TANTRA ONE
1 DIVINE INSTRUCTION
113: He Descended From Heaven and Filled Me With Grace
He come down from Heaven, clothed in body,
Karma to match, stretched forth His cool Feet of Grace, planting them firm
On my head; and lo! inside me He stood, melting my yielding heart;
And filled my eyes with peerless bliss, past all compare,
All impurity dispelled.
114: He Planted His Feet on My Heart
All impurity He shattered--our Nandi, Forehead-eyed,
Shattered to pieces before His opening Eye of Grace,
His Eye, at whose radiant light impurity quails;
So transfixed He His Coral Feet on heart of mine,
Crystal turned.
115: Pati (God), Pasu (Soul) and Pasa (World) are Eternal
They speak of the Three--Pati, Pasu and Pasa;
Beginningless as Pati, Pasu and Pasa are:
But the Pasu-Pasa nears not the Pati supreme:
Let but Pati touch! the Pasu-Pasa is as naught.
116: He Shattered Impurities Three--Egoity, Illusion and Karma
Like the spark that within the bamboo indwells,
So, Nandi Lord, from this body-temple flamed;
With sweet compassion gentler than a mother's,
He shattered the Impurities Three
And like unto the sun on the ocean of mercy arose.
117: At His Glance, Impurities Vanish
The sunstone sleeps in cotton enclosed,
The sunstone burns not the fragile stuff;
Let but the sun's rays fall! How it shrivels and flames!
Even so the impure wilts before the Lord's cathartic glance.
118: He Broke Into My Soul's Silent Depths
"All impurities we shall expell," said the Lord in Grace
And saying so, from Sadsiva of the Five Spheres came down,
In the sovereign Sabha through His Five Acts Divine,
He broke into my soul's silent depths, Knowing all.
119: He Made Sensory Consciousness Merge in God Consciousness
Consciousness hanging on to the senses five,
Knowing not its course as on deep waters drifting,--
Consciousness sensory merging in the Consciousness deep,--
Thus He pointed the Way,--He, the Guru Supreme.
120: He Roasted the Seeds of Recurring Births
Like unto the swan that from milk the water parts,
So the Lord, Himself, alone, in this Sabha unique,
Grasped the senses many that scorch like fire,
And thus the Seven Births unto roasted seeds rendered.
121: Sivayogins Attain Turiya State in Mortal Body
Sivayogins are they that the seed destroy,
Who, in waking state, the pure awareness induce;
Who in harmony unbroken, achieve the tranced breath,
When life, senses, body--alike simulate death.
122: Sivayoga is to Attain Self-Lumination
Sivayoga it is to know the Cit-Acit,
And for the Yoga-Penance qualify;
Self-light becoming Self,
To enter undeviating, His lordly domain;
He granted me this--Nandi of the Nine Yogas.
123: He Granted Me Bliss Supreme
He made me see the truth that He pervades all,
Granted me the vision of the world that even Devas know not,
The vision of the Sacred Feet in Holy Sabha's cosmic dance,
Granted me His infinite Grace and the Bliss supreme.
124: Who Are the Siva-Siddhas
Space intermingling with space,
Nectar drowning in nectar,
Light dissolving in light--
The elect are they, the Siva-Siddhas,
Who these splendid visions perceive.
125: Siddhas Ascend the Thirty-Six Tattvas
Siddhas they that Siva's world here visioned,
Nada and Nadanta deep in them realized,
The Eternal, the Pure, reposing in Bliss unalloyed,--
Thirty and Six the steps to Liberation leading.
126: They Walk Into Light of Siva
Ascending thus the steps,
Thirty and six of Freedom's ladder high,
Into the peerless Light of Bliss they walked;
And Siva, the inexplicable, they saw--
Having seen, realized and so stayed.
127: Siddhas Lose Themselves in Divine Impassivity
In Siva they remained, seeing themselves in all,
Remained thus mutely gazing at Siva's works manifold,
In silence witnessing Time's three tenses,
They remained, lost,
While Divine Impassivity spread its sable wings.
128: Nature of Divine Impassivity
In space pure is Impassivity seated,
In space pure It does repose,
Impassivity begins where Vedas end,
Who Impassivity saw, inside Vedas they slept.
129: Sleeping Still They Perceive
Sleeping, in themselves they saw Siva's World,
Sleeping, in themselves they saw Siva's Yoga,
Sleeping, in themselves they saw Siva's Bhoga,
How then describe the minds
Of those who sleeping saw?
130: As Much as You Strive, So Much is His Grace Bestowed
Even as you strive to reach Wisdom's bounds,
Even so on you, Hara, the Being First, His Grace bestows,
In Sabha unique He dances for Uma to behold.
Like a Flaming Ruby in the Flaming Sky.
131: The Glorious Beauty of Divine Dance
Inside the ruby like the emerald flaming
Inside the ruby like the emerald inset,
He dances the Holy Dance in the Sabha of purest gold
What oh the reward, to those who Him adored!
132: Attainment of Deathlessness and Birthlessness
In this world they received the Deathless Way great
In this world they attained the Birthless End great
The Gift unique of inseparateness from the Sabha pure
The ineffable rapture, the glory beyond reach of words.
133: Senses Controlled, They Saw This World and Next
Who there be who, like our Lord, distinct know
The great and the small, the difficult and the facile?
They, unto tortoise, drawing in senses five under the shell,
They heard and saw This and Next, all impurities dispelled.
134: Silentness of Waveless Thought
Like the ghee subtly latent in purest milk,
Into the waveless Thought the Lord in silentness speaks;
They who, in silentness realise, this mortal coil shuffled,
Purity they become, in Limitless Light mingling.
135: When the Five Senses Take Cit's Way, They Reach Cit
When the senses Five, sound commencing, Cit's way take,
Where shall the Cit go but to the Cit?
In space light mingles but with Light,
Note this, as doth salt in the sea vast.
136: Jiva Lies Enclosed in Siva
The fierce rays of the sun beating upon the water,
The incontained salt does in crystal shapes emerge;
Even as that salt is in the water contained,
So does Jiva in Siva lie enclosed.
137: As Atom Merges in the Vast, Jiva Merges in Siva
The tiny atom, swimming the Universe vast,
Merges in the Vast--no separate existence knows;
So the Spirit's plastic stress sweeping through bodies all,
At sight of His Holy Feet, discovers its Ancient Home.
138: Lord's Feet is the Final Refuge of Souls Illumed
The Holy Feet is Siva, if you but know,
The Holy Feet is Siva's world, if you but think,
The Holy Feet is Freedom's bliss, truth to say,
There is the final refuge for souls illumed.
139: Guru's Role in Soul's Illumination
It is but to see the Guru's Holy Form,
It is but to chant the Guru's Holy Name,
It is but to hear the Guru's Holy Word,
It is but to muse the Guru's Holy Being
--Thus it is the soul its illume receives.
140: Seek His Grace, the Senses Get Controlled
Surely then the senses five under your control come,
Surely then the senses five back to their native homes retreat,
Surely then the senses five change their course,
If, alone, you seek the sole felicity of our Lord's perfect Grace.
