அரிதாகிய மெய்ப் பொருளுக்கு அடியேன்
உரிதா உபதேசம் உணர்த்தியவா
விரிதாரண, விக்ரம வேள், இமையோர்
புரிதாரக, நாக புரந்தரனே (20)
arithagiya mei-porulukku adiyen
uridha upadesam unarthiyava
viritharana vikrama vel imayor
puri-thaaraka naga purantharane (20)
அரிதாகிய - Extremely rare
மெய்ப் பொருளுக்கு - Truth
அடியேன் - Me
உரிதா - Made me ready
உபதேசம் - Teaching
உணர்த்தியவா - made me realize
விரிதாரண - Strong (broad)
விக்ரம - Of great strength and valour
வேள் - Loved by all
இமையோர் - Devas
புரிதாரக - Meaning of Om (pranava)
நாக புரந்தரனே - Supporter of the Deva Loka
Short Meaning
Dear Lord Murugan, you made me ready to receive the final teaching, which is extremely rare! You are strong, valorous and loved by all. You are also the meaning of the Holy Pranava, 'Om', which is loved by the immortal Devas and supporter of their world
Gloss
In this verse, Sri Arunagiri Nathar thanks Lord Murugan for getting him ready for receiving the message that would reveal the ultimate reality
Vedanta declares that knowledge of the self is the only way to be liberated from the repeated cycles of birth and death. This knowledge is crisply conveyed using one of the Maha-Vaakyaa's
A Maha-Vaakya is a statement that expresses unity / non-difference of the perceived individual self (soul) and the Supreme God (para-Brahman). There are four maha-vaakyas in four vedas:
1. Aham Brahmasmi - I am Brahman (Yajur Veda)
2. Tat-twam asi - That You are (Sama Veda)
3. Prajnanam Brahma - Knowledge (of self) is Brahman (Rig Veda)
4. Ayam Atma Brahma - Self is Brahman (Atharva Veda)
When the disciple is ready, Guru utters one if these maha-vaakyas to the disciple and in that moment, the disciple is enlightened and released from the bondage of birth / death.
These statements are quite brief and explanatory. Why is that we are unable to know that we are non-different from God? The answer is that we are not 'ready' - We are conditioned by millions of births (as humans or animals or plants etc) and we carry on strong desires or dislikes (called 'vasanas')
The first step is to make the disciple ready to get 'chitta shuddhi' - Purity of mind
In this verse, Sri Arunagiri says Lord Murugan first got him (அடியேன்) to ready to receive (உரிதா) the knowledge (உபதேசம்) which is rarest of rare (அரிதாகிய)
The word 'adiyen' used in this verse using which Sri Arunagiri refers to himself means that he is servant of the Lord, who is ready to serve at his feet - This word is used by humble souls, who treat themselves as those who serve others. This brings out humility of Sri Arunagiri
In this verse, the poet calls the knowledge that would liberate him as the Truth (மெய்ப்பொருள்) - God is often referred to as Truth in Hindu Philosophy (Sathyam / Shivam / Sundaram - Truth / Auspiciousness / Beaty are frequently referred to as attributes of Lord)
In Thiruvasagam, Sri Manickavasagar addresses Lord as
'One who causes all falseness to fall away and shine as True Knowledge'
With this, we can know that the Lord Subrahmanya, the True Lord is no different from the Knowledge that liberates
Once addressing Lord thus, Sri Arunagiri, out of His pure Guru Bhakthi, refers to Lord Murugan as
(1) விரிதாரண - Broad (shouldered) One who is Strong
(2) விக்ரம - Of great strength and valour
(3) வேள் - Loved by all
(4) இமையோர் புரிதாரக - The word 'taraka' means a boat, or that which help one cross. In most of Hindu philosophy, the endless cycle of birth / death is often referred to as a ocean with no end
Lord's name or the sacred sound 'Om' is the boat that help people cross this scary ocean
Sri Muthuswamy Dikshitar in his famous Ghana Raga Krithi, Sri Maha Ganapathi Ravathumam, addresses Ganesha as Bhava Jaladhi Naava - The boat (naava) which helps souls cross the ocean of birth /death (bhava jaladhi)
Rama nama is also referred to as 'Taraka Mantra' - That which helps the devotees 'cross'
Lord Subrahmanya is the meaning of this sacred Pranava (Om) and Devas worship Him as the meaning of Om
(5) நாக புரந்தரனே - Lord Subrahmanya is also referred to as 'Deva SenaPathi' - Meaning the Lord (Chieftain) of the Army of Devas.
Scholars do a word play and say, that after the war in which Surapadman was vanquished, Indra offered His daughter Devasena to Lord Subrahmanya for marriage. After the marriage, 'Deva Senapathi' became 'Devasena Pathi' (husband of Devasena) :)
Lord Subrahmanya, thus is the protector of all Devas and their world (Lord Murugan is addressed thus, even in verse 18 (Amaravathi kavala))
With this verse, it is our duty to pray to Lord Subrahmanya to give us means to make us ready for receiving the sacred teaching. When we are ready, Lord Himself will appear as Guru and give us the final knowledge that will make us unite with Him and liberate from bondage.
PS:
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