[[Eḻukūṟṟirukkai is one of the figure of speech depending for its effect on sound alone as opposed to poruḷ aṇi; it is a verse in the composition of which the numerals one to seven occur first in the ascending order and then in the descending order; Besides this one, there are one eḻukūṟṟirukkai by Tirumaṅkai Āḻvār, one by Nakkiratevanayanar in the caivaite eleventh book, one in the commentary of Yāpparuṅkalam (p.410), one by Aruṇakirinātār and one by the author of Māṟaṉalaṅkaram]]

The definition of eḻukūṟṟirukkai as given in Yāpparunkala Virutti and Māṟaṉalaṅkāram are respectively as follows:
எழுகூற்றரிக்கையாவது, ஏழு அறை ஆக்கி முறையானே குறுமக்கள் முன்னின்றும் புக்கும் போந்தும் விளையாடும் பெற்றியான் வழுவாமல் ஒன்று முதலாக ஏழ்இறுதியாக முறையானே பாடுவது (P.410, Govt. Oriental manuscripts Library edition, 1960);
ஒன்றுமுதலா ஓரேழ் ஈறாகச் சென்ற எண் ஈரேழ் நிலந்தொறும் திரிதர, எண்ணுவது ஒன்றாம் எழுகூற்றிருக்கை (aphorism, 297);
In line 31, there is one emendation which is necessary; it is வரபுரமொன்றுணர் (Ñāṉacampantar tēvāra oḷineṟikkaṭṭurai, 3rd part p.227)]]

[[A note on this poem: Civapāta Itayar, the father of Ñāṉacampantar, was in the regular habit of reading the verses composed by his son and then having his food. The verses became so voluminous that he could not perform his daily routine. He requested his son to compose a verse which would include the substance of the verses sung till then. In compliance with his request, Campantar composed this poem.]]

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(1) ஓர் உரு ஆயினை
you who transcends all kinds of realities and is beyond the reach of mind and speech, assumed a form out of volition to perform the five functions, namely, creation, protection, destruction, veiling and bestowing grace.
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(1) மான் ஆங்காரத்து
(2) ஈர் இயல்பாய்
you assumed two forms namely Cakti and Civam to perform the five functions which are bestowing grace on all, with the help of the manifest primordial cause of the material world and the conception of individuality.
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(2) ஒரு
you are one combining with that cakti.
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(2) விண்முதல் பூதலம்
(3) இருசுடர் உம்பர்கள் பிறவும்
(4) படைத்து அளித்து அழிப்ப மும்மூர்த்திகள் ஆயினை
you became the trinity of Piramaṉ, Viṣṇu, and Rudra respectively to create, to preserve and to destroy the five elements from the space down to the earth, the sun and moon, tēvar and other souls.
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(5) இருவரோடு ஒருவன் ஆகிநின்றனை
Having placed Piramaṉ and Vishnu on the left and the right you became one and at the same time having three forms.
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(6) ஓர் ஆல் நீழல் ஒண்கழல் இரண்டும்
(7) முப்பொழுது ஏத்திய நால்வர்க்கு ஒளிநெறி
(8) காட்டினை
you showed the path of enlightenment to the four sages who praised your lustrous feet in the morning, noon and evening when you sat under the shade of the banyan tree.
[[The four sages are : (1) Akattiyaṉ (2) Pulattiyaṉ, (3) Caṉakaṉ, (4) Caṉaṟkumāraṉ. The first two names are not those found in Kantapuram. Instead we find there the names Caṉantaṉaṉ and Caṉātaṉaṉ (Kantapurāṇam, moṉam nīṅkupatalam, 31)]]
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(8) நாட்டம் மூன்றாகக் கோட்டினை
you dispelled darkness having for your eyes sun, moon and fire,
[[as the souls beginning from Piramaṉ could not perceive all things clearly with their own sense of light.]]
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(9) இருநதி அரவமோடு ஒருமதி சூடினை
you bore on your head the big Kaṅkai, the cobra, and the crescent which does not grow to its full size at any time.