141: Fill Thy Thoughts With Nandi
All they see is Nandi's Holy Feet twain,
All they think is Nandi's Holy Form divine,
All they chant is Nandi's Name, I trow,
In all their thoughts Nandi's golden Words and wise.
142: Thus They Reached Heaven
Who, in their minds, kept our Nandi's Holy Name,
Nandi, Wisdom's Lord,--they holy became;
As the Lord danced, they beheld Him with eyes enthralled,
While the Vedas sang in praise,
Reached Heaven's sacred shores.
2 TRANSITORINESS OF BODY
143: Dust Into Dust-That is Body's Way
The Vessel's clay was one, but of two Karmas made,
Firm-set, until Fate its grim summons gave;
Then the rains poured and back to clay the vessel turned;
Thus countless hordes perish and pass to the grave.
144: Your Vigil and Wisdom Alone Accompany Departing Soul
This roof of delights, when by use, to pieces falls,
Wife nor children who all enjoyed follow the parting Soul
Only the holy vigils kept and wisdom gained
Remain to save--others dwindle and desert us all.
145: How Soon the Dead are Forgotten
The neighbours gathered wailing loud and long,
Denied him now a name, called him corpse,
And bore him to the burning ghat and the body burnt,
Then a ceremonial dip--and memory dies as the hours lapse.
146: When Body Roof Falls, It Falls Forever
Two pillars support this roof and one single beam,
Thirty and two the rafters extend side ways,
But as the roof above decays and breaks,
Back to its mansion the breath of life fails its way to trace.
147: Body Dead is but a Feed for Ravens
Gangrened the sore, the body that Karma shaped
Grew loose of joints, the roof's beam rotted and fell;
And with finger on nose, they bore the body dead,
A plenteous feast for the ravens to feed.
148: Death Comes Sudden
The rich repast was laid and he dined and joyed,
With damsels sweet in amorous dalliance toyed;
"A little little pain--on the left" he moaned
And laid himself to rest to be gathered to dust.
149: Pomp and Glory Lead But to the Grave
In pride of pomp a stately mansion he built,
In rage of wealth into the palanquin he stept,
In vain excess gave away largesse in crores,
But ne'er his soul sought the Lord's green retreat.
150: Alive They Embraced the Body, Dead They Consigned it to Flames
Lips met lips, bodies licked in close embrace,
And love in surfeit cloyed--then died memories long cherished,
Soon the body on bier was set while mourners mourned;
All passions spent, the body in the leaping flames perished.
151: Nothing Remains, When Life Departs
The pulse failed, the mind lost its axle-hold,
The senses five, that buttered sweets enjoyed, left their home;
The fair-eyed beloved and dear treasures remained to stay,
But the spark of life for ever quitted
The warm precincts of clay.
152: Kith and Kin Wept and Left
The roof to pieces went, the bonds of life broke loose,
The mansion's nine gates closed fast for ever and aye,
Time's painful march fast gaining apace,
One by one weeping they left him as the hours passed by.
153: Final Procession to Grave
Lord was he of our land, sole leader of our place,
Mounted now on palanquin for the ultimate journey's end;
Mourners walked behind, clashing drums beat afore;
Thus did the solemn show, in ample length, extend.
154: The Body Temple Crumbled; the Ninty-Six Tattvas Fled
The thirty and thirty and thirty-six they say,
They that behind temple walls safely dwelt,
They saw the temple walls crash and crumble,
And all alike, without a trace, thence did melt.
155: They Hurried the Body to Flames
Death strikes from life's enchanted cup
Honeyed delights of wife, cherished treasures of heart;
Kinsmen bore him on bier to the common burning ghat,
And the burden discharged hurried home,
Having done their part.
156: Coveting Riches of the Dead Some Remain Back
The body to its final fate consigned,
Friends and kinsmen all dispersed;
But some remained; long had they lusted for the dead man's wealth,
Intent on riches, men deem they could for ever hold,
Panting and pining for what they might carry by stealth.
157: They Too Finally Depart Cleansing Themselves by a Bath
Mourning friends, weeping spouse, dear children all,
They but followed him to the river's edge--not a step beyond;
Then sorrow dropped its mark, quick the pyre was lit,
Then the plunge in water, heart-whole they, graceless band.
158: When Body-Pot Breaks None Cares To Retain It
This universe entire of treasures vast compact,
The Great Potter from watery clay wrought to shape;
If the moulded pot breaks, men keep the pieces still,
But if the vital body cracks, who even a while cares it to keep?
159: Body is Burnt to Ashes; Beyond That We Know Not
Five the segments of the head, six the plaits of hair,
Thirty the joints, eighteen the sides,
Nine the roofs, fifteen the rows--
All to ashes burnt--no more we know besides.
160: Body is Karmic Fruit
Fruit of fig and seeds of green to pieces chopped,
In a pot they placed, mixed and ground to paste;
Seeds of green the fruit of fig consumed,
Loud they wailed, and bore the body in haste.
161: Body is Fragile Frame
No roofing above nor standing ground below,
Two legs to support and a central beam athwart,
Rudely thatched on top but unlined within,
An empty vessel, in Karmic garb enwrapt.
162: The Lute Lay in Dust; the Music Ceased
Deserted the banquet-hall, unlit, unadorned,
Gone the dancer's swaying shape and flashing feet;
Another song now they sang to a wailing tune,
And, seeking fire, flung the body to its consuming heat.
163: What Did the Body Leave Behind?
Three hundred days agone, the foetus emerged,
Naught remains of it now, dear friends, you know;
In twelve years' time it learned to smell the rich odours of life
At seventy it turned to dust--thus briefly ends the show.
164: Lamp Remained; Flame Died
The lamp remains but the flame is out,
Loud the fools lament but the truth ignore;
Night follows day--this they fail to grasp,
And thus immersed fall and moan,
Ever sobbing more and more.
165: Those Who Do Not Adore Lord, Lie Writhing in the Seventh Hell
While the body the Lord of blooming Konrai wrought
And Life worshipping not the Divine,
In the Seventh hell, neglected lie,
Writhing in pain and wordless agony keen,
The kith and kin, widely crying, did shout and howl and sigh.
166: Life's Procession Leads But to Grave
With horse and sword and canopy outspread,
Man fills his fugitive years with pride of life;
But even as the grand cavalcade sweeps past,
Circling from left to right, expires the breath of life.
167: Nothing Can Lure Back the Life that Left
What though the ravens on him feed and way-farers scorn?
What though you feed with parting drops of milk; or many scoff?
For, know that this bag of leather, inflated awhile,
The Great Show-man blows and batters with a smile.
3 TRANSITORINESS OF WEALTH
168: Kingly Regalia, Domains and Riches are Impermanent
Before others seize and away your riches take,
Your elephant and car, your kingship and grace,
Even while life pulses, if you the Lord's asylum seek,
To you thus in fear dazed, the penance true its reward pays.
169: Wealth Waxes and Wanes Like Moon
The radiant moon that life animates into massive darkness turns;
Why then speak of riches which no better fate can meet?
