Kunchitanghri Sthavam - Umapati Sivam

[Subramanian.R]

In one of the verses, Umapati Sivam, describes how Vishnu is terrified by Siva.  It is not only with Bhairava and Virababhadra forms.

Potions of this Lord -
Sarabha, BatukarAja, Virabhadra and the others --

destroy the fierce actions of cruel beings
assumed by the lotus eyed Vishnu and Brahma and others
in every kalpa;

also protect the whole world the whole time.
Meditating on Him in their hearts, they are victorious,
Him, Whose glory streams forth,
Whose foot is curved,
I worship.

****

Arunachala Siva.
   

[Subramanian.R]

Umpati Sivam then takes up Ksetrapala, the protector of holy places

Kunjitanghri Sthavam says:

Holding in His hand Brahma's skull
that cannot even be filled by
pouring into it the stream of blood
flowing from Vishnu's forehead;

with hounds at His side,
His spreading matted locks
reddened by the lustre of tips of His fangs,

Bhairva as Protector of the Field, Kshetrapala
protecting the universe from torment, worships Him.

Him Whose foot is curved,
I worship.

(In the Saivite literature, both Kala Bhairava and Kshterapala are the protectors of the holy temples.)

Arunachala Siva.     

[Subramanian.R]

Umapati Sivam in his another verse of Kuchitanghri Sthavam speaks about the formation of Andhaka, the blind literally but meaning
Yama or darkness.

Once on Mount Kailasa,
when the Mountain's Daughter was having fun
she covered over Pasupati's eyes.

From the darkness a demon arose,
They called him Andhaka, the Blind,
and he was very wicked.

Being praised by all the worlds --
hey were unable to bear the wickedness
streaming forth from the demon into the world -

by killing him, He protected them.

I worship
Whose foot is curved.

****

Arunachala Siva. 

[Subramanian.R]

I post some verses daily from Kunchitanghri Sthavam, after a break of four days.

A story from the Mahabharata is Arjuna's wrestling match with Siva.  Practicing penance in the Himalayas, to win the
dread Pasupata missile from Siva, the great bowman is attacked by an asura in the form of a boar. Arjuna kills it with an
arrow, but a mountaineer comes up to claim the prey.  Then the two men fight, and eventually Arjuna recognizes the
mountaineer to be Siva.  He submits and wins the deadly missile.

Umapati Sivam sings:

Arjuna who wears a diadem was astonished
to be confronted by Him
in the playful guise of a mountaineer

with Ganga on His crest,
poison in His throat,
a bracelet of a row of snakes on His arm,

the moon on His brow, a third eye,
a trident with prongs like flames,
the skull of unborn Brahma,
an army of spirits and ghosts, 
a dog that is the Vedas.

I bow to Him
Whose foot is curved
I worship,

Arunachala Siva,     

[Subramanian.R]

Umapati Sivam describes the fight between Arjuna and Siva in one another poem in Kunchitanghri Sthavam:

Once He, Pasupati, Protector of the Bound,
on the Silver Mountain
made a gift of His own missile
to Arjuna, descendant of Prthu

He had taken on the body of a forester,
fought with Arjuna
and received a broken head.

I worship Him
Whose foot is curved,
I pray to Him.

There is local story that the fight took place in Tiruvetkalam, about 3 kms from Chidambaram, near Annamalai University
complex.

Arunachala Siva.     

[Subramanian.R]

Umapati Sivam in his Kunchitanghri Sthavam also mentions the stories of some Nayanmars, Saiva Saints.  Here in the following
verse, he speaks of IyaRpakai Nayanar, who never said 'No' to any Siva devotees when they came and asked for something.
Siva in the guise of a Brahmin, came and asked the Nayanmar to give his wife for enjoyment.  Without hesitation, he gave his
wife when the locals shouted at him and prevented the Brahmin to take Nayanmar's wife.  However, Nayanmar accompanied   
the old brahmin up to the village boundary.

At the time of entering into battle
with his family who were furious
at him giving his wife away,
all his slender body trembling with apprehension,
he was bathed in tears of joy when
he saw Him looking pleased,

Him on Whose foot he meditated and
he son of a Vaisya, excellent devotee that he was,
his manifest wealth being the splendor of meditation on His foot,
he was mounted upon Nandi, the lord of bulls,
and went to the Silver Mountain -

I worship Him
Whose foot is curved,
I pray to Him.

Note here that IyaRpkai Nayanar was a Vaisya.  In Periya Puranam, Sekkizhar describes devotees of all castes, and
among the 63 only five are brahmins.


Arunachala Siva.   

[Subramanian.R]

Umapati Sivam describes another Nayanmar called SomAsimARa Nayanar.  He is a brahmin who was constantly doing Soma Yaga,
and looking into the fire of sacrifice the darshan of Siva.

When Lord Siva along with His ganas
disguised His true form and entered
the sacrificial enclosure of a Brahmin called MARa,

Alerted Heramba, the man
with great devotion and delight
willingly gave into His lotus hand

the heap of oblation in the pressing
of Soma sacrifice called Jyotishthoma, 'Hymn of Light'

Through this sacrifice he went into Siva's city.

I worship Him
Whose foot is curved
I pray to Him.


Arunachala Siva.     

