The meditation on Natchintanai by the NatGuru constrains us to recall the songs of salutation on the Guru by illustrious sages from our Holy scriptures. The living tradition connected with a Religion is as significant as the scriptures, and a great teacher is a living scripture, because he maintains in an unbroken succession, the purity of the tradition. His realisation of perfect freedom and peace helps to preserve what is vital in the original revelation.
Hinduism lays great stress on the sanctity of a Guru, and the teaching imparted by the living voice of a Guru. He is the oracle of God who is eternal, and who never ceases to function in the dimension of time and space. the lamp of Truth has been kept burning brightly from the Vedic age, right down to the modern age by this Guru Param-parai in Hinduism. Every Guru is the lamp post on the WAY to the true goal of man's liberation. It revolves upon the Guru that he should enable the votary to reach the summit of God-realisation without lingering on the wayside nor at the signpost.
In Sanskrit Guru means the remover of darkness.
“Guha ramandhakaram ca rukaram te ja ucyate
Ajnana grasakam brahma gurureva na samsayah.”
--Guru Gita.
In Saiva scriptures, the Teacher is known as Aasaan--
He is one who guides an aspirant to the Holy Feet of God, where I-ness and mine are annihilated. To quicken the Anma, book knowledge is inadequate and the impulse must come from another realised soul. The enlightened Teacher from whom such an impulse comes is called the Guru-Paran, the path-finder, the dispeller of ignorance and the illumined Guide.
Natchintanai
“Transcending all mutations of form and attribute,
Surpassing all finite measure is the GURU,
An embodiment of the highest wisdom.”
Taittireya Upanishad
In Sikshavalli is an illustrious passage where the Guru bids his disciple farewell and delivers his last upadesh: “Speak the truth; Practise virtue. Let there be no neglect of your daily reading. Give unto the teacher what is pleasing to him.”
“Satyam vada, dharmam cara............
Svadhyayan ma pramadah,
Acaryaya priyam dhanam ahrtya.”
1.11.1
Then follows the exhortation to treat the Guru reverentially as a God--
“Acarya devo bhava'--'Be one to whom the teacher is a god.”
Swami bade everyone of us to read and digest the above text and the commentary in Sanskrit, English and Tamil. It embodies the essence of the teachings of the different teachers like Satyavacas, Bhrigu, Paurusisti, and Trisanku, to their disciples, each pointing to a particular pathway as being efficacious to make life full of brilliance:
“Satyam--Pursue Truth as the goal of life.
Through Tapas or penance, one can achieve enlightenment.
By Detachment can you reach the goal of life.
Jnanam or Wisdom can illumine your life.
Purity in thought, word and act shall surely lead you to the
goal.
In selfless service lies the secret of liberation.”
Thus do these Seers declare that the elixir of ineffable bliss flows from any or all of these pathways, which the seeker of God is urged to pursue steadfastly under the guidance of a Guru--the enlightened Teacher.
Mundaka Upanishad
Let him approach a teacher who is learned in the Scriptures and established in Brahman. Unto him who has approached in due form, whose mind is tranquil, let the teacher teach in its very truth that knowledge about Brahman by which one knows the Imperishable person, the true.
1.2.13.
Bhagavad Gita
The Gita brings out the glory of the Guru as a divine Teacher and reveals the beauty of the relationship between Krishna and Arjuna. Though a friend and charioteer, Krishna shows his divine stature to Arjuna as a Supreme Guru, who is ever pure and clear, more extensive than space, and subtler than the subtlest. He is omniscient. He animates all yet remains inactive; He holds everything, Himself being unsupported; all depend on Him but He is independent; all forms are His, but He is formless; all belong to Him but He is unattached; though illumining all, He has not been easily understood by the common people among whom he lived and moved.
In the Gita, Krishna proclaims that Sraddha, Sacrifice and Surrender alone can lead man to the supreme sovereignty of the Self. Therin man enjoys infinite Peace--Santam--Upa Santam. The last message of Krishna to Arjuna in chapter 18, (verses 62, 65 and 66) of the Bhagavad Gita conveys this ideal of supreme surrender at the Feet of the Parama Guru:
“In Him alone seek thy refuge with all
thy heart, O Bharata. By His grace shalt thou
win the eternal heaven of supreme peace.”
--62.
“On Me fix thy mind, to Me bring thy
devotion, to Me offer thy sacrifice, to Me make
thy obeisance; to Me indeed shalt thou come--Solemn
in my promise to thee; thou art dear to me.”
--65.
“Abandon all duties and come to Me, the only refuge.
I will release thee from all sins; grieve not!”
--66.
Vivekachudamani
There is a sloka which describes the three objects which are very difficult to obtain.
“Durlabham Trayamevaitat Daiva-nugraha-hetukam;
Manushyatvam Mumukshutvam Mahapurushsamsrayae.”
Only through the Grace of God can man obtain them.
“To be born as a human being is a boon. Having got this precious gift of human birth from God, the next hurdle is to have the urge and aspiration for liberation, and blessed is he who has secured these two factors of being born a human being, and who has the thirst to know the truth. If after knowing that, you do not know the way, your joy is incomplete. Therefore if you get the shelter of a MahaPurusha, one who has known what has to be attained, and one who is enlightened enough to show you the way, you can count yourself thrice blessed. This unique blessing is enjoyed by only a few who have to remember it, lest they waste not the precious opportunity of human birth.”
Viswasara Tantra
“Guru Brahma Guru Vishnu Guru Devo Mahesvara:
Gurusakshat ParaBrahma Tasmai Srigurave namaha:”
“The Guru is Brahma, the Guru is Vishnu, the Guru is the Lord Siva. Verily the Guru is Supreme Brahman. Salutation to the Guru.” --I.
“There is no higher truth than the Guru, no higher penance than service to the Guru, and there is nothing higher than Realisation. Salutation to that Guru.” Hymn to the Guru. II.
Guru Ashtakam of Sri Sankara
“Of what avail is the ripe scholarship in spiritual lore!
Oh what gain is the consummation of poetry and prose of a
keen intellect, if the mind does not follow the lotus Feet of the Guru?”
St. Matthew
“Behold my servant whom I have chosen;
My beloved in whom my soul is well pleased:”
XII.18.
“The Father in me doeth the works.”
XIII.23.
“Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.”
XXIII.39.
Kularnava
“The Intelligent one would proclaim the master but carefully conceal his counsel.”