If the Heaven's King, you unwaveringly seek,
Like pouring clouds choicest treasures fall at your feet.
170: Your Shadow is With You, Does it help You? How About Wealth Then?
Foolish they who claim their wealth their own,
Seeing their own shadows to them useless though nearby;
The life that with the body comes as surely departs;
They see not; the light that lends lustre to the seeing eye.
171: The Bee Stores Honey Only to be Appropriated by Others; So is Your Hoarded Wealth
The industrious bee from flower to flower hops,
Seeking, scenting, gathering its store of honey sweet;
But soon the subtle thief digs and steals the hoarded wealth;
Likewise, our earthly treasures the same story repeat.
172: Wealth is a Flood that Ebbs and Flows
Weigh well the pros and cons, and having weighed, waver not,
Lose not your bearings, caught in wealth's eddy;
Fling aside the transient trappings of earthly treasures
And thus when the Pale Sargeant comes, for the great leap be ready.
173: Wealth is a Boat in Dangerous Waters
How fast we cling to stock of cattle and riches gay
Less stable even than the boat which midstream upturns!
They but see the dissolving body and know not
The Binding Knot to salvation eternal.
174: Earthly Treasures are Fleeting
"Joys of life and wife, children and brothers--all ours," they claim
Little knowing how fragile and fleeting these delights be;
But the yearning souls that seek and build on treasure true,
Find support firm and ne'er failing company.
175: Worldly Desires are Never-Ending
Our desires grow, but none the truth to find;
There's one stake to hold but nine exits to leave;
The old familiar faces come smiling to greet and bow;
Deceivers ever, they abandon us without a reprieve.
176: All Your Wealth Cannot Bribe Death Away
When the vital spark leaves this mortal mould,
Bribe be none to lure it back; think, think of the Lord;
Death's loyal servants on restless mission bent,
Do nothing consider that with hot breath you pulse.
4 TRANSITORINESS OF YOUTH
177: Rising Sun Sets; Glowing Youth Fades
They see the sun rises in the east and sets in the west,
Yet blind of eye, the truth they ne'er apprehend,
The tender calf grows, fattens for a while and dies;
But this wonder-pageant of the world they do not comprehend.
178: Even a Life-time is not Enough to Know Him
The years roll; but none the Lord in his bosom holds;
None to probe and perceive Him profound;
Even if Time's thread be to the utmost stretched,
Still they know not the spark that kindles all the lamps around.
179: While Life Still Throbs, Fix Your Mind on Lord
When youth had danced its way to palsied age,
Scarce the chance to fill the years with good deeds more and more;
So while life still throbs, fix your mind on Nandi,
Into whose spreading locks
The holy waters of Ganga eternally pour.
180: Youth is Sugar-cane; Age is Nux Vomica
Time was when fond damsels on him their love bestowed;
Like cane's sugary juice, slow sucked, was he to them,
The idol of wenches with budding breasts and jewelled shapes;
But now the sweetest cane has bitter nux vomica become.
181: Time Fleets, So Center on Lord
The boy grows to youth, and youth as surely to old age decays,
But time's changes teach them not that nothing abides;
And so, in ceaseless pursuit, His Sacred Feet, I seek
Him who, transcending this world, beyond the universe presides.
182: Think of Lord Through Time's Cycles
Day after day we wake to greet the morn,
Day after day we seek the nightly couch;
Even though God, good and great, may frown in wrath,
True devotees ne'er miss His great Love's avouch.
183: Subdue the Senses, Birth Cycle Ends
The five needles thick, this bag of senses holds
The five needles thick in this bestial body roam free;
If the five needles thick you tame and subdue,
No more this bag that life's cycle involves.
184: Deeds in Youth Seal Fate's End
They know not that the radiant Sun we daily see
Measures the arch of life and its span doth appraise;
Heaven we reach or fall into Karma's grip;
Thus our fate is sealed by what we do in spring of youth.
185: The Sixteen Kalas are Within; Why Then the Grave?
The ignorant ponder not even awhile,
The Kalas twice-eight within them stand;
When Death sets his snare-pit for them to fall,
Headlong they drop to utter stupefaction abandoned.
186: Before Youth Passes, Praise Him in Songs
In the days assigned to you, before youth passes,
In songs of praise to the Lord, pour out your heart;
In the days to me assigned, wasting not the minutes away,
In the days to me assigned, I, seeing all, remained apart.
5 TRANSITORINESS OF LIFE
187: The Bud Blossoms and Fades; So is Human Life
They see the sprouting wanton buds on tender twigs
They see how soon they flash their beauty and die;
Yet they seek not the Holy Feet;
Alas they know not when the sure call comes from High.
188: When Death's Summons Come, the Five Senses Desert the Body
One field lay ready and ripe for the Five senses to work,
The Five, that one field watched and tilled;
But when the grim summons came from the Lord of the Five,
All the Five for ever fled and quitted the field.
189: Life's Drum Shatters to Pieces
One this body-drum, two the rhythms keeping time,
Five the masters who, inside, make display;
But when the great king, indwelling, departed,
The drum lay shattered, a heap of inert clay.
190: Body is an Empty Vessel
The Lord of this body frail that to ashes turns, the Lord of Vedanta dance
Nandi He is, who in this crumbling frame disports
They, who know not what an empty vessel this body is,
They know not what the life sustains and supports.
191: Our Days are Numbered
The sun's rays visit all the quarters ten,
But men measuring with their little sense know this not;
They ponder not nor on the deep mystery muse,
These men on earth--their minds in low passions caught.
192: Birth and Death are Two Faces of the Coin
The deed is drawn, the terms clear specified,
Yet torn to shreds it is--of this men think not much;
The shining dark tresses to full grey turn,
Even so birth and death are one--not two.
193: Give in Charity Now and Here
Same the rice of life that in all body-pots boil;
The Five are the fuel that feeds and kindles the burning Three,
Gifts of rice in charity give, lest birth flame anew,
The days missed of such deeds are for ever lost to Thee.
194: Lord is the Light Beyond Visible Reach
The bee, that nectar seeks, flies high for its flower on top
And there, alone, it sucks the fragrant juice;
Even so, they who seek the blessed grace divine,
Aspire for the Light beyond visible reach of eyes.
195: Pray and Perform Noble Deeds-This is the Law of Life Eternal
Perform thou noble deeds, good Karma to shape,
Praise thou the Holy One, the Holy Land to reach;
This is the law we need, this the law for men
ho, blessed with earthly life, seek the Life eternal.
196: Share With Others Before You Eat
Speak not in envy, stray not from the Dharmic way,
Covet not other's riches with lustful greedy glances;
With heart to pity attuned, as you sit down to eat,
Share with others before the feast commences.
6 NOT KILLING
197: Don't Kill Even an Atom of Life
Flowers many to dear, loved Master's worship;
Even one atom of life, kill not:
The lovely garland, the steady flame, the firm will,
The passionate heart--such the worship's crowning part.
