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The Puranam of Eyarkone Kalikkama Nayanar
(EyarkOne kalikkAma nAyanAr purANam - Periyapuranam as English poetry)
"I am a servitor of the servitors of
Yeyarkone Kalikkaaman"
- The Tiru-th-Tonda-th-Tokai.
1. In the bountiful and glorious Chola country rich
In, water, it is situate east of the northern bank
Of the Cauvery abounding in gold; it is the beauteous town
Tirupperumangakalam of abiding glory;
The flowery lianas in its mansions sway in the wind. (3155)
2. Its battlements are fitted with contraptions
Of destructions; its beauteous, tall and hill-like
Mansions are cloud-capped; the eyes of the women
Are deadly as poison; their feet are dyed with red
Silk-cotton and this hue could be seen, on the hair
In the heads of young bull-like heroes. (3156)
3. Its long and beautiful streets ever glowed
With festivities; in its theatres where danseuses
Of dense hair danced, the resounding of drums
Could always be heard; in the auspicious courtyards
The throng of children could aways be seen;
The prosperous clans of husbandmen are ever blessed
With the increase of tillage. (3157)
4. In loving devotion the serviteurs thronged to the presence
Of the triple-eyed, blue-throated Lord
In whose crest the Ganga flows; with a glory
Matchless on earth, they ever hailed the hallowed feet
Of the Supreme One so that the town could be likened
To the very heaven of Siva. (3158)
5. In this splendid town throve the clan of Yeyar Ko;
For generations it supplied the generals to the hoary
Chola-kings; this clan glowed with a continued splendour
From the hoary past; in the Ponni realm its greatness
Was established in husbandry. (3159)
6. In that glorious clan he made his avatar; he was
Kalikkamar, the serviteur of the Lord in whose crest
The Ganga flows; he hailed the feet of those
The hailed the feet of their Lord and in swelling love
He would render unto them all service. (3160)
7. He rendered abundant and multifoliate service
To Tiruppungkoor presided over by the Lord who wears
In His matted hair the young crescent; holding fast
To the conviction that true riches are, the Holy Ash dear
To the Lord, he adored and hailed him and revelled in joy. (3161)
8. When he heard that the Prince of Naavaloor plied the Lord
As his messanger to his wife, he blamed him and spoke
Thus: "Whoever would do an act like unto this?"
I will now narrate the gracious act of the Lord of gods
Who was to administer a corrective to his thinking. (3162)
9. Those were the days when after hymning the decad
Of the Tiru-th-tonda-th-tokai, the lord of Naavaloor
In single-minded devotion and love, hailed the feet
Of the unique One of Tiruvaroor girt with beauteous walls,
And adored Him in melting devotion during the three divisions
Of the day, and abode in that town, poised
In that true and great love of God. (3163)
10. A great Velaala of integrity and rectitude
Called Kundaiyoor Kizhaar flourished in that time,
As his industrious tillage conferred on him
Manifold increase; he was firmly established
In his servitorship to Sundarar, who was in a lis,
Vanquished by the Lord who wears a bright and white
Crescent in His crest, in His guise as a Brahmin. (3164)
11. For many many days and without fail, he arranged
To send daily to the mansion of Paravaiyaar
Goodly paddy, flavoury pulses of golden hue,
Ambrosial sugarcanes and the like, in great
Abundance as provision for the victuals
Of Van-tondar of everlasting renown. (3165)
12. Then came to him he inglorious plight when he could
Not, one day, send as usual and in loving ardour,
The provision of paddy and the like, as the sky
Withheld the rains and the bounty of the earth ceaed to be;
So he languished with a sore mind. (3166)
13. "I canst not this day send any paddy to the mansion
Of Van-tondar at Tiruvaaroor; dearth is come;
What shall I do?" Thus he mused.
Stricken with great grief he would not eat;
When thus he slept that night, the Merciful One
Graced Him thus in his dream: (3167)
14. "We have provided you with paddy for Aarooran!"
As he river-crested Lord that spake thus
Commanded Kubera, throughout that town, paddy heaps
Like mountains, appeared covering the immense sky
Where clouds would sail. (3168)
15. When the night ended, and it dawned, he woke up
Witnessing it and wondered thus: "In which world
Could have grown this paddy-mountain?"
He then hailed the divine grace of the Lord
Who bent the ruddy and auric mountain into a bow;
Up he rose adoring the husband of Paravaiyaar
Whose lips were ruddy like Kovvai. (3169)
16. "This is God's own paddy for the prince of Navaloor!
Whoever could transport all this? I will go to him
And apprise him of this deed (of God)." Thus thinking
He fared forth; as the Lord of gods had duly apprised
Aaroorar of all that happened, he fared forth
And met him on his way by the behest of the Lord. (3170)
17. Kundaiyoor Kizhaar fell adoringly at the feet
Of true and flawless Sundarar who met him, rose up,
And said: "When the service of your servant that continued
In all the past, was beset with want, the Lord Himself
Who is the God of gods, granted this paddy mountain." (3171)
18. He subjoined and said: "This mountainous and extensive heap
Of paddy is not to be transported by men;
Conveying the paddy is beyond me; when Aaroorar
Heard him spake thus he said: "It is the Lord who wears
The moist moon on His crest, that in loving grace
Has granted you this paddy." He spoke to him
Sweet words, and, ere long, reached Kundaiyoor. (3172)
19. Nampi Aaroorar beheld the paddy-mountain
That stood scaling the heavens; he adorned
And hailed the Lord; marvelling exceedingly
He said: "Unless the wearer of the cool crescent,
The Lord Himself, is pleased to provide the men also
For transporting this paddy to the house of Paravai
Of endless glory, nothing could be done." (3173)
20. To be blessed with divine carriers, he fared forth
To the nearby town Kolilee and came to the shrine
Of his Lord and sang the decad in which, he beseeched
His Lord thus; "May she (my helpmeet) of bright eyes
Grieve not." When he in swelling love sang the decad before the Lord(3174)
21. By the grace of the Pure One, an ethereal
And unbodied voice spake thus: "When the day ends
My Bhootha-host will carry this immense heap
Of paddy and therewith fill not only the house of Paravi
But the whole of the world-famous Tiruvaaroor also." (3175)
22. Hailing the grace of the Lord, he fell prostrate
On the floor, rose up and again hailed and a_ored
The Lord's hallowed feet, unknowable to eve
The celestials; worshipping the Lord whose matted hair
Flashes like ruddy gold in His nearby shrines, the lord
Of languae of Navaloor, returned to the Lord's Tiruvaroor. (3176)
23. He moved into Poongkoyil where the Ancient One willingly
Abides, dispensing grace; in uninterrupted joy
He hailed the Lord, and moved out, encircled by the devotees
And hailed by them, Aaroorar moved into the lofty
And beautiful mansion of Paravaiyaar. (3177)
24. He narrate the happenings to Paravaiyaar whose lips were
Ruddy like Kovvai and who listened to him in rapture;
He spent his time with her in great joy; then that night
By the divine grace of the Lord and His Uma whose mount is
The Bull, the Bhootha-Host proceeded forth in throngs. (3178)
25. The host of Kural-Bhoothas carried the paddy mountain
From Kundaiyoor, and filled with paddy
The mansion of her whose perfumed locks were buzzed by bees:
They also made the whole stretch of the Lord's Tiruvaaroor
A range of paddy-mountain at whose beauty beholders would marvel.(3179)
26. When the night ended and day dawned, the dwellers of Aaroor
Asked thus in wonder: "In which world indeed did these
Paddy hills grow?" Then spake some by way of answer, thus:
"Unto glorious Paravaiyaar whose splendorous eyes
Are like those of a fawn, this is a gift by Nampi Aaroorar
Who came to be born for the flourishing of this world." (3180)
27. Beholding the paddy hill hard to remove, blocking all paths
And passages, people retreated into their houses
And said: "Even for Paravaiyaar, the incarnation of fortune,
It would be well nigh impossible to clear and store all this paddy."(3181)
28. She grew happy when she saw the paddy gifted to her
By Van-tondar; then Paravaiyaar of great glory had it
Announced by beat of triumphal drums thus: "Each one can
Gather into his beauteous house that portion
Of the paddy-hill that lies about his house." (3182)
29. As the drummers made the announcement to clear the paddy
From the pathways, so that people might walk without let,
They filled their houses with paddy and also gathered it
In countless earthen receptacles near the sides
Of their houses and revelled in joy; witnessing this,
Paravaiyaar bowed low before Van-Tondar, the wearer
Of a garland set with gems. (3183)
30. During the days when Nampi Aaroorar abode at Tiruvaroor in joy,
He adored the rich Honey enshrined in the Ant-hill
Of ruddy gold in great longing; be bowed low and drank in
The Honey which began to course in his consciousness,
And he so hailed and adored the Lord that the dwellers
Of heaven and earth marveled at it. (3184)
31. Kotpuliyaar of glowing glory falling at the feet
Of Aaroorar of unbounded glory, beseeched him to make a visit
To his town; when Aaroorar consented to this, he once again
Paid obeisance to him; then he whose greatness
Of culture was hailed by many, returned to his town. (3185)
32. He adored the Lord-God who rules uniquely the opulent
Tiruvaaroor where Devas step aside that the serviteurs
Might in dense throngs straight move in and adore the Lord;
Then worshipping the Lord at His other shrines
And blessed with His grace, Navaloorar proceeded onward
In ardent love, to hail in hymns the Lord who is
Concorporate with His Consort. (3186)
33. Adoring the Lord unknowable to Vishnu and Brahma
In all the shrines where He abides in joy,
He came to Naattiyatthaankudi of the world-renowned
Kotpuliyaar; he greeted Aaroorar and adored him in joy
And conducted him to his beauteous and gem-set
Mansion in great delight. (3187)
34. He had Aaroorar seated in a seat of gold inlaid
With gems of purest ray serene; with pure water
He washed his roseate and redemptive feet
And sprinkled it on his person; he also sprinkled
The holy water on his entire and bright mansion;
In great joy he desired to perform unto Aaroorar
A great pooja in unison with the ordained rules. (3188)
35. He gathered in countless comely platters the peerless
Sandal-paste ground_with exquisite and cool dew,
The fragrant paste of eagle-wood, sweet scented cream
Of musk, fragrant and fumingated civet,
Aromatic campher and areca-nuts and betel-leaves. (3189)
36. With many and varied wreaths, chaplets and garlands,
Many pretty jewels set with peerless gems,
And innumerable and manifold clothes and garments of woven
Splendour, he stood before him--the servitor of the Lord
Who is river-crested, hailed him and thus wrought
The endless pooja which Aaroorar was pleased to accept. (3190)
37. Kotpuliyaar who was the rightful general of the sceptred
Chola king, feasted our lord, the Prince of Navaloor
In his palace in great friendliness and adored him;
His loving devotion for him soared like a swelling sea
And he hailed him again and again. (3191)
38. Borne by that great love he conducted Singkatiyaar,
His first born daughter--the fruit of his rare askesis--,
Decked with a honey-laden garland and her younger sister
Vanappakai whose eyes were like the fawn's,
To the presence of Van-tondar and caused them to adore his feet--
Like unto fresh and pure flowers--; he too adored him
And addressed him thus: (3192)
39. 'These are my daughters; be pleased to accept them
As your sevants granting unto them the privilege of adoring
Your flower-fragrant feet and thus gain deliverance."
Thus beseeched, he replied even thus:
"These bangled beauties are truly my hallowed daughters."
Thus declaring, the husband of Paravaiyaar conferred
On them the status of daughters. (3193)
40. He seated on his lap the daughters whose koontals were
Decked with chaplets; with a father's love for his daughters,
He kissed them on their crowns whence rolled
Down his tears of love; he conferred on them gifts
And benedictions; then Nampi Aaroorar, the companion
Of the Lord proceeded to the shrine of the Lord. (3194)
41. He adored the temple-tower of the Lord whose flag sports
The victorious Bull; he moved in with a single-minded
Devotion folding his hands above his head and bowed
Before the Lord; he hymned a divine decad beginning
With the word "Poonaam," and in that decad he hailed Kotpuliyaar
Who was graced by the Lord, the Wearer of Konrai flowers. (3195)
42. In the concluding hymn of the decad, deeming himself
To be father that begot Singkatiyaar, and unforgetful
Of that conferred kinship he described himself
As the father of Singkatiyaar, he completed the tuneful
And melodious decad and adored the Lord blessed with His grace. (3196)
43. He moved out of that town and in joy engendered
By boundless love he reached Valivalam of the Lord who sports
A ruddy eye in His forehead; he adored Him
And adorned him with an ever-resplendent garland
Of Tamil verse in which he affirmed that he had a darshan of the Lord
Who is concorporate with His Consort, at Valivalam. (3197)
44. He praised the Lord in his decad thus: "You rejoiced to hear
The hymns of goodly, great and joyous Gnaanasambandhar
And Navukkarasar!" He adored and hailed the Lord
And in joy celebrated his glory; blessed with his leave
He came to glorious Tiruvaaroor of the Lord who dances
In the Ambalam; he moved into the Poongkoyil
And worshipped the roseate and golden feet of the Lord. (3198)
45. Having adored the Lord, he moved out and came
To the mansion of Paravaiyaar, and abode there
In great joy; thence he visited the nearby shrines,
Hailed the Lord there and returned to Tiruvaaroor
Where he abode inseparably linked to the worship
Of the feet of the Lord enshrined in the Ant-Hill. (3199)
46. The hallowed Pankuni-utthara festival of the Lord
Of Tiruvaroor drew near; to provide Paravaiyaar
With all that was needed for her to give away liberally
To the servitors and thus fulfil their needs, Nampi Aaroorar
Desired to come by gold; so he fared forth
To Pukaloor to hail the feet of the Lord. (3200)
47. He came to the Tiruppukkaloor temple of the Lord of gods
And in love adored its court; he then circumambulated
The shrine and came before the Lord where he fell prostrate
On the floor in_adoration, poised in the love that is
Engendered by the traditional servitorship to the Lord's feet,
Rose up, and sang the divine decad in which
His prayer(for gold) was couched. (3201)
48. He prayed for a while; even as his mind lingered there
He came out of the adytum, empty-handed (as he was not
Blessed with the gold sought by him); he would not
Move out to abide in any matam;as Van-Tondar
Companied with the wise serviteurs tarried in the court,
His eyes were besieged by sleep; we know not if this was
By the grace of the Lord who sports a fawn in His hand. (3202)
49. As thus sleep came to him, the companion of the Lord
Had a few of the heaped-up bricks stored there
For renovation work, brought to him and had
An eminence raised; he spread his upper garment
Of silk on it so that he could rest his tufted head
Bedecked with a chaplet in whose melliferous flowers
Chafers lay cradled, as on a pillow. (3203)
50. The devotees to slumbered; when the consort
Of Paravaiyaar woke up and opened his lotus-like eyes,
By the grace of the Lord-Rider of the victorious Bull,
He saw that the bricks had turned into solid blocks
Of ruddy gold; then he hailed the Lord's divine grace. (3204)
51. The devotees too woke up; up he rose in joy
And folding his hands, like unto lotus-buds, over his head,
He moved into the sacred shrine, worshipped the Lord,
In love that knew no bounds and hymned Him
Fittingly in a sweet and melodious and tuneful garland
Of Tamil verse which opened thus: "Thammaiye pukazhnthu..." (3205)
52. He concluded the decad and sealed it with
His benediction; hailing and adoring the Lord
He moved out blessed with the peerless grace of the Lord
Who confers it in this life itself; with the heaps
Or riches, the wearer of the sacred thread proceeded
To Tiruppanaiyoor of the Lord who wears on His matted hair
The whole river and part of the moon. (3206)
53. The Lord of the ruddy matted hair gave him a darshan
Of his divine Dance at the outskirts of Tiruppanaiyoor;
There itself he prostrated on the ground
In swelling love, adored the Great One, hymned Him
In a decad which would grant deliverance to the world,
And affirmed therein thus: "He that dances in the Ambalam
Is indeed the beauteous Lord!"
Blessed with His grace, he moved on. (3207)
54. Well-received by the dwellers of Tiruppanaiyoor of great foison
He moved into the town; to the mansion
At beauteous Aaroor, of Paravaiyaar whose teeth were
Like unto mullai buds, servants bore the bricks
Of ruddy gold of inestimable worth; he too entered it in joy
after hailing
The Lord of the Ant-Hill ever-enshrined in his bosom. (3208)
55. He abode with Paravaiyaar to her great delight; from there
He visited many shrines near unto cool and beauteous
Tiruvaaroor and worshipped the Lord there; then adoring
The Lord of gods at Tiruvaaroor with a rejoicing chinta,
The Lord of Munaippaadi abode sweetly there. (3209)
56. He that abode at Aaroor for many a day, departed
Therefrom with the leave of the Supreme One, and came
To Tirunannilam of the Lord-Hero who bent the mount Meru
Into a bow; he went round the shrine and adored
The Lord; he hymned a happy and ever-during garland
Of Tamil verse beginning with the words: "Thanniyal vemmai." (3210)
57. He completed the decad and sojourned there; to receive him
To their town the lofty Brahmins of the ever-during Veda
Of the Supreme One's Tiruveezhimizhalai assembled
In throngs and decorated to the delectation of their townsmen
Their entire town with a long shady pandal to walk thereunder;
They also spread the red carpet and set up festoons
Of beauteous toranas and rich bunches of bananas and arecas. (3211)
58. Thus they greeted him and conducted him to their town;
With a burgeoning chinta he adored Tiruveezhimizhalai;
Then coming before the great heaven-descended and resplendent
Shrine, he worshipped it; he hailed the feet
Of the Lord who snaps bondage, and bowed before Him. (3212)
59. He felt thrilled, as he hailed Vitangkan, the Lord of _ods--
Not easy of access for adoration unto Vishnu who slumbers
On the hooded serpent and Brahma seated on the lotus-flowers;
He adorned the Lord with a great and glorious garland
Of splendorous Tamil in which he beseeched Him thus:
"You rule the whole of Veezhi; be pleased to grace me also."
Having sung the decad he sojourned there. (3213)
60. Blessed with the divinely resplendent grace of the Lord
Of Veezhimizhalai who granted Tirugnaanasambandhar coins
Of gold of equal worth matching those of Tirunaavukkarasar's
He proceeded to Tiruvaanjiyam whose Lord would grant
Deliverance, snapping bondage; he hailed His feet and hymned Him
In a flawless decad beginning with the word, "Poruvanar,"
And sojourned there; then he proceeded to Arisilkaraiputthoor. (3214)
61. He hailed and adored the ever-during Tirucchiddheeccharam
At Naraiyoor made rich by splendid waters;
Then well received by willing and glorious servitors
Ever poised in lowly adoration, he came to Tirupputthoor
Of the Lord whose hands sport the mazhu
And the young fawn and worshipped Him as ordained,
And there abode companied with the devotees. (3215)
62. Before the Holy One he hymned a decad in which
He hailed the Lord's grace to Pukazh-th-Thunaiyaar;
Well received by munis, he stayed there; then
He fared forth and adored many a shrine of the Lord
Who wears in His crest the flooding Ganga and above it
The crescent; happy in thought he arrived at Tiruvaavaduthurai. (3216)
63. He made the sacred circuit of the glowing shrine
Of the Lord at Tiruvaavaduthurai; in conscious
And melting devotion he moved in and hailed and adored
The Lord; he sang the bountiful decad beginning
With the word, "Maraiyavan" and in it celebrated
The birth and glory of the Chola Sengkanaan
In the renowned Chola realm, and adorned
The Lord with that garland of Tamil verse. (3217)
64. Having thus hymned the Lord, he abode there;
Companied with the devotees he hailed the Lord;
Blessed with His grace he fared forth and worshipped
The Lord concorporate with His Consort, in His many shrines
On the southern bank of the Ponni; the chief
Of Munaippaadi then came to the Lord's Idaimaruthu. (3218)
65. He adored the Lord who in joy abides at the ever-during
Idai Maruthu; he adorned Him with sweet garlands
Of Tamil verse, and again hailed and adored Him,
And then moved out; companied with the devotees he left
The goodly town and reached Siva's Tirunakeccharam;
Poised in devotional thought he entered the temple,
Circumambulated the inner shrine and adored
The hallowed feet of the First One. (3219)
66. He hymned the Lord with a decad of ever-growing joy
Beginning with the words: "Pirai ani Vaallnuthal,"
And marched on; he adored the ankleted feet
Of the Lord of Sivapuram replete with spiritual wealth
And marched on with a melting chinta; adoring
The other shrines where the Lord who shares Uma
In His frame willingly abides, he came near Kalayanallor. (3220)
67. At Tirukkalayanalloor where flourish the Brahmins
Poised in the righteous way, he worshipped
The roseate feet of the Lord, merging his word,
Thought and deed in His adoration; he hailed Him
And prostrated on the ground before His presence, rose up
And hymned the glorious decad beginning with the words:
"Kurumpai mulai Umaiyaal…" In this decad,
Tuneful and melodious, he declared
The truthful glories of the Puranas. (3221)
68. From there he came to Tirukkudamookku
Where he adored and hymned the Lord; then he reached
Valanjuzhi of the Lord whose frame is shared
By His Consort; in great and melting devotion
He adored the Lord in abiding love and hailed Him
In Tamil verse; thence he moved to TiruNalloor
Where the crescent-crested Lord blessed
Tirunaavukkarasar with Tiruvadi Deeksha. (3222)
69. He hailed the ankleted feet of the Lord of Nalloor
And hymned their glory; he also adored the Lord
In all His shrines on his way and hymned Him
Then he came near Tirucchotrutthurai of the Lord
Who willingly gets decked with his garlands of Tamil verse,
Moved into the temple of the Lord who is
Blue-throated, and circumambulated the shrine. (3223)
70. He hymned the Lord in a beauteous decad beginning
With the words: "Azhal neer ozhiki anaiya…"
He so worshipped the Lord that his devotion to adore
His divine feet in increasing love grew the more;
Then the privileged devotee was blessed with His
Gracious leave and he moved out; the consort
Of Paravaiyaar adored the many shrines of the Lord
Wholly resplendent with the Holy Ash, and marched on. (3224)
71. He worshipped the Lord of gods at Kondiyoor; he came
To Tiruvaiyaaru and adored the Lord; he went
To Poonthurutthi hailed and adored the feet of the Pure One;
Then he came to Tiruvaalampozhil the mount of whose Lord
Is the Bull, and adored Him;
When that night he lay abed and slumbered. (3225)
72. The Lord appeared in His dream, revealed to him
His ever-young and beauteous and natural form, and said:
"Even to think of coming to Mazhapaadi did you forget?"
He woke up with his thought linked to the vision;
Then crossing the northern bank of the Cauvery
Dight with umbrageous gardens, Nambi Aaroorar
Arrived at Tirumazhapaadi rich in beautiful streets. (3226)
73. Reaching the temple, he adored the divine tower
And moved in companied with devotees; he prostrated
On the ground before the Lord whose jewel is
The hooded serpent (and rose up); he hailed the divine grace
Of the Lord replete with supreme mercy and his heart
Melted; then he began to sing the harmonious decad
Which opened with the words: "Ponnaar Meni…." (3227)
74. He adored the Lord thus: "O Mother, other than You
Whom else will I think on?" He adorned the Lord
With his peerless garland of a decad and worshipped Him;
He moved out and abode at that ever-during town
For a few days companied with the devotees; then in joy
He adored at the shrines situate on both the banks
Of the Ponni and marched westward. (3228)
75. He reached Tiruvaanaikkaa of the Lord of ruddy
Matted hair; sacred serviteurs came forth to receive him;
Adoring, he entered the temple; his loving devotion
For the lotus-feet of the Great One began to well up;
He prostrated before the Lord and rose up; the hair
On his thrilled body stood erect; tears cascaded
As a flood from his eyes and he revelled in ecstasy. (3229)
76. Full of ardour he began to sing a splendorous decad
Of Tamil that opened thus: "Maraikalaaya naankum…"
Addressing the devotees poised in everlasting life
He affirmed: "Whosoever hails the Lord rules us also!"
This was the refrain of his decad; he divined the Lord's grace
In having adorned Himself with the chain of gold
Set with gems and pearls belonging to the Uraiyoor Chola,
And hailed it. (3230)
77. 'As the Chola King wearing his garland set with gems
And pearls plunged and bathed in the billowy Ponni,
It slipped into the river; he grew sad; then the garland
Found its way into the pot dipped into the river
For securing water for the Lord's ablutions; when the Lord was
Bathed it fell on his person and He graciously wore it;
Thus the Lord graced the Chola who sorely grieved."
Of this he made a splendid recordation in his decad. (3231)
78. Thus he hailed the Lord and spend his days there;
Then he proceeded to the shrines of the coral-hued
Lord resplendent with the Holy Ash, situate around the town,
And adored Him in total devotion; thence he
Came to the glorious Tiruppaacchilaacchiraamam,
Abounding in matchless devotees
That render fitting service to the Lord. (3232)
79. He adored the holy temple-tower, made his sacred circuit
Of the beautiful court thronged by the celestials,
Moved in, came before the Lord and prostrated
On the ground in adoration; he rose up, and standing
He prayed before the Lord impelled by a growing desire
To get gold; the Lord however would ot bestow on him
What he sought; he continued to stand before Him. (3233)
80. Poised in the friendly servitorship married to the fear
Of the Lord, he grieved sorely as he was not blessed
With the gold he sought from the Lord; as if complaining
To the serviteurs who stood there, he began to sing
A decad in melting devotion; he affirmed:
"Other than This One, there is no Lord at all." (3234)
81. He who was inseparable from the Lord when he was in the Kailaas,
Was separated from Him and sent to the earth;
He thought of the cause for this, his embodied state, and grieved;
Yet he proclaimed the continuing nature of his servitorship
Whenever life should emerge embodied, and said:
"What though He be obstinate in withholding His grace,
None but He is the Lord!" The devotee poised in hoary
And traditional servitorship, affirmed thus:
"My crown and my tongue are for ever dedicated to Him!" (3235)
82. Thus he prayed. When he sang the concluding hymn
Beginning with the words: "Yesina Valla," his Lord who is
Ever after true love and devotion, blessed him with a heap
Of pure gold; then he hailed the mercy of the blue-throated Lord
And adored Him; he sojourned there; thence he visited
The nearby shrines and adored the Lord,
Returned to that town and continued his sojourn. (3236)
83. Then with the gracious leave of the Lord he departed;
He proceeded onward hailing the Lord who bathes
In Panchakavya, at His shrines situate on both the banks
Of the Cauvery and reached the Lord's Paigngneeli.
He adored the tower of the Lord who is adorned
With a snake of poisonous sacs, circumambulated the inner
Shrine and adored the feet of the Lord whose matted hair
Is ruddy like the coral; behold the wonder!
The Lord appeared to him as Gangaala! (3237)
84. Tears of love cascaded from his eyes when he beheld
The Lord; folding his hands he adored Him; he sang a decad
Which opened thus: "Kaarulaaviya…" This decad was formed
Of the solicitous questions put to the Lord Bikshaadana when He
Appeared before the women whose koontal were buzzed by bees,
Begging alms; he composed this rare garland of Tamil verse
In which he apostraphised the Lord thus:
"O (Aaraneeya) Vitangka!" (3238)
85. He concluded the decad and sealed it with his benediction;
He bowed before the Lord, and blessed with His leave
He hailed the holy company that knew no deception
And abode with them; then he proceeded onward, worshipping
The Lord in His many shrines beginning with Eengkoi Malai, and came
Near Tiruppaandikkodumudi--girt with gardens
Where bloomed kura flowers--, in Kongku Naadu. (3239)
86. He came to the temple of Karaiyoor-k-Kodumudi situate
On the southern bank of the ponni in Kongku Naadu,
And circumambulated the shrine of the Lord who wears
Ear-rings wrought of chank-beads, and prostrated at His feet
In love; in devotion that increasingly welled up in him,
He adored the Lord; as he beheld the golden person of the Lord,
He was blessed with the divine truth that he could
Never, never forget the Lord. (3240)
87. "Even if I forget the hallowed feet of the Lord, the tongue
That ever chants His sacred name-- the Panchaakshara--,
Will continue to iterate it without interruption
In ever-abounding sweetness." Established in this
Clear and firm consciousness, to bind himself the more
In loving devotion, he hymned the divine Namasivaya-decad
In splendorous Tamil which opened thus." Matrup patrilane…" (3241)
88. Having hymned the decad which blessed all the world
With assured deliverance, with his chinta integrated
To the ceaseless and truthful consciousness he moved out
With the gracious leave of the Lord; he adored
Many a nearby and goodly shrine and hailed
The hallowed feet of the Supreme One; marching onward,
In swelling and great love he came towards Peroor
On the bank of the river Kaanji in the western
Kongku Nadu rich in cool fields well watered
By the cool and flower-filled river. (3242)
89. Reaching the town he moved into the shrine of the Lord
Who rules him as of yore; companied with the true tapaswis
As he circumambulated the inner shrine and came
Before the Deity, the Lord revealed to Him His eternal
And beauteous Form as the glorious Dancer of Tillai-Ambalam;
Folding his hands above his head, he beheld the Lord,
Even as tears of joy flooded from his eyes. (3243)
90. As he beheld the form divine, he adored,
Fell prostrate on the ground and rose up a once;
A bliss not to be comprehended by the five
Concatenated senses coursed in him and welled up
In his true consciousness; his was the beatitude
Of coming by the Lord; whoever could know
Or tell of the transcendental bliss that then
Attended the Ruler of the Saivites. (3244)
91. The beloved of the Lord who was so totally blessed,
Hymned a decad compact of exceeding ecstasy, and adored
The Lord; then he sojourned in that town
Of bounty; when he desired to leave that town, he thought thus:
"If one is blessed to witness and hail the Dance
Of the Lord of roseate and redemptive feet
In the beauteous Pon-Ambalam, what else is there for him
To gain by moving away thence?" (3245)
92. Blessed with the gracious leave of the Lord he left
The town and marched on; crossing a good many
Hard-to-pass hilly wildernesses, tracts of land
And flooding rivers, and adoring on his way
The many shrines of the Supreme One, and hymning in loving
Devotion Tamil decades, he came to Venjamaa-k-Koodal and adored
The Lord there; then covering a great distance,
He arrived at the Karkudi-Hill in the south. (3246)
93. At Moksha-conferring Karkudi, he hailed and adored
Vizhumiyaar, the Lord; with a love-laden chinta,
He longingly hymned the Lord in a divine decad;
Then borne by a desire to hail the Lord in hymns, he came
To many shrines and adored the Lord; eventually he reached
Tiruvaarai Metrali of the Lord who is unknowable
To the questing Vishnu and Brahma. (3247)
94. He bowed before the feet of the Lord
Of Tiruvaarai Metrali and adored Lord Siva
Who, of yore, bent the ruddy and auric Mount Meru
Into a bow; he sojourned there and daily hailed Him;
Blessed with His gracious leave he adored Him
At the many shrines hailed by the celestials; he then
Came to innambar that men on earth might flourish. (3248)
95. He worshipped the ankleted feet of the Lord--
Resplendently beauteous--, the Lord who willingly
Abides at Innambar; in loving devotion
He hailed and adored the Lord; he abode there in insatiate love;
Then to adore the Lord who peeled off the hide
Of the martial tusker, and who abides in joy,
At Purampayam, he fared forth singing a truthful
And divine decad in love that welled up within him. (3249)
96. His decad began thus: "Angkam othiyor Aarai Metrali."
In loving devotion and splendorous Tamil,
He hymned the refrain thus: "Come, let us fare forth
To adore at Purampayam!" Thus he graciously
Ad melodiously sang the divine decad
And arrived at Tiruppurampayam
Of the crescent-crested Lord of opulence. (3250)
97. The serviteurs of that town rejoiced to receive him;
They thought thus: "Great indeed is the askesis we have
Wrought to have in our town Nampi Aaroorar who was
That day, claimed by the Lord-Redeemer in the guise
Of a peerless Brahmin, enslaving him in Vennainalloor."
Thus received, he came before the temple of the Lord
Who burnt, of yore, the triple hostile citadels. (3251)
98. He adored before the tall tower, moved into the temple
Companied with the devotees, adored the feet
Of the Lord-Dancer, folded his hands in worship,
And then performed pooja unto the Lord
With fresh and bloomed flowers; in the pious modes
Of ashtanamaskar and panchanamaskar.
He prostrated on the glorious ground and in growing love
Adored Him again and again. (3252)
99. Blessed with the ever-during grace he again hailed
And adored in love and great ardour the Lord's feet
Like unto fresh flowers blooming; he then moved
Out of the shrine; to hail the eternally divine forms
Of the omnipresent Lord in His shrines, he fared forth
Companied with the devotees. (3253)
100. Van-tondar whose chest was adorned with fragrant garlands
Came to and worshipped at the many shrines of the Lord
Whose crest is bedecked with vanni, konrai, tumpai,
White adampu, the crescent and the Ganga of pure waters_
Then he came near Koodalai-Aatroor made radiant
By the presence of dancing liana-like lasses. (3254)
101. He did not, however, proceed to that town
Of ineffable glory; he fared forth towards Tirumuthukunru;
On his way the True Being--the Lord concorporate with Uma--,
Appeared before Aaroorar in the guise a Brahmin
Resplendent with the sacred thread. (3255)
102. With his chinta melting, he bowed before Him and said:
"Be pleased to direct us this day to Muthukunru."
The Lord who, of yore, bent the hill into a bow,
Thereupon said:" "This path leads to Koodalai Aatroor."
He also kept company with Aaroorar to guide him to his destination.(3256)
103. Aaroorar adored Him with folded hands
And after a time, could not behold Him that came
With him; he hailed the Lord, the wearer
Of Konrai-flowers buzzed by bees with a hymn
That opened with the words: "Vadivudai mazhu."
He hymned the decad in which he praised the Lord
Thus: "I know not how the Lord of gods vanished on a sudden;
Lo, it is a wonder!" Then with a love that welled up
In him he entered Koodalai Aatroor. (3257)
104. He moved into the glorious temple of the Lord
Who wears in His matted hair konrai-garlands
And who abides at Koodalai Aatroor;
In soaring devotion he hailed and adored the feet
Decked with resounding anklets of the Lord-Dancer
Of Ambalam, and blessed with His ever-during grace
He arrived at Tirumuthukunru. (3258)
105. Before the many tiered and huge tower he prostrated
In adoration; then he circumambulated the inner shrine,
Moved in, adored the Lord and prostrated on the ground;
Then he adorned Him with a garland of splendorous Tamil verse;
The musical decad opened thus: "Nanjiyidai..."
