Chapter 64 - Thiruketharam or Tirukketaram (Hymn 78)

I

Our poet—our poet’s mind according to Cekkilar— goes beyond Badari, sung by Tirumankai Alvar of the Pallava period, to the still higher regions of the Himalayas, known as Kedarnath. In the previous hymn nature appeared to our poet as the beautiful poetic form of the Lord. There itself we pointed out, that if Nature and this world appear otherwise as a spreading net of misery or as an endless ocean of suffering, it was due to the defect in our vision, to the defect in our behaviour—mistaking the world as a source of temptation and falling a prey to it. It is this latter aspect of the world that is emphasized in the present hymn. Our poet addresses the world at large against these temptations and against a life of futility, and exhorts everyone to utter in joy the name of this holy place of beauty and love, inspiring even the wild beasts to worship the Lord. Life, unless experienced as the love and beauty of the Lord, is ephemeral and futile and it becomes an illusion. It is sure to end in dust. It is a futile panorama—this limitless ocean of births—a trap of a body made of hunger and diseases.

II

“You roam about and labour in vain carrying this body. You do not know that the fox will one day tear away this body. This is the day appointed for its capture by the Lord of Death who proclaims it through the symptoms of coming end” (2).

“A few eat the measured two ollocks of food. They work and save only to lose it all. ‘Is it proper?’ if you ask them, they reply, ‘We shall escape’—ah, these men intoxicated with their intelligence! All this talk with those who fill up their body is vain” (4).

“Pray, do not get more and more entangled in the trap of the women, of broad eyes flashing like swords. Before the Lord of Death, running a race with time, comes near you, approach the Lord, and escape by becoming the servant of the Lord” (5).

“You labour in vain carrying this burden of a body. You do not know this burden is futile. These men intoxicated with their intelligence go along their path and fall down into the pit. That is fate” (9).

III

He also suggests the way out. “You just mention the name of the Holy place Thiruketharam”— this is, as it were, the refrain of the hymn. “You perform Dharma or Aram or good acts without any delay. There are indeed Arams (to save you)” (1). “'The Lord is more knowing than the knower. There you see in Thiruketharam, people worshipping the Lord and distributing freely the fragrant waters and food with a charming speech” (2). “Without wasting your time on those who fill up their body perform tapas. You see there at Thiruketharam people worshipping the Lord and pouring the sacred waters to the East” (to the morning Sun) (4). “Become His servant and be saved. You need not discuss that His abode is something far off. It is equally here nearby. This Thiruketharam is His abode” (5). “Tapas is there only when we attain Him (or when our ego is thoroughly removed and when we achieve complete self-control). The sacred bath in the holy waters is effected by the mind soaking through and through in the Holiness of Kuruksetra, Godavari and Kumari (Cape Comorin). The inner mind must become crystal clear. That is the worship of Sri Parvata. The whole world is a unity and even the parrot proves by tearing the fruits it eats, from South to North. The Lord is here at Thiruketharam establishing for us all our goal” (6).

IV

The beasts and plants also are inspired by the holiness of the place; “The one-legged beings catch hold of the creeper and shower on the Lord the flowers reciting the mantras of the Rg-Veda at midnight and in the midday with certainty that our Lord will save us all. The elephants stand in groups and pour down the waters of the mountain stream and shower on Him, the red powder” (3). “The old bamboo resounds like the musical drum reminding us of the musical compositions in Tamil. The golden Springs full of light but sweet to the eyes, rain their diamonds. The elephants standing on the earth carry the gems and throw them away. This creates the music resounding all through the holy place” (7). “The young she-elephant speaks words of praise and breaks down the old bamboos. The he-elephants stand in groups and shower the waters of the mountain spring. This appears like rain from the bent up trunk of the elephants. The peacocks scratch the ground while the deer frisk about and the gems are hurled up and thrown out” (8).

V

The Lord is described as the one whom Brahma and Visnu searched, going up and down as the Lord of the serpent and the loin cloth, the Deva (1).

VI

In passing, we notice the various ways of worshipping the Lord with flowers and water, through service and tapas, through Dharma and self-surrender. Our poet speaks of himself as the slave and follower of the Bhaktas of Shiva inclusive of Tirunavuk-karacar and Tamil Nana Campantar— his leaders (10). The phrase, “Tamil Nana Campantar” is significant.

VII

This hymn shows that in the very act of giving his message of hope to the world at large, our poet has experienced through his inspired music and song a great happiness—the real bliss beyond all states. Our poet, therefore, assures that those who master this hymn of a sweet Tamil song will remain for ever in that self-same state of supreme divine bliss, beyond all worlds (10).