Shiva Puranam of Saint Manikka Vasagar

Shiva  Puranam

By

Saint  Manikka vasagar

Translated   by  

P.R.Ramachander

(Manikka Vasagar   was  one of the four great   Nayanmars (saivite   saints )  of Tamil Nadu  , who was a great   poet as well  as great contributor to the SAivite philosophy.  His collection of works   is called Thiruvachakam.   Due to  the sweetness  and greatness  of this work, there   is a proverb in Tamil which says, “Thiruvasagathukku urugaar , yebbasagathukkum Urugaar”( One who does not melt for  Thiruvasagam  will not melt for any literary work). The first  prayer   in THiruvasagam is the Shiva   Puranam . It was composed in  a Shiva temple called  Thiruperum thurai

  Unlike   suggested by the name   it is not the epic  dealing with the stories of Shiva . In tamil  Jeeva (the individual soul is called  “ Cheevaa” . According to the philosophy of Saivism , the jeeva   is  prevented from the realization of God  by three impurities  (Anava(pride) , Karma, and Maya) and only approach to Shiva can   remove these impurities.  This Shiva puranam  attempts  to portray   the jeeva   towards Shiva and is aptly called  “Shiva  Puranam” , The famous  English translation of Shiva Puranam  by  Mr.G.U.Pope  (fondly called Popeiyer)  is available in G.U.Pope’s translation http://www.shaivam.org/siddhanta/thivapop.htm.

There is also a great commentary in Tamil  Which includes   the Tamil  text  of this work in

 http://www.shaivam.org/siddhanta/thichiva_u.htm and the audio  is Audio by Sulamangalam sisters  is  available   in  http://www.oosai.com/tamilsongs/siva...m_sisters_song )

Namasivaya  vaazhga  , Nadan  thal vazzhga ,

Imai podum   yennenjil   neengaadhan thal vazhga.

Kokazhi aanda guru mani than  thaal vaazhga,

Agamam aagi  nindru annippan vaazhga,

Yekan anegan  iraivan adi Vaazhga(1-5)

Long live  Namasivaya, Long live the holy feet of our Lord,

Long live the feet of him who  does not move away  from my mind even for a second.

Long live the feet of  my Guru  who ruled over Thiruvavaduthurai(Thiruperum thurai ?)*,

Long live  the feet  of  him who became  holy books  and comes near us,

Long live the feet of  the God who was  one but  appeared  as many.

                                                 *Shiva   temple in Tamil Nadu .

Vegam   keduthu aanda   vendan adi   velga,

Pirapparukkump injakan than  pey kazhalgal velga,

Puratharkkum cheyon than poomkazhalgal velga,

Karam kuvivaar ul magizhum kon   kazhalgal  velga,

Siram kuvivaar onguvikkum cheeron kazhal  velga.(6-10)

Let the feet of the God who stabilized my mind be victorious,

Let the valorous anklets  of Lord Shiva , who cuts off cycle of birth be victorious

Let the  flower like anklets   of  the God,  who is scarce  to those  who stand away from him  be victorious,

Let the anklets of king who happily lives  in the mind of those   who salute him be victorious,

Let the anklets  of that   great one  who uplifts  those  who bend their head  to him  be victorious.

Eesan adi pothi, Yenthai adi pothi,

Nesanadi pothi,  Sivan Sevadi pothi,

Neyathey  nindra nimalan   adi pothi  ,

Maya pirappu  arukkum   mannan adi pothi ,

Cheeraar   perum thurai   nama devan  adi pothi(11-15)

Praise   to the feet of God, Praise to the feet  of my father,

Praise to the feet of my friend, praise  to the red  feet  of shiva,

Praise  to  the feet of  the pure  god who stood  in love ,

Praise to the feet  of the king who cuts off   the illusion called  birth,

Praise to the feet  of god who is in holy  Thiruperumthurai  .

Aaratha inbam arulum  malai pothi  ,

Sivan avan yen sinthayul  ninra athanaal  ,

Avan arulaale    avan thal  vanagi  ,

Chinthai magizha   Siva puranam  thanai,

Munthai  vinai muzhuthum   oya uraippan naan.(16-20)

Praise to the God  who gives the never fading  joy like a mountain of mercy,

Because   that  Lord Shiva   stood  in my thought  ,

I would  salute his feet   by his    grace ,

And with  a joyful mind  recite  the Shiva Purana,

So that   the entire  Karma  which I have earned earlier  disappears.

