THE SIGHT OF THE ‘GURU.’
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This is one of the places which the Sage is said to have visited before seeing Cithambaram. It would appear that here he had some peculiar manifestation of the god, who had revealed himself to him in Perun-turrai. It is open to conjecture that the Guru, whom he regarded as Civan manifested in the flesh, resided there, or at least was a constant visitant. The place itself is a renowned Caiva shrine, and has its own legend, a considerable poem of 832 quatrains. This is of recent origin, and, I should suppose, of small authority. It states that the original name of the hill was Veda-giri, or the hill of the Veda. It is said to have four hills clustered together, each being one of the four Vedas, while the central peak, which is of basaltic formation, is Civan Himself in the form of the Lingam. It is curiously stated that ‘in Arur the god dwells for the first watch of the night, and in Cithambaram for the midnight watch; but in Veda-giri he is always to be formed.’ The name of the hill of the Veda was changed to that of the hill of the Eagle, because two eminent persons, having disputed an order of Civan, were sentenced to perform penance there.
1 ||
O peaceful Perun-turrai’s mighty Lord!
to those whose talk is of Thy thousand names
One even stream of matchless pleasure flows.
My Lord, Who once didst wipe away sore griefs,
When good and evil deeds were balanced,-
|| for aftermath of ill no living seed || ,-
In sacred glories countless didst Thou come,
AND SHOW THYSELF UPON THE EAGLE’S HILL || 4 ||
2 ||
Thou Who for hire of cakes didst carry earth!
Thou madman great, of the great haven’s shrine!
While I, who knew no law of right, to Thee,
through ignorant delusion drew not near,
O Best of Beings, Lord of Civa-world,
me, lower than the meanest cur, a man
Of evils sore, Thou cam’st to make Thine own,
AND SHOW’DST THYSELF UPON THE EAGLE’S HILL || 8 ||
3 ||
In wilderment I strayed from Perun-turrai far,
where tears were changed to joy, and foulness purged;
By sinful deeds to ruin brought, henceforth
I sinner knew not what should after grow.
Reft of the home where Thy bright feet once stood,
a prey to dire perplexity, I dwelt.
To save me from confusion sore Thou cam’st
AND SHOW’DST THYSELF UPON THE EAGLE’S HILL || 12 ||
4 ||
That I the matchless ornament might wear
of love unique,- draw nigh, and daily praise,-
Abashed with awe of reverence,- the shame
that knows no shame,- sinking amid the sea;
Of Perun-turrai, dear beyond compare,
the glorious ship I seized and climbed theren;
Straightway, in splendour no eye sees, Thou cam’st
AND SHOW’DST THYSELF UPON THE EAGLE’S HILL || 16 ||
5 ||
In glorious form displayed, Thou teeming cloud
of perfect good, in Perun-turrai seen!
O matchless Gem, Who putt’st Thyself within
the thought of me, who naught of virtue knew!
The world itself shall witness bear that I
desired Thee eagerly, and then Thou cam’st,-
That when I called Thee, then Thou cam’st,-
AND SHOW’DST THYSELF UPON THE EAGLE’S HILL || 20 ||
6 ||
Great flood of Perun-turrai’s shrine, Thou didst
the love that knows no change bestow;
When foes with many an impious speech stood round,
what didst Thou unto me before them all?
Thy Foot shall be my only refuge still,
from every death, and every various ill,-
And, therefore, when in love I called, Thou cam’st,
AND SHOW’DST THYSELF UPON THE EAGLE’S HILL || 24 ||
7 ||
O Ican, Who the four and sixty demons mad’st
to share the eightfold qualities divine,-
When I had sunk in evil deeds,- the fruit
of triple foulness that confusion brings,-
Thou didst the bands of clinging sorrow loose;
mad’st me Thine own; gav’st me Thy feet’s pure flower;
In presence of Thy servant-band didst come
AND SHOW THYSELF UPON THE EAGLE’S HILL || 28 ||