Pasuram 3.6.11

Tamil text and transliteration:

கண்கள் காண்டற்கு அரியன் ஆய் கருத்துக்கு நன்றும் எளியன் ஆய்,
மண்கொள் ஞாலத்து உயிர்க்கு எல்லாம் அருள் செய்யும் வானவர் ஈசனை,
பண்கொள் சோலை வழுதி நாடன் குருகைக்கோன் சடகோபன் சொல்,
பண்கொள் ஆயிரத்து இப்பத்தால் பத்தர் ஆகக் கூடும் பயிலுமினே. (2)

kaṇkaḷ kāṇṭaṟku ariyaṉ āy karuttukku naṉṟum eḷiyaṉ āy,
maṇkoḷ ñālattu uyirkku ellām aruḷ ceyyum vāṉavar īcaṉai,
paṇkoḷ cōlai vaḻuti nāṭaṉ kurukaikkōṉ caṭakōpaṉ col,
paṇkoḷ āyirattu ippattāl pattar ākak kūṭum payilumiṉē. (2)

English translation of verse 3.6.11:

Learn these songs ten out of the thousand tunefully composed
By Caṭakōpaṉ of Vaḻutināṭu, the doyen of fertile Kurukūr,
In adoration of the Supreme Lord, difficult to behold
But easy to meditate, Who sheds His grace galore
(Making Himself visible to one and all in this world,
In His Image Form); you will also become devotees pure.

Notes

(i) Difficult to behold but easy to meditate: The Āḻvār does not enjoy the physical presence of the Lord and, therefore, regretfully observes that the Lord is difficult to behold. Out of sight but not out of mind, as his forward mind keeps meditating on Him. As a matter of fact, throughout this work, the Āḻvār’s union with the Lord only connotes his mental comprehension of the Lord’s vision, almost on a par with His physical presence and the Āḻvār’s separation from the Lord arises when he longs for the external perception of the Lord as well and his intuitive inner vision gets cut out in the bargain.

(ii) Chanting this decad, which highlights the Lord’s amazingly easy-accessibility in His manifestation, will, by itself, engender God-love, Even as people will start a ‘Treasure hunt’ digging the ground deep, at the place where the sign-board “Here lies a treasure, buried” is put up, the Āḻvār expects people, in quest of God-love to chant this decad.