The faces of the creator overflowed
With the nectar of the Siva’s Grace,
Like gushing springs.
Amidst assembled devotees,
The great mark of the lord
Was placed in the disciple’s hand,
Like a gooseberry in the palm.
The initiatory chant
Spoken in the ear and bracelet tied,
The body became the abode of Siva,
The vital breath became the linga
Made up of the five Brahmas.
I was saved by the guru’s presence
That showed me the way onward,
Liberating me from the past,
O Channamallikarjuna, jasmine-tender.
true guru: sadguru, a guru established in the real, existential truth, to be understood in the context of the transmission of wisdom to a satsishya, or earnest student-disciple. The rest of the vacana refers to different stages of the disciple’s initiation.
91
As you remain
Like water in milk,
I do not know
What is behind, what ahead;
I do not know
Who is master, who servant;
I do not know
What is great, what small.
With your grace,
Will not a mere ant become Rudra, the terrible?
O Channamallikarjuna, jasmine-tender?
Rudra: the ‘Wild God’, the primordial being who split into man and woman, a name of Siva; the vacana refers to the initiation sequence in the Siva tradition.
92
O Guru, who protects
Those who seek refuge,
Hail! Victory to you.
You grasped the space within space
That no one knows
And handed it to me,
O Guru Channamallikarjuna, jasmine-tender,
Hail! Victory to you.
This vacana again refers to the initiation and empowerment of the guru–sishya dialectics as understood in the perpetual transmission of wisdom.
Space within space: the point of origination as well as culmination; also called ‘space of the heart’.
93
The eternal walked into my house today;
Liberation walked into my house today;
Hail! O auspicious one,
Adorations, O Guru,
Adorations, O Supreme Guru.
O Guru, who showed me
Channamallikarjuna, jasmine-tender,
Hail!
94
Like a river in spate
Flooding a parched lake,
Like rain drenching a drying plant,
Today, it is as if the joys of this world
And the path beyond
Came to me, walking hand in hand.
O Channamallikarjuna, jasmine-tender,
Seeing the guru’s feet
I am fulfilled.
This world and beyond: iha, ‘here’, and para, ‘beyond’; see note to 53.
95
The guru was the mediator,
The linga the bridegroom,
I was the bride.
Let the whole world know
The countless devotees are my parents,
I was given in marriage
To one fully matching.
So, Channamallikarjuna, jasmine-tender,
Himself is my husband;
I have nothing to do
With the rest of the world, O lord.
Mediator: tettiga, literally ‘kinsman’; sometimes translated as ‘priest’. Traditionally, marriages are arranged, usually by a close relative.
Fully matching: literally ‘looking alike’; denotes total compatibility.
96
With a floor of emeralds,
Festoons of gold and diamond pillars,
A roof of coral,
Pearls and jewels for ceiling,
I was married;
My people had me married.
With bracelets and amulets
And everlasting food stock,
I was given in marriage to
Channamallikarjuna, jasmine-tender.
The whole vacana has esoteric meaning in Siva-Yoga practice. The ‘mystical marriage’ is known also in other traditions.
97
The water from washing the guru’s feet
Is a holy bath for me,
Sacred ashes are turmeric
For my face,
The quarters of space my wedding dress,
The dust off the feet of Siva’s devotees, unguent,
Rudraksha beads my jewellery;
The sandals of devotees
Are the jewel-combs for my hair.
I am the bride of Channamallikarjuna, jasmine-tender;
What need have I
Of other decorations, O mother?
Traditional practice in the guru-disciple context; Jesus washing the disciple’s feet also belongs to this universal tradition, and shows the interchangeability of counterparts.
Rudraksha beads: sacred to Siva, worn by his followers; also medicinal.
98
I burned in an endless fire of longing
To have you for my husband, O Siva.
When there was talk of nuptial bed,
My people sent me to the crescent-wearing Siva,
They covered me with ashes and tied bracelets;
Channamallikarjuna, jasmine-tender,
Made me his own.
Supposedly Akka’s response to Allama Prabhu when he questioned her on arrival at the ‘auspicious assembly’ of devotees; see Introduction.
Crescent-wearing: the thin crescent adorning Siva’s head represents the mind, sublimated to its purest functioning.
