Original Tamil Verse
ஆச்சப்பா புலஸ்தியனே புண்ணியபாலா
அப்பனே காவியங்கள் ஐந்துக்குள்ளே
மூச்சடங்கி மூதுலகில் சிலதுகாலம்
முயன்றுமே அடியேனும் மனதுவந்து
ஏச்சலது கொள்வதற்கு இடந்தாராமல்
இன்பமுடன் பாடிவைத்தேன் மாண்பதாக
வீச்சுடைய காவியந்தான் இந்தநூலாம்
வித்தகனே மாந்திரீக மாயிரந்தானாச்சே.
IAST Transliteration (ISO 15919)
āccappā pulastiyaṉē puṇṇiyapālā
appaṉē kāviyangkaḷ aintu-kku-uḷḷē
mūcc-aṭaṅki mūtulakil cilatu-kālam
muyanṟumē aṭiyēṉum maṉatuvantu
ēccalatu koḷvataṟku iṭantārāmāl
iṉpam-uṭaṉ pāṭivaittēṉ māṇpatāk
vīccuṭaiya kāviyantāṉ intanūlām
vittakaṉē māntrīka māyira-ntān-āccē.
Word-by-Word Meaning with Etymology Table
| Tamil Word | IAST Transliteration | Lexical Meaning (Tamil Lexicon) | Etymology / Sanskrit Root | Siddha/Tantric Connotation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ஆச்சப்பா | āccappā | Oh, how wondrous! / Exclamation of awe and intimacy | Tamil exclamatory + appā | Expresses astonishment, surrender, and affectionate address to guru or divine. |
| புலஸ்தியனே | pulastiyaṉē | O Pulastya (Rishi) | Skt. Pulastya | A progenitor ṛṣi — symbolic of ancient wisdom and mantra lineage. |
| புண்ணியபாலா | puṇṇiyapālā | Custodian of merit, blessed one | Skt. puṇya + pāla | Divine protector who upholds dharma, ensures spiritual evolution. |
| மூச்சடங்கி | mūcc-aṭaṅki | Breath subdued / controlled | Tamil mūccu (breath) | Breath restraint (prāṇāyāma), entering deep yogic or meditative stillness. |
| மூதுலகில் | mūtulakil | In the three worlds | Tamil mū + ulakam | The physical, astral, and causal realms; triloka in yogic cosmology. |
| மனதுவந்து | maṉatuvantu | With heart-mind moved / inspired | maṉam (mind) + vantu | Opening the inner mind to receive the divine intuition or siddha impulse. |
| ஏச்சலது | ēccalatu | Distraction, disturbance, obstacles | Tamil ēccam | Refers to vikṣepa — mental agitations that block inner absorption. |
| இடந்தாராமல் | iṭantārāmāl | Without giving space / without allowing interruption | Tamil iṭam + tāramāl | Complete flow of śakti without interference — indicates niṣṭhā (steady absorption). |
| வீச்சுடைய | vīccuṭaiya | Having dynamic flow / powerful force | Tamil vīccu (force, sweep) | Siddha’s poetic śakti – like vāyu, it sweeps ignorance and plants awakening. |
| மாந்திரீக மாயிரம் | māntrīka māyiram | Thousandfold mantric expressions | Skt. mantrika māyā + sahasra | Encodes sahasra-mantra-sādhana — alluding to the power of 1000-petaled sahasrāra cakra. |
Line-by-Line Literal Translation
1. ஆச்சப்பா புலஸ்தியனே புண்ணியபாலா
āccappā pulastiyaṉē puṇṇiyapālā
→ O wondrous Pulastya! O guardian of sacred merit!
2. அப்பனே காவியங்கள் ஐந்துக்குள்ளே
appaṉē kāviyangkaḷ aintu-kku-uḷḷē
→ O Father! Within the five great kāvyas…
3. மூச்சடங்கி மூதுலகில் சிலதுகாலம்
mūcc-aṭaṅki mūtulakil cilatu-kālam
→ I restrained my breath and for some time in the three worlds…
4. முயன்றுமே அடியேனும் மனதுவந்து
muyanṟumē aṭiyēṉum maṉatuvantu
→ I, your servant, persisted in effort, and my heart became receptive.
