திருச்சாழல் – Thiruchaazhal

திருச்சாழல் – Thiruchaazhal

BY

Manikka   vasakar 

Translated by

P.R.Ramachander

(these 20 verses  supposed   to be composed in Chidambaram, are word  play between  two ladies,  who are both  Shiva devotees. The  first    asks  doubts

As if  he does not know anything  in a teasing manner appearing to   criticize  lord Shiva and The second one replies a proper reply .She ends her replies with Chazhalo, which is an exclamation.

I was not aware  of this great work  and thanks  to my learned friends Sri j.K.Shivan , I came to  know about it. You can hear it https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=4Fd7RxpOE4I 

 

1.Poosuvathum   venneru  , poonpathuvum pongaravam

Pesuvathum  thiruvaayaal  marai  poalum  Kaanedi

Poosuvathum  pesuuvathum  poonbathuvum   kondennai

EEsanavan   yevvuyirkkum  iyalpanavan chazhalo

 

  He applies   white  ash  , wears  a hooded snake,

And strangely   he speaks    about Vedas  by his lips?

 

With what he applies, talks and wears, he shows,

That he is God who is natural  to   all beings

 

2.Yennappan, yem piraan, yellarkkum   thaan eesan,

THunnam pei kovanamaaka  kollumathu    yennedi?

Mannu  kalai  thunnu porul marai naanke vaan charadaa

Thannaye  kovanamaaka   chaathinan kaan    Chaazhelo

 

My father  , my lord , is god   for   all beings,

How come   he only wears  a loin’s cloth only?

 

The most  important things  of knowledge   are four Vedas,

He   wears them as string and the scripture  as Loin’s   cloth

 

3.KOyil    chudu kadu, kol  puli   thol  nalladai.

THayumili thanthayili, thaan thaniyal  kaanedi

THayumili thanthayumili, thaan thaniyan   aayidinum

Kaayil ulaganaithum kar podi kaan   Chaazhalo

 

His temple  is cremation ground, he wears deadly  tiger skin,

He does not have father  nor mother, Is he not   all alone?

 

Though he  is lonely   without  a father  and a mother,

If he   gets angry, he will make  world in to stone dust 

                       4

4/Ayanai, ananganai anthakanai   chanthiranai

Vayanangal  maayaa  vadu cheithaan   Kaanedi

Nayanangal   monndudaya  nayakane dandithaal

Chayamandro vaanavarkku thaazh  kuzhalai   Chaazhalo

 

To Brahma , to Manmatha , to Yama, to the moon,

He  created  wounds   that   will never heal , don’t you see

 

If the lord with   the three  eyes   punishes  some one,

Is it  not victory   to devas, Oh  long   haired one

 

5,  Thakkanayum   yechanayum   thalayaruthu   devar ganam

THokkana   vanthavar thammai tholaithathu  thaan   yennedi?

Thokkana  vanthavar  thammai tholaithu aruli, arul  koduthangu

Yechanukku mighai thalai mathu   arulinan kaan   chaazhalo

 

He cut off the  heads of  Daksha   and yeksha and destoroyed,

Large number  of devas   who had  gathered  there, is it Okay?

 

He destroyed   the devas   who had come in crowd but later blessed them,

He gave an extra  head   to Yaksha as  exchange, don’t you see it.\

 

6.Alaravanum  maayavanum ariyaame azhal  uruvai,

Nila mutharkeezh andamra nindrathu  thaan  yennedi?

Nila mudhar keezh andamuranindrilanel iruvarum tham,

Chala mukathaal  aangaaram thavirar  kaan Chaazhelo

 

Why did   he stand  as  burning fire , without  Vishnu and Brahma knowing,

From   deep inside  the earth  to  much above the sky?

 

Had he not stood   from deep inside  earth to  the sky, then  both of them,

Would not have  lost their  pride   by   the  mountain face

 

7.Malai  makalai   oru bhagam vaithalume , mathoruthi,

Chala mukathaal avan chadayil payumathu  yennedi?

Chala mukhathaal   avan chadayil  paainthilalel daraniyellam,

Bila mukhathe  puka  paainthu perum kedaal  Chaazhalo

 

Even though he  has  given one side  to daughter of mountain, how come,

How come   another lady flow   in to  his  matted  lock?

 

Had not that  lady   flown   in to his matted lock, all the world,

She would have fallen on eath and it would have  caused  great destruction

 

8.Kolaalamaaki   kurai  kadalvai andrezhuntha

AAlaalam   undaan , avan chathur  thaan  Yennedi?

Aallaalam  undilanel andru ayan maal  ullitta,

Melaaya   devarellam veeduvar kaan   Chaazhalo.

 

What    was his intention in    swallowing  the  Halahala,

Which  arose  from turbulent sea , Is it to show his greatness?

Had   he not swallowed   that  Halahala   at that time,

All  the great devas  along with lord Vishnu and brahma  would have perished

 

9.Then pal ugnthaadum   thillai chithambalavan

Pen pal  uganthaan , perum pithan  Kaanedi?

Pen paal  uganthilaner  pethaai, iru nilathor,

Vinpali yogeithi  veeduvar kaan   chaazhalo

 

The lord  of Chidambaram who with liking  dances in the south,

Seems  to prefer ladies  , does it look   that he  is mad?

 

Silly girl , had he  not  preferred   that lady, the people of earth and heaven,

Would have  wasted  themselves trying   to attain salvation

 

10.Thaan antham illan   thanai adaintha  naayenai

Ananda vellathazhuthu vithaan kaanedi

AAnanda vellathu  azhuthuvitha thiruvadikal,

Vaanunthu devarkatkku oar vaan porul kaan  chaazhalo.