99
Over a bower of water,
A roof of fire,
Hailstones spread as a nuptial bed,
Festoons of flowers –
A legless woman married a headless man;
I was given over to life eternal.
Channamallikarjuna, jasmine-tender,
Married me, O mother.
A vacana that refers to the mystical union of the mind with the Absolute.
100
By the guru’s grace I saw the linga,
I saw the mendicant.
By the guru’s grace I saw
The holy water from rinsing his feet,
I saw the gift of grace.
By the guru’s grace,
I saw the blessed ways of
The truly devout.
O Channamallikarjuna, jasmine-tender,
As soon as I was born
The guru put the insignia of holy ashes
And made me belong to the linga,
And thus I was fulfilled.
101
I adore the guru who,
Removing the human birth,
Transformed it to a divine one.
I adore the guru who,
Undoing the bonds of becoming,
Showed me supreme bliss.
I adore the guru who,
Changing me from being sorrowful,
Made me a devotee.
I adore the guru who
Gave me custody of
Channamallikarjuna, jasmine-tender.
102
Hell here – this side,
The holy feet there – afar,
The ten directions of space here – this side,
The ten hands there – afar.
The expanding universe here – this side,
The jewelled crown there – afar.
O Channamallikarjuna, jasmine-tender,
You are well set in my palm.
103
The guru gave a symbol
Lest I forget;
If you know, the real symbol is different,
O brother.
Why worry about uncertain devotion?
If you know and worship
Channamallikarjuna, jasmine-tender,
Will you return to this world of pain?
Symbol: literally ‘symbol’ in the first line; in the third, it is prana-linga, the vital-breath linga, here translated as the ‘real-symbol’.
104
Like a good girl I will bathe you;
Calmly I will worship;
In harmonious love, I will sing your praise.
O Channamallikarjuna, jasmine-tender,
I can now worship
Without straying from you.
A vacana that refers to the ritual practices of the worship of the Siva-linga.
105
Worshipping the linga in hand,
I waved bright camphor lights.
The sight of the eyes,
The hardened thoughts,
Unfulfilled desire –
I knew no way, O lord.
Now I can worship you,
Channamallikarjuna, jasmine-tender,
Without going away from you.
The linga in hand: the Virasaiva initiates worship a miniature linga given by the guru, called the ishta-linga. This is the ‘symbol’ referred to in the preceding verses.
106
If you say you know,
It cannot be known.
The great alone is great;
Not fully knowing
Channamallikarjuna, jasmine-tender,
You have failed.
You have failed: the vacana does not make clear who failed; it could be you, I or s/he!
107
What is good
For all people of the world is there:
Religion, scriptures, epics and
Revealed texts.
There is the path of devotion
And the rising of the light.
If you wear ashes, becoming stops,
The aggregates of suffering vanish,
And one comes close, in the world of Siva,
And gains identity with him.
Have faith, this ash frightens births away.
The sages Agastya, Kasyapa and Jamadagni
Wore this to be free from the fear of death.
This ash pleases well
Channamallikarjuna, jasmine-tender,
The lord of the mountain.
If … ashes: ashes stand for the pure residue left after all else is burnt out in the fire of wisdom.
Agastya: a sage associated with the south, especially with the ancient Tamil culture and language; reputed to have drunk the ocean dry when the demons were hiding there in their battle with the gods.
Kasyapa: a sage, son of Brahma, and a prajapati (lord of creation); also the priest of Rama.
Jamadagni: a sage of the line of Bhrugu; the father of Parasurama and husband of Renuka.
108
Seventy million great mantras;
Secondary chants are countless;
Do not be confused
With all the sorrow, O mind!
‘Adorations again and again, O Siva’;
Saying thus if one takes refuge
Is it not enough?
If asked how,
It is said:
‘Even ten million great sins
Are burnt to ashes
If one recites the name of Siva.’
Thus, for me, this is the mantra
This is the tantra,
This alone my way, mind and life.
This is my supreme philosophy:
It showed me the real guru,
Channamallikarjuna, jasmine-tender.
Direct bipolar relationship (as opposed to elaborate injunctions and prohibitions regarding his worship) to the Absolute, Siva, is recommended in this vacana.
‘Even ten million … Siva’: a quotation from the Sanskrit Ashtavaranastotram, ‘hymn in praise of the eight veils’.
