THE CREATION OF THE WORLD.
HE CAUSED THE PHENOMENAL UNIVERSE TO APPEAR.
|| This seems to the translator to read more like a work of Umapathi, than of our sage! ||
Lines 1-10 The Feet of Civan:
While the Four-faced and other heavenly dwellers rose,
Adoring, sacred MAl, whose head with rays is crowned,
With His two feet measured the threefold world,-
While saints from the four quarters praised with all their sentient powers,
Eager that day Thy foot and crown to know, || 5 ||
He then became a fierce strong boar, and rushing on
Dug down through sevenfold regions, wearied cried at last:
Eternal Source of all, to Thee be triumphs manifold !’
Yet though He worship paid, Thy pair of Feet-flowers saw he not;
Yet Thou to me Thy worshipper art easy of access ! || 10 ||
Lines 11 – 35 Human embodiment
On earth girt by the watery seas, from elephant to ant,
Through many matrices I passed,
Obtained a human form within my mother’s womb.
..
Thus was I born into the sad sea of th’ afflictive life. || 25 ||
Then during each year as it met me
I gained and hoarded gains. How varied was my life!.
Morning’s routine, hunger in noontide hour, and night
For sleep. In journeys oft I lived.
Jet black locks, and crimson lips, and radiant smiles were hers; || 30 ||
Into love’s sea I plunged.
.. || 31-35 ||
In the wide marts where foolish worldlings toil
I lived, still slave to fierce desires.
I lived by sea of learning multiform;
I lived in sorrow men call wealth;
I lived ‘mid ancient stings of poverty, || 40 ||
And thus in varied forms and fortunes spent my days.
Lines 42-51 The idea of God comes into his life:
Then wondrous thought of the Divine, so-called, arose.
Soon as I knew that BEING, free from hate, unique,
Delusive powers in ever-changing millions
Began beguiling varied play. || 45 ||
Relations, neighbours, came around,
With fluent tongue they urged their ‘atheism’
Friends around || such herds of cattle old ! || –
Seiz’d me, call’d, hurried to and fro;
The BrAhman said ‘the way of penance is supreme’; || 50 ||
And others showed the law of trusting love !
Sectarian disputants complacently
Discordant tenets shouted loud and fought.
Then haughty VedAnt creed unreal came,
Whirled, dashed, and roared like furious hurricane. || 55 ||
LOkAyathan a glistening mighty snake
Brought cruel poisoned heresies.
Whilst these delusions, endless, girt me round,
Lines 59 – 86 His conversion:
Lest I should go astray, He laid His hand on me !
As wax before the unwearied fire || 60 ||
With melting soul I worshipt, wept, and bent myself,
Danced, cried aloud, and sang, and prayed.
They say: ‘The tooth of elephant and woman’s grasp relax not,’
So I with love, real, interrnitting never,
Was pierced, as wedge driven into soft young tree. || 65 ||
All tears, I like the refluent sea was tossed;
Soul was subdued, and body quivered with delight.
While the world called me demon, mocking me,
False shame I threw aside; the folk’s abusive word
I took as ornament; nor did I swerve. || 70 ||
My mind was rapt;-a fool, but in my folly wise,-
The goal I sought to reach infinity ! All wondering desire,
As cow yearns for its calf, I moaning, hurried to and fro.
Not ev’n in dreams thought I of other gods.
The One most precious Infinite to earth came down; || 75 ||
Nor did I greatness of the Sage superne contemn,
Who came in grace. Thus from the pair of sacred feet
Like shadow from its substance parting not,
Before, behind, at every point, to it I clung.
My inmost self in strong desire dissolved, I yearned; || 80 ||
Love’s river overflowed its banks;
My senses all in Him were centredl; ‘Lord !’ I cried.
With stammering speech, and quivering frame
I clasped adoring hands; my heart expanding like a flower.
Eyes gleamed with joy and tears distilled. || 85 ||
His love that fails not day by day still burgeons forth !
To the end : Praises:
Like mother, Thou hast brought me up, I praise !
God, strong to cancel deeds of ours,
Who didst become in truth a Sage, I praise !
King of golden Madura ! || 90 ||
Guru Pearl, in KUdal shining bright !
Dancing in southern Tillai’s court,
This day to me precious ambrosia Thou !
Source of the fourfold mystic Scroll that ne’er grows old !
Civan, whose conquering banner is the Bull ! || 95 ||
Thy varied form gleams as the lightning;-Thee I praise !
In me the stony heart Thou softenest.
Guard me, Thou guarded hill of gold !
Ah, give Thy grace to me !
Thou dost create, Thou tost preserve, Thou dost destroy ! || 100 ||
Father, who dost remove all griefs, I praise !
Ruler, I praise ! My King, I praise !
Mount of shining crystal,-praise !
Monarch, to Thee be praise ! Ambrosia,-praise !
Unfailing refuge are Thy fragrant-feet ! || 105 ||
Thee VEdic Sage, I praise ! Spotless One,- praise !
Thee First, I praise ! Wisdom, I praise !
Thou Goal I seek,praise ! Sweet fruition, Thee I praise !
Our Lord, on Whose bright crest the river flows,
Our Master, praise! Understanding,praise ! || 110 ||
Thou hast beheld the servitude of lowliest me,
O Teacher,-praise ! Minute as atom,-praise !
O Caivan, -praise ! Our Chief, I praise !
Our Sign, I praise ! Virtue, I praise !
ThouWay, I praise ! O Thought, I praise! || 115 ||
Balm, hardly by celestials gained, I praise !
King, easy of access to others, praise !
Monarch in grace, Who savest lest we sink
In hell’s hated one-and-twenty rounds, I praise !
