Chapter 8
Thirunāngur Thirumanimādakkovil - (நந்தா விளக்கே)
திருநாங்கூர் மணிமாடக்கோயில்
In the Chola Nadu region, within the Tanjavur district, seven miles from Sirkazhi lies Thirunangur. Among the 108 Divya Desams, eleven are located in the Thirunangur area. This verse pertains to the Lord residing in the Manimada Kovil, one of the Divya Desams in Thirunangur.
சோழ நாட்டில் தஞ்சை மாவட்டத்தில் சீர்காழிக்கு ஏழு கல் தொலைவில் திருநாங்கூர் இருக்கிறது. நூற்றெட்டு திவ்வியதேசங்களுள் அடங்கிய பதினொரு திவ்வியதேசங்கள் திருநாங்கூர்ப் பகுதியில் இருக்கின்றன. அவற்றுள் மணிமாடக் கோயிலில் இருக்கும் எம்பெருமானைப் பற்றியது இப்பாசுரம்.
Verses: 1218 to 1227
Grammar: Eṇcīrk Kaḻinediladi Āsiriya Viruththam / எண்சீர்க் கழிநெடிலடி ஆசிரிய விருத்தம்
Pan: இந்தளம்
Recital benefits: Will rule the world surrounded by sounding oceans under a white umbrella and become gods
- Verse 1:
1218. The gods come from the sky and worship the lord saying, “You are everlasting light. No one can measure your power. You are Nārāyanān who took the form of a man-lion and split open the chest of Hiranyan. O father whose body has the color of a dark cloud, give us your grace. ” He is god of Manimādakkoyil in Thirunāngur filled with groves where happy bees swarm everywhere singing the kandāram rāgam and pārijādam trees grow thick, giving shade and spreading fragrance. O my heart, go to worship him in the temple in Nāngur where he stays. 1st line refers to satyam jnanam anantam Brahmā (Tait. 2. 1. 1) - Verse 2:
1219. Our father who took away the suffering of the trembling elephant Gajendra when a crocodile in a deep pond caught him stays in Manimādakkoyil in Thirunāngur filled with shining palaces and pillars that touch the sky, where the male doves with beautiful coral-like legs love their gentle mates with soft fledglings. O heart, worship him in that temple. - Verse 3:
1220. The lord who saved the mountain-like elephant Gajendra, killing the crocodile that had caught him and wounded him on the head, stays in ThiruManimādakkoyil in Thirunāngur where the waves of the Ponni river carry the tusks of elephants attacked by lions, fragrant akil, beautiful pearls and white sāmarais and leave them all on the banks. O heart, let us go to that temple and worship him where he stays holding Lakshmi on a lotus that drips honey. - Verse 4:
1221. Our lord who went to Lankā surrounded with oceans riding on large-winged Garudā and fought and destroyed the Rākshasas who carried long spears smeared with blood, making them run away on all sides stays in Manimādakkoyil where Vediyars worship him in his famous temple, perform the five sacrifices, make the three fires, recite the six Upanishads and know the seven kinds of music. O heart, let us go to Nangur and worship him. - Verse 5:
1222. Our lord drank poisonous milk from the breasts of Putanā and killed her, threw Vatsāsuran when he came as a calf onto Kapithasuran who had the form of a Vilām fruit tree, killing them both, broke the Kurundam tree and made its tender leaves wither, and entered the lotus pond and danced on the head of Kālingan. He stays in Manimadakkoyil in Nāngur where the tender shoots of the trees and the blooming creepers embrace each other, cuckoo birds coo and peacocks dance as the clouds float over the groves. O heart, let us go to Nāngur and worship him. - Verse 6:
1223. Our lord who did not feel sorry for Putanā when he drank the milk from her breasts and killed her while the cowherd women whose words are sweeter than music looked on terrified stays in Manimādakkoyil in Thirunāgur where young buffaloes eat canes of sugarcane, plunge into the muddy water of the ponds and come out carrying mud on their horns. O heart, let us go to Nāngur and worship him. - Verse 7:
1224. Our father who went into the pond of blooming lotuses, fought with the snake Kālingan, defeated him and danced on his head stays in Manimādakkoyil in Thirunāgur where gypsies ornamented with lovely bangles walk on the streets by the palaces where flags fly, and, standing in their front yards, sell pearls, saying, “We will give you precious pearls for white rice. ” O heart, let us go there and worship him. - Verse 8:
1225. Our father who stole the clothes of the cowherd girls with soft dark curly hair and played and kicked over their play houses, breaking them as their love for him increased like a flood, stays in Manimādakkoyil in Thirunāngur where young parrots with curving beaks repeat the sweet words of the Vedās that the beautiful girls with long spear-like eyes and shining teeth have taught them. O heart, let us go there and worship him. - Verse 9:
1226. The lord is worshiped and praised by the gods in the sky saying, “You carry a shining discus and a conch. You fought with seven bulls to marry the cowherd girl Nappinnai and embraced her arms. ” He stays in Manimādākkoyil in Thirunāngur where a red-legged swan stays with his mate in a beautiful pond and they play among the lotuses so their pollen falls on beautiful kazhuneer flowers and the honey from the flowers drips and falls into the channel. O heart, go there and worship him. - Verse 10:
1227. Kaliyan, the devotee of him who is the king of Thirumangai surrounded with flourishing fields and groves swarming with bees, composed ten musical Tamil pāsurams on Nedumāl in the Manimādakkoyil in beautiful Nāngur. If devotees learn and recite them well, they will become the kings of the wide world surrounded by oceans and ride on rutting elephants in the shade of white umbrellas that touch the sky, and they will rule the world and enjoy their lives.