TIRUMANTIRAM - TANTRA SEVEN - Verses 1868 – 1891 of 2121

TIRUMANTIRAM

English translation of the Tamil Spiritual Classic by Saint Tirumular

 

 

TANTRA SEVEN - Verses 1868 – 1891 of 2121

 

 

14 GREATNESS OF HOLY MEN

 

1868 That Land Prospers where Holy Men are

 

Where there is a holy man of divine worth

Who pursues the Lord,

--That all space embraces--

There enemies none are;

Rains in abundance fall;

Full the people's contentment

Evil none befalls that land.

 

 

1869 The Land of the Holy

 

There in that Land are they born;

There in that Land in that body they Tapas perform;

There in that Land they reach the Feet of Lord

There in that Land will they His Grace receive.

 

 

1870 I am Redeemed when I reach the Goal of Union in Siva

 

The goal I sought (of union in Siva)

The peaks of mountain high in there, (Sahasrara)

The denizens of heavens,

The immortals celestial,

The hordes of humans from quarters eight

And the Primal One, too,

--If toward me they come,

And in my hands I hold them,

Redeemed am I, forever and ever.

 

 

1871 Then I engross All Creation

 

The universes seven,

The cosmic space beyond,

The life--animate and inanimate--

The gunas three,

The Vedas ancient,

The Gods that create and preserve

And their Primal Lord that is Siva

--All they are but in me.

 

 

1872 Lord Can be seen only with Inner Light

 

Neither male, nor female, nor hermaphrodite,

The light that is within ignorance concealed

Never, never can cognise Him;

Without eyes He sees,

Without ears He hears,

Only those in Knowledge ripe

Have for sure, seen Him.

 

 

1873 Lord's Devotees Rule the High Heavens

 

In the world existent

The Lord's devotees pursue the sure path;

They will rule in the heavens high;

They Siva become;

Whose arms stretch embracing directions eight;

In the nether world are His Feet;

In the peaks of the cosmic universe,

The Crown of His Head rises.

 

 

1874 Muse on the Lord and Know no Sorrow

 

Muse on the Lord;

He resides in your heart;

They who see Him residing within

Know sorrows none;

The heart that knows Him enter in,

Loses its ego,

Well may that be destroyed too;

Do strive that state to reach.

 

 

1875 Renounce: God ploughs your Life for a Rich Harvest

 

He is the Beginning Finite,

He is companion endearing;

He causes dissolution too,

--He, the Lord Primal;

I gave up blame and praise,

And possessions entire;

Then my life, He ploughed

For a harvest abundant.

 

 

1876 My Life willed to Siva

 

He is my mother and father in one

My births seven fold seven are to Siva willed;

--This the document drawn up even in days of yore;

Brahma who this world created wrote it thus;

And Vishnu the cloud-hued witnessed it.

 

 

1877 Devotees treasure Lord as Heart's Jewel

 

In the hearts of the resolute He firm abides;

In the hearts of those who adore, He in accord comports

Those who held the Primal Lord as their heart's Jewel

And so reckoned Him

How can they part from Him, ever?

 

 

1878 Lord lifted me to perform His Holy Work

 

The Celestial Beings bore on their heads

The Nandi of the flowing matted locks;

He on earth raised me high

His holy work to perform;

Higher still will He lift me,

Unto the Golden Kingdom of Purity to rule,

--He of the spreading matted locks.

 

 

1879 How Tapasvins Look

 

In the days of childhood innocence

By their insignia external

I marked out the Holy Ones;

And becoming their devotee, I rejoiced;

Their matted locks tied in signal knot,

Caring not for this world

The Holy ones wander;

They return not to here below;

Immersed are they in the waters of Contemplation Divine

--This their tapas intense.

 

 

1880 Seek Devotees; Seek Siva

 

They who seek the devotees holy in love endearing

Can in depth Siva seek and be near;

The devotees who the Holy One seek

Will in Siva's greatness merged be.

 

 

1881 Celestials Seek the Jnanis

 

Seeking the Holy ones

The eight clans of Celestial Beings

Swarm the earth in endearment surpassing;

The earth seems unto a crowded heaven

For twelve leagues, in directions eight.

 

 

1882 Land of Siva Jnanis is Blessed

 

Where Siva Yoga Jnanis flourish

Misfortunes will not be;

New ways of prosperity dawn;

All things good befall;

A very heaven that land will be;

With rebirths none for its denizens.

 

 

1883 Greatness of Siva Yoga Jnanis

 

They who the Higher Knowledge attained,

Can even create this world;

They who the Higher Knowledge attained,

Can transcend worlds several;

They who the Divine Light perceived

Are verily immortals here below;

They indeed are Siva's devotees true.

 

 

15 RULES FOR FEEDING HOLY MEN

 

1884 Lord cares for Siva Jnanis

 

Wherever it be

The food that is to them offered,

The Lord's devotees receive as sweet ambrosia;

Even as those who own a lone plot of land

Will unhappy be,

If that land uncared for lies.

 

 

1885 Jnanis accept alms to sustain the Body-Temple

 

The holy ones who have tasted of Lord's inner grace

Will at noon-tide accept alms

To sustain the body temple where the Lord resides;

Of differences they think not;

All desires extinguished,

They in solitude are seated.

 

 

16 RULES FOR RECEIVING ALMS

 

1886 Jnanis harvest the Body-field

 

In the body-field is the seed;

The field has a fence;

In the crown of the head

The crop ripened;

If without fear they harvest not,

And feed themselves not,

They are but those

Who beg for hunger's sake.

 

 

1887 Why Lord Begged

 

The Lord begged in Brahma's skull,

The Lord begged for Dharma to perpetuate;

The Lord begged in Brahma's skull,

That Brahma to Brahmam become.

 

 

1888 Why Devotees Beg

 

The Lord who the seven worlds created

A beggar they call Him?

Why, though, He begs?

That the holy devotees

Who constant think of Him,

Beg and reach His Feet.

 

 

1889 Lord Waits for His Devotees

 

The Lord stands waiting

For them that come seeking Him;

For the holy ones He waits

His bliss to bestow;

He stands waiting, them to enter;

Can you say "He knows me not."

 

 

1890 Devotees Constant Seek Siva

 

Gnawing hunger, greed and anger

These bodily evils

Siva's devotees possess not;

Neither in this world below,

Nor in the blessed world above

Will they remain;

Seeking Siva and Siva alone

Will they engrossed ever be.

 

 

1891 World Seeks to feed; Tapasvins do not Beg for a Living

 

Though they received the clear light of Jnana,

Yet they perforce seek portals of the bounteous for alms;

To these Tapasvins that beg not for a living,

All the world in reverence repairs.