An effort in creative undoing of the false indivi-dualistic self in order to get established as the true non-dualistic Self which is Satyam-Gnanam-Anantam Brahma(n). This is Moksha, Enlightenment or Self-Realization.
A feeble attempt in translating to Thirukkural like Tamil of the above WizTweet !
உலகுள் உன்னை நிலைநிறுத்துவது பேரு
அவ்வுலகுன்னில் நிலைத்திருப்பதறிவது வீடு
You needed a better word other than வீடு that rhymed with பேரு😏But not to lose the message: know that the world abides in you and that knowing is moksha. Thanks for the tweet!
Yes. But there is usage in Tamil “veedu paeru utraan” which means moksha. So I kept that in mind. Thanks for your observations. When you feel stuck in body and surrounded by world there is bondage. But when you realize that world and body are floating in your pure consciousness, then as pure consciousness you are not bound by space, time & objects which is freedom. And the pressure that you have to be someone in the world, also disappears.
New to this blog. Was directed here by a friend with whom I share mutual interest in Advaitha Vedanta. Intend to follow this blog from now on and read every post.
The tamil translation is fantastic. Seeing this thread here, I thought it would be apt to make a request here, a clarity on a prose (tamil composition to me more accurate) which I have been seeking for long.
Can someone provide a பாஷ்யம் of sorts for the tamil song சதானந்த தாண்டவம் composed by the saint poet Achyutadasar.
One can see from the life history of Achyutadasar that he was a advaiti and his compositions were full of deep philospohical embellishments that require multiple reads to understand fully. In case of சதானந்த தாண்டவம் , this composition is not only a expression of bhakti, but has subtle advaitha siddhantas as well.
My request here may seem out of the ordinary and odd, but I have done quite a search in the web but haven’t seen a convincing translated meaning of this song so far. Hence my request here. Thank you.
Dear MR.SRK,
Yes, the same person :).
I have read your posts in Tomaj’s blogs. I am happy to bump into another ஞானவான் of non-duality here . Looking forward to having lot of interactions with you here in this space.
My craving to know the complete meaning of this composition stems from the fact that I am unable to grasp the advaitha siddhantas that adorn this composition.
If you take the anupallavi:
சித் ஆகாசத்தில் அற்புத கரமாய் ஒளிரதா முறை தெறிய சுதாம்ருதம் சொறியும்
Equating Shiva to the Supreme self, does this line symbolise the dance of Nataraja to a ”ecstatic dance of consciousness ” ?
And the closing lines of Charanam:
நிர்விகல்பத்தில் நன்று மருவி தனியே நின்று
Totally beats me. If we take the meaning of மருவி as to change, what is the composer indicating here that which is changing in Nirvikalpa samadhi and how is he linking it with the dance of the God?
Just trying to understand the mind of a advaitha yogi and what exactly is he expressing here. But ஸ்புரிக்கல ..
Thank you for taking the time to respond to me..
Nataraja’s dance is perhaps a divine expression revealing the joy of pure consciousness within yourself. “Nirvkalpathil maruvi thani nindru” may mean that blend into nirvikalpa without a trace of duality and stand alone. The yogi’s approach to advaita is not the Vedantic one. It is more of approaching from mind while still believing in duality. True gnana is to negate the reality of mind itself and see the world, body and mind as pure consciousness only. Consciousness is formless. But an inspiration takes the form of music, dance, writing etc.. and introduces you to the pure consciousness which manifests as the “gap” in expression. Silence between two notes, gap between two steps etc. In fact we can notice that gap always between two thoughts, two perceptions etc. But we are not sensitive to it. Art attempts to deliberately make you aware of that gap. And Shiva through his dance makes you aware of the joy of the Self hidden in you. Joy exists only in your true Self and nowhere else.
Thanks. I want to add that sleep, samadhi, death etc are all gaps between two thoughts. But you are the gap which is Nirvikalpa. You are there during thought also because it is you as pure consciousness who perceives the thought. So any attempt by thought to merge with Self has beginning and end whereas realizing that you are the Self the knower and everything else is known, will make you free instantly. That is removal of ignorance. And that Self is called Shantham, Sivam, Advaitam.
