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		"I am also a serviteur of Kazharitru Arivaar
		Whose munificence excels that of the nimbus."
						
						- The Tiru-th-Tonda-th-Tokai

1. 	In the hoary and aeviternal Malai-Naadu, glowing
	With the greatness of the Goddess of Wealth,
	Is a city of the Cera dynasty of manifold glory,
	Flourishing with citizens poised in ancient
	And traditional culture, and extolled by majestic
	Tamil numbers; it is the great and ancient
	Capital city called Kodungkoloor of the sceptred Cera kings,
	Endowed with Tiruvanjaikkalam
	Presided over by the Lord-Rider or the Bull.			(3748)

2. 	The chanting of the Vedas and the scriptures in the morn,
	The trumpeting of elephant calves, the soft humming
	Of bees in the gardens, the neighing of prideful steeds,
	The strumming of Paalai and Vipanji yaazhs, the sound
	Of drums during dancing accompanied by singing:
	These drown the roar of the sea and rise up
	In wondrous splendour.						(3749)

3. 	In all opulent houses flourishes coveted domestic
	Joy; at their sides in the streets, flourishes
	Manifold dharma; in all matams of divine devotees,
	Flourishes the Saivite faith;
	In all places of foison, flourish overflowing wealth.		(3750)

4. 	There thrive the citizens of the four castes
	Poised in the unswerving conduct of the Vedic way;
	The bountiful city is girt with the gardens of mango
	Vakula, sarala and other trees encircled by great
	And lofty walls; in this world it goes by the glorious name
	Makothai, the seat of Kothai kings.				(3751)

5. 	In that hoary city bounded by fragrant gardens
	By reason of the great tapas ever wrought by the world
	And the Cera dynasty endowed with wrathful
	And musty elephantry, to quell Kali that weakens
	And causes piety to waste away, and to cause
	Righteous Saivism to flourish, Perumaakkothaiyaar
	Came to be born by the grace of Siva.				(3752)

6. 	At his divine avatar, the citizens of that great city,
	In exceeding delight performed ‘neiyaadal’;
	The heavens rained ethereal flowers that mantled the sky;
	Auspicious sounds soared aloft everywhere;
	Each and every life in this immense world
	Felt an ever-increasing rapture.				(3753)

7. 	He grew up for the thriving of the Saivite way
	On earth; by reason of his tapas in his past lives,
	He was endowed with love and devotion to serve
	The ankleted feet of the Lord who sports an eye
	In His forehead; his soul, all compact of love, would not
	Pursue the privileges of a monarch; he but served
	Tiruvanjaikkalam’s Lord in whose matted hair
	Courses the pellucid Ganga.					(3754)

8. 	He felt it in his consciousness that worldly life
	And kingly life are impermanent;
	He would wake up at dawn, bathe in the water
	And the holy ash, do pious
	And manifold and ever-during service in the sacred gardens,
	And gather flowers and blooms for weaving 
	Garlands to deck the Lord therewith.				(3755)

9. 	He would secure holy water for the Lord’s ablutions,
	Sweep the yards of the temple and coat them all,
	In sweet love, with cow-dung; he would also perform
	Gloriously many other acts of service and recite
	Holy hymns in integrated consciousness. Thus he throve.		(3756)



10. 	While so, the garlanded king Sengkol Poraiyan
	Who reigned under the shade of the cloud of his
	Munificence beneath which was held aloft his white
	Parasol, from the glorious and beauteous city
	Girt with a sea-like moat and huge hill-like,
	Lofty walls whence wafted aloft the royal banners,
	Quitting his royal office, took to tapas.			(3757)

11. 	When the ruler of the hoary dynasty betook himself
	To the forest for performing askesis,
	The intellectually great ministers, well versed
	In monarchic and dynastic works, studied the situation
	For a few days with care and arrived at the clear conclusion
	That according to the rules prescribed, the right to rule
	Vested in the kingly serviteur of the Lord;
	So they called on him at Tiruvanjaikkalam
	Where abides the crescent-crested Lord.				(3758)

12. 	The truthful ministers who could quell falsity,
	Came before his presence and paid obeisance to him;
	Unto him they made their submission thus:
	“According to the flawless tradition, the right 
	To get crowned and wield the righteous sceptre
	Over the Malai Naadu rich in cool hillscapes,
	Is yours.” When thus hailed by them,				(3759)

13. 	He mused thus: “What these ministers drive at, will be
	An impediment to my servitorship, the source
	Of ever-increasing joy; to know if I am to be
	Blessed with the divine grace of reigning,
	Without deviating from the way of devotion to Siva,
	I will await the time to divine the will of the Lord
	Whose jewels are bones and snakes.”
	Thus resolved he moved into the temple and prayed;
	Then by the grace of Grace,					(3760)

14. 	He was blessed with the right to reign,
	Poised in devotion and love to the worship of the Lord,
	An ability to con all that is uttered by mankind
	As well as the world of sub-human species,
	Endless and peerless success in all undertakings,
	Limitless munificence and all regal splendour
	Such as army, cars and mounts needed for a king,
	To rule the world.						(3761)

15. 	He adored the Lord that blessed him thus and moved
	Out; though wielding the sceptre was injurious
	To divine servitorship, yet by reason of the grace
	Granted by the Lord, he expressed his assent
	To the ministers who requested him to wear the lofty crown;
	Then the ministers fell at his feet, and proceeded
	To arrange for the coronation.					(3762)

16. 	On the appointed day, during the goodly hora,
	All things needed for the coronation were splendorously
	Arranged and all auspicious rites were duly
	Performed; Kazharitru Arivaar who knew well
	That piety which could cause all lives--animate 
	And inanimate--, thrive in happiness, wore that crown
	Any which he could rule both earth and heaven.			(3763)

17. 	Then he circumambulated the Lord’s shrine, came
	Before His presence, prostrated there,
	Rose up and moved out; he mounted the royal tusker;
	The trusted retinue held aloft the white parasol
	And waved chamaras; as he thus came round
	The city in procession he beheld a washerman
	With a bundle of fuller’s earth on his shoulders,
	Come before him.						(3764)

18. 	As the fuller’s earth soaked by rain dripped
	Down his person making it white, he thought it
	To be the habit of a devotee of the Lord
	Whose hand sports an antelope; he descended
	Down from the neck of the decked royal tusker,
	And in loving devotion and increasing ardour,
	Folded his hands in all haste.					(3765)

19. 	 Adored by the Cera King, the bewildered washerman
	Hailed the king and said: “My lord, who am I 
	That you should do so? I am your servant,
	Your washerman.” Hearing this the king said:
	“I am Cera, the serviteur; you reminded us
	Of the lovable guise of the holy ash;
	Well, you may proceed untouched by grief.”			(3766)

20. 	Beholding the manifested servitorship of the king,
	All the intellectually great ministers hailed him
	Folding their hands above their heads; the king
	Once again mounted the huge and wrathful tusker,
	Went round the streets of the hoary city rich in lustrous
	And gemmy mansions whence wafted many a flag,
	And entered the vestibule of the palace decked 
	With gold and gems and mantled in great auspiciousness.		(3767)

21. 	He descended from the bedecked elephant, moved 
	Through the hall inlaid with gems, and ascended
	The lofty throne over which the lustrous and royal
	Parasol cast a lovely shade; lily-eyed damsels
	Waved chamaras; sprinkling flowers, princes hailed him;
	Thus the Cera king sat enthroned in splendour.			(3768)

22. 	With the beautiful Chola guarding the world
	And the Paandya privileged to rule, he formed
	The great triune sovereignty and upheld niti
	As propounded in the work of Manu;
	Innumerable kings paid him tribute;
	He quelled enmity, both external and internal;
	Fostering the resplendence of the holy ash
	And the Vedas, he fostered the earth.				(3769)

23. 	‘The fruit of his great and privileged reign,
	Perfect tapas, riches sought after and aid great
	Are but the dancing feet of the Lord
	Of Tillai’s Tirucchitrambalam:’ Thus informed
	By his clarified and resolute intellect, the lord
	Of the Cera dynasty took to the performing
	Of the pooja to the divinely uplifted foot
	Of the Lord’s in ever-increasing ardour.			(3770)

