Tiruvaymozhi 4.10.1 · verse 3222 of the four thousand
Meaning
Long ago, when there was nothing at all, no god, no world, no life, nothing else, He created Brahma the four-faced, and with him the gods, the worlds and all living beings. While that First Lord, Adippiran, stands in Thirukkurugur, where gem-studded mansions rise tall like hills, will you go seeking some other god?
Word by word
- oṉṟum tēvum ulakum uyirum
- no god at all, no world, no life
- nāṉmukaṉ taṉṉoṭu
- together with Brahma the four-faced
- uyir paṭaittāṉ
- He created all living beings
- kuṉṟam pōl maṇi māṭam
- gem-studded mansions like hills
- niṉṟa ātippirāṉ
- the First Lord, who stands there
- maṟṟait teyvam nāṭutirē
- will you seek some other god?
Tiruvaymozhi 4.10.2 · verse 3223 of the four thousand
Meaning
Long ago He created both the gods you seek out and worship, and you yourselves. The temple where that First Lord of unending glory and fame lives gladly is in Thirukkurugur, beautiful with its ring of tall mansions. O people of the many worlds, spread out and go there, singing, dancing and praising Him.
Word by word
- nāṭi nīr vaṇaṅkum teyvamum
- the gods you seek out and worship
- ummaiyum muṉ paṭaittāṉ
- and you too, He created long ago
- vīṭu il cīrp pukaḻ
- unending glory and fame
- māṭa māḷikai cūḻntu
- ringed by tall mansions
- pāṭi āṭi paravic celmiṉkaḷ
- go there singing, dancing and praising
- pal ulakīr
- O people of the many worlds
Tiruvaymozhi 4.10.3 · verse 3224 of the four thousand
Meaning
He created the many gods and the many worlds; then, all at once, He swallowed them, hid them within, brought them out again, strode over them and dug up the earth. You have seen all this and still you are not clear. O people of the many worlds, there is no god other than the Supreme, who stands in Thirukkurugur where the gods bow their heads; speak of Him.
Word by word
- paranta teyvamum pal ulakum
- the many gods and the many worlds
- uṭaṉē viḻuṅki
- swallowing them all at once
- karantu umiḻntu kaṭantu iṭantatu
- hiding, bringing out, striding over, digging up
- teḷiyakillīr
- you are still not clear
- ciraṅkaḷāl amarar vaṇaṅkum
- where the gods bow their heads
- pēcumiṉē
- speak of Him
Tiruvaymozhi 4.10.4 · verse 3225 of the four thousand
Meaning
He alone is the Lord of Shiva, of whom so much is spoken, of Brahma and of all others; see it for yourselves in how Shiva was freed from the skull. What will the followers of the linga gain by speaking ill of the Lord who dwells in Thirukkurugur, beautiful within its great shining walls?
Word by word
- pēca niṉṟa civaṉukkum
- even of Shiva, so much spoken of
- nāyakaṉ avaṉē
- He alone is the Lord
- kapāla nal mōkkattuk
- in the release from the skull
- kaṇṭukoṇmiṉ
- see it for yourselves
- tēca mā matiḷ
- great shining walls
- ōr avam paṟaital
- speaking ill
- iliṅkiyarkkē
- for the followers of the linga
Tiruvaymozhi 4.10.5 · verse 3226 of the four thousand
Meaning
You who hold to the purana of the linga, you Jains and Buddhists, and you who argue with force: He stands as you yourselves and as your gods too. See, He is the Lord who stands resplendent in Thirukkurugur, where rich red paddy waves like fans of yak-tail. There is no falsehood in this at all; praise Him.
Word by word
- iliṅkattu iṭṭa purāṇattīrum
- you who hold to the purana of the linga
- camaṇarum cākkiyarum
- the Jains and the Buddhists
- valintu vātu ceyvīrkaḷum
- you who argue with force
- num teyvamum āki niṉṟāṉ
- He stands as your gods too
- cennel kavari vīcum
- red paddy waving like yak-tail fans
- polintu niṉṟa pirāṉ
- the Lord who stands resplendent
Tiruvaymozhi 4.10.6 · verse 3227 of the four thousand
Meaning
That He has set you apart, to praise and cherish some other god, and made you firmly sure of it here and now, is the wondrous play of the all-powerful Lord of Thirukkurugur, where red paddy and lotuses rise tall from the mud: for if all of you gained release, there would be no world. Know this again and again, and run to Him.
