Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai pāyiram and kāppu

In a Zoom meeting of the Ramana Maharshi Foundation UK on 12th March 2022 Michael James begins to discuss ஸ்ரீ அருணாசல அக்ஷரமணமாலை (Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai), ‘The Marriage Garland of Syllables for Sri Arunachala’, ‘The Fragrant Garland of Syllables for Sri Arunachala’ and ‘The Garland for Imperishable Union with Sri Arunachala’, starting with the Introductory Verse (pāyiram) composed by Muruganar and the Invocation (kāppu) composed by Bhagavan:

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தருணா ருணமணி கிரணா வலிநிகர்
      தரும க்ஷரமண மகிழ்மாலை
தெருணா டியதிரு வடியார் தெருமரல்
      தெளியப் பரவுதல் பொருளாகக்
கருணா கரமுனி ரமணா ரியனுவ
      கையினாற் சொலியது கதியாக
வருணா சலமென வகமே யறிவொடு
      மாழ்வார் சிவனுல காள்வாரே.

taruṇā ruṇamaṇi kiraṇā valinihar
      taruma kṣaramaṇa mahiṙmālai
teruṇā ḍiyatiru vaḍiyār terumaral
      teḷiyap paravudal poruḷāhak
karuṇā karamuṉi ramaṇā riyaṉuva
      haiyiṉāṯ coliyadu gatiyāha
varuṇā calameṉa vahamē yaṟivoḍu
      māṙvār śivaṉula hāḷvārē.

பதச்சேதம்: தருண அருணமணி கிரண ஆவலி நிகர் தரும் அக்ஷர மண மகிழ் மாலை தெருள் நாடிய திரு அடியார் தெருமரல் தெளிய பரவுதல் பொருள் ஆக கருணா ஆகர முனி ரமண ஆரியன் உவகையினால் சொலியது. கதி ஆக அருணாசலம் என அகமே அறிவொடும் ஆழ்வார் சிவன் உலகு ஆள்வாரே.

Padacchēdam (word-separation): taruṇa aruṇamaṇi kiraṇa āvali nihar tarum akṣara maṇa makiṙ mālai teruḷ nāḍiya tiru aḍiyār terumaral teḷiya paravudal poruḷ āha karuṇā ākara muṉi ramaṇa āriyaṉ uvahaiyiṉāl soliyadu. gati āha aruṇācalam eṉa ahamē aṟivoḍum āṙvār śivaṉ ulahu āḷvārē.

English translation: The joyful marriage garland of syllables, which gives light like a series of rays of the newly risen sun, is what the noble sage Ramana, the abundant giver of grace, sang with joy for the sake of singing praise so that the delusion of good devotees who seek clarity may be cleared away. As a means, those who sink in the heart with awareness as ‘Arunachalam’ will certainly rule the world of Siva.

Explanatory paraphrase: Those who sink in the heart with awareness as ‘Arunachalam’ [that is, with remembrance of Arunachala, or with awareness that Arunachala alone is ‘I’], [taking] as a means [or as a refuge] akṣara maṇa makiṙ mālai [this joyful marriage garland (or fragrant flower garland) of syllables, or this joyful garland of immutable union], which gives light like a series of rays of the newly risen sun, [and which is] what karuṇākara muṉi ramaṇa āriyaṉ [the noble sage Ramana (or sage Ramana guru), the abundant giver of grace] sang with joy [or love] for the sake of singing praise [as a prayer] so that the delusion of good devotees who seek clarity [namely the clarity of pure awareness] may be cleared away, will certainly rule the world of Siva [that is, by sinking deep in the heart with awareness that Arunachala Siva alone is ‘I’, they will merge in him in such a way that they will never rise again as ego, and hence they will forever be one with him, who is the eternal sovereign of his own world, namely the heart].

அருணாசல வரற்கேற்ற வக்ஷரமண மாலைசாற்றக்
கருணாகர கணபதியே கரமருளிக் காப்பாயே.

aruṇācala varaṯkēṯṟa vakṣaramaṇa mālaisāṯṟak
karuṇākara gaṇapatiyē karamaruḷik kāppāyē.

பதச்சேதம்: அருணாசல வரற்கு ஏற்ற அக்ஷர மண மாலை சாற்ற கருணாகர கணபதியே கரம் அருளி காப்பாயே.

Padacchēdam (word-separation): aruṇācala varaṯku ēṯṟa akṣara-maṇa-mālai sāṯṟa karuṇākara gaṇapatiyē karam aruḷi kāppāyē.

English translation: Ganapati, giver of grace, may you protect, graciously giving a hand to sing Akṣaramaṇamālai to be fitting for the bridegroom, Arunachala.

Explanatory paraphrase: Ganapati, giver of grace, may you protect [this undertaking], graciously giving a hand [to help me] to sing Akṣaramaṇamālai so that it may be fitting [or suitable] for [or to adorn] the bridegroom, Arunachala [or for Arunachala Hara (Arunachala Siva, the one who steals our heart and annihilates ego)].

While discussing these verses Michael plays a recording of Sadhu Om singing them, from one of several recordings of him singing all of Akṣaramaṇamālai.

Michael also discusses the meaning and implications of various other passages from Bhagavan’s writings, including Uḷḷadu Nāṟpadu, Aruṇācalaramaṇaṉ and Śrī Aruṇācala Navamaṇimālai.

Michael’s article on these verses, Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai: pāyiram, kāppu and verse 1, may also be read along with this episode.

This episode can also be watched as a video, 2022-03-12a Ramana Foundation UK: Michael discusses Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai pāyiram and kāppu, 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 these verses of Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai 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: Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai pāyiram and kāppu Q&A.