Those who are capable of reciting this decad from the flawless thousand on *--1--* composed without blemishes by *--2--* will get rid of rebirth.

He is music, the sweet nature of the music, the ghee in milk, the the Master of the massive Vaikunta, of radiant form, the sacrifice, the light of the lamp, the Earth, the mountains, the flowing waters, the rising moon of the evening, dear as eyes to Vedic seers. I found Him in *--1--* and stood there seeing Him to my eyes’ content.

All the pranks of yore of *--1--* surrounded by bee-bumming groves and river Kaveri, are sung by *--2--*. Those who are capable of singing and dancing these will become devotees of *--3--* and light of the eight Quarters. And their feet are fit to be on my head.

O my pure heart! The farmers drive the robust bullocks and till the soil in the fields that are to be tilled all the time, an act which pushes the beautiful water waves and lotus flowers. Worship those devotees who are committed to worshipping *--1--* which is full of fragrance of the red water lily flowers that escaped the farmers’ back-and-forth tilling.

O Lord! Using a serpent (Vasuki) as the rope, a mountain (Manthara) as the stirrer and the ocean as the container (all together), You churned hard to bring up the nectar. Is it due to the resultant tiresomeness that You have taken the reclining posture at *--1--*-, sitting at (*--2--*) there and standing at (*--3--*)?

O Lord residing in *--1--*! One who is dear to Piraatti - the dweller of the lotus that blossomed at the right time, Bhooma Devi and the esteemed Nithyasooris! One who walked as a messenger between kings of sceptre and parasol! The sweet-spoken one! One who is the glowing lamp of the Vedas residing in my heart. I have attained You.

Those who are well-versed in reciting this decad among the thousand verses sung with love by *--1--*, who attained the Lord of the Discus by his service to Him (of preaching and reforming people), will realise *--2--*, the city of no return.

(I) Would like to seek Your feet alone. Shall always sing only Your praise. Even when I have to wear (on my head), I shall only wear the beautiful feet of Yours, the Discus-wielder. So, what if whatever happens, to me?

O heart! Salt pans flow all over the place with heavy oysters spilling over to the streets and piling up pearls, providing prosperity to *--1--*, whose Lord shot scorching arrows and scattered the culpable, powerful demon’s big heads. Attain His feet!

‘(He) shot an arrow and Lanka got destroyed; (He) lifted a big mountain in order to stop the incessant rains and thus protected the suffering cattle’ — hailing thus, all in the world worship Him as He goes about riding the massive mountain-like divine bird. He resides in *--1--*.

The tall-growing red paddy fields which bend like a horse's face, announce their worshipping of the Wonder Lord whose form is akin to the dark clouds at *--1--* whose chief and one who is rich in the wealth of (devotion to Vishnu) and an illustrious Vedic seer. Those who have the fortune and devotion of reciting this garland of decad of songs composed by *--2--*, will attain the feet of the Supreme Lord.

In yore, the lotus-eyed Lord lay asleep for a long time as a child on a fig leaf, after swallowing the seven worlds. He is the one who reclines in *--1--*, which is surrounded by beautiful, cool and fragrant fields and big groves full of lakes with innumerable lillies, where bees live by drinking (nectar) from the flowers.

*-----*, other than whose glory my mouth will not extol with fondness, is difficult to reach for those deceitful people who do not seek the feet of the unblemished one who finished the evil-hearted Kamsa, and who is the Consort of the soft-footed Nappinnai who is kind to Her devotes. What a wonderful fortune (I) have had now

Did the blue water lilies — because they traversed the forests, entered ponds and by the sheer strength of their feet stood there firmly for a long time and did penance — possess the hue of the Lord who pot-danced (in Krishna Avathara) and measured the earth and sky with rocking feet (in Vamana Avathara)?

O Cowherd Lord residing in cool *--1--* full of cool, fertile fields that have paddy sheaves as fence, large moats, well-bloomed groves and exquisite, tall mansions! You flexed the bow with Your beautiful hands and rolled the heads of *--2--* so as to send them to the world of Yama.

He is one with beautiful red-lotus eyes, coral lips and black-gem hue. He, the Lord of Nithyasooris, is our Wonder-Lord with countless auspiciousness, who resides in *--1--* of clear, abundant pool water.

*--1--*, whose vocation is to protect the Universe, merged everything into His person (at the time of destruction) and then from His navel, produced creator Brahma, Indra and the other celestials and (their) godly worlds.

As dark, big clutters of clouds converge and clangour, mountainous serpents — mistaking it (the sound) to be that of elephants (and thinking that they can be preyed upon) — relocate here in *--1--* whose Lord has been sung by *--2--* of *--3--* where attractive bees hum their way into vast groves. Severe sins will not come near those noble devotees who can sing (this) sweet garland of verses.