Kan nuthalaan than karunai kan kaatta  vandeythi,

Yennutharkettaa  vezhilaar  kazhal  irainji ,

Vin nirainthum  , man niranthum m ikkai  vilakku oiliyaai ,

Yenn iranthu     yellai illathaane   nin perum cheer ,

Pollaa vinayen pugazhum  maru ondru ariyen.(21-25)

I came because   the god  with an eye  in his forehead showed me  his  eye of mercy,

And stood    there saluting   the anklet  , whose  prettiness  is  beyond the   reach of the mind  ,

And oh God   who filled  the sky and the earth   , and who is being seen as  a glittering light  ,

Oh God  who is beyond  all limitations of barrier , I who   am one   with a bad  karma  ,

And   do not know  the ways  to praise   your great qualities

Pullagi, poodai puzhuvai maramaki,

Pala  virugamagi  pravayai  , pambaki  ,

Kallai  , manitharai   peyai , ganangalai  ,

Val asuraragi , munivaraai , devaraai  ,

Chellaaa nindra , ithathavara  jangamathukkul ,

Yella pirappum piranthu  ,ilaithen, yem perumaane.(26-31)

Oh lord   by becoming grass, small plants , worms  , trees ,

Several types of animals  , birds  , snakes ,

Stone  , human beings  , ghosts  , different types of devils,

Strong asuras , sages   devas ,

And I traveled  all over  this spectrum of moving and not moving things ,

And took     all   types   of  births  and became  tired.

Meyye Un  ponnadikal kandu  indru veedu uthen,

Uyya  yen ullathul ongaramai nindra  ,

Meyya  , vimala , vidaipaka  , vedangal  ,

Iyya   yena vongi  aazhndu   agandra  nunniyane  (32-35)

Truly   I have attained    salvation seeing your golden feet,

Oh  God, who stood as letter “Om”, in my mind  so that  I would be saved,

Oh truth, oh purity  , Oh Lord who rides on a   bull,

Oh God whom Vedas  called  “Oh Lord”, with great surprise ,

And tried  to see you as taller, higher  deeper though you are  smaller than the small.

Veyyayai, thaniyaai , iyamaananaam vimalaa,

Poi  aayin yellam poi akala vandharuli  ,

Mei jnanam aagi milirgindra  mei chudare ,

Yejjanam illathen inba perumale  ,

Agjnan thannai agalvikkum nal arrive.   (36-40)

Oh divinely pure Lord who is  heat , cold   as well as life  ,

You came and showered   your grace so that  all lies are banished,

And shined  as  knowledge   of the divine  , Oh  light  of truth ,

Oh God  of sweetness  to this one who does not have  any knowledge ,

Oh  great wisdom,  who   is    removing   my ignorance  .

AAkkam  alavu  iruthi illai , anaithulagum,

AAkkuvaai, kaapaai, azhippai  , arul tharuvai,

Pokkuvai , yennai puguvippai   nin thozhumpin,

Naathathin neriyai cheyai  , naniyaane ,

Matham manam kazhiya nindra   marayone  .  (41-45)

Oh god who does not have birth  , life or death  ,

You are   the one   who makes   all the world,

You would protect , destroy   and also   shower your grace  ,

Destroy  the illusion , and make    me to serve you ,

Oh god  who is like   a scented flower ,

Though you  are far , far away  , you are  near  ,

Oh Lord of Vedas  , who is beyond mind and thought .

Karantha paal kannalodu nei  kalanthor pol,

Chiranthu adiyar chinthanayul then oori  nindru,

Pirantha  pirappu arukkm yengal peruman,

Nirangal or  iynthu udayai  , vinnorgal yetha,

Marainthu irunthai  yen peruman,valvinai yen thannai,

Marainthida moodiya  irulai  ,

Arambhavam  yenum arum kayithaal   katti,

Puram thol porthu , yengum puzhu azhukku moodi,

Malam chorum onpathu    vayil kudilai,

Malanga  pulangal  iynthum vanchanayai   cheyya(46-55)

Oh my lord , who puts a stop  to cycle   of births  ,

By standing  in the   minds of  great devotees,

Like honey which is  the mixture of   newly  milked milk  ,

Honey    and Ghee , you are  the  one having all the five colours,

And you   were  hiding   from the   view   of devas ,

Who were not able to see  you and praise   you , oh lord.

Please    tie me  , who is caught  in the   horrible past Kama,

And is being hidden  completely by darkness  of illusion

by  considerations    of  all the  acts  ,

That   can be done and should not be done  ,

And tie me with a rope of  sins and good acts

And further    cover the dirt and worms  of my inside  by a skin,

And  construct me as  a hut with nine holes,

Through which   all   that  is not wanted   goes out,

With the five senses  deceiving me and  put me in to a stupor ,

Vilangum manathal  , Vimalaa unakku,

Kalantha anbaagi , kasinthu ul urugum,

Nalam than ilatha   siriyerkku nalgi,

Nilam than mel vanthu aruli , neel kazhalkal kaatti,

Nayir kidayai kidantha adiyerkku  ,

Thayir chirantha  dhayavana  , thatthuvane (56-61)

 Oh God , who is pure, though I am With an unstable (animal like ) mind, ,

Which does  not merge with you   due to  extreme love  ,

 Which does    not   melt   on hearing you

And which   does not have  any good in it ,

You   have   taken  mercy  on this  lowly  one,

And came on this earth and showed me your long feet  

And showed  much more mercy than a  mother ,

To   me who was   lying   even worse   than a dog.