He sang it and stood there folding his hands. (3259)
106. Seeking riches from the Lord, he prayed to Him
With a flawless mind and in unison with his desire;
He was poised for the gracious bestowal of riches
By the Lord who wears a garland of burgeoning konrai;
The chief of the Saiva Brahmins again hymned;
The decad began thus: "Meyyil venn podi..." (3260)
107. The Lord that wears the cool crescent in His matted hair,
In great grace, granted him gold weighing twelve thousand
Sovereigns; Nampi Aaroorar, in peerless gladness,
Prostrated before Him, rose up, moved near the Lord
Whose neck is of the hue of (the jambolan) fruit
And made one more submission: (3261)
108. "I should come by all this gold You have deigned
To grant me at Tiruvaaroor to the wondrous bewilderment
Of the dwellers there." "When he besceched Him thus,
The Lord spake to him in an unbodied
And ethereal and lucid voice thus; "Drop the gold
In the fecund Manimutthu river and recover it all
In the Tiruvaaroor-tank." (3262)
109. Blessed with that sweet grace of his Lord, Van-tondar cut
A piece from a bar for his keeping and marched on,
And dropped the heap of gold in the river, thinking thus:
"By this will I truly know the grace of His having forcibly
And voluntarily claimed me that day as His servitor." (3263)
110. He whose mission in life was loving servitorship, resolved
Thus: "I will now proceed to adore the Dance
Of the Lord whose throat sports the hue of the blue lily,
In the Ambalam of Puliyoor-- the town
Of the Brahmins ever-engaged in the sacred work
Of their souls' deliverance." To leave
For the hoary city of Tillai girt with tanks, he adored
The Lord and moved out with His gracious leave. (3264)
111. He worshipped at the shrines on and near his way
And adored the Lord concorporate with His Consort
At ever-during Kadampoor; then he came near Tillai
Where the Dancer enacts His Dance of full and perfect
Bliss; passing through the entrance-gate, he reached
The splendorous and beauteous street of glorious mansions. (3265)
112. H whose chest was decked with a goodly garland, prostrated
On the ground of the golden street, rose up and moved
To the great and divine entrance of the temple, verily
The soaring threshold of sheer piety, and prostrated
On the ground before it; then he moved in, circum_mbulated
The auric and beauteous mansion roofed of gold,
Adored it and folded his hands above his head. (3266)
113. He passed through the golden tower and came before
The proscenium of the Lord-Dancer and adored Him;
He came near the hallowed feet of the Lord-Dancer
Of Pon-Ambalam of ever-increasing effulgence;
The flood of evelasting bliss that filled his soul
Flowed down from his eyes as tears. (3267)
114. His hailing tongue faltered and his words became
Incoherent; he prostrated before the divine flight
Of steps--Tiru-k-Kalitruppadi compact of love--,
And made ashtaangka and panchaangka namaskars;
Firm grew the ardour in him and the Divine Dance
Filled his inner consciousness and soared; the Lord
Without aught of concealment appeared in his heart
And he considered it the complete and perfect
Vision (of the darshan he had at Tirupperoor) (3268)
115. Then he hymned the decad beginning with the words:
"Maditthaadum adimaikkann"; he hailed the glory
Of his worship of the Lord as at Tirupperoor,
The Lord who in His process of bestowal of grace
Forfends the fall of the serviteurs poised in the godly truth,
Into hell even by accident; in devotion and delight,
He melodised thus: "O mind! Great indeed is our blessing
And beatitude! The peerless Lord-Dancer is ours!" (3269)
116. Blessed with His leave he reluctantly moved out,
Came to the divine street and adored it; Van-tondar
Who was ruled by the Lord, willingly sojourned
Hailed by the Brahmines; then he adored,
In inexhaustible love, the divine city and departed thence;
Adoring even from a distance Karuppariyaloor of the Lord
Who kicked Death to death, he reached it. (3270)
117. Reaching the divine temple of the Lord who smote Death,
He adored its tower, moved in, and companied with the devotees
Hailed and adored the Lord in immense love; boundless joy
Pervading his mind, he hailed the Lord, moved out
And sojourned in that town; as reture swelled in him
When his thought hovered over the Holy One, he hymned it
In his decad beginning with the word: "Cimmaanthu".
With that garland of Tamil verse he adorned
The Lord; thus he abode there. (3271)
118. Folding his hands he worshipped Karuppariyaloor
Where the brow-eyed Lord abides in joy,
And blessed with His gracious leave, he left the town;
He reached Pazhamannippadikkarai in whose tanks
The carp leapt in joy, hailed and adored the divine feet
Of the Lord who is concorporate with His Consort, and melodised
His endless glory in a decad which oped with the word:
"Munnavan"; he holy one then marched on, without touching
The town Vaazhkoli Putthoor; on his way he thought
Of his and he turned back, and singing the decad beginning
With the words: "Thalaikkalan" proceeded thither. (3272)
119. He reached the place even as he was singing the divine
Decad; the hair on his thrilled body stood erect
As he came to the temple tower of the Lord
Of the celestials; he hailed and bowed before it;
He moved in, bowed before the Lord and adored Him;
In melting devotion he hymned the Lord whose left half
Is shared by the Daughter of Himavant, moved out,
And sojourned there; then he left Vaazhkoli Putthoor
Rich in fields of beautiful and soft sugarcanes,
And fared forth to Kaanaattu Mulloor. (3273)
120. As he reached Kaanaattu Mulloor, the brow-eyed Lord
Materialised before him; witnessing this he adored Him
With a garland of blooming flowers of munificent Tamil
That verily rules the heaven; in that decad opening
With the words: "Vall vaay," he declared thus:
"Beholding the twin-flower-feet of the Lord who wears
On His matted hair soft and fresh konrai flowers I adored (them)."
Then he fared forth towards Tiruyethirkolpaadi
Girt with gardens of melliferous flowers. (3274)
121. He began to hymn the decad opening thus: "Mattha yaanai,"
Hailed by the dwellers in every direction;
Singing his divine decad rooted in chittam,
And declaring, "We will reach Yethirkolpaadi," he reached
Adoring the opulent and exceedingly splendorous shrine,
And hailed _he feet of the Father; he sojourned there,
And blessed with His leave, he came to Tiruvelvikkudi;
He hailed the Lord-Granter of deliverance and His shrine
Tirutthurutthi in his decad beginning with the words:
"Mooppathum illai," and thus flourished in delight. (3275)
122. The darshan of the Lord in His wedding-form filling
His mind, he adored Him; his heart, poised in bhakti,
Nampi Aaroorar hailed Him; then with the devotees
Of great askesis he went to the many shrines of the Lord
Who, in love, claimed and ruled him, and marched on. (3276)
123. In never-diminishing love in the company
Of divine devotees, he adored in devotion the many shrines
Of the Lord whose throat holds the venom,
And arrived at Tiruvaaroor girt with cloud-capped
Flower-gardens and marudam tracts of fields
Rich in splendorous paddy. (3277)
124. At Tiruvaaroor of great opulence, he came
To the divine tower thronged by the celestials and the munis,
Adored it, moved in, and in aeviternal devotion, folded
His hands above his head in adoration; then
With the thronging devotees, he came before the Supreme One. (3278)
125. In great and unabated love he worshipped the Lord whose
Banner sports the ever-young Bull and who is without
Beginning, middle or end; then he moved out and reached
The beautiful mansion of flawlessly glorious Paravaiyaar. (3279)
126. Paravaiyaar whose eyes were like lotus-flowers and whose lips
Were like ruddy kovvai fruit, hailed in ever-swelling love
By damsels of plaited hair, fell at his feet it adoration.
She said: "Great indeed is your gracious arrival
Thinking on us, even us." He spoke to her
Sweet words, and joyously abode with her. (3280)
127. One day her told her thus: "Our Lord of Muthu Kunru
Blessed us with goodly wealth; I had consigned it
To the holy Manimutthu river; now fare forth
With me to retrieve it by His grace from the tank
Situate on the west of the temple of the Lord
Who is the (sole) help unto me." (3281)
128. Thus told, she of the fulgurant waist,
With her face lit up by a smile, exclaimed thus:
"What marvel indeed is this! What is it that you say!"
Then he of truthful consciousness, spake thus:
"O you of fair forehead! By the grace of my Lord,
I will not fail to retrieve the gold
From the tank and give it to you." (3282)
129. Then in boundless delight, he proceeded to the Poongkoyil
And adored its Lord who abides there in joy;
Circumambulating the lofty shrine, he came
To the divine tank situate on the west. (3283)
130. He came to the flight of steps in the north-eastern part
Of the tank; there he stationed the one that wore
Jewels wrought with cunning; then, he of Tirumunaipaadi
With pleached hands, adored the Lord of matted hair;
Descended into the tank, and began to ply his hand under the water
To take out the gold, as though he had that day
Just then dropped it into the tank. (3284)
131. The beauteous Lord resplendent with the Holy Ash
Who delighted to hear the hymns of Aaroorar
And bent upon a divine lila, would not make available
The gold; then remarked the bejewelled beauty thus:
"Having consigned it to the river, you search for it
In the tank; pray tell me, if this is how you grace me!"
When she spake thus the peerless serviteur-- (3285)
132. The Brahmin that wore the bright sacred thread--,
With intent to persuade the Lord to grant him the gold
Even as he was pleased to assure him gracefully
At Mutthukunru in the recent past, and without causing
Paravai of flower-bedecked locks to cast in jibe
A smile from her ruddy lips, began to hymn and hail
The Lord of Muthukundru in a decad opening thus:
"Pon seytha Meniyineer!" (3286)
133. He sang in succession eight hymns in which
He described how he languished as he could not
Recover swiftly the gold which the Lord conferred
On him at Muthukunru to the knowledge of the celestials,
And he prayed that the Lord should be pleased
To do away with his helplessness in the presence of Paravai;
Even then the Lord would not make him come by the gold;
So he _ontinued to hail Him. (3287)
134. "Yetthaathu irunthariyane": Thus opened the ninth hymn
Of the divine decad; thus he addressed
The Lord-Protector--the Lord Dancer of the Ambalam-- :
"O Dancer, deign to grant me the gold even before her
Who is so soft and young and beauteous!"
When thus he who was poised in the way inaccessible
Even to men of renunciation hailed the Lord. (3288)
135. By the grace of the Dancer who wears clusters
Of Konrai blooms, the heap of gold materialised;
He duly carried it to the bank of the tank;
The ethereal world showered flowers; men on earth
Exclaiming, "What may this wonder be? Who can cause,
This to happen?" adored (the mirific event). (3289)
136. When he thus brought out the goodly gold whilst the world
Wondered at it, he compared its touch with that
Of the original piece which he had sliced away
From a bar; by the grace of the blue-throated Lord
It proved to be inferior; once again Van-Tondar hailed
The ankleted Feet inaccessible to Vishnu ad Brahma. (3290)
137. When he again hailed Him, the Lord-Dancer who was
Pleased with the devotional hymns of the loving serviteur,
Revealed to him the ruddy gold matching his piece
And not a whit less in its touch; he rejoiced as he
Took it out, and carried it to the bank. (3291)
138. At the bank of the tank he had the bars of gold
Duly borne on the heads of carriers, and he
Bade them and Paravaiyaar to proceed to the mansion
Dight with a great threshold; he then moved into the temple,
Hailed the flower-feet of Tirumoolatta Naathar
In whose crest the billowy Ganga courses;
This done, he moved out to the street. (3292)
139. When he arrived at the mansion and entered it
Innumerable benedictory verses were chanted
And the auspicious sound spiraled up in splendour;
The Prince of Navaloor bounded by fragrant flower-gardens,
Abode there with the bejewelled beauty
With a heart filled with happiness. (3293)
140. He who adored every day the Supreme One enshrined
In the beauteous Ant-Hill of splendorous Aaroor,
One day, immersed in boundless rapture, hymned
A divine decad through which he interrogated
The divine devotees about the glories of the Lord;
Thus he adored the Lord and danced and sang in joy. (3294)
141. His tuneful decad of perfect melody, opened thus:
"Paaru thaangki"; his mind was filled with delight;
The hair on his thrilled body stood erect; verily,
A flood cascaded from his tear-filled eyes;
Boundless bliss which inly pervaded, became manifest;
Thus he prayed and thus he revelled in joy. (3294)
142. As he thus abode there in joy, blessed
With the leave of the King ever hailed by the rare
And boundless Vedas and who for His jewel
Wears the fierce serpent of the ant-hill,
He was borne by loving devotion; he readied himself
To fare forth to adore in His many shrines the Lord
Before the splendour of whose luminous matted hair
Even the lustre of gold is to be deemed dark. (3296)
143. Accompanied by his retinue, he came to the nearby
Shrines of the Lord who is mantled in the hide
Of the tusker, and, in rapturous adoration, hailed
His feet; then the flawless servitor, desiring to adore
At Nallaaru, visited that town, well-received
By its true devotees ever-established in divine service. (3297)
144. He bowed before the tower that scaled the sky,
Folded his hands above his head in adoration, moved in,
Circumambulated the shrine of the great One
And in abounding love prostrated on the ground,
Before the roseate and lotus-like feet
Of the aeviternal Lord of Nallaaru. (3298)
145. He hailed and adored the Merciful One and blessed
With His leave, moved out worshipping Him; thence he came
To Tirukkadavur rich in beautiful and cloud-capped
Mansions; he also adored at Tirumayaanam
Of the Lord who wears in His crest the crescent
And hymned Him in a decad of swelling music
Which opened thus: "Maruvaar Konrai." (3299)
146. He adored the ankleted feet of the Lord of gods
Of Tiruveerattaanam who smote the martial valour
Of wrathful Death, and_adored Him, with a garland
Of Tamil verse fraught with heroic splendour;
The decad opened thus: "Potiyaar Meni"; then in great
And ardent love he fared forth to Valampuram
Of the Great One who bent Mount Meru into a bow. (3300)
147. Having adored the ankleted feet of the Lord
At Valampuram girt with a hill-like rampart, he hymned
A tuneful decad opening with the words: "Yenakku inee…"
Then he marched on and arrived at Tirucchaaikkaadu
Where the sea with its billowy hands, holds many rows
Of shells for musical instruments, the spray for holy
Fumigation, ninefold gems for lamps, and pearls
For flowers, and thus performs pooja unto the Lord. (3301)
148. He adored the Lord of gods at Tirucchaaikkaadu
And adorned Him with a garland of Tamil verse; it was
Indeed a divine decad of hymns par excellence; then he came
To Tiruvenkaadu where he hailed and adored the Lord
That burnt the triple hostile cities; thence the chilef
On Naavaloor came to Nanipalli, the town divine. (3302)
149. He hailed the ankleted feet of the Lord that in joy
Abides at Nanipalli; he adorned Him with a garland
Of holy and fragrant and goodly Tamil verse; commencing
From Tirucchemponpalli he adored the Lord
Who wears the cool crescent in His crest
In His many shrines and came to Tiruninriyoor
The peerless mount of whose Lord is the Bull. (3303)
150. In love he entered the temple at Tiruninriyoor
And adored the Lord; he began to hail Him in melting love
And devotion; in this divine decad, he celebrated
The glory of God's own Tirunaavukkarasu who hymned
Divine decades--seven times seven hundred in number--,
For doing away with the world's misery. (3304)
151. He sojourned with the devotees in that town; thence
As he marched on without adoring at Nidoor, the town
That is ineffably glorious in this wide world,
His peerless and true consciousness reminded him of his omission;
Forthwith he turned back and proceeded
To that town singing a bounteous garland
Of Tamil verse manifesting the glory of the True Ens. (3305)
152. In that divine decad which he hymned in great love
He sang thus: "Can one fail to adore the feet of the Lord
Of Nidoor which is rich in waters filled with petalled
Flowers?" Thus he hailed the Lord
Of the puissant spear, and adored His feet; the hair
On his thrilled body stood erect;
Thus he hailed the Lord, and even thus, he sojourned there. (3306)
153. He abode in joy there, and graced with the leave
Of the Lord he came to Tiruppungkoor and worshipped
The Lord; then he hied towards Tirukkolakka
Girt with fragrant gardens; when at its outskirts
The Lord, who concealed the Ganga in His matted hair
Gave him darshan, he adored Him in ever-increasing devotion
And hymned and hailed Him. (3307)
154. He adorned the Lord with a divine garland of verse
All compact of truth; in this decad he celebrated the grace
Of the Lord wears a pigngnakam on His crest
And who on beholding Tirugnaaanasambandhar
Melodies, in swelling love, hymns keeping time
With clap of hands, bestowed on him, in grace
And compassion, a pair of divine cymbals. (3308)
155. He left Kolakka of the Primordial One who is ageless
And perfect; reaching the flawlessly glorious Sanbai
He circumambulated in and prostrated on the ground
In adoration; he hailed the goodly feet of the Adept
Of threefold Tamil in whose lips the Vedas abode;
Then he came to Kurukaavoor the Lord of which
Smote the triple hostile cities, of yore. (3309)
156. When the consort of Paravaiyaar whose words were
Sweet as music, stricken with thirst and hunger,
Fared forth, conning His devotee's desire
The brow-eyed Lord of trinocular vision came
Forth on his way with packed victuals and water. (3310)
157. Awaiting the arrival of Van-tondar, the Lord whose hand
Sports an antelope, assumed the guise of a Brahmin
Well-versed in all the Vedas, and was pleased to remain
There having raised there a water-booth
Like unto a cool and fragrant pool of soft lotuses
To attenuate the rigour of the aestival sun. (3311)
158. The beauteous Lord who graciously abides at Kurukavoor
Thus awaited his arrival; the Lord's own companion
Of Tiruvaroor that came thither, companied with the devotees,
Entered the water-booth, and drawn by an ardent love
To the presence of the divine Brahmin,
Sat near Him, exclaiming: "Sivayanama!" (3312)
159. Addressing Aaroorar who was before him, the Lord
Who, of yore, sat under the umbrageous banyan tree, said:
"You suffer from exceeding hunger; I will give you
Pothi-soru; receive it, eat it well without delay
And also drink the sweet and fresh water
Available here, and thus rid your fatigue." (3313)
160. Van-tondar who hearkened to His words felt thus:
"It will be unbecoming on my part, it I, this day,
Decline to receive the food from the Vedic muni."
So he willingly received it from the hands of Him
Whose golden chest displayed the sacred thread;
He ate it with the devotees that came with him. (3314)
161. The interminable retinue ate the food in great relish;
Then they that came thither in hunger, also partook
Of it; yet the pothi-soru given by the Holy one--
The food which tasted altogether nectarean--,
Suffered no diminution. (3315)
162. Aaroorar drank the water, sweet like the divine grace
Of Lord Sankara; in ever swelling ardour he hailed
And adored the Lord's name, the Panchaakshara;
Then as he was tired he lay down and slumbered;
Those that were with him also closed their eyes in slumber;
Then the Lord who concealed the Ganga in his matted hair
Disappeared with water-booth and all. (3316)
163. The Prince of Tirunaavaloor whose chinta was firmly poised
In Sivam, woke up, he saw Him not; he began to hail
The Lord in a decad which opened thus:
"Itthanaiya maatram arinthilan…"
Singing this divine decad wrought of immutable truth,
He reached Kurukaavoor. (3317)
164. He came to the beauteous tower of the temple
Of Kurukaavoor where the Lord Beautiful abides
And dispenses grace, he bowed before the tower, moved in,
Went round the sacred shrine in great and abiding love,
Came before the Lord's presence, paid obeisance and drank
In with his eyes the sweet Nectar, having, not done so
Earlier(when he appeared as a Brahmin). (3318)
165. To his heart's content he adored with folded hands
The sweet Nectar that filled his eyes, and hymned Him
In a truthful and divine decad; he bowed before Him
And hailed Him; then he who ever sought 'within'
The Lord in great love, moved out and sojourned there
In love, companied with the devout servitors. (3319)
166. Blessed with his Lord's leave he left that town
Having duly adored Him; he worshipped the Lord
Of dazzling, ruddy, matted hair in His many shrines
Where He willingly abides, came to Kazhippaalai
Girt with fort-like walls, hailed and adored Him;
Then the Prince of Navaloor in the south
Arrived at Tillai, the divine city. (3320)
167. Bowing he entered the divine street of ever-glorious
And sacred Tillai, and adored the roseate
And redemptive feet that dance in the comely Pon-Ambalam;
In that city which fosters the Vedas for the flourishing
Of the world, he abode hailing the Lord; then he came
To Tirutthinainakar, the great city
Of the Lord whose martial bow is the Mount Meru. (3321)
168. Having adored the Lord Sivakkozhundhu who abode
At Tirutthinaimaanakar he hared forth and hailed
The Dancer--perfectly enshrined in many a town;
As his thought was set on Tirunaavaloor hailed by
Divine servitors poised in exceeding devotion
He fared forth to adore it with his hands
In great penchant, and reached it. (3322)
169. When they heard that the prince of Tirunaavaloor was
Arriving there, the dwellers of that famed town
And devotees deeming it to be their day
Of great beatitude, decked their town fittingly;
They fared forth and received him in joy;
Conducted by them, Aaroorar entered the great temple
Of the Lord, the Wearer of the hide of the martial tusker. (3323)
170. Even as the chanting of "Hara, Hara!" by those devotees
Began to pervade all the three worlds, he came
Before the presence of the First One and hailed
The grace of the Lotus-feet of the Lord, dearer than
Life itself, in a decad which opened with the words:
"Kovalanaanmukhan"; thus he hailed the Lord
And even thus, he adored Him. (3324)
171. In that town of ever-increasing weal, he abode in love
Companied with the devotee-throngs that caused
Their clans to thrive in splendour; then with the leave
Of the Lord in whose matted hair the flooding river
Courses, the wearer of comely sacred thread on his
Beauteous chest, moved onward, having hailed His feet,
To adore Him in His many shrines. (3325)
172. He adored at many shrines in the sacred land
Of Tondamandala where the Lord whose mount is
The unique Bull, abides in joy, well-received
By the sacred serviteurs; then crossing many rivers
Of lucid water, flowery jungles where chafers
Hummed, hills and maruda tracts, he arrived
At Tirukkaazhukkunram hailed by men
In all the eight directions. (3326)
173. Greeted in boundless love by the devotees
Of Tirukkazhukkunram, bounded by melliferous
Flower-gardens, he entered the shrine and hailed
And adored the radiant Lord who wears the pure, fresh
And argent crescent in His crest, and melodised
A divine decad married to sweet and tuneful music. (3327)
174. He hymned the Lord, and in joy, sojourned in that town;
Blessed with the leave of the Lord. Aaroorar whose
Goodly consciousness ever sought the Lord only, came
To Tirukkacchoor and adored the Nectar in melting devotion
At Aalakkoyil girt with huge and fort-like
Golden walls, and then moved out. (3328)
175. Having adored the Lord, when he came out of the temple
The time for taking his meal drew near; yet his retinue
Which would come ready with food or prepare it, had not
Arrived thither; so the patron of Tirumunaippaadi
Abode without the fort-like entrance of the Lord's temple
In hunger which irked and grieved him. (3329)
176. The Lord enshrined on the hill, verily the Remedy
For the illth of embodiment, to relieve Van-tondar
Of his hunger, abandoning His white and bright skull-bowl,
Came with an ordinary begging-bowl in the guise
Of a Brahmin that dwelt in that town, to the devotee
(Aarooran) and graciously addressed him thus: (3330)
177. "Ha, you are languishing overwhelmed by hunger;
T relieve you of your hunger I will secure for you
Food by begging; pray stay awhile here without
Going anywhere else." He that so spake, then went
To every house in Tirukkaacchoor begging food. (3331)
178. The Holy Ash on His person beauteously blazed white;
His sacred thread glowed with radiance; beholders melted
In love; for securing alms at the meridian, he entered
Each and every house, His lotus-feet touched the earth;
With the food secured by Him, he came before him
Whom, He willingly claimed as His own serviteur. (3332)
179. He gave him the flavoury food and dishes of curry
Obtained by begging, and said; "Eat that you may rid
The misery of your hunger." Nampi Aaroorar, the great one,
Extolling the merciful act of the Brahmin received it
In love that welled up within him, after paying
Due obeisance to Him. (3333)
180. Van-tondar ate the nectarean food companied
With the great tapaswi-devotees that came with him
And rejoiced; the Brahmin who was there, the Lord
Who is present everywhere, disappeared without
Van-Tondar being aware of it. (3334)
181. When thus the Sivayogi-Brahmin vanished, the prince
Of Naavaloor was convinced that it was the Lord
Who came thither in the Brahmin's guise;
He melted in devotion as he mused thus: "O the mercy
Of the Lord who assumed a form for my sake,
And in pain trod on earth in the noonday sun
To the resounding of his great anklets." (3335)
182. His decad opened thus: "Muthu vaayori";
He wondered at such demonstration of the great mercy
Of the First One; tears cascaded from his eyes
And drenched his whole person on which the hair
Stood erect in thrilled ecstasy; even thus he hailed
The Lord, and in joy, worshipped Him whose crest is
_Decked with melliferous konrai flowers. (3336)
183. Having thus adored the Lord he took His leave
And fared forth to the shrines where abides the Lord
Whose half is His Consort, well-received
By the devotees everywhere; conducted by them he moved
In, and adored the Lord's ankleted feet which confer
Grace when invoked; he adorned Him with splendourous wreath
Of verse, and marching on, came near Kaanchi
Where abides the Lord whose hue is like
Unto the ever-increasing ruddiness of the crepuscular sky. (3337)
184. The dwellers of Kaanchi, the city girt with ramparts,
Rejoiced thinking thus: "The Lord whose flag sports
The ever-young and victorious Bull--
The Lord that could not be pursued by Vishnu or Brahma--,
Even He came in the guise of a Brahmin-chief
That day, before the tribunal at Vennainalloor,
And successfully argued his lis; it was thus
The Lord claimed Aaroorar as hisserviteur;
We are blessed with his arrival." (3338)
185. In ever-increasing joy they decked the streets
With beautiful toranas; they carried with them
Bright lamps, pots filled with holy water, censers
Breathing the smoke o eagle-wood, and streamers;
They caused drums that were played during dance
To resound on pials; companied with the increasing
Throngs of devotees, they fared forth to the outskirts
Of the city and greeted him. (3339)
186. When the devotees adored him, Nampi Aaroorar ruled
By the Lord, paid obeisance to them; he crossed
The towered entrance and entered the street rich in rows
Of huge mansions; auspicious instruments of music
Were resounded, in love; thus he reached Tiruvekampam
Companied with the surging crowds of servitors. (3340)
187. Before the tower where throng the tall Vishnu who sports
The disc, Brahma and other celestials, he prostrated
On the ground, and sacred dust mantled him; up he rose, moved in,
And made his sacred circuit, adoring the subshrines;
Beatific Van-tondar, the intimate servitor of the Lord,
Then moved into the adytum of Tiruvekampar. (3341)
188. When the Kampai rushed amain in spate,
Scared of the Great One's safety, Himavant's Daughter
Of large and dark eyes painted with collyrium,
Embraced Him closely; She always offered pooja
To his redemptive and roseate lotus-feet;
Aaroorar who came towards the Lord, fell
At these very feet in fitting and great devotion. (3342)
189. Having prostrated at the hallowed feet he rose up
In thrilled ecstasy; with true love and a chinta poised
In beatitude, hymned the Lord; then in unabated love
He moved out at sojourned in that city
With the devotees; during these days he visited the many shrines
At Kaanchi where abides the Lord of dangling matted hair. (3343)
190. He came to aeviternal Kaama-k-kottam of glorious Kaanchi
And adored the Lord; he visited Kacchi metrali
Of the Lord in whose matted hair the Ganga courses,
And in swelling and boundless love, hailed and adored
The Lord; he adorned Him with a divine decad whose glory
Fills the world and which opens thus: "Nuntha von sutaraam." (3344)
191. In his privileged positions as the Lord's own companion
He hailed the Peerless One of Onakaanthan Tali
And there affirmed his boundless servitorship;
Seeking coins and gold from the Lord, he hailed Him
With a scripturally beauteous decad which
Opened thus: "Neyyum paalum"; blessed with
Immense wealth he sojourned there in joy. (3345)
192. Aaroorar who sojourned there came to Kacchi
Anekathankaapatham, moved into the temple
And adored the Lord whose mount is the red-eyed Bull;
He hailed the Lord in a decad of Tamil
Beginning with the words: "Thenaipurinthu"
And affirmed in that decad thus:
"This is where the Lord abides."
Bowing before Him, he moved out and adored
The Lord in swelling love in His other shrines
And continued to sojourn there poised in love. (3346)
193. He served the Lord by hymning Him in sacred songs;
He sojourned there unable to part from the holy feet
Of the Lord-Dancer who grew lithe when Uma embraced Him;
Then desiring to adore at the many shrines situat_
Beyond Kaanchi and hail Him in hymns, he fared forth and arrived
At Vanpaartthanpanangkaattoor of great mansions. (3347)
194. At prosperous Tiruppanangkaattoor he adored
The splendorous flame of ruddy gold--the Lord
Who is verily the Remedy for all ills--, and with tear-filled
Eyes, he hailed Him in a bountiful decad opening thus:
"Vitaiyin mel Varuvaar." He sang the decad tunefully,
And moved out of the shrine. (3348)
195. Reaching Tirumaalperu he hailed and adored the Lord;
He came to Tiruvallam and adored Him; westward he marched
Adoring at many shrines the Lord who wears a crown
Of plaited matted hair; then the great servitor reached
The hill of Tirukkaalatthi whose great peaks are cloud-capped. (3349)
196. He came to the foot of the hill of Kaalatthi where
The Lord who dispelled the distress of Kannappar who was poised
In immense and irrepressible love, and ruled him,
Abides in great joy; he prostrated before the hill
And ascended it, blessed with the Lord's grace;
Immersed in flooding love he reached His presence
And adored Him, the Remedy enshrined in the Hill. (3350)
197. He worshipped the Lord and in soulful rapture, melodised
In sweet music a decad that oped thus: "Sentaatum…"
In loving devotion he hailed the fragrant
Lotus-feet of Kannappar and felt blessed; he moved out
And sojourned in that ever-during town
With serviteurs that were poised in inner harmony. (3351)
198. During his sojourn, he adored from there Sri Sailam,
Tiru-k-Kedaaram and other northern shrines of the Lord;
As if he had beheld in person the dancing feet
Of the Lord in those far off shrines, out leaped
From his lips, firm-fibred and divine decades,
And he revelled in joy. (3352)
199. After his sojourn, blessed with the Lord's leave
He fared forth to the many shrines of the Lord whose mount
Is the martial Bull; there he adored the Lord
And hymned Him in Tamil; then he arrived
At Tiruvotriyoor, verily the Siva-loka on earth,
Situate near the beach of the swelling sea
Where the crescent-crested Lord abides. (3353)
200. Hearing of the arrival of Aaroorar who was claimed
By the Lord that enslaved him through a document,
The devotees of the endlessly glorious Lord of Aadipuri,
Rose up to meet and greet him; at the entrance
Of each street they hung bunches of banana and areca;
They hung toranas, carried vessels of gold-dust,
Pots of gold filled with holy water, censers and lamps;
Then they fared forth to receive him. (3354)
201. Great and glorious and auspicious instruments
Were played; danseuses of that town danced
In the theatres decked with fragrant flowers garlands;
Men and women of the ethereal realms rained flowers; in such
Gaiety, the great serviteur dear to the Lord that holds
The skull of Brahma for a begging-bowl, joined
The welcoming devotees and moved in. (3355)
202. The welcoming devotees who were devoted
To the lofty tapas of Siva enshrined with Uma at Otriyoor,
Encircled Aaroorar, like a sea and hailed him,
He paid obeisance to them and reached
The temple-entrance of the Lord whose mount
Is the triumphant and ever-young Bull. (3356)
203. He prostrated before the sky-scaling tower;
Rose up, moved in, circumambulated the shrine
Of the Lord who wears in His crest the curved crescent,
And came before His presence; with his flesh,
And life too melting, Aaroorar folding his hands
Above his head, prostrated on the floor
In exceedingly great love and devotion. (3357)
204. Upborne by a consciousness that linked him
To the fresh, fragrant, beauteous and ruddy
Lotus-feet of the brow-eyed Lord called
Ezhutthu Ariyum Perumaan who, of yore,
Interlineated in a document the words:
"The city of Otriyoor excepted," he rose up
and in a flawless tune married to nectarean airs
Sang the decad which began with the words:
"Paattum paadi-p-paravi." (3358)
205. Thus he sang; love of the Lord possessed him;
He felt ecstatic; he moved out; hailed by devotees
Full of abiding love, he sojourned there in joy,
Adoring the Lord's hallowed feet unknown to questing
Vishnu and Brahma, during all the hours of pooja. (3359)
206. Thus, even thus, he abode there.
Now let us lucidly narrate the glory
Of Anintithaiyaar who having long ago left
The cool and beauteous Mount of Kailaas,
Made her avatar on earth and grew to become
The bride of Van-tondar, and revel as it were,
In the fragrant splendour of his shoulders. (3360)
207. By the grace of the Lord whose throat holds
The 'Aalaala venom,' she made her avatar
As the beloved daughter of Tirugnaayirukizhaar,
A great Velaala of lofty rectitude of Gnaayiru,
The town where men of increasing prosperity
Belonging to the fourth caste, flourished. (3361)
208. By reason of her pre-natal consciousness she stood poised
In the never-forgetful way linked to the flower-feet
Of Himavant's Daughter; she who was called Sangkiliyaar
Came to be born with this consciousness; she grew
In the company of her playmates--the young girls
Of spear-like and splendidly roving eyes--;
Crossing duly the parvas, she became nubile. (3362)
209. She grew thriving not only in the deeds that became
Her great family tradition but also manifesting qualities
Of divinity; such was her supernal culture that the world
Marvelled at it; when she grew to be a lass, her growing
Breasts--soft and supple--, grieved her gracile waist;
Then he father spake to his wife thus: (3363)
210. "In beauty of form and quality our daughter exceeds
The mortal creation; we know not the reason for this;
It is time that we should give her in wedding."