There is no way (past sins) can sit in this (my) heart like they did before! (Because) The small place is insufficient even for the glory of my red-eyed Lord. So, rather than stand in a corner and cringe, isn't it better for the sins to find their way out from here?

O Lord who dwells in the exquisite, orchard-surrounded *--1--*! I shall not seek anything but Your grace. O Gem! O Ruby! *--2--*! O Light Effulgent, pray, show me a benevolent way.

In order to sever rebirth in this massive world, we worshipped the feet of the resident of *--1--*, worshipped Lord *--2--* by singing numerous songs, got rid of Karmic attachments of yore, shunned social connections and attained *--3--*. O compliant heart! Could you hear?

O heart! Worship the Lord who, in the yore, strode out and measured the world and so grew tired; hence He is sitting in *--1--*, reclining in *--2--*, of blemishless virtues and the Kamsa-killer!

One holding a beautiful, radiant discus in Your hand! O handsome! When You entered the lake and grappled with the venom-spitting serpent, I lived through it. Why did You do something that turned my stomach? You have no fear. O *--1--*-hued Lord; You keep on doing things that please *--2--*.

O stupid people (who prostrate before lowly godlings)! It is fine if you are well versed in chanting the Vedas. If not, reciting the name *--1--* is their quintessence. This is what the Vedas have asserted. (So) Know about the ways and means of praising *--1--* with His names.

I joined my hands to worship the Lord of *--1--* where pearls float in the sea waves. Holding on to His Thulasi garland, my heart trailed Him. Will it stay put (there, leaving me alone), ignorant of the etiquette? (O, birds!) Go, tell my heartache to *--2--*.

The feet of *--1--* are the destination of devotion. The dark-hued lotus-eyed Lord who holds the *--2--* stands as Water, Sky, Earth, Fire and Air. He is one with the names and glory that are sung by the celestials.

O young people! In the yore, the Lord took the form of a child, lay on the lap (of Brahma) and counted the punishable demon’s heads with his feet. He resides in the bowered *--1--*. Go there with love!

The wealthy Lord of (fertile) *--1--* where the waters of the *--2--* vigorously flow through the fields, pervades everything but eludes everyone; He is the substance of the four Vedas; He had already taken all my things and (now) has attached my soul too.

I was delighted to worship the Lord of *--1--* and *--2--*, the Consort of the glowing flower-dame with beautiful form, the insatiable ambrosia and the dark-as-the-rain-cloud Lord who dwells in *--3--*.

O my Liege! Lord of *--1--*! You killed Raavana (the king) of the perennial ocean-girdled Lanka city! I shall not think of any other god; I have the fortune of placing You firmly in my heart and achieved freedom from birth because of that.

O Lord who come riding the extremely angry (towards enemies) Garuda like a dark cloud on a golden (Meru) mountain! O *--1--*! One with a bright crown! One who dwells in *--2--* which has abundant fields and who killed Maali and Sumaali! You hold the (five) weapons Discus, Conch, Sword, Bow and Mace. Pray, You do destroy our distress!

O Lord of gods! You dwell in the thoughts of those who take recourse to systematic meditation and remove (their) sins. You stand in *--1--* which has tall mansions resembling a mass of hills, You sit in *--2--* and recline in *--3--*. What to say of (Your) simplicity?

The Lord churned the ocean in the yore; He took the form of fish and controlled the water during the deluge. He is the resident of the southern *--1--*, the Consort of Lakshmi and my Master. I saw Him in *--2--* surrounded by fertile, wet fields.

We shall worship the Lord who frightened and killed a terrifying elephant (known as Kuvalayaapeetam) by plucking its tusk and one who has feet with tinkling-anklet and a strange dancing gait, in *--1--* which is surrounded by flowery groves marked by branched out trees. We shall then go and worship the trustworthy Lord in *--2--*.

(O Lord!) The hill resorts *--1--* and *--2--* are Your favoured abodes, and (my) heart also has become your preferred dwelling place. But pray do not desert the Milky Ocean, Your erstwhile abode!

It is the order of the world to say that those who offered praise to the Lord of *--1--* attained salvation and those who abused Him found their deliverance too. Stupid that I am, am I qualified to praise His greatness? (Not at all, but) I shall not scoff at it either. In order to rid of Samsara, (my) love for the wavy ocean-hued Lord is enormous, you know.

*-----* has a frame like gathered monsoon clouds, with a beautiful glow, a pearly white smile, coral-red lips and pearl neck-laced chest. My heart reaches out with love towards the feet of those who shed tears (of joy) and gather round and stand longing for a glimpse of that rare grand effulgence.

You came enquiring about your elephant, then stood asking ‘are your eyes fish?’ What kind of (irrelevant) talk is this, if others were to know? We have been guarding these groves for the raincloud-hued Lord of *-----* with the hue of the raincloud soaked up from the sea, for a very long time. (But) we have never known you.

