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1. KOYIL
The shrine is called Tillai and the town Chidambaram.  This patikam (decad) was sung by 
St. Appar when he returned to Tillai, after visiting the shrines at Tiruvetkalam and Tiruk-
kazhippaalai.  In the temple are the shrines of (1) God Tirumoolanaathar and Goddess Uma, 
and(2) Sabhaanaayakar (Nataraja) and Sivakaami.

Periya Tirutthaandakam
(Tirutthaandakam the great)

1. 	He is the rare One; He abides in the chinta
	Of Tillai-Brahmins; He is the core
	Of the rare Vedas; He is the Atom;
	He is the Tattua unknown to any one;
	He is the Honey, the Milk, the self-luminous Light;

	He is the King of the celestial lords;
	He is the Dark one, the Four-Faced,
	The Fire, the Air, the roaring Ocean
	And the world-supporting Mountain. 
	He, the greatest, is of Perumpatra-p-Puliyur.
	Unlived indeed are the days unspent in His praise.			1

2. 	He is the Omniscient in whose matted crest
	The Ganga doth rest;
	He eke favours Valanjuzhi girt by the Cauvery;
	He deigns to grace the poor and the destitute;
	He is beyond compare; He is the One
	Hailed and adored by the celestials.
	Him we have known who abides at Aaroor also.
	He is of Perumpatra-p-Puliyur;
	Unlived indeed are the days unspent in His praise.			2

3. 	He is clothed in the flayed hide of the dark tusker;
	Flexing His shapely and splendorous shoulders,
	He, holding fire, dances
	Whilst His sounding anklets chime in concord;
	He is the Lord that dances
	Adorned with a crescent in His matted crest;
	She of the glorious and resplendent visage
	Beholds His dance, seated
	Whilst the celestial throngs bow with their heads.
	He is of Perumpatra-p-Puliyur.
	Unlived indeed are the days unspent in His praise.			3

4. 	He is the Father adorned and hailed
	By rare tapaswis;
	He is the Lord of the supernal lords.
	He is Hara the Sustainer; He graced
	The celestials with nectar--the cure for ageing.
	He, the great One is the billowy sea,
	The earth-supporting mountain, the earth,
	The sky, the stars of lucent rays, the eight
	Directions, the moving lights twain and all else also.
	He is of Perumpatra-p-Puliyur.
	Unlived indeed are the days unsent in His praise.			4

5. 	He is the peerless Support, the Catholicon
	That solves the troubles of all His servitors
	Who have inly controlled and quelled the great senses,
	Who have done away with the help of friends
	And kinnery that had taken birth in this wide world,
	Who have given up attachment also
	And who have forsaken the pleasure
	Yielded by buxom belles in wondrous beds.
	To such that are endowed with the valiancy
	To think wholly, solely and exclusively on Him,
	He indeed is the supreme Help;
	He is of Perumpatra-p-Puliyur.
	Unlived indeed are the days unspent in His praise.			5

6. 	He is concorporate with Her whose words
	Are nectarean like the sugarcane;
	He is a hill of dazzling diamond;
	He wears a wreath of konrai flowers;
	It is He who is the rare Vedas
	And their sextuple Angas;
	He is the bright-rayed Flame of southern Aaroor
	Girt with fragrant groves where bees buzz;
	He is the unwavering lamp of Light,
	The Ens Entium;
	He is of Perumpatra-p-Puliyur.
	Unlived indeed are the days unspent in His praise.			6

7. 	He is the fruit and the melody of the strummed strings;
	He is the great God that fixed the dart wrought of the celestials
	To His Bow of Mountain and set ablaze the citadels
	Of the gruesome and fearsome Asuras;
	He is the One that ate the venom of the billowy sea;
	He is the great fruit of the renunciants
	Who are unaffected by the oeillades
	Of damsels whose locks are buzzed by bees;
	He is of Perumpatra-p-Puliyur.
	Unlived indeed are the days unspent in His praise.			7

8. 	He is mantled in the pachyderm a of the dark tusker;
	He is Ekampan of lovely Kaanchi damasked with flowers;
	He is easy of access to His servitors—whoever they be;
	He is the infinite One unknown to the celestials;
	He is the Light of the Empyrean who enacts the dance
	Whilst the earth-born and the heaven-dwellers adore Him;
	His name are legion;
	He is of Perumpatra-p-Puliyur.
	Unlived indeed are the days unspent in His praise.			8

9. 	He is the One that wears the young, milk-white crescent;
	He is the primal One who is all the three worlds;
	He is the Destroyer of the triple, hostile citadels;
	He is the abiding Light, the Emerald,
	The Honey and the Milk.
	He is the beauteous One that presides over Kutraalam;
	He is the Dancer, the King, the God of Gnosis;
	He is of Perumpatra-p-Puliyur.
	Unlived indeed are the days unspent in His praise.			9

10. 	He is the hoary an abiding Light
	That stood a column of glorious flame
	Beyond the ken of the darkly-bright and red-eyed Maal
	And the one ensconced on the fragrant Lotus;
	He is the Light beautiful that sets at nought
	Bewilderment; He is the Light infinite that abides
	Beyond the extensive earth, the seven worlds,
	The ether and the heavens.
	He is of Perumpatra-p-Puliyur.
	Unlived indeed are the days unspent in His praise.			10

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NOTES

1. Tillai is the shrine par excellence for the Saivites.  So, it is referred to as the 
Koyil.  See pages lx to lxvii of The Tiruvacagam by U.G. Pope, re-printed by the 
University of Madras (1979)

In Saivite cosmogony, Tillai is the exact centre of the universe.  Tillai, in the time 
of St. Appar, was to the Saivites what Jerusalem was to the Jews, of yore.  Writing 
on Tillai, G.U. Pope says: “One is frequently reminded of Jerusalem the Golden, with 
milk and honey blest.” – Ibid. p.264.

TILLAI AND NATARAJA by B. Natarajan (Mudgala Trust, Madras-1994) is by far the greatest 
work on the subject.  Chinta is mind-heart according to David Buck.  Atom: Siva, as the 
smallest of the small is referred to as the Atom.  Tattva means Truth.  The Dark One is 
Vishnu.  The Four-Faced is Brahma.  Siva is the world-supporting Mountain.  Tradition 
holds that there are eight mighty mountains that support the cosmos.  Siva is all these.  
Puliyur is Tillai.  It is called Puliyur (the Tiger-town) as it is associated with St. 
Vyagrapaada (the Tiger-footed).  Perumpatra-p-Puliyur may be interpreted as the polis 
that is the Palladium par excellence for the Tiger-footed (saint).

2. Katraan: It means ‘a learned man’.  It is here translated as the Omniscient.  Him 
we... Aaroor also: In the original, the passage concerned appears in the middle.  
In our translation, it is transposed towards the end to make the meaning clear.

3. Goddess Uma witnesses the dance of Siva, seated.  References galore speak to 
Uma’s standing and witnessing the divine dance.  This reference which speaks of 
Her witnessing the dance, seated, is a rare one.

4. Tapaswis are practitioners of austere and spiritual askesis.  Tapas is 
	“.............. Dreadful abstinence
	And conquering penance of the mutinous flesh
	Deep contemplation, and unwearied study
	In years outstretched beyond the date of man.”
					- Shelly.

They indeed are the tapaswis “whose eye could pierce” the present and the past 
and the to-come.”  The two moving lights are the sun and the moon.  The dictum 
of St. Appar is a poetic truth.

5. Help of friends...: Cf. Job’s Comforters.  Truly speaking relatives are inherited 
critics.  Great senses: The five hunters ever alert to down the soul.  The joy... 
beds: This is condemned as it is at once fugitive and fleeting.  To such... 
Supreme Help:
Cf.	i.	“... for you shall worship no other God, for the LORD, whose 
		name is Jealous is a jealous god.”
	ii.	“You shall have no other gods before Me.”
						- Ibid. 20-3
	iii.	“For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”
							-Deut.

6. Concorporate with Her: The Lord is Ammai-Appar, Ardhanaariswarar.  The feminine aspect 
of the Lord is His Sakti (Power/Energy).  It is supremely glorious.  Commenting on the 
words: “madest in pregnant” (line 22, Book 1, Paradise Lost), Alastair Fowler says: “Not a 
mixed metaphor, but a deliberate allusion to the Hermetic doctrine that God is both masculine 
and feminine.”  Kakti is to Siva what the Holy Spirit is to the Father.  Dazzling diamond:  
This has reference to the argent drift that emanates from the Holy Ash.  Konrai: Cassia 
fistula, cassia, Indian Laburnum.  The Vedas.  The scriptures that contain the secrets of 
ancient civilization.  The reader will do well to consult the work of David Frawley entitled 
“Gods, Sages and Kings” (Motilal Banarsidass ublishers, 1993).  The Angas: These are the 
limbs of the Vedas, six in number.  They are (1) Siksha (Phonetics), (2) Chhandas (Prosody), 
(3) Vyaakarna (Grammar), (4) Nirukta (Etymology), (5) Jyotisha (Astronomy) and (6) Kalpa 
(Ceremonial)  Kalpa is of two types: (i) Srauta-sutra which relates to the Sruti i.e. the 
Vedas and (ii) Smarta-sutra which is founded on the Smriti.

7. During Tripurasamhaara (the destruction of the three magic citadels), Lord Siva bent 
Mount Meru into a bow.  Vishnu became the dart, the Windgod the feather of the dart 
and the Firegod its tip.

Mystically speaking, the three (flying) citadels are but the triple malas which can be 
quelled by Siva alone.

8. He is... celestials: Like Oreb and Sinai, Siva is both inaccessible and easy of access.
His devotees always avail of His soulabya (easy accessibility).

9. The three worlds are the upper, middle and nether regions of space.  Gnosis is Godly 
Knowledge... Pati Gnaanam.

10. The seven worlds are obviously the seven nether worlds, they being (1) Atala, (2) Vitala, 
(3) Cutala, (4) Mahaatala, (5) Rasaatala, (6) Talaatala and (7) Paataala.


2. KOYIL (TILLAI)
Pukka Tirutthaandakam: (The Sacred Thaandakam that celebrates the Lords’ Entry.)  This decad 
was sung by St. Appar during his sojourn at Tillai.

1. 	He abides at Mayilaappu in  the crest of whose lofty streets
	The moon sails amidst clouds; He dwells at Marukal;
	He is of Kodumudi in Kongku, of Kutraalam
	And Kudamookku; arriving at Kollampoodur
	He searched for a fit residence; He abode
	At Dharmapuram for many days; He is of Takkaloor.
	Adorning Himself with the bright and white Holy Ash
	And circled by the Bhootha-Hosts
	He made His entry into Puliyur Chitrambalam only.			11

2. 	The Lord whose waist is cinctured with a serpent
	Abode at Nanipalli, left for and sojourned at Nalloor
	Whence He came to Paasoor to stay there for half a day.
	He sojourned at Partiniyamam for twelve days
	And then at the well-watered Mizhalai--
	Inseparable from the Vedas and the smoke of sacrifice--,
	For a sennight; He who is at once
	Bliss and aeviternal wealth, has this day, 
	Made His entry into Puliyur Chitrambalam only.				12

3. 	He explicated renunciation and (also) the import
	Of the sacred lore; He is adorned with the pure moon
	And serpents; by His valour He shot the three citadels (to cinders)
	He is both Mantra and Tantra.
	That day, under the Banyan Tree
	Hara taught the Brahmins Dharma.
	Having enacted the dance in the fire of the crematory,
	This day, circled by the Bhootha-Hosts,
	He made His entry into Puliyur Chitrambalam only.			13

4. 	He who is concorporate with Her of lovely breasts
	That are covered by a breast-band,
	Holds the bright mazhu in His hand and dances
	In the crematory; He is of Tiruvaanjiyam girt with
	Glorious and cool and well-watered fields.
	He is of Tirunallaaru; He who has a cloudy patch
	On His neck is the One who has an eye in His forehead
	That burnt Kaama to death.
	The Eater of the oceanic venom, riding a martial Bull
	And circled by the Bhootha-Hosts
	Made His entry into Puliyur Chitrambalam only.				14

5. 	He wears a chaplet of fragrant konrai flowers
	That bloom during the rainy season; He holds
	In His hand a skull and goes about receiving alms
	From the townsfolk, whilst His Bhoothas sing.
	He is the noble One, the peerless One, the Lord of the Devas
	Who adore Him; He abides at the hallowed Moolattanam
	Of Tiruvaaroor. Riding a martial Bull
	And encircled by the bhootha-Hosts,
	He made His entry into Puliyur Chitrambalam only.			15

6. 	He is ear-ringed; He wields a kattangkam;
	He is of Kailas--the mountain great, and of Kaaronam,
	He has aged parents none;
	He is both the Beginning and the End.
	That day, to the delight of beauteous women
	He burnt the body of mighty Manmata.
	This day, riding a martial Bull
	And circled by the Bhootha-Hosts
	He made His entry into Puliyur Chitrambalam only.			16

7. 	To the dead ones and to those not dead,
	To the celestials, to the born and to those that will not
	Get Born, He is alike the great One.
	He abides not in the minds of those who are full
	Of themselves and of those who have forgotten Him.
	He--the opulent One of Maraikkaadu, is the wielder
	Of a glowing mazhu.
	His matted hair a-dangle
	And circled by the bhootha-Hosts
	He made His entry into Puliyur Chitrambalam only.			17

8. 	He wears a white and bright garland of skulls
	And bones and a wreath of cool konrai;
	He is covered by the hide of the fierce tusker;
	He rides a killer-Bull, holds the fire in His hand
	And dwells at the crematory.
	He is the opulent One of Neitthaanam girt with fecund fields
	And rich in mansions whose tops are laved 
	By the white moonlight.
	Holding a white skull reeking of flesh
	And circled by the Bhootha-Hosts
	He made His entry into Puliyur Chitrambalam only.			18

9.	“Did you behold Sankara whose chest wears
	White threads and whose waist a Kovanam?”
	“Yes, we did, this day.
	Holding something in His skull-bowl
	And riding a tethered Bull that galloped,
	He came here and took with Him my white bangles;
	With them and all else, He stood at beauteous Aaroor,
	When during dusk, even as His Bhootha-Hosts held
	The gemmy lamp of golden lustre
	He made His entry into Puliyur Chitrambalam only.			19

10. 	He quells the troubles of devotees who serve Him in love;
	His feet are hailed by goodly ones; He is our Lord-Ruler
	In all our births. Holding a peerless veena
	And reciting the Vedas, he Singer of the Vedic hymns
	Rode a Bull; clad in tiger-skin
	And circle	d by the Bhoota-Hosts
	He made His entry into Puliyur Chitrambalam.				20

11.	Clad in silk, covered with hide, and serpent-cinctured
	Bhagawan danced encircled by the Bhootha-Hosts.
	This day, we beheld the lofty One who holds the fire,
	At Tillaicchitrambalam. The blue-necked Kapaali
	Holds the effulgent trident and wears the white threads.
	He but recites the Veda! He has a veena!
	His hand sports a kattangkam!						21

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NOTES

1. Mayilaapu: Mylapore in Madras.  It was here Uma, in the form of a peahen adored 
Lord Siva.  The word “aappu” means a little stump (peg) to which something can be 
fastened.

Dharmapuram: This place is different from the one at Mayiladuthurai where the famous 
Dharmapuram Aadheenam flourishes.  Dharmapuram referred to in this verse, is situate 
half a mile west of Kaaraikkaal, formerly a Fresh territory.

Takkaloor: A Vaipputthalam, i.e., a shrine which is just referred to in a verse or verses 
of the Tevaaram.  A regular Tevaaram shrine is one which has to its credit one or more 
decades in the Tevaaram.

“Thangkum Idam Ariyaar”: These words meaning: “He was not sure of a place to stay” 
are meant to bring out the greater glory of Tillai were the Lord eventually settled down.  
In Bhakti Literature, anthropomorphic references are exploited to heighten devotion.

2. Nanipalli: The birth-place of St. Tirugnaanasambandhar’s mother.
Nalloor: It was here our Saint was blessed with Tiruvadi-Diksha.
This day: This phrase (In naall) refers to the eternal present that knows neither past 
nor future.  This phrase can be linked with the last line of the verse, as is done in 
our translation.

Half-a-day, twelve nights and sennight: It is not given to us to measure the duration 
of our Lord’s stay in anyone of the places which he was pleased to visit.  Suffice it 
for us to know that a second of the Lord’s time, is truly an eternity for us.

