Sadhu Paksha Retreat, Day Four

The Siddhidata Kulam today share their weekly news report. A lot of work has been going on at the temple and on the ground and vegetable gardens.

As is traditional our Sadhu Paksha TAKA’s are very “light weight.” … we bring you some beautiful art from the life of Siva Yogaswami done by S. Rajam of Chennai, commissioned for a future book on our parampara.

Yogaswami blessing an ill person. He did many healings in his life, and often offered practical advice. There is one humorous story about him sitting the waiting room at the medical clinic of a doctor who was one of his devotees, waiting to see the doctor. He would ask each one in the room what their complaint was, give a remedy and send them on their way….

Another project happening in the “deep background” here at the Aadheenam is a new Natchintanai Song book. Several Sivathondar are working hard and we have a new scheme for transliterations and publication. We won’t say more for now as there are months of work yet to be done, but share with you a sample of the famous first song called “Our Gurunaathan”

In the song book the Tamil script will also appear, but we have removed this for TAKA. Note, the transliteration scheme and word breaks may change in the final version…

A devotee has a vision of Yogaswami… something many experienced, as Yogaswami had the power to manifest on both inner and outer planes in multiple places at will.

Engal Gurunaathan
Our Gurunathan

ennaiyenak karivitthaan engal gurunaathan
He made me to know myself, our gurunathan
inaiyadiyen thalaivaitthaan engal gurunaathan
On my head both feet he placed, our gurunathan
annaipithaa guruvaanaan engal gurunaathan
Father, mother, guru — he, our gurunathan
avaniyellaam aalavaitthaan engal gurunaathan
All the world he made me rule, our gurunathan
munnaivinai neekkividdaan engal gurunaathan
Previous karma he removed, our gurunathan
moovarukkum ariyavonnaan engal gurunaathan
Even ‘the three’ can’t comprehend our gurunathan
nanmaitheemai ariyaathaan engal gurunaathan
He sees neither good nor bad, our gurunathan
naanthaanaai vilangkugindraan engal gurunaathan
As ‘I am He’ he manifests, our gurunathan

thaygamnee allavendraan engal gurunaathan
You are not the body–said our gurunathan
sitthatthit thikalugindraan engal gurunaathan
Radiant in the heart is he, our gurunathan
mohkatthai muniyendraan engal gurunaathan
Let delusion be abhorred–said our gurunathan
mutthikku vitthathendraan engal gurunaathan
That is liberation’s seed–said our gurunathan
vaygatthai kedutthaandaan engal gurunaathan
He stilled unrest and made me his, our gurunathan
vinnum mannum aaginindraan engal gurunaathan
Earth and heaven he became, our gurunathan
thakatthai aakkividdaan engal gurunaathan
Inner thirst he roused in me, our gurunathan
satthiyatthai kaanavaitthaan engal gurunaathan
And the truth made me to know, our gurunathan

Yogaswami would frequently arrive at devotees homes, unannounced, walk in and offer solutions to current household issue that the family had never even discussed with him. While many think of Yogaswami as a meditative recluse, he was in fact actively involved in the karmic affairs of his close devotees, just like Gurudeva always was….

vaasiyohgam thayrendraan engal gurunaathan
Master vasiyoga–said our gurunathan
vagaaranilai ariyendraan engal gurunaathan
Thus you’ll find the state of Grace–said our gurunathan
kaasithaysam pohvendraan engal gurunaathan
To the land of Kasi go–said our gurunathan
kangulpagal illaiyendraan engal gurunaathan
There is neither day nor night–said our gurunathan
naasinuni nohkkendraan engal gurunaathan
On the nose-end concentrate–said our gurunathan
nadanam theriyumendraan engal gurunaathan
You will then behold the dance–said our gurunathan
maasilohsai kaydkumendraan engal gurunaathan
And the flawless sound you’ll hear–said our gurunathan
mattuppattai neekkendraan engal gurunaathan
Attachment to aught else renounce–said our gurunathan

iruvaliyai adaiyendraan engal gurunaathan
Both the channels must be closed–said our gurunathan
ellaam vilangkumendraan engal gurunaathan
Then all knowledge will be yours–said our gurunathan
karuvaliyaik kadavendraan engal gurunaathan
Go beyond the path of birth–said our gurunathan
kadduppadum manamendraan engal gurunaathan
In control will be the mind–said our gurunathan
oruvarum ariyarendraan engal gurunaathan
There is nobody who knows–said our gurunathan,
ongkaara valiyendraan engal gurunaathan
Omkara’s secret path–said our gurunathan
nirumalanai iruvendraan engal gurunaathan
From impurity be free–said our gurunathan
neeyaynaa nendrusonnaan engal gurunaathan
You are I–he has declared, our gurunathan

