1. Original Tamil Verse
கண்டேனே கருவி பஞ்ச நூல்தான் அப்பா
காவலனே வாத காவியந்தான் ஒன்று –
விண்டேனே ஞான காவியந்தான் ஒன்று
வித்தகனே பூரண காவியந்தான் ஒன்று –
வெண்டமிழாம் இலட்சண காவியந்தான் ஒன்று
வெளியான மாந்திரிக காவியந்தான் ஒன்று
கெண்டமுடன் அடியேனு பாடி வைத்தேன்
ஊலைந்தாமே மையர் பாதம் தேற்றமுடன்.
2. IAST Transliteration (ISO 15919)
kaṇṭēṉē karuvi pañca nūltāṉ appā
kāvalanē vāta kāviyantāṉ oṉṟu –
viṇṭēṉē ñāṉa kāviyantāṉ oṉṟu
vittakaṉē pūraṇa kāviyantāṉ oṉṟu –
veṇṭamiḻām ilaṭcaṇa kāviyantāṉ oṉṟu
veḷiyāṉa māntirika kāviyantāṉ oṉṟu
keṇṭamuṭaṉ aṭiyēṉu pāṭi vaittēṉ
ūlaintāmē maiyar pātam tēṟṟamuṭaṉ.
3. Word-by-Word Meaning with Etymology Table
| Tamil Word | IAST | Lexical Meaning | Etymology / Sanskrit Root | Siddha/Tantric Connotation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| கண்டேனே | kaṇṭēṉē | I have seen | kaṇṭu (see) + ēṉē (indeed I) | Realization through direct yogic vision (pratyakṣa jñāna) |
| கருவி | karuvi | Instrument, tool, means | Tamil karuvi (tool/instrument) | Yogic tools, sādhanā-śakti, mantra as ‘device’ |
| பஞ்ச நூல் | pañca nūl | Five texts | pañca (five) + nūl (text/scripture) | The five kāvyas of Agastya tradition |
| காவலனே | kāvalanē | O protector! | kāvalan (guardian) | Lord, possibly Agastya or divine guardian of Siddha Vidyā |
| வாத காவியம் | vāta kāviyam | Vāta Kāvyam | vāta (air/element) + kāviyam | Doctrine of vāyu, elemental theory, Siddha alchemy |
| ஞான காவியம் | ñāṉa kāviyam | Jñāna Kāvyam | jñāna (knowledge) + kāviyam | Doctrine of Self-realization, metaphysical wisdom |
| பூரண காவியம் | pūraṇa kāviyam | Pūrṇa Kāvyam | pūrṇa (complete) + kāviyam | Integrative yoga, union of all limbs of siddha sādhanā |
| இலட்சண காவியம் | ilaṭcaṇa kāviyam | Lakṣaṇa Kāvyam (Grammar-based poetic text) | lakṣaṇa (mark/grammar) + kāviyam | Siddha grammatical code, sonic precision, mantra-sūtra system |
| மாந்திரிக காவியம் | māntirika kāviyam | Māntrika Kāvyam | māntrika (mantric) + kāviyam | Siddha mantra śāstra and sūkṣma nyāsa encoded poetry |
| வெளியான | veḷiyāṉa | Transcendent, revealed | veḷi (space/outer) + āṉa (being) | Comes from beyond the mind – supramental revelation |
| கெண்டமுடன் | keṇṭamuṭaṉ | With certainty, without doubt | keṇṭam (certainty) + uṭaṉ (with) | Clear vision, no ambiguity – siddhi-born clarity |
| அடியேன் | aṭiyēṉ | I, the humble servant | aṭi (foot) + ēṉ (I) | Humble devotee, spiritual disciple |
| ஊலைந்தாமே | ūlaintāmē | The five-fold work | ūlai (composition/effort) + aintāmē | The pañca kāvyas as one unified opus |
| மையர் பாதம் | maiyar pātam | Feet of the maiyars (realized sages) | maiyar (wise, jñānis) | The guru, siddha lineage, foundational āśraya |
| தேற்றமுடன் | tēṟṟamuṭaṉ | With clarity and firmness | tēṟṟam (clarity) + uṭaṉ (with) | Steadfast understanding, inner conviction in realization |
4. Line-by-Line Literal Translation
1.
கண்டேனே கருவி பஞ்ச நூல்தான் அப்பா
kaṇṭēṉē karuvi pañca nūltāṉ appā
O dear! I have directly seen the instrumental five texts.
