Tiruvaymozhi 8.3.1 · verse 3585 of the four thousand
Meaning
Here and there and everywhere, the gods and the asuras, all of them, not knowing You as "He is such," cry out in confusion. But those who know say that the One whose body is embraced by the lotus-born Lakshmi, the earth's daughter Bhumi and the cowherd's daughter Nappinnai, the One who holds the conch and discus in His hands, He alone is the refuge.
Word by word
- vāṉavar tāṉavar
- the gods and the asuras
- aṟiyakilātu alaṟṟi
- unable to know You, crying out
- aṅkam cērum
- who are joined to His body
- pūmakaḷ maṇmakaḷ āymakaḷ
- Lakshmi, Bhumi and Nappinnai the cowherd girl
- caṅku cakkarak kaiyavaṉ
- the One with conch and discus in His hands
- caraṇamē
- the only refuge
Tiruvaymozhi 8.3.2 · verse 3586 of the four thousand
Meaning
Without even needing the four Vedas, the books that are held to be our refuge, we have done away with death, birth, cruel disease and old age, all of these, simply by becoming servants of the Lord who holds that strong, guarding weapon, the fiery discus that runs out to scatter many armies, root and all.
Word by word
- nāṉmaṟai nūlkaḷum cārātē
- without even relying on the four Vedas
- maraṇam tōṟṟam vāṉpiṇi mūppu
- death, birth, cruel disease and old age
- māyttōm
- we have destroyed
- kaṉal āḻi
- the fiery discus
- araṇat tiṇ paṭai
- the strong weapon that guards
- īcaṟku āḷāyē
- by becoming servants of the Lord
Tiruvaymozhi 8.3.3 · verse 3587 of the four thousand
Meaning
He has no attendants to serve Him; there are none to carry His discus and conch, none to follow behind Him with sword and bow; there is no one else. I do not see His feet, His shoulders and His hands, so that I may worship them to my heart's content. Day after day I search for Him in this world, I, His servant.
Word by word
- āḷum āḷār
- He has no one to serve Him
- āḻiyum caṅkum cumappār
- those who would carry the discus and conch
- vāḷum villum koṇṭu
- with sword and bow
- ārat toḻa
- to worship fully, to my heart's content
- nāḷum nāḷum nāṭuvaṉ
- day after day I search
Tiruvaymozhi 8.3.4 · verse 3588 of the four thousand
Meaning
O Lord who took the whole world as Your food, became a tiny, tender child, and lay resting on a great banyan leaf! For me, wicked one, who sink in longing to see Your dark and lovely form, each passing moment is like an age of black darkness.
Word by word
- ñālam pōṉakam paṟṟi
- taking the world as food
- muṟṟā uru
- an unripe, tiny form, a baby
- ālam pēr ilai
- the great banyan leaf
- kār iruḷ ūḻi
- an age of black darkness
- kār eḻil
- dark beauty
- āḻum koṭiyēṟkē
- to me, wicked one, sinking
Tiruvaymozhi 8.3.5 · verse 3589 of the four thousand
Meaning
That You lie here at Thirukkolur of the flag-topped mansions, and at Thirupuliyangudi, sunk in sleep without stirring, and delight in it: is it weariness from removing the sufferings of Your devotees? Or is it weariness from growing tall and striding over this earth? Tell me.
Word by word
- koṭiyār māṭak kōḷūr
- Thirukkolur of the flag-topped mansions
- puḷiyaṅkuṭiyum
- and Thirupuliyangudi
- tuyil mēvi
- taking to sleep
- aṭiyār allal tavirtta
- removing the sufferings of devotees
- acaivō
- is it weariness?
- nīṇṭu tāviya
- grew tall and strode across
- paṇiyāyē
- tell me
Tiruvaymozhi 8.3.6 · verse 3590 of the four thousand
Meaning
He Himself is the worship and the goodness of the immortals who bow to Him. See Him, who holds the beautiful discus and conch! To end the cruel, unrelenting disease of this world, He comes, with His sacred form bright as a blue sapphire, filling my mind all around.