Masatha jyothi malarntha   malar   chudare  ,

Desane, theanar amudhe  , Shivapurane  ,

Pasamaam   patthu  aruthu  parikkum  aariyane  ,

Nesa arul   purinthu   nenjil  vanjam keda  ,

Peraathu nindra   perum karunai  peraare.(62-66)

Oh  blemish less flower  like flame,

Which appears like  a  rising   light  ,

Oh sparkling one , oh nectar like honey  ,

Oh Lord    who    has   the city of Shiva  ,

Oh wise one   who  showered  your grace ,

By cutting off   all my   affectionate attachments,

Shower your  friendly grace , cut of all hatred  from my mind,

Oh great river  of mercy , which never leaves my mind.

AAraa amudhe , alavilaa  pemmane  ,

Oraathaar ullathu  olikkum oiyaane,

Neerai urukki   yen aaruyirai   nindraane ,

Inbavum   thunbavum illanne  , ullane. (67-70)

Oh never  satiating nectar , Oh God who is beyond measurement  ,

Oh  light who  hides himself  in a mind which is not  interested,

Oh God who made my mind melt and stood there  as my dear life,

Oh god who does not have happiness   or hardships and who stands  inside me.

Anbarukku anbane  , Yavayumai, allaiyumai,

Chothiyane  thunnirule , thondra perumayane,

Aadhiyane antham naduvagi  allane  ,

Eerthu yennai aat konda  yenthai perumane  ,

Koortha mey  jnanthaal kondu unarvar tham karuthin ,

Nokkariya nokke , nunukku ariya  nun unarve.(71-76)

Oh friend to your devotees ,  Oh God  who is everything  as well as nothing  ,

Oh God who is a flame , Oh God who is darkness , Oh God who is never  born,

Oh primeval one   who has crossed  the state  of middle as well as end,

Oh Lord who  as a father ,  attracted me and made  me yours,

Oh God  who  can be known only by the   very intelligent ones ,

And their look  is a   rare  one which is to be appreciated ,

And their understanding  you   is a rare  feeling.

Pokkum varavum punarvum illa punniyane  ,

Kakkum yen kavalane , kanbariya peroliye  ,

Aathru inba vellame  , Atha  mikkai nindra,

Thotha chuddar  oliyai  chollatha  nun unarvai.  (77-80)

Oh blessed  Lord who never goes  , comes or joins,

Oh  Guard  who protects me, Oh  great light which is difficult to see ,

Oh sweet  water  of grace  , you are  more than my father ,

And  stand before me as   great light  and an indescribable micro  feeling,

Maathamaam vaiyakathin , vevvere  vandhu arivaam,

THethane , thetha   thelive , yen chindanai ul,

OOthaana unnar amudhe , udayaane  ,

Vethru vikara   vidakku udambin  ul kidappa,

AAthen yem ayya  arane oh yendru yendru. 

Pothi pugahndhirundu   poi kettu  mei aanaar   (81-86)

Oh clarity ,  who comes  in different forms  of this changing world,

Oh  complete understanding   due    to that   clarity  ,

Oh  nectar of feeling which flows   in my thoughts  ,

Oh God who owns me  , Oh Sir  , I am not able  to,

Lie  tied up in this body made of flesh  and sensations,

Oh Lord  , Oh Shiva  , Like this   they  praised ,

And  left this  untrue body   and got the true body(Lord Shiva)

Meetingu   vandhu vinai   piravi Chaaraame ,

Kalla pula kkurambai kettu azhikka   vallane  ,

Nal iruil nattam payindru  aadum nadhane,

Thillai ul koothane  , then pandi naattane.(87-90)

Oh God who is capable   of destroying   this body,

Which is the  place   where the deceiving five senses reside ,

And which has  been prevented   from coming   again .

Oh Lord who   dances   even in mid night  when all world sleeps  ,

Oh Lord who dances in Chidambaram who is from the southern Pandya kingdom.

Allal piravi aruppavane oh endru,

Chollarkku ariyanai cholli thiruvadi keezh ,

Cholliya paatin chol unarnthu   cholluvaar  ,

Chelvaa shiva purathin ullar , Sivan adi keezh  ,

Pallorum yetha   panithu  .

Oh lord who cuts of   this   painful life of birth,

Those   who called you  God    , who cannot  be  understood , as “ oh god”

And understand  this song which was  sung below your  feet  ,

Would  go to  the    wealthy  land of Shiva’s city  ,

And would remain below  the feet   of Lord Shiva  ,

Being prayed  and worshipped   by many.