Pasuram 6.10.5

Tamil text and transliteration:

புணரா நின்ற மரம் ஏழ் அன்று எய்த ஒரு வில் வலவா ஓ,
புணர் ஏய் நின்ற மரம் இரண்டின் நடுவே போன முதல்வா ஓ,
திணர் ஆர் மேகம் எனக் களிறு சேரும் திருவேங்கடத்தானே,
திணர் ஆர் சார்ங்கத்து உன பாதம் சேர்வது அடியேன் எந்நாளே?

puṇarā niṉṟa maram ēḻ aṉṟu eyta oru vil valavā ō,
puṇar ēy niṉṟa maram iraṇṭiṉ naṭuvē pōṉa mutalvā ō,
tiṇar ār mēkam eṉak kaḷiṟu cērum tiruvēṅkaṭattāṉē,
tiṇar ār cārṅkattu uṉa pātam cērvatu aṭiyēṉ ennāḷē?

English translation of verse 6.10.5:

Thou art the unique Archer, Whose shaft once sped
Thro’ the Sal trees seven huddled together,
The Primate Who ‘twixt the twin (Maruta) trees crawled,
And art now in Tiruvēṅkaṭam where elephants do gather,
Akin to dense clouds; My Lord, wielding the bow mighty.
When shall this vassal reach Thy feet doughty?

Notes

(i) The Lord would appear to have told the Āḻvār that He was surely taking him to His abode in Heaven; the expectant Āḻvār is, however, not satisfied with a general assurance of this kind and insists that a date be set for the consummation.

(ii) It can be both ways, namely, elephants gathering like clouds and clouds gathering like elephants, in that holy mountain. The Lord, enshrined there, is Himself referred to, as the cloud adorning the crest of Veṅkaṭādri (Mount Tiruvēṅkaṭam)—“Śrī Veṅkaṭādri śikharālaya Kāḷamekhaṃ”. Saint Tirumaṅkai Āḻvār also refers to the Lord at Tiruvēṅkaṭam as the Elephant, adorning the North.

(iii) The mighty bow in the Lord’s hand is quite reassuring and the Āḻvār is, therefore, sanguine of attaining to His feet. All that He wants now is that the Lord should graciously specify the point of time at which he would be lifted up.