24. 	Bathing the Lord with holy and fragrant water,
	Offering fresh-blown flowers, sandal-paste,
	Goodly incense, the glow of radiant lamps and nectarean food,
	He performed the pooja to the Lord as ordained;
	So the Lord Dancer who willingly presided
	Over his pooja, caused him to hear daily
	The tinkling of his beauteous anklet(s).			(3771)

25. 	By reason of his devoted worship to the Lord’s feet
	He derived every day immense delight;
	To seekers of alms, the indigent and to all,
	In sheer munificence, he showered cloud-like,
	Ruddy gold, ad was established in unhindered
	And victorious weal; hailed by the celestials he performed
	For his Lord many a sacrifice.					(3772)

26. 	As he thus ruled, the Lord of Aalavaai who willingly
	Abides at ever-during Madurai in the beauteous
	Paandya realm, desiring to confer goodly and great
	Wealth on Bhaana Bathra, the devotional singer
	That adored the Lord in love, with melodious hymns.		(3773)

27. 	Appeared in his dream during one night, and said:
	“To grant you to your heart’s content fresh gold
	Silken vestments, jewels coruscating with gems
	And also other things you need, We’ll give you a letter
	To be handed over to the Cera who, for ever,
	Hails Us in love; proceed thither without delay.”		(3774)

28. 	Having (already) graced with glory the Cera King--
	The wearer of resounding anklets--, the Lord gave unto Bhathra
	A radiant palm-leaf which directed the Cera King
	To shower gifts of great riches befitting his peerless wealth;
	The leaf that bore the (Lord’s) truthful words opened thus:
	“Mathi mali purisai…”						(3775)

29. 	Wearing the divine palm-leaf of the Lord--the Sankam Poet,
	As it were on his crown, Bhaana Bhathrar
	Left for Malani Naadu then and there; he reached
	The walled Kodungkoloor and came to the cloud-capped
	Palace and had his arrival announced to the king.		(3776)

30. 	Even as he heard of his arrival, the king folded
	His hands above his head; love in him welled up;
	Tears cascading from his eyes flowed down; up he rose
	And trembled very much; with a melting mind
	He moved out of his palace decked with lovely gold;
	He fell at the feet of Bhaana Bhathrar,
	The master of music, times without number.			(3777)

31. 	The king exclaimed: “Ha, deeming even me worthy,
	You have come with the divine palm-leaf!”
	When Bhaana Bhathra gave him the palm-leaf and paid
	Obeisance to him, the king bore it on his crown,
	And danced; his speech became incoherent;
	Tears flooded down his chest smeared with the holy ahs;
	He prostrated on the ground, many a time.			(3778)

32. 	He adored in love the divine palm-leaf again
	And yet again; removing it from its container
	Reverentially, he studied it; he hailed the glory
	Of the Lord of the celestials; then he moved
	Into the bright palace, and had his kin summoned promptly;
	Then he addressed the fostering ministers thus:			(3779)

33. 	“Pack all the goodly heaps of manifold wealth
	Which for ever grow and are kept stored in the various
	Treasuries of this, our ancestral palace,
	Into convenient packages that they may be
	Carried by men, and bring them here;
	Let there be nothing left the treasuries.”			(3780)

34. 	When thus told by the Cera king, the ministers
	Of righteous intellect who were well-versed
	In great works, had all the wealth of the beauteous
	Palace that possessed great and glorious and endless riches,
	Neatly packed in convenient bundles
	And had them carried by men before the king;
	Then they paid obeisance to him.				(3781)

35. 	The Cera king showed Bhaana Bhathra all the immense
	And multifoliate wealth kept neatly packed,
	And said: “Be pleased to accept these, together
	With mighty elephants and other living wealth;
	Also deign to accept all the realm ruled by me.”		(3782)

36.	Bhaana Bhathra beheld all the riches shown to him
	By the Cera, the wearer of a crown wrought
	Of ever-fresh gold; struck with wonder
	And delight he said: “Let me take what I need;
	You must continue to rule with all the insignia; this is
	Indeed the command of the Lord-Wearer of the pigngnakam.	(3782)

37. 	The puissant king consented to this as he durst not
	Defy the behest of the Lord; the great Paanar
	Took with him immense wealth under the weight of which
	The earth writhed; of the musty tuskers and steeds he took
	With him those he needed; then he fared forth riding
	An elephant whose white tusks were like the crescent.		(3784)

38. 	Ceramaan Perumaan of ever-increasing piety, folding
	His hands above his head, followed Bhaana Bhathra,
	As his eyes rained tears of joy.
	Taking leave of his great friend at the outskirts
	Of the city, the master of perfect music,
	Bhaana Bhathra proceeded onward, reached beauteous
	Madurai girt with strong and gold-bedecked
	Fortress, and entered the city.					(3784)

39. 	The king by whom thrives the Cera dynasty, thinking
	Again and again on the way of the Lord that wears 
	A curved crescent in His crest, in gracing
	His devotees, hailed and adored Him many a time,
	And plied himself in kingly duties in the lofty durbar.		(3786)

40. 	Conning all that was uttered by the beings
	Of glorious and endless genesis in the world,
	Kazharitru Arivaar did away with all their troubles,
	Internal and external; he quelled larceny
	Murder and the like; thus Kazharitru Arivaar abode
	In perfect concord with the Chola king and the Pandya.		(3787)

41. 	He that performed daily the holy and pious pooja to the Lord
	In whose crest the celestial Ganga flows, could not,
	One day at the end of his glorious pooja hear the wonted
	Anklet-sound of the Dancer Lord, the Wearer
	Of melliferous Konrai-garlands; he was bewildered.		(3788)

42. 	He completed the pooja in all haste and mused
	Thus in sorrow: “What may be the sin that I
	Have committed?” He cried and resolved thus:
	“What other joy is there to perceive with this body
	Fostered in love by me?” Then as he unsheathed
	His shining sword and fixed it on his chest
	The Lord forthwith caused him to here the music
	Of His anklet(s) in a great measure.				(3789)

43. 	As he heard the sound of the divine Anklet(s)
	Of the dancing lord, he dropped his sword, folded
	His hands above his head, fell prostrate on the ground
	In adoration, rose up and said: “O Lord who is
	Not to be comprehended by the tall Vishnu,
	Brahma and the Vedas when they search for You!
	Why have You not graced me earlier?”				(3790)

44. 	Thus beseeched, the Lord without manifesting
	His presence before him, spake in His ethereal Voice
	Thus: “At Tiruvambalam, Van-tondan adoring
	Our Dance of Bliss in integrated consciousness
	Hailed Us with a decad of love-incarnate hymns;
	As we stood listening to it enraptured, we delayed
	Our coming here.” Thus, even thus, the Lord
	Made him think of Van-tondar.					(3791)

45. 	“Oh the mercy of the Lord in dispensing grace
	To His devotees!” He wondered and resolved thus:
	“I will fare forth to adore Ponnambalam where dances
	The Lord of golden matted hair; I will also behold
	And hail peerless Van-tondar.” Borne by a passion, the Cera
	Decided to leave for the Chola realm, rich in goodly waters.	(3792)

46. 	The Cera that wears a crown of gold, conveyed
	His desire to the fostering ministers and bade them
	Prepare for the great and fruitful anabasis
	On an auspicious day; thereupon warriors of sharp
	And shining spears and victorious heroes wielding bows
	And the countrymen, thither gathered
	In great strength at Vanji, the great city.			(3793)

47. 	On an auspicious day, during goodly hora
	He circumambulated the Lord who wears
	Fragrant and blooming konrai flowers and is 
	Enshrined in Tiruvanjaikkalam, and adored Him;
	Then he mounted the royal elephant, fittingly
	Bedecked, and sat on its back; the Cera king
	Left the hoary city of Kodungkoloor the tops
	Of whose mansions touch the moist moon.				(3794)

48. 	It looked as though that the very mountains in which
	The glorious Malai Naadu abounds; moved onward.
	When rows of elephants marched on the way; the marching
	Of armed warriors looked as if the forests that bounded
	The mountains marched along with them.				(3795)

49. 	The rows of horses were like unto waves that dashed
	On the shore in their splendorous movement;
	The noisy army was like unto the roaring sea
	Where, wave after wave, moves on in quick succession;
	They filled the way-- high and low--, and the immense army
	Marched on while the earth writhed under their burden.		(3796)

