Tirumantiram 152 - Tantra 1 - With 9 body-openings closing, relatives depart weeping

பந்தல் பிரிந்து அது  பண்டு ஆரம் கட்டற்ற
ஒன்பது வாசலும் ஒக்க அடைத்தன
துன்புறு காலம் துரிசுவர மேன்மேல்
அன்புடை யார்கள் அழுதகன் றார்களே. 152.

Literal Translation
1  Spreading-creeper-expanse (having) separated,
                that (body is an) ancient ornament.  Binding-(having)ceased,
2  nine gates equal-as-to-abide closed (themselves).
3  (At the) sorrow-to-adjoin time, sorrow-arriving one-after-the-other,
4  Love-having-ones having wept, departed.

Lucid Translation
1)  That physical body is an ancient ornament for (the subtle body of)
      the spreading-creeper-expanse which has separated from the physical body.
2)   The 9 gates of the physical body abide as being equal to closed holes
       (with no vital energies moving in or out of them)
3)   a)  At the 'sorrow-adjoining' time *,
      b)  with sorrow** arriving one after the other,
      those having love for the dead one, wept and departed.

Lucid Explanations
*   due to the outbursts of cries by the relatives

** the stream of bewailing relatives (bottling up sorrow inside them) arriving one after the other,
      to console those bereaved by the dead one
    

Tirumantiram 151 - Tantra 1 - We die leaving behind our beloved and wealth

கைவிட்டு நாடிக் கருத்தழிந்து அச்சற

நெய்யட்டிச் சோறுண்ணும் ஐவரும் போயினார்

மையிட்டக் கண்ணாளும் மாடும் இருக்கவே

மெய்விட்டுப் போக விடை கொள்ளுமாறே.  151 

Literal Translation

1  Hold-abandoned body-dweller-(her) memory-destroyed body-severed,

2  Blood-adjoined -food-eating five-also left,
3  Collirium-laid eyed-she*-and wealth-also abiding(-left-over)-with

4  body-abandoned go-to leave taking-mode (!)

Lucid Translation
1)  The body-dweller (of the subtle body),
     a)  with the (abidance in the physical) body having been severed,
     b)  the memory of the physical body having been destroyed,
     abandoned the hold over the physical body.
2)  The five (vital energies) that eat food, adjoining the blood, also left (the physical body)
3)  The wife with collyrium-laid eyes and the wealth of the dead one were left over.
4)  The dead one took to the mode of taking leave, having abandoned the physical body.

* wife

Tirumantiram 150 - Tantra 1 - Our relatives burn their affection for us in the fire of our funeral pyre

வாசந்தி-பேசி மணம்-புணர்ந்த அப்பதி

நேசம்-தெவிட்டி நினைபபொழிவார்(.) பின்னை

ஆசந்தி மேல்வைத்து அமைய அழுதிட்டுப்

பாசம் தீச்சுட்டுப் பலியட்டினார்களே    150 

Literal Translation

1  Spring-season-'malligai'* -dress(-of) smell-adjoined that-spot**-(of)

2  love-(having)-spat memory-lose-will-they(,the relatives.)  Head-hair

3  corpse-carrying-bamboo-pole-pair***- upon-(having)-kept sufficient-to-become (having-)cried

4  affection (corpse-scorching-)fire-(by-having)-scorched ash-(es)-aggregated-they(!)

Lucid Translation
1)  The smell of the spring-season-malligai*-flower-dress (adorning the dead body)
     adjoined that spot** where the dead body was kept.
2)  The relatives (of the dead person), having spat their love for the dead one,
     will lose their memory of the dead one.
3)  The relatives cried sufficiently, having kept the hair of their heads,
      over the corpse-carrying bamboo-pole-pair***.
4)  They aggregated the ashes (left over after burning the corpse)
      after having scorched their affection (for the dead one) in the fire that burnt the corpse.
 

Glossary of Terms

*      'malligai' is a kind of fragrant flower used to adorn corpses

**    the spot where the flower-adorned corpse is kept 

        before being taken to the burial/cremation ground

*** 2 bamboo-poles kept parallel and tied 
        with cooconut-tree-leaves in between them, for the corpse, 
        a)  to be placed upon the said leaves, and 

        b) to be carried to the cremation ground 

             by 4 relatives/others holding upon their shoulders 
             the 4 corners  of the said 2 bamboo-poles

       

      

   

Tirumantiram 149 - Tantra 1 - Even knowing that body can be preserved for a time, the subtle body does not return to it

மன்றத்தே நம்பி மாடம் எடுத்தது
மன்றத்தே நம்பி சிவிகை பெற்று-ஏகினான்
மன்றத்தே நம்பி முக்கு-ஓடி வழங்கினான்
சென்று அத்து-ஆ என்னத் திரிந்து-இலன் தானே. 149

Literal Translation
1  Long-street-in best-among-men 'enclosure' assumed
2  Long-street-in best-among-men palanquin having-obtained-crossed-he
3  Long-street-in best-among-men corner-having-run-to moved-he
4  Having-gone 'limit-prohibition'-thus stated-to returned-not-he of-own-accord (!)  