Hearing this, his wife, verily a liana of ever-crescent
Chastity, said: "Be pleased to give her in wedding as
suits our station." (3364)
211. Sangkiliyaar who heard her parents so speak, thought thus:
"These words befit me not; I belong to him who is
Wholly blessed by my Lord; I know not of the result,
Their wholly different thought will lead to." Stricken
With fear she fell down on earth in a swoon. (3365)
212. The parents who stood nearby were greatly agitated;
They lifted her up tenderly in love; anxious at heart
They thought thus: "What has become of her?"
Closely embracing her, they sprinkled on her
Cool and fragrant water, stroked her gently,
Revived her and spake to her whose lovely forehead
Was like unto a bow, thus: "What has befallen you?" (3366)
213. When thus her parents questioned her
She spake to them frankly without any concealment:
"What this day, you spake of me ill-befits my state;
I belong to him who is graced by the Lord-Rider
Of the victorious Bull; I will even now
Fare forth to Tiruvotriyoor and establish myself
In the grace of Lord Siva." (3367)
214. When they heard her words, they were assailed
By bewilderment, fear and wonder; they so conducted
Themselves thereafter that others could not
Know of her changed condition; while so,
From a clan of equal greatness and close to them
In kinship and therefore privileged to seek
Her hand in wedding, a youth, unaware of the happenings,
In great longing, deputed to them some persons to broach marriage;
They came there and discussed matrimony. (3368)
215. The father who listened to them could not reveal
To them the happenings; he so answered them
That they would not be troubled or offended; even before
They could return to him who sent them thither,
Like one assailed by a great evil he died; so too
His messengers; the parents of Sangkiliyaar and others
Who heard of this, were struck with bewilderment. (3369)
216. It looked as though that the fated event proclaimed
Clearly to the world thus: "They that mean to thrive
Would not speak words which ill-became great Sangkiliyaar."
So the parents made a clean breast of all the happenings
To the great elders of their clan; with fear-stricken
And languishing heart they now gave assent to her proposal. (3370)
217. Knowledgeable persons would not dare speak
Of her action deeming her a woman divine;
She would ever talk of the greatnesses of the Lord
Adored of her; she would not speak of aught else;
Such ind_ed was her righteous conduct;
So they resolved to conduct her to Otriyoor's Lord
Whose matted crown is plaited with a serpent. (3371)
218. Addressing Sangkiliyaar whose words were
Tunefully melodious, her parents and others said:
"Reaching Tiruvotriyoor of the Lord in whose crest
The lucid flood courses, be pleased to abide
In a kanni-maatam in that city girt with cool pools,
And perform askesis, poised hence forth
In the grace of the Lord whose forehead sports an eye." (3372)
219. In unison with the grace as ordained by the Lord who is
Crescent-crested, and oblivious of all else,
Her parents and kin resolved to abide
By the words of Sangkiliyaar, and conducted her
To Tiruvotriyoor of the Lord who smote the triple
Hostile cities, carrying with them great wealth. (3373)
220. They entered the temple of Lord Siva whose crown
Sports a white crescent, and with their close kith
And kin adored Him; then with the consent of the dwellers
Of the hoary city they built nearby a kanni-maatam
Girt with immense walls, and watched over by women-guards;
Rich endowments were made for its up-keep;
Then her father fell at her feet and said: (3374)
221. "You will gladly abide here rendering willing service
Pleasing to the Lord; we, on our part, will serve you."
His uncontainable love burst forth, and his eyes
Rained tears; he could not endure separation from her;
With his sorrowing kin, he paid obeisance to her
And left for his city girt with fort-like walls. (3375)
222. The virgin who performed tapas in love, abode there;
She adored the Lord of lives at all the hours of pooja;
To perform such acts of divine service as became
Her nature, poised unswervingly in the pious way,
She came to the mantapam mantled with screens
And rich in cool and arboraceous flowers
And there took her seat in a corner. (3376)
223. As then she became instinct with the consciousness
Of her service in the past at the holy Mount Kailaas,
She, verily a flowery liana, began to ply her hands
In weaving beauteous and soft garlands
Of flowers where chafers lay cradled, befitting the hours
Of the temple-service to adorn the crown
Of the Lord of gods; thus she flourished. (3377)
224. As the time for him to wed, in love, Sangkiliyaar
Of fragrant garland, drew near, Aaroorar who made
His avatar by the grace of the Lord whose hue
Is of the crepuscular sky, as ordained by the hoary
And ineluctable destiny, moved into the temple
Of the primordial Lord, one day. (3378)
225. Nampi Aaroorar claimed by the Lord of gods in the guise
Of a Brahmin and owned by Him, adored the Merciful One
In the hoary and traditional way, hymned Him
And moved out adoring the divine services in which
The serviteurs were engaged; he then entered
The flowery mantapam that was like unto a lotus-pool. (3379)
226. With love for thread and the Panchaakshara for flowers,
Even as their hearts wove wreaths, they wove garlands
Of flowers with their hands; the very bones and minds
Of these serviteurs melted in loving devotion.
Aaroorar adored them and moved away; from a place set apart
Sangkiliyaar came out from behind the screen as was
Her wont, handed over the garlands for the adornment
Of the Lord, and like a lightning flash moved into her
Screened apartment; Aaroorar saw her, prompted by Providence. (3380)
227. When the divine devotee of the Lord whose flag sports
The Bull, beheld the damozel--like unto pearl unthreaded,
And soft bud untouched by bee and about to burst
In fragrance--, his mind could not be kept in leash
By his rectitude; it leaped at her; anon her became
The target of Manmata's flowery darts; unable
To contain himself, he moved out, and spake thus: (3381)
228. "What may this be? It is well-nigh impossible for me
To comprehend this! She who is there, behind the curtain,
Is like a liana of lightning compounded
Of the inner coolth of the fresh full-moon
Mixed with the nectarean flow of gold and gems;
She has caused my mind to swerve from its course;
Who may she be?" When he spake thus, (_382)
229. They that stood nearby said: "She is indeed
The great lass Sangkiliyaar, the virgin who
By her ever-growing tapas fosters her servitorship
To the Lord." When so informed, he mused thus:
"My lord by His grace gave me this embodiment
owing to two persons; one is my wife Paravai;
This one is perhaps the second of them."
He was indeed bewildered. (3383)
230. "I am happily destined to live the life of a servitor
Unto the Lord whose matted hair flashes like lightning;
She grieves me, and by her tapas prevents me from
Enjoying the beatitude due to me by the Lord's grace;
She binds my dear life with the beauteous flowers
That she weaves into garlands; well, I will received her
From my Lord who wears on His crown a chaplet
Of golden Konrai flowers." Thus resolved he moved
Into the temple. (3384)
231. Even though Brahma of the Lotus-throne and Vishnu,
The tall one, flew up and burrowed down the earth, they
Could not behold His divine crown or His ever-extending
Ankleted feet; He is the Lord of all the worlds;
Yet He chooses to abide in joy at Otriyoor;
He is the Supreme Ens, the One of effulgence;
Before Him stood Aaroorar and hailed Him thus: (3385)
232. "O Lord! Besides happily sharing Uma in Your frame
You love to keep concealed in Your beauteous matted hair
The woman Ganga! Deign to grant to me, You serviteur,
Sangkili -- whose countenance is like that of the moon
And who while binding for You beauteous garlands unbinds
The garland of my heart--, and thus rid me of my misery." (3386)
233. Thus he prayed before the Lord and importuned Him;
He moved out of the temple and mused thus: "She has broken
My heart's resoluteness which for ever hovers only
Around thoughts of servitorship to You; I know not what
I should do; O Lord of fulgurant matted hair of coral hue which
Sports a crescent thereon, be pleased to grace me." (3387)
234. He abode at a place outside the temple where abides
In joy the Lord who wears the bright crescent;
It was evening and the sun was about to sink
Into the western main; he languished beholding the sea;
Longing to wed her of tender breasts, he though and thought
On his companionship with the Lord, the Friend
Of Kubera who guards Sankhanidi
And Padmanidi, and sorely languished. (3388)
235. His Lord who ate the poison of the roaring sea to save
The immortals and the mortals, appeared before Van-tonder
And spake thus: "We grant you liana-like Sangkili
Of great tapas who is unattainable by any one
In this world; rid yourself of misery". (3389)
236. Hailing the Lord Van-tondar said: "In the past
At Vennainalloor You claimed me -- a nescient cur--,
On Your own accord, graced me with Your servitorship
And thus granted me deliverance; this day you have deigned
To wed me with her to save my life." He fell at the fragrant
Flower-feet of the Lord, and thus flourished. (3390)
237. The Lord-Brahmin who rules Van-tondar as His servitor
Having graced him thus, at dead of night came
To the Kanni-maatam on whose wall the full moon rests
And appeared in the dream of glorious Sangkiliyaar, verily
A lamp that induces the glow of bright lustre. (3391)
238. When the Lord appeared before her, Sangkiliyaar
Adored Him, fell on the ground, felt ecstatic,
Rose up with a flood of delight coursing in her,
And spake thus: "Your slave is blessed with Your visit;
How can I at all requite this?" Then the Lord-Brahmin
Resplendent with the Holy Ash like unto a flood
Of great mercy, graciously spake thus: (3392)
239. "O Sangkili poised in tapas! Hearken to Me! He has
Indeed great love for me; His tapas is greater than
Even Mount Meru; at Vennainalloor, he was privileged
To be claimed by Me in the presence of all men; of Me
He besceches you; may you whose breasts are cinctured
By a breast-band joyously link yourself to him in wedding". (3393)
240. Standing before her, when the Primal Lord graced her
Thus, Sangkiliyaar of exceeding beauty fell
At the Lord's cool lotus feet unknowable to Vishnu
And Brahma, rose up and _doringly addressed
The Author of the Vedas tremulously, thus: (3394)
241. "My Lord, I belong to him whom You grace; O Lord
Of gods! I wear Your grace on my crown; when You deign
To grant me to Nampi Aaroorar in a ceremonial wedding,
O Lord whose frame shares the liana of Himavant
I have a prayer to submit unto You." (3395)
242. Then in great bashfulness she bowed to the Lord
Of plaited chignon and said: "O Lord whose beauteous chest
Displays the flashing, white, sacred thread
Splendorous with its contact of the divine breasts
Of our Goddess! He is one that joyously resides
For good, in ever-during Tiruaaroor; be pleased
To grace me bearing this in mind." Thus spake she,
Verily a flawless lamp, for ever bright. (3396)
243. He listened to her words; He, the Lord of Otriyoor,
Considered the state of Van-tondar also;
Then He graciously spake thus: "O beauty bejewelled
In gold, he will in solemn secrecy swear an oath
Affirming his non-parting from you." (3397)
244. Then returning from her whose shoulder was
Bamboo-like, the Lord came to His companion
Of flawless mind who was reveling in joy,
And said: "I spoke to her of your marriage with her;
For this you have to fulfil a condition." (3398)
245. Van-tondar adored Him with a joyous heart
And queried Him thus: What is it, O my Lord,
I am called upon to do?" Then the Lord
Spake in grace thus: "To wed her you will have
To affirm solemnly before her that you will ever
Live with her land not part from her; call on her
And this very night swear so before her." (3399)
246. Then Aaroorar said: "I will do that which will fulfil
My desire to wed her, O Lord of fulgurant, matted hair
I beseech Your grace." Then with a smile
That appeared on His lips, the Primal Lord
Facing him interrogated thus: "For your act
(Of swearing) what else is to the done?" (3400)
247. Van-tondar who gave away his mind to her
Of soft breasts cinctured by a breast-band, deeming it
To be an embargo on his dutiful itinerary
To the many shrines where his Lord joyously
Abides, to adore His beauteous forms,
Began to formulate his prayer. (3401)
248. Adoring the feet of Sankara, the Prince of Tamil
Spake thus: "When I go forth thither to take an oath
That I will not part from her, You should then be
Pleased to quit the shrine, and abide below
The makizha tree." Thus he prayed and bowed before Him. (3402)
249. When the Lord's companion prayed to Him thus, the Lord
Of gods agreeing to his request, spake thus in grace;
"O Nampi, I will do as you beseech Me!" Then Aaroorar
Hailed Him thus: "O Lord, my God! Is there
Henceforth aught that is rare for me?" (3403)
250. Aaroorar adored Him with his hands folded
Above His dead and moved out, blessed with His leave;
The Lord of ruddy matted hair-- we know not
If the Lord but desired to sport with him,
Or, was it due to the glory of the traditional
Servitorship of Sankiliyaar whose waist was slender
As a vanji-creeper--, once again visited
Her at night when all eyes closed in slumber,
To bless her with steadfastness. (3404)
251. He appeared before Sangkiliyaar as before, and said:
"Nangkai, Aarooran will willingly, take the oath
Before you; however do not suffer him to swear before Us
In the shrine; let it be under the makizha tree." (3405)
252. When she heard Him speak thus, she folded her hands
In adoration and hailed Him thus: "O Lord!
You are not to be comprehended even by Vishnu
And Brahma; but you deigned to reveal to me
The great secret, thereby acknowledging me
As Your serviteur." Tears rolled down
From her eyes and she fell at the victorious
And roseate feet of the Lord, and rose up. (3406)
253. When the Lord whose crown is wrought of matted hair
Thus graced her and disappeared, she woke up
Struck with wonder great; thinking of the great grace
Of the Lord of ruddy matted hair, she would not
Thereafter sleep that night; doubt-tossed
She moved to her friends and woke them up. (3407)
254. To her friends that woke up, when she duly narrated
All_that the Lord, Ezhuttu Ariyum Perumaal had
Revealed to her in her dream, they experienced
A happy mystical tremendum, and bowed before her. (3408)
255. The hour for Tiruppalliyezhucchi drew near;
The bejewelled beauty companied with her maids,
The co-servitors, moved out to engage herself
In the holy task of weaving garlands for the Lord;
Awaiting her arrival at that time, Aaroorar came
Before the temple to take the oath as promised. (3409)
256. When Aaroorar who stood there campe toward the bejewelled lass
That came there, and spake to her of the gracious
Blessing of his Lord, she of the gracile
And fulgurant waist, would not divulge before him
The condition linked to her consent; all bashful, she
Sidled away with her maids, and moved into the shrine. (3410)
257. Aaroorar followed her and said: "O bejewelled!
To take my oath affirming non-separation from you
Be pleased to go forth to the presence of the Lord who is
Crescent crested." When he so spake, the maidens who had
Listened to the dreams of Sangkiliyaar replied thus: (3411)
258. "O our lord! To make an asseveration
Before the presence of the Lord of the celestials will not
Be meet." Hearing this, our lord Van-tondar, unaware
Of the deed of the Lord, said: "O ye like unto twigs,
Where then shall I take the oath?" (3412)
259. The lasses thereupon said: "Enough, if you take
The oath under the makizha tree," He was nonplussed
To hear this; then he thought thus: "If I decline,
It may lead to a scandal; it is but proper that I
Should consent to this.' Terms resolved, saying:
"Well, go thither," he too reached the makizh after them. (3413)
260. As Sangkiliyaar of flawless and great tapas
Bore witness, he thrice circumambulated
The ever-young makizh and affirmed thus:
"I will abide here and never leave this place."
Thus he swore, the chief of Manippaadi
Which was dight with cool and flowery pools. (3414)
261. When glorious Aaroorar completed the act of solemn oath,
Witnessing it, she whose eyes were like blue lily, was
Agitated; she mused thus: "This sinner had to witness
This, as it was by the Lord ordained." Languishing
In life and limb, she moved aside, and wilted unseen. (3415)
262. The chief of Tirunaavaloor having performed his act
Entered the temple of the Lord who wears the hide
Of the martial tusker and prayed thus: "O Lord! You are
To dispense daily grace unto me! Wondrous indeed is Your way!"
Hailing His great name (the Panchaakshara)
He then moved out in delight great. (3416)
263. When Van-tondar moved away she whose beauteous breasts
Were cinctured by a breast-band, came to the mantapam
Where garlands were woven; there she plied
Her hands in floral service and adored Him
And the gracious acts of the Lord whose throat
Is dark like a nimbus, and then as the day was about
To break, she moved into the beauteous Kanni-maatam. (3417)
264. That very night the Lord of Otriyoor known as Aadipuri,
To fulfil the wish of Van-tondar-- His serviteur
Resplendent with jewels of gold--, desired to instruct
The glorious devotees of Tiruvotriyoor who were
Established in everlasting renown, so that
They would with all their heart, perform the wedding. (3418)
265. (Appearing in their dream) He bade them thus:
"By Our command, perform with due rites, the wedding
Of Nampi Aaroorar and Nangkai Sangkili, here on this
Earth; so celebrate the marriage that the celestials
Too should get to know it." Thus instructed,
Up rose the divine devotees, wearing as it were
On their crown, the Lord's gracious behest. (3419)
266. The serviteurs divine and innumerable--, that abode
At Tiruvotriyoor thriving in this world in great opulence,
Joined the dwellers of that beauteous city
And performed a great and glorious connubium
That was feast unto all beholding eyes,
With all their joyous heart; heaven showered flowers. (3420)
267. As ordained by the hoary providence and by the grace
Of Lord Pasupati, Van-tondar who married her
Of fragrant koontal decked with flowers wherein
Chafers lay crad_ed, in love revelled in her sheer
Splendour of queenliness which excelled that
Of Lakshmi's, with all his five senses of sight
Hearing, taste, smell and touch. (3421)
268. Her words were sweeter than the tuneful yaazh;
Beauteous was her row of teeth; her eyes,
Verily the two halves of a symmetrically sliced tender mango,
Reached as far as her ear-pendants and thither rolled;
Her breasts were of bewitching beauty; he lay
Immersed in the ford of her beauteous alkul;
Their bouderie which lasted a second seemed an aeon;
Their aeon-long union passed away like a second. (3422)
269. Thus he sweetly abode there in bliss; by reason of his
Joyous and great sojourn in ever-during Otriyoor, he could
Adore the sacred feet of the Lord who is crescent-crested;
Many a season came in succession, and rolled by. (3423)
270. The splendorous southerly born in Potiyil of swelling
Tamil, passing through the beauteous sandal-trees
Laden with their perfume and getting fostered
In many a garden of hill-slopes, began to waft
Gently in Tiruvotriyoor; then Aaroorar's mind
Hovered over the adoration of the Tiruvolakkam
Of the Lord of Tiruvaaroor-- Veethi Vitangkan--,
During His auspicious festival of Vasantham. (3424)
271. Aaroorar imagined that he indeed heard and witnessed
In person, the song and dance of Paravaiyaar
Of mellifluous words, during the Tiruvolakkam--
Circled by women of dazzling foreheads--, of the Lord
Veethivitangkan who wears a white crescent on His crown. (3425)
272. He abides in joy in Poongkoyil; He is enshrined
In the Ant-Hill; He thinks on them that thinks on Him
In unforgetful and loving devotion: of adoration unto him
Aaroorar grew conscious, as the fruit of his regular
And proper worship in the past; exclaiming:
"Lo, here did I clean forget Him,"
He wallowed exceedingly in misery. (3426)
273. Much, very much, did he think on the Lord enshrined
In Poongkoyil, the Lord who is the Author
Of the Vedas, the Lord who abides in joy in Tiruvaaroor,
And hailed Him in a divine and musical decad of lofty verses
Which opened thus: "Patthimaiyum atimaiyum..." (3427)
274. Then, one day, thinking very much on Tiruvaaroor, he entered,
The temple of His who is sweet to think on,
And adored Him; as he moved out leaving Otriyoor
By reason of his oath, the light of his eyes grew extinct;
He could not see the treading ground; he swooned. (3428)
275. He did not know what he could do; he was bewildered;
He heaved long sighs of distress; he thought
Thus: "This is the result of my transgression
Of my plighted word to her whose eyes are touched
With collyrium." Then he mused thus:
"I will hail my Lord in numbers to rid me
of this misery that has come to me." (3429)
276. With adoring heart he fell prostrate on the ground
And hailed the Lord of ever-during Aadipuri
In a decad of verse which opened thus:
"Azhukku meikodu." Contemplating the flower soft feet
Of the Lord whose half is His Consort, he prayed
To Him thus: "You should abolish this flaw." He was
Ashamed of his cruel and helpless plight and stigma;
He hailed the Lord in mellifluous melody, and Him
Adored; then he thought of many, many things. (3430)
277. When that happened to be the grace of the Lord
He folded his beauteous hands above his head and adored
Him; borne by a soaring love to adore at Aaroor,
He resolved not to return (to Otriyoor); led by them
That came with him, he came to Tirumullaivaayil
Of the Lord who wears the crescent in His matted hair,
Moved into the temple, and hymned a glorious
And divine decad in which he hailed Him thus: "For the sake
Of Sangkili, You caused my eyes to become blind." (3431)
278. Unto the hoary, glorious and munificent Lord
Of Mullaivaayil who in the past graced Tondaimaan,
He prayed thus: "Deign to eztirpate my cruel misery."
Having thus hailed Him, he who marched onward, poised
In his great desire, came to Venpaakkam, rich
In mansions and great houses, and girt with flowery
Gardens where the bees hummed in joy; when serviteurs
Came forth t_ receive him, he paid obeisance
To them and moved into the temple of the Lord, who,
Of yore, peeled off the hide of the irate tusker. (3432)
279. Companied with the devotees he circumambulated
The Shrine and came before the sanctum sanctorum
Of the merciful Lord and praised His virtues; he hailed
And adored Him; folding his hands above his head
He worshipped Him and then addressed Him thus:
"Are You present in this temple where You abide
In joy" To Van-tondar that questioned Him thus
The Lord gave a stick to walk with
And with indifferent words, thus replied him:
"We are (very much) here; You had better proceed."
Thus spake the Lord as though he were a stranger. (3433)
280. He hymned Him in a decad which opened thus: "Pizhai
Ulama Porutthiduvar"; the chief of Tirunaavaloor girt
With cloud-capped walls, hailed the Lord who is
Joyously concorporate with His Consort abiding in joy
At Venpaakkam sporting the serpent as His jewel. (3434)
281. Having hymned before the Lord the divine decad brimming
With music which was like a garland of verse in the form
Of a complaint, he mused thus: "The grace of my Lord
Amounts to this much only." Then with the ever glorious
Devotees he adored the Lord, and was soon on his way. (3435)
282. Leaving the town of the Merciful One with the devotees
He came to Pazhayanoor rich in tanks and fields
Where burgeoned lotus-flowers, and abode at a place
Without Tiruvaalangkaadu of the crescent-crested
Lord-Dancer--, the holy town unto which Peyaar,
The mother, arrived measuring the distance
With her head and abode there in devotion. (3436)
283. Facing the temple he hailed and adored the Lord;
His divine decad compact of music, opened with the word;
"Mutthaa", and he worshipped the Lord in delight;
Adoring Him again, he took His leave, and in love
Proceeded to Tiruvooral and there hailed the Lord;
Thence he came to the great city of Kaanchi rich
In beauteous mansions and girt with impregnable walls. (3437)
284. Van-tondar adored the sky-high tower that stood fronting
The temple of Mother Kaamaakshi, who, abiding
At Kacchi-k-Kaamakottam bounded by gardens abounding
In honey-bees, fosters holy dharma, prompted
By unending compassion for all embodied lives. (3438)
285. Adoring, he prostrated on the ground, rose up,
Again hailed the grace of Grace and moved on;
Following the flawless devotees he came to Tiruvekampam
Of the Primal Lord-- the Creator, Fosterer and Absorber
Of the hoary universe--, bowed before Him
And prayed to Him thus: "What have I -- the false one--,
To articulate before Your divine presence!" (3439)
286. "O Lord of merciful eyes who ate the exceedingly
Dreadful venom, whilst the celestials feasted on nectar!
Kacchi Yekampaa! Be pleased to forgive the sins
Which I -- the least worthy of men--, committed
Unwittingly! Grant me eyes to behold Your form
Of coral splendour!" Thus praying
He prostrated on the floor in adoration. (3440)
287. To Aaroorar who meditated on the roseate feet--
Unto which Himavant's liana- like Daughter
Of kayal-like eyes with streaks of red offered pooja
Holding in Her rosy and lotus-like flower-hands
Cool and fresh blooms--, and hailed and adored the Lord
In soaring love; the Lord who grew lithe when His Consort
Embraced Him, restored the vision of his left eye. (3441)
288. When the Lord unknowable to Vishnu who burrowed
The earth and to Brahma who winged the cool sky,
Restored to him the eye-sight and revealed to him
The mark of His Consort's breast, he rushed close
To His presence, fell down in worship, rose up, and in delight
Burst out with his hymn which opened thus:
"Aalamthaan Ukanthavan…" He sang and danced in joy. (3442)
289. To him that hymned and adored Him in ecstasy, the Lord
Gave a darshan of His aeviternal splendour with His Consort;
This he hailed in devotion great; folding
His hands above His head he worshipped Him, moved out
And sojourned there in joy, hailing the Lord. (3443)
290. Worshipping the Lord of long matted hair where He wears
The crescent and flowers of Konrai,
The Lord who bears the marks of the breasts and the bangles
Of the great Daughter of Himavant, and singing
A decad-- a flower-garland of Tamil verse on Tiruvaaroor--,
He left the divine city of Kaanchi girt with gardens
And rich in melliferous flowers. (3444)
291. In love and devotion he hymned the decad which opened
Thus: "Anthiyum nan pakalum;" he lilted it
Tunefully and melodiously and expressed his desire
Thus: "O when am I to reach my Lord-Father's Tiruvaaroor?"
Possessed by uncontainable ardour; he fared forth in joy
With the loving devotees. (3445)
292. On his way at each holy and ever-during town
He visited the temple of the Lord who wears
In His crown Vanni and Vilva, adored the Lord
And adorned Him with garlands of celebratory
Tamil verse; thus he reached Tiruvaamaatthoor
Rich in tanks and fields where swans teemed. (3446)
293. Adoring the feet of the Beautiful One, the merciful Lord
Of Aamaatthoor, he sang a divine decad of abiding music;
Then crossing the great and fecund Tondai Nadu which
Confers auspiciousness on the world, he reached
The glorious and well-watered country
Where Kocchengkanaan was born. (3447)
294. He reached Tiruvaratthurai in that realm.
Prostrated before the fragrant and flower-soft feet
Of the Lord who wields the fulgurant weapon of mazhu,
Rose up and adorned Him with a garland of Tamil verse,
Beginning with the words: "Kalvaai akil,"
And sojourned there in joy
With the devotees of ever-during ardour. (3448)
295. Having adored at Tiruvaratthurai of the Supreme Lord
He visited many a shrine of Siva whose flag
Sports the young Bull, hailed and adored
His fragrant flower-feet, bathed in the Cauvery
Of immense waters, companied with the devotees
And then came near cool Tiruvaavaduthurai whose Lord
Wears as a jewel, the serpent. (3449)
296. On His arrival, he was received there
By the devotees; with them he moved into the temple
Of swelling glory, circumambulated
The inner shrine, came before the Lord's presence
And hymned thus: "O Lord in whose matted hair, the Ganga
Thrives! Behold me who am deprived of an eye!"
The sorrowing serviteur sang thus in his tuneful
Decad: "O Lord, who indeed is my kin?" (3450)
297. Having hailed Him in a divine decad, he adored Him,
And blessed with His leave he longingly fared forth
To Tirutthurutthi, moved into the shrine and adored
In great devotion the ankleted feet of the pure
And purifying Lord, and prayed to Him thus: "Be pleased
To rid me of the misery of my affliction." (3451)
298. To him that thus hailed and adored, the Supreme One
Graciously spake thus: "For the total cure
Of your affliction, take a special bath in the Northern Tank
Where bees hum over goodly blossoms." Thus bidden
The serviteur who knew not deception, adored Him
Folding his hands, and marched on. (3452)
299. He reached the tank rich in efficacious water,
Prayed to the Lord of Tirutthurutthi who is
A manifestation of all the glories celebrated
By the Vedas, and plunged into it; as he did so, he stood
Cured of his recent malady, and at that very moment
Came to be endowed with a divine body,
Which blazed with ruby lustre. (3453)
300. Even as the beholders marvelled at it, he came forth
To the bank of the tank, had his change of clothing,
And in great and soaring devotion reached the temple;
In the presence of the devotees he sang in sevenfold music
A decad of deliverance to all the men inhabiting
The eight directions should they comprehendingly
Hail it; it opened with the words: "Minnu maa mekangkal…" (3454)
301. Having sung tunefully the Tamil decades he sojourned
There with the serviteurs that always think on Him,
Unforgetful of the divine grace of the supreme Lord,
And hailed Him; then he visited the many shrines
Where the Lord who pervades his heart, abides,
And adored Him, then he moved on and eftsoons beheld
Before him Tiruvaroor filling his whole ken. (3455)
302. Though he beheld it with all his heart, his joy
Was not complete as he beheld it with one eye only;
He fell flat on the ground, heaved deep sighs, rose up
And straight adored it; Van-Tondar, entered Tiruvaaroor
At dusk and moved into the temple of the Lord
Of holy lips and dense matted hair, to adore Him. (3456)
303. He moved into the temple of Paravai-unn-mandali
Companied with the swelling devotee-throng;
He adored the Lord and hailed Him in a sublime
And tuneful decad which opened thus: "Thoovaayaa";
In that decad he prayed thus: "Remove our sorrows
And bless us with the light of eye to behold."
Thus he sang his rich and rare Tamil verse
Before the Merciful One. (3457)
304. Having adored the river-crested Lord, he moved out
And abode at a different place; with the devotees
He came near Tirumoolattaanam of the Lord whose
Banner sports the Bull, knowing the time to be propitious
For adoration during the Atthayaama service. (3458)
305. As he beheld the serviteurs of the Primal Lord
Coming before him, he sang, facing them, a decad which
Opened thus: "Kuruku paaya"; through this decad that he
Sang in flawless and tuneful melody, as though he were
A stranger, he interrogated the serviteurs; he melodised
It in Kaikkilai on account of his sorrow;
Thus singing he moved on with them. (3459)
306. He proceeded first to Tiru-th-Tevaasiriyan
Of soaring glory; and adored it; then he adored
The cloud-capped tower, folding his hands, moved in
And hailed the poongkoyil decked with many garlands;
Then he prostrated on the ground
In great love and devotion of abiding ardour. (3460)
307. He rose up; folding his hands in adoration
He stood before the Lord and burst into sobs;
He wilted not content with the restoration of sight
To one flower-soft eye only; thus he prayed to the Lord;
"Be pleased to retrieve me, Your serviteur
From the deep sea of misery; grant me my desire
And bless me with the (other) eye." (3461)
308. To drink with eyes the Nectar not to be tasted
With lips, -- the Lord that is enshrined in Tiruvaaroor,
The Wearer of Pigngnakam enshrined in Tirumoolattaanam--,
In fitting love and devotion, the Prince of Naavaloor
Hailed the Lord and beseeched Him thus:
"Be pleased to give me the other eye" (3462)
309. His decad opened thus: "Meelaa adimai;" he hymned
This decad compact of comely and charming words
As the devotee and hallowed companion of the Lord,
And hailed the aeviternal Lord who was pleased to eat
The poison to forefend the death of the celestial orders
And prayed to Him thus: "Will you suffer Your true devotees
Who foster Your feet with love, to endure misery?" (3463)
310. The Lord of Hosts-- the Holy One enshrined in the Ant-Hill--,
Deigned to grace Van-tondar for his loving devotion
And suffering; when He cast His gracious looks on him
And endowed him with sight in his cool and flower-like eye
His heart grew ecstatic and he fell
At the flower-feet of the Lord. (3464)
311. He prostrated on the ground, rose up and adored
The Lord in manifold ways; he hailed Him exceedingl;
He sang and danced in joy that welled up in him;
He was indeed immersed in a flood of delight;
With his two eyes he drank in the grace of Lord Siva
That rose up like a cool, splendid and coral-hued shoot
From the beautiful and golden Ant-Hill, and revelled in joy. (3465)
312. He hailed and adored the Lord during the time
The service lasted; then, Aaroorar who came to be born
For the deliverance of the world, in loving devotion
Circumambulated the inner shrine of the golden
And beautiful Poongkoyil, moved out of the entrance
Where abode Vishnu and Brahma, awaiting
The hour propitious, to prefer their petitions
To the Lord, and came towards Tevassiriyan,
In the company of glorious devotees. (3466)
313. When Nampi Aaroorar parted from Nangkai Paravaiyaar,
Assailed by loneliness in her beauteous mansion, she
Languished; her days became nights and nights, days;
Thus passed her time; swelling love in her upsurged
And she grieved much; thus rolled a few days. (3467)
314. 'Tirunaavaloorar poised_in the holy way, having reached
Otriyoor, married there in great splendour
The rotund-breasted Sangkiliyaar.' When the truth
Of this dictum was verified and reported
To her by her messengers who were sent by her to him
She grew wroth unconsciously and sorely languished,
Besieged by an uncontrollable ire. (3468)
315. She would not slumber on her soft bed damasked
With flowers; neither would she desire to keep awake in joy;
Nor would she be seated on her beauteous seat, decked
With gold and flowers; she would neither stand
Nor walk; she would not move out of the house;
She would not forfend the shower of flowery darts
Caused by Manmata; she would not think on Aaroorar;
Neither would she forget him; alas, what could she do?
She was tossed between bouderie and separation
Both of which were bone-melting. (3469)
316. While thus she languished in helpless misery, Aaroorar
Came before the temple of the Lord who wears in His crest
A white curved crescent; his glorious retinue
Proceeded to the mansion of lily-eyed Paravaiyaar;
When as usual they tried to enter it, they were not
Admitted; so they stood outside. (3470)
317. A few of them that so stood there, came
To Nampi Aaroorar of ever-during renown, and said:
"They happen to know every happening at Tiruvotriyur
And no one detail had escaped them; so this day,
They in the mansion pushed us away; we could not
Even tarry outside the mansion." (3471)
318. Van-tondar who languished in his mind, when he
Heard such words, thought over the matter;
Gaining clarity, he deployed a few men well-versed
In the way of the phenomenal world to his beloved
Paravaiyaar, to study her irate state
And devise ways and means to pacify her. (3472)
319. They that fared forth with Nampi Aaroorar's grace
Arrived at the beautiful and golden mansion
Of Nangkai Paravaiyaar; they came before her
Of fulgurant waist who lay sunk in the fiery sea
Of bouderie, and with a view to pacify her,
Spake thus: "Does this become our lady?"
