Periyāḻvār Tirumoḷi | 351-400

351.

The mountain of the dark ocean-coloured god
who destroyed Tārakāsura with his craftiness
and attracted and married his young daughters
is Tirumāliruñcōlai surrounded with beautiful groves
where the flowers of blooming punnai, cherundi,
punavengai and kongu trees look like golden garlands.

352.

The mountain of the matchless god, strong as a bull,
who released Aniruddha from Vaṇan's prison
and arranged the marriage of Aniruddha with Ushai
is Tirumāliruñcōlai
where gypsy women with lovely voices
dance and sing kuṛinji songs and praise Govinda
the beloved child of the cowherds.

353.

The mountain of the handsome god
decorated with jewels
who relieved Śiśupāla of his troubles
even though he blamed Kaṇṇaṉ for some small
tricks he did
is Tirumāliruñcōlai.
It is a great mountain.
It is a beautiful mountain.
It is a flourishing, victorious mountain.
It is the greatest hill on the earth
and the highest mountain.

354.

The mountain of our dear god
who made the hundred wives of the Kaurāvas
suffer like Pānchālī, the wife of the five Pāṇḍavas,
when she was oppressed by the Kaurāvas,
is the ancient southern Tirumāliruñcōlai,
the hill of the great god where a swarm
of beautiful bees sings lovely songs and drinks honey.

355.

The mountain of our god who has handsome arms
and who as Rāma destroyed the Rākṣasa’s clan
for the sake of his wife Sītā who has thick hair
is the great and beautiful Tirumāliruñcōlai
where a clear waterfalls descends bringing gold as it flows
and all people join together and bathe.

356.

The mountain of the god
who destroyed Lanka with his fiery arrows,
bending his bow heroically, is Tirumāliruñcōlai
where all the gods and Indra the king of gods
go and worship him
and where the bright sun, moon
and the stars surrounding it shine.

357.

The mountain of the faultless god
who playfully dug up the earth with his tusk as a boar
and who measured the earth in the form of Vāmana
and swallowed it as small Kaṇṇaṉ
is Tirumāliruñcōlai
where the cool river Silampaaṛu
collects and brings many things and places them
at the feet of the god as offerings and worships him.

358.

The mountain of the god
who sleeps on Ādiśeṣa who has a thousand heads,
a thousand shining crowns and a thousand arms
is beautiful Tirumāliruñcōlai
where there are a thousand rivers, a thousand springs
and a thousand blooming groves,
all ruled by the god Maal.

359.

Viṣṇu-Citta described and praised
the god of the great mountain Tirumāliruñcōlai,
who is the ocean of nectar,
the creator of the four Vedas,
the generous Kaṟpaka tree in heaven,
the deep meaning of Vedānta and the highest light,
and who shines in all eight directions.

33. Praising the Devotees of Tirumāḷ in Thirukkoṭṭiyur and blaming those who are not Vaiṣṇavites

360.

Thirukkoṭṭiyur is where devotees live
who never say wrong things,
feed guests every day, serve the god,
and learn and recite the Vedas.
How could the creator have created sinful people
in Thirukkoṭṭiyur who do not think of the ancient god
who helps the actions of the three gods,
Nāṉmukaṉ, Shiva and Indra?

361.

Thirukkoṭṭiyur is where faultless devotees live
who do only good deeds, do service to their gurus,
never get angry, and are generous.
How could those who do not worship the god
who has the colour of pure sapphire
and swallowed all the seven worlds
have been born there to give terrible pain to their mothers?

362.

Thirukkoṭṭiyur is filled with porches
studded with beautiful precious diamonds
and emeralds and filled with cool shadow
where the devotees live who count
with their fingers the divine names
of the auspicious god Thirumaavaḷavan.
How can people live there
who do not think of the god even for a moment,
do not count the names of the god with their fingers,
and merely swallow food with their dirty mouths.

363.