My munificent Lord who slept on a fig leaf has a strong stomach which encompassed all the seven worlds. Who can understand His dark and mysterious will?

He resides in the fragrant, groves-surrounded *-----*. He came as a little child (in Krishna Avathara) and slowly walked up to the rope-shelf, and ate the aromatic butter with pleasure. How can we say ‘we do not know him’? (Surely not).

O my Master, I reached for You, rendered enjoyable service and attained Your feet. This is all I need forever. Miseries will not besiege the devotees of the Lord of *-----* where learned Vedic scholars live.

He reclines on the Milky Ocean which was churned (in Koorma Avathara) and vanquished an Asura by name Kalanemi. He then came on earth as Rama and helped the frightened brother of Vaali by piercing with His arrows the seven trees together, which were entwined. That Lord dwells in *-----* and you attain His feet and get perpetual succour.

The radiant, revolving sun has disappeared with his chariot. Even the moon with beautiful rays is scorching. Alas! I joined my hands in worship of the Lord of *-----* surrounded by ponds and fertile groves. And I lost my beautiful rouge and bangles.

O men of the world! It was He who earlier created you and the gods you worship. He, the First-cause (of the World) with unending goodness and fame, dwells cosily in *-----*, a town surrounded by beautiful, balconied mansions. Sing its praise and dance merrily, roaming all around!

(One) Need not stand in the middle of mountains, or bathe in the water bodies, or stand in the middle of the Five Fires (and do penance). Sincerely worship the Lord of *-----*, who is adored (by all), with flowers. All the terrible Karma will vanish.

O Lord of *-----*! I cannot refrain from saying it; (so) let me say what I know: You regard me only as any of Your other devotees. You know who is good and who is bad. You know everything about this world. (But) You don’t know about my nature only.

Our Lord came as a boar with strong tusks and a lion with bright teeth; he lifted the large earth and gored the Asura (respectively). His abode is the walled-city of *-----* where big-winged beetles sing His praise at dusk and blow the white Jasmine conch.

He manifested as a bachelor in order to rid of the woes of the celestials, besought three strides from Mahabali and then measured all the seven worlds by Himself. Behold Him, my Master, who holds the discus — the triumphant, unique and principal weapon! He is the chief of the celestials and has stationed Himself in the prosperous and beautiful *-----* where splendid streets are surrounded by honeyed groves, high roof and big halls mark palatial houses in which reside tradition-bound Vedic scholars.

To rid the burden of the world, He created the mighty Bharatha war, and through His wondrous deeds, He routed and killed armies. He then left and entered His own dwelling place in the sky. I reached for His feet and had the fortune of worshipping Him. (So) who else can be my master?

Our Lord! You are the chief of even the celestials! O red-eyed Lord, with Lakshmi on the chest! You chose *-----* as the temple to reside and reclined therein on a broad-hooded, thousand-mouthed serpent bed.

O Ladies! (This girl) will regard and worship no other god than Him. (But) you, of your own volition, pray other gods by shaking your shoulders and dancing. Praise the Lord revered by the Vedas who is the king of *-----*. She will, at once, recover to become her own and dance in ecstatic worship (towards Him).

The bow-wielding Lord pierced the strapping body of the lowly Raakshasa of Lanka that had rock-strewn fort-wall, with His neat, hot arrows. (But) He is the benevolent one, good to the affluent Vibheeshana. Looking for, I found Him in *-----

O great Lord of *-----* where water-birds stroll and Vaalai-fish splatter in the pond even as big, black Palmyra fruits roll over! Isn’t it You who, as Nrusimha, gleefully tore the frame of an enraged, strong-shouldered Hiranya into two pieces?

Earlier (in Rama Avathara), He sent a message to (His Consort) through Hanuman, and destroyed with rage the great Lanka, the city of Ravana, with an arrow. Later (in Krishna Avathara), it was He Himself who, for the sake of the Pandavas, stood to be called ‘he is their messenger’, and He reclines in *-----*.

The Wonder Lord Krishna reclines in *-----* as well as in the ocean, and His words are well entrenched in my heart. (Hence) I know the way so that neither the fear of death, nor the backlash of sins nor their terrible effects will befall me.

The One who has a bird as His mount as well as the insignia of His banner, and swallowed and emitted the Universe, dwells in the cool *-----*. If you join Him there with determination and recite even one among His thousand names, all your illness and sins will surely vanish, so I am saying knowingly.

O beautiful ladies! My sweet-nectar Lord of *-----* has a good-looking hair lock, lovely lips, attractive eyes, and a pleasing lotus on his navel. My Master that He is, indeed, caused my loosened bangles to slip out of my hands.

