Satguru Siva Yogaswami

Table Of Contents

Our Gurunathan

My Satguru made me know myself, our Gurunathan

On my head both feet he placed, our Gurunathan

Guru, father, mother—he is all three, our Gurunathan

Over all worlds he made me rule, our Gurunathan

Karmas past he removed all, our Gurunathan

Trimurthi can’t comprehend, said our Gurunathan

He is blind to good and evil, our Gurunathan

Guru is me—we are the same, said our Gurunathan

You are not these flesh and bones, said our Gurunathan

Lighting my heart, he ever dwells there, our Gurunathan

Maya delusion despise, said our Gurunathan

Mukti will come from that seed, said our Gurunathan

He made me still—now I am his, our Gurunathan

Earth to ether, he is all form, our Gurunathan

He roused a thirst within me, our Gurunathan

Siva Truth he made me to know, our Gurunathan

Pranayama you must master, said our Gurunathan

Then you will find the state of grace, said our Gurunathan

To Benares you must go, said our Gurunathan

Day and night don’t exist, said our Gurunathan

On nose-end concentrate, said our Gurunathan

There you will see the dance of Siva, said our Gurunathan

And the flawless sound you will hear, said our Gurunathan

All else you must give up, said our Gurunathan

Channels left and right must be closed, said our Gurunathan

Then all knowledge will be known, said our Gurunathan

Go beyond the path of birth, said our Gurunathan

Then the mind will be in control, said our Gurunathan

Nobody knows the secret path, said our Gurunathan

Of Omkara guru tells us, said our Gurunathan

From impurity be free, said our Gurunathan

You are me he has declared, our Gurunathan

Time, form, space—he made me see, our Gurunathan

Without mind nothing would be, said our Gurunathan

Carefully cherish and preserve, said our Gurunathan

All is you and you are all, said our Gurunathan

You must wear rudraksha beads, said our Gurunathan

And repeat holy Panchakshara, said our Gurunathan

Soften your heart and let it melt, said our Gurunathan

You exist eternally, said our Gurunathan

Without searching you must search, said our Gurunathan

Jiva is Siva he declared, our Gurunathan

Inquire without inquiring, said our Gurunathan

Right path will appear, said our Gurunathan

Without singing you must sing, said our Gurunathan

Join the band of devotees, said our Gurunathan

Tirelessly you must worship, said our Gurunathan

In the world remain and live, said our Gurunathan

His one sweet word made me know, our Gurunathan

All-pervading consciousness, our Gurunathan

All of space became his form, our Gurunathan

Everything, everyone you are, said our Gurunathan

Without seeds, he will grow plants, our Gurunathan

Even the Gods can never know him, our Gurunathan

Far beyond the tattvas he, our Gurunathan

Every kind of wealth he gave me, our Gurunathan

No beginning and no end, said our Gurunathan

You are That, said our Gurunathan

It is all effulgent light, said our Gurunathan

Stand devoid of attributes, said our Gurunathan

He has neither caste nor creed, our Gurunathan

As himself he ever shines bright, our Gurunathan

Unknown to any school of thought, our Gurunathan

He granted bliss beyond all words, our Gurunathan

In rubbish where three roads meet, said our Gurunathan

You must curl up and lie down, said our Gurunathan

Fear and anger—he has none, our Gurunathan

He has removed all anava, our Gurunathan

Mount the fresh and lively horse, said our Gurunathan

You must ride majestically, said our Gurunathan

In the house no builder made, said our Gurunathan

Keep in check the restive steed, said our Gurunathan

We are what we are, said our Gurunathan

We are lacking nothing, said our Gurunathan

Karmas past will depart, said our Gurunathan

No coming and no going, said our Gurunathan

He affirmed that he is himself, our Gurunathan

No resolves or plans declared, our Gurunathan

Om said he and set his seal, our Gurunathan

Know the silent syllable, said our Gurunathan

—

Notes: The word for “seed” also means “way”

The two channels, ida and pingala, which need to be closed to allow the breath to flow along the sushumna.The words for “fresh and lively horse” also mean “restless breath.” “The house no builder made” refers to the body. These lines urge the student to gain control over the restless breath until you can ‘ride it with ease’ control it and cause the mind to be stilled. “No coming and no going” infers ending the cycle of birth and death.

