(sAkkiya nAyanAr purANam - Periyapuranam as English poetry)

 
 
        "I am a serviteur of Saakkiyan who unforgettingly 
        Pelted the ankleted feet of the Lord of Uma-- the Lady 
        Of lovely breasts covered by a breast-band." 
     
                        - The Tiru-th-Tonda-th-Tokai. 
 
1.     He was a devotee of the Lord of the sextuple faith; 
    His guise was that of a Saakhya, the adherent 
    Of an outer faith; he was however convinced 
    Saivism alone was the true faith; in joy 
    He pelted stones at Siva linga and gained 
    The sacred feet that do away with all flaws; 
    This will we hail as is known to us.                (3636) 
 
2.     He was born in the lofty clan of Velaalas 
    In Tirucchangkamangkai abounding in men     
    Of great endeavour; he conned the truth 
    And realized it too; friendly by nature 
    He was compassionate to all lives; he mused thus: 
    “Without perpetuating the cycle of birth and death 
    I will be freed from it in this life itself.”            (3637) 
 
3.     He came to the beauteous Kaanchi city girt 
    With lofty walls; desiring to come by goodly wisdom 
    He that sought manifold paths, first joined the faith 
    Of the Saakyas and studied the ways to end 
    Transmigration which could not endure for ever.            (3038) 
 
4.     In that state he learnt all the scriptures 
    Of the Saakhyas; he was clearly convinced that their 
    Conclusions and the convictions of the other 
    External religions were not true; by the grace 
    Of God, he stood poised in Siva-consciounsess, 
    Fully alive to the truth that the aeviternally good 
    Path of Saivism was indeed the way of truth.            (3039) 
 
5.     He was blessed with the clarity that four verities 
    Constituted the pathway of truth, they being 
    The deed, the doer, the result of deed and the Lord 
    That binds the result of deed with the doer thereof. 
    He also knew that this clarity of truth is 
    The special feature of Saivism, and that no other 
    Faith could claim it; by the grace of Grace, he came by 
    The redemptive knowledge which taught him 
    That Siva is the Supreme Ens.                    (3640) 
 

                                                   
 
 
6.     His conviction was as follows: “What though 
    One’s station be, what though one’s guise be 
    Sure redemption is gained by the non-forgetting 
    Of the feet of eternally glorious Sankara!” 
    So, though he was habited like a Saakhya, he thrived 
    By his unforgetful love of the holy symbol of Siva-linga.    (3641) 
 
7.     Those that know not that the Lord who owns all, is 
    The true God, turn nescient and espouse the evil guise 
    Of the Saakhyas; however he knew for certain 
    That the blue-throated Lord is Omneity; 
    So, even though he was habited like a Saakhya 
    He was firmly poised in his love for Lord Siva.            (3642) 
 
8.     “For the unseen formlessness and the seen form 
    The source and symbol is Siva-linga which 
    Indeed is the Lord adorned with a long snake.” 
    It became clear to him that for Vishnu and Brahma 
    Who shamelessly went in search of Him, He, in all grace, 
    Manifested in their midst as a pillar of fire 
    That pierced the upper and nether worlds.            (3643) 
 
9.     He desired to make it a rule with him to adore 
    Siva-linga before taking his food; in an open space 
    Nearby, he beheld an ever-during Siva-linga, and as his 
    Mind came to be pervaded with excessive joy, not knowing 
    What he did, he picked up a stone which was close by 
    And threw it in trembling love at the Siva-linga.        (3644) 
 
10.     As by love boundless begotten by great delight 
    That pervades the mind, when parents fondling 
    Their children indulge in slight acts of violence 
    Which will be otherwise painful, the young children 
    Get only delighted, so too the Lord of long matted hair 
    Felt joyous at the devotee’s act.                (3645) 
 