Standing behind a huge herd of cattle of varied hues, under a forest of parasols, His form shining brightly, His dark, beautiful and fragrant hairlock adorned with a peacock feather, in the midst of cowherds, His beautiful lotus eyes sparkling, He plays His flute singing songs, and dancing with His cowherd friends. My daughter, on seeing such a handsome cowherd lad, has swooned.

The very blessed ones who control their senses with understanding, worship Him offering select flowers and with devotion in their hearts while reciting His names with good knowledge, will get to see the ocean-hued Lord’s feet.

Wondrous Lord! If I were to attain the unchanging, infinite pleasures of the Self, for many endless ages that neither shrink nor stretch, will that ever match the service to You even if it were for a short while or only once? (Certainly not).

The cowherd folk in Gokulam danced, overturning the rope-shelf at the porticos (of their houses), spraying aromatic ghee, milk and curds all over. They danced merrily tossing their dishevelled, soft, thick hair, and lost their minds in the process.

O flocks of peacocks! You are sporting Lord Krishna’s cute hues and are trained and charming dancers; (but) I fall at your feet (pray stop the dance!). See the plight the Lord who sleeps eternally on a hooded serpent, has brought on me!

O Lord of water-surrounded Thiruvinnagar! My Liege! Affable one of ThirukKurungudi! Honey of Thirunaraiyur! Terrified by the arrow looks from the fawn-like eyes of the moon-faced dames, I came running and surrendered unto You.

Whenever I see the clouds, or the large mountains, or the deep ocean, or the dark night, or the constantly bee-humming flower, or anything else of dark hue, my heart leaves me and flies out thinking, 'This is Lord Krishna’s glorious form'.

O my refuge, dwelling in the citadel of (my) heart! O the the killer-poison who finished the king of the cool Lanka! O trickster who posed as a manikin to take the earth! So my words will always praise (You).

O stupid heart! Without talking the things uttered (by the Vedas and Saasthras) again and again, (we) cannot realise the (Lord’s) glory. He does not reveal Himself except to those who do not desire (other things). Other than spending time worshipping Him who resides in the heart of the unblemished, is it possible to compose verses (on all His greatness), tell me! (not possible!).

The discus-wielder pierced seven large trees with His bow and then destroyed Lanka. The day has drawn to a close with the grace that He has showered on us. Alas, sister! What can we do? We have no help! The Sun is sinking into the sea, and a lethal evening comes to kill the soul that is hoping to survive!

O, wondrous Lord with fragrant flower and cool Thulasi crown! You rid me of my (worldly) desires and took me as Your own. Body, soul, death, birth all these are amazing acts of Yours; but You still indulge in further deceptions. Pray, tell me, what tricks are these?

The one with mat-hair where Ganga strolls, and Brahma perform penance for countless ages to see You but bow their head in shame (in being unsuccessful). In yore, taking the celestials by surprise, You came with concern and showered Your grace on an elephant. (Because You have not shown compassion towards me) O, merciless! How can You be deemed as refuge?

Wearing a bunch of glory-lily flowers on the right ear and elegant jasmine garlands on the shoulders, letting His long curly hair cascade stylishly on His back, He kept on playing on His flute sweetly. Seeing the approaching cowherd lad in this fashion, my daughter had a craving for His beauty. She stood there confronting Him instead of making way. Her ivory bangles have slipped of her hands and her body has shrivelled.

Songs, prose, stories of yore from the Ithihaasas, the Puraanas that are potent with truths, the sacred fire, the expansive sky, the Smruthis of Manu, the Sruthis of the four Vedas — all these realities have been created by the Wonder-Lord’s will.

As Rama, He pierced seven Sala trees. He chased the wonder-deer for the sake of His well-adorned Consort. He hurled arrows so as to fell the southern Lanka king. In yore, He went as a manikin, made efforts and captured the earth.

O my cowherd! O my pet black-gem! The three worlds are spread from your navel- flower. In the midst of Your effulgent radiance, how is this soul to see and attain You?

The dark-cloud Lord who rescued the long-trunked rampant elephant in distress, is a dark precious gem, a beautiful emerald. He is my Lord, my Master, and Lord of the Universe who resides in my heart as well. Attaining Him, I have found succour.

O, cuckoo! My body has thinned down and melted to the bones; my large, spear-like eyes are not closing. Cast into the ocean of misery for a long time, I am struggling without a lifeboat called Sri Vaikuntanathan. You would know about the despair of separation from a beloved, isn’t it? So, call and invite here the noble Lord of golden hue who bears a Garuda banner.

Was He the wondrous one who swallowed the eight directions, the erupting oceans and the seven worlds all together, then snugly slept on a fig leaf? I can never comprehend this spectacle. His hue matched that of the dark cloud and the attractive, tall mountain; His eyes and lips were akin to the fragrant lotus. He stood there for all the celestials to curtsy. Aho, what can one say of His beauty!

