Home > Scriptures & Stotras > Prayers in English > Periyapuranam English poetry

			"I am a devotee of all bhaktas that adore the Lord."
		
							- The Tiru-th-Tonda-th-Tokai.

1. 	Whenever they behold (any of) the devotees of the Lord,
	Feeling humble and shy, they hail them in great joy;
	Love-borne they seek the devotees, even as the calf
	Seeks its mother-cow, and speak to them in all humility
	With words all compact of sweetness.					(4147)

2. 	When they happen to witness anywhere the flawless pooja
	Unto Sambu performed by devotees, whoever they be--,
	They gain at once the sat-bhaavana and gracious look
	Of such worshippers in the presence of many;
	By reason of their rare love and devotion, they are
	Loftier than the loftiest.						(4148)

3. 	They will, in soaring joy and insatiable devotion, render
	Willing pooja to the Merciful One and His devotees;
	They possess such tapas which links them to the feet
	Unattainable even by Brahma throned on Lotus
	And Vishnu whose bed is the Snake.					(4149)



4. 	“Whatever acts the body does, let them be invested
	With the competency to reach the lotus-feet of the Lord whose
	Flag sports the Bull.” With this, their cherished ideal,
	They render their service to the Lord whose ear is decked
	With a white Kuzhai; they will not slip
	Into uterus--the pit of transmigration;
	The whole world is no match for their glory.				(4150)

5. 	The will ever listen to the holy lilas of Sankara;
	Their love for the Merciful One is limitless; by reason
	Of their love--unbeknown to others--, for the Lord
	Who willingly wears on His beauteous crown the river Ganga,
	The crescent moon and konrai flowers, they are privileged
	To reach the Lord’s feet, like unto the red lotus-flower. 		(4151)

6. 	They hail the Lord alone, melt in devotion, and feeling
	Exceedingly joyous, their very speech becomes incoherent;
	The great flood of tears cascading down, washes
	Away the flawless holy ash applied to their chests
	The hair on their bodies stands erect in thrilled ecstasy;
	For ever modest and shy, their bodies are ever atremble;
	They are full of virtue true.						(4152)

7. 	These are service-minded devotees endowed
	With a perfect consciousness who never once at any time--
	Whether standing, sitting, lying, walking,
	Eating, sleeping, waking or winking--,
	Forget the flower-feet that dance in the Ambalam.			(4153)

8. 	Poised in the tapaswic servitorship to Sankara
	They flawlessly enjoy themselves with the fruit thereof;
	Their glory invests the world with resplendence;
	They adore the feet of the Merciful One--the Lord
	Of Tiruvaaroor--, and in devotion which for ever swells
	In their chittha- -, they as true bhaktas hail the Lord.		(4154)

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

NOTES

Verse No.

   1.	Even as the calf. . . . mother-cow: The love of the mother-cow for its 
	newly-delivered calf is unique.  Vatsa means calf.  The Lord is Bhaktavatsala 
	i.e., the Lord who is the Mother of devotees.  His love for his devotees is 
	likened to the mother-cow’s love for its newly-delivered calf.

   2.	True devotees gain with ease at-one-ment with the Lord.

   3.	Merciful One: The Sivagnaana Siddhiyaar affirms that all the acts of Siva are 
	fraught with mercy which is grace.

   4.	These devotees have dedicated themselves totally to their Lord.

   5.	These either sing the Lord’s glory or listen to it.

   6.	They are full of virtue true: According to Mahamuni Milton, “If virtue feeble were, 
	Heaven itself would stoop to her.”

   7.	Every act of the devotee is a demonstration of his love for the Lord.

   8.	tapaswic servitorship: Tapas, according to Siva Siddhanta, is constitutive of 
	charya, kriya, yoga and gnaana.  The fruit of tapas is flawless life.


			Here ends the Puranam of Pattharaai-p-Panivaar

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

See Also:
1. paththarAip paNivAr purANam in English prose
2. பத்தராய்ப் பணிவார் புராணம் (தமிழ் மூலம்)
3. thiruththoNDar purANam main page
4. 12 shaivite thirumuRais