Great Sayings of the Sage, Chellapaswami

How can I ever forget his holy feet;

The one who said – “There is not even one wrong thing”?

Will my heart delight in any other form but his?

Will it be troubled any longer while treading the path of birth?

Will sorrow affect those who understand the hidden meaning of

That noble saying – “We do not know”?

Who can explain the grace conveyed in his uplifting words,

Which are like a treasure mine which lasts a lifetime?

“Who knows?” – he’ll proclaim with a smile,

Loudly and boldly, over and over.

If you approach to worship him with a soft and melting heart,

He’ll laugh at you like one devoid of feeling.

“It’s been perfect since the beginning,” he will declare,

“It was all finished long ago.”

He will say such profound and incomparable things,

To make things clear, so we can understand,

To transform our minds like salt dissolves in water.

“All is Truth,” he would say.

How can I demonstrate the immensity of

Meaning contained within these words?

Oh you devotees, worship the Lord and let your hearts melt in devotion.

Heed my words! What else can I say?

I Saw my Guru at Nallur

I saw my guru at Nallur temple, where great ascetics dwell.

Many uncouth words he uttered, but I stood unaffected.

“Hey! Who are you?” he challenged me.

On that very day I won his grace.

I entered within the splendor of his grace.

There I saw all-surrounding darkness and I could not understand.

“There is not even one wrong thing”, he said.

I heard him and stood bewildered, not comprehending the inner meaning.

As I stood there in confusion, he looked at me with kindness,

And the maya, that was tormenting me, left me and disappeared.

In the precincts of Muruga’s temple, he pointed above my head and spoke.

I lost all body consciousness and stood there in amazement.

While I remained in wonderment, he courteously expounded

The essence of Vedanta, so that my fear might disappear.

“It is as it is. Who knows? Grasp well the meaning of these words”, he said,

And then looked me keenly in the face – that peerless one,

who has done such great tapas!

In this world all my relations vanished;

My brothers and my parents disappeared,

And by the grace of my guru, who has no one to compare with him,

I remained with no one to compare with me.

—

Note: ‘Tapas’ (Sanskrit from the root Tap – to burn) is penance, concentrated spiritual endeavor, austere meditation and yoga practice

The Radiant Feet of Muruga

Ponder, meditate, and worship all the days of your life, all you who dwell in this pleasant island of Lanka.

Bow to the sacred feet of Murugan and be free from the dangers and impurities in this world.

Pay homage wholeheartedly to His lotus feet, and be free from sorrow.

Seek the healing grace which will transform your lives, all you who live in the golden isle of Lanka.

The body decays with time; pleasures are evanescent. Why waste your precious hours?

Worship the feet of this six-faced God with steadfast love and realize your true essence.

Cling to the radiant feet of Muruga, the source of wisdom which surpasses the wisest and which is beyond human perception, and gain the reward of victorious living, Oh children of Lanka.

Renounce all unworthy desires and persist in praising the holy feet of Muruga, and then ceaseless showers of grace shall rain upon you. Of this you can be certain, Oh friends of Lanka.

All is Pervaded by Brahman, Satchitananda Flows Through All

Let everyone, with devotion,

Proclaim this until their dying day.

Peace, perfect peace –

Satchitananda flows through all.

Wherever you are placed, Siva, Siva,

There will abide the abounding fragrance of Siva.

Peace, perfect peace –

Satchitananda flows through all.

Tam timi timi tari kida kida sem –

The knowledge that we are That is our armor .

Peace, perfect peace –

Satchitananda flows through all.

Tottinta taa ta ta tari kida –

Why all this toil and trouble? Everywhere is Siva, Siva!

Peace, perfect peace –

Satchitananda flows through all.

When both macrocosm and microcosm are seen as That

To render service is the proper thing.

Peace, perfect peace –

Satchitananda flows through all.

