நாவற் கடுக்காய் நெல்லிக்காய்
நல்லா லாட்சி யுடன்தான்றி
மேவக் கொடுப்பாய் நாத்தியடா
மென்மேல் முத்தக் காசித்தி
கோவக் குளிர்மாந் துளிர்மேனி
கொள்ளுங் காய கல்பமிதே
தேவக் குலமா லமுதுமிதே
திருவு ற்றிடுநற் சேதியிதே
naavaR kadukkaay nellikkaay
nallaa laatchi yudanthaanRi
meevak koduppaay naaththiyadaa
menmeeL muththak kaasiththi
koovak kuLirmaan thuLirmeeni
koLLung kaaya kalpamithae
theevak kulamaa lamuthumithae
thiruvu RRRidunaR saethiyithae.
“Naaval fruit, kadukkai fruit, nellikai fruit;
with good ‘lācci/ilācci’ and with ‘thānṟi’ (thandrikkai/bibhitaki?);
when you compound it and give (it) to be taken, O Nāthi—
for the tender body (it yields) pearl-like kāya-siddhi.
(Your) sprouting/youthful body becomes cool (and fresh—like ‘kōvai’ / like a deer?).
This is the fruit-based kāya-kalpam that one should take.
This is ambrosia for the lineage/clan of the devas.
This is the good tidings that brings auspiciousness (thiru).”
A rejuvenating Siddha “kāya-kalpam” is indicated: a formulation centered on a cluster of fruits associated with rasāyana (notably nellikai/amla and kadukkai/haritaki, possibly alongside thandrikkai/bibhitaki and a fragrant additive such as cardamom or a resin-like “lācci”). Taken properly, it is said to cool the system, restore a tender and youthful body, and confer “kāya-siddhi”—a perfected, radiant, pearl-like bodily state—described as nectar fit for “devas,” i.e., a move toward an immortalized or death-resisting condition. The verse frames this as an auspicious announcement: disciplined ingestion/regimen becomes a doorway to bodily and spiritual refinement.
1) Kāya-kalpam as bodily alchemy: In Siddhar discourse, “kāya-kalpam” is not merely a tonic; it is a regimen (marunthu + pathiyam + yogic restraint) intended to re-pattern the body so it can carry higher states of consciousness. The promise of “kāya-siddhi” points to a body made stable, luminous, and resilient—an “alchemical” body even when the ingredients are botanical.
2) Cooling as ethics/psychophysiology: “Coolness” (kuḷir) can be literal—pacifying excess heat (pitta), inflammation, irritability, thirst, burning sensations—and also moral-yogic: cooling the fires of craving, anger, and agitation. A “cool sprouting body” implies both rejuvenated tissues and calmed passions.
3) “Pearl-like” body (mutham): Pearl imagery commonly signals purity, radiance, and a refined essence (sāram). Interpretable medically as improved complexion/skin, strengthened dhātus, and internally as a transformed “essence” (ojas-like vitality). Yogically it can hint at a subtle, lustrous body produced when breath, diet, and mind are purified.
4) “Deva-clan nectar”: Calling it “amṛta for the devas” places the claim in the mythic register of immortality—ambrosia that defeats decay. It can be read as (a) physiological longevity and (b) symbolic entry into a ‘divine’ mode of being—steadier awareness, less bondage to time/illness.
5) Cryptic instruction style: Siddhar verses often list ingredients but leave out proportions, processing (curing, drying, fermenting, calcining), timing, and dietary restrictions—because the ‘secret’ is the method and discipline, not the shopping list. The address (“O Nāthi”) marks a teacher-to-disciple transmission rather than a complete recipe.