Moondram Tiruvandadi 11-20

Moondram Tiruvandadi 11 · verse 2292 of the four thousand

Meaning

He dwells in the four Vedas that are chanted with care. His colour is the colour of the surging mountain stream that runs with honey. He is in the milk ocean whose waves cast up conches; He lies upon the serpent bed. He is the ocean of the scriptures that the learned study and expound, and He is subtle wisdom itself.

Word by word

nāl vētattu uḷḷāṉ

He who dwells in the four Vedas

puṉal vaṇṇaṉ

He whose colour is the stream's water

pāṟkaṭalāṉ

He of the milk ocean

pāmpu aṇaiyiṉ mēlāṉ

He who lies on the serpent bed, Adisesha

nūl kaṭalāṉ

He who is the ocean of scriptures

nuṇ aṟiviṉāṉ

He who is subtle wisdom

Moondram Tiruvandadi 12 · verse 2293 of the four thousand

Meaning

Fastening the bolt called knowledge, and shutting tight the strong door called restraint, so that the five senses stay within, those who chant the Vedas well every day and understand them well will see, day after day, the form of Him whose colour is the cool green sea.

Word by word

aṟivu eṉṉum tāḷ koḷuvi

fastening the bolt called knowledge

aimpulaṉum

the five senses

ceṟivu eṉṉum tiṇ katavam

the strong door called restraint

cemmi

shutting tight

naṉku uṇarvār

those who understand well

paiṅkōta vaṇṇaṉ paṭi

the form of Him whose colour is the cool green sea

Moondram Tiruvandadi 13 · verse 2294 of the four thousand

Meaning

Long ago, when He received the water of the gift and measured the world with the round sweep of His lotus foot, broad as the earth's own circle, the round crown of Mal, who stood there in a vast body, rose up, cleaving the sky, and went on beyond the bounds of the universe.

Word by word

paṭi vaṭṭat tāmarai

the lotus foot, round as the earth

paṇṭu ulakam nīr ēṟṟu

long ago, receiving the water for the world

muṭi vaṭṭam

His round crown

ākāyam ūṭaṟuttu

cleaving through the sky

aṇṭam pōy nīṇṭatē

rose on beyond the universe

mā kāyamāy niṉṟa māṟku

for Mal, who stood in a vast body

Moondram Tiruvandadi 14 · verse 2295 of the four thousand

Meaning

When the mind is drawn to Mal, letting go of the arms of women and setting the mind on the sacred texts becomes easy. This comes by bowing at the feet of Him who is the substance of the four Vedas, who dwells at Thiruvenkatam, whose feet are touched by the crowns of the celestials.

Word by word

mālpāl maṉam cuḻippa

when the mind turns towards Mal

maṅkaiyar tōḷ kaiviṭṭu

letting go of the arms of women

nūlpāl maṉam vaikka

to set the mind on the sacred texts

noyvitu ām

becomes easy

vēṅkaṭattāṉ

He who dwells at Thiruvenkatam

viṇṇōr muṭi tōyum

touched by the crowns of the celestials

Moondram Tiruvandadi 15 · verse 2296 of the four thousand

Meaning

Where the waves of the deep ocean bow low and rise and beat against Him, the Lord lies on His bed, Ananta, adorned by the gems on the serpent's bowed hoods. That same Lord comes and lies in the mind of me, His servant, as on His own bed.

Word by word

pauvap paṭu tiraikaḷ

the rolling waves of the deep ocean

paṇinta paṇa maṇikaḷālē

with the gems of the bowed hoods

aṉantaṉ aṇaik kiṭakkum

lies on Ananta, His serpent bed

ammāṉ

the Lord

aṭiyēṉ maṉam

the mind of me, His servant

taṉ aṇaik kiṭakkum vantu

comes and lies there as on His own bed

Moondram Tiruvandadi 16 · verse 2297 of the four thousand

Meaning

There the white waves come rushing in and cast up red coral and white pearls, which shine like the lamps lit at dusk, a lovely row of lights. My Father, whose glorious chest is one with the Lady of the many-petalled lotus, has gone to dwell at Thiruvallikkeni.

Word by word

vantu utaitta veṇ tiraikaḷ

the white waves that come rushing in

cem pavaḷa veṇ muttam

red coral and white pearls

anti viḷakkum

the lamps lit at dusk

allit tāmaraiyāḷ

the Lady of the many-petalled lotus, Lakshmi

oṉṟiya cīr mārvaṉ

He whose glorious chest is one with her

tiruvallikkēṇiyāṉ

the Lord of Thiruvallikkeni

Moondram Tiruvandadi 17 · verse 2298 of the four thousand

Meaning

The days that have gone by without Him do not count as days. The day one says "the red-eyed Mal, our Mal", that day and every day after become true days. O my mouth, become a servant for ever at the twin feet of my Father who never dies, and praise Him without forgetting.

Word by word

ceṉṟa nāḷ cellāta

the days gone by do not count

ceṅkaṇ māl eṅkaḷ māl

the red-eyed Mal, our Mal

en nāḷum nāḷ ākum

every day becomes a true day

iṟavāta entai

my Father who never dies

iṇai aṭikkē āḷāy

as a servant at His twin feet

vāḻttuka eṉ vāy

may my mouth praise Him

Moondram Tiruvandadi 18 · verse 2299 of the four thousand

Meaning

O tall Mal, who became Vamana, asked with Your own mouth for three steps of earth from Mahabali, and measured them out and took them! Grant me the grace to be a servant to Your twin feet, which strode and never tired, through all seven births, and to live without fear.

Word by word

vāy moḻintu

asking with Your own mouth

vāmaṉaṉāy

becoming Vamana, the dwarf

māvalipāl mūvaṭi maṇ

three steps of earth from Mahabali

neṭumālē

O tall Mal

eñcā iṇai aṭikkē

to Your twin feet that never tired

añcātu irukka aruḷ

grant that I may live without fear

Moondram Tiruvandadi 19 · verse 2300 of the four thousand

Meaning

He who once lay on a banyan leaf as an infant who knew nothing: will He ever hold back His grace from those who stand before Him with minds free of darkness, scattering red flowers at His red feet and worshipping with folded hands, as the devotees of old did?

Word by word

aruḷātu oḻiyumē

will He ever hold back His grace?

āl ilaimēl

on a banyan leaf

teruḷāta piḷḷaiyāy

as an infant who knew nothing

iruḷāta cintaiyarāy

with minds free of darkness

cēvaṭikkē cem malar tūy

scattering red flowers at His red feet

muntaiyarāy

like the devotees of old

Moondram Tiruvandadi 20 · verse 2301 of the four thousand

Meaning

You once swallowed the whole world and brought it out again. Was it any great thing, then, to measure that same world afterwards with two steps? O Thirumal, O red-eyed tall one, our Lord, tell me this Yourself.

Word by word

muṉṉulaka muṇṭumiḻntāykku

for You who once swallowed and released the world

mīraṭiyāl

with two steps

peritoṉṟē

was it any great thing?

tirumālē

O Thirumal, Lord of Lakshmi

ceṅka ṇeṭiyāṉē

O red-eyed tall one

nīyitaṉaip pēcu

tell me this Yourself

The word-separated edition leaves this verse out; the text is from the Project Madurai edition by K. Kalyanasundaram (pmuni0006_02 / pmuni0007), unseparated as printed there.