O Arunachala?
14
Literally ‘Threw mud into my mouth’ is an expression meaning ‘caused my
ruin’ and here indicates taking away the taste for the food of the senses, in
other words, ‘caused the ruin of my ego and freed me of illusory existence’.
Sri Arunachala Akshara Mana Malai 39
95. The moment Thou didst welcome me, didst enter into me and
grant me Thy divine life, I lost my individuality, O Arunachala!
96. Bless me that I may die without losing hold of Thee, or miserable
is (my fate), O Arunachala!
97. From my home Thou didst entice me, then stealing into my heart
didst draw me gently into Thine, (such is) Thy Grace, O Arunachala!
99. Grant me the essence of the Vedas, which shine in the Vedanta,
one without a second, O Arunachala!
101. As snow in water, let me melt as love in Thee, who art love
itself, O Arunachala!
102. I had but thought of Thee as Aruna, and lo! I was caught in the
trap of Thy grace! Can the net of Thy grace ever fail, O Arunachala?
103. Watching like a spider to trap me in the web (of Thy grace),
Thou didst entwine me and when I was imprisoned fed upon
me, O Arunachala!
104. Let me be the votary of the votaries of those who hear Thy
name with love, O Arunachala!
Sri Arunachala Akshara Mana Malai 41
106. Familiar to Thine ears are the sweet songs of votaries who
melt to the very bones with love for Thee, yet let my poor
strains also be acceptable, O Arunachala!
Refrain
Arunachala Siva! Arunachala Siva!
Arunachala Siva! Arunachala!
Arunachala Siva! Arunachala Siva!
Arunachala Siva! Arunachala!
Benediction
Long live Arunachala!
Long live His devotees!
Long live this Marital Garland of Letters.
43
Pallavi
Aruρ chala Siva Aruρ chala Siva
AruœÅ chala Siva AruœÅ chalÅ!
Aruρ chala Siva Aruρ chala Siva
AruœÅ chala Siva AruœÅ chalÅ!
Benediction
AruœÅ chalam vÅzhi
Anbar ga¿um vÅzhi
Ak„hara maœa mÅlai vÅzhi.