angumingum

lord bearing conch and discuss with lotus dame

and earth dame and nappinnai blending in you

gods and asuras everywhere worship you

and seek refuge in you but never fanthom you

without ever learning the vedic texts

we have cut attachments and destroyed the four woes

by simply serving the radiant discus lord

who is our fortress of strength

alas nobody comes here bearing the conch and discus

nobody comes following him with his dagger and bow

i look out for him everyday on this earth

to serve and worship him but see him not alas

O lord who swallowed the earth as a morsel

and slept as a child floating on a fig leaf

alas time stretches like a dark age

and i drown in the desire to see your frame.

o lord lying still in beautiful kolur and pulingudi

what makes you sleep so soundly

are you weary from the battles of lanka 

or from walking over the earth and sky

being the lord of gods he receives their homage

he wields a beautiful conch and discus look

 he destroys the pall of existence

he will come and light my heart with his gem hue

the lords resides in paricaram with Lakshmi on his chest

pilgrims come and go but alas none to say to him

 a devotee waits there longing for a chance

to go out with you bearing your conch and discus

Lord of discus who strode the seven mountains

the seven oceans and the seven worlds in one step

 o when will you consider and grant me

the joy of serving your lotus feet

my love overflowing i call out

o first lord time my gem hued master

who is mal brahma and siva

who can comprehend his glory

the clear sighted muni can only see the shore

the great eternal celestial only stand and worship

how can we ever fully praise the lord

who churned the deep oceans pray tell

this decad of the beautiful thousand songs

by tall mansioned kurugur city's satakopan

addressing the lord who destroys birth 

will secure freedom from rebirth.

dharma

Dharma

 idaṁ ca tvāṁ sarva paraṁ bravīmi puṇyaṁ padaṁ tāta mahāviśiṣṭam | na jātu kāmān na bhayān na lobhād dharmaṁ tyajej jīvitasyāpi hetoḥ || 214 || 

O sire, I would impart another lesson productive of great benefit, and which is the highest of all teachings, viz., Dharma should never be forsaken from passion, fear, or greed, not even for the sake of life itself. 

ijyādhyayana dānāni tapaḥ satyaṃ kṣamā ghṛṇā | alobha iti margo'yaṃ dharmasyāṣṭa vidhaḥ smṛtaḥ || 215 ||

 The eigthfold path of Dharma is yajña, veda-study, charity, truth, forgiveness, compassion (ghṛṇā = warm feeling towards others) and generosity. 

tatra pūrva catur-vargo dambhārtham api sevyate | uttaraśca catur-vargo nāmahātmāsu tiṣṭhati || 216 || 

The first four can be practiced by anyone out of hyprocisy. But the latter four cannot be found in someone who is not a great being. nityo dharmaḥ sukha-duḥkhe tvanitye nityo jīvo dhātur asya tvanityaḥ | tyaktvānityaṁ pratitiṣṭhasva nitye santuṣya tvaṁ toṣaparo hi lābhaḥ || 217 || 

Dharma is everlasting; pleasure and pain are transitory; life is indeed everlasting but its particular phases are transitory. Forsaking that which is transitory, hold fast to that which is everlasting, and let contentment be yours, for contentment is the highest of all acquisitions. 

na sā sabhā yatra na santi vṛddhā na te vṛddhā ye na vadanti dharmam | nāsau dharmo yatra na satyamasti na tat satyaṁ yacchalenānuviddham || 218 || 

That is no assembly where there are no seniors, and they are not seniors who do not declare what Dharma is. That is not Dharma which is separated from truth, and that is not truth which is fraught with deceit. 

 pāpaṁ kurvan pāpa-kīrtiḥ pāpam evāśnute phalam | puṇyaṁ kurvan puṇya-kīrtiḥ puṇyam evāśnute phalam || 219 ||

 A notorious person, by committing wickedness, experiences negative consequences. A renowned person by practicing virtue, reaps great happiness.

