🕉 Original Tamil Verse
அகத்திய சுவாமிகளருளிச் செய்த
ஞான காவியம் 1000
முதலாம் காண்டம்
பஞ்ச நாதாக்களுந்தேசமறிக
ஆதியந்த பூரணமாய்ச் சுழியாய் நின்ற
அமர்ந்த சுழிமூல கணபதியே போற்றி
நாதமறையோர் களானுமைக்குச் சொன்ன
ஞான கருக்குருவினிட ரவியே போற்றி
நீதிமதிரே சகமாய் பூரகமாய் நின்ற
நிகழ்ந்த பதிபாச உபநிடமே போற்றி
சாதிபலவுயிரெறும்பு சிவமே யான
சச்சிதானந்த பரிபூரணமே போற்றி.
🔡 IAST Transliteration (ISO 15919)
Agattiya svāmikaḷ aruḷic ceyta
Ñāṉa Kāvyam 1000
Mutalām Kāṇṭam
pañca nātākkaḷum dēśam aṟika
ādi anta pūraṇamāy cuḻiyāy niṉṟa
amarnta cuḻimūla gaṇapatiyē pōṟṟi
nātam aṟaiyōr kaḷānumaikku c conṉa
ñāṉa karukkuṟuvi niṭaraviyē pōṟṟi
nīti matirē sakamāy pūragamāy niṉṟa
niṟanta patipāca upaṇiṭamē pōṟṟi
cāti palavuyir eṟumpu civamē yāṉa
saccitānanta paripūraṇamē pōṟṟi
📘 Word-by-Word Meaning and Etymology Table
| Tamil Word | IAST Transliteration | Lexical Meaning (Tamil Lexicon) | Etymology / Sanskrit Root | Siddha/Tantric Connotation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| பஞ்ச நாதாக்கள் | pañca nātākkaḷ | Five sound-vibrations or primal tones | Skt. pañca = five, nāda = sound | Five nādas – subtle vibrations in inner yogic space |
| தேசம் | dēśam | Land, region, also inner body-temple | Skt. deśa = place | Siddha’s inner geography – the ākāśic temple |
| சுழி | cuḻi | Spiral, vortex | Tamil origin; Skt. sphurita (resonance) | Spiral of Kuṇḍalinī – motion of inner energy |
| சுழிமூல | cuḻimūla | Root of spiral/vortex | cuḻi + mūla (root) | Mūlādhāra where Kuṇḍalinī lies coiled |
| கணபதி | gaṇapati | Lord of groups; Ganesha | Skt. gaṇa + pati | Guardian of mūlādhāra; awakener of inner energy |
| நாதம் | nātam | Sound, vibration | Skt. nāda | Nāda as subtle vibration before manifestation |
| அறையோர் | aṟaiyōr | The seers or sages | Tamil aṟai (announce) + ōr | Siddhas who declare cosmic truths |
| களா | kaḷā | Art, part, science, energy | Skt. kalā | The 16 kalās or rays of Śakti |
| அனுமை | anumai | Uma, consort of Śiva; Knowledge | Skt. Umā | Śakti principle – intuitive knowing |
| கருக்குரு | karukkuṟu | Seed-guru, womb-guru | Tamil karu (seed) + kuṟu (essence) | Guru who implants spiritual seed |
| அரவி | aravi | Sun; Supreme radiant light | Skt. ravī = Sun | Bindu or jñāna-sūrya (sun of knowledge) |
| நீதிமதி | nīti-mati | Justice + wisdom | Skt. nīti + mati | Ethical discernment; sattvic intellect |
| சகமாய் | sakamāy | As inhalation | Tamil sakam (in-breath) | Pūraka (inhalation) in prāṇāyāma |
| பூரகமாய் | pūragamāy | Also as inhalation | Skt. pūraka | Prāṇāyāma term – drawing life-force inward |
| பதி, பாச | pati, pāca | Lord and bondage | Skt. pati (Lord), pāśa (bond) | Śiva (pati), bondage (pāśa) – classical Śaiva triad |
| உபநிடம் | upaṇiṭam | Upaniṣad – secret teaching | Skt. upaniṣad | Spiritual core teaching; yoga of wisdom |
| சச்சிதானந்த | saccitānanta | Being-Consciousness-Bliss | Skt. sat, cit, ānanda | Ultimate reality in Advaita & Siddha cosmology |
🔍 Line-by-Line Literal Translation & Hidden Meaning
Tamil Line:
பஞ்ச நாதாக்களுந்தேசமறிக
pañca nātākkaḷum dēśam aṟika
Literal: May the five nāda-sounds reveal the inner geography (deśa).
Paripāṣai: The five primal nāda vibrations represent the five internal energies or five subtle elements (pañca tanmātra) that when activated, reveal the siddha’s inner temple — the suṣumnā nāḍī’s secret space.
Tamil Line:
ஆதியந்த பூரணமாய்ச் சுழியாய் நின்ற
ādi anta pūraṇamāy cuḻiyāy niṉṟa
Literal: The One who stands as the spiral that is beginningless, endless, and complete.
Paripāṣai: Kuṇḍalinī Śakti is being praised here – She who coils and uncoils in the suṣumnā nāḍī beyond time and completion.