50. 	As they came beyond the limits of that country
	The king gave to the ministers to return;
	The king decked with shining and beautiful jewels.
	Took with him the needed retinue, crossed the Kongku
	Country where dwelt Maravas that wielded 
	Dreadful and sharp spears, and arrived
	At the Chola realm to which even Devas
	Repaired to bathe in the Cauvery.				(3797)

51. 	Wherever he went, Siva’s serviteurs greeted the king;
	He crossed hills and forests of Kurumpars
	Who attended to all his needs; he moved on crossing Paalai
	Abounding in small and sharp stones, jungle-rivers
	And paths full of stones causing pain; on he 
	Proceeded adoring at the many shrines where the Lord
	Whose mount is the victorious Bull, abides			(3798)

52. 	He reached the bank of the peerless and divine Ponni
	And bathed in joy in its holy water; crossing
	The river he reached its northern bank; the king
	Who was poised in the boundless way of love, moved
	With a melting mind to adore the Dance of Bliss
	At redemptive Ponnambalam in Tiruppuliyoor.			(3799)

53. 	Reaching the boundary of hoary Tillai City
	He adored it; in great delight when Tillai Brahmins
	And devotees came forth to greet him, he paid
	Obeisance to them, moved in, and adored
	The divine street decked with fragrant flowers;
	His flowery hands bloomed over his crown;
	His mind rejoiced; even thus, he came before
	The rising tower of the temple.					(3800)

54. 	He prostrated on the ground before the rising tower
	Of ever-during glory; his eyes were tear-bedewed
	As he moved in; he circumambulated the beauteous court;
	He adored the divine Perambalalm
	Which invests the world with radiance,
	And came before the Tirucchitrambalam where
	The Lord-Protector of all the worlds enacts the Dance.		(3801)

55. 	When the Great Dancer who confers boundless bliss,
	Revealed to him the foot lifted for dancing, 
	His heart and sense-instruments became oned
	And melted alike; thus he prayed and was blessed
	With deliverance; he praised the mercy of the Lord
	Who while holding the poison in His throat
	Gifted away the nectar to the Devas,
	And the divinely nectarean Dance
	Of His holy feet in Tiruvambalam, to the world.			(3802)

56. 	All insatiate, though borne by an excess of desire,
	He plunged into the sea of bliss and abode there
	Willingly; by the Lord’s grace Kazharitru Arivaar--
	Whose munificent hands showered gifts like unto the nimbi
	That rained, without fail, during the season--,
	Standing under the flight of steps
	Called the Tirukkalitruppadiyaar, hymned 
	The PonVannatthiruvanthaati of rich splendour
	That the world might hail it for ever in joy;
	Thus he hailed and hymned and adored the Lord.			(3803)

57. 	When he stood before His Lord and pleased His ears
	With his garland of anaphoretic Tamil verse,
	As guerdon therefore the Lord who dances
	That the Devas may flourish, caused him to hear
	The sound of His divine Anklet which arose
	For the flourishing of the world, from His
	Uplifted and redemptive foot in the beauteous
	Tiruvambalam wrought of ruddy gold.				(3804)

58. 	the Cera that was blessed to hear the sound 
	Of the Anklet, adored the Lord, established in the great
	Beatitude of sheer bliss without bounds;
	He stood worshipping the Lord for a long time
	During all the hours of service, moved out, 
	Adored the divine street rich in beauteous mansions
	And bode without that street.					(3805)

59. 	The Cera who abode within the limits of Tillai
	Which is hailed by all, in ever-growing love
	For the Divine Dance of the Lord who dances
	In the Tiruvambalam wrought of ever-fresh gold,
	Whilst the flood and the serpent too dance in His crest,
	Stationed himself below the divine flight
	Of steps where the Vedas hail and adore the Lord,
	And worshipped the Lord-Dancer
	Day and night, and revelled in joy.				(3806)

60. 	Ever-abiding and great love reminded him of the Prince
	Of Naavaloor hearing whose hymns the Lord-Dancer
	Delayed the manifestation of the sound
	Of His Anklet, and thus graciously caused him
	To seek his friendship; so up he rose to leave
	For Tiruvaaroor, blessed with the leave of the Lord
	Whose feet are the object of Vishnu’s quest.			(3807)

61. 	He adored the bourne of divine Tillai which is
	Truly the very limit of wisdom, and blessed
	With a growing love for the sacred feet
	Of the Lord ever established inseparably in his heart,
	He proceeded to Pukali, the holy place
	Of the avatar of him who was blessed with perfect wisdom,
	And adored it; on he proceeded adoring joyously at the many
	Shrines of the Lord who sports an antelope in His hand.		(3808)

62. 	Crossing the Ponni which with its waves, tosses pearls
	Into the watery pathways, pits, fecund fields,
	Tanks teaming in flowers and eddies of deep waters,
	He reached the southern bank; he marched on,
	Adoring on his way the shrines where 
	The brow-eyed Lord willingly abides, and came
	To behold Tiruvaaror girt with fields,
	The aeviternal city which would not be washed away
	Even by the great deluge at the end of the yuga.		(3809)

63. 	Having hailed Naakai Kaaronam, Nambi Aaroorar
	Had then returned to Tiruvaaroor, blessed with jewels
	Wrought of gold and ninefold gems,
	Fragrant pate, strong steeds, a tsurugi wrought of fine gold
	And the like; thus he returned to Tiruvaaroor
	Hailing the many shrines on his way.				(3810)

64. 	When the Cera king arrived at ever-during Tiruvaaroor,
	Glad of the arrival of the Cera Lord, the lord
	Of Brahmins, Nampi Aaroorar, fared forth to meet
	And greet him; the Cera, in great longing, was
	The first to adore Van-tondar of fragrant garland.		(3811)

65. 	He too adored the king that adored him falling
	On the ground, and lifted him up; in swelling love
	When he embraced the king, the king also hugged him
	Close; they were like unto those immersed in a flood
	Of bliss, and unable to reach the shore;
	Their very bones melted and their two lives
	Came to be fused with each other; it looked
	As though that the two shared but a single body.		(3812)

66. 	When the sacred servitors witnessed their beatific
	Friendship, they experienced unbounded happiness;
	By reason of the divine mingling of the glorious friend--
	The Cera with Van-tondar in such friend-ship,
	The Prince of Munaippaadi came to be sublimely hailed by the world
	As “Ceramaan Thozhar” (the friend of the Cera).			(3813)

67. 	As they mingled each into the other, articulating
	Joyous words, they happily mused thus: “How are we
	To requite the grace of the Lord who showers such joy
	When hailed? Ceramaan Thozhar holding the Cera’s
	Roseate hand, like unto the munificent nimbus
	During the season of rain, crossed the street
	And moved into the temple to adore the Lord’s feet.		(3814)

68. 	Thus conducted, the king went in and first adored
	Devaasiriyan, circumambulated the court and moved on
	In integrated consciousness; while Nampi stood
	Before him and adored the Lord, standing behind him
	The Cera hailed the Lord; from his eyes tears rolled down
	To the earth; he fell prostrate on the ground and adored
	The feet of his Lord who is for ever sweet.			(3815)

69. 	Adoring the ankleted feet of Veethi Vitangkan
	Hailed by the Devas and munis, the flawlessly
	Glorious Cera King, in the presence of Naavaloorar
	Hailed the Lord of the Trinity, in Tirumummanikkovai
	And caused Him hear it for the well-being
	Of the world; the Lord-God approvingly heard it.		(3816)

70. 	When he rose up blessed with the grace of the merciful One
	Aaroorar moved out of the temple with him
	And conducted him to the beauteous mansion of Nagkai
	Paravaiyaar; with women holding bright-rayed lamps,
	Pots filled with holy water and garlands
	Paravaiyaar came out to the threshold to receive him.		(3817)

71. 	In the beauteous, lustrous and gem-inlaid mansion
	Nampi Aaroorar caused him to be seated on a cot
	The legs of which were wrought of fine gold; he too sat
	With him; then Paravaiyaar of flawless virtue
	Poised unswervingly in the way of niti
	As ordained by the scriptures, duly performed
	A perfect pooja to her husband and his friend.			(3818)

