







maturai mInATciyammai  iraTTaimaNi mAlai and kuRam- English Translation - Kausalya Hart (in tamil script, unicode format)







மதுரை மீனாட்சியம்மை இரட்டைமணி மாலை, மீனாட்சியம்மை குறம்   கௌசல்யா ஹார்ட் அவர்களின் ஆங்கில மொழிபெயர்ப்பு
maturai mInATciyammai iraTTaimaNi mAlai and  mInATci ammai kuRam of kumarakuruparar English Translation
by Kausalya Hart 
In unicode/utf-8 format



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 the University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA  for providing an e-version of this  
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maturai mInATciyammai iraTTaimaNi mAlai 
and mInATci ammai kuRam of kumarakuruparar 
English Translation by Kausalya Hart 
Department of South and Southeast Asian Studies 
University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
2011
 

 Madurai Meenakshi Irattai Mani Maalai
by Kumaraguruparar.
 note : The e-version of the Tamil verses of this work (in Tamil Unicode format) has been
published earlier under PM release #170: 
mInATciammai piLLaittamiz. 


1. O beloved goddess,  
you are a fertile green creeper,
blooming in all the seven worlds.
You are the beloved of god Shiva 
who has an eye on his forehead and 
a dark cloud-like neck.
O mother, you are a precious thing 
in the flourishing kadamba forest.
Your devotees who receive your grace
will not have any trouble. 

2. O beloved goddess,
you share half of Chokkanaadar’s body 
and embrace his eight arms,
and your mountain like breasts 
quarrel with him.

You left him for a while  
because you wish to show him 
the benefit of love quarrel.
O goddess, 
you need the grace of god Shiva, 
your husband.
Your divine plays
fill my auspicious heart 
with joy of devotion.

3. You and three-eyed Shiva  
gave birth to the young elephant god 
who pours out rut,

You stay in the kadamba forest 
stealing the heart 
of  Shiva with love.

Our father Shiva composed 
a poem for his devotee  
Panapathran, so that he could get
gold from the king.

O goddess, 
you took half of his body 
and stay there.
Is it not cruel to do this?
They say that you have good qualities and 
how it is possible for you to do this?

4. O goddess!
god Shiva seeing your kind nature,
requested you to marry him, 
you accepted it  
and embraced his chest lovingly. 

Even though you knew that 
your sweet lord  Shiva 
has a snake on his body, 
you did not refuse to marry him,
and shared the left side of his body.
O goddess, 
you have lovely breasts 
and you are worshipped by women 
decorated with precious bracelets. 

5. O sweet honey, 
what is the use of you
giving your young Pandyan country 
to Shiva who has a dark neck ?
Even after receiving the Pandyan country
he doesn’t stop begging every day.

He composed a poem 
and gave that to 
a poor brahmin Dharmi, 
so that he could get gold from the king.

If Shiva has heavy breasts like you 
would he be able to dance 
changing his right leg to left 
in Madurai?

6. O goddess Karpuravalli, 
your fragrant hair is decorated with flowers.
You rule in the kadamba
forest of Madurai
where excellent Tamil flourishes,
protecting all the worlds.

God Shiva, the ocean of joy
who dances in the silver hall
seeing your dark fish-like lovely eyes
wishes to play with you. 
You see the divine river 
Ganges flows on his jata,
and you quarrel with him, 
because you are jealous of the Ganges.

7. O goddess, precious Karpuravalli,
you are a beautiful creeper 
in the kadamba forest.
You, the Abhisheka valli, 
are eternally young.  

You make the great god Shiva 
to act as you wish.
There are no other divine acts, 
for you, except making us, 
your devotees to sing 
and listen to your praise.

8. You are as lovely as a lotus blossom.
You, the divine one, are as fragrant as camphor.
As Shiva, the god of Madurai bows to you 
touching your lotus feet with his head, 
the umathai flowers on his head 
makes your feet fragrant. 
Even though that famous lord Shiva, 
burnt the three forts of his enemies 
using the Meru mountain as his golden bow.
to protect the gods, he bows to you.
What is the use of such valor?
Isn’t he crazy that he bows to you
and his head touches your feet?

