1. Original Tamil Verse
நூலான காவியமாம் பஞ்சகாவியம்
நுணுக்கமுள்ள காவியமாம் நான்காம் போதம் –
பாலான பனுவலது பஞ்ச சூத்திரம்
பாடி வைத்தேன் தென் பொதிகை சார்பிலப்பா
காலான நூலறிந்து சடக்கறிந்து
காசினியில்நாதாக்கள் மறைத்ததெல்லாம்
சூலான சூலுக்குள்ளாருங்காணார்
சூட்சமுடனடியேனுங்கண்டிட்டேனே.
2. IAST Transliteration (ISO 15919)
nūlāṉa kāviyamām pañcakāviyam
nuṇukkamuḷḷa kāviyamām nāṉkām pōtam –
pālāṉa paṉuvalatu pañca sūttiram
pāṭi vaittēṉ teṉ potikai cārpilappā
kālāṉa nūlaṟintu caṭakkaṟintu
kāciṉiyil nātākkaḷ maṟaittateḷḷām
cūlāṉa cūl ukkuḷḷāruṅkāṇār
cūṭcamuṭaṉ aṭiyēṉuṅkaṇṭiṭṭēṉē.
3. Word-by-Word Meaning with Etymology Table
| Tamil Word | IAST | Lexical Meaning (TL) | Etymology / Sanskrit Root | Siddha/Tantric Connotation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| நூலான | nūlāṉa | That which is scripture-based | nūl (scripture) + āṉa (being) | Refers to śāstraic or mantric text |
| காவியமாம் | kāviyamām | Which is kāvya (poetic epic) | kāviyam (poem) | Mantra-encoded siddha epic |
| பஞ்சகாவியம் | pañcakāviyam | Fivefold kāvya | pañca (five) + kāviyam | Refers to the 5 siddha kāvyas: வாத, வைத்ய, ஞான, இலட்சண, மாந்திரீக |
| நுணுக்கமுள்ள | nuṇukkamuḷḷa | Subtle and refined | nuṇukku (subtlety) | Esoteric meanings beyond literal reading |
| நான்காம் போதம் | nāṉkām pōtam | Fourth section | nāṉkām (fourth) + pōtam (chapter/part) | Indicates progression in spiritual teaching |
| பாலான | pālāṉa | Tender, nourishing | pāl (milk) + āṉa (being) | Suitable for beginners, nourishing knowledge |
| பனுவல் | paṉuval | Poetic composition (Paṇuval) | Classical Tamil literary term | Poeticized śāstra – mārgic and mantric |
| பஞ்ச சூத்திரம் | pañca sūttiram | Five sutras | pañca (five) + sūttiram (sutra) | Foundational mystical aphorisms |
| பாடி வைத்தேன் | pāṭi vaittēṉ | I sang and placed it | pāṭi (sang) + vaittēṉ (placed) | Encoded as vibrational transmission |
| தென்பொதிகை சார்பு | teṉpotikai cārpu | Affiliation to Southern Podhigai | teṉ (south) + potikai (hill) | Rooted in Agastya Siddha lineage |
| காலான | kālāṉa | Of Time; related to Kāla | kāla (Skt. time) | Knowledge of Time = Siddha astrology & fate |
| சடக்கறிந்து | caṭakkaṟintu | Knowing the rituals | caṭam (ritual) + aṟintu (knowing) | Inner kriyā, yoga procedures |
| காசினியில் | kāciṉiyil | In the world (on Earth) | kāciṉi (earth/world) | Manifested plane of bhū-loka |
| நாதாக்கள் | nātākkaḷ | Lords; deities | nāta (nātha = lord) | Siddhas, Gurus, Yogic beings |
| மறைத்ததெல்லாம் | maṟaittateḷḷām | All that was concealed | maṟaittal (concealment) | Hidden esoteric truths |
| சூலான | cūlāṉa | Fierce, sharp (also could mean trident-associated) | cūlam (trident) | Trika symbolism, śakti-triśūla |
| சூலுக்குள்ளார் | cūl ukkuḷḷār | Those within the trident | cūlam + uḷḷār (inside dwellers) | Those embedded in the threefold bondage |
| காணார் | kāṇār | Cannot see | kāṇ (see) + ār (they) | Blind to subtle dimensions |
| சூட்சமுடனடியேன் | cūṭcamuṭaṉ aṭiyēṉ | With subtlety, I the humble servant | cūṭcam (subtlety) + aṭiyēṉ (servant) | Refers to yogic perception, inner subtle vision |
| கண்டிட்டேனே | kaṇṭiṭṭēṉē | I have seen and experienced | kaṇṭu (see) + iṭṭēṉē (I did indeed) | Yogic or pratyakṣa realization |
4. Line-by-Line Literal Translation
1.
