Tiruvaymozhi 8.1.1 · verse 3563 of the four thousand
Meaning
Your consorts are Sri (Lakshmi) and Bhumi; the immortals do service at Your word; the three worlds are Yours to rule; whatever form You wish to take becomes Your form. O matchless gem with coral lips and lotus eyes that torment me, sinner that I am! My life, my nectar, my Father who churned the wave-tossed sea, grant me the grace to see You.
Word by word
- tēvimār āvār
- those who are Your consorts
- tirumakaḷ pūmi
- Sri (Lakshmi) and Bhumi, the Earth
- amarar āṭceyvār
- the immortals serve You
- vēṇṭu vēṇṭu uruvam niṉ uruvam
- every form You wish becomes Your form
- pāviyēṉ taṉṉai aṭukiṉṟa
- that torment me, a sinner
- pavaḷa vāy maṇiyē
- gem with coral lips
- kāṇumāṟu aruḷāy
- grant me the grace to see You
Tiruvaymozhi 8.1.2 · verse 3564 of the four thousand
Meaning
"Grant that I may see You," I cry again and again, shaken, my eyes swimming with tears, sinner that I am. Alas, give me this grace: to cherish You in every way one can, and to keep babbling only Your names. Grant that I may see You, O Kakuttha (Rama), O Kanna, wish-granting kalpaka fruit of me, Your servant, nectar of those who cherish You, great One who lifted up the vast earth girded by the great cool waters!
Word by word
- kaṇṇa nīr alamara
- tears welling and swimming in the eyes
- niṉ peyarē
- Your names alone
- pitaṟṟumāṟu aruḷ
- grant that I may babble them
- kākuttā
- Kakuttha, Rama of the Kakutstha line
- kaṟpakak kaṉiyē
- fruit of the wish-granting kalpaka tree
- pēṇuvār amutē
- nectar to those who cherish You
- peru nilam eṭutta pērāḷā
- great One who lifted the earth (as Varaha)
Tiruvaymozhi 8.1.3 · verse 3565 of the four thousand
Meaning
Great One who lifted up the earth! Dear little son, sweet as life to Nandagopa! Young elephant of the noble clan, who brought great joy to Yashoda! Great Lord of me, Your servant! My ocean, whose hand-claws split in two the body of the fierce, warring asura! If You do not come today in a form that we can approach, how will Your own people take heart?
Word by word
- iṉ uyirc ciṟuvaṉē
- little son, sweet as life
- kula iḷam kaḷiṟē
- young elephant of the noble clan
- avuṇaṉ uṭal iru piḷavāk
- splitting the asura's body in two (Hiranya)
- kaiukir
- the claws of Your hands, as Narasimha
- em kaṭalē
- my ocean, dark and boundless
- aṭuttatu ōr uruvāy
- in a form fit for us to approach
- eṅṅaṉam tēṟuvar umarē
- how will Your people take heart?
Tiruvaymozhi 8.1.4 · verse 3566 of the four thousand
Meaning
The form Your people love and love again becomes Your form, and so they become Your lovers; and the way they rest there in joy, is that Your wondrous play? I, sinner, am left doubting, whatever I know. O Lord who waged war and destroyed the killing armies that covered the wide earth! Nectar of the immortals, poison to the asuras, O my own dear life!
Word by word
- umar ukantu ukanta uruvam
- the form Your people delight in again and again
- aṉpar āṉār
- became Your lovers
- uṉ māyai
- Your wondrous play
- caṅkippaṉ
- I doubt
- aṭu paṭai avitta
- destroyed the killing armies
- acurarkaḷ nañcē
- poison to the asuras
- eṉṉuṭai ār uyirēyō
- O my own dear life
Tiruvaymozhi 8.1.5 · verse 3567 of the four thousand
Meaning
O dear life! O great life who created the whole wide earth, dug it up from the deep, swallowed it, brought it out again and measured it! O glorious life who made the great waters, rested there, churned them, bridged them and broke the bridge! God even of the gods, as gods are to men! One life of all the worlds! Where can I come to reach You?
Word by word
- paṭaittu iṭantu uṇṭu umiḻntu aḷanta
- created, dug up, swallowed, brought out and measured
- periya nīr paṭaittu
- made the great waters
- kaṭaintu aṭaittu uṭaitta
- churned, bridged and broke the bridge
- tēvarkkum tēvāvō
- O God even of the gods
- ōr uyirēyō
- O one life
- eṅku vantu uṟukō
- where can I come to reach You?
Tiruvaymozhi 8.1.6 · verse 3568 of the four thousand
Meaning
Where can I come to reach You, You who rule me? The seven worlds are You; the gods appointed for those who dwell there are You; the deeds by which they worship are You. Even if there are things beyond, swelling outside all these, they too are You. The subtle things in which awareness lies dimmed are You; and what lies far beyond the reach of the senses is You.
