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Maariamman Thaalaattu in Tamil
(Verses in English with meaning and explanation by Guruji follows the Tamil version)
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Maariamman Thaalaattu in English scripts with meaning and
explanation by Guruji
Ganesh prayer
1. Putalattel Yaavarkkum Paeratara Waa Yannaalum
2. Maatarace Yanru Waalttukenra Maaryamman
3. Ceetarnaar Tangkai Cerappanna Taalaaddaik
4. Kaataludannaetak Kannapate yung Kaapaamae
Meaning: In the whole universe, all the animate and inanimate objects are always
nurtured and protected by the Queen of Queens, who is also devotionally called as
Mother Maariamman. I am singing the lullaby for this great Queen, who is also the sister
of Lord Vishnu, and is the great support to all people in this earth. Oh Lord Ganesh,
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please protect me from any error when I am singing this great lullaby to the Goddess
Maariamman with utmost love and devotion.
Explanation: Maariamman Thalattu starts from the worship (Vinayaka Thudhi) and also
praise of Lord Ganesh (Kochaga Kalippa). Lord Ganesh is always prayed to in the
beginning of every activity, function, worship, or ritual. Therefore, Maariamman Thalattu
begins with the prayer of Lord Ganesha. Lord Shiva gave this boon to his elder son
Ganesh that all activities should start with the prayer towards Vinayaka, or Ganesh, as
mentioned in the Vedic scriptures. This stanza also describes some of the qualities of
Maariamman (i.e. Maariamman is the sister of Lord Vishnu; She supports all the people
in this earth in spite of color, creed, race and content). She is also the Queen of all the
women in the world. The word Queen is mentioned here to show that she is a leader and
an example for all the women.
5. Munte munte venaayakarae mukkannaar tanamakanae.
Mg: Lord Vinayaka, who is always the beginning of everything, who is also the eldest
son of Lord Shiva.
Exp: In this verse, the word Munte is repeated twice to show that Lord Vinayaka is
undoubtedly the first God to be prayed to in any activity. As mentioned above, Lord
Shiva instructed to all of his devotees to start worshipping his eldest son Ganesh when
they start any mundane or devotional activity. Therefore, Maariamman Thalattu also
starts with a prayer to Ganesh.
6. Kantarukku munperanta karpakamae munnadawaay
Mg: He who has been born before Kandar (Lord Muruga), the prosperous one, please
lead us.
Exp: As mentioned before Lord Ganesh is always prayed to when starting any auspicious
activity. That is why he has been called to be in front here.
7. Waelawarkku munperanta venaayakarae munnadawaay
Mg: Please lead us, the Gem who was born before Lord Skanda.
Exp: Lord Ganesha was the first son of Lord Shiva, according to the Maariamman
Thalattu. Although, in some Vedic scriptures he has been mentioned as the younger son
of Lord Shiva. That is why he has been called out as the Gem who was born before Lord
Skanda or Muruga.
8. Vaempadeyer pellaiyaarae vekkenarae munnadawaay
Mg: Please lead me Lord Ganesh, who sits under the neem tree.
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Exp: In the Southern part of India Lord Ganesh is always seen sitting under the neem
tree, which can be found on the banks of rivers. It is a ritual that the village people, after
taking a bath in the rivers of the early morning, pray to Lord Ganesh before starting their
day-to-day activities.
9. Paelai vayerraenae parucchaalle waakanarae
Mg: Lord Ganesh is always seen with the characteristic bigger belly, and is also seen
riding the big rat (bandicoot).
Exp: In Vedic scriptures, it is mentioned that Lord Ganesh is a person who likes food,
particularly sweets (ladoo). He is typically seen with a rat, and a plate of sweets in
pictures or statues.
10. Kaaranna maal maruga karpakamae maypporullae
Mg: Lord Ganesh is the nephew of Lord Vishnu, and also one who gives the boon to
realize whatever one wishes. He is also the real truth.
Exp: This line has very deep meaning to explain the characteristics of Lord Vishnu, Lord
Ganesh, and the truth behind the incarnations. Lord Vishnu is called here in this line as
Kaaranna Maal Maruga. Kaaranna stands for reason. According to this line, Lord
Vishnu is the reason for everything in this world. As many of us know, the scriptures say
Lord Brahma is the creator, Lord Vishnu is the protector, and Lord Shiva is the destroyer.
Since Lord Vishnu protects the world, it is mentioned here that he is the reason of our
survival. Therefore Lord Ganesha is called as the nephew of Lord Vishnu who is the
reason for every beginning. Lord Ganesha is also called as the real truth here. Truth has
different meanings in different places, but here Lord Ganesha is called as the true object.
According to the definition of object in Tamil, an object is something, which does not
change, and is always static without movement. The real world is filled with atoms,
molecules, and their movements. But Lord Ganesh is something beyond all these. That is
why he is mentioned here as the “Real object” or truth.
11. Ceeraana nalmurukaa chelva kannapateyae
Mg: Lord Ganesh is a peaceful Muruga, and also the rich leader of Ganas.
Exp: In Vedic scriptures, Muruga is found to be the second son of Lord Shiva, and has
been shown to be angry and competitive. In fact, he was even angry with Lord Shiva and
Mother Parvati in an incident of a mango fruit, and left the World of Kailash. However,
Lord Ganesh was never characterized as an angry person, and he was always peaceful
and playful. That is why Lord Ganesh has been mentioned here as Ceeraana Nalmuruga,
meaning peaceful Muruga and not the angry Muruga. Lord Ganesh is always shown as a
person of richness and wealth, whereas Lord Muruga has been shown as a warrior and
someone who would denounce the world. That is why the word selva has been noted here
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for Lord Ganesh. Lord Ganesh is also found to be the leader of all the Ganas, or
inhabitats of Mount Kailash, where Lord Shiva stays in the Himalayas.
12. Ohrrai kompohnae yumaiyaal terumakanae
Mg: Oh Lord Ganesh, who has only one tusk, and is the son of Goddess Parvati.
Exp: According to scriptures, Lord Ganesh used part of one tusk as a pen to write
Mahabharata. That is why most of the statues or pictures of Lord Ganesh have been seen
with one half tusk, and one full tusk.
13. Karraic chadai yenenta kangka taran makanae
Mg: Lord Ganesh is also the son of Lord Shiva, who carried Goddess Ganga on his head
and whose head is found with matted tuft.
Exp: This line explains the characteristics of Lord Shiva himself. Lord Shiva helped the
forceful Ganga Mother to come down to the earth and help the people to get sacred water
during their life. When Mother Ganga was asked to come down to the earth by many
Rishis, she told them that the earth couldn’t bare the enormous force of her. The Rishis
then prayed to Lord Shiva to bare the force of Ganga, and then She came down to earth.
This is the reason why Goddess Ganga is shown on the head of Lord Shiva.
14. Vettaikky venaayakanae vanna yunndohnmarugae
Mg: Lord Ganesh is the first God of art and knowledge He is also the nephew of the one
who ate the butter, that is Lord Krishna.
Exp: In India it is a practice among youngsters to pray to Lord Ganesh before they go to
school, or before they start any school related task. Lord Ganesh is the master of all the
arts and he helps the devotees to get knowledge in different fields. That is the reason he is
prayed to before one undertakes an educational activity. Lord Vishnu is also mentioned
here as Lord Krishna. He is identified as the God who likes to eat butter during his avatar
in Mathura.
15. Mattakare mukawaa maa yohn marukohnae
Mg: Lord Ganesh is the one who has the face of the elephant, nephew of the one who
makes all the maya.
Exp: The characteristic of Lord Vishnu as maker of maya is mentioned in this verse.
Maya is the word that has been repeated many times in most scriptures. The real meaning
of maya is that everything in the world (i.e. all objects, time, space, etc.) is not really true.
They are all the drama of the Mother; meaning that nothing stays the same all the time.
Whatever appears true to ones eye is not really true. Behind the scenes of every pain and
pleasure, which every one experiences, there is a lesson to learn. Ultimately, only the
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Lord or Goddess exists, and they are always peaceful, without any change as the Real
Truth. Realizing that only the Lord or Goddess exist can be a profound experience, and
has been mentioned by many Saints and Siddhas.
16. Intukarat tohnae yanai mukat tohnae
Mg: You are the one who is a five-handed lord, and has the elephant-faced.
Exp: The five hands mentioned here for Lord Ganesh stands for the five senses of a
human being. Lord Ganesh himself has conquered these senses. That is why he is always
appearing with five hands. Vedic scriptures explain the elephant face by a story how Lord
Ganesh’s head was severed by the anger of Lord Shiva, as Lord Ganesha did not allow
him to enter in the area of Mother Shakti. The spiritual meaning of this occurrence is that
the elephant is a representation of big size, peacefulness, quietness, and enormous
strength. Thus Lord Ganesh represents all these characteristics in the form of an elephants
face.
17. Thanthamatha vaarannanae tarparanae munnadawaa
Mg: The one who has one tusk, and the one who is the source of salvation, please lead
me.
Exp: As mentioned before, a piece of one of Lord Ganesh’s tusks was used to write the
epic Mahabharata; that is why he is mentioned here as an elephant with one tusk. Lord
Ganesh is also a source to solve all the difficulties. In India, it is custom that if there is
any problem in any of the activities like marriage, prosperity, childbirth, education,
people look for salvation from Lord Ganesh. That is why the Maariamman Thalattu starts
with a sincere prayer towards Lord Ganesh.
18. Nagncer kudeyeruntu neyanakku munnadawaay
Mg: Please live in my heart, and lead me oh Lord.
Exp: This line has a deep meaning. The devotee is asking Lord Ganesh to live in his
heart. Heart is the place for the fifth chakra (Aangatha chakra) as mentioned by many
Siddhas. This chakra has a profound influence on all the activities of human life. So, if
Lord Ganesh lives in the heart of a devotee, all of the devotee’s thoughts and actions will
be according to God’s will. When the human will goes parallel with God’s will, success
will always prevail.
19. Pagnchagnchu malladeyaal paarwateyaal puttranae
Mg: Oh son of Parvati, who has her feet as soft as cotton, in that even the cotton, has
jealousy over her soft feet.
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Exp: It is always customary, in Tamil literature, to represent respectful women as having
their feet and hands as soft as cotton, and their eyes as soft as flowers. That is why in this
line Mother Parvati is denoted as having her feet soft like cotton.
20. Vaezamukathohnae venaayakarae munnadawaay
Mg: Oh gods with elephant- face, the remover of obstacles, please lead me.
Exp: Once again, in this line Lord Ganesh has been mentioned as the prime remover of
all the obstacles in human life. Time and time again, devotees have surrendered to Lord
Ganesh when they are faced with difficult problems and obstacles in their lives.
21. Thaalwelaach changkaranaar carputter warumaiya
Mg: Oh Lord Ganesh, you are the son of Lord Shankara, who never faced inferiority with
anyone, please come before us.
Exp: This line explains very clearly that Lord Shiva is the supreme for all the spiritual
seekers. He is always placed as the highest among Gods. That is why here he has been
quoted as the one who is never inferior to any other Gods.
22. Munnadakkam pellaiyaarkku kannadakkam ponnalae
Mg: Pillayar, or Lord Ganesh, is the first son of Lord Shiva. We pray to him by giving an
offer of ornaments of gold to his eyes.
Exp: Kannadakkam is an important word here to represent that one needs to have peace
and quietness in one’s eyes. This is always represented as closure of Lord’s eyes with
gold. One should understand that peacefulness, or peacelessness, can also be derived by
looking at one’s eyes. Therefore, when we look at the eyes of Siddhas, who have
obtained highest spiritual attainment, one gets initiated to peacefulness automatically.
23. Kannadakkam ponnalae kaarcelampu muttaalae
Mg: Your eyes are ornamented with gold and your anklets with pearls, Oh Lord.
Exp: The offerings of gold and pearls to Lord Ganesh here shows that the most precious
things are always offered to the Lord by the devotees. They can attain the highest
possible spiritual evolution by offering precious things to the Lord, which is the most
important aim of human life.
24. Mutthalae thandai kogncha munnadawaay pellyaapae
Mg: Oh Lord Ganesh, or Pillayar, please lead us with the twinkling anklets with pearls.
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Exp: Pillayar is the term used by Tamil people for Lord Ganesh all the time. Pillay
literally means a sibling in Tamil. Therefore, with respect and honor he has always been
called as Pillayar.
25. Chalwak kannapateyun cheerpaatham naanmaravaen
Mg: Oh Lord Ganesh who is the embodiment of all the spiritual and material wealth, we
will always fall at your feet, and will never forget you.
Exp: Although selvam in Tamil means richness, one should not always pray to Lord
Ganesh for material wealth. The richness in this line really means the spiritual wealth,
and the prayers for spiritual wealth can receive any material prosperity needed to attain
the highest possible spiritual attainment.
Saraswati prayer (sarasvate tute)
26. Thaayae sarasvateyae changkareyae munadawaay
Mg: Oh Mother Saraswati, Sankiri, please come forward.
Exp: This line invites the Goddess of education, Saraswati to come forward and lead the
devotee so that their prayers can be answered.
27. Antaayae kalawaane yaekawalle naayakey
Mg: Oh Mother who is the leader of all the arts, leader of all the different kinds of yogas,
please lead us.
Exp: Mother Saraswati is the Goddess of education. In India, anyone who wants to excel
in education, art or music will always have her deity in front, when they are in a learning
process in. In this line, Mother Saraswati is also denoted to be the leader of yogas. There
are different kinds of yogas, such as Hatha Yoga, Raja Yoga, Prana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga,
Gyana Yoga, Karma Yoga, and so forth. Mother Saraswati helps a devotee to attain
perfection in the yoga sadhana. Since she is the Nayagi, or the leader, of all the yogas.
28. Vanne saraswateyae waakkel kudeyeruntu
Mg: Oh Saraswati, the Goddess of speech, please live in my words.
Exp: This line has a profound and deep meaning of, how one should ask the Goddess
Saraswati to help in ones word or speech or prayer. First, She is noted as the Goddess of
speech. When speech began as an expression of one’s feeling in the beginning of time
among the human race it was blessed by Goddess Saraswati. There are many historical
incidents that show that show when deaf and dumb people became proficient in
knowledge, education, and speech by the divine intervention and blessings of Goddess
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Saraswati, when she was worshipped intensely and in complete submission. Goddess
Saraswati is also asked to live in the devotee’s words in this line. Living means a
permanent inhabitance. Here the devotee is asking Goddess Saraswati to live in their
words. Therefore the devotee is indirectly asking Goddess Saraswati to speak for him.
29. Annaver kudeyeruntu nallohcai tha arumamaa
Mg: Oh Mother by living in my tongue, please give me good sound vibrations.
Exp: In this line, along with good speech, a devotee is also asking to receive good
vibrations through their tongue. It means that good sound vibrations will also influence
those who hear the devotee’s speech, which is blessed by Goddess Saraswati. When a
devotee sings the Maariamman Thalattu, it has a profound healing influence on many
people for this exact reason. If these acts are done in sincere devotion, the song and the
singing vibrations are supposed to be coming directly from Goddess Saraswati herself.