Tamil Line:
அமர்ந்த சுழிமூல கணபதியே போற்றி
amarnta cuḻimūla gaṇapatiyē pōṟṟi
Literal: Praise to Gaṇapati seated at the root of the spiral.
Paripāṣai: Gaṇeśa as the Guardian of Mūlādhāra — the initiator of inner awakening, the remover of granthis (knots).
Tamil Line:
நாதமறையோர் களானுமைக்குச் சொன்ன
nātam aṟaiyōr kaḷānumaikku c conṉa
Literal: Who revealed nāda wisdom to the sage-seers and Śakti Uma.
Paripāṣai: The Guru who brings down the nāda (sound knowledge) to the siddhas and into Śakti Herself — showing the balance of jñāna and śakti.
Tamil Line:
ஞான கருக்குருவினிட ரவியே போற்றி
ñāṉa karukkuṟuvi niṭa raviyē pōṟṟi
Literal: Praise to the Sun who shines in the seed-womb of the Jñāna-Guru.
Paripāṣai: Bindu-sūrya or tattvajñāna — the radiant light hidden within the Guru’s subtle transmission, the spiritual sūrya implanted in the disciple’s kuṇḍa.
Tamil Line:
நீதிமதிரே சகமாய் பூரகமாய் நின்ற
nīti matirē sakamāy pūragamāy niṉṟa
Literal: Who stood as justice-intelligence, as inhalation, as breath drawn inward.
Paripāṣai: Divine prāṇa becomes sattvic buddhi (mati); the Guru who aligns breath with dharma and wisdom — a spiritual prāṇāyāma.
Tamil Line:
நிகழ்ந்த பதிபாச உபநிடமே போற்றி
niṟanta patipāca upaṇiṭamē pōṟṟi
Literal: Praise to the Upaniṣad where Lord and Bondage are transcended.
Paripāṣai: Ultimate tattva jñāna — where pati (Śiva), paśu (soul), and pāśa (bondage) are integrated and dissolved in Self-knowledge.
Tamil Line:
சாதிபலவுயிரெறும்பு சிவமே யான
சச்சிதானந்த பரிபூரணமே போற்றி.
cāti palavuyir eṟumpu civamē yāṉa
saccitānanta paripūraṇamē pōṟṟi.
Literal: Praise to Śiva — the all-pervading fullness of Sat-Cit-Ānanda, present even in the many jīvas, even an ant.
Paripāṣai: The jñāni sees Śiva in all — from ant to Brahman. This is the culmination of Siddha vision: advaita within diversity, unity within the segmented varṇa system (cāti).
🧘♀️ Philosophical, Yogic, and Alchemical Significance
| Concept | Verse Reference | Siddha Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Kuṇḍalinī | “சுழியாய் நின்ற” | Coiled energy represented as spiral (cuḻi); unfolding through tapas. |
| Nāḍī | “சுழிமூல” | Suṣumnā Nāḍī, rooted at Mūlādhāra, protected by Gaṇapati. |
| Cakra | Mūlādhāra | Gaṇapati’s seat; initiation point of siddha yogic ascent. |
| Pañcakōśa | “சகமாய் பூரகமாய்” | Breath-body (prāṇamaya kośa) activated through conscious inhalation. |
| Vāyu | Sakam/Pūrakam | Control of vāyu brings inner stillness and access to spiritual perception. |
| Tapas | “கருக்குரு” | Spiritual pregnancy – tapas as maturation of seed of knowledge. |
| Jñāna | “ஞான கருக்குரு” | The Guru as radiant source of jñāna who implants divine insight. |
| Siddhi | “அபானமாகி” (implicit) | Siddhi attained through prāṇic control and surrender to Guru’s upadeśa. |
| Rasavāda | “சச்சிதானந்த” | Blissful nectar (ānanda) — the taste of realization permeating all beings. |
✍️ Literary Features and Poetic Devices
- Alliteration: “ச” sound repeated in “சுழி…சுழிமூல…சச்சிதானந்த” evokes spiraling rhythm, mirroring kuṇḍalinī motion.
- Sound Symmetry: Alternating long and short meter mirrors breath rhythm (sakam/pūrakam).
- Numerology: “pañca nāda” — implicit reference to fivefold manifestation (pañca bhūta, pañca vāyu, pañca kośa).
- Twilight Language: Upaṇiṭam not merely book but experiential upaniṣad — wisdom descending via inner hearing (nāda).
- Siddha Symbolism: Karukkuruvi = womb-bird = Guru implanting wisdom in disciple’s inner body.
🌺 Overall Summary and Core Teaching of the Verse
This opening verse of Ñāṉa Kāvyam 1000 is a grand invocatory hymn saluting the Siddha vision of inner reality. It praises Gaṇapati, not as a mythic deity alone, but as the guardian of kuṇḍalinī and the root sound of awakening in the mūlādhāra. The verse threads together Nāda Yoga, Jñāna Yoga, and Rasa Yoga — describing the Guru as the womb-sower of divine light, aligning inhalation with sattvic intelligence, and culminating in the realization that Śiva is the One Sat-Cit-Ānanda present in all beings — even an ant. It invites the aspirant into a sacred spiral of ascent, where mantra, breath, and silence reveal the hidden upaṇiṣadic truth, not in words but in experience.
