Kandhar Anubhuti : Verse #10 - Give me Immortality!

கார் மா மிசை காலன் வரில், கலபத்
தேர்மா மிசை வந்து, எதிரப் படுவாய்
தார் மார்ப, வலாரி தலாரி எனும்
சூர்மா மடியத் தொடுவே லவனே. (10)

kaar ma misai kaalan varin, kalaba
ther ma misai vanthu ethira paduvai!
thaar maarba! valaari thalaari enum
soor ma madiya thodu velavane (10)

கார் மா மிசை - Huge Black Buffalo
காலன் - Lord of Death, Yama
வரில் - if he comes
கலபத் தேர்மா மிசை - On a Peacock Chariot
வந்து - Come
எதிரப் படுவாய் - And intercept
தார் மார்ப - One with a garlanded chest
வலாரி தலாரி எனும் - Valari / Talari (name)
சூர்மா மடியத் - Asuras to die
தொடுவே லவனே - launched His Spear

Short Meaning
If Lord Yama, God of Death comes to take away my life, please intercept Him in your Peacock Chariot and protect me, Oh Lord with Garlanded chest,  who wielded the spear to kill the Asura Valari. 

Gloss
Death is a subject shrouded with mystery. Everyone wants to know about it, but do not want it :-)

Lord Yama is daily worshipped by learned Brahmanas three times a day during their Sandhyavandana Nitya Karma. Lord Yama, is called காலன் ('Kaalan') here. He is portrayed as a person riding on a huge buffalo. Yama also carries a rope called 'Pasha Kayiru' in Tamil. The rope symbolises bonding, attachment to material things and relationships which binds the soul to repeated births and hence deaths. 

Kaalam in Tamil means time. Kaalan, Lord Yama is symbolisation of time. Lord Yama is called 'Vrukodhara:' , one who is always hungry. He eats away our lives to satiate His hunger. What a beautiful analogy to say that with every second passes, we go closer and closer to death! 

Compared to other religions, Lord of Death though portrayed scary, is an embodiment of Truth and righteousness in Hinduism. He is considered the ultimate authority on Dharma, righteousness. He is called Dharma Raja (King of Dharma). He is also a Brahma Jnaani. In Kathopanishad, He teaches the Highest knowledge to Nachiketas, an ideal student. 

That said, when Yama takes away your life, it is regular death and it guarantees that there are further births (and deaths). 

Lord Arunagiri does not want to die. He wants to merge with Lord Subrahmanya and hence avoid the cycle of births and deaths. 

In Moha Mudgaram, also famously known as Bhaja Govindam,  Sri Sankara says:

Punarapi Jananam, Punarapi Maranam,

Punarapi Janani-Jatare Shayanam

Ida Samsara - Bahu Dustare

Krupaya Pare - Pahi Murare! 

Repeated Births, Repeated Deaths. And again I lie down in the womb of a mother. This repeated cycle is very painful (bahu dustare!) Please shower your Grace, and protect me Oh Lord Murari! (Lord Vishnu)

The goal of human life is to avoid further births. But, due to the delusion of believing this world we see is real, and identifying oneself with this body, a soul repeatedly creates additional karmic results. Due to this the soul has to be born again and again in some womb (not necessarily human) to experience the results of its action (karma)

The only way to avoid Death is Moksha, Liberation. This Moksha can only be obtained by merging one with the Supreme Lord, Subrahmanya (i.e, knowing the Self and Lord Subrahmanya are non-different) 

Devotees of Lord Muruga do not die a normal death. They unite with Lord Subrahmanya in Jnana. 

So, Lord Arunagiri says, if by  mistake Lord Yama comes, don't let him take away! You intercept him in your glorious peacock chariot and protect me! 

In this verse, Sri Arunagiri visualises Lord Subrahmanya as a warrior, with flower garlands decorating His chest. He wielded the Spear to vanquish an Asura Valari in a war. 

In all Vedantic texts, Acharyas plead not to identify with the body. Just like people forget that they wear spectacles or contact lenses due to their proximity, we forget that this body is just a vehicle, and our real identity, Self or Atma is no different from the Supreme Parabrahman, here appearing as Lord Subrahmanya due to His extreme Grace.

Identification with the body is the source of all problems. In Naishkarmya Siddhi, Sri Sureshwaracharya traces 7 steps to fear / sadness

1. Due to Aatma Ajnaana (Ignorance of Self / Brahman), people see a world of Dwaitam (Duality). This means they perceive this world filled with names and forms as absolute reality

2. Due to this false perception of reality, they begin to think some things are good for them and some are bad for them (Shobana-Ashobana Adhyasa:)

3. Due to this false favoritism, they develop liking (Raaga:) and hate (Dwesha:)

4. As a direct result, they do action (karma) to acquire things they like and remove things they don't like. This makes them do both prescribed (Vihita) and non-prescribed (Nishidda) Karma

5. Because of this Karma, they get Punya and Papa results. (Doing vihita karma gives punya, nishiddha karma gives papa)

6. Because of this Karmic Results, Jeevas (souls) get Bodies (not necessarily human) to enjoy/suffer the results both good and bad Karma [Good karma binds equally as Bad Karma, since it causes birth to enjoy the results. A leash is a leash even if it is made of Gold)]

7. False identification with this body, i.e., to think this body is us, causes fear (bhaya) and pain (dukkha)

This body is not what we are. This body belongs to Prakriti (nature). We have no control on it at all. Actually, every 7-8 years, we get a completely new body! (We don't have a single cell that we had when we were a kid ). But, how does the person doesn't feel he is a new person? The feeling of 'I' never changes from the time of birth. 

The body circulates blood, digests, develops illness, then heals automatically. We have no control on any of its functions. It is actually funny that we think that this body is actually what we are. It is not even ours, let alone our identity!

If we are not the body, what do we mean when we say 'I'? This is the question to ponder as instructed by Bhagawan Sri Ramana Maharshi. 

By studying Vedantic texts and acquiring Jnana is the only way to liberation. Lord Subrahmanya is the Guru of all, of even Lord Shiva is the Guru who can give us this knowledge (Jnana) - He is popularly referred as Jnana-Panditha, Ultimate Expert of Highest Knowledge.

In a few verses, Sri Arunagiri seeks the blessing of Lord Subrahmanya to help Him overcome death, by transcending body consciousness.

This is the only way to achieve Immortality