9. O goddess of the kadamba forest!
my heart is a small house for you and 
you have not yet come to live in it 
with your husband, the joy of yours.
Wouldn't it be a suitable abode for you?
My heart is filled with darkness. 
O lustrous one, 
you rise and come, 
light up my heart and stay there.

10.  The roaring Vaikai river
flows from the Southern hills,  
where golden shining lotuses bloom
and our cool excellent Tamil  
flourishes in those hills 
where gentle breezes blow.

The golden temple of Thiruvaalavaay
flourishing with karpaga flowers
and my melting soft heart
are the temples for goddess Karpuravalli,
who steals the strong heart of Chokkar.

11.  O my heart, 
you are a divine temple 
for the goddess Abhishekavalli.
whose hair is as dark as cloud.
O Yama, if you come to me 
against the will of my goddess, 
I say it is not 
the right thing for you to do.

12. O goddess, 
you are the sweet nectar, 
and the dear daughter of the southern king,
and you stay in the golden temple of Alavaay
protected in all directions 
by eight heroic elephants, 
with hanging trunks.

You are the remedy for all our troubles.
I am born in this world to suffer.
I want to reach 
the lotus feet of the unique 
god Shiva of Alavaay. 
Help me.

13. You, the beautiful golden creeper,
gave the southern mountain and
your lovely Pandyan land to Shiva, 
precious like a golden hill and 
the king of the Himalayas,
the silver mountain.

The mark of your breasts 
are  pressed on Shiva's chest,
when you embraced him tightly. 
Isn’t the fragrance of your breast 
the cause of his fragrance?

14. "You are as precious as a diamond and an emerald,
and you are the remedy for our troubles. "
I will not worship you and 
praise you with these words as those devotees.
I will not approach those devotees
who praise you with such words.
I will not go away from here to them.

O lovely jewel of beautiful Madurai.
I will tell you my wish. 
I know you are 
the mother of all creatures, 
and I will not go anywhere 
from here leaving you .

15. O goddess Karpuravalli, 
your hair is tied up beautifully   
as a bun on your head. 
You smile sweetly and 
your long spear-like eyes 
dart like kendai fish.
You have a red mouth 
as lovely as murungai blossoms. 

When you entered my heart,
at the same time the goddess of art Saraswathi  
entered my tongue 
so that I could praise you 
with my poems.

16. O goddess, 
you share half of god Shiva's body.
I have a tongue just to praise you, 
and a mind to meditate upon you only.
I have learnt excellent Tamil poems 
to praise you. 

The kadamba forest where you stay 
blooms with lovely flowers that drip honey.
O goddess, I do not have string to tie 
a garland and decorate you.

17. The goddess as beautiful as a puvai bird 
wears the flowers of kadamba forest.
She accepts the poetry that I compose.
My mouth and heart praise 
her golden feet every day.
My words are fragrance 
for her feet as soft as flowers.

18. O divine one, 
please adorn my poems 
thinking that they are beautiful.
Are you ashamed to accept them 
because Tamil words have faults
like the poet Nakkirar said?
O goddess, 
you stay in the divine Kudal city 
with god Shiva who burnt 
the three forts just smiling at them.
Do you both have faults
just like the faults of the words 
and their meanings in Tamil 
as the poet Nakkirar told you? 

19. O goddess,
Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, 
who stays on a blooming golden lotus, 
serves you. 
You stay in the kadamba forest
blooming with flowers, in southern Madurai
and your devotees wait to praise you.

20. O goddess of Kudal city,
are you  Goddess Lakshmi, precious like gold, 
who stays on a lotus?
Does the goddess Saraswathi  belongs 
to your parental home? 

O goddess, Karpuravalli!
you leaving your birth place, the Kudal city,
and your in laws’ place, the Kailasa mountain,
entered my worthless lotus heart with God Shiva.
What is the reason for the goddess to do this?


 Madurai Meenakshi ammai kuram  
 Note : The e-version of the Tamil verses of this work (in Tamil Unicode format) has been
published earlier under PM release #171: 
mInATciammai kuRam. 