The celebrated one who protects the seven worlds in a thousand ways, has a thousand names. The Lord whose form has dark rain-cloud hue, is our own Narayana.

Vishnuchiththa has been thoroughly initiated (by an Acharya) into the famous truism that the great Lord of Arangam told in yore in the form of the Charama Sloka, and so is worry-free. If the Lord’s word “I like he who likes Me” itself be false with Himself, what can anyone do thereafter?

One who is crescent-headed, the four-faced god, the radiant Devendra and everyone and all the worlds without a single exception, including the earth, fire, water, air and space, the moon and the sun, and everything was tucked compactly into a corner of a small child’s stomach and got covered all at a time. Thus, our master that He is, upon swallowing everything, lay asleep on a fig leaf. Will we ever deem anyone other than this wondrous Lord as our god?

The entire town sleeps; the whole world is surrounded by pitch-darkness; the water bodies have calmed with the waves subsided; the night has stretched into eternity. Alas, if the Lord who swallowed the universe and sleeps on a serpent couch does not come, who can save my extremely sinful soul?

You shook the wood-apple on the tree; felled the attractive Arjuna trees that confronted; tore the jaws of the horse Kesi. They call You -- the one with the hands that did all that -- Krishna. You drank the milk of cowherdess; ate the earth and butter too; then drank the breast of the ogress. O Manikin, in yore You manifested as Boar!

I shall not covet things that belong to others; shall shun the company of lowly people and seek that of noble ones; shall not praise a god other than Thirumal. (Therefore) How can sins accrue on me?

O Pure one, who, like a radiant full moon offers motherly protection to all the living beings! O Cool lotus-eyed one! O Cowherd! One who, in yore, swallowed the seven worlds surrounded by wavy oceans! How can I ever forget You?

My fair daughter has lost her good looks to Lord Krishna who wears many a nice-fitting ornament, reclines on a hooded couch and has red hands as well as feet.

O Wonder Lord! You are the child-bearing mother; You are the birth-giving father; You are the Acharya too. O Lord who drank the poison breast to finish off the extremely cunning Poothana! How wonderful Your ways are!

Without even giving him an umbrella and sandals (for protection), I sent my Damodara for grazing calves into the blazing hot forest where sharp broken rocks would pierce and hurt his feet. Alas! I have done such a heartless thing!

O, noble heart of mine! Know that the Supreme Lord exists forever; know that the Lord — who resides in the tall, sky-smashing hills of Venkatam which is full of water falls, and who grew tall and overpowered the earth while measuring it — resides permanently in the hearts of His devotees!

Worship (the Lord) everyday with fresh flowers; sing His names. Can attain Moksha for sure.

A caterpillar growing on the bitter Neem tree will eat nothing but Neem. (Similarly) I, Your servant, seek none other than Your lotus feet. You rid the waning young moon of his misery. O Radiant Lord, You have reclined on the five-hooded serpent!

O my Lord with lotus feet that produced the Ganga water! You hold the discus, conch, mace, bow and the dagger in Your beautiful hands. O Lord of Gods who came as a lion! O Lord with the chest in which dwells the dame of the honey-oozing, soft (lotus) flower! O ocean-hued Lord!

The Southern Arangam — where the celestials and those on the earth throng to worship, and devotees as sweet as honey and milk converge and mingle — is the abode of the Lord of the entire Universe who came as a boar, a fish, a turtle, a man-lion, a manikin and Rama Himself.

As the innocent, good ladies saw the Universe inside the (child’s) mouth, they were delighted and said: “this is no cowherd-child but the adored Lord Himself, endowed with all the auspicious and wondrous qualities”.

He cast His arrows and cut asunder the twenty arms, all the (ten) heads and the two legs (of Raavana). Worshipping the feet of those who worship His feet is a great favour my graceful hands can do (for me).

This decad on the Lord who strode the earth is from the matchless thousand verses composed by Satakopan who hails from Kurugur which is surrounded by tall groves. Those who are well-versed with this, will be blessed with the desired Kainkaryam to the Lord and win praise from the whole world.

He is the Thulasi-garland chested one. The huge, hillock-like elephant stood in the pond, battling with the swallowing crocodile, holding a lotus with its long trunk and bellowed “Narayana! O Gem-hued Lord! O Serpent-recliner! Come here and rid of my misery!”

With an auspiciously beautiful Vanamala adorning Your chest, wearing a tail-feather of a peacock (on Your head) and a bright, soft cloth on Your body, a bunch of flowers perfectly placed behind Your ear, You enjoyed blending with honey-odour-coiffured dames, and came playing Your flute sweetly. But it appears that Your flute would not come playing solely for us even for a single day.

