Tiruviruttam 1 · verse 2478 of the four thousand
Meaning
False knowledge, wicked conduct and this unclean body: so that we may never again take on this nature that clings to us, You were born in every kind of womb to save souls, O Lord of the unblinking immortals! Stand by Your truth and graciously hear the plea that I, Your servant, make to You.
Word by word
- poyn niṉṟa ñāṉamum
- knowledge grounded in falsehood
- pollā oḻukkum
- evil conduct
- aḻukku uṭampum
- this unclean body
- uyir aḷippāṉ
- to protect and save souls
- en niṉṟa yōṉiyumāyp piṟantāy
- You who were born in every kind of womb
- imaiyōr talaivā
- O Lord of the unblinking immortals
- viṇṇappamē
- humble plea, petition
Tiruviruttam 2 · verse 2479 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The friend speaks of the girl.) Her red-streaked eyes, like carp flashing in a pond of rich water, brim with tears and toss about in distress, long may she live! This is the girl with curling tresses, who has laid her love at the pair of feet, worthy of worship, of Kannan, coloured like a cloud full of water, the eldest and chief of the dwellers of heaven.
Word by word
- kayal miḷirntāl oppa
- like carp fish flashing
- cēyarik kaṇ
- eyes streaked with fine red lines
- alamarukiṉṟaṉa
- toss about in distress
- muḻu nīr mukil vaṇṇaṉ
- He whose colour is a cloud full of rain
- mūtuvar
- the eldest, the chief
- toḻunīr iṇai aṭikkē
- to the pair of feet that are fit to be worshipped
- cūḻ kuḻaṟkē
- the girl with thick, curling tresses
Tiruviruttam 3 · verse 2480 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The girl speaks.) My heart, all alone, went off after that bird, Garuda, fierce as a blaze, on which rides the Lord who wears cool, lovely tulasi and bears the discus that burns like fire, whom the celestials worship. There it will see the gentle daughter of the flute-playing cowherds, Bhudevi and Sri, who stay by Him like His shadow. Will it stand there gazing, or will it come back to me?
Word by word
- kuḻal kōvalar maṭap pāvaiyum
- the gentle maiden of the flute-playing cowherds, Nappinnai
- maṇmakaḷum tiruvum
- Bhudevi and Sri
- niḻalpōlvaṉar
- who stay close to Him like His shadow
- mīḷumkol
- will it come back?
- aḻal pōl aṭum cakkarattu
- with the discus that destroys like fire
- taḻal pōl ciṉatta ap puḷḷiṉ
- that bird, Garuda, fierce as a flame
- taṉi neñcamē
- my lonely heart
Tiruviruttam 4 · verse 2481 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The girl speaks to the wind.) My lonely heart was carried off long ago by His bird. Now we have no heart left here for His cool tulasi to steal. O cold, poisonous wind, bearing the scent of the tulasi on the crown of Him who sucked at the breast of the angry, deceitful demoness! Why do you come between us? Is it your nature to make my life shiver?
Word by word
- avar puḷḷē kavarntatu
- His bird carried it off
- yām ilam
- we have none left
- muṉi vañcap pēycci
- the angry, deceitful demoness Putana
- mulai cuvaittāṉ
- He who sucked at her breast
- paṉi nañca mārutamē
- O cold, poisonous wind
- āvi paṉippu iyalvē
- is it your way to make my life shiver?
Tiruviruttam 5 · verse 2482 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The friend speaks.) The cool north wind, whose very nature is to chill, has in this season and in this town given up all its chill and blows like fire. Is it on account of the fair complexion of this girl with large eyes, which rain tears onto the thought of the cool, lovely tulasi? It seems that the just sceptre of the Lord, coloured like the cool rain-cloud, has for once gone crooked.
Word by word
- taṇ vāṭai
- the cool north wind
- eri vicum
- blows burning
- paṉip puyal cōrum taṭaṅ kaṇṇi
- the large-eyed girl whose eyes pour a cool rain of tears
- māmait tiṟattukkolām
- is it on account of her complexion?
