(ThiruvArUr-nagarachiRappu - Periyapuranam as English poetry)

 
 
1.     The city hailed by us is the most ancient; 
    It is the one adored by Goddess Lakshmi; 
    The city divine is Tiruvaroor, presided over  
    By the Lord who sports on His matted hair 
    Vanni, Ganga and crescent-moon.                        (86) 
 
2.     Chant of Vedas, sweet music of Vinas, 
    Hymnal words of bright celestials, 
    Rhythmic beat of muzhavus as danseuses dance 
    And melodic notes mingle here in this city.                (87) 
 
3.     With the manifold melodies of musical instruments 
    The noise of chariot wheels as they pass 
    Through the opulent streets, 
    The trumpeting of tuskers strong 
    And the neighing of many a steed 
    Commingle and resound everywhere.                    (88) 
 
4.    In lofty mansions and man-made monticles, 
    In mantapams, exedras and theatres 
    In towered buildings an d spacious pials 
    In windowed courts and platforms too 
    Anklets of danseuses resonate tinkling.                    (89) 
 
5.     Many are the mansions of Rudra-Ghanikas; 
    In one of them, Paravaiyar the divine servingmaid 
    Of Her who shares the form of Sambhu, made her avatar. 
    Can words ever measure the greatness of this city?            (90) 
 
6.     As the Lord unknowable to the Hog and the Swan, 
    As a messenger of Van-tondar plied his steps 
    In that street where is situate her gemmy mansion bright, 
    It is still fragrant with the touch of His lotus-feet.            (91) 
 
7.     Over the kumkum-paste sprinkled on the streets 
    By the red-eyed damsels, pollen falls from fresh flowers 
    Worn by them on their abundant locks, 
    And thus is dried the fragrant mire.                    (92) 
 
8.     Whose heart will not melt?  In all the streets of Tiruvaroor 
    Where is enshrined the Lord who rides the Bull, 
    The divine Padikams are rendered by the green parakeets; 
    The starlings listen to them in rapture.                (93) 
 
9.     As they are full of bright jewels, 
    As dinsome noise resounds there 
    And as goods a good many are there stored and sold, 
    The traders’ streets are like unto the sea.                (94) 
 
10.    Apart from the chanting of the Vedas, is also heard 
    In the streets, the trumpeting of the serried tuskers; 
    Not only are seen in the city the celestials who come 
    To witness Ananku-Aadal, but also festoons and wreaths.            (95) 
 
11.     The hoary and divine city is the habitat of them 
    Whose matted hair is huge and long, 
    Saivites, tapaswis, saints who are renunciants, 
    Brahmins and also those who are willingly 
    Immersed in the sweets of love.                        (96) 
 
12.     This city of the Cholas is like the tilaka 
    On the broad and beauteous forehead of the Lady-Earth; 
    It is also like the rich and blooming lotus 
    On which is enthroned Lakshmi; 
    Infinite is its glory.                            (97) 
 
13.     The monarch of this hoary city 
    Hails from the hallowed solar race; 
    Glorious Anapaya is his name, the descendant of Manu, 
    The jeweled king, himself a jewel bright.                (98) 
 
14.     This great Ruler was like the eye and soul 
    Of all the lives that throve on this earth; 
    He nobly performed a good many sacrifices 
    That the celestials felt immensely pleased.                (99) 
 
15.     With the royal disc cincturing the earth, 
    With vassal-kings holding tributes, surrounding his court, 
    With righteousness totally freed from wrath, 
    He reigned in the realm, and his reign came to be called 
    Manu-Niti, stablished by the Grand Manu.                (100) 
 
16.     The Lord of the Gospels -- Vanmika Natha --, 
    Is ever present everywhere; unto His worship 
    In union with holy Aagamic commandments 
    The king duly ordained everything.                    (101) 
 
