Kolaru thirupathigam

(The ten verses that remove all ills)

 

By

Thirujnana  Sambandar

 

Translated by

P.R.Ramachander

 

  (Here is a remarkable prayer  addressed to Shiva composed by Sambandar , one of great saivite saints who were  called  as Nayanmar. Once the  Pandya  country  of Tamil Nadu was under the influence of Jains , with the king himself converting himself to jain religion. At that time the queen who was a saivite  requested Sambandar and Manikka Vasagar to visit their country and bring it back to saivism. At that time it seems both saints were in the holy place of Thirumaraikkadu(Vedaranyam). . Manikkavasagar was little worried to  go because , it was  at that time thought that the Jains were  experts in evil magic. Then Sambandar sang this prayer, which essentially tells that neither the planets, nor the evil mantras nor the wild animals nor any other thing that can cause harm,  can cause harm to the devotee of Lord Shiva. If this prayer is sung with devotion, it would definitely save us from anything that causes evil.

   Not being an expert in the old tamil , in which it is written, for doing this translation ,I have consulted  several times  another English translation for this pathigam available in

http://www.skandagurunatha.org/deities/siva/audio/2.085.pdf

Readers are also requested to consult a scholarly introduction to this pathigam available in  http://www.visvacomplex.com/Clarification_-_KOLaRu_Thiru_Padhikam.html )

 

1.Veyurur tholi pangan, Vidam unda kandan, Miga nalla veenai thadavi,

Masaru  thingal, gangai  mudi mel  aninthen, ulame pugundhu adhanal,

Jnayiru , thingal, chevvai , budhan , vyazhan  Velli, sani , pambu irandum udane,

Aasaru nalla, nalla  avai nalla , nalla  adiyar avarkku  migave.

 

Friend of the lady with Bamboo like shoulders , God  having a neck affected by swallowing poison,

One who  plays Veena faultlessly , One who wears the spotless moon and Ganga  on his head,

Entered inside my mind  and immediately made Sun, moon, mars , mercury , Jupiter , Venus Saturn and the two snakes,

Cut away desires   and are good , they are good , and are very good to devotees of Shiva.

 

2.Enbodu kombaodamai  ivai marbilanga, erutheri ezhai udane,

Pon pothi matha maalai  punal choodi vanthen ulame pugundhu adanal,

Onbathodu  ondrodu ezhu pathinettodu aarum udaya natkal avai tham,

Anbodu nalla nalla  Avai nalla nalla adiyaar  avarkku migave.

 

With his chest adorned  with garland of bones, boar’s tusk  and tortoise shell,

And also wearing garland of datura flowers with their golden pollen,

And decorating his head with the ganges river, he along with Parvathi  comes riding on a bull

And  he has entered   my  mind  and stays there  and so   the  inauspicious stars that are

Ninth,  seventeenth, eighteenth and twenty fourth among the twenty seven,

Do  only good and good with love , for they are good , good  for the devotees of Shiva.

 

3.Uru valar pavala meni  oli neeru aninthu, umayodum vellai vidai mel,

Murugalar kondrai  thingal  mudi mel aninthu yen, ulame pugundhu ,athanaal,

THirumagal  kalaya thoorthi  cheyya mathu bhoomi disai deivamana  palavum,

Aruneri  nalla nalla  Avai nalla nalla adiyaar  avarkku migave.

 

 

With his  growing radiant coral like  body wearing  the shining  holy  ash.

Along with Goddess Parvathi on the white bull, wearing  the golden kondrai * flowers

As well as the crescent on his head , he came and entered in to my mind and so ,

The Goddess Lakshmi , Kali , mother earth  and the various Gods  that god the directions,

Does   only good and good with love , for they are good , good  for the devotees of Shiva.

                      * Indian  Laburnum

 

4.Mathi nuthal  mangayodu  vada  aali runthu  marai othum engal paraman,

Nathiyodu  kondrai malai  mudi mel anithu yen  ulame pugundhu  athanal,

Kothiyuru kalan angi namanodu doothar kodu noygal aana palavum,

Athiguna nalla nalla  Avai nalla nalla adiyaar  avarkku migave

 

With the lady with the crescent like forehead  sitting below a banyan tree  and teaching Vedas,

Our  God wears  on his head kondrai flowers  along with  the river and  has entered in to my mind  and so,

The very angry god of death  along  with his messengers  and various great diseases,

Does   only good and good with love , for they are good , good  for the devotees of Shiva.

