Golden Lay Verses

Verse 325 (மந்திர வைப்பு)

தமிழ் பாடல்

ஜம் ஹ்ரீம் ஸ்ரீம் ஐம் க்லீம் சௌம் க்ரீம்

ஆமுன் பின்னோம் பாலா பவ நவாக்கம்

Transliteration

jam hrīm srīm aim klīm saum krīm

āmun pinnōm pālā pava navākkam

Literal Translation

“JAM, HRĪM, ŚRĪM, AIM, KLĪM, SAUM, KRĪM —

with ‘AUM’ placed in front and behind: the nine-syllabled (navākṣara) formula of Bālā–Bhava.”

Interpretive Translation

A cryptic instruction for a Śakti-mantra: chant the sequence of seed-syllables (bīja) and ‘seal’ it by placing Oṁ at both the beginning and the end, thereby forming a secret nine-syllable mantra associated with Bālā (the youthful Goddess, often linked to Tripurasundarī) and Bhava (a Śiva/Bhairava aspect or “becoming/existence”).

Philosophical Explanation

This verse is not descriptive prose but a mantric recipe.

1) Structure (mantra-coding): The first line lists bīja-syllables—phonetic “seeds” believed to carry condensed powers (śakti) rather than dictionary meaning. The second line functions like an instruction manual: “AUM in front and behind,” then labels the result as a “navākṣara” (nine-syllabled) mantra and associates it with “Bālā–Bhava.” If Oṁ is added at both ends, the sequence becomes nine units: Oṁ + (7 bījas) + Oṁ.

2) Yogic logic: In Siddhar and tantric usage, bījas are used to shape prāṇa through sound (nāda) and attention (bhāva). Oṁ as the prefix/suffix works like a protective enclosure (kavaca/bandha), “opening” and “closing” the sonic circuit so the practice is contained and does not dissipate.

3) Theological layering (intentionally compressed): - HRĪM commonly signals Śakti/māyā and inner fire of mantra. - ŚRĪM evokes auspiciousness, fullness, and generative prosperity (Lakṣmī-current). - AIM is tied to cognition/speech-power (Sarasvatī-current), also mantra-śakti for clarity. - KLĪM is an attraction/union bīja (kāma/saṅkalpa magnetism). - SAUM leans toward soma/nectar-cooling, a balancing lunar current. - KRĪM is often associated with Kālī-force: cutting, transformation, fierce purification. - JAM is less stable across traditions; it can be a binding/controlling seed, sometimes linked with restraint, warding, or a specific devatā-current depending on lineage.

4) “Bālā–Bhava” as a pairing: It can indicate (a) a mantra addressed to a Goddess-form (Bālā) conjoined with a Śiva/Bhairava form (Bhava), pointing to Śakti–Śiva non-duality; or (b) Bālā as the mantra’s presiding śakti and Bhava as the experiential goal—intensified “becoming/existence” stabilized through sound.

Siddhar ambiguity is preserved: the verse gives a skeleton (syllables + placement rule) while leaving initiation details—intonation, nyāsa, breath-count, internal visualization, and ethical prerequisites—unstated.

Key Concepts

  • bīja-mantra (seed syllables)
  • Oṁ as enclosure/seal (opening and closing of mantra)
  • navākṣara (nine-syllabled mantra)
  • Bālā (youthful Goddess / Tripurasundarī current)
  • Bhava (Śiva/Bhairava aspect; also “becoming/existence”)
  • nāda (sound-current) and prāṇa-shaping
  • Śakti–Śiva non-duality
  • mantra as cryptic instruction rather than narrative

Ambiguities or Multiple Readings

  • “ஆமுன் பின்னோம்” can be read as an instruction (“AUM in front and behind”), but orthography permits confusion between “Aum/Oṁ” and a plain vowel-led ‘ām’; scribal variance is possible.
  • “நவாக்கம்” likely stands for “navākṣaram/navākṣara” (nine-syllabled), but could also be read more loosely as “nine utterances/phrases” depending on dialectal contraction.
  • Whether the nine units are counted as Oṁ + 7 bījas + Oṁ (making 9) is plausible; alternatively some lineages might count syllables differently (e.g., treating Oṁ as multiple phonetic components or omitting the final Oṁ in practice).
  • “பவ” may point to Bhava (a name/title of Śiva/Bhairava), or more abstractly to bhāva/bhava as ‘state of being/becoming’; both readings can coexist.
  • The bīja “JAM” has multiple lineage-specific assignments (protective/binding/devatā-specific). The verse does not specify the devatā mapping, implying an initiated context.