—

Note: Tam timi timi etc.- these are sounds commonly used to give timing and rhythm in dancing.

We are the Servants of Siva

In the macrocosm and in the microcosm

It is the Lord we see.

We are the servants of Siva.

Sivathondu is our way.

We will never suffer from the onslaught of disease;

Never will we come again to a mother’s womb.

We are the servants of Siva.

Sivathondu is our way.

All the karma of the past has flown away and gone;

The whole world has become our family.

We are the servants of Siva.

Sivathondu is our way.

Getting and giving through countless generations,

We live forever, ever the servants of the Lord.

We are the servants of Siva.

Sivathondu is our way.

Vedanta and Siddhanta we do not see as different;

We are yearning for the path to liberation.

We are the servants of Siva.

Sivathondu is our way.

“Siva, Siva,” we’re always repeating.

“Soul is Siva” We affirm this in our hearts.

We are the servants of Siva.

Sivathondu is our way.

All things we see from where we are;

Living properly and contentedly in this world.

We are the servants of Siva.

Sivathondu is our way.

—

Note:

Sivathondu is service to Siva

All is the Action of the Lord

Who orders the sun to rise?

Who makes the pure moon crawl across the sky?

Who tells the stars to gleam?

Who makes the sunshine burn ?

Who prompts the eyes to see?

Who starts the blowing of the wind?

Who bids the springs to flow?

Who inspires the wise to praise?

Who causes the Earth to spin?

Who makes the flowers bloom?

Who urges the legs to walk?

Who impels the arms to gather?

Look well and ponder this question deeply.

When you realize that all is the action of the Lord,

You will win your freedom!

You will truly know.

This is Swami’s word.

The Body is a Wondrous Temple

The body is a wondrous temple.

It is a temple where the Lord,

who has an eye upon His forehead,

and Uma His fair spouse, abide.

Don’t think that this isn’t really true.

O wonder of wonders!

The mind is powerless to describe the greatness of this truth;

But, by the flawless guru’s grace, I am going to tell you.

Listen, and your ignorance will depart!

This glorious temple contains within itself

Brahma, Vishnu, Indra and all the celestial host,

together with all the demons,

And earth and water, fire and air and akasha.

The sun and moon are there.

Brahmins, sudras and all the castes are there;

As well as all illustrious doctrines and dogmas.

The Body is a Temple

The body is a temple, the controlled mind is the devotee.

Love is the puja. Meditate on that!

Through this method you’ll find that nothing is lacking.

That is what the Vedas all declare.

Those of impure mind can never see the Lord,

who is not separated from you by even the width of a hair.

The mind is a temple; the soul is its lamp.

Meditate, meditate! Then truth will dawn for you.

“He is my friend. He is my enemy” – renounce this kind of talk.

If you affirm “All is Siva, Siva”’ instead,

abounding happiness will swallow you.

This is the practice that should be done.

Those who do sadhana will realize the Self.

By the Lord’s grace give up divisive thought.

This life goes quickly, like the lifetime of a bubble.

So giving service to the bhaktas is where true virtue lies.

If you grow humbler every day, all sin will leave,

and yogic superpowers may come;

Sorrow will depart and you will attain bliss,

steadfastness and indescribable joy.

Those, who regard all beings as the Lord

And pursue righteousness will win the supreme state.

They will dispel distress and gain happiness,

and Tillai’s Lord of Dance they’ll surely reach.

Nataraja, the Gracious Giver,

Will bestow His golden lotus feet

On those who whole-heartedly surrender

Their possessions, souls and bodies. That is the truth!

There is no need to roam about or mortify the body;

There is no need to sing or bow yourself in worship;

There is no need to search or practice meditation,

If the shining golden feet of Siva are crowning your head!

“Hold rectitude more dear than life itself”.

Impress upon your mind this holy saying of Tiruvalluvar

And live, giving praise to the sacred lotus feet

Of the Lord of Bliss, which are beyond all praise.

Hail Oh Sannyasin

Hail, Oh sannyasin, the embodiment of love!

Is there any other power other than love?

