Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai verse 1

In a Zoom meeting of the ‘Ramana Maharshi Foundation UK’ on 26th March 2022 Michael James discusses various meanings and deep implications of verse 1 of ஸ்ரீ அருணாசல அக்ஷரமணமாலை (Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai):

----more----

அருணா சலமென வகமே நினைப்பவ
      ரகத்தைவே ரறுப்பா யருணாசலா

aruṇā calameṉa vahamē niṉaippava
      rahattaivē raṟuppā yaruṇācalā

பதச்சேதம்: அருணாசலம் என அகமே நினைப்பவர் அகத்தை வேர் அறுப்பாய் அருணாசலா.

Padacchēdam (word-separation): aruṇācalam eṉa ahamē niṉaippavar ahattai vēr aṟuppāy aruṇācalā.

English translation: Arunachala, you will eradicate the ego of those who think that Arunachalam is actually ‘I’.

Explanatory paraphrase: Arunachala, you will eradicate [or root out] the ego of those who think [within the heart or mind] that Arunachalam is actually [certainly or only] ‘I’ [or that Arunachalam alone is ‘I’].

Alternative meaning 1: Arunachala, you will eradicate the ego of those who think ‘Arunachalam’ [deep] within the heart [or mind].

Alternative meaning 2: Arunachala, you will eradicate the ego of those who think that Arunachalam is actually [deep] within [only within or within the heart].

Before discussing this verse Michael plays a recording of Sadhu Om singing it, which is an extract from here and here.

While discussing this verse Michael refers to and discusses the meaning and implications of various other passages from Bhagavan’s writings, including Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai, Uḷḷadu Nāṟpadu, Upadēśa Undiyār, Śrī Aruṇācala Aṣṭakam, Nāṉ Ār?, Śrī Aruṇācala Padigam and Upadēśa Sāraḥ.

This episode can also be watched as a video, 2022-03-26a Ramana Foundation UK: Michael discusses Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai verse 1, and a more compressed audio copy in Opus format (which can be listened to in the VLC media player and some other apps) can be downloaded from here.

After discussing this verse of Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai Michael answers questions about this and other aspects of Bhagavan’s teachings, particularly the practice of self-investigation and self-surrender, and this part of the meeting is recorded in a separate episode: Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai verse 1 Q&A.