பக்கம்:திருவாசகம்-ஆங்கில மொழிபெயர்ப்பு-1.pdf/37

Thiruchchitrarnbalan THIR UᏙAᎪᏨᎻAKAM; Thirfivaachakam (meaning sacred utterance) of Saint Maanickayaachagar is composed of fifty-one poems or decads mostly of ten verses or stanzas of four lines each, totalling 659 verses. We may divide the book into four chapters. The first four poems form the first chapter. The fifth poem-the sacred cento of 100 verses and the sixth with fifty verses may form the second chapter. Decads 7 to 20 may form the third part and the next thirty one (21 to 51) decads may form the fourth chapter. The last, fifth part- The Trial and Triumph of Saint Maanickavaachagar-is purely and original exposition of the real content of Thiruvaachakam in his path-way to God. This Chapter has been placed at the beginning of this valume. Each decad has a title based upon the gross substance of the poem/decad and a sub-title which pinpoints the quintessence of the decad. It gives the subtle inner meaning, probably of the development of the soul. It is said that these subtitles have been given by some unknown ancient commentator. The name of the place where each decad was sung has been given for all the 51 decads. 25 poems or decads, the maximum number, have been sung at Thiisai Chidambaram) in South Arcot District, 20 at Thirupperunthurai (Avudaiyaarkoil) in Thanjavur district, 2 at Thirts-Annamaiai in North Arcot district, one each at Thiru-uththarakosamangai in Ramnad district, Thirukazhukumdram, Chengai district, Thiru-thonipuram (Sirkazhi) and Thiru Aarur both in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu. ! 3