Bhaskaraya
“The master, looking with his eyes into the eyes of the disciple, brings out by the glory of his yoga through his eyes, his consciousness from his body, and himself entering through the disciple's eyes in the form of that consciousness, pierces the mind of the disciple.”
Tirumantram
In the Upadesh section of Tirumantram, Tirumular delineates lucidly the Lord who is transcendent becoming immanent in the world, in order to show the way to the souls who are ready to receive the light of Grace. The Lord reveals the Truth through the form of Guru. If Lord Siva does not vouchsafe to bestow his grace thus to human souls, they cannot attain liberation.
“He who is beyond the worlds, He dwells
In the hearts of the saints in benign grace
So that all may attain liberation.
He is the speechless Guru, the immaculate Sivam.”
“The Beauteous boon of 'Siddhi and Mukti,'
The upright way of Grace and Truth,
The wealth of Wisdom and Bliss divine,
Can be attained by Grace of God with Form.”
The Formless takes a finite form, moved by grace, in order that the souls may be freed from the bondage of ignorance. It assumes the form in consonance with the degree of awareness of the human souls for liberation. He places His balmy Feet on the heads of those who are ready for His grace, so that they may be saved from delusion's perils. He becomes the Life of their lives and entrances them with His peerless grace, and points the way to final Release in silence. He thus saves them from ever limiting bondage.
The subdued mind of man in all its purity must be tuned aright, for the soul to turn its gaze to the Lord. That is the right moment for the Guru to come and cause the sunrise of the Soul. The three-eyed Siva detaches the Soul from bonds of attachment by awakening the Sun of Grace. He illumines the eye of man, so that he may no longer be embedded in the darkness of ignorance. In the crystal clear soul is imprinted the luminous coral of Sivam.
It is clear that the souls which have the inherent power of limitless vision of the Oneness of God, can with the light of Grace attain the sight universal, but normally all manifest forms are veiled by the limitations of name and form and the bondage of the triple malas.
The utterance that “the luminous coral of Sivam is imprinted in the translucent crystal of the soul,” is another way of expressing Swami's maxim of 'HimSelf in ThySelf.'
The souls finally attain the bliss of Siva. The place, the signal where the souls seek repose is known as the Lord's Feet. The worship of the Guru, chanting the holy mantras, performing puja and rituals endow a seeker with the clarity of wisdom. Tirumular testifies that a Guru leads a seeker of Truth to know Him who is omniscient, and Him who is the object of all knowledge.
We give below significant translations gleaned from St. Tirumular's classic on the Sivayoga and Siva-jnana pathways of Realisation, with the aid of an illumined Guru:
Tirumantram
127. In Siva was he rooted: Sivam did he see everywhere.
In the will of Siva did he discern all things,
Transcending consciousness of past present and future,
And duality ceasing did he realise sweet serenity.
1576. He who's beyond the visible universe, came down on earth
As a Guru to abide in the hearts of the virtuous,
And illumined them by His grace and made them His own.
The peerless Siva is the priceless NatGuru.
1581. The Guru indeed is Siva,
He is the kingly splendour too;
He is beyond the wisdom of the Vedas.
He is beyond all finite consciousness.
1584. If not for the grace of Siva who came as the Guru,
The import of the scripture,
The way leading to liberation,
The reality of Truth cannot be understood by man.
1527. Endowing me with equanimity, the power of Grace
Descended as the Guru and purged my dross,
And enlightened me from the sway of my ego.
Thus freed did I commingle with Siva.
2959. When you meditate on the form of thy Guru
Then all the bonds that bind you
To this prison house of the body
Shall give way and make you free in Siva.
2971. SivaPeruman did I invoke and adore whence,
He came down as my Guru in the form of a sage.
The majestic Lord did overpower me as my Guru,
And I pay my homage to this Lord of the universe.
1590. Sternly did my Guru chastise my ignorance;
He placed his holy hands on my head,
And his beauteous Feet lit up
The secret chambers of my heart.”
Tiruvacagam
St. Manicavacagar exults in ecstatic adoration on the Siva Guru:
“Verily have I seen Him with my own eyes--Behold!
The ambrosial source yielding bountiful grace, Behold!
The splendour of His Grace, I beheld. Ye too Behold!
On earth, His blessed Feet did tread, Behold!
And realising Him as Siva beloved, I felt the peace,
When in Grace, He made me His--Behold!
He who is the Lord of the blue-eyed Sakti.
Behold! The eternal Feminine and Him!
--Tiruvandapaguthi 58-63:
“In grace, He came in humble human form to me,
That I may be rescued from fleeting pursuits.
Hail Luminous One who came down,
To dwell with me in meekness fine.”
--Tiruvandapaguthi 117-119.
“The hiding player--There I have seen you......... 142:
A sage He came and showed Himself to me.........
Mercy's distilled sweetness mingled in me,
And He fed me with the nectar of Grace!
He who is elusive to Brahma and Mal.”
--182.
Guru Nanak
“The Guru's touch of Grace opens the soul's eyes to God's light which is always there, and enables one to see the Lord. In reality it is God who gives the knowledge of Himself, and to that end He takes the form of the Guru. Really the 'Enlightener' is the inner Self, who recognises truth and embraces it when found in a human form or voice. The Guru is the voice of God arousing the soul to true spiritual effort.”
Tirukalitrupadiyar
“The transcendent one who at Thillai's Hall doth dance
In grace did come on earth as the Guru,
And wiped out my encrusted egoity.
He communes within me in bliss divine.”
SivaJnana Botham
St. Meikanda Devar in his classic on Saiva Siddhanta Philosophy has embodied the role of the God-Guru: “The Supreme Lord becomes a Guru to the mature aspirant, in order to guide him to his divine destiny of God-realisation.”
--VIII Sutra.
Tiruvarutpayan
St. Umapathi Sivacharyar extols the role of the Guru: “The grace of God which is ever with us and which enlightens us from within, unseen, manifests itself externally in the visible form of the Guru.”
--V. I.
Auvai Kural
“The Sat Guru shows the true way and his presence is
your saving grace.”
“The SatGuru alone can show you the direct way to Siva, who is ever
inseparable and yet veiled to others.”
III. 5.
“But if one knows and realises the Divine Grace, he will
understand the seat of the Guru.”
II. 9.
Nishtanubhuti
“That cannot be known by any of the above paths. Then how can it be known?”
“The grace of the Jnanacharya, and that Word of Truth he utters will unfold the riches of the Kingdom of God within you.”
