| In Hindu Tradition, Margazhi Nonbu ( penance | | | | 17. “Thirumal(Vishnu) who protects the world in |
| observed in the month of Margazhi ) is observed by | | | | deference to Shiva’s command, Creator Brahma, |
| maids and lasses in the name of Lord Shiva. If the | | | | Chieftain of heavenly beings and others and all |
| penance is observed with sincerity and in earnestness, | | | | these can not have such a divine bliss as we |
| the lasses will be blessed with blissful married life with | | | | have. “Oh Girl with sweet- smelling hair! Shiva |
| ideal husbands. | | | | wipes out all our sins, and he visits our houses |
| Here Thiru Vasagam and Thiruppalliyezhchchi are so | | | | and prints his Lotus-feet steps, he is the God who |
| composed as though sung by lasses observing | | | | intends to bless us, Lord Shiva is the Ambrosia |
| Margazhi penance. Walking up early, fresh morning | | | | we seek, we, the servants of our Lord Shiva, He is |
| during the Month of Margazhi to worship the Lord, will | | | | the Boss of us, we sing his praises and with |
| definitely invoke the blessings of Lord Shiva. | | | | Goodness flourishing are our lives , let us plunge and |
| Interestingly Thiru Annamalai is one of the five shrines | | | | holy-dip in the pond”. |
| dedicated to Lord Shiva representing Fire. Now a days | | | | |
| people throng in more and more numbers in this shrine | | | | 18. “Oh! Girl! sing the praise of our Lord Shiva, who |
| and make circum ambulation of the Holy Mountain | | | | remains in Annamalai(Thiruvannamalai or Arunachala) |
| Thiru Annamalai. ( Arunachala) In the list of devotees | | | | as a standing example for magnanimity. Sun |
| Europeans and white people also included. The classic | | | | light has appeared already and star lights becoming |
| "Thiruvembavai" assumes the form of Dialogue | | | | thin like the gems from the crown worn by Celestial |
| between a group of Lasses and one of their friends, | | | | beings losing their brilliance, when they worship the |
| who are all Shiva Devotees observing Penance, during | | | | Lotus feet of our Lord Shiva ( which is far resplendent |
| the Holy month of Margazhi. | | | | with it’s rosy tint.) Lord Shiva is also female, male |
| | | | | and both and he is bright sky, earth and all these |
| Thiruvembavai | | | | elements combined and is also separated from all |
| 1. (Group of girls to their friend who is half awake | | | | these combinations, Our Lord is Ambrosia of spiritual |
| in her house) “Shiva is the rare and grand | | | | enlightenment, and he is ever permanent and let us |
| sacred-flame, who is without birth and death, and | | | | holy dip in this serene pond. |
| whom we sing and you listen, you sword- eyed | | | | |
| damsel. Are you so deaf that you still sleep even | | | | 19. “Shiva! Our Grand Sire! We appeal to you with |
| after listening all these? Our praise of the omnipotent | | | | the recalling of the customary phrase used by the |
| Shiva has reached the ears of a lass and she has | | | | brides father at the time of marriage ,” This Girl |
| rolled and rolled down in tranze and ecstatic-crying. | | | | offered to you, has surrendered to you too”. Please |
| We wonder if she could come to normalcy. Where as | | | | listen to our appeal. “Let not our breasts reach |
| you sleep still in spite of our calling. Oh! Girl pupil of our | | | | the shoulders of those who are not Shiva’s |
| eye! Listen to us at least now. Wake up! Let us | | | | servants! Let not our hands serve except you! Let |
| observe “Margazhi Nonbhu” (penance by | | | | not our eyes see night and day anything except you! If |
| unmarried girls)”. | | | | you, our beloved Lord! Bless us thus, will there be any |
| | | | | harm to us even if the sun rises in a different |
| 2. “Oh! Girl you often night and day and | | | | direction except east? |
| whenever we speak you would say “My love | | | | |
| is fixed for Lord Shiva” But now you sleep on the | | | | 20. Our Lord Shiva! Protect us and bless us with |
| flowery bed. Oh! Girl with the best of ornaments wake | | | | your lotus feet. Guard us and bless me with your |
