Tiruvaymozhi 1.3.1 · verse 2813 of the four thousand
Meaning
Our Lord, so hard to reach, whom Lakshmi of the lotus loves, is easy for those who love Him and hard for all others; He is the Wondrous One. When He was caught stealing the butter churned with the churning rod, He was tied by the waist to a grinding mortar. How He stayed there, bound to the mortar, sobbing! How easy He made Himself!
Word by word
- pattu uṭai aṭiyavarkku
- for devotees who have love
- eḷiyavaṉ
- He is easy to reach
- vittakaṉ
- the Wondrous One
- malarmakaḷ virumpum
- loved by Lakshmi, the lady of the lotus
- mattu uṟu kaṭai veṇṇey
- butter churned with the churning rod
- uraviṭai yāppuṇṭu
- bound at the waist
- ettiṟam
- how wondrous!
- ēṅkiya eḷiyavē
- the simplicity of His sobbing
Tiruvaymozhi 1.3.2 · verse 2814 of the four thousand
Meaning
His nature is to come down and make Himself easy to reach. He takes many births, without limit or measure. He is the whole of shining goodness; He is liberation, which has no beginning and no end; He is the state in which all becomes clear. He is the Lord of everything without exception, and with grace that overflows with tenderness, He stands within all and outside all.
Word by word
- eḷivarum iyalviṉaṉ
- His nature is to become easy to reach
- pala piṟappāy
- taking many births
- oḷivarum muḻu nalam
- the whole of shining goodness
- mutal ila
- without beginning
- kēṭu ila vīṭu ām
- He is liberation, without end
- aḷivarum aruḷiṉōṭu
- with grace overflowing with tender love
- akattaṉaṉ
- He is within
- puṟattaṉaṉ amaintē
- and He is without
Tiruvaymozhi 1.3.3 · verse 2815 of the four thousand
Meaning
He is every fitting path of dharma, risen so high that nothing is higher. He is that world which knows no beginning, no ending and no break between. He Himself is the worthy immortals, and all things, and all beings. Narayana is complete in every way: who can know His wondrous power?
Word by word
- aṟaneṟi muḻuvatum
- all the paths of dharma
- uyarvu aṟa uyarntu
- so high that nothing is higher
- mutal keṭal oṭivu
- beginning, ending, or break
- yāvaiyum yāvarum tāṉ ām
- He Himself is all things and all beings
- amaivu uṭai nāraṇaṉ
- Narayana, complete in every way
- māyaiyai aṟipavar yārē
- who can know His wondrous power?
Tiruvaymozhi 1.3.4 · verse 2816 of the four thousand
Meaning
Our Lord is hard for anyone to know as being of this or that nature. Our Lord is easy for anyone to know as being of this or that nature. Our Lord has a thousand names and many more. It is not that He has just one name and one form, nor that He has none; all else is only dispute.
Word by word
- aṟivu ariya em perumāṉ
- our Lord, hard to know
- aṟivu eḷiya em perumāṉ
- our Lord, easy to know
- pērum ōr āyiram
- a thousand names
- uḷatu illai
- it is not that He has (just one)
- ilatu illai
- nor is it that He has none
- piṇakkē
- the rest is mere quarrel
Tiruvaymozhi 1.3.5 · verse 2817 of the four thousand
Meaning
He is the Lord of countless good qualities, who weighed every path and spoke so that the quarrels of the six kinds of creeds would end; the beautiful Bhagavan, the First, who has no end. Stand on the path of discipline that bows in worship, root out the alien paths like weeds, and dry away every clinging attachment, coming to know Him through the knowledge He gives.
Word by word
- aṟu vakaic camayamum
- the six kinds of creeds
- kaṇakku aṟu nalattaṉaṉ
- of good qualities beyond counting
- antam il āti am pakavaṉ
- the beautiful Bhagavan, the First, without end
- vaṇakku uṭait tavaneṟi
- the disciplined path that bows in worship
- puṟaneṟi kaḷaikaṭṭu
- weeding out alien paths
- uṇakkumiṉ pacai aṟa
- dry away every clinging attachment
Tiruvaymozhi 1.3.6 · verse 2818 of the four thousand
Meaning
This state of things is wondrous in form, now low, now wide, now high. Even if you come to know it again and again, O souls, the Lord's own state is hard to know. So reflect again and again on the three called Hari, Ayan (Brahma) and Aran (Shiva); speak of them again and again; and then bow down to the One your mind settles on.
