26. How many..., how many...

Verse 26

பண்டுநான் பறித்தெறிந்த பன்மலர்கள் எத்தனை?

பாழிலே செபித்துவிட்ட மந்திரங்கள் எத்தனை?

மிண்டனாய்த் திரிந்தபோது இரைத்தநீர்கள் எத்தனை?

மீளவும் சிவாலயங்கள் சூழவந்தது எத்தனை?

Translation:

How many are the flowers I plucked and threw away a while ago?

How many are the mantras I chanted and left in vain?

How many are the sacred waters I offered as libation when I was a strong person?

How many are the Siva temples I circumambulated to recover?

Commentary:

In this verse, Civavākkiyar talks about the times he had previously wasted in performing rituals without proper realization.  He was engaged in worship rituals such as offerings flowers, chanting mantras, offering argyam or water in sacred water bodies, pradakshinam or circumambulation of the temple and bathing in sacred waters.   All these rituals were performed as mere actions; they did not serve any purpose in his spiritual progress until he realized the truth.

To Civavākkiyar, as well as other Siddhas, genuine mystic religion stands for liberation from convention.  Offering of flowers and chanting of mantras are forms of institutionalized religion.  Such customs prevent one from being spiritually alert.  Formalities threaten to become more important than knowing one’s own inner nature of Self.  One who is bent on enlightenment should get out of the conventional quagmire.  This is the purport of this verse.