 

5.Nanju ani kandan  yendhai madavaal thanodum , vidayeru thangal paraman,

THunji yarul  vanni kondrai  mudi mel aninthu , yen  ulame pugandha  adhanal,

Venchina avunarodum , urumudiyum minnum migayana bhootham  avayum

Anjidum  nalla nalla  Avai nalla nalla adiyaar  avarkku migave

 

 

With my father who decorates his neck with poison along with Parvathi  riding  on a bull,

Showing his grace  and Wearing vanni* leaves  and kondrai **flowers has entered in to my mind  and so,

The  angry asuras  , roaring thunder, lightning  and  those ghosts  that we are afraid,

Do   only good and good with love , for they are good , good  for the devotees of Shiva.

    *Indian Mesquite    **Indian  Laburnum

 

6.Valari thala thadai  vari kovanathar  madavaal thanodum  udanay,

Naanmalar  vanni kondrai  nadhi choodi vandhu en  ulame  pugundhu athanal,

Kolari  uzhuvayodu kolai yanai  kezhal  kodu nagamodu karadi,

Alari nalla nalla  Avai nalla nalla adiyaar  avarkku migave

 

With  Siva  wearing a striped  tigers skin and loin  cloth, and along with Parvathi,

And wearing  vanni leaves   and kondari flowers  has entered  in to my mind and so,

Powerful deadly tigers , murderous elephants , boars, cobras , bears  and lions,

Do   only good and good with love , for they are good , good  for the devotees of Shiva.

 

7.Cheppila mulai nan mangai  oru bhagamaga  vidai yeru chelvan  adaivaar,

Oppilamathiyum  appum mudi mel aninthen ulame  pugantha athanaal,

Veppodu kulirum  vadam migayana pithum , vinayana  vandhu naliyaa,

Appadi nalla nalla  Avai nalla nalla adiyaar  avarkku migave

 

With  the famous  good young damsel  occupying one  side , he is the source of all wealth,

And keeping on his head , the incomparable moon  as well as the river , he  entered  in to my mind,

And so  fevers with chills , rheumatism, excess of bile which come and  trouble ,

Do   only good and good with love , for they are good , good  for the devotees of Shiva.

 

8.Vel pada vizhi cheythanru  vidai melirunthu  madaval thanodum  udanay,

Van mathi  vanni konrai  malar choodi vandhen  ulame pugundhu  adhanaal,

Ezhkadal  choozh  ilangai arayan  thanodum  idarana  vandhu  naliyaa,

Aazhkadal  nalla nalla  Avai nalla nalla adiyaar  avarkku migave

 

With his angry  eye he burnt Manmatha when he shot an arrow  and along with Parvathi  he rides  the bull,

And wearing the crescent of the sky , Vanni leaves  and Kondrai flowers , he  entered in to my heart,

And so the  king of Lanka which is surrounded by  ebbing sea   and other afflictions  surrounding the sea,

Do   only good and good with love , for they are good , good  for the devotees of Shiva.

 

9.Pala pala vedamagum paranaari bhagan, vasuverum yengal paraman,

Chala magalodu  erukku  mudi mel aninthu yen ulame pugundhu adhannal,

Malar misayonum  malum maraiyodu devar varukalamana palavum,

Alaikadal meru nalla nalla  Avai nalla nalla adiyaar  avarkku migave

 

With his ability to assume many forms, the consort of Parvathi  who is our lord rides on a bull,

And wearing the erukku *flower on his head , he entered  my heart,

And Lord Brahma, Vishnu , Vedas, devas  and several things that are yet to come,

Do   only good and good with love , for they are good , good  for the devotees of Shiva.

    *Calotropis gigantean

 

10.Kothaalar kuzhaviyodu  visayar  nalgu gunamaai  veda vigithan,

Mathamum madhiya nagam  mudi mel  aninthen  ulame pugundhu adhanal,

Putharodu  amanavathil azhivirkkum  annan  thiruneeru  chemmai thidame ,

Athagu nalla nalla  Avai nalla nalla adiyaar  avarkku migave

 

Along  with the pretty lady wearing flowers , that  varied God of Vedas went to  give a boon to Arjuna,

And wearing  datura flowers , moon  and the serpent , he entered my heart,

And the sacred of ash of his will defeat the budhists and jains without any  doubt and,

Do   only good and good with love , for they are good , good  for the devotees of Shiva.

 

11.Thenavar pozhi kola alai vilai chen nel  , thunni  valar chembon engum  thigaza,

Naan mugan  aadhiyaya  biramapurathu  marai Jnana  Jnana munivan,

Thanuru kolu naalum  adiyarai vandhu  naliyatha vannam  urai chei,

Aana chol maalai oodhum  adiyargal vaanil  arasalvr  aanai namathe.

 

The saint Thirujnana Sambandar  of Brahma puram , where Brahma  is worshipped,

And which has honey bees, sugar cane , paddy  in an abundant measure,

Is ordering  that  those devotes  who read  this garland of words ,

Would not suffer the ill effects caused by planets , stars  and others and  would rule  the heavens