 pāpaṁ prajñāṁ nāśayati kriyamāṇaṁ punaḥ punaḥ | naṣṭa prajñaḥ pāpam eva nityam ārabhate naraḥ || 220 || 

Iniquity repeatedly perpetrated, destroys one's intelligence; and the one who has lost intelligence, repeatedly commits transgressions. Therefore, one who is rigidly resolved, should abstain from all wrong doing. 

puṇyaṁ prajñāṁ vardhayati kriyamāṇaṁ punaḥ punaḥ | vṛddha prajñaḥ puṇyam eva nityam ārabhate naraḥ || 221 || 

Virtue, repeatedly practiced, enhances intelligence; and one whose intelligence has increased, repeatedly practices virtue. 

daśa dharmaṁ na jānanti dhṛtarāṣṭra nibodha tān | mattaḥ pramatta unmattaḥ śrāntaḥ kruddho bubhukṣitaḥ || 222 || 

tvaramāṇaśca bhīruśca lubdhaḥ kāmī ca te daśa | tasmād eteṣu bhāveṣu na prasajjeta paṇḍitaḥ || 223 || 

O Dhritarashtra, these ten persons do not know [or care] what Dharma is viz., the intoxicated, the inattentive, the mad, the fatigued, the angry, the starving, the hasty, the greedy, the frightened and the lustful. Therefore, a wise person should always avoid attachment to their company. 

satyena rakṣyate dharmo vidyā yogena rakṣyate | mṛjayā rakṣyate rūpaṁ kulaṁ vṛttena rakṣyate || 224 ||

 Dharma is protected by truth, knowledge by application, beauty by hygiene and the family by exemplary behavior. 

dharmārthau yaḥ parityajya syād indriyavaśānugaḥ | śrī prāṇa dhana dārebhya kṣipraṁ sa parihīyate || 225 || 

One who abandons Dharma and Artha and dedicates himself to unrestrained pleasure, quickly loses prosperity, health, wealth and spouse. 

trust

Trust

rājasu sarpeṣu svādhyāye prabhu śatruṣu | bhoge cāyuṣi viśvāsaṁ kaḥ prājñaḥ kartum arhati || 199 || 

Which wise person would invest trust in  politicians, snakes, the lessons learned by oneself, one's employer, enemies, enjoyments, and one's expected life-span? 

na viśvased aviśvaste viśvaste nātiviśvaset | viśvāsād bhayam utpannaṁ mūlānyapi nikṛntati || 200 || 

One should never put trust in one who is untrustworthy, nor even put too much trust in one who should be trusted, for the danger that arises from reposing trust on another cuts off one's very roots.

 apakṛtvā buddhimato dūrastho’smīti nāśvaset | dīrghau buddhimato bāhū yābhyāṁ hiṁsati hiṁsitaḥ || 201 || 

Having wronged an intelligent person, one should never be confident of safety because he lives far away. The intelligent persons have very long arms, whereby they can return wrongs for wrongs done to them.  

power

Power 

balaṁ pañcavidhaṁ nityaṁ puruṣāṇāṁ nibodha me | yattu bāhubalaṁ nāma kaniṣṭhaṁ balamucyate || 195 ||

 amātyalābho bhadraṁ te dvitīyaṁ balamucyate | dhanalābhastṛtīyaṁ tu balamāhurjigīṣavaḥ || 196 || 

yattvasya sahajaṁ rājan pitṛ paitā mahaṁ balam | abhijātabalaṁ nāma taccaturthaṁ balaṁ smṛtam || 197 || 

yena tvetāni sarvāṇi saṅgṛhītāni bhārata | yad balānāṁ balaṁ śreṣṭhaṁ tatprajñābalamucyate || 198 || 

There are five different kinds of power O King, of these physical strength is regarded as the most inferior kind. The acquisition of good counsellors is regarded as the second kind of power. The power of wealth is the third. The power of privilege acquired by birth is regarded as the fourth. That, however, by which all these are achieved, and which is the foremost of all kinds of power, is called the power of the intellect. 

