Śrī Aruṇācala Aṣṭakam verse 1: When, by its wonderful act of grace, Arunachala enchanted and pulled my mind close, I saw as this is acalam

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Śrī Aruṇācala Aṣṭakam verse 1: When, by its wonderful act of grace, Arunachala enchanted and pulled my mind close, I saw as this is acalam

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In continuation of my previous article, Śrī Aruṇācala Aṣṭakam: Tamil text, transliteration and translation, in this article I will explain and discuss the meaning and implications of the first verse of this song, and in subsequent articles I will do likewise for each of the other seven verses:

அறிவறு கிரியென வமர்தரு மம்மா
      வதிசய மிதன்செய லறிவரி தார்க்கு
மறிவறு சிறுவய ததுமுத லருணா
      சலமிகப் பெரிதென வறிவினி லங்க
வறிகில னதன்பொரு ளதுதிரு வண்ணா
      மலையென வொருவரா லறிவுறப் பெற்று
மறிவினை மருளுறுத் தருகினி லீர்க்க
      வருகுறு மமயமி தசலமாக் கண்டேன்.

aṟivaṟu giriyeṉa vamardaru mammā
      vatiśaya midaṉceya laṟivari dārkku
maṟivaṟu siṟuvaya dadumuda laruṇā
      calamihap perideṉa vaṟiviṉi laṅga
vaṟihila ṉadaṉporu ḷadutiru vaṇṇā
      malaiyeṉa voruvarā laṟivuṟap peṯṟu
maṟiviṉai maruḷuṟut taruhiṉi līrkka
      varuhuṟu mamayami dacalamāk kaṇḍēṉ.

பதச்சேதம்: அறிவு அறு கிரி என அமர்தரும். அம்மா, அதிசயம் இதன் செயல் அறி அரிது ஆர்க்கும். அறிவு அறு சிறு வயது அது முதல் அருணாசலம் மிக பெரிது என அறிவின் இலங்க, அறிகிலன் அதன் பொருள் அது திருவண்ணாமலை என ஒருவரால் அறிவு உற பெற்றும். அறிவினை மருள் உறுத்து அருகினில் ஈர்க்க, அருகு உறும் அமயம் இது அசலமா கண்டேன்.

Padacchēdam (word-separation): aṟivu aṟu giri eṉa amardarum. ammā, atiśayam idaṉ seyal aṟi aridu ārkkum. aṟivu aṟu siṟu vayadu adu mudal aruṇācalam miha peridu eṉa aṟiviṉ ilaṅga, aṟihilaṉ adaṉ poruḷ adu tiruvaṇṇāmalai eṉa oruvarāl aṟivu uṟa peṯṟum. aṟiviṉai maruḷ uṟuttu aruhiṉil īrkka, aruhu uṟum amayam idu acalamā kaṇḍēṉ.

அன்வயம்: அறிவு அறு கிரி என அமர்தரும். அம்மா, அதிசயம் இதன் செயல் அறி அரிது ஆர்க்கும். அறிவு அறு சிறு வயது அது முதல் அருணாசலம் மிக பெரிது என அறிவின் இலங்க, அது திருவண்ணாமலை என ஒருவரால் அறிவு உற பெற்றும் அதன் பொருள் அறிகிலன். அறிவினை மருள் உறுத்து அருகினில் ஈர்க்க, அருகு உறும் அமயம் இது அசலமா கண்டேன்.

Anvayam (words rearranged in natural prose order): aṟivu aṟu giri eṉa amardarum. ammā, atiśayam idaṉ seyal aṟi aridu ārkkum. aṟivu aṟu siṟu vayadu adu mudal aruṇācalam miha peridu eṉa aṟiviṉ ilaṅga, adu tiruvaṇṇāmalai eṉa oruvarāl aṟivu uṟa peṯṟum adaṉ poruḷ aṟihilaṉ. aṟiviṉai maruḷ uṟuttu aruhiṉil īrkka, aruhu uṟum amayam idu acalamā kaṇḍēṉ.

English translation: It is seated as if a hill bereft of awareness. Ah, its action is pre-eminent, difficult for anyone to know. Though from the young age bereft of knowledge Arunachalam shone brightly in awareness as what is exceedingly great, I did not know its poruḷ even having got to know from someone that it is Tiruvannamalai. When, enchanting the mind, it pulled close, at the appointed time of coming close I saw as this is acalam.

Explanatory paraphrase: It sits calmly as if a hill bereft of awareness [or knowledge], [but] ah, its action is pre-eminent [extraordinary or wonderful], difficult for anyone to know [understand, appreciate or recognise]. Though from [my] young age, [when I was] bereft of knowledge [of anything else], Arunachalam shone brightly [and clearly] in [my] awareness [or mind] as what is exceedingly great, I did not know [understand or recognise] its poruḷ [substance, essence, reality or what it actually is] even [after] getting to know from someone that it is Tiruvannamalai. When, enchanting [or possessing] [my] mind, it pulled [me] close, at [that] appointed time [proper or opportune moment] of coming close I saw as this is acalam [motionless, still, steady or a mountain].

Padavurai (word-explanation): அறிவு (aṟivu): awareness, knowledge | அறு (aṟu): cease, perish, be cut off, be severed, be separated, be rooted out, be removed {root of this verb, used here in the sense of an adjectival participle meaning ‘bereft of’, ‘devoid of’ or ‘without’} | கிரி (giri): hill, mountain | என (eṉa): as, like {particle of comparison, here implying ‘as if’} | அமர்தரும் (amardarum): it is seated, it remains, it rests, it resembles (implying ‘it sits calmly’) {compound of the verb amar, ‘abide’, ‘remain’, ‘be seated’, ‘become still’, ‘become tranquil’, ‘rest’, ‘repose’ or ‘settle’, and the auxiliary verb tarum, neuter third person future (but used generically as a continuous present) form of tā, ‘give’} >>> so this first sentence, ‘அறிவு அறு கிரி என அமர்தரும்’ (aṟivu aṟu giri eṉa amardarum), means ‘It is seated as if a hill bereft of awareness’, which implies:

It sits calmly as if a hill bereft of awareness [or knowledge].

