Kaalanukku Urraitthal - Addressing the death Deity

காலனுக்கு உரைத்தல்

KAALANUKKU URAITTHAL

[ADDRESSING KAALA (DEATH-DEITY)]

(A CHALLENGE TO DEATH)

Kaala is the term used for the ‘All consuming Death’ (Time).

Time refers to the continuous change that we observe always in everything.

Every object is dying and changing every moment.

The world is nothing but a flux state.

Nothing remains the same even for a second.

This principle of change is known as Kaala. This Kaala is also referred to as the deity of death who will one day end our life on this earth too.

How can we conquer this change? How to become deathless?

By staying as the changeless state of Reality (Brahman-state)!

காலா!உனை நான் சிறு புல்லென மதிக்கிறேன்!

என்தன் காலருகே வாடா! சற்றே உனை மிதிக்கிறேன்!

KAALAA! UNAI NAAN SIRU PULLENA MADIKKIREN

ENTHAN KAALARUGE VAADAA!

SARRE UNAI MIDIKKIREN!

Hey Kaala! I regard you as just a straw piece!

Come close to my foot hey!

I will trample you a little!

I am deathless; and formless. How can you destroy me, hey Kaala?

The spear of knowledge is embedded in my heart. (Kaartikeya is the greatest teacher of knowledge.) And I follow the instructions of the Sages and am always engaged in the analysis of the truth with discrimination.

வேலாயுத விருதினை மனதிற் பதிக்கிறேன்-நல்ல

வேதாந்தமுரைத்த ஞானியர்தமை எண்ணித் துதிக்கிறேன்

VELAAYUDA VIRUDINAI MANADIR PADIKKIREN- NALLA

VEDAANTAMURAITTHA JNAANIYARTHAMAI ENNI TUDHIKKIREN

 I embed

the ‘banner of Lord Kaartikeya who wields the spear’, in my mind.

I remember

those Knowers of the Self, who instructed Vedanta (Upanishads),

and worship (follow) them.

ஆதிமூலா வென்றுகதறிய யானையயைக் காக்கவே

நின்தன்முதலைக்கு நேர்ந்ததை மறந்தாயோ,கெட்ட மூடனே?

AADIMOOLAA VENRU KADARIYA YAANAIYAIK KAAKKAVE

NINDAN MUDALAIKKU NERNDADAI MARANDAAYO KETTA MOODANE?

Hey you wicked fool!

Have you forgotten what happened to your crocodile,

when the elephant bellowed aloud (shouted in distress)

as ‘AadiMoolaa’ (Hey Source of all) (and called on Lord Vishnu to help)?

(Once, there lived an elephant (a Sage who was cursed to be so) which was a devotee of Lord Naaraayana. It daily plucked lotus flowers from a nearby lake and offered it to the deity in a temple. One day when the elephant entered the lake, a crocodile caught its foot on its mouth. The elephant cried aloud and called on the name of Lord Vishnu. Immediately Lord Vishnu appeared seated on his Garuda-vehicle and sliced the neck of the crocodile with his discus weapon.)

Even when ordinary devotion to Gods is there, there are instances of these gods protecting these devotees.

I am really established in the ancient source of all, the real AadiMula, the Aatman.

How can you ever destroy me or my knowledge?

ஆலால முண்டவனடி சரணென் றமார்க்கண்டன்

தனதாவி கவரப்போய் நீ பட்ட பாட்டினையறிகுவேன்

AALAALAMUNDVANADI SARANENRA MAARKKANDAN

TANADAAVI KAVARAPPOY NEE PATTA PAATTINAIYARIGUVEN

I know what all you went through,

when you tried to snatch away the life of Maarkandeya,

who cried out-

“I take shelter at the feet of Lord Shiva,

who consumed the deadly poison of Haalaahala.’

(Sage Maarkandeya was destined to die at his sixteenth year. When Lord Yama came to perform his duty, the boy held on to the ‘Linga’ in the shrine and called on Shiva to rescue him. Shiva appeared and stopped Yama from taking away the boy’s life and blessed the boy to be eternally sixteen years old. )(Lord Shiva took the deadly poison Haalaahala to save all the three worlds, when poison appeared in the milk ocean at the time of churning for the nectar.)

Poison could not kill that Shiva.

He was already drowned in the nectar of Brahman-state.

He even helped his devotees from getting killed.

(Actually, Sage Maarkandeya was instructed by Shiva himself about the Knowledge of Brahman-state; and he remained deathless.)

இங்கு நாலாயிரம் காதம் விட்டகல்! உனை விதிக்கிறேன்!

ஹரிநாராயணனாக நின் முன்னே உதிக்கிறேன்

INGU NAALAAYIRAM KAADAM VITTAGAL! UNAI VIDIKKIREN!

HARINAARAAYANANAAGA NIN MUNNE UDIKKIREN!

Go off four thousand Yojanas (thousands of miles) from here!

I command you!

I will rise before you as the great HariNaraayana!

Devotion has helped people many times; there is no doubt about it.

I too have devotion for the Great Gods like Kumara, Vishnu and Shiva.

However I also know that the essence within me and the Gods is the same essence of Reality (Brahman).

I do not have to beg any other god for help; I will myself rise up in my knowledge and realize my true essence within. I will remain deathless and formless.

You can kill the body only; but I am not the body at all; I have no name also; I am the supreme state of awareness only without any blemish. You can never ever approach me, the formless Reality-state.

I myself can rise as any Hari or Hara in front of you as the Brahman-state of Reality.

You are powerless before me.

As nothing exists beside the Reality state; you are also non-existent for me.

You are also unreal. How can you kill the real me?