Spread happiness throughout the world!

Let unhappiness cease and maya’s illusion disappear!

Day and night give praise to God.

Pour forth a stream of songs which melt even the hardest of hearts.

Attain the state where neither night nor day are seen.

See Siva everywhere, and experience bliss.

Worship Siva and be unconcerned with wealth.

It is as it is. Be here now, as you have always been.

Then you will not be touched by sorrow.

Oh renunciate who lives without deceit,

Hold in your heart and worship that Pure One

who became the inner meaning of Panchakshara,

The One whose limits Brahma and Vishnu could not find.

You who always thinks of others as yourself,

Is there anyone in this world like you?

The karma of your past misdeeds will end.

“Isn’t the soul really Siva?”

On this you must meditate daily.

Oh noble sannyasin, of one-pointed mind!

Worship morning and evening without fail

the holy feet of the Almighty Lord,

Which give both birth and death.

Remove the bondage of your sins!

By steadfast concentration of your mind

You must remove awareness of a separate self.

Win over with love all those that criticize you.

You are eternal! Have no doubt of this!

Anything other than this is just imagination.

Oh You, All-Pervasive one! Live free from thought.

Know the Self Through the Self

Know that love is Siva.

Realize that we are That.

Sing with the kind of devotion that could melt your bones.

Rise up and march on!

All is the form of God.

Be all-pervasive like the ether.

Banish all vain desires.

Be ever watchful, like you guard your eyes,

And carry out your work.

Without worry go your way.

Lanka is our land!

There is no male or female,

No sameness or diversity.

Heaven and Earth are one.

This is the language of the great!

Come now and be happy;

We will rule the world!

Know the Self through the self.

Be simply what you are.

Trouble comes from thoughts of ‘great,’ and ‘small.’

He came to care for me like a mother

At beautiful Nallur temple.

There’s nothing else to say.

Who Can Know His Limitless Grace?

The universe, animate and inanimate, is His body.

The universe, animate and inanimate, is His play.

The universe, animate and inanimate, is He.

The whole universe, animate and inanimate, is a wonder.

Through the ‘five letters’ (Na-Ma-Si-Va-Ya) everything exists.

Through the ‘five letters’ everything comes into being.

Through the ‘five letters’ everything is established.

Who knows the wonder of the ‘five letters’?

He is the One without origin or end.

The reason for His seeming to have origin and end

can only be known by the Origin’s pure grace.

No one can know it through learning.

He creates limitless lives.

The wonder of His being limitless lives

the limitless gods and demons do not know.

Who can know His limitless Grace?

Yoganathan’s Grace in Words

Give charity, do tapas, follow dharma;

Then wisdom’s bliss will come easily.

The Lord is all-pervasive like the fragrance of a flower;

Let the tongue give praise saying- “Namasivaya.”

Those who can serve that Pure One, who is Life within all life

will attain the bliss of Siva,

Sinners cannot know the lotus feet of the Supreme.

Call to Him, cry to Him, before the Lord of Death comes for you.

If you give yourself to Him unreservedly,

He will care for you just like a mother.

It is foolish to call men ‘great’ or ‘small;’

It’s hard, indeed, to appreciate this saying.

It is bliss to control, through knowledge,

The unruly mind that treads the path of the senses.

Those who know That are That;

Small minds say that it is ‘this’ or ‘that.’

Sages affirm that all is Siva’s action;

Live without forgetting Him, who dwells within this frame.

Those noble souls will achieve mukti, who know

The certainty of the word that is spoken without speaking.

Those endowed with wisdom will come to realize me,

Whom devas and asuras cannot know, even though they worship.

Forsaking the mind that laments the past

It is proper to abide in the state of silence.

Even if heaven and earth should fall,

Those who have become That will not be moved.

The pure in heart will have no place

For burning lust, for anger or for malice.

Whatever arts and sciences he studies,

One who is fully vain will not be free of mischief.

Through perfect calmness, patience and self-control,

eternity’s bliss can be won here on this earth.

Slowly, slowly conquer the ruinous mind,

Which unfolds itself in diverse ways and forms.