30. Kamalaa chanattaalae kaarade pattra wale
Mg: Oh Goddess Saraswati, you are the one who sits on the lotus flower, and who gave
birth to all the rhymes in poems.
Exp: Goddess Saraswati is always depicted sitting on a white lotus, whereas Goddess
Laxmi and other Gods use red lotus flowers. White lotus may be a sign of purity and
clear expression. Devotees of the divine Goddess Saraswati have sung some of the best
and most popular poems in Tamil. That is why She has been mentioned as the Mother of
rhymes and poems here. In fact, one of the stories of Thihruvilaiyabal, by the blessings of
Goddess Saraswati, a dumb person becomes a well-known poet who could stand for truth
and knowledge against the king of a country.
31. En Kuralir Kudiyirundu Konchadi Pethavale
Mg: Oh Mother Saraswati, please live in my voice, and make it to be sweet and
melodious.
Exp: In the beginning, the devotee was asking Mother Saraswati to live in their tongue
and help in their speech. In this line, they are also asking Her to live in his voice and give
an expression that is sweet and melodious. By asking for this, there will be a profound
impact on all the other devotees who are eager to listen to the Maariamman Thalattu and
gain the highest spiritual benefit.
32. Annavu thawarramal naalohchai thaarum ammaa
Mg: Oh Mother, please help me so that my tongue will not make any mistake and give
only the right expressions and vibrations.
Exp: The devotee is very careful, and very specific in asking Goddess Saraswati to help
in the act of properly singing the Maariamman Thalattu repeatedly. The Devotee also
understands and admits that as a human being it is possible for them to make mistakes
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when worshipping the Goddess Maariamman by singing the Maariamman Thalattu. That
is why they are asking Goddess Saraswati to help them to not to make any mistake, due
to their human nature. The devotee is also asking Her to give good speech and good
vibrations through the speech. This repeatedly shows the humbleness and sincerity of the
devotee towards Goddess Saraswati and Goddess Maariamman. All the sincere and
serious followers of Goddess Maariamman should do the same to get the highest benefit
by singing the Maariamman Thalattu, with complete surrender and deep devotion.
33. Maareyamman thankathaiyai manamakezanthu naanpaada
Mg: I’m asking all these dear Goddess Saraswati, so that I can sing the story of Mother
Maariamman with complete perfection and spiritual happiness.
Exp: This is a good example of how a devotee should ask Goddess Saraswati for
performing any of his activities. In this instance, the devotee knows they will definitely
get whatever they ask from Goddess Saraswati. That is why they are very clear and
specific in what they are asking for. The prayer of Goddess Saraswati gives the highest
benefit to any devotee who sincerely prays for any kind of knowledge, speech, education,
etc. This is the reason why prayer to Mother Saraswati has been included at the beginning
of the prayer towards Mother Maariamman.
34. Chareyaaka annaavel thangkekude yerumammaa
Mg: Oh Mother, please stay in my tongue, live in my tongue so that I will tell only the
right words.
Exp: Again, the repetition of the devotee asking Goddess Saraswati to make sure they do
not make any mistake. All the readers should appreciate the humbleness, sincerity, and
the truthfulness of the devotee who is going to begin the prayer of Mother Maariamman,
and should do the same, whenever they are asking Mother Saraswati to bless any of their
activities.
35. Kannanoor maaremuttae laithomutu naanpaada
Mg: Oh Goddess Saraswati, I’m asking all this so that I can sing the prayer of
Maarimmuthu who belongs to Kannanur, or in other words Mother Maariamman.
Exp: Mother Maariamman is also popular in a place called Kannanur, since She made
many miracles and blessed many devotees for a long time. That is why She has been
noted here as Kannaur Maarimmuthu.
36. Penna mellaamal perakeruntu kaarmammaa
Mg: Oh Mother Saraswati, please protect me and bless me completely so that I can sing
the glory of Mother Maariamman without any obstacle.
Exp: In the olden days, there were six sects among the followers of Hinduism.
Sometimes, the sincere devotees of Maariamman have to go through many troubles with
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their family members or relatives who do not believe in Her since the method of praying
and following of Maariamman is completely different from others. But only the devotee
knows the supreme importance of worshipping Mother Maariamman for the ultimate goal
in their present life. One can relate this situation to modern day happenings as well. This
is the reason why the devotee, in this instance, is asking Goddess Saraswati to give
perfection in speech, expression, vibrations, and also to remove any obstacles which may
come during the course of their complete devotion and surrender towards Mother
Maariamman, while singing the Maariamman Thalattu.
Maareyamman tute
Maariamman Taalaaddu or (Talaattu)
(Prayer for Mother Maariamman)
37. Mayee magamaayee manimandhira Sekareyea
Mg: Mother, great and respectful Mother, who glows like a jewel with chants.
Exp: This line actually means that when you repeat (chant) the name of mother so many
times, she will glow like a jewel, giving her bright radiance to all the devotees. When a
devotee surrenders his mind completely, while repeating the name of Mother, his mind is
completely filled with Mother’s holy consciousness.
38. Ayi umai aanavale, Aadhi shivan deviyare
Mg: Mother is the one who became the Goddess Uma, and she is also the consort of Lord
Shiva.
Exp: Shivam and Shakti are the two, which fills up the entire universe everywhere. Here
in this line the devotee calls the name of both Shiva and Shakti, even though the
Maariamman Thalattu is sung towards Mother Parvati, Shakti, Durga, or Maariamman.
Because Shivam and Shakti are always intertwined together, there is no Shakti without
Shivam and there is no Shivam without Shakti.
39. Mari thai vallaviye, maha rasi karumamma
Mg: Oh Mother Maariamman, You are the most capable one. Oh great Lady, please
protect us
Exp: Maariamman can help a devotee in any situation. That is why she is called here as
the most capable one. Maha rasi is a Tamil word, which means a lady who has
everything, and every comfort, like a Supreme Queen of many lands. Therefore, this line
51
explains that the Mother can solve any problem the devotee is facing, and give anything
the devotee is asking for, if they are deserving of it.
40. Maayan sahodhariyea maaremutthae vaarumamaa
Mg: Oh Sister of Lord Krishna, the maker of maya, Oh Jewel of Mari, please do come
here.
Exp: Lord Krishna is called as a person who makes all the maya in the world. For an
ordinary human being the world is maya with pain and pleasure. This is considered to be
a leela (play) of Lord Vishnu, or Krishna. The word maya here also means the
impermanent nature of wealth, comfort, health, youth, etc. Maya means that everything in
the universe is always changing and a human being is also affected by these changes.
41. Aayan sahodhariyea, Aasthana mari muthe,
Mg: Oh Sister of the cow herder, presiding Mari, Jewel of the king’s court
Exp: Lord Krishna was always found as a cow herder during his lifetime in Mathura, a
place in northern part of India. That is why He is called as a cow herder in this line. An
important person in a king’s court will make many important decisions. Therefore, here
Maariamman is noted as a jewel who is most important, precious, and invaluable.
42. Thaayae thuranthareyae Sankariye vaarumammaa
Mg: Oh Mother, Oh destroyer of ills, Oh the consort of Shankara, please do come.
Exp: Mother Maariamman is well known as the destroyer of all the illnesses, sicknesses,
difficulties, problems, bad luck, and all the hurdles, which come to a devotee when they
are progressing towards spiritual upliftment. That is why she is called as Thuranthareyae.
43. Thikkellam potrum ekkalath Theviare
Mg: Oh Goddess of all time, whose fame is spread in all directions.
Exp: Mother Maariamman has been the Goddess of Tamil people through the history of
time, and her fame and miracles has been spreading in all the different yugas, as
mentioned in the Vedas.
44. Ekkala Dheviyare thikkellaam nindra shakti
Mg: Oh Goddess of all time, your supreme power stands in all directions.
Exp: The whole universe is filled with Mother’s shakti, or energy, and everything in the
universe, including the smallest known subatomic particles to the biggest known
galaxies, are using this energy to obtain their structure and function. Indirectly, this
means, if there is no such energy, or shakti, there will not be any universe.
45. Kanna purathale karana soundariye.
52
Mg: Oh Goddess, who lives in a place called Kannapuram (in South India), you are so
beautiful, and you are the reason for everything.
Exp: Mother Maariamman had made her presence in a place called Kannapuram in
South India (Tamil Nadu State) for a long time. There Mother Maariamman showed her
miracles to the people of that land. That is why she is called as Kannapurathale in this
line. As mentioned before Mother Maariamman is the cause of everything that exists in
the universe. That is why she is praised as the Karana (reason) of everything in this line.
Cause and effect is a common know phenomenon. Here Mother is the cause and
everything in the universe is the effect.
46. Narana naar thangai ammal nalla muthu mariyare
Mg: Oh Goddess who is the sister of Narayana, and who is a good gem called “Mari”.
Exp: In all the scriptures, Mother Maariamman has been mentioned as the sister of
Narayana, or Lord Vishnu. That is why this has been repeatedly mentioned in this
Thalattu.
47. Naallamutthu maareyarae naa kakanne thaayaarae
Mg: Oh Mother, you are a Goddess who can shine brightly like a gem, and you are also
Mother of all serpent Goddesses.
Exp: Mother Maariamman can show her blessings in the form of bright light to the
devotees, that is why in this line she has been compared to the bright gem. From the
olden days, Mother has been worshipped in another form as a snake, and this form of
Mother Shakti in many incidents has blessed devotees. This is why she is denoted as the
Mother of the supreme serpent.
48. Un-Karagam peranthathammaa kannanoor maedaiyelae
Mg: Your karagam was born in the dais of Kannanoor.
Exp: Carrying Karagam on the heads of devotees is an important spiritual and emotional
aspect of the devotees of Maariamman. Although it may seem strange to a modern day
person, the vessels filled with water that are carried on the heads of Her devotees is an act
of devotion that has a profound influence on the devotees, their families, and their
surroundings. The devotees, and other followers of Maariamman have held this tradition
for generations after generations, for thousands and thousands of years. The deep
meaning of carrying Karagam and its effect on the bodies and souls of devotees cannot be
explained in terms of logical mind or modern science. However, the devotees of
Maariamman have strictly followed this tradition for thousands of years, since it has
spiritual influences that have been demonstrated time and again in many generations.
This technique of carrying Karagam was first born in a place called Kannanoor, in
Southern part of India, where Tamil people live. In this line Medai means the temple of
Maariamman herself.
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The fasting, which is done before carrying Karagam, and the strict regulations instructed
by the Siddhas of Maariamman Temples have basis in Tamil Siddha concepts of human
body, mind, spirit, and the Goddess Maariamman herself. If the devotee follows the
instructions strictly as given by ancestors, or the Siddhas, it will have a profound and
mystical influence in all the different spheres of life. One of the possible ways this can
be explained is the rituals of carrying Karagam on their heads influence the devotee’s
physical body, sukshma body, karioa body, karana body, and maha karana body.
(Note: More explanation of the five kinds of bodies mentioned here will be explained at
the end of the book.)
49. Un-Vembu peranthathammaa vijayanagar pattinamaan
Mg: Your neem tree was born in a place called vijayanagar in the southern part of India.
Exp: In the line before and the lines after, the Maariamman devotee is reminiscing about
all the rituals of Amman worship, and their origin from time immemorial. Using the
neem tree leaves in the worship of Maariamman and many other rituals for curing
diseases like, small pox and infectious diseases have been followed for thousands of
years in India, as well as, other countries where Maariamman is worshipped. The neem
tree is a symbol of energy abundance and spiritual cleanliness in India. All the different
parts of the neem tree like the stem, leaves, fruits, seeds, and the roots are used in the
various types of Siddha medicines. In fact, the essence of neem tree leaves or neem oil is
the best anti-septic against viruses, bacteria, and fugal infections as described in many
Siddhas and ayurveadic medical textbooks. Many modern scientific institutions are
carrying out research, which are demonstrating the validity of the neem tree. The use of
neem leaves in the worship of Mother Maariamman has been carried out for a long period
of time. This ritual according to “Maariamman Thalattu” started in the city of
Vijayanagar a long time ago, by the grace of Mother Maariamman.
50. Un-chulam peranthathammaa thulangkumanne manndapatte
Mg: Your trishul was born in the stage that is made of shining gems.
Exp: The origin of the Trishul in the hands of Mother Maariamman is explained in this
line. The Trishul was born in the state that has shining gems. The State with shining gems
is often referred by Siddhas. The place where these explicit shining gems are referred to
is Mount Kailash, where Lord Shiva is residing. So, the origin of Tri-shul is from Mount
Kailash, where every Siddhas soul and all living and non-living things shine brightly with
spiritual splendor in the presences of Lord Shiva who is in deep meditation. Therefore,
the devotee should understand that the immense spiritual power of Tri-shul, which is
carried by Mother Maariamman in her hands. The Tri-shul has supreme spiritual power to
kill and cleanse all the worldly karmas and impurities of human souls since it was born
from this supreme spiritual place, Mount Kailash where Lord Shiva is in deep meditation.
51.Un- alaku peranthathammaa ayohtthenakar paddannamaam
Mg: Your (alagu) or (short bamboo) peircing was born in the city of Ayodya
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Exp: Just like the ritual of Karagam, using sharp objects like sharpened bamboo stick, or
even needles at times, to pierce some specific regions of nadis in the human body for
spiritual elevation, has been followed in many places of Maariamman worship. Although,
it is not necessary to do the rituals for the worship of Maariamman, these practices have
been used to demonstrate the devotional power of the followers of Maariamman. This
kind of ritual was originally born from the popular city of Ayodya, which is also the birth
place of Lord Rama situated in North East part of India. Sometimes, this kind of ritual is
taken as evidence that in the height of spiritual awareness the physical pain is converted
to devotional pleasure. It should be mentioned that Tamil Siddhas never prescribed this
kind of ritual.
52. Un-perampu peranthathammaa pecchaannde channetheyaam
Mg: Your cane was born in the temple of Pichandi
Exp: The word Pichandi in this line refers to Lord Muruga, who is the second son of
Mother Parvati, and who is also worshipped as kaarthkeya. The supreme nature of
Mother Parvati is Maariamman, or Aadhi Parasakthi, who is the Goddess of universal
energy. Lord Muruga, the child of Mother Shakti, was instructed towards the right path
with loving care by the use of cane, a symbol of loving power over the child. In a similar
way the cane has been shown in the hands of Mother Maariamman, in order for the the
devotee to understand that even though he or she does deviate from the right spiritual
path because of the past karmas, Mother always understands and instructs the devotee in
the right direction using the spiritual cane. The spiritual cane should also be understood
as some of the difficulties devotees have to go through in their life to get the blessings of
Mother Maariamman and take the right spiritual path.
53. Un- udukkai peranthathammaa uttheraadcha pumeyelae
Mg: Your udaki (rolling drum) was born in the land of Rudraksha.
