Mudhal Tiruvandadi 61 · verse 2142 of the four thousand
Meaning
The worlds, and the ages that outlast the worlds; the dark sea, bright in its hue, that keeps within its shores; the mountains; and in this world the red fire, the wind and the sky: all of these are what Thirumal has put together in His own mind.
Word by word
- ulaku iṟanta ūḻiyum
- the ages that outlast the worlds
- oṇ kēḻ
- of bright hue
- karuṅ kaṭalum veṟpum
- the dark sea and the mountains
- centīyum mārutamum vāṉum
- red fire, wind and sky
- puntiyil āya
- formed in His mind
- puṇarppu
- His design, His arrangement
Mudhal Tiruvandadi 62 · verse 2143 of the four thousand
Meaning
These are the shoulders of Him who rests on the coiled, swelling serpent bed: shoulders that went between the twin marudu trees, felled the flowering kurundam, killed the seven great bulls so that He might wed, and, while the hosts of heaven stood in awe, strode across the seven worlds and reached out to all eight directions.
Word by word
- puṇar marutiṉ ūṭu pōy
- going between the twin marudu trees
- pūṅ kuruntam cāyttu
- felling the flowering kurundam tree
- maṇam maruva
- to win a bride, Nappinnai
- māl viṭai ēḻ ceṟṟu
- killing the seven great bulls
- kaṇam veruva
- the hosts struck with awe
- cūḻ aravap poṅku aṇaiyāṉ
- He whose bed is the coiled swelling serpent
Mudhal Tiruvandadi 63 · verse 2144 of the four thousand
Meaning
My shoulders will bow to no one but Him. My two ears will listen only to the sweet words of Him who is my own. My tongue, every day, will speak only of the ringing anklet-feet of Him who rests on the mighty serpent. I will not shamelessly go after any other pleasure.
Word by word
- tōḷ avaṉai allāl toḻā
- my shoulders will bow to none but Him
- cevi iraṇṭum
- my two ears
- kēḷ avaṉatu iṉ moḻiyē
- only the sweet words of Him, my own kin
- kōḷ nākaṇaiyāṉ
- He who rests on the mighty serpent
- kurai kaḻalē
- only the ringing anklet-feet
- nāṇāmai naḷḷēṉ nayam
- I will not shamelessly seek other pleasures
Mudhal Tiruvandadi 64 · verse 2145 of the four thousand
Meaning
I will not covet what belongs to others. I will not keep company with the base. I will not live except among the noble. I will not marvel at, or praise as God, anyone but Thirumal. How then can karma come upon me?
Word by word
- nayavēṉ piṟar poruḷai
- I will not covet the wealth of others
- naḷḷēṉ kīḻārōṭu
- I will not befriend the base
- uyarntavarōṭu allāl
- except with the noble
- viyavēṉ
- I will not marvel at, admire
- teyvam eṉṟu ēttēṉ
- I will not praise as God
- varum āṟu eṉ eṉmēl viṉai
- how can karma come upon me?
Mudhal Tiruvandadi 65 · verse 2146 of the four thousand
Meaning
If they worship with folded hands the dark One with red eyes and a thousand names, who is hard to think of and far beyond reach, they will not be crushed by karma, they will not enter the burning hell, and they will not go even a grain's breadth toward an evil end.
Word by word
- viṉaiyāl aṭarppaṭār
- will not be crushed by karma
- vem narakil cērār
- will not enter the burning hell
- tiṉaiyēṉum
- even by a millet grain's breadth
- tīkkatikkaṇ
- toward an evil end
- niṉaitaṟku ariyāṉai
- Him who is hard to think of
- āyiram pērc ceṅkaṇ kariyāṉai
- the dark red-eyed One of a thousand names
Mudhal Tiruvandadi 66 · verse 2147 of the four thousand
Meaning
What the world rises at dawn to learn; what the foremost Vedic scholars, who have learned and understood, long for; what is chanted and pondered as the feet of the One who lies in the sea: all of it is the name of Him who holds the great discus.
Word by word
- kālai eḻuntu
- rising at dawn
- kaṟṟu uṇarnta
- who have learned and understood
- mēlait talai maṟaiyōr
- the foremost Vedic scholars
- vēṭpaṉavum
- what they long for
- ōtuvatum ōrppaṉavum
- what is chanted and pondered
- pēr āḻi koṇṭāṉ peyar
- the name of Him who holds the great discus
Mudhal Tiruvandadi 67 · verse 2148 of the four thousand
Meaning
The flowing river looks only to the dark sea. The bright flower looks only to the rising sun. Every living being looks to Yama, lord of death. And my awareness looks only to the One, the beloved of the Lady of the bright lotus.
Word by word
- peyarum karuṅ kaṭalē nōkkum āṟu
- the flowing river looks only to the dark sea
- oṇ pū
- the bright flower
- uyarum katiravaṉē
- only the rising sun
- tarumaṉaiyē nōkkum
- looks to Yama, lord of dharma and death
- oṇ tāmaraiyāḷ kēḷvaṉ
- the beloved of the Lady of the bright lotus
- uṇarvu
- my awareness
Mudhal Tiruvandadi 68 · verse 2149 of the four thousand
Meaning
Who can understand Your greatness, age after age? Who can understand Your form? You who are in the heavens, on the earth, at Venkatam, and in the melody of the four Vedas: who can understand the place where You lie?
Word by word
- uṇarvār ār
- who can understand?
- ūḻitōṟu ūḻi
- age after age
- viṇṇakattāy
- You who are in the heavens
- vēṅkaṭattāy
- You who are at Venkatam
- nālvētap paṇṇakattāy
- You who dwell in the melody of the four Vedas
- nī kiṭanta pāl
- the place where You lie
Mudhal Tiruvandadi 69 · verse 2150 of the four thousand
Meaning
They say it is true that long ago, in the form of a little child, You swallowed the seven worlds and lay growing on a banyan leaf. Tell me, You who lifted the hill ringed with groves: that banyan, then, where was it? In the waters of the sea? In the sky? On the earth?
Word by word
- pālaṉ taṉatu uruvāy
- in the form of a little child
- āl ilaiyiṉ
- on a banyan leaf
- mey eṉpar
- they say it is true
- vēlai nīr uḷḷatō
- was it in the sea's waters?
- viṇṇatō
- in the sky?
- maṇṇatō
- on the earth?
- cōlai cūḻ kuṉṟu eṭuttāy
- You who lifted the hill ringed with groves
Mudhal Tiruvandadi 70 · verse 2151 of the four thousand
Meaning
While you can still speak, worship Him; until this body that must fall has gone, worship Thirumal. If you praise Him with garlands of fine petals, with sacrifice, with sacred ritual, with mantras and with His names, that is good.
Word by word
- collum taṉaiyum
- as long as you can speak
- viḻum uṭampu
- the body that must fall
- nal itaḻt tāmattāl
- with garlands of fine petals
- vēḷviyāl tantirattāl
- with sacrifice and with ritual
- mantirattāl nāmattāl
- with mantras and with His names
- ēttutirēl naṉṟu
- if you praise Him, it is good
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.