Pasuram 1.1.8

Tamil text and transliteration:

சுரர் அறிவு அரு நிலை விண் முதல் முழுவதும்
வரன் முதலாய் அவை முழுது உண்ட பரபரன்
புரம் ஒரு மூன்று எரித்து அமரர்க்கும் அறிவியந்து
அரன் அயன் என உலகு அழித்து அமைத்து உளனே.

curar aṟivu aru nilai viṇ mutal muḻuvatum
varaṉ mutalāy avai muḻutu uṇṭa paraparaṉ
puram oru mūṉṟu erittu amararkkum aṟiviyantu
araṉ ayaṉ eṉa ulaku aḻittu amaittu uḷaṉē.

English translation of verse 1.1.8:

The Supreme Lord is beyond the comprehension of even Brahmā and other Curar (Devas); He is the material cause of the primordial matter, the other elements and all that exist, and safeguards them all inside His Stomach during the period of deluge; He is the one who (functioning through Śiva) destroyed the three unique flying citadels. He is the propagator of knowledge to the Amarar (Devas) through Brahmā; He creates the worlds and dissolves them through Ayaṉ (Brahmā) and Araṉ (Śiva) standing within them (as their Inner Self).

Note

It has been made out in the preceding stanzas that (1) Lord Mahāviṣṇu is the Supreme Lord, proclaimed, as such, by the Vedas and (2) He is the Soul of all that exist, controls their creation, sustentation and dissolution. All these might appear to be one-sided, displaying a marked partiality for Mahāviṣṇu, ignoring the claims of the Stalwarts like Brahmā, Rudra and other powerful Devas, who have to their credit several achievements, such as creation of the worlds and dissolution thereof, destruction of the flying citadels of the three tough demons, etc. By way of dispelling the superficial belief and knowledge that Mahāviṣṇu is but a co-functionary, on a par with Brahmā and Rudra, that Mahāviṣṇu has the limited function of sustentation only, while the other two are the sole monarchs of their respective fields of creation and dissolution, it is now stated that all the three functions vest in Mahāviṣṇu alone, who gets them discharged through the appropriate authority. Śvetāśvatāropaniṣad clarifies that Brahmā emerged from the lotus flower that blossomed on the stalk sprouting from Mahāviṣṇu’s navel and was imparted by Him, the requisite knowledge of the Vēdas to carry on the work of creation and disseminate the Vēdas to others. As regards the function of dissolution, Rudra and Yama have their own limitations which Mahāviṣṇu transcends as their Inner Self, sustaining, directing and controlling them all.