Tiruvaymozhi 4.3.1 · verse 3145 of the four thousand
Meaning
For Nappinnai, whose lips are red as the kovai fruit, You broke the necks of the bulls; You bent Your bow so that the king of walled Lanka perished; You snapped the tusk of the noble elephant. Though I do not worship You at the proper hours, scattering fresh flowers and water, my heart itself is the sandal paste smeared on Your body, which is dark and fresh like the kaya blossom.
Word by word
- kōvai vāyāḷporuṭṭu
- for her of kovai-red lips, Nappinnai
- ēṟṟiṉ
- of the bulls
- matiḷ ilaṅkaik
- walled Lanka
- cilai kuṉittāy
- You bent the bow
- maruppu ocittāy
- You snapped the tusk
- pūvai vīyām mēṉikkup
- for Your body, fresh as the dark kaya flower
- pūcum cāntu eṉ neñcamē
- my heart is the sandal paste I smear
Tiruvaymozhi 4.3.2 · verse 3146 of the four thousand
Meaning
My heart is the sandal paste I smear on Him; the garland I weave for Him is my garland of words; that same garland is His fine silk robe; and the radiant jewels I put on Him are simply my folded hands. All this for the Lord, my Father, the One Form, who swallowed the world and brought it out again.
Word by word
- puṉaiyum kaṇṇi
- the garland I adorn Him with
- vācakam cey mālaiyē
- a garland made of words
- vāṉ paṭṭu āṭaiyum
- the fine silk robe
- tēcam āṉa aṇikalaṉum
- the radiant jewels
- kaikūppuc ceykaiyē
- the act of folding my hands
- ēka mūrttikkē
- for the One Form
Tiruvaymozhi 4.3.3 · verse 3147 of the four thousand
Meaning
O Narayana, You became the one form, the two forms, the three forms and the many forms; You became the five elements, the two lights of sun and moon, and the formless spirit; You climbed onto the serpent and slept in the middle of the ocean. Taking Your whole form within my heart, You have ended all the distress of my soul.
Word by word
- ēka mūrtti iru mūrtti
- the one form, the two forms
- aintu pūtam āy
- becoming the five elements
- iraṇṭu cuṭar āy
- becoming the two lights, sun and moon
- aruvu āki
- becoming the formless
- nākam ēṟi naṭuk kaṭaluḷ
- on the serpent in mid-ocean
- āvi allal māyttatē
- ended the distress of my soul
Tiruvaymozhi 4.3.4 · verse 3148 of the four thousand
Meaning
O wondrous One, born among the cowherds, who took the life of the deceiving demoness who gave You her breast meaning to kill You! O Vamana! O Madhava, Lord of Sri! Though I do not worship You at the proper hours with cool garlands of flowers, my very life is the garland I place on Your tall crown, which wears its own cool flower garland.
Word by word
- māyttal eṇṇi
- intending to kill
- māyap pēy
- the deceiving demoness, Putana
- āya māyaṉē
- wondrous One among the cowherds
- vāmaṉaṉē mātavā
- O Vamana, O Madhava
- neṭu muṭikkup
- for Your tall crown
- puṉaiyum kaṇṇi eṉatu uyirē
- the garland I place is my life
Tiruvaymozhi 4.3.5 · verse 3149 of the four thousand
Meaning
The love of my life is His garland; beginning with His crown of golden radiance, it is all His countless jewels, and it is His fitting robes as well; it is even the fame that all three worlds gather to proclaim. All of it is for Kannan, my Lord, my Master, who holds the discus that rules time.
Word by word
- kaṇṇi eṉatu uyir kātal
- my life's love is His garland
- kaṉakac cōti muṭi
- crown of golden radiance
- eṇ il pal kalaṉkaḷum
- countless jewels
- naviṟṟum kīrttiyum
- the fame they proclaim
- em pirāṉ emmāṉ
- my Lord, my Master
- kāla cakkarattāṉukkē
- for Him with the discus that rules time
Tiruvaymozhi 4.3.6 · verse 3150 of the four thousand
Meaning
"You who hold in Your hands the discus of time and the white conch! O Narayana, who swallowed the whole world and brought it out again!" Even if, when I cry out like this, calling You again and again, You do not come at all, still Your lotus-like feet with their ringing anklets are the ornament of my head.