“Nishkâma Puja to ParaSivam is the offering of worship to the SatGuru, who is in direct communion with ParaSivam, and whose Grace flows through him. He is the master of the body, mind, and soul of the sishya, and he pursues relentlessly those who are ready to receive the Grace of Siva. He showers on them the blissful Grace and makes them his own.
Sivanubhuti can only be revealed through the Grace of a SatGuru, who instils it into his being, and blessed he becomes. His body trembles, his eyes flow with tears, his mind is listless, and in that state dawns the grace of the Silent Guru in his Fullness as Sat-Chit-Anandam. This is the highest role of the SatGuru who turns his gracious look on his disciple, and from then on, the Sishya does him humble service in obedience to the Guru's will, and then 'I and You' separateness vanishes; and forgetfulness and remembrance recede, and wisdom's light too recedes, till there exists just Oneness. This is Mukti. The Guru in the form of Dhakshinamurti reveals the speechless word by his 'Chinmudra'. This is the mounam, the serene peace, that leads to liberation.”
Pattinattar
“Oh Purna! I know not the truth of the Guru, the Eternal One,
Divine grace, the Primeval Light and Sound, the One with
Form and the Formless.”
“The speechless thought form (mantra), the thought--free-mind, and the heart's ineffable worship are the choice endowments of the Gurunathan.”
--Purna Mâlai. 42.
Oluvilodukam
“The Sat Guru is invested with Divine Grace and appears in the horizon of time and space in this world like a mighty lion, and looks upon with grace and compassion on the disciple, who like the elephant becomes subdued of all passions; by and by, his 'I-self' too gets impotent. The potency of I-ness ceases or retreats before that Sun of wisdom. A Guru is truly a Jnana-Acharya. He is Guru-vanjiam, the kingly lion.”
“The Parama Guru is not affected by the diversity of Knower, Knowledge and Known. He is Grace and his gracious look inflames the sishya, who does not find words to praise him or meditate on him. The True Guru is full of Parajnanam-experiential wisdom.”
“The Mouna Guru is the embodiment of Grace, and he alone can make the sishya, the novice seeker-student, mingle in oneness with Sivam, who is above the thirty-six categories. He alone can set the sishya at rest in blissful silence. He alone can confer 'Sivanandanubhavam', the bliss of experiencing Sivam, as he himself is immersed in it.”
“The Jnana Guru is beyond the sway of the ruling passions, sentiments and the thirty-six avenues of enjoyments. By his self enquiry, and the knowledge of his true self, he experiences the bliss of divine communion. In this state of oneness, he discerns the true nature of his pupil's yearning and measures his compassionate grace, without in any way disturbing his pupil's equilibrium.”
“My Guru bade me leave my lower station of the lower self, and led me to my true self. He revealed that in all the acts we see around, the highest common factor is the grace which fills one with felicity completely. 'That is our capital. We are that,' So declared our Guru.”
--43.
“The SivaGuru is the walking expression of grace.”
--53.
“The SatGurus are unaffected by praise and blame, and move where they will and are the manifestations of Grace.”
--55.
“They are lighted to lighten.”
--Oluvilodukam. 61.
St. Tayumanavar
St. Tayumanavar extols in language of inimitable beauty, the high import and the glory of the GURU, in his Psalms on Mouna Guru:
“To those who have been duly initiated
into the icon, temple and holy waters,
(of the Ishta devata) the real Guru who
utters the unique Word (mantram) will also appear.”
“One Word, a wondrous Word, there is
which in itself contains
All other words; by it is cleansed
The soul of all its stains.
It is the Word the Guru gave,
One Word, unmoving goal.”
“Fixed as a mountain top is firm,
Towards which moves the soul.
All other words beside it are
As vain devoid of aim,
As are the pawns at random moved,
moved in aimless game.”
“Thou camest as the Silent Teacher mine,
Ready to grant all boons however rare,
And with a mother's love Thou didst unfold
Decking my head with those Blessed Feet of Thine,
The Eternal Law of wisdom's ecstasy.
Bereft of thought or holy word revolved
The superconscious Vision beyond all thought
Of Freedom's final state as one or two,
As Light or Void or Form or Primal Sound.
Such is Beatitude. So hast Thou taught.
Grant me thy Grace, O Lord, to live that life
Wherein are steeped time honoured lovers thine.
O Thou Siddhanta's Goal and Prime Essence!
O Dhakshinamurthi that dost shine aloft
On Trichi's hill, O master of Wisdom's Bliss!”
Thus sages and saints have sung in praise of Dhakshinamurthi, the manifestation of Siva, at the foot of the banyan tree in the Form of the Silent Guru. The Siva-Guru is for ever absorbed in perfect silence and He is filled with the bliss of Grace. It outflows in upadesh, teachings of high compassion in its own time. Till then, the sishya is enjoined to practise obedience and servitude to the Guru in meek devotion. He listens to the Guru's upadesh as the truth of the Vedas, and worships His Feet as the reward of his penance and the goal of his life:
The Guru's Light is like the morning Sun that dispels darkness. The SatGuru enables one to transcend the dark veils of egoism and his grace pervades everywhere in radiant bliss. His words are like nectar and prophetic, auspicious and without any pride. They are showers of grace. Such is the verdict of the religious scriptures down the ages.
The gems of Natchintanai declare the glory ot the Absolute Sivam, Sat-Chit-Anandam manifesting as the Gracious Feet, and of its revelation in the world and in the hearts of the Servitors of Siva as the SatGuru--the Master Sivathondan.
“Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheswara.
Guru Shakshat, Para Brahma Tasmai Sri Gurave Namaha.”
The fundamental role of the SatGuru has been outlined so far in order to enhance the readers' appreciation of the Hymns to the Guru in the Natchintanai. Swami affirms at all times that the Guru is the embodiment of wisdom and a manifestation of the Supreme Para Brahmam--He is Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswara. He is also the transcendental One, who is without form and devoid of specific attributes. He takes a form in order to bestow His Grace on each soul and to deliver it from the bondage of ignorance, desire and delusion. Therefore it is befitting that man learns to shower devotion on the Guru, as it will lead him to the goal of beatitude.
We have seen that the Saiva Scriptures have acclaimed that unless Siva manifests as the Guru, the soul cannot realise the freedom of bliss eternal. Unfailing devotion, knowledge and the surrender of the enjoyment of action on earth,--these are the seeds from which grows God's Grace. Siva's grace manifest as Sakti, the principle of supreme Consciousness, Love and Will; in other words, it is the symbol of Tiruvadi, the Holy Feet, and manifests itself in the Guru. Sang Tirumular in Tirumantram:
“The Guru showed me the path.