<<< அம்மா (ammā): ah {an exclamation of surprise, wonder or joy} | அதிசயம் (atiśayam): excellent, pre-eminent, extraordinary, wonderful | இதன் (idaṉ): of this, its {inflectional base of the proximal demonstrative pronoun, idu, ‘this’ or ‘it’, used here in a genitive (sixth case) sense} | செயல் (seyal): doing, action {verbal noun, here implying aruḷ-seyal, ‘the action of grace’} | அறி (aṟi): know, understand, appreciate, recognise | அரிது (aridu): what is difficult, unattainable, rare, precious | ஆர்க்கும் (ārkkum): for whomever, for anyone, for everyone {ārkku means ‘for whom’, being a dative (fourth case) form of ār, ‘who’, and the suffix um here denotes universality} >>> so this second sentence, ‘அம்மா, அதிசயம் இதன் செயல் அறி அரிது ஆர்க்கும்’ (ammā, atiśayam idaṉ seyal aṟi aridu ārkkum), means ‘Ah, its action is pre-eminent, difficult for anyone to know’, which implies:

[But] ah, its action is pre-eminent [extraordinary or wonderful], difficult for anyone to know [understand, appreciate or recognise].

<<< அறிவு (aṟivu): awareness, knowledge | அறு (aṟu): bereft of, devoid of, without {as explained above} | சிறுவயததுமுதல் (siṟu-vayadadumudal): from young age {compound of siṟu, ‘small’, ‘little’, ‘tender’ or ‘young’; vayadu, ‘age’ (a Tamil form of the Sanskrit vayas, ‘age’); adu, ‘that’ (distal demonstrative pronoun, here serving together with mudal, ‘from’, as a case-marking suffix to vayadu, ‘age’); and mudal, ‘beginning’ or ‘beginning from’, used here as an ablative (fifth case) ending and therefore meaning ‘from’} >>> so ‘அறிவு அறு சிறு வயது அது முதல்’ (aṟivu-aṟu siṟu-vayadu-adumudal) means ‘from young age bereft of knowledge’, thereby implying ‘from [my] young age, [when I was] bereft of knowledge [of anything else]’ <<< அருணாசலம் (aruṇācalam): Arunachala | மிக (miha): very much, greatly, abundantly, extremely, exceedingly {infinitive of mihu, ‘exceed’, ‘surpass’, ‘be great’, ‘be excellent’ or ‘be superior’, used here as an adverb} | பெரிது (peridu): what is great | என (eṉa): as | அறிவின் (aṟiviṉ): in awareness, in mind {inflectional base of aṟivu, ‘awareness’, ‘knowledge’ or ‘mind’, used here in a locative (seventh case) sense} | இலங்க (ilaṅga): to shine brightly {infinitive of ilaṅgu, ‘shine’, ‘be bright’ or ‘shine brightly’, used here in the sense of ‘though it shone brightly’} >>> so ‘அருணாசலம் மிக பெரிது என அறிவின் இலங்க’ (aruṇācalam miha peridu eṉa aṟiviṉ ilaṅga) means ‘though Arunachalam shone brightly in awareness as what is exceedingly great’, thereby implying ‘though Arunachalam shone brightly [and clearly] in [my] awareness [or mind] as what is exceedingly great’ <<< அறிகிலன் (aṟihilaṉ): I did not know, I did not understand | அதன் (adaṉ): of that, its {inflectional base of the distal demonstrative pronoun, adu, ‘that’ or ‘it’, used here in a genitive (sixth case) sense} | பொருள் (poruḷ): substance, essence, reality, truth, import, meaning, significance (implying ‘what it actually is’) >>> so ‘அறிகிலன் அதன் பொருள்’ (aṟihilaṉ adaṉ poruḷ) means ‘I did not know its poruḷ [substance, essence, reality or what it actually is]’ <<< அது (adu): that, it {distal demonstrative pronoun} | திருவண்ணாமலை (tiruvaṇṇāmalai): Tiruvannamalai | என (eṉa): that {conjunction} | ஒருவரால் (oruvarāl): by someone {instrumental (third case) form of oruvar, ‘someone’, but used here in a context in which we would say ‘from someone’ in English} | அறிவுற (aṟivuṟa): to be aware, to know, to understand, to recognise {compound of aṟivu, ‘awareness’, ‘knowledge’, ‘wisdom’ or ‘understanding’, and uṟa, infinitive of uṟu, ‘gain’, ‘acquire’ or ‘experience’} | பெற்றும் (peṯṟum): even getting, even having got {peṯṟu is an adverbial participle that means ‘getting’ or ‘having got’, and the suffix um here means ‘even’} >>> so ‘அது திருவண்ணாமலை என ஒருவரால் அறிவுற பெற்றும்’ (adu tiruvaṇṇāmalai eṉa oruvarāl aṟivu uṟa peṯṟum) means ‘even having got to know from someone that it is Tiruvannamalai’, thereby implying ‘even after getting to know from someone that it is Tiruvannamalai’, and hence this third sentence, ‘அறிவு அறு சிறு வயது அது முதல் அருணாசலம் மிக பெரிது என அறிவின் இலங்க, அறிகிலன் அதன் பொருள் அது திருவண்ணாமலை என ஒருவரால் அறிவுற பெற்றும்’ (aṟivu aṟu siṟu vayadu adu mudal aruṇācalam miha peridu eṉa aṟiviṉ ilaṅga, aṟihilaṉ adaṉ poruḷ adu tiruvaṇṇāmalai eṉa oruvarāl aṟivuṟa peṯṟum), means ‘Though from the young age bereft of knowledge Arunachalam shone brightly in awareness as what is exceedingly great, I did not know its poruḷ even having got to know from someone that it is Tiruvannamalai’, which implies:

Though from [my] young age, [when I was] bereft of knowledge [of anything else], Arunachalam shone brightly [and clearly] in [my] awareness [or mind] as what is exceedingly great, I did not know [understand or recognise] its poruḷ [substance, essence, reality or what it actually is] even [after] getting to know from someone that it is Tiruvannamalai.

