Tiruvaymozhi 5.10.1 · verse 3332 of the four thousand
Meaning
The way You were born, the way You grew up, and the wonders You worked before You left: taking up the great Bharata war and showing the five brothers Your skill. These enter into my very being and melt my soul again and again, and consume it. O excellent light of heaven, when will I reach You?
Word by word
- piṟanta āṟum vaḷarnta āṟum
- the way You were born and grew up
- periya pāratam
- the great Bharata war
- tiṟaṅkaḷ kāṭṭiyiṭṭu
- showing Your skill
- māyaṅkaḷum
- the wonders
- urukki uṇkiṉṟa
- that melt and consume
- ciṟanta vāṉ cuṭarē
- excellent light of heaven
- eṉṟukol cērvatuvē?
- when will I reach You?
Tiruvaymozhi 5.10.2 · verse 3333 of the four thousand
Meaning
How You leapt on the bulls to win Your bride, how You split the mouth of the demon horse, the charm of Your joining the kuravai dance with the women of long, honey-sweet tresses: Your deeds cannot be pointed to as "this" or "that", and they wear me away. First Lord of this ancient world, when shall I come to You?
Word by word
- vatuvai vārttaiyuḷ
- in the matter of the wedding
- ēṟu pāyntatum
- that You leapt upon the bulls
- māya māviṉai
- the deceiving horse demon
- kuravai piṇainta kuḻakum
- the charm of joining the kuravai dance
- atu itu utu eṉṉalāvaṉa alla
- beyond pointing to as this or that
- mutu vaiya mutalvā
- First Lord of the ancient world
Tiruvaymozhi 5.10.3 · verse 3334 of the four thousand
Meaning
The child's cleverness in drinking the breast of the demoness with flowers in her hair; Your little feat of shattering the cart with one red foot as You stirred; and when Your mother took up a stick over the eating of the ghee, how You stood quietly, Your lotus eyes brimming with tears: these come and melt my heart.
Word by word
- piḷḷait tēṟṟamum
- the child's cleverness
- cāṭu iṟa
- so that the cart shattered
- ciṟuc cēvakamum
- Your little feat of valour
- ney uṇ vārttaiyuḷ
- over the eating of the ghee
- aṉṉai kōl koḷḷa
- when mother took up a stick
- paiyavē nilaiyum
- how You stood there quietly
Tiruvaymozhi 5.10.4 · verse 3335 of the four thousand
Meaning
The way You took on a false guise and went into the city of the asuras; the means by which You mingled with them, divided their minds and ended their lives; and how You stood so that it shone clear that Shiva, with the flood in his matted hair, is not apart from You: these dig deep into my heart, melt my life and consume it.
Word by word
- kaḷḷa vēṭattaik koṇṭu pōy
- taking on a false guise
- puram pukka āṟum
- the way You entered their city
- uḷḷam pētam ceytiṭṭu
- dividing their minds
- veḷḷa nīrc caṭaiyāṉum
- Shiva, with the flood in his matted hair
- vēṟu alāmai
- not being apart from You
- uḷḷam uḷ kuṭaintu
- digging deep into the heart
Tiruvaymozhi 5.10.5 · verse 3336 of the four thousand
Meaning
How You ate the food the cowherds had prepared to feed the king of the gods; how You lifted the lovely great mountain and sheltered them from the rain; and the wonders of how You first made the earth, swallowed it, brought it out again, strode over it, dug it up, and embraced it: each time I think of them, my heart is like wax in the mouth of a fire.
Word by word
- vāṉavar kōṉukku
- for the king of the gods, Indra
- aṭicil uṇṭatum
- that You ate the food
- vaṇṇa māl varaiyai
- the lovely great mountain, Govardhana
- maḻai kāttalum
- sheltering them from the rain
- uṇṭu umiḻntu kaṭantu iṭantu
- swallowed, brought out, strode over, dug up
- erivāy meḻuku okkum
- is like wax in the mouth of a fire
Tiruvaymozhi 5.10.6 · verse 3337 of the four thousand
Meaning
The way You stand, the way You sit, the way You lie: all beyond what thought can hold. Your wonders of being not one form but many, and of being formless too: I think of them again and again. How can I think of You? Tell this sinner one thing clearly, bright light who swallowed the worlds.
