🕉 Original Tamil Verse
காபபாகுங் காவியந்தான் பரமெய்ஞ்ஞானங்
கற்பமுண்ணுஞ் சிவயோகங் கடந்த பண்போர்
மூப்பாகு மருளொன்றாய்ப் பொருளொன்றாக
முணர்ந்த முன்னோர் குணமூன்றால் மதியேகண்டு
தப்பில்லா சாயுச்சிய பதவியாலே
சதாசிவத்தோடடை வருந்தான் சைதன்யமாக
எப்போதுஞ் சடலமதுக் கழிவில்லாதால்
யெடுத்துரைத் தாரீசனுமைக்கியம்பினாரே.
🔡 IAST Transliteration (ISO 15919)
kāpapākuṅ kāviyantāṉ parameyññāṉaṅ
kaṟpamuṇṇuñ civayōkaṅ kaṭanta paṇpōr
mūppāku maruloṉṟāyp poruloṉṟāka
muṇarnta muṉṉōr kuṇamūṉṟāl matiyēkaṇṭu
tappillā cāyucciya pataviyālē
catācivattōṭaṭai varuntāṉ caitanyamāka
eppōtuñ caṭalamatu kaḻivillātāl
yeṭutturai ttārīcaṉumaikkiyampinārē.
📘 Word-by-Word Meaning and Etymology Table
| Tamil Word | IAST Transliteration | Lexical Meaning (Tamil Lexicon) | Etymology / Sanskrit Root | Siddha/Tantric Connotation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| காபபாகும் | kāpapākuṅ | Preserving and dissolving | Tamil kāppu (protect), pāku (boil/melt) | The twin functions of Grace – maintenance and dissolution |
| காவியம் | kāviyam | Epic, scripture, grand poem | Skt. kāvya | Divine narrative; siddha gnosis in poetic form |
| பரமெய்ஞ்ஞானம் | param-eyññāṉam | Supreme true knowledge | Skt. parama + jñāna | Final Self-knowledge, experiential realization |
| சிவயோகம் | civayōkam | Śiva yoga – union with Śiva | Skt. śiva + yoga | The highest yoga of Śiva consciousness |
| கடந்த | kaṭanta | Surpassed, transcended | Tamil kaṭa (cross over) | Going beyond dualities, senses, mind |
| பண்போர் | paṇpōr | Noble ones, those with refined qualities | Tamil paṇpu (quality) + ōr (people) | Realized siddhas; jñānīs |
| மூப்பாகு | mūppāku | Becomes old, decays | Tamil mūppu (old age) | Passage of time, bodily decay |
| மருள் | maruḷ | Delusion, ignorance | Tamil origin | Avidyā; veiling principle |
| பொருள் | poruḷ | Truth, meaning, object | Tamil; Skt. artha | Ultimate reality, Brahman |
| முன்னோர் | muṉṉōr | Ancients, seers, Siddhas | Tamil muṉ (before) + ōr (people) | Siddha lineage; jñānis who walked before |
| குணமூன்று | kuṇamūṉṟu | Three qualities – guṇas | Skt. guṇa (quality) + tri = three | Sattva, rajas, tamas |
| சாயுச்சியம் | cāyucciyam | Sāyujya – state of union with God | Skt. sāyujya | Final liberation; unity with Śiva |
| சதாசிவம் | catācivam | Sadāśiva – the eternally pure Lord | Skt. sadā + śiva | The fifth tattva in Śaiva cosmology |
| சைதன்யம் | caitanyam | Pure consciousness | Skt. cit → caitanya | Self-aware consciousness; non-dual being |
| சடலம் | caṭalam | Physical body | Tamil origin | The ephemeral body in contrast to eternal Self |
| கழிவு | kaḻivu | Decay, death, dissolution | Tamil origin | Dissolution, bodily end; deathlessness here implies siddha body |
| ஈசன் | īcaṉ | Īśa, Lord, Guru | Skt. īśa | Guru who speaks truth; divine teacher (Agastya) |
| உமைக்கு | umaikku | To Uma (Goddess) | Skt. Umā | Śakti, the inner consort of knowledge |
🔍 Line-by-Line Literal Translation & Hidden Meaning (Paripāṣai)
Tamil Line:
காபபாகுங் காவியந்தான் பரமெய்ஞ்ஞானங்
kāpapākuṅ kāviyantāṉ parameyññāṉaṅ
Literal: The epic that protects and dissolves is the supreme true knowledge.
Paripāṣai: The kāviyam (divine Siddha poetry) has dual power: it preserves truth in the seeker and melts away ego or illusion (pāku). This is parama-jñāna — beyond intellect, revealed in silence or twilight speech.
Tamil Line:
கற்பமுண்ணுஞ் சிவயோகங் கடந்த பண்போர்
kaṟpamuṇṇuñ civayōkaṅ kaṭanta paṇpōr
Literal: Those refined beings who surpassed even the Śiva yoga that devours epochs.
Paripāṣai: Kaṟpam = a great age. Even time dissolves in Śiva yoga. The realized Siddhas (paṇpōr) cross even the limits of cosmic cycles — they become akālika, time-free.
