God is within your soul,when you realize this you realize he has no names, no color and no size. This is the essence of Civavakkiyar’s poem below.
Sivavakkiyar is considered to be one of the greatest Shidda poets along side Thirumoolar and Pattinathar. His poems questions Hindu religious structure, Brahmanical supremacy, idol worship, authority of Vedas and Agamas, caste systems. He has written around 520 poems. Below poem questions the madness of love and love for oneself/body.
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அரியுமல்ல அயனுமல்ல அப்புறத்தில்அப்புறம்
கருமைசெம்மை வெண்மையைக் கடந்துநின்ற காரணம்
பெரியதல்ல சிறியதல்ல பற்றுமின்கள் பற்றுமின்கள்
துரியமும் கடந்துநின்ற தூரதூர தூரமே.
It is not Vishnu it is not Brahma it is much greater
It is not black, red or white when you have move ahead with reasoning
It is not big or small to catch hold of it
When you cross the highest point of yogic state to an enlightened state far far away.
Poet: Civavakkiyar
Translated by Palaniappan Vairam Sarathy
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Reference:
Tamil Lexicon – University of Madras
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அரியுமல்ல அயனுமல்ல அப்புறத்தில்அப்புறம்
Its not hari – it is not ayan (brahma) – farther side/great – farther side/great
கருமைசெம்மை வெண்மையைக் கடந்துநின்ற காரணம்
Black – red – white – passby – stand – reason
பெரியதல்ல சிறியதல்ல பற்றுமின்கள் பற்றுமின்கள்
Not big – not small – grasp – grasp
துரியமும் கடந்துநின்ற தூரதூர தூரமே.
Highest state of Yōga in which one attains entire quiescence- Passby stand –far –far –far away
The translation unnececessarily brings in extraneous concepts. Yogic state is not relevant to the verse. It is not creating power nor protecting power. It cannot be classified as for instance by colour.(Note that they attach colours black, golden,white to the Thrimurthis on the basis of qualities attributed or acts assigned.) It is neither small nor big.(No measuring unit is of use here.It surpasses immeasurably even renunciation. Get attached to that firmly.(Repetitive words indicating force of expression). In a nut shell God or Iraivan or Kadavul is a concept which gives balance of thinking beyond any description responsible for the existence of the cosmos and the phenomena therein which nobody can set aside. எல்லாம் இறைவன். எல்லாம் இறைவன் செயல் என்ற தென்னிந்திய தமிழுக்கு உயிரான சமயக்கொள்கை. விஷ்ணு,சிவன், பிரம்மன் வடமொழி சார்ந்தவை. மால், முருகு. கொல்லி என்ற பண்பு சார்ந்த கருத்துக்களே இறைக்கருத்துக்களாக வழங்கின. Let the blogger have an open mind on interacting with readers without the unfortunate conviction that his is the last word. He would then be serving Tamil better.Dr.M..S.Rangachari