Pasuram 5.2.7

Tamil text and transliteration:

நிறுத்தி நும் உள்ளத்துக் கொள்ளும் தெய்வங்கள் உம்மை உய்யக்கொள்
மறுத்தும் அவனோடே கண்டீர் மார்க்கண்டேயனும் கரியே
கறுத்த மனம் ஒன்றும் வேண்டா கண்ணன் அல்லால் தெய்வம் இல்லை
இறுப்பது எல்லாம் அவன் மூர்த்தி யாயவர்க்கே இறுமினே.

niṟutti num uḷḷattuk koḷḷum teyvaṅkaḷ ummai uyyakkoḷ
maṟuttum avaṉōṭē kaṇṭīr mārkkaṇṭēyaṉum kariyē
kaṟutta maṉam oṉṟum vēṇṭā kaṇṇaṉ allāl teyvam illai
iṟuppatu ellām avaṉ mūrtti yāyavarkkē iṟumiṉē.

English translation of verse 5.2.7:

The deities whom you in your minds forcibly lodge
And worship, help you only thro’ the Supreme Lord
Whom they revere; Sour you needn’t feel when I say
There’s no God but Kaṇṇaṉ and all homage you pay
To other deities goes but to Him, as they His bodies are;
Well, Mārkkaṇṭēyaṉ will unto this witness bear.

Notes

(i) The Āḻvār was mighty glad that this land was full of Śrī Vaiṣṇavas but suddenly, he happened to notice a lew non-vaiṣṇavas too, here and there. These were not only not attached to the Śrī Vaiṣṇavas but were immersed in the propitiation of the Godlings (minor deities). And so, the Āḻvār wished to bring them also round through advice. He tells them: “If you think you should persevere in your present method of worshipping the minor deities and propitiating them, you may, by-all-means, do so, but with the knowledge that there is but one God, namely, by Lord Kṛṣṇa (Viṣṇu) and all the other deities are but His bodies as stated in the upani-ṣad. All the homage, that you pay unto your deities, actually reaches Him, as they are but His bodies. Already, you have blackened your faces by worshipping the lesser gods but now I find your minds also turning black, as you are evidently not happy with what I say. But then, I am telling you the barest truth. Mārkaṇṭēya whom you have all known as a staunch devotee of Śiva, will bear me out”.

(ii) Very pleased with Mārkaṇṭēya’s penances and deep devotion, Śiva told the supplicant:

“Mārkaṇṭeya, you have waited on me so long. I will now recommend you to our Sovereign Lord Nārāyaṇā whom
I myself wait upon, to hold my present position. The Supreme Lord will then requite you for all your services unto me. In doing this, I only follow the rules of hospitality which demand that if a guest happens to come, the host must offer food. If, however the host has no food, he has to guide the hungry guest to a good neighbour’s house where he is sure to be fed; otherwise the host will sin”. Vide also notes under IV-10-8.