In a Zoom meeting with Sri Ramana Center, Houston, on 4th November 2023, Michael James discusses Uḷḷadu Nāṟpadu Anubandham, verse 9.

The following is Michael's translation of this verse:

அகக்கம லத்தே யமல வசல

வகமுருவ மாகு மறிவே — தகத்தை

யகற்றிடுவ தாலவ் வகமா மறிவே

யகவீ டளிப்ப தறி.

ahakkama lattē yamala vacala

vahamuruva māhu maṟivē — dahattai

yahaṯṟiḍuva dālav vahamā maṟivē

yahavī ḍaḷippa daṟi.

பதச்சேதம்: அக கமலத்தே அமல அசல அகம் உருவம் ஆகும் அறிவு ஏது, அகத்தை அகற்றிடுவதால் அவ் அகம் ஆம் அறிவே, அக வீடு அளிப்பது. அறி.

Padacchēdam (word-separation): aha-kamalattē amala acala aham-uruvam āhum aṟivu ēdu, ahattai ahaṯṟiḍuvadāl a-vv-aham ām aṟivē aha-vīḍu aḷippadu. aṟi.

அன்வயம்: அறிவு ஏது அக கமலத்தே அமல அசல அகம் உருவம் ஆகும், அவ் அகம் ஆம் அறிவே அகத்தை அகற்றிடுவதால் அக வீடு அளிப்பது. அறி.

Anvayam (words rearranged in natural prose order): aṟivu ēdu aha-kamalattē amala acala aham-uruvam āhum, a-vv-aham ām aṟivē ahattai ahaṯṟiḍuvadāl aha-vīḍu aḷippadu. aṟi.

English translation: What awareness is the blemishless, motionless ‘I’-form in the heart-lotus, only that awareness, which is ‘I’, will give inner liberation by removing ‘I’. Know.

Explanatory paraphrase: What awareness exists [and shines] in the heart-lotus as the blemishless [immaculate or pure] and motionless [hence immutable] ‘I’-form [the svarūpa or real nature of ‘I’, meaning ‘I’ as it actually is], only that awareness, which is ‘I’ [namely ātma-svarūpa, the real nature of oneself], will give inner liberation [or liberation, which is ‘I’] by removing [expelling or banishing] ‘I’ [namely ego, the spurious ‘I’ that rises and subsides]. Know [this by investigating this pure and motionless awareness that shines eternally as ‘I’ without ever rising or subsiding].

This episode can also be watched as a video here 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.