| up!” | | | | Lotus feet which is the end all. May your divine |
| “No no ! sincere friends! do you make fun of this | | | | feet, the Lotus feet are also the origin of all living |
| sacred practice?(penance). Even the celestial beings | | | | things and save us! Your divine feet, that offer to |
| shudder to worship the exceedingly resplendent | | | | living beings,the benefits in this present birth and in the |
| feet of our Lord Shiva. We the girls are lucky to have | | | | next birth too. May your divine feet, that absorb |
| our Lord who has condescended to offer a | | | | everything and save us, may the feet which are |
| glimpse of his Lotus feet to us . Don’t we thank our | | | | unknown to Brahma and Vishnu save us, May your |
| Lord, who dances in Thillai(Chidambaram) and for that, | | | | divine feet, which make us your servants only to |
| we urge you. | | | | shower on us your bliss and to save me! The water |
| | | | | sanctified in this month Margazhi, which is the |
| 3. “Oh! Girl with pearl white teeth, you used to wake | | | | divine grace personified. May the sacred water |
| up earlier and praised our Lord Shiva as ‘father’, | | | | with which we take holy bath, save us. |
| ‘Sweet-God’ and you spoke sweetly. Don’t | | | | |
| you open the door.” | | | | |
| (The girl to her friends) “Hello my dear | | | | Thiruppalliyezhuchchi |
| long-established and ideal devotees of the Lord | | | | 1. Oh! The Grand Lord Shiva! Obeisances to |
| Shiva! with ease you wake up in the early morning but | | | | thee! You are Shiva-the -Chief -Source and Grand |
| I am only a new-devotee of the Lord and can’t | | | | Thing of my perfect life. Morning has dawned! We |
| you bear with me?” | | | | worship your Lotus Feet with the offering of fragrant |
| “Oh! Girl your love for Shiva is with pure heart, we | | | | flowers with love unto your flowery feet that is |
| know and can a girl of your nature afford to while | | | | decked with ornaments on the ankles and with the |
| away her time without singing the Lord’s praise and | | | | chanting of “ Namasivaya and with envisaging your |
| we pray to have your kind of devotion and clean | | | | comely face with winsome smile. You have the |
| heart.” | | | | excellent flag with the icon of the green parrot, which |
| | | | | lives inside the grove. You Shiva! Living in |
| 4.“ Oh! Girl with bright pearly teeth, has your day not | | | | Thirupperundurai, the shrine surrounded by pleasantly |
| dawned as yet?” “You girls, with colorful | | | | cold watery, marshy lands abound in blossomed many |
| parrot’s melodious talk, have you all come?” is | | | | petalled Lotus flowers. You have the simpleton in me |
| any one missing?” | | | | as your permanent servant. Our superbly perfect Lord! |
| “We will count how many girls have come and in | | | | May you wake from your divine sleep! |
| the meanwhile don’t fall in to sleep again. | | | | |
| Shiva is the panacea for celestial beings and he is the | | | | 2. Aruna! The charioteer of the Sun, turns up with the |
| essence of Vedas. He is the feast to our eyes and | | | | spreading of the purple-dawn light. By now physical |
| we are going to sing his glories and praises and we | | | | darkness has gone.(Contrasted with the darkness of |
| don’t have time to count those who have | | | | the mind.)Shiva! You are the Sun-rise. Like your lotus- |
| actually come and count yourself if you find any | | | | face, with its grace, the grace being raised and |
| shortage in the number of devotees go and sleep | | | | raised by the fragrant flowers of the eyes of |
| again.” | | | | your creation also goes on blossoming. Wasps, |
| | | | | bees and hornets in their swarm and in their bee-lines |
| 5.“Even Thirumal(Vishnu) can not have easy | | | | after beelines start buzzing. Shiva! you are present |
| access to Lord Shiva’s Lotus feet;neither | | | | graciously in Thirupperundurai. You are the Huge - |
| does quadri-headed Brahma to Lord Shiva’s | | | | Mountainous-Source of benediction and bliss and from |
