Kandhar Anubhuti : Verse #44 - Glorious Feet of Lord Murugan Graced my Head!

சாடும் தனிவேல் முருகன் சரணம் 

சூடும் படி தந்தது சொல்லு மதோ? 

வீடும், சுரர் மாமுடி, வேதமும், வெம் 

காடும், புனமும் கமழும் கழலே (44)

saadum thanivel murugan sharanam

soodum padi thanthathu sollumatho!

Veedum surar maamudi vedamaum vem

kaadum punamum kamazhum kazhale (44)

சாடும் - Destroying (Evil and Ignorance)

தனிவேல் முருகன்  - Lord Muruga who holds the Spear 

சரணம் - His Feet

சூடும் படி தந்தது - To adorn

சொல்லு மதோ? - How can I describe?

வீடும் - Places of Liberation

சுரர் மாமுடி - Head of Great Devas

வேதமும் - Vedas

வெம் காடும், புனமும் கமழும் - In the hot, humid and fragrant forests (where Mother Valli lived)

கழலே - Head

Short Meaning

Lord Murugan is the destroyer of all evil and ignorance, and He holds the peerless Spear of Knowledge. His feet is adorned by the place / act of Liberation (Mukti), Head of Great Devas, Vedas and in the Hot, humid and fragrant forests where Mother Valli used to reside. For Lord to give His feet to adorn my Head and liberate me, How can I describe that experience?

Gloss

In Shaiva Siddhanta, the Feet of the Lord represents Grace - In the Iconic form of Lord Shiva as Sri Nataraja, His raised left leg (kunchita vama padam) is representation of Grace. 

A soul, over many many births figures out that it ends up in pain irrespective of the goal it pursues. So, after millions of births, the soul is tired and cries out to God to help out. This is when the soul is ready to receive Grace. Without the soul being 'ready', the Grace cannot flow. This desperation is immense and is equated to a person sinking in water. After the last stroke possible, with a desperate cry, the soul ceases effort. At this point, Grace descends. Even when an iota of effort exists, Grace cannot descend. 

This Grace is indicated by Lord Shiva bestowing the ultimate knowledge of the Self, by keeping His feet on the head of His devotee. 

This is an often used symbol across Shaiva Siddhanta. 

Sri Arunagirinathar in this verse, describes his Self Realization as the Lord Subrahmanya's feet being kept on his head. It is important to note that Lord Shiva and Lord Subrahmanya are identical and Lord Murugan's feet liberate just as Lord Shiva's! Sometimes, as Lord Murugan is Guru of Lord Shiva Himself, (Swaminathan!) Sri Arunagiri may feel that it is even better to be liberated by Lord Murugan's Feet, which is personification of Grace

The experience of Grace or this experience of Samadhi or Anubhuti / Yoga (Union) with God is not actually an experience - It is a state beyond the realms of mind, and hence cannot be communicated in words. 

So, Sri Arunagiri asks, how can I describe (சொல்லுமதோ) the act of Grace in which Lords' feet (முருகன் சரணம்) adorned (சூடும் படி தந்தது) my head? 

While describing Murugan, Sri Arunagiri calls him சாடும் தனிவேல் முருகன்  - Meaning, that Lord Murugan is the possessor of the Spear (தனிவேல்) which has the ability to destroy evil and the darkness of ignorance. 

In a very interesting way, Sri Arunagiri says mark of Lord's Feet can be found in:

1. வீடும் - Liberation

2. சுரர் மாமுடி - Head of Greatest Gods

3. வேதமும் - Vedas

4. வெம் காடும், புனமும் கமழும் - In the hot, humid and fragrant forests (where Mother Valli lived)

Sri Arunagirinathar is thrilled that Lord's Feet that adorns the above places adorned his head (கழலே) also! 

Interesting, in the peerless Saundarya Lahari of Sri Sankara, it is described that the Greats of Gods keep their head at the feet of Mother Lalitha Maha Tripura Sundari. And whenever a flower is offered at Her feet, they roll and fall on one of the God's Heads, and they are thrilled that the flower that fell on Mother's feet now fell on their head!