Mudhal Tiruvandadi 41 · verse 2122 of the four thousand
Meaning
Even if we commit faults as big as mountains, He takes them as virtues. So from this day on, O my heart, always, even if it is only outward talk, dwell on the words that tell of the strength of Him who holds the golden discus.
Word by word
- kuṉṟu aṉaiya kuṟṟam
- faults as big as a mountain
- kuṇam koḷḷum
- He takes them as virtues
- iṉṟu mutalāka
- from this day on
- puṟaṉ uraiyē āyiṉum
- even if it is only outward talk
- poṉ āḻik kaiyāṉ
- He who holds the golden discus
- tiṟaṉ uraiyē cintittiru
- dwell on the words of His strength
Mudhal Tiruvandadi 42 · verse 2123 of the four thousand
Meaning
When Sri, the goddess of the earth and the cowherd girl are all together with Him, how is it that the heart of Mal, coloured like the sea, is given wholly to Sri alone? He lies on the hooded serpent, and the waves of the milk ocean splash upon her.
Word by word
- tirumakaḷum
- Sri, Lakshmi
- maṇmakaḷum
- the goddess of the earth, Bhudevi
- āymakaḷum
- the cowherd girl, Nappinnai
- tirumakaṭkē tīrntavāṟu
- how it is given wholly to Sri
- pāl ōtam cinta
- the waves of the milk ocean splashing
- paṭa nākaṇaik kiṭanta
- lying on the hooded serpent
Mudhal Tiruvandadi 43 · verse 2124 of the four thousand
Meaning
For His own people, who keep worshipping, bearing flowers and water to the feet of the Lord who wears the tulasi that blooms in the fields, the stains of the mind will clear, hard karma will not come near, and whatever is true wealth will come to their hands of itself.
Word by word
- maṉa mācu tīrum
- the stains of the mind will clear
- aru viṉaiyum cārā
- hard karma will not come near
- taṉam āya
- whatever is wealth
- tāṉē kaikūṭum
- will come to hand of itself
- puṉam mēya pūn tuḻāyāṉ
- He who wears the tulasi blooming in the fields
- pōtoṭu nīr ēnti
- bearing flowers and water
- tamar
- His own people
Mudhal Tiruvandadi 44 · verse 2125 of the four thousand
Meaning
Whatever form His devotees love, that is His form. Whatever name His devotees love, that is His name. In whatever way His devotees, rejoicing, think of Him without blinking, in that very way the Lord of the discus becomes.
Word by word
- tamar ukantatu
- what His devotees love
- av uruvam tāṉē
- that very form is His
- ep pēr
- whatever name
- imaiyātu irupparē
- remain without blinking, gazing
- av vaṇṇam
- in that very way
- āḻiyāṉ ām
- the Lord of the discus becomes
Mudhal Tiruvandadi 45 · verse 2126 of the four thousand
Meaning
Can even the gods know Him? Let that be. We ourselves can know His greatness, O good heart: He counted off with His foot the tall crowns of the sword-bearing rakshasa, Ravana, who had bowed at the feet of the great ascetic seated on the lotus, Brahma, to win his boons.
Word by word
- āmē amararkku aṟiya
- can even the gods know?
- nal neñcē
- O good heart
- pū mēya mā tavattōṉ
- the great ascetic seated on the lotus, Brahma
- vāḷ arakkaṉ
- the sword-bearing rakshasa, Ravana
- nīḷ muṭiyai
- the tall crowns
- pātam-attāl eṇṇiṉāṉ
- counted them off with His foot
- paṇpu
- His greatness, His nature
Mudhal Tiruvandadi 46 · verse 2127 of the four thousand
Meaning
Shiva, his chest marked by the white sacred thread, had taken alms in the skull of the four-Veda Brahma whose Vedas are set to music. So that his sin might be removed, the Lord wounded His own body. See: those who bow at the feet of that Lord will rule the earth while enjoying the pleasures of the gods.
Word by word
- paṇ purinta nāṉmaṟaiyōṉ
- Brahma, whose four Vedas are set to melody
- ceṉṉip pali ēṟṟa
- who took alms in the skull
- veṇ puri nūl mārpaṉ
- he whose chest wears the white sacred thread, Shiva
- viṉai tīra
- so that his sin was removed
- puṇ purinta ākattāṉ
- He who wounded His own body
- amarar-tam pōkattāl
- with the joys of the gods
Mudhal Tiruvandadi 47 · verse 2128 of the four thousand
Meaning
Those who draw in the outward channels of the mind, keep the five rutting elephants of the senses from wandering the streets, set them straight, and come to know Him through sharp, true knowledge: they will see the anklet-feet of Him who long ago saved the elephant whose hand is its trunk.
Word by word
- vāri curukki
- drawing in the outward channels
- matak kaḷiṟu aintiṉaiyum
- all five rutting elephants, the senses
- cēri tiriyāmal
- not letting them roam the streets
- cenniṟīi
- setting them straight
- meyññāṉattāl
- through true knowledge
- kain nākam kāttāṉ kaḻal
- the anklet-feet of Him who saved the elephant
Mudhal Tiruvandadi 48 · verse 2129 of the four thousand
Meaning
He raised one foot, swept one hand around, and on one hand bore the blazing battle-discus that whirls, so that gods and asuras alike were afraid. O my deep heart that has drawn close to Him, rejoice, and go to His red feet.
Word by word
- kaḻal oṉṟu eṭuttu
- raising one anklet-foot
- oru kai cuṟṟi
- sweeping one hand around
- curācurarkaḷ añca
- so that gods and asuras were afraid
- aḻalum ceru āḻi
- the blazing battle-discus
- cēvaṭikkē cella
- to go to His red feet
- maruvu āḻi neñcē
- O deep heart that has drawn close
Mudhal Tiruvandadi 49 · verse 2130 of the four thousand
Meaning
Like a single counter in a game that keeps changing its place, we keep changing from body to body. Except for those who strive to loosen themselves from these many bodies, our First Lord, whose tall golden crown shines like a light opening out from a bud, is hard to see, even for those who set out to see Him.
Word by word
- makiḻ alaku oṉṟē pōl
- like a single counter in a game
- māṟum pal yākkai
- the many bodies that keep changing
- nekiḻa muyalkiṟpārkku
- for those who strive to loosen them
- mukiḻ virinta cōti
- a light opening out from a bud
- cuṭar poṉ neṭu muṭi
- the tall shining golden crown
- em āti
- our First Lord
Mudhal Tiruvandadi 50 · verse 2131 of the four thousand
Meaning
Restrain the five senses, so hard to restrain; take choice flowers; and hold Him close in the right way, so that longing grows. Then it is easy to see Him who received water from the generous hand of Mahabali, who sat enthroned in his greatness and did not refuse.
Word by word
- ariya pulaṉ aintu aṭakki
- restraining the five senses, hard to restrain
- āy malar koṇṭu
- taking choice flowers
- ārvam puriya
- so that longing grows
- māṟṟātu vīṟṟirunta
- who sat enthroned and did not refuse
- vaṇ kai nīr
- water from the generous hand
- kāṇpatu eḷitu
- it is easy to see Him
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.