| tuft of hair(head). In fact Shiva has hidden himself | | | | us with spiritual and virtuous enlightenment. You are the |
| as a high-mountainous grand flame and you, wicked | | | | sea full of waves, you are our approachable good |
| girl! You indulge freely in canards as if | | | | elder-brother! Would you wake up so that we can |
| they(canards) are milk and honey, by telling lies that | | | | work out our salvation that itself is your will! |
| you know our Lord. Open the door! You don’t | | | | |
| understand Our Lord and you don’t wake up | | | | 3. Shiva! You manifest in Thirupperundurai as sweet, |
| from your bed even after we have sung the Shiva | | | | sonorous Tamil(language). You are beyond the ken of |
| who is beyond the scope of earthly people, heavenly | | | | those egoistic people, how so ever great they may be! |
| beings, and other people living beyond the cosmos, | | | | We surrender unto you and such is our cult and you |
| and the Shiva who has assumed the divine form to | | | | are present in spite of our simple nature and |
| liberate all of us, and the Shiva who has honored | | | | background. Our grand Lord! Cuckoo birds have |
| us by absorbing simple- minded devotees like us | | | | sung! Hens have crowed. All birds chirped one after |
| besides our Loud calling “Shiva! The Grand Sire! | | | | the other. White conches from temples also have |
| Shiva! The Grand Sire!” “Oh! Girl with | | | | hooted. Stars also slowly faded away their lights. Sun |
| perfumed hair-tuft! What sort of a girl you are! | | | | with its matchless light, appears in its full brightness, |
| | | | | Shiva! You are the grand-light and great wealth to us! |
| 6. “Oh! Girl ! you are shy and afraid(in matters | | | | May you wake up from your divine sleep so that we |
| fit to be afraid) like a deer , have you forgotten | | | | can behold your good , divine feet with decoration by |
| your promise? You have promised “I will wake up | | | | anklets. |
| first and wake up you all” You for got your | | | | 4. Shiva! On one side there are devotees playing |
| assurance and now sleep. To which direction has your | | | | Veena, the string instrument, on the other side |
| promise gone? Aren’t you ashamed for this? Lord | | | | devotees playing with “Yazh” another string |
| Shiva can not be understood either by earthly or | | | | instrument and devotees from both rows worship |
| celestial beings but he has deigned to bless us .We | | | | you with the Chanting of “Namashivaya” with |
| are fortunate. You are unmoved even after listening us | | | | the accompaniment of properly tuned music |
| singing the praise of our Lord. Is this proper? Come | | | | instruments. “Iruk” the unique Charm(powerful |
| and join with us so that we can sing the praise of our | | | | word) and “Manthra” are one and the same. |
| Lord Shiva, who is the Lord of us and others.” | | | | “ Namashivaya” is the foremost and perfect of |
| | | | | all the Charms(powerful words). Because of that |
| 7. “Oh Mother like girl! Do you have a dual | | | | uniqueness, that powerful word, is extolled(praised) as |
| personality as the one having love to Shiva and the | | | | “sum and substance of the scriptures and finally |
| other to sleep as if you don’t have any love for | | | | termed as ‘Iruk. Such a great five lettered |
| Shiva ? Previously you used to chant “Shiva, | | | | powerful word(Na Ma Si Va Ya), that is the |
| Shiva” on hearing the trumpet, and conch being | | | | matter from the scripture combined with classic Tamil |
| blown to remember us of the Shiva who is even | | | | songs sung by the devotees in a manner loved by |
| beyond the concept of heavenly beings, and the | | | | heavenly beings. On the one side devotees and |
| Shiva who is unique and is with tremendous glories. | | | | on the other side devotees are holding closely- |
| You used to melt down like wax on fire even | | | | stringed garlands with fragrant flowers with love |
| before others could say “Shiva! the God inhabitated | | | | for the purpose of Shiva’s worship. |
| in the Southern Part of Tamil Nadu” Listen to our | | | | Worshippers who are your devotees with tears of |