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(10) ஒருதாள் ஈர்அயில் மூவிலைச்சூலம்
(11) நாற்கால் மான்மறி ஐந்தலை அரவம்
(12) ஏந்தினை
you held in your hands a trident of three prongs (=timurti) and a single handle which is the symbol of praṇavam, a young deer whose four legs are the four Vētam-s, and a cobra with five hoods which is symbolic of the mantiram consisting of five letters (pañcākkaram)
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(12) காய்ந்த நால்வாய் மும்மதத்து
(13) இருகோட்டு ஒருகரி ஈடு அழித்து உரித்தனை
you flayed the skin of an elephant having two tusks and three musts and a hanging jaw and which frowns at its own shadow, and covered your person with it.
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(14) ஒருதனு இருகால் வளையவாங்கி
(15) முப்புரத்தோடு நானிலம் அஞ்சக்
(16) கொன்று தலத்து உற அவுணரை அறுத்தனை
you completely destroyed the avuṇar killing them in their own stronghold, to make the three cities and the world tremble with fear, by discharging an arrow by bending the two ends of the bow of the peerless Mēru mountain.
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(17) ஐம்புலன் நாலாம் அந்தக் கரணம்
(18) முக்குணம் இருவளி ஒருங்கிய வானோர்
(19) ஏத்த நின்றனை
you stood permanently to be praised by the celestials who had concentrated the five sensations, the four inner seats of thought, feeling and volition, the three qualities of catvam, rajōguṇam and tāmacam and the winds, pirānaṉ and apāṉaṉ, in the nerve-pleris in the body, described as a four-petalled lotus, situated between the base of the sexual organ and the anus.
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(19) ஒருங்கிய மனத்தோடு
(20) இருபிறப்பு ஓர்ந்து முப்பொழுது குறை முடித்து
(21) நான் மறை ஓதி ஐவகை வேள்வி
(22) அமைத்து ஆறு அங்கம் முதல் எழுத்து ஓதி
with a mind concentrated on the feet of the god, having investigated the two births and performing the oblations thrice in a day, and chanting the four vētams and performing the five daily sacrifices and learning the six aṅkams and chanting the letter Om (which is called piraṇavam)
[[Two births: the natural birth and the second birth one attains after wearing sacred thread; so brahmins are called twice-born' (இருபிறப்பாளர்)]]
[[ஐவகை வேள்வி: Five kinds of sacrifices which a house holder is enjoined to perform daily; these are (1) கடவுள் வேள்வி (2) பிரம வேள்வி (3) பூதவேள்வி (4) மானிட வேள்வி (5) பிதிரர் வேள்வி; they are also called பஞ்ச மகா யாகம். caivaites call them by the following names (1) civapūja (2) gurupūja (3) mahēsVara pūja (4) feeding brahmins (5) entertaining guests.]]
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(23) வரன் முறை பயின்று எழுவான் தனை வளர்க்கும்
(24) பிரமபுரம் பேணினை
you wished to stay in piramapuram where the brahmins who cause the rain to fall by offering oblations to the tēvar, worship him.
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(25) அறுபதம் முரலும் வேணுபுரம் விரும்பினை
you desire Vēṇupuram where the bees hum.
[[As the bees have six legs, they are called அறுபதம்]]
[[An acuraṉ, Kacamukaṉ, came to fight with Intiraṉ, by name Vēṇu. He was defeated by the acuraṉ; Intiraṉ descended to the earth and appealed to god and worshipped him in Piramapuram. He ordered Kaṇēcaṉ to assume the same form of the acuraṉ and kill him with his right tusk and to rehabilitate Vēṇu in heaven. Kaṇēcaṉ did accordingly and because of that Piramapuram got the name Vēṇupuram.]]
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(26) இகலி அமைந்து உணர் புகலி அமர்ந்தனை
Having been inimical and lost their strength, you desired to stay in Pukali which gave refuge to tēvar.
