(rudhra pasupadhi nAyanAr purANam - Periyapuranam as English poetry)

 
 
        I am a servitor to Rudra Pasupati also" 
 
                        - The Tiru-th-Tonda-th-Tokai. 
 
1.     Great Tiru-th-Thalaiyoor among all towns, is 
    Endowed with superior excellence; it is situate 
    In the land of the Kaveri, and its fields and groves get 
    Richly watered; here flourish flawless families galore, 
    Well-endowed, and lacking nothing.                (1031) 
 
2.     The fire of the sacrificial pit tended by Brahmins 
    Supplied them with rain; the dense gardens, 
    Fragrant and flowery, supplied them with honey; 
    The kine gave unto the Lord the Panchakavya; 
    The town bestowed on men dharma, niti and salpu.        (1032) 
 
3.     In that grace-abounding town, from the family 
    Of Brahmins firm-established in the truth of the Vedas, 
    He, the pure one, came to be born; he was called Pasupatiyar; 
    In love he served the Lord whose mount, the red-eyed Bull 
    Is Vishnu, and whose Consort is the liana-like daughter 
    Of rich and auric Himavant.                    (1033) 
 
4.     Chanting Sri Rudram, this Brahmin hailed 
    The flower-feet of the Lord, unknown to Vishnu; 
    His heart poised in Vedic devotion, in love 
    And without break, he was ever chanting Rudram 
    Which is by the Vedas treasured; thus the throve 
    In this way of life as a leader.                (1034) 
 
5.     To the endless din of birds’ twitter and the hum 
    Of honey-bees, he would enter the pool where burgeon 
    Fragrant red-lotuses like a blaze of flame on water 
    And where dark varals leap and rows of carps roll.        (1035) 
 

 
 
6.     Thither would be stand neck-deep in the lucid water cool, 
    Hold his hands above his head, folded in adoration 
    And practice the purposive chanting of Sri Rudram 
    In loving devotion of the Lord in whose matted hair 
    The white-waved Ganga flows and overflows.            (1036) 
 
7.     He who was like unto Brahma throned on lotus 
    Chanted Sri Rudram -- the very fruit of the true Vedas --,  
    During broad day and eventide, without fail; 
    When he chanted thus for some days he attained 
    At-one-ment; the Lord of Uma was pleased.            (1037) 
 
8.     The primal Lord approved of the loving devotee’s 
    Glorious and rare askesis and his excelling mastery 
    And regulation of the Vedic mantras, and in grace, 
    Blessed him to abide in the blameless world of Siva.        (1038) 
 
9.     As he chanted Sri Rudram with ever-during love, 
    He came to abide under the gracious dancing feet 
    Of the Lord and came to be hailed by the world 
    With the renowned name Rudra-Pasu-Patiyar.            (1039) 
 
10.     Having hailed the glory of Rudra-Pasu-Patiyar 
    Who was blessed to abide near Him and hail Him 
    Of the sharp trident, we now proceed to hymn 
    The divine servitor, Nalai-p-povar who would 
    Serve without the temple and without the precincts 
    Of forted Tillai.                        (1040) 
 
---------------- 
 
Stanza    Line 
 
   2     5    Niti        :     It is the righteous way of life. 
 
        Salpu        :    Salpu is Virtue resting on the five pillars of Love,  
                    Modesty, Beneficence, Benignant Grace and Truth. 
 
   5      4    Varal        :    A fish-Ophicephalus striatus. 
 
   6     3    Sri Rudram    :     Read:     “Rudra as an Embodiment of Divine Ambivalence  
                    in the Satarudriya Stotram,” by Bruce Long.  Saiva  
                    Siddhantam, Volume Two, Dharmapuram, 1988. 
 

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.  uruththira pachupathi nAyanAr purANam in English prose 

2.  உருத்திர பசுபதி நாயனார் புராணம் (தமிழ் மூலம்) 

3.  thiruththoNDar purANam main page

4. 12 shaivite thirumuRais