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		"I am a servitor of Poosal of Ninravoor, whose lips
		Ever articulate the eternally glorious Vedas." 
		
						- The Tiru-th-Tonda-th-Tokai.

1. 	We now narrate the memorable history of Poosalaar
	Of Ninravoor who desired to build a temple for the Lord
	That burnt the triple hostile citadels; he was however
	Without the requisite wherewithal so he resolved thus: “It would
	Be great to build a temple out of pure consciousness.”
	Lo, he built a goodly temple in his mind.			(4171)

2. 	In Tondai Naadu of this world, for ever glorious
	And lofty in righteousness, is a hoary town, the abode
	Of the four Vedas which confer weal and well-being;
	It is Tiruninravoor abounding in the ever-during
	Wealth of piety in which are poised the righteous
	And perfect Brahmins of lofty lineage.				(4172)

3. 	He came to be born in that town for the flourishing
	Of the rare Vedic tradition; all his thoughts
	Bred by chinta, were dedicated to the Lord’s feet;
	He swerved not from the path of devotion;
	He grew fostered by that waxing devotion
	And shone with exceedingly conscientious splendour--
	Generative of the import of Truth.				(4173)

4.	He resolved thus: “Rendering service to the Lord
	And His serviteurs alone befits me.”
	So coming by wealth through proper and possible means
	He gave it away to the devotees; then he resolved
	To build a temple for the joyous enshrining of the Lord
	In whose matted hair, Ganga of deep waters, flows;
	He did not at all think of his lack. 				(4174)

5. 	He mentally went over the places where he could
	Get abundant wealth; he painstakingly sought after it;
	He could not however come by even al little; so he
	Sorely languished thinking: “What am I to do?”
	Then he resolved to build it in his mind; he gathered
	The needed wherewithal bit by small bit.
	And stored them all in his mind.				(4175)



6. 	The materials apart, he mentally searched for
	And commandeered the masons and the sculptors;
	He fixed the auspicious day and the hour too
	For commencing the work of building the temple;
	He laid the foundation-stone in comformity
	With the Aagamic rules; in love and devotion
	He proceeded with the building of the temple
	Even during night, without sleep.				(4176)

7. 	He completely planned in his mind the base line,
	The base and the basement and also the basal
	Construction of the gopura; so too he devised
	The many picturesque tiers, one upon the other;
	He also fixed the top of the vimaana in unison
	With the prescribed cubit-measurement; thus,
	Even thus, for many many days on end,
	He plied himself in the work of completing
	The temple in his mind.						(4177)

8. 	He fixed the stupa; he did the plastering and made
	The picturesque decorations, he had a well dug out;
	He built the great walls within and without the temple;
	He excavated a tank; he reared all else, needed
	For the temple; the auspicious and fitting day
	For consecrating the shrine drew near.				(4178)

9. 	While so, the Kaatavar king had in Kacchi built
	A temple of granite, making extensive and rich
	Endowments therefore; on the day preceding the day fixed
	By him for consecrating the shrine of the deity who is unknown
	To Vishnu, the Lord who wears petalled konrai flowers,
	Appeared in his dream during night, and said:			(4179)

10. 	“On the morrow We move into the great and goodly
	Temple built by the devotee--Poosal; lo!
	He planned it and built it over many many days;
	So you have the consecration-ceremony done
	On any day after tomorrow.” This said,
	The Lord who wears in His matted hair konrai flowers
	Departed from his to move into the devotee’s temple.		(4180)

11. 	When the Holy One who (ever) proclaims the glory
	Of His servitor, graced him thus, he woke up;
	The puissant king then resolved thus: “I must
	Behold him and pay obeisance to him who has
	Rendered such holy service.” With spiraling love
	He proceeded to Ninravoor girt with gardens.			(4181)

12. 	Reaching the town he enquired of the people who came
	To him, thus: “Where indeed is the temple built
	By the devotee--Poosal?” To this they answered:
	“Here is no temple built by Poosal.”
	Thereupon the king spake thus: “May all Brahmins
	Poised in truth be pleased to come hither.”			(4182)

13. 	When the earthly celestials called on the king,
	He asked them: “Who many this flawless Poosalaar be?”
	Then all the Brahmins replied thus: “He is 
	A blemishless Brahmin of this town.” Then the king,
	The wielder of a fearsome spear would not tell
	Them to call him thither; he himself proceeded
	To the presence of the Lord’s devotee.				(4183)

14. 	The king who came and beheld the serviteur, adored him
	And said: “Where is the temple you have built
	To be hailed by the dwellers in all
	The eight directions? Coming to know, by the grace 
	Of the Lord who sports an eye in His forehead,
	That this day is the day of the consecration of the shrine
	Of the deity who is the Lord of the celestials, I have
	Come here, to behold you and adore your feet.”			(4184)

15. 	When he listened to the king, the servitor looked at
	The king in bewilderment, and said: “Ha! The Lord
	Had deemed even me as worthy and graced me.
	For lack of the wherewithal, I but built a temple
	Here in my mind.” Then he explained to the king
	How he planned and built the temple in his mind.		(4185)

16. 	Hearkening to his words, the king was struck with wonder;
	Thus he exclaimed: “Behold the glory of the servitor
	Endowed with a flawless chinta!” Even thus he hailed him
	And with his fragrant garland touching the ground
	He fell down prostrate and adored him. This done, the king
	With his army that marched to the beat of drums
	Repaired back to his hoary town.				(4186)

17. 	The servitor consecrated Lord Hara’s idol
	In his mind’s temple at the ordained auspicious hour;
	Thereafter he performed all the poojas gloriously
	And willingly for the Lord for many many days,
	And thus flourished; then he reached the golden feet
	Of the Lord-Dancer of Ponnambalam.				(4187)

18. 	Hailing the golden feet of Poosalaar who was
	Constantly devoted to the Lord of long and ruddy
	Matted hair for whom he built a temple
	In his mind, I proceed to hail the feet
	Of the spiritually rich Paandi Maa Deviyaar--
	The daughter of the heroic Chola--,
	Born to confer deliverance on the world.			(4188)

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NOTES

Verse No.

   1.	Pure consciousness is indeed the shrine of Siva.

   2.	Our Naayanaar was not a Sivaachaarya as the term is now understood.  However he 
	indeed was the Prince of Sivaachaaryas.  Aagamic knowledge was his forte.

   3.	This Naayanaar was devotion on two legs.  He was sustained by waxing devotion. 
	He was Truth-incarnate.

   4.	This verse speaks of his motto: “Rendering service to Siva and His servitors alone 
	befits me.”  Whatever he came by, he gave to Siva’s servitors.  St. Sekkizhaar says: 
	“He did not at all think of his lack.”  Virtuous poverty constituted his spiritual 
	opulence.

 5-8.	If one reads these verses with care and devotion, one can witness the rising of a 
	shrine before one’s mental eye.

  10.	More often than not, Siva prefers a pauper to a prince.

  15.	Siva always publishes the secret devotion of his servitors to the world at large.  
	Thus is bhakti authenticated.

  16.	Chinta: Here too the word stands for soul.

  17.	Poosalaar himself is a mobile shrine.  His is truly a private temple reared for the 
	public weal.


			Here ends the Puranam of Poosalaar Naayanaar

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