Om… Om… Om…
Bestow upon me the boon of immortality and supreme wisdom,
The divine power of Shiva’s consort,
The miraculous, infinite mystic powers and bliss,
Let them rise above all delusions, granting rare strength and might.
Let them surge forth in complete form, overflowing,
Surpassing the Vedas and fulfilling the Agamas,
Beyond all knowledge, in the center of the grand assembly,
Where the celestial dance of true wisdom unfolds.
O nectar of pure existence-consciousness-bliss!
O nectar of the supreme divine grace shining in the ether of truth!
O blissful nectar, O nectar of radiant grace,
O nectar of the infinite, eternal principle!
O purest nectar that grants the nine supreme states!
O nectar of the boundless state of Shiva!
O nectar of immeasurable compassion and divine merit!
O celestial nectar, the untouchable grandeur of the Supreme Lord!
Within, without, within-without, and beyond,
You flourish in all four directions as the supreme nectar!
O primordial, boundless nectar that dissolves all coldness!
O infinite nectar, the supreme essence of Chidambaram!
Even if the entire universe consumes You, You remain inexhaustible!
O wondrous nectar, the immeasurable divine abundance!
(Agaval: Verses 1255-1290)
I desire nothing else but for all beings to attain the nectar of Shiva’s grace and become one with Shiva.
O my Supreme Guru of Para Shiva!
Guru, I surrender at Your feet… Guru, may You live long… Guru, You are my refuge!
We extend our humble salutations and blessings to all the seekers of wisdom—those wise birds eagerly waiting to taste the nectar of knowledge by joining our “Seed Within the Seed” platform.
Today, we will be discussing the profound wisdom found in the hymn “Thiruvarutperu”, which was graciously composed by Vallalar in the sixth Thirumurai of Thiruvarutpa.
Come, let us engage in this enlightening conversation with joy!
O Lord who understands the movements of celestial bodies,
Who assists by knowing the unspoken thoughts of great sages,
O generous One, ever bound to the divine creeper of Sivakama,
O Supreme Ruler, who has graciously accepted me, knowing my soul!
O my nectar! O radiant, supreme light that dances in the Hall of Chidambaram!
I have realized the truth of Your sacred feet; Your coming is certain—yes, it is (3787)
The great Lord of generosity, who understands the principles of the path of divine light and guides sincere seekers along this path, recognizes the thoughts and intentions of enlightened sages and fulfills their needs with grace. O Lord, the beloved consort of Sivakami, the divine creeper of Uma Devi! You, who have accepted me in this world after understanding my sincerity, are my nectar, my sweetness! O radiant divine light, dancing in ecstasy in the Hall of Chidambaram! I have realized Your sacred feet through my spiritual practices, and this is the ultimate truth. Therefore, Your divine arrival is indeed certain; I have no doubt about it. I wish to know the auspicious day of Your arrival. If not in my waking state, at least reveal it to me in my dreams, O Supreme Light of Grace!
Those who undertake deep spiritual penance and attain supreme wisdom, realizing and experiencing the divine in blissful ecstasy, need not even ask for their needs—God, in His infinite compassion, understands and fulfills their inner and outer requirements on His own. This is why He is referred to as the great benefactor of wisdom (Gnana Vallal). In this hymn, Vallalar conveys this profound truth.
Vallalar also emphasizes that it is only through intense spiritual effort (tapas) that one can perceive and realize the divine feet of the Lord. Without devotion and effort, divine realization is not possible.
The goddess residing in the temple of Chidambaram is commonly referred to as Sivakami, Sivakama Kodi, or Sivakamavalli in the traditions of our ancestors. But what is Thillai, and what is Sivakama Kodi? Thillai refers to the sacred place where the divine Chitsabai (Hall of Consciousness) is located. The Chitsabai is within us, radiating light from our spiritual core. The one who moves as the divine vibration within this light is Sivakami, the embodiment of Nada Shakti (the energy of divine sound).
Nada (divine sound) is always in motion, existing as a blissful force. If Light (Jyoti) represents Shiva, then the vibrations of that light represent Shakti, or Uma Devi. This is why our enlightened sages and Siddhars have said that Shiva and Shakti are inseparable. Therefore, the ever-moving divine force residing within the sacred Chitsabai of Thillai is none other than Sivakama Kodi.
It is the divine play (Tiruvilaiyadal) of Lord Shiva to seek out and uplift those souls who are worthy of receiving wisdom. This is expressed in the line: “Aal arinthu ingu enai aanda arase” (O Lord, who recognized and accepted me!). The same sentiment is echoed in a verse by Gnanasambandar:
“To those who seek divine grace, the Lord bestows His blessings, and His supreme presence is beyond words.”
The Meaning of ‘Ambalam’ (Sacred Hall)
Do you know what Ambalam truly means, O seekers of wisdom?
Let’s break down the word Ambalam:
- A is the first letter of the Tamil alphabet, representing life force (Uyir), associated with the right sacred foot of the Lord.