Praise of Siddhi Vinayakar 

Let me praise the feet of Siddhi Vinayaka, our help,  
who has a long dotted face, 
two wide ears dripping with rut,
one tusk, a long trunk and an opened mouth, 
heroic cheeks and small eyes. 

Let god Ganesa bless me
so that I could compose 
kuram poems in sweet Tamil 
praising the fish-eyed divine goddess, Karpuravalli  
whose hair is decorated with flowers.  
She is the queen of Madurai 
surrounded with groves 
where the clouds float.

1. O ammee,
I am the gypsy come 
from the southern Potiya hills,
where the sweet moon 
shines on its peaks that 
belong to the fish-eyed goddess
who stays in Madurai 
where the fertile groves
bloom with flowers.

2.  O amme! 
I am the gypsy come 
from the southern Potiya hills 
where the pure white waterfalls
drop and bring gold and pearls,
from the hills of the fish- eyed goddess
who stays in the beautiful Madurai 
flourishing with fertile sugar cane fields
and luscious paddy fields.

3. O amme, 
the Chola king Karikaalan 
and the southern Pandyan kings 
planted their tiger emblem and
the fish emblem on the Himalayas,
the northern mountain 
and ruled that land.

She is as beautiful as a doll 
and she is the precious daughter 
of southern Pandyan king.
She has coral-like lips, fish-like eyes,
and her words are as sweet as fruits.
Her hair is decorated 
with fragrant lotus flowers,
swarming with bees.

I am the gypsy come 
from the Potiya hills
where the Tamil sage Agastya stays  
and worships in his mind 
the feet of the goddess,
decorated with anklets.

4. O amme,
the goddess is young forever.
Her breasts are decorated with kumkum.
Her hands are lovely like blooming lotuses.
Her eyes frolic like fish.
She composed the Vedas. 
She shares half the body of Shiva, 
the Chokkalingan 
whose feet are adorned 
with sounding anklets.

O You are lovely as a kollippaavai!
you will join 
god Shiva and be happy.

5. O amme! 
you are a lovely creeper.
You shine like gold.
You are as beautiful as a peacock.
Your voice is as sweet as a cuckoo 
that sings beautifully.
O amme, Shiva, the ‘pazi anji chokkar’ 
will come to you and love you.

6. O amme! 
smear the floor with fragrant paste.
Put a turmeric god Ganesa on it.
Decorate the floor with shinning kolam.
Put a pot full of grain in the middle of it.

7. O amme! 
give me your hands  
adorned with rings.
I will tell your fortune.
The god Shiva, who shares half of his body
with the lovely fish-eyed goddess 
will give his grace to you.
He will come to you and love you.

8. O amme!
who could make fun of me 
saying that the kuri that I tell is false?

O amme!
you have soft fragrant hair, 
and surely the handsome Saundara maarar  
will come and embrace you.

9. O, amme, 
you are young.
Give me your lovely hand, 
and I will tell the kuri, 
that you wish to hear, come.
The gracious god Chokkalingan 
who shares half of his body 
with our fish- eyed goddess 
will come and embrace you.

10. O amme, 
place clothes and money 
in the place of worship.
Your love will be fulfilled.
I will tell you,
the god of Kailasa
the king of Madurai 
will come and embrace you.

11. O  amme, 
you are as lovely as a blooming creeper
and your waist is small .

The kuri on your hands 
and face shows good luck.

The lizard making noise 
in the right corner.
is good luck for you.

The seven virgin goddesses came 
and  told me that the kuri that 
I tell will become true.

My left eye throbs 
and that tells me that 
my kuri will be true.

Would all these signs tell me 
that what I say will be false?
You will embrace the chest of Shiva  
that has the marks of the 
bracelets and breasts 
of the fish- eyed goddess, 
pretty as a puvai bird.

12. O amme, 
the mighty eight hills-like elephants 
in all eight directions protect 
the earth goddess.

The earth goddess’s two large mountains 
are her two breasts. 
The king of snakes 
who has thousand heads, 
and mouths, carries her on his head.

My mountain is the southern Potiya hills,
where gentle breezes blow always, 
lovelier than the northern mountain.

13. O amme.
the moon shines with   
bright rays and crowns the
top of my mountain.

The breezes love to play in our hills,
and the dark clouds float  
all over our hills.