Exp: In line number 50 it was mentioned that the tri-shul was born in the land of shining
gems, also known as Mount Kailash. Mount Kailash is located in the Himalayas in the
state of Uttaranchal in the Northern part of India. In this region trees, which give the
rudraksha beads can be found everywhere. All the saints, yogis, pundits, and gurus of
many Hindu traditions wear rudrakasha beads, since these beads have a characteristic of
holding enormous spiritual power that can be used to transmit when needed. That is why
in this line it is noted that Mount Kailash is the land of Rudrarksha. Therefore, the land of
Rudraksha is the place where the udikai, or the rolling drum, was born. Mother
Maariamman’s worship with the udikai essentially started as a way of asking her to turn
and focus her attention towards the devotees prayer, worship, and request her to bless
them with her presence. Use of udikai sound has also been shown to affect human senses
towards spiritual alignment. This can easily be seen in many temples of Maariamman.
54.Un- pambai peranthathamma pallekumaa manndapatthel
Mg: Your pambai (calling horn) was born in a big marble palace.
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Exp: In the olden days, during Maariamman worship, a calling horn was also used to
inform all the people about the greatness of Mother Maariamman. This ritual was born in
the great palace, which is made of pure white marble, where Mother Shakti has given
dharshan to many devotees. The big palace of white marble here represents the purity of
the soul, and the power of the almighty Mother to reflect on the human soul.
55. Un- karutu peranthathammaa kagnchakere yentherapuram
Mg: Your purest creative intelligence was born in kanchagiri, the city of Indras
Exp: The place Kanchagiri is often mentioned in Siddha text as the place where highest
spiritual powers can be obtained by many yogic and meditational practices. This line of
the Maariamman Thalattu evidences the importance of this place for the evolution of
spiritual consciousness. Even today there is a mountain in the Southern part of Tamil
Nadu called kanchamalai. Malai Means Mountain in Tamil. Giri is one of the ancient
terms in Tamil to denote sacred mountains. Many Tamils Siddhas have congregated here
at this mountain to get the blessings of Mother Maariamman, and attained the highest
spiritual evolution in their lives. The vibrations around these places are inexplicable
because of the gatherings of spiritually oriented people and the blessings of Mother
Maariamman.
56. Un- arullae thazaikkauammaa vai yangkalleedaerra
Mg: Let your mercy grow to the highest possible limit so that all the different worlds will
attain spiritual upliftment and reach the highest evolution.
Exp: This line has a deeper meaning to direct the world in the right path. One of the
supreme attributes of Mother Maariamman is the mercifulness towards all human beings
despite of the differences in race, religion, and color. This has been demonstrated in India
many times; even the British who ruled over the country for about three hundred years
have experienced the power of Mother Maariamman. Stories of British Lords going to
Maariamman temples for blessings have been noted in many inscriptions about British
India. Illnesses removed by worshiping Mother Maariamman have also been cited quite
often in this kind of historical inscription. Therefore, demonstrating that people of all
religions and race have benefited by the worship of the universal Mother of Energy,
Mother Maariamman.
57. Un- kumaaravarkkan thaanrrazaikkak kompanaya maaremutthae
Mg: Let your Children grow spiritually, oh gem of Mari, the life supporter.
Exp: Mother Maariamman is asked here to bless her children who are the followers of her
holy instructions. The Tamil word Kumaravarkkam means children. In this line,
Kumaravarkkam means people of all the world, not any particular race, culture, or
religion. The meaning of this line should not be taken as the devotees asking the blessings
of mother Maariamman only for the children who know mother Maariamman. In this
line, Mother is also called as life supporter. In fact, the devotee is mentioning Mother
Maariamman, as the supporter of all kinds of life forms on the earth and elsewhere. This
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line also indirectly means that no life is possible without the support of Mother
Maariamman’s grace.
58. Unakku-munru karakamammaa mutthaana narkarakam
Mg: For you Mother, there are three Karagams, which are made up of the purest form of
gems and pearls.
Exp: Carrying Karagam in Her temple to get the blessings of Mother Maariamman is a
common way of showing the intense devotion of Her devotees. The Karagams were
different types in the olden days. Some Karagams had three parts or more. This line also
explains the nature of the three Karagam, which are made of pearls and gems. Indirectly,
this also means that in the olden days the three Karagams were studded with gems and
pearls.
59. Unakku-inthu karakamammaa achainthaadum porrkarakam
Mg: For you Mother there are five Karagams, which are made of gold and are capable of
dancing.
Exp: The Karagams of five kinds are usually made of gold. They are also fitted in such a
way that they are capable of moving and dancing on the heads of the devotees. Although
at present we do not know the meaning of three, five, and seven Karagams, they all have
specific reason why they have been chosen. It is possible that the number of Karagams
have been chosen and prescribed by the pundits of the olden days depending on the
devotee’s prayer and the level of sacrifice he or she intended, for Mother Maariamman.
60. Unakku aezu karakamammaa adutthaadum p orr karakam
Mg: For you Mother, there are seven Karagams, which are also made of gold and moves
much faster than the others.
Exp: This line also denotes that in the olden days, devotees also used to take seven
Karagams made of gold. The only difference is that these Karagams were fitted in such a
way they can move much faster than the former two types of Karagams. The number of
Karagams carried by the devotees is listed here as three, five, seven, and ten in increasing
order. It is possible that the beginning Karagam Dancer will take only three, then when
he gets used to it and his devotion and spiritual evolution increases, he goes to take the
five Karagams. Then after many years of practice he increases the Karagam to seven, and
then to ten. Essentially carrying Karagam on ones head with intense devotion aligns all
the seven chakras of Karana body so that the devotee can progress in his spiritual
evolution. Increasing the number of Karagams gradually from three, to five, and then
seven has to be noted here very carefully. The beginning devotee who wants to carry
Karagam should start with only three according to Maariamman Thalattu and then by
years of practice can move on to five and the seven, and ten Karagams, step by step. The
changes that happen side by side in the realization of Suksma body, Kariya body, Karana
body, and Maha Karana body can be attributed to the increase in the number of Karagams
on the devotee’s head.
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61. Unakku-patthu karakamammaa pathenthaadum poor karakum
Mg: For you Mother you have ten Karagams made of gold, which have direct connection
with your land and keepsakes.
Exp: According to Maariamman Thalattu, carrying ten Karagams is the height of
Karagam form of worship. As mentioned earlier, carrying Karagam is related to the
alignment of chakras in the Karana body. Ten Karagams directly means the alignment of
seven human chakras and the other three chakras, which are beyond the sthula sarera
(physical human form) and connected with the Universe. Even though the three other
chakras are out of the seven human chakras, the other three universal chakras are very
important for the highest possible spiritual evolution. That is why in Maariamman
worship ten Karagams have been used for the direct alignment of the ten chakras. This
alignment is very important to get in touch with the universal energy or Mother
Maariamman.
62. Waeppelaiyum poorkarakam wethewellai yaadewara
Mg: The leaves on the margosa tree and the golden Karagams play on your roads.
Exp: Leaves of margosa tree have been taken as Mother Maariamman’s instrument of
disease prevention and blessings for a healthy life. In fact, there are lots of scientific
studies that have shown tremendous health benefits for the use of neem leaf, neem oil,
etc. Therefore, in this line it is noted that the Karagam is being carried by the devotee,
along with neem leaves, side by side. Indirectly, these symbols also mean that a healthy
body is also important for spiritual evolution. Taking care of ones health is a very
important for a spiritual person along with other practices and techniques including the
intense worship of Maariamman. Although, other forms of worship may deny the
existence of the physical body, and sometimes to the extent of not caring for the body to
the extent of physical pain to one self for spiritual upliftment, Maariamman Worship does
not require this. The devotee should understand that for the worship of mother
Maariamman a clean and healthy body is also important. Therefore, some Tamil Siddhas
even say that physical body is equivalent to the physical structure of a temple and the
mental body is equivalent to sanctum sanctorium of a temple. Carrying margosa tree
leaves is a symbol of physical health in the stula body, and carrying ten Karagams is a
symbol of the proper alignment of chakras. Both representations are important for the
realization of Mother Maariamman’s universal energy, which is the ultimate goal of
human life. This can also be called the mokasha of humans, and is often mentioned by
many Hindu scriptures.
63. Ahyerang kannudaiyall alangkaare vaarumammaa
Mg: Oh Goddess of a thousand eyes, and the most beautiful, please come.
Exp: Mother is mentioned here as the person with a thousand eyes. Thousands should not
be taken literally as a number. The deep meaning here is that the devotee should
appreciate that nothing can happen without the knowledge of Mother Maariamman. This
also means that she knows everything happening everywhere, good and bad. Nothing can
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be hidden from her. Mother is also noted as the most beautiful. There can be nothing
more beautiful than the purest form of Mother, with no sins, imprints, and full of mercy.
The meaning should be taken that the Mother knows all the pits and falls of all the
devotees, and her blessings will always come to the rescue of the devotee if they
completely surrender in absolute devotion to her! She is the most beautiful and purest
form of energy. Aligning ones mind and spirit towards her will naturally result, or reflect
the similar qualities in the devotee. Two important things are mentioned here in this line.
First, eventually Mother knows everything that is happening around. Second, even
through pits and falls of the devotee, sincere prayers and devotion will remove their
obstacles towards spiritual evolution.
64. Pathenaayerang kannudaiyaall parachakte waarumammaa
Mg: One who has ten thousand eyes, and the one who is the primordially form of energy,
please come.
Exp: One form of Mother Maariamman that knows everything happening around has
been mentioned already. Here in this line Mother is mentioned as having ten thousand
eyes and the primordial energy. In one form, Mother Maariamman blesses the devotees
as knower of everything that is happening in the world. In another form, she is mentioned
here as the one who controls everything, every happening, every change in the billions of
universes in nature. Therefore, the dual form of Mothers energy is to be appreciated,
understood, and realized by the devotee. The term para means the primordial or energy
that in turn gives many energetic forms to the universe. That is why a superlative of ten
thousand and the term para mentioned here is compared to a thousand in the former line.
65. Thulukkaanath thallai yallaam kulukkaadappan peranthaay
Mg: Oh Mother, as a girl you were born to shake the borders of a place called
Thulkkaanam.
Exp: Mother Maariamman, in one of her human forms, was once born as a girl in a place
call Thulkkaanam. Even as a girl She performed many miracles in that place and made
people of that area and borders to realize the greatness and the mercifulness of Her
nature. In this line of Maariamman Thalattu, it is reminiscent that her birth gave a
spiritual jolt to the people of Thulkkaanam. The Maariamman Thalattu gives a brief
history of different incarnations of Mother Maariamman in different places to bless the
devotees in human form.
66. Thulukkaannath thallai vettu thuranthareyae waarumammaa
Mg: Oh Goddess, please come away from the borders of Thulukkaanam where you have
done so many wonders.
Exp: In this line, the devotee is requesting the all-powerful Maariamman, who was born
in Thulkkaanath, to give Her presence in the temple. In other words, the devotee is
sincerely asking Mother Maariamman to show similar miraculous blessings as She has
shown in the human form in Thulkkaanam. Mother had been born in human form and
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lived along with all the devotees of Thulkkaanam, and She showered Her blessings
without any limit. Knowing this vast history the devotee is asking in a humble manner for
Mother Maariamman to be born among them, live with them, and shower all the
blessings and grace on the devotees temple, where he and all the fellow devotees have
congregated to worship Her supreme form.
67. Thaayae thuranthareyae changkareyae vaarumammaa
Mg: Oh Mother, who has immense power in the universe, and who is also taken the other
half of Lord Shiva, or Shankara, please bless your presence in our temple.
Exp: One can see in this line that the devotee is repeatedly asking in a concentrated,
humble, and serious way for Mother Maariamman to come to the place of worship. This
method of worship has been shown to give results of Maariamman’s presence in the place
of worship. In fact, only in the ritual of Maariamman worship the presence of the
supreme energy of the universe is literally felt by the devotee and other worshippers.
Having the Supreme Mother’s energy joining with the human energy, which is filled with
sins and imprints of karmas, has a profound cleansing influence on the devotee. This is
the reason that the repetitions of Mother’s name, her past history, and her nature is
mentioned again and again in Maariamman Thalattu. Maariamman Thalattu is a
wonderful example of how prayer towards the Almighty should be done with a sincere
mind, devotion, and purpose. When the mind focuses on only one thing at a time with all
its attention it achieves its purpose immediately. The modern day psychologist has
proved this concept in research.
68. Malaiyaall thaechamallaam vellaiyaada panperranthaay
Mg: Oh Mother, as a girl, you were born and played in all the land of Malayalam.
Exp: In this line, the land of Malayalam is mentioned as a place of Maariamman’s birth.
Malayalam is also language that was born from the main language of Tamil. This
language is spoken among people who live in the western border of Tamil Nadu. Today
this land is called as Kerala as a separate state in the Southern part of India. The language
Malayalam has it own script and literature although it is very similar to Tamil language.
In one of Mother Maariamman’s incarnations, she was born in this land Malayalam. That
is why this line in the Maariamman Thalattu denotes that mother Maariamman was born
to play, or show, her merciful miracles all over the land of Malayalam.
69. Malaiyaall thaechanvettu waarumammaa yenthamukam
Mg: Oh Goddess, come away from the land of Malayalam and show your merciful face
towards us.
Exp: This line again describes one of Mother Maariamman’s incarnations. Here the
devotee is explaining or reminiscing Mother Maariamman’s birth in Malayalam and
asking Her to shower the blessings in his temple of worship. As mentioned before, by the
repetition of asking Mother Maariamman to come to this place the focus and attention of
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the devotee is completely attuned to Mother Maariamman’s energy, and the intention of
bringing her to this temple increases in strength.
70. Chamainthaay chamayapuram chathetthaay kannapuram
Mg: Oh Mother in the place called Samayapuram you had became a full-grown lady, and
in a place called Kannapuram, you performed miracles.
Exp: This line mentions that after being born in Malayalam, Mother Maariamman came
to a place called Samayapuram that is situated in the central part of Tamil Nadu, a
southern state of India where all the residents speak in Tamil language. Even today, there
is a big temple of Mother Maariamman in Samayapuram in Tiruchi District of Tamil
Nadu. According to the Maariamman Thalattu from the stage of a little girl in Malayalam
land Mother Maariamman has attained full maturity when she reached Samayapuram in
that particular incarnation. Mature girls asking for a blessing for their marriage, job, and
spiritual attainments from Mother Maariamman is a tradition in this place today. It is one
of the spiritually powerful temples in the state of Tamil Nadu, where devotees,
particularly young females, congregate everyday in thousands and ask for Mother
Maariamman’s blessings. In this line, it is also mentioned that from Samayapuram,
Mother Maariamman went to a place called Kannapuram and performed many miracles
and established her spiritual superiority. Thus, this line and the other former two lines
explain the life history of Mother Maariamman in one of her incarnations in the Southern
part of India.
71. Erunthaay veraadapuram eneyerunthaay kannapuram
Mg: Oh Mother Maariamman, You have also lived in Veraadapuram, and continue to live
in Kannapuram
Exp: The word Irundhaii in this line means living in that place for a long period of time.
