7. Thiruvempaavai At stanza 9 the maidens singing His praise and declaring that they are all His devotees, pray to bestow grace on them “Oh the most ancient Thing of all the ancient things! Oh You Who are the latest of the latest things hitherto unknown. We, Your esteemed devotees who have gained You as our Lord, will adore the Feet of Your devotees only. In the same way we will belong to them alone. They alone shall become our husbands. We shall serve them as their slaves and in the manner they are pleased to ask us to serve. If You our King will bestow grace on us we would lack nothing Oh our Paavaai Ponder!" (7.9) At stanza 10 Lady-love opening the door arraigned the maidens how to sing the praise of their unique Companion. “Far beneath the seven-fold regions are His ineffable flowery Feet. His crown adorned with flowers is the end of all knowledge. A Damsel as a part of His Form but not the only one. Though the Vedaas, the heavenly beings and all the world sing His praise. He our Companion is beyond all praise and dwells within His devotees. So Oh! You the hand-maids of flawless lineage of His temple! Say! What is His city? What is His name? Who are His Kin? Who are not? How sing we His praise? Oh our Paavaail Ponder!” (7:10) 353