72. 	When the husband bade her who was like unto
	A lustre-inducing lamp, prepare a feast for the lord
	Of the Cera dynasty who was endowed with galloping steeds,
	She in all celerity cooked manifold dishes 
	Of curry and rice of such flavour that would
	Please the royal palate; she had the feast prepared
	For all the guests that came with the king.			(3819)

73. 	The dishes prepared for the serviteurs excelled
	Those that were cooked for the king; having so cooked
	The toothsome dishes, Paravaiyaar who was like unto
	The ocean-born Lakshmi, told her husband to invite
	The Cera king endowed with elephants
	To whose necks ropes were fastened,
	To partake of the nectarean food with all that came with him.	(3820)

74. 	Van-tondar of established renown in this world,
	Bade his wife thus: “O damsel whose locks are decked
	With chaplets, by reason of the tapas wrought by us
	In our past, we are blessed to feed the Cera lord
	Who has arrived here; now delay not to serve him with food.”
	Thus told, with her beauteous and sacred hands
	She laid two seats in tow different places.			(3821)

75. 	When Nampi Aaroorar invited the Cera king to eat
	In his company he shuddered, and adored him forthwith;
	Thereupon holding his long and strong hands
	When Nampi Aaroorar beseeched him, the king of Ceras
	Consented to eat in his company.				(3822)

76. 	As they sat together for the feast, Paravaiyaar
	Of lofty tapas fed them both in exceeding devotion;
	The king’s retinue also ate the food of six-fold flavour
	Joyously, with such helpings as they desired
	To their hearts’ content; thus in great delight she did
	The sacred duty of feasting the guests.				(3823)

77. 	Fragrant paste compounded of sandal wood and fragrant
	Karpoora mixed with dew, was prepared
	By the handmaidens; this they handed over
	To Paravaiyaar hailing her, along with musk as well as fresh
	Garlands; she held out to the king
	The tambool and the pancha vaasam.				(3824)

78. 	Thus was performed gloriously the Maaheswara Pooja
	Which the king accepted willingly; he received the holy ash,
	Adored it and wore it on his crown; as in love
	He could be companied with Nampi Aaroorar, the king
	Fell at the feet decked with anklets wrought of ruddy gold
	Of Nampi Aaroorar who was poised 
	In the beatitude of truly salvific servitorship.		(3825)

79. 	When the king of Malai-Naadu adored him, he reciprocated
	The adoration, and embraced him; the husband
	Or Paravaiyaar whose visage is like unto the moon
	Compact of all its digits, hailed the grace of the Lord
	Whose matted hair displays the Ganga and the waving chaplets
	Of Konrai flowers, for having conferred on him the friendship
	Of the Cera king whose victorious flag glows
	With the signum of the bow, and abode with him in joy.		(3826)

80. 	Worshipping the feet of the Lord whose bow is
	Mount Meru and who willingly abides at the Ant-Hill
	In opulent Tiruvaaroor, and adoring Lord Veethi Vitangka
	In His holy procession, in great delight they revelled
	Every day and felt blessed; thus in resplendent devotion
	They both -- the Adepts of language-- flourished. 		(3827)

81. 	While they flourished thus, Van-Tondar who wears
	Bright and beauteous adornments, prompted by grace,
	Longed to adored the blue-throated Lord-Brahmin
	In His shrines, and proceed to the great and divine city
	Of Madurai girt with fields, and situate in KanniNaadu
	And adore the Lord in such hoary cities.			(3828)

82. 	The Cera king unable to part from Nampi Aaroorar
	Desired a continuum of his company; he was also blessed
	With a divine intimation by reason of which he longed
	In soaring love, to adore the Lord-Hero of Madurai Aalavaai
	Who in the past graced him with the Tirumukham;
	So he resolved to accompany him.				(3829)

83. 	when thus the two minds grew concordant, they fared forth
	And adored the flower-feet of the One enshrined
	In Tiruvaaroor; blessed with His leave, they moved out
	And marched on; the great and privileged devotees
	And the retinue accompanied them with boundless jewels.
	Mounts, carriers and peerless wealth.				(3830)

84. 	Encircled by the hailing retinue, they adored the bourne
	Of Tiruvaaroor and crossed its out-skirts abounding
	In gardens, arrived at Keezh Velur and there adored
	The Supreme One; on they moved and came
	To Naakaippattinam rich in backwaters and sand-dunes
	As well as gardens teeming in flowers, and adored at Kaaronam. (3831)

85. 	Aaroorar adorned the Lord with a garland of splendorous
	Verse that would in love melt the minds of devotees,
	And in that he addressed the Lord thus:
	“You abide in Tirukkaaronam.” Aaroorar and the Cera king
	Sojourned there and then marched on adoring the many shrines
	Of the Lord of matted hair and arrived at Maraikkaadu
	Of the Lord who is the Primal God abounding in grace.		(3832)

86. 	They adored the shrine of the Primal Lord of Maraikkaadu
	Bounded by the main; they came to the divine threshold
	Where stood Tirunaavukarasu of salvific and truthful
	Beatitude, and Siva’s young one of Pukali, and commanded
	The doors “to open straight” and “to close shut”.
	With tears flooding from their eyes they invoked
	The twin Naayanmaar and adored them.				(3833)

87. 	They adored the Lord, the rare Ruby of aeviternal
	Maraikkaadu hailed by the holy Vedas,
	Prostrated on the ground, rose up and adored again;
	Nampi Aaroorar adorned the Lord with a divine garland
	Of Tamil verse beinning with the words:
	“Yaazhai-p-pazhitthu,” The grace abounding Cera
	recited the glorious passages from his work,
	Ponvannatthuanthaathi and revelled in joy.			(3834)

88. 	They rose up and moved out adoring the Lord;
	Both the great serviteurs sojourned in that town
	Rich in cool and fecund fields; even as they abode
	There, they visited Akatthiyaanpalli
	Situate in the south and adored its Lord whose throat
	Holds the venom of the billowy ocean; then they came
	To Kodikkoyil of the beauteous One who is crescent-crested.	(3834)

89. 	At or near about the shrine of Kodikkuzhakar he searched
	For dwelling houses and found none; he entered the shrine
	And adored the Lord’s feet; with a languishing heart
	And flower-eyes pouring tears, Aaroorar hymned a decad which opened
	Thus: “Katithaai-k-Katarkaatru.” In that decad he sang
	Of the Lord’s abiding there with Vana Durga.			(3835)

90. 	They sojourned there, and blessed with the gracious leave
	Of the Lord, they marched on adoring the shrines of Lord Hara
	In His many shrines in the Chola realm; they reached
	The Paandya country where they adored the crescent-crested
	Lord at Tirupputthoor and moved on the reached
	The hoary city of Madurai rich in cloud-capped mansions.	(3837)

91. 	When Ceramaan Thozhar and the Cera king arrived
	At Madurai, to adore in love, at Aalavaai, the Lord whose
	Garland is a serpent, the Paandya king, borne by great love,
	Had the city decorated, came forth to receive them
	And conducted them into it.					(3838)

92. 	The Chola prince having married the daughter of the Pandya
	Was already sojourning in the hoary city
	Of Madurai; he joined them, and all of them came together
	To the beauteous shrine of aeviternal Aalavaai.			(3839)

93. 	Van-tondar prostrated on the ground and made his sacred 
	Circuit of the shrine of the Lord of ruddy
	Matted hair of Tiruaalavaai, hailed the Lord
	Who blesses his devotees with traditional servitorship,
	Prostrated on the ground, rose up,
	Adorned Him with a garland of Tamil verse
	Compact of beatific glory, and thus flourished.			(3840)

94. 	The Cera king whose renown spiraled up and up
	In this world, prostrated before the Lord and mused thus:
	“Can I ever reckon the greatness of Your mercy?
	Deeming even me worthy, You deigned to send me
	The Tirumukham!” Thus he adored the Lord; his speech
	Became incoherent; standing before Him he hailed Him
	And revelled in great delight.”					(3841)

95. 	The Paandya adored the Lord with the Chola;
	When Nampi Aaroorar moved out with the Cera, in great joy
	The Paandya conducted them from the shrine
	Of the Lord of gods to his gold-bedecked palace
	And Attended to all their needs.				(3842)