198: They Who Kill Reach Hell
The men who shouted,"Kill and stab,"
Them with strong ropes Death's ruffians bind;
And stationing them at the fire-gates of Hell,
The agents yell, "Stand, go; and in the fire pit roast."
7 MEAT EATING--FORBIDDEN
199: Meat Eaters Will Have to Face Hell's Torments
The ignoble ones who base flesh do eat,
Death's agents bind them fast for all to see;
And push them quick into tthe fiery jaws of hell,
And fling them down there for ever to be.
200: Shun Sinful Living
Killing, theiving, drinking, lusting, lying--
These horrid sins detest and shun; to those
Who Siva's Holy Feet attain and the Bliss eternal,
They come not; such men in Wisdom's bliss ever repose.
8 NOT COMMITTING ADULTERY
201: Seek not the Thorney Date; Ripened Jack-Fruit is at Hand
The dear, wedded wife pines within the home,
But the lusting youth covets the guarded neighbour's mate;
Even as one, declining the luscious ripeness of the jack,
Yearns for the tamer taste of the thorny date.
202: Seek Not the Sour Tamarind: Sweet Mango is at Hand
The sweet, ripe mango, tended with loving care,
They bury deep, deeming it unripe still;
And up the gnarled tamarind they climb for the sour fruit,
Only to break their limbs--they whom the senses beguile.
203: Adulterers Rush to Doom
The king of treasures vast, and the lordly souls
Whose light of wisdom dispels the encircling gloom--
Even such yield to woman's sensuous charms;
Their judgment thus enslaved, they rush to their doom.
49 EVIL WOMEN'S IGNOMINY
204: Pledge not Your Heart to Lust
Fine though the leaves be of the nux vomica tree,
Its wealth of fruit is bitter on tongue, unfit to eat;
To them with rounded breasts and luring smile,
Pledge not your wavering heart in passion's heat.
205: Incontinent Passion Spells Ruin
The worldly folk who seek connubial delights
Are, like eddying water, sucked into whirling pool;
Such is passion, incontinent, fleeting as a dream;
Real it is not; let not its siren spell you befool.
206: Lust Destroys
Decoyed into passion's snare by tender woman's grace,
They fell into her arms and swooned in the warm embrace;
"This is life's crowning glory, fit for the gods to share--"
Thus speaking, they parted leaving not a trace.
207: Sweet Beginning, Bitter End
"What are the joys that in woman's charms we seek or find?"
The truly wise of heart pronounce thus their course:
"In the hand like the sugary juice from crushing mills,
But in the body bitterer than bitterest neem."
208: Irretrievable Loss in Lust
Those unfirm of mind who, in folly vain,
Struggle to plant seeds deep in moss-covered tank--
If such betimes we bind not and restrain,
Irretrievably lost are they in lust of sex, sordid and rank.
10 IN VAIN PURSUIT OF ACCUMULATION
209: Misery of Making a Living
Garments to tatters torn, life a joyless desert becomes;
Loved ones and dear friends forsake, with no more love to spare;
Nothing more to give or ask, void of glory and pomp,
Neglected, like automatons they walk, sad and bare.
210: Pre-Occupation With Filling Stomach-Pit
Even as the day dawns, men strive the stomach-pit to fill;
With needed tools, they seek hard the hungry void to stop;
But our only way is to praise Him whatever the way of life we pursue;
Sure then that pit is filled when, what in us is impure, is swept off.
211: Seek not to Fill Stomach's Pit; Fill the Birth's Pit
To fill the stomach's stony pit, they seek the precious gold;
But little do they know how hard it is to fill births' pit;
Only when true wisdom you attain that pit to rule,
Then that pit is filled, when life is washed clean and rendered fit.
212: Light of Wisdom's Lamp in Good Time
Our kith and kin, unrelenting, like Karma stern,
Unrelaxing us pursue; so, ere life from body goes,
In good time, light thou Wisdom's lamp,
And intent thus, to that new-lit track, keep close.
213: Lord Alone is Refuge from Harrying Births
Him the Six harried, Passion's form assuming,
Him the Five maligned, countless miseries giving,
Him Karma tortured through birth after birth pursuing--
Thus he learned to despise life--in the Lord alone refuge finding.
11 RELATING TO SACRIFICIAL FIRE
214: Prosperity Springs From Sacrifice
Riches from obloquy free, the spreading sky and earth,
The directions all, and the godly hosts who there hold sway,
All flourish in Victory's wake when Brahmins true,
With Vedas commencing, pursue the sacrificial way.
215: They Give Before They Eat
The Vedic Brahmins who holy sacrifices perform,
On Salvation intent, give before they eat;
Even as in knowledge true, supreme they stand,
So in conduct they lead--to the One Goal headed straight.
216: Sacrifices Lead to Heaven
They who invoke our Lord--the Fire within the Fire,
The Brahmins true are they and our goodly support;
Who, night and day, raise the Sacrificial flame
Guiding us along the pure Path to our heavenly port.
217: Karma's Depart When Mantras are Chanted
Morn and eve, when in devotion rapt they chant,
The two damsels (Gayatri and Savitri) with them in smiling grace stand;
Then do the two birds of one seed sprung
Karmas, good and bad, fluttering, in haste depart.
218: Sacrificial Fires Consume Sins
They who know in the sacrificial ghee's steady flame,
All dark things are for ever consumed;
They also know when from Karma's hold we're freed,
That day is our day of abiding wealth,
The holy Fire's truest meed.
219: It Scorches Karmic Evils
All sins fly like wick fast consumed in flame,
All diseases fade that Karma brings in its wake;
They fade and fall in the rising sacrificial fire.
And all evils are scorched that our Karmas make.
220: Sacrifices Give Wealth Imperishable
Firmly holding that vast riches are a grievous curse,
They hungered for the Lord who to us richest treasure gave;
Hoping and dreaming they waited for the immortal prize,
All sacrifices performed, the undying wealth to achieve.
221: Lord is the Sacrificial Flame of the Heart
The Pure Flame is He, the immortal Lord is He,
The Radiant Flame who in my heart's core resides;
The Lord whose eyes are the Three Fires,
Who the Seven Worlds transcends,
The Lord of Homa's Cool Flame, and my heart's King besides.
222: He is the Fire Within All Fires
Inside the Fire of the Homa is my Lord,
Inside too is He seated in the flame of the funeral pyre;
The Fire of Homa which scorches Karma's surging sea,
The Fire, that the mighty Churner in the sea begot, still abides.
223: Sacrificial Flame is Undying
In true penance striving, to Vedic rites conforming
They, who everywhere raise the sacrificial flame,
Tireless, unsparing in kindling the Holy Fire--
Theirs the true flame eternal, theirs the undying name.
12 DHARMA OF BRAHMINS
224: Brahmins Stand in Holy Path
Brahmins are they who the six duties perform,
Tend the glowing fire and thrice daily pray,
Stand fixt in the Holy Path and chant the Vedic hymns,
Morn and eve--and thus all life's knots untie.
