Original Tamil Verse
மகாமகத்துவம் பொருந்திய
அகத்திய முனிவர் அருளிச் செய்த
மாந்திரீக காவியம்
முதலாவது
அட்டாங்க யோகச்சருக்கம்
அகண்ட பரிபூரணமாம் ஐயர்பாதம்
அப்பனே மனோன்மணியாள் பாதம்போற்றி
புகன்றுநின்ற கணபதியுஞ் சித்தர்பாதம்
புங்கசித்தி எட்டுடைய ரிஷிகள்பாதம்
நிகண்டது போலென்தேவர் அசுவனியார்பாதம்
நித்தியமுமவர் பதத்தில் நின்றோன்பாதம்
முகன் றிடவே என்பாட்டன்தன் வந்திரிபாதம்
மூதுலகில் யோகிசிவ காப்புதானே.
IAST Transliteration (ISO 15919)
mahāmagattuvam poruṇṭiya
agattiya muṉivar aruḷic ceyta
māntrīka kāviyam
mutalāvatu
aṭṭāṅga yōkaccarukkam
akaṇṭa paripūraṇamām aiyyarpātam
appaṉē maṉōṉmaṇiyāḷ pātampōṟṟi
pukaṉṟuniṉṟa kaṇapatiyuñ cittarpātam
puṅkacitti eṭṭuṭaiya ṛṣikaḷpātam
nikaṇṭatu pōle ntevar acuvaṉiyāṟpātam
nityamumavar patattil niṉṟōṉpātam
mukaṉ ṟiṭavē eṉpāṭṭaṉtaṉ vantiripātam
mūtulakil yōkiciva kāpputāṉē.
Word-by-Word Meaning with Etymology Table
| Tamil Word | IAST Transliteration | Lexical Meaning (Tamil Lexicon) | Etymology / Sanskrit Root | Siddha/Tantric Connotation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| மகாமகத்துவம் | mahāmagattuvam | Supreme sacredness, great auspiciousness | Skt. mahā-maṅgalatva | Denotes cosmic auspiciousness, often used for festivals or grand siddha transmissions. |
| அகத்திய முனிவர் | agattiya muṉivar | Sage Agastya | Agastya (Sanskrit ṛṣi) | Founder of Southern Siddha Yoga lineage; embodiment of siddha wisdom, mantra-vāda, and kuṇḍalinī śakti. |
| மாந்திரீக காவியம் | māntrīka kāviyam | Mantric epic or mystical poetry | Skt. mantra + kāvya | Refers to works that encode mantras and yogic mysteries; twilight language (sandhyā bhāṣā). |
| அட்டாங்க யோகச்சருக்கம் | aṭṭāṅga yōkaccarukkam | Octet Yogic Treatise | Skt. aṣṭāṅga yoga + śloka/caraka | Framework of aṣṭāṅga yoga (eight-limbed path); used to enter siddha states of perception. |
| அகண்ட பரிபூரணமாம் | akaṇṭa paripūraṇamām | Undivided and completely full (supreme fulfillment) | Skt. akhaṇḍa paripūrṇa | Siddha state of pūrṇa-jñāna or sahaja-samādhi, without fragmentation. |
| ஐயர்பாதம் | aiyyarpātam | Feet of the Lord | Tamil honorific aiyar (Śiva) | Symbolic of surrender to Śiva consciousness; also associated with guru-tattva. |
| மனோன்மணியாள் | maṉōṉmaṇiyāḷ | Manonmaṇī Devi | Skt. Manonmaṇī, Śakti form | Represents śakti at ājñā cakra, ruling over higher mental faculties and liberation of mind. |
| கணபதி | kaṇapati | Gaṇapati / Gaṇeśa | Skt. gaṇa + pati | Obstacle remover, presiding deity of mūlādhāra cakra, initiator of yogic journey. |
| சித்தர் | cittar | Perfected beings | Skt. siddha | Adepts with control over pañcaprāṇa and pañcakōśa, realized beings in siddha tradition. |
| புங்கசித்தி | puṅkacitti | Supreme siddhi | Tamil: puṅkam (greatness) + citti | The highest siddhi (self-realization); union with sat-cit-ānanda or śivam. |
| ரிஷிகள் | ṛṣikaḷ | Ṛṣis, sages | Skt. ṛṣi | Seers of mantra; in Siddha system, the lineage-bearers of spiritual transmission. |
| நிகண்டது போல | nikaṇṭatu pōla | As described in the Nikantu (lexicon) | Tamil Nikaṇṭu | Reference to classical Siddha grammar or cosmic order described in ancient texts. |
| அசுவனியார் | acuvaṉiyāṟ | Aśvani Kumāras | Skt. Aśvinī devāḥ | Twin divine physicians in Vedic lore; in Siddha, guardians of ojas and soma; connected with rasa and immortality. |
| பதத்தில் | patattil | In the state or position (usually feet) | Skt. pada | Refers to the state of abiding (pāda or pada), often meaning realized consciousness. |
| முகன் | mukaṉ | Face (here refers to Śiva’s faces/forms) | Skt. mukha | Alludes to pañcavaktra Śiva – five-faced Lord, representing five functions (pañcakṛtya). |
| மூதுலகம் | mūtulakam | Three worlds (past, present, future or bhūr, bhuvaḥ, svaḥ) | Tamil: mū + ulakam | Cosmic structure of triloka; the realm where yogic protection operates. |
| யோகிசிவ | yōkiciva | Yogi-Śiva | Skt. yogī śivaḥ | Realized yogi who is Śiva; Siddha ideal of jīvanmukta or embodied liberation. |
Line-by-Line Literal Translation
1. மகாமகத்துவம் பொருந்திய அகத்திய முனிவர் அருளிச் செய்த மாந்திரீக காவியம் முதலாவது அட்டாங்க யோகச்சருக்கம்
mahāmagattuvam poruṇṭiya agattiya muṉivar aruḷic ceyta māntrīka kāviyam mutalāvatu aṭṭāṅga yōkaccarukkam
→ The first of the mantric epics composed by the highly auspicious sage Agastya — the treatise on Aṣṭāṅga Yoga.