I obtained God's Grace.
I abandoned the path trod in ignorance.
I crossed the ocean of birth to the shore of bliss.”
Today hundreds and thousands acclaim Swami as their Guru. He is the Guru who shows them the Path. His Grace works in many mysterious ways. It was the third Sunday of August 1962, when under the drumstick tree at the Ashram of Markandu Swami in Kaithady was halted our car. He stretched out his hands seated in the car as if embracing the whole world, and declaimed loudly these prophetic words:
“Go, go out in all directions and plough the fields. Work in partnership with Mother Earth and Father Sun and distribute fairly the fruits of the Earth. Begin right now to till the soil. Begin at Sittandy. While you irrigate the fields, I shall plough your hearts and sow the seeds of love therin.” His gaze touched the evening rays of the sun, and as he stroked his hands on his chest, he sang:--
“The whole world has come within my palm:
With the vision of Oneness is attained the goal of life.”
--Natchintanai. 18.
In a similar manner, St. Tirumular spoke of his experience of the impact of the Guru's grace:
“My Lord Guru touched my heart
And I found Him within me.
He pierced the gloom of ignorance
With His armour of wisdom.”
All those who stood around Swami in that fugitive light that evening at Kaithadi experienced his revealing gace. In that fair moment, it expanded into immense proportions, and clouds of peace floated over them. His eyes penetrated their sight in luminosity. Their voices quivered as they sang inwardly:
“He is Bhakti. He is Siddhi. He is Mukti. He is Siva.
We live in Him and He in Us: Gone is the veil that hid
the soul from His light--Oh Thou Pefection's Bliss.”!
The scintillating songs entitled Natchintanai were sung by Swami at various times in various places, after the passing into Maha samadhi of his Guru--Sage Chellappa Swami of Nallur, and from 1935, these songs appeared in the religious journal of Sivathondan which was edited by Sri K. K. Natarajan directly under Swami's personal guidance. They contain the distilled essence of love, adoration, consecration and perfect surrender at the Feet of the Great Teacher Chellapar, who saved him from the thralldom of worldy misery and fleeting enjoyments by endowing him with the wisdom of Siva. In these Songs, we follow Swami the Lamp-lighter, giving up the many allurements of the world for the prize of Atma Lapa, and bidding his bondsman also join in the victorious march inward, till the goal of God-realisation is attained! “It is what it is”
“Bow to the sacred Feet of the Guru whose holy utterance--the
Mahavakiam--points the Way to everlasting bliss.”
--Natchintanai. 302.
His Reflections of Grace embody the quintessence of the Saiva Sastras on the pre-eminent role of the Anma. “Realise thySelf by the Self. That is the absolute Truth”... Whatever one experiences in this birth is the result of the past deeds, good and bad in former births. One has to bear the burdens of life cheerfully, courageously, and calmly, and engage in Sivathondu. “Chant Sivayanama, the enchanting Name of Siva, and prostrate three times daily before the roseate feet of the Teacher, who spoke the Great Truth: “That art That”! Thus should you wipe out the evil effects of deeds. So too would accrue beneficial deeds, if you worship the Feet of the Guru who said that ye lack nothing. Who ever can comprehend the true nature of sublime Grace in this Universe?”
“Boundless grace He showered--
He who in Nallur came in human form.”
--Natchintanai. 119.
The four great Saints of the Saiva Faith have extolled the gracious Feet of Siva--Tiruvadi. In other words, they connote the Silent Teacher, the Eternal Consort of Siva, His energy known as Sakti.
“The Lord manifests as Father, Mother and Teacher,
This is how He has made me His own.”
--Natchintanai. 21.
Swami extols the Guru as Existence, Consciousness, Bliss, Beauty, Lustre, Harmony, Charity, Mantra, and Medicine; everything Good emanates from Him. He reiterates that there were two positions--I and He before meeting the Guru, but after the first encounter, I and He became immersed in One. The I was taken and placed at His Feet as a love--offering. The two merged in non-dual, eternal bliss.
In lofty moments of mystic ratpure, Swami's songs on the Jnana Guru soared on the wingless melody of sublime poesy, as did St. Manivacagar, in Tiruvacagam. Swami's adoration of his Guru tugs at our heart strings:
“My Guru, Peerless Chellappar, I saw at Nallur,
'neath the sacred Chariot of Murugan.
He gazed at me in grace, my wise Teacher--
Him do I praise engulfed in bliss.”
“There at the ancient abode of Nallur,
I saw Him and bowed. Lo, I got into a trance.
In speechless silence, He bade me find who I am.
Distinctions fade, as I imbibe His Grace,
Instanteous is my gain of insight and joy.”
--Natchintanai--102.
“I want to sing and dance
And serve Him who is manifest in all.
There is then no night nor day
And duality yields to Oneness infinite.”
--Natchintanai.
It was no wonder that Swami reaped the harvest of universal love and benevolence from his Guru's MahaVaakiam. He adored children; He loved the aged and the lonely; He cared for the sinner and the saint--His great heart embraced the universe of might and meekness. His injunction to one and all was to cultivate love with wisdom. Purity, renunciation, desirelessness, and true discrimination were the ingredients of Love.
“Chant the Letters Five--
In love shalt thou discover His Will.
Realise thySelf by the Self.”
These were his utterances. The Letters Five were his life-breath, his thought force, the Ajaba Mantra. We could hear its vibration in his Ashram in the dawn and sunset. Whenever his monologue was audible, it was Siva, Siva. Thus did he extol the Name, and pay homage to the Guru by the yogic discipline of Siva Dhyana.
“Aum Sivayanama! we invoke......
Enlightened are we with that single word
That came from our majestic kingly Guru.”
--Natchintanai. 15.
The Logos is Swami. He eludes analysis. He is everything to everyone who seeks his refuge. He penetrates the foggy gloom of hypocrisy, deceit, selfishness, miserliness and purges our dross, our doubts and fears. He casts a spell of Oneness in each one of us sitting before him by his magic cord of Love. There is only One and never twain in his presence. All seated before him are of the same age, and in felicity fragrant, he made us all forget our differences, tensions and ill-will, our aching fears and wants. We tasted fullness. Change and decay appeared unreal in the consciousness of He in Us, and We in Him.
We saw all in Him; In Him was enshrined the treasures of this world and next--the strength and munifience of all living beings, the truth and wisdom of the ages.