3. Mantra and Tantra stand for the Vedas and the Aagamas respectively.  In rituals, 
mantras play a vital role.

4. The phrase “mazhu vaall” is an inversion.  It is “vaall mazhu” (shiny battle-axe).

5. The konrai flower (cassia) which blooms during the rainy season is peculiarly 
sacred to Siva.

Deva Devar (The Lord of the Devas): This indeed is the name of Siva.  He is 
Mahadeva.  The indubitable superiority of Siva is excellently brought out in “Sri 
Mahadeva Smaranam” published by V. Venkataramanan, A4 RBI Kudiyiruppu, 
Kamaraj Road, Madras – 78.

Moolattanam: The adytum, the sanctum sanctorum.

6. Kattangkam: Mazhu/battle-axe.  It also refers to a burning rod.

Kaaronam (Kaaya Aarohanaa-Skt.): Siva, at the Great Dissolution, wears on His 
person the skeletons of Vishnu and Brahma.  For this reason He is called 
Gangakaalan.  Kaaya Aarohanam also means translation (removal to heaven, 
especially without death).

He has aged parents none: Siva was never born.  He always is.  Indeed He is the 
Beginning as well as the End of everything.  The Bible says: “I am the Alpha and 
the Omega, the Beginning and the End.” – Revelation 21-6.  To the delight…. 
Manmata: Manmata, the Love-god, teases beyond limit women that are parted 
from their husbands.  So they rejoice at his death.

7. The word ‘iranthaar’ may mean: (1) those that are dead and (2) those that are 
dead to the world.  Those who are full of themselves:  These are braggadocios.  
They admire none but themselves.

9. This verse comprises a question and an answer.  The question is put by the 
woman who is madly in love with Siva, and the answer is given by the beholder 
whose love for Siva is even greater.  This one stands denuded of her bangles 
which were snatched away by Siva--the Lover.

Kovanam: Loin-cloths supported by a cord at the waist.

Sankara: A name of Siva.  It means: “He who confers weal.”

Tethered Bull: It is not as if that Siva rides a bull that stands tethered.  As 
usually a bull is tethered to something , it is so referred to.  In old Tamil, as 
in ancient Greek, the descriptive word, sometimes, overrides the literal meaning.
A beached up ship was described as swift by Homer.

Holding something: What is this something? je ne sais quoi; perhaps love, Siva’s 
bowl is to be filled with love.  That indeed is the considered opinion of St. Peyaar 
who says:

	“Your spacious begging-bowl--the skull--, was not a whit
	Filled by all the food that was cooked, using the vast seas
	As boiling water; yet how came it to be filled, when, unaware
	Of its greatness, innocent women poured their alms into it?”
					Arputatthiruvanthaati – 74.

10. Yezhu pirappum: The word ‘yezhu’ does not here, refer to number.  ‘Yezhu’ 
means ‘yezhukindra’ that is, in each manifesting birth.

Veena: A very ancient instrument of music, usually referred to as the Indian 
lute.  “The Aitareya Aaranyaka enumerates it s parts as Siras, ‘head’ (i.e., 
neck); Udara, ‘cavity’; Ambhana, ‘sounding board’; Tantra, string; and Vaadana; 
‘plectrum.’
     - Vedic Index of Names and Subjects, by A.A.Macdonell and A.B. Keith.Vol.II.

The Vedic hymns were sung to the accompaniment of veena (vina).  It is also the 
favourite instrument of Siva.  According to our Saint, Siva plays on the veena after 
the Great Dissolution.

11. Bhagawan: Siva in whom abound Aisvaryam (infinite riches), Viram (valour), 
Pukazh (fame/glory), Tiru (Holiness), Gnaanam (Gnosis) and Vairaagyam (the right 
knowledge of discrimination/steadfast resoluteness).  Paaritam is a single word.  
It means ‘Bhootha-Hosts.”

Kapaali: Kapaalam means skull.  Siva’s begging-bowl is the skull of Brahma.  Siva 
also wears a garland of skulls.


3. TIRUVATIKAI VIRATTAANAM
(Tiruvatikai, the locale of the Lord’s heroic exploit)

Yezhaitthirutthaandakam
(The Thaandakam that bemoans the spiritual indigence of the Saint)

The names of the presiding deity and His consort: Atikai Virattaanatthar (Virattesurar) and 
Tripurasundari.

Giving up Jainism, St. Appar returned to Saivism.  He then abode at Tiruvatikai for some 
years.  During this period, driven by remorse, he bemoaned his former apostasy.  The decad 
that follows is a confessional hymn sung in contrition.

1. 	He is decked with a wreath of koovilam;
	He is of Virattaanam;
	His mount is a Bull;
	He wears a speckled serpent;
	He is the One whose mount is a bird;
	He is the golden-hued;
	He is the One that merits praise;
	He is the glorious Lord, seldom known;
	He is of Atiaraiyamangkai-upon-Gedilam;
	He indeed is the Lord-God.
	Pity it is that I the poor one, did in the past, dispraise Him.		22

2. 	The Lord’s mount is a Bull, 
	Which is like a silver hill;
	He quelled the archery of Manmata, the bowman;
	He is decked with a speckled and striped serpent;
	His matted hair is a riot of powdered gold;
	He is the Lord of bangled Uma--the liana;
	He is the One who can put and end to transmigration;
	He is the One who unashamedly receives alms;
	Pity it is that I, the poor one, did, in the past, dispraise Him.	23

3.	He created the world of yore;
	He is the First One who never ages;
	He wears the beauteous crescent-moon;
	It is He who graces the valiant ones to come by the ways of tapas;
		the One who annuls karma bred by chinta;
	He is the honey and the milk.
	He presides over Virattam upon the uberous Gedilam;
	He is my Lord and God.
	Pity it is that I, the poor one, did, in the past, dispraise Him.	24

4. 	He is the Mantra and the import of the Vedas;
	He is moon, sun, air, fire, sky, mountain and sea;
	He is the One presiding over Atiaraiyamangkai;
	He is the One hailed by the two in melodic hymns.
	Folding their hands in adoration,
		Indra and all the celestials, 
		at down and dusk,
		hail Him with many a fragrant flower.
	Pity it is, that I, the poor one, did, in the past, dispraise Him.	25

5. 	They would not think of beholding.
	the feet of Him who is birthless;
	they would not seek the way 
	of lofty beatitude; 
		unmindful of the oncoming birth,
	they would besmear themselves with dirt, 
	and live like the purblind and the self-willed; 
	neither would they approach the feet twain 
	of Atikai’s Lord 
	who would snap (the cord of) transmigration. 
	Hearkening to them 
	who were emptied of life here and hereafter, 
	I, the poor one, did in the past, dispraise Him.			26
	
6. 	He is the One valiant to hold the river in His crest; 
		His neck sports the hue of collyrium;
		He is all things; 
		His valiancy is His abidance in all things; 
		He is concorporate with Her of beauteous bangles;
	His chest is the Palladium of the Holy Ash; 
		He is without mala and He removes mala;
		He is the One that rides the Bull.
	Pity it is that I, the poor one, did, in the past, dispraise Him.	27

7. 	They covet food and eat it from their (cupped) hands; 
		They stand unashamed before women of tapering breasts; 
	These are Amanas after whom I went following their words; 
		Truly I roamed like a demon of goondas; 
	He wears a chaplet of konrai buzzed by bees; 
		He is hailed by the celestials; 
		He is the Lord of the eight directions. 
	Pity it is that I, the poor senseless one, 
		did, in the past, dispraise Him.				28

8. 	I was a fit associate of the Saman goondas 
		of stinking mouths, 
		who tote in their hands pots set in slings; 
	I ate rice and curry mixed with ghee, from out of my (cupped) palms; 
		I became a repulsive sight to beholders; 
	I, the one of evil karma, 
		would never again think of Him 
		who ate the venom of the billowy sea. 
	Pity it is that I, the poor one, did, in the past, dispraise Him.	29

9. 	He is the God, my Father and my Lord, 
	the One who is full of compassion, 
	the One who has an eye in His forehead, 
	the One of the Vedas, 
	the One without a flaw, 
	the One who placed His flower-foot on the celestials, 
	the One whose neck has a dark patch, 
	the One who is ear-ringed, 
	the One who holds in His hand a kattangkam. 
	Pity it is that I, the poor one, did, in the past, dispraise Him.	30

10.	To me, the one that went about proclaiming 
		the results of the old and great karma, 
		and now quietened (by grace), 
		He stood as a light; 
	He is the Lord of the Devas and the Asuras; 
	He quelled my troubles and enslaved me; 
	He is the One whose infinitudes 
		could not be comprehended, 
		alike by the Four-Faced 
		and the piping Neatherd 
		who bent the kuruntu 
		that grows in the garden; 
	He is the true Lord. 
	Pity it is that I, the poor one, did, in the past, dispraise Him.	31

11. 	With their breasts duly covered, 
		the unwashed women would touch 
		(the monk) proclaiming: “He is our God” 
		and pluck his hair, one by one; 
		they deemed this base act to be tapas; 
		they knew not that which was right; 
		(I was with those Samanas). 
	Beauteous are His feet which quelled 
		the might of the King of Lanka 
		who durst uproot the mountain. 
	Pity it is, that I, the poor one, did, in the past, dispraise Him 
		that wears the garland of leafy konrai.				32

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

NOTES

1. Koovilam (Vilvam):
Bael tree (Aegle Marmelos).  The leaves of this are sacred.

Virattaanam:
An octad of places where the heroic exploits of Siva, took place.  It was at Atikai 
Virattaanam Siva burnt the triple citadels of the Asuras.  The one… a bird: Vishnu. 

The golden-hued: Brahma.  The idea is, it is Siva who is the Trinity of Brahma, 
Vishnu and Rudra. 

Atiaraiyamangkai: Atikai.  Atikai is perhaps, short for Atiaraiyamangkai.

2. He is… transmigration: The words “Vaaraa ulaku” refer to “meendum vaaraa 
ulaku”.  The liberated soul suffers embodiment no more.  The idea is this.  Siva 
alone can averruncate souls embodiment. 

3. Who never ages: The word ‘moovaa’ (unageing) also means indestructible.  
The Lord for ever is, and His glory fades not a whit.

4. The two: These are two Gandarvas called Aahaa and Oohoo.  Dawn and dusk:
These refer to the matins and the vespers.

5. This verse is a recordation of the misery that tormented our Saint for his past 
life wasted in the company of unholy Samanas.

6. He is the One…. all things: St. Appar refers to Siva as “kooru yerkka-k-kooru 
amara vallaan.” The Lord’s omnipresence and His abidance in all things as their 
subtle support are referred to in the phrase “Kooru yerkka”.  “Kooru amara” refers 
to the Lord being the content, both within and without, all things.

Neeru yerkaa: At the Great Dissolution, all things are reduced to ash.  He wears 
this on His person and makes it holy.  He is therefore the Palladium of the Holy Ash. 

7. A demon of goondas: ‘Kundarakkan’ is thus translated.  If the word be ‘Kundaakkan’, 
then it refers to one whose wealth is but his association with the goondas who are 
unteachably vile.

Unashamed: The Amanas referred to here are a nude fraternity.

8. Never again: Our Saint was a Saivite by birth.  As a Saivite he had always contemplated 
the glory of Siva.  However, when he went  Jain, he would not thereafter adore Him.  
Thinking on this, our Saint felt extremely miserable. 

10. Karma is threefold.  A modicum from the mountainous Sanchitha is doled out to be 
experienced in a given life as Praarabda.  While Praarabda is experienced Aagaamiya 
gets accumulated and feeds and augments Sanchita.

To me...... Karma: Our Saint has sung in many a hymn the evil that resulted from his 
karma.  Indeed the very first of his decades has a reference to karma.

Quietened (by grace): The disconcerted Jain became a serene Saiva saint thanks to 
Grace the embodiment of which was the saint’s elder sister.

Kuruntu: Wild-lime (Atlantea racemosa.) According to the Purana when young girls 
sported naked in the Jumna, Balarama happened to pass by that way.  At that time, 
Sri Krishna bent a leafy branch of kuruntu and saved them from exposure.  There 
are many versions of this episode.  In an article entitled: “Kannapiraanai-p-patriya 
Vazhakkukal”, M. Raghava Iyengar had dealt with them at length.  Vide “Aaraaicchi-
th-thokuthi”, (1938).

11. Unwashed women: The Samanas, in the distant past, adhered to two principles, 
they being (1) non-clothing and (2) non-bathing.  However their women-saints 
practiced non-bathing only.  That they were clothed is indicated by the words: “with 
their breasts duly covered”.  The lay-people did not take to these practices.

One by one: The Samana monk would have his hair plucked out one by one.  During 
the process the following words were uttered: “Ip duk, pir sukh” (Now misery later 
well-being).


4. TIRUVATIKAI VIRATTANAM

Adaiyaala - th - Tirutthaandakam
(The sacred Thaandakam indicating the marks of identification)

During his stay at Tiruvatikai, our Saint composed many melting hymns, and the one following 
is among them.


1. 	Has He placed on His crown 
		of matted hair the moon 
		against which billows 
		of the great Ganga dash?
	Does He desire 
		the musical recitation 
		of the Sama Veda? 
	Does He hold a skull? 
	Is He the true One of golden hue 
		concorporate with Her 
		whose soft fingers sport a ball?
	Is the supreme Yogi seated on a Bull? 
	Is He cinctured with a five-headed serpent? 
	If it be so, He is, for sure, 
		Atikai Virattan.						33

2. 	Mounted on a Bull, does He 
		roam about the seven worlds?
	Is He hailed and adored by the celestials?
	Does He hold an alms-bowl of skull 
		on which is perched an eagle? 
	Does He sport in His broad chest 
		a hooded serpent? 
	Does He resemble a lovely coral hill 
		with stripes of Holy Ash? 
	Does He have an eye in His forehead?
	Has He placed the crescent 
		on His crest where a river flows? 
	If it be so, He is, for sure, 
		Atikai Virattan.						34

3. 	Does He wear on His dazzling body 
		a garland of skulls?
	Is He the Beginning, the Middle and the End?
	Is His neck adorned 
		with a kaarai of albescent tusk?
	Does He dance, adorned with an angry adder? 
	Is He the activiser of the body’s elements?
	Becoming vast earth, water, fire and ether,  
		does He abide 
		within and beyond the macrocosm? 
	If it be so, He is, for sure, 
		Atikai Virattan.						35

4. 	Is He ruddy in hue? 
		Is His throat dark?
		Adorned with a white-fanged snake 
		does He dance? 
	Is He the fierce One who quells Karma? 
	Is His matted hair 
		decked with cool and plaited konrais? 
	Does His hand hold mazhu and soolam? 
	Is He the threefold Time? 
	Is He the great One 
		Who, with fire, gutted the ankleted Kaama 
		that wielded the peerless bow of sweetcane? 
	Is His mount the huge and corpulent Bull? 
	If it be so, He is, for sure, 
	Atikai Virattan.							36

5. 	Does He ceaselessly sing the four Vedas? 
	Does He wear on His spreading matted hair 
		a bright and moist and white moon? 
	Is His bright waist 
		girt with (tiger-)skin and snake? 
	Does red-lipped Uma 
		form part of His person? 
	Does He enact the great dance 
		to the playing of kudamuzhavam, 
		vina and cymbals 
		by the little Bhootas 
		that walk in small steps? 
	If it be so, He is, for sure, 
	Atikai Virattan.							37

6. 	Does He destroy the ingrained malady 
		and also the killer-adversaries 
		of those that think of Him? 
	Does He, with the look of His one eye, 
		burn Kaama to powdery ash? 
	Does He draw onto His hirsutorufous, 
		matted crest, the torrent of Ganga? 
	Does He become the septet of worlds? 
	Does He, with a single dart, 
		annihilate the three mobile citadels? 
	Is He the One poised in the great Primal Tapas? 
	If it be so, He is, for sure, 
	Atikai Virattan.							38

7. 	Does He dance to the singing, 
		to the piping of flute, 
		to the blaring of kokkarai, 
		to the clanging of cymbals 
		and to the beating of montai 
		by the small Bhootas? 
	Does He make movements of dance 
		with comely toes 
		above which He wears anklets, 
		and thus reveals His form in the dream? 
	Does He dance flexing 
		His beauteous shoulders? 
	Does He dance during each midnight 
		in the funeral pyre of the crematory? 
	Is He Ashtamoorti? 
	If it be so, He is, for sure, 
	Atikai Virattan.							39

