Tiruchanda Viruttam 21 · verse 772 of the four thousand
Meaning
O Lord of Srirangam! That day, when the wave-filled sea was stirred up, the trees on the mountain were worn away, the great earth shook, and the serpent was wound tight around, You churned the ocean. What were the mighty gods standing there doing then? O my Father, who gladly ruled over the monkeys, tell me this plainly, and nothing else.
Word by word
- araṅkaṉē
- O Lord of Srirangam
- taraṅka nīr kalaṅka
- the wave-filled sea stirred up
- mācuṇam culāy
- with the serpent wound around
- nī kaṭaintapōtu
- when You churned
- niṉṟa cūrar
- the mighty gods standing by
- kuraṅkai āḷ ukanta entai
- my Father who gladly ruled the monkeys
Tiruchanda Viruttam 22 · verse 773 of the four thousand
Meaning
O first God, who was, who is and who will ever be, You became a little child, swallowed all seven worlds, and slept upon a banyan leaf. You wear the cool tulasi garland in which the bees burrow, and on Your chest dwells the lotus maiden, Lakshmi, one with You in glory. O Lord of the Earth!
Word by word
- paṇṭum iṉṟum mēlumāy
- in the past, now and hereafter
- or pālaṉāki
- becoming a little child
- ālilait tuyiṉṟa
- who slept on a banyan leaf
- vaṇṭu kiṇṭu
- where the bees burrow
- puṇṭarīkap pāvai
- the lotus maiden, Lakshmi
- pūminātaṉē
- O Lord of the Earth
Tiruchanda Viruttam 23 · verse 774 of the four thousand
Meaning
Becoming a lion bright of colour, You drove Your claws deep into the flesh of the demon with curved, sword-like fangs. Your glory spreads everywhere. Are You not Padmanabha, the lotus-naveled Lord, who lies on the milk-white sea and whom those who chant the four Vedas worship through good yoga?
Word by word
- vāl niṟattu ōr cīyamāy
- becoming a lion of bright colour, Narasimha
- vāḷ-eyiṟṟavaṉ
- the demon with sword-like fangs, Hiranya
- ukirttalam aḻuttiṉāy
- You pressed in Your claws
- nāl-niṟatta vētanāvar
- those who chant the four Vedas
- pāl-niṟak kaṭaṟkiṭanta
- lying on the milk-white sea
- paṟpanāpaṉ
- Padmanabha, the Lord with the lotus navel
Tiruchanda Viruttam 24 · verse 775 of the four thousand
Meaning
O my Lord, whose lotus feet gave birth to the Ganga! In Your fair hands You hold the discus, the conch, the mace, the bow and the sword. O God of gods, who became the lion! On Your chest the lady of the soft, honey-filled flower dwells for ever. O wondrous One, with a form like the ocean!
Word by word
- kaṅkai nīr payanta
- that gave birth to the Ganga
- pāta-paṅkayattu
- with lotus feet
- aṅkai
- fair hand
- ciṅkamāya tēvatēva
- O God of gods who became the lion
- meṉ malar-
- the soft flower, the lotus
- āḻi mēṉi māyaṉē
- O wondrous One with a form like the ocean
Tiruchanda Viruttam 25 · verse 776 of the four thousand
Meaning
Upon the chest of that demon with sword-like fangs, who stood so sure in his boons, You laid Your hands and drove in Your claws. You go begging, and what a pretence that is! And the earth You begged for, You hide away within Your belly. O Kanna, who can ever see into Your mind?
Word by word
- varattiṉiṟ cirattai mikka
- so confident in his boons
- urattiṉiṟ karattai vaittu
- laying Your hands on his chest
- ukirttalattai ūṉṟiṉāy
- You drove in Your claws
- iratti
- You go begging
- eṉṉa poy
- what a pretence!
- karatti
- You hide it away
- kaṇṇaṉē
- O Kanna, Krishna
Tiruchanda Viruttam 26 · verse 777 of the four thousand
Meaning
You became male and female and what is neither; You became what is good and what is not. You became food, and sound, and touch; You became primal matter, which is never just one thing. You became the cowherd who tends the cattle; You became the false and the true. And You are the thief who went as a young brahmachari, hiding Your true self, to beg for a piece of land.
Word by word
- āṇiṉōṭu peṇṇum āki
- becoming male and female
- ūṇoṭu ōcai ūṟum
- food, sound and touch
- oṉṟu alāta māyaiyāy
- primal matter, many-sided
- pūṇi pēṇum āyaṉ
- the cowherd who tends cattle
- kāṇi pēṇum māṇiyāyk
- as a brahmachari seeking a plot of land
- karantu ceṉṟa kaḷvaṉē
- O thief who went in disguise
Tiruchanda Viruttam 27 · verse 778 of the four thousand
Meaning
O light beyond the heavens, shining form of knowledge, Lord who dwells in the realm beyond all song, destroyer of sin! With a power of yoga beyond all counting, You went begging as a brahmachari and strode across the earth. Who can measure You and the way You did it?
Word by word
- viṇ kaṭanta cōtiyāy
- O light beyond the heavens
- ñāṉa mūrttiyāy
- form of knowledge
- paṇ kaṭanta tēcam
- the realm beyond all song, the supreme heaven
- pāvanāca nātaṉē
- O Lord who destroys sin
- eṇ kaṭanta yōkiṉōṭu
- with yoga beyond counting
- maṇ kaṭanta vaṇṇam
- the way You strode across the earth
Tiruchanda Viruttam 28 · verse 779 of the four thousand
Meaning
You made the earth, raised it up, measured it, swallowed it and brought it out again. You made the ocean, dammed it, lay upon it, and long ago churned it. O wondrous One whose great hands hold many weapons: You loosed them, and Mali and Malyavan, who pressed in upon You, went to the city of Death.
Word by word
- paṭaitta pār iṭantu
- lifting up the earth You made
- uṇṭu umiḻntu
- swallowing and bringing it out
- paṭaittu aṭaittu atiṟ kiṭantu
- making the sea, damming it, lying upon it
- māli mālimāṉ
- the demons Mali and Malyavan
- kālaṉ-ūr pukap
- so they entered the city of Death
- taṭakkai māyaṉē
- O wondrous One of mighty hands
Tiruchanda Viruttam 29 · verse 780 of the four thousand
Meaning
Higher than the highest, You are the First; You lie upon the ocean as Your couch, and You have placed the Lady on Your chest and rejoice in her. More than that, You are born even among men, O Lord, O form of knowledge. No one at all is able to say, "This is His nature."
Word by word
- parattilum parattai
- higher than the highest
- pauva nīr aṇaik kiṭantu
- lying on the ocean as Your couch
- urattilum oruttitaṉṉai
- the Lady, Lakshmi, on Your chest
- narattilum piṟatti
- You are born among men
- ñāṉamūrtti
- form of knowledge
- iṉṉatu eṉṉa vallarē
- can anyone say it is thus?
Tiruchanda Viruttam 30 · verse 781 of the four thousand
Meaning
O lotus-eyed One, You made a meal of the heavens, the earth, the mountains and the seven seas, and slept upon a banyan leaf. You wear a fine garland of tulasi, cool and fragrant, its flowers full of honey. Are You not the victorious archer who, as a boy, flicked a pellet that drove the hunchback's hump inward?
Word by word
- pōṉakam ceytu
- making a meal of them
- puṇṭarīkaṉē
- O lotus-eyed One
- tēṉ akañcey
- with honey within
- malart tuḻāy
- tulasi flowers
- kūṉ akam pukat teṟitta
- who flicked a pellet that drove the hump inward
- koṟṟa villi
- the victorious archer
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.