Bhaktavatsala Perumal Temple, Thirukkannamangai

பெரும் புறக்கடலை அடலேற்றினைப் பெண்ணை ஆணை எண்ணில் முனிவர்க்கருள் தருந்தவத்தை முத்தின் திரள் கோவையைப் பத்தராவியை நித்திலத் தொத்தினை அரும்பினை அலரை அடியேன் மனத்தாசையை அமுதம் பொதியின் சுவைக் கரும்பினைக் கனியைச் சென்று நாடிக் கண்ணமங்கையுள் கண்டு கொண்டேனே

perum puRakkadalai adalERRinaip peNNai ANai eNNil munivarkkaruL tharundhavaththai muththin thiraL kOvaiyaip paththarAviyai niththilath thoththinai arumbinai alarai adiyEn manaththAsaiyai amudham podhiyin suvaik karumbinaik kaniyaich chenRu nAdik kaNNamangaiyuL kaNdu koNdEnE

Thirumangai Alvar pours out a garland of epithets for the Lord: He who is the great outer ocean, the mighty bull (lion-like hero), at once feminine and masculine, the fruit of austerity that graces countless sages, a string of clustered pearls, the very life-breath of His devotees, a bunch of pearls, a bud and a blossom, the longing of this servant's heart, sugarcane sweet as packed nectar, a ripe fruit — that very Lord I sought out and found, and beheld Him standing in Thirukkannamangai.

மெய்ந்நலத் தவத்தைத் திவத்தைத் தரும் மெய்யைப் பொய்யினைக் கையிலோர் சங்குடை மைந்நிறக் கடலைக் கடல் வண்ணனை மாலை ஆலிலைப் பள்ளிகொள் மாயனை நென்னலைப் பகலை இற்றை நாளினை நாளையாய் வரும் திங்களை ஆண்டினை கன்னலைக் கரும்பினிடைத் தேறலைக் கண்ண மங்கையுள் கண்டுகொண்டேனே

meynnalath thavaththaith thivaththaith tharum meyyaip poyyinaik kaiyilOr sangudai mainniRak kadalaik kadal vaNNanai mAlai Alilaip paLLikoL mAyanai nennalaip pagalai iRRai nALinai nALaiyAy varum thingaLai ANdinai kannalaik karumbinidaith thERalaik kaNNamangaiyuL kaNdukoNdEnE

He is true austerity of genuine merit, the truth that grants the divine realm, yet (to the deceitful) appears as untruth; the dark sea-hued Lord bearing a conch in His hand, the great Vishnu (Maal), the wonder-worker who reclines on a banyan leaf; He is yesterday, today and this very day, the moon (month) that comes as tomorrow, and the year itself; He is jaggery and the clear sweet juice within sugarcane — that Lord I found and beheld in Thirukkannamangai.

venjinak kaLiRRai viLangAy vIzhak / kanRu vIsiya Isanai pEy magaL / thunja nanju suvaiththuNda thOnRalaith / thOnRal vAL arakkan kedath thOnRiya / nanjinai amudhaththinai nAdhanai / nachchuvAr uchchi mEl niRkum nambiyai / kanjanaith thunja vanjiththa vanjanaik / kaNNamangaiyuL kaNdu koNdEnE

Thirumangai Alvar declares: 'I have seen and obtained Him at Thirukkannamangai' - the Lord who as a child hurled the calf (Vatsasura) to strike down the wood-apple demon (Kapitthasura), who sucked the life out of the ogress Putana along with her poisoned milk, who incarnated to destroy the sword-wielding demon Ravana; He who is poison to His enemies but nectar to His devotees, the Lord (Nathan) who ever stands upon the heads (as the cherished refuge) of those who desire Him, the deceiver who tricked and slew Kamsa.

kaNNamangaiyuL kaNdu koNdEn enRu / kAdhalAl kalikanRi urai seydha / vaNNa oN thamizh onbadhOdu onRivai / vallarAy uraippAr madhiyam thavazh / viNNil viNNavarAy magizhveydhuvar / meymmai sollil veN sangam onREndhiya / kaNNa nindhanakkum kuRippAgil / kaRkalAm kaviyin poruL thAnE

The concluding (phalashruti) verse: Kalikanri (Thirumangai Alvar), out of love and saying 'I have beheld Him at Thirukkannamangai', composed these ten beautiful, melodious Tamil verses. Those who can master and recite them will rejoice in the heavens, becoming celestials in the moon-traversed sky. The Alvar even tells the Lord (who bears the white conch): if it pleases You, the very meaning of this poetry is worth learning.