Verses from Shri Ramana Maharishi's Akshara Mala

[prashant]

With Shri Ravi [rshankar]'s permission, I am posting his translation of some verses from Shri Ramana Maharishi's Akshara Mala, which I am trying to learn up. Shri Ravi has asked me to post this on the forum so that other members can add their valuable inputs to this translation. Thanks in advance for your help.

15. kaNNukku kaNNAi kaNNiNDrikAN unnai kANuvad(u)evar pAr aruNACalA

Oh aruNAcalA! The brahman (pAr)! Who (evar) is capable of visualizing (kANuvadu) you (unnai) who are the sight (kaNNAi) of our eyes (kaNNukku), and are capable of perception (kAN) even without (iNDri) eyes (kaNN).

16. kAntam irumbu pOl kavarnd(u)ennai viDAmal kaland(u)ennOD(u)iruppAi aruNACAlA

Just as (pOl) a magnet (kAntam) attracts a piece of iron (irumbu) to itself, so too must you capture/ensnare (kavarndu) me (ennai), and exist (iruppAi) in union (kalandu) with me (ennODu), without ever letting go (viDAmal).

21. kenjiyum vanjiyAy konjamum irangilai anjal enRE aruL aruNACalA

Despite my ardent pleas/despite begging (kenjiyum), you remain unmoved/deceitful (vanjiyAy) and have not (ilai) shown even a small bit (konjamum) of mercy (irangu) on me, my Lord! Oh aruNAcalA! Please bless (aruL) me thus (enrE): 'Fear not' (anjal)!

22. kELAd(u)-aLikkum un kEDuyil pugazhaikk-kEDuseyyAd(u)aruL aruNACalA

Oh aruNAcala! In order to not tarnish (kEDu seyyAdu) your (un) indestructible (kEDuyil) reputation (pugazhai) of giving/granting (aLikkum) boons even when they were not asked for (kELAdu), please bless me (aruL)!

46. tupp(u)arivE illA ippirapp(u)en payan oppiDavAy en aruNACalA

Oh incomparable (oppiDAvAy) aruNAcalA! What (en) is the purpose (payan) of this (i) life (pirappu) that is bereft (illA) of wisdom (aRivE) born of knowledge (tuppu) [1]?

47. tUymana mozhiyar tOyum un meyyaham tOyavE aruL en aruNACalA

My (en) Lord, aruNAcalA! Please bless me (aruL) with the honor of uniting (tOyavE) with your (un) body (mei) and mind/heart (aham) that is immersed (tOyum) in the hearts of those whose heart/mind (mana) and speech (mozhiyar) is pure/without blemish (tUy).

76. malai marundiDa nI malaittiDavO aruL malai marundAy oLiR aruNACalA

Oh aruNAcala who shines resplendently (oLir) as the benevolent (aruL) mountain (malai) that has become the remedy (marundAy)! Are you (nI) surprised (malaittiDavO) when that mountain (malai) administers a potion (marundiDa)?

77. mAnankoNDurubavar mAnattai azhitt(u)-abhimAnam illAd(u)oLir aruNACalA

Oh aruNAcalA! You are the one who destroys (azhittu) the pride (mAnattai) of egoistic (mAnamkoNDurubavar) individuals, and shines resplendently (oLir) without (illAdu) worldly attachments (abimAnam).

FOOTNOTE

[1] This is the essence of advaita - "When knowledge matures and lodges securely in the mind, it becomes wisdom. When wisdom issues forth in action, it becomes devotion. If knowledge does not become devotion, such knowledge is useless to itself" - Rajaji in his introduction to Smt. MSS' rendering of Sri Sankara's bhajagOvindam

[rshankar]

Rajani, Arasi, and others - can you please check the translation - these verses are are so pregnant with the philosophy of Sri Ramana Maharishi - I just want to make sure that Prashant gets the correct meaning. To add to that, to his way of thinking, aruNAcala the mountain, becomes one with aruNAcala Siva, so it is rather tough to figure of what is what....

[arasi]

Ravi,
As you know, Rajani is very good at this.

My try:

15: that 'pAr' is 'look!'--the way the verses end with an imperative.

21: is it vandilAi, rather than vanjiyAi?

22: kEDil=kEDillAda; kEDili=azhivaTRa. Either make sense rather than kEDuyil

46: is it oppilAdavA?

76: ??

[rshankar]

Thanks, Arasi - Hopefully, Rajani will be able to help as well.