Periya Tiruvandadi 81 · verse 2665 of the four thousand
Meaning
He who dwells on the rich ocean never stops to think whether it is day or night; He struggles with us and rules us through both the day and the night. He does not consider, knowing it, that we are unworthy servants with no strength even to bear His glories.
Word by word
- pakal irā eṉpatuvum
- even day and night
- pāviyātu
- without considering
- ikal ceytu
- struggling with us
- iru poḻutum āḷvar
- He rules us both day and night
- takavāt
- unworthy
- ceḻum paravai mēyār
- He who dwells on the rich ocean
Periya Tiruvandadi 82 · verse 2666 of the four thousand
Meaning
Having no discerning knowledge at all, I, a sinner, sat idle through all my past days, forgetting and never praising the Lord with the discus in His lovely hand, who that day went chasing after that deer of disguised form.
Word by word
- terintuṇarvu oṉṟu iṉmaiyāl
- for lack of any discerning knowledge
- iruntoḻintēṉ
- I sat idle, wasted
- kīḻ nāḷkaḷ ellām
- all my past days
- karanturuviṉ
- of disguised form
- am māṉai
- that deer, Maricha in disguise
- piṉ toṭarnta
- who went chasing after
- ayarttu
- forgetting
Periya Tiruvandadi 83 · verse 2667 of the four thousand
Meaning
O heart, whether you forget it or not, I have told you: see, this alone is the way by which we shall be saved. O heart, you keep doing what should not be done, and I am afraid. Praise Him who ended the days of the wrestlers.
Word by word
- ayarppāy ayarāppāy
- whether you forget or not
- uyappōm neṟi
- the way by which we are saved
- ceykiṟuti
- you keep doing (what should not be done)
- añciṉēṉ
- I am afraid
- mallar nāḷ vavviṉaṉai
- Him who ended the wrestlers' days
- vāḻttu
- praise
Periya Tiruvandadi 84 · verse 2668 of the four thousand
Meaning
When you are told, 'Praise Him, adorn His feet with flowers, bow your head and join your two hands', you do not join them. Where did you pick up such a ruinous fate? O my heart, if you can stay without praising Him, stay then!
Word by word
- avaṉ aṭiyaip pūp puṉaintu
- adorning His feet with flowers
- niṉ talaiyait
- your head
- iru kai kūppu
- join your two hands
- pāḻtta viti
- ruinous fate
- eṅku uṟṟāy
- where did you get it?
- taṅkattāṉ āmēlum taṅku
- if you can stay so, then stay
Periya Tiruvandadi 85 · verse 2669 of the four thousand
Meaning
The clouds that strove without rest, leaping up over the vast sky: where did they go, and what penance did they do, to win the fine colour of my Kannan, who sleeps on the cool, lovely ocean of milk with its swelling waves?
Word by word
- taṅkā muyaṟṟiya āy
- striving without rest
- tāḻ vicumpiṉ
- of the vast sky
- et tavam ceytiṭṭaṉakol
- what penance did they do?
- pāl vēlaivāyk
- on the ocean of milk
- kaṇvaḷarum
- who sleeps
- nal niṟam koḷ kār?
- the clouds that took His fine colour
Periya Tiruvandadi 86 · verse 2670 of the four thousand
Meaning
Him whose form is mingled with dark cloud, Him whose hand holds the discus, Him whose strong belly holds the earth, Him who rests on the serpent bed: if people do not spend their time thinking on words filled with His glories, what will they think of now to drive away the deep sorrow of the karma that surrounds them?
Word by word
- kār kalanta mēṉiyāṉ
- He whose form is mingled with dark cloud
- kai kalanta āḻiyāṉ
- He with the discus in His hand
- pār kalanta val vayiṟṟāṉ
- He whose strong belly holds the earth
- pāmpu aṇaiyāṉ
- He on the serpent bed
- cūḻviṉaiyiṉ āḻ tuyarai
- the deep sorrow of surrounding karma
- eṉ niṉaintu pōkkuvar
- by thinking of what will they end it?
Periya Tiruvandadi 87 · verse 2671 of the four thousand
Meaning
Now, and later, and even if a little time still remains hereafter, at all times say only this, O my heart: the Lord whose discus never leaves His hand will drive away the karma upon us. Strive to praise His feet with their mighty anklets.
Word by word
- ippōtum iṉṉum
- now, and later
- iṉic ciṟitu niṉṟālum
- even if a little time remains
- ītē col
- say only this
- kai kaḻalā nēmiyāṉ
- He whose discus never leaves His hand
- viṉai kaṭivāṉ
- He will drive away karma
- moy kaḻalē ētta muyal
- strive to praise His feet with mighty anklets
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.