[[Curaṉ conquered the city of Amarāvati belonging to Intiraṉ. Intiraṉ was defeated in the fight with Cūraṉ. He and other tēvars thought that there was no other refuge except the feet of Civaṉ and came to the earth. They worshipped god and complained about the harassment caused by cūraṉ. So he sent Cuppiramaṇiyaṉ to conquer Cūraṉ and restore heaven to Intiraṉ. So Piramapuram got the name of Pukali.]]
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(27) பொங்கு நாற்கடல் சூழ் வெங்குரு விளங்கினை
you were in Veṅkuru which was surrounded by the four raging seas.
[[Bṛhaspati, the preceptor of the tēvar, became proud that there was no other Lord except himself; Civaṉ knew that and wanted to put down his pride. So he relieved him from the post of preceptor to the teVar. The guru came to the earth and worshipped god to forgive his pride and to protect him. God restored him to his former position; so Cīkāḻi got the name of Veṅkuru.]]
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(28) பாணி மூவுலகும் புதையமேல் மிதந்த
(29) தோணி புரத்து உறைந்தனை
you dwelt in Tōṇipuram which floated above the floods when the three worlds were submerged during deluge.
[[பாணி water]]
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(29) தொலையா இருநிதி
(30) வாய்ந்த பூந்தராய் ஏய்ந்தனை
you were in Pūntarāy which was worshipped by Caṅkaniti and Patumaniti which assumed the forms of a flower and a garland, and which do not become impoverished.
[[Cankaniti and Patumaniti thought of a means by which they can get a boon not to get impoverished; they came to Tōṇipuram and worshipped god. God was pleased and asked them what they wished for. They expressed their wish; so god granted their wish and held them in his hands at the time of the grand destruction. Hence the name of Pūntarāy.]]
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(31) வரபுரம் ஒன்று உணர் சிரபுரத்து உறைந்தனை
you resided in Civapuram which is considered to be an eminent and pearless city.
[[Tēvars and Viṣṇu churned the ocean of milk to obtain nectar. Viṣṇu served nectar to teVar having seated them in a row. At that time Rāku and Kētu, the two serpents disguised themselves as tēvar. When they were about to have the nectar Viṣṇu cut off their heads with the ladle with which he was serving nectar. They came to Cīkāḻi to get their bodies and as the two heads worshipped there it got the name of Civapuram]]
[[லரபுரம் என்று is a wrong reading: in the descending of numbers there should be a one.]]
[[ஒன்று is the correct reading.]]
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(32) ஒருமலை எடுத்த இருதிறல் அரக்கன்
(33) விறல் கெடுத்தருளினை
you were pleased to destroy the great strength of Arakkaṉ (Irāvaṇaṉ) who lifted the peerless mountain, Kailācam.
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(33) புறவம் அமர்ந்தணை
you desired the city of Puṟavam.
[[Piracāpati, a brahman, abused Kantamaṉ, another rishi:
you have not eschewed sexual pleasure'.
Kantamaṉ cursed him to become a pigeon which will feed on human flesh only. When it was wandering in search of human flesh, it saw a coḻa King wandering and asked him, can you supply me human flesh?' The king asked about the quantity it required. It demanded half of his body. When it was not equal to the weight of the pigeon, the king cut all the flesh in his body and as a result of that he fell down fainting. This pigeon thought about a way of restoring the body to the king. So it came to Cīkāḻi and worshipping god and prayed for two boons, one by which the King would get back body and by the other it would be free from the curse. God granted its wish and hence Cīkāḻi got the name of puṟavam.]]
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(34) முந்நீர்த் துயின்றோன் நான்முகன் அறியாப்
(35) பண்பொடு நின்றனை
you had the properties which could not be known by Māl who was sleeping in the ocean (of milk) and Piramaṉ of four faces.
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(35) சண்பை அமர்ந்தனை
you resided in Caṇpai
[[During the avatāram of Krishna, the sons of Krishna went to an ashram where of many rishis, had assembled disquising one of them as a pregnant woman and asked out of fun, what will be the sex of the child? They god wild and cursed This lady will not give birth either to a male or a female child. Only an iron pestle will be born. As a result of the curse he gave birth to an iron pestle.
