Tiruvaymozhi 4.7.1 · verse 3189 of the four thousand
Meaning
I am a small one without virtue, and my deeds have been great sins. So though at all times I sit crying "O You who swallowed the world! O Form of knowledge! O Narayana!" again and again, beating my head in my grief, You do not come so that I may see Your lovely form; even when I call You, You do not take me.
Word by word
- cīlam illāc ciṟiyaṉēlum
- though I am a small one without virtue
- ceyviṉaiyō peritāl
- my deeds are great
- ñāṉa mūrtti
- the Form of knowledge
- kaitalaipūcal iṭṭāl
- when I wail, hands beating my head
- kōla mēṉi kāṇa
- to see Your lovely form
- kūviyum koḷḷāyē
- even when called, You do not take me
Tiruvaymozhi 4.7.2 · verse 3190 of the four thousand
Meaning
"O my generous One, who gives a flawless flood of joy too great to be contained! O Vamana, who took the earth!" When I sit crying out like this again and again, at midnight and in broad daylight, O wondrous One of many tricks, You do not come and grant Yourself to my eyes.
Word by word
- koḷḷa māḷā iṉpa veḷḷam
- a flood of joy too great to contain
- kōtu ila
- flawless
- vaḷḷalēyō
- O generous One
- vaiyam koṇṭa vāmaṉāvō
- O Vamana who took the earth
- naḷ irāvum naṉ pakalum
- at midnight and in broad daylight
- kaḷḷa māyā
- O wondrous One of many tricks
Tiruvaymozhi 4.7.3 · verse 3191 of the four thousand
Meaning
How many endless evil deeds must I have done? "My Father, who leapt and took the earth! O Damodara!" I stand calling and calling, my heart melting, tears streaming from my eyes; yet You do not come where I, a sinner, can see You, and say even one word, even "You sinner!"
Word by word
- īvu ilāta tīviṉaikaḷ
- endless evil deeds
- tāvi vaiyam koṇṭa
- who leapt and took the earth
- tāmōtarā
- Damodara, bound with a rope at the waist
- neñcu uruki
- my heart melting
- kaṇpaṉi cōra
- tears streaming
- pāvi nī eṉṟu oṉṟu collāy
- You do not even say 'You sinner'
Tiruvaymozhi 4.7.4 · verse 3192 of the four thousand
Meaning
"Come where I can see You, right before my eyes, Your lotus eyes glancing; O my Father, whose body is purest red gold, stand there and grace me!" Why do I, a small and shameless one, cry out like this, here, to the glorious Father whom even the gods, longing for Him, cannot see?
Word by word
- eṉ kaṇmukappē
- right before my eyes
- tāmaraikkaṇ piṟaḻa
- Your lotus eyes glancing
- āṇi cempoṉ mēṉi
- body of purest red gold
- nāṇam illāc ciṟu takaiyēṉ
- I, small and shameless
- pēṇi vāṉōr kāṇamāṭṭāp
- whom the gods long for and cannot see
- pīṭu uṭai appaṉaiyē
- the glorious Father
Tiruvaymozhi 4.7.5 · verse 3193 of the four thousand
Meaning
"O Father! O You of the mighty discus! O Strong One, who churned the deep ocean! Will it ever be granted to me to see Your four shoulders?" Always in tears, my life drying up again and again, I, a poor wretch, keep watching for You, saying, "Come, this very moment!"
Word by word
- aṭal āḻiyāṉē
- O You of the mighty discus
- āḻ kaṭalaik kaṭainta tuppaṉē
- O Strong One who churned the deep ocean
- tōḷkaḷ nāṉkum
- Your four shoulders
- āvi tuvarntu tuvarntu
- my life drying up again and again
- ippoḻutē vantiṭāy
- come this very moment
- ēḻaiyēṉ nōkkuvaṉē
- I, a poor wretch, keep watching
Tiruvaymozhi 4.7.6 · verse 3194 of the four thousand
Meaning
Looking and looking, longing to see You, I thirst for You within my soul; I have no true knowledge. Yet every day You stand everywhere without a gap: within my body, within my soul and in all that lies outside them. And so, knowing You again and again...