நூலான காவியமாம் பஞ்சகாவியம்
nūlāṉa kāviyamām pañcakāviyam
The poetic scripture, the fivefold kāvya,
2.
நுணுக்கமுள்ள காவியமாம் நான்காம் போதம்
nuṇukkamuḷḷa kāviyamām nāṉkām pōtam
A subtle kāvya, this is the fourth section.
3.
பாலான பனுவலது பஞ்ச சூத்திரம்
pālāṉa paṉuvalatu pañca sūttiram
A nourishing poetic form containing five foundational sūtras.
4.
பாடி வைத்தேன் தென்பொதிகை சார்பிலப்பா
pāṭi vaittēṉ teṉpotikai cārpilappā
I have sung and embedded it in the tradition of Southern Podhigai, O dear.
5.
காலான நூலறிந்து சடக்கறிந்து
kālāṉa nūlaṟintu caṭakkaṟintu
Knowing the scriptures of Time and understanding the sacred rites,
6.
காசினியில்நாதாக்கள் மறைத்ததெல்லாம்
kāciṉiyil nātākkaḷ maṟaittateḷḷām
All that the lords of this world have hidden away,
7.
சூலான சூலுக்குள்ளாருங்காணார்
cūlāṉa cūl ukkuḷḷāruṅkāṇār
The fierce ones dwelling within the trident cannot perceive it.
8.
சூட்சமுடனடியேனுங்கண்டிட்டேனே
cūṭcamuṭaṉ aṭiyēṉuṅkaṇṭiṭṭēṉē
But I, the humble one, have perceived it with subtle vision.
5. Metaphoric or Hidden Meaning (Paripāṣai / குறிக்கோள்)
- “Pañcakāviyam” symbolizes the five pillars of Siddha wisdom—each a dimension of yogic, medical, grammatical, metaphysical, and mantric knowledge.
- The “five sūtras” are esoteric axioms or bija teachings that serve as keys to unlock hidden siddhi.
- “Tirupādaiyāl pāṭi vaittēṉ” – through mantric song, the Siddha preserves, transmits and conceals.
- “Nāthākkaḷ maṟaittateḷḷām” – all divine beings or Siddhas who concealed knowledge for the worthy; the poet hints he has been initiated into those veiled secrets.
- “Cūl ukkuḷḷār” – refers to people trapped in the threefold trident of bondage: āṇava (ego), karma, and māyā – they cannot perceive the subtle truth.
- The speaker, by saying “aṭiyēṉ”, identifies as a devoted initiate, who has gained access through tapas and guru-kripa.
6. Philosophical, Yogic, or Alchemical Significance
| Theme | Significance |
|---|---|
| Kuṇḍalinī | The “pañca sūtra” likely encode cakra-based unfoldment techniques |
| Nāḍī / Vāyu | “Subtlety” (sūkṣma) points to nāḍī-jñāna; breath-based inner revelation |
| Cakra | The trident (śūla) symbolizes iḍā–piṅgalā–suṣumnā dynamic |
| Tapas | Deep study, song, and vision earned through yogic austerity |
| Jñāna | Siddha-vision (jñāna-dṛṣṭi) overcomes external ignorance |
| Siddhi | Seeing what others cannot see – core siddhi of sūkṣma-darśana |
| Rasavāda | The five sūtras may be nāda–bindu–rasa–śakti–mantra in code |
7. Literary Features and Poetic Devices
- Alliteration: nūlāṉa–kāviyamām, pañca–kāviyam, cūlāṉa–cūl gives rhythmic flavor.
- Numerological Symbolism: 5 (pañca) – a recurring mystical number for elements, mantras, and senses.
- Hidden structure: Uses indirect allusions (e.g., nātākkaḷ, cūl ukkuḷḷār) to indicate layers of initiatory hierarchy.
- Contrast: Between what is hidden by the powerful and what is revealed to the humble.
8. Overall Summary and Core Teaching
This verse proclaims the esoteric unveiling of the pañca sūtra-s within the Ilaṭcaṇa Kāvyam, housed in the nāṉkām pōtam (Fourth Section). The Siddha declares that although this poetic scripture appears gentle like milk (pāl), it contains piercing spiritual codes hidden by time-knowing deities and inaccessible to those trapped in the tridentic bonds of ego, karma, and illusion. Through inner refinement and Siddha affiliation to Southern Podhigai, the poet has sung these truths into being, indicating the Siddha method of mantric encoding, yogic discernment, and grace-based revelation. The essence: only those who have cultivated subtle seeing will recognize the treasure veiled in plain sight.