17.     He held fast to the Way of Righteousness, 
    Wealth and Joy, and did not from it swerve; 
    He quelled Sin, and ruled, hailed by monarchs; 
    Unto his pious queen who was quick with child, 
    Was born a son as a guerdon for his great tapas; 
    He grew gloriously hailed by the earth as a lion-cub.            (102) 
 
18.     The peerless son, the guerdon of tapas rare, 
    Daily cultivated flawlessly all the divine scriptures 
    That would lead him to Siva; he also came by 
    The mastery of cavalry, elephantry, 
    And the art of leading armed chariots. 
    Thus did he demonstrate to the world 
    That even birth on earth can indeed be a beatitude.            (103) 
 
19.     He mastered the innumerable hoary arts, and grew 
    As a paragon of virtues, greatly gladdening 
    The heart of his peerless father. 
    Such was his attainment, that ere long, 
    He could be, crowned as the Prince; 
    He was like the young sun growing gloriously bright.            (104) 
 
20.     Decked with fragrant wreaths and sandal-paste 
    One day the strong-shouldered prince, 
    Surrounded by princelings 
    Fare forth on the royal street 
    Dight with cloud-crested mansions; 
    Armed warriors too marched encircling him; 
    Thus on the chariot bright he rode 
    From the royal palace of the parasolled king.                (105) 
 
21.     The minstrels followed singing eulogies, on one side, 
    Sootas and Magatas on another; 
    Melting in love, chank-bangled lasses moved on another; 
    Drummers and blowers of shells, on yet another; 
    Thus the victorious prince moved through the street 
    That dazzled beauteous with gems and jewels.                (106) 
 
22.     Like the merciless coming down 
    Of the peerless God of Dharma 
    To put to the test the unwavering mind 
    Of the king ever-poised in truth, invisible to mortal eyes, 
    Though many were there surrounding the prince, 
    A cow’s calf, young and beauteous, darted into the street.        (107) 
 
23.    The tender calf leapt across dangerously 
    And run over by the powerful wheel of the golden car 
    Breathed its last; this witnessing, its mother 
    Wilted, cried aloud, trembled and fell down on earth.            (108) 
 
24.     The prince eyed this and cried: “Woe is me!” 
    His words became incoherent; sore was his heart 
    As he stood utterly bewildered; he cried aloud; 
    “The cow and its calf have this day, undone 
    My glorious life!  O poor helpless me!” 
    Down he tumbled from the car and fell on earth.            (109) 
 
25.     Looking at the great cow that cried in agony, 
    He too trembled and his life seemed to ebb away; 
    He stared contrite for long at the calf, and gasped 
    For breath; he then gave vent to his feeling thus; 
    “Unto Manu, the protector of this wide earth -- my sovereign --, 
    I am born as son alas, to involve him in this sin.”            (110) 
 
26.     If expiation of the sin that had come into being, 
    By the means prescribed by the Brahmins well-versed 
    In the Vedas, would be righteous and proper, 
    I would do it even ere my father comes to know of this.” 
    To cure himself of the sin he approached the Brahmins.            (111) 
 
27.     As the calf dear as its life, passed away, 
    Unable to bear that grief any longer 
    The cow sighed deep -- its each breath a flame of agony --, 
    And sobbed with tear-bedewed eyes; 
    Then, unto the golden palace of Manu, the wielder 
    Of the righteous scepter and protector of lives, 
    It proceeded, and there moved and tolled 
    The bell (of justice) with its twin horns.                (112) 
 
28.     Was it the drumming of Reproach? 
    Or the din of fettering Sin? 
    Or the tinkling of bells worn on the neck 
    Of the Buffalo of Yama who comes to snatch 
    The life of the only scion of the King? 
    Thus rang the bell -- hitherto untolled --, 
    On the ears of the sovereign, wordlessly.                (113) 
 
29.     He rose from the throne, and down came he, 
    -- The King --, to the threshold of the palace; 
    The ostiaries came to him and bowing said: 
    “O Lord, a cow hath to your victorious threshold 
    Come and moved the dangling bell with its horns.            (114) 
 
