The Religion and Philosophy of Tevaram (Thevaram)
by M. A. Dorai Rangaswamy | 1958 | 410,072 words
This page describes “ciparppatam (hymn 79)” from the part dealing with the Pilgrim’s progress (to the North), which represents the development of Arurar’s Mysticism as gleaned from his hymns. The 7th-century Thevaram (or Tevaram) contains devotional poems sung in praise of Shiva. These hymns form an important part of the Tamil tradition of Shaivism
Chapter 63 - Ciparppatam (Hymn 79)
I
This is the hymn on Ciparppatam which has come to be known in later days as Sri Saila. In this hymn, the poet seems to identify the great mountain full of natural beauty with God Himself, for, we find every verse ending in an address to the mountain as Ciparppata malaiye. Others have taken these verses to mean that this mountain is the abode of the Lord. The identification of nature with the Lord is significant as proving that our poet is preaching of no philosophy of world negation. If the poet has condemned anywhere this world, it must be interpreted as referring to the illusion, temptation and our false knowledge of this world. The poet believes that in essence this Universe is nothing but the beauty of the Lord, revealing to us a series of dramatic situations of highest imaginative poetry. The descriptions suggest that nature is full of love, making even the hard-hearted hunters to take pity on the helpless she-elephant (5).
II
The various kinds of deer and peacock mix together in groups everywhere in the mountain revelling and grazing as they like, drinking the waters of the mountain-springs, scratching their bodies against sweet smelling flower trees, passing through groves to sleep in the shade place of a sweet mango grove (1).
In the field of millet, the groups of boars go and make pits. The gems turn up shining like fire. Frightened, they roam about. The bear, the deer, the Indian elk, the peacock and many other beings feast on the honey, the grove and the garden are so abundant in this mountain (9).
The groups of she-elephants go into the groves and other mountain rendezvous; their young ones hit against their udders and drink their milk. Having thus strayed thus far away from their lord the he-elephant, they think of him and rush in search of him, roaring all along in confusion only to be fatigued at the end. The he-elephant in his turn goes in search of his she-ele-phant. The Lord of the form of this mountain is thus the embodiment of the love of the mother, the love of the child and the reciprocal love of a wedded couple (2).
The group of elephants run helter-skelter and roam about in the rendezvous of the she-elephants. There, one of the she-ele-phants bends down its ear; the murderous hunters of the mountain of great honour take pity on it so much that they manufacture a cup out of the leaves for collecting the honey and feeding therewith the she-elephant. Such is the inspiration of love of this great mountain of a Lord (5).
The scene of love does not close there. The he-elephant perhaps suspects the she-elephant which has passed through groves of different scents which smell like the fragrance of different elephants. He becomes angry, holds up his trunk and vomits as it were fire and allows must to flow. His face is red and crooked with anger. He accuses his lover of having gone along with another eIephant. The she-elephant cries that she cannot bear this scandal. She goes to convince her lover in the presence of others and swears in this great mountain (the reading is Piti cularum’; another reading is ‘Piti culurum’: the context suggests that the correct reading should be ‘Piti culuram’) (6).
A damsel of beautiful words keeps guard over her field of grains. The virgin parrots carry away the bunches of grain. She feels that these parrots will not care for her and makes her sling of stone resound when the beautiful good parrots roam about in fright and get to the top of this mountain to escape from the onslaught of the sling (kavan) (3).
The maiden, the damsel, tries to drive away the parrot from the fields with the threatening words of her mouth, but they do not leave the field perhaps attracted by the sweetness of her words. She throws with her sling beautiful gems within the reach of her hand; the parrots at once rush away, these redmouthed parrots which go and sing at the top of the mountain, the same song which the damsel has sung (4).
Brahma and Visnu, alas! have not known the feet of the great Lord of ashes who burnt to ashes the three cities. But, here, in the mountain, which is the very form of the Lord, these he-elephants roaming about in groups with the she-elephants, shine in all their glory, intoxicated with the honey which they had drunk. It is a heaven of sweetest experience (8).
The poet is giving alternately the beautiful poetic vision of loving parrots flying round the damsel of the mountain and of loving couple of elephants. The damsel watching the field of grains exclaims in love and despair: “You came and ate then; I kept quiet without calling for help; but if you come and eat away at every time, will not my people be enraged? Now this has become your habit”: so saying she slings against the parrot, this damsel of the youthful bosom to drive it away (7)
III
The poet has thus sung this mountain of Shiva as a Heaven on earth, the divine Arcadia, though difficult to reach. This very description makes us happy, making us forget all our miseries and transporting us to the heights of Heavens where we stay for ever as rulers of this divine happiness—that is the assurance which our poet gives to those who master forgetting all miseries this hymn—of Navaluran or the Uran of Naval surrounded by paddy fields where live many a good soul (10).