When Krishna heard this, he thought, The curse of the sages is not a slight one' and ordered the pestle to be reduced to iron filings and to be thrown into the sea. It was done accordingly. One part which was in size like the seed of the margosa tree escaped being filed, was swallowed by a fish. It was caught by a fisherman. He fixed it at the end of his arrow. All other filings were washed by the waves and, reaching the shore, grew as weeds by name சண்பு (caṇpu). The sons of Krishnaṉ divided themselves into two groups and removing the weed, played hitting each other with it and died. When Krishnan heard this he knew his end was drawing near. He was lying on a banyan leaf folding one leg and lifting high another leg and was in yōga position. That fisherman who came in search of flocks of birds. He mistook the lifted leg to be a kite and shot an arrow. Krishnaṉ breathed his last when that arrow hit him. When the blemish of his curse reaches the sages and distressed him, the sages went to cīkāḻi and worshipped Civaṉ. They prayed to god, Lord, on account of our curse all the sons of Krishnaṉ died hitting themselves with the caṇpai. That evil effect should not afflict us. The Lord removed the blot that afflicted the sages, and as a result of that, those sages got the name of caṇpai muṉi and the shrine got the name of caṇpai.]]
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(36) ஐயுறும் அமணரும் அறுவகைத் தேரரும்
(37) ஊழியும் உணராக்காழி அமர்ந்தனை
you wished to stay in Kāḻi which could not be properly understood even at the end of the aeon by amaṇar who doubt the fruits of action mentioned in vētam-s, ākamam-s, and purāṇam-s, and by buddhists who eat their food consisting of six kinds of flavours, before noon.
[[The cruel serpent, Kāli, worshipped Civaṉ here and hence the name, Cīkāḻi; ḷ is changed into ḻ.]]
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(38) எச்சன் ஏழ் இசையோன் கொச்சையை மெச்சினை
you were fond of the city of Koccai which was worshipped by the sage who performed sacrifices and was proficient in music which has the fundamental seven notes.
[[Parācaraṉ, the oldest of the piramarishis, abused all others, you are all family men; you do not practise any act of austerity. They cursed him, you will have intercourse with maccakanti and the stench of fish will not leave you. Everything came to pass according to that curse. That stench spread to a distance of ten miles. He thought: there is no one else except Civaṉ who will rid me of this offensive smell. He came to Cīkāḻi and worshipped the Lord, who, pleased with his worship, asked what he wanted. He submitted to the Lord, you must rid me of the bad odour of fish. The Lord said, He is a Koccaimuṉi and removed the offensive smell and bestowed on him sweet smell. The place also got the name of Koccai.]]
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(39) அறுபதமும் ஐந்து அமர் கல்வியும்
(40) மறை முதல் நான்கும்
(41) மூன்று காலமும் தோன்ற நின்றனை
you assumed a form in which there are the six words of piratti, pirattiyākaraṉ, tulliyum, tulliyātitam, vittai and avittai, the five kinds of poetry namely ācu, maturam, cittiram, vittāram, and virayam, the four vētams namely irukku, yacur, cāmam and atarvaṇam, and the three tenses past, present and future.
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(42) இருமையின் ஒருமையும் ஒருமையின் பெருமையும்
Being one half male and the other female in which form the Catti and Civam are combined in one and being Civam also who has no limits.
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(43) மறு இலா மறையோர்
(44) கழுமல முதுபதிக்கவுணியன் கட்டுரை
(45) கழுமலமுதுபதிக் கவுணியன் அறியும்
you were in the ancient city of Kalumalam desiring the solemn declarations of the one who was born in the holy Kavuṇiya Kōttiram, in a brahmin family which has no blemish. These things are known only to that god who eats from the skull of Piramaṉ.
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(46) அனைய தன்மையை ஆதலின் நின்னை
(47) நினையவல்லவர் இல்லை நீள் நிலத்தே
As you possess the above mentioned attributes, those who meditate upon you will not be born again in this wide world.