None can measure, none can fathom the Supreme,

For whom there is no day or night.

Love of God is the sweetest of all sweet things.

Hatred of anger and desire is also sweet.

They will end illusion, who do not forget

The feet of the Lord, who knows not birth or death.

He who doesn’t know the proper measure when eating,

Will not have even a taste of supreme bliss.

It is heaven indeed, where lives

One who has realized that all lives are like his.

Truth will dawn in a calmed and quiet mind;

This is the prize for those who are detached.

Those who know the nature of tranquility and mastery of the senses,

Will rule the realm of the Gods – by that I swear!

Know that he is my true devotee,

Who contemplates the Lord without ceasing.

Those, who have knowledge of the breath that courses right and left,

Will assuredly win power beyond measure.

Those of firm mind, who are not swayed by differences of caste,

Will reach His lotus feet upon this very earth.

Those, who don’t know how to move with the world,

Will gain no benefit however much they study.

Of what use is knowledge of the eight-fold yoga,

To those who do not know God’s loving-kindness?

Tell me – is there any good in casting blame on That,

Which is ever unaware of gain and loss?

That Great Being, who neither comes nor goes,

Has made me His and ended birth and death.

Tell me, Oh tell me – can the deluded know

The sweetness of the honey that lies within the heart?

One by one the days passed by,

And, vainly toiling, I derived no profit.

I beheld all within the letters five;

I gained solitude and suffering vanished.

Even through worship Brahma and Vishnu could not know the Lord,

Who wears the dark blue mark of poison on His throat.

Those who commit the five great sins here on earth ,

Don’t know that One within the heart, from whom all thoughts arise.

Through constantly meditating “I am That”,

Many have become like a bee enjoying honey.

There can be no division from that One,

Who doesn’t change with difference and yet is all difference.

That Pure One the Agamas and Vedas do not know.

“Namasivaya.” we will say, “is the name of the Supreme.”

It is the Eye behind the seeing eye;

It is male and female and that which is not either.

Great gain will come from worshipping the lotus feet of That,

Which is both the Support and the supported.

It is certain that you will blissfully abide

Within the Void free of imperfection.

It’s said that it is truly knowledge within the heart to perceive

The Treasure of treasures, before the body dies.

In yoga samadhi you will comprehend

The vanity of enjoyment and the things that are enjoyed.

The Unique One has become everything by sacrifice.

Contemplate and realize this truth.

No one has understood the whole.

Don’t be proud and think that you have attained all.

For those who have reached the perfect feet of Tillai ‘s Lord,

It is sure that there will be no further birth within this world.

You are the witness; of this there is no doubt.

Look upon everything as but His play.

There is nothing that is my own action;

I have perceived all actions to be, in truth, God’s action.

All my past karma has been consumed and burnt;

In the future evil deeds will not arise for me.

There is no dharma, charity or karma.

That is the truth which I have clearly seen.

I have beheld that One who pervades all;

All doubts and cares have been removed.

It is everywhere–in the universe, in each creature.

True devotees have realized this and said farewell to sorrow.

I’ve won the placing of the lotus feet upon my head!

O wonder of wonders! Even the Gods have not experienced this.

All my past karmas have flown away!

I have adored the lotus feet which are adorned with tinkling rings!

Arise with the dawn and wash the feet and hands;

Go to the temple and worship Siva’s feet.

That is proper conduct; that is a sacred rite.

So long as this world lasts, you will derive great gain.

Karma will not approach you, death will not draw near,

Through the grace of Him, whose throat bears the mark of poison.

When gross, subtle, causal are all three understood,

The Lady of fragrant tresses will bestow Her lovely grace.

Learned scholars do not know, however keen their minds;

Even Brahma, Vishnu and the Gods in heaven do not know.

You are that Great Being, who is free from birth and death.

You must meditate on this daily without forgetting.

This is beauty; this is wealth;

This is virtue; this is grace.

This is love; this is truth;

This is strength; this is attainment.

Meditate, meditate upon the state of Siva.

