(ninRa cEr netumAra nAyanAr purANam - Periyapuranam as English poetry)

 
 
        "I am a servitor of the servitors of  
        Ninra Ceer Netu MaaraNaayanaar." 
         
                        - The Tiru-th-Tonda-th-Tokai 
 
1.     He was caught in the gin of Samanas who held fast 
    To the wobbling way as though it were their tapas 
    And who mortified their flesh; his karmic way was 
    Changed by the lord of Tamil; thus he reached  
    The redeeming feet of Tirugnaanasambandhar; 
    He is Ninra Ceer Netu Maaranaar whose glory is  
    Hailed by the seven worlds.                    (4069) 
 
2.     During his time, by the grace of the godly child, 
    Saivism grew apace in the Paandya country; 
    The king wielding a righteous sceptre, fostered 
    The Saivite way of the celebrated Panchaakshara; 
    He wore (the heirloom of) the garland of gold 
    Received from Indra, and glowed in splendour.            (4070) 
 
3.     When he ruled thus, his enemies came from the north 
    Waging a war; with his sea-like army, his flood 
    Of swift steeds, and his rows and rows of wrathful 
    And destructive elephants, he gave them battle 
    At Tirunelveli and victoriously forged ahead.            (4071) 
 
4.     In the field of battle, from the limbs of tuskers 
    And horses slaughtered by warriors on both sides 
    And also the severed black heads of soldiers 
    Piled up as a hill, blood gushed forth and formed 
    A ruddy sea; once Ugra Kumaara Paandya wielded 
    An ever-fiery spear to dry up the soaring main; 
    It looked as though that Netu Maarar too 
    Had to do a similar feat to dry up the ruddy sea.        (4072) 
 

                                                     
 
 
5.     The joyous neighing of the victorious steeds, 
    The noise of the clanging weapons, the trumpeting 
    Of the hill-like elephants and the blaring 
    Of the many martial instruments were like unto the rumbling 
    Of the clouds that would gather at the end 
    Of the Yuga; it looked as though that the King too, 
    Like Ugra Kumaara, should then unleash 
    The great heroic shackle.                    (4073) 
 
6.     In the field of battle where fire-spitting weapons 
    Opposed each other, ghouls bathed in the pools 
    Of blood where lay immersed slaughtered bodies, 
    Ate the flesh and danced in glee; it looked as though 
    In the battle-field, like the Bhootas 
    Of yore, the ghouls too served and were fed.            (4074) 
 
7.     In the field where the fierce battle was fought, 
    The armies of the pre-eminent northern kings routed 
    By the Paandya’s army endowed with musty elephants 
    Whose long tusks were tall like 
    The palmyra trees, scattered away; the king 
    Thereupon wore the victorious garland of fragrant 
    Vaakai along with the Paandya’s own, of neem.            (4075) 
 
8.     The Paandya king whose broad chest was caressed by the beauteous 
    And sandal-pasted breasts of Mangkayarkkarasiyaar--, 
    The Chola’s divine daughter--, performed endlessly glorious 
    And fitting acts of service to the Lord who wears 
    The young serpent and the argent crescent; thus he ruled 
    His realm with the ever-crescent grace of Siva.            (4076) 
 
9.     Lofty Netu Maaranaar caused the way of the Holy Ash 
    To glow in glorious splendour in this world girt 
    With the billowy sea; he ruled for many years and by the grace 
    Of the Lord, reached the great Siva-Loka 
    Hailed by all, thither to abide in aeviternal bliss.        (4077) 
 
10.     Adoring the red lotus-feet of Netu Maarar 
    Of Southern Madurai who became pure and holy, 
    By reason of his taking refuge under the flower-feet 
    Of the Prince of Pukali which is girt with great walls 
    Adorned with gold, we now proceed to hail 
    And indite the servitorship of Vaayilaar of hoary 
    Mayilai which is situate on the long beach where 
    The waves of the main shore up many a gem.            (4078) 
 
---------------- 
 
NOTES 
 
Verse No. 
 
   1.    This Saiva monarch became a Samana.  He gave up his apostasy and came  
    back to his parent fold thanks to the grace of St. Sambandhar.  He reigned  
    nearly for half a decade.  He was a renowned king. 
 
   2.    He wore . . .  splendour: This refers to an episode of Ugra Kumaara Paandya.  
    Vide the Tiruvilayaatal Puranam. 
 
   3.    He defeated the Northern hordes at the battle of Tirunelveli. 
 
   9.    When he came back to his parent faith, he saw to it that Saivism flourished  
    in manifold splendour. 
 
 
        Here ends the Puranam of Ninra Ceer Netu Maara 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. Thiru-Ninraseer Nedumara Nayanar puranam in English prose
2. நின்றசீர் நெடுமாற நாயனார் புராணம் (தமிழ் மூலம்)
3. நின்றசீர் நெடுமாற நாயனார் புராணம் (உரைநடை)
4. Thiruthondar puranam Main page
5. 12 Shaivite Thirumurais