Arunachala Patikam

Sri Ramana Maharshi

Karunai-yal ennai andani yenakkun
katchi-tan darulilai yendral
Irulnali ulagil engiye padaittiv
udal-vidil engati ennam
Aruna-nai kana dalarumo kamalam
arunanu karuna-na manni
Arul-nani suran-dang aruvi-yaip perugum
arunama malai-yenum anbe 1

1. O Love in the shape of Arunachala! Now that by Thy Grace Thou hast claimed me, what will become of me unless Thou manifest Thyself to me, and I, yearning wistfully for Thee and harassed by the darkness of the world, am lost? (How) can the lotus blossom without the sight of the sun? Thou art the Sun of suns; Thou causest Grace to well up in abundance and pour forth as a stream!

Anburu Aruna chala-vazhan mezhugai
agattunai ninain-dunain durugam
Anbili yenak-kun anbinai arula
dandenai azhit-tidal azhago
Anbinil vilaiyum inbame anbar
ahattinil urumar amude
Enpuga lida-nin nishta-men nishtam
inbadar kennuyir iraiye 2

2. O Arunachala, Thou Form of Love Itself! I am loveless and do not think of Thee and melt with love for Thee like wax over the fire. But does it become Thee, once having claimed me, if instead of producing such love in me, Thou letst me now be lost? O bliss rising from Love! O Nectar springing in the heart of devotees! Heaven of my refuge! Thy pleasure is mine. It is also my joy, O Lord of my Life!

Irai-yumai ninai-yum enname nanna
enai-yuma darul-kayittra irttu
Irai-yuyir indri kondrida nindrai
enkurai iyat-trinan ezhai
Irai-yini kurai-yen kuttru-yir akki
enai-vadai tida-ledar kinngan
Irai-vanam Aruna chala-yena muditte
ekana vazhini duzhi. 3

3. Arunachala who art the Lord! Drawing me with the cords of Thy Grace, although I had not even dimly thought of Thee, Thou didst decide to kill me outright. How then did poor me offend Thee that Thou dost leave the task unfinished? Why dost Thou torment me thus, leaving me suspended between life and death? Fulfil Thy wish [1] and long to survive me all alone, O Lord!

Uzhiyil vazhum makka-lil enpal
udiyam yaduni pettrai
Pazhi-nil vizha dezhai-yai kattun
padat-tinil irut-tivai tanaiye
Azhiyan karunai annale yenna
ahamiga nana-nan nidumal
Vazhini Aruna chala-unai vazhutti
vazht-tida tazht-tumen talaye 4

4. What did it profit Thee to choose me out from all those living in the world, to rescue my poor self from falling into the dreary waste (of samsara) [2] and hold me at They Feet? Lord of the Ocean of Mercy! Even to think of Thee puts me to shame. Arunachala, (long) mayst Thou live! I bow my head to Thee and bless Thee. [3]

Talai-vani ennai kala-vinir konarn-dun
tali-lin nal-varai vait-tai
Talai-vanin tanmai enna-yen barkku
talai-guni silai-yena vaittai
Talai-vanan valai-man tanai niga raden
talar-vinu kazhi-vuna didu-vai
Talai-vanam Aruna chala-vulam edo
tami-yanar tanni-yunar darke. 5

5. Lord! Thou didst bring me by stealth and all these days hast held me at Thy Feet. Lord! Thou hast made me (to stand) with hanging head (dumb), like an image when asked what is Thy nature! Deign to ease me in my weariness struggling like a deer that is caught in a net. Lord Arunachala! What can be Thy will? (Yet) who am I to comprehend thee?

Tap-para nalum tali-nil tangi
tanda-lar mandu-kam anen
Chirpada nattren unmala aliya
chei-didil uydi-yun dun-dran
Narpa-dap podil nan-uyir vittal
natta-tun agu-mun pazhiye
Ver-puru Aruna viri-kadir oliye
vinni-nu nunnarul veliye. 6

6. Lord of my Life! I have always been at Thy Feet, like a frog (which clings) to the stem of the lotus; make me instead a honey bee which (from the blossom of the Heart) sucks sweet honey of Pure Consciousness; then shall I have Deliverance. If I lose my life while clinging to Thy Lotus Feet it will be for Thee a standing column of ignominy, O Blazing Mountain of Light spreading red rays! O (wise) Expanse of Grace, more subtle than the ether!