96. 	During the days they abode there adoring the Lord
	In heart-felt joy, the Paandya and the Chola king frequented
	The blessed abode of Van-tondar resplendent
	With bright-rayed jewels, who was companied
	With Cera, and confabulated with them,
	And in love revelled in that togetherness;
	Madurai flourished in greater splendour.			(3843)

97. 	During that time, longing to adore the nearby shrines
	Of Lord Hara and adorn him with garlands of Tamil verse,
	With the three crowned kings whose chests were
	Decked with chains of gold and gems, he of Tirumunaippadi--
	He, the Lord of words--, arrived at Tirupoovanam.		(3844)

98. 	When proceeding near unto the ever-during town
	Of Tirupoovanam, the accompanying devotees
	Pointed to the aeviternal town; then he burst into a decad
	In praise of the Lord inaccessible to the Vedas;
	The decad opened thus: “Tiruvadiyaar.”
	Singing, “Is this Poovanam?” he hailed it, and reached it.	(3845)

99. 	Reaching Tiruppoovanam he came round the court
	Of the shrine where is joyously enshrined the Lord
	Of gods; he fell prostrate before the Lord, rose up, 
	And hailed and hymned Him standing; he moved out
	With the three victorious kings that with him adored
	The Lord, and with them all, sojourned there.			(3846)

100. 	Having sojourned there in joy, and adored the Lord,
	Aaroorar along with the three great kings returned 
	To Madurai, the queen among cities; ever hailing
	And adoring the fragrant feet of the Lord
	Of Tiru Aalavaai, he adored there in delight great.		(3847)

101. 	He visited Tiruvaappaanoor and Tiruvetakam of the Lord
	Of ruddy matted hair; he also adored the Lord
	Whose throat holds the poison, in His many shrines,
	In boundless love, and returned to Madurai girt
	With cloud-capped fortress, and abode in joy.			(3848)

102. 	With the three kings he came to Tiru-p-Perungkunru
	Of the Supreme One, and circumambulated the shrine of the Lord
	Who burnt the hostile cities; he moved in and adored
	The Lord; contemplating the formidability of servitorship
	Under the sacred feet of the Lord of matted hair
	Who wears a garland of skulls Aaroorar sang: “We are sacred.”	(3849)

103. 	He hailed the Lord with a flawless and musical decad
	Which began thus: “Kotthittai.” In the presence
	Of the three sovereigns, he melodised the bountiful decad
	And adorned the Lord with a garland of verse
	In Tiru-p-Parangkunram where Lord Sankara abides.		(3850)

104. 	The three great monarchs that ruled this vast earth
	Hearing of the formidability attendant upon the servitorship
	Of the Lord, grew scared; they adored Van-Tondar
	Whose beauteous chest displayed the sacred thread worn in unison
	With the rules of the Vedas; Aaroorar of perfect
	Tapas further desired to adore the Lord-Dancer
	In His many shrines.						(3851)

105. 	When Nampi Aaroorar fared forth to adore the nearby shrines
	With the goodly Cera of Malai Naadu, the two
	Great kings resplendent with jewels wrought of bright gems,
	Desired to return to Madurai; they ordered a retinue
	To accompany them to render unto them all needed service
	During their pilgrimage in the Paandya realm.			(3852)

106. 	When the two great kings returned to Madurai, 
	Van-tondar of peerless glory and the renowned Cera
	Moved onward adoring at the many shrines of the Holy One
	And arrived at the slopes of Kutraalam
	Where bright gems glowed with sunny splendour.			(3853)

107. 	Adoring the resounding ankleted feet of the Lord-Dancer
	Who willingly and joyously abides at Kutraalam,
	He hymned a garland of verse and hailed Him;
	He adored at Kurumpalaa; then he marched on
	Worshipping at the shrines of the Lord who wears
	A tender crescent on His crown, and arrived at opulent
	And ever-during Tirunelveli where abides the Lord
	Who, of yore, burnt the triple hostile cities.			(3854)

108. 	He adored Neetru Azhakar at Nelveli and hymned Him;
	He moved on adoring at the many shrines and reached
	Tiruviraamecchuram where abides the Lord, the Primordial
	Lord of the Vedas, who in the guise of a bowman went
	After a boar, of yore, afore victorious Arjuna.			(3855)

109. 	He adored the Great Ruby of aeviternal Rameswaram
	And adored Him with a worshipful garland of Tamil verse
	And sojourned in that town; invoking the Lord
	Of Tiru-k-Kedeeccharam of Maa Thottam (in Sri Lanka)
	Who wears as jewels in his crown the serpents,
	He hailed Him in a garland of choice Tamil verse,
	Adored Him standing as it were from this side
	Of the shore, at a great distance, and sojourned there.		(3856)

110. 	Having adored in great longing the Lord
	Of Tiruviraamecchuram, verily a glowing shoot
	Of ruddy coral splendour, he moved and marched on
	Adoring the Supreme One in His many shrines;
	With the Cera King of Malai Naadu Van-tondar then came
	To great Tirucchuzhiyal adored by the Devas
	Who would arrive there in great aerial cars to hail the Lord.	(3857)

111. 	He prostrated before the Lord of Tirucchuzhi
	Who wields a bow of the ruddy, auric mountain
	And who forfends beings for falling further
	Into the maelstrom of transmigration,
	And adorned Him, the Wearer of round chaplets
	Of konrai flowers and whose throat is stained
	With the venom churned out of the ocean, with a garland
	Of Tamil verse opening thus: “Oonaai uyir.”			(3858)

112. 	Unto Aaroorar who sojourned there adoring
	The Merciful One, the Lord appeared in a dream
	During night in the beauteous form of the Bull,
	Wielding a cendu of gold in His hand; a suzhiyam
	Adorned His beauteous head; His form divine, not to be
	Seen anywhere else, melted his very bones.			(3859)

113. 	The Lord said: “We abide at Kaanapper.”
	Then the Lord in whose crest the divine Ganga flows,
	Disappeared. Aaroorar endowed with great and gracious
	Gnosis, marveled at it and exclaimed: “This is indeed
	The grace of the Lord who wears the snake
	And the tusk of the great boar.”				(3860)

114. 	He disclosed to Kazharitru Arivaar the vision
	With which he was blessed; then adoring the feet
	Of the Holy One of Suzhiyal rich in tanks where
	Lotuses flourished, Aaroorar proceeded to Tirukkaanapper
	To adorn the Lord with the garland of verse
	Opening thus: “Thondar Adi-th-thozhalum.”			(3861)

115. 	The lord of Munaippadi in whose miry fields
	Vaalai fish leaped beside the otter that stood
	Away from men afraid to behold them,
	Singing: “Oh for the day when I will be blessed
	To behold the Lord who is the Bull!” moved on 
	Toward the presence of the Lord that would vouchsafe
	His sacred feet to the devotee for his daily hailing. 		(3862)

116. 	He reached the aeviternal and bountiful city
	Of Tirukkaanapper, circumambulated the splendorous temple
	Of the crescent-crested Lord, adored its tower, moved in
	Fell at the roseate feet of the Primal Lord and hailed
	Him in a decad of spledorous and choice Tamil verse.		(3863)

117. 	Adoring the Lord in that shrine in love insatiate,
	The glorious serviteurs sojourned there and then
	Left Kaanapper rich in cloud-capped flower-gardens
	And arrived at Tiruppunavaayil presided over by the Lord
	Of the martial Bull and of Mount Kailaas.			(3864)

118. 	They moved into the shrine of Punavaayil where the Holy One
	Willingly abides; possessed by a great desire
	Aaroorar hymned a Tamil decad compact of interrogatives
	And beginning with the words:
	“Chittha nee ninai ennodu”; they fell down prostrate
	On the ground, rose up and sojourned in that town
	Hailing the sacred feet of the Lord who, of yore,
	Peeled off the hide of the wrathful tusker.			(3865)

119. 	Adoring the many shrines of Lord Siva of Tiruppunavaayil
	On their way, and blessed with the Lord’s leave
	They crossed hills and jungles, came to the country
	Enriched by the waters of the Ponni and arrived
	At the great town of Paambani where the Lord who wields
	The mountain as His long bow, abides.				(3866)

