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Home > Scriptures & Stotras > Prayers in English > Periyapuranam English poetry
The Puranam of Moorkka Nayanar
(mUrkka nAyanAr purANam - Periyapuranam as English poetry)
"I am a servitor of Moorkkar also."
- The Tiru-th-Tonda-th-Tokai.
1. In the great, fertile and ever-during Tondai Naadu
Is Tiruverkaadu in whose theatres during fetes
And festivals, lightning-waisted lasses and streamers
Dance; in its tanks the pens that swim there, dance
On blown lotuses; this goodly town is situate
On the bank of the Paali of white billows which
Throw into the fields goodly pearls. (3618)
2. Unto the Lord of ruddy matted hair who, in grace,
Gave the nectar for the celestials to drink, whilst
He himself ate the venom, and who in joy abides
At Tiruverkaadu girt with fort-like walls decked with
Ruddy gold, a Velaala-clan on this earth owed
Traditional allegiance and never once swerved
From its loyalty; he was indeed its chief. (3619)
3. Hailing from the race of flawless tradition, he grew up,
And from his age of discretion he became
Aware of the truth that the way of the holy ash
Of the Primal Lord alone invests life with meaning.
He prepared food for the loving devotees; he would
Feast them and then alone would take his food;
This became his unswerving way of life. (3620)
4. He would prepare pure rice, ghee, sweets and savoury
Curries, welcome the devotees that sought him,
Praise them, feast them in great love, give them all
What they sought and thus throve
In such sweet service, every day. (3621)
5. While he throve thus, as many devotees flocked to him,
All his possessions were sold and spent
On feeding; he also sold domains to which slaves
Were permanently attached, and movables too
And continued to feed the devotees;
His mind in this respect knew no contentment. (3622)
6. Then came the days when he was possessed of nothing
To feed the devotees; he grew indigent and wilted;
He tried to earn by dicing, which fine art he had
Mastered in the past; however there was none in that town
Who would come forward to play; so he left that town. (3623)
7. He came to the shrines whose Lord-Rider of the Bull goes
Abegging, and in love, he adored the Lord, with a melting heart;
With the income from his art of gambling, he performed daily
His service and thus marched on, to arrive
At Tirukkudanthai in a few days, where the Lord
That smote the hostile cities with the bow, abides. (3624)
8. For the purpose of feeding the devotees
Of the blue-throated Lord and to gain therefor
The wherewithal, in famous Kudanthai’s gaming houses,
He threw the rolling dice and came by money;
He deemed all the lucre to be the Lord’s own grace,
Fed His devotees and felt happy. (3625)
9. He would lose in the initial play and make his rival
Gain money; but in all subsequent play
He would repeatedly win and come by great money;
He would stab them with his sword that tried to cheat
Him with deceptious words; thus he, the good gambler,
Came to be known as Moorkkar in this fourfold world. (3626)
10. By reason of his flawless consciousness he would cause
The cooks straight take away the gains of gambling;
He would not touch them with his hands;
Thus would he cure them of their blemish; then
He would feast all loving devotees, batch after batch;
He would eat only in the last batch without giving
Any room for flaw or fault; thus he thrived. (3627)
11. In love would he daily treat the Lord’s devotees
To sumptuous food; by reason of such gracious act
Freed of flaws, when he quit this world, he entered
And abode at the world where Siva dances
As the circling Bhootas sing melodiously. (3628)
12. We adore the ankleted feet of Moorkkar, the great
Gambler and devotee great, who with the proceeds
Of his gambling won against gamblers,
Fed the devotees of the blue-throated Lord,
And now proceed to celebrate the greatness
Of Somaasi Maarar of scriptural glory. (3629)
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NOTES
See Introduction and Supplement.
Here ends the Puranam of Moorkka Naayanaar
Sincere thanks to Sri. T N Ramachandran of thanjavur, for permitting his English rendering of the holy text periyapurANam be published here.
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