<<< அறிவினை (aṟiviṉai): mind {accusative (second case) form of aṟivu, ‘awareness’ or in this case ‘mind’} | மருளுறுத்து (maruḷ-uṟuttu): enchanting, possessing {compound of maruḷ, ‘bewilderment’, ‘delusion’, ‘wonder’, ‘possession’ (as by a spirit or deity) or ‘enchantment’, and uṟuttu, an adverbial participle meaning ‘gaining’, ‘acquiring’, ‘undergoing’ or ‘experiencing’} | அருகினில் (aruhiṉil): near, close {locative (seventh case) form of aruhu, ‘nearness’, closeness’ or ‘proximity’} | ஈர்க்க (īrkka): when it pulled {infinitive of īr, a transitive verb that means ‘pull’, ‘drag’, ‘attract’, ‘draw towards’ or ‘carry away’} >>> so ‘அறிவினை மருளுறுத்து அருகினில் ஈர்க்க’ (aṟiviṉai maruḷ uṟuttu aruhiṉil īrkka) means ‘when, enchanting the mind, it pulled close’, thereby implying ‘when, enchanting [or possessing] [my] mind, it pulled [me] close’ <<< அருகுறும் (aruhuṟum): reaching close, coming close, when coming close {compound of aruhu, ‘nearness’, closeness’ or ‘proximity’, and uṟum, an adjectival participle meaning ‘approaching’, ‘reaching’ or ‘gaining access’} | அமயம் (amayam): time, proper time, right moment, opportune moment, appointed time, occasion, opportunity {a Tamil form of the Sanskrit samaya} | இது (idu): this, it {proximal demonstrative pronoun, here referring to Arunachala} | அசலமா (acalamā): as acalam {compound of acalam, Tamil form of the Sanskrit acala, ‘unmoving’, ‘motionless’, ‘immovable’, ‘still’, ‘fixed’, ‘steady’, ‘permanent’ or ‘mountain’, and the adverbial suffix ā (the root of a verb meaning ‘be’), used here in the sense of ‘as’, which in this context applies not just to ‘acalam’ but to ‘idu acalam’, so ‘idu acalamā’ means ‘as this is acalam’} | கண்டேன் (kaṇḍēṉ): I saw {first person singular past tense form of kāṇ, ‘see’} >>> so ‘அருகுறும் அமயம் இது அசலமா கண்டேன்’ (aruhuṟum amayam idu acalamā kaṇḍēṉ) means ‘at the appointed time of coming close I saw as this is acalam’, thereby implying ‘at [that] appointed time [proper or opportune moment] of coming close I saw as this is acalam [motionless, still, steady or a mountain]’, and hence this final sentence, ‘அறிவினை மருளுறுத்து அருகினில் ஈர்க்க, அருகுறும் அமயம் இது அசலமா கண்டேன்’ (aṟiviṉai maruḷ-uṟuttu aruhiṉil īrkka, aruhuṟum amayam idu acalamā kaṇḍēṉ), means ‘When, enchanting the mind, it pulled close, at the opportune moment of coming close I saw as this is acalam’, which implies:

When, enchanting [or possessing] [my] mind, it pulled [me] close, at [that] opportune moment of coming close I saw as this is acalam [motionless, still, steady or a mountain].

1. The efficacy and benefit of thinking of Arunachala
2. Though Arunachala seems to be a hill bereft of awareness, the action of its grace is pre-eminent
3. Arunachala’s அருட்செயல் (aruḷ-seyal), the action of its grace
4. Before Bhagavan he knew anything else, he was aware of Arunachala as ‘what is exceedingly great’, but he did not know what it actually is
5. Arunachala made Bhagavan see what it actually is by enchanting and pulling his mind within to face itself, the one motionless reality
6. ‘I saw as this is acalam’ means that he saw Arunachala as pure being, which is what is eternally motionless (acalam)
7. Seeing ‘as this is acalam’ is motionless being-awareness, which is pure subjectless and objectless seeing
8. Arunachala made Bhagavan see itself ‘as this is acalam’ by pulling his mind inwards to investigate who the seer is

1. The efficacy and benefit of thinking of Arunachala

Bhagavan composed this first verse the day after he composed verses 10 and 11 of Śrī Aruṇācala Padigam, and in it he continues to extol the efficacy and benefit of thinking of Arunachala, as he did in those two verses. He ended verse 10 by advising us ‘ஓர்த்து உய்மின், உயிர்காள், உளமதில் ஒளிர் இவ் உயிர்க்கொலி அருணமாகிரியே’ (ōrttu uymiṉ, uyirgāḷ, uḷam-adil oḷir i-vv-uyir-k-koli aruṇa-mā-giriyē), ‘Souls, be saved [by] thinking of the great Aruna Hill, this killer of the soul, who shines in the heart [as our own being, ‘I am’]’, and he began verse 11 by referring to his own experience, exclaiming ‘கிரி இது பரமா கருதிய என் போல் கெட்டவர் எத்தனை கொல்லோ!’ (giri-y-idu paramā karudiya eṉ-pōl keṭṭavar ettaṉai-kollō!), ‘Like me who considered [or who meditated upon] this hill as the Supreme, how many are those who have [thereby] been destroyed!’, so in this verse he elaborates upon this experience of his.

This verse is therefore autobiographical in the sense that in it, while praising the pre-eminent and wonderful nature of Arunachala’s action, namely the action of its grace, he says that from his young age, when he knew nothing else, Arunachala was shining brightly in his awareness as ‘மிக பெரிது’ (miha peridu), ‘what is exceedingly great’, but that even after coming to know from someone that that it is Tiruvannamalai, he did not know or fully comprehend its poruḷ (substance, essence or reality, meaning what it actually is), until the sacred moment when, enchanting and possessing his mind, it pulled him close, whereupon he saw it as ‘அசலம்’ (acalam), which can be taken to mean either what is eternally and immutably motionless (namely sat-cit, pure being-awareness, ‘I am’) or a mountain.

2. Though Arunachala seems to be a hill bereft of awareness, the action of its grace is pre-eminent

In the first sentence of this verse, ‘அறிவறு கிரி என அமர்தரும்’ (aṟivaṟu giri eṉa amardarum), ‘It is seated as if a hill bereft of awareness [or knowledge]’, the word ‘என’ (eṉa) is a particle of comparison that can mean either ‘as’ or ‘like’, but since the intention with which Bhagavan wrote this was to imply that though it seems to be ‘அறிவறு கிரி’ (aṟivaṟu giri), a ‘hill bereft of awareness’, it is actually not so, in this context the appropriate meaning for ‘என’ (eṉa) is ‘like’ in the sense of ‘as if’.

We generally consider most objects in the world to be devoid of awareness, but certain objects, namely living human bodies and the living bodies of other sentient beings, to be endowed with awareness. However, according to Bhagavan all objects, all phenomena, whether physical or mental, are jaḍa, meaning that they are not actually aware at all, and are therefore as insentient as rocks and other such objects. Living bodies, unlike rocks, seem to be endowed with awareness because in each one there is (or at least seems to be) an ego that identifies it as ‘I’ and therefore shines through it. That is, since we as ego are aware of ourself as ‘I am this living body’, every other living body seems to us to be an ego just like us, and since ego is endowed with awareness, each living body seems to be endowed with awareness, even though every one of them is actually as jaḍa as a rock or a dead body.

