Ten verses that Thiruppan Alwar sang as he was carried into the Srirangam sanctum on the shoulders of Loka Saranga Muni, at the Lord's own command. He describes Sri Ranganatha from His feet upward to His face, and having seen Him, says his eyes will see nothing else. According to tradition he then merged into the Lord. Small as it is, the acharyas wrote rich commentaries on it.
Amalanadipiran 1 · verse 927 of the four thousand
Meaning
The pure one, the first Lord, who made me the servant of His devotees; the spotless one, the Lord of the heavenly ones, the Lord of Venkatam with its fragrant groves; the faultless one, the stainless one, the just one of high heaven, the Lord of Arangam with its tall walls: His holy lotus feet have come and seem to stand within my eyes.
Word by word
- amalaṉ
- the pure one, who makes us pure
- ātipirāṉ
- the first Lord, the first benefactor
- aṭiyārkku eṉṉai āṭpaṭutta
- who made me the servant of His devotees
- nimalaṉ niṉmalaṉ
- the spotless, the faultless, the stainless
- viṇṇavarkōṉ
- the Lord of the heavenly ones
- vēṅkaṭavaṉ
- the Lord of Venkatam, Tirumala
- nīḷ matil araṅkattu ammāṉ
- the Lord of Srirangam with its tall walls
- kamala pātam
- holy lotus feet
- eṉ kaṇṇiṉ uḷḷaṉa okkiṉṟatē
- seem to stand within my eyes
Amalanadipiran 2 · verse 928 of the four thousand
Meaning
With a joyful heart He measured the worlds, His tall crown rising to touch the very roof of the universe. He is Rama of the Kakutstha line, whose fierce arrows destroyed the night-roaming rakshasas who came against Him that day; He is the Lord of Srirangam with its fragrant groves. On the red garment at His waist, it seems, my thoughts have gone and settled.
Word by word
- uvanta uḷḷattaṉāy
- with a joyful heart
- ulakam aḷantu
- measuring the worlds
- aṇṭam uṟa nivanta nīḷ muṭiyaṉ
- whose tall crown rose to touch the universe
- nicācararaik
- the night-roamers, the rakshasas
- kākuttaṉ
- Rama, of the Kakutstha line
- kaṭiyār poḻil
- fragrant groves
- araic civanta āṭaiyiṉ mēl
- upon the red garment at His waist
- ceṉṟatu ām eṉa cintaṉaiyē
- my thoughts, it seems, have gone and settled
Amalanadipiran 3 · verse 929 of the four thousand
Meaning
He stood on the great hill of northern Venkatam, where the monkeys leap, so that the gods may worship Him at the meeting hours of the day; He rests on the serpent bed in Srirangam. His garment is the colour of the evening sky, and above it is the beautiful navel that brought forth Brahma. Is it not upon that navel that the sweet life within my heart now rests?
Word by word
- manti pāy
- where monkeys leap
- vaṭa vēṅkaṭa mā malai
- the great hill of northern Venkatam, Tirumala
- canti ceyya
- to worship at the meeting hours of the day
- araviṉ aṇaiyāṉ
- who rests on the serpent bed
- anti pōl niṟattu āṭaiyum
- the garment the colour of the evening sky
- ayaṉaip paṭaittatu ōr eḻil unti
- the beautiful navel that brought forth Brahma
- uḷḷattu iṉṉuyirē
- the sweet life of my heart
Amalanadipiran 4 · verse 930 of the four thousand
Meaning
He drove a single fierce arrow so that the ten heads of the king of Lanka, ringed by great square walls, came rolling down; He is the Lord the colour of the sea. He is the Lord of Srirangam, where the great bees sing sweetly and the peacocks dance. The band around His holy belly now stands and moves about within my heart.
Word by word
- catura mā matil cūḻ ilaṅkaikku
- Lanka ringed by great square walls
- talai pattu utira
- so that the ten heads fell
- ōr veṅkaṇai
- a single fierce arrow
- ōtavaṇṇaṉ
- the Lord the colour of the sea
- matura mā vaṇṭu pāṭa
- as the great bees sing sweetly
- utara pantam
- the band around His belly
- uḷḷattuḷ niṉṟu ulākiṉṟatē
- stands and moves about within my heart
Amalanadipiran 5 · verse 931 of the four thousand
Meaning
He cut away my clinging to the heavy load of my ancient deeds, made me His own and kept me so; and more than that, He entered within me. Did I do some fierce, great penance? I do not know. It is the holy chest of the Lord of Srirangam, where Lakshmi dwells, adorned with a necklace: is it not that which has taken me, His servant, for its own?