That means after performing miracles and gracious blessings to the devotees of
Kannapuram, Mother also moved to another spiritual place called Viraadapuram. Once
again all these places have Mother Maariamman Temples, and the devotees can feel her
presence whenever they visit these places which are located in the Southern part of India.
From Viraadapuram, Mother has moved to Kannapuram again, according to the
Maariamman Thalattu. The name of the places noted here in the Maariamman Thalattu
are all places of popular Maariamman worship. Even today, Magnificent Maariamman
Temples are found in these places. All of this evidence shows that this particular
incarnation of Mother Maariamman has been recorded in for a long period of time in
history. Thousands of Maariamman devotees, including many immortal Siddhas, have
worshipped Mother Maariamman, and attained the most superior Siddhi, or miraculous
powers.
72. Chamayapurathaallae chaamperaanne waachakeyae
Mg: Oh Mother of Samayapuram, you smell like incense all the time.
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Exp: The name of the spiritual town, Samayapuram, has been repeatedly mentioned in
the Maariamman Thalattu as the town of Maariamman. The place Samayapuram, which
is situated on the bank of the river Kaaveri, has been cited as one of the most powerful
spiritual places. It is one of the few temples in South India where the Deity is worshiped
in Tamil rather than in Sanskrit, like in most of the other temples. This shows that this
traditional worship was not changed, in spite of many different rulers or kings who took
over governance of this part of India, for example the Buddhists, Muslims, and British
authorities. Indirectly, this shows the popularity of this temple in Samayapuram, and the
people’s belief in the worship of Maariamman and her miraculous powers. In fact, there
are many incidences and stories of people who are not descendants of Indian or Tamilian
origin that have benefited immensely by the intense worship of Mother Maariamman in
Samayapuram. The next word in this line sambrani denotes the use of incense object
during the worship of Mother Maariamman in Tamil Nadu. In fact, the smell of sambrani
is enough for many of the devotees of Maariamman to feel the presence of Her in the
Temple they worship. It has been mentioned in the spiritual literature that one of the
siddhis that can be attained by the intense worship and complete surrender to Mother
Maariamman’s feet is to embody the smell of Sambrani all the time, even if the Siddha is
not carrying sambrani. Smells of sandalwood, or karppooram has been cited as the
spiritual smell of different Gods of other worships in the Hindu religion. The smell of
sambrani is a specific characteristic of Mother Maariamman, which has been referred to
in many of her songs that are sung by Her devotees for thousands of years. For some
sincere devotees in the southern part of India, the smell of sambrani itself is enough to
get spiritual vibrations, which denote the entrance of Mother’s energy to the devotees.
This happens to the devotees quite often since their mind, intellect, and complete
attention is focused towards Mother’s shakti, and they surrender themselves completely
to be guided by Her.
73. Chamayapuratthallaivettut thaayaarae waarumamma
Mg: Oh Mother, please come to our temple from the borders of Samayapuram.
Exp: As mentioned above, repetition of Samayapuram in many lines of the Maariamman
Thalattu is a strong evidence of Her being worshipped there for a long period of time by
many Maariamman devotees and Siddhas. It also shows that many miracles have taken
place because of the presence of Mother Maariamman in Samayapuram. There is also
evidence that Her popularity has widely spread all over the world, and Her past
incarnation in Samayapuram has given many blessings and graceful presences. Due to
this reason the devotee is requesting the blessings of moving her presence from
Samayapuram to his temple sincerely. Also, whenever the name Samayapuram is
mentioned the devotee feels Her presence strongly since they remember all Her miracles,
spiritual guidance, and achievements, which have happened in that place for a long time.
This can be understood that whenever the name of a particular place is mentioned, one
can remember all the other associations that are connected to that particular place. Thus,
the name Samayapuram has a spiritual connection to all the devotees of Mother
Maariamman.
74. Kannapuratthallae kaaranachaventhereyae
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Mg: Oh Goddess Maariamman, who also lives in Kannapuram, who is the reason for
everything in the universe, and who is also the most beautiful One.
Exp: The word kaarana in this line denotes a very important aspect of Mother
Maariamman. The whole universe is filled with energy and objects that are other forms of
energy. It is a popular term used in modern science energy can neither be created nor be
destroyed. Thus, anything and everything found in the universe is someway connected to
the energy that existed in the beginning. This energy, was there, is there, will always be
there in spite of so many changes, which happen in between. Therefore, the devotees
should understand and appreciate the word kaarana that is mentioned in Maariamman
Thalattu. The Siddha who sings Maariamman Thalattu also mentions in this line that the
Mother is the most beautiful one by the term soundharye. The reader should understand
that in the worship of Mother Maariamman, the surrender of ones heart and ones mind is
very important. In this line of Maariamman Thalattu, the Siddha appreciates Mother
Maariamman with his logical mind by the term kaarana. He also puts his heart into Her
worship by the description of Her as the most beautiful one of the universe. This line also
mentions indirectly that when the source of everything, kaarana, is worshipped sincerely
in ones heart and mind nothing in the universe is impossible and everything physical,
mental, and spiritual is always attained by Her grace.
75. Kannapuratthallaivettuk kaaranneyae wanthamarum
Mg: Oh Mother, please come from the borders Kannapuram, and you being the reason of
everything we humbly request you to sit and stay with us in our temple so that all of us
can be blessed by your presence.
Exp: The word karani is mentioned again in this line with a different tone of the
meaning. This time karani means that Mother Maariamman is the reason of all the
reasons. She is also mentioned here with the name karani, which means for anything and
everything happening she is the reason. This means that this word has a deep connotation
that both good and bad are due to Her. Sometimes, it is difficult to understand to an
ordinary devotee why should bad things happen in ones life, and why the reason for that
bad thing is Mother Maariamman. To understand this concept one should realize the
purpose of human life. Whenever there is a deviation from the path of ones spiritual
evolution, Mother shows a sign of difficulty that the devotee’s life is not going in the
right direction. A sincere devotee who understands this should be introspective, and
realize that he of she should change their direction. If it is not possible to realize this one
should surrender to the faith of Mother Maariamman, ask for forgiveness and request Her
to show the right path sincerely. In fact, many intense devotees of Mother Maariamman
have shown in their own life how the surrender of the heart and mind should be done to
purify ones soul, past karmas, and attain spiritual salvation.
76. Kadumpaade allai yallaang kaaval koonnda maaremutthae
Mg: Oh Goddess Maariamman, who is the gem of all the gods, and who looked after the
borders of Kadumbadi day and night.
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Exp: Another place called Kadumbadi is mentioned here in Maariamman Thalattu. In this
place according to the Siddhas poet Mother Maariamman was protecting the borders of
the village Kadumbadi. She protected the village day and night so that no harm will come
to the people living in that place. Indirectly, this line also mentions that the devotees who
surrender themselves completely to Maariamman in mind, body and soul will always be
protected in spite of any time space and causation. So, when Maariamman is in charge of
anything or let her be in charge of anything it is more then sure that the protection will
come automatically all the times. Protection to a particular object or person has different
meanings in different places. Protection of a father to a family will go only to an extent;
protection by your guru to a disciple will go only to a certain extent; but protection by the
Universal Mother will go in all incarnations of a person. Therefore, the complete
surrender to Mother Maariamman, as well as asking her protection, is a very important
ritual in her worship.
77. Ootthukkadda marnthavalle utherapale konnda wallae
Mg: Oh goddess Maariamman who sat and blessed the devotees in Ooththukkada, and
who accepted blood sacrifice there.
Exp: Another popular place called Ooththukkada in the Maariamman Thalattu is where
Mother Maariamman stayed for a long period of time and blessed the devotees. This line
also mentions that the mother took blood as sacrifice. This may raise some questions in
some devotees’ minds. Why should mother take blood sacrifice? Does it mean that blood
sacrifice has to be there in all the Maariamman Temples? Although Maariamman
Thaluttu does not explain why the blood sacrifice has been done in Ooththukkada it does
not say in what situation, in what surroundings, or what time Mother took blood sacrifice.
Indirectly, this line denotes that in appropriate situations, Mother will take blood
sacrifices, but devotees should understand that this line does not mean blood sacrifice are
a must in all the Amman temples. The sincerity of devotion, the intense feeling of the
Mothers vibrations, and even the maximum extent of sacrificing blood are shown by this
line. If a devotee truly feels in his heart that this kind of sacrifice helps in his surrender
and devotion to Mother Maariamman, then that kind of feeling should not be deprived.
The kind of decision to give blood as a sacrifice is more personal, and should not be
preached for other people to follow. Mother Maariamman is the goddess of all the
creation and the energy of the entire Universe will never agree to the suffering of any Her
devotees without reason. Therefore, the interpretation of this line should be taken very
cautiously, and not literally by definition.
78. Padavaedda marnthavallae parachuraamanaip pattrawale
Mg: Oh Goddess Maariamman, who sat and blessed the devotees in Padavettu, and from
home the powerful Saint Parasuraman.
Exp: This line denotes another place called Padavettu, where Maariamman blessed her
devotees for a long period of time, in person. This line also gives a historical perspective
of the origin of the powerful spiritual Saint Parasuraman, whose name has been mention
quite often in history and the epics in India. Those who have the knowledge of the epic
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Ramanyana know that the Saint Parasuraman comes to the house of the King Janak to
protect lord Shiva’s bow. And it is also known that this bow plays a very important role
in the union of Lord Rama and Queen Sita, the daughter of the King Janak. By repeating
the places where Mother Maariamman had blessed people in human form and explaining
the miracles she had performed there, the devotee of the Mother is inspired intensely and
he or she completely focuses their mind towards Her, and request in a humble way for
her to come to their temple and bless them. This is can be seen as repetition in
Maariamman Thalattu quite often. For an intellectual reader and devotee, the poem
Maariamman Thalattu also gives the historical perspective of Mothers worship.
79. Padavaeddai wettumallalla pattheneyea waarumammaa
Mg: Oh goddess Maariamman, you are the most virtuous one, and please come to us
steadily from the place Padavettu.
Exp: A couple of important words in this line need more explanation. The first one is the
word is mella in the Tamil language. The word mella means moving slow. This means
that the devotee is asking the Mother Maariamman to come very slowly. The universal
power of the Mother has to be understood by this line. If Mother comes with all her
power in one instant, it may be very hard for all the ordinary human forms to take her as
She is. Therefore, she has been asked to come very slowly so that her complete presence
will not be a sudden shock. It also means Mother comes to your place of worship, or Her
energy increases in a particular place, step by step. The speed at which she comes also
depends on the intensity of surrender and devotion of the followers of the temple. It
should also be understood that wherever there is enough purity, sincerity, and devotional
intensity the Mother Maariamman will bless her presences accordingly.
The second word mentioned in this line that needs explanation is in Paththini. In Tamil
Paththini means a virtuous woman. Mother has been called here as the most virtuous of
all. This is one of the reasons why in the Indian tradition, being virtuous has been given
the utmost importance in ones life. For ones spiritual evolution and the realization of
Mother Maariamman, virtuous nature will be naturally helpful since the Mother carries
the highest possible virtue within Herself. This is the reason why the nature of virtue has
been often mentioned as the pillar for women’s power in many Indian epics and stories.
80. Pareyapaallai yatthamarntha paeceyannum maareyarae
Mg: Oh Mother Maariamman, you are the one who sat and blessed all the devotees in
Periapalayam in the name of Pechchi.
Exp: This line refers to another place in Tamil Nadu, India called as Priyapalam. In
Priyapalam, Mother Maariamman stayed for a long time and blessed her devotees with
many miracles. People called her by another name, Pechchi Marriamma. From this line
the reader should understand that Mother Maariamman has been called with different
names depending on the particular location, the customs of the people, and the language
that is spoken. Even today there is a big Maariamman temple in Priyapalam, which is
situated very close to the popular place called Thirupannamalai. This place, through the
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normal eye, is located in the southern part of India. It is one of the very ancient historical
places of importance for the Siddhas. Melai in Tamil means a mountain. In this place
there is a popular mountain, on which the Saint Ramana Maharishi used to live and bless
the devotees. This is also a popular place for the fire element of Lord Shiva and millions
of devotees go there once a year to worship. During the month of Karthigai, at the top of
the mountain, a big fire is made with butter and ghee to signify the fire element of Lord
Shiva. Therefore, a devotee who visits Priyapalam Pechchi, can also visit
Thirupannamalai, which is sacred for the Tamil Siddhas.
81. Pareyapaalai yatthaivetthup paerarache waarumammaa
Mg: Oh Goddess Maariamman, who is the queen of all the queens please come to our
temple from Priyapalam.
Exp: Similar to other lines in the Maariamman Thalattu, these two line mention
Priyapalam again to remind the devotee of Mother Maariamman’s past presence,
achievements and blessings there. By reminiscing on her presence in Priyapalam the
devotee’s mind and intellect are emerged in Her presence, which in turn helps to realize
her presence in their Temple. This kind of sequence, that serves as a reminder of Mother
Maariamman’s past presences and achievements can be seen in many of her devotional
songs.
82. Ahrannepareya paalaiyamaam athelerukkum ahrrangkarari
Mg: Priypalam is situated in Aarani, and in that place there is a very popular riverbank.
Exp: In this line of the Maariamman Thalattu, the location of the place Priyapalam is
mentioned again. In South India, in the southern part of Tamil Nadu there is a small
district called Aarani. Priyapalam is a small village located on the banks of Aarani River.
This is a riverbank where Mother Maariamman gave her spiritual presences and blessed
all the devotees there. It is very interesting to see that the temple of Mother Maariamman
is also located in the banks of Aarani even today. Devotees who want to visit and get the
blessings of the historic Mother Maariamman can locate this temple by these lines of
Maariamman Thalattu.
83. Ahrrangkarai maedaiveddu ahccheyarae waarumamma
Mg: Oh Goddess Maariamman, who was also called as Aachchi, please come from the
banks of the river to our temple.
Exp: In this line, Mother Maariamman has been called by another name Aachchi. Even
today, respected elderly and spiritual people in this part of South India are called as
Aachchi. From this line of the Maariamman Thalattu, one can understand the origin of
this word Aachchi from the name of Mother Maariamman. The place Priyapalam has
been given much importance for the worship of Mother Maariamman in South India. This
is the reason why in the Maariamman Thalattu the location of this place, including the
name of the river, and how Mother Maariamman was called when she gave her humanly
presence there has been repeatedly mentioned.
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84. Veeraampad dannamamarntha vaethaantha maaremuththae
Mg: Oh Goddess Maariamman, the gem of all the Gods, Goddess before the Vedas, You
are the one who sat and blessed the devotees in the place called Veeram Pattinam.
Exp: In this line, another place where Mother Maariamman blessed her devotees is
mentioned. The place is called Veeram Pattinam. A couple of words in this line need
more explanation. The first one is Vedaanta. This word can be divided into two parts: I.