Thirukkoṭṭiyur is surrounded with fields
filled with beautiful lotuses
and flocks of white swans that are like the white conches
in the hands of the god who sleeps on the soft snake bed.
What sins would the water people there drink
and the clothes they wear
have to commit to make them fail to recite
with their tongues the names of the god
who destroys hell for them?

364.

In Thirukkoṭṭiyur young valai fish
jump over the backs of turtles,
knock over lovely flowers
and play in the water mischievously.
The hard-hearted ones who live there
and do not think of the god
who carries a discus in his strong hand
should eat grass instead of rice.
They are a burden to the earth.

365.

Thirukkoṭṭiyur is where devotees live
who are not disturbed by water, sky, lands, wind or fire
or the five sacrifices or the five senses
and who praise their god Narasiṁha.
The world is fortunate
because dust falls on the ground
from the feet of those generous devotees.

366.

In Thirukoṭṭiyur how much tapas
must have been done by those who live there,
where Brahmins recite the four Vedas night and day
and cowherds play with their cattle
with sticks from kurundam trees
and celebrate many festivals
and devotees who fold their hands
worship the dark cloud-like god.

367.

Thirukkoṭṭiyur is where the lovely-eyed god Maal
made the good king Abhimanadungan his devotee
so that he praised and worshipped god every day.
Rākṣasas will never be able to take the grain
that grows in that land
where devotees sing the greatness of Govinda
who stays in the temple
that is on the cool waterfront.

368.

Thirukkoṭṭiyur is filled with flourishing fields
and surrounded with beautiful walls that are like pure gold.
The cuckoo birds that live
on the branches of the groves there
sing the fame of the god Govinda.
When I see the devotees
who praise our dear god, Nṛsiṁha,
I want to live like them
so my worldly desires go away.

369.

Thirukoṭṭiyur is where generous people live
who give food to others without hiding it
even if they need to sell whatever is in their hands
for some money.
They praise the god, saying,
“You are Keśava, you are the Puruṣottama,
you are a shining light, you are the dwarf.”
They would even sell themselves to do good
for the devotees of god.

370.

If those who wander without serving
as slaves to the ancient god in Thirukkoṭṭiyur
surrounded by fertile fields and flourishing water,
recite without mistakes
the poems of the faultless Paṭṭarpiran Viṣṇu-Citta
of beautiful Puduvai,
they will become the devotees of Hrishīkesa.

34. Advising the people to worship god before the time of their death

371.

If, at the time of death,
those who have only thought
of their mothers, fathers, children,
and wives who have fragrant hair,
close their eyes and praise the god and say,
“Keśava, Puruṣottama,
you became a boar and you are faultless,”
they are my dear friends,
and there are no words for me to praise them.

372.

If those who were never the devotees of Nārāyaṇa
are wounded and their wounds become bad
and swarm with flies,
and if, fainting and coming to the end of their lives,
they fold their hands and worship the god,
saying “Namo Nārāyaṇa,”
they will never again go near people
who are not the devotees of Nārāyaṇa.

373.

If the relatives of someone
who has collected and saved wealth
come to him before his death
and ask greedily,
“Tell us where you keep your wealth!
Tell us where you keep it!”
If he, without saying anything,
makes his heart a temple of Mādhava,
places the god there and sprinkles his love as flowers,
he will be saved even if a snake comes to bite him.

374.

When someone is old,
his breathing may become thin.
His neck will be swelling with air.
His legs and hands will be shaking.
If he says the mantra of one sound
before he closes his eyes
and thinks of the god, he will go to heaven.

375.

Before someone comes to the time of his death
and the water he has drunk is spit out
and the food that he ate is vomited
and his eyes close,
if he praises god saying, “Hrishīkesa!”
on his way, the dogs will not come.
No one will hurt him with their spears.
He will not lose his wealth any time.

376.

Before someone loses the sense
of his eyes, nose, mouth, ears and touch,
and before his breath ceases,
and before he can no longer swallow the water
given to him from a conch,
and before his head sags to the side,
if he thinks in his heart of Madhusūdana, the Māyaṉ
who sleeps on the ocean, abundant with water,
there is nothing that he cannot achieve.

