Pasuram 6.7.4

Tamil text and transliteration:

கொல்லை என்பர்கொலோ குணம் மிக்கனள் என்பர்கொலோ,
சில்லை வாய்ப் பெண்டுகள் அயல் சேரி உள்ளாரும் எல்லே,
செல்வம் மல்கி அவன்கிடந்த திருக்கோளூர்க்கே,
மேல் இடை நுடங்க இளமான் செல்ல மேவினளே.

kollai eṉparkolō kuṇam mikkaṉaḷ eṉparkolō,
cillai vāyp peṇṭukaḷ ayal cēri uḷḷārum ellē,
celvam malki avaṉkiṭanta tirukkōḷūrkkē,
mēl iṭai nuṭaṅka iḷamāṉ cella mēviṉaḷē.

English translation of verse 6.7.4:

My daughter, like unto the doe young, has her mind made up
To go to plentiful Tirukkōḷūr where reclines the Lord,
Straining her waist thin; I know not whether the local gossips
And neighbouring women will praise her as Godly
Or condemn her as immodest and unruly.

Note

There are two ways of looking at the Nāyakī’s behaviour. Those who have unflinching faith in salvation through the Lord’s redemptive grace and await the descent of such grace on them, in due course, would certainly not countenance the Nāyakī running about, courting the Lord, while those, who are all agog for the quick consummation, the acceleration of the union with the Lord, cutting short the interval, would surely applaud the Nāyakī’s flaming love and ardour. Thus there is scope for condemnation as well as felicitation of the Nāyakī, by the women of the village and those in the neighbouring village, giving rise to the mother’s speculation, as above.