He belonged to no particular place, age, religion or race. He was universal as the zephyr, that wafts the fragrance of whatever flower beds it passes. Gifts of silver and gold he rejects. He yearns for the alms of dedicated service as testified in one of the tuneful psalms in Natchintanai.
“Serve and attain wisdom,
Serve and attain peace.
Serve and attain benevolence
Serve and attain the harmony of bliss.”
--Natchintanai. 120.
Natchintanai, his testament of Truth was born from the molten fire of purity and detachment. “Realise your true self and that is the highest service you can render on earth--not your father, not your mother--not your children but it is you--Lo, fellow worker--Siva thonda! It is you who needs His Grace to see yourself by your own efforts, as you truly are. Tapas--Austerity, and Thanam--Charity, should be practised ceaselessly. Consider any sacrificial offering to the Lord's Feet as an offering to the 'Meyadiyar,' bondsmen of Truth. God is the indwelling self of all beings and hence this is a beautiful world, where there can be really no intrinsic harmfulness, no malignant forces, no malevolent reactions and no evil.”
“Tis bliss to adore the Feet of the Guru.
'Tis bliss to consecrate our service to the Guru.
'Tis bliss to ponder on the words of the Guru.
'Tis bliss to surrender wholly unto the Guru.”
--Natchintanai. 122.
Oh Mind, Follow me. 'En Maname! Nee Vaaraai.'
--Natchintanai. 62.
“Oh mind! Look within and meditate prayerfully. Will ye not prostrate at the holy Feet of the Guru, who has made me his own, his very own! “Where ever thou art, There will I be,” were the words of comfort which bound me to him in homage meek.”
“He inflamed my all-embracing love to him, when he addressed my heart directly and said, 'Thou art myself'.
Therefore oh mind, follow me in my adoration.”
--Natchintanai. 62.
Before the sweep of divine grace, the songster becomes over-powered with intense and single minded devotion. He contemplates on the sublime grace of the Guru in steadfast and speechless wonder.
“Oh mind! It is certain that those who sing and meditate on this paean of praise will lead a virtuous life on earth.”
--Natchintanai. 63.
The response to such intense reflection on the gracious Feet is brought out so poignantly in the next song of surrender and consecration--“Nallai Gurumani-All Hail”. It is written in sonorous viruttam metre, and recalls to our minds, the moving Tiruthandagam--Devarams of St. Appar, and the mystic songs of St. Sundarar and St. Manicavasagar. When this canzone of Swami is sung in Ethukula-Kambodi raga, it takes one to the domain of love and light, referred in Dante's Divine Comedy as the celestial region where flows the luminous river of light.
The way of Love I know not
The way of Grace too I know not.
Yet Thou bade me walk the path of Bliss,
My Father, sovereign Ruler of Nallur!
Suffering is an enigma to me,
So too is enjoyment and the trail of deeds.
What lies before and after I know not
Oh Sage, who affirms the truth of Reality.
Thou did'st enslave this despicable and ireful self,
Oh Supreme Lord, matchless is thy glory,
Beloved of all the seven worlds, who abideth with me.
Peerless Guru-Gem of Nallur, adored by the blessed Saints,
Hail, All Hail to Thee!
Praise be to thy roseate Feet,
Which illumines the immensity of the utterance--
'Oru Pollappumillai'--That there can be no evil.
Thy adorable Feet, all Hail!
Thy tender grace engulfed my humble self,
Thou, Oh Guru who appeared at comely Nallur,
And mitigated all my past unworthy acts.
How then can I look upon Thee, my blessed One,
As separate from me and my inner light?
In this wide world, search as I may,
Can I ever find one like Thee?
Who can forge such ties of love in me?
Thou art become my bosom Friend so dear, that
None can sever the link that bind us together?
Divine Father, inseparable art Thou from me!
Precious Guru Gem from Nallur's verdant groves!
Essence of harmony! Is there aught lacking to those
Who have beheld Thee? Like the dizzy honey bee
I've commingled with Thee in rapturous joy.
Thou who eludeth the searchlight of the Vedas,
Who can know Thee, Oh Gem of beauty most rare?
At Nallur did Thou reveal to me as my Guru
And saved me from delusion's snares.
Thou did'st grant serenity with sanctity
That I feel so blessed, and speechless I stand
Before Thee who art the WAY OF LIFE.
Can there be any other way to worship Thee?
Reveal to me the Essence of Truth, Oh illimitable Giver!
--Natchintanai. 63-64.
The above is a sublime song of Experience. Herein is expressed the intangible, intense joy of God-Consciousness and communion with the Guru. When we sang this song in his presence, his gaze metamorphosed into divine ectasy. It was not a numinous joy, but a state of transcendent wonder!
Whenever this song was sung, we saw the heart of the Guru pulsating to the rhythm of ineffable peace-the incantation of the Ajaba mantra. The lifetrons of love and devotion floated in the expanse of his fathomless wisdom. That was the opportune moment when we resounded the servitude of St. Sundarar in his hymn:
“To Thee alone are we bound in loyal servitude
And all other source of help do we despise.
Yet like the smothering fire do we languish.
Do Thou heed thy bondsmen's call and save us,
Lest we perish from life's oppressive ills.
--Tirumurai. VII. 95. 1.
At the close of our refrain would be heard the voice of the Guru:
“Let your wisdom be of the Eternal.
Your love be of the Infinite.
Your actions bear the stamp of Divinity.”
Thus would Swami stir his devotees to march to the goal of God-Realisation, which was within the reach of everyone, by the path of enlightened worship, ceaseless contemplation and steadfast Love.
'Omnia vincit amor, nos et cedamus amori.'
'Love overcomes all things; Let us too succumb to Love'.
In this lyric, Swami delineates his impact with the Guru--the madman of Nallur--Sage Chellappa Swami. He sings of the Light Divine that flashed through mortal coils; the habitation of mortality veiled the luminosity of the Light that radiated from the great Seer of Nallur. This illumined Teacher's Grace overwhelmed SWAMI as he raised the incantation on the Gurumani of Nallur. He was the Logos. Thus it was that the voice of Siva re-echoed in the crevices of the hearts of men and in the creeks of this wide, beautiful world. The symphony of the Gurumani of Nallur vibrated in the microcosm and the macrocosm. List to the music of Nallur, wherein is suffused the revelation of the way of Love and the way of Grace. List to the heart song!
“The knowledge of the infinite I seek; If Truth art Thou, and Thou art Truth--Oh Guru, choicest gem of lustrous hue, come Thou unto me, for I shall either fall over the precipices or the terrors of the ascent and the steepness of the path will rob me of my reason.”