120. 	They adored at Paathaaleeccharam and moved on adoring
	The feet o the Lord-Author of the Vedas in His
	Many shrines, and in all celerity arrived at Tiruvaaroor
	Where red aambals vanquished by the lips of beauteous belles
	Endowed with breasts like unto mangoes,
	Burgeon (only) during night.					(3867)

121. 	The devotees of Tiruvaaroor came forth for greet
	The Prince of Navaloor who returned thither
	With the king of the Cera dynasty; they too paid
	Obeisance to the greeting devotees in soaring love;
	Then they moved into the shrine of the Lord, borne
	By swelling ardour to come by the great beatitude
	Of rendering willing worship to Him.				(3868)

122. 	Circumambulating the temple where the Lord who wears
	Fragrant Konrai flowers, abides in love, they adored
	In devotion before His presence; they hailed
	The Lord during the long hours of pooja; Aaroorar
	Hymned Him longingly with His grace; worshipping
	The shrine of the Lord who snaps the bondage
	Of the twyfold deed, they moved out of the shrine.		(3869)

123. 	The retinue reached in advance the divine mansion
	Of Paravaiyaar who decorated it in rich and great
	Splendour; she came before them, greeted them
	And fell at their feet; Vantondar conducting
	The king of Malai-Naadu, entered the golden mansion.		(3870)

124. 	As they stepped in, Paravaiyaar hailed and adored them;
	Then she of melliferous words, the very pink of perfection,
	Arranged for the cooking of nectarean rice and many
	Varieties of curries; she set for them the tripods
	Over which cloth was spread; lamps were lit and set
	In due order; thus she fed the two and their retinues.		(3871)

125. 	The auspicious Maaheswara poojas were duly performed
	By her; these they accepted in delight great; they abode
	Thither in joy adoring the Lord during all
	The splendorous hours of pooja and moved
	Out of the temple; never forgetful of the Lord’s grace
	They engaged themselves in goodly sport.			(3872)

126. 	The two played nilai-ch-chendu and pari-ch-chendu
	In great delight; they witnessed joyously
	The formidable alectryomachy in which cocks whose
	Legs were armed with knives, fought for victory,
	And also the various fights between
	Wild and puissant fowls; witnessing these
	They abode at Tiruvaaroor. 					(3873)

127. 	Many days rolled on in ever-increasing joy;
	The king of Kerala whose munificence knows no deception,
	Adored and beseeched night and day the husband
	Of Paravaiyaar to accompany him to his Malai-Naadu
	Bounded by the sea; Aaroorar agreed to go with him.		(3874)

128. 	Aaroorar was ready to proceed on the journey
	As Nangkai Paravaiyaar willingly gave her consent;
	He adored the crescent-crested Lord for the divine grace
	Thus granted to him; Seramaan Perumaan duly performed
	Pooja to all the servitors of that realm;
	Then the great two moved into Poongkoyil to invoke
	The Lord’s blessing for their great undertaking.		(3875)

129. 	Thus they adored the Lord and was graced by Him;
	The servitors joined them; Nampi Aaroorar and Kazharitru
	Arivaar, the king of the goodly Cera country
	And the wearer of the crown wrought of fine gold,
	Then rose up for their journey; adoring Tiruvaaroor
	Girt with immense walls decked with gold,
	They marched westward.						(3876)

130. 	They proceeded along the southern bank of the Cauvery
	Which flowed rolling down gold and scattering gems
	In its vast waters; adoring on their way at the many
	Shrines where Siva abides willingly, they arrived
	At Tiru-k-Kandiyoor dear to the Merciful One
	Of fulgurant and matted hair; with melting minds
	They adored the Lord and moved out of the temple.		(3877)

131. 	When he beheld Tiruvaiyaaru on the northern bank, his life
	And limb melted; he folded his flower-hands above his
	Head; he longed to adore the Lord’s hallowed feet,
	Linked to him in redemption, by crossing the flooding
	Cauvery which was like unto a spreading sea.			(3878)

132. 	Ceramaan Perumaan from whom, the Goddess of Wealth
	Never parts, beholding Tiruvaiyaaru adored it
	And addressed Aaroorar thus: “To reach Tiruvaiyaru
	And adore the Lord whose throat holds the venom,
	My mind melts in yearning; let us cross this river
	And proceed to adore the Lord.”					(3879)

133. 	The river was in spate; its swelling water clashed
	Against both the banks and rose up in the sky
	Defying the plying of bark or boat; adoring the feet
	Of the Lord-Dancer whose divine frame is besmeared
	With the holy ash, Aaroorar who was privileged
	To pass through any path, unable to contain himself,
	Began to hymn the Lord.						(3880)

134. 	His divine decad opened thus.” “Paravum parisu.”
	At the  end of each verse, in great impassioned love
	He addressed the Lord that wears the serpent, thus:
	“Aiyaaru Udaiya Adikalo!” It was thus Van-tondar stood
	There and adoringly melodised his divine decad
	Of splendorous glory.						(3881)

135. 	In hoary Tiruvaiyaaru, the Lord that dances pervasively
	In the Ambalam, abides; invoking Him, Aaroorar cried: “Olam!”
	The cry that emanated from his integrated consciousness, 
	The cry that was like unto the mother-cow’s which heard
	The call of its calf that stood prevented from reaching it, 
	Was heard by all beings --- animate and inanimate--;
	At this, the river parted and revealed a passage.		(3882)

136. 	The flooding river that swelled sky-high, stood firmly
	Like a crystal hill on the west; on the east where
	The water had drained, the parted and goodly way,
	Made soft with the spread of cool sand, was revealed;
	The serviteurs that beheld this, rained tears from their eyes;
	The hair on their thrilled bodies stood erect;
	Folding their hands above their heads they adored the Lord.	(3883)

137. 	Ceramaan Perumaan fell at the feet of Aaroorar,
	And Navaloor, the wearer of golden sacred thread on his
	Beauteous chest, reciprocating the obeisance, said:
	“Behold the grace of the Lord vouchsafed to you!”
	In joy they hailed the Lord and moved into the midst
	Of the vast Cauvery.						(3884)

138. 	The Prince Of Naavaloor--the wielder of redemptive words--,
	And the Cera king, with the retinues attached to them,
	Fared forth through the flawless sandy passage
	Vouchsafed to them by their Lord, and crossed the river;
	They came before the Lord of the five rivers
	Fell prostrate before Him, rose up and hailed Him.		(3885)

139. 	They hailed the compassion of the Merciful One
	In love insatiate; plunged as it were, in devotion, they
	Adored Him; then they prostrated before their Lord
	And blessed with His grace, moved out; they passed
	Through the midst of the river as before, and when
	They reached the other side, the water that stood
	Like a great mountain, began to spread and rush amain.		(3886)

140. 	Marvelling much at the miracle, they hailed the grace
	Of the Lord of Aiyaaru from the other bank of the river;
	They prostrated on the ground in adoration, rose up
	And moved westward adoring and hailing the lord
	Who wears the white crescent in His matted hair
	At His other shrines; thus Tiru Aaroorar reached
	The splendorous country of the Kongku with the Cera king.	(3887)

141. 	When they crossed the Kongku country and came to the bourne
	Of Malai-Naadu, the dwellers o that realm felt happy
	As the friend of their king who was the Lord’s own companion
	Was coming there along with their king;
	They gathered in their strength, received them
	And felt delighted.						(3888)

142. 	Toranas were hung in all towns everywhere; at the sides
	Of the towns stood flower-gardens; over the way shady pandals
	Were erected; in all houses, the smoke of eagle wood
	Rose up like clouds; rivers ran with heaps of flowers;
	At their sides were shored up gold and gems in wealthy heaps;
	Drums were sounded everywhere;
	The earth was damasked thick with flowers;
	Thus they bedecked all the places.				(3889)

143. 	Manifold glories filled all the directions; the ministers
	Joined the king’s armies; maned steeds marched in rows;
	Strong-necked tuskers stood in order;
	The elephants beautifully bedecked were legion;
	Heaps and heaps of food were stored everywhere
	(For free feeding); beholding these, the two immersed
	In joy, moved on and arrived at Kodungkoloor.			(3890)