This is the mantra. Cherish it in your heart.

These sayings sung by Yoganathan

Will dispel illusion and grant you liberation.

The Lion

Self must be realized by self.

All must be pervaded by the Self.

We must give up desire for wealth and woman,

And shun the greed for ownership of land.

We must guard dharma like we protect our eyes.

We must give worship to the lotus feet.

We should want all thought to die,

Oh my great guru, you mighty lion!

We must root out faults and study virtue.

We must reap the fruit of education.

We must forsake the friendship of the foolish.

Morning, noon and evening we must adore the holy feet.

We should want to know our real form,

And abide inseparably in it forever —

Oh guru supreme, who said — “You are One without a second!”

Oh wondrous lion who radiates bravery!

All three must be tied together as one.

The doorway at the top must be unlocked.

We must rest in sleep beneath Nataraja’s foot.

We should want abounding bliss to overflow within,

And blazing light to come to swallow us.

Oh best and dearest guru,

who has given to me in this world

The marvelous, flawless feet of gold that stand beyond the gunas!

You have made of me your man, oh kind and gentle lion !

We must remain free from ignorance.

We must behold God everywhere.

We must have knowledge of the truth and cherish it forever.

Falsehood and jealousy must be expelled .

We must transform and change into blessings

The things which cause delusion and confusion.

Oh peerless guru, whom others hold in high esteem!

Oh lion, who takes care of me in my bondage!

The ‘three’ and the ‘five’ must both be understood,

And we must annihilate the ego.

Oh Primal One, who was adored by Ravana,

Whose fort in Lanka was ringed with ramparts!

Oh Lord, who held the poison in your throat!

Oh God! O King, who came to guard me beneath your rule!

Oh Guru Paramount, whose feet are soft as thistle-down!

Oh Lion, who took this sinner as your own !

Adoration, Meditation, Invocation

The God with elephant face I shall never forget –

Sankara’s Son, with massive belly, who has the lady’s earring in His ear,

The Lord who gave His grace to Indra, of whom mantra is His very form.

The whole world is evolved by One.

The whole world is sustained by One.

The whole world will be dissolved by One.

That One is my life’s support.

The One became “the three.”

The One became all souls.

The One became the entire universe.

That One graciously granted me liberation.

The universe of things that move and do not move is all His form.

The universe of things that move and do not move is He.

Even the Gods were lost in wonder and could not comprehend.

The marvel of the universe of things that move and do not move.

Through love of Siva my mind was concentrated.

Through love of Siva my mind was clarified.

Through love of Siva my mind was dead.

Through love of Siva deliverance was gained.

There are no Gods without Lord Siva.

There is no soul without Lord Siva.

There is no body without Lord Siva.

I have seen Lord Siva in my heart.

In Na He became Brahma.

In Ma He became Vishnu.

In Si He remained as Siva.

In Va He became the form of Grace.

Gods will meditate — Siva, Siva!

Sages will meditate — Siva, Siva!

All souls will meditate — Siva, Siva!

By repeating ” Siva, Siva!”, Siva’s state is won!

Through bhakti I have rid myself of bondage.

Through bhakti I have seen the Lord.

I have attained the bliss of bhakti.

I have been merged in a sea of bhakti.

By meditating on One, my mind became one-pointed,

By meditating on One, my mind was full of joy,

By meditating on One, my mind became exalted,

By meditating on One, that One did I become!

Through the letters five the body came to birth.

Through the letters five the Atma shone in splendor.

Through the letters five bliss came into being.

Within the letters five I was contained.

Through the letters five all sorrow was erased.

Through the letters five all want has disappeared.

Through the letters five true happiness arose.

Within the letters five I stayed contained.

Through the letters five can God’s holy feet be seen.

Through the letters five the whole world you can rule.

Through the letters five mind’s action can be stilled.

The letters five have come and entered my heart.

Beyond the six and thirty tattvas is performed the dance of bliss.

Beyond the six and thirty tattvas lies the abode of bliss.

Who can be compared with one who is beyond these thirty-six?

Associate with those who transcend the thirty-six.