30.     He heard them and eyed the grief-stricken cow; 
    He longed to know what had happened to it; 
    He with contempt, looked at his minister, 
    And he, a man of mature wisdom, who knew 
    All that happened, bowing spake thus:                    (115) 
 
31.     “Chola great! As your son mounted the huge gem-inlaid car 
    And fare forth surrounded by numberless footmen 
    Through the royal street, the tender calf of this cow 
    Darted into its wheel and perished; the mother-cow 
    Sore languishing, hath done this deed.”                    (116) 
 
32.     As the king heard this, his grief equaled the very cow’s; 
    He felt as though some cruel venom coursed in him 
    And smote his skull; he suffered exceedingly; 
    He was pained as to how it could so happen cruelly; 
    He inculpated himself of mis-rule; 
    He grew bewildered, and though he recovered a little 
    He felt utterly undone.                            (117) 
 
33.     “Long have I ruled the world protecting its lives, 
    Poised in piety; oh noble is my present reign!” 
    Thus lamenting, he said! “How can this be expiated?” 
    Looking at the cow that had lost its calf, 
    He would again languish; limitless was his sorrow.            (118) 
 
34.     Beholding him thus, the ministers 
    Bowed at his feet and said: 
    “Wilting of mind is no cure for this; 
    You may be pleased to do that to your son, as is ordained 
    Of yore, by the Brahmins for the act of cow-slaughter.”            (119) 
 
35.     “If you suggest that the remedy lies in doing that 
    Which is by the Brahmins ordained, will that be 
    A cure for the agony of the cow that bellows aloud, 
    Having lost its tender calf by murder vile? 
    If I lend my ears to you all who are out 
    To save my son from my punishing him with death, 
    Will not Dharma itself shudder and quake?                (120) 
 
36.     “Is not the ruler of a realm that guards its lives 
    Duty-bound to rid his subjects 
    Of hindrance-breeding fear fivefold 
    Stemming from himself, his men in power, 
    Harmful hostility of foes, thieves and wild animals, 
    And thus protect Dharma?                        (121) 
 
37.     “If I resort to expiation for the grave sin 
    By my son committed, and punish another with death 
    When he does away with a life, will not words of blame 
    Proclaiming the destruction of Manu’s hoary code 
    By one who comes in his very line, cling to me? 
    O ye ministers that will have me stigmatised, 
    Strange indeed is your sense of law and justice!”            (122) 
 
38.     When the king thus spake in contempt, to his ministers, 
    The wise ones said: “Protector of hoary earth! 
    What we expressed is founded on precedents; 
    It will not be in keeping with the righteous tradition 
    To kill the prince; is not performance of expiation 
    As ordained by the Vedas, the honoured hoary way?”            (123) 
 
39.     Hearing the ministers who bowing spoke to him, 
    Manu the heroic king, the knower, in sooth, of Truth, 
    Said: “Your words are fraught with flaw.” 
    His face turned ruddy as a red-lotus on fire, 
    And he spake these words in soaring wrath:                (124) 
 
40.     “Let your exposition of law be, what it is; 
    You speak, not knowing the truth of the great nature 
    Of righteousness; now pray, answer me: 
    In which country, did ever a cow, 
    Besieged by such grief, come distressed, 
    Heaving deep sighs of agony, to the bell-tower, 
    And tolled the bell, and fell down on earth undone?            (125) 
 
41.     “He killed a being that took birth in Tiruvaroor 
    Where abides peerlessly enshrined the Lord-God, 
    Hailed gloriously by Indra, Vishnu, Brahma and others; 
    So, death is the punishment meet for him; 
    Know this to be my well-considered verdict irrevocable.”        (126) 
 
42.     Having spoken thus, he added: “This indeed is that 
    Which suits the deed; I canst not cure the distress 
    Of this cow whose mind is being eaten away by grief; 
    It is but meet that I suffer too in a similar way.” 
    Thus resolved the blamless sovereign; his ministers 
    Were struck with fear, and away they moved.                (127) 
 
