(aiyatikaL kAtavarkOn nAyanAr purANam - Periyapuranam as English poetry)

 
 
        "I am a servitor of the servitors 
        Of Aiyatikal Kaatavarkon." 
         
                    - The Tiru-th-Tonda-th-Tokai. 
 
1.     He hailed from the dynasty of the world-renowned 
    Pallavas; quelling cruel Kali and enmity and all troubles 
    Which sprang from them, he ruled, poised 
    In the divine way of Saivism of the Lord 
    Of ruddy matted hair; he was Aiyatikal who brought 
    His subjects under his feet by the justice 
    Of his righteous sceptre.                    (4046) 
 
 

                                                       
 
 
2.     Under his rule, opulent glory flourished; all lives 
    In this vast world were sweetly poised in greatness; 
    The way of dharma thrived; the ways of Saivism 
    And of the rare Vedas glowed with splendour; 
    It was thus he ruled subjugating his enemies 
    And making them abide under his feet.                (4047) 
 
3.     Kings obeyed him; northern Sanskrit and southern 
    Tamil with all their wealth of scripture, came under 
    His mastery; even when he so ruled, he resolved thus:  
    “Kingship indeed is misery.” He quit it in utter 
    Contempt, having had his beauteous son crowned. 
    He then willingly performed service divine, 
    Firmly established in the goodly way of Saivism.        (4048) 
 
4.    The fosterer of the right of servitor ship fared forth 
    To all the shrines in this sea-girt world, where the Lord 
    Of gods willingly abides, beheld and adored 
    The Deity; he performed such acts of service as became 
    His dutiful servitor ship; at each shrine he composed a venpaa 
    In bountiful Tamil and hailed the Lord.                (4049) 
 
5.     Adoring the Lord in great spiraling love, he came 
    To the presence of the Lord-Dancer of ruddy, matted 
    Hair, who enacts the Dance divine at Tirucchitrambalam 
    Of Perumpatrappuliyoor, and worshipped there; 
    The great one adorned the Lord with a soft flower-- 
    A venpa in splendorous Tamil.                    (4050) 
 
6.     There he was blessed with the grace of the Lord 
    And there he sojourned; then he fared forth to all 
    The temples in this world where the Lord 
    Abides in joy, adored Him in redeeming love,  
    Performed fitting service and sang the sweet 
    And dulcet venpaa-s hailed by all the worlds.            (4051) 
 
7.     Thus Aiyatikal Kaatavarkon of Kaanchi girt 
    With an impregnable fortress, performed for many 
    Many days, in this way, his becoming service 
    Which pleased the Lord’s servitors, and then 
    Reached the holy company of the ever-during 
    Devotees who in aeviternal Siva-loka abide 
    Under the hallowed feet of the Supreme Lord.            (4052) 
 
8.     Adoring the lotus-feet of Aiyatikal Kaatavanaar 
    Who adorned with beauteous garlands of hymns 
    The Lord who adorns Himself with snakes of poisonous sacs, 
    We proceed to narrate the servitor ship 
    Of Kanampullar whose chinta ever performed 
    The tapas of adoration to the feet of the Lord 
    Whose hands sport the fawn and the mazhu.            (4053) 
 
9.     He cast into the river the gold given by the Lord 
    Of Muthukunru who blued His throat by eating 
    The poison for the deliverance of the worlds, 
    And took it out from the great and bountiful tank 
    Of Tiruvaaroor hailed by the seven worlds; 
    We suffer not from the least of mental perturbances 
    As he has lifted us straight from the Karmic pit.        (4054) 
 
---------------- 
 
NOTES 
 
Verse No. 
 
   3.    Kingship indeed is misery: Cf. ‘Uneasy lies the head that wears the  
    crown.” - Shakespeare. 
 
   4.    The life of this kingly servitor was one continuous holy pilgrimage. 
 
   5.    Venpa: A Tamil quatrain which effectively conveys the intended message. 
 
 
        Here ends the Puranam of Ai Atikal Kaadavarkon Naayanaar. 
                           - - - - - 
Sincere thanks to Sri. T N Ramachandran of thanjavur, for permitting his English rendering of the holy text periyapurANam be published here.

See Also: 
1. aiyaDikaL kADavarkOn nAyanAr purANam in English prose 
2. ஐயடிகள் காடவர்கோன் நாயனார் புராணம் (தமிழ் மூலம்) 
3. thiruththoNDar purANam main page
4. 12 shaivite thirumuRais