Tiruchanda Viruttam 1 · verse 752 of the four thousand
Meaning
You are the earth with its five qualities, the water with its four, the fire with its three, the excellent wind with its two, and the sky with its one; You stand within each of them with its own distinct nature. Who has the power to think of You as You truly are?
Word by word
- pū
- the earth
- puṉaṟkaṇ
- water
- tī
- fire
- kāl
- the wind
- mī
- the sky
- aintu, nāṉku, mūṉṟu, iraṇṭu, oṉṟu
- five, four, three, two and one: the qualities each element holds, from sound, touch, form and taste to smell
- vēṟu vēṟu taṉmaiyāy
- each with its own distinct nature
- yār niṉaikka vallarē
- who is able to think of You?
Tiruchanda Viruttam 2 · verse 753 of the four thousand
Meaning
O wondrous Lord, You became the sixes, the sixes and the sixes; the fives, the fives and the fives; the twos and threes of rising worth, the sevens, the sixes and the eights: all the sacred duties, rites and virtues that the Vedas count out in their numbers. You became every kind of knowledge, the true together with the false, and the five that the senses meet, touch and sound and the rest. You became all of these, and You are within them all.
Word by word
- āṟum āṟum āṟumāy
- becoming the sixes, sixes and sixes, the counted duties of the Vedas
- ēṟu cīr
- of rising worth
- vēṟu vēṟu ñāṉam
- knowledge of many different kinds
- meyyiṉōṭu poyyumāy
- the true together with the false
- ūṟoṭu ōcaiyāya aintum
- the five sense-objects, touch, sound and the rest
- māyaṉē
- O wondrous Lord
Tiruchanda Viruttam 3 · verse 754 of the four thousand
Meaning
You became the fives, the fives and the fives that make up this world, and You dwell also within all that is other than these. O first God, You stand as the five, the three and the one from which all things unfold. You became those fives again, and You stand far off in the high heaven, Your form shaped of the fives. Who is able to see You as You are?
Word by word
- aintum aintum aintum āki
- becoming the fives that make up the world
- allavaṟṟu uḷāyumāy
- dwelling also within all else
- aintu mūṉṟum oṉṟum
- the five, the three and the one, principles of creation
- ātitēvaṉē
- O first God
- antarattu aṇaintu niṉṟu
- standing in the high heaven
- yāvar kāṇa vallarē
- who is able to see?
Tiruchanda Viruttam 4 · verse 755 of the four thousand
Meaning
You became the three and the thirty and the six, and the fives, fives and fives; You became the three divine forms, and the threes upon threes upon threes; You became the three lights that shine, and the light that never wavers. O my Lord, why did You consent to come and enter my very soul?
Word by word
- mūṉṟu mūrtti āki
- becoming the three divine forms
- tōṉṟu cōti mūṉṟumāy
- the three shining lights, sun, moon and fire
- tuḷakkam il viḷakkamāy
- a light that never wavers
- ēṉṟu
- consenting, willingly
- eṉ āviyuḷpukuntatu
- entered into my soul
- em īcaṉē
- O my Lord
Tiruchanda Viruttam 5 · verse 756 of the four thousand
Meaning
In every one of the countless forms that stand still or move, You are the life within, one with them and mingled through them. No one, ever, can say that Your nature is such and such; You are the First, beyond all reckoning. Are You not the first God who on that day brought forth four-faced Brahma from Your navel?
Word by word
- niṉṟu iyaṅkum
- beings that stand still and that move
- urukkaḷ tōṟum āviyāy
- the life within every form
- oṉṟi uḷkalantu
- one with them and mingled within
- eṇ iṟanta ātiyāy
- the First, beyond all reckoning
- niṉ untivāy
- from Your navel
- nāṉmukaṟ payanta
- who brought forth four-faced Brahma
Tiruchanda Viruttam 6 · verse 757 of the four thousand
Meaning
Mount Meru that holds up the heavens, the earth that the serpent bears, the wide sky that holds the heavens, the flowing waters the sky carries, the clouds, the fire and the wind that move through the sky: You set these five in their places, guard them, and hold them all together as one. This power is found in You alone.
Word by word
- mēru veṟpai
- Mount Meru
- nākam ēntu maṇṇiṉai
- the earth borne by the serpent
- vārpuṉal
- the flowing waters
- maṅkul
- clouds
- aintu amaintu kāttu
- setting the five elements in place and guarding them
- ēkam ēnti
- bearing all as one
- niṉkaṇē iyaṉṟatē
- is found in You alone
Tiruchanda Viruttam 7 · verse 758 of the four thousand
Meaning
You stand as the three forms, one and two; You are sleep and You are waking; You became the three times, one and two, and the sea-girt earth; You became the three fires too, O wondrous One who became a cowherd. Can even the god with three eyes, one and two, praise You as You deserve?
Word by word
- oṉṟu iraṇṭu mūrttiyāy
- the three forms, one and two
- uṟakkamōṭu uṇarcciyāy
- sleep and waking
- oṉṟu iraṇṭu kālam
- the three times, past, present and future
- vēlai ñālam
- the sea-girt earth
- āyaṉ āya māyaṉē
- O wondrous One who became a cowherd
- oṉṟu iraṇṭu kaṇṇiṉāṉum
- even the three-eyed one, Shiva
Tiruchanda Viruttam 8 · verse 759 of the four thousand
Meaning
To the first of the gods within this universe, and to the first of the celestials who dwell beyond it, You are the First of all firsts. You decree the span and the end even of the first gods of heaven. At the first time, before anything was, who could ever see You?
Word by word
- āti āṉa vāṉavarkkum
- even to the first of the gods
- aṇṭam āya appuṟattu
- beyond the universe
- āti āṉa āti nī
- You are the First of firsts
- anta-kālam nī uraitti
- You decree their time of ending
- āti āṉa kālam
- the first time, before creation
Tiruchanda Viruttam 9 · verse 760 of the four thousand
Meaning
Shiva, whose red matted locks are wound with konrai blossoms thick with pollen, bows in due order at Your feet, O spotless One of lasting glory. Those who live by the Vedas, who sing the hymns and perform the sacrifices, those learned in right understanding, all worship You as is fitting. This greatness abides in You.
Word by word
- koṉṟai mālai
- garland of konrai blossoms
- ceñcaṭaic civaṉ
- Shiva of the red matted locks
- nītiyāl vaṇaṅku pāta
- feet worshipped in due order
- niṉmalā
- O spotless One
- vēta vāṇar
- those who live by the Vedas
- kīta vēḷvi
- sung hymns and sacrifices
- nīrmai niṉkaṇ niṉṟatē
- this nature abides in You
Tiruchanda Viruttam 10 · verse 761 of the four thousand
Meaning
As the waves of the vast white-crested sea rise up from within it, toss, and sink back into it again, so all that are born and die, all that stand still and all that move, arise within You and are gathered back into You. This nature abides in You.
Word by word
- tiraittu eḻum
- rising in waves
- taraṅka veṇ taṭaṅkaṭal
- the vast sea with white waves
- aṭaṅkukiṉṟa taṉmai pōl
- as they sink back into it
- piṟantu iṟantu
- being born and dying
- niṟpavum tiripavum
- things that stand still and things that move
- niṉṉuḷē aṭaṅkukiṉṟa
- gathered back into You
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.