Word by word
- kāla cakkarattoṭu
- with the discus of time
- veṇ caṅkam
- the white conch
- ōlam iṭṭu nāṉ aḻaittāl
- when I cry out and call
- oṉṟum vārāyākilum
- even if You do not come at all
- kōlam ām eṉ ceṉṉikku
- they are the ornament of my head
- kuraikaḻalē
- feet with ringing anklets
Tiruvaymozhi 4.3.7 · verse 3151 of the four thousand
Meaning
O lovely Vamana, who stretched out Your feet with their ringing anklets and took the earth! O wondrous One, who stays close to those who fold their hands before Your feet! Though I cannot praise You with fragrant flowers and water, Your sacred form of radiance, beyond all praise, rests upon my soul.
Word by word
- kurai kaḻalkaḷ nīṭṭi maṇ
- stretching out Your anklet-ringing feet, the earth
- kōla vāmaṉā
- O lovely Vamana
- kūṭa niṉṟa māyaṉē
- wondrous One who stays close
- virai koḷ pūvum nīrum
- fragrant flowers and water
- urai koḷ cōtit tiru uruvam
- Your praised, radiant sacred form
- eṉṉatu āvi mēlatē
- rests upon my soul
Tiruvaymozhi 4.3.8 · verse 3152 of the four thousand
Meaning
You rest upon my soul; You pervade all the beautiful seven worlds and become everything in them; You are the radiant Form of knowledge. My soul has become Yours, and You, my soul, have become mine: You stand in this way with me. Am I able to put it into words?
Word by word
- eṉṉatu āvi mēlaiyāy
- You who rest upon my soul
- ēr koḷ ēḻ ulakamum
- the beautiful seven worlds
- tuṉṉi muṟṟum āki
- pervading and becoming all
- cōti ñāṉa mūrttiyāy
- radiant Form of knowledge
- uṉṉatu eṉṉatu āviyum
- my soul is Yours
- uraikka vallēṉē
- am I able to say it?
Tiruvaymozhi 4.3.9 · verse 3153 of the four thousand
Meaning
No, I cannot say it. When will I ever reach the far shore of the flood of Your endless glory? I have climbed into the madness of love. O flawless Supreme, higher than the highest! O Supreme Light, in whom there is no falsehood! As the good and noble ones raise their voices in praise, I too have praised You.
Word by word
- ulappu il kīrtti veḷḷattiṉ
- of the flood of endless glory
- karaikkaṇ eṉṟu celvaṉ
- when shall I reach its shore?
- kātal maiyal ēṟiṉēṉ
- I have climbed into love's madness
- puraippu ilāta paramparaṉē
- flawless One, higher than the highest
- poy ilāta parañcuṭarē
- Supreme Light without falsehood
- nalla mēṉmakkaḷ
- the good and noble ones
Tiruvaymozhi 4.3.10 · verse 3154 of the four thousand
Meaning
If I praise Him, and the seven worlds all praise Him, and then He too praises Himself, where could all that praise ever reach its end? Yet because He becomes honey, milk, sugarcane and nectar and is sweet to me, I too have praised my Lord, so that I may be saved.
Word by word
- ēḻ ulakum muṟṟum ētti
- all seven worlds praising
- tāṉum ēttilum
- even if He Himself praises
- eṅku eytum
- where could it reach?
- tēṉum pālum kaṉṉalum
- honey, milk and sugarcane
- tittippa
- being sweet
- yāṉ uyvāṉē
- so that I may be saved
Tiruvaymozhi 4.3.11 · verse 3155 of the four thousand
Meaning
Knowing for certain that there is no other means of being saved, Satakopan, Nammalwar, of southern Kurugur with its fields of red lotuses, sang a thousand songs without falsehood on the bright feet of Kannan. Those who can sing these ten among them will dwell on this earth in glory and, while still on earth, rule heaven too.
Word by word
- uyvu upāyam maṟṟu iṉmai tēṟi
- certain there is no other means of rescue
- oṇ kaḻalkaḷ mēl
- on His bright feet
- ceyya tāmaraip paḻaṉat
- with fields of red lotuses
- poy il pāṭal
- songs without falsehood
- vaiyam maṉṉi vīṟṟiruntu
- dwelling on earth in glory
- viṇṇum āḷvar maṇṇūṭē
- will rule heaven while on earth
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.