43.     The king sent for his son and bade a minister 
    Ply in that street a chariot that would run over the prince; 
    He did not do as bidden, but chose to put an end 
    To his dear life by his own hand; the king 
    Then took his son with him and repaired to that street.            (128) 
 
44.     He would not consider that the prince 
    Was his only son to perpetuate his race; 
    His sole duty lay in treading the path of Dharma; 
    He laid his son on the street and he -- King Manu --, 
    Drove the car whose wheels ran over the chest of his son. 
    Is kingship aught that is easy or common? 
    Is it not a rarity of rarities?                        (129) 
 
45.     Taken aback by the act of the king, 
    The merciful, white-parasolled monarch, 
    Men on earth rained tears and the celestials, flowers; 
    The Lord Veeti-Vitangka appeared on his young Bull 
    On the very street, adored by the celestials, 
    And gave darshan to the great and glorious soul.            (130) 
 
46.     A young crescent decked His locks; 
    The third eye unique was on His forehead beauteous; 
    His frame on the left bore Mother Uma’s form; 
    Bhootas, thronging gloriously, encircled Him; 
    Thus the Lord appeared before the adoring kings; 
    The Lord enthroned on the Bull 
    Showered on the valiant king grace infinite.                (131) 
 
47.     That very moment, the dead calf, the prince peerless 
    And the minister too were brought back to life; 
    The King by no means could reckon his joy; 
    Is there aught impossible for the Primal Lord 
    If He means to be the Implementer?                    (132) 
 
48.     The King embraced in delight his son divine 
    Who fell at his feet in adoration; 
    He was freed clean of his great grief. 
    Gone was the sorrow of the cow whose udder swelled 
    As the calf sucked in joy its sweet milk 
    Which overflowed and drenched the earth.                (133) 
 
49.     Beholding the gracious mercy of the Lord, -- the One 
    Enshrined in the Poongkoyil at Tiruvaroor 
    From Whose forted walls issues golden lustre --, 
    Conferred on Manu -- the victorious king --, 
    So openly and in a street, (to this very day), 
    All the seven words hail the glory of His grace 
    Which is for ever easy of access to His devotees.            (134) 
 
50.     Such grace was meted out to innumerable men 
    Poised in Dharma, and thus was the hoary city 
    Blessed by the Lord in blissful grace; 
    Can ever our words match its glory? 
    The Lord’s Flower-Temple was very like its corolla!            (135) 
 
---------------- 
 
Stanza    Line 
 
   1     5    Vanni        :     Prosopis spicigera.  Its leaves are sacred. 
 
   5     1     Rudra-Ghanika    :    A dancing girl who dedicated herself to the service  
                    of Rudra Siva. 
 
   6     1    The Hog        :     Vishnu. 
 
        The Swan    :    Brahma. 
 
     4    cf. “..... Vaittha tiruth thunaivanotum 
             Senra vazhi inralavum thulavam narum 
             Sethu tharisanam Seythan thiral vallone.” 
                        - Villipputhoor Azhwar. 
 
   8     3    Padikam        :     The hymns usually ten in number, of Saivite Saints. 
 
   9        The comparison is between the trader’s streets and the sea. 
 
        a) Jewels are displayed in the shops and they sparkle with splendour.   
        Even so the well-lit vessels on the sea shine with brilliance. 
 
        b) The streets are noisy.  The roar of waves in the main is also noisy. 
 
        c) Even as the streets are filled with merchandise the sea-borne ships  
        are full of     them. 
 
  10    3-4    The feet of the celestials never touch the ground.  Even so, the wreaths  
        forming part of festoons dangling in the air touch not the ground. 
 
        Ananku-Adal    :     A festivity. 
 
