Tiruvaymozhi 7.7.1 · verse 3519 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The girl speaks to her friends and mothers.) Are they a pair of Deaths that devour the lives of helpless women? I do not know. Are they the holy eyes of Lord Krishna? I do not know. Everywhere around me they appear like freshly opened lotus flowers, see! Friends, mothers, what shall I do, I who am so stricken?
Word by word
- ēḻaiyar āvi uṇṇum
- that devour the lives of helpless women
- iṇaik kūṟṟamkolō?
- a pair of Deaths?
- tirukkaṇkaḷkolō?
- or His holy eyes?
- cūḻavum
- everywhere around me
- tāmarai nāḷ malar pōl
- like freshly opened lotus flowers
- tuyarāṭṭiyēṉē?
- I who am so stricken
Tiruvaymozhi 7.7.2 · verse 3520 of the four thousand
Meaning
Mothers, what do you gain by tormenting me, shaking me and spreading gossip about me? Is it a creeper of the tall wish-granting tree that stands near? Or its tender shoot? I do not know. The holy nose of Him who ate the gathered butter stands within my soul like the flame of a strong lamp kindled there; so strong it is.
Word by word
- āṭṭiyum tūṟṟiyum
- shaking me and spreading gossip
- kaṟpakattiṉ valliyō?
- a creeper of the wish-granting kalpaka tree?
- koḻuntō?
- or its tender shoot?
- īṭṭiya veṇṇey uṇṭāṉ
- He who ate the gathered butter
- tirumūkku
- His holy nose
- val viḷakkiṉ cuṭarāy
- as the flame of a strong lamp
Tiruvaymozhi 7.7.3 · verse 3521 of the four thousand
Meaning
Is it some rich, choice fruit? Is it the cruel karma of me, a sinner? Is it a gleaming piece of lovely, rounded coral? I do not know. The lips, red as the kovai fruit, of my Lord whose holy body is like a tall dark-blue cloud, appear before my sweet life in every direction I can turn.
Word by word
- vāliyatu ōr kaṉikol?
- is it some rich, choice fruit?
- viṉaiyāṭṭiyēṉ valviṉaikol?
- or the cruel karma of me, a sinner?
- pavaḷak koḻum tuṇṭamkolō?
- a gleaming piece of coral?
- nīla neṭu mukil pōl
- like a tall dark-blue cloud
- toṇṭaivāy
- lips red as the kovai fruit
- ēlum ticaiyuḷ ellām
- in every direction I can turn
Tiruvaymozhi 7.7.4 · verse 3522 of the four thousand
Meaning
Are they a pair of blue bows, bent over helpless women to torment their sweet lives? Or the sugarcane bow of Manmatha, the god of love, of lasting fame? They are the brows of Lord Krishna, Manmatha's own father. They stand over my life and keep killing me, always.
Word by word
- iṇai nīla viṟkol
- a pair of blue bows?
- mataṉaṉ karuppuc cilaikol
- or the sugarcane bow of Manmatha?
- uyirt tātai
- own father
- kaṇṇa perumāṉ puruvam?
- the brows of Lord Krishna
- eṉ uyir mēlaṉavāy
- standing over my life
- aṭukiṉṟaṉa
- they keep killing me
Tiruvaymozhi 7.7.5 · verse 3523 of the four thousand
Meaning
Is it white lightning, born of red light, shining for ever? Or a lovely row of pearls that kills my soul? I do not know. The smile of the Lord who lifted the hill is killing my soul. Mothers, I know of no place at all where I can escape.
Word by word
- ceyya īṉ cuṭar veṇ miṉṉukkol?
- white lightning born of red light?
- aṇi muttamkolō?
- or a lovely row of pearls?
- kuṉṟam eṭutta pirāṉ muṟuval
- the smile of the Lord who lifted the hill
- eṉatu āvi aṭum
- kills my soul
- eṉakku uyvu iṭamē
- a place for me to escape
Tiruvaymozhi 7.7.6 · verse 3524 of the four thousand
Meaning
Are they tender shoots on which makara earrings flourish, shining as if to say, 'Where is there any escape for helpless women, for asuras, for rakshasas?' They are the holy ears, with their earrings, of the Lord who rests on the serpent with venomous hoods. They keep killing me and never let me go; see!
Word by word
- uyvu iṭam
- a place of escape
- makaram taḻaikkum taḷirkol
- tender shoots where makara earrings flourish?