thikkutthi kaanthamellaam engal gurunaathan
This world and all space beyond, our gurunathan
sitthatthul nirkavaitthaan engal gurunaathan
In the mind he made to be, our gurunathan
pakkuvamai paynendraan engal gurunaathan
Preserve and cherish carefully–said our gurunathan
parppathellaam neeyendraan engal gurunaathan
Everything you see is you–said our gurunathan
akkumani aniyendraan engal gurunaathan
Wear rudraksha beads–said he, our gurunathan,
anjelutthai ohthendraan engal gurunaathan
And repeat Panchakshara–said our gurunathan
nekkunek kurukendraan engal gurunaathan
Let your heart grow soft and melt–said our gurunathan
nitthiyannee endrusonnaan engal gurunaathan
You exist eternally–said our gurunathan

Yogaswami walks the streets of Jaffna…

thaydaamal thaydendraan engal gurunaathan
Without searching you must search–said our gurunathan
seevan sivanendraan engal gurunaathan
Jiva is Siva–he declared, our gurunathan
naadaamal naadendraan engal gurunaathan
Without inquiring you inquire–said our gurunathan
nallavali thohndrumendraan engal gurunaathan
The right path will appear–affirmed our gurunathan
paadaamat paadendraan engal gurunaathan
Without singing you must sing–said our gurunathan
pattharinam sayrendraan engal gurunaathan
Join the band of devotees–said our gurunathan
vaadaamal valipadendraan engal gurunaathan
Worship without wearying–said our gurunathan
vaiyagatthil vaalendraan engal gurunaathan
In the world remain and live–said our gurunathan

thitthikkum orumoliyaal engal gurunaathan
With one sweet word he made me know, our gurunathan
sinmayatthai kaanavaitthan engal gurunaathan
The all-pervading consciousness, our gurunathan
etthikku maaginindraan engal gurunaathan
The whole of space became his form, our gurunathan
ellaamnee yendruraitthan engal gurunaathan
You are everything–said he, our gurunathan
vitthindri naarusayvaan engal gurunaathan
Seedlings
without seeds he’ll raise, our gurunathan
vinnavaru mariyavonnan engal gurunaathan
Even, the gods can never know our gurunathan
thatthuvaa theethanaanaan engal gurunaathan
Far beyond the tattvas–he, our gurunathan
sagalasam patthunthanthaan engal gurunaathan
Every kind of wealth he gave, our gurunathan

aathiyantham illaiyendraan engal gurunaathan
No beginning and no end–said our gurunathan
athuvaynee yendruraitthaan engal gurunaathan
You are That–he has proclaimed, our gurunathan
sohthimayam endrusonnaan engal gurunaathan
It is all effulgent light–said our gurunathan
suddiranthu nillendraan engal gurunaathan
Stand bereft of attributes–said our gurunathan
saathi samayamillaan engal gurunaathan
He has neither caste nor creed, our gurunathan
thaanai vilangkukindraan engal gurunaathan
As himself he ever shines, our gurunathan
vaathiyarung kaanavonnaan engal gurunaathan
Unknown to any school of thought, our gurunathan
vaakkirantha inpanthanthaan engal gurunaathan
He granted bliss beyond all words, our gurunathan

muchanthik kuppaiyilay engal gurunaathan
In rubbish where the three roads meet, our gurunathan,
mudakkik kidanthidendraan engal gurunaathan
Curl up and lie down–he said, our gurunathan
achamodu kohbamillan engal gurunaathan
Fear and anger–he has none, our gurunathan
aanavatthai neekkividdan engal gurunaathan
All anava he has removed, our gurunathan
pachaip puraviyilay engal gurunaathan
On the fresh and lively horse–said our gurunathan
paangaaga ayrendraan engal gurunaathan
Mount and ride majestically–said our gurunathan
thachankaddaa veeddilay engal gurunaathan
In the house no builder made–said our gurunathan
thaavupari kaddendraan engal gurunaathan
Keep in check the restive steed–said our gurunathan

naamayna mendruraitthaan engal gurunaathan
We are what we are–proclaimed our gurunathan
namakkukkurai villaiyendraan engal gurunaathan
Nothing do we lack–said he, our gurunathan
pohmaypohm vinaiyendraan engal gurunaathan
All past karma will depart–said our gurunathan
pohkkuvara illaiyendraan engal gurunaathan
No coming and no going forth! — said our gurunathan
thaamaythaa mendruraitthan engal gurunaathan
He affirmed that he is he, our gurunathan
sangkatpam illaiyendraan engal gurunaathan
No resolves or plans!–declared our gurunathan
omendru uruthithanthan engal gurunaathan
Om–said he and set his seal, our gurunathan
oomaiyelut ariyendraan engal gurunaathan
Know the silent syllable–said our gurunathan