[Subramanian.R]

Umapati Sivam, also describes the story of Tiruneelakanta Kuyavanar (the potter) in one of his verses:

This jewel in the ocean of the family of makers of pots,
called Neelakanta, seeing Him constantly,

to maintain his good faith with the king among yogis -
on the unanimous advice of the sages --
he and his wife each holding the end of the stick
entered into the water as an ordeal,

He regained his youth thanks to His grace,
Him who is not great, who is not small,

Him whose foot is curved,
I worship Him
and I pray to Him.

(The full story of Tiruneelakanta Nayanar is available in my serial posts on 63 Saiva Saints posted long back.)

Arunachala Siva.

[Subramanian.R]

Umapati Sivam in one of his verses, describes generally the 63 Saiva Saintsz:

The Kunchtanghri Sthavam says:

The sixty three devotees of the Brahman and other castes,
by their particular forms of worship of Him
attained assimilation to Him.

and by frequently reciting His names
the perfect power of attaining His Presence;
by keeping in the company of devotees
and talking only with them
His world;

by meditation         
peerless union with Him.

I worship Him
Whose foot is curved,
I pray to Him.

Arunachala Siva.

[Subramanian.R]

Umapati Sivam then describes Tirumoolar on the 63 Saiva Saints (who hails from Tiruvavaduthurai) in one of his poems in
Kunchitanghri Sthavam:

The blessed primal Siddha, Holy Moola by name,
maintaining his body underground for a kalpa,
was hidden beneath an anthill,

being in Samadhi
in the state of Supreme Bliss
that arises from seedless yoga;

his deeds praised by the king,
his knowledge ever free from constraint,
he meditates constantly within himself upon Him

I worship Him
Whose foot is curved
I pray to Him.

Tirumoolar's story has been described in detail in my serial posts on 63 Saiva Saints a few years back.)

Arunachala Siva.   

[Subramanian.R]

Umapati Sivam, in his Kunchitanghri Sthavam also speaks of his own siddhic powers in one of his verses, which were  due to
Siva's Grace. (He gave moksha to one servant called Pethan Samban by sprinkling holy water on him; he also gave moksha to
one bush by sprinkling water on it.):

Sambhu, the Lord of Dance, has given me success
through great mantras of enormous powers;
great siddhic powers through Yoga;

and the great enlightenment of the self
that removes the birth and death;
and the rank of guru - confirmed in writing
to give release to Suta* and others.

He has shown me His dance,
He has given me exceeding delight.

I worship Him
Whose foot is curved.
I pray to Him.

(* the servant Pethan Samban who when asked 'what does he want?, answered that he wanted moksha! 
Umapati Sivam with mantras, sprinkled holy water on him and he disappeared.  Next morning, he was seen
along with Nataraja, in the sanctum of the Kanaka Sabha in Chidambaram!)

Arunachala Siva.

[Subramanian.R]

Umapati Sivam describes Siva Chakra which is like Sri Chakra of Devi in his Kunchitanghri Sthavam:

The faultless worship of His Chakra everyday,
His body, within the radiance of true form,
shines brightly on all sides

as far as the fourteen cornered enclosure,
joined with His Sakti on His left
He comprises the beatty of the golden firmamemts
of eight petaled lotus.

His Chakara is pervaded with the Siva Mantras,
Mohana, etc., in the Chamber of the Thousand Petals.

I worship Him
Whose foot is curved,
I pray to Him,.

(Tirumoolar says that Siva Chakra is nothing but na ma si va ya, repeated in a circular fashion.  (Tirumandiram Verse 937,  938.).

Arunachala Siva,     

[Subramanian.R]

Umapati Sivam describes Siva and Devi in Kunchitanghri Sthavam.  This is also found in Sri Soundarya Lahari.

In the middle of the earth circle,
within he eight and sxiteen petaled lotuses,
within the forty three angles*
In the Bindu
in a delightful jeweled palace** surrounded by
continuous multitudes of Kalpa trees,

He with Devi
seated on a golden couch
whereof the legs are formed by Brahma and others
and Sadasiva forms the plnak,
is worshipped by gods with Vishnu at their head;

I worship Him
Whose foot is curved,
I pray to Him. 

* Sri Chakra with 43 angles.
** Chintamani Gruha.

Arunachala Siva.

[Subramanian.R]

Umapati Sivam speaks of Draupadi and her previous incarnation as Nalayini in one of his verses in Kunchtanghri Sthavam:


A certain woman named Nalayini
was the good wife of MAndavya, a famous ascetic;
she desired to do
what was pleasing to her husband.

To allay the fire of curse he uttered
she clouded over the radiance of her beauty,
By meditating on His mantra
she acquired five kings as her beloved husbands,
such as could hardly have been won by any other woman;
and also the state of Siva free from rebirth.

I worship Him
Whose foot is curved,
I pray to Him.

Arunachala Siva.

[Subramanian.R]

Umapati Sivam describes Sakti's various feats in Kunchitanghri Sthavam, in this verse.  He describes her Jnana (wisdom),
Kriya (action) and Iccha (desire) - the three aspects:

Those who know the heart
of revealed scriptures know
He Whose form is the dance
has but one Sakti praised.

She is Kali in Her anger, Durga in battle,
She takes the form of Vishnu to protect the world.
in enjoyment She is Bhaavani
Jnana, Kriya and Iccha
comprise Her various bodies.

At the time of universal destruction
She calms down and is absorbed in Him

Him Whose son has an elephant's face.
Whose foot is curved,
I worship.

Arunachala Siva.