Word by word
- maṟṟu ōr teyvam pēṇap
- to cherish some other god
- puṟattiṭṭu
- setting you apart
- vīṭu peṟṟāl ulaku illai
- if all gained release there would be no world
- cēṟṟil cennel kamalam ōṅku
- where red paddy and lotuses rise from the mud
- āṟṟa vallavaṉ māyam
- the wondrous play of the all-powerful One
- aṟintu aṟintu ōṭumiṉē
- know it well and run to Him
Tiruvaymozhi 4.10.7 · verse 3228 of the four thousand
Meaning
Running on and on, born in birth after birth, singing, dancing and bowing to other gods, climbing up step by step by many stages: see, what it all comes to in the end is entering into service of the First Form, whose banner bears the soaring bird, who stands in Thirukkurugur where the gods gather to praise Him.
Word by word
- pala piṟappum piṟantu
- born in birth after birth
- palpaṭikāl vaḻi ēṟik
- climbing up by many stages
- kūṭi vāṉavar ētta
- where the gods gather to praise
- āṭu puḷ koṭi
- the banner with the soaring bird
- āti mūrttikku
- to the First Form
- aṭimaipukuvatuvē
- is entering into His service
Tiruvaymozhi 4.10.8 · verse 3229 of the four thousand
Meaning
Markandeya entered into service and saw Him; that Shiva once saved Markandeya was the grace of Narayana. While the supreme First Lord stands in Thirukkurugur, fenced by great screwpine bushes whose blossoms open like white cranes, will you speak of other gods?
Word by word
- pukku aṭimaiyiṉāl
- having entered into service
- mārkkaṇṭēyaṉ
- the sage Markandeya
- nakka pirāṉum
- even Shiva
- nārāyaṇaṉ aruḷē
- was Narayana's grace
- kokku alar taṭam tāḻai
- great screwpines blooming like cranes
- maṟṟait teyvam viḷamputirē
- will you speak of other gods?
Tiruvaymozhi 4.10.9 · verse 3230 of the four thousand
Meaning
He is the inner Self of the six creeds that people expound, and more; and in His own nature He is hard to measure and to see. If you would take yourselves to salvation, then hold in your heart, with true knowledge, Thirukkurugur, beautiful amid rich, cool fields, where that First Lord dwells.
Word by word
- viḷampum āṟu camayamum
- the six creeds people expound
- aḷantu kāṇṭaṟku ariyaṉ
- hard to measure and to see
- vaḷam koḷ taṇ paṇai
- rich, cool fields
- uḷam koḷ ñāṉattu vaimmiṉ
- hold it in your heart with true knowledge
- uyyakkoṇṭu pōkuṟilē
- if you would take yourselves to salvation
Tiruvaymozhi 4.10.10 · verse 3231 of the four thousand
Meaning
All the gods, all the worlds and everything else stand as they are within Him, together with His own flawless form. So what is truly worth gaining is service to the One who became the small brahmachari and the tall Lord who danced with pots, in Thirukkurugur, where red paddy rises with sugarcane in the fields.
Word by word
- uṟuvatu āvatu
- what is truly worth gaining
- et tēvum ev ulakaṅkaḷum
- all the gods and all the worlds
- maṟu il mūrttiyōṭu
- with His flawless form
- cennel karumpoṭu ōṅku
- red paddy rising with sugarcane
- kuṟiya māṇ uru ākiya
- who became the small brahmachari
- kuṭak kūttaṉukku āḷ ceyvatē
- is service to the pot-dancer
Tiruvaymozhi 4.10.11 · verse 3232 of the four thousand
Meaning
Maran Satakopan, Nammalwar, of the town of rich Kurugur, who served the Lord of the discus and reached Him, whose chest wears a garland of magizham flowers, fragrant and fresh each day, sang a thousand songs out of longing. Those who can sing these ten among them hold in their hands the great city of Vaikuntam, from which there is no return.
Word by word
- āḷ ceytu āḻip pirāṉaic cērntavaṉ
- who served the Lord of the discus and reached Him
- nāḷ kamaḻ makiḻ mālai
- a garland of fresh, fragrant magizham flowers
- māṟaṉ caṭakōpaṉ
- Maran Satakopan, Nammalwar
- vēṭkaiyāl coṉṉa
- sung out of longing
- mīṭci iṉṟi
- with no return
- vaikunta mānakar
- the great city of Vaikuntam
- kaiyatuvē
- is in their hands
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.