054 Thirunaṛaiyur

  1. When you grow old you won’t be able to see and your eyes will be filled with mucus. Girls with words as sweet as music may tell you, “Walk slowly. You may fall.” Before that happens, O heart, rise, we will go to Naṛaiyur and worship him who is the sky, the mountains, the Vedas and the sacrifice.

  2. When you grow old, women with lovely hair adorned with flowers dripping honey will join together, laugh and say mockingly, “How could you come to us coughing liked this?” Before that happens, O heart, rise, we will go to shining Naṛaiyur and worship him who is the moon, fire, wind and the bright sun.

  3. When you grow old, women with lovely hair adorned by flowers dripping honey will join together, laugh and say, “What is this? Is it good? How could you love us, we are so beautiful. What do you think you will be able to do at your age?” Before they mock you like this, O heart, rise, we will go to famous Naṛaiyur where our king Vaḷavan with his scepter of justice went and worshiped our god.

  4. When you grow old, women with lovely hair that swarms with bees and waists that are thinner than the stalks of flowers will close their doors to you and not allow you to enter their houses. Before this disgrace happens, O heart, rise, we will go to Naṛaiyur surrounded by flourishing groves, ripening fruits and kamugu trees that shine like pure gold and worship him, dear friend of all.

  5. When you become old, women with eyes even lovelier than a doe’s, a fish, a spear or a beautiful kāvi flower and with clever words will laugh among themselves and mock you. Before that happens, O heart, rise, we will go to flourishing Naṛaiyur surrounded by fields where vālai and viral fish frolic and worship him.

  6. When you become old, women with waists as thin as lightning will not want to love you. They will only mock you and laugh, saying, “You are coughing so much, how dare you come near us?” Before that happens, O heart, rise, we will go to Naṛaiyur surrounded with fresh water and worship him who burned and destroyed ancient Lanka surrounded by oceans.

  7. When you become old, women with foreheads as beautiful as bows will not love you. They will laugh and say, “He is a dirty old man, he has gray hair.” Before you hear those mocking words, O heart, rise, we will go and worship him in Naṛaiyur where good Vediyars recite the four Vedas and spread them around the world.

  8. When you become old, women with sharp sword-like eyes who once praised you saying, “You are my Cupid!” will say, “Listen, he is an old man who coughs up phlegm but he still longs for women.” Before that happens, O heart, rise, we will go and worship him in Naṛaiyur where sacrifices and festivals are celebrated on the streets every day and never stop.

  9. When you become old, beautiful women with mouths as sweet as fruit will not love you anymore. Your back will be bent and you will carry a stick and walk slowly and grow weak. Before that happens, O heart, we will go to beautiful Naṛaiyur and worship him who removed the curse of the moon that shines in the cool sky.

  10. Kaliyan, the chief of Thirumangai with a long spear smeared with blood, composed ten pāsurams that describe how women with foreheads like crescent moons mock old men and no longer like them. The poet says, “O, heart, before that happens old men should go to Naraiyur surrounded by groves blooming with flowers dripping honey and worship him.” If devotees learn and recite these pāsurams without forgetting them they will become kings of the gods in the sky.