TIRUMANTIRAM - TANTRA SIX - Verses 1624 – 1644 of 1703

TIRUMANTIRAM

English translation of the Tamil Spiritual Classic by Saint Tirumular

 

 

TANTRA SIX - Verses 1624 – 1644 of 1703

 

 

5 TAPAS

 

1624: Blessings of the Placid Mind

 

The heart of the holy trembles not in fear,

All passions stilled, it enjoys calm unruffled;

Neither is there death

Nor pain, nor night nor day,

Nor fruits of Karma to experience;

That truly is the state of the desire-renounced.

 

 

1625: Only the Blessed Know Greatness of Tapas

 

The mystery of life, the origin of earth,

The might of pure deeds of tapas

Who knows them all

But they that receive Lord's Grace?

The rest know naught of tapas supreme.

 

 

1626: Tapasvin Ends Birth

 

The Tapasvins many that live by alms

Have no life hereafter;

On them shall be showered

All blessings of Spiritual wealth;

They that perform tapas incessant

Attain the power to end

All births to be.

 

 

1627: Tapasvins Remain Impervious to Temptations

 

Transfixed in mind and tortured in body

Stout of heart, they perform tapas splendorous;

Even though the Celestial King

And others, however mighty, descend to them,

And tempt them,

Their determined thought on Siva firm remains.

 

 

1628: Only Tapasvins Can Approach Lord

 

He hides and yet hides not;

He appears not to the naked eye;

He of the spreading matted locks;

The gold-hued;

None but they of hard tapas may near Him;

Do hasten and Him adore,

He, the mighty one of the white moon crest.

 

 

1629: When Mind Reaches Lord, He Reveals

 

The life of bliss hereafter to be

He made me reach now and here,

He-the Primal One:

When the mind transfixed reaches God,

He of Himself reveals, sure.

 

 

1630: Tapas Alone is Imperishable Wealth

 

Amidst the tumult of raging hatred, they perished,

The kings, their ministers and their elephantine hordes;

But fixing their sights on divine Jnana and universal love,

The tapasvins immortals became, their eyelids batting not.

 

 

1631: Inward Look of Tapas Ends Birth

 

Come apart from the clever argumentation of contending theology,

And for a brief brief while, look inward;

That one look shall drive the nail into the coffin of birth

And forever end its cycle recurring.

 

 

1632: When Tapas is Needed

 

Tapas you need, if Jnana you aspire;

Tapas you need not, when Jnana Samadhi you attain;

Tapas you need not, when you are in Sahamarga of Yoga;

Tapas they seek not, who the Self to transform

Know not.

 

 

6 ABUSE OF TAPAS

 

1633: When You Need not Renounce

 

You need not pray, if the Soul of Souls enters in you;

You need not adore, if Siva abides true in you;

You need not die, if Samadhi you attain,

You need not renounce, if you go not the way of senses.

 

 

1634: To Reach the Actionless State is Above All

 

You need no shouting

When in understanding you withdraw,

You need no speaking

When in Samadhi you are seated;

You need no baptismal rites

When you stand detached;

You need no meditation,

When you have reached actionless state.

 

 

1635: Fruit of Tapas

 

They who perform tapas true

Shall know the fruit thereof

They who speak truth pure

Shall know its fruit thereof

They who stand in righteous way

Shall enjoy the fruit thereof

They who are great on earth

Shall reap heaven's fruit.

 

 

1636: Tapas is the Yearning of Heart

 

In oneness of mind I did tapas

And witnessed Lord's triumphant Feet;

In eagerness of quest I did tapas

And witnessed Siva-State;

That alone is tapas

That you perform in the yearning of heart;

What avails the tapas of those,

Who thus perform not?

 

 

1637: Follow Tapasvins and Meet God

 

Swimming across the seven seas of the mind

The tapasvins true their heaven reached;

Let them that are tossed in the sea of births about

Listen but to their Commandments holy,

Then can they see Nandi, face to face, for sure.

 

 

1638: Light of Tapas is Light of Self

 

Unsheath your sword of Jnana from mind's scabbard,

Flash it across the bonds of pasa, hacking them twain;

And watch your Self, lest senses five run wild;

Then, shall light that is of tapas born

Become light of the Self.

 

 

1639: Tapas Gives Bhakti and Mukti

 

In intimacy He stands within us;

Pray that He grant you Bhakti;

Prostrate that He grant you Mukti;

Truly, it is tapas that makes Munis divine.

 

 

1640: Tapas is the Supreme Means

 

I gathered the tender leaves and flowers variegated

I wove a garland

All for my Father;

Yet I saw not the gushing waters of Grace;

I scanned the lofty lores of scriptures

And my heart ebbed low;

But I stood in tapas

And touched Cranium heights

Lo! met mine Lord.

 

 

1641: Tapas is Single-mindedness

 

To the devout tapasvins, who in dishevelled locks sit

Lord lets no harm happen,

He His Grace lends;

And you look at tapas

Of those that all trials overcame,

Know you, it is by their oneness of mind in tapas

They blocked the births to come.

 

 

1642: They That Shun Tapas Hunger Forever

 

In fear they ran from the croc' in the river

And on the bank they fell into the embrace of the bear

Thus are they the ignorant of scriptures,

Who from austere tapas run away

For food and in hunger roam for ever.

 

 

1643: Tapas is Control of Senses

 

Inside the body-sack

The tiny calf of senses jumps about

For the fruit to ripe and for the ripened fruit to eat;

They that can tether the lusty legged calf to the yard

Shall no more have pulls within;

Their thoughts will in oneness center.

 

1644: Tapas is Thought Becoming Siva

 

 

If your thoughts be all of Siva

You need no more penance perform;

If your thoughts find a kin

With those that have Siva Bliss tasted,

Then shall you be one with Siva;

Then is truly Siddhi and Mukti;

But your thoughts shall be of all Siva

Only by tapas intense.