Śrī Aruṇācala Navamaṇimālai Verse 1

In a Zoom meeting with the Ramana Maharshi Foundation UK on 9th November 2024, Michael discusses Śrī Aruṇācala Navamaṇimālai verse 1.

ஸ்ரீ அருணாசல நவமணிமாலை: Śrī Aruṇācala Navamaṇimālai
Verse 1

அசலனே யாயினு மச்சவை தன்னி
லசலையா மம்மையெதி ராடு — மசல
வுருவிலச் சத்தி யொடுங்கிட வோங்கு
மருணா சலமென் றறி.

acalaṉē yāyiṉu maccavai taṉṉi
lacalaiyā mammaiyedi rāḍu — macala
vuruvilac catti yoḍuṅgiḍa vōṅgu
maruṇā calameṉ ḏṟaṟi.

பதச்சேதம்: அசலனே ஆயினும், அச் சவை தன்னில் அசலை ஆம் அம்மை எதிர் ஆடும். அசல உருவில் அச் சத்தி ஒடுங்கிட, ஓங்கும் அருணாசலம் என்று அறி.

Padacchēdam (word-separation): acalaṉē āyiṉum, a-c-savai-taṉṉil acalai ām ammai edir āḍum. acala uruvil a-c-satti oḍuṅgiḍa, ōṅgum aruṇācalam eṉḏṟu aṟi.

அன்வயம்: அசலனே ஆயினும், அச் சவை தன்னில் அசலை ஆம் அம்மை எதிர் ஆடும். அசல உருவில் அச் சத்தி ஒடுங்கிட, அருணாசலம் ஓங்கும் என்று அறி.

Anvayam (words rearranged in natural prose order): acalaṉē āyiṉum, a-c-savai-taṉṉil acalai ām ammai edir āḍum. acala uruvil a-c-satti oḍuṅgiḍa, aruṇācalam ōṅgum eṉḏṟu aṟi.

English translation: Though being actually he who is motionless, in that assembly hall he dances opposite Mother, who is acalā. Know that when that śakti subsides back in the motionless form, Arunachalam is exalted.

Explanatory paraphrase: Though he [Lord Siva] is actually acalaṉ [he who is motionless, being the one immutable ground from which and in which everything else appears], in that assembly hall [of Chidambaram] he dances [in the form of Nataraja] opposite [the divine] Mother, who is acalā [the consort of acalaṉ]. Know that when that śakti [the divine Mother] subsides back in the motionless form [the original, natural and fundamental form of Lord Siva], Arunachalam is exalted [that is, in the motionless form of Arunachalam, which rises high above all his other forms, Lord Siva shines exalted in his natural state as pure being].

Padavurai (word-explanation): அசலனே (acalaṉē): actually motionless, actually he who is motionless {acalaṉ is the masculine form of the neuter acalam, a Tamil form of the Sanskrit acala (the negative and opposite of cala, ‘moving’, ‘moveable’, ‘unsteady’, ‘unfixed’, ‘inconstant’ or ‘fickle’), ‘unmoving’, ‘motionless’, ‘immoveable’, ‘steady’, ‘fixed’, ‘constant’, ‘permanent’ or ‘mountain’; and the suffix ē is an intensifier that in this context implies ‘actually’, ‘definitely’ or ‘certainly’} | ஆயினும் (āyiṉum): though being, though [he] is {ā is a verb that means ‘be’, ‘become’ or ‘come into being’; āyiṉ is a conditional form of it, ‘if being’ or ‘if [anything] is’; and the suffix um when added to a conditional changes its meaning from ‘if’ to ‘even if’ or ‘though’, so āyiṉum means ‘though being’ or ‘though [anything] is’} >>> so ‘அசலனே ஆயினும்’ (acalaṉē āyiṉum), means ‘Though being actually he who is motionless’, thereby implying:

Though he [Lord Siva] is actually acalaṉ [he who is motionless, being the one immutable ground from which and in which everything el