APRIL 5, 1872.]
101
TAMIL POPULAR POETRY.
He who createth all things Preserveth, layeth low,
Mūvarālum ariyonáta Muttolir pagapporul,
The Indivisible Substance,
Kävaláka ummulé
Whom the Triad cannot know, Himself to thy hearts safe keeping He truly can bestow.
Kalant' iruppat’ unmeiyê.
Indra máqu tan kaluttil
When cows have calved, with bundles* Their throats ye idly deck; Thus, fools, your oft-wrapt lingas Ye carry round your neck. Intent, heart-fixed, thus can ye Enkerchief, and sustain The Light whom earth and heaven
Itta pottanangal pål, Mândru nãlu sileiyei Mudint' avilkum mudarkål, Mândru lögamum kadantu Mutti nindra Sóthiyei Undri, findri, nir mudinta Unmei yenna unmeiyê 2 Védamittu mani kilukki, Mikka tubamittumé,
And hell cannot contain!
Tiralpadapparappiyé ; Adu kondru, pangu veittu, Arattru maru pélavé, Pödu putpum, itta pujei, Pujei yenna pujeiye 2
Your garb, your bells' quick tinkle, Your incense floating far, Your copper gods, that by you Array'd in order are— As men arrange in markets Mutton in lumps, and bawl l— The flowers ye cast-this worship What is it after all ºf
Tantirangal ettinei ! Davangal seytunirkinum, Mantirattei fidaruttu, Mandapangal tedinum,
How many your devices ! Although ye mortify Your bodies, go through mantras, To temple-choultries hie,
Antirattil nindra Joti
Ye will not know the Splendour
Yāvarum arintilár, Sin teiyil ttelin ttidil Siva patangal séralām
Who hath in space his seat ; They with minds cleared can only
Pāvum nirum yen manum ; Poruntu kóvil yen ulum ; Avi pida lingamāy Akandatengum anaté ;
My thoughts are flowers and ashes, In my breast's fane enshrined, My breath too is therein it A linga unconfined : My senses, too, like incense Rise, and like bright lamps shine, There too my soul leaps ever A dancing-god divine !:
Tédi veitta sembellām
-
Reach the true Siva's feet.
Mévukindra eivarum
Vilangu tiba tâbamäy, Adukindra kuttanukkör
Andi sandi illeiyê.
Clearing a place, an altar Ye raise upon the site, And heaping ashes on it Perform ye many a rite : Austerities perform ye; But tell me this I pray The god whom ye thus limit,
Idangal panni sutti seytó Itta pida mitilé Adanga nirum puje seytu Arun davangal pannuvír Odungukindra näthanār Utikkum Gnanam evidam 2
Where dawns his wisdom's ray ?
Adangukindra tºevitam 7 Arintu pujei Seyyumé.
How localized this wisdom ?
Know this—then homage pay.
º I know of
no such custom, but content myself with islating the Tamil word pottanum literally. I am inclined
think the word charms is meant. Conch-shells are fre
§y tied round the necks of bullocks as charms to ward is the effects of the evil-eye, one of which supposed effects she i.” the flow of milk. I have made enquiries of
f This, in my opinion, is one of the finest stanzas penned by Sivavakkiyar. The drift of it is this —You popular Hindus, you have your temples, you have your flowers and sacred ashes,<-you have your phallus, or emblem of divine
•rds, and find three kinds of charms are in use, viz.:-
creative power-you have also your incense and lamps, and you have your divine dancer, Siva.-I too have my flowers
. * pieces of leather perforated in the middle, and pieces ...nºt shell, but of any “bundles” thus used, I could tain no information.
but it is my breath or spirit ! I too have my incense and
shell
and ashes, but they are of the mind
I too have my linga,
-
w
This stanza will be noted as one which describes the
- hip of gods in some ordinary little village temple briefly
- very flicitously,
lamps, but they are my five senses And I too have my deity leaping in divine sport within me, but that is my soul. In a word, mine is the true spiritual worship !
