Moondram Tiruvandadi 81 · verse 2362 of the four thousand
Meaning
Though He is hard to grasp even in thought, O my heart, steady yourself and tell me this: when we think of Him, why is it that our understanding stands there without grasping the Lord, who stays in the heart and never moves away?
Word by word
- neñcāl niṉaippu ariyaṉēlum
- though He is hard to grasp even in thought
- nilaippeṟṟu
- becoming steady
- neñcamē pēcāy
- O heart, tell me
- pērātu niṟkum perumāṉai
- the Lord who stays and never moves away
- ōrātu niṟpatu
- stands without grasping
- uṇarvu
- understanding
Moondram Tiruvandadi 82 · verse 2363 of the four thousand
Meaning
If you try to know Him, He is hard to know; even when He enters the heart and is one with us, He is hard to see as He truly is. Where now shall we go to reach and see the Lord who wears cool tulasi, where bees settle on the honey of its clustered blossoms and hum?
Word by word
- uṇarvu ariyaṉ
- He is hard to know
- uḷḷam pukuntu
- entering the heart
- kāṇpu ariyaṉ
- He is hard to see
- koṅku aṇaintu
- settling on the honey
- taṇ tuḻāyk kōmāṉai
- the Lord who wears cool tulasi
- eṅku aṇaintu kāṇṭum iṉi
- where now shall we reach and see Him?
Moondram Tiruvandadi 83 · verse 2364 of the four thousand
Meaning
Even if people say He is the wondrous one, beyond knowing, and even if He is hard to see, that sweet Lord, whose fresh feet took the earth by a trick and strode across the sky, is right here within my heart.
Word by word
- māyaṉ
- the wondrous one
- kāṇpu ariyaṉēlum
- even if He is hard to see
- iṉiyavaṉ
- the sweet Lord
- kaḷḷattāl maṇ koṇṭu
- taking the earth by a trick
- viṇ kaṭanta paiṅ kaḻalāṉ
- He whose fresh feet strode across the sky
- uḷḷattiṉ uḷḷē uḷaṉ
- He is within my heart
Moondram Tiruvandadi 84 · verse 2365 of the four thousand
Meaning
Some search within their hearts and come to know Him as the inner meaning of the four Vedas, the One who truly is. Yet who has ever truly seen the wondrous Lord with long eyes like rich lotuses? Poets can only delight in singing of Him.
Word by word
- nāṉmaṟaiyiṉ uṭporuḷai
- the inner meaning of the four Vedas
- tērntu uṇarvarēlum
- even if they search and understand
- vaṇ tāmarai neṭuṅ kaṇ
- long eyes like rich lotuses
- māyavaṉai
- the wondrous Lord
- yāvarē kaṇṭār
- who has ever seen Him?
- ukappar kavi
- poets delight in singing of Him
Moondram Tiruvandadi 85 · verse 2366 of the four thousand
Meaning
Poets fashion their verses with their hands; devotees go to His feet, a feast for the eyes; those rich in learning heard with their ears draw close; and all the people of the earth speak His praise. But does any of this add to the beauty of Him who took the lives of the bulls for Nappinnai?
Word by word
- kaviyiṉār
- the poets
- kaṇ ār kaḻal
- feet that fill the eyes
- ceviyiṉ ār kēḷviyarāy
- those rich in learning heard with their ears
- pōṟṟi uraikka
- as they speak His praise
- poliyumē
- does it add to (His beauty)?
- ēṟṟu uyirai aṭṭāṉ
- He who took the lives of the bulls
Moondram Tiruvandadi 86 · verse 2367 of the four thousand
Meaning
The dark rain-sky raises the beautiful creeper of lightning, rushes on and thunders, and, all mingled together, shows the colour of the tall Mal, who is like a lovely cloud heavy with water.
Word by word
- miṉṉuk koṭi
- the creeper of lightning
- tāṉ muḻaṅkit tōṉṟum
- appears, thundering
- nīr mēkam aṉṉa
- like a cloud heavy with water
- neṭu māl niṟam pōla
- like the colour of the tall Mal
- kār vāṉam
- the dark rain-sky
- kāṭṭum kalantu
- shows, all mingled together
Moondram Tiruvandadi 87 · verse 2368 of the four thousand
Meaning
O Kanna, Your body, where gems mingle and twinkle, blooms out and shows itself like an emerald. And the evening sky shows us the Lord who wears cool tulasi, where bees hum in the bright clusters of flowers.
Word by word
- maṇi imaikkum
- where gems twinkle
- kaṇṇā
- O Kanna, Krishna
- marakatamē kāṭṭum
- shows itself like an emerald
- kontiṉvāy
- in the flower clusters
- taṇ tuḻāyk kōmāṉai
- the Lord who wears cool tulasi
- anti vāṉ
- the evening sky
Moondram Tiruvandadi 88 · verse 2369 of the four thousand
Meaning
Do not waver in doubt, saying "That is good, this is bad". Worship only the beautiful golden feet, open to all, of Him whose chest bears cool tulasi steeped in honey. Then all your past deeds will slip away and end, even before you know it.
Word by word
- atu naṉṟu itu tītu
- that is good, this is bad
- aiyappaṭātē
- do not waver in doubt
- matu niṉṟa taṇ tuḻāy
- cool tulasi steeped in honey
- potu niṉṟa
- open to all alike
- poṉ am kaḻalē toḻumiṉ
- worship only the beautiful golden feet
- muḻuviṉaikaḷ
- all your deeds, all karma
Moondram Tiruvandadi 89 · verse 2370 of the four thousand
Meaning
When the season is done, the hill folk sow green millet in the furrows the wild boars have ploughed while rooting; and the bamboo that springs up again after being cut rises and pierces the sky. That Thiruvenkatam is the hill of Him who long ago put the sweet flute to His lips.
Word by word
- kuṟa vāṇar
- the hill folk
- ēṉam paṭintu uḻu cāl
- furrows ploughed by rooting boars
- pain tiṉaikaḷ vitta
- sowing green millet
- vēyṅ kaḻai
- the bamboo
- viṇ tiṟakkum
- pierces the sky
- tīm kuḻal vāy vaittāṉ
- He who put the sweet flute to His lips
Moondram Tiruvandadi 90 · verse 2371 of the four thousand
Meaning
With His anklets and close-fitting foot-rings ringing as they went, His red foot, washed by the river of the sky, rose up and burst through the shell of the universe, and His arms spread out to all eight directions. Why was the earth, which Mal of the rich tulasi measured, not room enough for Him?
Word by word
- cilampum ceṟi kaḻalum
- anklets and close-fitting foot-rings
- viṇ āṟu alampiya
- washed by the river of the sky, the Ganga
- cēvaṭi
- His red foot
- eṇ ticaiyum cūḻa
- spreading to all eight directions
- iṭam pōtātu eṉkolō
- why was there not room enough?
- vaṇ tuḻāy māl aḷanta maṇ
- the earth measured by Mal of rich tulasi
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.