| individual as well as Chorus calling of Shiva as | | | | joy are on another side. Similarly still on another side |
| “ Our father; our Lord and as ‘Delicious | | | | Shiva devotees with their folded hands on the top of |
| Ambrosia’. How can you still sleep? | | | | their heads in worship and some devotees are |
| You remain silent like the unwise people who won’t | | | | dancing with the praise of our Lord they are present |
| melt down towards Shiva. What is the true nature of | | | | still in another side are present. Thus you are present |
| sleep? | | | | in Thirupperundurai, to bless all the above devotees. |
| | | | | Would you awake from your sacred-sleep. You rule |
| 8. Hen is crowing as the day dawns. Other birds also | | | | over me, though I am not disciplined. |
| chirping. The wind instrument with seven tunes, | | | | 5. Oh Shiva! The Lord in Thirupperundurai! You are |
| played on auspicious occasions is also now being | | | | never without the exterior coolness denoted by |
| played. The white conch also hoots. We sing our | | | | watery agricultural fields and interior coolness of |
| Lord Shiva as unique, merciful, and has true shaped | | | | classical Tamil Scriptures. Gifted poets sing as you |
| God. Don’t you hear this? Long live!. We | | | | are the inseparable combination of every element |
| wonder What sleep is this? Don’t you open your | | | | and as you are the God without birth and death. |
| mouth? Can you answer us? Come and join with us | | | | Devotees also dance out of sheer love unto you. |
| to sing the praise of our Lord Shiva, and he will | | | | Besides these, we have not even heard those who |
| save us on the judgment day with all his benevolence? | | | | claim to see you. You are beyond the scope of |
| | | | | our idea or imagination. Such is your magnanimity |
| 9. Shiva! You are the most ancient among old things. | | | | that f or the sake of simpletons like us, you come |
| You! the latest thing among the recent things. You | | | | before us to sever three archetypal sins “lust, |
| are our lord. We prostrate unto your feet and | | | | anger, and ignorance ”. You are the prime God, |
| to your devotees. We will submit to your devotees. | | | | who salvages us. May you wake up from your divine |
| Bless us to have your devotees only as our husbands. | | | | sleep! |
| We will do whatever they command. Will we lack | | | | 6. Shiva !You are the husband of the Goddess, who is |
| anything, if you can give the above boon?. | | | | by nature Godly. Your devotees are not anxiety |
| (“True devotion to lord Shiva by un married girls | | | | stricken by the worldly diversions and they earned |
| will get them married with good husbands” is | | | | your blessings and got liberation. The devotees are |
| the customary belief) | | | | so modest as females when they worship you. Oh |
| | | | | Shiva living in Thirupperundurai! which is encapsulated |
| 10. (The girl who is half-awake inside the house, thus | | | | by the landscape with copper- red lotus flowers, |
| speaks to her comrades,) “ Under this earth, there | | | | you liberate us from this birth only to lead us the |
| are seven worlds and still beneath there is one more | | | | ideal path. May you wake up from your divine sleep. |
| world without any specific name. Up to that extreme | | | | 7. Let us come to the sense that Lord Shiva can |
| underworld, Lord Shiva’s knotted hair reaches | | | | not be realized by any one and by anything |
| and it transcends beyond sky. He bears Goddess | | | | except through his blessings. As such, it is highly |
| Parvathy in himself. He only assumes many forms | | | | debated even by heavenly- beings who don’t |
| of earthly beings, and celestials are all speaking | | | | know the real nature of our Lord Shiva. In fact Lord |
| about Shiva’s immeasurable and endless | | | | Shiva is the “ deliciousness of fruit”, |
| grandeurs. You comrades! You all belong to the | | | | “Ambrosia”, and he is beyond comprehension. |
| holy place, where friendly devotees’ hearts living, | | | | Nevertheless, He has so absorbed and blessed us |
