Periya Tiruvandadi 71 · verse 2655 of the four thousand
Meaning
What is there for me to say now of Your greatness? You are the form that stands alone, resting on nothing else. He of the red matted locks, where cool water flows, has his place within Your body, and the four-faced one has his beginning in Your navel.
Word by word
- niṉ perumai
- Your greatness
- taṉi niṉṟa
- who stands alone
- cārvu ilā mūrtti
- the form that rests on nothing else
- ceñcaṭaiyāṉ
- He of red matted locks, Shiva
- nāṉku
- four (faces): Brahma
- niṉ unti mutal
- has his beginning in Your navel
Periya Tiruvandadi 72 · verse 2656 of the four thousand
Meaning
Some say the First Being has three holy forms; others say that one alone is the source of all three. O First One, You of dark form shining beyond compare: is not that bright lotus flower itself, from which Brahma came, a thing within You?
Word by word
- mutal ām tiru uruvam
- the holy forms of the First Being
- mūṉṟu eṉpar
- they say there are three
- mūṉṟukkum
- for all three
- mutalvā
- O First One
- nikar ilaku kār uruvā
- You of matchless shining dark form
- niṉ akattatu aṉṟē
- is it not within You?
- pukar ilaku tāmaraiyiṉ pū?
- the brightly shining lotus flower
Periya Tiruvandadi 73 · verse 2657 of the four thousand
Meaning
The poovai, the kaya, the blue lily and the blooming dark water lily: every time I see them, the tender life within me, sinner that I am, and my whole body swell with joy, as I think, 'All of these are my Lord's form.'
Word by word
- pūvaiyum
- the poovai, a dark blue flower
- kāyāvum
- the kaya flower
- nīlamum
- the blue lily
- kāvi malar
- the dark water lily
- mey mikavē pūrikkum
- the body swells greatly with joy
- pirāṉ uruvē
- the form of my Lord
Periya Tiruvandadi 74 · verse 2658 of the four thousand
Meaning
Even though I beg Him every day, without missing a single one, He takes no pity on me at all and does not show me His form: the cowherd who held up the hill as an umbrella and protected the cows. O heart, is the world at His side so much greater than us?
Word by word
- orunāḷ oḻiyāmai
- without missing a single day
- yāṉ irantāl
- though I beg
- uruk kāṭṭār
- He does not show His form
- kuṭai āka ā kātta
- who held (the hill) as an umbrella and protected the cows
- kōvalaṉār
- the cowherd
- puṭai tāṉ peritē puvi
- is the world at His side so great?
Periya Tiruvandadi 75 · verse 2659 of the four thousand
Meaning
The earth and the two great skies are within You; and You entered by way of my ears and are within me. Who, then, can say for good whether I am the great one or You are? O Lord, whose discus drinks the flesh of foes, think on that.
Word by word
- iru vicumpum
- the two great skies
- niṉ akatta
- are within You
- ceviyiṉ vaḻi pukuntu
- entering by way of my ears
- eṉ uḷḷāy
- You are within me
- yāṉ periyaṉ nī periyai
- I am great, You are great
- ūṉ paruku nēmiyāy
- You whose discus drinks flesh
- uḷḷu
- think on it
Periya Tiruvandadi 76 · verse 2660 of the four thousand
Meaning
Suppose the layer of karma that thickens over my mind, deep within, split apart, and I awoke and truly reached You: why then should I go on living here for as long as the worlds remain? O Form that measured the world, tell me.
Word by word
- uḷḷam taṭikkum
- that thickens over the mind
- viṉaip paṭalam
- the layer, the veil of karma
- viḷḷa viḻittu
- it splits and I awake
- mey uṟṟāl
- if I truly reach
- ulaku aḷavum
- for as long as the worlds last
- ulaku aḷanta mūrtti
- O Form that measured the world
Periya Tiruvandadi 77 · verse 2661 of the four thousand
Meaning
If one speaks of it, who are my kin, who are my relatives? My Father, who lies on the roaring sea: in all that can be named, I have none but You, see. For my life, You are the one companion worth naming.
Word by word
- cuṟṟattār uṟṟār
- kin and relatives
- iraikkum kaṭal kiṭanta
- who lies on the roaring sea
- entāy
- my Father
- niṉ aṉṟi maṟṟu ilēṉ
- I have none but You
- eṉatu uyirkku
- for my life
- tuṇai
- companion, support
Periya Tiruvandadi 78 · verse 2662 of the four thousand
Meaning
Even if a companion, a large clan of long standing, an ancient family and a fine circle of relatives give joy every day, O good heart, take as your unceasing food the ancient glories of Him of the Sarnga bow, whose arrows never cease from the string.
Word by word
- peruṅ kiḷaiyum
- a large clan
- tol kulamum
- an ancient family
- nāḷum iṉpu uṭaittāmēlum
- even if they give joy every day
- kaṇai nāṇil
- arrows on the bowstring
- ōvāt toḻil cārṅkaṉ
- He whose Sarnga bow never rests
- ōvāta ūṇāka uṇ
- take it as your unceasing food
Periya Tiruvandadi 79 · verse 2663 of the four thousand
Meaning
To be born on this earth as a servant of the great Cowherd who holds the discus in His lovely hand, whoever one may be and however lowly: is that not the very light of the inner realm? Would such a birth fear old karma? Would it think anything of the heavenly world?
Word by word
- uḷ nāṭṭut tēcu
- the light of the inner realm
- ūḻviṉaiyai añcumē?
- would it fear old karma?
- meccumē?
- would it think much of?
- ev iḻiviṟṟu āṉālum
- however lowly it may be
- āḻi aṅkaip
- with the discus in His lovely hand
- āḷ ām piṟappu
- a birth as His servant
Periya Tiruvandadi 80 · verse 2664 of the four thousand
Meaning
Even if it were bliss to cast off birth, death, old age and sickness, and then to pass beyond even that, I would count every forgetting of Him as nothing but harm. Would I think of a day spent without praising the feet of Him who measured the earth as anything else?
Word by word
- piṟappu iṟappu mūppup piṇi
- birth, death, old age, sickness
- tuṟantu
- casting off
- maṟappu ellām
- all forgetting of Him
- ētamē
- only harm
- maṇ aḷantāṉ
- He who measured the earth
- ēttāp pakal?
- a day without praising Him
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.