He had stood alone in the world, and his eyes of love poured forth streams of tears, much weeping that had lasted through the aeons. He had been toiling withthe dual-experiences in the world of objective phenomena, and his soul was weary. It was then that he sighted the Guru of Nallur, who revealed himself to him as the interior Guru, at the canopy of Lord Murugan's sacred chariot. The delusive charioteer Chellappar did not quench his thirst with one quaff. He gave the refreshing Mahavakiam, which he stored in his heart for a number of years; It was long after, that the reflex vibration began, and the world heard it in this lyric, wherein Swami exults in the experience of unsullied Peace.
He had followed the light of wisdom ignited by his Teacher, up the great mountain of life, and the quest supreme had armed him with detachment and fearlessness. Beneath his feet was the dust of illusion, and terrible clouds of strange darkness. He saw the gloom of doubt covering the face of the universe. The glistening heights of the great peak of life seemed sombre, shining under the strange colour of the clouds in manifold multiplicity.
He indicates in this Ode how he had lost the path by which his Guru had bidden him to tread, and precipices yawned on all sides. Then came the grand unveiling spectacle when the light of Grace hidden deep in the core of his inner being relumed at the sight of the Guru and illuminated his sight. The light within mingled with his seing eye and filled him with radiant bliss.
After enlightenment, like Lord Buddha, he heard the cry of the ages of the toiling man and before him, the world of ignorance was agitated and continued to swell the still sad music of humanity. The world of the past, the present and even of all the future accused bitterly the state of bondage.
The ascent to the goal of Realisation is essentially fraught with stupendous pitfalls; but eventually fulfillment is assured by the liberators of mankind, who have appeared on the world's stage in times of crucial need. In the crisis that faced the modern man was communicated the saving Vâc of Swami who had experienced the plenum of Sivam.
“Who can know? No one knows.
It is what it is. His Will be done.
There can be no intrinsic evil.
Absolute is Truth.”
“Hail, Holy Feet adored for ever by the earth-born.”
--Natchintanai. 64.
This ode on Guru Chellappa Swami dwells on Swami's initiation and realisation of the absolute Truth of Oneness. It has a halo of unfaltering faith and buoyant hope. Its mystic fervour and cadence reflect Swami's lofty exaltation and adoration of his Guru. It is sung in the pure consciousness of his Guru's dynamic illumination. Swami recollects with joy and wonder alternating, his unforgettable encounter with the Guru at Nallur, and the solace of His gracious Word.
In the agony of the soul that had found a pearl of great value and had lost it, the music of the heart's cry can be heard. This lyric is full of poignant appeal:
“The Guru took me into his own protection and with one word cleansed my impurities. Full of purity, I counted myself blessed. I felt endowed with the insight of divine knowledge.
--Natchintanai. 46.
Then all of a sudden, I lost sight of the blessed Guide and Guru. Where has hid the Sivapirân who wafted such fragrance in my heart?”
“I know not the way to praise Thee
The Solace of thy word, I need.”
--51--
Oh Siva! Inexpressible is the beatitude enjoyed by the holy band of servitors, who have attained thy Feet in indissoluble Oneness like salt in water.
Do come to me on this earth and commingle with me in that manner.
There's none who can keep me apart from thee!
Wilt thou not come in this very life on earth, and join me to Thee?
--Natchintanai. 50-51.
Now we shall tune our inner wave length to relish the inspiring symphony of Swami on his first sight of the Guru, in a series of enchanting songs in Natchintanai.
In the sanctified shrine of Vadivel Murugan, where gather many sincere devotees for his healing grace, I saw for the first time my Guru on the steps leading to the chariot. I greeted him. 'Who are you'? he shouted.
--100--
Before the sanctum of Arumugan, where the wise seers who meditate on the self enjoy his motherly grace, I bowed to my holy Teacher at 'Theradi.' 'Deliberate within,' was his response mingled with jovial mirth.
In Nallur with luxuriant foliage, where the unholy are chastened of there baseness, I saluted my wise Teacher. 'Relinquish your attachments,' was his remark followed by resounding laughter.
In bounteous Nallur before the courtyard of Murugan, at the hallowed resort of 'Theradi,' I prostrated to my exalted Teacher, who was surrounded by fervant devotees.
In the abode of Nallur where the gnostic sages hold sway, I beheld him who had no taint of lust--Chellappan, the Siva-Guru.
'Be of good cheer my dear,' was his benign pledge.
Down the ages have men inquired into Truth, as one and two and three, but he was not enmeshed in this pursuit. My beauteous Guru conferred on me the award of sovereignty at Nallur.
The immaculate One pervades the five elements, yet remains unseen. He came directly as my Sat Guru, cleared all my doubts and made me his own. Thereafter the beatitude of spotless purity was my armour.
In the golden isle of Eelam abounding in water birds, at Nallur the sanctified haunt of the Son of the resplendent Siva, he came as my SatGuru to endow me with life eternal. He revealed his gracious Feet and enslaved me.
--Natchintanai. 100-101.
I beheld him at Nallur, abode of worshippers true;
Inscrutable words he uttered; unmoved
I stood, who are you? he chided.
From that point his Grace did play on me.
Into the lighted sanctuary of Grace I soared,
Darkness was all I saw and understood naught.
I heard him whisper that ill-will doth not prevail.
His meaning was obscure and bewildered I became.
At my dazed self, he gazed in gladness fine,
And raised his voice imperious at Skanda's shrine,
With a view to dispel my delusive bonds.
I stood entranced in speechless wonder.
To me so rapt, he spoke in accents of Truth
And chased my fears with benign tenderness.
'Look! Absolute is Truth and yet who knows it?'
Thus uttered my peerless Seer so intently.
Henceforth my kith and kin, my nearest and dearest,
E'en parental ties have receded in this wide world.
The Guru's sublime Grace is my sole prop.
I soar aloft with none to excel me.
--Natchintanai. 160.
I arise from the stagnant pool of self-centredness and as the lotus bud unfolds its petals to the rising sun, so too the sight of my Guru at Nallur thrills me with divine consciousness, and life manifests its hidden beauty, power, light and joy.
He is my Guru who is the destroyer of my darkness, who turns my gaze from the world of carnal desires and transience, and leads me to behold the Light of wisdom He fixed me firmly in the path of liberation by declaring that He is mySelf.