8. 	Is He the One who destroyed 
		the ichor-abounding and haughty tusker, 
	And who, with His hand stinking of tough flesh, 
		Covered his person, from head to foot, 
		with its hide, so as to become invisible? 
	Has He a throat darkened by His devouring 
		the venom of the noisy ocean 
		whose billows wailed aloud 
		when in great hubbub, 
		it was churned with a mountain 
		around which a snake was wound? 
	If it be so, He is, for sure, 
	Atikai Virattan.							40

9. 	Does the great One’s ruddy, matted hair look 
		as if it were wrought of crimson gold 
		suffused with sheer beauty? 
	Is He the lovely Bridegroom of Uma 
		the fragrance of whose hair is divinely natural, 
		and whose coiffure is adorned 
		with sweet smelling and fresh flowers? 
	Does His right hand hold a mazhu? 
	Is He the One supremely desirable? 
	Is He the One hailed by the four Vedas? 
	Is He the One whose dart caused the quaking 
		and the destruction of the fearless, triple citadels?
	Is He the One immanent 
		in all the worlds of the cosmos? 
	If it be so, He is, for sure, 
	Atikai Virattan.							41

10. 	Is His abundant matted hair--
		bright with the tender light of the moon--, 
		made moist with the spume 
		of the river’s rising waves? 
	Is there in His person comely scars 
		caused by the battling breasts of Kaamakotti 
		whose lips are like coral, and ruddy fruit? 
	Is there in His streaked chest the white thread? 
		Is He the Wearer of the white ash? 
	Is His body – perfect and divine--, 
		coated deep with aromatic unguent 
		and paste of sandalwood? 
	If it be so, He is, for sure, 
	Atikai Virattan.							42

11. 	Is He the One who grew and grew 
		beyond the ken of the Tall one 
		and the Four-Faced, who, 
		in vain, pursued His base and top? 
	Is He the One beyond compare? 
	Does He that is entwined by a liana, 
		have a great and comely neck, 
		dark like a blue gem? 
	Is He clothed in the skin of a killer-tiger? 
	Is He the Wearer of a Kovanam? 
	Does ash cover His body? 
	Does He roam about the earth seeking alms? 
	Is He the Wearer of strands  of thread? 
	Does He confer on His servitors 
		suzerainty over the immortals’ world? 
	If it be so, He is, for sure, 
	Atikai Virattan.							43

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

NOTES

1. The verses in this decad comprise questions and answers.  The ‘ye’ ending 
in the verse indicate interrogations save in the last line where it serves as an 
affirmative answer.  The questions are put by our Saint to those that had beheld 
Lord Siva. 

The True One: The importance of truth can never be exaggerated.  

Zerubbabel said: “The whole earth calls upon truth and heaven blesses her.... Wine 
is unrighteous, the king is unrighteous, women are unrighteous, all the sons of 
men are unrighteous, all their works are unrighteous, and all such things…. With 
her (truth) there is no partiality or preference…. All men approve her deeds, and 
there is nothing unrighteous in her judgement.  To her belongs the strength and 
the kingship and the power and the majesty of all the ages.  Blessed be the good 
of truth.”Esdras 4:37 - 41.

2. Eagle: Siva’s begging-bowl is a skull to which some flesh is still attached.  This 
then attracts the eagle.

3. The first line of the Tamil verse can be interpreted in more ways than one.  The 
word ‘mundam’ means many things.  It is head, forehead, headless body etc.  It 
also refers to nudity.  The Lord’s head sports many things—the crescent, the river, 
the snake, the flowers etc.  His forehead is bright with the stripes of the Holy Ash.
He is a naked yogi.  His garland is composed of the skulls of dead Brahma-s.

Kaarai: A jewel made with wires of gold.  The white tusk that adorns the Lord once 
belonged to Vishnu.  Vishnu incarnated as a sweta varaha (the white cosmic boar).
As he grew proud Siva plucked out his tusk and wore it on His person.

4. Soolam: 1. Spear, 2. Trident.

5. Red-lipped: The Tamil verse describes Uma as having lips ruddy like ‘tondaivaai’ 
- the fruit of Kovvai.  According to G.U. Pope, the Kovvai creeper is a kind of Bryonia.

Kudamuzhavam: Also called Kudamuzhaa.  It is  a percussion instrument shaped like a 
pot.  Baana the Asura and Nandi the chamberlain of Siva were the expert players of this 
instrument.  This pancha-mukha vaadya (the five-faced drum) is referred to by St. 
Kaaraikkaal Ammaiyaar in her “Tiruvaalangkaatu Tiruppatikam.” 

This instrument is even today played in the shrines of Tiruttharupoondi and Tiruaaroor.

6. The tense employed in this verse by St. Appar is at once present and future, though 
the verse seems to refer to Siva’s acts in the past.  By this significant device our Saint 
covers the past, the present and the to-come.  The tense employed by him is even greater 
than what is known as the historic present.  The exploits of Lord Siva are fraught with 
symbolic significance.

Kaama: Kaamam in Tamil means ‘desire’.  And ‘desire’, according to Tiruvalluvar is truly 
the birth-breeding seed.  True beatitude, indeed is birthlessness.  So the message is, 
Siva quells and helps us to quell desire.  The quelling of Ganga is the overpowering of 
destructive force.  The burning of the Tripura, according to Tirumoolar, is symbolic of 
the conquest of the triple malas.  The Lord becomes the seven worlds.  It means He is 
the eternal animator of every ens.  The Lord is a Yogi, ever poised in the Primal Tapas.
It is thus He guides the unselfish yogis and also makes for the well-being of the universe.

The ingrained malady: This may refer either to Aanavamala or Moola Kanma.

The killer-adversaries: These are six, they being lust, wrath, miserliness, delusion, pride 
and envy (malice).

Kokkarai: conch, shell.

Ashtamoorti: The Lord of eight forms, they being of earth, water, fire, air, ether, sun, 
moon and soul.

10. Kaamakkotti: The Goddess of Kaamakkottam at Kaanchi.

Varai maarpu: Varai refers to the beautiful streaks found in the maarpu (chest) of a he-man.
Varai also means ‘mountain’.


5. TIRUVATIKAI VIRATTAM

Potritthirutthaandakam:
(The Thaandakam that hails the Lord)

This is one of the hymns sung by our Saint during his stay at Tiruvatikai.

1. 	You stood as Siva in all, praise be! 
		O  Lord that stood as blazing light, praise be!
	O Wielder of murderous mazhu, praise be! 
	You kicked the Killer-Death, praise be! 
	You are seldom beheld 
		by the unlearned, praise be! 
	You quell the troubles 
		that beset the learned, praise be! 
	You destroyed the three great walled citadels, praise be! 
	O Vimala that loves dearly Virattam, praise be!				44

2. 	O Patron of song and dance, praise be! 
	O Author of many aeons, praise be! 
	O One that seeks alms in a skull, praise be! 
	O Dweller in the hearts of contemplators, praise be! 
	O One that loves to dance in the crematory, praise be! 
	O One whose throat is nimbus-like, praise be! 
	O One that wears the dancing snake, praise be! 
	O Lord-Ruler of Virattam of billowy Gedilam, praise be! 		45

3. 	O One with a jasmine chaplet, praise be! 
	O Moorti wholly bedaubed with ash, praise be! 
	O One full of excellence, praise be! 
	O Author of the seven-stringed melody, praise be! 
	O Beggar of alms in a round, shaven skull, praise be! 
	O Queller of troubles of those that seek You, praise be! 
	O One that presides over Tillaicchitrambalam, praise be! 
	O our opulent One of Tiruvirattam, praise be! 				46

4. 	O Wearer of ash on Your person, praise be! 
	O Fulfiller of the ways of tapas, praise be!
	O beautiful One that doth reckon the servitorship of those 
		of single-pointed adoration, praise be! 
	O noble One that did away with the hostility 
		of the snake, the moon and the river 
		and keeps them juxtaposed, praise be! 
	O Wearer of lotus flowers, praise be! 
	O Lord-Ruler of Virattam of billowy Gedilam, praise be!			47

5. 	O Ash-adorned One, O blue-throated One, praise be! 
	O Wielder of the bright and white mazhu, praise be!
	O Partner of Uma who is part of You, praise be! 
	O comely One that causes the cruel snake to dance, praise be! 
	O the river-crested One, praise be! 
	O wondrous Nectar of Your servitors, praise be! 
	O One that ever joys to ride the Bull, praise be! 
	O the Father of Virattam of great Gedilam, praise be! 			48

6.	O Relisher of the songs of singers, praise be! 
	O Lord of Patticchuram at Pazhaiyaaru, praise be!
	O Conferrer of moksha to renouncers, praise be! 
	O One mantled in the tusker’s hide-- 
		frightening to behold--, praise be!
	O One that canst not be sought by seekers, praise be! 
	O One that cinctured Your waist with a snake, praise be! 
	O One that joys in the pancha-kavya ablutions, praise be! 
	O Lord-Ruler of Virattam of billowy Gedilam, praise be!			49

7. 	You joyed to dance making the earth bright, praise be! 
	You became the vast sea and the vast earth, praise be! 
	The sky trembled as You shot down 
		the triple walled citadels, praise be! 
	O Vikirta mantled in the tusker’s hide, praise be! 
	O Singer whose songs irradiate the ponn-s, praise be! 
	O Supreme One who is the whole cosmos, praise be! 
	O One who burnt, of yore, Kaama with a fiery look, praise be! 
	O Kapaali of the Gedilam stream, praise be!				50

8. 	O One whose mount is the white, wrathful Bull, praise be! 
	Your spreading matted hair sports a river, praise be!
	O Mendicant seeking alms sleeplessly, praise be! 
	O Queller of troubles, the moment one prays, praise be! 
	O Lord, who has a throat that holds the venom, praise be! 
	You are the four Vedas and the six Angas, praise be! 
	O One whose body is shared by Her of sweet words, praise be! 
	O Lord-Ruler of the billowy Gedilam, praise be!				51

9. 	O Siva that abides in the chinta, praise be! 
	You do contemplate Sri Sailam, praise be!
	You abide in the lotus of buddhi, praise be!
	O Hallowed One, praise be! 
	O Holy One, praise be! 
	O Catura who is the divisions of the day, praise! 
	O One of Truth, praise be! 
	O my Father, praise be! 
	O Hara who is the junction  of day and night, praise be! 
	O Lord-Ruler of the billowy Gedilam, praise be!				52

10. 	O One who is trinocular, praise be! 
	O Lord-God, praise be! 
	O Lord of the South, praise be! 
		O Righteous One, praise be! 
	O One of Truth, praise be! 
		O my Father, praise be! 
	Together when the two folding their palms 
		and arms, hailed You as nobly great 
		You stood a steady blaze of fire, praise be! 
	Nowhere have I aught of refuge, my Father, praise be! 
	O Lord of the billowy Gedilam, praise be!				53

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

NOTES

1. Potri: This word is the Tamil equivalent of Sanskrit ‘nama’ha.

You stood... in all: This refers to the immanence as well as the omnipresence 
of Siva.

Killer-Death: Many were the gods of Death.  Siva killed one of them.

The unlearned: Those that have not learnt, and therefore, do not pursue the ways 
of Siva. 

The learned: They that know and practise the ways of Siva. 

The three... citadels: The Tripura of the Asuras. 

2. The Patron of song and dance: Siva Nataraja is well known the world over.  
However, not many know that He is also the Lord of song and music.  “An 
interesting Icon of Saiva Symbolism” by K.R. Srinivasan, (Ananthachary Indological 
Research Institute--Series No.II Bombay, 1982) brings out the greatness of Siva as 
the musician par excellence.  This article relates to a sculptured stele of Saiva 
sculpture which was excavated in 1931 in Parel, Bombay.  It belongs to c.700 A.D.  
It is Siva as the Saptasvaramayamurthi.  “The Saivite nature of the seven divinities 
incorporated as representative of the same deity by the vertical and horizontal 
schematic arrangement, is attested by the inconography of the forms themselves as 
also by the attributes they carry and the apparent mudras of their hands.”

5. Bright: The word ‘nizhal ’ which means shade/shadow, also refers to light.

6. Seekers: Seekers of wordly objects.  In Saivism, even genuine seeking if it is 
prompted by vanity or pride, is of no avail.  The seeking should be through total 
surrender.  Even here there is a catch.  The surrendering soul must engage itself 
in the service of the Lord and His devotees.

Tenkalai Vaishnavism goes a step further and affirms that neither the path of 
devotion nor that of surrender, is truly a means to moksha (deliverance).  It is 
for the Lord to choose.  His freedom is sovereign.  This, no doubt, is considered 
to be an affront to the Lord’s egalitarian mercy.  Vide(1) Ramayana Exegesis in 
Tenkalai Sri Vaishnavism by Patricia Y. Mumme in ‘Many Ramayanas’ (1992), and 
(2) ‘The Srivaishnava Theological Dispute’ (1988) by Patricia Y. Mumme.

Pancha-Kavya: It is compounded of cow’s milk, curds, clarified butter, urine and 
dung.  Cow’s urine and dung are sacred to the Saivite.  A little of these two is 
added to the other three according to the Aagamic prescription.  The holy ash is 
made out of cow’s dung.  Of the sacredness of cow’s dung, the Tirukkalitruppadiyaar 
says: 
“It is the cow’s dung, that this day, in this world,
Does away with all abiding malas.”

7. Vikirta (n) : One whose nature differs from the world’s.

Pann : The modern raga is not to be deemed the near equivalent of pann.  Pann is 
that which makes for the ‘singability’ of a song.  It is that which harmonises the 
song with the singer.  St. Sekkizhaar says: “Good music (melody) is the fruit of 
pann.”  (pannin payanam nal isai).  Valluvar says: “Of what avail is pann if it blends 
not with singing?” (Pann yennam paatarku iyaipu indrel?) There are 103 pann-s, it 
is said.

8. Lines 6 and 7 may also be interpreted as follows: “O Queller of the troubles of 
the adoring hands, praise be!”

9. The words: “Puntiyaai-p-Pundarikatthullaai potri” are rendered as “You abide in 
the Lotus of buddhi, praise be!”  The figure employed in the Tamil original is hendyadis.
The lotus-buddhi is at once the installed deity and its seat.

The three divisions of the day are symbolic of creation, sustenance and resolution.

Catura(n): One who is an adept.  Also called Tattvan--the one of Truth.  

The junction of the day and night: The hour sacred to Saivites, it being the hour 
central to the Pradosham service.  At this hour all the gods present themselves 
before Siva who dances.

Le two: Vishnu and Brahma. 


