Golden Lay Verses

Verse 338 (மந்திர வைப்பு)

தமிழ் பாடல்

ஓ மைம் ஹ்ரீம் ஸ்ரீம் ஹம்ஸஸ் ஸோக மும் மூம்

ஹூங் கென்றே ருத்ரமுடி யதனூடுற்று

ஓ மைம் ஹ்ரீம் ஸ்ரீம் ஹம்ஸஸ் ஸோக மே மைம்

ஹூங் கென்றே மாகேஸன் முடியைப் பற்றி

ஓ மைம் ஹ்ரீம் ஸ்ரீம் ஹம்ஸஸ் ஸோக மோ மௌ

ஹூங் கென்றே சதா சிவனின் யூகங் கொண்டு

ஓ மைம் ஹ்ரீம் ஸ்ரீம் ஹம்ஸஸ் ஸோக மம் ஹம்

ஹூங்கென்றே லாலனத்தின் முடிமே லேறே

Transliteration

Ō maim hrīm srīm hamsas sōga mum mūm

hūng kendrē rudramuḍi yatanūṭuṟṟu

ō maim hrīm srīm hamsas sōga mē maim

hūng kendrē mākēsan muḍiyaip paṟṟi

ō maim hrīm srīm hamsas sōga mō mau

hūng kendrē satā civanin yūkang koṇḍu

ō maim hrīm srīm hamsas sōga mam ham

hūngkendrē lālanattiṉ muḍimē lēṟē

Literal Translation

“Oṃ aim hrīṃ śrīṃ hamsas soka mum mūm—

uttering ‘hūṅ’, enter/pierce through Rudra’s ‘mudi’ (crown-knot).

Oṃ aim hrīṃ śrīṃ hamsas soka me maim—

uttering ‘hūṅ’, seize/hold fast to the ‘mudi’ of Mahēsan.

Oṃ aim hrīṃ śrīṃ hamsas soka mo mau—

uttering ‘hūṅ’, taking up the ‘yōgam/union’ of Sadāśiva,

Oṃ aim hrīṃ śrīṃ hamsas soka mam ham—

uttering ‘hūṅ’, ascend up onto the ‘mudi’ (crown) of Lālanam.”

Interpretive Translation

With the seed-mantra sequence (aim–hrīṃ–śrīṃ, joined with haṃsa/so’ham), and by repeatedly striking the inner channel with the impulse “hūṅ,” the practitioner is instructed to (1) pierce the Rudra-knot/crown-point, (2) hold the Mahēśa-knot, (3) stabilize the Sadāśiva-yoga (the non-dual poise of awareness), and (4) rise to the summit of “Lālanam”—read as a subtle yogic center associated with the upper head/soft-palate region—thus marking a graded ascent of prāṇa/kuṇḍalinī through successive divine “crowns/knots.”

Philosophical Explanation

1) Mantric anatomy and the “crowns/knots” (mudi): The repeated word “mudi” can mean an outer topknot/crown, but in Siddhar usage it frequently doubles as an inner “knot” (granthi) or a seal-like point in the subtle body. Naming Rudra, Mahēśa, and Sadāśiva signals an ascent through increasingly subtle principles of Śiva—moving from a transformative, forceful level (Rudra) toward the more transcendental (Sadāśiva). The text does not explicitly name cakras, yet its structure resembles a stepwise internal progression.

2) The role of “haṃsa / so’ham” and the breath: “Haṃsa” is a classic Siddha-Yogic cipher for the breath-mantra (often understood as so’ham: ‘He/I am That’). Here it is paired with aim–hrīṃ–śrīṃ (bījākṣaras associated with knowledge/speech-power, transformative radiance, and auspicious prosperity or śakti). The verse suggests these are not merely devotional sounds but operative syllables used to steer prāṇa.

3) “hūṅ” as a piercing/propulsive syllable: The repeated “hūṅ” functions like a vajra-strike: in mantra-logic it is used to cut, pierce, bind, or propel—here likely driving prāṇa upward through obstructions. The verbs “enter/pierce,” “grasp,” “take up (yōgam),” and “ascend” indicate a practical sequence: break through, stabilize, unify, and rise.

4) Lālanam as an esoteric location: “Lālanam” can be read as a subtle locus connected to nectar (amṛta) imagery in some Indian yogic systems (often linked with the palate/upper head region). The instruction “ascend onto Lālanam’s crown” can therefore imply reaching a higher internal station where the downward-dripping “nectar” is controlled/retained—an alchemical-yogic theme common to Siddhar traditions.

5) Alchemical and medical undertones (implicit): Though no herbs/metals are named, the ascent-through-knots motif is a standard prerequisite for inner “rasavāda” (nectar/essence management): raising heat/prāṇa, sealing leakage, and stabilizing awareness. The text remains deliberately cryptic, indicating method by mantric cues rather than explicit physiology.

Key Concepts

  • bīja mantras (aim, hrīṃ, śrīṃ, hūṅ)
  • haṃsa / so’ham breath-mantra
  • mudi as crown/topknot vs inner knot (granthi)
  • Rudra–Mahēśa–Sadāśiva as graded Śiva principles
  • prāṇa/kuṇḍalinī ascent through obstructions
  • yōgam (union/absorption) as stabilization of non-dual poise
  • Lālanam (esoteric center; possible palate/upper-head locus; nectar symbolism)

Ambiguities or Multiple Readings

  • “mudi” may be literal ‘hair-knot/crown’ of deities (devotional imagery) or an inner yogic ‘knot/seal-point’ (granthi) to be pierced and stabilized.
  • “hamsas soka” is unclear in Tamil orthography: it may encode Sanskritic ‘haṃsaḥ so’ham/so’haṃ’ (breath-identity mantra), or a local/variant phonetic rendering of a bīja cluster; the verse preserves the ambiguity by not glossing it.
  • The changing endings (mum mūm / me maim / mo mau / mam ham) can be read as (a) vowel-graded bīja permutations used in internal placements (nyāsa), (b) markers of progressive stations, or (c) coded references to specific subtle centers—none of which the text states explicitly.
  • Rudra, Mahēśa, and Sadāśiva may indicate (a) three inner knots/levels of consciousness, (b) three mantric ‘locks’ in the suṣumnā, or (c) a ritualized visualization of ascending through divine “heads/crowns.”
  • “Lālanam” may refer to (a) Lalana-cakra/soft-palate region, (b) a higher cranial locus near sahasrāra, or (c) a deity/place-name used as cipher; the verse intentionally does not anchor it anatomically.