Tirumantiram - TANTRA TWO - Verses 371 to 390 of 548

Tirumantiram

English translation of the Tamil Spiritual Classic by Saint Tirumular

 

TANTRA TWO - Verses 371 to 390 of 548

 

371: Why The Lord Wears Skull and Bone

 

He is the Lord of all Celestial Beings,

Who wear bejewelled crowns of dazzling beauty;

But the Lord did bedeck Himself in Skull and Bone

How is it?

If He bears not skull and bone.

Dust unto dust will theirs be.

 

 

372: Brahma and Mal Seek His Feet

 

In ignorance gross, Brahma and Mal

Each bragged Himself as Lord Supreme;

Then as a pillar of Fire the Lord stood before them

And they search and scream

In vain His Feet to behold.

 

 

373: But I Knew Lord, By His Grace Abounding

 

Yet I knew the Lord

Through His Grace abounding;

He who fills the seven heavens

He who stood as Pillar of Fire

The seven worlds pervading,

He of the bejewelled throat.

 

 

374: Lord is Omnipresent

 

The Lord is life, body and consciousness

Fire that enveloped the firmament far

Transcending sun and moon

He pervades the Cosmic space--

Holy thus His Form of yore

Support of Universe vast.

 

 

375: The Two Saw not His Form Entire

 

He stood filling Cosmic space

And the two in fear trembled

They went searching His Form entire

The one seeking the crown

The other His Feet

Neither found them.

 

 

376: The Two Contended For Primacy

 

Vishnu, adored of the Devas,

That asked of Mahabali for three feet land

And Brahma

Whom the rishis in hymnal praise please,

The two in ego contended

For primacy to gain.

 

 

377: The Lord Animates Within Brahma and Vishnu Also

 

The four headed God on lotus seated

The comely lord on dark sea sleepeth

They both are of the essence same

Of the One Great who cognises all,

As unto life within the fleshly body.

 

 

378: Know God's Truth and Be Blessed Now and Hereafter

 

Know afore

The Truth of Divine flame that enveloped all

And hold fast unto that;

Then may you receive

The sceptre to hold domain over earth

And the Grace to follow in heaven above.

 

 

379: Only in Self-Surrender Will the Lord Be Truly Known

 

The Lord granted the Sword of Protection

To Beings Celestial that prayed to Him

But they know Him not entire

As I who His vassal became;

He granted me Himself

He granted me Bliss

And His Feet's grace as final prize;

They approach not His Feet thus.

 

 

380: Lord Decreed Brahma's Fate

 

Inscrutable is the Lord

He defies Time's infinite vistas;

The four-headed Brahma prayed;

"Do reveal Yourself

And on this bowed head decree my Fate,"

And the Lord,

Surpassing far the dazzle of the sun at end of Time

Revealed Himself as Light Pure.

 

 

381: Act of Creation by the Primal One

 

Paraparam that has neither Beginning nor End,

In pure Consciousness consorted with Paraparai

And in that Light Pure arose Param;

And from union of Param with Parai immaculate

Was Nada born.

 

 

382: Creation Continues

 

Nada united with Bindu

From the union of Nada-Bindu

Was Siva and Sakti born;

From them evoluted the three--

Jnana, Kriya and Iccha;

Iccha then sought union with Bindu.

 

383: Latent Maya Evolutes

 

 

From thence evoluted Maya

Latent in Sakti like lustre in crystal

Mighty its power

Beyond power of speech to recount.

 

 

384: Evolution of Maan Sakti--the Substratum of Matter

 

Away in the far distance of Time

Paraparam and Paraparai conjoined

Then did Nada with Bindu;

And further on Sadasiva with Sakti;

Thus was Maan born

The finite support of elements five.

 

 

385: Universe of Five Elements—Evolutes

 

Out of Maan evoluted space

From space, ether

From ether, water

From water, earth's hard crust;

Thus they formed in succession

The elements five;

They were for the universe

The nectar unto Flower.

 

 

386: Sadasiva is the Source of Creation

 

Sada-Siva, the He-She, creates universe all,

He has sons five

The Holy One that creates universe all

Himself as lotus-seated Brahma

The Creator became.

 

 

387: In the Union of Sadasiva with Maan Sakti Blossomed the Universe

 

The Holy Nandi that is Sadasiva

And the Sakti that devoluted Maan

Together in looks united in full;

And from that union arose the universe

As unto a blossom gently opening.

 

 

388: How the Elements Five Evoluted

 

From Fire emanated water

From Wind emanated light

From Space emanated sound

From Water emanated earth

This the way the elements five evoluted.

 

 

389: The Primal One Created the Universe With Brahma and Vishnu

 

With Hari who spat out the seven worlds

With Brahma, the four headed maker

The Primal One, the Lord of Celestial Beings

Created, of yore, this universe vast.

 

 

390: Creation is an Act of Pure Consciousness by the Primal One

 

The Supreme One aloft the Mount Kailas

With Hari in the ocean bed

And Brahma on the blooming lotus

Created life

By Consciousness Pure.