சாகாது, எனையே சரணங் களிலே
காகா, நமனார் கலகம் செயும் நாள்
வாகா, முருகா, மயில் வாகனனே
யோகா, சிவ ஞான உபதேசிகனே (41)
saagathu enaiye saranangalile
gaga namanar kalagam seiyum naal
vaaga muruga mayil vaaganane
yoga siva jnana upadesigane (41)
சாகாது - Transcending death
எனையே - me
சரணங்களிலே - In your feet
காகா - Protect
நமனார் - Residents of Yama Loka
கலகம் செயும் - Trouble me
நாள் - Day
வாகா - Oh enchantingly beautiful Lord!
முருகா - Lord Muruga!
மயில் வாகனனே - One who rides a peacock
யோகா- The storehouse of Yogic Knowledge
சிவ ஞான உபதேசிகனே - One who imparts the knowledge of Shiva (Shiva Jnana)
Short Meaning
Oh enchantingly beautiful Lord Muruga, One who rides a Peacock, Storehouse of Yoggic knowledgeg and the One who imparts the Supreme Knowledge of Lord Shiva! When the time comes and the natives of Yama Loka come to take me at death, please give me refuge in your feet and help me transcend death!
Gloss
One of the Universal Upanishadic Prayers (also very famous is this):
asato ma sat gamaya - take me from falseness to truth
tamaso ma jyotir gamaya - take me from darkness to light
mrutyor ma amrutam gamaya - take me from death to immortality
Everyone fears death - There is only one way to transcend death - To realize we are the immortal soul and not the body which belongs to nature (prakriti)
The prayer to protect from Yama is even discussed in detail in Verse #10.
The process of death is supposed to be very painful - When the soul us harshly pulled away from the body which has been the longest associated object for the soul this bith, the pain is immense. Apparently, Yama dootas (நமனார்) abuse the soul in harsh words while doing so.
The only way to avoid this is to Unite with Lord Murugan (Yoga / Anubhuti with Lord Murugan) - Hence Sri Arunagiri calls him the Storehouse of Yogic knowledge. To gain immortality / Moksha, knowledge of Shiva / The Supreme knowledge of Self is the only way. Lord Murugan is an expert in providing this knowledge and liberating his devotees (சிவ ஞான உபதேசிகனே )
So, Sri Arunagiri calls out to seek protection (காகா) in Lord Murugan's feet (சரணங் களிலே ) on the day (நாள்) Yama dootas come to pick him up with violence (கலகம் செயும்) -
He implores the Beautiful (வாகா) Lord Murugan (முருகா) who rides the glorious peacock (மயில் வாகனனே )
By this sincere prayer, a devotee will be be liberated and attain Union with Lord Subrahmanya!
PS - Image from - https://vedicfeed.com/10-interesting-facts-about-lord-kartikeya/