Religion in India: A Historical Introduction

with blessings

from the eight quarters,

he broke through

the egg-shell of heaven,

making the waters bubble;

giant head and giant feet

growing away from each other,

time itself rose to view:

how the lord

paced and measured

all three worlds!^4

Similarly, Namma ̄l
̄

va ̄r voiced the poet’s sense of oneness with his god:

Promising me heaven,

making a pact with me,

today he entered this nest,

this thing of flesh,

himself cleared away

all obstacles

to himself,

all contrary acts...^5

The poet expressed his pleasure at being god’s spokesperson:

My lord

who swept me away forever

into joy that day,

made me over into himself

and sang in Tamil

his own songs through me:

what shall I say

to the first of things,

flame

standing there,

what shall I say

to stop?^6

The Post-classical Period 91