Pasuram 5.9.2

Tamil text and transliteration:

என்று கொல்? தோழிமீர்காள் எம்மை நீர் நலிந்து என் செய்தீரோ?
பொன்திகழ் புன்னை மகிழ் புது மாதவி மீது அணவி
தென்றல் மணம் கமழும் திருவல்லவாழ் நகருள்-
நின்ற பிரான் அடிநீறு அடியோம் கொண்டு சூடுவதே?

eṉṟu kol? tōḻimīrkāḷ emmai nīr nalintu eṉ ceytīrō?
poṉtikaḻ puṉṉai makiḻ putu mātavi mītu aṇavi
teṉṟal maṇam kamaḻum tiruvallavāḻ nakaruḷ-
niṉṟa pirāṉ aṭinīṟu aṭiyōm koṇṭu cūṭuvatē?

English translation of verse 5.9.2:

Ye, mates, does your tormenting me make any sense?
My mind is unto the Lord drawn, who in Tiruvallavāḻ stays
Where the southerly breeze does the fragrance sweet convey
From posh puṉṉai trees and their attractive kind;
When shall the dust from His feet anoint us indeed?

Notes

(i) The mates who were critical of the Nāyakī’s attitude are reprimanded by her. She says that her mind is attracted by the Lord in Tiruvallavāḻ through the fragrance wafted from there. Having known her as well as they do they would do well to smear her head with the dust from the Lord’s feet instead of trying to pull her back.

(ii) The Āḻvār’s special fascination for the trees etc., in Tiruvallavāḻ, only typifies the great love and esteem in which the devout hold the several Pilgrim Centres where the Lord lovingly stays for the reclamation of His subjects. Their deep faith is reflected in their belief that the trees etc., in these centres, are but the angels of Heaven transplanted here and that this sportive Universe (Līlā vibhūti) itself is but the garden lovingly raised by the Lord and His Divine Consort as a pastime. That was why one Jananātha Brahma Rāyar alias Allaḷapperumāḷ was pulled up by Śrī Empār when the former attempted to fell down trees in holy Śrīraṅgam, Empār is said to have questioned the Rāyar whether he intended to take liberties with the Lord’s garden (Īśvara vibhūti).