 

He   who does  not have an end , drowned  in ocean of bliss,

This poor one   who has   reached  him,. How  come?

 

The divine feet which immersed  you in the  ocean of bliss,

Is also  the divine   treasure to those  devas in  heaven also.

 

11.Nangaai   eethenna thavam  narabodu  yellum  paninthu,

Kangaalam  thol mel kaadhalithaan Kaanedi?

Kangaalam AAmaa kel  kaalantharathu  iruvar,

Thangaalam cheyya tharithanan kaan Chaazhalo

 

Hey girl  , what  is this penance, wearing  sinews and bones,

And carrying  skeletons  on his shoulder, How does one love him ?

 

Yes  , it is skeleton but hear, at   the time  of final  deluge,

He is wearing to show demise  of the two  , Vishnu  and Brahma

 

12.Kaanaar  pulithol udai  thalai oon kaadu  pathi,

AAnaal  avanukku ingu aatpaduvaar   aaredi?

Aanaalum kelaai ayanum thirumaalum

Vaanaadar  kovum vazhiyadiyaar  chaazhalo

 

He wears the skin of a forest tiger, eats  from skull , lives  in cremation ground,

And so who   is going   to be his follower here?

 

In spite of that hear, Lord   Brahma  and Vishnu

And the king of devas  are his devotees and follow  his path

 

13.Malai arayan por paavai vaal nuthalaal  pen thiruvai

Ulagariya thee vettan yennumathu   yennedi?

Ulagariya theevelaathu ozhinthananel Ulaganaithum,

Kalai navindra porulkalalellam kalangidum kaan  Chaazhalo

 

He  married the golden daughter of king  of mountains,

Who has  sword like eye brows, for world to see, with fire  as witness  why?

 

Had  he not lit the fire and married  her, the entire world,

As well as   all the  things mentioned  by Vedas  will be in  turmoil.

 

14,Thean pukka  than panai choozh, thillai  chithambalavan

THaan pukku nattam  payilumathu  yennedi?

Thaan pukku nattam payidrilanel daraniyellam,

OOn pukka ver kaali kootam kaan chazhalo

 

Why is it that  the lord  of Chidambaram which is surrounded by gardens,

Dripping  honey, preferred   to practice  his   dance?

 

Had he  not  practiced   his   dance  , the entire   world,

Would have become  food dripping with blood to the Kali carrying a spear

 

15.Kada kariyum  pari maavum m  therum ukam theraathe

Idabam   ugam theriyavaar yenakkariya Iyambedi,

THada  mathilkal avai  moondrum thazhal  yeritha annalil

Idabamathaai  thaanginaan   thirumaal kaan  Chaazhalo

 

Without choosing the great elephant, the  horses  or the chariot,

Why is it that  he chose  the  bull as   as a steed , please tell oh girl

 

During the time  , he burnt   the three  cities with their outer walls,

Lord   Vishnu   took   the form of a  bull and  carried him

 

16.Nandraaga naalvarkku   naan  marayin utporulai,

Andraalin keezhiruntha angara muraithaan Kaanedi

Andraalin  keezhiruntha angara  muraithaan, aayidinum

Kondraan kaan pura  moondrum kottoode  , Chazhalo

 

During  olden days   sitting  below a banyan tree,Why did,

He teach well  the meaning of four Vedas  to the sages , I did not understand

 

During those  olden times though   sitting  below a banyan tree,

He taught  the Vedas, did he not  completely  burn the three  cities

 

17.Ambalathe  koothadi, amuthu  cheyya pali  thiriyum,

Nambanayum devanendru  naqnnuvathu   yennedi?

Nambanayum aamaa kel, naan maraikal  thaamariyaa

Yem perumaan eesaa yenru yethina kaan, Chaazhelo

 

He dances  in the public and wanders for begging food,

How can we  treat this mendicant  as  God, please  tell?

 

Even the four Vedas  do not understand that  mendicant,

And they call him our lord and praise   him as  the god who is above all.

 

18.Chalamudaya jalandharan than udal  thadintha  nallazhi,

Nalamudaya naranarkku andu aruliya vaar  , yennedi?

Nalamudaya   naranan than nayanam idam tharan adi  keezh,

Alaraaka ida aazhi arulinan kan , chaazhalo

 

That why did  Lord Shiva  gift   the   weapon   to  Lord Narayana,

To kill jalandhara  the  sea monster , he himself  had great weapons , please tell

 

The  Narayana  with great weapons  , uprooted  his pown eyes

And offered  it at the   feet  of  Lord Shiva and so he did it, please see

 

19.Ambaramaam  pulli thol aalaalam   aaru muthham

Yem peruman   unda   chathur  yenakkariya   iyambedi,

Yem peruman yethuduthangethamuthu cheithidinum

Tham perumai  thaan ariyaa thanmayan kaan  chaazhalo

 

His  dress is spotted  tiger’s skin,halala poison  is great  nectar for him,

Please tell me  the reason for his eating behavior, please tell?

 

Whatever  our lord   dresses  or   whatever   he eats,

His nature  is  not exhibiting   his   greatness  to all

 

20.Arum thavarukku aalin keezh ara mudhalaa nanganaym

Irunthavarukku  arulamuthu  , yenakkariya  iyambedi?

Arum  thavarukku   ara  mudhal thaan kandraruli cheithilanel

Thirunthavar ulagiyarkkai theriyaa  kaan   chazhalo

 

He taught sages  beow a banan tree, the four  aspects  of  Dharma,

What is the point in teaching it  to those  who have it, please tell me  to understand

 

He  taught  the four aspects of dharma  to those  great sages,

For them to reform understanding   the rules  of nature.