They also appealed to her in many ways. (3473)
320. Having failed to convince her by methods of Saama,
They resorted to Bheda, poised in Niti; she would have
None of these; her resentment remained intact,
And she addressed them and said: "If you persist
In your importunities on his behalf who is linked
With evil, I will assuredly give up my life." When they
Heard her speak thus, they grew scared, and moved away. (3474)
321. They moved out, came to the Prince of Tirumunaippaadi
Bounded by cool and beautiful fields, and narrated to him
The events as they happened; Aaroorar grew scared,
And he grieved; unable to sight the plank with the help
Of which he might cross the sea of misery
And reach ashore, his mental distress burnt fiercely
And he sorely languished; sunk in the sea of dark
Midnight, he knew not the way to surface up. (3475)
322. Those that were near him slumbered;
Tiruvatthayaamam-service was over; men on earth
Ceased to walk; it was the densest part of the night
When even ghosts would sleep; it was then the companion
Of the Lord who wears on His matted hair the fragrantly
Blooming konrai flowers, serpent and crescent,
Sat alone, sunk in despair, and mused thus: (3476)
323. "The hoary deed indeed has caused the present deed
And she indeed is the cause original; O Lord who
Owns me! Be pleased to think of visiting her, who is
Like a swan, at this part of the night, to rid her
Of her bouderie; if You do so, I am saved;
If not, I am done for." Thus he thought,
Beseeching the Lord and invoking His feet. (3477)
324. Can the Lord who cannot bear to behold the misery
Of His devotees keep aloof without implementing
The wish of His companion whom He rules? The lord who wears
The marks of the breasts and the bangles of gold
Worn by the Mother of the universe, came thither
Planting on earth His feet unknown to Vishnu
And Brahma, and Aaroorar beheld Him. (3478)
325. When thus the Lord was pleased to come there,
In uncontainable delight, his limbs trembled;
The hair on his_thrilled body stood erect; the soft
And lotus-like hands of Nampi Aaroorar folded
Above his head, and he fell at the ruddy, lotus-like
Feet of the Lord who shares in His left His Consort. (3479)
326. Unto the friend who fell at His feet, adored Him
And stood before Him poised in great longing, the Lord said:
"What is it that afflicts you?" Him adoring,
He spake thus: "It is mine own doing
Which proves to be my undoing, and from this
You must lift me up and rule me by Your mercy. (3480)
327. "At Tiruvotriyoor, graced by You Yourself
I married Sangkili whose bright eyes are sharp
Like the blade of wrought spear, and lived in joy;
Paravai of willowy waist, coming to know
Of all this, affirms that if I should come
To her, she would give up her ghost; so what shall I do? (3481)
328. "O my Master! If I am truly Your serviteur, if You are
Truly my goodly companion, more dear to me
Than even my mother, and if You are truly my Lord God,
Behold then my senseless plight and distress, and proceed
To annul, this very night, the bouderie of Paravai." (3482)
329. The Lord who demands nought but love, desiring to do that
Which His devotee sought, facing Aaroorar who
Petitioned to Him standing before Him, said:
"Abolish sorrow; we even now are proceeding to her
Who is adorned with jewels of gold, as your messenger." (3483)
330. Van-tondar grew boundlessly joyous, fell at the feet
Of the Lord, rose up, praised Him in all ways,
Felt beatific, and spake to the Lord thus: "Be pleased
To proceed without delay to the cloud-capped mansion
Of Paravai whose teeth are white mullai buds,
And rid her bouderie." Thus he prayed to Him. (3484)
331. The Lord who ate the Aalaala poison as though it were
Nectar, so that the celestials might thrive,
And so became beauteously blue-throated, --
Even He who is unknown to the Two--, to annul
The misery of the serviteur, fared forth
As a messenger to the mansion of Paravaiyaar
In whose flowery koontal chafers abode. (3485)
332. Among the Devas who stood waiting in Tevaasiriyan
Seeking boons, some adored Him and accompanied Him,
While the others moved out having adored Him;
Inseparable serviteurs who ever plied themselves
In intimate servitorship, leaders of Siva-Bhoota Hosts,
Never-aging munis and yogis walked before Him. (3486)
333. Joining the great Nandi, the rishis, Kubera
The friend of Siva, others joyously hailed Him;
Heavens showered fragrant and splendorous flowers
Which filled and damasked the divine street;
It was thus the peerless messenger of the devotee
Plied His steps on the holy street. (3487)
334. "The Lord's lotus feet could never be seen by Vishnu
And Brahma; it is time when one can wear these feet
One one's crown." Thus proclaimed the anklets
Of the Lord whose throat is dark, as He ate the sea's venom;
The anklets that entwined His lotus feet thus spake aloud,
And the Lord fared forth, even thus, to the mansion
Of Paravaiyaar whose eyes were like blue lilies. (3488)
335. The Lord moved on swiftly followed by His devotees,
The snakes of His matted hair where the Ganga roars,
The honey-bees on the konrai-chaplets nigh the crescent,
The Vedas and also the mind of Van-tondar;
Thus, even thus, He marched on. (3489)
336. As at the sides of the Lord who, of yore,
Peeled off the hide of the ichorous tusker whose
Trumpeting was louder than the roar of the sea,
They gathered closely, that street of Tiruvaaroor
Whereon the beauteous Lord fared forth, looked as though
It would reveal in itself the whole of Siva-loka. (3490)
337. When the messenger of Nampi Aaroorar who was
Born for the deliverance of the world, came near
The threshold of the beautiful and gemmy mansion
Of Paravaiyaar, He bade all others that came with Him
To tarry thither; then in the holy guise
Of a Brahmin-muni who has been performing His pooja
For a long time, he proceeded there, all alone. (3491)
338. He went there, stood before the securely barred doors
And called out thus: "O Paavaai, open the door!"
She of the so_t and dense koontal who sorely languished
And kept awake without a wink of sleep,
Thought thus: "He on whose chest it beheld
The glowing sacred thread, even he, the performer
Of pooja unto the Lord that rules us, calls me." (3492)
339. She grew scared thinking thus: "Why is it that
The performer of pooja to the crescent-crested Lord
Calls me at dead of night?" Not knowing
That it was indeed the Lord whose half is Uma,
She whose forehead is like a half moon,
Rushed forth agitated, and opened the door. (3493)
340. She paid obeisance to Him-- the ever-during
Friend of Van-tondar--, that stood before
Her mansion's threshold, as the messenger of Aaroorar,
And said: "When at this dead of night
The whole world is asleep, why should you—
O wearer of the beautiful sacred thread on you
Bright chest--, who are very like the Lord
That rules me, be pleased to come here?" (3494)
341. He who concealed the matted hair in which lay
Concealed the Ganga, thereupon said: "If you,
Without declining, be pleased to fulfil my wish,
I will tell you the purpose of My visit."
To this, she whose eyes were beauteous as the kayal,
Replied thus: "If you be pleased to disclose it
And if it befits me, I will consent to do so." (3495)
342. When she said, that when informed of the purpose
She would carry out his purpose if it became her,
The Lord said: "O woman of fulgurant waist!
Nampi Aarooran should be welcomed here!"
To this, she of beautiful forehead said: "Great,
Very great, indeed would be our glory (then)!" (3496)
343. She subjoined and said: "He who would as usual
Return for the Pangkuni festival, parted from me,
Went to Otriyoor and got enchained by Sangkili;
What indeed attracts him here? O, beautiful
Is the message you have come with, during this night." (3497)
344. The Lord that listened to her graciously, spake thus:
"O Nangkai! I have come hither to beseech you
Not to bear in mind Nampi's offences; it is
To rid you of your resentment and to abolish
Your state of suffering I have come;
So it ill-becomes you to decline my request." (3498)
345. The great woman addressing the Brahmin-muni,
The great one well-versed in the rare Vedas, said:
"If this be your mission, your coming to this house
Ill-befits your glory; I will not suffer his coming here;
He has his Salvation at Otriyoor; please go back."
Thus she couched her refusal. (3499)
346. The Lord that heard her, inly laughed; He would not
Reveal to her His true state; He was pleased
To witness the suffering passion of His unique
And great friend; He was poised for this divine sport;
With the word of refusal of her of fragrant hair, He returned. (3500)
347. Having sent his messenger, the serviteur eagerly
Awaited His return; meanwhile he lamented thus:
"I, an ignoramus, beseeched the Lord-God to pacify
The bouderie of her of fair forehead."
He thought that He would convince Paravaiyaar
And return securing her loving consent. (3501)
348. He mused thus: "What would have the Holy One
Done, when He arrived at her house?"
Would she refuse (to accept me) when the Lord
Comes in person espousing my cause?
Surely He who went there, alive to my distress,
Will not return without pacifying the jewelled beauty. (3502)
349. He rose up and proceeded to meet Him on His way;
Not beholding Him, he would return; he would
Stand bewildered; he would feel wilted;
He would rise up, saying, "He will not,
The Lord of trinocular vision, delay."
Then he would move aside when Manmatha
Showered his flowery darts on him; thus he grieved. (3503)
350. When the Lord who sports a serpent in His matted hair
Returned in His own form from Paravaiyaar's house
After His visit as a messenger, the night blazing bright
Looked as though it were but day; up rose Nampi
And rushed to greet Him in great joy;
It was like the violent flowing
Of flood, breaking the dam. (3504)
351. He bowed before the Lord and when He smiled
Unaware of the play behind it, and thinking
That He had effected a rapprochement,
He said: "That day in the past You claimed
And redeemed me; this day You have chased away
All her wrath, and this indeed is in unison
With Your former grace." (3505)
352. To Nampi that so spake, the Great One replied thus:
"As beseeched by you, We went to Paravai's house
And We did descant on your greatnesses to her
Of lovingly bewitching breasts; but she would not
Accept you; even though We ourself entreated her
With pleasing words, she refused to listen to Us." (3506)
353. When the Lord thus spake in grace, Aaroorar
Struck with dread, trembled; adoring the Lord,
He said: "Could Paravai say 'No' to You when you commanded
Her in grace? You have this day made it clear
That we are not to be counted as Your servitors. (3507)
354. "For the flourishing of the Devas, You ate the venom
Of the billowy sea; when the triple hostile citadels
Were burnt, You saved the three from destruction;
For the sake of the Brahmin-lad well versed
In the Vedas, You smote Death to death;
Well, if I be odious for you, You will but return
Without success; will You not?" (3508)
355. "O, You but did what is proper; if Yu cherish not
This day, my servitorship, why did You in the past
Claim and own me? You witnessed my pain
And languishment; if You do not make me welcome
To her of the willowy waist, I will give up
My life." So he spake and fell at His feet. (3509)
356. Unable to bear the suffering of Nampi Aaroorar,
The Lord casting His looks of grace on him
That fell at His feet and languished, said:
"We even now proceed to her, the liana, to tell her
To receive you; be rid of your painful misery."
Thus spake He that connects the results of deeds
With the doers thereof. (3510)
357. When the Lord thus blessed His bewildered friend
With sweet words of truth and nectarean bliss,
The Prince of Tirunaavaloor praised Him thus:
"Ridding me of painful commotion, You have also
Cured me, the serviteur of Your sacred feet, of fear;
It is thus, even thus, You should rule Your serviteur." (3511)
358. Prompted by mercy for His devotee, the Lord went again;
Aaroorar followed Him to a distance, adored Him,
And returned bewildered; they that did not accompany the Lord
On His earlier visit, now adoring Him went after Him;
Thus the Lord of golden and matted hair
Proceeded to the hallowed mansion of Paravaiyaar. (3512)
359. When the Lord that called on her in the guise
Of a Brahmin left her, Paravaiyaar whose forehead was
Like the moon, became convinced by many wondrous
Happenings that the Muni well-versed in the Vedas, was
None other than the Primal Lord of abounding mercy;
She cried thus: "Alas, I talked back and refused
To abide by the words of the Lord Himself." (3513)
360. She would not sleep; fierce and helpless sorrow
Possessed her; she mused thus: "When this day, the Lord
Of gods came here in the form of a priest that performs
His pooja, for the sake of His companion, I could not
Know of it; Oh the sinner that I am!" Casting her looks
On the bright threshold, when she, companied
With her companions, wallowed in misery. (3514)
361. The Lord of matted hair fragrant with Konrai blooms
Came forth in His own exquisite form, surrounded
By innumerable leaders of Bhoota-Hosts, densely-thronging
Devas, Yogis and Munis, and entered
The mansion of flawlessly glorious Paravaiyaar. (3515)
362. The mansion to which the Lord of great mercy came
Was like unto a southern Kailaas, the glorious, sacred,
And argent Mount of the Lord, as there thronged
All the leaders of the Bhoota-Hosts, Captains of other
Hosts, Devas, righteous Munis, Siddhas and Yakshas. (3516)
363. When the Great One arrived, surrounded by the dwellers
Of all the worlds, Paravaiyaar who came
Forth to greet Him, experienced a mystical tremendum;
Then she hastened to fall
At His roseate and redemptive feet. (3517)
364. He who is inaccessible to Vishnu and Brahma, addressing
The woman that wore choice jewels, said: "Privileged
By friendship, Aarooran bade us, and We are here;
O woman of fragrant hair, bid_him that suffers,
Parted from You, a warm welcome." (3518)
365. The woman of big and broad eyes was struck with fear;
With a sorrowing heart, and folding her flower-hands
Above her locks, she spake to Him thus:
"As a fruit of my rare tapas, You are now here;
Was it You my Lord that came here a while ago
In the form of an extraordinarily sacred Brahmin?" (3519)
366. Teardrops gathered in her eyes and began to flow
Down; adoring the Lord, she made to Him her submission
Thus: "Putting Your radiant and salvific feet
To pain, during a whole night, for the sake of a loving
Devotee of Yours, You have been walking hither and thither;
So what can I do but express my assent?" (3520)
367. "Nangkai, you but spoke worthy words that became
Your lofty stature" said the Lord-Patron who is
Concorporate with His Consort; then He hastened
Away from her; she whose forehead was like the moon, followed Him
To a distance and then returned after adoring Him;
Our Lord, the messenger of Nampi, was now hastening to him. (3521)
368. When the Lord who would not reveal His crown
Or feet to questing Brahma and Vishnu, plied Himself
Willingly as a messenger of His serviteur, the various
Leaders of the Bhoota Hosts and glorious heroes who were
Poised in the splendour of Siva-consciousness, witnessing
The Lord's act dance and sang in joy in that street in dense
throngs.(3522)
369. When these thus fared forth before Him or after Him
Or at His sides, the Lord of Tiruvaaroor proceeded
In all celerity to effect the re-union of His devotee
Nampi Aaroorar with Paravaiyaar, the lightning-waisted;
As He thus hastened, the waves of the Ganga in His crest
Tossed about and spilled; thus the Lord
Came towards Aaroorar versed in the Vedas. (3523)
370. The serviteur mused thus: "The Lord went away,
And by His assurance gave me back my life;
But I know not what He would do yet."
With unwinking eyes he fastened his look on the street
Made resplendent by the treading of the Lord that wears
On His chest the sacred thread wrought of gold. (3524)
371. Just then, unto him that languished by the flowery darts
Of Manmata, the Lord who would confer on him
The ever-during life, came; Aaroorar greeted Him
And wore as it were on his crown His feet-- the Palladium for
The triple worlds--; yet he was not sure
Of what the Lord would be pleased to observe. (3525)
372. "Oh my Lord, from her who is liana-like and who
Without fostering my life grieves me so sore,
What woeful tidings do You carry for me?" he asked.
Thereupon his Lord told him thus: "We have assuaged
The wrath of her who has a flowing koontal; O Nampi.
You can now go forth to rejoin her." (3526)
373. When the Lord known as Nandi graced him thus,
Delightful ardour welled up in his heart full of well-being;
Then he spake to the Lord thus: "O Lord, You indeed
Are the granter of bondage and release befitting lives;
O my lord-Father, can aught grieve me henceforth?" (3527)
374. When Aaroorar fell at His feet, the Lord that is
Easy of access to His friend, bade him thus:
"You may now go back to the bejewelled beauty."
This said, for the flouring of the world
The Lora Veethi Vitangka mounted His sublime
And victorious Bull and entered the temple
Whose entrance-threshold is decked with gold. (3528)
375. He followed the Lord a few feet, prostrated
Before Him, rose up and returned blessed with His leave;
He praised Him thus: "My Lord is omnivaliant!"
In great delight when Nampi Aaroorar fared
Forth towards the threshold of the golden mansion
Of her of perfumed locks. (3529)
376. His retinue which already woke up from its slumber
Came densely encircling him; the Devas showered
Bright, beauteous and ethereal blooms, and hailed him;
Southerly wafted gently bearing with it fragrant,
Coll and soft spray and thus made delectable his way. (3530)
377. His retinue-- the carriers of garlands, cool paste
Of fragrant concoction, sandal-paste mixed with musk,
Exceedingly good and aromatic camphor, saffron,
Jewels to be wo_n on the beauteous person,
Varieties of garments and other things (like fruits,
Nuts, and betel leaves)--, walked ahead of him. (3531)
378. In such splendour her arrived there; in fitting love
She whose eyes were painted with collyrium
Had her whole mansion decorated with great skill
In manifold ways of excellence; she had rows of lamps kept there
Fed with ghee; censers and pots filled with fragrant
And holy water, were also duly set. (3532)
379. With fragrant, bright and beautiful garlands,
And wreaths and chaplets set with gems, she had the house
Adorned; the floor was coated with fragrant sandal-paste;
Lovely gold-dust was scattered; even as her circling
Friends hailed her, she came to the street
Filled with fragrant flowers, stood in front
Of the gem-inlaid threshold, and awaited
The advent of Nampi Aaroorar (3533)
380. When Van-Tondar came before her in whose koontal
Chafers hummed, she could not behold the bounds
Of her flood of love; possessed by exceeding fear
And bashfulness, she paid obeisance to him; the glorious
Hero took hold of her cool and rosy palm
And moved into the mansion. (3534)
381. They both hailed the great acts of divine mercy
Which their Lord enacted for their sake;
Their chintas were immersed in a flood of joy;
Each was poised in the other, and a single life
Pervaded their bodies held in happy union. (3535)
382. He adored the Lord Author of the Vedas-- the One
In whose matted hair the Ganga flows--,
Enshrined in the Ant-Hill at Poongkoyil
During all the hours of pooja, and adorned Him
With splendorous decad that invested the world
With resplendence; thus the wearer of the lotus-garland
And chains set with gems, flourished there in joy. (3536)
383. "Without any qualms of conscience Nampi Aaroorar
Plied the Lord as a messenger to his woman!"
Hearing such scandalous worlds which spread swiftly
In this world, Yeyarkone Kalikkaamar grieved
At heart, wondered, feared and then spake thus: (3537)
384. "Wonderful indeed is the errand the Lord was commanded
To perform by His devotee! Could one call oneself
A devotee that bade the Lord thus, thinking
It to be but fit and proper? What blasphemy
Is this? I am truly a ghoul, for, even after hearkening
To this blasphemy, my life has not quit my body." (3538)
385. He would lament thus: "Prompted by love to join a woman,
He commanded the Lord who in due submission
Walked the earth with His roseate lotus-feet
In pain; lo should the peerless Lord go up and down
The whole night through the street where chariots ply? (3539)
386. "Though the Lord unable to suffer the suffering
Of His serviteur should consent to serve, could yet
A devotee ply on an errand the Lord who is not
To be comprehended by Indra, the celestial King,
Vishnu and Brahma? O that day will surey be a cursed day
When I am to meet him that trembled not
In his heart to deploy the Deity! (3540)
387. "I know not what will happen, when, face to face
I meet him who for the sake of a woman, plied during
Night my Lord-Ruler as a messenger and (still) lives!"
Thus he mused and his heart was full of wrath,
Even to the point of bursting. (3541)
388. When Nampi Aaroorar heard of this, he indeed deemed it
A beatitude to be even thus thought of by Yeyarkone
Kalikkaamar of lofty and endless renown; he became
Alive to his sinning; seeking expiation therefore,
He petitioned to the Lord in whose matted hair
Decked with beauteous and burgeoning Konrai blooms, the Ganga flows.(3542)
389. He daily prayed to the Lord, who please with it, desired
To make both the devotees of loving devotion get bound
By affectionate friendship; for this he afflicted Yeyarkone,
The great hero, with a dire ache of stomach
That made him languish in life and limb. (3543)
390. The stomach-ache with which the Lord graced flawless
And ever-glorious Yeyarkone, pierced him more
And more like a spear fully heated with fire,
And caused him extreme pain; he could not bear it;
His heart broke; he fell at the feet of the Lord
Of t_e Bhoota-Hosts, and hailed him. (3544)
391. When with all his mind and word of mouth, our lord Yeyarkone,
The devotee, hailed the divine and salvific feet
Of the Lord, he was thus graced by Him: "The grieving
Stomach-ache that afflicts you, can be cured only
By Van-tondan; it is otherwise remedyless."
When he heard the Lord speak thus, (3545)
392. He said: "O our Lord! You indeed are the Protector
Of my father, his father and his father and our whole
Race; generation after generation, in unbroken
Tradition Your hallowed feet alone are our
Sole refuge; in this world I thrive even thus;
Is my stomach-ache that grows apace to be cured
By one who was newly and forcibly claimed by You? (3546)
393. "It is better that the ache should sorely grieve me
Uncured by that Van-tontan; O Lord whose banner
Sports the Bull! Who can ever comprehend the glories
Of Your gracious acts? You choose to glorify
Your new servitor. Well, be that as it may!"
When Yeyarkone spake thus, the Lord of matted hair
Disappeared from him. (3547)
394. The Lord Patron then manifested before Van-Tondar
And graciously spake thus: "May you this day go
To Yeyarkone and Our command cure him of his dire
Ache of stomach." Thereupon, glad in mind and thrilled
In body, Naavaloorar adored the Lord. (3548)
395. When the Lord graced him thus and left him, Aaroorar
As commanded by the Lord of gods, hastened
On his errand, borne by love which his mind
Fostered for the friendship of Kalikkaamar;
He sent a messenger to inform him of his arrival
To cure him of his cruel gripes. (3549)
396. He that languished from colic with which the Lord
In His grace afflicted him, was all the more
Pained when he heard the cruel words
Of the Lord; now when he heard of the impending arrival
Of Van-tondar, he mused thus: "If I be beset with the great
Evil of the advent of him who employed our Lord
As his messenger, I know not what I will do. (3550)
397. "Before he comes to cure me of my cruel malady,
To deal with this sinful tormina which shall not
Part from me till my death, I will tear it out
From my stomach where it abides, and thus end it."
Then unsheathing the sword from its scabbard
He tore his stomach; that very moment, his life
And colic came to an end. (3551)
398. The ineffably glorious wife of Kalikkaamar made all
Arrangements for suttee to accompany her peerless
Husband; then a messenger from the retinue
Of Aaroorar came there and said: "Nampi is come;
He is close by." Thereupon she spake thus:
"Let none lament here." (3552)
399. She addressed the servants thus: "Conceal
The act of my husband; when Nampi Aaroorar
Her arrives, go forth to greet him, having
Decked this house in great splendour."
Thereupon the servants adorned the foreyard
With lamps and pots filled with fragrant water;
They decorated the house with garlands wrought
Of flower-bunches, and moved out to receive him. (3553)
400. When the men of righteous heart came before him, greeted
Him and paid obeisance to him, our ruler Nampi Aaroorar
Smiled in joy; in true love he moved into the house
And sat on a seat strewn thick with flowers;
His face beamed in joy. (3554)
401. Ritualistic archana was performed to him
In unison with the scriptural rules; it was
Accepted by Nampi Aaroorar, well-versed
In the truths of the fourfold Vedas; then he said:
"I really grieve very much as by now
I have not cured the cruel ache of Yeyarkone; I should
Have done this to sojourn here in his company." (3555)
402. By the behest of Kalikkaamar's wife, the servants
Of the house said: "There is nothing to grieve;
He slumbers in his room." When so told, Aaroorar
Spake in grace thus: "Even though evil comes not here,
Yet my mind lacks clarity, and so I must behold him." (3556)
403. As Van-tondar persisted, they took him to Kalikkaamar;
Blood had gushed forth profusely from him and his
Intestines were jutting out; when he beheld the deceased,
Aaroorar said: "Great indeed is the happening!
I too will join him similarl_." (3557)
404. Resolved on self-murder, when he clutched at the dagger,
By the grace of the Lord that rules us, Kalikkaamar
Rising from the dead, shouted: "Woe is me --
(Now) his friend!" As he forthwith caught hold
Of the dagger, Van-tondar adored him and fell at his feet. (3558)
405. When Aaroorar fell at his feet and adored him,
Yeyarkone threw away the dagger and fell at the feet
Of Aaroorar of resounding heroic anklet; witnessing
That day the marvel, the celestials showered
Karpaka flowers to the hailing of men on earth. (3559)
406. Up rose both and embraced each other; loving
Friendliness joyously welled up in them
Without interruption; then they proceeded to Tiruppungkoor
And there hailed the feet of the Holy One; Van-tondar
Setting his mind on the grace of the Lord, hymned
A decad which opened thus: "Antanaalan." (3560)
407. Thus passed a few days; then the chief
Of Tirumunaippaadi companied with the leader
Of the Yeyarkone-clan, came to Tiruvaaroor
And adored the Lord of Poongkoyil with him;
There they abode in perfect love. (3561)
408. Having sojourned there in joy, Kalikkaamar
With Aaroorar's gracious leave came back to his town,
Abode there poised in piety and performed acts of service
Befitting him; eventually in all splendour he reached
The feet of the Lord whose mount is
Th glorious and red-eyed Bull. (3562)
409. He, the patron, became a friend of Aaroorar who during
Midnight employed our Lord as his messenger;
He is Yeyarkone; adoring his flower-feet, I now
Proceed to narrate the glory of Tirumoolar
Who, in sweet and clear Tamil, expounded the truth
Of the fourfold way culminating in Gnaanam
Which is inward realization. (3563)
----------------
NOTES
Verse No.
1. Tirupperumangkalam: The birth-place of St. Yeyarkone. Mangalam means
auspiciousness. This holy place does not brook the occurrence of
anything that is inauspicious. St. Yeyarkone committed suicide. Yet
Siva, in His infinite mercy, resurrected him. This sacred town is
therefore aeviternally auspicious.
7. Tiruppunkoor: The Lord is Sivaloka Naathar. His Consort is
Chokka Naayaki.
20. Kolilee: Kolileenaadeswarar is the Lord whose Consort is
Vandamarpoongkuzhal Ammai. The decad sung here opens thus:
"For long hours
I think of you,
I pray to you without pause
Great lord in Kolili:
I received a little paddy in Kuntaiyur
So shat the innocent woman
With eyes like swords
Would no longer be in pain.
Our lord -- there is no one to help.
let some bear
this burden for me." (Tr. David Dean Shulman)
28. This verse shows that a servitor of Siva is ever endowed with an
eleemosynary disposition.
33. Naattiyatthaangkudi: The Lord is Maanikkavannar.
His Consort is Malarmangkai Naayaki.
40. St. Sundarar like St. Sambandhar is Padre commune.
43. Valivalam: Manatthunai Naathar and
Maazhaiyangkanni Ammai are its presiding deities.
46. Pukaloor: Agniswarar is the Lord. His Consort is
Karunthaalkuzhali Ammai.
52. Tiruppanaiyoor: The 73rd shrine in the southern
bank of the Cauvery. The Lord is Soundara Naathar. His Consort is
Periya Naayaki. The decad on this town opens thus:
"Tiruppanaiyoor is rich in storeyed mansions, towers,
Mantapams, flourishing gardens where chafers hum
And fedund fields; here is He who wears a todu
In one ear and a kuzhai in the other, hailed by
His servitors who leap (in joy) and sing.
Behold the Lord-Dancer -- the beautiful One."
56. Tirunannilam: The 71st shrine on the southern
bank of the Cauvery. The shrine is called perungkoyil. The Lord is
Maduvaneswarar. His Consort is Maduvana Naayaki. The decad of
this shrine opens thus:
"His nature is (at once) cool and fiery; He who
Dances Paandarangkam goes about seeking alms
In a skull at every threshold from damsels
Whose soft words are s_eet like the music of pann;
His feet duly hailed and extolled by the holy men
Well versed in the four Vedas, He abides in love
In the Perungkoyil at Nannilam."
57. Tiruveezhimizhalai: The Lord is Veezhi Naathar
(Veezhi Azhakar). His Consort is Sundarakuchaambika. The decad
opens thus:
"Women radiant as gold
at the sacrifice
proper to Brahmins' four Vedas
grace Tirumilalai, that offers mercy
to those who believe.
while the celestials praised and worshipped,
you took the golden Vili for your home
together with the Mountain's daughter --
now have mercy on me, too!" (Tr. David Dean Shulman).
60. Tiruvaanjiyam: The Lord is Vaanji Naathar.
His Consort is Vaazhavanta Naayaki. Our Saint's decad begins thus:
"He is hostile to the evil ones; He wears the sacred thread
Of three strands; He is concorporate with Uma
Of close-set breasts; He goes not to them that seek Him not;
Our Lord abides at glorious Tiruvaanjiyam, hailed by
The consort of Lakshmi; the unique One does not suffer
Kismet to torment and weaken His servitors."
Arisilkaraipputthoor: Padikkaasu Vaittha Paramar is
the Lord. His Consort is Azhakammai. Our saint's decad opens thus:
"When the Mountain's Daughter stood scared
Of the ichorous tusker, You peeled off its hide;
You gutted with fire the winged citadels, three in number
You forsake not Your riding the murderous
And bellowing Bull; neither will You give up
Your seeking of paltry alms from each threshold.
O beautiful Lord of the pulchritudinous Tirupputthoor
Upon the southern bank of Arisil whose flood rolls with
And throws up antlers and tusks of tuskers,
Fantails of peacocks and dark eagle-wood."
61. Naraiyoor Chiddheeccharam: The Lord is Siddha
Naathar. His Consort is Azhakammai. The decad sung here opens:
"On His matted crest where rest the crescent, the flood
And flowers, a serpent crawls; cascade which roll
With their current gems and gold, flow onto His
Naraiyoor Chiddheeccharam."
63. Tiruvaavaduthurai: The Lord is Maasilaamani.
His Consort is Oppilaamulai Ammai. The decad of this shrine
begins thus:
"When the Brahmin - Brahmachaari, in all love
Sought refuge in You, You saved his precious life
By kicking Yama -- the wielder of a bloody spear (to death)
Aware of this, I, Your servitor, ever hail and extol You
As our Lord and God and pay You obeisance
Seeking the Palladium of Your anklet-resounding feet,
In abounding love, O the hoary Lord of Aavaduthurai!"
65. Idai Maruthu: (Tiruvidaimaruthhoor): The Lord
is Mahalingam His Consort is Perunanmulai Naayaki. The decad
opens thus:
"My Father which art at Idaimarutu!
Men will deride when a donkey wilts unable to endure
The burden of saffron-bales; even so I feel
Bewildered caught in a maelstrom, when I
Pursue Your servitorship but unable to come by its fruit.
O manam, of what avail is weeping?
O Lord, be pleased to bless me with the way of redemption,
Even to me who is brainless and who canst not
Hail You as Hara, the all-merciful One."
Tirunaakeccharam: The Lord is Tirunaakesurar.
His Consort is Kunraamulai Ammail The decad opens thus:
"Wherefore, did You quaff the immense and blue venom
At which Uma whose forehead is bright like the moon,
Quaked and shuddered, O Lord of Tirunaakeccharam
Where winged and pretty chafers revel in the pollen
Of tulsi and mullai flower and then settle
On the creepers of kurukkatthi?"
67. Kalayanalloor: The 68th shrine on the southern
bank of the Cauvery. The Lord is Amrutakalaa Naathar and His
Consort is Amrutavalli. The lilting decad opens thus:
"Do you seek to know of His town, the One
Who is the Lord of the celestials and who
Sports an eye in His forehead --
Who, beholding the askesis of Hers
Whose breasts are like tender coconuts
And whose koontal is laden_with flowers--,
Divined Her intent, conferred on Her
The sought-for boon and wedded Her?
Know it to be Kalayanalloor where
Bees buzz over buds
And the six-footed chafers hum melodiously,
Where ornate peacocks dance in the encircling gardens
An where blue lilies slumber in the close-by fields
Of sugarcane and where lotuses burgeon with joy."
68. Tirukkudamookku: The decad sung by our saint
at Tirukkudamookku, Tiruvalanjuzhi and Tirunalloor are not extant.
69. Tirucchotrutthurai: The Lord is Odavaneswarar/
Tolaiyaa-ch-Chelvar and His Consort is Annapurani/Oppilaavammai.
The decad sung here begins thus:
"It is Tirucchotrutthurai situate on the bank
Of the Cauvery in whose current, pearls bred of bamboos
And heaps of gold twirl in the eddies, which is
The town of the lord in whose matted crest
Liquid fire flows; behold Him mantled
In the skin and the hide of the antelope and the tusker."
71. Kandiyoor: The decades sung on Kandiyoor,
Tiruppoonthurutthi and Tiruvaalampozhil are not extant. The decad
on Tiruvaiyaaru too is irretrievable lost.
73. Tirumazhapaadi: The Lord is Vairatthoonn
Naathar. His Consort is Azhakammai. The decad on this holy
shrine enjoys a unique renown. It begins thus:
"Your body dazzles golden; a tiger's skin covers
Your hip; on Your hirsutorufous and matted crest
Konrai blazes fulgurantly; O King, O Gem great,
O the Rudy of Mazhapaadi!
O Mother, on whom will I think save You?"
76. Tiruvaanaikka: Jambukeswara and Akilaanda
Naayaki are the presiding deities. The decad begins thus:
"The four Vedas and all else, the many Faiths and the gods
Therein hailed, the First Ens that transcends these
And the beatitude of deliverance: all these are the Lord
Of Tiruvaanaikka of resounding and beauteous waters.
They that reckon Him as the Primordial God and pay Him
Quotidian obeisance are also our rulers."
77. Verse seven of St. Sundarar's decad refers to this episode.
Commenting on this incident, His Holiness, the 26th Pontiff
of the Dharmapuram Aadhinam said: "If a person has
irretrievably lost something, he can yet come by the fruit of
his alleged loss, if he is prepared to dedicate it to Siva.
Siva will recover it and the offerer will stand blessed by Him."
78. Tiruppaacchilaacchiraamam: The Lord is
Maatruari Varathar. Balasundari is His Consort. It looks as
though that St. Sundarar let off his steam on Lord Siva, as the
Lord was not pleased to confer on him what he sought. True.