The Tamil sage Agastya lives
in our hills.

Waterfalls spray and drop 
bubbling with water in our hills,
just like the divine grace 
that our fish-eyed goddess
pours on her devotees. 
That is the Potiya mountain 
where I come from.

14. O amme! 
murderous elephants 
pour ruts from their ears, 
wander and trumpet in our hills.

A soft gentle breeze blows pleasantly 
in our hills and
lovely southern Tamil flourishes 
in our country.

Our Potiya hills are beautiful 
with high golden peaks
and its slopes are filled 
with flourishing groves.
Happy swans play 
in the deep pond on the slopes.

The fish-eyed goddess, 
who has curly hair, 
like the sand of the seashore, 
and as lovely as a female elephant, 
rules our mountain.
I come from that Potiya hills.

15. O amme,
fragrant breezes blow 
pleasantly in our hills.
Northern and southern arts 
flourish in our hills. 

The prince Karthikeya 
plays on our hills.
Gold and nine types of 
jewels grow on our hills.

The fish-eyed goddess stays happily 
in our Potiya hills, 
protecting the world.
I come from that Potiya hills.

16. O amme! 
Lions and heroic elephants 
play together on one side.
Angry tigers and tender deers  
stay happily together on one side.
Strong bears play with gentle deer 
together on one side.
Snakes and lovely peacocks 
feast together on one side.
O amme,
such is the unity and peace in our hills.

The sage Agastya stays in our southern hills 
and worships the beautiful lotus feet 
of our goddess Abhisehakavalli. 
She rules this beautiful world,
wearing shining golden crown, 
sitting under the shadow of a white canopy.
I come from that Potiya hills.

17. O amme! 
the lovely, round breasts of the goddess 
are decorated with diamonds.

The young fish-eyed goddess 
as lovely as a green fertile creeper,
gave birth to Murugan 
who has twelve arms 
and wears the garland of victory.

Our innocent little girl Valli
has wide large eyes. 
We gave her in marriage to
young Murugan
who has fragrant hair.
I come from that great gypsy family. 

18. O amme! 
we dig the dirt 
and take the valli roots that
grow under the flourishing creepers.

We select kurinji flowers
and make garlands 
stringing them together with 
mullai blossoms.

We drink the sweet juice 
squeezed from the fruits, 
mixed with honey.

We happily wear the clothes 
made of green tender leaves 
and bark of trees.

We feed our guests,
delicious food made of 
millet flour and sweet honey.

We sleep on the bed made from 
the skin of an angry tiger.

When we get up, 
before we go to work
we worship the feet
of the fish-eyed goddess. 
See amme, 
this is the tradition of our gypsy family.

19. O amme! 
In our mountain, 
the cruel tigers look at 
the tender deer with kindness.

Pounding stones used to crush   
new millet and grains, stay 
on the patio of every house.

The tigers with lines on their backs, 
sleep in the mountain caves with elephants.

The white water falls drop down
from the dark mountain 
with roaring sound.

Some nets and many ropes hang 
on a pole in front of our patios.

Small tudi drums 
and large drums are beaten 
and their sounds echo 
in all directions.

The deer cubs and the baby elephants 
play together in our back yards.
Such is the  kurichi village 
where the people 
of our gypsy family live.

20.  O amme! 

the gypsy of Palani hill, Murugan
married our girl Valli.
He is the son of Shiva,
the gypsy of the silver hills.
Our family gave
Palani hills, our kingdom
to the groom Murugan.

What a large dowry for the groom!
We became poor now.
There is no oil for  
our children's hair, 
or new clothes for their waists.

Also, my husband, the gypsy man
brought a new wife, that thief !
Now there is no porridge 
for my husband or for me now. 

21. O amme! 
I have been to various 
pilgrimages ---
Kudal, Punavaayil,
Piraan malai, Thirupparangundram, 
Kutraalam,Thirumaappanur, 
Puvanam, Thirunelveli, Edaham,
Aadaanai, Thirukkaanapper, 
Thiruchuliyal,
Raameswaram and Thirupputtur.