Word by word
- nōkki nōkki
- looking and looking
- nākku nīḷvaṉ
- I thirst, my tongue stretching out
- ñāṉam illai
- I have no true knowledge
- ākkaiyuḷḷum āviyuḷḷum
- within my body and my soul
- nīkkam iṉṟi eṅkum niṉṟāy
- You stand everywhere without a gap
- aṟintu aṟintē
- knowing You again and again
Tiruvaymozhi 4.7.7 · verse 3195 of the four thousand
Meaning
Knowing You again and again, growing clearer and clearer, I have placed You, the Form of knowledge who fills my soul, there in all Your purity; and the folly of being born, dying and stumbling on has left me for good. O Lord who wears a garland of fragrant tulasi, I have come to see You.
Word by word
- tēṟit tēṟi
- growing clearer and clearer
- niṟainta ñāṉa mūrttiyāyai
- You, the Form of knowledge who fills me
- niṉmalamāka vaittu
- placing You there in purity
- piṟantum cettum
- being born and dying
- pētaimai tīrntoḻintēṉ
- the folly has left me for good
- naṟun tuḻāyiṉ kaṇṇi
- garland of fragrant tulasi
Tiruvaymozhi 4.7.8 · verse 3196 of the four thousand
Meaning
Having seen You, I long to fill my hands with flowers from all eight directions and lay them on Your holy feet, praising You and rejoicing again and again, while we, Your servants, sing and dance. O King who wears a garland of rich tulasi, will You not come here, into this world surrounded by the sea?
Word by word
- eṉ kaikaḷ āra
- to fill my hands
- eṇ ticaiyum uḷḷa pūk
- flowers from all eight directions
- ukantu ukantu
- rejoicing again and again
- toṇṭarōṅkaḷ pāṭi āṭa
- we servants singing and dancing
- cūḻ kaṭal ñālattuḷḷē
- into this sea-girt world
- vaṇ tuḻāyiṉ kaṇṇi vēntē
- O King with the rich tulasi garland
Tiruvaymozhi 4.7.9 · verse 3197 of the four thousand
Meaning
I cannot offer anything; I cannot pour out water in worship; I cannot conquer the five senses; I cannot, as my duty, pluck flowers at every hour and praise You. Yet the love in my foolish, stubborn heart keeps swelling, and I, heavy with karma, grope about in a daze. Where shall I see the Lord who holds the discus?
Word by word
- iṭakilēṉ oṉṟu
- I cannot offer anything
- aṭṭa killēṉ
- I cannot pour out water
- aimpulaṉ vella killēṉ
- I cannot conquer the five senses
- kaṭavaṉ āki
- as my duty
- maṭa val neñcam kātal kūra
- love swelling in my foolish, stubborn heart
- cakkarattu aṇṇalaiyē
- the Lord who holds the discus
Tiruvaymozhi 4.7.10 · verse 3198 of the four thousand
Meaning
Crying "O Lord of the discus!", bowing low, my eyes brimming with tears, I stood looking all around and suffered; sinner that I am, I cannot see Him. Yet the Lamp of the Vedas, who is the Form of supreme knowledge, I shall see with my own true eyes of knowledge, and embrace Him.
Word by word
- tāḻntu kaṇṇīr tatumpa
- bowing low, eyes brimming with tears
- pakkam nōkki niṉṟu alantēṉ
- I stood looking around and suffered
- mikka ñāṉa mūrtti
- the Form of supreme knowledge
- vēta viḷakkiṉai
- the Lamp of the Vedas
- takka ñāṉak kaṇkaḷālē
- with true eyes of knowledge
- kaṇṭu taḻuvuvaṉē
- I shall see and embrace Him
Tiruvaymozhi 4.7.11 · verse 3199 of the four thousand
Meaning
With a love that held fast to the lotus-eyed Lord, Maran Satakopan, Nammalwar, of southern Kurugur with its crowded mansions, spoke a thousand verses of flawless, bright Tamil. Those who can sing and dance these ten among them, holding them close, will ascend to Vaikuntam.
Word by word
- taḻuviniṉṟa kātal
- a love that held fast
- tāmaraik kaṇṇaṉ
- the lotus-eyed Lord
- kuḻuvu māṭat
- with crowded mansions
- māṟaṉ caṭakōpaṉ
- Maran Satakopan, Nammalwar
- vaḻuvu ilāta oṇ tamiḻkaḷ
- flawless, bright Tamil verses
- vaikuntam ēṟuvarē
- will ascend to Vaikuntam
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.