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		"I am a servitor of Athi Patthar of Naakai which
		Is girt with the extensive and billowy main."
		
						- The Tiru-th-Tonda-th-Tokai.

1. 	The beauteous city of Naakaippattinam as of right
	Belongs to the divine race of hoary and pre-eminent
	Cholas who hail from the ever-during solar dynasty.
	Verily a blossom of the karpaka liana, the realm
	Of Ponni, abounds in weal and wealth.				(3992)

2. 	Black clouds that have drunk deep the black sea-waters,
	Mistaking for hills the gold-bright and beauteous
	Mansions, crawl over their sides; many are the raised
	Platforms in those mansions where lasses whose
	Rows of chains made of pearls dangle low and whose
	Locks decked with honey-laden flowers get loosened,
	As they play with a ball.					(3993)

3. 	This city is full of glorious sounds; it is
	The beloved abode of Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth;
	It yields all things desired; it looks vaster than
	The sea with its waves of elephants, steeds,
	Gems and garments and other things thither brought
	In barks and barkentines.					(3994)

4. 	As there flourish increasingly its people who own
	All the glorious and manifold goods which abound
	In the hoary and ever-during realms--
	Eighteen in numbers—k and as its rich citizens
	Are more than a crore, this beauteous and hoary city
	Is like unto a mirror mandala which reflects
	(Within it) the whole world.					(3995)



5. 	Near this vast and beautiful city, at the marge
	Of the billowy sea and near unto the places
	Where long and foam-crested waves crawl,
	Are the dense habitations of fishermen
	Who pursue their ancient calling of fishing
	With their nets and who flourish well
	With the leaping wealth of the tide.				(3996)

6. 	Near their small hutments where the nets spread
	For drying, looked like resting clouds, the new
	Gold coins received from the buyers of fishes
	Were heaped and measured; the long and dark eyes
	Of the fishwives measured and assessed the worth
	And price of the kayal fish brought by the fishermen
	Who flourished by plying their fishing boats on the main.	(3997)

7. 	The flocks of swans that came thither with storks
	That flew there with intent to lift away the kippered fish,
	Vanquished by the beauteous gait of the women
	Endowed with lithe and slender waists,
	Flew up and perched on the black branches
	Of the fragrant punnai trees in bewilderment.			(3998)

8. 	The noise of those that stretched the long nets
	To mend them, the call of the vendors of heaped fishes
	To intending buyers and their noisy bargain
	As well as the noise of those who shored up white shells
	Of great excellence, were like unto the echo
	Of the long and billowy and noisy sea.				(3999)

9. 	In that habitation, from a bountiful family 
	Of fishermen he came to be born; he applied
	Himself devotedly to the service of the Lord who wears
	The young crescent on His crest; he was the noble
	Athipatthar of glowing servitorship.				(4000)

10. 	He, the devotee, was the chief of the fishermen
	Who plied their boats over the lucid, billowy
	And resounding main; they threw their nets on (all) sides
	And caught the fishes; these they set before
	Their chief in endless heaps of highly-priced
	Varieties; thus he flourished.					(4001)

11. 	When the fishermen who thrived by killing fish
	Brought before him the fishes netted by them,
	He would, from out of them, select a fish par excellence,
	Dedicate it to the Lord-Dancer and throw it back
	Into the sea; this he did daily
	In uninterrupted love and devotion.				(4002)

12. 	Even when the beauteous nets did but secure for him
	Only one fish a day, he would, in dedication,
	Throw it back into the sea; thus rolled on many days
	When he threw back daily into the cloud-resting sea
	The only netted fish.						(4003)

13. 	He grieved not for the sorrowing of his rare kin
	Steeped in hunger as they could not any longer
	Come by wealth and edibles secured by sale of fishes;
	He dedicated the single fish that was his daily share
	To the Lord whose hand sports the antelope,
	And lived in joy.						(4004)

14. 	Many days passed by in this way; he wilted
	Without food; his comely boy sorely languished;
	Yet he was steadfast in his divine servitorship;
	Aware of this, the Lord that ate the poison Aalam,
	Longed to quaff the nectar of His servitor’s love.		(4005)

15. 	One day the Lord made even the single fish
	Unavailable; however He caused to fall into a net
	A fish whose limbs were wrought of fresh gold
	And ninefold gems of purest lustre;
	This wondrous fish was worth the whole world.			(4006)

16. 	When the long net was drawn from the billowy sea
	To the shore, the fish which was caught therein
	Dazzled like the rising sun and flashed forth
	To the wonderment of the world; witnessing this
	The fishermen who stood nearby removed it,
	And told him: “We have caught a fish.”				(4007)

17. 	When thus they told him, the serviteur of ever-during
	Splendour said: “This very different fish
	With its limbs wrought of gold and ray-clustered
	Ninefold gems is for my Lord who rules me;
	Go forth and reach His feet of golden anklets.”
	So saying he threw it amain into the main.			(4008)

18. 	As a rule all the world runs after wealth;
	The truthful servitor flawlessly shook himself
	Free of that great shackle; before him that thus
	Flung away the love of gold, the Lord appeared
	On the heavens seated on His Bull; the Devas
	Showered celestial flowers.					(4009)

19. 	All the five celestial instruments sounded;
	Atipatthar fell prostrate on the ground, rose up
	And stood folding his hands above his head; the Lord
	Whose beauteous throat shines with the stain
	Of poison, blessed him to reach Siva-loka and there abide
	In the beauteous and holy company of devotees.			(4010)

20. 	Adoring the resplendent feet of Atipatthar, who
	Poised in the vocation of his clan, had rendered
	True and great and fitting service, we now
	Proceed to indite the great servitorship
	Of Kalikkampar established in redemptive piety,
	And duly celebrated by all the three worlds.			(4011)

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NOTES

Verse No.

	Atipatthar: Skt. Ati Bhakta.

  11.	This Naayanaar, the head of the piscators, would throw back into 
	the sea the best fish that was netted, every day.  Sivaarpanam Astu.

  17.	The only fish netted this time was a very different one.  By selling the 
	fish, the entire clan could thrive for generations.  Yet our Naayanaar, 
	even in the chill grip of penury, chose to dedicate it to Siva.  He was 
	a king among the fishermen. They obeyed him loyally.

  18.	As a rule...... wealth: A true Atiyaar is one who is never after the 
	“saint-seducing” gold.  To him gold and pot-sherds are of equal value.
	“Odum semponnum okkave nokkuvar” are the words of St. Sekkizhaar.
	Wealth for a Naayanaar is something different. “Selvan Kazhal yetthum 
	selvam selvame” (That is wealth which is comprised in hailing the feet 
	of the opulent Siva) are the words of St. Sambandhar.


		Here ends the Puranam of Athipattha Naayanaar

Sincere thanks to Sri. T N Ramachandran of thanjavur, for permitting his English rendering of the holy text periyapurANam be published here.