Tamil Line:
மூப்பாகு மருளொன்றாய்ப் பொருளொன்றாக
mūppāku maruloṉṟāyp poruloṉṟāka
Literal: When old age (and time) and delusion become one, it is realized as One Reality.
Paripāṣai: The Siddhas see that mūppu (aging) and maruḷ (ignorance) arise from duality. When unified and transcended, only the One poruḷ (Reality) remains.
Tamil Line:
முணர்ந்த முன்னோர் குணமூன்றால் மதியேகண்டு
muṇarnta muṉṉōr kuṇamūṉṟāl matiyēkaṇṭu
Literal: The awakened ancients perceived the One Mind through the three guṇas.
Paripāṣai: The muṉṉōr (Siddhas) realized that behind guṇa-traya (sattva-rajas-tamas) is the ekamati (One Light of Mind) — the universal consciousness untouched by qualities.
Tamil Line:
தப்பில்லா சாயுச்சிய பதவியாலே
tappillā cāyucciya pataviyālē
Literal: By the faultless state of sāyujya (divine union),
Paripāṣai: Sāyujya is the final fruit of yoga — not mere proximity (sāmīpya) but identity. Here, ego and Śiva are not separate; it is tappillā (flawless, errorless).
Tamil Line:
சதாசிவத்தோடடை வருந்தான் சைதன்யமாக
catācivattōṭaṭai varuntāṉ caitanyamāka
Literal: The one who unites with Sadāśiva becomes pure Consciousness.
Paripāṣai: In Siddha cosmology, Sadāśiva is beyond thought — the penultimate tattva. Attaining this is merging into caitanya — the vibrationless Awareness.
Tamil Line:
எப்போதுஞ் சடலமதுக் கழிவில்லாதால்
eppōtuñ caṭalamatu kaḻivillātāl
Literal: Since that body never decays at any time,
Paripāṣai: The siddha’s body (caṭalam) is no longer perishable — it is transformed by caitanya. This refers to the jñānadeham — the imperishable body of light or divya śarīra.
Tamil Line:
யெடுத்துரைத் தாரீசனுமைக்கியம்பினாரே.
yeṭutturai ttārīcaṉumaikkiyampinārē
Literal: Thus did the Lord (Īśa) utter this to Umā.
Paripāṣai: This is a revelation — ārūṭha vākya. Śiva Himself speaks this truth to Umā, echoing the agamic tradition where supreme jñāna is always conferred through śakti.
🧘♀️ Philosophical, Yogic, and Alchemical Significance
| Concept | Verse Reference | Siddha Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Kuṇḍalinī | Implicit in “Sivayōkaṅ” | Śiva yoga begins from awakening of Kuṇḍalinī. |
| Nāḍī | Implied in “kaḻivillātāl” | The subtle channels are purified until the body itself transcends decay. |
| Cakra | Implied in guṇa-traya and “ekamati” | Mastery of lower cakras leads to realization of One Mind. |
| Pañcakōśa | “poruloṉṟāka”, “caitanyamāka” | Moving from annamaya to caitanya — final absorption. |
| Vāyu | Present in the preservation/dissolution (kāpapāku) | Siddhas control prāṇa perfectly. |
| Tapas | “kaṭanta paṇpōr” | Yogis who surpass cosmic time through tapas. |
| Jñāna | “parameyññāṉaṅ”, “meyññāṉam” | Supreme experiential knowledge beyond books. |
| Siddhi | “kaḻivillātāl” | Attainment of a deathless body — kāya siddhi. |
| Rasavāda | “kāviyantāṉ” | The spiritual epic is a rasa-text – nectar of supreme truth. |
✍️ Literary Features and Poetic Devices
- Alliteration & Sound Echo: Use of “kā”, “mu”, “ca” — harmonically unites preservation (kāppu) with causality (kāraṇa).
- Paronomasia (Pun): kāviyam means epic but also refers to inner poetic rasa.
- Symmetrical Structure: Begins with knowledge (parama-jñāna), ends with its divine revelation (Īśa–Umā dialogue).
- Philosophical Embedding: Guṇa-traya → ekamati → sāyujya → caitanya → siddha–deha.
- Spiritual Dramaturgy: Narrative tone resembles śruti — where a secret is overheard between Lord and Śakti.
🌺 Overall Summary and Core Teaching of the Verse
This verse from the Ñāṉa Kāvyam reveals the highest Siddha view of liberation: that the poetic scripture itself is not mere word, but a living fire (kāviyam) that protects and dissolves the ego, and leads the aspirant toward supreme true knowledge (parama-jñāna). The Siddhas are praised — those who transcend even time itself and, through the dissolution of guṇas and ignorance, realize the One Truth (poruḷ). Through this realization, they attain sāyujya with Sadāśiva, becoming caitanya-svarūpa (pure consciousness) and transcend bodily decay. The verse ends as a divine revelation — a teaching whispered by Īśvara to Umā, continuing the unbroken transmission of tattva-jñāna through sacred poetic speech.