| immaculate birth i.e Shiva whose temple is | | | | as we perceive him through the |
| located. Tell me which is his (Shiva) native? Who is his | | | | “Grand-Light”, and we are also able to feel |
| neighbour? How to worship him?” | | | | that “That- Distant- Shiva” is here |
| | | | | “This- Shiva-Approachable”. Shiva! You are |
| 11. “We splash water with the sound | | | | the God who lives in Thiru Vuththarakosamangai, |
| “Muger”from the temple- tank which is | | | | the shrine surrounded by Honey bearing groves. In |
| surrounded by bees and we praise the glory of the | | | | Thiru Perundurai, you are present as Shivakurava! |
| Lotus feet of our Lord Shiva. We have been | | | | We would ask you the ideal-way chosen by you to |
| servants of our Lord Shiva from generation | | | | make us your servants. Oh! Our Grand Sire! Would |
| to generation and we are well off today with | | | | you wake from your divine sleep!. |
| Shiva’s grace. Oh! Shiva you are so bright as fire! | | | | |
| You have smeared the sacred ash all over your body, | | | | 8..Shiva! You are the origin of the world, Present |
| which is silver in colour. You are the better half of | | | | state of the world, and changes to the world, and all |
| slender waisted, decorate-eyed Uma! We have | | | | these take place due to your divine approval. As such, |
| passed all the ordeals set by you so far only to make | | | | you are considered to be the basis, mid part and |
| us eligible for salvation. Please take care of us so that | | | | end of the different phases of the world. Your |
| we won’t get exhausted.” | | | | perfect nature is not understandable even by |
| | | | | Brahma, Vishnu, and Haran, who are executing |
| 12. “ Shiva has at his disposal the rushing, noisy, | | | | your divine command of “three fold duties”. As |
| abundant, and crystal clear water. In Chidambaram | | | | such, who can realize you?(except by your making |
| he dances on the cosmos with fire in one of his | | | | it understandable , no one can understand on their own |
| hands. Shiva also creates, protects, and regulates all | | | | effort) You, Grand Sire! and mother of the world with |
| of us, the world and the heavenly beings to liberate | | | | beautifully featured fingers that play ball,(Consort |
| ourselves from birth death cycles with the | | | | Parvathy forming left side of Lord Shiva) come |
| accompaniment of meaningful songs glorifying our | | | | and bless these ‘physical temples’ of the |
| Lord-Shiva, with the clinking sound of the ornaments | | | | true-devotees which is constituted by their old ages |
| like “megala”, and with buzzing of the bees | | | | and mere skinny frames. Shiva! You accept us as |
| sitting on the lengthy hair. Let us holy dip in this | | | | your devotees and bless us by showing your true |
| tank with the praise of our Omni-potent Lord | | | | form which is comparable to the red flame, and |
| Shiva” | | | | with your showing of the holy Shrine “Thirup |
| | | | | Perundurai where you are ‘Shiva Kurava’ and |
| 13. “ Let us plunge and bathe in the lotus pond, | | | | by manifesting yourself as a Brahmin- Guru- who |
| which is also replete with cool and ash colored –lily | | | | leads the morally and spiritually righteous path of |
| buds and red lotuses, with birds perched on the | | | | living. Shiva! You remain always as ‘ever- |
| surface of the waves. The birds form an intricate | | | | permanent-thing’ , ‘delicious Amrosia’! May |
| flock and devotees also come for ablution. This pond | | | | you wake up from your divine sleep!. |
| resembles our Lord Shiva and Parvathy in as much as | | | | |
| the people come to cleanse themselves (of sins | | | | 9.Oh! Shiva you are the excellent thing that can not |
| and impurities). This pond has ado with the | | | | be approached by heavenly beings nor can they have |
| unmarried young girls with their stirring of the water | | | | a idea about you . You so remain majestically in |
| by plunging and with the sound made by their | | | | Thirup Perundurai that we serve you avidly. We are |