Word by word
- niṉṟa āṟum irunta āṟum kiṭanta āṟum
- the way You stand, sit and lie
- niṉaippu ariyaṉa
- beyond what thought can hold
- oṉṟu alā uruvu āy
- being not one form but many
- aruvu āya
- being formless
- oṉṟu naṉku uraiyāy
- tell me one thing clearly
- ulakam uṇṭa oṇ cuṭarē
- bright light who swallowed the worlds
Tiruvaymozhi 5.10.7 · verse 3338 of the four thousand
Meaning
The way You stand as both bright light and darkness, as being and not-being, hiding Yourself so that my eyes cannot hold You: all this is working upon me. I wilt within my brooding mind. My dark ruby, grant me, one day, that my eyes may hold Your sacred form firmly.
Word by word
- oṇ cuṭarōṭu iruḷumāy
- as both bright light and darkness
- uṇmaiyōṭu iṉmaiyāy
- as being and not-being
- kaṇ koḷāvakai nī karantu
- hiding so my eyes cannot hold You
- eṇ koḷ cintaiyuḷ naikiṉṟēṉ
- I wilt within my brooding mind
- kariya māṇikkamē
- dark ruby
- tiṇ koḷḷa
- to hold firmly
Tiruvaymozhi 5.10.8 · verse 3339 of the four thousand
Meaning
The way Your sacred form lies at rest; the works of creation that four-faced Brahma did, seated within the womb of the red lotus on Your navel; and Your matchless, sole Lordship: each time I hear of them, my heart melts where it stands and my tears pour like a waterfall. What shall I, Your servant, do?
Word by word
- tiru uruvu kiṭanta āṟum
- the way Your sacred form lies at rest
- koppūḻc centāmaraimēl
- on the red lotus of Your navel
- ticaimukaṉ
- four-faced Brahma
- poru il uṉ taṉi nāyakam
- Your matchless, sole Lordship
- niṉṟu nekku
- melting where it stands
- aruvi cōrum kaṇṇīr
- tears pouring like a waterfall
Tiruvaymozhi 5.10.9 · verse 3340 of the four thousand
Meaning
The way You begged for three steps of land, and the great feat of standing right there and taking in the deep sea, the earth and the sky entire with two steps: each time I hear it told, my heart dissolves and pours out for You alone. When shall I, held by cruel, strong deeds, be one with You?
Word by word
- aṭiyai mūṉṟai iranta āṟum
- the way You begged for three steps
- īr aṭiyāl muṭittukkoṇṭa
- took it all in two steps
- mukkiyamum
- the great feat
- niṉ taṉakkē karaintu ukum
- dissolves and pours out for You alone
- koṭiya valviṉaiyēṉ
- I, held by cruel, strong deeds
- eṉṟukol kūṭuvatē?
- when shall I be one with You?
Tiruvaymozhi 5.10.10 · verse 3341 of the four thousand
Meaning
The way You joined with others to churn the ocean, and the skill with which You arranged it all so that the gods drank the nectar and the asuras perished: You enter in and melt my life and consume it. Tell me how I may seek You, Lord who lies on the venomous serpent.
Word by word
- kūṭi nīraik kaṭainta āṟum
- the way You joined in churning the ocean
- amutam tēvar uṇṇa
- so that the gods drank the nectar
- acurarai vīṭum
- the asuras perishing
- vittakamum
- the skill
- nāṭum vaṇṇam collāy
- tell me how to seek You
- naccu nāku aṇaiyāṉē
- Lord on the venomous serpent bed
Tiruvaymozhi 5.10.11 · verse 3342 of the four thousand
Meaning
"The feet of our Lord on the serpent bed are our only refuge": holding to this, day after day, with a single mind, Sadagopan Maran, Nammalwar of Kurugur, wove a thousand antadi verses. Those who master these ten among them will rejoice every day in high Vaikuntha.
Word by word
- nāku aṇaimicai nam pirāṉ
- our Lord on the serpent bed
- caraṇē caraṇ
- His feet alone are refuge
- ēka cintaiyaṉāy
- with a single mind
- āka nūṟṟa antāti
- antadi verses woven well
- māka vaikuntattu
- in high Vaikuntha
- makiḻvu eytuvar vaikalumē
- will rejoice every day
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.