Companion,-praise ! My Helper,-praise! || 120 ||
O Bliss of life, I praise ! My Treasure,praisc !
O free from bonds,praisc ! First One,praise !
Father,praise ! Haran,praise !
Thou One, transcending word and understanding,praise !
Yield of the world girt by the extended sea, praise! || 125 ||
Beauty rare, yet easy of access, I praise !
Eye like an azure cloud, I praise !
Abiding Mount of sacred grace, I praise !
Me, too, Thou mad’st a man,Thy twin feet
Thou placed’st on my head, O Warrior,praise ! || 130 ||
Thou dost wipe off all sorrow from adoring hand, praise !
Sea of imperishable rapture, praise ,
Thou dost transcend all forms that pass and come renewed, praise !
First One surpassing all, praise !
Bridegroom of Her with fawnlike eyes, praise ! || 135 ||
Mother of the Immortals in the heavenly land,praise!
Fivefold Thou dost in earth extend,-praise !
Fourfold Thou dost exist in the water,-praise !
Threefold in fire Thou shinest,-praise !
Twofold in the air Thou art all glorious, -praise ! || 140 ||
One in the ether Thou hast sprung forth,praise !
Ambrosia of the troubled mind,praise !
Hard to be approached by gods e’en in a dream,praise !
In waking hour to me a cur Thou gavest grace,praise !
Father, Who dwell’st in Idai-maruthu,praise ! || 145 ||
Thou bearest Gangai on Thy crest, praise !
King in ArUr abiding,praise !
Lord of glorious Tiru-aiyAru,praise !
Our Prince of AnnAmalai,praise !
Sea of ambrosia, filling all the place,- praise ! || 150 ||
Our Father dwelling in Ekambam, praise !
Thou Who in form art half a woman,-praise !
Who dwell’st supreme in Perun-turrai,-praise!
Civan Who dwell’st in Sira-palli,-praise !
None other refuge here I know, -praise ! || 155 ||
Our Dancer in KutRAlam,-praise !
Our King dwelling in GOkazi, praise !
Our Father of IngOy’s Mount, praise !
Beauteous One of seemly Paranam, praise !
Idangan Who dwell’st in KadambUr, praise ! || 160 ||
Father, gracious to those that come to Thee, praise !
Beneath the Itti tree to six,
King, Thou wert gracious, and to th’ elephant,-praise !
Civan, Lord of the southern land,praise !
King of our country folk,-praise ! || 165 ||
Thou wert gracious to the litter of the boar,-praise !
Lord of glorious Kailai’s Mountpraise !
Father, Who grants us grace,-praise !
King, Who our darkness dissipates,-praise !
I Thy slave languish all alone,-praise ! || 170 ||
In grace remove my guile,-praise !
In grace say to me ‘ Fear not,-Ôpraise!
Poison became ambrosis by Thy love,-praise !
Father,-praise ! Guru,-praise !
Eternal,-praise ! Pure One,-praise! || 175 ||
Brother,-praise ! Existent One,-praise!
O Great One,-praise ! O Lord,-praise !
O Rare One,-praise ! O Pure One,-praise !
Glorious Path of Vedic sages,-praise !
I make my plaint,nor can endure, O First One,-praise ! || 180 ||
Kinsman,-praise ! Life,-praise !
Glory,-praise ! Bliss,-praise !
O Cloud,-praise ! O Bridegroom, praise !
Spouse of Her whose feet are soft,-praise !
I, a cur, Thy slave am perplexed,-praise ! || 185 ||
Our Master Thou, all dazzling bright,-praise !
Eye apprehending forms diverse,-praise !
King, dwelling in the circling, sacred town, I praise !
Lord of the mountain land,-praise !
Thou in Whose locks is the crescent moon,-praise ! || 190 ||
Blessed Lord of the sacred Eagle-mount,-praise !
Aran of hilly PUvanam,-praise !
Formless, in form revealed Thou art,-praise !
Mountain of mercy ever nigh,-praise !
Light transcending utmost bound,-praise ! || 195 ||
Clearness, hard to understand,-praise !
Ray of the flawless Gem, praise !
Loving to those Thou mak’et Thine own,-praise!
Ambrosial grace that satiates not,-praise !
Our Lord, the bearer of a thousand names,-praise ! || 200 ||
Thou Whose garland is the TAli-arrugu,-praise !
Dancer in light expanding far,-praise !
O Beauteous with the santhal wood perfume,-praise !
Bliss, hard for thought to reach,-praise !
On Mandira’s mighty mount Thou dwell’st,-praise ! || 205 ||
Thou Who dost undertake to save us,-praise !
Thou Who in grace didst give the tiger’s dug to th’ antelope,-praise !
Thou Who didst walk upon the billowy sea,-praise!
I hou didst give grace that day to the black bird,-praise !
Thou didst appear by sense discerned,-praise ! || 210 ||
Fiery One on earth displayed,-praise !
Thou art the First, the Midst, the Last,-praise !
Hell, Paradise, or-pendant Earth not entering,
The heavenly goal Thou gav’st unto the PAndiyan,-praise !
Thou that fillest all, to Thee be praise ! || 215 ||
King of Civa-puram rich with clustering flowers, to Thee be praise !
God, garlanded with purple lotus flower, to Thee be praise !
Thou dost cut off bewilderment of those that worship Thee,-praise !
Praise ! Take in grace this wreath of babbling words
From me, mere cur, that know not to distinguish false from true ! || 220 ||
Ancient of days Burner of many towns,-praise !
Infinite Lord of splendours infinite,-praise !
Praise ! Praise ! Bhuyanga-PerumAn !
Praise ! Praise ! Ancient-cause of all !
Praise! Praise ! Triumphant praise ! || 225 ||