Word by word
- pāram āya paḻaviṉai
- my heavy load of ancient deeds
- paṟṟu aṟuttu
- cutting away the clinging
- taṉ vāram ākki vaittāṉ
- made me His own and kept me
- eṉ uḷ pukuntāṉ
- He entered within me
- kōra mātavam ceytaṉaṉ kol
- did I do some fierce, great penance?
- tiru āra mārvu
- the holy chest where Lakshmi dwells, with its necklace
- aṭiyēṉai āṭkoṇṭatē
- took me, His servant, for its own
Amalanadipiran 6 · verse 932 of the four thousand
Meaning
He removed the sorrow of Shiva, who wears the white crescent moon; He is the Father who dwells in the town of Srirangam, ringed by groves where bees with lovely wings live. See: the throat that swallowed everything, the worlds, the worlds beyond them, this one great earth and the seven great mountains, is what has taken me and saved me!
Word by word
- tuṇṭa veṇ piṟaiyaṉ
- Shiva, who wears the white crescent moon
- tuyar tīrttavaṉ
- who removed his sorrow
- añciṟaiya-vaṇṭu
- bees with lovely wings
- aṇṭaraṇṭa pakiraṇṭattu
- the worlds and the worlds beyond them
- eḻu māl varai
- the seven great mountains
- uṇṭa kaṇṭam
- the throat that swallowed them
- aṭiyēṉai uyak koṇṭatē
- took me, His servant, and saved me
Amalanadipiran 7 · verse 933 of the four thousand
Meaning
In His hands He holds the curling conch and the fiery discus; His form is like a tall mountain; our Master wears a tall crown fragrant with tulasi. He is the lovely Arangan, the wondrous Lord who rests on the serpent bed. Alas, His red mouth has stolen away my mind!
Word by word
- curi caṅku
- the curling conch
- aṉa lāḻiyar
- who holds the fiery discus
- nīḷ varaipōl meyyaṉār
- whose form is like a tall mountain
- tuḷapa viraiyār kamaḻ nīḷ muṭi
- a tall crown fragrant with tulasi
- māyaṉār
- the wondrous Lord
- ceyya vāy
- His red mouth
- cintai kavarntatuvē
- has stolen away my mind
Amalanadipiran 8 · verse 934 of the four thousand
Meaning
He tore apart the body of the demon who came as a horse; He is the First Lord, hard even for the immortals to reach; He is the Pure One of Srirangam. In His face, those great eyes, dark, spreading wide, shining, long, with fine red lines running through them, have left me bewildered!
Word by word
- pariyaṉ āki vanta avuṇaṉ
- the demon Keshi, who came as a horse
- uṭal kīṇṭa
- who tore apart the body
- amararkku ariya ātippirāṉ
- the First Lord, hard even for the gods to reach
- amalaṉ
- the Pure One
- cevvari ōṭi nīṇṭa
- long, with fine red lines running through
- periya āya kaṇkaḷ
- those great eyes
- pētaimai ceytaṉavē
- have left me bewildered
Amalanadipiran 9 · verse 935 of the four thousand
Meaning
As a small child on a leaf of the great banyan tree, He swallowed all seven worlds; He rests on the serpent bed in Srirangam. His lovely necklace of great gems, His string of pearls, and His blue form of endless beauty: alas, they have taken my whole heart captive!
Word by word
- āla mā marattiṉ ilaimēl
- on a leaf of the great banyan tree
- oru pālakaṉāy
- as a little child
- ñālam ēḻum uṇṭāṉ
- who swallowed the seven worlds
- kōla mā maṇi-āramum
- the lovely necklace of great gems
- muttut tāmamum
- the string of pearls
- muṭivu illatu ōr eḻil nīla mēṉi
- the blue form of endless beauty
- niṟaikoṇṭatu eṉ neñciṉaiyē
- has taken my whole heart captive
Amalanadipiran 10 · verse 936 of the four thousand
Meaning
The Lord the colour of rain clouds; the cowherd whose mouth ate the butter, who has stolen my heart; the Lord of the heavenly ones, lovely Arangan, my nectar: the eyes that have seen Him will see nothing else.
Word by word
- koṇṭalvaṇṇaṉaik
- the Lord the colour of rain clouds
- kōvalaṉāy
- as a cowherd
- veṇṇey uṇṭa vāyaṉ
- whose mouth ate the butter
- eṉ uḷḷam kavarntāṉai
- who stole my heart
- aṇṭarkōṉ
- the Lord of the heavenly ones
- eṉ amutiṉaik
- my nectar
- maṟṟu oṉṟiṉaik kāṇāvē
- will see nothing else
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.