Kandhar Anubhuti : Verse #25 - Will I be deluded?

மெய்யே என வெவ்வினை வாழ்வை உகந்து
ஐயோ, அடியேன் அலையத் தகுமோ?
கையோ, அயிலோ, கழலோ முழுதும்
செய்யோய், மயில் ஏறிய சேவகனே (25) 


meiyye ena vevvvinai vaazhvai uganthu
aiyyo adiyen alaiya thagumo
kaiyo ayilo kazhalo muzhuthum
seiyyoy mayil eriya sevagane (25)

மெய்யே - True
என - such
வெவ்வினை - Harsh Karma  
வாழ்வை - Life
உகந்து - assuming
ஐயோ - Alas
அடியேன்  - Me
அலையத் தகுமோ? - Be deluded? 
கையோ - Hand
அயிலோ - Spear
கழலோ  - Feet
முழுதும் - Fully
செய்யோய் - Red Hued one
மயில் - Peacock
ஏறிய - Riding atop
சேவகனே - Brave One


Short Meaning
Will I be deluded assuming this wretched mortal life, which came into being as a result of Karma, to be real? Oh Lord Subrahmanya, who's hand, spear, feet are all red-hued and who is the Brave One who rides a peacock


Gloss
It is very easy to mistake our current existence as true and be deluded. It is important to realize in this human birth, that we are not the body, but the Self / Atma, the eternal, non-changing Truth which is identical with God, whom we here refer as Lord Subrahmanya

We discussed about Goddess' act of Obfuscation and Grace in Verse 23. While this world is designed to delude, it is by deep devotion, constant enquiry and Guru's Grace that we can determine that God alone is real and rest are not absolutely real. 

Sri Adi Sankara Bhagawatpada's teachings can be summarized as below:

1. Brahmaiva Sathyam  
2. Jagan Mithya
3. Jeevo Brahma'iva na-para:

Brahmaiva Sathyam - God alone is Truth

Jagan Mithya - The world that we experience is not absolutely real. 

Jeevo Brahma'va na para: - The individual self is not different from the Supreme Self (God)

I briefly discussed Mithya or the world being relatively real, but not absolutely real in a blog post sometime ago. 

In Siva Puranam, Lord Shiva is constantly being addressed as Truth (Sathyam / Mei)

In the verse above, Sri Manickavasagar sings that with Lord's Grace, all that is false were removed (poi aayina ellam pOi agala vanthu aruli), and One who shines as the light of True Knowledge (of the Self)

This body is the result of Karma - All Hindu scriptures unanimously assert this. Even good Karma is considered binding, and is likened to a golden leash. (A leash restricts your freedom, irrespective of the material it is made of)

Sri Arunagiri says that this body was obdained as a result of Karma which is binding and hence bad - Not just bad Karma, but also good. So, he beseeches Lord Murugan that is it ok that he be deluded that this false life is real(மெய்)? (அடியேன் அலையத் தகுமோ?) The delusion comes because of the body / existence (வாழ்வை) is assumed (உகந்து) to be real. This body is the result of Karma (வெவ்வினை)

A general pattern is that in the second half of the verse in Kandhar Anubhuti, attributes of Lord Murugan are described - In this verse, Sri Arunagiri describes Lord Murugan as one who has His entire body in Red Hue, including His spear - i.e., His hands (கையோ), His Spear (அயிலோ), His Feet (கழலோ) and His entire body (முழுதும்) are red hued (செய்யோய்)

He also describes Murugan as the Brave One (சேவகனே) who serves His devotees and One who rides a peacock (மயில் ஏறிய)

Interestingly, in Sri Rudram, Lord Shiva is also described as the Red One who is copper red in color (ato ya: tamra-aruna uta babru: sumangala:  ) - tamra meaning copper and aruna meaning red. Interesting Sri Arunachala, the holiest of Hills is itself called Aruna Achalam - Red Hill and the composer of the verse is himself Sri Arunagiri (Aruna - red and Giri - Hill)