In the case of Bhagavan’s body when it was living, there was no ego that identified it as ‘I’, so what was seen shining through it was not an ego but the reality of each one of us, namely the one fundamental and ultimate reality called brahman, which the infinite ocean of clarity and love. Just as that infinite ocean of clarity and love shone through the physical form of his body, he saw the same infinite ocean of clarity and love shining through the physical form of Arunachala, so he sang in this verse that though ‘it is seated as if a hill bereft of awareness’ (aṟivaṟu giri eṉa amardarum), ‘அம்மா, அதிசயம் இதன் செயல் அறி அரிது ஆர்க்கும்’ (ammā, atiśayam idaṉ seyal aṟi aridu ārkkum), ‘Ah, its action is atiśaya [pre-eminent, extraordinary or wonderful], difficult for anyone to know [understand, appreciate or recognise]’.

The pre-eminent, extraordinary and wonderful செயல் (seyal), ‘doing’ or ‘action’, of Arunachala that he refers to in this second sentence is its அருட்செயல் (aruḷ-seyal), ‘grace-action’ (meaning its ‘action of grace’ or ‘action that is grace’), and since it does this action without actually doing anything but just by being the infinite love that it actually is, it is difficult for anyone to adequately understand or appreciate it, and most people are not even able to recognise or be aware of it at all. In spite of the infinitely subtle and wonderful action of its grace, for the majority of people it seems to be just ‘அறிவறு கிரி’ (aṟivaṟu giri), a ‘hill bereft of awareness’, like any other hill, just as for many people Bhagavan seems to be just a human being, albeit a rather exceptional one, who was born and died like the rest of us.

3. Arunachala’s அருட்செயல் (aruḷ-seyal), the action of its grace

What exactly is this pre-eminent ‘doing’ (seyal) or action of Arunachala? What does it do by its grace? According to a Tamil proverb that Bhagavan often used to quote, ‘அவன் அன்றி ஓர் அணுவும் அசையாது’ (avaṉ aṉḏṟi ōr aṇuvum asaiyādu), ‘Except [by] him even an atom does not move’, or ‘அவன் அருளால் அன்றி ஓர் அணுவும் அசையாது’ (avaṉ aruḷāl aṉḏṟi ōr aṇuvum asaiyādu), ‘Except by his grace even an atom does not move’, so whatever happens, whether seemingly good or seemingly bad, happens only by his grace, as he affirms in the thirteenth paragraph of Nāṉ Ār? by saying: ‘சகல காரியங்களையும் ஒரு பரமேச்வர சக்தி நடத்திக்கொண்டிருகிறபடியால்’ (sakala kāriyaṅgaḷai-y-um oru paramēśvara śakti naḍatti-k-koṇḍirugiṟapaḍiyāl), ‘Since one paramēśvara śakti [supreme ruling power or power of God] is driving all kāryas [whatever needs or ought to be done or to happen]’.

Everything happens, therefore, only by his grace, which is the power of his infinite love, but the ultimate aim of grace is to restore us to our natural state of pure being-awareness (sat-cit) by absorbing us back into itself. Until then, everything that happens to us is driven only by the power of his grace, and he makes it all happen in such a way that is most conducive to the purification of our mind, because only when our mind is purified to a considerable extent by his grace will we be willing to surrender ourself completely by yielding ourself to the inward pull of grace, which is always working deep within our heart preparing us for its ultimate செயல் (seyal), ‘doing’ or ‘action’, which is to pull us inwards in the manner that Bhagavan describes beautifully and clearly in verse 10 of Śrī Aruṇācala Padigam:

பார்த்தனன் புதுமை யுயிர்வலி காந்த
      பருவத மொருதர மிதனை
யோர்த்திடு முயிரின் சேட்டையை யொடுக்கி
      யொருதன தபிமுக மாக
வீர்த்ததைத் தன்போ லசலமாச் செய்தவ்
      வின்னுயிர் பலிகொளு மிஃதென்
னோர்த்துய்மி னுயிர்கா ளுளமதி லொளிரிவ்
      வுயிர்க்கொலி யருணமா கிரியே.

pārttaṉaṉ pudumai yuyirvali kānta
      paruvata morudara midaṉai
yōrttiḍu muyiriṉ cēṭṭaiyai yoḍukki
      yorutaṉa dabhimukha māha
vīrttadait taṉpō lacalamāc ceydav
      viṉṉuyir balikoḷu miḵdeṉ
ṉōrttuymi ṉuyirgā ḷuḷamadi loḷiriv
      vuyirkkoli yaruṇamā giriyē.

பதச்சேதம்: பார்த்தனன் புதுமை, உயிர் வலி காந்த பருவதம். ஒருதரம் இதனை ஓர்த்திடும் உயிரின் சேட்டையை ஒடுக்கி, ஒரு தனது அபிமுகம் ஆக ஈர்த்து, அதை தன் போல் அசலம் ஆ செய்து, அவ் இன் உயிர் பலி கொளும். இஃது என்! ஓர்த்து உய்மின், உயிர்காள், உளம் அதில் ஒளிர் இவ் உயிர் கொலி அருண மா கிரியே.

Padacchēdam (word-separation): pārttaṉaṉ pudumai, uyir vali kānta-paruvatam. orudaram idaṉai ōrttiḍum uyiriṉ cēṭṭaiyai oḍukki, oru taṉadu abhimukham-āha īrttu, adai taṉ-pōl acalam-ā seydu, a-vv-iṉ-ṉ-uyir bali koḷum. iḵdu eṉ! ōrttu uymiṉ, uyirgāḷ, uḷam-adil oḷir i-vv-uyir-k-koli aruṇa-mā-giriyē.

English translation: I have seen a wonder, [this] magnetic hill that forcibly seizes [pulls or attracts] the soul. Subduing the cēṣṭā [movement, activity or exertion, particularly the mischievous outward-going mental activity] of the soul who thinks of it once, pulling [dragging or attracting] [that soul] to be facing towards itself, the one [reality that shines in the heart as sat-cit, pure being-awareness, ‘I am’], [thereby] making it be acala [motionless] like itself, it will take [and consume] that sweet [spiritually ripened and pure] soul as bali [food offered in sacrifice or as alms]. What [a wonder] this is! Souls, be saved [by] thinking of the great Aruna Hill, this killer of the soul, who shines in the heart [as the heart, namely sat-cit, pure being-awareness, ‘I am’].