225: Through Vedanta They Seek the Endless Bliss
Intensely eager, Vedanta's noble doctrine to imbibe,
They merge into Pranava, of the three sounds composed,
And transcending the states of Nadanta, Vedanta and Bodanta
Vision the Lord that is the Finite End,
And there into unending bliss they grow.
226: They Incessant Chant Gayatri and Savitri Mantras
Minds centered in Gayatri holy and Savitri mysterious,
They chant the noble hymns, the heart of Truth to seek;
Mounted on Love's Chariot, lost in Love's sweet ecstasy,
They drown not in Maya--the holy Brahmins meek.
227: They Attain the Manifestness State of God
Deep they pondered on Pranava's great holy way,
By Guru's grace inspired recited the mystic lay,
The rituals performed by the four Vedas prescribed,
And thus attained pure, pristine Manifestness--the spotless Brahmins they.
228: To Sunder Birth's Bonds is to Realize Brahmam
The Truth, Penance and the self Him becoming,
The torturing senses, spear-like, piercing,
The unity of life and its kinship realising,
Brahmam that is, dbirth's bonds sundering.
229: Vedanta is to be Rid of Desires
The Brahmins who yearned for Vedanta's mystic truths,
Heard and listened but yielded still to desire's sway;
True Vedanta it is when earth-born desires all are crushed;
Those who Vedanta truly grasped, all desires burnt away.
230: Tuft and Thread Alone do not Make a Brahmin
Do thread and tuft alone prove the Brahmin state?
The thread, then, only a dark bond, the fine tuft, only tresses long;
The true thread Vedantam is, the sacred tuft wisdom proves
These the Brahmnins truly see, these virtues to them belong.
231: Attributes of True Brahmins
Of Truth devoid, of pure Wisdom Bereft,
Lacking sense-control, spiritually inert,
Empty of devotion or grasp of Truth divine;
Mad fools are they--not Brahmins, I assert.
232: They Seek Samadhi State
The Holy Path neither Chit nor Achit is;
Along the Guru-led way, they reach the blessed Holy State;
And all action and rituals abandoned,
The Vedic Brahmins glide into Turiya Samadhi State.
233: They Stand Firm in Vedanta Truth
If the Veda-knowing alone true Brahmins be,
Such beings falter not in Vedanta's sublime lore,
All the rest they know as vain trappings base--
Those be the Brahmins who Vedas' depths explore.
234: True Brahmins Bring Prosperity to Earth
The holy Brahmins who the pure life embrace,
And ponder well on truths that mark the Vedas' end,
Their glory wanes not, their king's earthly empire ever grows,
If morn and eve the sacrificial fire they tend.
235: Through Vedanta They Scale the Heights of Siddhanta
When the Light of Vedanta dawns, from Karma are they freed;
Then, up the path to the Light of Nadanta they scale;
When thus they reach the Lord of Bodanta Light,
Salvation they attain--the Nadanta-Siddhanta Grand Finale.
236: They Seek Merger in Lord
When 'You' and 'I' merge in one and the truth they see,
Then seek they the Lord triumphant, seated firm, serene,
Past all babbling words of sweet-sounding praise;
Such alone the true, worshipful grace attain.
237: They Vision Brahma in Aum
The two attachments, Maya and karma, of their own accord departing,
The self that Liberation seeks naught else will take;
And the lotus-seated Brahma most divinely pleased,
Merges in the Om, the sacrificial aviss to partake.
13 DEATH FAIRER THAN THE TYRANT
238: Death Fairer Than the Tyrant
The ignornant king and Death are cast in equal mould;
Nay, truth to tell, more justly than foolish King, Death claims his due;
The Witless tyrant no law obeys but in murderous fury kills
But Death, cast in finer mould, nears not the good men true.
239: Let the Ruler Observe Holy Law
The ignornant king and Death are cast in equal mould;
Nay, truth to tell, more The Holy Law daily in strictness observed,
If he who rules the state fails to seek the Divine Way
Day by day that land decays in folly envelopt,
Day by day that ruler's wealth declines and dwindles away.
240: Ruler's Duty Towards Men of False Garb
What avails the holy garb if the holy life you refuse?
Theirs the truest garb when outer guise and mind accord;
If the king justly rule the state against those who go off the holy way
Then he makes them keep the holy way
And to sure salvation their feet directs.
241: Ruler's Duty to Impious Brahmins
If Brahmins, from folly unredeemed, flaunt the tuft and thread,
That land droops and fades, its ruler's glory runs to waste;
So, scanning deep in Wisdom's light, the King shall clip
The thread and tuft for empty show kept and possessed.
242: Ruler's Duty to Impart Wisdom to Erring Brahmins
The senseless fools donning sacred thread and matted locks,
And with chanting phrases pretend to wisdom unpossessed,
Them, the ruler of state shall, with wise men's help, take and test,
And, for the country's good, impart words in wisdom drest.
243: Ruler's Duty to Protect Cow, Women and Brahmins
The cow, the woman, the sacred Brahmins true,
And men in holy garb whom the Devas acclaim,
These the King shall protect; if that duty he ignores,
Irredeemable his hell shall be, cursed ever his name.
244: Ruler's Share--One-Sixth of the Subject's Produce
If salvation high and treasures true you seek,
Then, awake or asleep, unceasing, the holy way pursue;
Know that of labour done in this sea-girt world,
To the King, in truth, one share in six is due.
245: Ruler's Duty to Defend the Territory
If the ruler exceeding well his state protects,
The subjects, in duty bound, to that same end incline;
When the enemy, in lust of pride, the state invades,
Then, like a leopard, leaps the King to defend his domain.
246: Ruler to Punish Drunkards
Breath in control held, letting inward fire upward rise,
Mind turned to Samadhi moon-sprung nectar--if they drink not,
But, like inebriates, heady liquors madly consume,
Then, such shall by ruler to just punishment be brought.
247: Ruler to Punish Those Who Deviate From Their Professed Faiths
Who, by their professed faiths, do not abide,
Beside the judgment they receive in the life beyond,
In terms of Agamic law by Siva revealed,
Punished they shall be on earth by the just ruler of the land.
14 THE GLORY OF RAINS
248: Vegetation Blooms
The fertilising flood of rains outpouring
Makes trees and plants bloom enriched with sap;
The areca palm, coconut, cane and plantain green,
And vomica to Samadhi's nectar leading--Stand laden rich with crop.
249: Descent of Divine Stream in Yoga
The heaven-sent torrent leaps rushing down rocky eights;
So does the silent divine stream from heart's inner core,
Foamless, pure, clear, crystalline,
Boundless, free--from my Holy Master, e'er pour.
15 THE GLORY OF GIVING
250: Share Your Food With Others
Give freely to all; discriminate not o'er much;
See food served to others ere sitting down to eat;
Heap not perishing gold, eat not in greedy haste;
The crow calls its brood to share its food, howe'er sweet.
16 IN PRAISE OF THE CHARITABLE
251: The Charitable Realize the Self
Who the self realise, seek and adore the Feet of the Lord;
Who the self realise, most freely give in charity;
Who the self realise, Lord of Tattvas become;
Who the self realise, Kin to the Lord in dear amity.