Lucid Translation
The (dead) best among men's,
1)  (physical body) a)  assumed the enclosure (1) in the long street,
                                   b)  having obtained a palanquin, crossed the long street, and
                                   c)  moved (on to the burial / cremation ground),
                                        having run to the corner (of the long street), and

2)  (subtle body) returned not of his own accord (to phsyical body),

     having (remained separate from physical body for a time that has) 

     gone to the prohibited limit (2) (of time for preserving the dead physical body).

Glossary of terms
1  'Enclosure' in line 1 refers to the enclosure 
    in which the dead body is either laid down or kept erect
    for being carried to the burial ground or cremation ground

2  'Limit' in line 4 refers to the time limit beyond which 
    the dead body may have to be disposed off
    by either being buried or being cremated





    

Tirumantiram 148 - Tantra 1 - Man may die suddenly, amidst sensual indulgence

அடப்பண்ணி வைத்தார் அடிசிலை உண்டார்

மடக் கொடியாரொடு மந்தணம் கொண்டார்

இடப்பக்கமே இறை நொந்தது என்றார்

கிடக்கப் படுத்தார் கிடந் தொழிந்தாரே.  148 

Literal Translation   

1  Cook-to-made laid-He food-the ate-He

2  Delicate creeper-like-(female)ones-with secret grabbed-He

3  Left-side-(alone!) mild(ly) pained thus-(said)-He

4  Aside-lay-to lied-(down)-He aside-laid subsided-He(!).

Lucid Translation
1  He ate the food (which he) made (his wife) to cook (for him) 
    and (his wife) laid (in front of him)
2  He grabbed the secret with the delicate creeper-like female (his wife).
3  He said that the left side of his body pained mildly.
4  He lied down to lay aside (the pain).  (But,) He subsided, (having been) laid aside.

 

Tirumantiram 147 - Tantra 1 - Upon death, not the body but its ash is left over for protection

சீக்கை விளைந்தது செய்வினை மூட்டு-இற்ற 

ஆக்கை பிரிந்தது அலகு பழுத்தது

மூக்கினில் கை-வைத்து மூடிட்டுக் கொண்டு-போய்க் 

காக்கைக்குப் பலி காட்டியவாறே.  147.

Literal Translation
1  Phlegm formed did-action rise-broken
2  Rope separated chin grey-colour-assumed
3  Nose-in rope-inner-coil-keeping taken-gone
4  Protection-for ash produced (lo! counted thus)

Lucid Translation
1  With phlegm formed, rising (association with physical frame) of past action (impressions) broken,
2  With (breath-) rope (binding Ida and Pingala nerves) separated and chin assumed grey colour
3  With physical frame taken and gone, keeping 'rope-inner-coil' in nose,
4  Protection-for ash produced (from cremation of the physical frame) (lo! counted thus)

Tirumantiram 146 - Tantra 1 - Upon disembodiment, our subtle body does not know how to re-enter the body

காலும் இரண்டும் முகட்டு-அலகு ஒன்று-உள(து)

பால்-உள் பருங்கழி முப்பத்து-இரண்டு உள

மேல்-உள கூரை பிரியும் பிரிந்தால்-முன்

போல்-உயிர் மீளப் புகல்-அறியாதே.  146.

இரண்டும் - இரண்டுபடும்

1  Air-even separation-befalling atop-nose one-abides
2  Whiteness-having thick-stick(/s) 32 abide
3  Expanded-in-front-abiding sand-house separate-will separates-if, Before-
4  -Like-life return-to entering knows-not (lo! coursed and counted thus)

1  One nose, (wherein) even air befalls separation (through its 2 nostrils),
    abides at the top (in our physical frame)
2  32 thick sticks (teeth), having whiteness, abide (in our physical frame)
3  (Our subtle body, abiding) expanded in front (of our physical frame, like a) sand-house,
    will separate (itself on our death, from our physical frame)
4  If it thus separates, it knows not how to return to and enter the physical frame like
    (it was) before (death) (lo! coursed and counted thus)