Vedas II. Antham. In Tamil the word Antham means before. These two words really mean
that Mother Maariamman has been worshipped for a very long time before the Vedas
(Rig, Yadhur, Sama, Adharvana) originated in India. Another word is Muthu, which is a
pearl that can be taken only from deep parts of oceans. Thus, including this word for
Mother Maariamman, the Maariamman Thalattu specifies that Mother is the gem of all
the Gods and Goddesses, or Mother Maariamman is the essence of all the different kinds
of worships in the world.
85. Kohleyanoo rallaiyelae kude konnda maareyarae
Mg: Oh Mother Maariamman you are the Goddess who lived in the borders of
Koliyannur.
Exp: Along with Samayapuram, Viradapuram, Kannapuram, Kadumpadi, Ooththukkadu,
Padavettai, Periyapalayam, Veerampattanam, another place called Koliyanur is also
included as a place where Mother Maariamman, during Her human incarnation, lived and
blessed Her devotees. However, not much explanation has been given about the location
of this place, like in the case of Periyapalayam. To the knowledge of the translator this
place, Koliyanur, is yet to be identified. It is possible that this place Koliyanur is a part of
some other city or its name could have been changed over long period of time.
86. Antharatther rraerohda arugae chadelachaiya
Mg: When the chariot runs in the sky and when the plant nearer to it moves because of
the chariot.
Exp: So far Maariamman Thalattu reminisced on different places of Mother
Maariamman’s incarnations, their locations, and the miracles performed by Her. From
this line onward, words of deeper meanings related to the movement of devotee’s human
soul is mentioned indirectly. Three words in this line have to be looked into very deeply.
The first one is the word Antharam. In Tamil Antharam means something at the top
without any support. The second word is Thear meaning chariot in Tamil. The third word
is Chedil, which means a living plant in Tamil. The actual meaning of this line, by these
words, is that there is a chariot that runs on a place on the top without support, and
because of it, there is a living plant that also moves. If a reader takes this line literally it
means that a plant is moving because of a chariot. One should understand the deeper
meaning of this line. When Mother Maariamman’s powerful energy moves close to a
devotee, they also move accordingly. This kind of sentence with double meaning and
indirect way of mentioning the attributes of Goddess Maariamman is quite common
among the poems of Tamil Siddhas.
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87. Uchcheyer rraerohda uyarach chadelachaiya
Mg: The chariot runs on the top of the summit of a mountain and the living plant also
moves higher and higher.
Exp: Once again, even though the literal meaning is that the chariot on the top of the
mountain moves and the plant also moves along to the higher plane, the Siddhas real
meaning is hidden in these words. First, in the former line the chariot was supposed to
have run in a place with no support. In this line, the chariot is running on the top of a
mountain. Indirectly, this means the powerful energy of the Universal Mother
Maariamman was first felt away from the devotee and then because of his intense
devotion and ecstasy he feels it right on the top of his head where the seventh chakra
sahasrar is located. Because of the closeness of the energy to the physical body of the
devotee the moment of him or her has been said to be much higher. The reader can relate
this to a devotee who is in intense ecstasy jumping up and down repeatedly during the
usual rituals performed in Maariamman’s Temple. (Please refer to the explanation of the
six chakras explained in the section of the anatomy of human spirit)
88. Machcheyer yaerohda makrach chadelachaiya
Mg: The chariot also runs on the top of the house and because of that the plant called Ma
also moves.
Exp: In the language of Tamil, each of the alphabets is called as a letter of life, or soul
(Vuyir). There are thirteen pedals of the soul. In the language, there are other letters that
are called letters of physical body (Mey). When the letters of soul and the letters of body
join together there called as body-soul (Vuyir Mey) letters. The explanation is given here
because this line has a much deeper meaning then the literal one. The word Magara in
this line really means the body-soul letter (Vuyir Mey). Ma, which consist of the body
letter “Mm” (Mey), and the soul letter “Ah” (Vuyir). The Tamil Siddhas, during their
deep meditation, found that the sixth chakra of the body vibrates as Aagaram, and the
seventh chakra vibrates ask Magaram. Therefore, in this line of Maariamman Thaluttu,
the Magaram plant really means the vibration of the seventh chakra, which is also called
as Saharaha in Sanskrit. Another word mentioned in the beginning of this line is
Machchi. In Tamil, Machchi also means house. Therefore, following the explanation
given above, the real meaning of this line should be taken as when the devotee in sincere
devotion and ecstasy feels the chariot or the movement of Mother Maariamman's energy,
the devotees seventh chakra Magaram also moves intensely.
89. Pakkangakayrohde pakarac chadelachaiya
Mg: When the chariot moves on a rope a plant called Pagaram also moves along
Exp: Once again in this line another Vuyir Mey is mentioned. Pa is mentioned as a plant
that moves. Pakkam means side in Tamil, and Kayaru means rope. So, the reader may
ask a question why and how the chariot can run on a rope according this line? The actual
meaning of this line is following the same explanation given in the former line. The
vibration felt at the seventh chakra is transferred to the other six chakra of the devotee
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during his intense devotion. The combination of all the seven chakras has always been
referred to by the Tamil Siddhas as a rope or a wooden stick, since all the chakras
function together in unison. Therefore, the subtle meaning of this line is that Mother
Maariamman’s vibration, which was felt on the seventh chakra, is completely transferred
to all the chakras in the devotee’s body and his whole body and soul together moves in
unison with that Supreme Universal Energy. Pagara stands for the whole body and soul
of the devotee.
90. Ahnndakuru thaechekarai arreyaatha maanedarai
Mg: Those human beings who do not know our Supreme Mother of Universal Energy.
Exp: Up to this point, the former lines of the Maariamman Thalattu explained what is
happening to the devotee in his devotion. Now, in this line the effect of the devotee’s
intense vibrations in his or her body and soul is in unison with the supreme Universal
Energy of Mother Maariamman. Now, this line clearly explains the difference of the
people who gather together in the temple of Mother Maariamman, and those of who do
not understand the Universal energy that is ruling everything everywhere. Even though
the people around the devotee do not understand or do not appreciate Mother
Maariamman, or the Universal Energy’s presence, still they will feel the pure energy
according to their own past karmic connections.
91. Thdonndeved daattevaikkat tohnrrenaay nee yorutthi
Mg: Oh Mother Maariamman, you are the one who appeared here and induced those
people to dance.
Exp: According to this line of Maariamman Thalattu, the intense vibrations of the
devotee in ecstasy who is receiving the Universal Energy of Mother Maariamman
through his or her subtle chakras of the soul and the physical body, also can affect other
people or induce other people to get a vibration or a dancelike vibration even though this
may not look like the devotee had in himself or herself. That is why it is very clear that
the spiritual, pure, devotee can definitely purify other people surrounding him or her by
passing the purest form of Universal Energy to them. This process of energy transmission
can explain the miracle of people feeling comfort, healing, purification, clarity, and
universal love. This is why this kind of Mother Maariamman worship has been well
designed by the thoughtful, knowledgeable, Tamil Siddhas. Their only purpose of
immortal life is to help the innocent human beings, who know only the pain and pleasure
of life and who go through indescribably sufferings, due to the lack of knowledge and
awareness of the Supreme Mother’s rule in the universe.
92. Chaktheyaay neeyamarnthaay thanekkudde kaawukkondaoy
Mg: Oh Mother Maariamman, you are the one who sat in your temple, as the purest form
of Energy, and you are the one who took our offering a sheep that is blessed with your
Energy and that stands alone with that specialty.
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Exp: According to the first part of the line, Mother Maariamman is present in the temple
as the pure energy. Therefore, the physical form of the Mother is not the only presence of
Her in the temple. Her energy is present completely in the temple even though people
cannot see her energetic presence in the whole temple. This is why the devotees feel the
intense vibration of energy in every corner of the temple, even though they are far away
from the physical form of Mother Maariamman, or the sanctum sanctorum of her
physical presence in the temple. This is the real meaning of Mother sitting in the form of
energy n the temple. In the olden days, when people had to depend on the meat of
animals for their strength and vigor they offer to Mother Maariamman the same kind of
food to her as an offering to increase the intensity of their love and devotion to her. That
is why the offering of a sheep is considered to be very special according to the word in
this line, thani.
93. Ellaiyelae neeyamarnthaay armaikkedaay kaawukohnndaoy
Mg: Oh Mother, you sat in the border and who accepted the offering of a buffalo calf.
Exp: Two kinds of offerings have been mentioned in Maariamman Thalattu. As a custom
of the devotees in the olden days, the first one is the special sheep that goes as an offering
to the mother, who sat as pure energy. One can see the relationship between the offering
and the meaning behind the prime devotee’s awareness of Mother Maariamman. When
he or she realizes her as the pure form of energy in the temple the offering of sheep is
mentioned. Second, in the next line when the Mother is mentioned as sitting on the
border, the offering of buffalo calf is mentioned. Intellectual understanding of these two
lines results in the following explanation. First, the offering of higher energy in the form
of a sheep was accepted in those days without any reservation and when there is a need
for a strong presence at the border for the protection of people living inside a similar
offering, such as a buffalo calf was also accepted. Therefore, according to the translator
these offerings are really a symbolic representation that was accepted in the olden days.
94. Unnaipphol thayuam ulakatthel kanndathellai
Mg: Oh Mother, I have not seen any God like you in the whole world.
Exp: The devotee of Maariamman exclaims in this line that among all the Gods he or she
has seen and felt before, none of them have influenced them so much physically,
mentally, and spiritually. There are so many other forms of worship in this world which
may include only Bhakti Yoga, which influences only the spiritual aspect, or Karma
Yoga, which influences only the physical and mental aspect, or Gyan Yoga, which
influences only the mental aspect. Here in the worship of Maariamman, all of the
mentioned yogas (Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, and Gyan Yoga) are involved in
completion. This is the reason why all the Tamil Siddhas have chosen the worship of
Maariamman for obtaining highest possible spiritual evolution in ones life. Considering
the specialty and uniqueness of this kind of worship, the devotee of Mother Maariamman
surrenders himself completely physically, mentally, and spiritually and exclaims in
complete ecstasy that there is no other God or Goddess in the whole world who can be
compared to Mother Maariamman!
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95. Ennaippohl pellaikal thaanangkumunnda waiyakatthel
Mg: Oh Mother Maariamman, there are many children or devotees like me in all the
different parts and everywhere in the world.
Exp: This line has very deep meaning. The devotees of Mother Maariamman are present
in some form or the other in all the different parts of the world. Therefore, Maariamman
Thalattu clearly mentions that the prayers of people all over the world, even though they
have different kinds of worship, eventually go to the Mother of Universal Energy, that is
Maariamman. It is amazing to see how the devotee has a wide and broad outlook of all
the human beings in the world not restricting only to the Tamil region. Another way of
interpreting this line is that even though there are so many different devotees all over the
world like himself or herself, Mother Maariamman is praised that She has blessed the
devotee specifically and therefore he or she exclaims the mercifulness of Mother
Maariamman that there no other God or Goddess who can do these wonders like what
She does time and again.
96. Kohrtthamutthu wadamachaiya kongkairanndum paalozka
Mg: Oh Mother Maariamman, you are the one who can give the boons with the chains
along with its moving gems and spiritual milk flowing out of your breast with love.
Exp: Even though this line seems to give a direct meaning that the Mother is giving milk
to Her children the real spiritual meaning hidden in this verse is different and should be
explored thoroughly. Many Tamil Siddhas have mentioned with experience that the sixth
and seventh chakras are capable of giving sweet milk like substance when the devotees
are in intense spiritual ecstasy. They also mention more and more secretion of milk from
the chakras and continuous drinking of the milk by the devotee results in enormous
spiritual change in the devotee. This change results in the spiritual miracles performed by
many Tamil Siddhas, and they usually ignore these miracles saying these are all due to
Mother Maariamman’s blessings and not by themselves. In many of the spiritual texts of
Tamil Siddhas, it is mentioned that during this milk drinking ecstasy their whole physical
body and the chakra body, with all the seven charkas as the brightest gems move hither
and thither. Therefore, the reader can correlate this experience of the Siddhas with the
one from this line in the Maariamman Thalattu. Mother Maariamman can give the boons
with the chains, along with its moving gems, and spiritual milk flowing out of Her breast
with love.
97. Aerravarkku warantharuwaay akkallathaeveyarae
Mg: Oh Mother Maariamman, you are the one who gives boons to all those who are
suited and qualify to get them.
Exp: In this line Mother Maariamman has been mentioned as Ekkalaththeveyare. The
word Ekkalam here means sound, in Tamil. One of the aspects of Mother Maariamman
has to be taken as sound vibrations. This is the reason why in the worship of Mother
Maariamman different kinds of drums are used to get the spiritual ecstasy among the
devotees. The other aspect of Mother is light, as mentioned before. Therefore, sound and
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light constitutes the impersonal aspects of Mother Maariamman. Understanding this in
deep realization, Tamil Siddhas have always tried to find different techniques using
sound and light to realize Mother Maariamman in their own mind and body. The
culminations of these techniques have become the rituals used in Mother Maariamman’s
worship over time. Thus, the deep knowledge of Tamil Siddhas has been condensed in
the rituals found in the worship of Mother Maariamman in different parts of the world.
Even though this knowledge has been hidden for a long period of time, the author feels
that this is the right time to express it openly to all the interested and intellectually
inclined people who want to understand the importance of the worship Mother
Maariamman.
98. Ekkallath thaeyarae thekallaa maanndvallae
Mg: Oh Goddess who makes great spiritual sound please give boons to all those suited
devotees.
Exp: In the Maariamman Thalattu, it has been repeatedly mentioned that the boons from
the Mother Maariamman should always go to the right people, or the suited people. This
is very important to examine. If the boon goes to the wrong, or unsuited people, it will
result in chaos of the society since the powers will be used for wrong purposes. This has
been mentioned in many Indian epics where many powerful devotees who got their boons
from Gods and Goddesses have used for the destruction of innocent people. One can look
at the powers of Ravan in Ramayan, and Gowravas in Mahabrat as examples that relate to
this line in that boons should go only to the right minded people. Having understood the
consequences of miracles and powers in the wrong hands, the devotee in the
Maariamman Thalattu repeatedly ask the Mother that the boons only be given to the
suited people, who are the sincere devotees with the right frame of mind.
99. Thekallaa maanndawallae thekampareyae waarummaa
Mg: Oh Mother Maariamman, you are the one who ruled over all directions and who also
wore them as your own clothes.
Exp: Mother Maariamman is the source of all the Universal Energy. Sincere devotees of
Her, and Tamil Siddhas in particular, have found in their deep meditation that all the
different directions of the world and the universe look like Her own personal clothes.
That is why in the Tamil language, She has been called as Thigambariye, meaning that
the one who wore the directions as her clothes. Even though it is very difficult to
understand this concept in a normal way of thinking, one should realize most the
explanations for Mother Maariamman have been appreciated by Tamil Siddhas from their
deepest meditations. This is the reason why most of the spiritual books mention that the
consciousness of a devotee changes over time due to the ripening of their meditations and
prayers. The different steps in the evolution of consciousness have been mentioned as
transcendental consciousness, cosmic consciousness, godly consciousness and unity
consciousness. The awareness of a devotee about himself, society, universe, and god
change accordingly. This is the reason why it is difficult to understand the expressions of
a devotee in intense ecstasy.
