Prayer of the Day

Prayer from Thirunavukkarasar Thevaram

 

திருநாவுக்கரசர் அருளிய தேவாரம் 
தலம்    :    பொது (ஆதிபுராணத் திருக்குறுந்தொகை)
ஐந்தாம் திருமுறை 

திருச்சிற்றம்பலம்

எரி பெருக்குவர் அவ்வெரி ஈசனது
உரு வருக்கமது ஆவது உணர்கிலார்
அரி அயற்கு அரியானை அயர்த்துப்போய்
நரி விருத்தமது ஆகுவர் நாடரே.

திருச்சிற்றம்பலம்

Song as Romanized text

 

Thirunavukkarasar Thevaram
Thalam    :    pothu (AthipurANa thirukkuRunthokai)
Fifth Thirumurai

thiruchiRRambalam

eri perukkuvar avveri Isanathu
uru varukkamathu Avathu uNarkilAr
ari ayaRku ariyAnai ayarththuppOy
n-ari viruththamathu Akuvar n-AdarE.

thiruchiRRambalam

Meaning of the Prayer Song:

 People grow the fire. 
They do not realize that fire is one of the forms of Ishwara.
Missing out the One, Who is inconceivable even for Hari and Brahma,
these people become the case of the fox-tale!

 Notes: 

1. n-ari viruththam
Fox-tale: There was a hunter who shot down an elephant.
At that moment a snake bit him. Before dying, he chopped
the snake with his sword. A fox coming that side saw the
dead elephant, hunter and snake and thought to itself,
I can happily eat the elephant, hunter and snake for 
a month, a week and a day respectively. The mean fox
further thought, even before that, let me eat the string 
in the bow of the hunter. The moment it bit the string,
the bow released its tension ripping apart the face of the fox.
In spite of having a feast in front of it the fox died haplessly!
2. Relating the fox-tale to the concept:
People perform the rituals in the agni, the fire. 
Alas, they do not realize that through the fire
they worship Lord Shiva, which is the concept of the
holy vedas. They think they are worshipping Agni itself!
(On the same lines, be it Vayu or Varuna or Aditya 
or any of the vedic divines, they are embodying 
the Supreme Lord Shiva. It is One antaratmaka
Lord Shiva Who gets praised through various forms.
Hence Appar called in this song fire as one of the
forms of God - uru varukkam.)
While they have the opportunity to claim the big bonanza
relating to the Supreme God Who is beyond imagination
of even Brahma and Vishnu, they only see the fire.
Like the fox that failed to enjoy the great feast in front of it,
they also miss the great opportunity!
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