Appaḷa Pāṭṭu verse 3

In a Zoom meeting of the ‘Ramana Maharshi Foundation UK’ on 12th February 2022 Michael James discusses the meaning and implications of verse 3 of Appaḷa Pāṭṭu:

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கன்னெஞ்சி னானா னென்று கலங்காம
லுண்முக வுலக்கையா லோயா திடித்து
சாந்தமாங் குழவியாற் சமமான பலகையிற்
சந்ததஞ் சலிப்பற சந்தோஷ மாகவே —      (அப்)

kaṉṉeñji ṉāṉā ṉeṉḏṟu kalaṅgāma
luṇmukha vulakkaiyā lōyā diḍittu
śāntamāṅ guṙaviyāṯ samamāṉa palahaiyiṯ
santatañ salippaṟa santōṣa māhavē —      (ap)

பதச்சேதம்: கல் நெஞ்சில் ‘நான் நான்’ என்று கலங்காமல் உள் முக உலக்கையால் ஓயாது இடித்து, சாந்தம் ஆம் குழவியால் சமம் ஆன பலகையில் சந்ததம் சலிப்பு அற சந்தோஷமாகவே (அப்பளம் இட்டு பாரு; ...)

Padacchēdam (word-separation): kal neñjil ‘nāṉ nāṉ’ eṉḏṟu kalaṅgāmal uḷ-mukha ulakkaiyāl ōyādu iḍittu, śāntam ām kuṙaviyāl samam āṉa palahaiyil santatam salippu aṟa santōṣamāhavē (appaḷam iṭṭu pāru; …)

அன்வயம்: நெஞ்சு கல்லில் கலங்காமல் உள் முக உலக்கையால் ‘நான் நான்’ என்று ஓயாது இடித்து, சமம் ஆன பலகையில் சாந்தம் ஆம் குழவியால் சந்ததம் சலிப்பு அற சந்தோஷமாகவே (அப்பளம் இட்டு பாரு; ...)

Anvayam (words rearranged in natural prose order): neñju kallil kalaṅgāmal uḷ-mukha ulakkaiyāl ‘nāṉ nāṉ’ eṉḏṟu ōyādu iḍittu, samam āṉa palahaiyil śāntam ām kuṙaviyāl santatam salippu aṟa santōṣamāhavē (appaḷam iṭṭu pāru; …)

English translation: By the pestle of facing inwards without being agitated, incessantly pounding as ‘I am I’ in the heart-stone, by the rolling-pin, which is peace, on the board, which is equanimity, without weariness always joyfully (making appaḷam, see; …)

Explanatory paraphrase: By [means of] the pestle of uḷ-mukha [the practice of facing inwards] without being agitated [or confused] [by allowing one’s attention to be distracted away from oneself under the sway of one’s viṣaya-vāsanās], incessantly pounding [the dēhābhimāna tempered with the other ingredients] [by recognising oneself as] as ‘I am I’ [the fresh degree of clarity (sphuraṇa) of self-awareness that shines in one’s heart as ‘I am I’ (that is, as awareness of oneself as oneself alone) to the extent that one keenly, calmly and steadily faces inwards to see who am I] in the heart-stone [the pure heart or mind that is imbued with steadfast titikșā (endurance, forbearance and patience), which is unshakably firm like a stone mortar], [and then flattening the resulting appaḷam dough (namely the thoroughly pounded dēhābhimāna) into round wafers] with the rolling-pin, which is śānta [peace, tranquillity, composure, contentment, resignation or subsidence], on the board, which is sama [sameness, constancy, evenness, equanimity, imperturbability or samādhi], without salippu [weariness, weakness, inattentiveness, negligence or pramāda] always joyfully (making appaḷam, see; eating it, put an end to your desire.)

While discussing this verse Michael discusses the meaning and implications of various other passages from Bhagavan’s writings, including Appaḷa Pāṭṭu, Uḷḷadu Nāṟpadu, Vicāra Saṅgraham, Āṉma-Viddai, Upadēśa Undiyār, Hṛdaya kuhara madhyē and Nāṉ Ār?.

This episode can also be watched as a video, 2022-02-12a Ramana Maharshi Foundation UK: Michael James discusses Appaḷa Pāṭṭu verse 3, and a more compressed audio copy in Opus format (which can be listened to in the VLC media player and some other apps) can be downloaded from here.

After discussing this third verse of Appaḷa Pāṭṭu Michael answers questions about this and other aspects of Bhagavan’s teachings, particularly the practice of self-investigation and self-surrender, and this part of the meeting is recorded in a separate episode: Appaḷa Pāṭṭu verse 3 Q&A.