With this verse, we can pray to Lord Murugan, the red-hued One to remove the delusion of this world, and seek His Grace to Unite with Him

Reference:

[1] Murugan pic from :

 https://www.flickr.com/photos/31544191@N05/16075020837/in/photostream/

Kandhar Anubhuti : Verse #24 - Blinded by lust, will I ever be able to receive your Grace? (koorvel vizhi)

கூர்வேல் விழி மங்கையர் கொங்கையிலே
சேர்வேன், அருள் சேரவும் எண்ணுமதோ
சூர் வேரொடு குன்று தொளைத்த நெடும்
போர் வேல, புரந்தர பூபதியே (24)


koor-vel vizhi mangaiyar kongaile
sErven arul seravum ennumadho?
soor vErodu kundru tholaitha nedum
pOr vela purandhara bhoopathiye (24)

கூர்வேல் - Sharp spear
விழி - eyes
மங்கையர்  - women
கொங்கையிலே - bosom
சேர்வேன் - unite 
அருள் சேரவும் - To receive Grace
எண்ணுமதோ - Is it possible to think?
சூர் - Asura Surapadman
வேரொடு- From the roots
குன்று - Peak
தொளைத்த - Penetrate
நெடும் போர்- long war
வேல - has spear
புரந்தர  - Indra
பூபதியே - Lord


Short Meaning
I am drowned in lust for women with sharp eyes - How can a person like me even think of receiving your Grace? Oh Lord Murugan, the Lord of the world of Indra, You destroyed the entire clan evil asura Surapadman and pierced the range of seven mountains surrounding his empire with your sharp spear, which is equipped to fight long wars! 

Gloss

Sri Arunagiri Nathar, in this verse asks Lord Murugan that He is overwhelmed by lust and is distraught that how can he meditate on the Lord when his mind is preoccupied? He beseeches Lord Murugan that He could completely destroy Surapadman and his clan with his Spear. He indirectly requests Lord to destroy his lust as well, which is also a formidable foe.

This theme of overcoming lust is a constant theme in Kandhar Anubhuti (covered in Verse 4, Verse 5 and Verse 9 (and more to follow Verses 34, 40, 43). This shouldn't be interpreted as Sri Arunagiri's rant against women. For the person in the final stages of spiritual pursuit, all basal tendencies are impediments. Lust, in its primal form is a big distraction in pursuit of Lord. This verse is equally applicable to both men and women in the pursuit of the divine.

In Arunachala Akshara Mana Maalai, Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, in verses 11 and 12, Bhagavan expertly asks Sri Arunachala - 'O Arunachala, were you not there when the five senses, entered my heart?' - Then next verse (12) He says, 'How can anyone enter without you knowing, since you are the One behind everything' - Thus, Sri Bhagavan makes Sri Arunachala responsible for all his desires and hence asks Arunachala to remove them all. 

In this verse, Sri Arunagiri uses a different technique! He says 'Lord, you are the one with the peerless Spear, using which, you destroyed the entire clan of Surapadman and pierced the mountain range with seven mountains which were guarding his kingdom' - So, why don't you destroy my biggest obstacle which is lust? 

If we go into the life history of Sri Arunagiri, it will be clear that he was blinded by lust in the initial years of his life. Hence this theme constantly repeats throughout his works. He also talks about other human afflictions (for e.g. greed in Verse 16)

Spear, as discussed before is the symbolism for Jnana, the knowledge of Self, Atma Vidya. With this all ignorance and afflictions are removed and the spirit is liberated. 

So, in this verse, Sri Arunagiri describes Murugan as one who has a spear which is capable of long wars (நெடும்போர் வேல) and as the Lord of Devas, and hence the Lord of Deva's Kingdom (புரந்தர பூபதியே) - We can split it as புரந்தர பூ + பதியே -> World of Lord Indra (Deva Loka) + Lord

With this verse, we can also pray to the Lord to remove afflictions of our mind, whatever it be and reach the feed of Lord Subrahmanya