Irandam Tiruvandadi 61 · verse 2242 of the four thousand
Meaning
One foot stood and covered the whole earth, and Your long arms reached out and measured all the directions, so they say. That day You came begging as a dark young brahmin boy, O Thief! And this is the gain of those who took You at Your word and trusted You.
Word by word
- niṉṟatu ōr pātam
- one foot stood
- nilam putaippa
- covering the earth
- ceṉṟu aḷantatu
- reached out and measured
- karu māṇiyāy
- as a dark young brahmin boy, Vamana
- kaḷvaṉē
- O Thief
- piramāṇittār
- those who took You at Your word
Irandam Tiruvandadi 62 · verse 2243 of the four thousand
Meaning
I never knew of any gain before, and never gained any. In my simplicity I just bowed down, offering my words in return, to the good bull among the cowherds, who, following His love for the girl Nappinnai, broke the necks of the bulls, so that their great humps and horns were shattered.
Word by word
- pēṟu oṉṟum muṉ aṟiyēṉ
- I never knew any gain before
- pētaimaiyāl
- in my simplicity
- perutteruttam kōṭu ociya
- so that the great humps and horns broke
- peṇ nacaiyiṉ piṉ pōy
- following His love for the girl, Nappinnai
- eruttu iṟutta
- who broke the necks
- nal āyar ēṟu
- the good bull among the cowherds
Irandam Tiruvandadi 63 · verse 2244 of the four thousand
Meaning
My Father, who conquered and crushed the seven bulls! Shiva of fiery form, who rides the bull, fell under a curse: a bare skull, picked clean by vultures, clung to his hand. It was filled to the brim with the bright blood from the Lord's own lovely hand. If you tell what was seen, that is the story.
Word by word
- ēṟu ēḻum veṉṟu aṭartta
- who conquered and crushed the seven bulls
- eri uruvattu
- of fiery form
- ēṟu ēṟi
- who rides the bull, Shiva
- iṭucāpam
- the curse laid on him
- pāṟu ēṟi uṇṭa talai
- a skull picked clean by vultures
- oṇ kuruti
- bright blood
- katai
- the story
Irandam Tiruvandadi 64 · verse 2245 of the four thousand
Meaning
The great meaning of all the sacred stories is Your names alone, Krishna, if one praises those names that dwell in the heart. O Thirumal, who stands as the holy word of those stories, grant that I may see You, even through my clumsy words.
Word by word
- kataiyiṉ perum poruḷum
- the great meaning of the sacred stories
- kaṇṇā
- O Krishna
- niṉ pērē
- Your names alone
- itayam iruntavaiyē
- those that dwell in the heart
- tirumoḻiyāy niṉṟa
- who stands as the holy word
- paru moḻiyāl
- with clumsy, coarse words
- kāṇap paṇi
- grant that I may see You
Irandam Tiruvandadi 65 · verse 2246 of the four thousand
Meaning
I have bowed to Your sacred form; with my own hands, in love, I have placed fresh lotuses upon Your red feet. And I have resolved on this: to praise You with longing, to see You as my only refuge, and to stay right there, praising You and living.
Word by word
- paṇintēṉ tirumēṉi
- I bowed to Your sacred form
- paiṅ kamalam
- fresh lotuses
- uṉ cēvaṭimēl
- upon Your red feet
- tuṇintēṉ
- I have resolved
- pukaliṭam
- refuge
- iruntu ētti vāḻum
- to stay and live praising
Irandam Tiruvandadi 66 · verse 2247 of the four thousand
Meaning
This, see, my good heart, is what this birth is for. This, see, is everything we have gained. And this, see, is the means to keep you from ever coming near hell: reciting the names of Narayana. If you are able, look to it!
Word by word
- itu kaṇṭāy
- this, you see
- nal neñcē
- O my good heart
- ip piṟavi āvatu
- what this birth is for
- nāraṇaṉ pēr ōti
- reciting the names of Narayana
- narakattu aruku aṇaiyāk
- not coming near hell
- vallaiyēl kāṇ
- if you are able, look to it
Irandam Tiruvandadi 67 · verse 2248 of the four thousand
Meaning
I saw His sacred form in a dream. There, in His hand, I saw the blazing, radiant discus. And I saw the strength of the One who drives away both kinds of deeds that bring deep sorrow, and then destroys the illness of being born again.
Word by word
- kaṇṭēṉ tirumēṉi
- I saw His sacred form
- kaṉavil
- in a dream
- kaṉalum cuṭar āḻi
- the blazing, radiant discus
- uṟu nōy viṉai iraṇṭum
- both kinds of deeds, good and bad, that bring sorrow
- maṟu nōy ceṟuvāṉ
- who destroys the illness of rebirth
- vali
- strength
Irandam Tiruvandadi 68 · verse 2249 of the four thousand
Meaning
So that the mighty asuras with sword-bright fangs and swords might perish, with the strong, gleaming mountain as the churning rod, and the mighty, shining serpent wound around it and whirling, He churned the sea: He, the King who broke the tusk of the killer elephant.
Word by word
- vāḷ eyiṟṟu
- with sword-bright fangs
- vāḷ avuṇar māḷa
- so that the sword-bearing asuras might perish
- vāḷ varai mattu āka
- with the gleaming mountain as churning rod
- vāḷ nākam cuṟṟi
- the shining serpent wound around
- kaṭal kaṭaintāṉ
- He churned the sea
- kōḷ nākam kompu ocitta
- who broke the tusk of the killer elephant
Irandam Tiruvandadi 69 · verse 2250 of the four thousand
Meaning
Even the kings who became rulers, guarded the great earth, and ride past on their horses before our eyes are only the servants of those who, through all seven births, have offered cool lotuses at the red feet of the Lord from whose navel a red lotus blooms.
Word by word
- kō āki
- becoming rulers
- mā ēkic celkiṉṟa
- who ride past on horses
- maṉṉavarum
- even the kings
- ceṅ kamala nāpiyāṉ
- the Lord with the red lotus at His navel
- taṇ kamalam ēyntār
- those who offered cool lotuses
- tamar
- servants, their own people
Irandam Tiruvandadi 70 · verse 2251 of the four thousand
Meaning
The hearts of His devotees; Thanjai; Srirangam, first of all; Thiruthankal; the cool hill His devotees think on; the sea; and Mamallai, Thirukkovalur and walled Thirukkudanthai, which His devotees also think on: these, they say, are the dwelling places of my Father, so skilled with the bow.
Word by word
- tamar uḷḷam
- the hearts of His devotees
- tañcai
- Thanjai, Thanjavur
- talai araṅkam
- Srirangam, foremost of all
- taṇkāl
- Thiruthankal
- māmallai kōval
- Mamallai and Thirukkovalur
- matiḷ kuṭantai
- walled Thirukkudanthai
- ē valla entaikku
- for my Father, skilled with the bow
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.