6. TIRUVATIKAI VIRATTAM

Tiruvatitthirutthaandakam:
(The Thaandakam that hails the hallowed Feet)


1.	Those are the feet meditated upon and hailed 
		by the one whose bed is the snake;
	Those are the feet that adorn the heads of Brahma;
	Those are the feet reached by Saravanatthaan with folded hands; 
	Those are the feet of refuge to them that seek them;
	Those are the feet that quell the sins of them that hail them; 
	Those are the fee hailed by the eighteen ganas; 
	Those are the feet of Him of the realm 
		of the billowy Gedilam in the South;
	Those are the feet of our opulent One of Tiruvirattanam.		54

2. 	Those are the feet never reached by evil-doers; 
	Those save from sinking the weak that seek them;
	Those feet confer mastery to the practitioners of muzhavam and Paani; 
	Those feet smote cruel Death that rose up in wrath; 
	His are the ankleted feet whose mount is the mighty and raging Bull; 
	Those are the feet meditated upon by the Fosterer of the sea-girt earth; 
	Those are His who has the great moon for a chaplet; 
	Those are the feet inseparable from 
		Virattam upon Gedilam that flows brimful.			55

3. 	Those are the feet that annul not the lust 
		and the falsity of them that slander even as they wake up; 
	Those are the feet--a net unspun by deception; 
	Those feet are visible to us for hailing and adoring with hands; 
	Those are the feet we bathe in ghee and hail adoringly; 
	Those are the feet that abide cutting across the great heavens; 
	Those are of the Lord of Gedilam, the divine river; 
	Those are the feet of our opulent One of Tiruvirattaanam.		56

4. 	Those are the feet like the ruddy sun that causes (flowers) to burgeon; 
	Those are the great feet of grace whose beauty defies the brush; 
	Those are the feet circled by bees and chafers; 
	Those are the feet that smote Soma and Yama; 
	Those are the feet prattled about by the God-mad; 
	Those are the mighty feet whence wrong-doers cannot escape; 
	Those are the feet of the Lord of the realm of clear-watered Gedilam; 
	Those are the feet of our opulent One of Tiruvirattaanam.		57

5. 	Those are the feet that became one, of yore; 
	Those are the feet that grow lofty during each aeon;
	Those are the feet adorned with fitting kazhal and grained-silambu; 
	Those are the feet that are beyond the praise of the praisers; 
	Those are the feet sweetly hailed by the men of the vast earth; 
	Those are the feet decked with the flowers of joyous devotees; 
	Those are the feet of the Lord of the realm 
		of southern Gedilam at Tiruvatikai; 
	Those are the feet of our opulent One of Virattaanam.			58

6. 	Those feet constitute the red lotus of Lakshmi; 
	For the great (liberated) those feet yield honey;
	Those feet are the touchstone of the rich; 
	Those feet are beyond the praise of the magnifying celebrants; 
	In form, those feet differ from each other; 
	Those are the feet whose form is beyond reckoning; 
	Those are the feet of the Lord of the realm 
		of Tiruvatikai upon Gedilam in the south; 
	Those are the feet of our opulent One of Tiruvirattaanam.		59

7. 	All garlands of verse and prose belong to those feet; 
	Those feet are beyond the ken of words;
	Those feet keep Uma free from grief; 
	Those are the feet hailed and adored by the celestials; 
	Those feet are contained in half a maatra; 
	Those are the feet of immeasurable extent; 
	Those are the feet of the Lord of the region of Gedilam 
		Whose banks are dotted with mango trees.
	Those are Kaapaali’s feet of fragrant Virattam.				60

8. 	Those are flower-feet fragrant as sweet blossoms; 
	They pervade impartially all the lands of the earth; 
	Those feet abide as dense-rayed sun and moon; 
	Those feet blaze inly as fire-cluster; 
	Those are feet which wash away the stain of the flawed Moon; 
	Those feet are both Mantra and Tantra; 
	Those are the Lord’s feet vouchsafed to the countrymen of Gedilam 
		which flows brimful;
	Those are the feet of our opulent One of Tiruvirattaanam.		61

9. 	Those feet are neither far away nor near; 
	Those are feet nectarean to the servitors; 
	Those are feet that stand by the bowing devotees;
	Those are coral feet clung to by the unattached; 
	Those are feet of ruby, of gold, of majesty; 
	Those are feet that as remedy, rid the malady; 
	Those are the feet of the Lord of the realm 
		of cool and babbling Gedilam; 
	Those are the feet of the glorious Chief of Virattam.			62

10. 	Those feet are like the beautiful, burgeoning lotus; 
	Those are the feet that quelled the Asura’s prowess;
	It is they that emerged first in the most hoary past; 
	Those are Moorti’s feet that blazed forth endlessly; 
	Those are the feet of Him who is concorporate with 
	Her whose soft fingers sport a ball. 
	Those are His feet who is like a huge coral hill; 
	Those feet are smeared with the ashes of those 
	That were burnt in the crematorium; 
	Those are the feet of Vimalan to whom Virattam is dear.			63

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

NOTES

1. Saravanatthaan: Murukan. 

The eighteen ganas: Amarar, Siddhar, Asurar¸ Daitthiyar, Garudar, Kinnarar, 
Niruthar, Kimpurushar, Gandharvar, Yakshar, Vidyadarar, Bhootar, Paisaasar, 
Antarar, Munivar, Uragar, Aakaayavaasiyar and Bhoga Boomiyar.  - Pingkala 
Nikandu.

2. Muzhavam: A percussion instrument.

Paani: Taalam, the measure of time.

The Fosterer: Vishnu.

3. Kanakku Vazhakku: According to Siva Sri Arunai Vadivel Mudaliar these refer 
to numbers and words.  We beg to differ from this great scholar.  These but refer 
to the ways of the phenomenal world, its weights and measures.  The Tamil Lexicon 
refers to this very pharse of our Saint and says that its meaning is “limit, bound”.

4. Soma: Moon.  The episode hinted in the verse has reference to Daksha-yagna.

Yama: The god of Death.  Siva kicked Death to death to save Maarkkandeya.

Prattled about: The Tamil word is “pithatrum” (will prattle).  Prattling in this 
context means praising.  The line concerned can be translated as: “Those are 
the feet near which greatly-mad foregather and praise.”

5. The feet.... Yore: This refers to the time of creation.  On the day of Creation, 
the Lord stood as Ekapaathar (the single-footed).  As Ekapaathar, Siva created 
Vishnu from His left half and Brahma from his right half.

Kazhal: Anklet worn by man.  Silambu: Anklet worn by woman.  The reference to 
His feet of “fitting kazhal and grained silambu” is a reference to His being 
Ammai-Appar -- the androgynous Lord.

Grained Silambu: Silambu, a hollow anklet, contains grains of precious stones.

6. The red lotus of Lakshmi: Lakshmi is  the Goddess of Wealth.  Her seat, the 
red lotus is symbolic of her infinite riches.  In truth it is the Lord’s feet that 
constitute the infinite riches.

The word ‘Siranthaar’ means those who have gained mukti (deliverance). 

Honey: The bliss of release, deliverance.

7. The term Varai maathu (woman of mountain) refers to Uma.  The grief to which 
a wife is put, is the separation from her husband.  As Uma is part of the Lord.  
She is never put to this grief at all.

Those feet..... half a maatra: The Pranava (Om/AUM) comprises A(Akaaram), 
U(Ukaraam), M(Makaaram) and that which is known as half a maatra.  “A” is 
symbolic of Brahma, “U” of Vishnu, “M” of Rudra and half a maatra of pure Siva.  
Siva, the supreme, is beyond the Trinity.  Half a maatra is the subtle form of Naada.
For details the reader should consult the Tiruvaachaka Vishaiya Soosanam, appended 
to the Panniru-Tirumurai-th-thirattu (1906), edited by Srimad Siva Arunagiri Mudaliar 
and printed by Vidyaa Bhaskara press, Madras.

8. Those... fire-cluster: It is as blazing fire the yogis envision the Lord.  The Practice 
of the yogis is described as “Dagara Vidya”.  Its fruit is the envisioning of Siva, as 
pure fire, in the cave of heart.

9. Those.... malady: The malady is birth.  It is Grace, an alias for Siva’s feet, that 
confers on the soul  the beatitude of birthlessness.

10. It is they… hoary past: In the beginning were the Feet, the abode of Sivatattava.  
(Sakti-tattva stands subsumed in this).

Those... endlessly: This is a reference to Sadaasiva Tattva. 

Those... sport a ball: This is the form of Siva.  This is Easwara Tattva and in this 
Suddavidya-tattva stands subsumed.  This verse celebrates the pentad of 
Sudda-tattvas. 

Vimalan: He who does away with malam.


7. TIRUVATIKAI VIRATTAANAM

Kaapu-th-Thirutthaandakam
(The Thaandakam that speaks of holy shrines in the safe-keeping of Siva)

This is one of the patikams sung by our Saint during his stay at Tiruvatikai.  It enumerates 
the holy shrines protected by Lord Siva.

1. 	Virattam upon Gedilam rich in waters, 
		Citremam, great and cool Kutraalam, 
	Tillaicchitrambalam, southern Koodal, 
		Aanaikkaavu in the south.  Ciraappalli, 
	Nalloor, Devankudi, Marukal and Naaraiyur 
		Hailed and adored by the goodly, 
		Are in the safe-keeping of the Lord 
		Who bears a kallalaku and a skull with long brows,
	And who wields a kattangkam.						64

2. 	May you hail Virattam of sacred water, 
	Tirukkoval Virattam, Vennainalloor, 
	Annaamalai rich in its stream 
		Onto which the roaring cataract falls, 
	Araiyaninalloor and Araneri.
	He is the Lord who blesses you to hail Him; 
	Idaimarutu, Innambar, Yekambam 
		And Kailaas of cloud-capped gardens 
		Are in the safe-keeping of Him 
		Whose forehead sports an eye.					65

3. 	Virattam upon Gedilam 
		With a weir across its waters, 
	Tiruppaatirippuliyur, Tiruvaamaatthoor, 
	Sotrutthurai rich in fords hailed by sylvan munis, 
	Turutthi, neitthaanam, Aiyaaru which is girt by the Cauvery 
		Of flowing stream, Pazhanam, Kaanapper 
		Circled by densely dark groves and Kazhukkunru 
		Are in the safe-keeping of the Nectar of Aiyaaru.		66

4. 	Virattam upon Gedilam with flowing water, 
	Tiruvaaroor, Tevoor, Tirunellikkaa, 
	Otriyoor adored by the adoring celebrants, 
	Otthoor, Maalperu, Maanthurai, 
	Maanadi girt with the stream of the hilly cataract, 
	Maakaalam, Kedaaram and Maameru 
		Are in the safe-keeping of the Lord 
		Of Kadampanthurai -- 
		 skirted by the Cauvery whose stream 
		flows flanked by its banks.					67

5. 	Virattam upon Gedilam rich in fertilizing water, 
	Tirupuraanthakam, southern Devicchaaram, 
	Kottukkaa girt with eddying and flourishing waters 
	Kudamookku, Gokaranam, Kolakkaa, 
	Panangkaattoor ever free from flaw, 
	Panaiyoor, Payatroor, Paraaitthurai 
		And Kaalingkam where burgeon melliferous, blue water-lillies, 
		Are in the safe-keeping of the Lord of Ganapaticcharam.		68

6. 	Virattam upon Gedilam of sacred waters, 
	Uberous and cool Pitavoor, Sri Sailam 
		at which clouds arrive, stay and move about, 
	Pariyaloor Virattam, Paavanaasam, 
	Mavvantirai, Manimuttham, Maraikkaadu 
	Vaaimoor and Valanjuzhi
		Are in the safe-keeping of the Lord 
		of Kazhippaalai where dinsome 
		and streaked chafers hum.					69

7. 	Virattam upon Gedilam of clear waters, 
	Sikaazhi, Vallam, Tiruvetti, 
	Yetakam of inly percolating waters, 
	Ooral, Ambar, Naraiyoor, Arananalloor, 
	Vimalar of the Rider of the ethereal Bull, 
	Venni, Miyaacchur, Veezhimizhalai 
		and Karapuram of the Lord 
	Whose forehead sports a great eye, 
	Are in the safe-keeping of Kaapaali.					70

8. 	Virattam upon Gedilam of clear waters 
	Dindeeccharam, Tiruppukaloor, 
	Idaitthaanam of the Lord of the Bhoota-Hosts, 
	Ye-eacchuram, Nallemam, Koodal, Kodikaa of the Dancer, 
	Kurangkanilmuttam and Kurumpalaa 
	Are in the safe-keeping of the Lord of Kaaronam, 
		Meltingly hailed by them who become sober, 
		Having imbibed toddy.						71

9. 	Virattam upon Gedilam of glorious waters, 
	Tirukkaattuppalli, Tiruvennkaadu, 
	Famous Paigngneeli hailed by the men of earth, 
	Panthanainalloor, Paasoor, Nallam, 
	Ninriyoor girt with fecund and watery fields, 
	Nedungkalam, Nelvennai, Nelvaayil, 
		And Kadavur Virattam 
		Are in the safe-keeping of the Lord 
		Of beautiful and fragrant konrai garlands.			72

10. 	Virattam upon Gedilam of splashing waters, 
	Tiruvaanjiyam, Tirunallaaru, 
	Ayokandi girt with beautiful and cool gardens, 
	Aakkoor, Aavoor, Aanpatti, 
	Idaicchuram--the residence of our Lord, 
	Our Father’s Talaicchangkaadu, 
	Karaviram full of fragrance 
	And Karakkoyil at Kadampoor 
		Are in His safe-keeping.					73

11. 	Virattam upon Gedilam of honied waters, 
	Tirucchemponpalli, Tiruppoovanam, 
	Mananjeri hailed by the celestials, 
	Walled Unjaimaakaalam, Vaaranasi, 
	Vekuleeccharam hailed by others too, 
	Sri Sailam, bright and beautiful, 
	And Karumaari of glorious groves 
		full of sylvan peacocks, 
		Are in the safe keeping of the blue-throated Lord.		74

12. 	Virattam upon Gedilam of sacred waters, 
	Tiruvalappoor, Siddhavatam in the south, 
	Maanirupam whose uberty is caused 
		By the inflowing stream, 
	Bhiramapuram, Suzhiyal
		And Pennaakadam fostered by 
		The One of the great matted hair 
		Where flows the great flood, 
		And who is hailed by the dwellers of Mayilaappu, 
	Kaalatthi where hum darkly-blue chafers, 
		And Kailas are in His safe-keeping.				75

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

NOTES

1. Citremam: Some say this is Citraambur (also known as Citraaimoor) in Tiruttharup-
poondi taluk.  It is said to be fie miles away from the Railway station of Aalatthampaadi.
However the inscriptions of this shrine describe it as Tirucchitraaimoor and not as 
Tirucchitremam.  Tirucchitrambalam--a town eight miles from Pattukkotai is indeed 
Tirucchitremam.  This is evidenced from the very temple inscriptions which describe 
the place as Tirucchitremam.  Vide “Tevaaram petra talangkalum cilaa saasana vazhakkum” 
by M. Raghava Iyengar in “Aaraaicchitthokuthi” (1938). 

Koodal: The temple at Madurai is called Aalavaai.

Devankudi: This is known as Tiruntudevankudi.  The temple is at present, in ruins.  This 
does not disprove our Saint’s dictum that this shrine is in the safe-keeping of Siva.  It 
will sooner or later, regain its former splendour.  Its present condition only shows how 
indifferent are the modern Saivites.  A la Emerson, we are tempted to ask: “Where is the 
Saivite in the world of Saivism?”

Kallalaku: It is an instrument for keeping time.  It may also refer to a weapon. 

2. Araneri: Tiruvaaroor Araneri.  This temple is now part of the complex of Poongkoyil.

3. The Nectar of Aiyaaru: Panchanatiswara who presides over Tiruvaiyaaru.

4. Maanadi, Maakaalam and Kaakaalam (Ujjain) are Vaippu-th-thalangal.  These are holy 
places that are referred to in the Tevaaram hymns.  None of them has a decad in its 
honour.

5. Tiripuraanthakam, Deviccaharam, Kottukkaa and Kaalingkam are Vaippu-th-thalangkal.

6. Pitavoor, mavvantirai and Paavanaasam are Vaippu-th-thalangkal. 

Mavvantirai: Perhaps this is a phrase qualifying Manimuttham.  When the term is split 
into “mav vantu iraiyum,” it means “(Manimuttham) where is heard the sound of ‘ma’.  
Ma is one of the seven musical notes.

7. Sikaazhi: The aliter is Sikkaali, a Vaipputthalam.  Tiruvetti, Arananalloor and 
Karapuram are Vaippu-th-thalangkal.  The shrine at Uraiyoor is called Mukkeeccharam.

8. Dindeeccharam, Idaitthaanam, Ye-eacchuram and Nallemam are Vaippu-th-thalangka.

Kurumpalaa (The dwarfish jack tree) is in Kutraalam.

Toddy: The Paasupata yogis of Kaaronam are imbibers of toddy.  Toddy may also mean 
the elixir of devotion to Siva or Sivagnaanam.

10. Idaicchuram: --the residence of the Lord.
	Cf. “........ he is the Lord who dwells in Jerusalem.”
						- Esdras 2:5.

Ayokanti (Asokandi) and Aanpatti are Vaippu-th-thalangkal.

11. Unjaimaakaalam (Ujjain), Vaaranasi, Vekuleeccharam (also called Yekuleeccharam) 
and Karumaari are Vaippu-th-thalangkal.

12. Alappoor, Siddhavatam and Maa-nirupam are Vaippu-th-thalangkal.


8. TIRUKKAALATTHI
Having adored the Lord of Kaarikarai, our Saint proceeded to the river Ponmukhali.  Here he 
had his sacred bath.  He climbed the mountain of Tirukkaalatthi and had a soul-stirring 
darshan of the Lord.  Then he sang the following decad.  In this decad, he hails the Lord as 
the One “poised in his eyes.”


