This a Tamil version of the Hindi bhajan ‘Namuliyore Namuliyore’. It’s not a verbatim copy, but it follows the same tune.
துதியுங்கள்
போற்றித் துதியுங்கள் புகழ்ந்து பாடுங்கள்
புனிதவன் நாமத்தையே உயர்த்திக் கூறுங்கள்
பாவம் போக்கினான் சாபம் நீக்கினான்
பாரினிலே அவன்போல் தெய்வம் வேறுயாருளார்
அமைதியளித்தான் அன்பையளித்தான்
அவனியிலே அவன்போல் தெய்வம் வேறுயாருள்ளார்
தன்னையளித்தே ஒரு தியாகமே செய்தான்
தரணியிலே அவன்போல்தெய்வம் வேறுயார் உளார்
ஞானமளிப்பான் நலமும் அளிப்பான்
நாதனைப்போல் தெய்வம் இங்கு வேறுயாருள்ளார்
பக்தியளித்தான் முத்தியளித்தான்
பரமன் அவன் புகழினையே போற்றிப்பாடுங்கள்
என்னையும் மீட்டே ஓர் ஏற்றம் அளித்தான்
முக்தி ஈசனைப்போல் மேதினியில் வேறுயாருளார்
மீண்டும் வருவான் உடன் கூட்டிச்செல்லவே
அந்த மீட்பனவன் நாமத்தையே மீண்டும் கூறுங்கள்
02-04-1999. தில்லி.
English Translation
Hail Him glorifying and sing to Him with praising
Uphold highly His Holy Name
He removed my curse and sin
Who else is a God like Him other than Him
He gave peace and love
Who else is a God like Him other than Him
By giving Himself He has done a sacrifice
Is there any other God like Him on this world?
He will give wisdom and also benefits
Like this Lord is there any other deity
He gave bhakti and Mukti
Sing the glory of this High God
By redeeming me He uplifted me
Who else is there like Muktesan
He will come again to take me with Him
Tell again the Name of that redeemer.
02-04-1999. Delhi
Comments
Not only having single-minded devotion, but rejecting other deities as not equal to one’s own personal God is part of Hindu bhakti tradition. In almost every major mainline bhakti poems such thoughts are widespread. I need not quote from them to prove my point. But the refrain ‘who else is like Him’ is not intend to compare the Lord with other deities, but following a general trend of such songs I too have included such words. However my intension is not to compare the Lord with other deities to condescend them.
For me the gospel is unique and the Lord is unique. And we need not prove His uniqueness by comparing with other deities. I often say that there is no point in putting gods in competition to win their place among humans. When my guru became my God then He is unique in every sense. By comparing Him with other deities to prove His greatness and uniqueness I am not uplifting the standard of my Lord or condescending other Gods, but lowering the concept of bhakti itself.
For every bhakta, her personal God (Ishtadevata) is her own. In other words, by using Vaishnavite terminology, God is the only male and every other atman is the female principle longing to have personal and individual union with Him. And in that union there is no place for comparison or competition.
30-7-2014