Naanmugan Tiruvandadi 81 · verse 2462 of the four thousand
Meaning
My mind was a shut door; and I told myself I could see You some day. Now I am freed from a life tormented by karma. You sowed good Tamil as the seed and made my heart yield its crop, mingling with me as the very words I learned.
Word by word
- katavu maṉam
- a mind like a shut door
- kāṇalām eṉṟum
- thinking 'I can see Him some day'
- kutaiyum viṉai āvi
- a life tormented by karma
- tīrntēṉ
- I am freed
- nal tamiḻai vitti
- sowing good Tamil as seed
- kaṟṟa moḻi ākik
- becoming the words I learned
Naanmugan Tiruvandadi 82 · verse 2463 of the four thousand
Meaning
He has mingled with my heart, He the father of Kama. Is there any good to equal this? He is the King whom Isa and Naanmukan, offering full-blown flowers in praise, can never cease from praising.
Word by word
- kalantāṉ eṉ uḷḷattu
- He mingled with my heart
- kāma vēḷ tātai
- the father of Kama
- ītu oppatu uṇṭē
- is there anything equal to this?
- alarntalarkaḷ
- full-blown flowers
- īcaṉum nāṉmukaṉum
- Shiva and Brahma
- viṭṭu ētta māṭṭāta vēntu
- the King they cannot cease praising
Naanmugan Tiruvandadi 83 · verse 2464 of the four thousand
Meaning
Becoming kings, becoming gods, becoming the sky, becoming cool grace, becoming men, becoming women, becoming all else: He of the discus, the dark-hued Mal, gives by His own means to those who come to Him. What He does for them afterwards is a mystery.
Word by word
- vēntar āy viṇṇavar āy
- as kings, as gods
- taṇṇaḷi āy
- as cool grace
- cārntavarkkut
- to those who come to Him
- taṉ āṟṟāṉ
- by His own means
- nēmiyāṉ
- He of the discus
- pitir
- a riddle, a mystery
Naanmugan Tiruvandadi 84 · verse 2465 of the four thousand
Meaning
Mine is not a wavering mind. I would stand up even to Pinakan; he is no match for me. Day after day, out of love, I have taken it as my one work to worship Krishna, the King whose anklets ring.
Word by word
- pitirum maṉam ilēṉ
- I have no wavering mind
- piññakaṉ
- Pinakan, Shiva
- etirvaṉ
- I would stand against
- eṉakku nērāṉ
- he is no match for me
- atirum kaḻaṟ kāla maṉṉaṉaiyē
- the King whose anklets ring
- toḻak kātal pūṇṭēṉ
- I took up the love of worship
Naanmugan Tiruvandadi 85 · verse 2466 of the four thousand
Meaning
My work is to praise the name of the ancient Mal; for me, that time alone is time enough. The archer who destroyed the pride of Vali, the mighty king of the monkeys, fierce in his anger, is within my heart.
Word by word
- toḻil eṉakkut
- my work
- tollai māl taṉ nāmam
- the name of the ancient Lord
- poḻutu eṉakku
- time, for me
- kaḻi ciṉatta
- exceedingly fierce in anger
- vāṉarak kōṉ vāli
- Vali, king of the monkeys
- mataṉ aḻitta villāḷaṉ
- the archer who crushed his pride
Naanmugan Tiruvandadi 86 · verse 2467 of the four thousand
Meaning
He is there, see, O my good heart, the Supreme One, always there. He is there in the hearts of those who think of Him. He is there as His own only equal. And for lonely me, and for those like me, the Lord is the eyelid that guards the eye.
Word by word
- nal neñcē
- O good heart
- uttamaṉ
- the Supreme One
- uḷḷuvār uḷḷattu
- in the hearts of those who think of Him
- taṉ oppāṉ tāṉ āy
- Himself His only equal
- tamiyēṟkum
- for lonely me
- īcaṉ imai
- the Lord is the eyelid, ever guarding
Naanmugan Tiruvandadi 87 · verse 2468 of the four thousand
Meaning
The cowherds ate the ritual feast meant for Indra, heaped up like the great Himalaya: who could protect them then? He who established the rites is the One who guards them; He who swallowed the world and its lives, together with the dark-throated one and Naanmukan.
Word by word
- imayap peru malai pōl
- like the great Himalaya
- intiraṉārkku iṭṭa
- offered to Indra
- camaya viruntu
- the ritual feast
- ār kāppār
- who will protect?
- kārkkaṇṭaṉ
- the dark-throated one, Shiva
- uṇṭāṉ ulakōṭu uyir
- He who swallowed the world and its lives
Naanmugan Tiruvandadi 88 · verse 2469 of the four thousand
Meaning
At the hour when life leaves the body, He comes running and removes all weariness. Those who sing His name and live meditating on Him, all other striving ended: they alone truly live. If those caught in petty creeds live, it is a life wasted.
Word by word
- uyir koṇṭu uṭal oḻiya
- as life departs and the body falls
- ōṭi
- running to us
- ayarvu eṉṟa tīrppāṉ
- He who removes all weariness
- pēr pāṭi
- singing His name
- ceyal tīrac
- with all other striving ended
- ciṟu camayap pantaṉaiyār
- those bound by petty creeds
- paḻutu
- waste, worthless
Naanmugan Tiruvandadi 89 · verse 2470 of the four thousand
Meaning
I have learned one thing that never fails. There are those who daily worship the feet of the Lord of the milk ocean, thinking of them unfailingly. Those who live bowing at the very sight of such people will destroy the karma that clings to them, open the gates of heaven and sit there enthroned, exalted.
Word by word
- paḻutu ākātu oṉṟu
- one thing that never fails
- pāṟkaṭalāṉ pātam
- the feet of the Lord of the milk ocean
- vaḻuvāvakai niṉaintu
- thinking of them without fail
- kaṇṭu iṟaiñci
- bowing at the sight of them
- kalanta viṉai keṭuttu
- destroying the karma clinging to them
- viṇ tiṟantu vīṟṟiruppār
- will open heaven and sit enthroned
Naanmugan Tiruvandadi 90 · verse 2471 of the four thousand
Meaning
Those who wish to sit enthroned and rule heaven have set their minds rightly on the Lord of Venkatam. They live set right, offering many flowers; watching for the sacred days as they come, full of love, humble before Him alone, they are His own people.
Word by word
- viṇ āḷa vēṇṭuvār
- those who wish to rule heaven
- vēṅkaṭattāṉ pāl
- towards the Lord of Venkatam
- tirunta vaittārē
- have set their minds rightly
- pal malarkaḷ
- many flowers
- varum mati pārttu
- watching the coming days
- tāḻvāy iruppār
- who remain humble
- tamar
- His own people
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.