This is the unique efficacy of thinking of Arunachala. When it makes us think of it even once, it thereby initiates these culminating stages of its அருட்செயல் (aruḷ-seyal), the action of its grace, gradually weakening our viṣaya-vāsanās (inclinations to seek happiness in viṣayas, objects or phenomena) and thereby subduing the momentum with which we enthusiastically rush outwards to engage in cēṣṭā (movement, activity or exertion) for the fulfilment of our desires, pulling us inwards to face towards itself, the one reality that shines as ‘I am’, and thereby making us motionless (acala) like itself. That is, ‘ஒரு தனது அபிமுகமாக ஈர்த்து’ (oru taṉadu abhimukham-āha īrttu), ‘pulling to be facing towards itself, the one [reality]’, implies pulling us within to face our own being, ‘I am’, which is what Arunachala actually is, and by doing so it makes us motionless like itself, because whereas attending to anything other than ourself is a mental activity, attending to ourself (our own being) is a cessation of all mental activity, since we as ego will subside back into our being to the extent to which we attend to it, and when we subside all our movement or activity (cēṣṭā) will subside along with us, thereby making us motionless (acala). By doing so, Arunachala ripens us like the sun ripening a fruit, thereby transforming us into an ‘இன்னுயிர்’ (iṉ-ṉ-uyir), a ‘sweet soul’, meaning a spiritually ripened and pure soul, and having thus made us fit to be consumed by him, he will take us as a sacrificial offering (bali). Since he achieves all this just by making us think of him, he ends this verse exhorting us: ‘ஓர்த்து உய்மின், உயிர்காள், உளமதில் ஒளிர் இவ் உயிர்க்கொலி அருணமாகிரியே’ (ōrttu uymiṉ, uyirgāḷ, uḷam-adil oḷir i-vv-uyir-k-koli aruṇa-mā-giriyē), ‘Souls, be saved [by] thinking of the great Aruna Hill, this killer of the soul, who shines in the heart’.

Arunachala does all this without actually doing anything, but just by being as it is, as Bhagavan makes clear in the fifteenth paragraph of Nāṉ Ār?:

இச்சா ஸங்கல்ப யத்நமின்றி யெழுந்த ஆதித்தன் சன்னிதி மாத்திரத்தில் காந்தக்கல் அக்கினியைக் கக்குவதும், தாமரை மலர்வதும், நீர் வற்றுவதும், உலகோர் தத்தங் காரியங்களிற் பிரவிருத்தித்து இயற்றி யடங்குவதும், காந்தத்தின் முன் ஊசி சேஷ்டிப்பதும் போல ஸங்கல்ப ரகிதராயிருக்கும் ஈசன் சன்னிதான விசேஷ மாத்திரத்தால் நடக்கும் முத்தொழில் அல்லது பஞ்சகிருத்தியங்கட் குட்பட்ட ஜீவர்கள் தத்தம் கர்மானுசாரம் சேஷ்டித் தடங்குகின்றனர். அன்றி, அவர் ஸங்கல்ப ஸஹித ரல்லர்; ஒரு கருமமு மவரை யொட்டாது. அது லோககருமங்கள் சூரியனை யொட்டாததும், ஏனைய சதுர்பூதங்களின் குணாகுணங்கள் வியாபகமான ஆகாயத்தை யொட்டாததும் போலும்.

icchā-saṅkalpa-yatnam-iṉḏṟi y-eṙunda ādittaṉ saṉṉidhi-māttirattil kānta-k-kal aggiṉiyai-k kakkuvadum, tāmarai malarvadum, nīr vaṯṟuvadum, ulahōr tattaṅ kāriyaṅgaḷil piraviruttittu iyaṯṟi y-aḍaṅguvadum, kāntattiṉ muṉ ūsi cēṣṭippadum pōla saṅkalpa-rahitar-āy-irukkum īśaṉ saṉṉidhāṉa-viśēṣa-māttirattāl naḍakkum muttoṙil alladu pañcakiruttiyaṅgaṭ kuṭpaṭṭa jīvargaḷ tattam karmāṉusāram cēṣṭit taḍaṅgugiṉḏṟaṉar. aṉḏṟi, avar saṅkalpa-sahitar allar; oru karumam-um avarai y-oṭṭādu. adu lōka-karumaṅgaḷ sūriyaṉai y-oṭṭādadum, ēṉaiya catur-bhūtaṅgaḷiṉ guṇāguṇaṅgaḷ viyāpakam-āṉa ākāyattai y-oṭṭādadum pōlum.

Just like in the mere presence of the sun, which rose without icchā [liking, wish or desire], saṁkalpa [desire, volition or intention] or yatna [effort or exertion], a sun-stone [sūryakānta, a gem that is supposed to emit fire or heat when exposed to the sun] emitting fire, a lotus blossoming, water evaporating, and people of the world commencing [or becoming engaged in] their respective kāryas [activities], doing [those kāryas] and ceasing [or subsiding], and [just like] in front of a magnet a needle moving, jīvas [sentient beings], who are subject to [or ensnared in] muttoṙil [the threefold function of God, namely the creation, sustenance and dissolution of the world] or pañcakṛtyas [the five functions of God, namely creation, sustenance, dissolution, concealment and grace], which happen by just the viśēṣa [distinction, distinguishing feature or special nature] of the presence of God, who is saṁkalpa rahitar [one who is devoid of any volition or intention], move [exert or engage in activity] and subside [cease being active, become still or sleep] in accordance with their respective karmas [that is, in accordance not only with their prārabdha karma or destiny, which impels them to do whatever actions are necessary in order for them to experience all the pleasant and unpleasant things that they are destined to experience, but also with their karma-vāsanās, their inclinations to think, speak and act in particular ways, which dispose them to make effort to experience pleasant things and to avoid experiencing unpleasant things]. Nevertheless, he [God] is not saṁkalpa sahitar [one who is connected with or possesses any volition or intention]; even one karma does not adhere to him [that is, he is not bound or affected in any way by any karma or action whatsoever]. That is like world-actions [the actions happening here on earth] not adhering to [or affecting] the sun, and [like] the qualities and defects of the other four elements [earth, water, air and fire] not adhering to the all-pervading space.