food quantity

Moderation in Eating 

guṇāśca ṣaṇ mita-bhuktaṁ bhajante ārogyam āyuśca sukhaṁ balaṁ ca | anāvilaṁ cāsya bhaved apatyaṁ na cainam ādyūna iti kṣipanti || 192 || One that eats sparingly achieves these six, viz., health, long life, and happiness and strength; one's progeny also become healthy, and one is never accused of gluttony. 

ekaḥ svādu na bhuñjīta ekaścārthān na cintayet | eko na gacched adhvānaṁ naikaḥ supteṣu jāgṛyāt || 193 || 

One should not partake of any gourmet food alone, nor alone reflect on concerns of profit, nor alone go upon a journey, nor alone remain awake among sleeping companions. 

mitaṁ bhuṅkte saṁvibhajyāśritebhyo mitaṁ svapity amitaṁ karma kṛtvā | dadāty-amitreṣvapi yācitaḥ saṁstam ātmavantaṁ prajahaty anarthāḥ || 194 ||  

One who eats moderately after sharing the food among dependents, who sleeps moderately after working hard, and who, when asked gives freely even unto enemies, is self-disciplined, and free from disappointment. 

good advice

Good Advice 

sulabhāḥ puruṣā rājan satataṁ priya-vādinaḥ | apriyasya tu pathyasya vaktā śrotā ca durlabhaḥ || 189 || 

Many can be found who always speak agreeable words. But very rare are the speaker and the hearer of disagreeable words that are beneficial. 

o hi dharmaṁ vyapāśritya hitvā bhartuḥ priyāpriye | apriyāṇyāha pathyāni tena rājā sahāyavān || 190 || 

That advisor is a real asset who, without regarding what is agreeable or disagreeable to his employer but keeping Dharma alone in view, says what is unpalatable but beneficial. 

prajñā-vṛddhaṁ dharma-vṛddhaṁ svabandhuṁ vidyā-vṛddhaṁ vayasā cāpi vṛddham | kāryākārye pūjayitvā prasādya yaḥ sampṛcchen na sa muhyet kadācit || 191 || 

Honouring and gratifying your friends that are eminent in wisdom, virtue, learning and years, you should ask their advice about what should be done and what shouldn't be done, acting thus you will never be led astray.

 ekaṁ viṣa-raso hanti śastreṇaikaśca vadhyate | sa-rāṣṭraṁ sa-prajaṁ hanti rājānaṁ mantra-viśravaḥ || 192 || 

Poison kills but one person, and a weapon also kills but one; wicked advice however, can destroy an entire kingdom with king and subjects. 

catvāri rājñā tu mahā-balena varjyānyāhuḥ paṇḍitas tāni vidyāt | alpa prajñaiḥ saha mantraṁ na kuryān na dīrghasūtrair ālasaiścāraṇaiśca || 193 || 

The learned have declared that the elite, although powerful, should never consult with these four, viz., those with limited understanding of the subject, procrastinators, the indolent and sycophants. 

golden rule

The Golden Rule 

na tat parasya saṁdadhyāt pratikūlaṁ yad ātmanaḥ | saṅgraheṇaiṣa dharmaḥ syāt kāmād anyaḥ pravartate || 187 || 

That which is disagreeable to one's self, should never be applied to another. Briefly even this is Dharma. Other deeds which arise from selfish desire are Adharma. 

yasmin yathā vartate yo manuṣyas tasmiṁs tathā vartitavyaṁ sa dharmaḥ | māyācāro māyayā vartitavyaḥ sādhvācāraḥ sādhunā pratyudeyaḥ  

You should behave towards others just they behave towards you. Even this is consistent with social polity. One may behave deceitfully towards one that behaves deceitfully, but honestly towards one that is honest.