This translation appeared earlier on the Happiness of Being blog.
அரியாதியி தரசீவர தகவாரிச குகையில்
லறிவாய்ரமி பரமாத்தும னருணாசல ரமணன்
பரிவாலுள முருகாநல பரனார்ந்திடு குகையார்ந்
தறிவாம்விழி திறவாநிச மறிவாயது வெளியாம்.
ariyādiyi tarajīvara dahavārija guhaiyil
laṟivāyrami paramāttuma ṉaruṇācala ramaṇaṉ
parivāluḷa murugānala paraṉārndiḍu guhaiyārn
daṟivāmviṙi tiṟavānija maṟivāyadu veḷiyām.
பதச்சேதம்: அரி ஆதி இதர சீவரது அக வாரிச குகையில் அறிவாய் ரமி பரமாத்துமன் அருணாசலரமணன். பரிவால் உளம் உருகா, நல பரன் ஆர்ந்திடு குகை ஆர்ந்து, அறிவு ஆம் விழி திறவா, நிசம் அறிவாய்; அது வெளி ஆம்.
Padacchēdam (word-separation): ari ādi itara jīvaradu aha-vārija guhaiyil aṟivāy rami paramāttumaṉ aruṇācalaramaṇaṉ. parivāl uḷam uruhā, nala paraṉ ārndiḍu guhai ārndu, aṟivu ām viṙi tiṟavā, nijam aṟivāy; adu veḷi ām.
அன்வயம்: அருணாசலரமணன் அரி ஆதி இதர சீவரது அக வாரிச குகையில் அறிவாய் ரமி பரமாத்துமன். பரிவால் உளம் உருகா, நல பரன் ஆர்ந்திடு குகை ஆர்ந்து, அறிவு ஆம் விழி திறவா, நிசம் அறிவாய்; அது வெளி ஆம்.
Anvayam (words rearranged in natural prose order): aruṇācalaramaṇaṉ ari ādi itara jīvaradu aha-vārija guhaiyil aṟivāy rami paramāttumaṉ. parivāl uḷam uruhā, nala paraṉ ārndiḍu guhai ārndu, aṟivu ām viṙi tiṟavā, nijam aṟivāy; adu veḷi ām.
English translation: Aruṇācalaramaṇa is the ultimate self rejoicing as awareness in the cave of the heart-lotus of different souls beginning with Hari. Heart melting with love, reaching the cave where the sublime supreme dwells, the eye that is awareness opening, you will know what is innate; it will be exposed.
Explanatory paraphrase: Aruṇācalaramaṇa is paramātman [the supreme spirit or ultimate self of all] rejoicing as awareness in the cave of the heart-lotus of [all] different jīvas [souls or sentient beings] beginning with Hari [Viṣṇu]. Heart melting with love, reaching [or merging in] the cave where the sublime supreme dwells, the eye that is awareness opening, you will [thereby] know what is innate [or one’s own, namely your own real nature, the indwelling Aruṇācalaramaṇa]; [because] it will be exposed [meaning it will shine forth, devouring ego and everything else in the infinite clarity of pure awareness].
Michael James is the world’s foremost scholar and English translator of Sri Ramana Maharshi’s writings. He worked closely for years with Sri Sadhu Om.
Translation and introduction © Michael James; licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International license (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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This page was first published on September 19, 2023 and last revised on September 24, 2023.