Chapter 5 - Tirukkalumalam (Hymn 58)

I

At Tirukkalumalam or Cikali, he had another spiritual experience and he explains in every verse of this hymn (58) that he has seen and realized Him. In the last verse, he says he has realized the feet of the Lord, unknown except to those who weep, bearing no separation from Him. This hymn is an expression of his bliss.

II

“I have seen the Lord who had showered His Grace on me, ordaining me for that purpose and saving me from birth and death” (1). “He has blessed me, with a mind which never forgets Him, that great gift of not being born without ever escaping from the Lord. Who can get this gift like me? I sing of Him to have a glimpse of His blue throat. I am capable of going unto Him and embracing Him” (4). “I worship Him whilst my mouth goes on uttering His names with reverential fear. The mind which fritters itself away in many ways because of its old karma has been made one pointed. I have been asking for the temples of the Lord for many days. I have now realized Him at Kalumalam” (5). “Once I was afraid of the powerful and great karmas. I suffered but I have been blessed with a mind which can never forget the Lord. I have become all love. My whole body has become happy and I am praying unto the Lord and worshipping at His feet; that is the law. I have realized the Lord, that sweet sugar-cane, removing the birth, root and branch, that sweet honey, that nectar. Slowly springs up as a bud and blossoms into a flower in my mind, that Great Master, the embodiment of Dharma” (6). “I know of no other prop for me in this birth or the next. I do not consider even my loving relations as of any help. I think of Him that brilliant Light I worship, as my great prop and support. I do not know of anyone but Him that is the knowledge I had received for being saved” (2). He is the youngest of the youngest, and the oldest of the oldest. In my dream He has been one with me and when I have opened my eyes I could not see him. I have realized Him at Kalumalam” (3). “He has taught me and made me realize salvation, true knowledge and the various paths, unknown even to the eternal ones” (2).

“Others were praising Him; the saints were worshipping Him; imitating His lovers I also followed them. It is said that the elephant will fall into the net spread out for a hare. I followed those who struggle for attaining Him and I have realized Him at Kalumalam, that cloud which is so dear to the cultivator, the wealth and brilliance of gold, that flash of lightning, that thing which I can call all my own” (7). “Even the sins born of thought are destroyed by those who think of Him and worship. That is the brilliant flame, the Lord of the Mother, the precious gem, the secret of the Vedas, the fame of all descriptions. Our shining light, unknown to the two, I have realized at Kalumalam” (8). He is everything in all the eight forms, our Lord who has become one with the mind of a stranger like me, even as the water consumed by red hot iron becomes one with the iron” (1). “Those who are sure of their ‘Marai’ reside in the “house”. That is how delusion works. They bathe in the “tanks”—thus goes the world. All this life and ceremonies appear to be very real. Unformu-nately I have not realized that all these appear true because of His support” (9).

This verse (9) is not clear. The following meaning may be suggested: “Marai itaittunintavar”—He who had been realized through the Vedas, i.e., Shiva; “Manai itai iruppa”—whilst the Lord resides in this house of a body; “Vancanai ceytavar’—the five organs duped us all; “Poykaiyum maya”—their falsehood and activities were made to die away; “Turai-yurakkulittu”—the Lord made us approach the ford or path of plana and bathe in (the experience of) the divine bliss; “Ulataka vaittu”—thus He had made us to be the truth of existence; “Uytta”—He had taken us along the path of salvation; “Unmai”—this is the Truth; but it is also, “Takavinmai”—my unfitness: “Oren”—this I have not realized” (9).

Then came the sight of the sprouting crescent moon on the matted hair. He is our Lord, the embodiment of infinite Grace, swallowing all our sins of poison; there shines the blue throat reminding of this—I have realized Him at Kalumalam (9),

III

It is clear that our poet had a great spiritual experience when he sang this hymn. The blissfull so precious and so significant that he is sure that he will never die. This dream reminds us of a love-sick maiden and the word he used ‘viravi’ (3) justifies our interpreting it in terms of mystic love. The simile of the red hot iron consuming water emphasizes this mystic unity or identity (1).

IV

The Puranic stories are also mentioned—the Lord sharing the body of the damsel of the mountain (1), the mat-lock carrying the Ganges (1), His white ear-ring (1), His fatherhood of Subrahmanya (3), His dance (3), His konrai flower (4), His blue throat (4), His battle axe (5), His form of lightning (7), His being beyond the reach of Visnu and Brahma (8) and His crescent moon on the mat-lock (9).

V

Our poet calls the Lord, the chief (Talaivan) (1), the father (Emman) (1), the patron (Piran) (1), the transcendental reality (Katavul) (2), the master (1), elder brother (Aiyan), (6), the Person of Dharma (Aravan) (6), Wealth (Porul) (7), the significance of Vedas (Maraipporul), (8), the Ruler of great Grace and mercv (Perarulalan) (9), the Guru (Adigal) (9), (10). (We had to distinguish among these terms, some of which are often used as synonyms). The term (“Perarulalan”) (9) is significant. He also refers to God as ‘Envakai Oruvan’ (1), One who appears in eight ways—the five elements, the sun, the moon and the soul.

The other important term which is the basic truth of Shaivism is Pasupati (5), the Lord of the fettered souls. Our poet describes the Lord as the sweetest thing (6) (honey and so on) gradually developing as a great spiritual bliss (6) (the bud, the flower and so on), the most precious thing (8) (the gem and so on). Manikkam (8) is a description of which our poet is very fond of, and the brightest light of knowledge (8) (Oli). He is fame itself (8). He is full of Grace but He is also the law and Dharma (5, 6). The only way to reach Him is to weep and cry for Him (10).

VI

The description of Kalumalam is also given. It is the oldest city which floated on the sea at the time of the destruction of the world (1). It is even now on the sea shore where go and come the tides of the dark roaring sea on the ‘kantal’ grown banks of lagoons (5). The city is beautiful with many a garden of plantains and sugar-canes (4) and with fields where grow thick the great paddy (6), where play the swarms of ‘kayal’ (carps) with valai (sword fish) (7). Our poet also refers to Tiruttinai Nakar (3). Our poet calls himself ‘Uran’, a contracted form of Aruran, and the loving (son of) Cataiyan (19). Those who sing this hymn of ten verses with hands raised high in worship are the followers of the Lord; and misery and affliction will never come near them—that is the assurance our poet gives (10).