However, it should be remembered that St. Sundarar's refrain is:
"There is no God but Siva." "Yivar alaathu illaiyo Piraanaar"
means that save Siva there is no God. The 'o' in illaiyo is
employed in the affirmative sense. Illaiyo means Illaiye.
83. Paigngneeli: Meignaana Nilakantesuvarar.
His Consort is Visaalaakshi.
85. Eengkoi Malai: The decad sung on this
occasion is not extant.
86. Kodumudi: The Lord is Kodumudi Naathar.
His Consort is Pannmozhi Ammai. Here, our saint affirms thus:
"Even if I forget You, my lips will still chant Your name Namasivaya."
88. Peroor: This town is also as Melaicchidambaram.
This is as great as Tillai. Lord Nataraja and Sivakami are enshrined
here.
92. Venjamaa-k-Koodal: The 7th of the shrines in
the Kongku Naadu. The Lord is Vikirdesuwarar. His Consort is
Vikirdesuwari.
93. Tirukkarkudi: The Lord is Ujjiva (Vizhumiya)
Naathar. His Consort is Anjanaakshi.
94. Tiruvaarai Metrali: It is from here our saint
proceeded to Tiruppurampayam as is attested by the first verse on
Tiruppurampayam. The God of this latter shrine is Saakshivaradeswarar.
His Consort is Karumpadusol Ammai.
103. Koodalai Aatroor: The third shrine in Nadu Naadu.
The Lord is Nerikaatu Naathar. His Consort is_Purikuzhal Naayaki.
104. Tirumuthukunru: (Vriddaachalam): The Lord is
Pazhamalai Naathar. His Consort is Periya Naayaki.
111. Kadampoor: The great Sivakkavi Mani (the
famous commentator of the Periya Puranam) says: "Ithan vivaram
vilangkavillai" (Its whereabouts are not known).
117. Tirukkarippariyaloor: The 27th shrine on the
northern bank of the Cauvery. The Lord is Kutram Poruttha Naathar.
His Consort is Kolvalai Naayaki.
118. Mannippadikkarai: Tiruneelakandar and
amrutavalli are its presiding deities.
Vaazhkolipputthoor: The 29th shrine on the
northern bank of the Cauvery. Maanikka Vannar is the Lord. His
Consort is Vandamar Poongkuzhali.
119. Kaanaattu Mulloor: The 32nd shrine on the
northern bank of the Cauvery. Patanjali Naathar and Kaanaar
Kuzhali are the presiding deities.
120. Yetirkollpaadi: The 24th shrine on the
northern bank of the Cauvery. Iraavateswarar is the lord.
His Consort is Malarkkuzhal Naayaki.
121. Tiruvelvikkudi: Kaliyaanasundarar and
Parimalasukanta Naayaki are the presiding deities. This shrine
is on the northern bank of the Cauvery.
Tirutthurutthi: Uktavediwarar is the Lord.
His Consort is Miruthumukizh Ambika. This shrine is on the
southern bank of the Cauvery.
150. Tiruninriyoor: The Lord is Mahalakshmi
Naathar. His Consort is Ulaka Naayaki. The second verse
of the decad is as follows:
"O Lord of opulent Tiruninriyoor in the south, where
Parakeets -- the masters of the splendorous Tamil
With all its tinai-genres--, articulate it,
Chandi was blessed with beauteous vestments,
Ornaments, wreaths to wear and nectarean food
For bathing You in milk.
The Lord of Language composed on You 4,900 Hymns
And Kannappar whose hand ever held a dart
Were the recipients of Your sweet grace.
This seeking I have come here."
151. Nidoor: Somanaatesuwarar/Arull Somanaathar and
Veyurutoliyammai are its presiding deities.
153. Tiruppunkoor: It is not known if any decad was
sung by St. Sundarar at this shrine, on this occasion.
154. Kolakka: The Lord is Tirutthaalam Udaiyaar.
His Consort is Osai Koduttha Naayaki. Verse 8 of the decad sung
here is a remarkable hymn. It says:
"In the presence of men of this world, the Lord
Presented a pair of cymbals to Gnaanasambandhan--
The one who, day after day, through music sweet propagated Tamil;
The Lord is One who was moved by his verses.
He is the ruler of my thinking; He, the merciful One,
Enacts the dance when Bhootas melodies; He is the One
Who is hailed by the eight Ganas; He is the One
Who is enshrined in Kolilee -- the great temple.
Him have I beheld at Kolakka making Him mine own."
156. Kurukaavoor: Velladai Naathar and Kaaviyamkanni
are its presiding deities. Verse 6 of the decad sung here is as follows:
"O Lord enshrined in Tirukkurukaavoor Velladai!
To forfend the misery of the servitors that dwell on earth,
You, of the Empyrean, abide here like the sweetness in pann,
The flavour in fruitage, the pupil of eye
And the light amidst darkness."
The word Tamil occurring in this verse means sweetness.
166. Tirukkazhippaalai: Paalvanna Naathar and Veda
Naayaki are its presiding deities.
168. Tirutthinainkar: Sivakkozhundu and
Ilamkompuannaall are the presiding deities.
Tirunaavaloor: The birth-place of St. Sundarar.
Naavaleswarar and Sundaraambika are the presiding deities.
172. Tirukkazhukkunram: Vedagiriswarar and
Penninnallammai are its presiding deities.
174-182. Tirukkacchoor: Virunthitta Naathar (varadar)
and Uma are its presiding deities. The temple in this place is
called Aalakkoyil. The first verse of the decad sung here attests
to the episode that took place_here. It is as follows:
"The big-mouthed foxes howl and You dance
In the crematory holding the fire in Your palm.
O Bridegroom that wears fresh and melliferous konrai
Of the Daughter of the Mountain!
O Lord of Aalakkoyil at Kacchoor!
If You go about begging with a cracked skull
For Your alms-bowl, will not Your servitors grieve?
O the way of Your mercy!"
186. Tiruvekampam: Siva's shrine at Kaanchi.
190. Kaachi-metrali: Metrali Naayakar and
Kamaakshi are its presiding deities. The fourth verse in this
decad begins with the word "Moraantu" -- a word which is
met with in Saivite Tirumurai-s only once. In the Vaishnava
commentary we meet with the word "Moraanta". These two
words differ in their meaning. What the word "Moraanthu"
means is only guessed. It may mean inadvertently. It is
something attributable to neglect resulting from befuddlement.
This verse is as follows:
"If out of befuddlement, I have not, on occasions,
Thought of You, on Your own accord, You invade
My soul and make me think of You, O True Ens!
O my lion-like God enshrined at Metrali
Which is girt with cool and miry fields!
Henceforth I will not hail any but You."
[invade my soul: make You presence effective in my soul.]
191. Tiruvonakaantantali: The third shrine in
Tondai Naadu. The Lord is Onakaantesuwarar. His Consort
is Kaamakshi.
192. Anekatangkaapatam: The presiding deities
are Anekatangkaapateswarar and Kamaakshi. The fourth shrine
in Tondai Naadu. A sage who was attached to this shrine initiated
Nayina Pillai into the science and art of music. Pillai made it a
point to recite a verse or two of this shrine, at the end of every
of one of his concerts. We came by this information when we
visited the shrine about fifteen years ago. St. Sundarar sang this
decad in Kummi which is still popular with young girls of Tamil
Naadu. We owe this information to Chhandak Kavi Ramaswamy
of Mannarkudi, now at Srirangam.
193. Vanpaartthanpanangkaattoor: The Lord is
Panangkaatu Naathar. His Consort is Amrutavalli. This is the
9th shrine in Tondai Naadu.
195. Tirumaalperu and Tiruvallam: Our saint's
decades on these shrines are not extant.
220. Then her father fell at her feet: This is
an instance where a father feels no reluctance to fall at the feet
of his child when he is convinced that his own child is godly.
268. Their bouderie. . . . . . a second: Albert
Einstein, the German-Swiss physicist and propounder of the theory
of relativity explained his theory thus: "When a man sits with a
pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit
on a hot stove for a minute -- and it's longer than any hour.
That's relativity."
276. The decad sung on this occasion opens thus:
"O Lord presiding over Otriyoor! I have but gained
Your sacred feet with my dirt-inlaid body;
If this be my lot, please favour me with a solution
To apply to my eyes now wholly bereft of light,
Milk is obtained by them who stoop to sweep
The cattle-shed to clear it of its dung.
Even so, be pleased to ignore my defects and rule me.
O Lord, I may err, but never will I offend
Your divine feet; even when I fall, I know not
Aught to utter save Your hallowed name."
277. Tirumullaivaayil: This is known Vada Tirumullaivaayil.
It is the 22nd shrine in Tondai Naadu. The Lord is Paasupatesurar.
His Consort is Kodiyidai Naayaki.
279. Tiruvennpaakkam: This is the 17th shrine in Tondai
Naadu. This shrine in now submerged in water. The Lord is
Vennpaakka Naathar. His Consort is Minnaloli Ammai.
282. Tiruvaalangkaadu (Pazhaiyanoor): In this shrine,
through his decad our saint once again declares that he will be a
servitor of Siva's servitors.
283. Tiruooral: It is not known if our saint sang any
decad in this shrine, on_this occation.
284. Tirukkaamakkottam: The shrine of Kaamaakshi
at Kaanchipuram. He hails the Magna Mater first and then moves
to the Father's shrine.
287. Sundarar is blessed with vision in his left eye. He regains his sight
in the right eye, at Tiruvaaroor. The patikam sung at Tiruvekampam
and beginning with the words "Alanthaan ukantu" is a cure for failing
eye-sight.
292. Tiruaamaatthoor: This is Aa (cow) Maathaa
(mother) Oor (place)
294. Tiruvaratthurai: this is known as Nelvaayil
Aratthurai.
297. Tirutthurutthi: It is today known as Kutthaalam.
Here our saint is directed to take a bath in the sacred tank to get
himself cured of his illness. The decad through which our saint
invoked the Lord to bless him with the remedy for his malady is
not extant. However his thanks-giving decad is extant. After his
bath he is described thus by St. Sekkizhaar: "Mani oli ser Tirumeni
Aayinaar." This has a reference to our saint's gaining the Pranava
Sarira.
303. Tiruvaaroor-p-Paravaiyull Mannthali: The 89th
shrine on the southern bank of the Cauvery. This is today known
as Thulaa Naayannaar Koyil. The Lord is Mandaleswarar. His
Consort is Panjinum Melladiyaall.
304. This verse speaks of our saint attending the Artha-jaama service.
310. Sundarar stands blessed with vision in his right eye. The decad
sung on this occasion is literally an eye-opener. Sivakkavimani
C.K. Subramaniya Mudaliyaar says that he has known of persons
who have recovered their sight thanks to their sincere recitation
of this decad. Its message is as follows:
"O Lord-God of Tiruvaaroor! For ever, are we Your
bonded-slaves;
When Your servitors serve none but You loyally,
When they silently suffer, with wilted visages,
Like the inly-alive smouldering fire,
And when they eventually make a clean breast of
Their carking care to You,
Should You remain nonchalant?
Well, may You flourish well! Amen. 1
"You may sell or pledge me;
I am your willing slave;
I have done offence none; yet You blinded me.
Wherefore did You snatch my vision?
If You fail to restore the vision of my other eye
Well, may You flourish well! Amen. 2
"O Lord-God of Tiruvaaroor to whose groves
The Andril-birds repair regularly,
Like calves that hit the udders and suck
The milk of their mother-cows,
Your servitors seek You and sing You for ever;
If even then, all blind,
They topple from a hill into pits,
Well, may You flourish well! Amen. 3
"O Lord-God of Tiruvaaroor who also resides at
Turutthi and Pazhanam and rules Sotrutthurai,
You require not the manam of Your servitors
As Your seat.
When loving servitors disclose to You their
troubles
You but cause them to wallow in misery,
Here and hereafter.
Well, may You flourish well! Amen. 4
"O our Lord! Is this indeed Tiruvaaroor rich
In its grove of Indra-kopa-- cool and coralline?
Is this the guerdon for Your servitors?
When servitors that hail You
It rhythmic hymns, robbed of their vision,
Implore You: "O our Lord! Is this fair?"
(You but remain deaf and dumb)
Well, may You flourish well! Amen. 5
"O You of ruddy matted hair that wears
The auric garland woven of sylvan konrai-s!
You are the Lord of Tiruvaaroor where foregather
Herons whose crimson feet are like the stalk of millet.
When Your servitors, grow thin, though not for lack
Of wherewithal, and stand robbed of their vision.
Wilting much is their manam,
(You but remain indifferent!)
Well, may You flourish well! Amen. 6
"O Resident of Aaroor to whose gardens
Flocks of birds and their mates resort!
O our ideal Lord-God!
Is this the lot of Your servitors?
You gave us the unforgetting manam,
Then deluded us, plied us in the way of birth
Conferring on us the embodiment.
You have robbed us of our vision.
Well, may You flourish well! Amen. 7
"O Lord, we were born in a flawless and loft_ clan;
In keeping with that, we will never dispraise You.
You are water, creek, sea, vessel and land --
All rolled into one; we will hail You thus, even thus.
You think not that blame is Yours, if You tease us.
When we that devoutly sing You
Stand flustered losing our way (by Your whim),
Well, may You flourish well! Amen. 8
"O Lord of Tiruvaaroor! Even a raw fruit
Is as good as a ripe one, where love is.
Others but You deem the parting from
Even a befriended ghoul to be miserable.
But You, even when Your servitors roam
Like a dog in Your presence and entreat You,
You refuse to open Your lips.
Well, may You flourish well! Amen. 9
"O Lord fittingly enshrined in Tirumoolattaanam!
Is this indeed Tiruvaaroor in whose gardens
Cerunti burgeons in golden splendour?
Sitting, standing, lying, we ever hail You.
Never do we dispraise You.
Assailed by grief when we invoke You
(You but remain unmoved.)
Well, may You flourish well! Amen. 10
"O Lord of Tirumoolattanam!
You are the many Scriptures; Yours is
The dark neck; You sport three eyes;
You are concorporate with Her whose breasts
Are covered by a breast-band.
I Aarooran, bear the name of Your hallowed feet.
You have robbed me of my vision.
Well, may You flourish well! Amen. 11
381. Happy union: This is Advaitam, the Bliss of
Advaitic Union. Verse 33 of the Tiruvuntiyaar says that for the
soul poised in Siva's Grace, even the joy of sexual union (sitrinbam)
is Bliss Ethereal, as it has its being in Siva.
383-387.The verses mirror the angst and agony undergone by St. Yeyarkone.
Siva, by His lila, may be pleased to create misunderstanding between
bhaktas. He will Himself effect a rapproachement in His mysterious
way. It may be baffling. The one lesson that should be ever borne
in mind is that a third party to the issue has no right whatever to
comment.
388. St. Sundarar not only respected the wrath of St. Yeyarkone but
also admired it. It should be remembered in this context that long
before he met St. Yeyarkone, St. Sundarar announced: "Yeyarkone
Kalikkaamar Adiyaarkkum Adiyen" (I am a servitor of the servitors
of Yeyarkone Kalikkaamar).
389. A dire ache of stomach: Siva's instrument
that sets a Naayanaar straight. This is purgatory. This washes
away the sin of the erring bhakta.
392. You indeed. . . race: The hoary lineage
of St. Yeyarkone is one that is ever poised in Siva.
One who was. . . by You: St. Yeyarkone
thought that St. Sundarar's ancestry was not as great as his
own. Obviously St. Yeyarkone levelled a charge against Siva
and inculpated His act as one of invidious discrimination. When
he thus stuck to his guns, the Lord silently disappeared from
his vision.
394. May you. . . stomach: Siva commanded
thus St. Sundarar. He was not the person who could cure the
ache of St. Yeyarkone. Yet He plied Sundarar on this errand,
for he too had a lesson to lean. Mysterious indeed are the
ways of Providence.
397. Then unsheathing. . . end: Siva in His
infinite mercy suffered Yeyarkone to eschew any treatment by
Sundarar. The real cure is ultimately effected only by Siva.
398. The ineffably glorious wife: That is what
she is. We do not even know her name. She is Tyaga in
human form. On the eve of her wedding she sacrificed her
koontal. On this occasion, when the person who was responsible
for her husband's death came to her house, knowing him to
be a true devotee of Siva, she offered him pooja. The reader
should read and re-read verses 398 to 401.
402. There is nothing to grieve: This is the
unshakable conviction of a true bhakta.
403. Sundarar is a devotee of devotees. He will keep company
with a devotee even in his death.
404. Siva not only put an end to Yeyarkone's ache but also his
life. Not only these. He also put an end to his mismos
(hatred). He now s_ands cured of the variform afflictions.
Endowed with Gnosis he now knows everything in its pure
and true perspective.
It is Van-tondar who adored first Yeyarkone. This Yeyarkone
is Siva's mercy in human form.
Here ends the Puranam of St. Yeyarkone Kalikkaama Naayanaar.
Sincere thanks to Sri. T N Ramachandran of thanjavur, for permitting his English rendering of the holy text periyapurANam be published here.
104. He moved into the glorious temple of the Lord
Who wears in His matted hair konrai-garlands
And who abides at Koodalai Aatroor;
In soaring devotion he hailed and adored the feet
Decked with resounding anklets of the Lord-Dancer
Of Ambalam, and blessed with His ever-during grace
He arrived at Tirumuthukunru. (3258)
105. Before the many tiered and huge tower he prostrated
In adoration; then he circumambulated the inner shrine,
Moved in, adored the Lord and prostrated on the ground;
Then he adorned Him with a garland of splendorous Tamil verse;
The musical decad opened thus: "Nanjiyidai..."
He sang it and stood there folding his hands. (3259)
106. Seeking riches from the Lord, he prayed to Him
With a flawless mind and in unison with his desire;
He was poised for the gracious bestowal of riches
By the Lord who wears a garland of burgeoning konrai;
The chief of the Saiva Brahmins again hymned;
The decad began thus: "Meyyil venn podi..." (3260)
107. The Lord that wears the cool crescent in His matted hair,
In great grace, granted him gold weighing twelve thousand
Sovereigns; Nampi Aaroorar, in peerless gladness,
Prostrated before Him, rose up, moved near the Lord
Whose neck is of the hue of (the jambolan) fruit
And made one more submission: (3261)
108. "I should come by all this gold You have deigned
To grant me at Tiruvaaroor to the wondrous bewilderment
Of the dwellers there." "When he besceched Him thus,
The Lord spake to him in an unbodied
And ethereal and lucid voice thus; "Drop the gold
In the fecund Manimutthu river and recover it all
In the Tiruvaaroor-tank." (3262)
109. Blessed with that sweet grace of his Lord, Van-tondar cut
A piece from a bar for his keeping and marched on,
And dropped the heap of gold in the river, thinking thus:
"By this will I truly know the grace of His having forcibly
And voluntarily claimed me that day as His servitor." (3263)
110. He whose mission in life was loving servitorship, resolved
Thus: "I will now proceed to adore the Dance
Of the Lord whose throat sports the hue of the blue lily,
In the Ambalam of Puliyoor-- the town
Of the Brahmins ever-engaged in the sacred work
Of their souls' deliverance." To leave
For the hoary city of Tillai girt with tanks, he adored
The Lord and moved out with His gracious leave. (3264)
111. He worshipped at the shrines on and near his way
And adored the Lord concorporate with His Consort
At ever-during Kadampoor; then he came near Tillai
Where the Dancer enacts His Dance of full and perfect
Bliss; passing through the entrance-gate, he reached
The splendorous and beauteous street of glorious mansions. (3265)
112. H whose chest was decked with a goodly garland, prostrated
On the ground of the golden street, rose up and moved
To the great and divine entrance of the temple, verily
The soaring threshold of sheer piety, and prostrated
On the ground before it; then he moved in, circum_mbulated
The auric and beauteous mansion roofed of gold,
Adored it and folded his hands above his head. (3266)
113. He passed through the golden tower and came before
The proscenium of the Lord-Dancer and adored Him;
He came near the hallowed feet of the Lord-Dancer
Of Pon-Ambalam of ever-increasing effulgence;
The flood of evelasting bliss that filled his soul
Flowed down from his eyes as tears. (3267)
114. His hailing tongue faltered and his words became
Incoherent; he prostrated before the divine flight
Of steps--Tiru-k-Kalitruppadi compact of love--,
And made ashtaangka and panchaangka namaskars;
Firm grew the ardour in him and the Divine Dance
Filled his inner consciousness and soared; the Lord
Without aught of concealment appeared in his heart
And he considered it the complete and perfect
Vision (of the darshan he had at Tirupperoor) (3268)
115. Then he hymned the decad beginning with the words:
"Maditthaadum adimaikkann"; he hailed the glory
Of his worship of the Lord as at Tirupperoor,
The Lord who in His process of bestowal of grace
Forfends the fall of the serviteurs poised in the godly truth,
Into hell even by accident; in devotion and delight,
He melodised thus: "O mind! Great indeed is our blessing
And beatitude! The peerless Lord-Dancer is ours!" (3269)
116. Blessed with His leave he reluctantly moved out,
Came to the divine street and adored it; Van-tondar
Who was ruled by the Lord, willingly sojourned
Hailed by the Brahmines; then he adored,
In inexhaustible love, the divine city and departed thence;
Adoring even from a distance Karuppariyaloor of the Lord
Who kicked Death to death, he reached it. (3270)
117. Reaching the divine temple of the Lord who smote Death,
He adored its tower, moved in, and companied with the devotees
Hailed and adored the Lord in immense love; boundless joy
Pervading his mind, he hailed the Lord, moved out
And sojourned in that town; as reture swelled in him
When his thought hovered over the Holy One, he hymned it
In his decad beginning with the word: "Cimmaanthu".
With that garland of Tamil verse he adorned
The Lord; thus he abode there. (3271)
118. Folding his hands he worshipped Karuppariyaloor
Where the brow-eyed Lord abides in joy,
And blessed with His gracious leave, he left the town;
He reached Pazhamannippadikkarai in whose tanks
The carp leapt in joy, hailed and adored the divine feet
Of the Lord who is concorporate with His Consort, and melodised
His endless glory in a decad which oped with the word:
"Munnavan"; he holy one then marched on, without touching
The town Vaazhkoli Putthoor; on his way he thought
Of his and he turned back, and singing the decad beginning
With the words: "Thalaikkalan" proceeded thither. (3272)
119. He reached the place even as he was singing the divine
Decad; the hair on his thrilled body stood erect
As he came to the temple tower of the Lord
Of the celestials; he hailed and bowed before it;
He moved in, bowed before the Lord and adored Him;
In melting devotion he hymned the Lord whose left half
Is shared by the Daughter of Himavant, moved out,
And sojourned there; then he left Vaazhkoli Putthoor
Rich in fields of beautiful and soft sugarcanes,
And fared forth to Kaanaattu Mulloor. (3273)
120. As he reached Kaanaattu Mulloor, the brow-eyed Lord
Materialised before him; witnessing this he adored Him
With a garland of blooming flowers of munificent Tamil
That verily rules the heaven; in that decad opening
With the words: "Vall vaay," he declared thus:
"Beholding the twin-flower-feet of the Lord who wears
On His matted hair soft and fresh konrai flowers I adored (them)."
Then he fared forth towards Tiruyethirkolpaadi
Girt with gardens of melliferous flowers. (3274)
121. He began to hymn the decad opening thus: "Mattha yaanai,"
Hailed by the dwellers in every direction;
Singing his divine decad rooted in chittam,
And declaring, "We will reach Yethirkolpaadi," he reached
Adoring the opulent and exceedingly splendorous shrine,
And hailed _he feet of the Father; he sojourned there,
And blessed with His leave, he came to Tiruvelvikkudi;
He hailed the Lord-Granter of deliverance and His shrine
Tirutthurutthi in his decad beginning with the words:
"Mooppathum illai," and thus flourished in delight. (3275)
122. The darshan of the Lord in His wedding-form filling
His mind, he adored Him; his heart, poised in bhakti,
Nampi Aaroorar hailed Him; then with the devotees
Of great askesis he went to the many shrines of the Lord
Who, in love, claimed and ruled him, and marched on. (3276)
123. In never-diminishing love in the company
Of divine devotees, he adored in devotion the many shrines
Of the Lord whose throat holds the venom,
And arrived at Tiruvaaroor girt with cloud-capped
Flower-gardens and marudam tracts of fields
Rich in splendorous paddy. (3277)
124. At Tiruvaaroor of great opulence, he came
To the divine tower thronged by the celestials and the munis,
Adored it, moved in, and in aeviternal devotion, folded
His hands above his head in adoration; then
With the thronging devotees, he came before the Supreme One. (3278)
125. In great and unabated love he worshipped the Lord whose
Banner sports the ever-young Bull and who is without
Beginning, middle or end; then he moved out and reached
The beautiful mansion of flawlessly glorious Paravaiyaar. (3279)
126. Paravaiyaar whose eyes were like lotus-flowers and whose lips
Were like ruddy kovvai fruit, hailed in ever-swelling love
By damsels of plaited hair, fell at his feet it adoration.
She said: "Great indeed is your gracious arrival
Thinking on us, even us." He spoke to her
Sweet words, and joyously abode with her. (3280)
127. One day her told her thus: "Our Lord of Muthu Kunru
Blessed us with goodly wealth; I had consigned it
To the holy Manimutthu river; now fare forth
With me to retrieve it by His grace from the tank
Situate on the west of the temple of the Lord
Who is the (sole) help unto me." (3281)
128. Thus told, she of the fulgurant waist,
With her face lit up by a smile, exclaimed thus:
"What marvel indeed is this! What is it that you say!"
Then he of truthful consciousness, spake thus:
"O you of fair forehead! By the grace of my Lord,
I will not fail to retrieve the gold
From the tank and give it to you." (3282)
129. Then in boundless delight, he proceeded to the Poongkoyil
And adored its Lord who abides there in joy;
Circumambulating the lofty shrine, he came
To the divine tank situate on the west. (3283)
130. He came to the flight of steps in the north-eastern part
Of the tank; there he stationed the one that wore
Jewels wrought with cunning; then, he of Tirumunaipaadi
With pleached hands, adored the Lord of matted hair;
Descended into the tank, and began to ply his hand under the water
To take out the gold, as though he had that day
Just then dropped it into the tank. (3284)
131. The beauteous Lord resplendent with the Holy Ash
Who delighted to hear the hymns of Aaroorar
And bent upon a divine lila, would not make available
The gold; then remarked the bejewelled beauty thus:
"Having consigned it to the river, you search for it
In the tank; pray tell me, if this is how you grace me!"
When she spake thus the peerless serviteur-- (3285)
132. The Brahmin that wore the bright sacred thread--,
With intent to persuade the Lord to grant him the gold
Even as he was pleased to assure him gracefully
At Mutthukunru in the recent past, and without causing
Paravai of flower-bedecked locks to cast in jibe
A smile from her ruddy lips, began to hymn and hail
The Lord of Muthukundru in a decad opening thus:
"Pon seytha Meniyineer!" (3286)
133. He sang in succession eight hymns in which
He described how he languished as he could not
Recover swiftly the gold which the Lord conferred
On him at Muthukunru to the knowledge of the celestials,
And he prayed that the Lord should be pleased
To do away with his helplessness in the presence of Paravai;
Even then the Lord would not make him come by the gold;
So he _ontinued to hail Him. (3287)
134. "Yetthaathu irunthariyane": Thus opened the ninth hymn
Of the divine decad; thus he addressed
The Lord-Protector--the Lord Dancer of the Ambalam-- :
"O Dancer, deign to grant me the gold even before her
Who is so soft and young and beauteous!"
When thus he who was poised in the way inaccessible
Even to men of renunciation hailed the Lord. (3288)
135. By the grace of the Dancer who wears clusters
Of Konrai blooms, the heap of gold materialised;
He duly carried it to the bank of the tank;
The ethereal world showered flowers; men on earth
Exclaiming, "What may this wonder be? Who can cause,
This to happen?" adored (the mirific event). (3289)
136. When he thus brought out the goodly gold whilst the world
Wondered at it, he compared its touch with that
Of the original piece which he had sliced away
From a bar; by the grace of the blue-throated Lord
It proved to be inferior; once again Van-Tondar hailed
The ankleted Feet inaccessible to Vishnu ad Brahma. (3290)
137. When he again hailed Him, the Lord-Dancer who was
Pleased with the devotional hymns of the loving serviteur,
Revealed to him the ruddy gold matching his piece
And not a whit less in its touch; he rejoiced as he
Took it out, and carried it to the bank. (3291)
138. At the bank of the tank he had the bars of gold
Duly borne on the heads of carriers, and he
Bade them and Paravaiyaar to proceed to the mansion
Dight with a great threshold; he then moved into the temple,
Hailed the flower-feet of Tirumoolatta Naathar
In whose crest the billowy Ganga courses;
This done, he moved out to the street. (3292)
139. When he arrived at the mansion and entered it
Innumerable benedictory verses were chanted
And the auspicious sound spiraled up in splendour;
The Prince of Navaloor bounded by fragrant flower-gardens,
Abode there with the bejewelled beauty
With a heart filled with happiness. (3293)
140. He who adored every day the Supreme One enshrined
In the beauteous Ant-Hill of splendorous Aaroor,
One day, immersed in boundless rapture, hymned
A divine decad through which he interrogated
The divine devotees about the glories of the Lord;
Thus he adored the Lord and danced and sang in joy. (3294)
141. His tuneful decad of perfect melody, opened thus:
"Paaru thaangki"; his mind was filled with delight;
The hair on his thrilled body stood erect; verily,
A flood cascaded from his tear-filled eyes;
Boundless bliss which inly pervaded, became manifest;
Thus he prayed and thus he revelled in joy. (3294)
142. As he thus abode there in joy, blessed
With the leave of the King ever hailed by the rare
And boundless Vedas and who for His jewel
Wears the fierce serpent of the ant-hill,
He was borne by loving devotion; he readied himself
To fare forth to adore in His many shrines the Lord
Before the splendour of whose luminous matted hair
Even the lustre of gold is to be deemed dark. (3296)
143. Accompanied by his retinue, he came to the nearby
Shrines of the Lord who is mantled in the hide
Of the tusker, and, in rapturous adoration, hailed
His feet; then the flawless servitor, desiring to adore
At Nallaaru, visited that town, well-received
By its true devotees ever-established in divine service. (3297)
144. He bowed before the tower that scaled the sky,
Folded his hands above his head in adoration, moved in,
Circumambulated the shrine of the great One
And in abounding love prostrated on the ground,
Before the roseate and lotus-like feet
Of the aeviternal Lord of Nallaaru. (3298)
145. He hailed and adored the Merciful One and blessed
With His leave, moved out worshipping Him; thence he came
To Tirukkadavur rich in beautiful and cloud-capped
Mansions; he also adored at Tirumayaanam
Of the Lord who wears in His crest the crescent
And hymned Him in a decad of swelling music
Which opened thus: "Maruvaar Konrai." (3299)
146. He adored the ankleted feet of the Lord of gods
Of Tiruveerattaanam who smote the martial valour
Of wrathful Death, and_adored Him, with a garland
Of Tamil verse fraught with heroic splendour;
The decad opened thus: "Potiyaar Meni"; then in great
And ardent love he fared forth to Valampuram
Of the Great One who bent Mount Meru into a bow. (3300)
147. Having adored the ankleted feet of the Lord
At Valampuram girt with a hill-like rampart, he hymned
A tuneful decad opening with the words: "Yenakku inee…"
Then he marched on and arrived at Tirucchaaikkaadu
Where the sea with its billowy hands, holds many rows
Of shells for musical instruments, the spray for holy
Fumigation, ninefold gems for lamps, and pearls
For flowers, and thus performs pooja unto the Lord. (3301)
148. He adored the Lord of gods at Tirucchaaikkaadu
And adorned Him with a garland of Tamil verse; it was
Indeed a divine decad of hymns par excellence; then he came
To Tiruvenkaadu where he hailed and adored the Lord
That burnt the triple hostile cities; thence the chilef
On Naavaloor came to Nanipalli, the town divine. (3302)
149. He hailed the ankleted feet of the Lord that in joy
Abides at Nanipalli; he adorned Him with a garland
Of holy and fragrant and goodly Tamil verse; commencing
From Tirucchemponpalli he adored the Lord
Who wears the cool crescent in His crest
In His many shrines and came to Tiruninriyoor
The peerless mount of whose Lord is the Bull. (3303)
150. In love he entered the temple at Tiruninriyoor
And adored the Lord; he began to hail Him in melting love
And devotion; in this divine decad, he celebrated
The glory of God's own Tirunaavukkarasu who hymned
Divine decades--seven times seven hundred in number--,
For doing away with the world's misery. (3304)
151. He sojourned with the devotees in that town; thence
As he marched on without adoring at Nidoor, the town
That is ineffably glorious in this wide world,
His peerless and true consciousness reminded him of his omission;
Forthwith he turned back and proceeded
To that town singing a bounteous garland
Of Tamil verse manifesting the glory of the True Ens. (3305)
152. In that divine decad which he hymned in great love
He sang thus: "Can one fail to adore the feet of the Lord
Of Nidoor which is rich in waters filled with petalled
Flowers?" Thus he hailed the Lord
Of the puissant spear, and adored His feet; the hair
On his thrilled body stood erect;
Thus he hailed the Lord, and even thus, he sojourned there. (3306)
153. He abode in joy there, and graced with the leave
Of the Lord he came to Tiruppungkoor and worshipped
The Lord; then he hied towards Tirukkolakka
Girt with fragrant gardens; when at its outskirts
The Lord, who concealed the Ganga in His matted hair
Gave him darshan, he adored Him in ever-increasing devotion
And hymned and hailed Him. (3307)
154. He adorned the Lord with a divine garland of verse
All compact of truth; in this decad he celebrated the grace
Of the Lord wears a pigngnakam on His crest
And who on beholding Tirugnaaanasambandhar
Melodies, in swelling love, hymns keeping time
With clap of hands, bestowed on him, in grace
And compassion, a pair of divine cymbals. (3308)
155. He left Kolakka of the Primordial One who is ageless
And perfect; reaching the flawlessly glorious Sanbai
He circumambulated in and prostrated on the ground
In adoration; he hailed the goodly feet of the Adept
Of threefold Tamil in whose lips the Vedas abode;
Then he came to Kurukaavoor the Lord of which
Smote the triple hostile cities, of yore. (3309)
156. When the consort of Paravaiyaar whose words were
Sweet as music, stricken with thirst and hunger,
Fared forth, conning His devotee's desire
The brow-eyed Lord of trinocular vision came
Forth on his way with packed victuals and water. (3310)
157. Awaiting the arrival of Van-tondar, the Lord whose hand
Sports an antelope, assumed the guise of a Brahmin
Well-versed in all the Vedas, and was pleased to remain
There having raised there a water-booth
Like unto a cool and fragrant pool of soft lotuses
To attenuate the rigour of the aestival sun. (3311)
158. The beauteous Lord who graciously abides at Kurukavoor
Thus awaited his arrival; the Lord's own companion
Of Tiruvaroor that came thither, companied with the devotees,
Entered the water-booth, and drawn by an ardent love
To the presence of the divine Brahmin,
Sat near Him, exclaiming: "Sivayanama!" (3312)
159. Addressing Aaroorar who was before him, the Lord
Who, of yore, sat under the umbrageous banyan tree, said:
"You suffer from exceeding hunger; I will give you
Pothi-soru; receive it, eat it well without delay
And also drink the sweet and fresh water
Available here, and thus rid your fatigue." (3313)
160. Van-tondar who hearkened to His words felt thus:
"It will be unbecoming on my part, it I, this day,
Decline to receive the food from the Vedic muni."
