Nindridu ninaivu thannai nimidathi neekki nenjai
Andrayan thirumal aayndhitt arindhida vazhagan paadham
Sendrida niruthun soma segara ramaNa murthi
En perun thuyara neekka yegane yoga vazhve
Word meaning
Ninaivu = memory; nimidam = minute; neekki = act of removing; Andru = that day; ayan, mal = Brahma and Vishnu; aayndhittu = searching; soma segaran (Shekaran) = Shiva; thuyar = sorrow.
Meaning
Ramana, Somashekara murthi! You wipe out, in a minute, the mind that’s holding onto desires, and place at the holy feet of Arunachala, which is not seen by Brahma and Vishnu! Please remove my sorrows, Oh Ramana, the one is established in the atma swarupa (form of Self).
Nisargadatta Maharaj says ‘it (the idea of you) is mere a habit built on memory, prompted by desire, you will think yourself to be a person …’ On another occasion, he says, ‘desire is the memory of pleasure and fear is the memory of pain, both make the mind restless.’
It is this cycle of desire and memory that SV is seeking to transcend in this verse. He appeals to Bhagavan to wipe out the desires, remembered and sought, based on past experiences, and lift him (and us) to the holy feet of Arunachala that was beyond the reach of Brahma and Vishnu.
In the mythical lore, Lord Shiva appeared as a pillar of Light to resolve the argument between Brahma and Vishnu as to who was superior. Shiva said that whoever found his head or feet first will be superior. Vishnu took the form of a boar and drilled through the earth but admitted defeat as he couldn’t find Shiva’s feet. Brahma flew up in the form of a swan, and along the way he saw a flower (thazham poo - screw pine flower) falling from Shiva’s matted locks. He asked the flower to say that he saw Shiva’s head and the flower was proof that he did. On the ground, Brahma l and lied that he found the head and the flower backed up his story. Since the Shiva knew the truth, he cursed both Brahma and the flower saying there will be no temples for the former and that the latter will not be used in any pujas in Shiva temples. Even today, there are virtually no temples for Brahma and ‘thazham poo’ is never used in Shiva temples except in Uttarakosa mangai temple, one of the ancient Shiva temples in the south, that too only onMaha Shivarathiri nights.
In the first song of Arunachala Stuthi Panchakam, Muruganar refers to this story :
Buddhi agangaaram pula peydha vongu
Madhdhi idhayandhaan marayavanum maalu
Naththa variyadhu nalan gulaya vannaar
Maththi oLir annamalayinadhu meyye
Here Brahma is ego (ahankara, in Tamil, agangaaram) and Vishnu is intellect (buddhi). When the ego and intellect stood bewildered in their failed attempt to reach the truth, the light that shone from the heart space is in their midst is the true meaning of Arunachala.
The great sorrow referred here is our samsara, the cycle of birth and death. The only way to escape this endless cycle is to seek Guru’s help to reach the feet of Arunachala, who offers moksha be mere thought of him. It is said in that to be born in Thiruvarur, to have darshan at Chidambaram, and to die in Kasi (Varanasi) will guarantee moksha but mere thought of Arunachala will bestow mukti. Since Bhagavan Ramana is not different from Arunachala, it is at his feet we will find salvation.
Andrayan thirumal aayndhitt arindhida vazhagan paadham
Sendrida niruthun soma segara ramaNa murthi
En perun thuyara neekka yegane yoga vazhve
Word meaning
Ninaivu = memory; nimidam = minute; neekki = act of removing; Andru = that day; ayan, mal = Brahma and Vishnu; aayndhittu = searching; soma segaran (Shekaran) = Shiva; thuyar = sorrow.
Meaning
Ramana, Somashekara murthi! You wipe out, in a minute, the mind that’s holding onto desires, and place at the holy feet of Arunachala, which is not seen by Brahma and Vishnu! Please remove my sorrows, Oh Ramana, the one is established in the atma swarupa (form of Self).
Nisargadatta Maharaj says ‘it (the idea of you) is mere a habit built on memory, prompted by desire, you will think yourself to be a person …’ On another occasion, he says, ‘desire is the memory of pleasure and fear is the memory of pain, both make the mind restless.’
It is this cycle of desire and memory that SV is seeking to transcend in this verse. He appeals to Bhagavan to wipe out the desires, remembered and sought, based on past experiences, and lift him (and us) to the holy feet of Arunachala that was beyond the reach of Brahma and Vishnu.
In the mythical lore, Lord Shiva appeared as a pillar of Light to resolve the argument between Brahma and Vishnu as to who was superior. Shiva said that whoever found his head or feet first will be superior. Vishnu took the form of a boar and drilled through the earth but admitted defeat as he couldn’t find Shiva’s feet. Brahma flew up in the form of a swan, and along the way he saw a flower (thazham poo - screw pine flower) falling from Shiva’s matted locks. He asked the flower to say that he saw Shiva’s head and the flower was proof that he did. On the ground, Brahma l and lied that he found the head and the flower backed up his story. Since the Shiva knew the truth, he cursed both Brahma and the flower saying there will be no temples for the former and that the latter will not be used in any pujas in Shiva temples. Even today, there are virtually no temples for Brahma and ‘thazham poo’ is never used in Shiva temples except in Uttarakosa mangai temple, one of the ancient Shiva temples in the south, that too only onMaha Shivarathiri nights.
In the first song of Arunachala Stuthi Panchakam, Muruganar refers to this story :
Buddhi agangaaram pula peydha vongu
Madhdhi idhayandhaan marayavanum maalu
Naththa variyadhu nalan gulaya vannaar
Maththi oLir annamalayinadhu meyye
Here Brahma is ego (ahankara, in Tamil, agangaaram) and Vishnu is intellect (buddhi). When the ego and intellect stood bewildered in their failed attempt to reach the truth, the light that shone from the heart space is in their midst is the true meaning of Arunachala.
The great sorrow referred here is our samsara, the cycle of birth and death. The only way to escape this endless cycle is to seek Guru’s help to reach the feet of Arunachala, who offers moksha be mere thought of him. It is said in that to be born in Thiruvarur, to have darshan at Chidambaram, and to die in Kasi (Varanasi) will guarantee moksha but mere thought of Arunachala will bestow mukti. Since Bhagavan Ramana is not different from Arunachala, it is at his feet we will find salvation.
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