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100. Mukkohnna chachkaratthel muthanmaiyaay nerrachakthe
Mg: Oh Goddess Maariamman, you are the shakti, or the primordial power that stood in
the triangular wheels or the chakras.
Exp: This line in Maariamman Thalattu has very deep meaning. One of the five human
bodies mentioned above that is the karana body. This is the body of all the human beings
that carry the seven chakras. This karana body is the step before the mahakarana body,
or the body of the Universal Energy of Mother Maariamman. Kundalini Shakti is the
energy giver of all the chakras and all the different parts of the body. Tamil Siddhas have
found that this shakti is found in the form of a snake with three and a half coils, located in
the first chakra called as mooladhara chakra in a triangle (refer to the explanation of
chakras at the end of the book.) This Kundalini shakti moves towards the highest chakras,
such as svadhistana, manipporaga, anagadha, visuddhi, agna and then finally to the
sahasrarhar chakra. According to Tamil Siddhas, the highest possible spiritual evolution
and intense ecstasy of a devotee happens when the Kundalini shakti that resides in the
mooladhara chakra in a normal individual moves to the seventh chakra known as the
same name in sanskrit, sahasrarhar. Thus, the Kundalali shakti in the mooldhara chakra
that lines on top of the triangle there is the main power source of all human activities and
human evolution. In the Maariamman Thalattu this kundalali shakti has been referred to
as the primordial shakti on the top of the triangle, in another form of Mother
Maariamman. Therefore, the devotee exclaims that Mother Maariamman is the reason for
all the functions of chakras in the karana body, and only through the evolution of these
chakras one can realize Her Universal body or Mahakarana body.
101. Akkhnnan thannelwanthu ahyaccheyarae wanthamam
Mg: Oh Goddess Maariamman, who is the head of all the human cowherders, please
come and sit in that triangle.
Exp: Once again, this line dealing with the chakras has much more deeper meaning then
it looks for a common reader. The devotee who is singing the Maariamman Thalattu first
realizes the presences of Mother Maariamman in his or her primordial chakra, the
mooladhara chakra, and then the devotee can also invite Her complete presence in that
chakra so that the devotee can become one hundred embodiment of Mother Maariamman
herself. Even though, it looks like the devotee is asking Her to come in these chakras, the
above mentioned words of wisdom about the chakras and their applications will not come
to that devotees mind unless Mother Maariamman Herself reveals Her presence in the
human chakras during intense ecstasy. Thus, the line gives to any intellectual reader the
deep meaning of the technique to get the highest spiritual evolution. The first step is to
realize the presence of Mother Maariamman in the chakras or the karana body. The
second step is to get or complete embodiment of Her in the chakras and melt in Her
Universal Energy.
102. Thaayae thuranthareyae changkareyae waarumammaa
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Mg: Oh Mother Maariamman, you are the Mother of all the living and the nonliving
beings of the universe, you are the one who is difficult to obtain in all the worlds, and you
are the other half of the supreme God Shankar.
Exp: In this line, the different forms of Mother Maariamman have been revealed. First
and foremost, She is the prime reason and the source for all the living beings that is why
she has been referred to as the Mother of everything. Second, all the spiritual seekers
know the power of the Universal Mother, and knowing the importance they always try to
obtain her blessings and be part of Her pure, powerful, merciful, and universal nature.
Mother Maariamman has been referred to as Thuranthariyae, which means the one who
is difficult to be obtained. Indirectly it means that pure devotion, deep meditation, and
complete merging of oneself to the Supreme Mother’s presence are very important
towards the path of realizing Her.
103. Maaye marulleyarae mannemanthera chaekareyae
Mg: Oh Goddess Maariamman, you are the reason for all the maya in the world and you
are the one who is the secret mantra of manonmani center.
Exp: This line of Maariamman Thalattu has a key to open the secret of maya, or illusion
of the world as it appears. First, it is said that Mother Maariamman is the maya Herself,
so She is called as Mayee. In the second word She is also quoted as Marulleyarae
meaning She is the one who can unlock the secret of maya. The third word
mannemanthera stand for the mantra for manonmani, which is a center for all the
consciousness of an individual. In fact mano stands for mind, and mani stands for center
in Sanskrit and Tamil. Indirectly, it means that using the right mantra for the manonmani
center on can remove the maya, or illusion as it appears normally. In many yogic texts,
manonmani center has been noted to be located in the forebrain. Meditating on the
forehead, the sixth agna chakra, and the practice of Hindu women wearing a bindi can
also be related to manonmani center.
104. Wallannmaik kaareyarae wzhakkaadum maaremutthae
Mg: Oh Mother, you are the one responsible for all the strength, you are the one arguing
with all the arguments.
Exp: In this line, Mother Maariamman giving all the strength needed for any function or
duty in physical body and spiritual body is very important to function in this world.
Therefore, praying to Maariamman, in some form or the other, should be an important
practice for any human being. Most of the problems of depression among people happen
due to ones inability to carry enough strength or ignorance towards the understanding and
worship of the Universal Energy of Mother Maariamman Herself. Strength alone is not
enough to function efficiently in this world. Intellectual understanding and argument
towards realizing the truth is very important to attain the highest spiritual evolution. This
is the reason why in this line Mother Maariamman has been referred to as wzhakkaadum
maaremutthae.
105. Wallawaraik konraay waleyawarai maarpellanthaan
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Mg: Oh Mother Maariamman, in the past you have killed many egotistic strong ones, and
have opened the chest of those powerful ones who did not understand and appreciate that
you are the reason for all their power.
Exp: The former two lines talking about strength have to be taken together to get a
complete meaning of the relationship between strength and Mother Maariamman. First of
all, one has to realize that all the strength comes only from Mother Maariamman’s
blessings. Intellectual understanding of this concept is very important in order to carry
strength all the time. Ones ego cannot develop to the level of ignorance that he or she is
the strongest. If the intellectual understands that all the strength has been given by the
Mother’s mercy, they will be free of this ignorance. One has to understand and appreciate
this all the time. Those who did not get this concept and showed their ego against Mother
Maariamman have been repeatedly defeated, killed, lost a lifetime, and a chance to go
towards the path of spiritual evolution.
106. Neele kapaaleyammaa nerraintha theruchchuleyarae
Mg: Oh Goddess Maariamman you are the blue one, you are the one who holds the skull,
and you are the one who carries the powerful, complete, and respected spear, or the
Trishul.
Exp: Mother has been referred to as the one who has the appearance of blue sometimes.
This is noted by the word neele, which stands for the color blue, in Tamil. One can refer
and compare this to the blue color of Lord Krishna, or Lord Vishnu who is also suppose
to have a blue color. Mother Maariamman has been referred to as the sister of Lord
Vishnu repeatedly. The reader can relate this easily in order to understand why Mother
Maariamman has been called as neele in this line. The furious form of Mother
Maariamman has always been shown to wear skulls around her head to show the power
and victory over evil. This is the reason why Mother has also referred to as
Kapaaleyamma. Mother has also been referred to as the one who carried the Trishul,
which has all the strength, as well as mercy in completion. That is why the word
nerraintha has been included in this line before the Trishul.
107. Naalumulai wohmakunndam naduvae kanakachadai
Mg: In the four corners we have the sacred fires or homagunda, and in the center is the
superior energy or the stage of gold.
Exp: So far in the Maariamman Thalattu, the physical attributes of Mother Maariamman
have been mentioned. However, in this line the nonphysical or the impersonal attributes
of Her superior energy is being explained. During the performance of fire sacrifice, the
four corners of the pit are made of homagunda, or the sacred fires. Then in the center of
the fire pit arises the superior energy or the golden stage, according to this line in
Maariamman Thalattu. In another way of looking at this line, it can also understood that
when the spiritual energy is at the highest, in the top four spiritual chakras (Sahashara,
Agna, Visuhddhi, Anagadha), Mothers superior and golden energy arises at the center.
108. Kanaka chapai weetterukum karanna chavuntaareyae
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Mg: Oh Goddess Maariamman, you are the one who is sitting on the top of Kanaka Sabi,
or the central spiritual energy, and you are the reasons of the reasons with all the beauty
in the world.
Exp: At the center of the sacrificial fire, the devotee who is intensely immersed in
devotion could see Mother Maariamman. Or it can also be taken that when the four
chakras mentioned above mentioned are lightened with devotion and ecstasy one can see
the presence of Mother Maariamman using their spiritual eyes. Thus, Maariamman
Thalattu also gives a technique of realizing Mother Maariamman’s energy in ones
spiritual body. By the use of the appropriate meditation and mantras, the top four spiritual
chakras can be opened. And during the intense practice on these chakras, the devotee
should be able to have a glimpse of Mother Maariamman’s impersonal form. This
realization can happen in both ways. Either by the realization of Mother Maariamman the
top four chakras can be opened completely, or by the opening of the four top chakras
Mother Maariamman’s impersonal form can be glimpsed at.
109. Kaaranna chavunthareyae naarannanaar thangkaiyarae
Mg: Oh Mother Maariamman, you are the reason for all the beauty and you are the
younger sister of Lord Vishnu.
Exp: Mother Maariamman has been mentioned before as the reason for all the activities
in the universe. In this line, she is particularly mentioned as the reason for all the beauty
and perfection found in this universe. It should also be taken here when the devotee gets
the glimpse of Mother Maariamman when all his four top chakras have been opened, he
can see Her in the most beautiful form, as well as, Lord Vishnu and other Gods behind
that beautiful form. This is why Mother Maariamman has been mentioned repeatedly as
the reason for all the beauty and perfection of all the Gods and Goddesses.
110. Naarannanaar thangkaiyarae nallamutthu maareyarae
Mg: Oh Mother Maariamman you are the younger sister of Lord Vishnu, and who is also
benevolent Goddess of Gem Marrie.
Exp: Mother Maariamman has been repeatedly mentioned as the sister of Lord Vishnu in
Maariamman Thalattu. This relationship has been shown only in the ancient Tamil
literature. However, to the translator’s knowledge this has not been mentioned in other
Vedic scriptures written in Sanskrit or Hindi. As most of the readers know, according the
Hindu scriptures, Lord Vishnu is in charge of the operational part of the universe,
whereas Lord Brahma is in charge of the generational part of the universe, and Lord
Shiva is in charge of the destruction or recycling part of the universe. The second part of
this line shows the merciful and benevolent attribute of Goddess Maariamman by the
words nallamutthu maareyare.
111. Nadalaichchudalai yammaa naducchudalai thellaiwanam
Thellaiwanam
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Mg: Oh Mother Maariamman, you are on the way to Sudalai, which is in the middle of
Thalia forest.
Exp: In the olden days, the forest Thalia was a spiritual place where many Siddhas will
meet together to mediate on mother Maariamman. In modern days, this place is called as
Chidambaram. This place is one of the very popular destinations for spiritual seekers. A
very popular Siddha, called Thirumoolar who is one of the eighteen Tamil Siddhas, is
supposed to giving blessings from the temple in Chidambaram. This temple in
Chidambaram was built by Chola Kings of Tamil kingdom, and is popular for is golden
rooftop. Lord Shiva appears in the temple as the dancing Shiva, or Nataraj in this temple.
Many medicinal herbs around the temple are also very popular among Siddhas medical
practitioners.
112. Thelaiwana thallaiwettu therumpumammayenthamukam
Mg: From the borders of Thelaiwana, please turn your face to our temple so we can get
your blessings.
Exp: The Maariamman devotee is asking The Mother to turn her face from the spiritual
place of Sublai in the city of Thallia, since the Mother visited this place often and blessed
her devotees there. Once again, by reminiscing on the place of Maariamman worship in
the olden days, a devotee is trying to feel her presence in his own temple. The sincerity
and humble request of the devotee with intense devotion will always become a reality,
and has been demonstrate in history so many times.
113. Waarppuccelai yaallae waccheramanne tthearaallae
Mg: Oh Goddess Maariamman, your statues, which represent your physical form for
devotees are made of metals and you chariots are made of the beads of diamond.
Exp: Mother Maariamman blesses Her devotees both in physical and non-physical forms.
The statue of Maariamman represents Her physical form. Her non-physical form, which
pervades all through the universe, is being realized by Her sincere devotee using deep
mediation, intense devotion, limit less concentration, and selfless services. In India, to
represent the physical form, Her statues are usually made of metal copper. Chanting of a
mantra towards Her, and the reflection of the mantra to the devotees from Her physical
form can be the reason for this. If Her chariots are part of the statue then they are usually
made of diamond beads. This practice can also be a reason for her reflection of spiritual
life towards the devotees.
114. Thoonndettudai paruman thoonndemullu kaiparyman
Mg: The thorn is of the size of the thigh and the thorn, which is used to take out, is in the
size of the hand.
Exp: The words in this line like thorn, thigh, hand, etc, are symbolic representations of
very deep meaning. When the devotee is in intense trance, while praying to Mother
Maariamman, the thorn represents the purest form of Mother Maariamman’s energy. To
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represent the bigger form of universal energy, the thorn has been compared to the size of
the thigh. To represent the devotee’s life energy, which melts in the universal energy, it
has been given a smaller size that is the size of a hand. The reader should experience
Mother Maariamman’s Universal Energy to understand these lines. Otherwise, they will
not make sense to a normal person. Experience of the universal mother Maariamman
happens only in a devotee that puts their heart and soul in prayer, fasting, and meditation.
115. Manndaiyele thaithamulluymaarburuki paguthmma
Mg: The thorn, which hits the head, melts in my chest
Exp: Once again, only a devotee who can feel Mother’s energy during intense devotion
can understand some of these verses. These verses were written by Tamil Siddhas who
were in deep devotion to Mother Maariamman for a long period of time, and when they
felt Her energy passing through their body, they could feel the immense pressure of
Mother’s presence and intense ecstasy in their heart and mind. Since they cannot explain
this experience in ordinary language, they try to make comparisons like the thorn, hand,
head, etc, so that those devotees that feel her presence can relate their experience with the
experience of the Tamil Siddhas in the olden days. These verses indirectly give scientific
explanations of a devotee’s vibration during the presence of Mother Maariamman close
to their souls.
116. Pakkatthel thaithamully pataithu thudikkuthamma
Mg: The thorn, which has stitched my sides, is making me shiver with pressurable pain.
Exp: The devotees of Mother Maariamman, particularly the Siddhas, have attained the
blessings of mother Maariamman to the highest level. With their sincere compassion
towards the devotees of later years, they tried to explain the way they felt when the
Universal Mother’s energy passes through their mind, heart, and soul. People should not
misunderstand this kind of experience as something abnormal. By explaining these
experiences, the Siddhas let the devotees know that their path towards Mother
Maariamman’s abode is the right one, and these similar experiences have been given to
other devotees in the olden days by the grace of the Universal Mother Maariamman.