சதா ஆனந்த தாண்டவம் செய்யும்
பாத வரம் தா தா ஜகன்னாதா
சித் கரத்தில் அற்புத கரமாய் ஒளிரும் முறை தெரிய
சுத்த அமிர்தம் சொரிய
முக்தரும் சித்தரும் முனிவர்களும்
மோன மாதவரும் மானுடர்களும்
நித்திரை விட்டு நினைப்பு மறப்பு கெட்டு
நிர்விகற்பத்தை நன்று மருவி தனி நின்று
விளக்கம்
சதா ஆனந்த தாண்டவம் புரியும் ஞான தீக்ஷ்ஷை அருள்வாய் எனக்கு.
நீ சின் முத்திரையால் ஸனத்குமாரர்களுக்கு செய்த மௌன உபதேச சாரம்
விழிப்பு கனவு உறக்கம் சமாதி இவற்றின் சாட்சி ஆத்மா. .ஆத்மாதான் நிர்விகல்பம். .இரண்டற்ற ஆனந்தம். .நீ தான் அது.
குறிப்பு
1.பாதம் என்றால் அடி (திருவடி )-தத்தத்துவம் -திருவடி தீக்ஷ்ஷை
2.சீத்கரம் என்றால் சின் முத்திரை.(ஆணவம் ,கன்மம் ,மாயை நீங்கினால் ஞானம்).
3.அவஸ்தா த்ரய சாட்சி ஆத்மா .
Transliteration
Ishvara grant me the boon of abiding in Self, which is my natural state. You have taught through silence to learned sanathkumaras the divine nectar of immortality. Atma is the witness of all the states of mind. There is nothing apart from Atma, which is Sat Chit Ananda.
Thanks. We missed the main thing in this song. It is addressed to Lord Jagannath, whose idol does not have hands or feet (paadam & karam). It is a form of Lord Krishna. You have given Vedantic interpretation. But it is a craving of yogi to get stabilized in pure nectarian bliss of Nirvikalpa samadhi. It also agrees with Achyutadasa’s approach.
In any case, be it Lord Nataraja or Jagannatha, I am not impressed by this song 😀
Most of the classical compositions we have here are based on bhakti and there are very few exceptions, and yes even these exceptions seem to be taking a vedanta approach rather than of a self-enquiring nature, which we can find only in texts and not in poetry or musical compositions. Anyway, they all point to the same truth in the end..
Two striking brilliant exceptions I have seen are from compositions of Bharathiyar:
1. நிற்பதுவே நடப்பதுவே பறப்பதுவே song where he seems to be wonder-struck by the realisation that all that he is perceiving out in this cosmos are dream like and of a illusive nature.
2. The composition நான், from the title இரட்டைக் குறள் செந்துறை, where he says with a conviction all that he sees out there are his pure self. The closing lines especially, nails it:
நானெனும் பொய்யை நடத்துவோன் நான்,
ஞானச் சுடர்வானில் செல்லுவோன் நான்;
ஆனபொருள்கள் அனைத்தினும் ஒன்றாய்
அறிவாய் விளங்குமுதற்சோதி நான்
Off-topic: While commenting in this page, the page keeps refreshing in the middle forcing me to start all over again. Is there a way to manage this?
Great poems ! But we have to be careful that all this knowledge is not accumulated but should result in viveka/vairagya. Otherwise they lose their purpose. That is why in this blog the stress is on viveka/vairagya, that is actually realizing the mithyatva and detaching from it.
Even Balaji had some struggles with inserting his comment. May be due to limited nesting levels ? Try Replying in the Leave Reply box at bottom.
Dear Mr.Balaji,
Thanks for this translation, exactly what I was looking for.
I now see that it is சித் கர and not சித் ஆகாச which literally translates as space of consciousness (which mislead me to think the composer emphasizes here it is consciousness here and not the visually perceivable cosmic space on which Nataraja’s dance is symbolised. )
Also I still cannot see how a continuity is establised between charanam and pallavi . If you see,
முக்தரும் சித்தரும் முனிவர்களும்
மோன மாதவரும் மானுடர்களும்
நித்திரை விட்டு நினைப்பு மறப்பு கெட்டு
நிர்விகற்பத்தை நன்று மருவி தனி நின்று
சதா ஆனந்த தாண்டவம் செய்யும்
பாத வரம் தா தா ஜகன்னாதா
Should it have been நிற்க instead of நின்று, or does it simply mean the sadhana of muktar, siddhar, munivar etc, losing all sleep, wakefulness, forgetfulness and remembrance leads to the nirvikalpa where the final truth is establised that self alone exists and this cosmos is the propagation of self which is symbolised as the சதானந்த தாண்டவம்..