Veli-vali tinir manpala uyirai
viri-vuru bhuta-bhau tikangal
Veli-yoli unnai andriyin drennin
veruyan arulan vimala
Veli-yada yulattu verara vilangin
verena veli-varu venar
Veli-varai Aruna chala-vavan talai-yil
viri-malarp padat-tinai vaitte. 7

7. O Pure one! If the five elements consisting of ether, air, fire, water and earth, the numerous living beings and every manifest thing is nothing but the Pure Consciousness that Thou art, how then can I (alone) be separate from Thee? Since Thou shinest in the Heart, a single Expanse without duality, how can I come forth distinct therefrom? Show Thyself, placing thy Lotus Feet upon his (the ego's) head as it emerges, O Arunachala!

Vai-tanai vala vaiyaha tuiyum
vazhi-yari mati-yazhi tinngan
Vait-tidil arkkum inbilai tunbe
vazh-vidil savade manbam
Pait-tiyam pattrip payan arum enak-kun
pada-murum arumarun darul-vai
Pait-tiya marundap parolir Aruna
parup-pada urop-peru parane. 8

8. Thou hast destroyed my ability to prosper in the world and made a wastrel of me; this, condition is miserable and no one is happy; to die is better than to live thus. O Transcendental Self in the form of a mountain and shining as the cure for the madness (of worldliness)! Grant me, mad (for Thee) in vain, the sovereign remedy of clinging to Thy Feet!

Para-manin padam pattra-rap pat-trum
paravari vari-yarir paraman
Para-muna kena-ven pani-yarap pani-yai
bharit-tidum unak-kedu bharam
Para-manir pirin-div ula-ginai talai-yil
pattri-yan pettradu podum
Para-manam Arunja chala-venai yini-yun
padat-tini droduk-durap parel. 9

9. O Transcendent! I am the first of those who have not the Supreme Wisdom to clasp Thy Feet in freedom from attachment. Ordain Thou that my burden be transferred to Thee and my free will effaced, for what indeed can be a burden to the Sustainer (of the Universe)? Lord Supreme! I have had enough (of the fruits) of carrying (the burden) of this world upon my head, parted from Thee. Arunachala, the Supreme Itself! Itself think no more to keep me at a distance from Thy Feet!

Par-tanan pudu-mai uyir-vali kanta
paru-vadam oru-daram idanai
Ort-tidum uyi-rin sesh-taiyai odukki
oru-dana dabhi-muka maga
Irtta-dai tan-pol achalama chei-dav
innuyir bali-kolum ihden
Orttui-min uyirgal ulamadil oliriv
wuyirk-loli Aruna-ma giriye. 10

10. I have discovered a new Thing! This Hill, the lodestone of lives, arrests the movements of any one who so much as thinks of it, draws him face to face with it, and fixes him motionless like Itself, to feed upon his soul thus ripened. What (a wonder) is this? O souls beware of It and live1 [4] Such a destroyer of lives is this Arunachala, which shines within the Heart!

Giri-yidu para-ma karu-diya enpol
ket-tavar ettanai kollo
Viri-tuya ralip pizhaip-pinil vizhaivu
vittudal vittida viragu
Karu-diye tin-vir karut-tinul orukal
karu-dida kola-male kollum
Arumarun dondrun dava-niyil adu-tan
aruna-ma tira mena arivir. 11

11. How many are there who have been ruined like me for thinking this Hill to be the Supreme. [5] O men! Disgusted with this life of intense misery, ye seek a means of giving up the body. There is on earth a rare drug which without actually killing him, will annihilate any one who so much as thinks of it. Know that it is none other than this Arunachala.