Word by word
- paṇiyā amarar
- the immortals who bow to Him
- paṇivum paṇpum
- their worship and their goodness
- aṇi ār āḻiyum caṅkamum
- the beautiful discus and conch
- taṇiyā vem nōy
- the cruel disease that never abates
- tirunīla maṇi ār mēṉi
- sacred form bright as blue sapphire
- eṉ maṉam cūḻa varuvārē
- comes filling my mind all around
Tiruvaymozhi 8.3.7 · verse 3591 of the four thousand
Meaning
People come and people go. What can I do, if none of them will tell my state to my Lord who sits in bountiful Thiruvanparisaram, on whose chest Sri dwells, that here is one servant of His who would carry His shapely discus and conch and walk at His side among them?
Word by word
- varuvār celvār
- those who come and go
- vaṇparicārattu
- in bountiful Thiruvanparisaram
- tiruvāḻ mārvaṟku
- to Him on whose chest Sri dwells
- eṉ tiṟam collār
- they do not tell Him my state
- orupāṭu uḻalvāṉ
- one who would walk beside Him
- ōr aṭiyāṉum uḷaṉ
- there is one servant
Tiruvaymozhi 8.3.8 · verse 3592 of the four thousand
Meaning
When will You resolve to take me graciously, so that I may stand beneath Your lovely, perfect feet and serve You? O Thirumal with the discus, whose long stride, from where You stood, spanned the seven hills, the seven lands, the encircling seas and the whole world, all seven!
Word by word
- ēr ār kōlat tiruntu aṭikkīḻ
- beneath Your lovely, perfect feet
- niṉṟē āṭceyya
- to stand and serve
- koṇṭaruḷa niṉaippatutāṉ
- when will You resolve to take me in grace?
- kuṉṟu ēḻ pār ēḻ
- the seven hills, the seven lands
- nīḷ kaḻal
- the long-striding foot
- āḻit tirumālē
- O Thirumal with the discus
Tiruvaymozhi 8.3.9 · verse 3593 of the four thousand
Meaning
Who can know the nature of our Lord, who stands as these three: Thirumal, the four-faced Brahma, and Shiva of the red matted hair? What use is talking? With my love throwing me into turmoil, I can only cry, "O one great First Cause, Lord of the ages, dark and great-bodied One who rules me!"
Word by word
- nāṉmukaṉ
- the four-faced Brahma
- ceñcaṭaiyāṉ
- Shiva of the red matted hair
- yār aṟikiṟpār
- who can know?
- oru mā mutalvā
- O one great First Cause
- ūḻip pirāṉ
- Lord of the ages
- eṉ kātal kalakkavē
- as my love throws me into turmoil
Tiruvaymozhi 8.3.10 · verse 3594 of the four thousand
Meaning
Sages of good penance, free of all confusion, who have reached the far shore of knowledge, and all the unwavering immortals worship Him. He churned the great ocean till it was tossed about. How could we ever praise Him to the end? What are we to do? Tell me.
Word by word
- kalakkam illā
- free of all confusion
- karai kaṇṭōr
- those who have reached the far shore
- tuḷakkam illā vāṉavar
- the unwavering immortals
- malakkam eyta mā kaṭal
- the great ocean, tossed in turmoil
- ulakka nām pukaḻkiṟpatu
- how could we praise Him to the end?
Tiruvaymozhi 8.3.11 · verse 3595 of the four thousand
Meaning
Of the Lord with the tall crown, who graciously ends the cruel disease too terrible to speak of, Satakopan (Nammalwar) of Kurugur, with mansions like mountains, sang a thousand linked verses of fitting praise. Those who can recite these ten in their order will not be born again in this wide world.
Word by word
- uraiyā vem nōy
- the cruel disease beyond words, birth
- nīḷ muṭiyāṉai
- the Lord with the tall crown
- varai ār māṭam
- mansions like mountains
- urai ēy coltoṭai
- a linked garland of fitting words
- niraiyē vallār
- those who can recite them in order
- piṟavārē
- will not be born again
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.