11.     On the following day when he came to adore the Lord 
    As was the rule with him, his wish for throwing the stone 
    On the Lord that wears the konrai flowers, surfaced up 
    In his consciousness, and he mused thus: “So, it is 
    The grace of the Lord that prompts my act!” 
    Deeming that to be the service unto the Lord, 
    He decided to perform it daily.                    (3646) 
 
12.     Since the time he began to serve the Lord thus, 
    He was steadfast in his act and continued it 
    As his duty; he threw the stone at the Lord, attired 
    As he was in the saffron robe of a Saakhya; 
    It was clear to him that all acts are 
    But the gracious doings of Lord Pasupati.            (3647) 
 
13.    This he did in love without deviating from his course; 
    In sooth, it came to be considered sacred service; 
    The devotee’s deed informed by true love came to be hailed 
    As the great and aeviternal pooja for the Holy One.        (3648) 
 
14.     Even pelting was deemed as loving to the Lord; 
    Was not the touch of the bowman’s slippered foot 
    On the Lord’s crown deemed divine? 
    The act of Saakhya done in love, is pelting 
    According to them that know not the way of love; 
    Unto Lord Siva the stone was truly a flower.            (3649) 
 
15.     One day in sheer forgetfulness, he was about to eat 
    Without performing his worship; then he said: 
    “Lo, I forgot to stone my Lord!” Up he rose 
    Without eating, and borne by soaring love, he came 
    In all speed to the presence of the Lord 
    Who pealed off the hide of the fierce tusker.            (3650) 
 
16.     He picked up a stone and came running 
    Forsaking his desire to eat and fear-struck, 
    To fling it at his target, the Lord; in love 
    The brow-eyed Lord beheld him; with a view to cast 
    His benign looks on him, with His Consort, 
    The Lord appeared in the sky.                    (3651) 
 
17.     On His young Bull as the Lord appeared before him 
    The sacred serviteur folded his hands and fell 
    Prostrate on the ground in adoration; casting 
    His looks of grace on him, the Lord blessed him 
    With the company of the hoary serviteurs in Siva-loka; 
    This done, the Lord disappeared.                (3652) 
 
18.     The Lord of effulgence knows certainly the way 
    Of the Saakhya’s life, who are we to comprehend it? 
    We wear on our crown the feet of the flawless devotee 
    Who daily stoned the Primordial Lord, all in love, 
    And thus reached Him. 
    With those feet for our aid, we proceed to narrate 
    The life of Sirappuli and thus end all our woe.            (3653) 
 
---------------- 
 
NOTES 
 
Verse No. 
 
   1.    This Naayanaar, a Velaala by birth, pursued Buddhism.  However he was  
    convinced that Saivisam is the only true faith. 
 
   8.    This verse explicates the greatness of Siva-linga. 
 
   9.    This verse attests to the truth that love is maddening 
 
  10.    The pelting done by the Naayanaar was not tantamount to any offence.   
    Actus non facit reum nisi men sit rea. 
 
  11.    On the second day, the Naayanaar became aware of his act (pelting).   
    He could not restrain himself.  Something compelled him to do the  
    pelting. So, the Naayanaar concluded thus: “So, it is the grace of the  
    Lord that prompts my act.” The force of Grace is irresistible. 
 
  12.    What arose as a freakish act eventually become an adorable rite approved  
    by Siva. 
 
  14.    Unto Lord Siva . . . . a flower: A stone is a flower where love is.   
    A flower is a stone where love is not.  Kaama’s flowery dart aimed at  
    Siva was considered an outrageous offence. 
 
  18.    The observation of St. Sekkizhaar is all-important. 
 
        “The Lord of effulgence knows certainly the away 
        Of the Saakhya’s life; who are we to comprehend it?” 
 
    We are created to adore the Lord, not to understand Him. 
 
        Here ends the Puranam of Saakkiya 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. chAkkiya nAyanAr purANam in English prose 
2. சாக்கிய நாயனார் புராணம் (தமிழ் மூலம்) 
3. thiruththoNDar purANam main page
4. 12 shaivite thirumuRais