Mantra, tantra, yantra: terms used in Tantrism; yantra is a geometric design, perceptual form, mantra the word or alphabet, the algebraic, conceptual name, while tantra is the technique or know-how of putting the two together.
109
The frog in the snake’s mouth leaps for the fly –
The seeking of nourishment never stops;
See the lie that the body is surrendered,
See this shame that I am devoted,
See this disgusting pride that I am united.
No more food offerings, no gifts of grace,
O Channamallikarjuna, jasmine-tender,
Till the two merge.
Food-offering … grace: traditionally part of the ritual of worship.
Till the two merge: literally ‘both’ merge or subside. The total elimination of the distinction between ‘worshipped’ and ‘worshipper’ is indicated.
110
As long as one heaps up good and bad,
It is only a body of desire,
A knowledge of hate,
A being of covetousness,
An abode of delusion,
A veil of vanity,
A cover of competitive greed.
Till such being is cut off
There is no room to know
Channamallikarjuna, jasmine-tender.
Good and bad: the need to transcend the duality, rather than simply being ‘good’ in a one-sided sense, is stressed.
Desire … greed: a reference to the six well-known ‘enemies’ in Indian contemplative traditions.
111
I am full of desire for action,
Full of desire to be among your devotees;
If I climb the holy mountain
And mix with you,
Will my desires end, O Lord?
I came without any desire,
Full of faith in you,
And perished,
O Channamallikarjuna, jasmine-tender.
112
Actions won’t reach you;
How will I worship you?
Sounds won’t reach you;
How will I sing of you?
If the body reaches,
You are invisible greatness;
How shall I wear you in my palm?
Not knowing anything of myself,
Looking at you again and again
I am amazed,
O Channamallikarjuna, jasmine-tender.
Sounds: nadabindu in the original denotes the creative logos, sound and the beginning point of space, a point of origination or culmination.
113
Like the monkey at the tip of a pole,
Like the puppet at the end of a string,
I played as you made me play,
I spoke as you made me speak,
I stayed as you made me stay:
Till Channamallikarjuna, jasmine-tender,
The machinist of the world,
Said ‘Enough’.
Machinist: literally ‘machine bearer’, meaning technician, engineer, director.
114
Disgusted with becoming,
The mind has embraced death.
What shall I do, O lord?
Laden with sorrow,
The mind turned upside down,
What shall I do, O lord?
To be in a state of non-separation,
To melt and merge in you but once,
To be in your state of eternal joy,
When will it be,
O Channamallikarjuna, jasmine-tender?
115
Don’t trust him
For his coaxing ways;
He is a cheat, this knower of the world.
Showing liberation,
He makes you forget devotion,
Channamallikarjuna, jasmine-tender.
Knower of the world: vijnani, one who knows the specific applications of wisdom.
Liberation, devotion: literal translations of mukti and bhakti.
116
Like a statue listening
To the recital of a wax parrot,
The one reciting has no life,
The listener has no knowledge;
The devotion of one
Who does not know you
Is like the statue listening
To t
he recital of the wax parrot,
O Channamallikarjuna, jasmine-tender.
117
Will those who are harmoniously joined in love
Inquire after family and tribe?
Will unconscious folk feel shame?
What will those who have joined
Channamallikarjuna, jasmine-tender,
Know of the ways of the world?
118
The servant must offer the master the best thing;
This is the difference between master and servant.
If devoted to the linga,
One must wash the feet of the mendicant,
Offer this water to the linga,
And only then should one eat;
This is the secret, this is the dharma,
O Channamallikarjuna, jasmine-tender.
Servant, master: dialectical equating of counterparts.
Linga, mendicant: see Introduction.
Dharma: used here to mean correct behaviour, but usually refers to general religious or spiritual duty, or to natural law.
119
Beyond compare are the devotees of the lord;
They are my kith and kin.
If our lord of the holy mountain,
Channamallikarjuna, jasmine-tender,
Is pleased with me,
I won’t come this way again,
O mother.
Devotees: a simpler rendering of ‘hosts of Rudra’.
Holy mountain: srisaila, one of the famous temples, where Siva is worshipped as Channamallikarjuna.
Songs for Siva Page 6