I have  been to 
the Tamil Pandyan country, 
ruled by our fish-eyed goddess.
I love the Pandyan country 
and other countries as my own.

I wandered around many hills
and forests and told kuri.
This is the way 
I have spent my life.
If I do not do this, 
my husband will not get any porridge.

22. O amme!  
my grandmother, lovely as a blooming creeper,
is the younger sister of Valli, 
who is decorated with golden bracelets.
My grandmother told me 
that the earth goddess  
stays shinning on the chest 
of the handsome god Vishnu.

My grandmother also told me that 
Saraswathi, the goddess of all arts, 
is the elder sister of my mother and 
she stays on the divine tongue of 
Brahma who stays on a Lotus.

Indrani, the beautiful wife 
of Indra embraces him.
She is our mother 
who gave birth to us.

There is no limit to all the kuris 
that I have told people.
In front of the Kannimaar, 
I promise, I do not lie.
Whatever we,
the gypsies say, will come true.

23. O amme! 
on the day Thadaadagai was born,
looking at her face I said that 
she will rule the whole world.

Another day, I looked at her palms
and said that god Shiva 
will be her husband.

Looking at the signs on her body, 
I said that she will give birth to a boy 
and he will become a king.

All the kuris that 
I have said will happen.
Now I will tell you 
all the thoughts in your mind.
Listen, amme. 

24. O amme! your eyes are sharp 
like spears in a battle.

Give me porridge for one time,  
some oil for my little hair 
and one dress.
I will tell you all 
that you have in your mind.

I will look into your future, 
present and past carefully.
I will tell you 
what will happen in your future.
It is not a hard thing 
for our gypsy families 
to tell one's future.

25. O amme,
making a paste mixed 
with sandal and kumkum, 
smear the floor.

Decorate the floor with a lovely kolam
and spread fragrant smoke over the place.

Place nine types of precious jewels 
and many golden things
all around four directions
of the kolam.

Place a statue of Ganesa 
in the Southern corner
and decorate him  
with fragrant flower garlands 
and arugam grass.

Pour pure ghee into the lamps, 
that brighten the place 
and place a pot full of grains there.

Worship in your heart, the queen of women,
the fish-eyed goddess, sweet as nectar.

26. O amme,
measure three measures of Paddy
and three handful of paddy,
and bring it.

Place a measure of paddy in a winnow. 
and place it in the front of the worship.

I split one measure of 
that paddy into three parts.
I wanted to count them as two pairs, 
but it became one pair and one part?

Even before I think of him, 
god Ganesa of Velvi hills,
came and risen here.
Whatever you wish, will be fulfilled 
within the time of one blinking his eyes.

This is the promise I make.
Our family goddess, the virgin ones
know that my kuri will never go wrong.
You will see.

27. O amme,  
when you measured the paddy,
the lizard that stays in the right corner
gave us a good prophesy.

See, Words of chase women 
and sneezing are all 
signs of good luck indeed.

The hooting of an owl 
that lives on a beautiful branch   
is a sign of good luck. 

28. O amme,
show me your palms, show me.

Your palms measure precious gold 
and nine types of jewels.

If you pick flowers swarming with bees, 
your soft hands may hurt.

Your hands give nine types of wealth
to the poor who suffer.

Your hands as beautiful as blooming lotuses,
will embrace the arms of the god Chokkanaadar.

Your hands worship 
the goddess of the world, 
our queen of Madurai, 
the fish-eyed goddess.

29. O amme, 
when I hold your lovely palms in my hands,
the  kuri says that Abhisheka Chokkar 
will give his grace to you 
and embrace you.

When I worship the west folding my hands, 
the kuri says that Shiva will come 
and join you in the evening.
See, when I put my hands on your hands, 
the kuri says that 
all your wishes will be fulfilled.

O amme, 
when I put my hands 
on your beautiful abdomen, 
the kuri says that 
you will get sixteen children.

30.  The prosperous lines
on your hands tells me  
that you will be rich.

The good luck lines on your hands 
tell me that you will embrace 
the handsome majestic arms 
of the king of southern Madurai.

I have not seen such great lines 
on the hands of any other than you.
You also have a mark of fortune on your arms

Worship the fish-eyed goddess.
All your wish will become true.

