Tiruvaymozhi 3.4.1 · verse 3046 of the four thousand
Meaning
Shall I call Him the one good Being whom all praise? Shall I call Him the earth of matchless worth? The cool, shining ocean? Fire? Wind? The sky that is everywhere? The two great lights, the sun and the moon? Shall I call Him all these things together, with no fault in them? How am I to call out to Kannan?
Word by word
- pukaḻum nal oruvaṉ
- the one good Being whom all praise
- poru il cīrp pūmi
- the earth of matchless worth
- taṇ paravai
- the cool ocean
- nīḷ cuṭar iraṇṭum
- the two great lights, sun and moon
- ikaḻvu il iv aṉaittum
- all these, with no fault
- kaṇṇaṉaik kūvum āṟē
- the way to call out to Kannan
Tiruvaymozhi 3.4.2 · verse 3047 of the four thousand
Meaning
I do not know how to call Him. Shall I call Him all the hills? The rain, welcome and rich? The shining stars? The arts that live on the tongue? The good soul whose nature is knowledge? How shall I call my Lord Kannan of spreading glory, the lotus-eyed One?
Word by word
- kūvum āṟu aṟiyamāṭṭēṉ
- I do not know how to call Him
- kuṉṟaṅkaḷ aṉaittum
- all the hills
- mēvu cīr māri
- the welcome, rich rain
- viḷaṅku tārakaikaḷ
- the shining stars
- nā iyal kalaikaḷ
- the arts that live on the tongue
- ñāṉa nal āvi
- the good soul, whose nature is knowledge
- paṅkayak kaṇṇaṉaiyē
- the lotus-eyed One
Tiruvaymozhi 3.4.3 · verse 3048 of the four thousand
Meaning
Shall I call Him the lotus-eyed? The One with lips of red coral? The One whose feet glow with lovely rays? The One the colour of collyrium? The One whose crown blazes with red rays? The One whose chest bears Sri and the sacred mark? The One who holds the conch and the discus? How shall I speak of this ruby of the finest kind?
Word by word
- pavaḷac cevvāyaṉ
- with lips of red coral
- am katir aṭiyaṉ
- whose feet glow with lovely rays
- añcaṉa vaṇṇaṉ
- the colour of collyrium, dark
- ceṅkatir muṭiyaṉ
- whose crown blazes with red rays
- tiru maṟu mārpaṉ
- whose chest bears Lakshmi and the Srivatsa mark
- cāti māṇikkattaiyē
- the ruby of the finest kind
Tiruvaymozhi 3.4.4 · verse 3049 of the four thousand
Meaning
Shall I call Him a ruby of the finest kind? Lustrous gold? A pearl? A fine diamond of the best breed? A light of glory that never fades? The first, beautiful Light? The first, beautiful Person? How shall I speak of my Father, who was there when nothing else was, Achyuta, the Pure One?
Word by word
- cāti māṇikkam
- a ruby of the finest kind
- cavi koḷ poṉ muttam
- lustrous gold, a pearl
- cāti nal vayiram
- a fine diamond of the best breed
- tavivu il cīr viḷakkam
- a light of glory that never fades
- āti am puruṭaṉ
- the first, beautiful Person
- ātum il kālattu entai
- my Father when nothing else existed
- accutaṉ amalaṉaiyē
- Achyuta, the one who never lets go; the Pure One
Tiruvaymozhi 3.4.5 · verse 3050 of the four thousand
Meaning
Shall I call Him Achyuta, the Pure? The great, longed-for medicine that destroys the deeds of His devotees? The nectar of the good ocean? A lump of sweetness itself? Food of all six tastes? Honey rich as ghee? Fruit? Or shall I call Him milk?
Word by word
- aṭiyavar viṉai keṭukkum
- that destroys His devotees' deeds
- naccum mā maruntam
- the great medicine one longs for
- nalaṅ kaṭal amutam
- the nectar of the good ocean
- ac cuvaik kaṭṭi
- a lump of sweetness itself
- aṟucuvai aṭicil
- food of six tastes
- neyc cuvait tēṟal
- honey with the richness of ghee
Tiruvaymozhi 3.4.6 · verse 3051 of the four thousand
Meaning
Shall I call Him milk? The fruit of the four Vedas? The books of right conduct? The swaying music one learns by listening? The best above all these? The fruit greater than any deed can earn? Kannan? Mal, the One of great love? The Wonder? How shall I speak of Him, the First of the immortals?