- pai viṭap pāmpu aṇaiyāṉ
- Lord resting on the serpent with venomous hoods
- tiruk kuṇṭalak kātukaḷē?
- His holy ears with earrings
- kaiviṭal oṉṟum iṉṟi
- never letting go
Tiruvaymozhi 7.7.7 · verse 3525 of the four thousand
Meaning
'See, mothers!' I cannot even find a way to show it to you. Is it the fresh white crescent moon? Or a poisoned spear-blade for those who love Him? It is the holy forehead of the Lord with four broad arms reaching far. Bent on taking my life, it stays and kills me, wicked one that I am.
Word by word
- kāṭṭum vakai aṟiyēṉ
- I cannot find a way to show you
- veṇ tiṅkaḷ
- the white crescent moon
- nayantārkaṭku naccu ilaikol
- a poisoned spear-blade for those who love Him?
- nāl taṭam tōḷ
- four broad arms
- tiru nutalē?
- His holy forehead
- uyir kōḷ iḻaittē
- bent on taking my life
Tiruvaymozhi 7.7.8 · verse 3526 of the four thousand
Meaning
Is it a rich orb of light that wears, as its chosen ornaments, a lotus, a creeper, coral, a bow, cool pearls, tender shoots and the cool, bright crescent moon? It is the bright face of Krishna, with its jewels, that is taking the life of me, wicked one that I am.
Word by word
- tāmaraiyum koṭiyum
- a lotus and a creeper
- pavaḷamum villum
- coral and a bow
- taṇ muttamum taḷirum
- cool pearls and tender shoots
- kuḷir vāṉ piṟaiyum
- the cool, bright crescent
- koḻum cōtivaṭṭam
- a rich orb of light
- vāḷ mukamāy
- as His bright face
- uyir koḷkiṉṟatē?
- is taking my life
Tiruvaymozhi 7.7.9 · verse 3527 of the four thousand
Meaning
Is it a cluster of fine blue thread, gathered into rich curls, combed out of the thick darkness? No, it is the wondrous Lord's hair. It comes to me fragrant with blossoming, cool tulasi flowers, and it is stealing my life away. Mothers, you do not know this, and you keep scolding me!
Word by word
- iruḷaic cukirntiṭṭa
- combed out of the darkness
- koḻum curuḷiṉ
- rich curls
- nīla nal nūl taḻaikol?
- a cluster of fine blue thread?
- māyaṉ kuḻal
- the wondrous Lord's hair
- pūn taṇ tuḻāy virai nāṟa
- fragrant with cool tulasi flowers
- kaḷkiṉṟavāṟu
- how it steals
- kaḻaṟā niṟṟirē
- you keep scolding me
Tiruvaymozhi 7.7.10 · verse 3528 of the four thousand
Meaning
'You stand out in the courtyard!' you say, wringing your hands, and you surround me on every side and scold me. But my heart has become one with His radiant crown, which spreads across all these three worlds in the colour of a gem of blazing light. Mothers, why do you still hope to keep me?
Word by word
- niṟṟi muṟṟattuḷ
- you stand out in the courtyard
- neritta kaiyar āy
- wringing your hands
- cuṟṟiyum cūḻntum vaitir
- you surround me and scold me
- cuṭarc cōti maṇi niṟam āy
- in the colour of a blazing gem
- cuṭar muṭikkē
- to His radiant crown
- oṟṟumai koṇṭatu uḷḷam
- my heart has become one with it
- nacai eṉ nuṅkaṭkē?
- why do you still hope?
Tiruvaymozhi 7.7.11 · verse 3529 of the four thousand
Meaning
Brahma, Shiva and Indra are hard for eyes to see, yet Krishna is beyond the sight even of them. Of the awe-inspiring thousand verses that Satakopan of Kurugur sang on Him, those who can sing these ten as well will be with the glorious heavenly ones and will never perish.
Word by word
- kaṭku ariya
- hard for eyes to see
- piramaṉ civaṉ intiraṉ
- Brahma, Shiva, Indra
- kaṇṇaṉaik
- Krishna
- uṭku uṭai āyirattuḷ
- among the awe-inspiring thousand
- uṭku uṭai vāṉavarōṭu
- with the glorious heavenly ones
- eṉṟum māyārē
- will never perish
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.