377.

Before the heartless messengers of Yama
enter into someone’s home like kidnappers,
tie him with strong ropes and pull him away,
if he worships in his heart faultlessly
and says “O Madhusudana,
you are my king, I am your slave!”
he will reach heaven.

378.

Before someone’s relatives gather together,
speak only of his good qualities and not his faults,
sing and sing, and put him on a bier
and take him to the burning ground
and leave him there in the forest
after putting new clothes on him,
if he sings, dances and worships the god Govinda,
decorated with the Kaustubha ornament,
he will escape from Yama and join the god.

379.

Before someone cannot speak
and his weakening eyes shed water
and his mother, father and wife weep,
and before fire takes hold of his body,
if he worships god
and thinks of himself as the devotee of the lovely-eyed Māl,
and if he thinks of the god as his relative,
he will escape from Yama’s messengers.

380.

Viṣṇu-Citta, the chief of Villiputtur,
composed ten poems which say
that if people worship the god and ask for his refuge
and become his devotees
before Yama’s messengers come and take them
they will be able to reach god.
Those who learn and recite these poems
will become devotees who think only of the god.

35. Naming children with the names of god
Advising those who do not give the names of the divine god to their children.

381.

O poor ones!
You gave your children mean names of the rich
because you wanted to get money,
clothes with decorations and other things from them.
If you give the name of Keśava and live worshipping him,
the god Nāraṇaṉ will not send
the mothers of your children to hell.

382.

O poor ones!
You name your children the names of people
even if they are not good,
because you wish them to give you some clothes.
If you call your children,
“O lovely-eyed Neṭumāl, O Śrīdhara,”
Nāraṇaṉ will not send
the mothers of your children to hell.

383.

Why did you name your children
with the names of those who give you oil
to put on your children’s hair, and give ornaments
and bracelets to decorate them?
Even if you have to live by begging,
you should give your children the divine name of our god Nāraṇaṉ.
If you do, Nāraṇaṉ will not send
the mothers of your children to hell.

384.

You will not be blessed in your next birth
if you give birth to a child
and give that child the name of another person.
If you call your child,
“O Mādhava, king of heaven, Govinda,”
Nāraṇaṉ who is in all hearts will not send
the mothers of your children to hell.

385.

You will not be blessed in your next birth
if you give the name of another human
who was born from an unclean womb.
If you call him, saying, “O Govinda, Govinda!
You have been born in a good family!”
Nāraṇaṉ who does only good things for all
will not send the mothers of your children to hell.

386.

Do not give human names to your children
like others who join with the people of your country and town
and celebrate with them the name ceremony for their children.
Do not fall in the ditch like them.
If you approach the god and worship him saying,
“O Nārāyaṇa, you destroyed the Asura
who came in the form of a cart.
You are our chief, O Dāmodara!”
he will not send the mothers of your children to hell.

387.

O, ignorant ones!
Your children are human
and they were born from unclean bodies
and will return to the earth.
You gave them the name of people
and do not realize what you have done is not good.
Think of giving the name of the one
who has the colour of a dark cloud and is sweet to the eyes.
Approach the god Nāraṇaṉ.
He will not send the mothers of your children to hell.

388.

If you give your children the names of village people such as “Nambi, pimbi”
those “manbu, pimbu” will be forgotten in a few days.
If you give them the name of the god
who has lovely lotus eyes,
O friends, Nāraṇaṉ will not send the mothers of your children to hell.

389.

Giving the name of the dark cloud-coloured god
to your children who are born in an unclean body
is like pouring nectar into a dirty ditch.
But if you wear the nāmam and dance and sing the praise of the god Nāraṇaṉ
who is never false to his promises,
he will not send the mothers of your children to hell.

390.