252: Charity is Within Reach of All
Easy to all to offer in worship a green leaf to the Lord,
Easy to all to give a mouthful to the cow,
Easy to all to give a handful, sitting down to eat,
Easy to all, good, kind words on others to bestow.
253: Evils of Hoarding
The food that feeds the needy--that alone true charity is;
True men they who that simple truth do find;
But they who hoard, like water in pool past access,
To eat and gorge--to Charity's ways are they blind.
254: Give Charity When You Have
Dirt driven away, with Wisdom you fill not your mind;
In days of plenty, empty is your charity's exchequer;
What avails it, though wide awake, if hell-fire spreads around,
What avails it, then, if impoverished of heart you are?
255: Give Charity Here and Now
Of yourself knowing little, caring naught for your good,
Unmindful e'en of poverty of tender youth taking no care,
Before Death's stern, relentless summons arrives,
Let noble charities your redeeming goodness declare.
256: By Your Charities Lord Knows You
To him who renounces, no kith or kin has he;
To him condemned to beg, no true delights has he;
To him who charityless is, the Lord denies His Presence;
By the measure of thy charity done, the Lord is known to thee.
257: Charity Leads to Life Eternal
Some in charity overflow; by such noble deeds done,
Noble gods they become in human beings' high esteem;
And the many who hold this fleshly body their dear God,
To them comes Death, saying; "I, your God supreme."
258: Charity and Devotion Twin Escorts to Heaven
Our life's boat across the foaming sea of Karma flies;
Twin the pathways to dispel the labour and the strain;
Glory giving tapas and charity the heavenly escorts,
To us and our dear kin from life's battle vain.
259: Charity is Your Life's Prop
Earthly desires to worldly objects attached,
No end know; but in charity's noble way,
E'en the little things you give, sure props provide;
All the rest meekly take as the Lord's gift for the day.
17 WAY OF THE UNCHARITABLE
260: The Hoarders are Sinners
The ripened nux vomica falls profitless on ground;
Such the barren wealth of those who charities deny;
With usurious greed they bury deep their treasures,
The hardened sinners, true fruit unknowing, thus live and die.
261: Life is Fleeting; Give While You Live
The aeons pass, the unreturning ages go;
The allotted span of life daily dwindles away;
This irksome body, as if squeezed by some power unknown,
Perishes: seeing this yet, they learn not charity's way.
262: Give and Escape Hell
Charity denying, they know not the Lord's Feet to praise,
Nor enter they the precincts of the City of Siva's Grace;
Their ears inclined to those who falsehoods preach,
They stand to sin enslaved, condemned to hell's hot embrace.
263: All Ailments Assail, If in Charity You Fail
Consumption and anaemia, asthma and colic pain--
Such the lot of those who nothing in charity give;
Snake and thunder, sore throat and fleshly ills,
Approach not them that others' needs relieve.
264: End is Nigh; Do not Deny
The Lord adored by all the world, yet they praise not,
To the needy poor, even the smallest bit ye deny,
Nor'll ye tend the garden e'en with one potful of water;
Will ye for ever stand in Hell? Ye whose end is nigh.
265: Loneliness Comes of Denial
Unescorted, alone, the charity-less their last journey make,
And miss their track; journeying thus, in birth-cycle caught
They know not how the binding Karmas to dispel,
And so slip and fall to be irretrievably lost.
266: Compassion Leads to God
They, whose hearts melt in charity, see the Feet of the Lord,
The steadfast of faith attain Swarga's might,
But those sinful ones of charity befeft, helpless, forsaken,
Engulfed in passions low, pass into eternal night.
267: Denial Leads to Misery
Bliss and pain--these two woven into the web of life,
Result from deeds of our own devising;
The bliss of giving they knew, and yet the fools gave not,
The shrivelled of heart, to charity unwise, its glory unknowing.
268: Denial Leads to Sinful State
The Lord of blemishless glory, from death and birth immune,
Permits none to enjoy bliss, unearned by worthy deed;
Giving and gifting--of these always think;
Deny and cause pain;
You stand condemned to the Pasu state indeed.
269: Giving is Aiming True
Seek not wealth that many reckon as life indeed,
Nor waste your days on fools, of wisdom dark,
But turn your feet to the eternal Home and praise the Lord,
Then true bowman you prove, hitting straight the mark.
18 TO BE LOVE-POSSESSED
270: Love and Siva are One
The ignorant prate that Love and Siva are two,
But none do know that Love alone is Siva
When men but know that Love and Siva are the same,
Love as Siva, they e'er remained.
271: Lay Love's Garland at Lord's Feet
He of the leopard's skin, gleaming brighter than gold,
His tender crescent flashing rich with argent ray,
The Great Dancer, with burning ashes smeared thick;
At His Feet, my garland, plaited with Love's incense, I lay.
272: Melt in Love and Possess Him
You may turn your bone to fuel, your flesh to meat,
And let them roast and sizzle to the gold-red blaze;
But unless your heart melts in the sweet ecstasy of Love,
My Lord, my Treasure-trove, you ne'er can possess.
273: Love Hara and See Him
They, of intense love, Hara surely see,
They, of the compassionate heart, see the Holy Feet to praise;
The world-burdened see only life's revolving wheel,
And, in Horror's mazes lost, enter Hell's trackless ways.
274: Love Him, He Loves You
My God, the melter of my heart of love, let all adore;
My God, the Lord of primal Love, First of Beings ever,
My God, who again and again melts my heart, Nandi Lord,
May He render me His Love in foremost measure!
275: He is Enthroned in Love
Praise Him but once, the Pure and Holy One;
For e'er your heavenly escort He'll be,
He, the Lord Siva, deckt in honeyed konrai blooms--
He sat enthroned in my love, steadfast and free.
276: His Love is Unending
Many know not Him who first wrought this world,
And wrapt in infinite Love, born of His lordly Grace;
In this world, evil-ridden, He filled our life
With His love unending, He, the Lord of limitless space.
277: His Love is Blessings All
The Light Refulgent emits beams of purest gold;
Plant that deep and firm in heart; raising worship thus,
If you, in yearning song, seek Isan's Grace,
Then, sure, no end be to His blessings copious.
278: Seek in Love the Heavenly Father
Birth He caused, and Death, too, in its wake;
This mystery we daily see; and yet mankind
Cling in deep desire to life, but call not on Him,
Nor seek Him, saying, "Our Father, great and kind."
279: He is Our Refuge
Inside Love is He; in outer Nature is He; as body also is He;
The past and future is He; the Lord of Rishis is He;
The Precious One who inside Love resides,
Only those, who in Love reside, find in Him the Refuge free.
19 SIVA KNOWS THOSE WHO LOVE HIM
280: Lord Rewards as Merit Befits
What we scorned and what we gained, He knows;
The righteous Lord in Love rewards as merit befits;
Whose, with burning zeal, seek Him with heart of love
To such, well-pleased, He His Grace remits.
