Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai verse 3

In a Zoom meeting of the ‘Ramana Maharshi Foundation UK’ on 30th April 2022 Michael James discusses verse 3 of Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai:

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அகம்புகுந் தீர்த்துன் னககுகை சிறையா

      யமர்வித்த தென்கொ லருணாசலா

ahampuhun dīrttuṉ ṉahaguhai siṟaiyā

      yamarvitta deṉko laruṇācalā

பதச்சேதம்: அகம் புகுந்து ஈர்த்து உன் அக குகை சிறையாய் அமர்வித்தது என் கொல் அருணாசலா.

Padacchēdam (word-separation): aham puhundu īrttu uṉ aha guhai siṟaiyāy amarvittadu eṉ kol aruṇācalā.

English translation: Arunachala, entering the mind, carrying away, keeping captive in the cave of your heart is what!

Explanatory paraphrase: Arunachala, entering [my] mind [or home], [forcefully] carrying [me] away [dragging me out or attracting me to yourself], [you have been] keeping [me] captive in the cave of your heart. What [a wonder of your grace this is]!

Alternative meaning: Arunachala, entering [my] mind [or home], [forcefully] carrying [me] away [or dragging me out], [you have been] keeping [me] captive in the cave of your heart. Why [or for what reason did you do so]?

Inner meaning: Arunachala, entering [my] mind [the nature of which was to always face outwards and thereby wander in the maze of worldly delusion], [attracting and] pulling [my mind inwards to face yourself], [you have thereby been] keeping [me] captive in the cave of your heart. What [a wonder of your grace this is]!

This episode can also be watched as a video, 2022-04-30a Ramana Maharshi Foundation UK: Michael discusses Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai verse 3, 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 3 Q&A.