The exalted Guru called by many as the madman of Nallur, did I gaze intently, as he sat at the flight of the chariot steps. He regulated my conduct in life, having reduced my frenzied wants and woes with the sweep of his God Consciousness. Endowed with clarity of vision, he placed me in the midst of the devout servitors, and I saw his true glory at Nallur.
He is the cherished treasure of my soul..He is the Guru who consumed my delusions and egoity. He is the consort of Sakti who rained his grace on me at Nallur, girt with Nagalinga blooms.
In the Supreme Will is a look of grace at me. It manifests in my gracious Guru who came down to save me from life's bewilderment. I saw him at Nallur, 'neath the chariot step.
The Lord Siva with flaming Eye, who danceth in the dense jungle with Kali, manifested in this land as the Jnana-Guru and rescued me. His fragrant tender Feet, I beheld at the foot of the chariot dome at Nallur.
The divinity that eluded the search of the Creator and Protector--Brahma and Vishnu, came down as the gracious Teacher, and liberated me from all inimical forces within and without at illustrious Nallur, at the foot of the chariot spires.
He came of his own will to enlighten the aspirants who relentlessly examine their inner self. The light of Truth did manifest at hallowed Nallur out of boundless grace, and I saw him at the foot of the chariot step from where he conferred on me, the least worthy one, the regal honours.
'There is none other than mySelf' was his mystic dictum. He unravelled its subtle meaning with the gentle tenderness surpassing that of a mother's love. I greeted him at luxuriant Nallur, 'neath the cariot pinnacle.
The Lord came as my Guru to wipe out my oppressive gloom of duality, and chasten my consciousness to behold the One in the many. I propitiate the refuge of his roseate Feet, which he crowned on my head at the refreshing sanctum of Nallur.
--Natchintanai. 68-69.
'That intrinsic evil there is not
And absolute is Truth
Which none can ever comprehend--'
So saying, he'd remain mute, my little one.
'That It is what it is,
And there is none who can know fully,
As it is concealed in dissimulation.'
So uttered the lofty Chellappan, Sinnathangam dear.
He'll be clad in ragged clothes,
And haunt Kandan's frontal courtyard.
At those who frequent that resort,
He'll hurl abuse, my fond one.
'That is so from endless beginning,' he'd say,
And wander hither and thither.
'It's all illusive phenomena,' he'd add,
From his dwelling place at Theradi, Sinnathangam dear.
He will not enmesh himself
In the burrs of caste and creed.
Neither will he impart knowledge.
They impute to him eccentric conduct, my fond one.
He doth not adhere himself
To codes of justice and injustice.
Neither doth he conform to conventional norms
But roams at will like a madman, Sinnathangam dear.
You'll not see him with holy ash,
Nor will he adorn his forehead with a pottu,
He'll not reiterate what has been said once.
He's beyond all known attributes, my dear.
'Be of good comfort'--He'd not thus console.
'Beware of the wiles of ego'--He'd not thus counsel.
In contradiction would he revel
And his craziness would be obvious, my dear.
In derogatory language would he, my father
Look at those who linger in the streets,
And rebuke them menacingly.
They note his insanity, Sinnathangam dear.
His gait ever so stately,
He rambles from place to place
All those who sight him feel inclined
To mock and jeer at him, my dear.
Those who sing these ten stanzas,
Nay, those who listen heedfully,
They shall be enlightened on earth
And attain the goal of Liberation, my dear.
--Natchintanai. 201-202.
'That there can be no intrinsic evil,' is the Guru's oft repeated dictum. Thy mystic Formulae given by Sage Chellappa Swami affords the key to Mukti or liberation from countless Births. By meditating on each of these divinely inspired utterances, Swami assures us that we can realise the eternal Truth.
What nobility breathes in the saying, We know not--Naamariyom! Sorrows cannot assail those who ponder on the refreshing maxims of Sage Chellappa Swami. In tones so full of conviction did the Guru proclaim, 'Who knoweth'? With strange detachment did he disdain the worship of those who approached him. 'It is what it is,” would be his constant refrain. In these mystic words did he declare the experience of Godhead beyond comprise, absorbed as he was in blissful consciousness.
The Sage's illumined testament that 'Absolute is Truth'--Muluthum Unmai--cannot be expounded but experienced only.
“Nought is there for us to do, except worship His Holy Feet.”
We give below the Recollections of the Sage of Arunachala, Bhagawan Ramana Maharishi on a similar experience.
“Your Grace it was I stumbled at your feet,
Your love that raised me up and made me yours,
Chosen to serve, though not for service meet,
Untutored save by grace that from you pours.
I too have seen all creatures live and move
Not of themselves but in Self, all living prove
That I am nothing and can nothing do;
So all my duties I have cast on you.
--Ramana Mantra.
'There is no fear of birth or death to those
Who can see the dance of commotion enacted
By the earthly legions and the God of celestials!
So spake the Guru who dwelt in delectable Nallur.
The Lord of the inscrutable dance
Whom neither Brahma nor Vishnu can measure,
Came down in human form to this beauteous world
And in comely Nallur made me His own.
The eminence of lineage matters little to him.
For ever immersed is He in bliss serene.
The onlookers would scorn him as a madman--
For thus he played his part in blessed Nallur.
Beloved of the wise, benignly gracious in form
Like a rock of gems unknown to wayfarers,
The ignoramus can ne'er gauge his rich bounty.
He's the Lord of Nallur adored by devout ones.
Disentangled from the bonds of likes and dislikes,
He cherishes the Holy Feet in remembrance Sweet.
'There can be no intrinsic evil,' is the maxim
Of him who came in the form of my Guru.
'Absolute is truth,' is his constant plea,
Soaring as he does beyond good and evil.
He sees himself and myself as only One.
In love did he don his Feet on my head.
Oft he repeats the question, 'who doth know?'
He's the wisest of the seers, Chellappan his name.
The world doth not comprehend his madness.
His abode is the step of the chariot-canopy.
Dark in mien, his hands as pillows,
He sleeps on earth's bosom in repose.
His dwelling is the Nallur of verdant plenty,
Where he passes his days in bliss.
'We know not That,' is the precious formula
That he utters for general well-being.
Desire, envy and lust can ne'er touch him.
His name is Chellappan of Nallur hamlet.
'Eternal are the decrees,' he'd reiterate,
Peerless gem, inexplicable to one and all.
His true nature none can e'er recount
His cosy abode is the sanctuary of Muruga.
In Nallur where the holy and wise meet,
He rescued me from pangs of birth and death.
The vigilant One is Challappamurti
who serves in Kandan's Sanctum at Nallur.
--Natchintanai. 188-189.
