Appaḷa Pāṭṭu verse 4

In a Zoom meeting of the Ramana Maharshi Foundation UK on 26th February 2022 Michael James discusses the meaning and implications of verse 4 of Appaḷa Pāṭṭu:

மோனமுத் ரையாகு முடிவில்லாப் பாத்ரத்தில்
ஞானாக்னி யாற்காயு நற்பிரம்ம நெய்யதி
னானது வாகவே நாளும் பொரித்துத்
தானே தானாக புஜிக்கத் தன்மய —      (அப்)

mōṉamud raiyāhu muḍivillāp pātrattil
ñāṉāgṉi yāṯkāyu naṯbiramma neyyadi
ṉāṉadu vāhavē nāḷum porittut
tāṉē tāṉāha bhujikkat taṉmaya —      (ap)

பதச்சேதம்: மோன முத்ரை ஆகும் முடிவில்லா பாத்ரத்தில் ஞான அக்னியால் காயும் நல் பிரம்ம நெய் அதில் ‘நான் அது’ ஆகவே நாளும் பொரித்து, ‘தானே தான்’ ஆக புஜிக்க, தன்மய (அப்பளம் இட்டு பாரு...)

Padacchēdam (word-separation): mōṉa mudrai āhum muḍivillā pātrattil ñāṉa agṉiyāl kāyum nal biramma ney adil ‘nāṉ adu’ āhavē nāḷum porittu, ‘tāṉē tāṉ’ āha bhujikka, taṉmaya (appaḷam iṭṭu pāru; …)

English translation: To experience as ‘oneself alone is oneself’, in that, the excellent ghee of brahman, which is heated by the fire of jñāna in the infinite pan, which is mauna-mudrā, constantly frying as ‘I am that’, (making appaḷam) composed of that, (see; …)

Explanatory paraphrase: [In order] to experience [ātma-svarūpa, the real nature of oneself] as ‘oneself alone is oneself’ [‘myself alone is myself’ or ‘I alone am I’], in that, the excellent ghee [or pure clarified butter] of brahman, which is heated by jñānāgni [the fire of jñāna or pure awareness] in the infinite pan, which is mauna-mudrā [the sign that is silence, namely the infinite space of silence, which is the sign that inwardly reveals the real nature of oneself as ‘I am just I’], constantly frying [the dry wafers of appaḷam dough prepared in the manner described in the previous three verses in accordance with the unique language of silence described in the anupallavi] as ‘I am that [namely brahman, the pure awareness that always shines as I]’, (making) tanmaya (appaḷam [appaḷam composed of tat, ‘that’, namely brahman], see; eating it, put an end to your desire.)

While discussing this verse Michael discusses the meaning and implications of various other passages from Bhagavan’s writings, including Appaḷa Pāṭṭu, Upadēśa Undiyār, Āṉma-Viddai and Uḷḷadu Nāṟpadu.

This episode can also be watched as a video, 2022-02-26a Ramana Maharshi Foundation UK: Michael James discusses Appaḷa Pāṭṭu verse 4, and a more compressed audio copy in Opus format (which can be listened to in the VLC media player and some other apps) can be downloaded from here.

After discussing this fourth verse of Appaḷa Pāṭṭu Michael answers questions about this and other aspects of Bhagavan’s teachings, particularly the practice of self-investigation and self-surrender, and this part of the meeting is recorded in a separate episode: Appaḷa Pāṭṭu verse 4 Q&A.