You appeared as a lion from out of a plain pillar and split the body of the haughty Asura. O Resident of high-rising Thiruvenkata hill and the lord reclining on the elegant serpent! Pray take notice of me.

My daughter lost her beautiful complexion — to the conch-bow-dagger-mace-discus wielding lord who has deep red lips and eyes and whose crown is adorned with fragrant, cool Thulasi garland.

The Lord who is standing, sitting, reclining and striding (in my heart) is never satisfied and will never leave from there. In the yore, He came with beautiful hands, split Hiranya’s mouth with a vicious whack and tore his chest. Is the Lord not loving (towards devotees)?

Walking unsteadily and singing with a melting mind and welling eyes, this bright-forehead girl looks everywhere and calls ‘Narasimha!’ and gets exhausted in the process.

“Aho, sister! See, He was beaten up by the dark-coiffured cowherd dame (Yasodha) and bound up with a short spinous rope.” “Though He was bound up with a short spinous rope, He is hard to meditate upon and reach even for the celestials, O, sister!”

His standing on the high hill, His sitting in the sky above, His sleeping in the wavy ocean... were all before I was born. (But now) The wonder-lord, the lord who sleeps on the serpent, the first-cause lord and the lord with the lotus dame — His standing, sitting, reclining... all these acts happen in my heart.

O Lord Narayana! Your grace may land on me today, tomorrow or some time later, but it is definitely coming. I have no refuge except You. Nor can You exist without me.

Even the useless and worthless souls, he (Satakopa) will reform and put to use. O, Lord of Kurugur where cuckoos haunt, I only seek to love your great feet.

Will He come this way? Pleasing my spear-like sharp eyes, the Lord of ThirukKudandhai amid nectared groves… Will He come this way?

I do not mingle with people of the world who consider this material life as real. I only call out “My Master!”, “Aranga!”, and swoon with fascination for My Lord.

Our Lord, who assumed various forms in all places, holds a conch and a discus in His beautiful hands.

I have seen the daylight and I have seen Narayana. Having seen Him in my dream, I saw Him in reality. He wields a discus, has bright feet and His form is much like His radiant self in Paramapadham.

O eternal, luminous light! Our master! Wish-granting gem! The Lord residing in Thiruvenkatam! You came, entered my heart and stayed put there. Now I shall never let you go.

O foolish people! For the love of money, clothes with border and a sheaf of paddy, you give your children lowly names. Call them by the names of Kesava, who is the Lord Supreme Narayana, and be happy. The kid’s mother will never go to hell.

The foremost among gods are the threesome, and the chief among them is the ocean-hued Lord Vishnu. The grace of gods other than the benevolent first-Lord is a waste in this world surrounded by seas.

I pursued the path of relentless service to the Lord and worshipped Him the way He Himself has ordained in the yore. And, the moment I saw His lotus feet, all my sins have dispersed.

She wears a necklace and looks into the mirror, shakes her bangles, sets her Saree right, faints, then applies rouge on her coral lips, stands up, steadies herself and prates about the greatness of the thousand-named lord. Indeed, she is infatuated with the peerless gem-hued Lord!

ThirukKanna Puram is a place where Brahmanas undertake their ritual of feeding fire by chanting the Vedas. Here resides the Lord who (in the Krishna Avathara) cringed in fear and ran to wipe off His mouth smeared with curd on seeing His mother Yasodha with a stick in her hand. I have lost my beautiful bangles to Him.

O Heart! For so many days, months, years and innumerable ages, we have gone through so many births. Today, without any prior thought, we have attained Ramanuja, who is filled with love for the Lord of Aththigiri of eye-catching shoulders. (What a great fortune!).

The earth and the big world above are tucked inside You. (But) You have entered into me through my ears (by way of Upadesams from Acharyas) and have come to stay. Who knows who is bigger — I or You? Now think, O, wielder of the discus that pierces the body of enemies!

He chopped off the arms and heads of the king of Lanka which is surrounded by big oceans. Bow your heads to His feet and strive to cross the ocean of Time!

The Lord took the form of a lion and appeared at dusk and tore apart the chest of Hiranya and destroyed him without any hardship to son Prahlada. He is the same one who broke the tusk of a raging black elephant and overpowered it.

If you are in search of the abode of the one who bears the blaring white conch and the fierce bright discus, come, I shall offer you a little clue. There are people who saw Him on a chariot driven by white horses and bearing the victorious monkey banner, stealthily guiding the army in the Bharatha war.

With dark fragrant curls of hair lock hung low over His shoulders, His fish-like Makara earrings dangling flashily on either side even as He was accompanied by a powerful and ready bow, He came here and stood before me like the twosome. His hands were like red lotuses, His lips, eyes and feet too were of identical hue. O friend, seeing Him thus we feared that He was some god on earth!