Swami was in one of his jubilant moods, and as we entered the hermitage, we heard him sing the entrancing song on the Animator of Nallur. The flower offerings and prostrations over, we sat down; He repeated the refrain changing the gender of the subject of the address in the song, to that of the feminine counterpart of Murugan:
He averred that the Cosmic Dancer at Thillai-- mingled imperceptibly with the Dancer at Nallur--and played on the euphony of Thillai and Nallai. The lilt, the terminal resonance of 'adi', so endearing yet so commanding, the joyful exuberance of the song reverberated in and around the Ashram as Swami sang. All who were gathered round his holy Presence that morning enjoyed the mighty music on the Animator of Nallur. The bells of Murugan's sanctum pealed their vibrant chimes of Aum Aum in response:
'Oh lively Mover at Nallur! Conjure a miracle (in me)
Not to perceive day or night, nor this or that;
Not even to discern the word and its meaning.
Bless me with quietude and bliss infinite,
That I enjoy the felicity of sweet speech.
Shatter the bow and strike the drum of victory.
Bestow thy grace and soften my stony heart.
Transpose the scale from negative to the positive.
The perfection of Truth proclaimed by the Seer
Eludes transcription. Protect Thou me, Oh Love!
All who invoke these ten lines shall attain
Liberation--Truth reigns Supreme.
--Natchintanai. 231.
When the choral singing was over, Swami looked at Thiru who was massaging his legs, and bade him sing the sequel to this melody from St. Tayumanavar: With closed eyes and cooped hands, he sang the Ode on Bliss Supreme:
Clearing the woods of ignorance dense,
Breaking the rock of self, preparing well
The open field of mind and sowing too
The seeds of Peace unknown in Heav'n or earth,
They watered it with Love till it grew.
They guarded it from rav'nous Maya's reach;
Thus did the Lovers Thine enjoy the crop
Of blessed Life, and ever upon Thy Grace
The burden rests to show Thyself to me
And make me Thine and fill my heart's desire.
Oh Thou Transcendent Form that is revealed
In Space Supreme that passes all our wit!
Oh Bliss Supreme that fills embracing all
The globes near us and systems far away!
--St. Tayumanavar. VI.
In the void of Nallur he doth dance,
Our Gurunathan, the ever resplendent One.
He who sees everyone in himSelf,
He tolerates not deviation from norms.
'Intrinsic evil there is not', is his refrain,
Praise or blame he sees in point of oneness.
Chellappah is his auspicious name,
Who bears a stately gait and gleaming smile.
“Who knows,” is his constant comment,
Majestically doth he recline on the Theradi.
His stature as a mighty Seer no one can gauge,
A madman he, is the verdict of the world.
--Natchintanai. 132.
“Will I ever forget my beloved Gurunathan
Will I not melt in Love, recalling the testament of my Guru?
To give alms and more alms in a sincere spirit of charity is a means of atoning one's many afflictions. His fragrant feet are our best protecting armour.
Thy sheltering hands embracing thy true devotees in oneness of love, how shall I praise? Praise the valiant Vel of Nallur in sea kist Lanka. In the sancturary of Arumugan, my Guru appeared to me as God divine. From this perennial fountain flows the bliss of wisdom.
My Guru endearing and more dear than a Mother, made me melt like wax in the majestic, universal vision of the Oneness of God; in his equable and tranquil form, I saw the essence of truth: His words made me realise that all things mean intensely and mean well and that ill-will, enmity, and disharmony have no place in his experience.
--Natchintanai. 155-156
“The perfection of the whole, and the truth of the One Supreme Power, I saw embodied in my Guru Chellappan.
By his gracious look, I became enlightened.
My ego crumbled at his Feet, and the remembrance of his precious words (Upadesh), and the yearning devotion that surged within, made me a new being. His light of grace made me see myself in Him and Himself in myself.
“In Chellappan my Father, I saw the equation of the weal and woe of life and his utterance that intrinsically there is no evil, overpowered me completely.
I beheld in him the essence of the utterance that all is Truth Absolute, and became subjugated. Oh frail Mind, ignore the round of birth and death and ponder in constant remembrance.
My heart was transfixed in the pivot of the Real, as he addressed me on the accomplished Will of the Eternal. Alas, the clouds of delusion and other barriers cleared, I became absorbed in the folds of his motherly love.
He who was free from desire gazed at me smilingly and declared that 'we know not.' In sweet content I reflected on the roseate Feet as my refuge.
In amusement would this wise seer muse frequently that no one knows. Some judged him as a madman and some would praise him, but he remained composed.
Who can hold commerce with him who is immersed in bliss unending--He whom the Vedas nor the gods can scan, not even the noblest of sages.
He who transcends all desires cannot be known by those who are steeped in wordly joys. Can the translucent moon be hidden by the glow worm? Give up lustful attachments instantaneously.
Here are the stately spires of the beauteous temple that attracts men and women who worship with intense zeal. Devout singers throng here daily to sing and pray.
I knew not the “eight and two” of the sacred doctrine. Yet the vivacious Chellappan of Nallur asserted that he and I were one, and ignited the flame of love exceeding that of a mother.
He spoke without speech that there was no beginning and no end, at Nallur noted for its just piety. In these sacred precincts, he made me his own, his very own and liberated me. He is my treasured wealth, as tender as a dearly loved mother.”
--Natchintanai. 156-158
KOOVU KUYILE
“Sing cuckoo, fly aloft and sing in praise
Of Him who is the heart-beat of his loving votaries.
Fly cuckoo, fly in steadfast faith and sing
That we are Sivam, oh mellifluous cuckoo.
Sing cuckoo that in eternity is no first and last,
And immeasurable It is, sing cuckoo.
Oh cuckoo, sing of the way of uprightness
And of our immortality, sing cuckoo dear.
There is neither name nor form, sing cuckoo
That ill-will there is not, sing cuckoo.
Sing that no one hath ever known, oh cuckoo
And that there is neither in nor out.
Sing that we are not the five elements
And the five sensations we are not, sing cuckoo.
Sing that we are the anma, oh cuckoo
And let thy voice be heard everywhere.
Fly cuckoo in mirthful glee and sing
That there is no birth nor death.
Raise the melody that we are what we are
And that we lack nothin, sing cuckoo.
Sing cuckoo that the sinister deeds shall flee
And that good and evil shall balanced be, sing.
Oh cuckoo dear, fly to the sanctuary of Nalluran
And sing of our fealty as bondsmen true.
--Natchintanai. 171.