This foul smelling body is mine

This  foul smelling body is mine

By

Saint Pattinathaar

Translated  by

P.R.Ramachander

(sage Pattinathaar also called  THiruvenkadar was  a great Saivite saint. There is a temple dedicated to him in Thiruvothiyur .  In this one verse  he tells  that this body we nurture    is a useless one , would become foul smelling and claimed   as food  by very many things. Looks , it is not useless?)

“எரி எனக்கென்னும் – புழுவோ எனக்கென்னும் – இந்த மண்ணும்
சரி எனக்கென்னும் – பருந்தோ எனக்கென்னும் – தான் புசிக்க
நரி எனக்கென்னும் – புன்னாய் எனக்கென்னும் – இந்நாறுடலைப்
பிரியமுடன் வளர்த்தேன் – இதனால் என்ன பேறு எனக்கே?

Yeri yenakkennum  , puzhuvo yenekennum  -intha mannum,

Sari yenekkennum-paruntho  yenakkennum-thaan pusikka,

Nari  yenakkennum –punnai yeanakennum – innaru udalai,

Piriyamudan valarthen-Ithanaal   yenna peru  yenakke

I nurtured   with great  love  this  foul smelling body ,

Which  would  be claimed  by the fire   as its own,

By the worm as its own, , by this mud   as  its own,

By the eagle   as its own , by the fox as its own  ,

For it to eat   and also  by the dog as  its own,

What greatness   did I  get by it?