Sagely Sivavaakiyar!

Sivavaakiyar, is a great poet who lived around the 10th Century AD and is considered one of the siddhars. Some legends say that he was the first of siddhars who lived in the ancient times. He got the name Sivavaakiyar because he uttered the word "Shiva" when he was born. His works are extraordinary masterpieces that could be done only by a person who has transcended the materialistic aspects of the world and attained the connection with the ethereal bliss. His views might sound atheistic but what he professes is beyond what normal minds can be inculcated. For this reason of atheistic tinge in his songs, his works does not have prominence in the Shaiva Literature, however many people have realised the correctness of what he says. He greatly opposed idol worship and the practices that were followed with to idol worship; basically seeking the Almighty in a stone or a statue, confining the omnipresent in a small stone and considering the stone as GOD, etc. One of his songs adorns my blog as a header. Lets see some of his songs, including the one in the header






"Nattakallai Dheivamendru Naalupushpam Saathiyae
Sutrivandhu MonaMonavendru Sollumandhiram Yaedhada
Nattakallum Pesumo Naadhan Ullirukayil
SuttaSatti Sattuvam Karichuvai Ariyumo"

-Sivavaakiyar

meaning, "You consider an erected stone as GOD and you adorn that stone with flowers, go around it chanting and muttering some mantras! how is that possible? Will that erected stone talk you when the the Almighty (Lord Shiva) is within you. Will the utensils used to cook the food realise that taste of its contents?".

Nattakallai - Natta (Erected, planted) + Kallai - possesive case of Kall (stone)
Dheivamendru - Dheivam (GOD) + Yendru - like, consider
Naalu - Four
Pushpam - flower
Saathiyae - Adorn
Sutrivandhu - Sutri (Going around, revolve, rotate) + Vandhu - Come
MonaMona - An interjection to denote murmuring and muttering
SolluMandhiram - Sollum (Utter, tell) + Mandhiram - Mantra
Pesumo - Interrogative of Pesum (Talk)
Naadhan - Lord Shiva (the Almighty)
Ullirukayil - Ull (Within, inside) + Irukayil (Staying, residing)
SuttaSatti - Sutta (Heated) + Satti (Pot, vessel)
Sattuvam - Spoon
Karichuvai - Kari (Vegetable cooked) + Chuvai (Taste)
Ariyumo - Interrogative of Ariyum (Knowing, being aware)

What he says is that the act of being in an oblivion without realising the supreme within oneself and searching elsewhere is like the utensils that do not realise the taste of food, that is within them, being cooked. Understand the Almighty within yourself. Now lets see the song in the header of this blog.

"Ninaipathondru Kandilaen Neeyaladhu Verilai
Ninapumaai Marappumai Nindra Maayai Maayaiyo
Anaithumai Agandamai Anaadhimun Anaadhiyaai
YenakkulNee UnakkulNaan Ninaikumaaru Yenganae"

-Sivavaakiyar

This song is rather song to GOD Almighty himself, his humility, simplicity and divine faith is at its zenith. Lets see the meaning, "I have never known anything other than YOU(GOD) to think. Is the illusion of my consciousness and oblivion actually an illusion or is it you? YOU (GOD) have been everything and nothingness, a being without beginning of all the beings without beginning. When will be the day when I could think that you are within me and I am within you?"

Ninaipathondru - Ninaipathu (Thinking, Imagining) + Ondru (Thing,One)
Kandilaen - Kandu (See, Imagine, Being Aware) + Ilaen - Negation
Neeyaladhu - Nee (You [GOD in this context]) + Aladhu - a variation if Illadhu indicating negation
Verilai - Veru (Other) + Illai - Negation
Ninapumaai - Ninaipu (Thought, Consciousness)
Marappumai - Marappu (Forgetting, Oblivion)
Nindra - Stand, Stay
Maayai - Illusion
Anaithumai - Everything
Agandamai - Nothing
Anaadhi - Thing without a beginning or origin
YenakkulNee - Yenakkul (Within me) + Nee
UnakkulNaan - Unakkul (Within you) + Naan (Me)
Ninaikumaaru - Thinking so
Yenganae - When, how

The next one for the common man rather atheists,







"IllaiIllai Illaiyendru Eyambukindra Yezhaikaal
Illaiyendru Nindrathondrai Illaiyennal Aagumo
Illaiyendrum UnduEndrum ErandumOndri Nindradhai
YellaiKandu Kondapaer Inipirapadhu Illayae"

- Sivavaakiyar

meaning, "You poor people claiming that GOD does not exist, GOD does not exist! Will it be true that a Being existing as non-existent (not able to see physically) to actually not exist? Those who realise the bounds of that Being that is existing as non-existent and existent will never be reborn to undergo the trials and tribulations of birth"

Illai - Negation, not existing
Eyambu - Claim, express
Yezhai - Poor
Nindra - Exist, Stand
Undu - Affirmative, Existing
ErandumOndri - Erandum (Both) + Ondri (Merge, Dependent)
Yellai - Bound, confines
Kandukonda - Found, obtain usually after searching
IniPirappadhu - Ini (Hereafter) + Pirappadhu (Being born)

Sivavaakiyar has transcended the boundaries of materialistic world as the above and other songs illustrate. He professes what the Brahmasutra (The origin of the Universe, The Composition of what is called Brahmam - not Brahma (The GOD of Creation)) says, "All of you and everything around you is Brahmam". In simple physics terms, all objects are manifestations of matter and so is all things in the entire Universe and the Universe itself is the manifestation of Brahmam. You have to realise the Brahmam with you first, don't try to give it a shape or visualise it as something or confine it to some object is what Sivavaakiyar says, a great sagely thought indeed. Lets try to think from his perspective and realise the Brahmam

More to come, until then...