(mUrkka nAyanAr purANam - Periyapuranam as English poetry)

        "I am a servitor of Moorkkar also."
        
                            - The Tiru-th-Tonda-th-Tokai.

1.     In the great, fertile and ever-during Tondai Naadu
    Is Tiruverkaadu in whose theatres during fetes
    And festivals, lightning-waisted lasses and streamers
    Dance; in its tanks the pens that swim there, dance
    On blown lotuses; this goodly town is situate
    On the bank of the Paali of white billows which
    Throw into the fields goodly pearls.                (3618)

2.     Unto the Lord of ruddy matted hair who, in grace,
    Gave the nectar for the celestials to drink, whilst
    He himself ate the venom, and who in joy abides
    At Tiruverkaadu girt with fort-like walls decked with
    Ruddy gold, a Velaala-clan on this earth owed
    Traditional allegiance and never once swerved
    From its loyalty; he was indeed its chief.            (3619)

3.     Hailing from the race of flawless tradition, he grew up,
    And from his age of discretion he became
    Aware of the truth that the way of the holy ash
    Of the Primal Lord alone invests life with meaning.
    He prepared food for the loving devotees; he would 
    Feast them and then alone would take his food;
    This became his unswerving way of life.                (3620)

4.     He would prepare pure rice, ghee,  sweets and savoury
    Curries, welcome the devotees that sought him,
    Praise them, feast them in great love, give them all 
    What they sought and thus throve
    In such sweet service, every day.                (3621)

 

5.     While he throve thus, as many devotees flocked to him,
    All his possessions were sold and spent
    On feeding; he also sold domains to which slaves
    Were permanently attached, and movables too
    And continued to feed the devotees;
    His mind in this respect knew no contentment.            (3622)

6.     Then came the days when he was possessed of nothing
    To feed the devotees; he grew indigent and wilted;
    He tried to earn by dicing, which fine art he had
    Mastered in the past; however there was none in that town
    Who would come forward to play; so he left that town.        (3623)

7.     He came to the shrines whose Lord-Rider of the Bull goes
    Abegging, and in love, he adored the Lord, with a melting heart;
    With the income from his art of gambling, he performed daily
    His service and thus marched on, to arrive
    At Tirukkudanthai in a few days, where the Lord
    That smote the hostile cities with the bow, abides.        (3624)

8.     For the purpose of feeding the devotees
    Of the blue-throated Lord and to gain therefor
    The wherewithal, in famous Kudanthai’s gaming houses,
    He threw the rolling dice and came by money;
    He deemed all the lucre to be the Lord’s own grace,
    Fed His devotees and felt happy.                (3625)

9.     He would lose in the initial play and make his rival
    Gain money; but in all subsequent play
    He would repeatedly win and come by great money;
    He would stab them with his sword that tried to cheat
    Him with deceptious words; thus he, the good gambler,
    Came to be known as Moorkkar in this fourfold world.        (3626)

10.     By reason of his flawless consciousness he would cause
    The cooks straight take away the gains of gambling;
    He would not touch them with his hands;
    Thus would he cure them of their blemish; then
    He would feast all loving devotees, batch after batch;
    He would eat only in the last batch without giving
    Any room for flaw or fault; thus he thrived.            (3627)

11.     In love would he daily treat the Lord’s devotees
    To sumptuous food; by reason of such gracious act
    Freed of flaws, when he quit this world, he entered
    And abode at the world where Siva dances
    As the circling Bhootas sing melodiously.            (3628)

12.     We adore the ankleted feet of Moorkkar, the great
    Gambler and devotee great, who with the proceeds
    Of his gambling won against gamblers,
    Fed the devotees of the blue-throated Lord,
    And now proceed to celebrate the greatness
    Of Somaasi Maarar of scriptural glory.                (3629)

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NOTES

        Here ends the Puranam of Moorkka 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. mUrgga nAyanAr purANam in English prose 
2. மூர்க்க நாயனார் புராணம் (தமிழ் மூலம்) 
3. thiruththoNDar purANam main page
4. 12 shaivite thirumuRais