281: Lord Blends Life With Love
The Lord fashioned all things for a life of bliss;
Many though the trials that beset this vale of sorrow
Yet this life, the Lord God with His divine Love blends,
In His Divine Love's sweet presence, the life-cycle ends.
282: Divine Light in God-Love
From mind fixt in God's Love, the Divine Light is born;
The tangled skein of the tormenting senses five,
Drag us headlong to sweet ardours of woman's passionate eyes,
That bond sunder; may your thoughts e'er at God's Feet arrive!
283: Surrender in Love
Like the sweet love in sex-act experienced,
So, in the Great Love, let yourself to Him succumb;
Thus in Love sublimed, all your senses stilled,
Bounding in Bliss Supreme, That this becomes.
284: Faith Leads to Liberation
Even the Siddhas, standing close in banded group,
Knew not the Light Supreme in splendorous glow;
But He gave Salvation's bliss and the Vision splendid,
To them whose hearts did in intense faith overflow.
285: His Feet Visioned in Love
I saw the Feet of the Lord, deckt in odorous Konrai blooms,
I saw the Feet of the Lord, dark-dressed in elephant-skin,
I saw the Feet of the Lord, on lotus-blossom enthroned,
I saw the Feet of the Lord, my heart-core's love within.
286: His Love is Inscrutable
My Lord God whom the heavenly beings praise
As one into myriad forms and things outspread,
The Great Lover who inside love savours love's tributes;
Sad indeed that few seek Him, or to Him are led.
287: Seek Him in Love
They who claim that thro' Love they'll find the Lord,
From Birth and Death are they sure free;
Yet in Love they neither seek him nor find,
Nandi, who from Birth and Death is free.
288: Seek Him, He Seeks You
The Lord God knows them who, by night and day,
Seat Him in heart's core, and in love exalted adore;
To them wise with inner light, actionless in trance,
He comes, and, in close proximity, stands before.
289: Be Steadfast in Devotion
It little profits if, intermittent, you pursue the Divine Light;
Unceasing, I will seek the Greatness that has no end,
My Lord, my heart's precious Life and treasured Delight;
In Him to merge is life's supreme baptismal bath.
20 LEARNING
290: True Learning Leads to Liberation
The meaning I knew of life and body in union knit;
In the depth of my being I knew of the Lord of Devas untold;
Denying naught, He stept straight into my yearning heart;
Thus I gained the Learning Great, freeing us from fleshly fold.
291: Illumined Souls Get the Inner Eye
When the Learned-wise in deep meditation sat,
In their deep, illumined souls was as Inner Eye;
What in contemplation they saw and spoke,
In turn opened others' eyes leading to Wisdom high.
292: Learning Purifies
While yet life subsists, the Lord of existence adore;
In action prove what you learn, all sins to clear;
In accents unfaltering worship the Lord, and thus wise,
A jewelled lamp It'll be, beyond compare.
293: Learning Leads to Renunciation
Men of Learning abandon the fettering, worldly ways;
The firm of mind flourish high on coiling snake-like Kundalini
Night and day, unremitting, praise the Lord,
And so your body, as on herbs alchemised, with glow of youth will be.
294: Pure Knowledge is Guardian Angel
As our Guardian Angel comes the pure Light from high,
As our Guardian Angel, the Pure word in beauty drest,
As our Guardian Angel comes the Pure Fragrance rich,
As our Guardian Angel comes the Pure Knowledge best.
295: Holy Books Help Scale Spiritual Heights
Those who fail to scale the heights with holy books to guide,
If to outer things of life they yield, fruitless is all their lore;
On rod of Vairagya lean, and away fly the Birds of Desire;
And yet, men to Ignorance clinging, in stupor ever lie.
296: Hara Stands Revealed to Truly Learned
To them that search the Holy Books, Hara stands revealed;
Out of the sublimed Fire, sparks of pure knowledge fly;
Those who, thus, the Samadhi's Moon can reach,
To them it'll be a ladder leading to Wisdom high.
297: Lord is No Support to the Ignorant
In life's journey a Support and Elixir rare was He,
An unfailing Guide--but to the ignorant of mind,
No support He--in all the seven Heavenly globes,
Sure prop was He, the Mighty being, Great and Kind.
298: The Truly Learned Attain Bliss
If desire you must, the Lord in desire seize,
If the lord's Grace you get, all things are obtained;
Like the deep-skilled Devas of flaming Light;
The truly learned Heavenly Bliss attained.
299: He Resides in Learned Devotees Hearts
The seas He owns and the mountains high;
His Body shaped of the elements five;
The Lord of Immortals who, through endless ages,
Mounts the fierce Bull, at devotees' heart to arrive.
21 LISTENING AND THUS CONTAINING
300: Listen to Words of Siva's Glory
Listening to Dharma and to the words of the Holy,
Listening to God's valorous acts and the Devas' mantras many,
Listening to loud reports and the deeds peerless of the Lord,
The Lord, gleaming bright as gold--thus attain the Siva State.
301: Listening to Holy Words Leads to Realization
The Lord of Devas, the Supreme Being Divine,
Who is there who knows Him? If any such be,
Chant His praise; listen to the holy words and Him realise!
Who chant His praise and Him realise, stand aloft and free.
302: Obey Siva and Become Deva
At Nandi's bidding, Maya obeys and builds;
At Hara's bidding, Aya obeys and creates;
Who Siva's bidding obey, Devas they become;
If fruits of action you crave, then to attachments you're chained.
303: Adore Siva and Be Immortal
The pious mortals who praise the Supreme Lord,
In time to come, to the Immortals' status rise;
Who fail not in penance, His smiling Grace receive;
Thus the Lord of penances rare awards the Supreme prize.
304: Prayer Brings Grace
The Lord who gave us Birth and Death,
Of Him e'er talk, His name adore, prattle in praise;
Then the abiding Light of His dear presence,
Like fragrance in flower, comes to you in Grace.
305: He Forsakes not His Devotees
To seek Excellence and to Excellent things listen,
And follow Wisdom's true mandate--if to these the mind awake,
And if, then, you slip not nor stray, the Heavenly Lord,
Unhesitant, will be thine for ever--and never forsake.
306: Faith Intense Gives Bliss Eternal
They of intense faith Heavenly Bliss secure,
But the aimless and drifting with mind unfixed on clear goal,
Neither their own self know nor the Bliss attain,
Like children at play content wwith the mimic rice of sand.
307: Listening to Holy Things is a Sure Prop
Life and body sure support for the soul provide,
Listening to holy things a sure prop and resting place,
Thoughts of Siva's Holy Feet, the one Refuge to seek,
And with that support Supreme to aid, rebirth you wholly efface.
308: A Stone-Cow to Scorners
To them that exalt His name, the first of Beings He;
To them that scorn His Grace, unending sufferings sear;
In rapture lost, if you chant not His Glory great,
He stands, a veritable stone-cow, in silence complete.
309: Unite in Heart and Thought Towards Lord
Heart and tongue in unison met, the Lord cognise,
Though in diverse shapes He be, Him in unity find;
Then, e'en though shaken in life like axle from pin,
Seek the Primal Lord in love and Him to yourself bind.
