Pasuram 2.6.8

Tamil text and transliteration:

மாறிமாறிப் பல பிறப்பும் பிறந்து அடியை அடைந்து உள்ளம் தேறி
ஈறு இல் இன்பத்து இரு வெள்ளம் யான் மூழ்கினன்,
பாறிப் பாறி அசுரர் தம் பல் குழாங்கள் நீறு எழ, பாய் பறவை ஒன்று
ஏறி வீற்றிருந்தாய் உன்னை என்னுள் நீக்கேல் எந்தாய்.

māṟimāṟip pala piṟappum piṟantu aṭiyai aṭaintu uḷḷam tēṟi
īṟu il iṉpattu iru veḷḷam yāṉ mūḻkiṉaṉ,
pāṟip pāṟi acurar tam pal kuḻāṅkaḷ nīṟu eḻa, pāy paṟavai oṉṟu
ēṟi vīṟṟiruntāy uṉṉai eṉṉuḷ nīkkēl entāy.

English translation of verse 2.6.8:

Passed I thro’ several gates of birth.
From time to time and now at your lovely feet,
With a mind, pure and chaste,
Immersed am I in the bottomless ocean of mirth.
Mounted on that bird unique, leaping afar, my Sire,
Routing the Asura hordes! pray leave me never.

Notes

(i) Reference to the unique bird (Garuḍa) here is very significant. Even as the Lord presses Garuḍa into service, all the time and never gets parted from him, the Āḻvār prays that the Lord should take service from him for all time, keeping him in close proximity.

(ii) What is it that the Āḻvār did, to attain the feet of the Lord? “Absolutely nothing” is the answer. He went on, taking birth after birth, till one day, the Lord’s spontaneous grace alighted on him and took him to His vicinity, like unto the twig in the mid-ocean getting washed ashore, by successive waves.