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Commoner's thEvAram
Preface to HDF members:
namaste Everyone!
Members are aware that TEvAram is a collection of Tamizh hymns sung by the NAyanmArs, chiefly Appar, Sambandhar, Sundarar and MANikkavAchakar. The songs are in the form of deca-verse, a set of ten verses, sung on Lord Shiva enshrined in the temples they visited. Members who are curious, might have a look at this excellent website:
http://www.thevaaram.org/ta/index.php
Along with another member, I have been engaged for sometime to compose Tamizh hymns in the style of TEvAram, in a Google Tamizh group. I have been meaning to try my hand on this spiritual subject, in English verses. I am glad that I have completed a set of ten verses, prefixed by a protection hymn and followed by a phala-shruti.
I hope to be regularly engaged in this activity. I shall share my efforts here for perusal and feedback. I shall post the verses two at a time, for easy reading and followup. The penname I am using for my English verses now is ramaNi, which is what they call me at home.
Regards,
ramaNi
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Re: Commoner's thEvAram
TiruvETkaLam (near Chidambaram)
ramaNi
Temple
http://temple.dinamalar.com/en/new_en.php?id=855
http://temple.dinamalar.com/New.php?id=855
http://www.shivatemples.com/nofct/nct02.php
Decaverse in thEvAram
சம்பந்தர்: அந்தமுமாதியு மாகியவண்ணல்
http://www.thevaaram.org/thirumurai_..._idField=10390
அப்பர்: நன்று நாடொறும் நம்வினை போயறும்
http://www.thevaaram.org/thirumurai_..._idField=50420
Cover
(virgin verse: veNpA in English)
May GaNEsh at VETkaLam temple
Grace me with flawless verse - to praise
Rudra enshrined, whose style is simple,
who has, although, a fiery gaze!
Deca-verse
(iambic pentra-tetra meter quartrain + an iambic pentameter couplet: rhyme ABABCC)
01.
When Arjun did his penance for the grace
of Lord Shiva whose bow he sought,
the latter came as hunter; they both did chase
a piggy demon there and shot
an arrow; and then the Lord with a hand-drum
battled with him, in the woods at VETkaLam!
02.
UmA, the Goddess, got wild when Arjun hit
her spouse with his bow; Shiva kept his cool
and said, 'SatguNA! step aside and quit!',
and kicked the Prince into a pool!
Revealing himself then, Shiva gave him
his bow and sat enshrined at VETkaLam.
(to continue...)
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Re: Commoner's thEvAram
Namaste Saidevoji
Nice to know about your works. Thanks for sharing your poems on HDF.
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Re: Commoner's thEvAram
You're welcome, smaranamji.
03. In the Goddess' sanctum, Arjun's battle story
is sculpted on the pillar;
Although the arrow hit the God of glory
how could the shot be a killer?
Today, the arrow wound scar's seen on the Lingam
In Rudra's ancient temple at VETkaLam!
04. GaNEsh and DakShiNA mUrti, Sun and Moon
on the niche of Rudra's sanctum walls;
and SvAmy with his two consorts in tune,
in a distinct room in outer stalls,
waiting for the sage AruNagiri to come,
worship, and write his verse at VETkaLaṃ
[SvAmy = God Muruga/SubrahmaNya; AruNagiri = the famous
sage devotee of SvAmy]
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Re: Commoner's thEvAram
05. In the bamboo woods it all happened, so the tree
of the shrine is bamboo; KrupA's the name
of the sacred pond; the shrine has much to see
in carvings that set the mind aflame!
Constructed by the books at VETkaLam,
The Lord hither ensures that worst succumb.
06. The One who starts and ends and has on hand
a roaring flame, a laughing skull,
and lets the moon and Ganges river stand
on head, and rides a whitish bull,
His rhythmic feet in dance to the beat of drum,
He wears the ash, enshrined at VETkaLam.
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Re: Commoner's thEvAram
07. The darling son of One who took the hill,
where pepper grows, He burnt the youth!
The elephant mad that sages threw to kill
He skinned and wore, and let the truth
about him known! He kicked the God of Death
and stands at VETkaLam in length and breadth!