Therefore, this verse is explained that when the devotee is experiencing her intense
devotion and ecstasy, they may also feel as though an intense energy, or thorn is hitting
them at their sides and making them shiver intensely, with the highest form of pressure.
The reader should understand the shivering usually happens because of fear or
temperature variations, like on cold or hot sensations. Therefore, to differentiate this
normal shivering to shivering during ecstasy of Mother Maariamman’s presence, it is
explained that this kind of shivering happens with the highest form of pressure, which
can only be felt but not understood with intellect.
117. Tonndaiyelae thaithamully thojlluruvip poguthammaa
Mg: The thorn, which has struck my throat, is going by the shoulder sides.
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Exp: Although these words like thorn, shoulder, and throat look simple, to a normal
reader the meaning behind these words is very difficult to understand, unless the devotee
has experienced the vibration during Mother’s presence when She is close to their souls.
These verses also explain how the human chakras are affected during the spiritual ecstasy
of Mother’s presence. The throat represents the place where the fifth chakra is
functioning in the human soul. The forth chakra functions close to the heart. The sixth
chakra functions close to the forehead. The seventh chakra functions on the top of the
head. Now, the reader can relate the experience, which has been explained above, to the
structure, function, and modification of these chakras by the grace of the Universal
Mother Maariamman. In this particular verse, the experience of the devotee of mother
Maariamman in their throat chakra and particularly the heart chakra is felt in the region
of the shoulder, because of the highest intense form of energy prevailing through the
front and back of the heart.
118. Katthepohl waeppelaiyai katharrawettau logamellam
Mg: Oh Mother Goddess, you made the neem leaf, or margosa, leaf like a knife and sent
it all over the world to spread your message.
Exp: The neem tree is one of the most auspicious trees in India, and one can see it being
planted in many different regions of India. This is especially seen in South India, that is
the abode of Mother Maariamman. Even today, one can see a neem tree that is hundreds
of years old in some popular temples in Tamil Nadu. In modern medicine, the antibiotic
properties on neem leaf have been demonstrated repeatedly. The spiritual significance of
the neem tree and its relationship with the worship of Amman in Tamil Nadu has been
there time immemorial. It is believed by the worshippers of Amman, that the spiritual
vibrations can be passed through the neem leaves and purification can occur. That is the
reason why in this verse the importance of neem leaf has been cited. Amman worshipers
believe that it is Amman herself who spread the neem tree for the betterment of the world
and for the spiritual evolution of human beings. It is a tradition in Tamil Nadu to believe
that wherever there is a neem tree, there is also the presence of Amman in that place. In
fact, one can see the neem tree being dressed up like Amman, or the neem tree being
surrounded by a temple in the southern part of India.
119. Eettepohl waeppelaiyai eneyanuppek konndawllae
Mg: Oh Mother Maariamman, you have sent the neem leaf like a spear that will go across
and destroy the evil.
Exp: this verse shows that Amman the Mother of the Universe can be present
symbolically in any place where there is a neem tree and neem leaves. Like the spear
piercing through any object, it is neem leaves that can remove all the evils and illnesses
of the human beings due to their past karmas. It can also be understood that with an
intense devotion towards Amman, when a devotee prays for Her blessing and asks for
Her forgiveness, the blessings of Mother can be passed through the neem leaves, since
the leaves are her own creation.
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120. Pattherekkullerukkum paavanaiya yararewaar
Mg: Oh Mother, there is only very few people that understand the power buried in the
neem leaf.
Exp: In this verse, paththri stands for neem leaf and pavanai stands for the power. A
sincere devotee of Mother Maariamman can only understand the power in the neem leaf.
In fact, it is a tool for a sincere devotee of Mother to pass her blessings and the soul
purifying properties to those who need it. When a devotee is in an intense ecstasy, his or
her soul is nothing but Mother herself and in that elevated spiritual state, they can only
have a compassionate attitude towards all the people who are close them. This
compassion towards the fellow human beings comes to the devotee’s heart from the
Universal Mother’s spirit. In that state, the devotee wants to help all the rest of the fellow
human beings to the highest spiritual stage where they can meet Amman herself. In that
good intention, when the devotee feels like giving a symbolic representation of Mother’s
goodwill, the neem leaf has been found to be the perfect tool, since it has been used by
Amman herself in the past as noted before. This is the reason why the verse says that no
one understands the power innate to the neem leaf, except the sincere devotes of Mother
herself. To those who understand the Universal Mother, there is no tool in the world that
can help the human souls like neem leaves.
121. Waeppelaik kullerukkum wetthaikallai yaararrevaan
Mg: Oh Mother, who knows the miracles contained in the neem leaf?
Exp: Once again, this verse repeats for the second time that only those devotees who
receive the blessings of the Universal Mother can understand and perform miracles using
the neem leaf. Understanding, believing, and using the Universal Energy are some of the
steps followed by the Tamil Siddhas, who are blessed with Amman’s grace and who have
attained her lotus feet. Therefore, only those who have received the blessings by Mother
herself can understand the power contained in the neem leaf, and only those who received
the blessings from Mother can use the power of the neem leaf towards the removal of
karmas. Passing of Mother’s blessings and the purification of the spirit by using the tools
of neem leaf were given to the devotee by Mother herself. This is the reason why even
today the people of Southern India keep the neem tree in their temples and houses as a
symbolic representation of Mother herself in many. In fact, in some places, only the neem
tree is worshipped as the image of Amman without any other image of herself. This is
why in Maariamman Thalattu, the neem tree and the neem leaf has been repeatedly
recited as the miracle tree and miracle leaf in the hands of the sincere devotees of Mother
Maariamman.
122. Chadeloh thudaiparayman thoonndemully kaiparuman
Mg: The young plant is of the size of the thigh. The fishhook is of the size of the arm.
Exp: This line has a very deep meaning to the devotee who wants to achieve the blessings
of Mother Maariamman by his sincere devotion towards Her. The young plant referred to
in this line, represents the human soul. All the past karmas, which are like clouds around
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the soul, are compared to the fishhook in this line. So with this understanding, if you look
at the line again, one should be able to understand the influence of the past karmas that
have been accumulating over the soul for thousands of years. The purity of the soul is
compared to the size of the thigh, and the past karmas, as the fishhook, can hurt and take
the spiritual life of the soul is like the size of the hand. This is the reason why it is very
difficult to remove all the karmas of an individuals’ soul by ones own effort. One needs
the blessings and the mercifulness of Mother Maariamman to purify ones soul (size of the
thigh) from the karmas (size of the arm), which are almost equal to the size of the soul
itself. Essentially, what this line means, is that without the guidance and help of the
Universal Energy of Mother Maariamman, it is very difficult to cross the devotions of the
ocean of karmas and reach the divine shore, even though divinity is a part of the soul, or
the birth right of every soul in the universe.
123. Thoonndemullai thookket thudukkadakkummaremuttta
Mg: Oh Mother Maariamman, you are the gem of gems. You are the one who can remove
the hook-like karmas, which pulls away all the human souls from the divine shore and
makes them ferocious like rakshasas (demons).
Exp: This line gives the explanation of how the blessings and mercifulness of Mother
Maariamman can help the human souls cross the ocean of karmas and be a part of Her in
the end. All the problems, miseries, confusions, and fears are all due to the past karmas
the soul has accumulated over thousands of years in repeated births in different forms of
life (plant, animal, human) with ones five senses. When the senses develop in different
forms of life for the purpose of understanding and realizing the universal form of Mother
Maariamman, the misuse of those same senses can accumulates a heavy burden of
karmas through all the different births of the soul. Once a sincere soul realizes this maya,
it tries its best to remove all these karmas on its own, but this attempt is in vain.
However, by trial and error, when the soul finds the correct path of devotion towards the
Universal Mother, the process gets very easier and the soul realizes its destiny. The main
problem souls find here is finding the right path and following the same path in spite of
various forms of deviations from self, family, relatives and friends. Therefore,
Maariamman Thalattu gives a scientific explanation of why one should continue in
devotion towards the Universal Mother, even though various forms of obstacles come
during the period of trials and tests before the showering of Mother Maariamman’s grace.
124. Ohrraich chadewaada ooranaitthum pongkaleda
Mg: When one young plant shook, or danced, the entire town cooked pungal.
Exp: Earlier one of the former lines explains a chedel, or young plant, has been referred
to as the human soul. In this line, the chedel is being referred to as the purified soul that is
in a complete trance of ecstasy in Mother Maariamman’s blessings and mercy. When this
purified soul dances in ecstasy of Mother Maariamman’s grace, the entire town cooked
pungal, which is one of the favorite foods of Mother Maariamman and is usually
prepared by the South Indian Tamils. By offering the pungal to Mother Maariamman,
who is pouring Her blessings to this dancing devotee, the whole town is enjoying her
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mercy. Sometimes, it is a tradition among Tamils that the devotee in ecstasy is considered
to be Mother Maariamman herself, and so other individuals will even go to the extent of a
dialogue for the welfare of the town and its people.
125. Eraddaichade lada yeranndaneyum pongkaleda
Mg: When two chedals or two young plants shook or danced, both the opposing towns
cooked pungal.
Exp: The effect of the purified souls of the sincere devotees and their dances and
vibrations can influence many people who are not following the devotion of Mother
Maariamman as recommended by Tamil Siddhas. In the former line, one devotee in
ecstasy of Mother Maariamman can make a whole town of people to be happy and enjoy
the mercifulness of Mother Maariamman. In this line, it is said that the effect of two
devotes in the intense trance of Mother Maariamman can even make two towns who are
against each other for various reasons, find peace. Because of the blessings of Mother
Maariamman, these two devotees forget their differences and difference of opinions, and
both the groups get together in complete unison to celebrate her greatness in the form of
pungal, which is distributed the to everyone.
126. Pakkanch chadelaadappadaimannar kokkarekka
Mg: When the chedal, or the young plant, on the side shakes or dances, even the king
with the bravest army gets the influence to be scared.
Exp: In this line of the Maariamman Thalattu, the influence of a sincere devotee of
Mother Maariamman on a king and his army has been cited. When a king is ready to go
to war, he trains his army with utmost possible fierceness and ferociousness so that they
will fight the opposing army in complete valor and bravery. The slightest influence of the
devotee in ecstasy of Mother Maariamman has been noted here in this line as the young
plant moving sideways. Even at the slightest movement of the devotee in ecstasy can
influence the ferocious army of a king to get fearful and get back from the intention of
fighting or killing. This line, along with the other two lines mentioned earlier in the
Maariamman Thalattu, tries to explain the miracle works performed by many
Maariamman devotees during their complete union with Mother Maariamman’s energy
or during their state of complete state of ecstasy with her powerful compassionate and
merciful nature. Even though these lines give the explanation in a subtle way, a sincere
devotee of Mother Maariamman should be able to understand how the miracles of Her
devotional followers are performed again and again over thousands of years.
127. Paramacewan waachalelae paarrpachuvaikawukonda
Mg: Oh Mother Maariamman, You are the one who took the sacrifice of a cow that gives
milk in the gates of Lord Paramacewan’s temple.
Exp: When explaining the powerful nature of Mother Maariamman, many of Her past
achievements and miracles for the benefits of Her devotees has been reminisced. Her in
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this line, one of such incidents have been seen when Mother Maariamman was angry
with Lord Shiva. To pacify her angry and ferocious nature, the sacrifice of a milk-giving
cow had to be done in the olden days. The detailed story of this incident will be given in
the appendix. In short, Lord Ganesh, who is the eldest son of Mother Maariamman, was
created by the turmeric powder that came out as a physical manifestation of Her pure,
merciful, and powerful energy. This happened without the knowledge of Lord Shiva and
therefore, when Lord Ganesh was given a duty to protect the gates of the Mother’s
temple, Lord Shiva wanted to enter the temple, but was strongly objected by Lord
Ganesh. As a result, Lord Shiva got into a fight with Lord Ganesh and during that fight
Lord Shiva severed Ganesh’s head. This made Mother’s anger heighten, and even though
Lord Ganesh was given an elephant’s head as a replacement, Mother’s anger was not
pacified. And so, a sacrifice of a milk-giving cow was done by Lord Shiva to pacify her
ferocious nature. This incident has been cited in Maariamman Thalattu to show the
powerful energetic nature of Mother Maariamman, even over that of Lord Shiva himself.
128. Aemaneda wachalelae arumaikkedaa kawukondaay
Mg: Oh Mother, you are the Goddess who also took the sacrifice of a buffalo in front of
the God of Death, the Yaman.
Exp: In another instance to protect one of the devotees of Mother Maariamman, a
sacrifice of a buffalo had to be done. According to the story of the past, one of Mother
Maariamman’s sincere devotees did a deep penance to Mother Maariamman and gained
immortality as a boon from her. However, when the time for his physical death was near,
the Lord of Death, Yaman or Yamraj, ignored Mother’s boon to her devotee and tried to
end his life. At this instant, Mother Maariamman appeared before Yamraj with a
ferocious nature and instructed Lord Yamraj to leave her devotee from his hands of
death, but Yamraj refused, saying that the physical form of humans that is made of 5
budhas, such as soil, water, fire, air, and akash, have to go through the cycle of birth and
death according to the Universal Laws. Mother Maariamman got angrier at this instance
and explained to the God of Death that Maariamman’s devotees can always transcend
these 5 budhas by their sincere devotion towards her, and therefore, the cycle of birth and
death cannot touch a sincere devotee who was given immortality a long time ago as a
boon. The Lord of Death realized his mistake and asked Mother Maariamman’s
forgiveness by giving a sacrifice of a buffalo to pacify her anger towards him.
Reminiscing on this incident in this line, Mother Maariamman’s powerful nature, even
against the God of Death, has been mentioned.
129. Arumaikkedaa kamukondaay akkala thaeveyarae
Mg: Oh Mother, by taking the buffalo as a sacrifice against the God of Death, you have
proved that you are the Supreme God who can protect the devotees at all times, including
the Time of Death.
Exp: Although this line seems to give a very plain and simple explanation that the
Universal Mother Maariamman can protect a devotee during all the times, it has much
deeper meaning. In the tradition of Tamil Siddhas, immortality is a well-known concept,
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as well as, a well-kept secret. All the Siddhas who attained immortality and realized
deathless divine life were the followers of the Universal Mother Maariamman. That is
why even today one can see the statues of Siddhas close to Mother Maariamman in most
of the temples of Tamil Nadu. It is an accepted concept in the Southern part of India that
many Siddhas are still living in Amman’s temples, although, they may appear in different
physical forms. This secret of immortality that is attained by a sincere devotee of Mother
Maariamman is mentioned here in this line in a subtle way. Therefore, the reader should
understand that by the grace and blessings of Mother Maariamman, even the cycle of
birth and death could be conquered. This is the highest achievement any human life can
aspire for, according to many of the renowned yogis and saints. This highest achievement
has been achieved by renowned Tamil Siddhas, by their sincere devotion to Mother
Maariamman again and again in their histories.
130. Akkalathaeveyarae thekkallaa maanndasakthe
Mg: Oh Mother Devi, you are the ruler of all the times and your energy rules everywhere.