Word by word
- nāṉku vētap payaṉ
- the fruit of the four Vedas
- camaya nīti nūl
- the books of right conduct
- nuṭaṅku kēḷvi icai
- swaying music learnt by listening
- viṉaiyiṉ mikka payaṉ
- a fruit greater than deeds can earn
- māl
- Mal, the great One, the loving One
- vāṉavar ātiyaiyē
- the First of the immortals
Tiruvaymozhi 3.4.7 · verse 3052 of the four thousand
Meaning
Shall I call Him the First of the immortals? The God of the immortals? The joy of the immortals? Everything the immortals have? Wealth without flaw? Heaven without flaw? Liberation without flaw? How shall I speak of Him, the colour of a shining gem?
Word by word
- vāṉavar teyvam
- the God of the immortals
- vāṉavar pōkam
- the joy of the immortals
- vāṉavar muṟṟum
- everything the immortals have
- ūṉam il celvam
- flawless wealth
- ūṉam il mōkkam
- flawless liberation, moksha
- oḷi maṇi vaṇṇaṉaiyē
- Him the colour of a shining gem
Tiruvaymozhi 3.4.8 · verse 3053 of the four thousand
Meaning
Shall I call Him the One the colour of a shining gem? Shall I call Him Shiva with the cool moon in his matted hair, whom his followers praise as the One? Shall I call Him Brahma, the four-faced god? He is my Lord Kannan, the Wonder, wearing tulasi with honeyed blossoms, who in gracious joy created all the worlds and stands for them to praise. All these are His body, and He their inner Self.
Word by word
- oruvaṉ eṉṟu ētta niṉṟa
- who is praised as the One
- naḷir matic caṭaiyaṉ
- Shiva, cool moon in his matted hair
- nāṉmukak kaṭavuḷ
- Brahma, the four-faced god
- aḷi makiḻntu
- rejoicing in grace
- kaḷi malart tuḷavaṉ
- wearing tulasi with honeyed blossoms
- kaṇṇaṉai māyaṉaiyē
- Kannan, the Wonder
Tiruvaymozhi 3.4.9 · verse 3054 of the four thousand
Meaning
Kannan, the Wonder, the great Lord who churned the ocean and took the nectar, Achyuta, the Endless One, who dwells happily upon Ananta, the serpent; Mal, who swallowed the world and brought it out again: I do not know how to think of Him. He Himself is all things and all persons.
Word by word
- kaṭal kaṭaintu amutam koṇṭa
- who churned the sea and took the nectar
- aṉantaṉai
- the Endless One
- aṉantaṉ taṉmēl
- upon Ananta, Adisesha
- ñālam uṇṭu umiḻnta mālai
- Mal who swallowed and brought out the world
- eṇṇum āṟu aṟiyamāṭṭēṉ
- I do not know how to think of Him
- yāvaiyum evarum tāṉē
- He Himself is all things and all persons
Tiruvaymozhi 3.4.10 · verse 3055 of the four thousand
Meaning
He Himself is all things and all persons, yet in each of them He remains untouched by their flaws. The five senses cannot tell of Him; He is a form of pure knowing. If, deep within the self that dwells in the body, one gains a meditation clinging to nothing else at all, then one can reach Him too.
Word by word
- yāvaiyum evarum tāṉāy
- being all things and all persons
- tōyvu ilaṉ
- He is untouched
- pulaṉ aintukkum colappaṭāṉ
- the five senses cannot tell of Him
- uṇarviṉ mūrtti
- a form of pure knowing
- ātum ōr paṟṟu ilāta
- clinging to nothing else at all
- pāvaṉai
- meditation, contemplation
- avaṉaiyum kūṭalāmē
- one can reach Him too
Tiruvaymozhi 3.4.11 · verse 3056 of the four thousand
Meaning
Generous Satakopan, Nammalwar, of Kurugur with groves blossoming all around, sang a thousand songs on the Lord, dark as the rain cloud, who wears a cool garland where bees gather and hum. Those who can sing these ten among them will reach a joy that never ends, and the immortals will crowd round them in love.
Word by word
- kūṭi vaṇṭu aṟaiyum taṇ tārk
- with a cool garland where bees gather and hum
- koṇṭal pōl vaṇṇaṉ
- the One coloured like the rain cloud
- māṭu alar poḻil kurukūr
- Kurugur with groves blossoming all around
- vaṇ caṭakōpaṉ
- generous Satakopan
- vīṭu ila pōkam
- joy that never ends
- virumpuvar amarar moyttē
- the immortals will crowd round in love
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.