Tiruvarunaik Kalampakam 3.13

3.13

Description of the Shoulders—rythmic teacher-verse [āciriyavaṇṇaviruttam].
They were suitably joined with the beauty of dazzling ear-ornaments
in the shape of makaras shining beside his gracious face;
they were smeared with thick musk dwelling in the mire of sandal paste, eaglewood, and kumkum,
and bathed in genuine rosewater;
they were adorned with sacred ash, white as lime, making the crescent moon's luster fade,
the conch-clusters darken, and pearls lose their shine;
they cut off the hand of Agni, raged against the Sun of bright eyes,
severed the head of Dakṣa, and bestowed upon him a ram's head instead. (12-1)
They tore open the broad chest of the towering man-lion
who ripped open the chest of Hiraṇya and churned boundless ocean-milk;
they melted in joy as marks were imprinted on them
by the golden, thrill-swollen breasts of the slender maiden of the Himālayas;
they grew like a firm coral mountain rising and sprouting with wonder
as it scatters the rays of the sun;
they are filled with garlands of konṟai, lotus, kuvalai, magiḻa, cerunti, kuravam, oleander, and campaka. (12-2)
They bent the bowstring on the tall golden mountain-bow,
that the cities of his foes might perish and the fear of gods and mortals be dispelled;
they engaged in a wrestling combat, coming in truth
to grant the battle-winning arrow to Arjuna skilled in archery;
they rejoiced in the gleaming three-pronged spear along with the sacred head
of four-faced Ayaṉ seated in the lotus-flower pavilion;
they took as a covering the flayed hide of the fearless elephant in rut,
with its broad, monstrous forehead, temples, and white tusks. (12-3)
They abound in the adornment of bracelets of venomous serpents,
studded with many gems shining with red rays;
they were filled with beauty, assuming the modes of gestures
for the task of dancing ceaselessly in the Sabhā;
they were extolled by the king of classical Tamil, the lord of Pugali who understood the rare Vedas,
together with Cuntara Perumāḷ—
they are the shoulders of the Lord of Aruṇai, with resonating anklets,
whose lotus feet are hard to attain even for Hari and Brahmā.