Kandhar Anubhuti : Verse #2 - Show me the way to Salvation! (Ullasa Nirakula)

உல்லாச, நிராகுல, யோக இதச்
சல்லாப, விநோதனும் நீ அலையோ?
எல்லாம் அற, என்னை இழந்த நலம்
சொல்லாய், முருகா சுரபூ பதியே. (2)

ullasa nirakula yoga idha
sallaba vinodanum nee alaiyo?
ellam ara ennai izhantha nalam
sollai muruga sur bhoo pathiye (2)

உல்லாச - Joyousness
நிராகுல - A State without pain
யோக - In a state of divine Union
இதச் - Gentle
சல்லாப - Granting bliss
விநோதனும் - Unique one
நீ அலையோ - Are you not?
எல்லாம் அற - Without any bonds
என்னை இழந்த - Loss of Self-Identity
நலம் - benefit (blessing)
சொல்லாய் - Tell me (Grant me the Knowledge)
முருகா - Lord Muruga
சுரபூ பதியே - Lord of Gods and Humans

Short Meaning

Lord Muruga, Are you not the Unique One who grants Joyousness, painless state, always in the state of Divine Union, and Gentle? Oh Lord of Gods and Humans, Grant me the knowledge of reaching the state where I have no separate identity! 

Gloss

Everyone has a bundle of problems, and everyone wants a way out. No one wants suffering. It is the natural state of our Being to be in Bliss. That's why, we search everywhere for happiness and peace. Every action taken by a human is to either avoid pain, or to find pleasure. 

Lord Subrahmanya, is beyond, the states of sorrow or pain. He is eternally in Joy, for His Being is itself joyousness. 

நிராகுல means a state without pain - Aakulam means pain. Sri Arunagiri uses the negative form of this word - niraakulam to indicate a state without pain. (He uses aakulam later (verse 46), but in a different, specific format as 'Chintaakulam - mental pain')

யோக - Yoga is a state of Union. Lord Murugan alone exists. When this is experienced, we can identify ourself in a state of Supreme Union (Anubhooti) with Lord Murugan

இதச் - Gentle. This also has a meaning of being Gentle, pleasant. This word has a connotation of Peace (without wild emotions of ecstasy). Interestingly, the word Lalitha, the 1000th name in Lalitha Sahasranama also has a similar meaning. 

சல்லாப - Granting bliss - Not only is the Lord in Bliss, but also Grants it to His devotees. 

Sri Arunagiri says that Lord Subrahmanya, is a summation of all positive states. Since Sri Arunagiri cannot find anyone else like that, He calls the Lord as Vinodan (விநோதனும்) - One who is Strange! (in a good way) - This should be interpreted as One who is Unique. 

எல்லாம் அற என்னை இழந்த நலம்

This is a very profound line. Sri Arunagiri says he wants the benefit (???) (நலம்) of the state where he loses everything (எல்லாம் அற), including himself (என்னை இழந்த)

The soul is NOT different from the Supreme Lord, for the Lord alone exists (ekam eva Advitiyam - One Alone Exists)

Why does the Soul identify with other stuff than Itself? We identify ourselves with the body (name, age, gender etc), our belongings (my car, my house etc.) the relations (my parents, my son, my wife, my husband etc.) OR mental constructs (handsome, ugly, beautiful, fair, rich / poor etc)

What exactly are we, if we remove every kind of association we identify ourselves with? Scary thought, isn't it? 

When Adi Sankara was about 6 years of age, He leaves his family behind and travels to the banks of river Narmada to seek Sri Govinda Bhagawatpada, His Guru. The Guru was inside a cave, and asked "Who is that standing outside?" - Sri Sankara, who is Lord Shiva Himself, responded with a beautiful poem - Nirvana Shatakam. He says "I am not the mind, intellect, memory, ego, nor the five senses, nor the five basic elements for I am Pure Conscious Bliss - I am Shiva! "

He goes on negating stuff ("I am not a mother nor a father, not a guru or a disciple, neither born nor dead etc") and finally says "I am the undivided, pure consciousness that is Shiva!" 

We are hidden from our true nature because of layers upon layers of deadening abstractions which cloud the true nature that shines like the Sun. 

Though this is the truth, we are unable to see it because of these false relations and the heaps of Karma that has been accrued over millions of births. This has to be removed. Interestingly, there are two names in Lalitha Sahasranamam that pops to my mind - Krodhakara Angushojwala (One who angrily cuts the bonds with a shining weapon) and Bhavaranya Kutarika - An axe that cuts the dense forest of Karmic Reactions.

Once the act of identification with external stuff goes away, we turn inwards and finally appreciate the Supreme Self, which Shines forth - She cannot be found when searched outside, but She shines when we look inward ("antar mukha samaradhya, bahir mukha sudurlabha"). Let us not be distracted, all the we see outside is also Lord - Goddess is perceived as inert matter when projected outside, but as pure consciousness when the attention is diverted inside ("chitshakti chetana rupa, jada shaktir jadatmika")

Sri Arunagiri prays for the state where all external bonds are lost, and the sense of identification with the body as a separate being from the Lord ceases. When this state is achieved, we experience Samadhi, a state of Divine Union (Anubhooti). 

சொல்லாய், முருகா (எல்லாம் அற என்னை இழந்த நலம்)

Sri Arunagiri wants Lord Murugan to give him the Maha Upadesham (the Teaching) to reach the state as described above

சுரபூ பதியே 

Sura means Devas. Bhoo means residents of Earth. Pathi means Lord. Sri Arunagiri calls Murugan as the Lord of Devas and Humans (one who is not a Sura is 'Asura' meaning the evil forces) -Technically, Sri Arunagiri condensed Sura-Pathi + Bhoo-Pathi as Sura-Bhoo-Pathi.

Let us join Sri Arunagiri, in seeking Lord Murugan for the final blessing of Divine Union of our soul with Him