Tiruppavai 12 · verse 485 of the four thousand
Meaning
The buffalo with young calves lows, and thinking tenderly of her calf, lets milk stream from her udders until the house is turned to mud: you are the sister of so rich a cowherd! With the dew falling on our heads, we hold the threshold of your door and sing the One dear to the heart, who in anger destroyed the king of southern Lanka. Still you will not open your mouth. Get up at least now! What is this deep sleep? Every house has come to know of it.
Word by word
- iḷaṅ kaṟṟu- erumai
- the buffalo with young calves
- kaṉṟukku iraṅki
- melting with love for her calf
- naṟ celvaṉ taṅkāy
- O sister of the richly blessed cowherd
- paṉit talai vīḻa
- with the dew falling on our heads
- teṉ ilaṅkaik kōmāṉaic
- the king of southern Lanka, Ravana
- maṉattukku iṉiyāṉaip
- the One sweet to the heart, Rama
- ītu eṉṉa pēr uṟakkam
- what is this deep sleep?
Verse text: the word-separated e-text of the Nalayira Divya Prabandham by Project Madurai, checked verse by verse against its second edition. Meanings are simple renderings in the light of the acharyas' commentaries, written for this site, and are awaiting a scholar's review.