But I think I have obsessed enough about this song already 🙂 , I really have had some great insights from you all who have responded to my comments. Thanks again..
Srk, Thank you once again. That’s an interesting read on the symbology of the cosmic dance of Nataraja.
Indeed, it is very true that even if it appears at the outset that the manifestation of the Supreme Consciousness as this cosmos has a disjointed randomness to it, it has a subtle and supreme inherent intelligence that connects the dots, figuratively speaking..
That makes me wonder, why is the manifestation of the Supreme Consciousness seems, rather to be, by intent and not of a freewheeling nature. I am asking this in context of the popular perspective that “creation (or manifestation) is an expression of God is an attempt to know Himself ”. But this cosmos seems to be more a manifestation with serious design intent (almost like a simulation, only that the Supreme self is making itself a subject of the simulation), rather than Consciousness holding a mirror to itself..
The word “random” is used because you see the dots first and not the Supreme, intelligent consciousness behind this cosmic appearance. If you realize that you are conscious of the dot itself then you don’t have to connect it.
It is really consciousness holding a mirror to itself. Are you inside the cosmic city within the mirror identified with a body and asking this question or outside the mirror but looking into it as the real unassociated pure consciousness ? You are trying to understand the cosmos from within the mirror. But realize you are already outside it and are the pure subject !
Dear Mr.RMK
Thanks.The correlation between charanam and pallavi is those who can’t understand truth directly through Gnana yoga has to undergo the process of yoga for Nirvikalpa.
Here Nirvikalpa(sahaja Samadhi) represents Sadananda Thandavam.It is effortless effort. There are similar compositions by Bharathiyar in” Para siva vellam” and Thayumanavar in “Ananda kalippu”.
Moksha Club 
Nice
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Thanks.
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Superb. This tweet is like thirukkural! Very pithy!
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A feeble attempt in translating to Thirukkural like Tamil of the above WizTweet !
உலகுள் உன்னை நிலைநிறுத்துவது பேரு
அவ்வுலகுன்னில் நிலைத்திருப்பதறிவது வீடு
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No words in English can equal your tweet and no words can equal Thirukural explaining Moksha and achievement by establishing oneself in the world.
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Thanks. You are saying that the message is expressed well. But does it stop you in your tracks ? ☺
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Not yet
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BTW, it is not original Thirukural but my translation of the above WizTweet in Tamil.
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You needed a better word other than வீடு that rhymed with பேரு😏But not to lose the message: know that the world abides in you and that knowing is moksha. Thanks for the tweet!
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Yes. But there is usage in Tamil “veedu paeru utraan” which means moksha. So I kept that in mind. Thanks for your observations. When you feel stuck in body and surrounded by world there is bondage. But when you realize that world and body are floating in your pure consciousness, then as pure consciousness you are not bound by space, time & objects which is freedom. And the pressure that you have to be someone in the world, also disappears.
LikeLiked by 1 person
New to this blog. Was directed here by a friend with whom I share mutual interest in Advaitha Vedanta. Intend to follow this blog from now on and read every post.
The tamil translation is fantastic. Seeing this thread here, I thought it would be apt to make a request here, a clarity on a prose (tamil composition to me more accurate) which I have been seeking for long.
Can someone provide a பாஷ்யம் of sorts for the tamil song சதானந்த தாண்டவம் composed by the saint poet Achyutadasar.
One can see from the life history of Achyutadasar that he was a advaiti and his compositions were full of deep philospohical embellishments that require multiple reads to understand fully. In case of சதானந்த தாண்டவம் , this composition is not only a expression of bhakti, but has subtle advaitha siddhantas as well.
My request here may seem out of the ordinary and odd, but I have done quite a search in the web but haven’t seen a convincing translated meaning of this song so far. Hence my request here. Thank you.
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Thanks for visiting the blog. I found a translation in the net http://translationsofsomesongsofcarnticmusic.blogspot.in/2010/04/sadananda-thandavam.html
This man writes a lot on our strotras, rites etc..
Another link (bio of Achyutadasa)
http://vsa-writes.blogspot.in/2014/04/achyuta-dasar-saint-composer.html?m=1
Are you Ramkumar Gopalakrishnan ? A similar comment is found in above link..
You can post your specific questions if any, in the blog.
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Dear MR.SRK,
Yes, the same person :).
I have read your posts in Tomaj’s blogs. I am happy to bump into another ஞானவான் of non-duality here . Looking forward to having lot of interactions with you here in this space.