1. 	He is the indigent One with wherewithal none to buy His food; 
	He is Kamban of vast Kaanchi; 
	He is the great Adept who eats nought but the food He gets by alms; 
	He is the mighty One of the crematory; 
	He is a flawless pillar of gold; 
	He is like the hill of great ruby; 
	He is the granite pillar that unfailingly supports the seven worlds; 
	He is the Gananaathan beheld at Kaalatthi; 
	He is poised in my eyes.						76

2. 	He will annihilate my Karma; 
		He is Yekamban; 
	His jewels are bones; 
		He is the Ordainer of all things; 
	He became the three worlds; 
		He is Paasupatan who cut off the head of him 
		That duly and inerrantly cultivated the aimpuri; 
	He is of Paraaitthurai, 
		Pazhanam and Paigngneeli; 
	He is the Wearer of the chaplet of fragrant konrai; 
	He is of Kaalatthi; 
		He is poised in my eyes.					77

3. 	He is Naaraayanan; He is Brahma; 
		He is the Author of the four Vedas; 
	He is the perfect One 
		Who is like a ship on the great ocean of wisdom; 
	He is the perfect One, the holy One, 
		The hoary One who received 
		On the strands of His matted hair the flood; 
	He is the Caaranan, the moon, the sun, 
	He is the One beyond compare; 
		To them that are fit and ripe 
		He reveals Himself as the Cause; 
	He is Gananaathan beheld at Kaalatthi; 
		He is poised in my eyes.					78

4. 	He did away with my Karma; 
		He is the Dancer in the fire; 
	He is of Tiruvotriyoor; 
		He is the kin of them that think of Him; 
	He presides over Yekampam; 
		He is the goodly Consort of Uma; 
	He is the Work hailed by the celestials; 
		He abides at Sotrutthurai; 
	He, by His look, reduced to ash 
		the skill of the archer--the fish-bannered lord; 
	He is Gananaathan beheld at Kaalatthi; 
		He is poised in my eyes.					79

5. 	He is the Indweller of manam, head and vaak; 
	He is among the brotherhood of servitors 
		Who hail Him in full-throated ease; 
	He abides in the heads of the celestials; 
		He is beyond the seven planets; 
	He abides here in the ruddy and golden groves; 
		He is housed in the fragrant konrai flower; 
	He abides in mountain, fire and air; 
		He is the soul of Ganam;
	He dwells at the crest of Kailas; 
		He is of Kaalatthi; 
		He is poised in my eyes.					80

6. 	He self-manifested before all things appeared; 
	He abides at Yekambam; 
		He had (beginninglessly) rid Himself 
		Of the five, cruel senses; (for this) the celestials hail Him;
	He bears in the strands of His matted hair the leaping Ganga; 
	He is the ochre-robed Kaapaali 
		Who mounts a goodly Bull, 
		Adorns Himself with a snake and bears a cool skull, 
		Without any sense of shame; 
	He is of Kaalatthi;
		He is poised in my eyes.					81

7. 	He whose neck is coal-like, abides in my eyes; 
		He (willingly) limits Himself,
	He wears konrai whose honey has been tasted by the chafers; 
	He is of the hue of coral--burning bright; 
		He is Yekamban; 
	He has become all the eight directions; 
		Such is His nature; 
	He is the Dancer in the fire 
		Who burnt the triple citadels; 
	He is the Queller of evil deeds 
		And He abides in my chinta; 
	He is Kaapaali who mantled Himself 
		In the tusker’s hide and joyed at it; 
	He is of Kaalatthi; 
		He is poised in my eyes.					82

8. 	He begs at every door and accepts paltry alms; 
	He is hailed and adored by the celestials; 
	He ran about displaying His archery; 
	His chest is also adorned with white thread; 
	His puissant arm sports a mazhu; 
	He is the Consort of the Daughter of the Mountain; 
	He--Kaapaalai, was, of yore, happily seated under the Banyan tree; 
	He is of Kaalatthi; 
	He is poised in my eyes.						83

9. 	He wears melliferous konrais whose 
		honey had been sipped by chafers; 
	He is of Tiruvekambam; 
	He is concorporate with Gnaanappoongkothai 
		the flowers in whose garlands exude honey; 
	He is the supremely desirable One; 
		He is the Light animating wisdom; 
	He sped across the great heavenly world destroying it, 
		And flexed His limbs in dance; 
	He is of Kaanapperoor girt with groves where bees hum; 
	He is the blue-throated One; 
	He is o Kaalatthi; 
	He is poised in my eyes.						84

10. 	He is God the Omnipresent; 
		He became all the seven words; 
	He deigns to accept the small services of the imperfect; 
	He abides at Keezhkkottam at Kudamookku; 
	He is the Lord of the celestials whose book is the Vedas; 
	He is Manikandan who presides over Maraikkaadu; 
	He is Kaapaali, the blue-necked; 
	He is of Kaalatthi; 
	He is poised in my eyes.						85

11. 	He ate the uneatable and deadly venom; 
	He is like the fire at the end of the aeon; 
	He played melodiously many instruments 
		Witnessed by the delighted; 
	He is the excellence of the four Vedas that manifested; 
	He is of Annaamalai; 
	He confers grace when His feet are hailed 
		And adored by the holy throng of servitors; 
	He is a marvelous sight to beholders; 
	He is of Kaalatthi; 
		He is poised in my eyes.					86

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

NOTES

1. Alms: This refers to the devotion of Siva-Bhaktas.

He is... of crematory: He is the only One who thrives deathless.

Gold, ruby, granite: Siva is all.

Gananathan: The Lord of the Hosts.

Poised in my eyes: The lover always abides in the eyes of the belove.

2. Aimpuri: It is called ‘Panchaathi’ in Sanskrit.  This comprises fifty words of the 
Veda .  It is known as the five strands.  It is Brahma who is referred to as the 
cultivator of Panchaathi (the Vedas).

3. He is Naaraayanan: ....Vedas: Compare the dictum of St. Nammaazhwar which says 
that the Almighty is “Ayan (Brahma), Aran (Hara) and Naaraayanan (Vishnu)....”

Caaranan: The one who moves everywhere.

4. The fish-bannered lord: Manmata, the God of Love.

5. If the words “talai melaan” mean “He is above the heads,” then the meaning of 
the passage is: “He is,” according to the yogic parlance, “twelve inches above 
Brahmarantra.”

The ruddy and golden groves: They may refer to kurinji or mullai regions.  By upalakshana 
(ejusdem generis), the other regions are also to be included.

Ganam: (Skt.) A very involved method of reciting the Vedas.  If the word be ‘Kanam’ it 
refers to clouds.

6. Ochre-robe: Kaashaayam, the clothing of a sannyasi.

Kaapaali: The word may also mean: “One who enacts the dance called Kaapaalam.

7. The second line of the translation is based on the word “Kandan”.  This word also 
means (1) warrior and (2) husband.

8. Sil bali: Paltry alms: Food cooked or grains (uncooked).

The Banyan tree: It is called Kallaal which does not have rooting branches (stilt roots).

9. The dance that is referred to in the verse is the one that is enacted when Siva has 
resolved all creation.

10. The delighted: These are the rishi-patnis (respective wives of the righis) of 
Taarukkaavanam.

Beholders: Of these St. Kannappar is one.


9. TIRUAAMAATTHOOR
When our Saint rejoined his parent-faith, he abode at Tiruvatikai for some years.  Then he 
left Tiruvatikai on a pilgrimage.  He visited Tiruvennainalloor and the came Aamaatthoor, a 
town in Nadu Naadu.  This decad sung here, is in ‘Akam’ genre.The names of the Deity and 
His consort: Abiraamayeesar and Mutthaambikai.

1.	Singing Vannams He came, and forcing me 
		He snatched my bangles; casting dart-like looks on us,
		He made us give in; 
	His burning words stirred our passion; 
		Bedaubed with gold-dust, clad in skin 
		And adorned with the white thread, 
	Kaapali, the noble One, the handsome One, 
		The Lord of Aamaatthoor moves away; 
		Come and behold Him!						87

2. 	Bedaubed with the burnt ash of the dead, 
	Sporting a white wreath on His spreading matted hair, 
		And holding a vina, 
		He came melodizing gaantaaram; 
	I said: “O One of beautiful and dark-tinted neck! 
		What may Your town be?” 
	Like one fatigued, He looked. 
		He, even He, entered my house 
	And said: “O lass whose waist is lithe and lovely! 
	If you desire to know the name of Our town, 
		Know it to be Aamaatthoor 
		where on comely lotuses sweet beetles carol; 
	This said, the noble One moved away.					88

3. 	Holding in His hand a kattangkam and riding a swift Bull, 
	Kaapaali speaks endearing words, enters the house, 
		But receives not the alms offered; neither does He move away; 
		He but stands articulating atrocious and deceptious words; 
		He is like one who will undo the beholders; 
	He does not accept the cooked food of alms; 
		He is silent.
	Ha, the handsome One, the Lord of Aamaatthoor.				89

4. 	He is accompanied by many a loving Bhootha 
		that sings and dances; 	
	His girdle is a hooded snake; 
	He is even prone to beg alms; 
	His body is like a blazing fire; 
	He has three unwinking eyes; 
	He is of the four Vedas; 
	He wears the fine and divine ash; 
	He is Pigngnaka whose Consort knows no parting from His frame; 
		on His divine crest the clear-watered Ganga tosses; 
	He holds the fire in His lovely form; 
	Ha, He is the handsome One, the Lord of Aamaatthoor.			90

5. 	He has wheeled cars, horses and tuskers; 
		He lacks nothing;
	His mount is a white Bull; 
		His neck is dark;
		His hue is that of ruddy fire; 
	He, the Lord, hailed and adored by the celestials, 
		is endowe	d neither with wealth nor is He without it. 
	On His chest are a lovely kothai and a maalai--wrought of grace; 
	He is clad in tiger-skin; 
		He is surrounded by Bhoothas; 
	Ha, He is the handsome One, the Lord of Aamaatthoor.			91

6. 	Adorned with the ash and decked with a white todu,
	He who is concorporate with His Consort 
		Comes mounted on a puissant Bull, 
		Holding a vina in His left hand; 
		His kuzhai sways; 
	He strikes kodukotti; 
		He holds a skull on which is perched a kestrel; 
	He receives not alms; 
		He but speaks deception. 
	Lo, He is surely our Lord 
		Who sports a river in His matted crest.
	Ha, He is the handsome One, the Lord of Aamaatthoor.			92

7. 	He has a skull in His palm; 
		He is clad in deer-skin; 
	He has a secret intent; with a ruddy and divine body 
		bedaubed, with white ash, sporting the crescent-moon 
		on His right, ruddy, matted hair,
		Concorporate with Uma, and causing the triple, 
		hostile citadels to burn, 
	He, in the form of a Dancer to the beholders, goes.
	Come and behold the Lord.
	Ha, He is the handsome One, the Lord of Aamaatthoor.			93

8. 	You lack nothing; 
		Your mount is the white bull; is Your town Otriyoor?
		Speak that we may know 
		What mean You to do, by abiding here? 
		If You mean to go away, know that You have robbed us 
		of our chastity by the eye in Your forehead.
	It is thus, even thus, 
		You trouble us for ever; 
		We have now known Your town. 
		Is it not Yekambam? 
	O noble One, You are going away leaving us here.
	O Lord of Aamaatthoor! 
		You are truly handsome.						94

9. 	Seen by everyone and holding a kallalaku 
	The Lord of Kaalatthi goes mounted on a swift Bull; 
	Entering our house, He said: “Give alms.”
	When I came to face Him, 
		He was nowhere to be seen. 
	“You say nothing,” but You are leaving us. 
	What may Your town be?  
		Is it Turutthi, Pazhanam 
		Or Neitthaanam?” (Thus I spake.)
	Ha, He but moves away perpetrating troubles. 
	Handsome indeed is the Lord of Aamaatthoor!				95

10. 	His chest is bright with fadeless ash; 
		He is the Bridegroom abiding at gemmy Mizhalai; 
	He is the Lord of Uma who wears 
		A wreath of lustrous blue lilies; 
	He plays on kodukotti and cymbals; 
	He is our opulent One of the Kailas; 
	Atikai Virattam in the south is 
		His (chosen) residence; 
	He is the Queller of troubles of the sorrowing ones. 
	He is the handsome Lord of Aamaatthoor.					96

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

NOTES

1. Vannam: Melodic numbers sung to taalam.

2. Gaantaaram: A pann.

4. Pigngnaka: Pignngakam is said to be a head-ornament.  As the Lord wears His matted 
hair in the form of a crown sometime, He is referred to as Pigngnakan.

5. Kothai: It is a garland worn by woman.  The garland worn by man is called ‘thaar’.  
The Lord wears a kothai and a thaar, as He is Ardhanaariswarar.  Maalai is the common 
name for garland worn by man as well as woman.

6. Todu: 
Ear-ring worn by woman.  Usually it is a scroll of palm-leaf inserted into the pendulous 
ear-lobe.  It is also wrought of sea-shell.

Kuzhai: Ear-ring for either sex.
Kodukotti is a dance; here it refers to the drum which is played during the dance.

8. This is one of the beautiful hymns of the Akam genre.  In Akam poetry, the heroine 
uses the royal ‘we’.  The here (Siva) has had union with the heroine (Niraiyum Kondeer).  
Yet He marries her not.  So, of what avail is His sojourn in the heroine’s town? (Ninru 
thaan yen seiveer?)

However the heroine now knows of the hero’s home-town.  She can therefore join him 
there.  Yet, as things stand, the hero leaves her and goes away (Anritthaan pokindreer).  
The assurance that the heroine feels is that all will be well in God’s time.


10. TIRUPPANTHANAINALLOOR
Our Saint adored Lord Siva at Tirumayilaaduthurai, Turutthi, Velvikkudi, Yetirkolpaadi 
and other places and eventually arrived at this town which is in Chola Nadu.  The name 
of the Deity and His Consort of this shrine, are Pasupatiswarar and Kaambanatholiammai.

