Pasuram 7.10.4

Tamil text and transliteration:

வாய்க்கும்கொல் நிச்சலும் எப்பொழுதும் மனத்து ஈங்கு நினைக்கப்பெற
வாய்க்கும் கரும்பும் பெரும் செந்நெலும் வயல் சூழ் திருவாறன்விளை,
வாய்க்கும் பெரும் புகழ் மூவுலகு ஈசன் வடமதுரைப் பிறந்த,
வாய்க்கும் மணி நிறக் கண்ண பிரான் தன் மலர் அடிப்போதுகளே.

vāykkumkol niccalum eppoḻutum maṉattu īṅku niṉaikkappeṟa
vāykkum karumpum perum cennelum vayal cūḻ tiruvāṟaṉviḷai,
vāykkum perum pukaḻ mūvulaku īcaṉ vaṭamaturaip piṟanta,
vāykkum maṇi niṟak kaṇṇa pirāṉ taṉ malar aṭippōtukaḷē.

English translation of verse 7.10.4:

When shall I the felicity acquire and without break contemplate
The blooming lotus feet of Kaṇṇa, my Sire of saphire hue delectable,
Who in Vaṭamaturai was born, the Supreme Lord of glory great,
Residing in Tiruvāṟaṉviḷai with sugar-canes stout, paddy crops rich and fields fertile?

Notes:

(i) The Āḻvār pines for perpetual contemplation of the lotus feet of the Lord enshrined in Tiruvāṟaṉviḷai, from where he is, even if it be not possible for him to go over there. This contemplation is to run on, all the time, unlike the daily rituals like ‘Agnihotra’ which are confined to certain parts of the day only.

(ii) There is a Jitantā śloka, recited at the end of the daily worship of the Lord, which brings out that the mere longing to serve the Lord, right in this mortal body, is rated by the devotee higher than his ascent to Heaven and occupying an exalted position there.

(ii) Here is an interesting anecdote:

Iḷayāṟṟukkuṭi Nampi, a great devotee used to go to the temple at Śrīraṅgam [Śrīraṅga] during the festivals only, and kept on musing, with great delight, the proceedings of the last festival, till he attended the next festival. With declining age, the centenarian-devotee could not be present on the opening day of a festival, a fact, which the Deity took special note of and exclaimed “We doubt very much whether this is at all our festival when we don’t find our beloved Iḷayāṟṟukkuṭi Nampi around!” When the devotee presented himself with great dffiiculty on the sixth day of the festival, the Lord felt greatly pleased and enquired, “Nampi what can we do for you!” Nampi replied: “Sire this body dowered by you has done its job so far and now its mobility stands impaired”. “Well, said the Lord”, “if your body has dwindled, better stay with us”, Nampi breathed his last by the time the Deity left the temple gate for the ceremonial procession.