Radiant Light

காப்பு

அடலரு ணைத்திருக் கோபுரத் தேயந்த வாயிலுக்கு

வடவரு கிற்சென்று கண்டுகொண் டேன்வரு வார்தலையிற்

றடபடெ னப்படு குட்டுடன் சர்க்கரை மொக்கியகைக்

கடதட கும்பக் களிற்றுக் கிளைய களிற்றினையே.

Adal arunai: potent arunai, Arunachalam, Tiruvannamalai.

To indicate how potent the power of Arunai, the hill of Tiruvannamalai, I can do no better than quote a verse of Sri Ramana:

"Like the string that runs through pearls, within all souls and their diverse faith, you are the One, embedded deep within. As when a gem is polished, in the mind ground upon mind, the light of your Grace shines forth. A photographic plate which catches the light of other objects is not darkened once it is exposed to the direct light of sun- does it record images any further? When one thinks about it, Arunachala, is there anything else except you, benign Hill of Radiant Light!"

- Arunachala Ashtagam, verse 5.

Almost at random, I open the Svetesvatara Upanishad, and here is verse II.14:

"As gold covered by earth shines bright after it has been purified, so also the yogi, realizing the truth of Atman, becomes one (with the non-dual Atman), attains the goal, and is free from grief"

and in II.17,

"The self-luminous Lord, who is in fire, who is in water, who has entered into the whole world, who is in plants, who is in trees- to that Lord let there be adoration! Yea, let there be adoration!"

and so on: III.2:

"Rudra is truly one; for the knowers of Brahman do not admit the existence of a second. He alone rules all the worlds by His powers. He dwells as the inner Self of every living being. After having created all the worlds, He, their Protector, takes them back into Himself at the end of time."