My craving to know the complete meaning of this composition stems from the fact that I am unable to grasp the advaitha siddhantas that adorn this composition.
If you take the anupallavi:
சித் ஆகாசத்தில் அற்புத கரமாய் ஒளிரதா முறை தெறிய சுதாம்ருதம் சொறியும்
Equating Shiva to the Supreme self, does this line symbolise the dance of Nataraja to a ”ecstatic dance of consciousness ” ?
And the closing lines of Charanam:
நிர்விகல்பத்தில் நன்று மருவி தனியே நின்று
Totally beats me. If we take the meaning of மருவி as to change, what is the composer indicating here that which is changing in Nirvikalpa samadhi and how is he linking it with the dance of the God?
Just trying to understand the mind of a advaitha yogi and what exactly is he expressing here. But ஸ்புரிக்கல ..
Thank you for taking the time to respond to me..
LikeLike
Nataraja’s dance is perhaps a divine expression revealing the joy of pure consciousness within yourself. “Nirvkalpathil maruvi thani nindru” may mean that blend into nirvikalpa without a trace of duality and stand alone. The yogi’s approach to advaita is not the Vedantic one. It is more of approaching from mind while still believing in duality. True gnana is to negate the reality of mind itself and see the world, body and mind as pure consciousness only. Consciousness is formless. But an inspiration takes the form of music, dance, writing etc.. and introduces you to the pure consciousness which manifests as the “gap” in expression. Silence between two notes, gap between two steps etc. In fact we can notice that gap always between two thoughts, two perceptions etc. But we are not sensitive to it. Art attempts to deliberately make you aware of that gap. And Shiva through his dance makes you aware of the joy of the Self hidden in you. Joy exists only in your true Self and nowhere else.
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Thanks for the explanation. This certainly adds a lot more clarity to my understanding..
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Thanks. I want to add that sleep, samadhi, death etc are all gaps between two thoughts. But you are the gap which is Nirvikalpa. You are there during thought also because it is you as pure consciousness who perceives the thought. So any attempt by thought to merge with Self has beginning and end whereas realizing that you are the Self the knower and everything else is known, will make you free instantly. That is removal of ignorance. And that Self is called Shantham, Sivam, Advaitam.
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If you want here is an explanation from Isha blog…
http://isha.sadhguru.org/blog/yoga-meditation/demystifying-yoga/nataraja-becoming-cosmic-dance/
which is from an Yogi’s perspective.
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சதானந்த தாண்டவம்
சதா ஆனந்த தாண்டவம் செய்யும்
பாத வரம் தா தா ஜகன்னாதா
சித் கரத்தில் அற்புத கரமாய் ஒளிரும் முறை தெரிய
சுத்த அமிர்தம் சொரிய
முக்தரும் சித்தரும் முனிவர்களும்
மோன மாதவரும் மானுடர்களும்
நித்திரை விட்டு நினைப்பு மறப்பு கெட்டு
நிர்விகற்பத்தை நன்று மருவி தனி நின்று
விளக்கம்
சதா ஆனந்த தாண்டவம் புரியும் ஞான தீக்ஷ்ஷை அருள்வாய் எனக்கு.
நீ சின் முத்திரையால் ஸனத்குமாரர்களுக்கு செய்த மௌன உபதேச சாரம்
விழிப்பு கனவு உறக்கம் சமாதி இவற்றின் சாட்சி ஆத்மா. .ஆத்மாதான் நிர்விகல்பம். .இரண்டற்ற ஆனந்தம். .நீ தான் அது.
குறிப்பு
1.பாதம் என்றால் அடி (திருவடி )-தத்தத்துவம் -திருவடி தீக்ஷ்ஷை
2.சீத்கரம் என்றால் சின் முத்திரை.(ஆணவம் ,கன்மம் ,மாயை நீங்கினால் ஞானம்).
3.அவஸ்தா த்ரய சாட்சி ஆத்மா .
Transliteration
Ishvara grant me the boon of abiding in Self, which is my natural state. You have taught through silence to learned sanathkumaras the divine nectar of immortality. Atma is the witness of all the states of mind. There is nothing apart from Atma, which is Sat Chit Ananda.
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Thanks. We missed the main thing in this song. It is addressed to Lord Jagannath, whose idol does not have hands or feet (paadam & karam). It is a form of Lord Krishna. You have given Vedantic interpretation. But it is a craving of yogi to get stabilized in pure nectarian bliss of Nirvikalpa samadhi. It also agrees with Achyutadasa’s approach.