1. 	Panthanainalloor’s Lord has not a body
		of painful limbs; He wears a serpent; He wears 
	A (sacred) thread; Over that He wears a carapace; 
		He dances in the ghoul-haunted crematory 
	And wears on His crescent-adorned matted hair a river too; 
		He is concorporate with Her of lovely looks; He holds, fire; 
		He is of crepulscular hue; cap a pie, He is 
		smeared with ash; He has a bull of beautiful eyes; 
	He is a Receiver of alms.						97

2. 	He would not consider aught but the crematory 
		As His place of residence; He ate the oceanic venom; 
	He mantled Himself in tusker’s hide; He would not 
		Consider aught as His begging-bowl save the skull; 
	He is of Otriyoor; with His single eye (in the forehead) 
		He would enfeeble attaching ills and warring enmity; 
	He is a Singer accompanied on pitavam, monthai, 
		Kudamuzhavam, kotukotti and kuzhal; He is 
	A dancer; His mount is the Bull of beauteous eyes; 
		He is a Receiver of alms; He is of Panthanainalloor.		98

3. 	He is the Lord of the Bhootha-Hosts; He wears dazzling threads; 
		He is clothed in tiger’s skin; His mount is a martial Bull; 
	He is the Lord of Vedic sacrifices; He abides in the loving ones; 
		On His spreading matted hair He wears the chaplet 
	Of white crescent; He ate the venom of the billowy, roaring sea; 
		His feet are girt with anklets; He is the Ruler 
	Of the heavenly world of immortals; His is the Bull 
		Of beauteous eyes; He is a Receiver of alms; 
			He is of Panthanainalloor.				99

4. 	He wears the crescent on His matted crest where Ganga flows; 
	In His palm He holds the fire; eke He holds rectitude; 
	He receives alms in all towns; He is adorned with serpents;  
	He holds in His neck the venom of the roaring main;
	He is concorporate with Her whose breasts are covered 
	By a breast-cloth; a mazhu He holds and in 
		His hand, a fawn; 
	His fame pervades the whole world; 
		His Bull has beauteous eyes; 
	He is a Receiver of alms; He is of Panthanainalloor.			100

5. 	His is the effulgence hailed and adored by devotees; 
	His is the lovely, untrembling head;
		He wears the holy ash; 
	Indai adorns His matted hair; He dances in the crematory 
		And the graveyard, during night; He is 
	Beyond Andam; He is the Alpha; as the Sun (of suns) 
		He dances in the raging fire; He snaps the hoary Karma 
	Of servitors; His mount is the Bull of beauteous eyes; 
		He is a Receiver of alms; He is of Panthanainalloor.		101

6. 	He shrouded Himself with the hide of the ichorous 
		And deluded tusker; He loves to abide at Kaanapper; 
	He dwells in the manam of innocent devotees that love Him; 
		Over His shoulders lies the flayed skin of deer; 
	He dances witnessed by His Consort; He wears snakes; 
		He is a Reciter of the four Vedas and the sextuple Angas; 
	Over His crest is a hooded snake; His is a Bull of beauteous eyes; 
		He is a Receiver of alms; He is of Panthanainalloor.		102

7. 	On His matted crest is an unageing moon; He became
		The three; He is the First One hailed by the triple worlds;
	He is the ankleted One praised by the learned; He loves 
		The moon and the Ganga; He is concorporate with Her 
	Whose shoulders are bamboo-like; He is adorned 
		With milk-white ash; by His nature He became 
	The time of Dissolution and the cosmos; He burnt 
		The walled towns of foes; His is a Bull of lovely eyes; 
	He is a Receiver of alms; He is of Panthanainalloor.			103

8. 	He sports an eye in His forehead; He lives in the forest 
		And in the country; in one hand He holds 
		The mighty weapon of mazhu; a woman abides 
		In His crown of matted hair; He is nameless; 
	He is without birth or death or maladies; 
		He is praised by melodious hymns; 
	The earth-born, the celestials and others and also Brahmins 
		Come before His presence, to hail and adore Him; His mount
	Is a Bull of beauteous eyes; He is a Receiver 
		Of alms; He is of Panthanainalloor.				104

9. 	On His mount the Bull, He is hailed by the seven worlds; 
	He abides ever adored by the celestials; His body 
	Is adorned with ahs; He ate the blue venom; He ate 
	The havis offered through fire; He holds fire in His palm; 
	In His crest flows the river; He bathes in Pancha-Kavya; 
	He is adorned with the fire-breathing, five-headed Naaga; 
	He holds a white skull on which is perched a falcon;
	His mount is the Bull of beauteous eyes; 
	He is a Receiver of alms; He is of Panthanainalloor.			105

10. 	He shot the three, rocky, walled and well-protected towns; 
	He loves to reside in Kaaronam; Nalloor is dearly
	Loved by Him; He is the Gnosis of the wise; 
	He recited the four Vedas and the six Angas; Seated 
	Atop the mighty and beautiful mountain, He crushed 
	The head of the King of puissant Raakshasas; 
	He roams for alms in many towns; 
	His is the Bull of beauteous eyes; 
	He is a Receiver of alms; He is of Panthanainalloor.			106

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

NOTES

1. The body of Siva is not material substance.  According to Saiva Siddhanta His body 
is GRACE ITSELF.

Carapace: The carapace belonged to Vishnu when he appeared as a Tortoise.

2. The skull of Brahma serves as Siva’s begging-bowl.  Pitavam, monthai, kudamuzhavam 
and kodukotti are percussion instrument.  Kuzhal is flute.

4. The Lord holds fire as well as rectitude in His palms.  This sylleptic reference is 
significant.  It shows that the Lord who is pure is also a purifier.

5. Indai: The chaplet worn by Siva on His head.

Adam: Universe Cosmos.

6. Patam: (Hood) This word refers to a snake that has hood.  The figure is synecdoche.

8. The lady that lives in Siva’s matted crest is Ganga Devi.

9. Havis: It is oblation offered in a sacrifice.


11. TIRUPPUNKOOR and TIRUNEEDOOR
Our Saint adored with Tirugnaanasambandhar at the shrine of Kolakkaa.  Then taking leave 
of him, he visited such shrines as Tirukkaruppariyalur, Tiruppunkoor and Tiruneedoor.  The 
following decad was composed at Tiruneedoor.  This decad is in praise of both Tiruppunkoor 
and Tiruneedoor.  The names of the Deity and His Consort at Tiruppunkoor and Tiruneedoor 
are respectively 1. Sivalokanaathar and Chokka Naayaki/Soundara Naayaki and 2. Somanaadeswar 
and Aadhitya Abhayaprataambika/Veda Naayaki/Veyurutholi Ammai.

1. 	How could I, the base one, fail to think of the Lord 
		Who self-manifested without getting born, 
	Who fosters not them that love Him not, 
		Who is the Light that snapt all bonds without renunciation, 
	Who is the pure Buttress of the pure and holy way 
		Who is all the divisive directions, 
	Who is Sivalokan that presides over Tiruppunkoor 
		And who is Needoor’s Lord--the lovely blaze?			107

2. 	How could I, the base one, fail to think of the Lord 
		Who is the Before as well as the After, 
	Who is a Mad Man unto them madly in love with Him, 
		Who is the Lord of them blessed with goodly wisdom, 
	Who is at once the Bestower of good and bad karma, 
		Who grew and spiraled up into the heavens as fire,  
	Who is Sivalokan that presides over Tiruppunkoor 
		And who is the Lord of aeviternal Needoor?			108

3. 	How could I, the base one, fail to think of the Lord 
		Who is nowhere as well as everywhere, 
	Who is hostile to them who think not of Him with love, 
		Who graces them that reach Him in all celerity, 
	Who graces not them anywise that reach Him not.
		Who blesses souls with birthlessness, 
	Who is Sivalokan that presides over Tiruppunkoor 
		And who is the Lord of Needoor girt with paddy-fields? 		109

4. 	How could I, the base one, fail to think of the Lord 
		Who can teach all wisdom without teaching, 
	Who can save one’s fall into the inferno, 
		Who enduing Himself with very many habits, 
	Becomes at each place the Prop of adorers, 
		Who is the Dancer in fire that burnt with a bow, Tripura, 
	Who is Sivalokan that presides over Tiruppunkoor 
		And who is the Lord of Needoor of ever-
			during, gemmy mansions?					110

5. 	How could I, the base one, fail to think of the Lord 
		Who fosters all things with no effort at fostering, 
	Who subtly pervades all things taking no effort at pervasion,
		Who shapes things into existence without creation, 
	Who goes not to them that do not come seeking Him, 
		Who ate the venom of the clear sea without puking, 
	Who is Sivalokan that presides over Tiruppunkoor 
		And who is the Lord of Needoor of fadeless 
			effulgence great?					111

6. 	How could I, the base one, fail to think of the Lord, 
		Who wears the unadornable jewel,
	Who wears the paste that cannot be daubed, 
		Who eats the uneatable food from the stinking skull, 
	Who is the noble One beheld by none, 
		Who has a body wrought of bright light, 
	Who is like unto a lofty and ruddy coral-hill, 
		Who is Sivalokan that presides over Tiruppunkkoor
	And Who is the Lord of Needoor 
		Rich in flowery fields stretching for away.			112

7. 	How could I, the base one, fail to think of the Lord 
		Who is inexpressible in words, 
	Who is unfailingly of every form, 
		Who though lofty, weighty and immergeable sinks not, 
	Who is One that is at once hoary and novel, 
		Who has a crest where courses a billowy river, 
	Who is Sivalokan that presides over Tiruppunkoor 
		And who is the Lord of Needoor of rows of 
			gemmy mansions?						113

8. 	How could I, the base one, fail to think of the Lord
		Who is beyond the conjoin quest of him whose bed 
	Is the peerless snake and him that is seated 
		On the Flower of the cool pool?  Glorious are His feet 
	Girt with tinkling anklets and unknowable to the Devas 
		That can con the nature of every one; He is Sivalokan 
	Who presides over Tiruppunkkoor of umbrageous groves; 
		He is the Lord of Needoor rich in cool fields 
			splashed by water.					114

9. 	How could I, the base one, fail to think of the Lord 
		Who is Sivalokan that presides over Tirupunkoor 
	Bounded by fields where red lotuses burgeon, 
		And who is the Lord of Needoor of coastal and watery groves? 
	Ghee e flows down their elbows; their necks bend down
		To their palms; their legs stand erect: thus they eat. 
	I deemed their falsehood to be truth and embraced 
		Their faith; yet did I escape the gin of the hunters 
	And emerged out to be blessed with redemption.				115

10. 	How could I, the base one, fail to think of Sivalokan 
		Who presides over Tiruppunkoor, the Lord of Needoor 
	Whose will for ever prevails? O poor heart, how could I 
		Have dispraised Him that pervades all things in oneness 
	Without ignoring nothing, Him that crushed the weal 
		Out of the King of the Raakshasas that groaned with pain 
	Placed under the immense mountain, and then conferred 
		On him goodly grace?  How could I have dispraised Him 
	Who mantled Himself in the hide of the huge tusker?			116

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

NOTES

1. Who fosters not them that love Him not: This idea is well brought but by our Saint in 
a hymn beginning with the words: “Salamilan...” St. Umaapati has incorporated the thought 
of our Saint in one of his distichs and it is as follows: 

	“He is good to the devout, and not good 
	Unto the undevout; likes or dislikes 
	He has none; for Sankara is His name.”

Who is the light that snapt all bonds without renunciation: The Lord is ever free from 
malas.  He need not undergo the process of renunciation like others to get purified.

2. Who is the Before as well as the After: The Lord is truly the Alpha and the Mega. 

3. Sellaatha sennerikke Selvippaan: “Sellaatha senneri” refers to the goodly way which 
does not involve the soul in any transmigration.  It leads to the beatitude of moksha 
which is indicated in the translation as birthlessness.

4. Kalai Gnaanam: Knowledge of Scriptures.  This being all-comprehensive, it is translated 
as “all wisdom.”

Vetam: Habit, Inter alia it means outward appearance.

5. Who shapes into existence without creation: God creates all things without resorting 
to the process of creation.  Vide Adhikarna 2, Sutra 1, Sivagnaanabhotham.

6. The unadornable jewel is the snake; the paste that cannot be daubed (applied on person) 
is the ash and the uneatable food is that which is obtained as alms.

7. The verse, inter alia, speaks about the eating habits of the Samanas.


12. TIRUKKAZHIPPAALAI
This decad was sung by our Saint during his sojourn at this place now known as Sivapuri, 
which he visited after adoring the Lord at Tiruvetkalam.

The name of the Deity and His Consort are Ucchinaadeswarar and Kanakaambikai.

1. 	It is a nine-gated hut draped in flesh; its pillars 
		Are shiny bones; it is woven with hair.
	(Unto the true devotee) the Lord fares forth to rid him of this.
		He authored many a light; His hand holds 
	A leaping antelope; He is Kapaalappanaar 
		Of Kazhippaalai rich in gardens where 
	With the spread-out fan-tails, peacocks dance; 
		He paved the way that with ease cuts across the sky; 
		We tread the self-same way that is by Him paved.		117

2. 	He reduced to powder the three, well-wrought, walled towns; 
		My father of triple eyes was before the Beginning 
	And will be after the End; on His matted crest He juxtaposed 
		The crescent and the snake and the Ganga setting at nought 
		Their hostility; my Father has caused His comely, blue throat,
		To contain the immense venom; He is Kapaalappanaar 
	Of Kazhippaalai Who, by His arcane words, has paved 
		The way to end embodiment; we tread 
		The self-same way that is by Him pave. 				118

3. 	Let not your thought turn away; daily think of Nirmalan
		In steadfastness; He is concorporate with Uma, 
	The bejewelled whose dark locks are buzzed by bright 
		chafers; He is Kapaalappanaar meltingly hailed 
	By the servitors of Kazhippaalai fenced by thaazhai 
		That encloses dark groves where bettles whir in joy; 
	He paved the way to end embodiment which is 
		Sustained by the vital air; we tread 
		The self-same way by Him paved.					119

4. 	His body sweetly smells of ash; He has a pouch 
		Of holy ash; He is clad in tiger-skin; He wears 
	A raging snake; He wears the sacred thread; His feet 
		Smell like lotus; He, of Aaroor, is the First One; 
	His ablutions are pancha-kavya; Aadirai is dear to Him; 
		He is Kapaalappanaar of fragrant Kazhippaalai 
	Rich in odoriferous gardens; He paved the way to end 
		The death-bound embodiment; 
		We tread the self-same way by Him paved.			120

5. 	He is Kapaalappanaar who abides in Kazhippaalai; 
		The celestials willingly hail Him thus: “You are the heaven;
	The Vedas, the swelling and spreading music, the numbers, 
		The letters, the seven seas, the Ens Entium, our Lord, 
	The eyes, the clouds and the earth.  “He paved the way 
		To end the limicolous and illusive embodiment; 
	We tread the self-same way by Him paved.				121

6. 	He is hailed by the singing Vidyaadharas: He is 
		The many-rayed sun, the burning agni: He is 
	Ether too; He is Creator; He is Pasupati abiding 
		In the manam of devotees; He is Paasupatan: 
	He is the bright One; He felt delighted when Kannappan 
		Fixed his (gouged) eye on His; He is Kapaalappanaar 
	Of Kazhippaalai; He paved the way to end the illusive 
		Embodiment of manifold maladies; 
		We tread the self same way by Him paved. 			122

7. 	Ye senseless ones who deem the death-bound and leaky 
		Hut as one that will truly endure! The Lord has 
	A flesh-tipped trident; His neck is blue in hue; 
		He is eight-armed; eight are His qualities-- 
	Graceful and perfect; He lauded the intent 
		Of Kanampullar; He abides at Kaanchi; He is 
	Kapaalappanaar of Kazhippaalai who paved the way 
		To end the stinking and illusory embodiment; 
		We tread the self-same way by Him paved. 			123

8. 	Godhead is His nature; He is my father and my father’s father; 
		He abides willingly in my chinta; He is ever at work;
	He is (many) form(s); He is the pure One, the triple-eyed; 
		He is a Wielder of the trident; He is the smiling One; 
	He is Kapaalappanaar of Kazhippaalai in whose waters 
		Bounded by kandal, kayal-fish leap; He paved 
	The way to end the befuddling and illusive embodiment; 
		We tread the self-same way by Him paved.			124

9. 	He will cure the malady of their chinta who have 
		Vanquished the rebellious manam; if they, 
	With all their heart, think of Him and rise up saying: 
		“Sivamoorti!” He, the noble One, will rid them 
	Of their distress and cause the world to praise them; 
		He is the import of the peerless works mastered by others though
	He Himself has no need to cultivate them; He snapped 
		Paasam; He is Kapaalappanaar of Kazhippaalai; 
	He paved the way to end the illusive embodiment; 
		We tread the self-same way by Him paved.			125

10. 	When Pushpaka would not fly over the mountain 
		The martial Raakshasa of victorious garland 
	And lofty crown, durst uproot it causing vast lands 
		To quake; the Lord beholding His bejewelled Consort 
	Getting scared, pressed one of His toes and crushed 
		The demon’s ten bright crowns and twenty arms; 
	He is of Kazhippaalai; He paved the way to end 
		the recurring embodiment; 
	We tread the self-same way by Him paved.				126. 

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

NOTES

1. This decad speaks of the Siva-yogic way by treading which salvation is gained. 
The deity is called Kapaalappanaar.  Kapaalam is ‘skull’.  Siva is the Father who 
holds as His begging-bowl a skull.

3. Nirmalan (Ninmalan): The One ever-free from malas. 
Thaazhai is fragrant screwpine.

4. Aadirai is the asterism called the Betelgeuse.

5. This verse tells us that God is all, though all is not God. 

6. Pasupati (Siva) is the Lord of all the souls.
Manam is one of the evolutes of Maya, which constitute the inner sensorium.  It is 
not the same as consciousness which is represented by the word ‘mind’ in the West. 

Paasupatam: Saivism of ancient India was only known as Paasupatam.  Paasupatam is 
also the invincible weapon of Siva.

7. Kanampullar: One of the 63 Naayanmaar.

8. Chinta is mind-heart according to David Buck.

He is ever at work: 
This refers to the endless dance of Siva which is called Pancha-kritya.  This Fivefold 
act comprises Creation.  Sustenance, Absorption.  Veiling and Bestowal of Grace.  Even 
when the outward act appears to come to an end, it is continued in its subtle form.

9. Paasam: It is known as Kayiru in Tamil.  This coir is of three strands and they 
symbolize the three malas of Aanavam, Kanmam and Maayei.

