In a Zoom meeting of the ‘Ramana Maharshi Foundation UK’ on 8th January 2022 Michael James discusses the pallavi, anupallavi and first verse of Appaḷa Pāṭṭu:

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அப்பள மிட்டுப் பாரு — அத்தைச்

appaḷa miṭṭup pāru - attaic

பதச்சேதம்: அப்பளம் இட்டு பாரு; அத்தை சாப்பிட்டு, உன் ஆசையை தீரு.

Padacchēdam (word-separation): appaḷam iṭṭu pāru; attai sāppiṭṭu, uṉ āśaiyai tīru.

English translation: Making appaḷam, see; eating it, put an end to your desire.

Explanatory paraphrase: Making appaḷam [in the manner prescribed in this song], see [yourself as you actually are, namely as ‘I am I’]; eating it [by experiencing yourself as ‘oneself alone is oneself’], put an end to your desire [for anything other than yourself].

இப்புவி தன்னி லேங்கித் திரியாமற்

ibbhuvi taṉṉi lēṅgit tiriyāmaṟ

பதச்சேதம்: இப் புவி தன்னில் ஏங்கி திரியாமல், சத் போத சுக சற்குரு ஆனவர் செப்பாது சொன்ன தத்துவம் ஆகிற, ஒப்பு உயர்வு இல்லா ஓர் மொழியின்படி, (அப்பளம் இட்டு பாரு; …)

Padacchēdam (word-separation): i-b-bhuvi taṉṉil ēṅgi tiriyāmal, sat-bhōda-sukha saṯguru āṉavar seppādu soṉṉa tattuvam āhiṟa, oppu uyarvu illā ōr moṙiyiṉpaḍi, (appaḷam iṭṭu pāru; …)

English translation: Without wandering about yearning in this world, in accordance with the unique language without equal or greater, which is the truth that he who is sadguru, existence-awareness-happiness, spoke without speaking, (making appaḷam, see; …)

Explanatory paraphrase: Without wandering about yearning [with desire for pleasures] in this world, in accordance with the unique language [namely silence], [which is] without [anything that is] equal [to] or greater [than it], [and] which is the tattva [reality, truth or true principle] that he who is sadguru [namely Dakshinamurti], [who is] sat-bhōda-sukha [sat-cit-ānanda or existence-awareness-happiness], spoke without speaking, (making appaḷam, see; eating it, put an end to your desire.)

தானல்லா வைங்கோச க்ஷேத்ர மிதில்வளர்

tāṉallā vaiṅkōśa kṣētra midilvaḷar

பதச்சேதம்: தான் அல்லா ஐம் கோச க்ஷேத்ரம் இதில் வளர் ‘தான்’ என்னும் மானம் ஆம் தான்ய உளுந்தை நான் ஆர் என் ஞான விசார திரிகையில் ‘நான் அல்ல’ என்றே உடைத்து பொடித்து, (அப்பளம் இட்டு பாரு; ...)

Padacchēdam (word-separation): tāṉ allā aim kōśa kṣētram idil vaḷar ‘tāṉ’ eṉṉum māṉam ām tāṉya uḷundai nāṉ ār eṉ ñāṉa-vicāra tirigaiyil ‘nāṉ alla’ eṉḏṟē uḍaittu poḍittu, (appaḷam iṭṭu pāru; …)

English translation: In the hand-mill of awareness-investigation, who am I, breaking and pulverising the black gram grains, which are the identification ‘myself’ that grows in this, the field of five sheaths, which is not oneself, as ‘not I’, (making appaḷam, see; …)

Explanatory paraphrase: In the hand-mill of jñāna-vicāra [awareness-investigation], [which is the practice of being keenly self-attentive in order to see] who am I, breaking and pulverising the black gram grains, which are the māna [attachment, identification, pride or conceit] ‘myself’ [the dēhābhimāna, the proud identification and attachment ‘this field of five sheaths is myself’] that grows [and flourishes] in this, the field of five sheaths [namely body, life, mind, intellect and will], which is not oneself, [thereby separating that entire field of five sheaths from oneself] as ‘not I’, (making appaḷam, see; eating it, put an end to your desire.)

While discussing this first verse of Appaḷa Pāṭṭu Michael discusses the meaning and implications of various other passages from Bhagavan’s writings, including Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai, Uḷḷadu Nāṟpadu and Upadēśa Undiyār.

This episode can also be watched as a video, 2022-01-08a Ramana Maharshi Foundation UK: Michael James discusses Appaḷa Pāṭṭu verse 1, and a more compressed audio copy in Opus format (which can be listened to in the VLC media player and some other apps) can be downloaded from here.

After discussing this first verse of Appaḷa Pāṭṭu Michael answers questions about this and other aspects of Bhagavan’s teachings, particularly the practice of self-investigation and self-surrender, and this part of the meeting is recorded in a separate episode: Appaḷa Pāṭṭu verse 1 Q&A.