- paṉip puyal vaṇṇaṉ
- He who is coloured like the cool rain-cloud
- ceṅkōl orunāṉṟu taṭāviyatē
- His just rule has, for once, gone crooked
Tiruviruttam 6 · verse 2483 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The hero speaks of the girl.) Leave aside Kama's arrows, now blunted, and his broken bows. This slender creeper sways along, carrying the eyes she sends forth. She is Death itself, enforcing the rule of Madana, son of the Lord who rides the swift bird that was driven to bring the asuras to ruin. Look, you who live in this world: save your lives!
Word by word
- taṭāviya ampum
- arrows that are blunted
- murinta cilaikaḷum
- bows that are broken
- olkum valli
- the swaying creeper, the slender girl
- vēkap paṟavaiyiṉ pākaṉ
- the rider of the swift bird, Garuda
- mataṉa ceṅkōl
- the sceptre, the rule, of Madana (Kama), the god of love
- kūṟṟam
- Death, Yama
- uyir kāmiṉkaḷ
- save your lives
Tiruviruttam 7 · verse 2484 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The girl speaks.) Is this the sky, where dark, mighty bulls of cloud fight on, raging till the earth trembles, pouring good water, the winds scattering? It bears the form of Tirumal. Or is this the cool flowering season that cries aloud the cruelty of the one who left me? I do not know; wretched with my past deeds, I cannot tell what I am seeing.
Word by word
- ñālam paṉippac ceṟuttu
- raging so that the earth trembles
- nīla val ēṟu
- dark, mighty bulls, the storm clouds
- tirumāl kōlam cumantu
- bearing the form of Tirumal
- pirintār koṭumai kuḻaṟu
- crying aloud the cruelty of the one who left
- viṉaiyāṭṭiyēṉ
- I, burdened with my past deeds
Tiruviruttam 8 · verse 2485 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The friend speaks to the girl.) If we look closely at what we see and hear these days, all of it is what our lord of the hills is busy with; we have understood it all. These are firm signs that he has resolved to go to the far-off hills beyond Venkatam, the cool, great mountain of Him who held up the mighty hill, which the celestials long for, to gather wealth.
Word by word
- kāṇkiṉṟaṉakaḷum kēṭkiṉṟaṉakaḷum
- the things we see and the things we hear
- kuṉṟa nāṭar
- the lord of the hill country, the hero
- māṇ kuṉṟam ēnti
- He who held up the great hill, Govardhana
- taṇ mā malai vēṅkaṭattu
- of Venkatam, the cool, great mountain
- cēṇ kuṉṟam
- the far-off hills
- poruḷpaṭaippāṉ
- to earn and gather wealth
- tiṇṇaṉavē
- firm, certain signs
Tiruviruttam 9 · verse 2486 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The hero speaks.) She is a rich, flowering, jewel-like creeper, lovely as the heaven of the Lord who holds the strong discus with its blossom-bright flaming edge. Who would ever part from her? Are these her eyes? Lotus blooms steeped in dark radiance, budding white pearls of tears, great petals of the rich blue lily, glancing like a young doe!
Word by word
- cuṭar nuti nēmi
- the discus with its flaming edge
- viṇ nāṭu aṉaiya
- lovely as the heavenly world
- maṇi valli
- jewel-like creeper, the girl
- yārē piripavar tām
- who would ever part from her?
- veṇ muttu arumpi
- budding white pearls, the tears
- kuvaḷai
- the blue lily
- maṭa māṉ viḻikkiṉṟa
- glancing like a gentle young doe
Tiruviruttam 10 · verse 2487 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The hero speaks to the girls guarding the field.) O creepers of the land of northern Thiruvenkatam, hill of the wondrous Lord! Even when I tell you of my sickness you do not listen; you stay silent. Is this red thing your mouth? Or is it the cry 'aayo' that drives off the parrots, at which I, ill-fated, shrink like the parrot? Or a killing red tondai fruit? I swear, this is hard to know.
Word by word
- māyōṉ
- the wondrous Lord
- vaṭa tiruvēṅkaṭa nāṭa
- of the land of northern Thiruvenkatam
- vallikkoṭikāḷ
- O creepers, O slender girls
- nōyō uraikkilum
- even when I tell my sickness
- kiḷiyum eḷkum
- at which even the parrot shrinks
- aṭum toṇṭaiyō
- or a killing red tondai fruit?
- aṟivu aritē
- it is hard to know
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.