144. 	The entrance to the fortress of Kodangkaloor was decked
	With ornaments; the towers in the streets which rose up
	To the stars, the mansions, the pavilions, the cool roads,
	The great royal cities and the theatres were decorated
	In variform ways; long chains closely knit to gems,
	Areca bounces, dangling garlands and the like
	In manifold ways bedecked the places in serried order.		(3891)

145. 	Thus, even thus, the dwellers of the city came forth
	To receive them; in the innumerable theatres danseuses
	Who wore fish-like ear-rings, sang and danced; thus were they
	Received into the beauteous streets; without entering
	The palace of lofty turrets, they moved on; the Cera king
	Conducted the peerless serviteur to Tiruvanjaikkalam.		(3892)

146. 	Aaroorar circumambulated the beauteous court
	Of the Lord’s temple, moved before his presence in full
	And perfect devotion, prostrated before Him and rose up;
	He duly hailed the Lord with a divine decad which
	Opened thus: “Maduppathu Gangai”; thus he hailed
	The crescent-crested Lord and adored Him in the company 
	Of Ceramaan Perumaan.						(3893)

147. 	He adored the Lord and borne by that joy moved out;
	On a she-elephant decorated for procession, the Cera,
	To the hailing of all the world, had Aaroorar seated,
	And he himself sat behind him whisking the flawless
	And beauteous chamaras; as they proceeded towards
	The beauteous palace decked with adornments of fine gold.
	The citizens who stood on both sides of the street said:	(3894)

148. 	“Lo, for our king and lord, Nampi is a great friend!
	What indeed is the aeviternal askesis we have
	Wrought in the past to adore him! What else does
	Our Malai Naadu need henceforth by way of wealth!
	Behold the act of the king! It is truly ineffable!”		(3895)

149.	They scattered profusely flowers, puffed rice,
	And gold dust, and bowed before him; marveling they
	Said: “The country of the Ponni from which he hails, is indeed
	The tilaka of the world!” As such words
	Of praise from all sides reached them, they moved
	Into the beautiful vestibule of the palace where
	Steeds and tuskers teemed, and got down.			(3896)

150. 	The holy Kazharitru Arivaar conducted him--the lord
	Of scriptures whose shoulders were beauteous (and broad)
	Like the drum--, into the festive palace, and had Aaroorar
	Whose adornments irradiated in all directions,
	Seated on the throne, and humbly stood before him.		(3897)

151. 	When the king’s devis were about to pour out fragrant
	And holy water from pots wrought of ruddy gold and the Cera
	Was preparing to wash the beauteous and auric
	Feet of Aaroorar, he witdrew his feet and said:
	“Oh, this is not proper.” Then the king fell down prostrate
	On the floor and beseeched him thus: “Be pleased
	To accept all our adorations befitting our love.”		(3898)

152. 	Thus entreated by the Cera King, he would not press
	His refusal; Nampi Aaroorar who was great by reason
	Of his abiding love merely witnessed all the acts of the lord
	Of the Ceras, who was endowed with broad and victorious
	Shoulders; after he duly performed all the great
	And rare rituals of the pooja, Aaroorar partook
	Of nectarean food with the Cera who ruled
	Under a white parasol like unto the peerless full moon.		(3899)

153. 	After the feast, the Cera king flexing his hand,
	Decked Aaroorar with pleasingly fragrant sandal-paste
	Mixed with musk, vestments, adornments set with precious gems,
	Cool and fragrant and soft flower-garlands and the like;
	The leavings were treasured by the king
	As (holy prasaad) for his use.					(3900)

154. 	The Cera Perumaakkothaiyaar arranged for goodly
	Musical concerts and dance-performances;
	He had pleasing entertainments performed by the lasses
	During all the hours; he took Aaroorar to the nearby
	Flower-gardens thither to spend their time; thus the Cera
	Gladdened the heart of the Prince of Munaippaadi.		(3901)

155. 	The Cera king caused Nampi Aaroorar to witness
	The joyous game of cendu; he provided him with glorious
	And manifold dishes; he made him behold water-sports
	Performed in flowery tanks where chafers hummed, the fight
	Between hill-like and strong-necked tuskers
	Of triple ichor and wrathful wrestling too.
	Thus, even thus, he gladly entertained Aaroorar.		(3902)

156. 	While so, one day, as the mind of the Prince of Navaloor
	Dwelt on the hallowed feet of the Lord of the Devas
	That rules Tiruvaaroor, he was struck with fear;
	He hymned a divine decad in which he affirmed thus:
	“Can I ever forget my Life, the Lord of Aaroor?”		(3903)

157. 	Thinking of Tiruvaaroor, he resolved thus:
	“I will fare forth and adore the Lord thither.”
	When with the loving serviteurs he rose up
	For his journey, the great Cera king of inseparable
	Friendliness, with his mind inly melting,
	Folded his hands above his head in adoration,
	And desired to follow him, unable to bear parting.		(3904)

158. 	He came before Van-tondar, suffering as it were
	An emotional break-down, and said: “This day,
	I canst not bear your parting; what am I to do?”
	Then Aaroorar spake thus: “May you not grieve at all;
	Abide in your city and reign from there quelling
	All your foes in war.”						(3905)

159. 	When Aaroorar spake thus, the Cera king who graciously
	Listened to him, said: “Unto me the sovereignty
	Of Heaven and earth is truly your flawer-feet;
	Yet I dare not forfend your mind-borne love
	Which impels you to proceed to Tiruvaaroor
	In whose long and spacious streets, cars ply.”			(3906)

160. 	When the King so spake, Van-tondar replied thus:
	“I, a cruel-hearted filcher, cannot abide here
	In utter forgetfulness of the Lord of Aaroor who is
	The dear Life of my life; by the sweet grace
	Of the crescent-crested Lord, you stay here poised in kingship.”(3907)

161. 	He then bowed his assent to Aaroorar; he sent
	For his ministers and commanded them thus: “Have all
	The manifold wealth which has till today accumulated
	In the great and goodly treasury of this beauteous
	And hoary city packed in bundles and have them
	Brought here, borne by many men.”				(3908)

162. 	Thus commanded, the ministers had all the heaps
	Of riches, highly-priced gold, ninefold gems, jewels
	Set with dazzling gems, varieties of vestments,
	Rich aromatics and the like, collected till that day,
	Packed in goodly and convenient bundles and had them
	Brought through carries, and filled the place.			(3909)

163. 	Van-tondar had all the immense wealth carried
	By his retinue and bade them proceed ahead of him;
	The divine lord of Munaippaadi paid obeisance
	To the Cera who had fallen at his golden feet,
	Adoringly lifted him up, embraced close the garlanded
	And hill-like shoulders of the king and gave him
	Leave to abide there.						(3910)

164. 	Having given him leave, Aaroorar left the city;
	Crossing the cloud-capped Malai Naadu, numberless
	Stony wildernesses, jungle-rivers flooding with water
	And long stretches of forests, he arrived at the way
	Leading to Tirumurukanpoondi of ever-abiding glory.		(3911)

165. 	“It is We who should give gold to Nampi; We will not
	Suffer him accept it from any one else; so We will
	Seize it and give it back to him in abounding grace.”
	Did the Lord-Rider of the martial Bull think so?
	We know not His intent.
	When Aaroorar came near Tirumurukanpoondi.			(3912)

166. 	The Lord willed that His victorious Bootha-Hosts,
	In the guise of bowmen, should seize the wealth brought
	By Van-tondar; so by the grace of the Lord who burnt the triple
	Hostile cities, the Bhootha Hosts lay in ambush on both sides
	Of the way through which he was to com and wrathfully
	Sprang up, as an army of bowmen.				(3913)

167. 	They bent their bows and fixed the sharp-headed darts
	On the powerful strings and shouted: “Drop your bundles
	And quit; otherwise we will slaughter you.”
	This said, they rifled the earth with their arrows
	And seized the limitless wealth; robbed of the wealth
	The retinue ran helter-skelter and reached
	Aaroorar in great distress.					(3914)

168. 	The bowmen came not near Aaroorar; they moved away
	By the grace of the Lord in whose ruddy matted hair
	The Ganga flows, and reached Tirumurukanpoondi to which
	Aaroorar (later) repaired; seeking the temple
	Of the Lord of the young and martial Bull,
	Aaroorar came to that town.					(3915)