Viṣṇu-Citta from the ancient village of Veeraṇai,
who is praised by all, always,
and who worshipped the divine name of Maal
composed ten beautiful Tamil poems about how people
should name their children with the names of the god.
Those who recite these ten beautiful poems
will go to the divine splendid Vaikuṇṭha
and stay there happily forever.

36. The praise of Kaṇḍa Tirupati

391.

Kaṇḍa is where Daśaratha’s son,
our god who cut off the heads of Rāvaṇa
and the nose of his sister Śūrpaṇakhā,
stayed and ruled as his fame spread everywhere.
If a devotee goes there where our god Puruṣottama stays
and merely says, “Ganges, Ganges!”
his bad karma will disappear
and he will receive the virtue of joining his hands
to worship the god on the banks of the Ganges.

392.

Divine Kaṇḍam, the Tirupati
where the water of the southern Ganges
flows mixed with kondrai blossoms
that decorate the jaṭa of Shiva who shines with goodness
and the Thulasi that adorns the feet of Naraṇan
is where Maal Puruṣottama stays,
the dark sapphire-coloured one
who grew to the sky and measured it for Mahābali,
frightening the cool moon and the hot sun.

393.

Divine Kaṇḍam is where the Ganges flows
carrying shining diamonds
from the hand of the four-headed Nāṉmukaṉ
onto the feet of the four-armed god to stay in the jaṭa of Śankara.
It is the Tirupati where our god Puruṣottama stays
who blows the roaring valamburi conch
and who cuts off the heads of his enemies
with his discus that emits fire.

394.

Divine Kaṇḍam
is on the banks of the famous Ganges
that descends from the Himalaya mountain
and flows to the shore of the great sea,
shaking the mountains with its roaring
that spreads all over the earth.
It is in that Tirupati that the god Puruṣottama stays
who, with his Nandaham sword,
sent his enemies’ army to the land of Yama
and helped the gods rule their lands.

395.

Divine Kaṇḍam
is on the banks of the Ganges
and has the power to take away
the sins of seven births in one moment.
It is in that Tirupati that Maal Puruṣottama stays
who carries a plough, pestle, bow,
shining discus, conch, mazhu and sword.

396.

Divine Kaṇḍam is on the banks
of the Ganges with rolling waves
where paddy fields flourish
and rishis who do powerful tapas bathe.
It is in that Tirupati that the god Maal Puruṣottama,
the king of Mathura, stays,
who stopped the rain with Govardhana mountain
using it as an umbrella when the thick clouds poured rain
with the sound “chala, chala” and thundered.

397.

Beautiful Kaṇḍam
is on the bank of the Ganges whose fragrant water flows
mixed with Karpaga flowers,
the sweet-smelling sandal paste of young girls who bathe in it
and the fragrant musth of the Indra’s wonderful elephant Airāvata.
It is in that Tirupati that Maal Puruṣottama stays
who, holding a bow, controlled the elephant Kuvalayabeeḍam
and who, fighting with the king Kaṁsa, kicked and killed him.

398.

Beautiful Kaṇḍam
is on the banks of the Ganges
where the fragrance of sacrifices spreads on both shores
and their smoke continually rises in long streams.
It is in that Tirupati that our god Hari Puruṣottama lives
who is the king of Dvārakā that is surrounded
by the roaring ocean and strong walls,
who took the land of Duryodhana
and gave it to his brothers-in-law.

399.

In divine Kaṇḍam
the flood of the Ganges flows
shaking the mountains with sound,
and undermining the earth.
The roaring river makes the trees on the banks fall
and then joins the ocean stirring up its water.
It is in that Tirupati that our god Puruṣottama stays
who is the god of northern Madhura,
of Saaḷakkiramam, Vaikuṇṭha, Dvārakā, Ayodhyā and Adari.

400.

Divine Kaṇḍam on the bank of the Ganges
surrounded by flourishing groves
is where the god stays
who himself is all three gods, Shiva, Nāṉmukaṉ and Vishnu.
He measured the world with three footsteps.
He, the god Puruṣottama, gives his grace
to the devotees who love him.