So he willingly received it from the hands of Him
Whose golden chest displayed the sacred thread;
He ate it with the devotees that came with him. (3314)
161. The interminable retinue ate the food in great relish;
Then they that came thither in hunger, also partook
Of it; yet the pothi-soru given by the Holy one--
The food which tasted altogether nectarean--,
Suffered no diminution. (3315)
162. Aaroorar drank the water, sweet like the divine grace
Of Lord Sankara; in ever swelling ardour he hailed
And adored the Lord's name, the Panchaakshara;
Then as he was tired he lay down and slumbered;
Those that were with him also closed their eyes in slumber;
Then the Lord who concealed the Ganga in his matted hair
Disappeared with water-booth and all. (3316)
163. The Prince of Tirunaavaloor whose chinta was firmly poised
In Sivam, woke up, he saw Him not; he began to hail
The Lord in a decad which opened thus:
"Itthanaiya maatram arinthilan…"
Singing this divine decad wrought of immutable truth,
He reached Kurukaavoor. (3317)
164. He came to the beauteous tower of the temple
Of Kurukaavoor where the Lord Beautiful abides
And dispenses grace, he bowed before the tower, moved in,
Went round the sacred shrine in great and abiding love,
Came before the Lord's presence, paid obeisance and drank
In with his eyes the sweet Nectar, having, not done so
Earlier(when he appeared as a Brahmin). (3318)
165. To his heart's content he adored with folded hands
The sweet Nectar that filled his eyes, and hymned Him
In a truthful and divine decad; he bowed before Him
And hailed Him; then he who ever sought 'within'
The Lord in great love, moved out and sojourned there
In love, companied with the devout servitors. (3319)
166. Blessed with his Lord's leave he left that town
Having duly adored Him; he worshipped the Lord
Of dazzling, ruddy, matted hair in His many shrines
Where He willingly abides, came to Kazhippaalai
Girt with fort-like walls, hailed and adored Him;
Then the Prince of Navaloor in the south
Arrived at Tillai, the divine city. (3320)
167. Bowing he entered the divine street of ever-glorious
And sacred Tillai, and adored the roseate
And redemptive feet that dance in the comely Pon-Ambalam;
In that city which fosters the Vedas for the flourishing
Of the world, he abode hailing the Lord; then he came
To Tirutthinainakar, the great city
Of the Lord whose martial bow is the Mount Meru. (3321)
168. Having adored the Lord Sivakkozhundhu who abode
At Tirutthinaimaanakar he hared forth and hailed
The Dancer--perfectly enshrined in many a town;
As his thought was set on Tirunaavaloor hailed by
Divine servitors poised in exceeding devotion
He fared forth to adore it with his hands
In great penchant, and reached it. (3322)
169. When they heard that the prince of Tirunaavaloor was
Arriving there, the dwellers of that famed town
And devotees deeming it to be their day
Of great beatitude, decked their town fittingly;
They fared forth and received him in joy;
Conducted by them, Aaroorar entered the great temple
Of the Lord, the Wearer of the hide of the martial tusker. (3323)
170. Even as the chanting of "Hara, Hara!" by those devotees
Began to pervade all the three worlds, he came
Before the presence of the First One and hailed
The grace of the Lotus-feet of the Lord, dearer than
Life itself, in a decad which opened with the words:
"Kovalanaanmukhan"; thus he hailed the Lord
And even thus, he adored Him. (3324)
171. In that town of ever-increasing weal, he abode in love
Companied with the devotee-throngs that caused
Their clans to thrive in splendour; then with the leave
Of the Lord in whose matted hair the flooding river
Courses, the wearer of comely sacred thread on his
Beauteous chest, moved onward, having hailed His feet,
To adore Him in His many shrines. (3325)
172. He adored at many shrines in the sacred land
Of Tondamandala where the Lord whose mount is
The unique Bull, abides in joy, well-received
By the sacred serviteurs; then crossing many rivers
Of lucid water, flowery jungles where chafers
Hummed, hills and maruda tracts, he arrived
At Tirukkaazhukkunram hailed by men
In all the eight directions. (3326)
173. Greeted in boundless love by the devotees
Of Tirukkazhukkunram, bounded by melliferous
Flower-gardens, he entered the shrine and hailed
And adored the radiant Lord who wears the pure, fresh
And argent crescent in His crest, and melodised
A divine decad married to sweet and tuneful music. (3327)
174. He hymned the Lord, and in joy, sojourned in that town;
Blessed with the leave of the Lord. Aaroorar whose
Goodly consciousness ever sought the Lord only, came
To Tirukkacchoor and adored the Nectar in melting devotion
At Aalakkoyil girt with huge and fort-like
Golden walls, and then moved out. (3328)
175. Having adored the Lord, when he came out of the temple
The time for taking his meal drew near; yet his retinue
Which would come ready with food or prepare it, had not
Arrived thither; so the patron of Tirumunaippaadi
Abode without the fort-like entrance of the Lord's temple
In hunger which irked and grieved him. (3329)
176. The Lord enshrined on the hill, verily the Remedy
For the illth of embodiment, to relieve Van-tondar
Of his hunger, abandoning His white and bright skull-bowl,
Came with an ordinary begging-bowl in the guise
Of a Brahmin that dwelt in that town, to the devotee
(Aarooran) and graciously addressed him thus: (3330)
177. "Ha, you are languishing overwhelmed by hunger;
T relieve you of your hunger I will secure for you
Food by begging; pray stay awhile here without
Going anywhere else." He that so spake, then went
To every house in Tirukkaacchoor begging food. (3331)
178. The Holy Ash on His person beauteously blazed white;
His sacred thread glowed with radiance; beholders melted
In love; for securing alms at the meridian, he entered
Each and every house, His lotus-feet touched the earth;
With the food secured by Him, he came before him
Whom, He willingly claimed as His own serviteur. (3332)
179. He gave him the flavoury food and dishes of curry
Obtained by begging, and said; "Eat that you may rid
The misery of your hunger." Nampi Aaroorar, the great one,
Extolling the merciful act of the Brahmin received it
In love that welled up within him, after paying
Due obeisance to Him. (3333)
180. Van-tondar ate the nectarean food companied
With the great tapaswi-devotees that came with him
And rejoiced; the Brahmin who was there, the Lord
Who is present everywhere, disappeared without
Van-Tondar being aware of it. (3334)
181. When thus the Sivayogi-Brahmin vanished, the prince
Of Naavaloor was convinced that it was the Lord
Who came thither in the Brahmin's guise;
He melted in devotion as he mused thus: "O the mercy
Of the Lord who assumed a form for my sake,
And in pain trod on earth in the noonday sun
To the resounding of his great anklets." (3335)
182. His decad opened thus: "Muthu vaayori";
He wondered at such demonstration of the great mercy
Of the First One; tears cascaded from his eyes
And drenched his whole person on which the hair
Stood erect in thrilled ecstasy; even thus he hailed
The Lord, and in joy, worshipped Him whose crest is
_Decked with melliferous konrai flowers. (3336)
183. Having thus adored the Lord he took His leave
And fared forth to the shrines where abides the Lord
Whose half is His Consort, well-received
By the devotees everywhere; conducted by them he moved
In, and adored the Lord's ankleted feet which confer
Grace when invoked; he adorned Him with splendourous wreath
Of verse, and marching on, came near Kaanchi
Where abides the Lord whose hue is like
Unto the ever-increasing ruddiness of the crepuscular sky. (3337)
184. The dwellers of Kaanchi, the city girt with ramparts,
Rejoiced thinking thus: "The Lord whose flag sports
The ever-young and victorious Bull--
The Lord that could not be pursued by Vishnu or Brahma--,
Even He came in the guise of a Brahmin-chief
That day, before the tribunal at Vennainalloor,
And successfully argued his lis; it was thus
The Lord claimed Aaroorar as hisserviteur;
We are blessed with his arrival." (3338)
185. In ever-increasing joy they decked the streets
With beautiful toranas; they carried with them
Bright lamps, pots filled with holy water, censers
Breathing the smoke o eagle-wood, and streamers;
They caused drums that were played during dance
To resound on pials; companied with the increasing
Throngs of devotees, they fared forth to the outskirts
Of the city and greeted him. (3339)
186. When the devotees adored him, Nampi Aaroorar ruled
By the Lord, paid obeisance to them; he crossed
The towered entrance and entered the street rich in rows
Of huge mansions; auspicious instruments of music
Were resounded, in love; thus he reached Tiruvekampam
Companied with the surging crowds of servitors. (3340)
187. Before the tower where throng the tall Vishnu who sports
The disc, Brahma and other celestials, he prostrated
On the ground, and sacred dust mantled him; up he rose, moved in,
And made his sacred circuit, adoring the subshrines;
Beatific Van-tondar, the intimate servitor of the Lord,
Then moved into the adytum of Tiruvekampar. (3341)
188. When the Kampai rushed amain in spate,
Scared of the Great One's safety, Himavant's Daughter
Of large and dark eyes painted with collyrium,
Embraced Him closely; She always offered pooja
To his redemptive and roseate lotus-feet;
Aaroorar who came towards the Lord, fell
At these very feet in fitting and great devotion. (3342)
189. Having prostrated at the hallowed feet he rose up
In thrilled ecstasy; with true love and a chinta poised
In beatitude, hymned the Lord; then in unabated love
He moved out at sojourned in that city
With the devotees; during these days he visited the many shrines
At Kaanchi where abides the Lord of dangling matted hair. (3343)
190. He came to aeviternal Kaama-k-kottam of glorious Kaanchi
And adored the Lord; he visited Kacchi metrali
Of the Lord in whose matted hair the Ganga courses,
And in swelling and boundless love, hailed and adored
The Lord; he adorned Him with a divine decad whose glory
Fills the world and which opens thus: "Nuntha von sutaraam." (3344)
191. In his privileged positions as the Lord's own companion
He hailed the Peerless One of Onakaanthan Tali
And there affirmed his boundless servitorship;
Seeking coins and gold from the Lord, he hailed Him
With a scripturally beauteous decad which
Opened thus: "Neyyum paalum"; blessed with
Immense wealth he sojourned there in joy. (3345)
192. Aaroorar who sojourned there came to Kacchi
Anekathankaapatham, moved into the temple
And adored the Lord whose mount is the red-eyed Bull;
He hailed the Lord in a decad of Tamil
Beginning with the words: "Thenaipurinthu"
And affirmed in that decad thus:
"This is where the Lord abides."
Bowing before Him, he moved out and adored
The Lord in swelling love in His other shrines
And continued to sojourn there poised in love. (3346)
193. He served the Lord by hymning Him in sacred songs;
He sojourned there unable to part from the holy feet
Of the Lord-Dancer who grew lithe when Uma embraced Him;
Then desiring to adore at the many shrines situat_
Beyond Kaanchi and hail Him in hymns, he fared forth and arrived
At Vanpaartthanpanangkaattoor of great mansions. (3347)
194. At prosperous Tiruppanangkaattoor he adored
The splendorous flame of ruddy gold--the Lord
Who is verily the Remedy for all ills--, and with tear-filled
Eyes, he hailed Him in a bountiful decad opening thus:
"Vitaiyin mel Varuvaar." He sang the decad tunefully,
And moved out of the shrine. (3348)
195. Reaching Tirumaalperu he hailed and adored the Lord;
He came to Tiruvallam and adored Him; westward he marched
Adoring at many shrines the Lord who wears a crown
Of plaited matted hair; then the great servitor reached
The hill of Tirukkaalatthi whose great peaks are cloud-capped. (3349)
196. He came to the foot of the hill of Kaalatthi where
The Lord who dispelled the distress of Kannappar who was poised
In immense and irrepressible love, and ruled him,
Abides in great joy; he prostrated before the hill
And ascended it, blessed with the Lord's grace;
Immersed in flooding love he reached His presence
And adored Him, the Remedy enshrined in the Hill. (3350)
197. He worshipped the Lord and in soulful rapture, melodised
In sweet music a decad that oped thus: "Sentaatum…"
In loving devotion he hailed the fragrant
Lotus-feet of Kannappar and felt blessed; he moved out
And sojourned in that ever-during town
With serviteurs that were poised in inner harmony. (3351)
198. During his sojourn, he adored from there Sri Sailam,
Tiru-k-Kedaaram and other northern shrines of the Lord;
As if he had beheld in person the dancing feet
Of the Lord in those far off shrines, out leaped
From his lips, firm-fibred and divine decades,
And he revelled in joy. (3352)
199. After his sojourn, blessed with the Lord's leave
He fared forth to the many shrines of the Lord whose mount
Is the martial Bull; there he adored the Lord
And hymned Him in Tamil; then he arrived
At Tiruvotriyoor, verily the Siva-loka on earth,
Situate near the beach of the swelling sea
Where the crescent-crested Lord abides. (3353)
200. Hearing of the arrival of Aaroorar who was claimed
By the Lord that enslaved him through a document,
The devotees of the endlessly glorious Lord of Aadipuri,
Rose up to meet and greet him; at the entrance
Of each street they hung bunches of banana and areca;
They hung toranas, carried vessels of gold-dust,
Pots of gold filled with holy water, censers and lamps;
Then they fared forth to receive him. (3354)
201. Great and glorious and auspicious instruments
Were played; danseuses of that town danced
In the theatres decked with fragrant flowers garlands;
Men and women of the ethereal realms rained flowers; in such
Gaiety, the great serviteur dear to the Lord that holds
The skull of Brahma for a begging-bowl, joined
The welcoming devotees and moved in. (3355)
202. The welcoming devotees who were devoted
To the lofty tapas of Siva enshrined with Uma at Otriyoor,
Encircled Aaroorar, like a sea and hailed him,
He paid obeisance to them and reached
The temple-entrance of the Lord whose mount
Is the triumphant and ever-young Bull. (3356)
203. He prostrated before the sky-scaling tower;
Rose up, moved in, circumambulated the shrine
Of the Lord who wears in His crest the curved crescent,
And came before His presence; with his flesh,
And life too melting, Aaroorar folding his hands
Above his head, prostrated on the floor
In exceedingly great love and devotion. (3357)
204. Upborne by a consciousness that linked him
To the fresh, fragrant, beauteous and ruddy
Lotus-feet of the brow-eyed Lord called
Ezhutthu Ariyum Perumaan who, of yore,
Interlineated in a document the words:
"The city of Otriyoor excepted," he rose up
and in a flawless tune married to nectarean airs
Sang the decad which began with the words:
"Paattum paadi-p-paravi." (3358)
205. Thus he sang; love of the Lord possessed him;
He felt ecstatic; he moved out; hailed by devotees
Full of abiding love, he sojourned there in joy,
Adoring the Lord's hallowed feet unknown to questing
Vishnu and Brahma, during all the hours of pooja. (3359)
206. Thus, even thus, he abode there.
Now let us lucidly narrate the glory
Of Anintithaiyaar who having long ago left
The cool and beauteous Mount of Kailaas,
Made her avatar on earth and grew to become
The bride of Van-tondar, and revel as it were,
In the fragrant splendour of his shoulders. (3360)
207. By the grace of the Lord whose throat holds
The 'Aalaala venom,' she made her avatar
As the beloved daughter of Tirugnaayirukizhaar,
A great Velaala of lofty rectitude of Gnaayiru,
The town where men of increasing prosperity
Belonging to the fourth caste, flourished. (3361)
208. By reason of her pre-natal consciousness she stood poised
In the never-forgetful way linked to the flower-feet
Of Himavant's Daughter; she who was called Sangkiliyaar
Came to be born with this consciousness; she grew
In the company of her playmates--the young girls
Of spear-like and splendidly roving eyes--;
Crossing duly the parvas, she became nubile. (3362)
209. She grew thriving not only in the deeds that became
Her great family tradition but also manifesting qualities
Of divinity; such was her supernal culture that the world
Marvelled at it; when she grew to be a lass, her growing
Breasts--soft and supple--, grieved her gracile waist;
Then he father spake to his wife thus: (3363)
210. "In beauty of form and quality our daughter exceeds
The mortal creation; we know not the reason for this;
It is time that we should give her in wedding."
Hearing this, his wife, verily a liana of ever-crescent
Chastity, said: "Be pleased to give her in wedding as
suits our station." (3364)
211. Sangkiliyaar who heard her parents so speak, thought thus:
"These words befit me not; I belong to him who is
Wholly blessed by my Lord; I know not of the result,
Their wholly different thought will lead to." Stricken
With fear she fell down on earth in a swoon. (3365)
212. The parents who stood nearby were greatly agitated;
They lifted her up tenderly in love; anxious at heart
They thought thus: "What has become of her?"
Closely embracing her, they sprinkled on her
Cool and fragrant water, stroked her gently,
Revived her and spake to her whose lovely forehead
Was like unto a bow, thus: "What has befallen you?" (3366)
213. When thus her parents questioned her
She spake to them frankly without any concealment:
"What this day, you spake of me ill-befits my state;
I belong to him who is graced by the Lord-Rider
Of the victorious Bull; I will even now
Fare forth to Tiruvotriyoor and establish myself
In the grace of Lord Siva." (3367)
214. When they heard her words, they were assailed
By bewilderment, fear and wonder; they so conducted
Themselves thereafter that others could not
Know of her changed condition; while so,
From a clan of equal greatness and close to them
In kinship and therefore privileged to seek
Her hand in wedding, a youth, unaware of the happenings,
In great longing, deputed to them some persons to broach marriage;
They came there and discussed matrimony. (3368)
215. The father who listened to them could not reveal
To them the happenings; he so answered them
That they would not be troubled or offended; even before
They could return to him who sent them thither,
Like one assailed by a great evil he died; so too
His messengers; the parents of Sangkiliyaar and others
Who heard of this, were struck with bewilderment. (3369)
216. It looked as though that the fated event proclaimed
Clearly to the world thus: "They that mean to thrive
Would not speak words which ill-became great Sangkiliyaar."
So the parents made a clean breast of all the happenings
To the great elders of their clan; with fear-stricken
And languishing heart they now gave assent to her proposal. (3370)
217. Knowledgeable persons would not dare speak
Of her action deeming her a woman divine;
She would ever talk of the greatnesses of the Lord
Adored of her; she would not speak of aught else;
Such ind_ed was her righteous conduct;
So they resolved to conduct her to Otriyoor's Lord
Whose matted crown is plaited with a serpent. (3371)
218. Addressing Sangkiliyaar whose words were
Tunefully melodious, her parents and others said:
"Reaching Tiruvotriyoor of the Lord in whose crest
The lucid flood courses, be pleased to abide
In a kanni-maatam in that city girt with cool pools,
And perform askesis, poised hence forth
In the grace of the Lord whose forehead sports an eye." (3372)
219. In unison with the grace as ordained by the Lord who is
Crescent-crested, and oblivious of all else,
Her parents and kin resolved to abide
By the words of Sangkiliyaar, and conducted her
To Tiruvotriyoor of the Lord who smote the triple
Hostile cities, carrying with them great wealth. (3373)
220. They entered the temple of Lord Siva whose crown
Sports a white crescent, and with their close kith
And kin adored Him; then with the consent of the dwellers
Of the hoary city they built nearby a kanni-maatam
Girt with immense walls, and watched over by women-guards;
Rich endowments were made for its up-keep;
Then her father fell at her feet and said: (3374)
221. "You will gladly abide here rendering willing service
Pleasing to the Lord; we, on our part, will serve you."
His uncontainable love burst forth, and his eyes
Rained tears; he could not endure separation from her;
With his sorrowing kin, he paid obeisance to her
And left for his city girt with fort-like walls. (3375)
222. The virgin who performed tapas in love, abode there;
She adored the Lord of lives at all the hours of pooja;
To perform such acts of divine service as became
Her nature, poised unswervingly in the pious way,
She came to the mantapam mantled with screens
And rich in cool and arboraceous flowers
And there took her seat in a corner. (3376)
223. As then she became instinct with the consciousness
Of her service in the past at the holy Mount Kailaas,
She, verily a flowery liana, began to ply her hands
In weaving beauteous and soft garlands
Of flowers where chafers lay cradled, befitting the hours
Of the temple-service to adorn the crown
Of the Lord of gods; thus she flourished. (3377)
224. As the time for him to wed, in love, Sangkiliyaar
Of fragrant garland, drew near, Aaroorar who made
His avatar by the grace of the Lord whose hue
Is of the crepuscular sky, as ordained by the hoary
And ineluctable destiny, moved into the temple
Of the primordial Lord, one day. (3378)
225. Nampi Aaroorar claimed by the Lord of gods in the guise
Of a Brahmin and owned by Him, adored the Merciful One
In the hoary and traditional way, hymned Him
And moved out adoring the divine services in which
The serviteurs were engaged; he then entered
The flowery mantapam that was like unto a lotus-pool. (3379)
226. With love for thread and the Panchaakshara for flowers,
Even as their hearts wove wreaths, they wove garlands
Of flowers with their hands; the very bones and minds
Of these serviteurs melted in loving devotion.
Aaroorar adored them and moved away; from a place set apart
Sangkiliyaar came out from behind the screen as was
Her wont, handed over the garlands for the adornment
Of the Lord, and like a lightning flash moved into her
Screened apartment; Aaroorar saw her, prompted by Providence. (3380)
227. When the divine devotee of the Lord whose flag sports
The Bull, beheld the damozel--like unto pearl unthreaded,
And soft bud untouched by bee and about to burst
In fragrance--, his mind could not be kept in leash
By his rectitude; it leaped at her; anon her became
The target of Manmata's flowery darts; unable
To contain himself, he moved out, and spake thus: (3381)
228. "What may this be? It is well-nigh impossible for me
To comprehend this! She who is there, behind the curtain,
Is like a liana of lightning compounded
Of the inner coolth of the fresh full-moon
Mixed with the nectarean flow of gold and gems;
She has caused my mind to swerve from its course;
Who may she be?" When he spake thus, (_382)
229. They that stood nearby said: "She is indeed
The great lass Sangkiliyaar, the virgin who
By her ever-growing tapas fosters her servitorship
To the Lord." When so informed, he mused thus:
"My lord by His grace gave me this embodiment
owing to two persons; one is my wife Paravai;
This one is perhaps the second of them."
He was indeed bewildered. (3383)
230. "I am happily destined to live the life of a servitor
Unto the Lord whose matted hair flashes like lightning;
She grieves me, and by her tapas prevents me from
Enjoying the beatitude due to me by the Lord's grace;
She binds my dear life with the beauteous flowers
That she weaves into garlands; well, I will received her
From my Lord who wears on His crown a chaplet
Of golden Konrai flowers." Thus resolved he moved
Into the temple. (3384)
231. Even though Brahma of the Lotus-throne and Vishnu,
The tall one, flew up and burrowed down the earth, they
Could not behold His divine crown or His ever-extending
Ankleted feet; He is the Lord of all the worlds;
Yet He chooses to abide in joy at Otriyoor;
He is the Supreme Ens, the One of effulgence;
Before Him stood Aaroorar and hailed Him thus: (3385)
232. "O Lord! Besides happily sharing Uma in Your frame
You love to keep concealed in Your beauteous matted hair
The woman Ganga! Deign to grant to me, You serviteur,
Sangkili -- whose countenance is like that of the moon
And who while binding for You beauteous garlands unbinds
The garland of my heart--, and thus rid me of my misery." (3386)
233. Thus he prayed before the Lord and importuned Him;
He moved out of the temple and mused thus: "She has broken
My heart's resoluteness which for ever hovers only
Around thoughts of servitorship to You; I know not what
I should do; O Lord of fulgurant matted hair of coral hue which
Sports a crescent thereon, be pleased to grace me." (3387)
234. He abode at a place outside the temple where abides
In joy the Lord who wears the bright crescent;
It was evening and the sun was about to sink
Into the western main; he languished beholding the sea;
Longing to wed her of tender breasts, he though and thought
On his companionship with the Lord, the Friend
Of Kubera who guards Sankhanidi
And Padmanidi, and sorely languished. (3388)
235. His Lord who ate the poison of the roaring sea to save
The immortals and the mortals, appeared before Van-tonder
And spake thus: "We grant you liana-like Sangkili
Of great tapas who is unattainable by any one
In this world; rid yourself of misery". (3389)
236. Hailing the Lord Van-tondar said: "In the past
At Vennainalloor You claimed me -- a nescient cur--,
On Your own accord, graced me with Your servitorship
And thus granted me deliverance; this day you have deigned
To wed me with her to save my life." He fell at the fragrant
Flower-feet of the Lord, and thus flourished. (3390)
237. The Lord-Brahmin who rules Van-tondar as His servitor
Having graced him thus, at dead of night came
To the Kanni-maatam on whose wall the full moon rests
And appeared in the dream of glorious Sangkiliyaar, verily
A lamp that induces the glow of bright lustre. (3391)
238. When the Lord appeared before her, Sangkiliyaar
Adored Him, fell on the ground, felt ecstatic,
Rose up with a flood of delight coursing in her,
And spake thus: "Your slave is blessed with Your visit;
How can I at all requite this?" Then the Lord-Brahmin
Resplendent with the Holy Ash like unto a flood
Of great mercy, graciously spake thus: (3392)
239. "O Sangkili poised in tapas! Hearken to Me! He has
Indeed great love for me; His tapas is greater than
Even Mount Meru; at Vennainalloor, he was privileged
To be claimed by Me in the presence of all men; of Me
He besceches you; may you whose breasts are cinctured
By a breast-band joyously link yourself to him in wedding". (3393)
240. Standing before her, when the Primal Lord graced her
Thus, Sangkiliyaar of exceeding beauty fell
At the Lord's cool lotus feet unknowable to Vishnu
And Brahma, rose up and _doringly addressed
The Author of the Vedas tremulously, thus: (3394)
241. "My Lord, I belong to him whom You grace; O Lord
Of gods! I wear Your grace on my crown; when You deign
To grant me to Nampi Aaroorar in a ceremonial wedding,
O Lord whose frame shares the liana of Himavant
I have a prayer to submit unto You." (3395)
242. Then in great bashfulness she bowed to the Lord
Of plaited chignon and said: "O Lord whose beauteous chest
Displays the flashing, white, sacred thread
Splendorous with its contact of the divine breasts
Of our Goddess! He is one that joyously resides
For good, in ever-during Tiruaaroor; be pleased
To grace me bearing this in mind." Thus spake she,
Verily a flawless lamp, for ever bright. (3396)
243. He listened to her words; He, the Lord of Otriyoor,
Considered the state of Van-tondar also;
Then He graciously spake thus: "O beauty bejewelled
In gold, he will in solemn secrecy swear an oath
Affirming his non-parting from you." (3397)
244. Then returning from her whose shoulder was
Bamboo-like, the Lord came to His companion
Of flawless mind who was reveling in joy,
And said: "I spoke to her of your marriage with her;
For this you have to fulfil a condition." (3398)
245. Van-tondar adored Him with a joyous heart
And queried Him thus: What is it, O my Lord,
I am called upon to do?" Then the Lord
Spake in grace thus: "To wed her you will have
To affirm solemnly before her that you will ever
Live with her land not part from her; call on her
And this very night swear so before her." (3399)
246. Then Aaroorar said: "I will do that which will fulfil
My desire to wed her, O Lord of fulgurant, matted hair
I beseech Your grace." Then with a smile
That appeared on His lips, the Primal Lord
Facing him interrogated thus: "For your act
(Of swearing) what else is to the done?" (3400)
247. Van-tondar who gave away his mind to her
Of soft breasts cinctured by a breast-band, deeming it
To be an embargo on his dutiful itinerary
To the many shrines where his Lord joyously
Abides, to adore His beauteous forms,
Began to formulate his prayer. (3401)
248. Adoring the feet of Sankara, the Prince of Tamil
Spake thus: "When I go forth thither to take an oath
That I will not part from her, You should then be
Pleased to quit the shrine, and abide below
The makizha tree." Thus he prayed and bowed before Him. (3402)
249. When the Lord's companion prayed to Him thus, the Lord
Of gods agreeing to his request, spake thus in grace;
"O Nampi, I will do as you beseech Me!" Then Aaroorar
Hailed Him thus: "O Lord, my God! Is there
Henceforth aught that is rare for me?" (3403)
250. Aaroorar adored Him with his hands folded
Above His dead and moved out, blessed with His leave;
The Lord of ruddy matted hair-- we know not
If the Lord but desired to sport with him,
Or, was it due to the glory of the traditional
Servitorship of Sankiliyaar whose waist was slender
As a vanji-creeper--, once again visited
Her at night when all eyes closed in slumber,
To bless her with steadfastness. (3404)
251. He appeared before Sangkiliyaar as before, and said:
"Nangkai, Aarooran will willingly, take the oath
Before you; however do not suffer him to swear before Us
In the shrine; let it be under the makizha tree." (3405)
252. When she heard Him speak thus, she folded her hands
In adoration and hailed Him thus: "O Lord!
You are not to be comprehended even by Vishnu
And Brahma; but you deigned to reveal to me
The great secret, thereby acknowledging me
As Your serviteur." Tears rolled down
From her eyes and she fell at the victorious
And roseate feet of the Lord, and rose up. (3406)
253. When the Lord whose crown is wrought of matted hair
Thus graced her and disappeared, she woke up
Struck with wonder great; thinking of the great grace
Of the Lord of ruddy matted hair, she would not
Thereafter sleep that night; doubt-tossed
She moved to her friends and woke them up. (3407)
254. To her friends that woke up, when she duly narrated
All_that the Lord, Ezhuttu Ariyum Perumaal had
Revealed to her in her dream, they experienced
A happy mystical tremendum, and bowed before her. (3408)
255. The hour for Tiruppalliyezhucchi drew near;
The bejewelled beauty companied with her maids,
The co-servitors, moved out to engage herself
In the holy task of weaving garlands for the Lord;
Awaiting her arrival at that time, Aaroorar came
Before the temple to take the oath as promised. (3409)
256. When Aaroorar who stood there campe toward the bejewelled lass
That came there, and spake to her of the gracious
Blessing of his Lord, she of the gracile
And fulgurant waist, would not divulge before him
The condition linked to her consent; all bashful, she
Sidled away with her maids, and moved into the shrine. (3410)
257. Aaroorar followed her and said: "O bejewelled!
To take my oath affirming non-separation from you
Be pleased to go forth to the presence of the Lord who is
Crescent crested." When he so spake, the maidens who had
Listened to the dreams of Sangkiliyaar replied thus: (3411)
258. "O our lord! To make an asseveration
Before the presence of the Lord of the celestials will not
Be meet." Hearing this, our lord Van-tondar, unaware
Of the deed of the Lord, said: "O ye like unto twigs,
Where then shall I take the oath?" (3412)
259. The lasses thereupon said: "Enough, if you take
The oath under the makizha tree," He was nonplussed
To hear this; then he thought thus: "If I decline,
It may lead to a scandal; it is but proper that I
Should consent to this.' Terms resolved, saying:
"Well, go thither," he too reached the makizh after them. (3413)
260. As Sangkiliyaar of flawless and great tapas
Bore witness, he thrice circumambulated
The ever-young makizh and affirmed thus:
"I will abide here and never leave this place."
Thus he swore, the chief of Manippaadi
Which was dight with cool and flowery pools. (3414)
261. When glorious Aaroorar completed the act of solemn oath,
Witnessing it, she whose eyes were like blue lily, was
Agitated; she mused thus: "This sinner had to witness
This, as it was by the Lord ordained." Languishing
In life and limb, she moved aside, and wilted unseen. (3415)
262. The chief of Tirunaavaloor having performed his act
Entered the temple of the Lord who wears the hide
Of the martial tusker and prayed thus: "O Lord! You are
To dispense daily grace unto me! Wondrous indeed is Your way!"