Since the nature of the sun is to radiate light and heat, activities on earth such as a sun-stone emitting fire, a lotus blossoming, water evaporating, and people commencing, doing and stopping their respective activities, happen in its mere presence without its having to do anything but just by its being as it is. Likewise, since the nature of a magnet is to exert a pull on any piece of iron in its vicinity, needles move in its mere presence without its having to do anything but just by its being as it is. These are therefore apt analogies to illustrate the fact that God makes everything happen by his mere presence without actually doing anything. That is, God is infinite love, because in his clear view there is nothing other than himself, so he knows us as himself and therefore loves each and every one of us as himself. Since infinite love is therefore his very being, by the power of his love everything is made to happen as it should happen without his having to do anything but just by his being as he is.

This is what he means by saying ‘ஈசன் சன்னிதான விசேஷ மாத்திரத்தால் நடக்கும் முத்தொழில் அல்லது பஞ்சகிருத்தியங்கள்’ (īśaṉ saṉṉidhāṉa-viśēṣa-māttirattāl naḍakkum muttoṙil alladu pañcakiruttiyaṅgaḷ), ‘muttoṙil [the threefold function of God, namely the creation, sustenance and dissolution of the world] or pañcakṛtyas [the five functions of God, namely creation, sustenance, dissolution, concealment and grace], which happen by just the viśēṣa [distinction, distinguishing feature or special nature] of the presence of God’. ‘ஈசன் சன்னிதானம்’ (īśaṉ saṉṉidhāṉam), ‘the presence of God’, is his being, which is infinite and therefore all-pervading, and ‘ஈசன் சன்னிதான விசேஷம்’ (īśaṉ saṉṉidhāṉa-viśēṣam), ‘the viśēṣa [distinction, distinguishing feature or special nature] of the presence of God’, is that his infinite being is infinite love, which is his power of grace, so by his just being as he is everything is made to happen in such a way that is most conducive for the ultimate good of all sentient beings (jīvas), namely their dissolution back into his being, which is their source and substance.

To further emphasise that what he means by saying ‘ஈசன் சன்னிதான விசேஷ மாத்திரத்தால் நடக்கும் முத்தொழில் அல்லது பஞ்சகிருத்தியங்கள்’ (īśaṉ saṉṉidhāṉa-viśēṣa-māttirattāl naḍakkum muttoṙil alladu pañcakiruttiyaṅgaḷ), ‘muttoṙil or pañcakṛtyas, which happen by just the viśēṣa [special nature] of the presence of God’, is that God makes everything happen as it should without himself ever doing anything, he goes on to say ‘ஒரு கருமமு மவரை யொட்டாது’ (oru karumam-um avarai y-oṭṭādu), ‘even one karma [action] does not adhere to him’, thereby implying not only that he is not bound or affected in any way by any action (karma) whatsoever, but also that his is not the doer of any action, and he illustrates this with two analogies: ‘அது லோககருமங்கள் சூரியனை யொட்டாததும், ஏனைய சதுர்பூதங்களின் குணாகுணங்கள் வியாபகமான ஆகாயத்தை யொட்டாததும் போலும்’ (karma), ‘That is like world-actions [the actions happening here on earth] not adhering to [or affecting] the sun, and [like] the qualities and defects of the other four elements [earth, water, air and fire] not adhering to the all-pervading space’.

Therefore, when Bhagavan describes Arunachala in verse 10 of Śrī Aruṇācala Padigam as ‘உயிர் வலி காந்த பருவதம்’ (uyir vali kānta-paruvatam), ‘the magnetic hill that forcibly seizes [pulls or attracts] the soul’, he implies that just as a magnet causes a needle to move without itself doing anything but just by being as it is, Arunachala forcibly attracts the soul and causes everything else to happen as it should happen without itself doing anything but just by being the infinite love that it is.

4. Before Bhagavan he knew anything else, he was aware of Arunachala as ‘what is exceedingly great’, but he did not know what it actually is

After exclaiming about this action (seyal) of Arunachala’s grace in the second sentence, ‘அம்மா, அதிசயம் இதன் செயல் அறி அரிது ஆர்க்கும்’ (ammā, atiśayam idaṉ seyal aṟi aridu ārkkum), ‘Ah, its action is atiśaya [pre-eminent, extraordinary or wonderful], difficult for anyone to know [understand, appreciate or recognise]’, Bhagavan then begins the third sentence of this verse by saying ‘அறிவறு சிறு வயது அது முதல் அருணாசலம் மிக பெரிது என அறிவின் இலங்க’ (aṟivaṟu siṟu vayadu adu mudal aruṇācalam miha peridu eṉa aṟiviṉ ilaṅga), ‘Though from the young age bereft of knowledge Arunachalam shone brightly in awareness as what is exceedingly great’, in which ‘அறிவறு சிறு வயது அது முதல்’ (aṟivaṟu siṟu vayadu adu mudal), ‘from the young age bereft of knowledge’, implies from his early childhood before he knew anything else, and ‘அருணாசலம் மிக பெரிது என அறிவின் இலங்க’ (aruṇācalam miha peridu eṉa aṟiviṉ ilaṅga), ‘though Arunachalam shone brightly in [my] awareness [or mind] as what is exceedingly great’, implies that he was aware of Arunachala and recognised that it is that which is greater than all other things, even though he was not then aware of it as it actually is.

In the second half of this third sentence he says ‘அறிகிலன் அதன் பொருள் அது திருவண்ணாமலை என ஒருவரால் அறிவுற பெற்றும்’ (aṟihilaṉ adaṉ poruḷ adu tiruvaṇṇāmalai eṉa oruvarāl aṟivuṟa peṯṟum), ‘I did not know its poruḷ even having got to know from someone that it is Tiruvannamalai’, which refers to an incident that happened in November 1895, less than ten months before he came to Tiruvannamalai. One day, meeting an elderly relative, he asked him where he had come from, and when the relative replied ‘From Arunachalam’, he was surprised to learn that Arunachala is a place that can be visited, so he asked with wonder, ‘From Arunachalam! Where is that?’, to which the relative replied that it is Tiruvannamalai. Even when he came to know this fact about Arunachala, he says, he still did not know its பொருள் (poruḷ), ‘substance’, ‘essence’ or ‘reality’, meaning what it actually is.

