vAdinEn

vAdinEn

Glory of the Ashtakshari Mantra

vADinEn vADi varundinEn manattAl perum tuyar iDumbaiyil pirandu
kooDinEn kooDi iLaiyavar tammODu avar tarum kalaviyE karudi |
ODinEn ODi uivadOr poruLAl uNarvenum perum padam terindu
nADinEn nADi nAn kaNDu koNDEn nArAyaNA ennum nAmam ||

AzhwAr says – i was weak and exhausted because of my past sins; there was agony in my mind. i was born in samsAra, and an abode of all kinds of sufferings and sat contentedly inside it running after girls wherever they went gaining sense enjoyment. At last i found the tiruvaDi of emberumAn who did upadESa of tiruaSThAkShara mantra for my uplift.

AviyE amudE ena ninaindu uruhi avaravar paNaimulai tuNaiyA
pAviyEn uNarAdu ettanai pahalum pazhudu pOi ozhindana nALhaL |
tOviSEr annam tuNaiyoDum puNarum Soozh punal kuDandaiyE tozhudu en
nAvinAl uyya nAn kaNDu koNDEn nArAyaNA ennum nAmam ||

My past days and years and in fact the whole life time was spent vainly in seeking the pleasure of women. i used to praise them with sweet words. Oh! What a fool i was! i never praised Him and His actions. i never ran after Him chanting His names, singing His praises. i regret now for what i had done. Now i seek the Lord of tirukuDandai and sing hymns. i beg Him to relieve me from the samsAra. nArAyaNa will certainly help me by showering His blessings.

SEmamE vENDi teevinai perukki terivaimAr uruvamE maruvi
oomanAr kaNDa kanavilum pazhudAi ozhindana kazhinda annALhaL |
kAmanAr tAdai nammuDai aDihaL tammaDaindAr manattiruppAr
nAmam nAn uyya nAn kaNDu koNDEn nArAyaNA ennum nAmam ||

i always wanted only good to happen to me; but i failed to do such karmas which could bring happiness as there fruits. Not only did i not do good karmas, but always did evil actions only. i had to please the women in whose beauty i lost my senses. So i sought evil ways to satisfy their desires. Thus my earlier days were spent in never once thinking of Him. While i could find beauty in the women i failed to notice the excellent divine form of BagavAn, the father of manmatha. He is my swAmi. In fact He is not at all difficult to attain since He is in the hearts of His Baktas. Just the chanting of His name will bring mOkSha to those who call Him with Bakti.

venriyE vENDi veezh poruTku irangi vEr kaNAr kalaviyE karudi
ninravA nillA nenjinai uDaiyEn en SeihEn neDu viSumbu aNavum |
panriyAi anru pAraham keeNDa pAzhiyAn AzhiyAn aruLE
nanru nAn uyya nAn kaNDu koNDEn nArAyaNA ennum nAmam ||

I always wanted to be successful in all my endeavors thinking my efforts are mine alone and the achievement are only mine. i pined for the worldly pleasures that i thought would give me permanent enjoyment. Now i come to know they are meager and perishable. i desired the company of women caught in the net of their sharp beautiful eyes. i was stupidly fickle minded. Oh! i am grateful to Him who lifted me from the mire of samsAra like He lifted the Boomi from the ocean.

kaLvanEn AnEn paDiru SeidiruppEn kaNDavA tiritandEnElum
teLLiyEn AnEn Selgadikku amaindEn Sikkena tiruvaruL peTTrEn |
uLLelAm uruhi kuraL tazhuttozhindEn uDambelAm kaNNa neer SOra
naLLiruL aLavum pahalum nAn azhaippan nArAyaNA ennum nAmam ||

The fool i was! The utterly wicked that i was! A thief that i was! A rogue that i was! i feel utterly disgusted about myself. At last by His krupa i am free, i am good, i have clarity of thought. When i think of His compassion i feel extremely grateful and happy. My voice chock; my tears wet my body; my heart melts and flows; my path towards mOkSha is clear. i feel i should be chanting His name “nArAyaNA! nArAyaNA!” all the time – day and night.

embirAn endai ennuDai chuTTram enakkaraSu ennuDai vANAL
ambinAl arakkar verukkoLa nerukki avaruyir Sehutta em aNNal |
vambulAm SOlai mA madiL tanjai mAmaNi koyilE vaNangi
nambihAL uyya nAn kaNDu koNDEn nArAyaNA ennum nAmam ||

Oh! Bagavatas and Baktas! i shall hereafter go to His temple in tAnjore which is a city having forests and forts. i shall worship Him and sing hymns, call Him my friend, my father, my swAmi, my bandhu and my very life. i shall chant His name “nArAyaNA! nArAyaNA!”

irpirappu ariyeer ivar avar enneer innadOr tanmai enru uNareer
karpaham pulavar kaLai kaN enru ulahil kaNDavA toNDrai pADum |
Sor poruLALeer SolluhEn vammin Soozh punal kuDandaiyE tozhumin
narporuL kANmin pADi neer uimin nArAyaNA ennum nAmam ||

Oh! Fools! You think you are great poets! You sing songs of praise on those lords who are low and mean; not aware of their race; who are rich now but were pauper earlier. You don’t know their real character. You call them karpaham, wise, sarvajnya, rakShaka etc. come here leaving those hypocrites. i shall tell you a truth – worship the Lord of tirukuDandai and chant the names of nArAyaNA.

kaTTrilEn kalaihaL aimbulan karudum karuttuLE tiruttinEn manattai
peTTrilEn adanAl pEdaiyEn nanmai peru nilattu Aruyirkku ellAm |
SeTTramE vENDi tiritaruvEn tavirndEn Selgadikku uyyumAru eNNi
naTTruNaiyAha paTTrinEn aDiyEn nArAyaNA ennum nAmam ||

i am an ignorant, stupid man; have not read any SAstras; have run after the five indriyas which seek worldly objects; have not obtained any good as i was an avivEki; was a great sadist harming all the creatures in the world. Thus i had an extremely sinful life. Now after i had the Bagavat kaTAkSha i am going on the right path, doing right actions, chanting nArAyaNa nAma and doing kainkarya to Him.

kulam tarum Selvam tandiDum aDiyAr paDu tuyarAyina ellAm
nilam taram Seyyum neeL viSumbu aruLum aruLoDu peru nilam aLikkum |
valam tarum maTTrum tandiDum peTTra tAyinum Ayina Seyyum
nalam tarum Sollai nAn kaNDu koNDEn nArAyaNA ennum nAmam ||

i obtained the nArAyaNa mantra from Him. The chanting of His name secures the following to me – gives birth in a good kula; gives aiSwarya (here and hear after); removes all kinds of duhKas; gives paramapada, the highest abode; blesses me with kainkarya and Bagavat krupa; gives me Sakti for Bagavat anuBava; and all other benefits that are in this world. The name is more than a mantra.

manjulAm SOlai vaNDarai mA neer mangaiyAr vAL kali kanri
SenjolAl eDutta deiva nan mAlai ivai koNDu Sikkena toNDeer |
tunjum pOdu azhaimin tuyarvaril ninaimin tuyarileer Sollilum nanrAm
najudAn kaNDeer nammuDaiya vinaikku nArAyaNA ennum nAmam ||

This divine garland of words is sung by tirumangai AzhwAr, the chief of the city called tirumangai. He always bears a sword in his hand. He calls the BAgavatas to have the name nArAyaNa always in their tongues. He says – chant His name when you are dying; when you are in distress; even when you are out of difficulty. It is a deadly poison to the pApas.