Pasuram 8.6.7

Tamil text and transliteration:

கொண்டமின் இடர்கெட உள்ளத்து கோவிந்தன்
மண்விண் முழுதும் அளந்தஒண்தாமரை
மண்ணவர் தாம்தொழ வானவர் தாம்வந்து
நண்ணு திருக்கடித்தான நகரே

koṇṭamiṉ iṭarkeṭa uḷḷattu kōvintaṉ
maṇviṇ muḻutum aḷantaoṇtāmarai
maṇṇavar tāmtoḻa vāṉavar tāmvantu
naṇṇu tirukkaṭittāṉa nakarē

English translation of verse 8.6.7:

Set your mind on Tirukkaṭittāṉam, the holy city,
Where the people of this land worship the lotus feet lovely,
Of Kōvintaṇ, which, the earth and the regions above, did measure wholly,
And the denizens of heaven also come down and adore,
So that all your miseries do instantly disappear.

Notes:

(i) In the preceding song, the Āḻvār exhorted the worldlings to worship this pilgrim centre but here he says it would suffice if they just think of the place.

(ii) Even as Heaven is the land of the Nityas (Eternal Heroes), the pilgrim centres on Earth belong to us, the earthlings, as Nampiḷḷai would put it. It should indeed be a matter of deep wonder to the exalted ‘Nityas’ in Heaven, with profound knowledge, how the Great Lord abides in the midst of the worldlings over here, steeped in dark nescience and is easily accessible to them, an act of grace galore, denoting His amazing simplicity, the very antithesis of Heavenly grandeur and majesty (Paratva or transcendent glory). And so, it is a case of the ‘Nityas’ coming down here to have a taste of His amazing simplicity, even as those over here go up to Heaven to witness and enjoy His transcendent glory.