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Re: Commoner's thEvAram
07. He wears the crescent moon, and the flowers
of bael and stramony; he holds an axe
and a blaze of fire on crimson hands and showers
his grace; one who dances with ghosts on the stacks
of ashes in the burning ground, he stands
at TiruvArUr, for those who wring their hands.
08. The Lankan King, he tried to lift the hill;
Shiva crushed his heads and shoulders with a toe!
The demon wailed and sang for grace, his shrill
became his name! Shiva took pity on his woe
and blessed him with a sword! go seek
him at TiruvArUr, O mind, he is unique!
[Lankan King = the mighty RAvaNA; he tried to lift Shivaś abode, the KailAsh hill
and take it to his place. Shiva crushed him under the hill using only his toe!
The demon wailed and sang sAmagAnam, Shiva's favourite, upon which Shiva released him,
blessed him with long life and a sword. This legend is usually in every deca-verse
of DEvAram, especially those of SambandhAr, as verse 8.]
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Re: Commoner's thEvAram
09. He let ViShNu, BrahmA set out to seek
the root and top, when he stood as a pillar of fire;
when they never won, he showed them how unique
he was; the one who is seen when thoughts expire,
he stands in grace enshrined at TiruvArUr:
for all the ills of life, he is the cure.
[The legend of ViShNu and BrahmA seeking the root and top when Shiva stood as a column of fire,
to test them, is usually found in every deca-verses of Sambandhar and Appar.]
10. Beliefs against the Vedas are there today;
but those who never fall to their wily charm,
and takes the path to Shiva night and day,
he blesses them and guards against any harm.
UmA's consort is at TiruvArUr:
Those who seek him become noble and pure.
Palliative hymn (phala-shruti)
11. Deca-verses twenty one from Appar,
and five from Sambandhar, and eight
from Sundarar, adorn in scent and color
the garland of hymns on Shiva's might.
Muse on these hymns on the Lord of TiruvArUr
O mind, and get away from the worldly lure!
--ramaNi, 26-28/02/2015
*****
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Re: Commoner's thEvAram
Namaste Saidevoji,
Such beautiful verse, thank you so much for sharing!
Om Namah Shivaya!
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Re: Commoner's thEvAram
namaste Aanandinii!
I have been writing these verses in Tamizḥ for quite sometime now Glad that I can do it in English verses and share it here. Thanks for your appreciatioṇ
saidevo
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Re: Commoner's thEvAram
TirukkuDavAyil kONEshwarar
Temple
http://temple.dinamalar.com/New.php?id=312
http://www.shivatemples.com/sofct/sct094.php
Decaverse in thEvAram
சம்பந்தர்:2.022 திகழுந் திருமா லொடுநான் முகனும்
http://www.thevaaram.org/thirumurai_1/onepage.php?thiru=2&Song_idField=20220
2.058 கலைவாழு மங்கையீர் கொங்கையாருங் கருங்கூந்தல்
http://www.thevaaram.org/thirumurai_1/onepage.php?thiru=2&Song_idField=20580
Cover
(vergin verse: veNpA in English)
Anumati GaNapati, timeless, three-eyed,
in all his forms, may grant me sights
to praise the Lord enshrined inside
KuDavAsal temple heights.
Deca-verse
(iambic pentameter quatrain + iambic hexameter couplet: ababcc)
01. The last day the World ends, He reaps the souls and keeps
them all in the nectar poṭ. As a lingam plugged
to its mouth, he keeps vigil on the soul that sleeps.
On dawn of Creation, the souls are tugged
into lives, when a Hunter breaks the pot with an arrow shot!
The pot-mouth falls--and KuDavAsal, a divine spot!
[Lord Shiva preserves the souls at the time of praLaya--end of the universe, in a nectar pot
and keeps vigil over them. When Creation starts, he takes the form of a hunter and breaks
the pot with an arrow-shot. According to the legend, the bottom of the pot fell at the place
which is today the sacred KumbakoNam; the middle part fell at KalayanallUr; and the mouth at
KuDavAyil. All these are famous Shiva temple places in the land of TamizhnADu.]
02. GaruDAzhvAr probed, and the lingam bears his bill-marks;
The feathery deity he blessed, and freed his mother
from slavery; the One that destroys with sparks
the mAyic dark that keeps the souls in smother,
He stands enshrined in grace and blesses those who seek,
at KuDavAsal, located on a structural peak.
(to continue...)
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03. KONeshvar, they call him, DurgA his consort;
She is worshipped with ghee-lit lemon lamps,
and solves issues of marriage and support;
The Six-faced here carries the Sage's thanks;
The One that keeps the people's lives to Truth aligned
is the three-eyed Shiva at KuDavAsal enshrined.
[Six-faced = Arumukhan/Murugan]
04. The Shiny-haired is seen in dancing form
with consort, and as a crimson-colored lingam,
as Bhairava, and a picture full of charm,
in which the feathery deity prays to him.
Go round the temple yard and see the deity
in KuDavAsal, and live your life in piety.
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05. With Adi, Siddhi names, GaNesha sits;
the Six-faced's fame was seen and sung by the Sage;
SUrya, Chandra, Lakshmi and the nine planets,
Sundarar the poet--they all your sight engage.
KuDavAsal Rudra's there to take our karma bad;
why wait to seek his divine grace and become glad?
[Sage = sage AruNagiri has sung about Lord Muruga of this temple in his Tiruppugazh.]
06. This place a mention finds in Sangham texts;
It was here the Chola king did keep in prison
the Chera king who sank in mental depths
to keep his honour and perished in prison.
Shiva enshrined at KuDavAsal bestows in life
a true and lasting bliss in the midst of all our strife.
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07. The crinkled Ganges and the crescent moon
adorn His hair, who bears a trident, deer
and fire in hands, and manifests as boon
for mankind, for all its woefullness and tear.
Shiva, enshrined in KuDavAsal, in stately form
is sure to guide us through in life with all his charm.
08. The demon RAvaNa who sought to lift
the KailAsh hill, was crushed to earth
by Shiva's toe, who gave him sword and the gift
of life. The One who burned in laughing mirth
the Tripura is there at KuDavAsal shrine
as the family deities' root that gives them holy shine.
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09. The One who sleeps in waves, and the One who dwells
in Lotus sought in vain the feet and head
of the great fire the One became! The swells
of Ganges and the crescent moon his head
adorn, while Gowri's merged with his sacred frame.
He is enshired at KuDavAsal in a sacred name.
10. Many a path today would lead away
from Vedas; they don't reveal the final Truth,
so those who are not stuck in their crafty sway
and seek the Shaivite path as a dogged youth--
the One enshrined at KuDavAsal guides their soul
and gives in time the knowledge of the parts and whole.
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11. Serpents crawl over him; he wears the skin
of tiger and the ashes from the grave;
Using BrahmA's skull as bowl he seeks alms in
the streets from women at home; and in a wave
of bliss he bathes the devout and cleans their karmic debt.
Seek him at KuDavAsal, if you're not there as yet.
12. Sage SambandhAr's songs all twenty-two--
describe and praise the Lord in all his glory.
And those who read and probe the meaning too--
they are alligned to dharmic path, and the story
of life unfolds and gives them all the love and peace
by the One enshrined at KuDavAsal in eternal lease.
*****