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The Puranam of Idangkazhi Nayanar

(idangkazhi nAyanAr purANam - Periyapuranam as English poetry)

       “I am a servitor of glorious Idangkazhi, the great one
       That wears a garland of petalled flowers.”

                       - The Tiru-th-Tonda-th-Tokai

1.    Konaadu is rich in groves where male kuyils
   Nibbling at the tender mango-shoots, search
   For their hiding mates and thus gladden them;
   This realm is like unto the picturesque toyyil
   Worn on her breast, by the Lady Earth who has
   For her clothing the great sea full of rising waves.       (4109)

2.    Kodumpaaloor of Konaadu is the capital in whose
   Ponds and tanks of cool and lucid waters,
   Chafers buzz over fragrant and melliferous red lotuses
   And drink their honey; there the storks and their mates
   Get well fed and these, to shun the moist northern wind
   Slumber in the gardens of Kurukkatthi.               (4110)

3.    Mighty-shouldered Aadithya Chozha, bedecked with jewels
   Of gold, hailed from the glorious dynasty
   Of Irukku Velir; he ruled from this city, and it was he
   Who gold-plated the roof of the aeviternal Ponnambalam
   With the famous and fresh and weighty gold
   Of Konghu; Idangkazhiyaar was his ancestor.           (4111)

4.    The great name of Idangkazhiyaar was famous
   Throughout the world; he would only think of the way
   Of servitorship to the Lord who burnt the triple
   Hostile cities; he would not, at any time,
   Think of any crooked way even in his dream;
   Borne by great and continuous love, he would render
   All acts of service, as desired by the devotees.       (4112)

Idangkazhi Nayanar - The Puranam of Idangkazhi Nayanar

5.    He so ruled that the Saivite way flourished
   Along with the dharmic way of the Vedas; for this,
   In increasing splendour he caused the performance
   Of poojas as ordained in the Saivaagamas in all the temples
   Where the blue-throated Lord abides aeviternally;
   Thus he flourished in great and ever-increasing glory.       (4113)

6.    One day, a subject in his realm who was endowed
   With the tapas of feeding Lord Sankara’s serviteurs,
   Could not come by the provision for preparing
   A nectarean meal to Siva’s serviteur; when thus stumped,
   Without knowing what he was doing by reason of his
   Spiralling desire (to feed the Lord’s servitor),       (4114)

7.    At dead of night he broke into the king’s granary
   Situate within the many-walled and well-guarded
   Promptuary where heaps and heaps of paddy were kept
   Stored in rows, and started removing some paddy;
   The guards who kept watch during the night
   And who announced the passage of time by beat of drums,
   Apprehended him and brought him before the king.       (4115)

8.    When the spear-wielding king (in his court) questioned
   The tapaswi-devotee, he replied thus: “I did this as I was
   Stymied in all my efforts to feed the servitor of our Lord,
   The Father.” When he so spake, the king grew exceedingly
   Compassionate, released him and said: “Lo, he indeed
   Is a treasure unto me.”                       (4116)

9.    Feeling contrite, the king would come by the fruit
   Of his riches, caused his drummers to announce thus
   Everywhere: “The servitors of the Lord are free to carry
   Away not only paddy but other riches too from the royal
   And limitless treasury and promptuary.”               (4117)

10.    With all his consciousness and in love, he allowed
   His immense and limitless treasury to be looted,
   As it were, by the Lord’s servitors, and felt
   Delighted; he caused the flourishing of the way
   Of they Holy Ash by his rule of grace -- cool and serene--,
   Over the earth for many years and then he reached
   The umbrage of the Lord’s flower-feet.               (4118)

11.    Adoring the ankleted feet of Idangkazhiyaar,
   Great and glorious in his adoration of the traditional
   Servitorship unto the beauteously blue-throated Lord,
   We proceed to narrate the divine servitorship
   Of Serutthunaiyaar, the tapaswi who valued not
   Aught as superior to the way of the Lord,
   The Granter of salvation true.                   (4119)

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NOTES

Verse No.

1.   Konaadu: This formed part of the old Pudukkottai state.

2.   Kodumpaaloor: The capital of Konaadu.

7.   A servitor of Siva who had vowed to feed Atiyaar regularly, would
   indulge in dicing and even larceny, on occasions. Tirumangkai
   Aazhwar took to way-laying.

8.   As the king himself was a servitor of Siva, he viewed the criminal
   before him with extreme devotion and compassion.

           Here ends the Puranam of Idangkazhi Naayanaar

Sincere thanks to Sri. T N Ramachandran of thanjavur, for permitting his English rendering of the holy text periyapurANam be published here.