- M is the 10th letter in the Tamil consonant series (Mei Eluththu), representing Makara, the third divine foot, also signifying the third eye.
- Pa can be split into P + A. P is the 9th consonant, and A is the first vowel. When 9 and 1 are combined, they make 10, again representing Makara (the divine foot).
- L is the 13th consonant, aligning with the fourth stage of wisdom—Sariya (disciplinary practice).
Thus, the combination of A, M, and Pa signifies the sequential stages leading to enlightenment.
The 14th stage is Kriya (ritual practice),
The 15th stage is Yoga,
The 16th and final stage is Gnana (ultimate wisdom).
Furthermore, when Am is split as A + M,
- A represents Uyir (life force),
- M represents the Nada (sacred vibration).
Thus, Am signifies the divine essence of both life and sound.
The fact that the word Ambalam contains Am twice, with Pa in between (representing Makara, the divine foot), signifies that to attain the essence of life and its sacred vibration, one must grasp the divine foot (Makara), which is the third eye. This clearly proves that Ambalam refers to the divine process of realizing the soul’s life force and sacred vibration, leading to the ultimate vision of Lord Shiva.
In essence, Ambalam represents the realization of our soul’s true essence and its divine vibration.
Additionally,
- Am symbolizes the sacred Omkara (Aum), the cosmic sound.
- PaLam represents wisdom (Gnana), the state of enlightenment.
Thus, the union of Omkara and Gnana forms the sacred space known as Ambalam.
The moment you spoke to me that day,
I remember it well, O Lord, I say.
Yet, though I am your humble devotee,
My mind wavers, restless and free.
O King, O sugarcane sweet to see,
Why does my heart still trouble me?
Let my worries fade, my sorrows cease,
Let joy surge forth in waves of peace.
Among the pure souls shining bright,
May Your divine presence bring forth light.
Today, reveal Yourself to me, I pray,
Rise within my heart without delay,
And bless me, Lord, in every way.(3788)
The sugarcane has nodes. The word “nodes” can be broken down as “k + anu.” The letter “k” is the first consonant in Tamil, and “a” is the first vowel. This signifies the union of the body and soul. In this context, “body” also means the physical form, and the combination of body and soul represents a fundamental entity. This entity is found in the black flower.
The word “karumbu” (sugarcane) can be split into “karumai + poo,” meaning “a flower of dark hue.” The true essence of this dark-colored flower lies in the divine feet of the Lord. O Lord, who resides in such a sacred form, I still remember what You told me that day. If You were to forget Your words, my heart would be deeply troubled, like a mother cow that has lost its calf.
Let the flood of Your divine grace overflow, and may the hearts of Your true devotees, the virtuous souls of this world, be filled with bliss. I plead for You to reveal Yourself at this very moment, to rise and manifest in the sacred lotus of my heart, and to bless me without delay.
Vallalar refers to the “lotus of the heart” in this verse. The term “irudaya malar” (heart-lotus) symbolizes the two sacred dawns—”iru-udayam” (two risings). These two risings refer to the two divine feet visible on our face. Since only the feet of the Lord can be compared to flowers, we can conclude that the “lotus” here metaphorically represents His divine feet.
This is the moment—the time for our Lord to manifest!
There are no more obstacles before us, my heart, behold!
Do not waver like a bee-drunk leaf,
Do not wither, do not falter, but bloom in joy!
From this moment, bliss begins, never to diminish,
For this is the command of our great divine Guru,
The decree of our noble lineage’s deity!
The virtuous one, who dances in the sacred halls,
Has spoken to me within—
And these are His sacred, golden words! (3789)
O my heart, this is the moment when the Divine manifests within us, the time when He takes us into His fold. At this very moment, there are no obstacles preventing the Lord from embracing us. Therefore, do not waver like a fly caught in honey, do not weaken or wither, do not grieve or despair. Instead, let your face bloom with joy, let your soul blossom like the sacred lotus of His feet, and remain in bliss. From this moment onward, there shall be no shortcomings for us—realize this and revel in divine ecstasy!
I swear upon the Guru who bestows wisdom upon us. I swear upon the Divine Lord, who dwells within our very life force as the supreme deity of our noble lineage. I swear upon the sacred hall within our minds—Chidambaram, the cosmic dance stage of the Lord, where He forever performs His celestial dance. The words He has spoken are sacred words, golden words—realize this truth with clarity and conviction.
Through this luminous knowledge that reveals our inner self, we come to understand who we truly are. In response to the eternal question, “Who are you?”—we realize that the answer is the very essence of life itself. By contemplating this, by continuously unraveling its depths, we can immerse ourselves in boundless and everlasting bliss.
Let us continue to reflect; let us engage in enlightened discourse; let us unite in divine conversations.
From the sacred assembly of Brahma Jnana, in the lineage of the Gurus, this is the voice of your Rudra Shivata.
May all beings live in bliss!
Tiru Chitrambalam!
