Chapter 8
Thiruvenkatam 1 - (கொங்கு அலர்ந்த)
திருவேங்கடம் - 1
Thiruvengadam: Tirumalai-Tirupati Hill. The desire to visit and the act of going to Tirumalai itself is a blessing. Going there and worshipping Srinivasa is a great fortune. Here, Srinivasa grants all the boons requested by His devotees. He is the Lord worshipped by both the southern and northern lands. One must wait for many hours just to catch a glimpse of Him and offer salutations. The āzhvār extols the greatness of this hill.
திருவேங்கடம்: திருமலை-திருப்பதி மலை. திருமலைக்குச் செல்ல நினைப்பதும். செல்வதும் பாக்கியம். அங்கு சென்று ஸ்ரீநிவாஸானை ஸேவிப்பது பெரும் பாக்கியம். இங்கு ஸ்ரீநிவாஸன், அடியார்கள் கேட்ட வரங்களையெல்லாம் கொடுத்து உதவுகிறார். தென்னாடும் வடநாடும் தொழநிற்கும் பெருமான் இவர். இவரைக் கண்டு அஞ்சலி செய்வதற்கே பலமணி நேரம் காத்திருக்கவேண்டும். ஆழ்வார் இம்மலையின் சிறப்பை ஈண்டுக் கூறுகிறார்.
Verses: 1018 to 1027
Grammar: Eḻuchīrk Kaḻinediladi Āsiriya Viruththam / எழுசீர்க் கழிநெடிலடி ஆசிரிய விருத்தம்
Pan: சீகாமரம்
Recital benefits: Will rule the world surrounded by sounding oceans under a white umbrella and become Gods
- Verse 1:
1018. He rests upon the vast ocean, where conches lie in stillness, our Lord with lotus-like eyes— Kṛṣṇa, the cowherd divine. He crushed the demon Kurundha, who hid in fragrant blooming trees. He split the cruel Bakāsura’s beak with ease and fierce might. That Master of the Purāṇas now dwells at sacred Thiruvēṅkaṭam, where red fish leap in abundant clear springs. Go, O heart, and seek that place! - Verse 2:
1019. Our Lord, when He was a child, drank from the breast of the fierce demoness Pūthanā, drawing out her life as she screamed in pain. That same Lord rests on the Milky Ocean at Thirupaarkadal and in the temple at Srirangam. He is the one whose divine forms change with each yuga: white in Kṛta Yuga, dark in Kali Yuga, and sapphire-hued in Dvāpara Yuga. He is now the growing presence at Thiruvēṅkaṭam, worshipped daily by those whose minds are clear and who seek only His service. O mind, go and take refuge in the Thiruvēṅkaṭam Hill. - Verse 3:
1020. He, the faultless One, walked between the twin marudha trees, which were possessed by demons and firmly rooted, causing them to break and fall. He holds the divine discus in His hand. The nityasūris always worship His twin lotus-like feet. When Indra, in anger, poured down heavy rains, He quickly went and lifted the Govardhana hill to shelter the cattle from harm. That same Lord, our protector, now resides at Thiruvēṅkaṭam. O mind, go and reach that place. - Verse 4:
1021. Once, during the Bhārata war, Our Lord, the radiant Supreme Light, arranged the army for Arjuna's side and brought victory over Duryodhana. In Gokulam, among the cowherds, He danced the rāsa-kṛīdā, hand-in-hand with the girls. He is the One who dwells in the hearts of those who worship Him. He has made His abode at Thiruvidavendhai. And now, in Thiruvēṅkaṭam, surrounded by pure water ponds and lush groves, He remains. O mind, go and reach that sacred hill. - Verse 5:
1022. He, whose hands give without limit, once approached the yajña of Mahābali, chief of the asuras, disguised as a young ascetic, and begged with His own hands. He is the one who, as Rāma, shot through seven mighty sāla trees in one stroke, with strength beyond measure. He has eight divine arms, dwells in the snowy Himālayas, and resides in Thirumālirunjōlai in the south. It was He who removed the sorrow of the elephant king Gajēndra, caught in the grip of a strong crocodile. That same Lord dwells now in Thiruvēṅkaṭam. O mind, go and reach that sacred place. - Verse 6:
1023. Long ago during the great deluge, He gathered all eight directions and the seven worlds, and placed them within his radiant stomach, resting calmly on a single banyan leaf. He removed the blemish that once struck the moon. With shining teeth and unmatched strength as Narasimha, the fierce and mighty form, He tore into the chest of Hiraṇya with his sharp nails. That Lord now resides in Thiruvēṅkaṭam. O mind, go and reach that sacred hill! - Verse 7:
1024. He is the five great elements—earth, water, fire, air, and space. He stands beyond birth and death, and is praised through a thousand divine names. His dwelling is Thiruvēṅkaṭam, which is surrounded by tall, lush groves and where in the vast sky, dark clouds gather and pour down mist and rain. O mind, go and reach that sacred hill! - Verse 8:
1025. He took the form of the five elements—space, fire, air, earth, and water. He is the Lord of the eternal nitya-sūris and the consort of Mahālakṣmī, who dwells on fragrant lotus flowers with the gentle grace of humility. At Thiruvēṅkaṭam, His sacred abode, the slender-waisted women of the hills, modest and beautiful, stand watch from tall platforms, guarding the red, fertile fields below. O mind! Go and reach that Thiruvēṅkaṭam! - Verse 9:
1026. He, whose sweet and sacred name of eight syllables, is worthy of endless praise, uplifts those who recite it once and again with steady devotion. He breaks the bonds of birth, granting liberation to those who seek Him. That Lord, the great benefactor, dwells where fragrant blossoms bloom, and vast gardens spread their scent. That hill, Thiruvēṅkaṭam, shines as the crown of all the worlds. O mind! Go, and reach that Thiruvēṅkaṭam! - Verse 10:
1027. He, the radiant Lord of Thiruvēṅkaṭam, where red fish dart and play in cool spring pools, resides in glory atop the sacred hill. These verses, in rich and noble Tamil, were sung by Kaliyan, the chief of Thirumangai, and are a garland of flawless words offered to that Lord. Those who cherish and recite them without doubt, with steady hearts and faithful minds, will surely become the lords of the vast earth, surrounded by oceans and teeming with ships. And beyond, they will reign in SriVaikuntam as well.