5. ஏச்சலது கொள்வதற்கு இடந்தாராமல்
ēccalatu koḷvataṟku iṭantārāmāl
→ Without giving space for any disturbances to take hold…
6. இன்பமுடன் பாடிவைத்தேன் மாண்பதாக
iṉpam-uṭaṉ pāṭivaittēṉ māṇpatāk
→ I joyfully composed and placed this as a glorious song.
7. வீச்சுடைய காவியந்தான் இந்தநூலாம்
vīccuṭaiya kāviyantāṉ intanūlām
→ The kāvya with sweeping power — that is this very scripture.
8. வித்தகனே மாந்திரீக மாயிரந்தானாச்சே.
vittakaṉē māntrīka māyira-ntān-āccē
→ O wise one! It has become a thousandfold mantric expression.
Metaphoric or Hidden Meaning (Paripāṣai / குறிக்கோள்)
This is a secret preface. The siddha directly addresses Pulastya, one of the saptarṣis, invoking the ancestral source of the mantra-vāda tradition. He presents the current scripture not as an individual creation, but as the culmination of yogic breath control, inner revelation, and tapas over many kalpas in the three realms (mūtulakil).
- The reference to “ஐந்துக்குள்ளே” confirms this kāvya integrates all five earlier epics: vāta, jñāna, pūrṇa, lakṣaṇa, and māntrīka.
- “மூச்சடங்கி” denotes a state of kumbhaka or nirvikalpa samādhi — where time collapses and divine inspiration descends.
- “வீச்சுடைய காவியம்” signifies that this epic has the power of breath, wind, mantra, and sound — echoing the vīyu vāk (divine speech).
- “மாந்திரீக மாயிரம்” evokes not a literal 1000 verses, but the activation of the sahasrāra cakra, which houses 1000 mantric petals.
Philosophical, Yogic, or Alchemical Significance
| Concept | Verse Correspondence |
|---|---|
| Kuṇḍalinī | Awakening through breath — “மூச்சடங்கி” implies kuṇḍalinī ascension in silent meditation. |
| Nāḍī | Controlled nāḍīs via prāṇāyāma allowed divine inspiration to flow unimpeded. |
| Cakra | Sahasrāra (1000-petaled) implied in “மாயிரம்” — complete mantra bloom. |
| Pañcakōśa | Stillness of annamaya, withdrawal into vijñāna and blissful ānandamaya. |
| Vāyu | Mentioned in metaphor — kāvya has sweeping vāyu (vīccu), showing yogic power. |
| Tapas | Time spent in effort across “மூதுலகம்” — epic tapasya of Siddha author. |
| Jñāna | Realized and transmitted through this kāvya — as a vehicle of direct knowledge. |
| Siddhi | The kāvya itself becomes the siddhi — its presence bestows realization. |
| Rasavāda | The bliss of “இன்பமுடன்” links poetic pleasure with nectar of śiva-consciousness. |
Literary Features and Poetic Devices
- Alliterative Echoes: “ஆச்சப்பா”, “அப்பனே”, “அடியேனும்” — devotional progression.
- Numerical Symbols:
- Five kāvyas = elemental integration.
- Three worlds = spiritual omnipresence.
- Thousandfold = reference to sahasrāra.
- Poetic Rhythm: Cadence of confession and cosmic declaration alternating.
- Twilight Language (Sandhyā Bhāṣā): Terms like “வீச்சு”, “மாயிரம்”, and “ஏச்சல்” layered with yogic and mystical meanings.
Overall Summary and Core Teaching of the Verse
This profound introductory verse is a mystical testament to the author’s yogic realization and sacred authorship. Invoking Pulastya — the ancient ṛṣi — and referring to his own journey through breath-control, struggle, and unwavering focus, the Siddha declares the completion of this kāvya as a divine act. The kāvya is no ordinary text — it is “vīccuṭaiya kāviyam,” a living wind of mantras and inner revelation. In the Sahasrāra of inner silence, from the depths of experience across lifetimes in the three realms, a thousandfold mantric scripture has been born — not to entertain, but to awaken.
