Tiruvaymozhi 4.6.1 · verse 3178 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The girl's friend speaks to the mothers, who have called in a soothsayer.) O mothers, how are we now to go looking for someone to cure her? Looking closely, we have understood this good sickness that has come upon this bright-browed girl. Is not her mind bewildered, longing for the tulasi of the wondrous charioteer who once drove the chariot in battle and made the five brothers win?
Word by word
- tīrppārai
- someone to cure her
- aṉṉaimīr
- O mothers
- oḷ nutal
- the bright-browed girl
- nal nōy
- a good sickness
- aivarai velvitta
- who made the five Pandavas win
- tērppākaṉārkku
- for the charioteer
- cintai tuḻāyt ticaikkiṉṟatē
- her mind is bewildered for the tulasi
Tiruvaymozhi 4.6.2 · verse 3179 of the four thousand
Meaning
Her sickness is bewilderment for the very great God. It is not some minor young deity, for whom you perform this unfitting possession dance. If, without hesitating, you say "The conch! The discus!" so that she can hear, that will be good: this house will have her back. Just watch!
Word by word
- mikka perun teyvam
- the very great God
- icaippu iṉṟi
- unfittingly
- aṇaṅku āṭum
- dance the possession dance
- iḷan teyvam aṉṟu
- not some minor young deity
- caṅku cakkaram
- the conch and the discus
- il peṟum
- the house will have her back
Tiruvaymozhi 4.6.3 · verse 3180 of the four thousand
Meaning
See this, mothers: do not take the word of this soothsayer woman, do whatever she says, and scatter toddy and meat there. If you sing the praise of the feet of the wondrous Lord, whose crown wears tulasi dripping with honey, that alone will be the rare medicine for the sickness she has.
Word by word
- ik kaṭṭuvicci col koṇṭu
- taking this soothsayer woman's word
- kaḷḷum iṟaicciyum
- toddy and meat
- tūvēṉ miṉ
- do not scatter
- matu vār tuḻāy muṭi
- crown with honey-dripping tulasi
- kaḻal vāḻttiṉāl
- if you praise His feet
- aru maruntu
- the rare medicine
Tiruvaymozhi 4.6.4 · verse 3181 of the four thousand
Meaning
You take the word of some deceiving babbler who says it will be medicine; what use is it to lay out a ritual ground with black rice and red rice? If you can only speak the name of the great God who swallowed all seven worlds at once and brought them out again, you will have her back.
Word by word
- māya valavai
- a deceiving babbler
- karuñ cōṟum
- black rice
- ceñ cōṟum
- red rice
- kaḷaṉ iḻaittu
- laying out a ritual ground
- peruntēvaṉ pēr
- the name of the great God
- ivaḷaip peṟutirē
- you will have her back
Tiruvaymozhi 4.6.5 · verse 3182 of the four thousand
Meaning
Alas, this possession dance is not the way to win her back. Her wide eyes like blue lilies and her red lips like the kovai fruit have grown pale. Speak the holy name of the Lord who killed the rutting elephant, fed on great mouthfuls, and put the white sacred powder on her; then it will subside.
Word by word
- ivaḷaip peṟum paricu
- the way to win her back
- kuvaḷait taṭaṅ kaṇṇum
- wide eyes like blue lilies
- kōvaic cevvāyum
- lips red as the kovai fruit
- payantaṉaḷ
- she has grown pale
- kavaḷak kaṭāk kaḷiṟu
- the rutting elephant fed on mouthfuls
- tavaḷap poṭik koṇṭu
- with the white sacred powder
- taṇiyumē
- it will subside
Tiruvaymozhi 4.6.6 · verse 3183 of the four thousand
Meaning
O mothers, it will never subside while you go on with the possession dance; the sickness does not leave her; it only grows. Try putting on her the dust from the feet of the devotees of the wondrous Lord, whose colour is a lovely gem. There is no other cure, you see, for this girl.
