Tiruvaymozhi 9.1.1 · verse 3673 of the four thousand
Meaning
The wife you took, your children, your kin, your relations and all the others: their love goes only as far as what they see and what they can get from you; there is no other love in them. See: there is no help but this, to become servants of the Lord who swallowed the eight directions, the worlds below and above, everything whole, and so be saved.
Word by word
- koṇṭa peṇṭir
- the wife one has taken
- cuṟṟattavar
- relations, the circle of kin
- kaṇṭatōṭu paṭṭatu allāl
- except for what they see and what they get
- muṟṟavum uṇṭa pirāṉ
- the Lord who swallowed everything whole
- toṇṭarōmāy
- becoming His servants
- illai kaṇṭīr tuṇaiyē
- see, there is no other help
Tiruvaymozhi 9.1.2 · verse 3674 of the four thousand
Meaning
Kin and others act as if they will be your help and your refuge, but if wealth has come your way they cling and suck at you like leeches. See: there is no true wealth but this, to take our Lord, dark as a rain cloud, who shot through the seven sal trees with a single arrow, as the raft that carries you across, and so be saved.
Word by word
- tuṇaiyum cārvum
- help and refuge
- aṭṭaikaḷpōl cuvaippar
- they suck at you like leeches
- kaṇai oṉṟālē ēḻ maramum
- the seven sal trees, with a single arrow (Rama)
- kār mukilaip
- the dark rain cloud, the Lord
- puṇai
- a raft, to cross the sea of births
- poruḷē
- true wealth
Tiruvaymozhi 9.1.3 · verse 3675 of the four thousand
Meaning
If they see you going about with wealth in your hand, they rise to greet you, crying "Hail!" But if they see you in dark sorrow and want, there is not one who even says "Alas, what is this?" See: there is no fortress but this, to become a servant who receives the grace of Him who was born in northern Mathura so that the asuras of deluded deeds might perish, and so be saved.
Word by word
- pōṟṟi eṉṟu ēṟṟu eḻuvar
- they rise to welcome you crying "Hail!"
- iruḷkoḷ tuṉpattu iṉmai
- poverty, in dark sorrow
- eṉṉē eṉpārum illai
- none even asks "what is this?"
- maruḷkoḷ ceykai acurar
- asuras whose deeds are deluded
- vaṭamaturaip piṟantāṟku
- to Him born in northern Mathura, Krishna
- araṇē
- fortress, safe refuge
Tiruvaymozhi 9.1.4 · verse 3676 of the four thousand
Meaning
Those we have set up again and again, thinking "they will protect us when we are left with nothing," turn out to be cheats, like men who borrow and never repay; and even if you give to them till you have nothing, it is still the same. Why say more? See: there is no wisdom but this, to take the bountiful glory of Him who was born in northern Mathura as your refuge, and so be saved.
Word by word
- aṟṟa kālaikku
- for the time when all is lost
- iraṇam koṇṭa teppar
- cheats who take loans and never repay
- varuṇittu eṉṉē
- what use describing it further?
- vaṇ pukaḻē
- His bountiful glory
- caraṇ
- refuge
- catirē
- wisdom, true cleverness
Tiruvaymozhi 9.1.5 · verse 3677 of the four thousand
Meaning
Sweet-tongued women, each judging herself clever, who once shared the sweet pleasures of love with you, will after a while turn to someone else. See: there is no joy but this, to become a servant who goes out to meet Him who was born in northern Mathura so that the asuras of thundering deeds might perish, and so be saved.
Word by word
- caturam eṉṟu
- thinking themselves clever
- iṉmoḻiyār
- women of sweet words
- matura pōkam
- sweet pleasures
- maṟṟu oṉṟu uṟuvar
- they will go to another
- atirkoḷ ceykai acurar
- asuras of thundering, violent deeds
- etirkoḷ āḷāy
- as a servant who goes out to receive Him
Tiruvaymozhi 9.1.6 · verse 3678 of the four thousand
Meaning
See, there is no joy in these things, alas! Without ever thinking of what truly lasts, how many people of old appeared, passed on and were gone! In short, there is nothing else: only to speak the bountiful glory of Him who was born in northern Mathura, that rich and ancient city, and so be saved.