Someone stands within me with large red eyes and ripe coral lips, pearly white teeth and dazzling dangling earrings shaped like Makara-fish. Dark as the rain-cloud, He wears a radiant crown, has four arms, and holds a beautiful bow, conch, mace, dagger and discus.

O Lord! Now I know. You are the Lord of Siva and Brahma; You are the cause of everything; All that is known is You; All that remains to be known is You; You are Narayana, the benevolent. I have understood this well.

Our Great Lord and Master resides amid river Kaveri — which is holier than even Ganga — whose gushing waters serenely flow over beautiful bowers in Thiruvarangam. Having seen His exquisite reclining posture, how can I forget Him and live? O! powerless, hopeless me!

I shall worship Lord Thirumaal — (benevolent as) mother and father — who redeems us at the right time by coming to the rescue of the soul that has entered some body and has been subjected to fall and flounder through repeated cycles of birth and death.

I, this devoted self, shall adorn my Master – who killed the deer of deceit, who went between Maruda trees, who strode the earth, who churned the ocean with a mount and gave ambrosia to the celestials – with pure, great garland of poems.

To speak of food, the mouth-nectar of the beautiful Lord who strode the world is yours. For a resting place, you have the Lord's palm. (So) Womenfolk are mounting a big protest against you. What you are doing is not fair, O Conch!

If you can chant the name ‘Madhava’ repeatedly, no harm will come, nor will sin attain you.

Let all do what they wish, for, is it possible to find ways to reform the vast world? On my part, I have freed my good heart of untold miseries through the grace of Krishna, Lord of the celestials.

In the great Bharatha war the Lord drove (Arjuna's) chariot. He held Mahabali captive in huge golden cage. He destroyed the ocean-grilled southern Lanka. He is the one whom I have lost my bangles and rouge to!

The Lord is easy to reach by devotees through love; but He is hard to access for others. He is one who is coveted by the lotus-dame. Oh, what to say of the simplicity with which he was caught after stealing churned butter and got tied to the mortar, and his pleading!

O ocean-hued Lord! Hail to You! (I) have a polite submission to make. If you intend to grant me a boon, then here is what I seek from You. Pray, You should unite my thoughts scattered in other matters and enable my mind forever meditate upon Your Lotus feet.

The dark cloud-hued Lord is the one who came as a cow-herd boy and ate butter. He has stolen my heart. He is the Lord of Nithyasooris and the Lord of the beautiful Arangam too. After seeing Him – my Lord of ambrosial delight – (my) eyes shall see nothing else.

According to one’s own nature and understanding, each one praises and worships the deity of his choice by painting the image on the wall or placing the idol on a pedestal. Yet, the Lord who measured the world is the Supreme One.

Speak, O green parrot! The strong-armed Lord who holds aloft the radiant discus on His right hand is in Northern Venkatam. Speak His arrival, O green parrot!

Is it owing to traversing the world that the feet are hurt? (Or) Is it because of boring a trembling Lady Earth as a Boar that the body is sore? You lie in ThirukKudandhai on the banks of Kaveri which flows past the barriers of mountains and forests. Pray rise and speak out the reason for the same, O Kesava! Auspiciousness to You!

In four Divyadesams – Thiruvenkatam, Paramapadham, Thiru Vehka and the fertile ThirukKovalur – the Lord presents Himself in the standing, sitting, reclining and striding postures respectively. By merely saying this, one's suffering will vanish.

When Arjuna placed garlands at the world-measuring feet of the holy Lord, he saw them being borne by Siva on his head, which made him clearly understand the greatness of the Thulasi-garland Lord. Now, must His glories be spoken by anyone anymore?

The Lord who had come to protect the world-famous Janaka's fire sacrifice, broke the bow in the great assembly. On seeing His ring, the flower-coiffured Sita exclaimed, “Hanuman! your proofs are matching”, and then pressed the ring to the top of her head and exulted.

My gold, precious gem, stunning lightning, my lord and my master – we had worshipped Him at the peak of Thiruvenkatam. We shall go and have His Darsan in Thiru-Thanka too!

Krishna! Creator of Brahma! O First-cause, Dark-hued Lord! This servant of Yours has never starved for want of food even for a single day. If ever there comes a day when I do not keep meditating upon the Manthra ‘Namo Narayanaya’, nor worship Your feet with fresh Manthra-flowers picked from the Rug, Yajus and Sama Vedas, that indeed will be a day of starvation for me.

Dashing white waves wash ashore red corals and white pearls and they illuminate the dusk like beautiful lamps. This is at Thiruvallikkeni where the Lord and my master -- who has His exquisite chest adorned by the lotus dame -- resides.

Hail! Hail! Hail! Gone is the severe curse of worldly existence. Hell has given in and Yama has no work here any longer; even Kali will end, you see! The ocean-hued Lord’s devotees descended on earth in abundance and we saw them singing and dancing everywhere!