169. 	Folding his hands he adored the temple of the merciful
	One, bowed before the cloud-capped, tall and divine tower,
	Circumambulated the court in soaring love and came before
	The divine presence of the crescent-crested Lord.		(3916)

170. 	Folding his hands above his head in melting love
	Van-tondar fell down prostrate before the Lord concorporate
	With Uma, and hymned a decad which opened thus:
	“Koduku venjilai.” In this decad he questioned Him thus:
	“Wherefore do You abide near a wild forest where 
	Fearsome and waylaying bowmen abound?”				(3917)

171. 	As he thus hymned and hailed the Lord, by His grace
	Who is the Supreme Ens, the bowmen who had seized
	All the precious things, heaped them sky-high
	Before the tall and beauteous temple entrance; beholding this,
	He adored the Lord in His divine presence;
	Thus by the grace of the Lord-Dancer he took them all
	(As the Lord’s own gift).					(3918)

172. 	He bade the carriers to proceed ahead; then he
	Adored the Lord whose throat holds the poison,
	And blessed with His leave moved out; he crossed
	The Kongku realm, and borne by truthful love
	He hastened to and arrived at Tiruvaaroor
	Girt with fertile fields of paddy and sugarcane.		(3919)

173. 	The Cera king who took leave of the lord of bards
	For ever fixing his thought on aaroorar who was oned
	With his life in sheer friendship, and abiding
	At Makothai bounded by flowery gardens
	Where chafers hummed in joy, wielded
	His impartial sceptre over the Malai Naadu.			(3920)

174. 	The Cera King who reigned thus, later rode on his
	Royal steed and reached aeviternal and divine Kailaas
	Even before Aaroorar could arrive thither borne
	By the musty hill-like tusker; this happened when
	Our Lord Van-tondar left the Ponni counry
	Of foison and came to Makothai; this divine act
	Of the Cera, we will relate later.				(3921)

175. 	We adore the feet of the king of the divine realm
	Full of mountains, the Cera king of the vast, sea-like
	Army wielding the banner of the bow, and thus blessed,
	We proceed to narrate the glory of Gananaathar
	Of renowned Kaazhi in whose long and spacious
	Streets rich in beauteous mansions,
	The great Vedas and the allied scriptures are cultivated.	(3922)

----------------

NOTES

Verse No.
   
   1.	Malai-Naadu: Kerala.  This region is Siva’s own.  “Malai Naadudaiya Manne 
	Potri!” (Hail the Lord of Malai-Naadu) are the words of St. Manickavaachakar.

	Kodungkoloor: Also known as Mahotai.  It was the capital of the Cera kings 
	Tiruvanjaikkalam is its sacred shrine.

   5. 	Perumaakkothaiyaar: One of the names of our Naayanaar.

  10. 	The ruling king becomes a recluse.  A tapaswi is greater than any monarch.

  13.	Our Naayanaar did not seek kingship as he thought that it would be an 
	impediment to his servitorship.  He would yet accept it if only Siva assured 
	him that kingship would not clash with servitorship.

  14.	The assurance sought for, is now our Naayanaar’s 

17-18.	This forms the message of the twelfth sutra of the Sivagnaanabhodam.

  19.	Well,..... by grief: This is a lesson in psychology.  A citizen should never give 
	room to anything that would mislead a man in power.  According  to phenomenal 
	reckoning, the Cera was misled.  However the king himself was happy as he 
	was provided with an opportunity to behold the lovable guise of the holy ash.
 
  24.	Siva-pooja: All the five great elements contribute to the glory of Siva.  Flowers, 
	leaves, sandalwood-paste, food etc., are the products of earth; ablutions with 
	water, milk, coconut-water etc., are the products of water; camphor, lamp, (sheen 
	of) gold, gems etc., are symbolic of fife; holy fumigation, waving of chaamara 
	etc., are made possible by air; ringing of bells, playing of instruments and hailing 
	with hymn and song and solemn strain are made possible through space.  It is 
	thus the Lord is magnified by the five great elements.

		As a guerdon of his perfect pooja, the king was blessed to hear daily, 
	sometime before the conclusion of his pooja, the anklet-sound of the dancing Lord. 
	The dancing Lord adored by our Naayanaar is installed in the shrine of 
	Tiruvanjaikkalam. Underneath the icon is inscribed in Tamil: “Tiruvanjaikkalam 
	Sabhapati”.

	According to the Tiruvunityaar the way to Nataraja is paved through the sound of 
	His anklet.

  28.	Two alone were blessed to become the bearers of cadjan leaves which bore the 
	calligraphy of Lord Siva.  One was Darumi that was attached to Aalavaai and the 
	other was Bhaana Bhatra, also attached to Aalavaai.

42-43.	He is Naayanaar who is rather ready to die than survive, unapproved by Lord Siva.

  44.	The reason for the Lord’s cunctation is itself constitutive of a Siva-lila.  Our 
	Naayanaar should be made to meet St. Sundarar who had already sung of him. 
	In his Tirutthonda-th-Thokai Vantondar had hailed him thus: “I am also a servitor 
	of Kazharitru Arivaar -- the one of nimbus - like munificence.”  Verses 27 to 38 
	speak of his munificence.  Vide also verses 161 - 163.

  50.	Crossed the Kongku. . .  spears: See verses 166 - 167.

  56.	The Pon Vannatthiruvantaati forms part of the Eleventh Tirumurai.

  66.	Ceramaan Thozhar: Nambi Aaroorar who is Tambiran Thozhar is now become 
	Ceramaan Thozhar also.  It is a unique coincidence that a Cera king also bears the 
	name Tambiran.

  67.	Vide Notes for verse 44.

  69.	The Tirumummanikkovai is also part of the Eleventh Tirumurai.

  75.	“Saathikall Neriyil thappaa” are the words of St. Sekkizhaar.

 104.	The formidability attendant upon servitorship:

		“Pal oozhikkaalam payindra Aranai archikkil
		Nal oozh satre’ nakum.”

	[Aeons spent in trained adoration of Hara just marks the commencement of 
	the Saivite way of life.]

 113.	It is one of the several instances indicative of Siva’s supreme concern for 
	St. Sundarar.

 125.	Women too were entitled to perform  Maaheswara Pooja.

 126.	The two friends, one a king and the other brought up by a king, indulged in 
	kingly sport and pastime.

	Pari-ch-chendu, it is guessed, is akin to polo.

134-138.Miracles of this type are met with in the Holy Bible.

 150.	had Aarooran.... On the throne: The highest honour that a king can accord 
	to one revered by him.

151-152.The devotion of the king for St. Sundarar knows no bounds.  See also. 153.

154-155.It is thus, even thus, the Prince of Naavaloor is entertained by the king 
	of Kerala.

 165.	This verses is full of significance.  It is suffused with anthropomorphism which 
	heightens bhakti.  Vide verse 170.

 171.	The receipt of gifts stands routed through the Deity.

 174.	The Cera King: In a discussion with Dr. Karan Singh I learnt of his disposition. 
	The great Doctor is all admiration for the Naayanmaar.  He is particularly attached 
	to Ceramaan Perumaan Naayanar He asked me: “Is this because I happen to be 
	a Kshatriya?” I said: “Perhaps.”

		The Periya Puranam has a way of winning devotees.  Suppose the fall of 
	a bucket into a well the bottom of which is miry.  How do we retrieve it.  We drop 
	into the well a grapnel-like instrument with many hooks.  As you move the instrument 
	in the bottom of the well, the bucket gets attached to one of its hooks, and then it 
	is lifted up.  The Periya Puranam is such an instrument.  It has as many as 63 hooks. 
	These get attached to the things (souls) lying in the miry bottom (worldly existence). 
	It is thus, even thus, souls get retrieved.  A Velaala devotee gets attached to a 
	Velaala Naayanaar; a Brahmin like me gets attached to a Brahmin Naayanaar who 
	swears by a Velaala Naayanaar; a Kshatriya devotee gets attached to a Kshatriya 
	Naayanaar and so on and so forth.  It is thus the Puranam play the role of a Saviour.

			Here ends the Puranam of Kazharitru Arivaar Naayanaar

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