Word by word
- iḻintu akaṉṟu uyarntu
- low, and wide, and high
- iṟainilai
- the Lord's true state
- uṇarvu aritu uyirkāḷ
- hard to know, O souls
- ari ayaṉ
- Hari and Brahma
- araṉ eṉṉum ivarai
- and the one called Shiva
- iṟaiñcumiṉ
- bow down, worship
- maṉappaṭṭatu oṉṟē
- the One your mind settles on
Tiruvaymozhi 1.3.7 · verse 2819 of the four thousand
Meaning
Narayana, good and beautiful, stands within a form so hard to know, whether as one or as many. Place Him firmly in your minds, together with those called Four-faced Brahma and Aran (Shiva), and reflect. Cut away your twofold attachment. To do good service to Him, and Him alone, is what is truly good, while our days last.
Word by word
- oṉṟu eṉap pala eṉa
- as one, as many
- aṟivu arum vaṭiviṉuḷ
- within a form hard to know
- naṉṟu eḻil nāraṇaṉ
- Narayana, good and beautiful
- nāṉmukaṉ
- the Four-faced One, Brahma
- iru pacai aṟuttu
- cutting away the twofold attachment
- nammuṭai nāḷē
- while our days last
Tiruvaymozhi 1.3.8 · verse 2820 of the four thousand
Meaning
Our ancient cruel deeds, which stand and torment us every day, will perish at once; of that there is no doubt. Wash the inner stains of your mind clean, and every day bow at the good feet of our Lord, who has Sri with Him. Even at the place where we die, to die bowing to Him is our true gain.
Word by word
- nāḷum niṉṟu aṭu
- that stands and torments us every day
- paḻamai am koṭuviṉai
- ancient cruel deeds, karma
- māḷum ōr kuṟaivu illai
- they will surely perish
- malam aṟak kaḻuvi
- washing away the stains
- nam tiru uṭai aṭikaḷ
- our Lord who has Sri with Him
- vaṇakkoṭu māḷvatu valamē
- to die bowing to Him is gain
Tiruvaymozhi 1.3.9 · verse 2821 of the four thousand
Meaning
The one who burned the three cities (Shiva) has his place at His right side. The four-faced Brahma, rising with a place on His navel, created the good worlds, and the Lord Himself became visible within them; and again He dwells within His own world as its inner self. If one sets out to tell it, all these lie once more within His belly. These are His bewildering wonders.
Word by word
- valattaṉaṉ
- has his place at His right side
- tiripuram erittavaṉ
- the one who burned the three cities, Shiva
- tuntit
- His navel
- eḻu ticaimukaṉ
- the four-faced Brahma, who rose
- vayiṟṟu uḷa
- are within His belly
- avaṉ tuyakkē
- His bewildering wonder
Tiruvaymozhi 1.3.10 · verse 2822 of the four thousand
Meaning
He is the Mighty One whose bewildering illusions are greater than the sky, illusions that bewilder even the immortals of clear mind and good knowledge. He is dark as the rain cloud, and His good flower-feet strode over the great earth. Those feet I will never forget: I will cry out, I will embrace them, I will bow down, and there I will stay.
Word by word
- tuyakku aṟu matiyil
- of clear, unconfused mind
- mayakku uṭai māyaikaḷ
- His bewildering illusions
- vāṉilum periyaṉa
- greater than the sky
- puyal karu niṟattaṉaṉ
- dark as the rain cloud
- nal aṭip pōtu
- good flower-like feet
- ayarppilaṉ alaṟṟuvaṉ
- I will not forget; I will cry out
- taḻuvuvaṉ vaṇaṅkuvaṉ
- I will embrace, I will bow down
Tiruvaymozhi 1.3.11 · verse 2823 of the four thousand
Meaning
He churned the wave-tossed sea while the immortals worshipped Him and rose. Satakopan (Nammalwar) of Kurukur, rich with lovely groves, offered his small services to Him in a thousand verses of delightful taste. Those who can sing these ten among them will rise with the immortals to the heights, and break free of the prison of their births.
Word by word
- amararkaḷ toḻutu eḻa
- as the immortals worshipped and rose
- alai kaṭal kaṭaintavaṉ
- He who churned the wave-tossed sea
- amar poḻil
- lovely groves
- kuṟṟēvalkaḷ
- small, humble services
- amar cuvai āyirattu
- of the thousand of delightful taste
- piṟavi am ciṟaiyē
- the prison of births
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.