Mudhal Tiruvandadi 81 · verse 2162 of the four thousand
Meaning
Long ago, in that war where warriors fought and killed for victory, the gods sought an end to the battle of swords; and He planted the mountain in the sea, wound the long serpent around it and churned. That name of His is the weapon that takes hold of us and carries us across the ancient hell.
Word by word
- aṭu kaḷattuḷ
- in the field of slaughter
- varai naṭṭu
- planting the mountain
- nīḷ aravaic cuṟṟi
- winding the long serpent around
- kaṭaintāṉ peyar
- the name of Him who churned
- tol narakai
- the ancient hell
- paṟṟik kaṭattum paṭai
- the weapon that seizes and carries us across
Mudhal Tiruvandadi 82 · verse 2163 of the four thousand
Meaning
On Venkatam, women with eyes sharp as swords raise incense along with garlands of fresh flowers, and its smoke is so thick that here and there the stars vanish and grow dim. That is the hill of Him who long ago shot the deer so that it died.
Word by word
- vāḷ kaṇṇār
- women with sword-sharp eyes
- paim pūn toṭaiyalōṭu
- with garlands of fresh flowers
- ēntiya tūpam
- the incense they raise
- mīṉ māya mācūṇum
- the stars vanish and grow dim
- māṉ māya eytāṉ
- He who shot the deer dead, Maricha
- varai
- the hill
Mudhal Tiruvandadi 83 · verse 2164 of the four thousand
Meaning
How was it that, with a mountain for an umbrella and Your shoulder for its handle, You guarded the herds of cows, and killed the seven bulls of the cowherds' herd? You are the Lord who lies in the mighty ocean and holds the great discus against the night-prowling demons who come against You.
Word by word
- varai kuṭai
- the mountain as an umbrella
- tōḷ kāmpu āka
- the shoulder as its handle
- ā nirai kāttu
- guarding the herds of cows
- viṭai ēḻ ceṟṟa
- killed the seven bulls
- nīr āḻiyuḷ kiṭantu
- lying in the ocean
- nicācararmēl
- against the night-prowling demons
Mudhal Tiruvandadi 84 · verse 2165 of the four thousand
Meaning
O Lord, who else can know Your greatness? When You were the Boar, the earth was not enough to fill the measure of Your tusk. How then, on the day You grew and measured the world, did that same earth come to be just the measure of my Father's foot?
Word by word
- pirāṉ
- O Lord, benefactor
- ulaku aḷanta nāṉṟu
- on the day You measured the world
- varākattu eyiṟṟu
- the tusk of the Boar
- aḷavu pōtā
- not enough to fill the measure
- entai aṭikku
- for my Father's foot
- aḷavu pōnta paṭi
- how it came to fit the measure
Mudhal Tiruvandadi 85 · verse 2166 of the four thousand
Meaning
O heart, you have drawn the five senses inward from the body, carried flowers and water, and kept to the path. Tell me: have you seen and known the form of Him who rests on the serpent? Have you seen and known His banner with the bird?
Word by word
- paṭi kaṇṭu aṟitiyē
- have you seen and known His form?
- pāmpu aṇaiyiṉāṉ
- He who rests on the serpent
- puḷ koṭi
- the banner bearing the bird, Garuda
- poṟi aintum uḷ aṭakki
- drawing all five senses inward
- pōtoṭu nīr ēnti
- carrying flowers and water
- neṟi niṉṟa neñcamē
- O heart that keeps to the path
Mudhal Tiruvandadi 86 · verse 2167 of the four thousand
Meaning
O gracious One who lifted the hill and turned back the pouring, icy rain! You stood there together with Sri, neither going out past the door nor coming inside, and now You have taken as Your own the narrow passage of lovely, flowering Kovalur.
Word by word
- nīyum tirumakaḷum
- You and Sri together
- kuṉṟu eṭuttu
- lifting the hill
- pāyum paṉi maṟutta
- turning back the pouring icy rain
- kaṭai kaḻiyā uḷ pukā
- not going out past the door, not coming inside
- kāmar pūṅ kōval
- lovely flowering Thirukkovalur
- iṭaikaḻiyē paṟṟi
- taking the narrow passage as His own
Mudhal Tiruvandadi 87 · verse 2168 of the four thousand
Meaning
Who will enter the gates of the seven hells now? The land ringed by the naval trees has learned well how to see the ringing anklet-feet of Him whose shoulders flung the calf-demon to bring down the fruit. So, without weariness, take hold of His mighty feet.
Word by word
- eḻu naraka vācal
- the gates of the seven hells
- muṉiyātu
- without weariness
- mūrit tāḷ kōmiṉ
- take hold of His mighty feet
- kaṉi cāyak kaṉṟu eṟinta
- flung the calf-demon to bring down the fruit
- kaṉai kaḻalē
- the ringing anklet-feet
- nāvalam cūḻ nāṭu
- the land ringed by naval trees, Jambudvipa
Mudhal Tiruvandadi 88 · verse 2169 of the four thousand
Meaning
If I seek, I will seek only Your feet. If I sing each day, I will sing only Your praise. If I wear anything on my head, I will wear the golden feet of Him who holds the golden discus. For one like me, what does it matter whatever comes?
Word by word
- nāṭilum niṉ aṭiyē nāṭuvaṉ
- if I seek, I will seek only Your feet
- pāṭilum niṉ pukaḻē
- if I sing, only Your praise
- cūṭilum
- if I wear on my head
- poṉ āḻi ēntiṉāṉ
- He who holds the golden discus
- poṉ aṭiyē
- only the golden feet
- eṉ ākil eṉṉē eṉakku
- what does it matter to me, whatever comes?
Mudhal Tiruvandadi 89 · verse 2170 of the four thousand
Meaning
Who is there to be my own but my Lord? And who is there for Him but Himself alone? The kaya flowers of the fields, so that I may see His flower-like body, and the poovai flowers opening their buds, show me His great dark form. That is my blessing.
Word by word
- eṉakku āvār ār
- who is there to be my own?
- taṉakku āvāṉ tāṉē
- He alone is His own
- puṉak kāyām pū
- the kaya flower of the fields
- poti aviḻum
- opening their buds
- pūvaip pū
- the dark poovai flower
- mā mēṉi kāṭṭum varam
- the blessing of being shown His great form
Mudhal Tiruvandadi 90 · verse 2171 of the four thousand
Meaning
Proud of the strength his boons had given him, Hiranya would not bow his head at Your feet, O Madhava. Was it only for that reason that You, a single lion, tore apart the flesh of Hiranya, whose chest was as strong as two lions?
Word by word
- varattāl vali niṉaintu
- thinking of the strength his boons gave
- mātava
- O Madhava, consort of Lakshmi
- cirattāl vaṇaṅkāṉām
- he would not bow his head
- īr ariyāy nēr valiyōṉ
- one with the strength of two lions
- ōr ariyāy
- as a single lion
- iṭantatu ūṉ
- tore apart his flesh
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.