Periya Tiruvandadi 11 · verse 2595 of the four thousand
Meaning
That strong demon who strove in war out of pride: was it Your might alone that made sure his precious life should not go on? You who stand as the earth that does not sink, as the sky, the wind, the fire and the water: You are all of these.
Word by word
- nāḻāl amar muyaṉṟa
- who strove in war out of pride
- val arakkaṉ
- the mighty demon, Ravana
- vāḻāvakai
- so that it would not live on
- niṉ valiyē?
- was it Your strength?
- pārum nī
- You are the earth, that does not sink
- kālum nī
- You are the wind
Periya Tiruvandadi 12 · verse 2596 of the four thousand
Meaning
O heart, was it not you who kept wandering about and made me fall into deep sorrow? What use is it to go and say anything to you? Go, heart! Even when firm, ripened counsel is given, you never take it. Know this: praising Kannan's feet is the right way.
Word by word
- āḻ tuyaril vīḻvippāṉ
- to make me fall into deep sorrow
- niṉṟu uḻaṉṟāy
- you stood and wandered about
- kāḻttu upatēcam
- firm, well-ripened counsel
- kaikkoḷḷāy
- you do not take it up
- kaṇṇaṉtāḷ
- Kannan's feet
- vaḻakku
- the proper way, what is right
Periya Tiruvandadi 13 · verse 2597 of the four thousand
Meaning
When Your devotees asked it of You, we have seen You give up even what was just and agreed upon. O Lord, is there any loss in that? So, even if only by taking me into Your service, grant what I beg: show my own eyes the radiance of Your form.
Word by word
- vaḻakkoṭu māṟukōḷ
- what is just, and what goes against it
- aṭiyār vēṇṭa
- when devotees ask
- iḻakkavum kāṇṭum
- we have seen You give it up
- iṟaiva iḻappu uṇṭē?
- O Lord, is there any loss?
- em āṭkoṇṭu
- taking us into Your service
- uṉ mēṉic cāy
- the radiance of Your form
Periya Tiruvandadi 14 · verse 2598 of the four thousand
Meaning
O heart, she who gave her breast to the One dark of hue, not knowing Him within, was a demoness, and so she did it. But who are you? You go after wasting food of the flesh, taste it, know it well, and still, knowing, you stretch your hand into the mouth of the snake of evil deeds. Look at that!
Word by word
- cāyāl kariyāṉai
- the One dark of hue
- uḷ aṟiyārāy
- not knowing Him within
- pēyār mulai koṭuttār
- the demoness who gave her breast, Putana
- nī yār?
- who are you?
- tēmpu ūṇ
- food that wastes one away, worldly pleasure
- tīviṉai ām
- which is evil deeds
- pāmpār vāyk kain nīṭṭal
- stretching a hand into a snake's mouth
Periya Tiruvandadi 15 · verse 2599 of the four thousand
Meaning
O heart, look, and find something to set against the sorrows we suffer. If we keep reciting the glories of Him who lies there, His feet stroked by the roaring sea, and sleeps in His lovely red-hued form, the sorrow is driven away, and there will be no talk of our losing any honour.
Word by word
- etiritā
- set something against it, find a remedy
- paṭu tuyaram
- the sorrow we suffer
- pīṭu aḻivu
- loss of honour, of greatness
- ārttu ōtam
- the roaring sea
- tāḷ taṭava
- stroking His feet
- kaṇvaḷarvār cīr
- the glories of Him who sleeps
Periya Tiruvandadi 16 · verse 2600 of the four thousand
Meaning
Had You not become the famed Vamana, a dwarf not born into grandeur nor raised in splendour, would it have been hard for You to take the earth? You held it close to Your chest, swallowed it and brought it out again: was it so hard to receive it with poured water? O great One, think it over and tell us, so that we may understand.
Word by word
- cīrāl piṟantu
- born in grandeur
- pēr vāmaṉ
- the famed Vamana, the dwarf
- pērāḷā
- O great One
- mārpu ārap
- close against Your chest
- uṇṭu umiḻnta pūmi
- the earth You swallowed and brought out
- nīr ēṟpu aritē?
- was it hard to receive with poured water?
Periya Tiruvandadi 17 · verse 2601 of the four thousand
Meaning
Even if He does not appear when His devotees gather round and beg Him, they will still live on, and they will not even open their mouths in complaint against Him who raised His mighty bow, firm as a mountain, so that the demon's strong heads, like shining hills, came crashing down all around.
Word by word
- cūḻntu aṭiyār vēṇṭiṉakkāl
- when devotees gather round and beg
- tōṉṟātu viṭṭālum
- even if He does not appear
- vāḻntiṭuvar
- they will live on
- tam vāytiṟavār
- they will not open their mouths
- vāḷ varaikaḷ pōl
- like shining mountains
- tāḷ varai vil
- the bow, firm as a mountain
Periya Tiruvandadi 18 · verse 2602 of the four thousand
Meaning
You were bound with a churning rope, and even before that scar could soften, You let a serpent bind You and endured it. O Seed, who tirelessly spread out all these many forms, who can know Your ancient form? Tell me.
Word by word
- tāmpāl āppuṇṭālum
- even when bound with a rope
- taḻumpu
- the scar
- pāmpāl āppuṇṭu
- bound by a serpent
- cōmpātu
- without tiring
- pal uruvai
- the many forms of the world
- paṭarvitta vittā
- O Seed who spread them out
- tol uruvai
- Your ancient form
Periya Tiruvandadi 19 · verse 2603 of the four thousand
Meaning
There is nothing lacking in what I say, O heart that knows no deceit: without minding night or day, at all times, we shall see Him who long ago protected the five brothers alone against all the great armies. You will see it.
Word by word
- collil kuṟai illai
- there is nothing lacking in my word
- cūtu aṟiyā neñcamē
- O heart that knows no deceit
- elli pakal eṉṉātu
- without minding night or day
- māt tāṉaikku
- against the great armies
- ōr aivaraiyē
- the five alone, the Pandavas
- kāttāṉaik
- Him who protected
Periya Tiruvandadi 20 · verse 2604 of the four thousand
Meaning
If we speak of it, O good heart that had grasped understanding, should you not feel shame? When you set out to see Him, you went off and touched the holy body of the glorious One who took the form of a young brahmachari and received the world with poured water.
Word by word
- aṟivu kaikkoṇṭa
- that had grasped understanding
- nāṇappaṭum aṉṟē
- should you not feel shame?
- māṇi
- a young brahmachari, Vamana
- ulakam nīr ēṟṟa
- who received the world with poured water
- tiru ākam
- His holy body
- tīṇṭiṟṟuc ceṉṟu
- went and touched
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.