31. Potiya mountain is covered with cool dew,
and white clouds look like a cloth hiding gold.
Tell me the name of the queen of southern Potiya hills.
Let me praise her. 

32. Many rivers join the great Vaikai river,
but Vaikai does not join the ocean.
Tell me the name of the goddess
who stays on the cool shore of Vaikai.
Let me praise her.

33. Auvai, the poet of southern Pandyan country
sang the words,
‘Love is stronger than a stone’
Tell me the name of the queen 
who rules the Pandyan country.
Let me praise her.

34. The golden palaces of Kudal city, 
covered with dark clouds,
look like the elephant skin 
that our pure god Shiva wears. 
Tell me the name 
of the queen of Kudal city
Let me praise her.

35. She is a bitter thing in battles  
to her enemy kings, 
who fight with her in all eight directions.
But she is as sweet as a sugarcane 
for our god Shiva.
Tell me the name of the one 
who wears a flower garland 
swarming with bees.
Let me praise her.

36. The heroic horses of the Pandya kings  
defeated the strong horses of the Sun god 
who circles the earth every day.
She is the queen of that Pandyan country.
Tell me her name.
Let me praise her.

37. She rides on an elephant 
and defeats the kings 
who rule in all eight directions and 
they pay her tribute.
Tell me the name of that heroic queen.
Let me praise her.

38. She raised her beautiful fish banner,
fought with Shiva, who raised bull banner  
and conquered him. 
Because of that, Kama,  
throwing his five flower arrows, 
interrupted Shiva’s meditation 
and became victorious.
Tell me the name of that queen
Let me praise her.

39. She rules all the lands 
and kings in all eight directions.
Tell me the name of her and 
let me praise her. 

40. The kings who fought ferociously 
with her, riding on their elephants 
defeated and bowed to her. 
She, fresh as a green creeper,
is the daughter of Malayadvajan
the king of the Himalayas.
Let me praise her.

41. She wears a shining crown 
bright as the sun and  
protects all the lands and the sky.
She rules the earth under a white canopy.
She is the Abhishekavalli.
Let me praise her.

42. She looks at our god Shiva
bending her bows-like eye brows,
and sends to him her looks sharp as arrows.
Her hair decorated with flowers 
swarmed with bees.
Let me praise her.

43. Shiva became a beggar, 
to remove the curse 
when god Brahma’s head 
stuck on his palm because Shiva 
pinched it once.  
The goddess made that beggar Shiva 
the king of all seven worlds 
and he rules them all. 
Let me praise her.

44. She conquered Indra, the king of gods
and broke his crown.
She gave birth to Ukkira Pandyan
who went to the northern mountains   
and impressed his fish seal
She is a gracious one.
Let me praise her.

45. I praise the divine feet of the goddess 
that stay on the forest-like Jata of Shiva, 
fragrant with beautiful kondrai blossoms,
dripping with honey 
and shining with crescent moon.

46. Even though Shiva is omnipresent, 
when he drank terrible poison,
the goddess, the fragrant creeper, 
changed that into nectar.
Let me praise her.

47. All the worlds are her sand castles 
and the goddess wearing shining bangles,
plays in it with crazy Shiva 
building and building those castles. 
Let me praise her.

48.  She embraces Shiva 
and impresses the marks of
her breasts and bangles on his chest.
Her lovely hair is decorated with flowers 
swarmed with a bees. 
Let me praise her.

49. She is an unique goddess.
She is the life of all creatures.
She is not anything, 
and she is everything.
Let me praise her.

50. God Shiva,  Pazhi anjicchokkar stays 
in Kudal city where Tamil flourishes.
The fish-eyed goddess, as sweet as nectar
stays with Shiva and rules the Pandyan land.
Let me praise her.

51. Let water be abundant. 
Let the grace of the pure god Shiva 
of Tamil kudal city, spread everywhere.
Let it rain.
Let the divine grace of 
the fish-eyed goddess 
spread everywhere.
Let goodness thrive.
Let the king of Kachi city Thirumalai prosper. 
His name be famous and let his wealth increase.
Let him live long.

subham.





