Pasuram 2.7.8

Tamil text and transliteration:

வாமனன் என் மரகத வண்ணன் தாமரைக் கண்ணினன்-
காமனைப் பயந்தாய், என்று என்று உன் கழல் பாடியே பணிந்து,
தூ மனத்தனனாய்ப் பிறவித் துழதி நீங்க, என்னைத்
தீ மனம் கெடுத்தாய் உனக்கு என் செய்கேன்? என் சிரீதரனே.

vāmaṉaṉ eṉ marakata vaṇṇaṉ tāmaraik kaṇṇiṉaṉ-
kāmaṉaip payantāy, eṉṟu eṉṟu uṉ kaḻal pāṭiyē paṇintu,
tū maṉattaṉaṉāyp piṟavit tuḻati nīṅka, eṉṉait
tī maṉam keṭuttāy uṉakku eṉ ceykēṉ? eṉ cirītaraṉē.

English translation of verse 2.7.8:

Oh, Citītaraṉ, My Lord, You redeemed my foul mind
And rid me of life’s miseries, and now with a mind pure,
I worship Your feet, Sing and adore you as the Sire
Of Kāmaṉ, Vāmaṉaṉ, my lotus-eyed Lord, the emerald mount
And so on; (this great good of Yours) how can I recompense?

Notes

(i) The Lord is referred to as the Father of Kāmaṉ (Manmatha), because He begot through Rukmiṇī Devī, a Son by name Pradhyumna of exquisite beauty, said to be an ‘Aṃśa’ or incarnation of Manmatha, the minor-deity inducing amorous love.

(ii) What was the Āḻvār’s mind like before it was redeemed? Śrī Nampiḷḷai says that it was hardly fit for reconditioning, as such, erratic like the one going in for ambrosia as well as poison, feeling attracted towards God as well as the petty pleasures of the sensual world. The Lord’s grace has now operated in two ways, namely, bestowal of a mind solely rivetted to the Lord’s lotus feet after throwing away the erstwhile mind, damned beyond redemption.