O Lord of Viththuvakkodu wielding the lightning-like Discus! Just as the wealth renounced by someone in his search for You keeps coming back to him, I shall keep returning to You only, even if You repel me.

His names are so great that when the inmates of Hell heard them from the conversation between Yama and Mudgala, even Hell became Heaven. (But) even good men forget that He resides in Arangam and keep worrying! That, in fact, has me worried.

The primordial Lord reclines on a serpent in ThirukKudandhai, Thiruvehka and Thiru Evvulur as also in Thiruvarangam, ThirupPer and Thiru Anbil. He who is lying on a serpent in the Milky Ocean too, enters the hearts of those who meditate Him.

It gives (those who chant it) a good family, wealth, decimates all the miseries of devotees; confers Moksha and with benign grace bestows the great fortune of Kainkaryam; grants strength and everything that is good. And it does more good than even a mother. I have discovered the benedictory word which gives the pure good – Narayana it is.

Lord (Vishnu) created Brahma on His lotus navel so that he could create the gods and beings of the worlds. Is there any god other than my Lord who is worthy of worship with flowers?

Senses deteriorated, body overtaken by stiffness, stricken by depression and seeking loneliness, throat obstructed by phlegm, blabbering badly — before all this happens, worship the Lord in Vadhari, who is circumambulated by Srivaishnava devotees holding cool Thulasi wreath and chanting (His) thousand names, singing and dancing in ecstasy.

Aadhi Sesha unraveled the mysteries of astronomy and You are his Antharaathma. My life has been well spent and sustained by learning, writing, reading, hearing about You, prostrating and paying my obeisance, and worshipping You.

When Govinda played the flute — running His smallish fingers over the holes, His red eyes tilting, His coral-like lips formed like a bud and little beads of sweat formed over His raised eyebrows — flocks of birds left their nests and fell like broken twigs all around and herds of cattle spread their legs and stood with lowered heads and motionless ears.

O! My Rama! Heeding the foul words that emanated from my foul mouth, You relinquished this big land, the dark and imposing elephant, the chariot and the horse and at once went to the forest with the sharp-eyed like a ghee-coated spear, bejewelled Sita and the younger brother Lakshmana following. How did You walk? My Lord! What can I do?

At all times and forever by His side, we must perform spotless service only to the radiant Lord who is the master of even my forefathers and who resides in Thiruvenkatam, a hill which is renowned for its falls resonant with majestic sound.

O Lord of Thirumaalirun-Cholai! Neither the one who has the ox on his flag-banner, that is, Rudhra, nor Brahma nor Indra knows of a medicine that could cure the disease called rebirth. O dark gem-hued Lord, my great Acharya! Relieve me of the disease and take me to the portals of Your temple!

O Lord of Kanna Puram! I have nothing to do with those who believe that there is another God. Having learnt the sacred eight-syllable Manthra, the only thing I have chosen is service to Your devotees.

The Lord of the Vedas, the eventual recipient of Vedic rituals, the perfectly sweet fruit enjoyed by seers, the elephant calf of Nandagopa, the first-cause worshipped by earthlings, the nectar and my master… I have seen Him in the great Mayilai ThiruvallikKeni where women of matchless qualities reside.

With His eight hands wielding eight victorious weapons, the Lord of Attabuyakaram has never known defeat. In the yore, He precisely hurled His Discus to kill a crocodile in a pond and His feet are our sole refuge.

When Sriman Narayana walks, Aadhi Sesha plays the role of an umbrella; a couch when He sits; sandals at His feet when He stands. He becomes a float when the Lord reclines in the massive ocean, a divine lamp with its eyes emitting bright light and he wraps around Him like a soft silk and serves as a cosy pillow too.

With tears oozing from her eyes and saying “the food I eat, the water I drink and the betel I chew are all my Lord Krishna”, my young daughter, I am sure, has enquired about the Lord’s place of fortune on the earth and found her way to ThirukKolur only.

The dweller of Thiru Aththiyur is the One who rides a bird; the One who reclines on a serpent whose hoods are studded with beautiful gems; the One who is the theme of the Vedas that profess the three Agnis; the One who is the Lord of even the one who drank the poison of ocean (Siva). And, He is our Lord too.

O, Lord of Aranga Maanagar, even one were to get the lifespan of a hundred years as mentioned in the Vedas, one half of that will be lost in sleeping; ignorant childhood and youth will take away plenty of years of the rest; disease, hunger, old age and distress will take their toll too. Hence I shall not desire birth anymore.

O, Lord of cool Thiruvenkatam of steepling mountains! One who is committed to providing succour to the world! Damodara! Wise one! With my soul and body embossed with Your Chakra emblem, I look up to Your grace. Pray what You have in store?