Word by word
- illai kaṇṭīr iṉpam
- see, there is no joy (in worldly things)
- uḷḷatu niṉaiyātē
- without thinking of what truly is
- tollaiyārkaḷ
- people of old
- tōṉṟik kaḻintoḻintār
- appeared, passed and were gone
- mallai mūtūr
- the rich, ancient city
- curukkē
- in short
Tiruvaymozhi 9.1.7 · verse 3679 of the four thousand
Meaning
We have said it in brief: there is nothing else. For every living being on this great earth there is no need to strain; only to think of Him is enough, see, alas! It is no hard thing. To learn the faultless qualities of our cowherd of the herds, born in northern Mathura, and to live day by day with them: see, that is the good.
Word by word
- curuṅkac coṉṉōm
- we have said it in brief
- ciṟṟa vēṇṭā
- no need to strain or labour
- cintippē amaiyum
- only thinking of Him is enough
- peṟṟat tāyaṉ
- the cowherd who keeps the cattle
- kuṟṟam il cīr
- faultless qualities
- kaṇṭīr kuṇamē
- see, that is the good
Tiruvaymozhi 9.1.8 · verse 3680 of the four thousand
Meaning
See, alas: this is the good, and this is living. For those free of meanness, who can spend their time praising the feet of the wondrous Lord and holding Him in their hearts, the bountiful glory of Him who was born in northern Mathura is a companion while they live, and a companion that goes with them when they fall. There is nothing greater than this.
Word by word
- māyavaṉ aṭi paravip
- praising the feet of the wondrous Lord
- pōḻtu pōka
- letting their time pass
- puṉmai ilātavarkku
- for those free of meanness
- vāḻ tuṇaiyā
- as a companion through life
- vīḻ tuṇaiyāp pōm
- goes with them as companion at their fall, death
- yātum illai mikkatē
- nothing is greater
Tiruvaymozhi 9.1.9 · verse 3681 of the four thousand
Meaning
People think again and again that nothing is greater than the pleasures they chase; like a man who set out to adorn his ear and ended by spoiling it, they lose even the last of their life. See: there is no refuge but Krishna, His shoulders dusted with flower pollen, who was born in northern Mathura of the mansions where flags of fine cloth fly.
Word by word
- yātum illai mikku
- nothing is greater
- kātu ceyvāṉ kūtai ceytu
- one who set out to adorn the ear spoils it
- kaṭaimuṟai vāḻkkaiyum pōm
- even the last of life is lost
- mā tukiliṉ koṭikkoḷ
- bearing flags of fine cloth
- tātu cēr tōḷ
- shoulders dusted with flower pollen
- caraṇē
- refuge
Tiruvaymozhi 9.1.10 · verse 3682 of the four thousand
Meaning
See, there is no refuge but Krishna. Let that stand. He came and was born in northern Mathura only to lift the burden of the earth. If you surely have anything you call your own, place it at His feet and be saved. Do not even think of it as yours: nothing is yours; there is nothing but Him.
Word by word
- kaṇṇaṉ allāl
- but Krishna
- atu niṟka
- let that stand
- maṇṇiṉ pāram nīkkutaṟkē
- only to remove the burden of the earth
- num uṭaimai
- what you possess
- avaṉ aṭi cērttu
- placing it at His feet
- eṇṇa vēṇṭā
- do not think of it (as yours)
Tiruvaymozhi 9.1.11 · verse 3683 of the four thousand
Meaning
Having firmly resolved that there is nothing at all but Him, Sadagopan of Kurugur, Nammalwar, sang of Krishna whose shoulders are dusted with pollen. Those great ones who can recite these ten of his thousand faultless, shining Tamil verses have been our masters from of old.
Word by word
- atuvē tuṇintu
- resolving firmly on that alone
- kurukūrc caṭakōpaṉ
- Sadagopan of Kurugur, Nammalwar
- tītu ilāta oṇ tamiḻkaḷ
- faultless, shining Tamil verses
- pirākkaḷ
- great ones
- nammai āḷuṭaiyārkaḷ
- our masters, who own us
- paṇṭē
- from of old
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.