Hailing His great name (the Panchaakshara)
He then moved out in delight great. (3416)
263. When Van-tondar moved away she whose beauteous breasts
Were cinctured by a breast-band, came to the mantapam
Where garlands were woven; there she plied
Her hands in floral service and adored Him
And the gracious acts of the Lord whose throat
Is dark like a nimbus, and then as the day was about
To break, she moved into the beauteous Kanni-maatam. (3417)
264. That very night the Lord of Otriyoor known as Aadipuri,
To fulfil the wish of Van-tondar-- His serviteur
Resplendent with jewels of gold--, desired to instruct
The glorious devotees of Tiruvotriyoor who were
Established in everlasting renown, so that
They would with all their heart, perform the wedding. (3418)
265. (Appearing in their dream) He bade them thus:
"By Our command, perform with due rites, the wedding
Of Nampi Aaroorar and Nangkai Sangkili, here on this
Earth; so celebrate the marriage that the celestials
Too should get to know it." Thus instructed,
Up rose the divine devotees, wearing as it were
On their crown, the Lord's gracious behest. (3419)
266. The serviteurs divine and innumerable--, that abode
At Tiruvotriyoor thriving in this world in great opulence,
Joined the dwellers of that beauteous city
And performed a great and glorious connubium
That was feast unto all beholding eyes,
With all their joyous heart; heaven showered flowers. (3420)
267. As ordained by the hoary providence and by the grace
Of Lord Pasupati, Van-tondar who married her
Of fragrant koontal decked with flowers wherein
Chafers lay crad_ed, in love revelled in her sheer
Splendour of queenliness which excelled that
Of Lakshmi's, with all his five senses of sight
Hearing, taste, smell and touch. (3421)
268. Her words were sweeter than the tuneful yaazh;
Beauteous was her row of teeth; her eyes,
Verily the two halves of a symmetrically sliced tender mango,
Reached as far as her ear-pendants and thither rolled;
Her breasts were of bewitching beauty; he lay
Immersed in the ford of her beauteous alkul;
Their bouderie which lasted a second seemed an aeon;
Their aeon-long union passed away like a second. (3422)
269. Thus he sweetly abode there in bliss; by reason of his
Joyous and great sojourn in ever-during Otriyoor, he could
Adore the sacred feet of the Lord who is crescent-crested;
Many a season came in succession, and rolled by. (3423)
270. The splendorous southerly born in Potiyil of swelling
Tamil, passing through the beauteous sandal-trees
Laden with their perfume and getting fostered
In many a garden of hill-slopes, began to waft
Gently in Tiruvotriyoor; then Aaroorar's mind
Hovered over the adoration of the Tiruvolakkam
Of the Lord of Tiruvaaroor-- Veethi Vitangkan--,
During His auspicious festival of Vasantham. (3424)
271. Aaroorar imagined that he indeed heard and witnessed
In person, the song and dance of Paravaiyaar
Of mellifluous words, during the Tiruvolakkam--
Circled by women of dazzling foreheads--, of the Lord
Veethivitangkan who wears a white crescent on His crown. (3425)
272. He abides in joy in Poongkoyil; He is enshrined
In the Ant-Hill; He thinks on them that thinks on Him
In unforgetful and loving devotion: of adoration unto him
Aaroorar grew conscious, as the fruit of his regular
And proper worship in the past; exclaiming:
"Lo, here did I clean forget Him,"
He wallowed exceedingly in misery. (3426)
273. Much, very much, did he think on the Lord enshrined
In Poongkoyil, the Lord who is the Author
Of the Vedas, the Lord who abides in joy in Tiruvaaroor,
And hailed Him in a divine and musical decad of lofty verses
Which opened thus: "Patthimaiyum atimaiyum..." (3427)
274. Then, one day, thinking very much on Tiruvaaroor, he entered,
The temple of His who is sweet to think on,
And adored Him; as he moved out leaving Otriyoor
By reason of his oath, the light of his eyes grew extinct;
He could not see the treading ground; he swooned. (3428)
275. He did not know what he could do; he was bewildered;
He heaved long sighs of distress; he thought
Thus: "This is the result of my transgression
Of my plighted word to her whose eyes are touched
With collyrium." Then he mused thus:
"I will hail my Lord in numbers to rid me
of this misery that has come to me." (3429)
276. With adoring heart he fell prostrate on the ground
And hailed the Lord of ever-during Aadipuri
In a decad of verse which opened thus:
"Azhukku meikodu." Contemplating the flower soft feet
Of the Lord whose half is His Consort, he prayed
To Him thus: "You should abolish this flaw." He was
Ashamed of his cruel and helpless plight and stigma;
He hailed the Lord in mellifluous melody, and Him
Adored; then he thought of many, many things. (3430)
277. When that happened to be the grace of the Lord
He folded his beauteous hands above his head and adored
Him; borne by a soaring love to adore at Aaroor,
He resolved not to return (to Otriyoor); led by them
That came with him, he came to Tirumullaivaayil
Of the Lord who wears the crescent in His matted hair,
Moved into the temple, and hymned a glorious
And divine decad in which he hailed Him thus: "For the sake
Of Sangkili, You caused my eyes to become blind." (3431)
278. Unto the hoary, glorious and munificent Lord
Of Mullaivaayil who in the past graced Tondaimaan,
He prayed thus: "Deign to eztirpate my cruel misery."
Having thus hailed Him, he who marched onward, poised
In his great desire, came to Venpaakkam, rich
In mansions and great houses, and girt with flowery
Gardens where the bees hummed in joy; when serviteurs
Came forth t_ receive him, he paid obeisance
To them and moved into the temple of the Lord, who,
Of yore, peeled off the hide of the irate tusker. (3432)
279. Companied with the devotees he circumambulated
The Shrine and came before the sanctum sanctorum
Of the merciful Lord and praised His virtues; he hailed
And adored Him; folding his hands above his head
He worshipped Him and then addressed Him thus:
"Are You present in this temple where You abide
In joy" To Van-tondar that questioned Him thus
The Lord gave a stick to walk with
And with indifferent words, thus replied him:
"We are (very much) here; You had better proceed."
Thus spake the Lord as though he were a stranger. (3433)
280. He hymned Him in a decad which opened thus: "Pizhai
Ulama Porutthiduvar"; the chief of Tirunaavaloor girt
With cloud-capped walls, hailed the Lord who is
Joyously concorporate with His Consort abiding in joy
At Venpaakkam sporting the serpent as His jewel. (3434)
281. Having hymned before the Lord the divine decad brimming
With music which was like a garland of verse in the form
Of a complaint, he mused thus: "The grace of my Lord
Amounts to this much only." Then with the ever glorious
Devotees he adored the Lord, and was soon on his way. (3435)
282. Leaving the town of the Merciful One with the devotees
He came to Pazhayanoor rich in tanks and fields
Where burgeoned lotus-flowers, and abode at a place
Without Tiruvaalangkaadu of the crescent-crested
Lord-Dancer--, the holy town unto which Peyaar,
The mother, arrived measuring the distance
With her head and abode there in devotion. (3436)
283. Facing the temple he hailed and adored the Lord;
His divine decad compact of music, opened with the word;
"Mutthaa", and he worshipped the Lord in delight;
Adoring Him again, he took His leave, and in love
Proceeded to Tiruvooral and there hailed the Lord;
Thence he came to the great city of Kaanchi rich
In beauteous mansions and girt with impregnable walls. (3437)
284. Van-tondar adored the sky-high tower that stood fronting
The temple of Mother Kaamaakshi, who, abiding
At Kacchi-k-Kaamakottam bounded by gardens abounding
In honey-bees, fosters holy dharma, prompted
By unending compassion for all embodied lives. (3438)
285. Adoring, he prostrated on the ground, rose up,
Again hailed the grace of Grace and moved on;
Following the flawless devotees he came to Tiruvekampam
Of the Primal Lord-- the Creator, Fosterer and Absorber
Of the hoary universe--, bowed before Him
And prayed to Him thus: "What have I -- the false one--,
To articulate before Your divine presence!" (3439)
286. "O Lord of merciful eyes who ate the exceedingly
Dreadful venom, whilst the celestials feasted on nectar!
Kacchi Yekampaa! Be pleased to forgive the sins
Which I -- the least worthy of men--, committed
Unwittingly! Grant me eyes to behold Your form
Of coral splendour!" Thus praying
He prostrated on the floor in adoration. (3440)
287. To Aaroorar who meditated on the roseate feet--
Unto which Himavant's liana- like Daughter
Of kayal-like eyes with streaks of red offered pooja
Holding in Her rosy and lotus-like flower-hands
Cool and fresh blooms--, and hailed and adored the Lord
In soaring love; the Lord who grew lithe when His Consort
Embraced Him, restored the vision of his left eye. (3441)
288. When the Lord unknowable to Vishnu who burrowed
The earth and to Brahma who winged the cool sky,
Restored to him the eye-sight and revealed to him
The mark of His Consort's breast, he rushed close
To His presence, fell down in worship, rose up, and in delight
Burst out with his hymn which opened thus:
"Aalamthaan Ukanthavan…" He sang and danced in joy. (3442)
289. To him that hymned and adored Him in ecstasy, the Lord
Gave a darshan of His aeviternal splendour with His Consort;
This he hailed in devotion great; folding
His hands above His head he worshipped Him, moved out
And sojourned there in joy, hailing the Lord. (3443)
290. Worshipping the Lord of long matted hair where He wears
The crescent and flowers of Konrai,
The Lord who bears the marks of the breasts and the bangles
Of the great Daughter of Himavant, and singing
A decad-- a flower-garland of Tamil verse on Tiruvaaroor--,
He left the divine city of Kaanchi girt with gardens
And rich in melliferous flowers. (3444)
291. In love and devotion he hymned the decad which opened
Thus: "Anthiyum nan pakalum;" he lilted it
Tunefully and melodiously and expressed his desire
Thus: "O when am I to reach my Lord-Father's Tiruvaaroor?"
Possessed by uncontainable ardour; he fared forth in joy
With the loving devotees. (3445)
292. On his way at each holy and ever-during town
He visited the temple of the Lord who wears
In His crown Vanni and Vilva, adored the Lord
And adorned Him with garlands of celebratory
Tamil verse; thus he reached Tiruvaamaatthoor
Rich in tanks and fields where swans teemed. (3446)
293. Adoring the feet of the Beautiful One, the merciful Lord
Of Aamaatthoor, he sang a divine decad of abiding music;
Then crossing the great and fecund Tondai Nadu which
Confers auspiciousness on the world, he reached
The glorious and well-watered country
Where Kocchengkanaan was born. (3447)
294. He reached Tiruvaratthurai in that realm.
Prostrated before the fragrant and flower-soft feet
Of the Lord who wields the fulgurant weapon of mazhu,
Rose up and adorned Him with a garland of Tamil verse,
Beginning with the words: "Kalvaai akil,"
And sojourned there in joy
With the devotees of ever-during ardour. (3448)
295. Having adored at Tiruvaratthurai of the Supreme Lord
He visited many a shrine of Siva whose flag
Sports the young Bull, hailed and adored
His fragrant flower-feet, bathed in the Cauvery
Of immense waters, companied with the devotees
And then came near cool Tiruvaavaduthurai whose Lord
Wears as a jewel, the serpent. (3449)
296. On His arrival, he was received there
By the devotees; with them he moved into the temple
Of swelling glory, circumambulated
The inner shrine, came before the Lord's presence
And hymned thus: "O Lord in whose matted hair, the Ganga
Thrives! Behold me who am deprived of an eye!"
The sorrowing serviteur sang thus in his tuneful
Decad: "O Lord, who indeed is my kin?" (3450)
297. Having hailed Him in a divine decad, he adored Him,
And blessed with His leave he longingly fared forth
To Tirutthurutthi, moved into the shrine and adored
In great devotion the ankleted feet of the pure
And purifying Lord, and prayed to Him thus: "Be pleased
To rid me of the misery of my affliction." (3451)
298. To him that thus hailed and adored, the Supreme One
Graciously spake thus: "For the total cure
Of your affliction, take a special bath in the Northern Tank
Where bees hum over goodly blossoms." Thus bidden
The serviteur who knew not deception, adored Him
Folding his hands, and marched on. (3452)
299. He reached the tank rich in efficacious water,
Prayed to the Lord of Tirutthurutthi who is
A manifestation of all the glories celebrated
By the Vedas, and plunged into it; as he did so, he stood
Cured of his recent malady, and at that very moment
Came to be endowed with a divine body,
Which blazed with ruby lustre. (3453)
300. Even as the beholders marvelled at it, he came forth
To the bank of the tank, had his change of clothing,
And in great and soaring devotion reached the temple;
In the presence of the devotees he sang in sevenfold music
A decad of deliverance to all the men inhabiting
The eight directions should they comprehendingly
Hail it; it opened with the words: "Minnu maa mekangkal…" (3454)
301. Having sung tunefully the Tamil decades he sojourned
There with the serviteurs that always think on Him,
Unforgetful of the divine grace of the supreme Lord,
And hailed Him; then he visited the many shrines
Where the Lord who pervades his heart, abides,
And adored Him, then he moved on and eftsoons beheld
Before him Tiruvaroor filling his whole ken. (3455)
302. Though he beheld it with all his heart, his joy
Was not complete as he beheld it with one eye only;
He fell flat on the ground, heaved deep sighs, rose up
And straight adored it; Van-Tondar, entered Tiruvaaroor
At dusk and moved into the temple of the Lord
Of holy lips and dense matted hair, to adore Him. (3456)
303. He moved into the temple of Paravai-unn-mandali
Companied with the swelling devotee-throng;
He adored the Lord and hailed Him in a sublime
And tuneful decad which opened thus: "Thoovaayaa";
In that decad he prayed thus: "Remove our sorrows
And bless us with the light of eye to behold."
Thus he sang his rich and rare Tamil verse
Before the Merciful One. (3457)
304. Having adored the river-crested Lord, he moved out
And abode at a different place; with the devotees
He came near Tirumoolattaanam of the Lord whose
Banner sports the Bull, knowing the time to be propitious
For adoration during the Atthayaama service. (3458)
305. As he beheld the serviteurs of the Primal Lord
Coming before him, he sang, facing them, a decad which
Opened thus: "Kuruku paaya"; through this decad that he
Sang in flawless and tuneful melody, as though he were
A stranger, he interrogated the serviteurs; he melodised
It in Kaikkilai on account of his sorrow;
Thus singing he moved on with them. (3459)
306. He proceeded first to Tiru-th-Tevaasiriyan
Of soaring glory; and adored it; then he adored
The cloud-capped tower, folding his hands, moved in
And hailed the poongkoyil decked with many garlands;
Then he prostrated on the ground
In great love and devotion of abiding ardour. (3460)
307. He rose up; folding his hands in adoration
He stood before the Lord and burst into sobs;
He wilted not content with the restoration of sight
To one flower-soft eye only; thus he prayed to the Lord;
"Be pleased to retrieve me, Your serviteur
From the deep sea of misery; grant me my desire
And bless me with the (other) eye." (3461)
308. To drink with eyes the Nectar not to be tasted
With lips, -- the Lord that is enshrined in Tiruvaaroor,
The Wearer of Pigngnakam enshrined in Tirumoolattaanam--,
In fitting love and devotion, the Prince of Naavaloor
Hailed the Lord and beseeched Him thus:
"Be pleased to give me the other eye" (3462)
309. His decad opened thus: "Meelaa adimai;" he hymned
This decad compact of comely and charming words
As the devotee and hallowed companion of the Lord,
And hailed the aeviternal Lord who was pleased to eat
The poison to forefend the death of the celestial orders
And prayed to Him thus: "Will you suffer Your true devotees
Who foster Your feet with love, to endure misery?" (3463)
310. The Lord of Hosts-- the Holy One enshrined in the Ant-Hill--,
Deigned to grace Van-tondar for his loving devotion
And suffering; when He cast His gracious looks on him
And endowed him with sight in his cool and flower-like eye
His heart grew ecstatic and he fell
At the flower-feet of the Lord. (3464)
311. He prostrated on the ground, rose up and adored
The Lord in manifold ways; he hailed Him exceedingl;
He sang and danced in joy that welled up in him;
He was indeed immersed in a flood of delight;
With his two eyes he drank in the grace of Lord Siva
That rose up like a cool, splendid and coral-hued shoot
From the beautiful and golden Ant-Hill, and revelled in joy. (3465)
312. He hailed and adored the Lord during the time
The service lasted; then, Aaroorar who came to be born
For the deliverance of the world, in loving devotion
Circumambulated the inner shrine of the golden
And beautiful Poongkoyil, moved out of the entrance
Where abode Vishnu and Brahma, awaiting
The hour propitious, to prefer their petitions
To the Lord, and came towards Tevassiriyan,
In the company of glorious devotees. (3466)
313. When Nampi Aaroorar parted from Nangkai Paravaiyaar,
Assailed by loneliness in her beauteous mansion, she
Languished; her days became nights and nights, days;
Thus passed her time; swelling love in her upsurged
And she grieved much; thus rolled a few days. (3467)
314. 'Tirunaavaloorar poised_in the holy way, having reached
Otriyoor, married there in great splendour
The rotund-breasted Sangkiliyaar.' When the truth
Of this dictum was verified and reported
To her by her messengers who were sent by her to him
She grew wroth unconsciously and sorely languished,
Besieged by an uncontrollable ire. (3468)
315. She would not slumber on her soft bed damasked
With flowers; neither would she desire to keep awake in joy;
Nor would she be seated on her beauteous seat, decked
With gold and flowers; she would neither stand
Nor walk; she would not move out of the house;
She would not forfend the shower of flowery darts
Caused by Manmata; she would not think on Aaroorar;
Neither would she forget him; alas, what could she do?
She was tossed between bouderie and separation
Both of which were bone-melting. (3469)
316. While thus she languished in helpless misery, Aaroorar
Came before the temple of the Lord who wears in His crest
A white curved crescent; his glorious retinue
Proceeded to the mansion of lily-eyed Paravaiyaar;
When as usual they tried to enter it, they were not
Admitted; so they stood outside. (3470)
317. A few of them that so stood there, came
To Nampi Aaroorar of ever-during renown, and said:
"They happen to know every happening at Tiruvotriyur
And no one detail had escaped them; so this day,
They in the mansion pushed us away; we could not
Even tarry outside the mansion." (3471)
318. Van-tondar who languished in his mind, when he
Heard such words, thought over the matter;
Gaining clarity, he deployed a few men well-versed
In the way of the phenomenal world to his beloved
Paravaiyaar, to study her irate state
And devise ways and means to pacify her. (3472)
319. They that fared forth with Nampi Aaroorar's grace
Arrived at the beautiful and golden mansion
Of Nangkai Paravaiyaar; they came before her
Of fulgurant waist who lay sunk in the fiery sea
Of bouderie, and with a view to pacify her,
Spake thus: "Does this become our lady?"
They also appealed to her in many ways. (3473)
320. Having failed to convince her by methods of Saama,
They resorted to Bheda, poised in Niti; she would have
None of these; her resentment remained intact,
And she addressed them and said: "If you persist
In your importunities on his behalf who is linked
With evil, I will assuredly give up my life." When they
Heard her speak thus, they grew scared, and moved away. (3474)
321. They moved out, came to the Prince of Tirumunaippaadi
Bounded by cool and beautiful fields, and narrated to him
The events as they happened; Aaroorar grew scared,
And he grieved; unable to sight the plank with the help
Of which he might cross the sea of misery
And reach ashore, his mental distress burnt fiercely
And he sorely languished; sunk in the sea of dark
Midnight, he knew not the way to surface up. (3475)
322. Those that were near him slumbered;
Tiruvatthayaamam-service was over; men on earth
Ceased to walk; it was the densest part of the night
When even ghosts would sleep; it was then the companion
Of the Lord who wears on His matted hair the fragrantly
Blooming konrai flowers, serpent and crescent,
Sat alone, sunk in despair, and mused thus: (3476)
323. "The hoary deed indeed has caused the present deed
And she indeed is the cause original; O Lord who
Owns me! Be pleased to think of visiting her, who is
Like a swan, at this part of the night, to rid her
Of her bouderie; if You do so, I am saved;
If not, I am done for." Thus he thought,
Beseeching the Lord and invoking His feet. (3477)
324. Can the Lord who cannot bear to behold the misery
Of His devotees keep aloof without implementing
The wish of His companion whom He rules? The lord who wears
The marks of the breasts and the bangles of gold
Worn by the Mother of the universe, came thither
Planting on earth His feet unknown to Vishnu
And Brahma, and Aaroorar beheld Him. (3478)
325. When thus the Lord was pleased to come there,
In uncontainable delight, his limbs trembled;
The hair on his_thrilled body stood erect; the soft
And lotus-like hands of Nampi Aaroorar folded
Above his head, and he fell at the ruddy, lotus-like
Feet of the Lord who shares in His left His Consort. (3479)
326. Unto the friend who fell at His feet, adored Him
And stood before Him poised in great longing, the Lord said:
"What is it that afflicts you?" Him adoring,
He spake thus: "It is mine own doing
Which proves to be my undoing, and from this
You must lift me up and rule me by Your mercy. (3480)
327. "At Tiruvotriyoor, graced by You Yourself
I married Sangkili whose bright eyes are sharp
Like the blade of wrought spear, and lived in joy;
Paravai of willowy waist, coming to know
Of all this, affirms that if I should come
To her, she would give up her ghost; so what shall I do? (3481)
328. "O my Master! If I am truly Your serviteur, if You are
Truly my goodly companion, more dear to me
Than even my mother, and if You are truly my Lord God,
Behold then my senseless plight and distress, and proceed
To annul, this very night, the bouderie of Paravai." (3482)
329. The Lord who demands nought but love, desiring to do that
Which His devotee sought, facing Aaroorar who
Petitioned to Him standing before Him, said:
"Abolish sorrow; we even now are proceeding to her
Who is adorned with jewels of gold, as your messenger." (3483)
330. Van-tondar grew boundlessly joyous, fell at the feet
Of the Lord, rose up, praised Him in all ways,
Felt beatific, and spake to the Lord thus: "Be pleased
To proceed without delay to the cloud-capped mansion
Of Paravai whose teeth are white mullai buds,
And rid her bouderie." Thus he prayed to Him. (3484)
331. The Lord who ate the Aalaala poison as though it were
Nectar, so that the celestials might thrive,
And so became beauteously blue-throated, --
Even He who is unknown to the Two--, to annul
The misery of the serviteur, fared forth
As a messenger to the mansion of Paravaiyaar
In whose flowery koontal chafers abode. (3485)
332. Among the Devas who stood waiting in Tevaasiriyan
Seeking boons, some adored Him and accompanied Him,
While the others moved out having adored Him;
Inseparable serviteurs who ever plied themselves
In intimate servitorship, leaders of Siva-Bhoota Hosts,
Never-aging munis and yogis walked before Him. (3486)
333. Joining the great Nandi, the rishis, Kubera
The friend of Siva, others joyously hailed Him;
Heavens showered fragrant and splendorous flowers
Which filled and damasked the divine street;
It was thus the peerless messenger of the devotee
Plied His steps on the holy street. (3487)
334. "The Lord's lotus feet could never be seen by Vishnu
And Brahma; it is time when one can wear these feet
One one's crown." Thus proclaimed the anklets
Of the Lord whose throat is dark, as He ate the sea's venom;
The anklets that entwined His lotus feet thus spake aloud,
And the Lord fared forth, even thus, to the mansion
Of Paravaiyaar whose eyes were like blue lilies. (3488)
335. The Lord moved on swiftly followed by His devotees,
The snakes of His matted hair where the Ganga roars,
The honey-bees on the konrai-chaplets nigh the crescent,
The Vedas and also the mind of Van-tondar;
Thus, even thus, He marched on. (3489)
336. As at the sides of the Lord who, of yore,
Peeled off the hide of the ichorous tusker whose
Trumpeting was louder than the roar of the sea,
They gathered closely, that street of Tiruvaaroor
Whereon the beauteous Lord fared forth, looked as though
It would reveal in itself the whole of Siva-loka. (3490)
337. When the messenger of Nampi Aaroorar who was
Born for the deliverance of the world, came near
The threshold of the beautiful and gemmy mansion
Of Paravaiyaar, He bade all others that came with Him
To tarry thither; then in the holy guise
Of a Brahmin-muni who has been performing His pooja
For a long time, he proceeded there, all alone. (3491)
338. He went there, stood before the securely barred doors
And called out thus: "O Paavaai, open the door!"
She of the so_t and dense koontal who sorely languished
And kept awake without a wink of sleep,
Thought thus: "He on whose chest it beheld
The glowing sacred thread, even he, the performer
Of pooja unto the Lord that rules us, calls me." (3492)
339. She grew scared thinking thus: "Why is it that
The performer of pooja to the crescent-crested Lord
Calls me at dead of night?" Not knowing
That it was indeed the Lord whose half is Uma,
She whose forehead is like a half moon,
Rushed forth agitated, and opened the door. (3493)
340. She paid obeisance to Him-- the ever-during
Friend of Van-tondar--, that stood before
Her mansion's threshold, as the messenger of Aaroorar,
And said: "When at this dead of night
The whole world is asleep, why should you—
O wearer of the beautiful sacred thread on you
Bright chest--, who are very like the Lord
That rules me, be pleased to come here?" (3494)
341. He who concealed the matted hair in which lay
Concealed the Ganga, thereupon said: "If you,
Without declining, be pleased to fulfil my wish,
I will tell you the purpose of My visit."
To this, she whose eyes were beauteous as the kayal,
Replied thus: "If you be pleased to disclose it
And if it befits me, I will consent to do so." (3495)
342. When she said, that when informed of the purpose
She would carry out his purpose if it became her,
The Lord said: "O woman of fulgurant waist!
Nampi Aarooran should be welcomed here!"
To this, she of beautiful forehead said: "Great,
Very great, indeed would be our glory (then)!" (3496)
343. She subjoined and said: "He who would as usual
Return for the Pangkuni festival, parted from me,
Went to Otriyoor and got enchained by Sangkili;
What indeed attracts him here? O, beautiful
Is the message you have come with, during this night." (3497)
344. The Lord that listened to her graciously, spake thus:
"O Nangkai! I have come hither to beseech you
Not to bear in mind Nampi's offences; it is
To rid you of your resentment and to abolish
Your state of suffering I have come;
So it ill-becomes you to decline my request." (3498)
345. The great woman addressing the Brahmin-muni,
The great one well-versed in the rare Vedas, said:
"If this be your mission, your coming to this house
Ill-befits your glory; I will not suffer his coming here;
He has his Salvation at Otriyoor; please go back."
Thus she couched her refusal. (3499)
346. The Lord that heard her, inly laughed; He would not
Reveal to her His true state; He was pleased
To witness the suffering passion of His unique
And great friend; He was poised for this divine sport;
With the word of refusal of her of fragrant hair, He returned. (3500)
347. Having sent his messenger, the serviteur eagerly
Awaited His return; meanwhile he lamented thus:
"I, an ignoramus, beseeched the Lord-God to pacify
The bouderie of her of fair forehead."
He thought that He would convince Paravaiyaar
And return securing her loving consent. (3501)
348. He mused thus: "What would have the Holy One
Done, when He arrived at her house?"
Would she refuse (to accept me) when the Lord
Comes in person espousing my cause?
Surely He who went there, alive to my distress,
Will not return without pacifying the jewelled beauty. (3502)
349. He rose up and proceeded to meet Him on His way;
Not beholding Him, he would return; he would
Stand bewildered; he would feel wilted;
He would rise up, saying, "He will not,
The Lord of trinocular vision, delay."
Then he would move aside when Manmatha
Showered his flowery darts on him; thus he grieved. (3503)
350. When the Lord who sports a serpent in His matted hair
Returned in His own form from Paravaiyaar's house
After His visit as a messenger, the night blazing bright
Looked as though it were but day; up rose Nampi
And rushed to greet Him in great joy;
It was like the violent flowing
Of flood, breaking the dam. (3504)
351. He bowed before the Lord and when He smiled
Unaware of the play behind it, and thinking
That He had effected a rapprochement,
He said: "That day in the past You claimed
And redeemed me; this day You have chased away
All her wrath, and this indeed is in unison
With Your former grace." (3505)
352. To Nampi that so spake, the Great One replied thus:
"As beseeched by you, We went to Paravai's house
And We did descant on your greatnesses to her
Of lovingly bewitching breasts; but she would not
Accept you; even though We ourself entreated her
With pleasing words, she refused to listen to Us." (3506)
353. When the Lord thus spake in grace, Aaroorar
Struck with dread, trembled; adoring the Lord,
He said: "Could Paravai say 'No' to You when you commanded
Her in grace? You have this day made it clear
That we are not to be counted as Your servitors. (3507)
354. "For the flourishing of the Devas, You ate the venom
Of the billowy sea; when the triple hostile citadels
Were burnt, You saved the three from destruction;
For the sake of the Brahmin-lad well versed
In the Vedas, You smote Death to death;
Well, if I be odious for you, You will but return
Without success; will You not?" (3508)
355. "O, You but did what is proper; if Yu cherish not
This day, my servitorship, why did You in the past
Claim and own me? You witnessed my pain
And languishment; if You do not make me welcome
To her of the willowy waist, I will give up
My life." So he spake and fell at His feet. (3509)
356. Unable to bear the suffering of Nampi Aaroorar,
The Lord casting His looks of grace on him
That fell at His feet and languished, said:
"We even now proceed to her, the liana, to tell her
To receive you; be rid of your painful misery."
Thus spake He that connects the results of deeds
With the doers thereof. (3510)
357. When the Lord thus blessed His bewildered friend
With sweet words of truth and nectarean bliss,
The Prince of Tirunaavaloor praised Him thus:
"Ridding me of painful commotion, You have also
Cured me, the serviteur of Your sacred feet, of fear;
It is thus, even thus, You should rule Your serviteur." (3511)
358. Prompted by mercy for His devotee, the Lord went again;
Aaroorar followed Him to a distance, adored Him,
And returned bewildered; they that did not accompany the Lord
On His earlier visit, now adoring Him went after Him;
Thus the Lord of golden and matted hair
Proceeded to the hallowed mansion of Paravaiyaar. (3512)
359. When the Lord that called on her in the guise
Of a Brahmin left her, Paravaiyaar whose forehead was
Like the moon, became convinced by many wondrous
Happenings that the Muni well-versed in the Vedas, was
None other than the Primal Lord of abounding mercy;
She cried thus: "Alas, I talked back and refused
To abide by the words of the Lord Himself." (3513)
360. She would not sleep; fierce and helpless sorrow
Possessed her; she mused thus: "When this day, the Lord
Of gods came here in the form of a priest that performs
His pooja, for the sake of His companion, I could not
Know of it; Oh the sinner that I am!" Casting her looks
On the bright threshold, when she, companied
With her companions, wallowed in misery. (3514)
361. The Lord of matted hair fragrant with Konrai blooms
Came forth in His own exquisite form, surrounded
By innumerable leaders of Bhoota-Hosts, densely-thronging
Devas, Yogis and Munis, and entered
The mansion of flawlessly glorious Paravaiyaar. (3515)
362. The mansion to which the Lord of great mercy came
Was like unto a southern Kailaas, the glorious, sacred,
And argent Mount of the Lord, as there thronged
All the leaders of the Bhoota-Hosts, Captains of other
Hosts, Devas, righteous Munis, Siddhas and Yakshas. (3516)
363. When the Great One arrived, surrounded by the dwellers
Of all the worlds, Paravaiyaar who came
Forth to greet Him, experienced a mystical tremendum;
Then she hastened to fall
At His roseate and redemptive feet. (3517)
364. He who is inaccessible to Vishnu and Brahma, addressing
The woman that wore choice jewels, said: "Privileged
By friendship, Aarooran bade us, and We are here;
O woman of fragrant hair, bid_him that suffers,
Parted from You, a warm welcome." (3518)
365. The woman of big and broad eyes was struck with fear;
With a sorrowing heart, and folding her flower-hands
Above her locks, she spake to Him thus:
"As a fruit of my rare tapas, You are now here;
Was it You my Lord that came here a while ago
In the form of an extraordinarily sacred Brahmin?" (3519)
366. Teardrops gathered in her eyes and began to flow
Down; adoring the Lord, she made to Him her submission
Thus: "Putting Your radiant and salvific feet
To pain, during a whole night, for the sake of a loving
Devotee of Yours, You have been walking hither and thither;
So what can I do but express my assent?" (3520)
367. "Nangkai, you but spoke worthy words that became
Your lofty stature" said the Lord-Patron who is
Concorporate with His Consort; then He hastened
Away from her; she whose forehead was like the moon, followed Him
To a distance and then returned after adoring Him;
Our Lord, the messenger of Nampi, was now hastening to him. (3521)
368. When the Lord who would not reveal His crown
Or feet to questing Brahma and Vishnu, plied Himself
Willingly as a messenger of His serviteur, the various
Leaders of the Bhoota Hosts and glorious heroes who were
Poised in the splendour of Siva-consciousness, witnessing
The Lord's act dance and sang in joy in that street in dense
throngs.(3522)
369. When these thus fared forth before Him or after Him
Or at His sides, the Lord of Tiruvaaroor proceeded
In all celerity to effect the re-union of His devotee
Nampi Aaroorar with Paravaiyaar, the lightning-waisted;
As He thus hastened, the waves of the Ganga in His crest
Tossed about and spilled; thus the Lord
Came towards Aaroorar versed in the Vedas. (3523)
370. The serviteur mused thus: "The Lord went away,
And by His assurance gave me back my life;
But I know not what He would do yet."
With unwinking eyes he fastened his look on the street
Made resplendent by the treading of the Lord that wears
On His chest the sacred thread wrought of gold. (3524)
371. Just then, unto him that languished by the flowery darts
Of Manmata, the Lord who would confer on him
The ever-during life, came; Aaroorar greeted Him
And wore as it were on his crown His feet-- the Palladium for
The triple worlds--; yet he was not sure
Of what the Lord would be pleased to observe. (3525)
372. "Oh my Lord, from her who is liana-like and who
Without fostering my life grieves me so sore,
What woeful tidings do You carry for me?" he asked.
Thereupon his Lord told him thus: "We have assuaged
The wrath of her who has a flowing koontal; O Nampi.
You can now go forth to rejoin her." (3526)
373. When the Lord known as Nandi graced him thus,
Delightful ardour welled up in his heart full of well-being;
Then he spake to the Lord thus: "O Lord, You indeed
Are the granter of bondage and release befitting lives;
O my lord-Father, can aught grieve me henceforth?" (3527)
374. When Aaroorar fell at His feet, the Lord that is
Easy of access to His friend, bade him thus:
"You may now go back to the bejewelled beauty."
This said, for the flouring of the world
The Lora Veethi Vitangka mounted His sublime
And victorious Bull and entered the temple
Whose entrance-threshold is decked with gold. (3528)
375. He followed the Lord a few feet, prostrated
Before Him, rose up and returned blessed with His leave;
He praised Him thus: "My Lord is omnivaliant!"