Exp: This line tries to give a glimpse of the characteristics of Mother Maariamman in
human words. She is the Goddess or the Supreme Power that ruled in control of all the
times the human intellectual mind can fathom, such as past, present, and future. In the
same way, her power is the basic energy that pervades all through the nature in terms of
atoms, molecules, life, intellect, mind, and consciousness. According to this line, the
supreme nature, Mother, is everywhere in physical and non-physical forms. Also, She is
the one who controls the structure and function of all these millions and millions of forms
and formless natures in the universe.
131. Kaasewalla nattallae kannayaakumareyarag
Mg: Oh goddess Mother Maariamman, you are from Kashi, the land of fertility and you
also belong to the land of Kanyakumari.
Exp: In this sentence from Maariamman Thalattu, we understand that Mother
Maariamman was worshipped in both Northern and Southern parts of India. The first
place Kasi is in a place called Varanasi, located in the Northern pat of India, in the state
of Uttar Pradesh. This place is also very popular for pilgrimage since Mother Ganges
flows in this land and it is the valley of the Himalayas. Whereas, the place mentioned
Kanyakumari, is in Southern tip of India, in the state of Tamil Nadu where even today
Mother Maariamman is worshipped as She was in the olden days. Therefore,
Maariamman Thalattu is evidence that Mother Maariamman has been worshipped from
North to South all over India at one point in time. However, currently the tradition
continues only in the present-day Tamil Nadu.
132. Kaasewalla natthaiveddu kattalake warumammaa
Mg: Oh Mother Maariamman, you are the most beautiful and merciful one, and please
come from your fertile land of Kasi to our temple.
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Exp: It is well known that the pure ice crystals melting from the top of the Himalayas
form the Ganges River, or Ganga Maa, as devotees often worship Her. On the way
coming down from the Himalayas, the River Ganges carries all the herbs and other sacred
vibrations from Mount Kailash to Hardiwar first, then Rishikesh, and on to Marinashi and
Kasi. This is one of the important sacred lands of India where Mother Maariamman is
blessing with her grace all the time. Therefore, the devotee knowing this is calling
Mother Maariamman to come to his temple from this land of Ganges. The sincere
devotion of the devotee and their supreme love to Mother Maariamman makes his heart
melt in the presence of Mother Maariamman in the temple only when his request has
been granted by her presence all the way from the fertile land of Kasi, the valley of
Himalayas and Mount Kailash.
133. Ooche Wallanaadu utheyaa kumarethaecham
Mg: The land if Kumari is comparatively to a small fertile land (wsi) that is filled with
Siddhas who make miracles.
Exp: This line from Maariamman Thalattu compares the land of Kasi in the Northern part
if India, to the land of Kumari in the Southern part of India. Rishis and saintly people
were more prevalent to the Ganges River in the olden days. Whereas, The Siddhas, who
surrendered themselves to Mother Maariamman, were more prevalent in the land of
Kumari, which is the modern state of Tamil Nadu. In this land, the Siddhas were popular
for their works in arts and sciences, as well as, numerous spiritual miracles. In fact, the
Siddhas were the first and foremost in the world to proclaim that even death can be
overcome by the grace of Mother Maariamman and her supreme knowledge. The
deathless art of Siddhas is even preached today in the land of Kumari, and many temples
in the Southern part of India have been built in places where those Siddhas have attained
immortality. The local people believe that these Siddhas still live in their sukshma body
and bless all the devotees of Mother Maariamman. The Siddhas are a different kind of
spiritual people compared to Rishis, Yogis, and Saints. Their knowledge can be more
comparable to that of modern science. In fact, many modern scientists have benefited
from the subtle guidance of the Tamil Siddhas. Siddhas have devoted their life in the
worship of the Universal Energy, and in that process have attained all the inherent
qualities of the Universal Mother, including immortality.
134. Ariyathann Padugiren Ammai Thirukkadhai
Mg: Oh Mother Maariamman, I am singing your glories, even though I do not understand
your origin, history, and all the miracles you have done, completely.
Exp: The Siddha or Siddhas composed the Maariamman Thalattu wherein they described
many of Mother Maariamman’s temples, as well as, her birthplace. In this line it is said
that they did not understand any of this completely. Indirectly, this means only a few
incidences of her miracles and a few places of her origin have been mentioned in
Maariamman Thalattu. Also, one should note the humble nature of Siddhas. They have
attained the unattainable, such as immortality or deathlessness with the worship of
Mother Maariamman, and have received her blessings like no other person who had been
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in Bhakti Yoga. Siddhas knew what they received by Mother Maariamman’s grace is
only a drop of water compared to an ocean that is nothing but the Universal Mother
herself. The simplicity, devotion, innocence, truthfulness, compassion, love, and
mercifulness of the Siddhas have lifted them to the highest level in the human race. It is
amazing that Siddhas still sing towards Mother Maariamman that they do not know Her
completely. This verse really means that Mother’s nature and Her blessings and miracles
are unfathomable. The reader should understand that even though Siddhas were the first
and foremost among all the devotees of Her, they still maintained their simplicity and
non-egotistical mind, which should be appreciated and followed by all the devotees of
Mother Maariamman.
135. Theriyadhan Padugiren Devi Thirukkadhaiya
Mg: Oh Mother Devi, I am singing your merciful stories, even though I never understood
your complete nature.
Exp: Once again, this verse repeats the same meaning mentioned above in that even,
though the Siddhas are singing the story of Mother Maariamman, the story is never
complete and nobody else can fathom Her nature, miracles, and mercifulness in
completion. Indirectly, the Siddhas denotes that even though one can experience the
gracefulness of Mother Maariamman and her merciful nature, when one tries to explain
through human intellect and a specific language, including Tamil, the expression does not
give complete justification to the feeling or experience the devotee went through. This is
the reason it is commonly said that one who has seen Her could never talk about Her and
one who talks about her did not see Her completely. It is important for any devotee to
surrender his or her ego completely, at the feet of Mother to get Her blessings and
mercifulness. Knowing this secret, the Siddhas are repeating their ignorance of Mother
Maariamman even though they were the first and foremost devotees of Her in history.
136. Ettuendral Eranduriyen Aezhaimma Unnadimai
Mg: Oh Mother Maariamman, when you say eight, I may miss two since I am a poor
slave at your feet.
Exp: This verse has a very deep meaning, which one can write a whole book on, since it
explains in a nutshell how Siddhas got their Yogic powers by their sincere devotion to
Mother Maariamman. Those readers who will not understand the philosophies are
encouraged to do more research on the science of immortality, as proposed and proved by
Tamil Siddhas. In this verse, Siddhas explain the important number eight and two, which
are explained in two meanings (paribasha), or subtle meanings. The eight stands for the
five senses and three important features of human beings, which is knowledge, feeling,
and remembrance. The two stands for body and mind. The eight and two concept
explains the path of Siddhas, or the Yogas of Siddhas. According to this concept, one
should control the five senses through which human life force is wasted. Also when
doing meditation, or yoga, ones awareness, feeling, focus and concentration should only
be on the Universal Mother. If one could practice this yoga of Siddhas sincerely, even
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immortality can be obtained. There is repeated evidence of this by the Tamil Siddhas in
the southern part of India, as well as, the foremost devotees of Mother Maariamman.
137. Paththendral Ondraren Palnamma Unnadimai
Mg: Oh Mother, when you say ten, I will not understand one since this slave is a child.
Exp: The number ten in Siddhas language is very important, just as eight and two which
are mentioned in the earlier verse. By their deep meditation for a number of years
together, the Tamil Siddhas have understood that the human body has seventy-two
thousand nadis and they have experienced each one of them completely. By studying
these nadis, they found out that ten nadis are very important for the healthy life,
longevity, and deathlessness. They also discovered how these ten nadis could be kept
alive for a long period of time. This is the reason why in this verse the Maariamman
devotee sings that he does not know the ten as given by the Universal Mother to the
immortal Siddhas. However, the devotee says that he or she needs the mercifulness and
the blessings of Her, even if he or she did not understand the importance of ten.
138. Padavagaiya Riyen Pattin Paranariyen
Mg: Oh merciful Mother, I do not know the method of singing and I do not know the
tunes of songs.
Exp: In this verse, Mother Maariamman’s devotee continues to imply his or her
ignorance when singing the praises of the Universal Mother, and asks for Her
forgiveness. The devotee also explains the ignorance of the tunes that are suitable for
Mother Maariamman’s songs. All these verses repeatedly mention and reiterate the
ignorance of the devotees. The followers of Maariamman Thalattu should understand that
the utmost simplicity and complete surrender is an important aspect to ones devotion
towards Mother Maariamman, and must be observed to get Her blessings. Even though
Siddhas have attained the height of human nature, they never showed their egotistic
nature at the feet of Mother Maariamman. In fact, Siddhas have devised methods for
burning the human ego at the feet of Mother Maariamman, since this process has been
found to be very essential to understand and appreciate Her nature and also to get Her
blessings. As the reader sees in the above-mentioned verses, the ignorance and
innocence of the Maariamman devotee has been repeatedly mentioned. The verses also
has hidden meanings of Siddhas philosophy, such as the numbers eight, two and ten, the
meanings of which have lifted them to the height of human nature. The method of
obtaining this knowledge from Mother Maariamman is to surrender ones Self and Ego
completely to the point that one is ignorant and innocent at Her feet.
139. Varaththa Vagaiyarien Varnickkep Perariyen
Mg: Oh Mother, I do not know how to address you and I do not know how to describe
your names.
Exp: In spite of explaining Mother Maariamman’s nature, including some of the places
where the people experience Her miracles, and Her true nature, which has been
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understood by only a few Siddhas, the Maariamman devotee again repeats that his
description of Her will never be complete. Even though the devotee sang the praises of
Mother Maariamman repeatedly in different tunes, they can never be complete according
to this verse since She is the origin of songs and she is the origin of tunes. Understanding
the meanings of these verses, the Maariamman devotee will never show his ego on any
occasion, and all the powers of songs, tunes, and knowledge received from Her grace will
be multiplied many times because of this mental attitude. Once again, it may look
contradictory to the human intellect, that in spite of attaining all the powers
unimaginable, the Siddhas sing that they did not know how to sing and did not know the
tunes of the songs. The reality is the Maariamman Thalattu describes the method and
process of obtaining these powers from Her grace.
140. Peram Aryenamma Petravale Enthaye
Mg: Oh Mother I do not know your Real name, even though, I am born from your
energy.
Exp. As mentioned in the above line, the innocence of the devotee is also expressed. The
devotee sincerely and devotionally declares their innocence by saying that even the name
of the Mother is not known, even though, the devotee is born from Mother Maariamman.
One can compare the height of innocence as to the child who does not know the name of
the Mother or Father. By repeating these words of innocence the devotee is completely
shedding off the personal ego. The egoistic nature of the human mind has always been
found to be the biggest hurdle to understand and realize the supreme qualities of the
Universal Mother. Therefore, the Maariamman Thalattu shows the technique of declaring
ones complete ignorance to Mother Maariamman, which ultimately leads to the
destruction of personal ego of the human mind. Once the mind is free from human ego it
is ready to absorb the supernatural blessings of Mother Maariamman. One can compare
this concept of ego in terms of the rigidity of human mind, due to material wealth,
physical power, or education, which become hindrance for spiritual development in the
modern day material world.
141.Kuzhanthai varundukindrathu un kovilukku ketaliyo maindan varundukindrathu un
maligaikku kethaliyo.
Mg: Oh Mother your child’s pain is intense for not seeing you. Cannot your temple hear
that sorrow? Your son is feeling the sorrow of not seeing you. Does your palace not hear
this sorrow?
Exp: When the devotee is in deep ecstasy of Mother Maariamman they may feel as
though he is the child trying get the love and affection from the Mother. Sometimes, the
devotee may also feel the closeness of a father and a son or a mother and a son in the
height of ecstasy in the Universal Mother’s presence. In these two lines the devotee
exclaims to Mother Maariamman unquenchable thirst for Mother Maariamman in terms
of saying “Oh Mother cannot you see the sorrow of your child because of not feeling
your presence”. Mother Maariamman is so merciful in her nature in that she unfailingly
grants request made by Her devotees. Knowing this, the Maariamman devotee can be
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sure Her presence and her spirit is available to him for purification of himself and the
other followers. This line also shows the method of getting Mother Maariamman’s mercy
is utmost sincere devotion. The union between human soul, or jivatma, and the Universal
Mother’s soul is parmatma, and this is made by the methodologies described in the
Maariamman Thalattu.
142. Maindhan varundhuradhum Maaligaikku kerkilayo
Mg. Oh Mother Maariamman! Does not your palace know the sorrow of your son?
Exp: Following the line above, the devotee, after expressing himself as the child of Her
own, expresses the closeness he feels with mother as Her. In India, it is customary that
the daughters usually become the part and parcel of the house that they are given for
marriage. That means the girls take the privileges of wealth and properties of their
husbands, as well as, the parent in-laws. However, it is also customary that the sons of the
family have the right to enjoy the privileges and properties owned by their parents.
Therefore, in this line when the devotee expresses himself as the son of mother
Maariamman it means that in his superior ecstasy of feeling one with Her energy, he has
a right to get her mercy and blessings. Therefore, the devotee is sincerely asking the
Mother, as an eligible son, can she hear his sorrowful feelings in her palace? The devotee
is sorrowful not for getting material wealth or worldly benefits, but his birth right of the
Mother’s supreme grace and mercy which every thing is possible and nothing is
impossible.
143. Paalan Varudhiradhu Paarvadhiye Ketkilaiyo
Mg. Oh Mother Parvati! Cannot you hear your son’s cry of sorrow.
Exp. In the former line, the devotee was asking the Mother to give his right of getting her
blessings. In continuation of his request for her blessings, he mentions an incident that
happened in the life of Mother Parvati, who is one of the incarnations of Amman
Adiparasakthi. In short, there was a time when Lord Ganesh’s father, Lord Shiva,
punished him for stopping Lord Shiva from entering into Mother Parvati’s residence.
Lord Ganesh was under the instructions of the Mother to not let anyone pass. This
incident made Mother Parvati get very angry with Lord Shiva. She became so angry that
she took the primordial form of Adiparasakthi, and all the Gods, including Lord Vishnu,
Lord Bramha, Goddess Laxmi, Goddess Saraswati, and all the other Dewas from the
Devloka had to pray for Amman’s universal form to stop Pralaya, or the destruction of
the universe in her extreme angriness. This reaction of Mother Parvati was due to the
suffering and sorrow that happened to Lord Ganesh. The affection for Lord Ganesh by
Parvati is so vast that it can go against Lord Shiva. By reciting this incident a devotee has
requested for Parvati to express that affection in terms of her presence in the temple,
while the devotee worships. Therefore, the devotee in his supreme ecstasy is asking
Mother Maariamman to hear his sorrowful cry and to come to his temple to show Her
powerful and merciful presence.
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(Rest of the verses will be translated and published soon. Any devotee interested in this
holy project, please contact Guruji:
Email: [email protected]
Tele: 786-231-8345
