Irandam Tiruvandadi 1 · verse 2182 of the four thousand
Meaning
With love as the lamp's bowl, longing as its ghee, and a mind melting with joy as its wick, melting in goodness, I lit the radiant lamp of knowledge for Narayana: I, who was given the Tamil of wisdom.
Word by word
- aṉpē
- love
- takaḷiyā
- the bowl of a lamp
- ārvamē
- longing
- ney
- ghee
- iṉpu uruku cintai
- a mind melting with joy
- iṭu tiriyā
- the wick laid in
- ñāṉac cuṭar viḷakku
- the radiant lamp of knowledge
- nāraṇaṟku
- for Narayana
- ñāṉat tamiḻ
- the Tamil of wisdom
Irandam Tiruvandadi 2 · verse 2183 of the four thousand
Meaning
When people come to know Narayana well through true knowledge, and then, each in their own proper way, proclaim His names, He makes them shining immortals of the heavenly world. Is that not simply the nature of our Lord, the King of the immortals, before whom we bow? He asks only for His names to be spoken, and gives the highest place in return.
Word by word
- ñāṉattāl naṉku uṇarntu
- knowing Him well through true knowledge
- nāraṇaṉ taṉ nāmaṅkaḷ
- the names of Narayana
- cāṟṟiṉāl
- if one proclaims
- aṇi amarar ākkuvikkum
- He makes them shining immortals
- amarar kōmāṉ
- King of the immortals
- paricu
- nature, way of being
Irandam Tiruvandadi 3 · verse 2184 of the four thousand
Meaning
Those who fittingly worship the feet of the Lord of the Milk Ocean with fragrant flowers will, it seems, be allowed to enter His city: the city of the King of the good immortals, whose radiant, shining form the ancient immortals who serve Him ever hear of and know. A handful of flowers offered rightly opens the gates of His own world.
Word by word
- naṟu malarāl
- with fragrant flowers
- pāṟkaṭalāṉ
- the Lord who rests in the Milk Ocean
- pukappeṟuvar pōlām
- will, it seems, be allowed to enter
- tol amarar
- the ancient immortals, the nitya suris
- tulaṅku oḷi cēr tōṟṟattu
- whose form is full of shining radiance
- nakar
- His city, Paramapadam
Irandam Tiruvandadi 4 · verse 2185 of the four thousand
Meaning
Building Him a dwelling of pearls, gathering flowers fresh that morning, setting there gleaming gems and diamonds, and holding up a peerless fresh lotus, I bowed down at the feet of the Lord who keeps at His right the lady of the cool lotus, Lakshmi. The verse pictures the worship of a heart that offers the finest it can find.
Word by word
- nakar iḻaittu
- fashioning a dwelling, a shrine
- nittilattu
- of pearls
- nāḷ malar
- flowers fresh that day
- maṇi vayiram
- gems and diamonds
- paiṅ kamalam
- a fresh lotus
- paṉi malarāḷ
- the lady of the cool flower, Lakshmi
- aṅkam valam koṇṭāṉ
- who keeps her at His right side
Irandam Tiruvandadi 5 · verse 2186 of the four thousand
Meaning
That day, it seems, You measured this whole world with three steps; You begged for three steps of ground and took the earth. O tall Lord, Thirumal, whose form is dark like the ocean waters that lie around the earth, who is there who can truly know Your feet and speak of them as they are?
Word by word
- aṭi mūṉṟil
- with three steps
- aṉṟu aḷantāy
- You measured that day
- irantu
- begging
- nīr ōta mēṉi
- a form like the ocean's waters
- neṭumālē
- O tall Lord, Thirumal
- yār ōta vallār
- who is able to speak of
Irandam Tiruvandadi 6 · verse 2187 of the four thousand
Meaning
Knowing Him, holding all five senses in check within, gathering choice flowers, with minds packed full of longing, knowing Him rightly and reciting His names in praise: those of great penance will see the feet of the Lord whose colour is the colour of the dark sea.
Word by word
- aintum uḷ aṭakki
- holding the five senses in check within
- āy malar
- chosen flowers
- ārvam ceṟinta maṉattarāy
- with minds full of longing
- pēr ōti ēttum
- who recite His names and praise
- peruntavattōr
- those of great penance
- kār ōta vaṇṇaṉ kaḻal
- the feet of the One coloured like the dark sea
Irandam Tiruvandadi 7 · verse 2188 of the four thousand
Meaning
His foes stamp their feet, bite their lips, roll their eyes, their minds blazing with rage; and so that such enemies are struck with fear, He holds the fire-spitting discus of battle. O heart, deep as the sea, think gladly on His red feet, lovely as golden flowers.
Word by word
- kaḻal eṭuttu vāy maṭittu
- stamping their feet, biting their lips
- māṟṟār
- enemies
- aḻal eṭutta cintaiyarāy
- with minds blazing with rage
- pōr āḻi
- the discus of battle
- poṉ malarc cēvaṭiyai
- the red feet like golden flowers
- ōr āḻi neñcē
- think on them, O heart deep as the sea
Irandam Tiruvandadi 8 · verse 2189 of the four thousand
Meaning
Putana gladly took You up and said, 'Drink, so that my breasts, bright in colour, may be cooled within.' And You, as though happily drinking at the breast, drank in anger and took her very life, meeting her with the harm she had come to do. So it was that day.
Word by word
- ukantu uṉṉai vāṅki
- gladly taking You up
- oḷi niṟam koḷ koṅkai
- breasts bright in colour
- akam kuḷira
- so that they may be cooled within
- āvi
- her life
- muṉintu uṇṭāy
- You drank in anger
- alai paṇpāl
- because of a nature bent on tormenting
Irandam Tiruvandadi 9 · verse 2190 of the four thousand
Meaning
That day, Yashoda the cowherd woman saw what had happened and yet was not afraid; she felt for You, stood there and gave You her breast. For that tender kindness, could even the great sea-girt world, which You measured step by step, be a fitting return if You gave it to her?
Word by word
- añcāta āycci
- the cowherd woman, Yashoda, who did not fear
- uṉakku iraṅki
- feeling pity for You
- in nīrmaikku
- for this tender kindness
- varaṉmuṟaiyāl nī aḷanta
- which You measured step by step
- mā kaṭal cūḻ ñālam
- the world girdled by the great sea
- eytumō pērttu
- could it be a fitting return?
Irandam Tiruvandadi 10 · verse 2191 of the four thousand
Meaning
As a child You overturned the great cart; begging for the earth, You protected all living beings, O Protector! I have a tongue that praises You, I have flowers to offer, and I have stood thinking only of You. So protect me, Your servant, in the state I have come to.
Word by word
- pērttaṉai mā cakaṭam
- You overturned the great cart
- maṇ irantu
- begging for the earth
- kāvalaṉē
- O Protector
- ēttiya nā uṭaiyēṉ
- I have a tongue that praises
- niṉ uḷḷi niṉṟamaiyāl
- because I stood thinking of You
- kā aṭiyēṉ paṭṭa kaṭai
- protect Your servant in the state he has reached
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.