Tiruvaymozhi 4.4.1 · verse 3156 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The mother speaks of her daughter.) She sits and gropes over the ground, saying, "This is the earth that Vamana measured." She worships the sky and points, saying, "That is Vaikuntam, where He lives." She stands with eyes brimming with tears and says, "He of the ocean's colour!" O ladies with bangles, what am I to do about the One who has thrown my girl into such great bewilderment?
Word by word
- maṇṇai iruntu tuḻāvi
- sitting and groping over the ground
- vāmaṉaṉ maṇ itu
- this is Vamana's earth
- vaikuntam eṉṟu kai kāṭṭum
- she points, saying 'Vaikuntam'
- uḷnīr malka
- brimming with tears
- kaṭalvaṇṇaṉ
- He of the ocean's colour
- perumayal ceytāṟku
- to Him who caused great bewilderment
- pey vaḷaiyīrē
- O ladies wearing bangles
Tiruvaymozhi 4.4.2 · verse 3157 of the four thousand
Meaning
Folding her bangled hands, she says, "This is the ocean where my Lord lies." Pointing to the red sun, she says, "This is the form of Sridhara, who bears Sri." Standing with melting eyes overflowing with tears, she says, "Narayana!" Ah, I do not understand what my little fawn of divine form is doing.
Word by word
- peyvaḷaik kaikaḷaik kūppi
- folding her bangled hands
- pirāṉ kiṭakkum kaṭal
- the ocean where the Lord lies
- ceyyatu ōr ñāyiṟṟaik kāṭṭi
- pointing to the red sun
- cirītaraṉ mūrtti
- the form of Sridhara, bearer of Sri
- teyva uruvil ciṟumāṉ
- little fawn of divine form
- oṉṟu aṟiyēṉē
- I do not understand at all
Tiruvaymozhi 4.4.3 · verse 3158 of the four thousand
Meaning
She embraces the red fire, which all know will burn, and says, "Achyuta!" She embraces the cool wind as it blows and says, "My Govinda!" She is fragrant with the scent of tulasi flowers. What this little fawn with close-set bangles on her arms, born to me who am full of sin, is doing: how can my eyes bear to watch it?
Word by word
- aṟiyum centīyait taḻuvi
- embracing the red fire known to burn
- accutaṉ
- Achyuta, the One who never lets go
- eṟiyum taṇ kāṟṟait taḻuvi
- embracing the cool blowing wind
- veṟi koḷ tuḻāy malar nāṟum
- fragrant with the scent of tulasi
- ceṟi vaḷai muṉ kaic
- with close-set bangles on her arms
- eṉ kaṇṇukku oṉṟē
- is this a sight for my eyes?
Tiruvaymozhi 4.4.4 · verse 3159 of the four thousand
Meaning
Pointing to the full moon, she says, "O You of the bright gem's colour!" Gazing at a hill standing still, she calls, "O great Tirumal, come!" When she sees the rain pouring down well, she dances like a peacock, saying, "Narayana has come!" What kinds of bewilderment He has worked on my tender one!
Word by word
- oṉṟiya tiṅkaḷaik kāṭṭi
- pointing to the full moon
- oḷi maṇi vaṇṇaṉē
- O You of the bright gem's colour
- niṉṟa kuṉṟattiṉai nōkki
- gazing at a standing hill
- neṭumālē vā
- O great Tirumal, come
- nāraṇaṉ vantāṉ eṉṟu ālum
- she dances, saying 'Narayana has come'
- iṉa maiyalkaḷ
- kinds of bewilderment
- kōmaḷattaiyē
- my tender one
Tiruvaymozhi 4.4.5 · verse 3160 of the four thousand
Meaning
Hugging a tender young calf, she says, "These are the ones Govinda tended." Following a young snake as it slides away, she says, "This is His bed." I cannot tell where it will end. This is the play the wondrous Lord performs, bewildering the tender creeper born to me, who am heavy with sin.
Word by word
- kōmaḷa vāṉ kaṉṟaip pulki
- hugging a tender young calf
- kōvintaṉ mēyttaṉa
- the ones Govinda grazed
- pōm iḷa nākattiṉ piṉ pōy
- following a young snake as it goes
- avaṉ kiṭakkai ītu
- this is His bed
- kōmaḷa valliyai
- the tender creeper
- ceykiṉṟa kūttē
- the play He performs
Tiruvaymozhi 4.4.6 · verse 3161 of the four thousand
Meaning
If dancers lift pots and dance, she runs, saying, "It must be Govinda!" If she hears the sweet sound of a flute, she swoons, saying, "Mayavan!" If she sees the cowherd women's butter, she says, "This is the butter He ate." Such is the madness that has seized my slender girl for Him who sucked the demoness's breast.