        Cf.  “Peranangu atal  seythu peruvizha 
               Yetuttha pinrai.” 
                    - The Puranam of Kannappa Nayanar. 
 
  14        Part of the first line of the original can also be rendered thus: “For all  
        lives on earth he is indeed the Karpaka tree - vazh-taru --”. 
 
        This Ruler    :    Manu-Niti Chola. 
 
        The eye and soul :    A typical example of the advaitic relationship  
                    between the soul and God, in Saiva Siddhanta.   
                    The eye is a mere lens.  It can’t see by itself.   
                    It must be animated by the soul.  Even so, the human  
                    soul is to be animated by God.  See sutra 11, Siva  
                    Gnana Bhotham. 
 
    3-4    Vedic Saivism holds that the celestials gift us with seasonal rains.  They  
        subsist on the offerings made in the sacrifices performed on earth.  Cows  
        gift us with milk, ghee etc., which are the materials offered in the  
        sacrifices.  The Brahmins perform the sacrifices.  The king provides them  
        with the wherewithal.  So St. Tirugnana Sambandhar hymned thus: 
 
            “Vazhka Antanar Vanavar Aninam 
            Veezhka thann punal Ventanum ongkuka 
            Azhka theeyathu; ellam Aran namame 
            Soozhka, vaiyakamum thuyar theerkave.” 
 
  15     1    Royal disc    :    Symbolic of sovereignty. 
 
     5    Grand Manu    :    The first Manu, the divine author of all laws in  
                    general and the monarchic code in particular. 
 
  16     1    Vanmika Natha    :    The Lord who manifested from the Ant-hill.  A  
                    chthonic element is supposed by David Dean Shulman.   
                    See page 110-131, Tamil Temple Myths. 1980. 
 
  21        Soota        :    A court minstrel; it is he who sings the aubade and  
                    wakes the king at dawn. 
 
        Magata        :     A minstrel who hails the heroic deeds of the king. 
 
  33     2    Noble        :     It means “ignoble” in the present context. 
 
  44     6    cf. “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown”. 
                            - Shakespeare. 
 
  45        Potri-p-pahrodai praises the act of the king thus: 
 
                “ ...... even as the Monarch 
        Who ran his car o’er his son to purge him 
        Of  his  killing  a  calf  caught  in  his ..... ” 
                        - Tr. T.N.R. 
 
  47     4    cf. “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” 
                        - Genesis, 18:14. 
 
             A paraphrase of line 4 will be as follows: 
 
             “Is there aught impossible of fulfillment 
             If the Primal Lord Himself wills it done?” 
 
  50     5    Its        :     The City’s 
 
                    From the inscription dated 31.5.1123 found on the  
                    northern wall of the second enclosure (prakaram)  
                    of Tiruvaroor Thyagarajaswamy Temple. We learn  
                    that the names of the prince, the minister and the  
                    cow were respectively Priyavruthan, Ubayakulamalan  
                    and Surabhi.  This inscription was made during the  
                    reign of Vikrama Chola (1118 A.D - 1135 A.D.)  This  
                    king was none other than the father of Anapaya  
                    whose Chief-Minister was Arunmozhi Thevar  
                    (St. Sekkizhar). 
 
                    Additional notes: 
 
                    1.    A stone-car, ikons of the cow and the calf  
                        and also a bell are still kept in the  
                        Tiruvaroor Temple precincts. 
 
                    2.    The piety as well as justness of King Manu  
                        is unexampled. 
 
                    3.    “Reverence for life” is the lesson we learn  
                        from the life and reign of King Manu. 
 
                    4.    A just and impartial ruler can talk with God  
                        and walk with Gad. 
 
 
Sincere thanks to Sri. T N Ramachandran of thanjavur, for permitting his English rendering of the holy text periyapurANam be published here.

1. பெரிய புராணம் திருநகரச் சிறப்பு (தமிழ் மூலம்) 

2. thiruththoNDar purANam main page

3. 12 shaivite thirumuRais