| anklets, and with the water displaced by their | | | | your devotees generation after generation and |
| Spluttering Breasts”. | | | | simpletons like us can feel you through mind and eyes |
| | | | | and you give us the ecstasy which is akin to honey. |
| 14. “Let us Holy-Dip with the pendant ear- ring | | | | You are the Ambrosia churned sout of the ocean of |
| moving, with the movements of other ornaments | | | | divine blessings. You are the sweet you wake up |
| worn in our body, with the string of flowers worn | | | | from your divine sleep. |
| on the head moving and wasps(hornets) buzzing and | | | | |
| circling ,with the praise of Chidambaram, with the | | | | 10. Shiva! You are present in all your splendor in |
| singing of Godly messages found in the sacred | | | | Thirupperundurai. Vishnu, who dwells in the Sky, |
| Vedas, with the praise o the hero of sacred | | | | Brahma who is in the Lotus flower found that their |
| scriptures(Vedas), with the singing of grand-light with | | | | respective worlds are quite useless for realizing God, |
| the singing of Konrai Garland, with the singing of | | | | and they have found that the earthly world only is able |
| attributes of Shiva as being the Alpha and Omega | | | | to fetch them the blessings of Lord Shiva. Brahma |
| of all things and with the signing of the greatness of | | | | and Vishnu have come to the sense that they are |
| the Lotus | | | | frittering away the life by not being born in the |
| Feet of “Goddess Uma“ who has handled us to | | | | earthly world, and wisdom has dawned on them that |
| salvation and Uma s has worn bangles (Who has | | | | this southern part of the world(South India) is the place, |
| brought us up). | | | | where Shiva with ease showers his blessings unto all |
| | | | | creatures and living things. Both Vishnu and Brahma |
| 15. “ You girls, with tightly tethered breasts, and | | | | respectively have wishes and have passions, and |
| with ornaments worn on the breasts , Please listen | | | | you are present in this world and accept the simple |
| to me as I am going to tell you about the girl who falls | | | | souls to bless us with your infinitely extended mercy |
| in a tranze after worshipping our Lord Shiva! That girl, | | | | and benedictions. Pure and unmixed Ambrosia!(Shiva) |
| when speaking about our Lord would tell multiple times | | | | you are with enormous love for us! May you wake up |
| “ My Lord, My Lord”. She feels ecstatic when | | | | form your divine sleep. |
| she tells “My Lord!” She is choked with | | | | |
| emotion and tears of joy rolls down as if from a | | | | |
| falls. She prostrates several times in worship of | | | | ADDITIONAL….. |
| Lord Shiva. She would not care about celestial beings. | | | | 8. “ Oh girl! Shiva is beyond the scope of the |
| Let us sing in praise of the enlightened man who would | | | | thinking faculty of the celestial beings. How can you |
| be this girl’s prospective husband. Let us also | | | | remain silent without telling “Shiva” even |
| holy-dip in the tank, which is full of flowers. | | | | after hearing to his favorite instruments being played. |
| | | | | Until recently, it has been you practice that when |
| 16. Oh Rain! You shrink water from sea and raise to | | | | you hear “Shiva in the southern land”, your heart |
| the sky and assume blue color like our Goddess | | | | would melt down like wax as if it is heated and |
| Parvathy and sound like the anklet worn by her. You | | | | what has become of you now? You remain silent |
| also draw the rain bow which resembles the | | | | even after hearing our singing “ Shiva in the |
| eye-brows of our Goddess Parvathy; and you | | | | southern land” We sing Shiva with epithets, “Our |
| shower like the grace of our Lord Shiva , who is | | | | own, Our Lord, Our Chief and Ambrosia-like Shiva!” |
| inseparable from his consort, and you also shower like | | | | Don’t you hear all these? Do you still sleep? You |
| divine blessings of our lady Parvathy to devotees. | | | | are silent like hard hearted people when divine ecstasy |
| | | | | is here, what is pleasant about sleeping? |