Tiruchanda Viruttam 71 · verse 822 of the four thousand
Meaning
Angered over the young woman who wore a garland where bees roamed, my wondrous Lord came against Bana, who pressed close upon Him, and on that day cut away his thousand arms. He watched the shaven, ash-smeared one, his sons, the fever, Durga and Agni all run from the field; and, abashed for them, He took pity on Bana and spared him.
Word by word
- vaṇṭu ulāvu kōtai mātar
- the young woman with a garland where bees roam
- kāraṇattiṉāl vekuṇṭu
- angered for her sake
- muṇṭaṉ nīṟaṉ
- the shaven, ash-smeared one, Shiva
- veppu mōṭi aṅki
- the fever, Durga and Agni
- kaṇṭu nāṇi
- seeing it, abashed
- vāṇaṉukku iraṅkiṉāṉ
- He took pity on Bana
Tiruchanda Viruttam 72 · verse 823 of the four thousand
Meaning
The lady of the lotus flower and the lady of the earth are His consorts. More than that, four-faced Brahma, who dwells on the flower, is His son; and, if one is to say it, Brahma's son is the one who keeps a woman as half of himself and rides upon a bull. So the books of the Veda declare. This is the truth; there is nothing else to say.
Word by word
- pōtil maṅkai
- the lady of the lotus, Lakshmi
- pūtalak kiḻatti
- the lady of the earth, Bhumi
- pōtu taṅku nāṉmukaṉ
- four-faced Brahma who dwells on the flower
- mātu taṅku kūṟaṉ
- the one who keeps a woman as half himself, Shiva
- ēṟatu ūrti
- who rides a bull
- vēta nūl
- the books of the Veda
Tiruchanda Viruttam 73 · verse 824 of the four thousand
Meaning
Long ago, one day, our Lord, ruler of the gods above, loosed an arrow that pierced the trees, and loosed an arrow that pierced the chest of Vali so that he fell. Unless He keeps one in His gracious favour, even if one rules over heaven, no one anywhere will ever have full and lasting joy.
Word by word
- maram potac caram turantu
- loosing an arrow that pierced the trees
- vāli vīḻa
- so that Vali fell
- umpar-āḷi
- ruler of the gods above
- varam kuṟippil vaittavarkku
- those He keeps in His gracious favour
- vāṉam āḷilum
- even if one rules heaven
- nirampu nīṭu pōkam
- full and lasting joy
Tiruchanda Viruttam 74 · verse 825 of the four thousand
Meaning
If you bow at the two feet of Vamana, knowing Him ever more deeply, knowledge will rise in you full and dense, and good fortune too will flourish. If you praise Mal, who dwells for ever in the clear waves that roll and rise, your evil deeds will be torn out and lose their hold on you. That is the way of it.
Word by word
- aṟintu aṟintu
- knowing Him ever more deeply
- vāmaṉaṉ aṭiyiṇai
- the two feet of Vamana
- ceṟintu eḻunta ñāṉamōṭu
- with knowledge rising full and dense
- maṟintu eḻunta teṇ tiraiyuḷ
- in the clear waves that roll and rise
- paṟintu eḻuntu
- torn out by the roots
- pāṉmaiyē
- that is the way of it
Tiruchanda Viruttam 75 · verse 826 of the four thousand
Meaning
Only those who, with a single mind, do good penance through age upon age, who dwell again and again on His qualities until their hearts are pure, and who rise on and on to become gods among the gods, higher than the highest: apart from them, who is able to see our red-eyed Mal?
Word by word
- oṉṟi niṉṟu
- with a single mind
- naṟṟavam ceytu
- doing good penance
- ūḻi ūḻitōṟu
- age upon age
- kuṇaṅkaḷ uḷḷi
- dwelling on His qualities
- umpar umpar umparāy
- higher than the highest
- ceṅkaṇ mālai
- Mal of the red eyes
Tiruchanda Viruttam 76 · verse 827 of the four thousand
Meaning
Shut the path of the lowly senses and seal it with lac; open the path of the good senses and light the bright flame of knowledge. Then, with the bones themselves softening, the heart melting, and something ripening within, a love rises up. Apart from such love, who is able to see the Lord who bears the discus?
Word by word
- puṉ pula vaḻi aṭaittu
- shutting the path of the lowly senses
- arakku-ilacciṉai
- a seal of lac
- ñāṉa naṟ cuṭarkoḷīi
- lighting the good flame of knowledge
- eṉpu il eḷki
- the very bones softening
- uḷ kaṉintu
- ripening within
- āḻiyāṉai
- the Lord who bears the discus
Tiruchanda Viruttam 77 · verse 828 of the four thousand
Meaning
He is the first God, who stands as the eights, eights and eights, the sevens, sevens and sevens, and the eight, three and one. Those who bow to Him in the eightfold way and chant His name of eight syllables are able to rule over heaven.
Word by word
- eṭṭum eṭṭum eṭṭumāy
- as the eights, eights and eights
- ēḻum ēḻum ēḻumāy
- the sevens, sevens and sevens
- ātitēvaṉai
- the first God
- eṭṭiṉ āya pētamōṭu
- in the eightfold way of bowing
- eṭṭu eḻuttum
- the eight syllables, the sacred mantra
- vallar vāṉam āḷavē
- are able to rule heaven
Tiruchanda Viruttam 78 · verse 829 of the four thousand
Meaning
With a love that never flags, with minds whose bond with Him never breaks, they bow eagerly at the good feet of the spotless One who lies on the serpent in the waters, and chant His name of eight syllables as their own treasured portion. They are able to rule over heaven.
Word by word
- cōrvu ilāta kātalāl
- with a love that never flags
- toṭakku aṟā maṉattarāy
- with minds whose bond never breaks
- nīr arāvaṇaik kiṭanta
- lying on the serpent in the waters
- niṉmalaṉ
- the spotless One
- pēr eṭṭu eḻuttumē
- His name of eight syllables
- vāram āka
- as their treasured portion
Tiruchanda Viruttam 79 · verse 830 of the four thousand
Meaning
He became the tens and tens, the seven and the nine; He is the good that the land set in the fourteen worlds has gained. He came in ten forms, the First, full of might. Apart from those who are His devotees, can anyone attain release in full?
Word by word
- pattiṉōṭu pattumāy
- becoming the tens and tens
- pattu-nāl ticaikkaṇ
- in the fourteen worlds
- naṉmaiyāy
- being the good
- pattiṉ āya tōṟṟamōṭu
- with ten forms, the ten avatars
- āṟṟal mikka āti
- the First, full of might
- mutti muṟṟal
- attaining release in full
Tiruchanda Viruttam 80 · verse 831 of the four thousand
Meaning
Dhenuka came at You in the form of a beast, with no friendship in him, to oppose You. With Your arms lifted high You flung him up into the good palm fruits, ended his days and brought him to nothing. Apart from those who long for Your feet, can anyone become one of the immortals?
Word by word
- nēcam iṉṟi
- with no friendship in him
- tēṉukaṉ
- the demon Dhenuka
- nāḷ ulappa
- so that his days ended
- paṉaṅkaṉikku vīci
- flinging him up into the palm fruits
- illai ākkiṉāy
- You brought him to nothing
- amarar ākal
- becoming one of the immortals
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.