In great delight when Nampi Aaroorar fared
Forth towards the threshold of the golden mansion
Of her of perfumed locks. (3529)
376. His retinue which already woke up from its slumber
Came densely encircling him; the Devas showered
Bright, beauteous and ethereal blooms, and hailed him;
Southerly wafted gently bearing with it fragrant,
Coll and soft spray and thus made delectable his way. (3530)
377. His retinue-- the carriers of garlands, cool paste
Of fragrant concoction, sandal-paste mixed with musk,
Exceedingly good and aromatic camphor, saffron,
Jewels to be wo_n on the beauteous person,
Varieties of garments and other things (like fruits,
Nuts, and betel leaves)--, walked ahead of him. (3531)
378. In such splendour her arrived there; in fitting love
She whose eyes were painted with collyrium
Had her whole mansion decorated with great skill
In manifold ways of excellence; she had rows of lamps kept there
Fed with ghee; censers and pots filled with fragrant
And holy water, were also duly set. (3532)
379. With fragrant, bright and beautiful garlands,
And wreaths and chaplets set with gems, she had the house
Adorned; the floor was coated with fragrant sandal-paste;
Lovely gold-dust was scattered; even as her circling
Friends hailed her, she came to the street
Filled with fragrant flowers, stood in front
Of the gem-inlaid threshold, and awaited
The advent of Nampi Aaroorar (3533)
380. When Van-Tondar came before her in whose koontal
Chafers hummed, she could not behold the bounds
Of her flood of love; possessed by exceeding fear
And bashfulness, she paid obeisance to him; the glorious
Hero took hold of her cool and rosy palm
And moved into the mansion. (3534)
381. They both hailed the great acts of divine mercy
Which their Lord enacted for their sake;
Their chintas were immersed in a flood of joy;
Each was poised in the other, and a single life
Pervaded their bodies held in happy union. (3535)
382. He adored the Lord Author of the Vedas-- the One
In whose matted hair the Ganga flows--,
Enshrined in the Ant-Hill at Poongkoyil
During all the hours of pooja, and adorned Him
With splendorous decad that invested the world
With resplendence; thus the wearer of the lotus-garland
And chains set with gems, flourished there in joy. (3536)
383. "Without any qualms of conscience Nampi Aaroorar
Plied the Lord as a messenger to his woman!"
Hearing such scandalous worlds which spread swiftly
In this world, Yeyarkone Kalikkaamar grieved
At heart, wondered, feared and then spake thus: (3537)
384. "Wonderful indeed is the errand the Lord was commanded
To perform by His devotee! Could one call oneself
A devotee that bade the Lord thus, thinking
It to be but fit and proper? What blasphemy
Is this? I am truly a ghoul, for, even after hearkening
To this blasphemy, my life has not quit my body." (3538)
385. He would lament thus: "Prompted by love to join a woman,
He commanded the Lord who in due submission
Walked the earth with His roseate lotus-feet
In pain; lo should the peerless Lord go up and down
The whole night through the street where chariots ply? (3539)
386. "Though the Lord unable to suffer the suffering
Of His serviteur should consent to serve, could yet
A devotee ply on an errand the Lord who is not
To be comprehended by Indra, the celestial King,
Vishnu and Brahma? O that day will surey be a cursed day
When I am to meet him that trembled not
In his heart to deploy the Deity! (3540)
387. "I know not what will happen, when, face to face
I meet him who for the sake of a woman, plied during
Night my Lord-Ruler as a messenger and (still) lives!"
Thus he mused and his heart was full of wrath,
Even to the point of bursting. (3541)
388. When Nampi Aaroorar heard of this, he indeed deemed it
A beatitude to be even thus thought of by Yeyarkone
Kalikkaamar of lofty and endless renown; he became
Alive to his sinning; seeking expiation therefore,
He petitioned to the Lord in whose matted hair
Decked with beauteous and burgeoning Konrai blooms, the Ganga flows.(3542)
389. He daily prayed to the Lord, who please with it, desired
To make both the devotees of loving devotion get bound
By affectionate friendship; for this he afflicted Yeyarkone,
The great hero, with a dire ache of stomach
That made him languish in life and limb. (3543)
390. The stomach-ache with which the Lord graced flawless
And ever-glorious Yeyarkone, pierced him more
And more like a spear fully heated with fire,
And caused him extreme pain; he could not bear it;
His heart broke; he fell at the feet of the Lord
Of t_e Bhoota-Hosts, and hailed him. (3544)
391. When with all his mind and word of mouth, our lord Yeyarkone,
The devotee, hailed the divine and salvific feet
Of the Lord, he was thus graced by Him: "The grieving
Stomach-ache that afflicts you, can be cured only
By Van-tondan; it is otherwise remedyless."
When he heard the Lord speak thus, (3545)
392. He said: "O our Lord! You indeed are the Protector
Of my father, his father and his father and our whole
Race; generation after generation, in unbroken
Tradition Your hallowed feet alone are our
Sole refuge; in this world I thrive even thus;
Is my stomach-ache that grows apace to be cured
By one who was newly and forcibly claimed by You? (3546)
393. "It is better that the ache should sorely grieve me
Uncured by that Van-tontan; O Lord whose banner
Sports the Bull! Who can ever comprehend the glories
Of Your gracious acts? You choose to glorify
Your new servitor. Well, be that as it may!"
When Yeyarkone spake thus, the Lord of matted hair
Disappeared from him. (3547)
394. The Lord Patron then manifested before Van-Tondar
And graciously spake thus: "May you this day go
To Yeyarkone and Our command cure him of his dire
Ache of stomach." Thereupon, glad in mind and thrilled
In body, Naavaloorar adored the Lord. (3548)
395. When the Lord graced him thus and left him, Aaroorar
As commanded by the Lord of gods, hastened
On his errand, borne by love which his mind
Fostered for the friendship of Kalikkaamar;
He sent a messenger to inform him of his arrival
To cure him of his cruel gripes. (3549)
396. He that languished from colic with which the Lord
In His grace afflicted him, was all the more
Pained when he heard the cruel words
Of the Lord; now when he heard of the impending arrival
Of Van-tondar, he mused thus: "If I be beset with the great
Evil of the advent of him who employed our Lord
As his messenger, I know not what I will do. (3550)
397. "Before he comes to cure me of my cruel malady,
To deal with this sinful tormina which shall not
Part from me till my death, I will tear it out
From my stomach where it abides, and thus end it."
Then unsheathing the sword from its scabbard
He tore his stomach; that very moment, his life
And colic came to an end. (3551)
398. The ineffably glorious wife of Kalikkaamar made all
Arrangements for suttee to accompany her peerless
Husband; then a messenger from the retinue
Of Aaroorar came there and said: "Nampi is come;
He is close by." Thereupon she spake thus:
"Let none lament here." (3552)
399. She addressed the servants thus: "Conceal
The act of my husband; when Nampi Aaroorar
Her arrives, go forth to greet him, having
Decked this house in great splendour."
Thereupon the servants adorned the foreyard
With lamps and pots filled with fragrant water;
They decorated the house with garlands wrought
Of flower-bunches, and moved out to receive him. (3553)
400. When the men of righteous heart came before him, greeted
Him and paid obeisance to him, our ruler Nampi Aaroorar
Smiled in joy; in true love he moved into the house
And sat on a seat strewn thick with flowers;
His face beamed in joy. (3554)
401. Ritualistic archana was performed to him
In unison with the scriptural rules; it was
Accepted by Nampi Aaroorar, well-versed
In the truths of the fourfold Vedas; then he said:
"I really grieve very much as by now
I have not cured the cruel ache of Yeyarkone; I should
Have done this to sojourn here in his company." (3555)
402. By the behest of Kalikkaamar's wife, the servants
Of the house said: "There is nothing to grieve;
He slumbers in his room." When so told, Aaroorar
Spake in grace thus: "Even though evil comes not here,
Yet my mind lacks clarity, and so I must behold him." (3556)
403. As Van-tondar persisted, they took him to Kalikkaamar;
Blood had gushed forth profusely from him and his
Intestines were jutting out; when he beheld the deceased,
Aaroorar said: "Great indeed is the happening!
I too will join him similarl_." (3557)
404. Resolved on self-murder, when he clutched at the dagger,
By the grace of the Lord that rules us, Kalikkaamar
Rising from the dead, shouted: "Woe is me --
(Now) his friend!" As he forthwith caught hold
Of the dagger, Van-tondar adored him and fell at his feet. (3558)
405. When Aaroorar fell at his feet and adored him,
Yeyarkone threw away the dagger and fell at the feet
Of Aaroorar of resounding heroic anklet; witnessing
That day the marvel, the celestials showered
Karpaka flowers to the hailing of men on earth. (3559)
406. Up rose both and embraced each other; loving
Friendliness joyously welled up in them
Without interruption; then they proceeded to Tiruppungkoor
And there hailed the feet of the Holy One; Van-tondar
Setting his mind on the grace of the Lord, hymned
A decad which opened thus: "Antanaalan." (3560)
407. Thus passed a few days; then the chief
Of Tirumunaippaadi companied with the leader
Of the Yeyarkone-clan, came to Tiruvaaroor
And adored the Lord of Poongkoyil with him;
There they abode in perfect love. (3561)
408. Having sojourned there in joy, Kalikkaamar
With Aaroorar's gracious leave came back to his town,
Abode there poised in piety and performed acts of service
Befitting him; eventually in all splendour he reached
The feet of the Lord whose mount is
Th glorious and red-eyed Bull. (3562)
409. He, the patron, became a friend of Aaroorar who during
Midnight employed our Lord as his messenger;
He is Yeyarkone; adoring his flower-feet, I now
Proceed to narrate the glory of Tirumoolar
Who, in sweet and clear Tamil, expounded the truth
Of the fourfold way culminating in Gnaanam
Which is inward realization. (3563)
----------------
NOTES
Verse No.
1. Tirupperumangkalam: The birth-place of St. Yeyarkone. Mangalam means
auspiciousness. This holy place does not brook the occurrence of
anything that is inauspicious. St. Yeyarkone committed suicide. Yet
Siva, in His infinite mercy, resurrected him. This sacred town is
therefore aeviternally auspicious.
7. Tiruppunkoor: The Lord is Sivaloka Naathar. His Consort is
Chokka Naayaki.
20. Kolilee: Kolileenaadeswarar is the Lord whose Consort is
Vandamarpoongkuzhal Ammai. The decad sung here opens thus:
"For long hours
I think of you,
I pray to you without pause
Great lord in Kolili:
I received a little paddy in Kuntaiyur
So shat the innocent woman
With eyes like swords
Would no longer be in pain.
Our lord -- there is no one to help.
let some bear
this burden for me." (Tr. David Dean Shulman)
28. This verse shows that a servitor of Siva is ever endowed with an
eleemosynary disposition.
33. Naattiyatthaangkudi: The Lord is Maanikkavannar.
His Consort is Malarmangkai Naayaki.
40. St. Sundarar like St. Sambandhar is Padre commune.
43. Valivalam: Manatthunai Naathar and
Maazhaiyangkanni Ammai are its presiding deities.
46. Pukaloor: Agniswarar is the Lord. His Consort is
Karunthaalkuzhali Ammai.
52. Tiruppanaiyoor: The 73rd shrine in the southern
bank of the Cauvery. The Lord is Soundara Naathar. His Consort is
Periya Naayaki. The decad on this town opens thus:
"Tiruppanaiyoor is rich in storeyed mansions, towers,
Mantapams, flourishing gardens where chafers hum
And fedund fields; here is He who wears a todu
In one ear and a kuzhai in the other, hailed by
His servitors who leap (in joy) and sing.
Behold the Lord-Dancer -- the beautiful One."
56. Tirunannilam: The 71st shrine on the southern
bank of the Cauvery. The shrine is called perungkoyil. The Lord is
Maduvaneswarar. His Consort is Maduvana Naayaki. The decad of
this shrine opens thus:
"His nature is (at once) cool and fiery; He who
Dances Paandarangkam goes about seeking alms
In a skull at every threshold from damsels
Whose soft words are s_eet like the music of pann;
His feet duly hailed and extolled by the holy men
Well versed in the four Vedas, He abides in love
In the Perungkoyil at Nannilam."
57. Tiruveezhimizhalai: The Lord is Veezhi Naathar
(Veezhi Azhakar). His Consort is Sundarakuchaambika. The decad
opens thus:
"Women radiant as gold
at the sacrifice
proper to Brahmins' four Vedas
grace Tirumilalai, that offers mercy
to those who believe.
while the celestials praised and worshipped,
you took the golden Vili for your home
together with the Mountain's daughter --
now have mercy on me, too!" (Tr. David Dean Shulman).
60. Tiruvaanjiyam: The Lord is Vaanji Naathar.
His Consort is Vaazhavanta Naayaki. Our Saint's decad begins thus:
"He is hostile to the evil ones; He wears the sacred thread
Of three strands; He is concorporate with Uma
Of close-set breasts; He goes not to them that seek Him not;
Our Lord abides at glorious Tiruvaanjiyam, hailed by
The consort of Lakshmi; the unique One does not suffer
Kismet to torment and weaken His servitors."
Arisilkaraipputthoor: Padikkaasu Vaittha Paramar is
the Lord. His Consort is Azhakammai. Our saint's decad opens thus:
"When the Mountain's Daughter stood scared
Of the ichorous tusker, You peeled off its hide;
You gutted with fire the winged citadels, three in number
You forsake not Your riding the murderous
And bellowing Bull; neither will You give up
Your seeking of paltry alms from each threshold.
O beautiful Lord of the pulchritudinous Tirupputthoor
Upon the southern bank of Arisil whose flood rolls with
And throws up antlers and tusks of tuskers,
Fantails of peacocks and dark eagle-wood."
61. Naraiyoor Chiddheeccharam: The Lord is Siddha
Naathar. His Consort is Azhakammai. The decad sung here opens:
"On His matted crest where rest the crescent, the flood
And flowers, a serpent crawls; cascade which roll
With their current gems and gold, flow onto His
Naraiyoor Chiddheeccharam."
63. Tiruvaavaduthurai: The Lord is Maasilaamani.
His Consort is Oppilaamulai Ammai. The decad of this shrine
begins thus:
"When the Brahmin - Brahmachaari, in all love
Sought refuge in You, You saved his precious life
By kicking Yama -- the wielder of a bloody spear (to death)
Aware of this, I, Your servitor, ever hail and extol You
As our Lord and God and pay You obeisance
Seeking the Palladium of Your anklet-resounding feet,
In abounding love, O the hoary Lord of Aavaduthurai!"
65. Idai Maruthu: (Tiruvidaimaruthhoor): The Lord
is Mahalingam His Consort is Perunanmulai Naayaki. The decad
opens thus:
"My Father which art at Idaimarutu!
Men will deride when a donkey wilts unable to endure
The burden of saffron-bales; even so I feel
Bewildered caught in a maelstrom, when I
Pursue Your servitorship but unable to come by its fruit.
O manam, of what avail is weeping?
O Lord, be pleased to bless me with the way of redemption,
Even to me who is brainless and who canst not
Hail You as Hara, the all-merciful One."
Tirunaakeccharam: The Lord is Tirunaakesurar.
His Consort is Kunraamulai Ammail The decad opens thus:
"Wherefore, did You quaff the immense and blue venom
At which Uma whose forehead is bright like the moon,
Quaked and shuddered, O Lord of Tirunaakeccharam
Where winged and pretty chafers revel in the pollen
Of tulsi and mullai flower and then settle
On the creepers of kurukkatthi?"
67. Kalayanalloor: The 68th shrine on the southern
bank of the Cauvery. The Lord is Amrutakalaa Naathar and His
Consort is Amrutavalli. The lilting decad opens thus:
"Do you seek to know of His town, the One
Who is the Lord of the celestials and who
Sports an eye in His forehead --
Who, beholding the askesis of Hers
Whose breasts are like tender coconuts
And whose koontal is laden_with flowers--,
Divined Her intent, conferred on Her
The sought-for boon and wedded Her?
Know it to be Kalayanalloor where
Bees buzz over buds
And the six-footed chafers hum melodiously,
Where ornate peacocks dance in the encircling gardens
An where blue lilies slumber in the close-by fields
Of sugarcane and where lotuses burgeon with joy."
68. Tirukkudamookku: The decad sung by our saint
at Tirukkudamookku, Tiruvalanjuzhi and Tirunalloor are not extant.
69. Tirucchotrutthurai: The Lord is Odavaneswarar/
Tolaiyaa-ch-Chelvar and His Consort is Annapurani/Oppilaavammai.
The decad sung here begins thus:
"It is Tirucchotrutthurai situate on the bank
Of the Cauvery in whose current, pearls bred of bamboos
And heaps of gold twirl in the eddies, which is
The town of the lord in whose matted crest
Liquid fire flows; behold Him mantled
In the skin and the hide of the antelope and the tusker."
71. Kandiyoor: The decades sung on Kandiyoor,
Tiruppoonthurutthi and Tiruvaalampozhil are not extant. The decad
on Tiruvaiyaaru too is irretrievable lost.
73. Tirumazhapaadi: The Lord is Vairatthoonn
Naathar. His Consort is Azhakammai. The decad on this holy
shrine enjoys a unique renown. It begins thus:
"Your body dazzles golden; a tiger's skin covers
Your hip; on Your hirsutorufous and matted crest
Konrai blazes fulgurantly; O King, O Gem great,
O the Rudy of Mazhapaadi!
O Mother, on whom will I think save You?"
76. Tiruvaanaikka: Jambukeswara and Akilaanda
Naayaki are the presiding deities. The decad begins thus:
"The four Vedas and all else, the many Faiths and the gods
Therein hailed, the First Ens that transcends these
And the beatitude of deliverance: all these are the Lord
Of Tiruvaanaikka of resounding and beauteous waters.
They that reckon Him as the Primordial God and pay Him
Quotidian obeisance are also our rulers."
77. Verse seven of St. Sundarar's decad refers to this episode.
Commenting on this incident, His Holiness, the 26th Pontiff
of the Dharmapuram Aadhinam said: "If a person has
irretrievably lost something, he can yet come by the fruit of
his alleged loss, if he is prepared to dedicate it to Siva.
Siva will recover it and the offerer will stand blessed by Him."
78. Tiruppaacchilaacchiraamam: The Lord is
Maatruari Varathar. Balasundari is His Consort. It looks as
though that St. Sundarar let off his steam on Lord Siva, as the
Lord was not pleased to confer on him what he sought. True.
However, it should be remembered that St. Sundarar's refrain is:
"There is no God but Siva." "Yivar alaathu illaiyo Piraanaar"
means that save Siva there is no God. The 'o' in illaiyo is
employed in the affirmative sense. Illaiyo means Illaiye.
83. Paigngneeli: Meignaana Nilakantesuvarar.
His Consort is Visaalaakshi.
85. Eengkoi Malai: The decad sung on this
occasion is not extant.
86. Kodumudi: The Lord is Kodumudi Naathar.
His Consort is Pannmozhi Ammai. Here, our saint affirms thus:
"Even if I forget You, my lips will still chant Your name Namasivaya."
88. Peroor: This town is also as Melaicchidambaram.
This is as great as Tillai. Lord Nataraja and Sivakami are enshrined
here.
92. Venjamaa-k-Koodal: The 7th of the shrines in
the Kongku Naadu. The Lord is Vikirdesuwarar. His Consort is
Vikirdesuwari.
93. Tirukkarkudi: The Lord is Ujjiva (Vizhumiya)
Naathar. His Consort is Anjanaakshi.
94. Tiruvaarai Metrali: It is from here our saint
proceeded to Tiruppurampayam as is attested by the first verse on
Tiruppurampayam. The God of this latter shrine is Saakshivaradeswarar.
His Consort is Karumpadusol Ammai.
103. Koodalai Aatroor: The third shrine in Nadu Naadu.
The Lord is Nerikaatu Naathar. His Consort is_Purikuzhal Naayaki.
104. Tirumuthukunru: (Vriddaachalam): The Lord is
Pazhamalai Naathar. His Consort is Periya Naayaki.
111. Kadampoor: The great Sivakkavi Mani (the
famous commentator of the Periya Puranam) says: "Ithan vivaram
vilangkavillai" (Its whereabouts are not known).
117. Tirukkarippariyaloor: The 27th shrine on the
northern bank of the Cauvery. The Lord is Kutram Poruttha Naathar.
His Consort is Kolvalai Naayaki.
118. Mannippadikkarai: Tiruneelakandar and
amrutavalli are its presiding deities.
Vaazhkolipputthoor: The 29th shrine on the
northern bank of the Cauvery. Maanikka Vannar is the Lord. His
Consort is Vandamar Poongkuzhali.
119. Kaanaattu Mulloor: The 32nd shrine on the
northern bank of the Cauvery. Patanjali Naathar and Kaanaar
Kuzhali are the presiding deities.
120. Yetirkollpaadi: The 24th shrine on the
northern bank of the Cauvery. Iraavateswarar is the lord.
His Consort is Malarkkuzhal Naayaki.
121. Tiruvelvikkudi: Kaliyaanasundarar and
Parimalasukanta Naayaki are the presiding deities. This shrine
is on the northern bank of the Cauvery.
Tirutthurutthi: Uktavediwarar is the Lord.
His Consort is Miruthumukizh Ambika. This shrine is on the
southern bank of the Cauvery.
150. Tiruninriyoor: The Lord is Mahalakshmi
Naathar. His Consort is Ulaka Naayaki. The second verse
of the decad is as follows:
"O Lord of opulent Tiruninriyoor in the south, where
Parakeets -- the masters of the splendorous Tamil
With all its tinai-genres--, articulate it,
Chandi was blessed with beauteous vestments,
Ornaments, wreaths to wear and nectarean food
For bathing You in milk.
The Lord of Language composed on You 4,900 Hymns
And Kannappar whose hand ever held a dart
Were the recipients of Your sweet grace.
This seeking I have come here."
151. Nidoor: Somanaatesuwarar/Arull Somanaathar and
Veyurutoliyammai are its presiding deities.
153. Tiruppunkoor: It is not known if any decad was
sung by St. Sundarar at this shrine, on this occasion.
154. Kolakka: The Lord is Tirutthaalam Udaiyaar.
His Consort is Osai Koduttha Naayaki. Verse 8 of the decad sung
here is a remarkable hymn. It says:
"In the presence of men of this world, the Lord
Presented a pair of cymbals to Gnaanasambandhan--
The one who, day after day, through music sweet propagated Tamil;
The Lord is One who was moved by his verses.
He is the ruler of my thinking; He, the merciful One,
Enacts the dance when Bhootas melodies; He is the One
Who is hailed by the eight Ganas; He is the One
Who is enshrined in Kolilee -- the great temple.
Him have I beheld at Kolakka making Him mine own."
156. Kurukaavoor: Velladai Naathar and Kaaviyamkanni
are its presiding deities. Verse 6 of the decad sung here is as follows:
"O Lord enshrined in Tirukkurukaavoor Velladai!
To forfend the misery of the servitors that dwell on earth,
You, of the Empyrean, abide here like the sweetness in pann,
The flavour in fruitage, the pupil of eye
And the light amidst darkness."
The word Tamil occurring in this verse means sweetness.
166. Tirukkazhippaalai: Paalvanna Naathar and Veda
Naayaki are its presiding deities.
168. Tirutthinainkar: Sivakkozhundu and
Ilamkompuannaall are the presiding deities.
Tirunaavaloor: The birth-place of St. Sundarar.
Naavaleswarar and Sundaraambika are the presiding deities.
172. Tirukkazhukkunram: Vedagiriswarar and
Penninnallammai are its presiding deities.
174-182. Tirukkacchoor: Virunthitta Naathar (varadar)
and Uma are its presiding deities. The temple in this place is
called Aalakkoyil. The first verse of the decad sung here attests
to the episode that took place_here. It is as follows:
"The big-mouthed foxes howl and You dance
In the crematory holding the fire in Your palm.
O Bridegroom that wears fresh and melliferous konrai
Of the Daughter of the Mountain!
O Lord of Aalakkoyil at Kacchoor!
If You go about begging with a cracked skull
For Your alms-bowl, will not Your servitors grieve?
O the way of Your mercy!"
186. Tiruvekampam: Siva's shrine at Kaanchi.
190. Kaachi-metrali: Metrali Naayakar and
Kamaakshi are its presiding deities. The fourth verse in this
decad begins with the word "Moraantu" -- a word which is
met with in Saivite Tirumurai-s only once. In the Vaishnava
commentary we meet with the word "Moraanta". These two
words differ in their meaning. What the word "Moraanthu"
means is only guessed. It may mean inadvertently. It is
something attributable to neglect resulting from befuddlement.
This verse is as follows:
"If out of befuddlement, I have not, on occasions,
Thought of You, on Your own accord, You invade
My soul and make me think of You, O True Ens!
O my lion-like God enshrined at Metrali
Which is girt with cool and miry fields!
Henceforth I will not hail any but You."
[invade my soul: make You presence effective in my soul.]
191. Tiruvonakaantantali: The third shrine in
Tondai Naadu. The Lord is Onakaantesuwarar. His Consort
is Kaamakshi.
192. Anekatangkaapatam: The presiding deities
are Anekatangkaapateswarar and Kamaakshi. The fourth shrine
in Tondai Naadu. A sage who was attached to this shrine initiated
Nayina Pillai into the science and art of music. Pillai made it a
point to recite a verse or two of this shrine, at the end of every
of one of his concerts. We came by this information when we
visited the shrine about fifteen years ago. St. Sundarar sang this
decad in Kummi which is still popular with young girls of Tamil
Naadu. We owe this information to Chhandak Kavi Ramaswamy
of Mannarkudi, now at Srirangam.
193. Vanpaartthanpanangkaattoor: The Lord is
Panangkaatu Naathar. His Consort is Amrutavalli. This is the
9th shrine in Tondai Naadu.
195. Tirumaalperu and Tiruvallam: Our saint's
decades on these shrines are not extant.
220. Then her father fell at her feet: This is
an instance where a father feels no reluctance to fall at the feet
of his child when he is convinced that his own child is godly.
268. Their bouderie. . . . . . a second: Albert
Einstein, the German-Swiss physicist and propounder of the theory
of relativity explained his theory thus: "When a man sits with a
pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit
on a hot stove for a minute -- and it's longer than any hour.
That's relativity."
276. The decad sung on this occasion opens thus:
"O Lord presiding over Otriyoor! I have but gained
Your sacred feet with my dirt-inlaid body;
If this be my lot, please favour me with a solution
To apply to my eyes now wholly bereft of light,
Milk is obtained by them who stoop to sweep
The cattle-shed to clear it of its dung.
Even so, be pleased to ignore my defects and rule me.
O Lord, I may err, but never will I offend
Your divine feet; even when I fall, I know not
Aught to utter save Your hallowed name."
277. Tirumullaivaayil: This is known Vada Tirumullaivaayil.
It is the 22nd shrine in Tondai Naadu. The Lord is Paasupatesurar.
His Consort is Kodiyidai Naayaki.
279. Tiruvennpaakkam: This is the 17th shrine in Tondai
Naadu. This shrine in now submerged in water. The Lord is
Vennpaakka Naathar. His Consort is Minnaloli Ammai.
282. Tiruvaalangkaadu (Pazhaiyanoor): In this shrine,
through his decad our saint once again declares that he will be a
servitor of Siva's servitors.
283. Tiruooral: It is not known if our saint sang any
decad in this shrine, on_this occation.
284. Tirukkaamakkottam: The shrine of Kaamaakshi
at Kaanchipuram. He hails the Magna Mater first and then moves
to the Father's shrine.
287. Sundarar is blessed with vision in his left eye. He regains his sight
in the right eye, at Tiruvaaroor. The patikam sung at Tiruvekampam
and beginning with the words "Alanthaan ukantu" is a cure for failing
eye-sight.
292. Tiruaamaatthoor: This is Aa (cow) Maathaa
(mother) Oor (place)
294. Tiruvaratthurai: this is known as Nelvaayil
Aratthurai.
297. Tirutthurutthi: It is today known as Kutthaalam.
Here our saint is directed to take a bath in the sacred tank to get
himself cured of his illness. The decad through which our saint
invoked the Lord to bless him with the remedy for his malady is
not extant. However his thanks-giving decad is extant. After his
bath he is described thus by St. Sekkizhaar: "Mani oli ser Tirumeni
Aayinaar." This has a reference to our saint's gaining the Pranava
Sarira.
303. Tiruvaaroor-p-Paravaiyull Mannthali: The 89th
shrine on the southern bank of the Cauvery. This is today known
as Thulaa Naayannaar Koyil. The Lord is Mandaleswarar. His
Consort is Panjinum Melladiyaall.
304. This verse speaks of our saint attending the Artha-jaama service.
310. Sundarar stands blessed with vision in his right eye. The decad
sung on this occasion is literally an eye-opener. Sivakkavimani
C.K. Subramaniya Mudaliyaar says that he has known of persons
who have recovered their sight thanks to their sincere recitation
of this decad. Its message is as follows:
"O Lord-God of Tiruvaaroor! For ever, are we Your
bonded-slaves;
When Your servitors serve none but You loyally,
When they silently suffer, with wilted visages,
Like the inly-alive smouldering fire,
And when they eventually make a clean breast of
Their carking care to You,
Should You remain nonchalant?
Well, may You flourish well! Amen. 1
"You may sell or pledge me;
I am your willing slave;
I have done offence none; yet You blinded me.
Wherefore did You snatch my vision?
If You fail to restore the vision of my other eye
Well, may You flourish well! Amen. 2
"O Lord-God of Tiruvaaroor to whose groves
The Andril-birds repair regularly,
Like calves that hit the udders and suck
The milk of their mother-cows,
Your servitors seek You and sing You for ever;
If even then, all blind,
They topple from a hill into pits,
Well, may You flourish well! Amen. 3
"O Lord-God of Tiruvaaroor who also resides at
Turutthi and Pazhanam and rules Sotrutthurai,
You require not the manam of Your servitors
As Your seat.
When loving servitors disclose to You their
troubles
You but cause them to wallow in misery,
Here and hereafter.
Well, may You flourish well! Amen. 4
"O our Lord! Is this indeed Tiruvaaroor rich
In its grove of Indra-kopa-- cool and coralline?
Is this the guerdon for Your servitors?
When servitors that hail You
It rhythmic hymns, robbed of their vision,
Implore You: "O our Lord! Is this fair?"
(You but remain deaf and dumb)
Well, may You flourish well! Amen. 5
"O You of ruddy matted hair that wears
The auric garland woven of sylvan konrai-s!
You are the Lord of Tiruvaaroor where foregather
Herons whose crimson feet are like the stalk of millet.
When Your servitors, grow thin, though not for lack
Of wherewithal, and stand robbed of their vision.
Wilting much is their manam,
(You but remain indifferent!)
Well, may You flourish well! Amen. 6
"O Resident of Aaroor to whose gardens
Flocks of birds and their mates resort!
O our ideal Lord-God!
Is this the lot of Your servitors?
You gave us the unforgetting manam,
Then deluded us, plied us in the way of birth
Conferring on us the embodiment.
You have robbed us of our vision.
Well, may You flourish well! Amen. 7
"O Lord, we were born in a flawless and loft_ clan;
In keeping with that, we will never dispraise You.
You are water, creek, sea, vessel and land --
All rolled into one; we will hail You thus, even thus.
You think not that blame is Yours, if You tease us.
When we that devoutly sing You
Stand flustered losing our way (by Your whim),
Well, may You flourish well! Amen. 8
"O Lord of Tiruvaaroor! Even a raw fruit
Is as good as a ripe one, where love is.
Others but You deem the parting from
Even a befriended ghoul to be miserable.
But You, even when Your servitors roam
Like a dog in Your presence and entreat You,
You refuse to open Your lips.
Well, may You flourish well! Amen. 9
"O Lord fittingly enshrined in Tirumoolattaanam!
Is this indeed Tiruvaaroor in whose gardens
Cerunti burgeons in golden splendour?
Sitting, standing, lying, we ever hail You.
Never do we dispraise You.
Assailed by grief when we invoke You
(You but remain unmoved.)
Well, may You flourish well! Amen. 10
"O Lord of Tirumoolattanam!
You are the many Scriptures; Yours is
The dark neck; You sport three eyes;
You are concorporate with Her whose breasts
Are covered by a breast-band.
I Aarooran, bear the name of Your hallowed feet.
You have robbed me of my vision.
Well, may You flourish well! Amen. 11
381. Happy union: This is Advaitam, the Bliss of
Advaitic Union. Verse 33 of the Tiruvuntiyaar says that for the
soul poised in Siva's Grace, even the joy of sexual union (sitrinbam)
is Bliss Ethereal, as it has its being in Siva.
383-387.The verses mirror the angst and agony undergone by St. Yeyarkone.
Siva, by His lila, may be pleased to create misunderstanding between
bhaktas. He will Himself effect a rapproachement in His mysterious
way. It may be baffling. The one lesson that should be ever borne
in mind is that a third party to the issue has no right whatever to
comment.
388. St. Sundarar not only respected the wrath of St. Yeyarkone but
also admired it. It should be remembered in this context that long
before he met St. Yeyarkone, St. Sundarar announced: "Yeyarkone
Kalikkaamar Adiyaarkkum Adiyen" (I am a servitor of the servitors
of Yeyarkone Kalikkaamar).
389. A dire ache of stomach: Siva's instrument
that sets a Naayanaar straight. This is purgatory. This washes
away the sin of the erring bhakta.
392. You indeed. . . race: The hoary lineage
of St. Yeyarkone is one that is ever poised in Siva.
One who was. . . by You: St. Yeyarkone
thought that St. Sundarar's ancestry was not as great as his
own. Obviously St. Yeyarkone levelled a charge against Siva
and inculpated His act as one of invidious discrimination. When
he thus stuck to his guns, the Lord silently disappeared from
his vision.
394. May you. . . stomach: Siva commanded
thus St. Sundarar. He was not the person who could cure the
ache of St. Yeyarkone. Yet He plied Sundarar on this errand,
for he too had a lesson to lean. Mysterious indeed are the
ways of Providence.
397. Then unsheathing. . . end: Siva in His
infinite mercy suffered Yeyarkone to eschew any treatment by
Sundarar. The real cure is ultimately effected only by Siva.
398. The ineffably glorious wife: That is what
she is. We do not even know her name. She is Tyaga in
human form. On the eve of her wedding she sacrificed her
koontal. On this occasion, when the person who was responsible
for her husband's death came to her house, knowing him to
be a true devotee of Siva, she offered him pooja. The reader
should read and re-read verses 398 to 401.
402. There is nothing to grieve: This is the
unshakable conviction of a true bhakta.
403. Sundarar is a devotee of devotees. He will keep company
with a devotee even in his death.
404. Siva not only put an end to Yeyarkone's ache but also his
life. Not only these. He also put an end to his mismos
(hatred). He now s_ands cured of the variform afflictions.
Endowed with Gnosis he now knows everything in its pure
and true perspective.
It is Van-tondar who adored first Yeyarkone. This Yeyarkone
is Siva's mercy in human form.
Here ends the Puranam of St. Yeyarkone Kalikkaama 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. EyarkOn kalikkAma nAyanAr purANam in English prose
2. ஏயர்கோன் கலிக்காம நாயனார் புராணம் (தமிழ் மூலம்)
3. thiruththoNDar purANam main page
4. 12 shaivite thirumuRais
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