Word by word
- kūttar kuṭam eṭuttu āṭil
- if dancers dance with pots
- vāytta kuḻal ōcai
- the sweet sound of the flute
- maiyākkum
- she swoons
- āycciyar veṇṇeykaḷ
- the cowherd women's butter
- pēycci mulai cuvaittāṟku
- for Him who sucked the demoness's breast
- peṇkoṭi ēṟiya pittē
- the madness that has seized my slender girl
Tiruvaymozhi 4.4.7 · verse 3162 of the four thousand
Meaning
In her mounting madness she says, "All the worlds are Kannan's creation." If she sees people wearing the sacred mark properly, she runs to them, saying, "These are Tirumal's devotees." If she sees fragrant tulasi flowers, she says, "This is Narayana's garland." Clear-minded or not, this treasure of a girl belongs wholly to the wondrous Lord.
Word by word
- ēṟiya pittiṉōṭu
- with her mounting madness
- kaṇṇaṉ paṭaippu
- Kannan's creation
- nīṟu cevvē iṭak kāṇil
- seeing the sacred mark worn properly
- neṭumāl aṭiyār
- devotees of Tirumal
- nāraṇaṉ kaṇṇi
- Narayana's garland
- tēṟiyum tēṟātum
- clear-minded or not
- it tiruvē
- this treasure of a girl
Tiruvaymozhi 4.4.8 · verse 3163 of the four thousand
Meaning
If she sees kings in their splendour, she says, "I have seen Tirumal!" If she sees beautiful colours and forms, she leaps up, saying, "He who measured the world!" Every temple that holds a sacred image she calls "the temple of the ocean-hued Lord." Whether she is frightened or falling faint, she never stops: she longs for Kannan's feet.
Word by word
- tiru uṭai maṉṉaraik kāṇil
- seeing kings in their splendour
- uru uṭai vaṇṇaṅkaḷ
- beautiful colours and forms
- ulaku aḷantāṉ
- He who measured the world
- karu uṭait tēvu ilkaḷ
- temples holding sacred images
- kaṭal vaṇṇaṉ kōyilē
- the temple of the ocean-hued Lord
- veruvilum vīḻvilum ōvāḷ
- frightened or fainting, she never stops
Tiruvaymozhi 4.4.9 · verse 3164 of the four thousand
Meaning
When she sees holy men, she eagerly says, "He who swallowed the wide world!" When she sees great dark clouds, she flutters as if to fly up to them, saying, "Kannan!" When she sees herds of cattle in the broad fields, she follows them, saying, "My Lord is there." The wondrous Lord makes this girl, so rarely given, cry out and swoon.
Word by word
- pakavaraik kāṇil
- seeing holy men
- viyal iṭam uṇṭāṉē
- He who swallowed the wide world
- karum peru mēkaṅkaḷ
- great dark clouds
- ēṟap paṟakkum
- flutters as if to fly up
- perum pula ā nirai
- herds of cattle in broad fields
- arum peṟal peṇṇiṉai
- this girl so rarely given
- alaṟṟi ayarppikkiṉṟāṉē
- makes her cry out and swoon
Tiruvaymozhi 4.4.10 · verse 3165 of the four thousand
Meaning
She grows faint; she clutches at things and looks all around, then gazes long into the distance; she sweats; her rain-cloud eyes overflow; she breathes hot sighs; her body droops. Again she says, "Kanna!" and cries out, "My Lord, come!" What can I do about my innocent girl's great, bewildered love, I who am heavy with sin?
Word by word
- ayarkkum
- she grows faint
- nīḷ nōkkuk koḷḷum
- she gazes long into the distance
- maḻaikkaṇ tuḷumpa
- her rain-cloud eyes overflowing
- vevvuyir koḷḷum
- she breathes hot sighs
- mey cōrum
- her body droops
- mayal peruṅ kātal
- great, bewildered love
Tiruvaymozhi 4.4.11 · verse 3166 of the four thousand
Meaning
On Kannan, who ends even the heaviest karma, Satakopan, Nammalwar, of rich Kurugur sang a thousand songs with the craft of words. Those who learn these ten among them, taking them as a good deed, will reach Vaikuntam, the place of all good, and, their old karma ended, will sit there in glory while all rise up to worship them.
Word by word
- valviṉai tīrkkum kaṇṇaṉai
- Kannan, who ends the heaviest karma
- col viṉaiyāl
- with the craft of words
- nal viṉai eṉṟu kaṟpārkaḷ
- those who learn them as a good deed
- nalaṉiṭai vaikuntam
- Vaikuntam, the place of all good
- tolviṉai tīra
- their old karma ended
- toḻutu eḻa vīṟṟiruppārē
- will sit in glory as all rise to worship
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.