Tiruvaymozhi 3.2.1 · verse 3024 of the four thousand
Meaning
O my Lord, dark as the rain cloud, who created this world ringed by the sea! I wander about, led along by the body You gave me long ago. When will I spring upon my deeds and tear them out by the roots, so that the sickness of these cruel days dies away, and come at last to join You?
Word by word
- munnīr ñālam
- the world ringed by the sea
- mukil vaṇṇaṉē
- O You, the colour of the rain cloud
- ākkaiyiṉvaḻi uḻalvēṉ
- I wander, led by this body
- vem nāḷ nōy vīya
- so that the sickness of cruel days dies
- vēr aṟap pāyntu
- springing on them to uproot them
- en nāḷ
- on what day?
Tiruvaymozhi 3.2.2 · verse 3025 of the four thousand
Meaning
O my Vamana, who measured this hard, great earth! I am sunk in the many great births woven by Your wondrous power. When will the day come that I cut at the root the chains of my ancient, mighty deeds, and come to stand at Your great feet?
Word by word
- vaṉ mā vaiyam aḷanta
- who measured the hard, great earth
- vāmaṉā
- O Vamana, the dwarf
- pal mā māyap pal piṟaviyil
- in the many births of Your great wondrous power
- tol mā valviṉait toṭarkaḷai
- the chains of ancient, mighty deeds
- mutal arintu
- cutting at the root
- eññāṉṟukolō
- when will it be?
Tiruvaymozhi 3.2.3 · verse 3026 of the four thousand
Meaning
My Father, who, with a great staff that killed no one, still brought death, and laid low on the wide earth every army in the Bharata war! My bond with this wretched body will not be cut, however I try. Tell me some way by which I may reach You.
Word by word
- kollā mākkōl
- the great staff that does not kill, the charioteer's whip
- pāratap pōr
- the Bharata war
- iru nilattu avitta
- laid low on the wide earth
- pollā ākkaiyiṉ puṇarviṉai
- the bond with this wretched body
- aṟukkal aṟā
- cannot be cut
- cūḻcciyē
- a means, a way
Tiruvaymozhi 3.2.4 · verse 3027 of the four thousand
Meaning
My Father, You are the bright light of all-knowing wisdom; always, without growing or diminishing, You fill every place. Come to me and grant me the way by which I may leave every other lowly place and reach my true life beneath Your two feet.
Word by word
- cūḻcci ñāṉac cuṭar oḷi
- the bright light of all-knowing wisdom
- ēḻcci kēṭu iṉṟi
- without growth or decline
- eṅkaṇum niṟainta
- filling every place
- tāḻcci
- lowly state
- niṉ tāḷ iṇaikkīḻ
- beneath Your two feet
- vakai aruḷāy vantē
- come and grant the way
Tiruvaymozhi 3.2.5 · verse 3028 of the four thousand
Meaning
You seemed to come to me, and You did come, yet You have not kept my mind from scattering. If this is how it is to be, my Father, whose lovely colour is that of the rich kaya flower growing in clusters, where can I go to come near You?
Word by word
- vantāy pōlē vantum
- though You came as if coming
- cintāmal ceyyāy
- You do not keep it from scattering
- kontu ār kāyāviṉ
- of the kaya bush full of clusters
- koḻu malart tiru niṟatta
- with the lovely colour of its rich blossom
- eṅku vantu aṇukiṟpaṉē
- where can I come near You?
Tiruvaymozhi 3.2.6 · verse 3029 of the four thousand
Meaning
In days gone by I never stopped to weigh what I could do and what I could not; I tasted petty pleasures and wandered far away. O Supreme One, who made many, many thousands of living beings, when will I come near Your feet that shine like fine gold?
Word by word
- kiṟpaṉ killēṉ
- "I can", "I cannot"
- muṉam nāḷāl
- in former days
- aṟpa cāraṅkaḷ
- petty pleasures
- akaṉṟoḻintēṉ
- I strayed far away
- paṟpal āyiram uyir ceyta
- who made many thousands of lives
- naṟ poṉ cōtittāḷ
- feet shining like fine gold
Tiruvaymozhi 3.2.7 · verse 3030 of the four thousand
Meaning
O my heart, how long shall we sit and sit and grieve, sunk in births shaped by our deeds, without true knowledge? Come, let us reach Kanna, the light of true knowledge, who stands filling every place at every time, without a gap anywhere.
Word by word
- iruntu iruntu iraṅki
- sitting and sitting, grieving
- meyññāṉam iṉṟi
- without true knowledge
- viṉai iyal piṟappu aḻunti
- sunk in births shaped by deeds
- oḻivu aṟa niṟaintu
- filling without a gap
- cōtik kaṇṇaṉai
- Kanna, Krishna, the light
- mēvutumē
- let us reach
Tiruvaymozhi 3.2.8 · verse 3031 of the four thousand
Meaning
I have not let go of the deeds that bring me sorrow; I have not bowed at Your feet without ceasing. O Kanna of spreading, ancient glory, my Supreme Light, I call out to see You. From where must I call for my cry to reach You?
Word by word
- mēvu tuṉpa viṉaikaḷai
- the deeds that bring sorrow
- ōvutal iṉṟi
- without ceasing
- pāvu tol cīrk kaṇṇā
- O Kanna of spreading, ancient glory
- parañcuṭarē
- O Supreme Light
- eṅku eytak kūvuvaṉē
- where must I call so it reaches?
Tiruvaymozhi 3.2.9 · verse 3032 of the four thousand
Meaning
Calling and calling, standing in a thicket of cruel deeds, I, a sinner, have for a long time lost my way and whirl about in confusion. Where now shall I meet my Lord, who came that day and guarded the herds of cows, and who strode across all the worlds?
Word by word
- koṭuviṉait tūṟṟuḷ
- in a thicket of cruel deeds
- vaḻi tikaittu alamarkiṉṟēṉ
- lost on the path, I whirl in confusion
- ā nirai kāttavaṉ
- He who guarded the herds of cows
- ulakam ellām tāviya
- who strode across all the worlds
- talaippeyvaṉē
- shall I meet?
Tiruvaymozhi 3.2.10 · verse 3033 of the four thousand
Meaning
When the hour comes and Yama's servants cast their noose, all that torment of being dragged and tortured will go far away: for my heart has seen my Kanna, rich in the knowledge of every art, has become steady, and has gained lasting life.
Word by word
- talaippey kālam
- when the hour comes
- namaṉtamar pācam
- the noose of Yama's servants
- alaippūṇ uṇṇum av allal
- that torment of being dragged and harassed
- kalaip pal ñāṉattu
- of the knowledge of many arts
- nilaip peṟṟu
- having become steady
- nīṭu uyirē
- lasting life
Tiruvaymozhi 3.2.11 · verse 3034 of the four thousand
Meaning
Satakopan, Nammalwar, of southern Kurugur with its groves full of cuckoos, sang a thousand flawless verses, a garland of words and music, on the Lord who owns all living beings and all the worlds. These ten among them will free the soul from the body of flesh that clings to it.
Word by word
- uyirkaḷ ellā ulakamum uṭaiyavaṉaik
- the Owner of all lives and all worlds
- kuyil koḷ cōlait
- with groves full of cuckoos
- teṉ kurukūrc caṭakōpaṉ
- Satakopan of southern Kurugur
- ceyir il col icai mālai
- a flawless garland of words and music
- ākkai ūṉiṭai oḻivikkumē
- will free from the body of flesh
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.