In any case, be it Lord Nataraja or Jagannatha, I am not impressed by this song 😀
LikeLike
Most of the classical compositions we have here are based on bhakti and there are very few exceptions, and yes even these exceptions seem to be taking a vedanta approach rather than of a self-enquiring nature, which we can find only in texts and not in poetry or musical compositions. Anyway, they all point to the same truth in the end..
Two striking brilliant exceptions I have seen are from compositions of Bharathiyar:
1. நிற்பதுவே நடப்பதுவே பறப்பதுவே song where he seems to be wonder-struck by the realisation that all that he is perceiving out in this cosmos are dream like and of a illusive nature.
2. The composition நான், from the title இரட்டைக் குறள் செந்துறை, where he says with a conviction all that he sees out there are his pure self. The closing lines especially, nails it:
நானெனும் பொய்யை நடத்துவோன் நான்,
ஞானச் சுடர்வானில் செல்லுவோன் நான்;
ஆனபொருள்கள் அனைத்தினும் ஒன்றாய்
அறிவாய் விளங்குமுதற்சோதி நான்
Off-topic: While commenting in this page, the page keeps refreshing in the middle forcing me to start all over again. Is there a way to manage this?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great poems ! But we have to be careful that all this knowledge is not accumulated but should result in viveka/vairagya. Otherwise they lose their purpose. That is why in this blog the stress is on viveka/vairagya, that is actually realizing the mithyatva and detaching from it.
Even Balaji had some struggles with inserting his comment. May be due to limited nesting levels ? Try Replying in the Leave Reply box at bottom.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Mr.Balaji,
Thanks for this translation, exactly what I was looking for.
I now see that it is சித் கர and not சித் ஆகாச which literally translates as space of consciousness (which mislead me to think the composer emphasizes here it is consciousness here and not the visually perceivable cosmic space on which Nataraja’s dance is symbolised. )
Also I still cannot see how a continuity is establised between charanam and pallavi . If you see,
முக்தரும் சித்தரும் முனிவர்களும்
மோன மாதவரும் மானுடர்களும்
நித்திரை விட்டு நினைப்பு மறப்பு கெட்டு
நிர்விகற்பத்தை நன்று மருவி தனி நின்று
சதா ஆனந்த தாண்டவம் செய்யும்
பாத வரம் தா தா ஜகன்னாதா
Should it have been நிற்க instead of நின்று, or does it simply mean the sadhana of muktar, siddhar, munivar etc, losing all sleep, wakefulness, forgetfulness and remembrance leads to the nirvikalpa where the final truth is establised that self alone exists and this cosmos is the propagation of self which is symbolised as the சதானந்த தாண்டவம்..
But I think I have obsessed enough about this song already 🙂 , I really have had some great insights from you all who have responded to my comments. Thanks again..
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Srk, Thank you once again. That’s an interesting read on the symbology of the cosmic dance of Nataraja.
Indeed, it is very true that even if it appears at the outset that the manifestation of the Supreme Consciousness as this cosmos has a disjointed randomness to it, it has a subtle and supreme inherent intelligence that connects the dots, figuratively speaking..
That makes me wonder, why is the manifestation of the Supreme Consciousness seems, rather to be, by intent and not of a freewheeling nature. I am asking this in context of the popular perspective that “creation (or manifestation) is an expression of God is an attempt to know Himself ”. But this cosmos seems to be more a manifestation with serious design intent (almost like a simulation, only that the Supreme self is making itself a subject of the simulation), rather than Consciousness holding a mirror to itself..
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Welcome.
The word “random” is used because you see the dots first and not the Supreme, intelligent consciousness behind this cosmic appearance. If you realize that you are conscious of the dot itself then you don’t have to connect it.
It is really consciousness holding a mirror to itself. Are you inside the cosmic city within the mirror identified with a body and asking this question or outside the mirror but looking into it as the real unassociated pure consciousness ? You are trying to understand the cosmos from within the mirror. But realize you are already outside it and are the pure subject !
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Dear Mr.RMK
Thanks.The correlation between charanam and pallavi is those who can’t understand truth directly through Gnana yoga has to undergo the process of yoga for Nirvikalpa.
Here Nirvikalpa(sahaja Samadhi) represents Sadananda Thandavam.It is effortless effort. There are similar compositions by Bharathiyar in” Para siva vellam” and Thayumanavar in “Ananda kalippu”.
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