5. Arunachala made Bhagavan see what it actually is by enchanting and pulling his mind within to face itself, the one motionless reality

How he later came to know what it actually is is explained by him in the final line this verse: ‘அறிவினை மருளுறுத்து அருகினில் ஈர்க்க, அருகுறும் அமயம் இது அசலமா கண்டேன்’ (aṟiviṉai maruḷ-uṟuttu aruhiṉil īrkka, aruhuṟum amayam idu acalamā kaṇḍēṉ), ‘When, enchanting the mind, it pulled close, at the opportune moment of coming close I saw as this is acalam’. If read superficially, this sentence may seem to be referring to the time when Arunachala drew him physically to itself, namely on 1st September 1896, but when we consider it more carefully, a deeper implication reveals itself, namely that ‘அருகுறும் அமயம்’ (aruhuṟum amayam), ‘the opportune moment of coming close’, is actually referring to the time about six weeks earlier in Madurai when Arunachala created an intense fear of death in his heart and thereby pulled his mind inwards to feed upon it, in the exact manner that he described in the second sentence of verse 10 of Śrī Aruṇācala Padigam: ‘ஒருதரம் இதனை ஓர்த்திடும் உயிரின் சேட்டையை ஒடுக்கி, ஒரு தனது அபிமுகமாக ஈர்த்து, அதை தன்போல் அசலமா செய்து, அவ் இன் உயிர் பலி கொளும்’ (orudaram idaṉai ōrttiḍum uyiriṉ cēṭṭaiyai oḍukki, oru taṉadu abhimukham-āha īrttu, adai taṉ pōl acalamā seydu, a-vv-iṉ-ṉ-uyir bali koḷum), ‘Subduing the mischievous [outward-going mental] activity of the soul who thinks of it once, pulling [that soul inwards] to be facing towards itself, the one [namely the one reality that shines in the heart as sat-cit, pure being-awareness, ‘I am’], [thereby] making it be acalam [motionless] like itself, it will take [and consume] that sweet [spiritually ripened and pure] soul as bali [food offered in sacrifice]’.

That is, in the clause ‘அறிவினை மருளுறுத்து அருகினில் ஈர்க்க’ (aṟiviṉai maruḷ-uṟuttu aruhiṉil īrkka), ‘when, enchanting [my] mind, it pulled close’, ‘அறிவினை’ (aṟiviṉai) is an accusative (second case) form of அறிவு (aṟivu), ‘awareness’ or in this case ‘mind’ (or ‘attention’), so it is explicitly the object of ‘மருளுறுத்து’ (maruḷ-uṟuttu), ‘enchanting’ or ‘possessing’, but also implicitly the object of ‘அருகினில் ஈர்க்க’ (aruhiṉil īrkka), ‘when it pulled close’, and hence, rather than just implying ‘when it enchanted [my] mind and pulled [my body] close’, this clause more deeply implies ‘when it enchanted and pulled [my] mind close’, which corresponds to the clause ‘ஒரு தனது அபிமுகமாக ஈர்த்து’ (oru taṉadu abhimukham-āha īrttu), ‘pulling [the soul] to be facing towards itself, the one’, in verse 10 of Padigam. In other words, since Arunachala exists and shines eternally in the heart as ‘I’, ‘pulling the mind close’ implies Arunachala pulling it within to face towards itself and thus to be intimately close to itself in the heart, thereby making it motionless (acalam) like itself and consuming it as bali (food offered in sacrifice).

6. ‘I saw as this is acalam’ means that he saw Arunachala as pure being, which is what is eternally motionless (acalam)

Therefore, when he ended this first verse of Aṣṭakam with the words ‘இது அசலமா கண்டேன்’ (idu acalamā kaṇḍēṉ), ‘I saw as this is acalam’, he did not mean merely that he saw Arunachala as a mountain (acalam), an external object (something other than himself), but that he saw it as pure being, which is immutable and therefore eternally motionless (acalam), and he saw it thus by himself being that same motionless reality. In other words, by its action of grace (aruḷ-seyal) of enchanting his mind and pulling it close within to face towards itself, the one infinite being-awareness (sat-cit), which shines eternally in the heart as ‘I am’, Arunachala made him motionless (acalam) like itself, thereby feeding upon him, making him one with itself, so that he saw it as his own eternally motionless being. It is this supreme act of grace that he referred to in verse 21 of Uḷḷadu Nāṟpadu when he sang: ‘ஊண் ஆதல் காண்’ (ūṇ ādal kāṇ), ‘Becoming food is seeing’.

As he explained in verse 20 of Uḷḷadu Nāṟpadu, seeing God in any way other than by being completely consumed by him is just seeing ‘மனோமயம் ஆம் காட்சி’ (maṉōmayam ām kāṭci), a ‘mental vision’ or ‘mind-constituted image’, so ‘தனை காணும் அவன் தான் கடவுள் கண்டான் ஆம்’ (taṉai kāṇum avaṉ-tāṉ kaḍavuḷ kaṇḍāṉ ām), ‘Only he who sees himself is one who has seen God’, because it is only by seeing ourself as we actually are that we as ego will subside and dissolve in him, thereby becoming one with him and thus knowing him as he knows himself, as he makes clear in verse 8 of Uḷḷadu Nāṟpadu: ‘அம்மெய்ப்பொருளின் உண்மையில் தன் உண்மையினை ஓர்ந்து, ஒடுங்கி ஒன்றுதலே உண்மையில் காணல்’ (a-m-mey-p-poruḷiṉ uṇmaiyil taṉ uṇmaiyiṉai ōrndu, oḍuṅgi oṉḏṟudalē uṇmaiyil kāṇal), ‘[by] investigating [or knowing] the reality of oneself, [and by thereby] dissolving [or subsiding] in the reality of that mey-p-poruḷ [real substance, namely God or brahman], becoming one [with it] alone is seeing [it] in reality’. These verses of Uḷḷadu Nāṟpadu therefore lend further support to the view that the seeing Bhagavan referred to when he sang ‘இது அசலமா கண்டேன்’ (idu acalamā kaṇḍēṉ), ‘I saw as this is acalam’, was not just seeing Arunachala as the form of a mountain but was ‘உண்மையில் காணல்’ (uṇmaiyil kāṇal), ‘seeing [it] in reality’, by seeing it as the reality of himself, namely pure being, which is eternally motionless (acalam).

