Tiruppavai 2 · verse 475 of the four thousand
Meaning
O you who live in this world, will you not hear what we shall do for our vow? We shall sing the feet of the Supreme One who sleeps on the serpent in the Ocean of Milk. We shall not take ghee, we shall not take milk; we shall bathe before dawn. We shall not line our eyes with kohl, nor tie flowers in our hair. We shall not do what our elders have not done, and we shall not go about spreading evil gossip. We shall give alms and gifts as much as we can, and think with joy of the way to be saved.
Word by word
- vaiyattu vāḻvīrkāḷ
- O you who live in this world
- pāvaikkuc
- for our pavai, the Margazhi vow
- kiricaikaḷ
- the observances, the things to be done
- paiyiṟ tuyiṉṟa paramaṉ
- the Supreme One asleep on the hooded serpent
- nāṭkālē nīrāṭi
- bathing early, before dawn
- ceyyātaṉa ceyyōm
- we shall not do what our elders did not do
- tīkkuṟaḷai
- evil, hurtful tale-bearing
- aiyamum piccaiyum
- gifts to the worthy and alms to those in need
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.