Tirumantiram - TANTRA FIVE – Verses 1457 - 1476 of 1572)

Tirumantiram

English translation of the Tamil Spiritual Classic by Saint Tirumular

 

TANTRA FIVE – Verses 1457 - 1476  of 1572)

 

 

7 YOGA

 

1457: Yoga Way Leads to Realization

 

They course Kundalini through centers six,

To singleness of aim direct the mind,

Unto a wooden stake they sit immobile,

Impervious to tickle or to thrust,

To the wise yogins who thus set their purpose high,

Lord His Grace grants.

 

 

1458: God is Timeless Eternity

 

Unless you have realized Him as Timeless Eternity

You know Him not, albeit through aeons and aeons of time;

The Gods-Hari of the Ocean bed and Aya, the Creator-

In vain have sought Him through countless vista of Time

He is at the Pinnacle, beyond, beyond their reach.

 

 

1459: Yogi Realizes God Within

 

As from within the flower,

The hidden fragrance wakes to life,

So, out of Jiva blossoms

Siva's divine grace;

Sitting unmoved like painted picture

The yogi realizes Him within

Unto the planted pole is He,

Which the musk-cat embraces, its fragrance to shed.

 

 

1460: Seek God Within You

 

You say, "I have realized God"

Yet you have not seen Him that is but within you;

Nandi abides subtle as fragrance within flower;

Seek Him in singleness of your thought

Then shall your darkness of Impurities vanish

The darkness that is the seed of birth and rebirth interminable.

 

 

1461: Yoga Shows the Way

 

Neither mantra, nor song, nor arts four and sixty

Ever sunders birth and its accursed bonds;

Then did I take to Yoga's way,

And lo! I met the Sun, Moon and Fire on the way to Cranium

And they showed the Supreme Way!

 

 

1462: Fruits of Yoga

 

Do in devotion practise yoga

You shall a true tapasvin become;

You shall the True Word realize;

And of certain, one with Heavenly Beings be;

Yoga devoted is penance true.

 

 

1463: Do's and Don'ts in Yoga

 

Do with care practise yoga

You shall with Immortals be;

Within you shall you glimpse Him;

If you but waver,

Then shall you reach the World of Darkness

Verily, Kundalini Fire that Yoga kindles in thee

Is the Gracious Lord HimSelf.

 

 

1464: Fall and Redemption Through Yoga

 

The monarchs that swayed the sceptre righteous,

The devout anchorites in unnumbered thousands,

How many, how many, thy fell below;

(For having wavered in Yoga practice)

And yet, the myriad Siddhas, Devas and Supreme Beings Three,

All redeemed adore Him

Saying "You, Our Father!"

 

 

1465: Sub-divisions in Yoga

 

The yogi has sub-divisions three in his path;

The yoga-kriya that helps him be the yogi;

The yoga-chariya that of desires deprives him,

And yoga-in-yoga that centers thought on Sun within;

This latter I fixed my heart on.

 

 

1466: Stages of Initiation in the Yoga Path

 

Samaya Diksha in yoga is initiation for diverse yoga efforts;

Visesha Diksha in yoga is for achievement of eight-limbed yoga;

Nirvana Diksha in yoga aids yogi glimpse the Divine;

And when he is granted Abhisheka Ordination

Then is he ripe for Siddha State.

 

 

8 JNANA

 

1467: Jnana Path Most Exalted

 

Than Jnana,

There is none better an ethical path, here below;

None better a religious faith;

Nothing else than Jnana can confer liberation true;

They that are exalted in Jnana

Are truly exalted among men.

 

 

1468: Jnani Transcends Nada

 

Out of the primal Principle of Sound (Nada)

The Mind springs;

And out of the Mind-Intelligence, Egoity and Will;

They who have mastered these three,

And the Mind's cogitational activity as well,

Verily have mastered Nada

And have truly attained Jnana.

 

 

1469: Stages of Attainment Through Jnana

 

Thus they say:

By devotion the Jiva first sojourns Lord's world;

Then comes to dwell in Lord's proximity;

Further on receives Lord's grace,

And in the end attains Jnana

In Sivohamic I and You union

Jiva shall himself Siva become.

 

 

1470: Unitive Attainment of Jnani

 

Brahmam shall be his impregnable abode,

Universe, his kith and kin;

Diverse paths the world presents

All, all shall be his;

For, verily he has realized

The pure Jnana, free of doubt.

 

 

1471: Jnana is Lifeboat

 

The Lord is of Infinite Grace,

In His Celestial City are Love, Light and Peace eternal,

To them that seek to know His Form

And understand His Attributes

And attain His Holy Feet

To them, this is the Path

This, this the boat to cross Life's turbulent waters.

 

 

1472: Jnani Becomes Light Divine

 

In whose thoughts Jnana ripens and swells,

In his path the Life-Boat appears and greets him;

And thus does he reach the surging waters

Of the Crescent Moon's sphere,

And there, rid of Impurities,

He himself the Effulgent Light becomes.

 

 

1473: Jnani's Attainments are Unique

 

For Jnani

All four paths are;

Not so for the Yogi until he becomes Mauni;

For him is Kundalini Yoga in ardour performed,

Chariya and Kriya too are his.

 

 

1474: Attainments at Four Jnana Stages

 

The Jnani attains all the four stages in Jnana;

Jnana-in-Jnana is to transcend the "I" and "Mine"

Yoga-in-Jnana is to envision the Light of Nadanta;

Kriya-in-Jnana is to seek the liberation by good.

 

 

1475: Jnani Attains Unitive Wisdom in the Absolute

 

He who realizes Jnana in its four divisions

He verily transcends the conflict of virtue and vice;

He has reached the farthest shores of Truth;

He has glimpsed the Mighty Object;

He is the Immaculate, Siddha, Siva Mukta.

 

 

1476: Initiation Rites in Jnana

 

In Jnana are initiation rites four;

Samaya initiates the search for the Self;

Visesha, the search for the Divine;

Nirvana for the descent of Lord's Grace;

Abhisheka for the attainment of Divine Guru's Holy Feet.