Garland of Guru’s Sayings
guru-vachaka-kovai, ch.28
Victory over Naraka
naragajayathiran (Deepavali verses)
narakāṉai mayttanaṉ nāraṇa ṉēṉpar
narakuta ṉāṉā naṭappō narakaṉ
naraka ṉēvaṇēṉa nāṭit tolaittōr
narakaṉai māayttavan nāraṇa ṉārē
Narayana slew Naraka.
They say, who acts as if this wretched body were himself is Naraka.
Whoever slays him, questing whence this demon rises,
is Narayana Himself. [181]
naraka ṉur̥aipula nāṭi naṭantu
narakaṉai māyattumēym̐n m̐nāṉanī raṭal
naraka jayattukku arikuri yāṉa
naraka caturttaci nāṉama tāmē
The ceremonial bathing done during Dipavali celebrates
The victory over the demon Naraka,
Seeking out his dwelling place and slaying him there
one bathes oneself in the pure waters of Awareness. [182]
narakuṭa ṉāṉā narakula kāḷum
narakaṉēn kēṉr̥ucāay m̐naṉat tikiriyāl
narakaṉaik kōṉr̥ava ṉāraṇaṉ aṉr̥ē
naraka caturttaci nar̥ r̥iṉa mamē
The demon Naraka who rules Hell,
The notion that I am this body,
“Where is this demon?” enquiring thus with the discus of jnana,
Narayana Destroys the demon. and this day is Naraka-chaturdasi.
ūṉōṉ uṭaluruvām ūttai narakattai
nāṉeṉ r̥alinta narakanait — tanucday
apatafi cēr̥̄oḷirpē rāṉma catōtayamē
tīpā vaḷiyāt teḷi
Searching out and slaying Naraka
Who wallowed in the putrid body Of flesh as “I”,
and the resulting dawn eternal of the Self,
This is the festival of light, Dipavali. [183]
naraka vuruvā naṭalai yuṭala
kirakam akameṉavē kēṭṭa — narakaṉām
māpā viyaināṭi māyttuttā ṉāyōḷirtal
tīpā vaḷiyān teḷi
Shining as the Self in glory After slaying Naraka,
The sinner vile who suffered much because he deemed as “I”
the wretched home of pains, the body of flesh,
This is the festival of light, Dipavali.