When interpreted in this sense, this final line complements what he said in the previous two lines, namely ‘அறிவு அறு சிறு வயது அது முதல் அருணாசலம் மிக பெரிது என அறிவின் இலங்க, அறிகிலன் அதன் பொருள் அது திருவண்ணாமலை என ஒருவரால் அறிவுற பெற்றும்’ (aṟivu aṟu siṟu vayadu adu mudal aruṇācalam miha peridu eṉa aṟiviṉ ilaṅga, aṟihilaṉ adaṉ poruḷ adu tiruvaṇṇāmalai eṉa oruvarāl aṟivuṟa peṯṟum), ‘Though from [my] young age, [when I was] bereft of knowledge, Arunachala shone brightly in [my] awareness [or mind] as what is exceedingly great, I did not know its poruḷ [substance, essence or reality, meaning what it actually is] even having got to know from someone that it is Tiruvannamalai’. That is, though since his earliest childhood, when he knew nothing else, he clearly knew that the name ‘அருணாசலம்’ (aruṇācalam), ‘Arunachala’, referred to ‘மிக பெரிது’ (miha peridu), ‘what is exceedingly great’, even when he came to know that it is Tiruvannamalai, he still did not know ‘அதன் பொருள்’ (adaṉ poruḷ), ‘its poruḷ [substance, essence or reality]’, meaning that he did not know what it actually is, but when it enchanted and pulled his mind close (implying deep within the heart), he finally came to know its poruḷ, which is what is ‘அசலம்’ (acalam), ‘motionless’ or ‘unmoving’, namely infinite and eternally motionless pure being.

Whereas in the previous sentence he referred to Arunachala as ‘அது’ (adu), ‘that’, in this final sentence he refers to it as ‘இது’ (idu), ‘this’, saying ‘இது அசலமா கண்டேன்’ (idu acalamā kaṇḍēṉ), ‘I saw as this is acalam’, because what had previously seemed to be other than himself was finally by its act of grace (aruḷ-seyal) revealed to him to be nothing other than his own being, which is infinite and eternally motionless (acalam).

7. Seeing ‘as this is acalam’ is motionless being-awareness, which is pure subjectless and objectless seeing

Another subtle but important point to note here is that though ‘இது அசலமா கண்டேன்’ (idu acalamā kaṇḍēṉ) can be interpreted to mean ‘I saw this as acalam’, it more precisely means ‘I saw as this is acalam’. That is, இது (idu), ‘this’, is the nominative (first case) form of this proximal demonstrative pronoun, so if interpreted literally it is not the object of the verb கண்டேன் (kaṇḍēṉ), ‘I saw’, though in poetry the nominative (first case) form of a noun or pronoun can be used in an accusative (second case) sense, so it is only if we take it in this non-literal sense that ‘இது அசலமா கண்டேன்’ (idu acalamā kaṇḍēṉ) would mean ‘I saw this as acalam’. In this sense இது (idu), ‘this’, becomes the object of the verb, and அசலமா (acalamā) is an adverb meaning ‘as acalam’. However, if we take இது (idu), ‘this’, in its literal nominative (first case) sense, then there is no explicit object in this clause, and instead ‘இது அசலமா’ (idu acalamā) is an adverbial clause meaning ‘as this is acalam’, which conveys more precisely the subtle truth that Bhagavan intended to express.

In this literal interpretation, the adverbial suffix ஆ (ā), ‘as’, applies not just to ‘அசலம்’ (acalam) but to the sub-clause ‘இது அசலம்’ (idu acalam), ‘this is acalam’, so the entire clause ‘இது அசலமா கண்டேன்’ (idu acalamā kaṇḍēṉ) means ‘I saw as this is acalam’. This is not exactly the same as saying ‘I saw that this is acalam’, because that would imply recognising a fact about Arunachala, namely that it is acalam, so rather than saying what he saw, whether ‘this as acalam’ or ‘that this is acalam’ (though both of these are implied), he describes the manner (or nature) of his seeing, namely ‘as this is acalam’. That is, when ego is eradicated, what remains is neither any seer nor any object to be seen but only the one motionless substance (acala poruḷ or acala vastu), namely being-awareness (sat-cit), which is pure subjectless and objectless seeing.

8. Arunachala made Bhagavan see itself ‘as this is acalam’ by pulling his mind inwards to investigate who the seer is

Interpreting this final line of the first verse in this deeper sense also fits better with the meaning of the first line of the second verse: ‘கண்டவன் எவன் என கருத்தினுள் நாட, கண்டவன் இன்றிட நின்றது கண்டேன்’ (kaṇḍavaṉ evaṉ eṉa karuttiṉuḷ nāḍa, kaṇḍavaṉ iṉḏṟiḍa niṉḏṟadu kaṇḍēṉ), ‘When investigating within the mind who he who saw is, I saw what remained when he who saw was [thereby found to be] completely non-existent’. If we were to interpret the final line of the first verse to be referring to the time when Arunachala drew Bhagavan physically to itself, then this first sentence of the second verse would seem to imply that it was only on 1st September 1896, when he first came close to the outward form of Arunachala, or the previous evening, when from afar (from Arayaninallur temple, on exactly the same spot from which Tirujnanasambandhar first saw Arunachala) he first saw it standing as a mountain, that he investigated who the seer (namely ego) is and saw what remained when it thereby ceased to exist. Swami Natananandar told me that this is what many devotees believed when he first came to Bhagavan in 1918, and that it was only several years later that Bhagavan made clear that the self-investigation (ātma-vicāra) and consequent annihilation of ego had occurred about six weeks before he left Madurai to come to Tiruvannamalai, namely on the now well-known occasion that an intense fear of death arose in him.

The last line of verse 1 and first line of verse 2 do not necessarily mean that he investigated the seer and saw what remained when it had thereby been found to be completely non-existent only after he saw Arunachala as acalam, but they do seem to suggest a close connection between these two. If we take ‘இது அசலமா கண்டேன்’ (idu acalamā kaṇḍēṉ), ‘I saw as this is acalam’ (or ‘I saw this as acalam’), to mean that he saw it as what is eternally and immutably motionless by himself being that, then it means essentially the same as ‘கண்டவன் இன்றிட நின்றது கண்டேன்’ (kaṇḍavaṉ iṉḏṟiḍa niṉḏṟadu kaṇḍēṉ), ‘I saw what remained when he who saw was [found to be] completely non-existent’. If we accept this interpretation, it becomes clear that in the first line of verse 2 he is clarifying the means by which Arunachala made him see itself ‘as this is acalam’, namely by pulling his mind inwards to investigate who the seer is and thereby making him remain as ‘கண்டவன் இன்றிட நின்றது’ (kaṇḍavaṉ iṉḏṟiḍa niṉḏṟadu), ‘what remained when he who saw was completely non-existent’, which alone is what is eternally motionless (acalam).