10. Pushpaka: The aerial car of Kubera, snatched from him by Raavana.


13. TIRUPPURAMPAYAM
Our Saint caused the removal, through the King of the realm, of the concealment resorted to 
by the Samanas who screened the shrine known as Pazhayaarai Vatathali.  Then he left the 
place and proceeded on his pilgrimage, adoring Lord Siva in His various shrines.  Eventually 
he came to Tiruppurampayam where he hailed the Lord with the following decad.  The names 
of the Deity and His Consort are; Saakshinaadeswarar / Punnaivananaathar and Karumpanna-
solli / Ikshuvaani.

1. 	Koodal in whose long streets flags wave over mansions, 
		Kottoor, Kodungkoloor, cool Valavi, Kandiyoor 
	And goodly Marukal of (endless) traffic: it is in these, 
		He abode in the past.  As Otriyoor of ever-increasing weal 
	Was fettered with a mortgage, He quit it; He also gave up 
		Pazhanam where chafers buzz and whir in the eve, 
	Paasoor, Pazhaiyaaru and Paalkulam; He whose body 
		Is smeared with ash, accompanied by the Bhoota-Hosts 
	Went away saying: “Now a days, We abide 
		In Purampayam which is Our home-town.”				127

2. 	Like a ripe tapaswi wholly smeared with the ash 
		He presented Himself sporting the sprouting crescent 
	And wearing the triple, sacred thread. 
		As I slept the sleep of a spy, He started 
	Counting one after another, my bright bangles.
		Alas, I have none to help me; to me--
	The bewildered one--, struck as though madness, 
		He that was cinctured with a serpent of the ant-hill, 
	Accompanied by the Bhootha-Hosts, spake thus:” It is 
		Purampayam that is Our home-town.”				128

3. 	He of the crepuscular hue, the eater of cruel venom, 
		Throwing over His auric shoulders as an upper garment 
	The five-headed snake, came with a bowl and said: 
		“O Tiru, give alms.” I went inside the house. 
	He would receive neither paaku nor food; He looked 
		Into this sinner’s eyne, and abode there. 
	The One whose habit is inseparable from my eyes 
		Accompanied by the Bhootha-Hosts, fared forth 
		Saying: “it is Purampayam that is Our home-town.”		129

4. 	Holding a many-toothed white skull in His hand, 
	The sly Lord whose body is like moist nimbus, 
	Quitting Neitthaanam rich in paddy, Sotrutthurai,
	Niyamam, Turutthi, Needoor, Paacchil, 
	Rocky and lofty Kazhukkundram rich in water 
	And Naakaikkaaronam on the sea, fared forth 
	With His garlanded and beauteous Consort, saying: 
	“Now a days, Purampayam is Our town of residence.” 			130

5. 	Holding a garland of dead men’s skulls in His hand, 
		Also wearing a garland of skulls and mantling 
	His ruddy body in the hide of the strong-necked tusker, 
		With His Consort and with an antelope held in His hand, 
	The Lord enacting a dance for the sixty celestial tapaswis 
		And also for the six hundred thousand, fared forth, 
	Clad in tiger-skin and carrying a book in His hand 
		Saying: “It is Purampayam that is Our home-town.”		131

6. 	He whose throat holds the venom smeared Himself 
		With white ash; on His goodly tiger-skin vestment 
	He had a snake cinctured; He that was concorporate 
		With Her whose fingers are soft as cotton, said: 
	“I am of Paraaitthurai!” The One of the coral-hue, came 
		When I slumbered, and played on His tudi; 
	On a sudden I woke up; what happened thereafter 
		I will not tell you; on His hirsutorufous crown 
	Sporting a river, He fared forth, saying: 
		“It is Purampayam that is Our home-town.”			132

7. 	He has a fawn in His hand; holding a mazhu, He said: 
		“I am of Maraikkaadu.” Adorned with ash on His shapely
	And shining and strong shoulders, and sweetly speaking, 
		He went after them of shining locks whose foreheads 
	Bore the auspicious tilakas and so looked at them 
		That their eyes became tear-bedewed; 
	Decked with snakes of dotted hoods and circled 
		By the Bhootha-Hosts, He fared forth, saying: 
	“Purampayam is Our home-town.”						133

8. 	On He proceeded nonstop, seeking alms in many towns; 
		Alms He received from the many-bangled women, 
	And came by their chastity too; leaving at Kudamookku 
		His murderous Bull, Kokkarai and Kotukotti, 
	And saying that He would not forsake Nalloor 
		Of chill and cool pools as well as goodly men, 
	Avoiding, as it were, even Naraiyoor, He the One 
		Of nefarious habit, circled by the Bhootha-Hosts.
	Went away saying: “Purampayam is our home-town.”			134

9. 	Besmeared with fragrant ash, adorned with a carapace 
		And white todu, holding a vina in the left hand , 
	Sporting on the crest a billowy river, the moon that 
		Irradiates directions, He who is of the hue of red fire, 
	Concorporate with Her whose waist is adorned with a mekalai,
		And He-- the Lord that abides in the crematory, rode a lofty Bull 
	Circled by the Bhootha-Hosts and fared forth saying: 
		“It is Purampayam that is Our home-town.”			135

10. 	Circled by the celestials inclusive of King Indra, 
		Hailed by Kumaran, Vigna Vinaayakan, Ayan who is 
	Seated on His pedestal of Lotus and the one that measured
		The earth, He hymned melodious songs and danced; 
	Surrounded by the Bhootha-Hosts He came and made me His own; 
		Even as speckled bess buzzed in His garland 
	Of konrai flowers.  He fared forth, saying: 
		“Purampayam is Our home-town.”					136

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

NOTES

1. Koodal is in Madurai. 
Kodungkoloor is in Kerala. 

2. ant-hill: It is the deserted ant-hill which is referred to here.

3. Paaku (sauce): This is Kuzhampu in which cooked rice is mixed and taken 

4. Niyamam is Paruti Niyamam: Paacchil is Paacchilaacchiraamam.

5. We are unable to say anything about the sixty celestial tapaswis or the six 
hundred thousand who are referred to in this verse.

6. “I will not tell you”: This refers to the union of the Paramaanma (God) with the 
Jivaanma (soul).  This indeed is the ineffable advaitic union.

8. Kokkarai is chank (conch).  Kodukotti is an instrument of music.
Goodly men: The phrase ‘nallaalai’ is so rendered.
Nefarious habit: This appearance of the Lord is so ravishing.

9. Mekalai: The waist-ornament (golden girdle) of a woman.

10. This verse brings out the truth that Siva is the true Lord of all the gods.  
Tiruppurampayam is indeed the immaculate heart.


14. TIRUNALLOOR
This shrine is peculiarly sacred to our Saint.  In fact he was bidden by Lord Siva to come 
to this shrine.  At Satthimutram our Saint beseeched Siva to place His sacred feet on His 
head.  This prayer was answered at Naloor.  The following decad celebrates the event.

The names of the Deity and His Consort are Panchavarneswarar / Kalyaanasundareswarar 
/ Periyaandeswarar and Girisundar / Parvatasundari / Kalyaanasundari.

1. 	He made the devotees that melt thinking of Him 
		To melt the more; He caused all evil deeds to flee away 
	From Him; He mantled Himself in the hide of the tusker 
		Of unabated wrath; He wore on His crest 
	The shoot of a glowing crescent; when the thronging 
		Celestials whose gemmy crowns-- decked 
	With rare and choice flowers, bowed at His feet, they became 
		Wet with the honey that flowed out of the blowing blooms; 
	He set on my head such hallowed feet; 
		Good indeed is what our Lord of Nalloor has wrought.		137

2. 	He has on His matted hair the fragrant konrai 
		Of golden beauty; He wears a tiger-skin;
	He also keeps a river; on His shapely and aeviternal shoulder 
		He sports a mazhu; He has a kuzhai on His dangling 
	Ear-lobe; He also keeps a crescent; He is concorporate 
		With Her of fulgurant waist; He mantles Himself 
	In the hide of a tusker; He wears the sacred thread; 
		He placed His hallowed feet on my head; 
	Good indeed is what our Lord of Nalloor has wrought. 			138

3. 	His matted hair is adorned with petalled konrai blooms; 
		He wears a wreath thick with madar flowers;
	He sports a river of dinsome waves that spray in the sides
		Droplets of water; He wears cool mattham; a snake entwines 
	His person; On His beauteous forehead He sports an eye; He keeps 
		A bow; He has a bride--the Daughter of a mountain; 
	He placed His hallowed feet, coveted by all, on my head; 
		Good indeed is what our Lord of Nalloor has wrought.		139

4. 	He is concorporate with the peerless Lady whose brow 
		Is bow-like; a stream flows on His spreading matted hair; 
	He, in grace, made a bow of Meru; His town is Mount Kailas; 
		He is the Lord of Kadavoor; through His words of grace 
	He taught dharma to the Four; He wears the ash 
	Of the 	burning crematory; He paved the way of renunciation;
	In goodly grace He placed His hallowed feet on my head; 
		Good indeed is what our Lord of Nalloor has wrought.		140

5. 	He burnt the triple towns that caused the heaven to tremble, 
		He did away with the Karma of worshippers; 
	He paved the path of renunciation; He reduced Kaama 
		To powder with His eye of fire; He has for his seat 
	The fragrant Lotus; His is Kailas; He keeps on His person 
		At once the inextinguishable fire and the cool water; 
	He placed on my head His inaccessible and hallowed feet
		Towards which the celestials turn and pray; 
	Good indeed is what our Lord of Nalloor has wrought. 			141

6. 	He created the world abounding in illness-ridden 
		Embodiments of seven species; He infused life into them; 
	He designed the paths of salvation; He authored the celestial 
		Groups; He screened the arcane from gods; He caused 
	The diminishing moon to thrive; He paved the way untainted 
		By wrath, ever-increasing delusions, lust and miserliness; 
	He paved the path of renunciation; He placed on my head 
		His hallowed feet gained by the righteous tapaswis; 
		Good indeed is what our Lord of Nalloor has wrought.		142

7. 	He burnt the walled cities of warring foes; on His lovely crest 
		He placed a snake; bedaubed with ash, He enacted 
	His aeviternal dance in the fire; He placed an eye 
		In His forehead; shrines He created; He wore on His crest 
	A river of smashing waves; He caused the celestials to hail 
		His feet in loving devotion; He placed on my head 
	His flower-fragrant and hallowed feet; 
	Good indeed is what our Lord of Nalloor has wrought.			143

8. 	He placed on earth mountain-ranges and seas; He would 
		Endow His snake with a bright gem; He would design kolam;
	Would provide the hood for the shapely and spiraling snake; 
		He ate the venom in all grace; he would sport eight arms; 
	He created the earth, the water, the fire and the air; He placed
		On high, the vaulting sky; in thoughtful implementation 
	He placed on my head His hallowed and weal-conferring feet; 
		Good indeed is what our Lord of Nalloor has wrought.		144

9. 	He placed in the heavens the two rolling lights; 
		Well did He mark on the vast earth the ten directions; 
	He gracefully manifested His feet for the adoration of the gods; 
		He caused perfect tapas and occult sense to abide for ever; 
	His foot of tinkling anklet caused the life of cruel Death 
		To flee away terror-stricken; He has a Bull for His mount; 
	He placed on my head His hallowed feet that confer grace; 
		Good indeed is what our Lord or Nalloor has wrought.		145

10. 	On His matted hair decked with moist konrai, He keeps
		A billowy river and a crescent brushed by a snake; 
	For the serving celestials, His guerdon is grace; He is daubed 
		With the ash of the burning crematory; He endowed His 
	Creation with beauty; He cured the malady of Karma-- 
		Strong and incurable; He keeps Uma on one side of His body; 
	He placed on my head His hallowed feet hailed by us 
		And the celestials; good indeed is what our 
			Nalloor’s Lord has wrought.				146

11. 	He created the mountain ranges and the seven billowy seas; 
		His Kailas is rich in bright gems; He pressed 
	One of His toes and crushed the heads and the shoulders 
		Of him who lifted up the rocky mountain; 
	When he wailed, and then hailed Him as the Lord-God 
		He blessed him with grace and a martial sword; 
	When servitors implored Him endlessly, He revealed to them 
		His glory for their hailing; He placed on my head 
		His hallowed and weal-conferring feet; 
		Good indeed is what our Lord of Nalloor has wrought.		147

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

NOTES

1. Nalloor: The town where Siva bestowed on our Saint the Tiruvadi-Diksha.  Nalloor 
means “good town.”  This decad ends with the phrase “nalla aare”.  ‘Nalla’ means 
‘good’.  ‘Aaru’ in the context means ‘act, deed’.  In keeping with the name of the 
town, the deed done by the Lord is also indeed good.

3. Erukku is madar.
Mattham is the deadly nightshade (Datura/Belladonna).

4. Lady whose brow is bow-like: Our Saint says that Mother Uma so graced the bow 
that it could serve as a comparison for Her brow.

Kal: Stone: Here it refers to Mount Meru.

The Four: A quartet of rishis about whom not much is known.

5. The fragrant Lotus is the seat of Siva when He is pleased to favour Brahma with 
valiancy to create.  Vide the Sivapuram Tevaaram of Tirugnaanasambandhar.

6. Seven species: The Devas, the men the animals, the reptiles, the beings that dwell 
in water, the birds and the flora.
He screened the arcana from god: Cf. “The truth to flesh and sense unknown.”
					- Snowbound, J.G. Whittier.
8. Kolam: Vetam, Habit.

9. The ten directions include the upward and the downward also.
Occult sense: Great secrets are imported to fit and proper chelas, 
by the Guru.

11. A martial sword: The sword Siva gave to Raavana is called Chandrahaasa.


15. TIRUKKARUKAAVOOR
For a number of days our Saint abode at Nalloor.  It is from Nalloor he visited this shrine 
and sang the following decad.  The names of the Deity and His Consort are Garbhapuriswarar 
/ Mullaivananaathar / Maadavivaneswarar and Garbharakshaambika / Karu-k-Kaatthanaayaki.

1. 	My Father of Karukaavoor is a white brilliant; 
		He is asterism, the day of the week, the planet,
	The nectar unquaffed, the ghee in milk, 
		The essence of fruit and the pann of song; 
	Sometimes He is concorporate with Uma; 
		He is the Indweller-- the subject of tongue’s praise; 
	He is the Source of the cosmos; He, the Eye 
		Of the Universe is its ruling Lord. 				148

2. 	My Father of Karukaavoor is the Eye that reveals 
		Things unbeheld; He is the Seed, the Sprout 
	And the Root; He assumes any form at will; He is 
		The Prop of devotees who love Him; He is a Friend; 
	He is also of the hue of milk; He is the empyrean light; 
		He is Totthu; He who would not reveal Himself 
	When Devas gathered and hailed Him, manifested Himself 
		In my, His servitor’s soul; such is His concealment.		149

3. 	My Father of Karukaavoor-- the Eye unto me 
		And the world--, burgeons by Himself; He is of the hue 
	Of flower also; He is like the Perfume that ever abides 
		In the bloom; He is the King of the practitioners 
	Of all faiths; He but dispenses woe and trouble to them 
		That hail Him not; He is concorporate with Her 
	Of beauteous bangles; abiding in my heart 
		He saves me from the onslaught of Death.			150

4. 	My Father of Karukaavoor who is the Eye, is of the form 
		Of night; He dances in the night; He is the Lord 
	Of the eight directions; He is sempiternal; He is adorned 
		With serpents; He is the Queller of troubles; He is the Lord 
	Of the heavens; He is a Rider of the Bull; He is the Guru; 
		He kicked Death to death; unto them steeped in truculence 
	Who hail Him not, He is never revealed; yet is He 
		The Lord, easy of access (to His devotees).			151

5. 	My Father of Karukaavoor who is the Eye, is both 
		The creator and the one who measured the earth; 
	He is the One whose nature is incomprehensible; He smote 
		Simultaneously the hostile towns with blazing fire; He caused 
	The trident and the mazhu to become His weapons; 
		He girt His waist with a peerless snake; 
	He rides a Bull; He would agitate the hearts 
		Of them who practise deception.					152

6. 	My Father of Karukaavoor is the Eye; He is the Primal Ens; 
		He assumes forms; He was before all things were; 
	He is the triple-eyed who never ages; He, the righteous, 
		Is the opulent One who quells the troubles of those 
	That reach Him; He is the flame of the red-rayed sun; 
		He is concorporate with a woman who is Vishnu; 
	He is the Dancer of the manram; He is Time that absorbs 
		All the celestials; He smote Death to death.			153

7. 	My Father of Karukaavoor is the Eye; His waist 
		Is girt with a snake; He is seated under 
	The shade of a banyan tree; the Betelgeuse is sacred 
		To him; He is the Lord of the celestials who wears 
	On His beauteous and river-crested crown, the moon; 
		He abides in my chinta, the Queller of evil Karma; 
	He also abides in the bosoms of the men of earth who hail Him 
		With words; Uma is part of Him; He ate the venom 
		Of the roaring sea whose waves dash against the shore.		154

8. 	My Father of Karukaavoor is the Eye; He is 
		The tudi and its sound; He puts to test 
	The words of utterers; He is the way; He is the One 
		That quells sin; he is adorned with milk-white ash; 
	He is the supernal flame; He is the One that kicked 
		Cruel Death; to the truculent who hail Him not, 
	He is a Punisher; He is to such, seldom accessible.			155

9. 	My Father of Karukaavoor is the Eye; He is 
		The flame that soars up colourfully; His backdrop 
	Is unknowable to the celestials; He excoriated 
		The hide of the tusker as though it were silk-soft; 
	He dances to many rhythms; He is Ashta-Moorti; He is 
		Eight-armed; He abides in my crown; He is my God; 
		He burnt him--the young and handsome Manmata.			156

10. 	My Father of Karukaavoor is the Eye; He abides 
		In him who is His mount and whose mount is the Bird; 
	Thus abiding He cures his inly malady; such is 
		His might that He bent His bow, and with fire, burnt 
	The triple, hostile towns; casting his steady look 
		He cut a head of him whose seat is 
	The beauteous Lotus, and held it in His hand; 
		He has a neck dark (with the ocean’s venom).			157

11. 	My Father of Karukaavoor is the Eye; with fire 
		He smote the triple, hostile citadels; He crushed 
	At once the ten heads of the thoughtless one 
		And subdued him; He heard his sweet music 
	And was pleased; He had quelled and subdued 
		The five sense; He is the shrine ethereal; He grew 
		Wrathful and kicked Death to death.				158

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

NOTES

1. The nectar unquaffed: In Hindu mythology, it is nectar which has the potency to 
confer longevity of life.  Only when it is drunk, longevity is obtained.  However, a 
draught of the Lord who is nectarean, confers immortality itself.