22 NON-LEARNING
310: The Unlearned are they Who hold not to Truth
Even the unlearned, if blessed with the vision of Truth Supreme,
Them the Lord approves with His benign Eye of Grace;
But if the learned seeming fail to hold the truth,
Unlearned are they indeed, blind to True Love's divine rays.
311: Unlearned Realize not God's Pervasiveness
The truly learned live pursuing the one and only path,
But others say, "Many the paths of knowledge are,"
The God Supreme is in all places present;
They the unlearned are, of God's pervasiveness unaware.
312: God Abides not in the Hearts of Unlearned
Things transitory you fix in heart as abiding joys,
This mnortal body frail you deem as enduring stuff;
Though the Lord God all life pervades,
Absent is He and His Light from the hearts of the unlearned.
313: Unlearned Descend to Hell
Of all power bereft, I fell into Karma's griefs,
Learning not Hara's ways, into dark abysmal depths I fell;
I learnt not to stamp the Great Benefactor in my heart,
I learnt only to dance down the primrose path to hell.
314: Unlearned Sport in Carnal Pleasures
Knowing full well that life is a fleeting, vaporous mist,
The truly learned seek the path of Dharma and penance strict,
But the not-learned, in truth, this world's sordid knaves,
Sport in carnal joys, with Karmic misery mixt.
315: Lord is the Fruit of Heavenly Love
The Lord gave us the Heaven-born gift of the Fruit of Love;
His Light mingled with the eyes where it remained;
But inside the earth men sought it in folly vain;
And brooding and writing, they grew thin and pined.
316: Unlearned Do Not See Him
Without knowing the 36 tattvas and their scope
It is not possible to have a vision of the supreme,
Only by knowing the tattvas wisdom can dawn,
Only those are educated who go to the limits of the tattvas and have a vision of reality.
317: Avoid The Unlearned
The fools, of learning devoid, unfit for us even to see
The fools, of learning devoid, their words unfit to hear
The fools, of learning devoid, in fools find their friends,
The fools, of learned devoid, to wisdom come no near.
318: The Truly Learned Have Vision Of Sivajnana
Though learned, fools are they if with Sivajnana they're not acquainted,
If kith and kin they give not up nor strike at root of ignorance
As their eyes turn not to quarters
They alone truly reckon who, wise in love, win the truth.
319: True Learning Brings Light Divine
The being first, even to the immortals the light divine,
The light that devotees seek, the great god supreme
Some proudly claim that learning well, they know him truly well
Yet they catch not of his light the faintest gleam.
23 MIDDLE PATH
320: Middle Path Is Wisdom
Unless you in middle path stand, wisdom you have not,
To those who in middle path stand, hell opens not its gate,
Those that in middle path stand, heavenly beings are they;
In the noble fellowship of the just, I too walked in their way.
321: Gods And Saints Stand In Middle Path
The blue-dark cloud-hued being Vishnu in middle path stood,
The Brahma who chants the Vedas four in the middle path stood,
The wise saintly souls also in middle path stood,
He, our lord supreme - He, in middle path stood.
322: Walk With The Just
Some saintly became, because they in middle path stood,
Some to heavenly beings turned, because they in justice stood,
Some to Siva-state attained, because they in justice stood,
And so in the good company of the just, I, too, unfaltering stood.
323: The Just Adore His Feet
What he creates, none but he destroys;
On their devout heads, the just bore aloft his holy feet;
Who chant the pure name with ardour
And cling thereof, in the society of the just, they meet.
24 ABSTAINING FROM DRINK
324: Drunkards Lose Sense Of Right And Wrong
The cow fed on broth of rice wanders not from tank to tank
The cow denied its drink of broth grows weak and lank
Who swill the toddy neat, from righteousness go astray
Truest drink is Sivananda, the bliss supreme, far and away.
325: Sivananda Wine Brings Eternal Self-Forgetfulness
In sweet rapture lost, soul-hynotic for the Siva-samadhi state,
The ever-sweet nectar of Sivananda - in the bliss overflow;
On such nectar fed, you lose not the self-bliss pure;
For ever thus you sit and lie the holy feet below.
326: The Wicked Drink In Vama Tantra
Lust and drink, fit for the wicked are they;
In ritual unholy they drink and lose the senses
But the wise drink the nectar streaming from his feet,
Which destroys egoism and bigotry.
327: Drinking In Vama Tantra Worship Leads To Perdition
They drink and perish, who to the vama sect belong.
The lustful ones in sensual delights are wholly lost;
But the pure souls find the light of sacrifices in their inner flame;
They, who his true name chant, approach him fast.
328: Truth Eludes Drunkards
They see not the inner truth, know not the pasu-pasa,
They dwell not in the bounteous lord's divine grace;
In the clear light of wisdom, Sivayoga they seek not,
They, who soak in liquors, truth never can appraise.
329: Followers Of False Religion Neither Seek Nor See Him
The fools who swear by the faith that our senses numbs,
Who yield to the heady joys of drink - they neither seek nor see
Mamaya's home, for the maya's fetters are they bound;
But recovered from maya's hold, they merge in the lord and are free.
330: Wine Stupefies Senses And Destroys Truth
The fumes of wine stupor bring and destroy the truth,
And make us seek the false, delusive joys of lust;
Such advance not to wisdom true, of sweet reason compact,
Will such e'er attain the eternal bliss truest?
331: Joys Of Sivananda Nectar
In meditation lost, rid of the cycle of night and day,
Dead to outward things, they drink not the bliss-nectar
The bliss of the lord's feet that neither night nor day knoweth,
I, caught in maya causing night and day, struggle to reach.
332: True Sakti Worship Seeks Divine Nectar
Sakti seeking, some religious sects ritual drinks consume,
But Sakti dies when the o'er- powered senses swoon;
True Sakti, indeed, in Sivajnanan finds its birth,
To merge in truth-wisdom-bliss - and to other things immune.
333: Sakthi And Siva Are One
If Sakthan his grace imparts, Sakti's grace we have,
If Sakti her grace imparts, Sakthan's grace we gain,
Sakti and Siva, if both in heart we hold,
Then in us, truly, the siddhis eight do shine.
334: Divine Nectar Leads to Siddhis
All Tattvas and egoity past, Truth of self realised,
In truest joy immersed, of false penances void,
Rid of worldly lure, drunk full of Heavenly Bliss,
This indeed is Siddhi true and Sivananda unalloyed.
335: Yogis Seek Ambrosia of the Cranial Moon
The yogis who, breath in control held, yearn for
The nectared delights of Contemplation's Moon,
The eight Siddhis they seek; but witless fools are they
Who to toddy yield and in its heady joys let their senses swoon.
336: Drink Divine Nectar in Samadhi
Open and drink deep the nectar that gushes from the spring;
Unfold the petals of the Holy Master's Lotus Feet;
Lead the Yoga-breath through the spiring channel up
And thus in Samadhi ascending,
Reach the Divine Good in holy meet.
TANTRA ONE ENDS
