TIRUMANTIRAM
English translation of the Tamil Spiritual Classic by Saint Tirumular
TANTRA NINE - Verses 2698 to 2717 of 3047
5 STHULA (ARTICULATE) PANCHAKSHARA
2698: Fifty Letters Become Five
The letters Fifty are Vedas all;
The letters Fifty are Agamas all;
When the secret of letters Fifty is known,
The Fifty letters, Five Letters Became.
2699: Fifty Letters Became Fifty-One
With the letter "A" intoned in commencement,
The letters Fifty, Fifty-One became;
With letter "U" intoned high with letter "A",
And with letter "M", it (A&U&M as AUM) ended;
And again with letter "N" rising,
It became Nandi's name "Aum Nama Sivaya."
2700: Seek the Seminal Mantra Nama Sivaya
In the sixteen letters commencing with "A"
(Of the Shodasa Flower within*)
Is the Parai (Sakti);
In the Unmani Sakti beginning with "U"
Is the light of Lord within;
The Mantra commencing with letter "Si" (Sivaya Nama)
Is Siva and Vedas all;
With letter "Na" commencing
That order reversed
Is Nama Sivaya;
That verily is the seminal Mantra;
That Mantra do seek.
2701: How Aum and the Five Letters are Distributed in the Six Centers
In the six Adharas (centers) within
Are distributed the Five Letters and Aum;
That comprise Aum Nama Sivaya (Na, Ma, Si, Va, Ya);
In the Muladhara is Na
In the Svadhishtana is Ma
In the Navel Center is Si
In the Heart Center is Va
In the Throat Center is Ya
In the Eye-brow Center is Aum.
2702: The Five Letters are the Life's Refuge
When the seven beams of Prana in fury rise,
When the four cognitive senses, their leave take,
And as Death's Hand stretched and seizes,
Life ebbs away;
Then shall the Five Letters above the Soul's refuge be.
2703: Chant Five Letters at Dawn and Dusk
When the Sun and the Moon rise,
They know not the mantra to chant and muse;
Well may they then chant full-mouthed
The Holy Mantra, Five-Lettered,
Wholesome, and praise the Lord;
-The Mantra that is so sacred to Sakti
Who with Siva stands.
2704: Chant Sivaya Nama in God-Love
Chant that mantra Sivaya Nama once,
Your heart welling up in God-Love;
Then will transparent ambrosia within you well up;
They who seek not that pure ambrosia to drink
Will be unto bubbles of a water-fall,
That know rest none from birth's whirl, ever.
2705: The Five Letters Will Close the Gateway to Birth
Take to the Way the Guru showed,
And blot out the reckoning of births;
To them who seek to close the birth's cyclic way
The Five-Letters alone show the Grace-Way.
2706: Blessings of the Five Lettered Mantra-of Siva's Feet and Form
When Karma's miseries harass you,
Chant the Five-Lettered Mantra
Of Nandi pervasive;
If you thus seek Him,
He, the Grace of His Holy Feet confers;
Your devotion shall lead you to Siva Form.
2707: Siva's Five Letter Mantra is the Final Refuge
Think of Him in your heart,
Praise Him as "My Lord"
When Death approaches you, say:
"Lord, You alone are my Refuge;"
Then will you receive
The Grace of Lord in Letters Five seated,
The Lord who resides
In the snow-clad mountain of North (Kailas).
2708: Letters Five Alone Can Dispel Darkness
Knowing not the greatness
Of our Lord's Letters Five,
Will they ever dispel their darkness?
Poor in spirit are they, (who think otherwise);
They will to the nether world consigned be
Surrounded by serpents of diverse species.
6 SUKSHMA (INARTICULATE) PANCHAKSHARA
2709: Sivayanama is Alchemic
In slighting terms they speak of our Lord;
With thoughts centering on the Light
And hearts melting in love
Let them chant His name;
With the alchemic pill of Sivaya Nama
He will turn thy body gold.
2710: Si-Va-Ya-Na-Ma Brings Union of Jiva With Siva-Sakti
The Letters Si Va Ya Na Ma denote
Siva, Sakti, Jiva, Mala and Maya respective;
Chant it, for the five Pasas-Mala to disappear;
When with Siva and Sakti, Jiva unites
(That is when you say Si Va Ya)
The harassing Pasas flee away.
2711: The Five Letters Denote the Five Relations in the Liberation Process
The Five-lettered name of Siva (Sivayanama)
Is Siva-Sakti (Grace);
Si for Siva, Va for Sakti, Ya for Jiva,
Na for Tirodayi and Ma for Maya (impure);
Thus the Five Letters, five relations denote;
As you chant with Si first (that is as Si Va Ya Na Ma)
You are of Karmas freed;
Births no more will be
You shall Para-Siva become.
2712: Siva-Jnana Comes of Si Va Ya
Rid of malas denoted by "Na" and "Ma"
And the primordial Anava too,
By the Grace of Siva-Sakti
Siva-Jnana pure will be;
Repeated chant Si Va Ya;
There verily is Truth of Mala-riddance.
2713: How Through Na Ma Si Va Ya Union in Jiva Occurs in Samadhi
Na Ma and the rest (Na Ma Si Va Ya)
Pervading Jiva in his five states of Consciousness
Waking, dreaming and the rest,
Stand forth as Tirodayi, the Sakti of Obfuscation (Verily)
And She in turn leads to the Pure Sakti that leads to Grace,
Then does Jiva reach the Final state of Turiya in Samadhi;
Thus meditating on Na Ma and the rest,
The Jiva unites in Siva.
2714: Chant Si Va Ya
The Sakti that Grace confers,
And the Lord with Her inseparate,
Together as Siva-Sakti roused Jiva to life;
When you contemplate on Si Va Ya;
Then the Maya within and the rest of Malas three are rid;
That Si Va Ya destroys the hard Karmas too.
2715: Chant Siva Siva and Receive Grace
They who chant not "Siva Siva,"
Are from ignorance freed not
Verily are they beings dumb;
Do say "Siva Siva"
Unintermittent and spontaneous,
In the depths of your heart;
They who thus chant
Are in Siva Jnana Pure;
Theirs shall be the Grace Divine.
2716: "Siva Siva" Leads to Siva State
They chant not "Siva Siva,"
Verily are they of evil Karma;
Chant "Siva Siva"
Your evil karmas per a Deva become;
Yours shall be the Siva-State too.
2717: Chant Na Ma Si Va and End Birth
Hold the letters, "Na Ma" in the tongue
Take the letters "Si Va" into your thought;
No more shall you be in existence entangled;
Your goal too shall be reached;
Ignorance will end,
And with it the whirl of births too.