Word by word
- taṇiyum poḻutu illai
- there is no time it will subside
- perukum itu allāl
- it only grows
- maṇiyiṉ aṇi niṟa māyaṉ
- the wondrous Lord of lovely gem colour
- tamar aṭi nīṟu
- the dust of His devotees' feet
- aṇiya muyaliṉ
- if you try putting it on
- iv aṇaṅkukkē
- for this girl
Tiruvaymozhi 4.6.7 · verse 3184 of the four thousand
Meaning
O mothers, you vow a goat and toddy to the spirit as a rare cure, and dance the thunangai until your shoulders ache. What good is it to stand watching a donkey's lips work while the drying grain is ruined? Instead, bow to the devotees of the wondrous Lord, those who are learned in the Vedas.
Word by word
- āṭum kaḷḷum parāy
- vowing a goat and toddy
- tuṇaṅkai eṟintu
- dancing the thunangai dance
- num tōḷ kulaikkappaṭum
- your shoulders will ache
- uṇaṅkal keṭak
- while the drying grain is ruined
- kaḻutai utaṭu āṭṭam
- a donkey's working lips
- vētam vallāraiyē
- those learned in the Vedas
Tiruvaymozhi 4.6.8 · verse 3185 of the four thousand
Meaning
Instead of bringing those learned in the Vedas to bow at the holy feet of the Lord of the immortals and so curing her sickness, you go off talking harm and doing wrong, mixing in toddy, scattering offerings, singing songs and beating drums as you perform the possession dance. That is base indeed.
Word by word
- viṇṇōr perumāṉ tirup
- the holy (feet) of the Lord of the immortals
- nōy itu tīrttuk koḷḷātu
- instead of curing this sickness
- ētam paṟaintu
- talking harm
- alla ceytu
- doing what is wrong
- kītam muḻavu iṭṭu
- with songs and drums
- kīḻmaiyē
- it is base
Tiruvaymozhi 4.6.9 · verse 3186 of the four thousand
Meaning
I cannot bear to watch the falsehood of your possession dance, saying many crooked things to the drum beaten by some low fellow in his lowness. Here is the medicine that is a safeguard for all seven births and for this sickness too: with a mind set upon Him, praise the feet of Kanna Piran, Lord Krishna, in the proper way.
Word by word
- kīḻmakaṉ iṭṭa muḻaviṉ kīḻ
- to the drum a low fellow beats
- nāḻmai pala colli
- saying many crooked things
- poy kāṇkilēṉ
- I cannot watch the falsehood
- ēḻmaip piṟappukkum cēmam
- a safeguard for all seven births
- ītē maruntu
- this is the medicine
- kaṇṇa pirāṉ kaḻal
- the feet of Lord Krishna
- uṉṉittē
- with a mind set upon Him
Tiruvaymozhi 4.6.10 · verse 3187 of the four thousand
Meaning
With her mind set on Him, she will worship no other god but Him. O mothers, you will only weary your shoulders telling your own wishes to the spirits. Praise the Lord of the Vedas, to whom one should hold fast, the King of rich Dwaraka; the moment you praise Him, she too will worship and dance for joy.
Word by word
- maṟṟu oru teyvam toḻāaḷ
- she will worship no other god
- num iccai colli
- telling your own wishes
- maṉṉappaṭum
- to be held fast
- maṟaivāṇaṉai
- the Lord of the Vedas
- tuvarāpati maṉṉaṉai
- the King of Dwaraka
- toḻutu āṭumē
- she will worship and dance
Tiruvaymozhi 4.6.11 · verse 3188 of the four thousand
Meaning
Satakopan, Nammalwar, of rich Kurugur, whose ancient fame never fails, worshipped and danced and served the Lord of pure gem colour, and was cured of his sickness. Those who can worship, dance and sing these ten verses on the possession dance, among his flawless thousand, will be free of a life of sorrow.
Word by word
- tū maṇi vaṇṇaṉukku
- for the Lord of pure gem colour
- āṭceytu nōy tīrnta
- served Him and was cured
- vaḻuvāta tol pukaḻ
- ancient fame that never fails
- veṟikaḷum
- the verses on the possession dance
- toḻutu āṭip pāṭa vallār
- those who can worship, dance and sing
- tukka cīlam ilarkaḷē
- will be free of a sorrowful life
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.