2.
காவலனே வாத காவியந்தான் ஒன்று
kāvalanē vāta kāviyantāṉ oṉṟu
O protector! One is the Vāta Kāvyam.
3.
விண்டேனே ஞான காவியந்தான் ஒன்று
viṇṭēṉē ñāṉa kāviyantāṉ oṉṟu
I have discovered – one is the Jñāna Kāvyam.
4.
வித்தகனே பூரண காவியந்தான் ஒன்று
vittakaṉē pūraṇa kāviyantāṉ oṉṟu
O wise one! One is the Pūrṇa Kāvyam.
5.
வெண்டமிழாம் இலட்சண காவியந்தான் ஒன்று
veṇṭamiḻām ilaṭcaṇa kāviyantāṉ oṉṟu
One is the Lakṣaṇa Kāvyam, in pure Tamil.
6.
வெளியான மாந்திரிக காவியந்தான் ஒன்று
veḷiyāṉa māntirika kāviyantāṉ oṉṟu
One is the Māntrika Kāvyam, revealed from beyond.
7.
கெண்டமுடன் அடியேனு பாடி வைத்தேன்
keṇṭamuṭaṉ aṭiyēṉu pāṭi vaittēṉ
With certainty, I the humble servant have sung and set them down.
8.
ஊலைந்தாமே மையர் பாதம் தேற்றமுடன்
ūlaintāmē maiyar pātam tēṟṟamuṭaṉ
These five compositions are placed at the feet of the jñānis with clarity.
5. Metaphoric or Hidden Meaning (Paripāṣai / குறிக்கோள்)
This verse outlines the Pañca Kāvyam (Fivefold Epic) as five vibrational scriptures revealed by the Siddha, each representing an axis of cosmic wisdom:
- Vāta Kāvyam: Mastery of vāyu tattva – alchemy, element transmutation, and prāṇa vāyu control.
- Jñāna Kāvyam: The transcendental siddha-jñāna teaching – light of supreme Self.
- Pūrṇa Kāvyam: Integrative path combining all limbs (aṣṭāṅga yoga) – sādhana to siddhi.
- Lakṣaṇa Kāvyam: The grammar of mantra – rules of poetic meter, phoneme, and akṣara–śakti.
- Māntrika Kāvyam: Twilight language scripture encoding mantra sūkṣma, nyāsa, cakra-jñāna.
Each is not just literary, but tantric and yogic manuals encoded in Tamil verse. The seer-siddha claims direct sūkṣma-darśana (subtle vision) of these kāvyas, and presents them as offerings at the feet of realized sages (maiyars).
6. Philosophical, Yogic, or Alchemical Significance
| Concept | Mapping from Verse |
|---|---|
| Kuṇḍalinī Awakening | Through Pūrṇa Kāvyam (integration of siddha śakti) |
| Nāḍī / Vāyu Systems | Through Vāta Kāvyam (vāta tattva, prāṇa control) |
| Cakra & Nyāsa | Through Māntrika Kāvyam (cakra-based mantra placement) |
| Pañcakōśa | Five kāvyas = teachings across annamaya to ānandamaya kośa |
| Tapas & Siddhi | Realization of all five through tapas (kaṇṭēṉē, viṇṭēṉē) |
| Rasavāda | Literary rasa arises from Lakṣaṇa Kāvyam; inner rasa from Jñāna Kāvyam |
7. Literary Features and Poetic Devices
- Refrain device: Each kāvya introduced with “…தான் ஒன்று” (that is one), giving poetic rhythm and count.
- Triadic invocation: kāvalanē – viṇṭēṉē – vittakanē – shows levels of engagement: protection, discovery, insight.
- Pañca Structuring: Strong structural use of 5 – anchoring the siddha vision of the elemental or cosmic model.
8. Overall Summary and Core Teaching
This verse acts as a declaration and dedication: the siddha-poet, through yogic insight and tapas, has directly perceived the Fivefold Kāvyas – not merely as literary works, but as mantric codes of cosmic transformation. Each kāvyam represents a siddhi-path: from breath (vāta), knowledge (jñāna), integrality (pūrṇa), vibration (lakṣaṇa), to mantra (māntrika). The seer asserts that he has faithfully sung and offered them to the lineage of maiyars (illumined beings), anchoring his realization in reverent humility and spiritual clarity. The verse functions both as a summary index and a guru-dakṣiṇā