Word by word
- eṉṉai āḷvāṉē
- You who rule me
- ēḻ ulakaṅkaḷum nīyē
- the seven worlds are You
- amaitta teyvamum
- the gods You appointed
- karumamum nīyē
- their deeds too are You
- puṟampāl poruḷ
- things beyond, outside
- maṅkiya aṟivām nērppamum
- the subtle things where awareness lies dimmed
- pulaṉ iṟantatum
- what lies beyond the senses
Tiruvaymozhi 8.1.7 · verse 3569 of the four thousand
Meaning
What is past is You, what is to come is You, and what is happening now is You. That being so, I, sinner, am left doubting, whatever I know, whether Your excellent nature is this, or that, or the other. Ghee from fresh-drawn milk, sweet taste of that ghee! Nectar within the ocean, sweet taste born of that nectar, and the joy that taste gives! Great cowherd who embraced Pinnai's shoulders!
Word by word
- iṟantatum nīyē
- what has passed is You
- etirntatum nīyē
- what is to come is You
- atu itu utu
- this, that, or the other
- kaṟanta pāl neyyē
- ghee from fresh-drawn milk
- cuvaiyatu payaṉē
- the joy that taste gives
- piṉṉai tōḷ maṇanta
- who embraced the shoulders of Nappinnai
Tiruvaymozhi 8.1.8 · verse 3570 of the four thousand
Meaning
Great cowherd who embraced Pinnai! Your qualities, by their wonder, tear me apart entirely, great sinner that I am. Death to the strong-handed asuras! You who raised the fierce bird Garuda on Your banner! You who recline on the fresh serpent with a thousand hoods, dweller by the Milk Ocean! I do not know how to worship You, for my mind, my speech, my deeds and I myself, all are You.
Word by word
- īrkiṉṟa kuṇaṅkaḷai
- qualities that tear at me
- acurar vaṉ kaiyar kūṟṟamē
- Death to the strong-handed asuras
- koṭiya puḷ uyarttāy
- who raised the fierce bird (Garuda) as banner
- paṇaṅkaḷ āyiramum
- all thousand hoods
- pāṟkaṭal cērppā
- dweller on the shore of the Milk Ocean
- vaṇaṅkumāṟu aṟiyēṉ
- I do not know how to worship
- yāṉum nī tāṉē
- I too am You
Tiruvaymozhi 8.1.9 · verse 3571 of the four thousand
Meaning
If it is true that even I am You, and the cruel hells too are You, what does it matter whether I reach the high joy of heaven or hell? And yet, each time I see clearly that I too am You, I am deeply afraid of going to hell. You who sit enthroned, abiding in the high bliss of heaven, grant Your feet to me, to me alone.
Word by word
- āvatō meyyē
- can it be true?
- aru naraku
- cruel, hard hells
- vāṉ uyar iṉpam
- the high joy of heaven
- teḷitoṟum
- each time I see it clearly
- añcuvaṉ
- I fear
- maṉṉi vīṟṟiruntāy
- You who sit enthroned for ever
- aruḷu niṉ tāḷkaḷai eṉakkē
- grant Your feet to me alone
Tiruvaymozhi 8.1.10 · verse 3572 of the four thousand
Meaning
For the great help of giving Your feet to me, more wonderfully each time, I held Your shoulders in a full embrace and, as my return, gave my very soul away outright, O radiant One! You of a thousand shoulders, a thousand crowns, a thousand pairs of flower eyes, a thousand feet and a thousand names, great Father of me who have no one else!
Word by word
- talaittalaic ciṟappa
- more wonderfully each time
- pēr utavik kaimmāṟā
- as a return for the great help
- aṟa vilai ceytaṉaṉ
- I gave it away outright, as a price
- cōtī
- O radiant One
- tuṇaimalark kaṇkaḷ
- paired flower-like eyes
- tamiyaṉēṉ
- I who am alone, with no one else
Tiruvaymozhi 8.1.11 · verse 3573 of the four thousand
Meaning
Of the great Father, Father of Brahma, Father of Rudra, Father who belongs to the sages, Father of the immortals, the one matchless Father of the whole world, Satakopan (Nammalwar) of great and bountiful Kurugur lovingly sang a thousand verses. These ten among them are a garland of fitting words. Through these, O servants of the Lord, we can be saved.
Word by word
- piramaṉ appaṉai
- the Father of Brahma
- uruttiraṉ appaṉai
- the Father of Rudra (Shiva)
- ulakukku ōr taṉi appaṉ
- the one matchless Father of the world
- vaṇ kurukūr
- bountiful Thirukkurugur
- uriya col mālai
- a garland of fitting words
- uyyalām toṇṭīr
- O servants, we can be saved
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.