2. அகண்ட பரிபூரணமாம் ஐயர்பாதம்
akaṇṭa paripūraṇamām aiyyarpātam
→ The indivisible, supremely complete feet of the Lord (Śiva).
3. அப்பனே மனோன்மணியாள் பாதம்போற்றி
appaṉē maṉōṉmaṇiyāḷ pātampōṟṟi
→ O Father! I bow at the feet of Manonmaṇiyāl (the Śakti).
4. புகன்றுநின்ற கணபதியுஞ் சித்தர்பாதம்
pukaṉṟuniṉṟa kaṇapatiyuñ cittarpātam
→ I praise the ever-speaking Gaṇapati and the feet of the Siddhas.
5. புங்கசித்தி எட்டுடைய ரிஷிகள்பாதம்
puṅkacitti eṭṭuṭaiya ṛṣikaḷpātam
→ The feet of the Ṛṣis who possess the eight supreme siddhis.
6. நிகண்டது போலென்தேவர் அசுவனியார்பாதம்
nikaṇṭatu pōle ntevar acuvaṉiyāṟpātam
→ The feet of the Aśvinī Kumāras, my divine healers, as spoken of in the lexicon.
7. நித்தியமுமவர் பதத்தில் நின்றோன்பாதம்
nityamumavar patattil niṉṟōṉpātam
→ The feet of the One who eternally abides in that divine state.
8. முகன் றிடவே என்பாட்டன்தன் வந்திரிபாதம்
mukaṉ ṟiṭavē eṉpāṭṭaṉtaṉ vantiripātam
→ The multiple-faced Lord, and the feet of my song-bearing teacher who came.
9. மூதுலகில் யோகிசிவ காப்புதானே.
mūtulakil yōkiciva kāpputāṉē.
→ It is the Yogi-Śiva who offers protection in all the three worlds.
Metaphoric or Hidden Meaning (Paripāṣai / குறிக்கோள்)
This verse is a layered invocation — not merely a salutation, but a ritualistic nyāsa in poetic form. The enumeration of divine feet represents:
- Initiatory surrender to each cakra’s deity: from Mūlādhāra (Gaṇapati) to Sahasrāra (Yogi Śiva).
- Mantric activation: Through invoking feet (pāda), the Siddha tradition links grace to nāda and consciousness descent (śaktipāta).
- The line “முகன் றிடவே” subtly implies pañcavaktra Śiva — indicating five-fold consciousness manifesting as the pañcakṛtya (creation, preservation, dissolution, concealment, grace).
- The mention of “அசுவனியார்” (Aśvinī devās) introduces Vedic resonance in a Tantric Siddha framework — pointing to rasa and ojas rejuvenation.
Philosophical, Yogic, or Alchemical Significance
| Theme | Correspondence in the Verse |
|---|---|
| Kuṇḍalinī | Begins from Gaṇapati (Mūlādhāra), ascends through siddha guidance to Yogi Śiva (Sahasrāra). |
| Nāḍī | “பாதம்” (feet) implies stabilizing nāḍī through devotion — symbolic of ida-piṅgalā unification. |
| Cakra | Each deity/siddha invoked here aligns with a cakra stage in the yogic journey. |
| Pañcakōśa | Gradual transcendence — from annamaya (physical worship) to ānandamaya (union with Śiva). |
| Vāyu | The invocation of “manonmaṇiyāl” relates to upward movement of prāṇa — udāna vāyu. |
| Tapas | Composition itself is tapasya — the devotee’s heart becomes a fire altar of invocation. |
| Jñāna | “மாந்திரீக காவியம்” transmits jñāna through mantra-encoded language. |
| Siddhi | Eight siddhis are explicitly mentioned, but the ninth — liberation — is subtly offered. |
| Rasavāda | Reference to Aśvinī Kumāras suggests soma–rasa flow; poetic rasa is blended with spiritual nectar. |
Literary Features and Poetic Devices
- Alliteration: The repetition of “pātam” (feet) reinforces rhythmic devotion — like mantra repetition.
- Numerical Symbolism: Mentions of eight ṛṣis (aṣṭa-siddhis), five faces (mukaṉ), three worlds (mūtulakam).
- Encrypted Message: Each padam (foot) corresponds to a level of consciousness to be attained.
- Sound-Symmetry: Usage of compound repetitions like “முகன் றிடவே – வந்திரிபாதம்” crafts mystical sonority.
Overall Summary and Core Teaching of the Verse
This opening verse of Aṭṭāṅga Yōkaccarukkam is a multi-layered mantra-invocation that encodes the Siddha path from surrender to liberation. Agastya Siddhar, revered as the seer of Southern yogic wisdom, begins this sacred epic with a salutation of all those who stand as pillars of yogic ascent — Śiva, Śakti, Gaṇapati, the Siddhas, Ṛṣis, Aśvinī Kumāras, and the Eternal One. Each reference is a signpost on the inner yogic path, echoing the truth that true Yoga is protected and perfected only under the shadow of realized beings. The verse becomes a poetic cakra-pūjā, guiding the seeker toward transcendence through reverence, mantra, and surrender.