Notes:
One who took the hill where pepper grows:
The reference is to God KrishNa, who took the Govardhana hill and held it
as umbrella against the torrent of rain that Indra summoned.
The darling son ... He burnt the youth@
The reference is to Shiva burning ManmatA, son of ViShNu, with his fiery eye
in the forehead.]
08. The mighty demon tried the sacred hill,
to lift; the one who sits below
the banyan tree did make the demon shrill,
squeezing all his heads with toe!
The demon got his pardon with a song;
That Lord's at VETkaLam to right the wrong.
Note:
The reference is to the ten-headed demon is RAvaNa, the mighty king
of Lanka, who tried to lift and carry Mount KaiḷAsh to his place.
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Re: Commoner's thEvAram
(concluding part)
09. BrahmA, ViShNu couldn't find the head and base
when He rose as fire from earth to sky!
He dances with the ghosts in the funeral place
to the beat of drums as the ashes fly!
His flowers datura, golden showers tree;
at VETkaLam from worries you are free.
10. Many a path today to God are there;
but then the Saivite path unfolds
that God as family elder's always where
one needs Him most; and one who holds
this Truth in mind in steadfast faith would see
at VETkaLam the Lord who sets him free.
Palliative hymn (phala-shruti)
11. To one who chants the deca-verse on Lord
the saints Sambandhar, Appar sang,
enshrined at VETkaLam and stands in guard,
He cures illusion, takes the pang
of grief and sin away and in the path,
removes the births that come as aftermath!
--ramaNi, 16/02/2015
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Re: Commoner's thEvAram
TiruvArUr TyAgarAjA
Temple
http://temple.dinamalar.com/en/new_en.php?id=598
http://temple.dinamalar.com/New.php?id=598
http://www.shivatemples.com/sofct/sct087.php
Decaverse in thEvAram
Sambandhar (5), Appar )21), Sundarar (8)
http://www.shaivam.org/tamil/thiru_adangal.htm
Cover
(vergin verse: veNpA in English)
May the four images of the Elephant God
Grace me with flawless verse - to praise
the heart-beat dancing form of Lord
Shiva of ArUr temple dais.
[Check the dinamalar website for the four chief images of GaNEsh
at the TiruvArUr Shiva temple.]
Deca-verse
(iambic pentameter quartrain + an iambic pentameter couplet: rhyme ABABCC)
01. Never born are those who are born here!
The God of Death, left jobless, serves his Lord,
in the form of ChaNDikEsha, so faithful fear
him not, and focus on their just reward!
Such is the fame of TiruvArUr, the place
of TyAgarAjA, Lord of all the race!
02. The One who sat in a cobra hole, became
The Lord of Sanctum in the linga form,
self-manifested there, to all acclaim!
The Lord who ViShNu bears on chest, in his norm
of yogic trance that Shiva dances to,
sits there at TiruvArUr, for me and you!
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Re: Commoner's thEvAram
03. KamalAmbAl, is goddess UmA's name,
the Lotus Lady who, with a pair of hands,
blesses as the ShaktI root; and the tame,
who are in debt, or ill, the god that stands
as Debt-Reliever, makes them well, in the shrine
of TiruvArUr, where Vedic sounds allign.
04. DurgA, standing in grace in sanctums eight
dissolves delays in wedding with a glance.
The planets nine align in a line that's straight;
GaNEsha watches how they act out their stance.
TiruvArUr, a famous shrine on earth
is where our IshA's grace acts right from birth!
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Re: Commoner's thEvAram
05. His frame in veil, but shows his countenance;
his dancing left side foot on the day of Ardra,
he shows in Dec; his right side foot in stance,
he shows in April, Uttara Phalguna.
Dancing to the beat of drums, his graceful shine
is seen at TiruvArUr, as the Chief of the shrine.
06. Goddess Wealth to get her husband prayed
to Shiva, and got His grace; therefore, the place
is known as TiruvArUr, and thus it played
a role in the unity of the Hindu race.
Believed older to the shrine at Chidambaram,
there is no chant here of Chitrambalam.