Sri Arunachala Navamanimalai verse 7

This episode begins with Sadhu Om singing verse 7 of ஸ்ரீ அருணாசல நவமணிமாலை (Śrī Aruṇācala Navamaṇimālai), ‘The Necklace of Nine Gems for Arunachala’, and then Michael James explains and discusses the meaning and implications of it:

அண்ணா மலையா யடியேனை
     யாண்ட வன்றே யாவியுடற்
கொண்டா யெனக்கோர் குறையுண்டோ
     குறையுங் குணமு நீயல்லா
லெண்ணே னிவற்றை யென்னுயிரே
     யெண்ண மெதுவோ வதுசெய்வாய்
கண்ணே யுன்றன் கழலிணையிற்
     காதற் பெருக்கே தருவாயே.

aṇṇā malaiyā yaḍiyēṉai
     yāṇda vaṉḏṟē yāviyuḍaṯ
koṇḍā yeṉakkōr kuṟaiyuṇḍō
     kuṟaiyuṅ guṇamu nīyallā
leṇṇē ṉivaṯṟai yeṉṉuyirē
     yeṇṇa meduvō vaduseyvāy
kaṇṇē yuṉḏṟaṉ kaṙaliṇaiyiṟ
     kādaṯ perukkē taruvāyē.

பதச்சேதம்: அண்ணாமலையாய், அடியேனை ஆண்ட அன்றே ஆவி உடல் கொண்டாய். எனக்கு ஓர் குறை உண்டோ? குறையும் குணமும் நீ அல்லால் எண்ணேன் இவற்றை. என் உயிரே, எண்ணம் எதுவோ அது செய்வாய்; கண்ணே, உன்றன் கழல் இணையில் காதல் பெருக்கே தருவாயே.

Padacchēdam (word-separation): aṇṇāmalaiyāy, aḍiyēṉai āṇda aṉḏṟē āvi uḍal koṇḍāy. eṉakku ōr kuṟai uṇḍō? kuṟaiyum guṇamum nī allāl eṇṇēṉ ivaṯṟai. eṉ uyirē, eṇṇam eduvō adu seyvāy; kaṇṇē, uṉḏṟaṉ kaṙal iṇaiyil kādal perukkē taruvāyē.

English translation: Aṇṇāmalai, the very day you took charge of me, this slave, you took possession of soul and body. Is there any deficiency for me? Defects and qualities, except you, I do not think of them. My life, whatever be thought, do that; eye, just give only a flood of love for your pair of feet.

Explanatory paraphrase: Aṇṇāmalai [Aruṇācala], the very day you took charge of me, [your] slave [servant or devotee], you took possession of my soul and body. Is there any kuṟai [imperfection, deficiency, need, want, dissatisfaction or grievance] for me? [Since] kuṟai [imperfections, flaws, faults, defects, impurities or vices] and guṇam [good qualities or virtues] [cannot exist independent of you or as other than you], I do not think of them but only of you. My uyir [life or soul, implying my real nature], whatever be [your] thought [intention or wish], do that; [my] kaṇ [eye, implying both my beloved (the one who is more dear to me than my own eyes) and my own real awareness (which is what is always shining in my heart as ‘I am’)], just give [me] only a flood [overflow, fullness, abundance, surge or increasing intensity] of love for your pair of feet.

While discussing the meaning, significance and implication of this verse Michael also refers to and discusses other passages from Bhagavan’s writings, namely:

The note he wrote for his mother in December 1898

Śrī Aruṇācala Padigam verse 2

Uḷḷadu Nāṟpadu verse 4

Āṉma-Viddai verse 5

Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai verse 15:

கண்ணுக்குக் கண்ணாய்க் கண்ணின்றிக் காணுனைக்
     காணுவ தெவர்பா ரருணாசலா

kaṇṇukkuk kaṇṇāyk kaṇṇiṉṟik kāṇuṉaik
     kāṇuva tevarpā raruṇācalā

பதச்சேதம்: கண்ணுக்கு கண் ஆய் கண் இன்றி காண் உனை காணுவது எவர்? பார் அருணாசலா.

Padacchēdam (word-separation): kaṇṇukku kaṇ āy kaṇ iṉṟi kāṇ uṉai kāṇuvatu evar? pār aruṇācalā.

English translation: Arunachala, who can see you, who, being the eye to the eye, sees without eyes? See.

Explanatory paraphrase: Arunachala, who can [by means of what eye] see you, who, being the eye to the eye [the real awareness that illumines the seeming awareness called mind, just as the sun illumines the moon], sees without eyes [that is, who sees (the reality of) everything without seeing (the appearance of) anything]? See [me so that I may see you by seeing myself as you see me].

Nāṉ Ār? paragraphs 10 and 13

Śrī Aruṇācala Pañcaratnam verse 2

This episode can also be watched as a video: 2021-09-29a Kensington Gardens: Michael James discusses Śrī Aruṇācala Navamaṇimālai verse 7.