ஓரவொட்டா ரொன்றை யுன்னவொட்டார் மலரிட் டுனதாள்
சேரவொட்டா ரைவர் செய்வதென் யான்சென்று தேவருய்ய
சொரநிட் டூரனைச சூரனைக் காருடல் சொரிகக்கக்
கூரகட் டாரியிட் டோரிமைப் போதினிற் கொன்றவனே.
"What am I to do? Lord, you who sallied forth to fight the perverted and vile Sura, and in the moment it takes to blink, destroyed him, his black body pierced by the sharp point of your spear, from which frothed out blood"
Considering that I am totally under the control of my five senses, which distract me from attending to You, what am I to do? You are able to destroy the evil forces in a moment's time. So you can help me, and only you should help me out of this.
This verse seems to me to be about the pervasive influence of the senses.
It is traditional to say that we should control our senses, overcome them and keep ourselves focussed on God. But this is felt thus only by perhaps the serious seekers. Others like us find it enough to go to temple or say a sloka or two, and in general the feeling and air of sanctity satisfies us.
Senses are a distraction only when you are trying to do without them. When we go to sleep, the distraction of the senses is not felt troublesome. It is possible, and we do, do without the sensory pleasures.
I personally feel that senses do not distract us: all that we know is through the senses. It is the nature of sensory impressions to present a divergent view of the world and of ourselves. We can't choose one and try to get out of the others.
In that sense, I read this verse and take it to mean that the prayer is addressed to God to remove the entire spectrum of sensory impressions, and reveal the true state of affairs that underlie all the evidence of senses.
Happy Diwali.
