Welcome back, reader of the divine nectar, Thiruvempavai. Today we are going to explore the 9th stanza.
The number 9 is not only significant mathematically, but also holds philosophical significance in Tamil philosophy as it is believed to represent the form of God. This belief is not based on magic or glorification, but rather on the logic that when 9 is multiplied by any number, the sum of the digits in the result is always 9. Similarly, God is present in all the results he produces, but is not visible to the naked eye. Just as the number 9 comes alive when the digits are brought together, God becomes part of our experience when all our senses, body, and mind are united.
That being said, let's turn over the mic to Saint Manickavachakar:
The Verse:
munnaip pazamporutkum munnaip pazamporuLE pinnaip pudhumaikkum pErththum ap peRRiyanE unnaip pirAnAgap peRRavun chIradiyOm unnadiyAr thALpaNivOm AN^gavarkkE pAN^gAvOm annavarE eN^kaNavar AvAr avar ukan^dhu chonna parichE thozumbAyp paNicheyvOm inna vakaiyE emakkeN^kOn n^alguthiyEl
enna kuRaiyum ilOmElOr empAvAy
Translates to:
Oh oldest of the oldest things! The most recent of the newest things! We, your disciplined slaves, who consider you our lord, would bow down to the feet of your slaves; we would only be friends with them; we would only marry someone like them and serve them. If you, our king, bless us in this way, what unfulfilled desires we will have, none.
The message:
In the first 2 lines, God is referred to as the newest of the newest and the oldest of the oldest, indicating his independence from time. To contemplate this concept scientifically, consider the oldest things in the universe - such as residual cosmic radiation or the oldest known stars. No matter what these things are, they are not as old as God. On the other hand, think about the most recent thing you can think of - perhaps a cutting-edge smartphone, the internet, or artificial intelligence. Despite mankind's constant pursuit of new achievements, God will always be newer than these things.
This is not a matter of power or ability, but rather a fundamental aspect of his nature. It is important to understand the distinction between "power," which is something that is acquired, and "nature," which is inherent and defines who or what something is.
The song then moves on to the idea of being a servant or slave to God and marrying someone who is also a slave to God, which might seem strange or nonsensical to some. However, in Tamil philosophy, being a slave to God is not about literal slavery, but rather a strong devotion and unwavering faith that drives a person to dedicate their life to serving God, spreading enlightenment, and living an exemplary life.
In this context, being a slave to someone who will never exploit you but only help you overcome your limitations is seen as a positive thing.
In fact, there are instances in Tamil philosophy where God becomes a slave to a true disciple as well. The ultimate goal of Tamil philosophy is to master one's senses, mind, and body in order to achieve a pure and unwavered state of devotion to God. God can be one's slave; if one has mastered
his senses not to fall for simple pleasures
his mind to think only for the welfare of others and
his body to be pure and healthy
While there may be deeper ways to understand these concepts, this is just the essence of it.
The song is written with women who seek devoted, pious husbands as their life partners in mind; hence the reference to marrying a true Siva devotee.
The stanza concludes with the fulfillment and completion of a soul when it partners with a true devotee, highlighting the fact that enlightenment is not something that can be achieved in isolation, but rather through collaboration and fulfilling one's duty to family and society.
See you next time with Stanza #10.
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