Ghee in milk...: These refer to the beatitude of Saiva Siddhantic union of advaitam.

Pann: Mode of music.

Sometimes... Uma: Siva as the androgynous Lord sustains the cosmos.  At the time 
of the Grand Dissolution, all things and lives and Uma too, are resolved into Him.

2. The Seed: The first cause.  The Sprout: The coming of the cosmos into being.
The Root:  The sustaining power.  Prop: Patthu is so translated.  Patthu also means 
ten.  This word qualifies atiyaar (devotees) whose characteristics are ten, namely: 
(i) throbbing of throat. (ii) faltering of speech, (iii) smiling in joy, (iv) trembling 
of body, (v) erect standing of hair on the body, (vi) sedating, (vii) loss of words, 
(viii) loss of control, (ix) getting tear-bedewed and (x) summoning aloud.  Totthu, 
inter alia, refers to “long-established intimacy”.

3. The King of ...faiths: It is Siva who is the God of all religions.  Sivagnaana 
Siddhiyaar says: “Whatever deity you invoke, it is the Lord of Uma who appears 
as that deity.”

6. He is... Vishnu: Vishnu is one of the five Saktis of Siva.  He is therefore described 
as Siva’s Devi.  Vedanta Desikan, a famous Vaishnavite poet cum philosopher hails 
Siva as “Ranga Barth” (husband of Ranga/Ranganaatha).

7. He also abides… with words: Sri Arunai Vadivel Mudaliyaar says that this line 
means: “He abides in the worldly-minded people who propagate atheism and the 
like.”  So, the Lord is the Indweller of the good as well as the bad.

9. Katiyaan: This word refers to Manmata the God of Love.  The word Kati, inter alia, 
means ‘wedding’, ‘pleasure’ and ‘merriment’.

10. He abides… the Bird: The reference is to Vishnu who as Rishaba Deva serves 
as Siva’s mount.

11. The shrine ethereal is called the Akaaya Mantiram.


16. TIRUVIDAIMARUTHOOR
Our Saint sojourned at Tiruvaavaduthurai and hailed Siva.  Then he came to Idaimaruthu, the 
Saivite shrine par excellence.  The following decad was sung during our Saint’s sojourn at 
Idaimaruthu.  The names of the Deity and His Consort are Mahaalingeswarar / Maruthavaneswarar 
/ Maruthavaanar and Brahatsundara Kujaambikai / Perunalamulai Ammai.

1. 	The Lord that presides over Idaimarutu has the trident 
		For His weapon; His chaplet is the bright crescent; 
	He is happily concorporate with Vishnu; He is at once 
		Mantra and Tantra; He ate the venom 
	Of the billowy main; He is the Ever-Different One 
		That annuls the oncoming Karma; He is 
	The Consort of Her whose naturally-fragrant 
		Locks are treated with unguents.				159

2. 	The Lord that presides over Idaimarutu wears 
		A chaplet of fragrant konrai of the rainy season; 
	He mantled Himself in the hide of the dark tusker; 
		He is hailed by the men of earth; He is the Destiny 
	That governs all entia during endless aeons; He is 
		The glorious object of adoration; He is all 
		The directions and all else too; 
	He is the Consort of Her whose naturally-fragrant 
		Locks waft beauty and sweetness.				160

3. 	He authored the Vedas and the sacrifices; 
		He became heaven as well as earth; 
	He is the hoary One who became the five elements; 
		He stood a soaring light for (our) hailing; 
	His feet are adored in veneration; 
		He is the Conferrer of joy to devotees; 
	He is the Extirpator of trouble and misery; 
		He is the Lord that presides over Idaimarutu.			161

4. 	The Lord that presides over Idaimarutu plants 
		His feet towards which the mighty Deva-throngs 
	Turn and adore; He is the ever-Different One that rode 
		The immense cloud, having shattered the sacrifice 
	Of Indra; He is the supernal One that abides in Parangkunram 
		Inseparable from the song and dance 
	Of master-musicians; eight are His attributes; 
		He is the One that is infinite. 				162

5. 	The Lord that presides over Idaimaruthu becomes all; 
		He is the One that dwells at Anna girt with cloud-capped 
	And lofty gardens where monkeys roam; He is the One who is 
		Concorporate with Her of soft words; He is the One that seeks 
	Alms in the dead one’s white skull; He is the One that smote 
		The three walled-towns that winged in the sky; 
	He is the One that dwells at Aaroor girt with lovely groves; 
		He indeed is the One that abides at Yekampam.			163

6. 	He is the five times two; the six plus one; 
		He is the six times three and the four times three; 
	He is the deeds done and the good deeds; 
		He fills all the directions; He is the One that wears 
	On His matted hair the beauteous konrai flowers; 
		He is the handsome one valiant in dancing; He burnt 
	Kaama that came to shoot Him with flowery darts.
		He is the Lord that presides over Idaimarutu.			164

7. 	Five plus five are the traits inseparable from souls; 
		Truly speaking, ten plus one are the separable traits; 
	They say that four are numbered as His traits; 
		It is also said that they are six in number; 
	The pentad of well-known properties, the pentad 
		Of Samita, the pentad of Padaa 
	As well as Gati were graced by Him; 
		It is He who abides in the blazing lotus.
		It is He who presides over Idaimarutu.				165

8. 	The Lord that presides over Tiruvidaimarutu is One 
		Who is garmented in bright skin; He is 
	The flame that causes the bright snake to dance; 
		He ate venom enabling the Devas to quaff nectar; 
	He is the nectarean bliss for His devotees; 
		His ankleted foot kicked Death to death; 
	Kailas is His place of residence; He is the One 
		The locks of whose Consort are divinely fragrant. 		166

9. 	The Lord that presides over Idaimarutu wears 
		A garland of konrai flowers and fresh shoots; 
	He is the Partner of Her whose eyes are javelin-like; 
		He is the handsome One of crepuscular hue; 
	He has a beauteous and blue throat; 
		As oncoming birth and parting death 
	He abode in my soul with change none; 
		He is the One patent to uproot our troubles.			167

10. 	The One that is happy to wear on His cool, matted hair 
		The wreath of konrai and vilva, the One-- 
	The Nirmalan--, that stood a column of fire 
		Having reduced to ash Manmata by His look, 
	The One that so pressed the beauteous mountain 
		With His foot that the Raakshasa fell down crying aloud, 
	The One that receives and consumes alms 
		Is the Lord that presides over Idaimarutu.			168

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

NOTES

4. Shattered the sacrifice of Indra.  This translation is based on the notes furnished 
by Sri Arunai Vadivel Mudaliyaar.

Vast cloud: This has reference to Vishnu who bore/carried Siva in the form of a cloud.
Sri Mudaliyaar says that this was during the Meka Vaakana Kalpa.

5. Anna: This word refers to Annaamalai.

6. The five times two: The ten directions.
   The six plus one: The seven notes of music.
   The six times three: The eighteen Vidyas.
   The four times three: The twelve suns.

7. Five plus five: The ten traits are: (i) Lack of independence, (ii) becoming that to 
which it is attached, (iii) learning if taught (i.e., not by intuition), (iv) possessing 
empirical knowledge only, (v) learning by degrees, (vi) being neither big, (vii) nor 
small, (viii) hating the odius, (ix) loving that which pleases and (x) inconstancy.

Ten plus one: (i) Fondness, (ii) inadequacy of knowledge, (iii) absence of tranquility, 
(iv) wrath, (v) indigence, (vi) the twofold experience of pleasure and (vii) pain, 
(viii) compromising, the inability to fully experience (ix) the god, (x) the bad and 
(xi) the indifferent.

The four attributes of God are: Sat, Chit, Aananda and Grace.
The Six: Omniscience, Endless Bliss, Intuitive Gnosis, Aeviternal Independence, 
Omnipotence and Ever-Abounding Grace.

The pentad of properties: Sound, touch, form, essence and smell.

The pentad of Samita: Samita is fuel gathered for sacrifice from the banyan, 
peepal, fig, mango and vanni trees.

The pentad of padaa (syllables): The five-lettered name of Siva (Na Ma Si Va Ya).

The pentad of Gati (cycle): These relate to cyclic existences as man and animal, 
life in hell or paradise and the ultimate beatitude of moksha (everlasting bliss).



17. TIRUVIDAIMARUTHOOR

1. 	He sports a river on His matted hair; He holds fire 
		In His palm: He is the handsome One; He bears on His 
	Auric shoulders weapons; adorned with ash, he rides the Bull
		And daily receives alms; He is hailed by the Bhootha-Hosts 
	That surround Him; He is clad in Kovanam: 
		He holds in His hand a begging-bowl; truly He is
	The end, the middle and the beginning; 
		It is He who abides at Tiruvidaimarutu.				169

2.	He wears the skyey crescent; His realm is the empyrean; 
		He holds a fawn in His left hand; He keeps 
	In His own frame His Consort; He wears the milk-white ahs; 
		He is decked with a chain of crystal beads; 
	He is the Annihilator of sin; He rules Saaikkaadu 
		Where conch and chunk roll in the waves; 
	Many are His lilas; He abides in me, never parting; 
		It is He who abides at Idaimarutu.				170

3. 	He is seated under the Banyan; He is the ethereal One; 
		He is atop the great mountain; He is man; He is woman; 
	He has witnessed many aeons; He is blue-throated; 
		He remains far away form the thought of the ignorant; 
	Many are His guises; He rides the murderous Bull; 
		He wields the deadly mazhu; He is the Go of Kozhampam; 
	He parts not from Eengkoi fragrant with cardamom plants; 
		It is He who abides at idaimarutu.				171

4. 	He is light; He abides in the chinta of those who think 
		Of His grace; He is eve at Tiruvaaroor; the fragrant Flower 
	Is His aeviternal seat; He is clad in the deer’s skin; 
		He is fittingly mantled in the tusker’s hide; He is 
	A deceptive concealer; He is dear to them that have reached Him 
		But cruel to them that have not reached Him; His weapon is 
	Kattangkam; to them that think on Him He is the Lord; 
		He is the one of the Cauvery stream; 
	It is at Idaimarutu He fittingly abides. 				172

5. 	Unto the dark-hearted thieves, He is a concealer; 
		He annuls the sins of them that think of Him 
	Without deception; He ate the venom of the sea; 
		Pure are His Vedic words; with fire He reduced to ash 
	The three towns of the ignorant Asuras; long are the strands 
		Of His matted hair; He mounts the galloping Bull 
	And goes a-begging; He rules us; from my soul He parts not; 
		It is He who abides at Idaimarutu.				173

6. 	His flag sports the Bull; He is a dancer; He adorns 
		Himself with cool konrai; His is a beauteous body 
	Smeared with ash; He has a pouch of ash; He is clad 
		In tiger-skin; He sports a raging snake; He wears 
	The sacred thread; He dwells in His Servitors; He is a Brahmin; 
		He is hailed by the Mantra-Devas--the receivers of Aakuti; 
	He is mantled in the hide of a tusker of thunder-like 
		Trumpeting; hailed by everyone
		It is He who abides at Tiruvidaimarutu.				174

7. 	He is of green hue; He is young; He is very, very old; 
		He will rule souls removing their flaws; 
	An irate serpent cinctures His waist; His shoulders 
		Are adorned with adders; bearing a bowl in His hand 
	He goes begging from door to door; He is the great One; 
		His are shining strands of matted hair; He knows 
	Very well the wishes of His serving devotees; He is eternal; 
		It is He who abides at Idaimarutu.				175

8. 	His matted hair is like a woodland; He is 
		Of Kaaronam; He abides for ever at Kailas;
	He is the content of sweet and melodious hymns; He is 
		Concorporate with Her of shining eyes; He dwells 
	At Punkoor washed by a flower-laden stream; 
		He smote with bright fire the triple towns with His dart 
	Fixed to His mountain-bow; He is everywhere; 
		It is He who abides at Idaimarutu.				176

9. 	He took a liking for dance; He is the Lord of lives; 
		He resides at Aaroor girt with groves, having left 
	His abode (at Kailas); never parting from the wide-mouthed
		Ghouls, He fosters a liking for the funeral pyre 
	Of the crematory; He abode with them that hail Him 
		As the Omnipresent, with the seven notes of music; 
	He is ever adored by the celestials; 
		It is He who abides at Idaimarutu.				177

10. 	He has a flashing and great mazhu; He ate the venom 
		Of the sea; He is Vitangkan; He is of Vennkaadu 
	 Girt with the broad expanse of water; on His chest 
		Is a honey-laden garland; He wears the ash;
	He dwells in Mazhapaadi; He is of Maakaalam; that day 
		With his foot He crushed the mighty heads and twenty 
	Shoulders of the valiant and cruel King of demons; 
		Then relenting, He blessed him with victory; 
		It is He who abides at Idaimarutu.				178

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NOTES

1. Kotaala Vetatthar: Koll Thaala Vetatthar: One that holds an eating-bowl in the 
hand; one who has this form. 

4. The phrase “endrum ullar” qualifies both Tiruvaaroor and the fragrant Flower.
The pure and upright heart is indeed the fragrant Flower.

Vanja-k-Kalvar: The deceptive thief.  This refers to the Lord’s concealing grace. 

5. The sea: The Saint refers to the sea as “thodu kadal”.  ‘Thodu’ means dug-up.
According to the Hindu mythology the sea was excavated by Saagaras.

6. Aakuti: The oblation (of victuals) offered in a sacrifice.

7. He is of green hue: This has reference to Paarvati who is concorporate 
with Siva.

10. Vitangkar: The comely one.
We have translate the phrase ‘cittilangku’ as valiant.  The meaning of this phrase 
is not clear to us.



18. TIRUPPOOVANAM
From the shrine of Tiru Aalavaai at Madurai, our Saint proceeded to this town.  As he entered 
the shrine the Lord gave him darshan at which our Saint grew ecstatic and sang the following 
decad.  The names of the Deity and His Consort are Pushpavaneswarar / Poovananaathar and 
Soundarya Naayaki / Minnanaiyaal.

1. 	Behold His sharp trident! Behold the young moon 
		On His well-grown matted hair! 
	Behold the fresh-blown and fragrant konrai-chaplet! 
		Behold the white kuzhai and the todu in His ears on either side!
	Behold the shroud of the hide o