Tirumalai 11 · verse 882 of the four thousand
Meaning
With a single bow He dammed the vast surging ocean, and so that the worlds might live, He destroyed the king of the rakshasas in battle: our valiant Lord. He has come to rest in the Great Temple, Srirangam of the tall walls. Yet you, who were born without good fortune, never once say "Srirangam", and simply let your time run out!
Word by word
- oru villāl
- with a single bow
- ōṅku munnīr aṭaittu
- damming the great surging ocean
- arakkarkōṉaic
- the king of the rakshasas, Ravana
- nam cēvakaṉār
- our valiant hero
- periya kōyil
- the Great Temple, Srirangam
- karuvilē tiru ilātīr
- you who lacked good fortune from the womb
- kālattaik kaḻikkiṉṟīrē
- you waste away your time
Tirumalai 12 · verse 883 of the four thousand
Meaning
When Yama spoke with Mudgala and those standing in hell heard it, hell itself became heaven: such are the names our Lord bears. Yet people forget to say "His town is Srirangam", and fall and sink in sorrow, poor souls. It is for this alone that I grieve.
Word by word
- namaṉum muṟkalaṉum pēca
- as Yama and the sage Mudgala spoke
- narakil niṉṟārkaḷ kēṭka
- as those in hell heard
- narakamē cuvarkkam ākum
- hell itself becomes heaven
- nāmaṅkaḷ uṭaiyaṉ nampi
- our perfect Lord who has such names
- ayarttu vīḻntu
- forgetting and falling
- aḷiya māntar
- pitiable people
- ataṉukkē kavalkiṉṟēṉē
- for that alone I grieve
Tirumalai 13 · verse 884 of the four thousand
Meaning
If all the living beings of this great earth, ringed by the fragrant sea with its tossing waves, would praise the Lord of the heavenly ones, who wears a fragrant garland of tulasi flowers; if even people without understanding would only call out "Srirangam", then all the hells would be overgrown with grass and come to an end.
Word by word
- eṟiyum nīr veṟikoḷ vēlai
- the fragrant sea with its tossing waters
- mānilattu uyirkaḷ ellām
- all beings of the great earth
- veṟikoḷ pūntuḷava mālai
- a fragrant garland of tulasi flowers
- viṇṇavarkōṉai
- the Lord of the heavenly ones
- araṅkam eṉṟu aḻaipparākil
- if they would call out "Arangam"
- pul eḻuntu oḻiyum
- would be overgrown with grass and cease
Tirumalai 14 · verse 885 of the four thousand
Meaning
Groves where swarms of bees hum, groves where flocks of peacocks dance, groves where the clouds come to rest above, groves where flocks of cuckoos call, groves where the Lord of the heavenly ones gladly dwells: lovely Srirangam! Those stubborn ones who will not say its name, snatch away the food they rush to gobble, and throw it to the dogs!
Word by word
- vaṇṭiṉam muralum cōlai
- groves where swarms of bees hum
- mayiliṉam ālum
- where flocks of peacocks dance
- koṇṭal mītu aṇavum
- where clouds touch from above
- kuyiliṉam kūvum
- where flocks of cuckoos call
- aṇṭarkōṉ amarum cōlai
- groves where the Lord of the heavenly ones dwells
- miṇṭar
- the stubborn, insolent ones
- vilakki nāykku iṭumiṉ
- take it away and give it to the dogs
Tirumalai 15 · verse 886 of the four thousand
Meaning
To the true He is true; to the false, like luckless me, He stays false and hidden: the King whose banner bears the bird Garuda. For those who have the understanding that leads to being saved, once they know that He is the One, He cuts away every doubt and shows Himself clearly. The town of that Beautiful One is Srirangam, is it not?
Word by word
- meyyarkkē meyyaṉ ākum
- true to those who are true
- viti ilā eṉṉaip pōlap
- like me, without good fortune
- poyyarkkē poyyaṉ ākum
- false, hidden, to the false
- puṭkoṭi uṭaiya kōmāṉ
- the King whose banner bears Garuda
- aiyappāṭu aṟuttut tōṉṟum
- appearing clearly, cutting away doubt
- aḻakaṉ ūr araṅkam aṉṟē
- the Beautiful One's town is Srirangam
Tirumalai 16 · verse 887 of the four thousand
Meaning
When I was a cheat and a thief, keeping company with rogues, caught and sinking in the net called women's fish-shaped eyes, He said "Come here!", entered my mind, and made love for Him swell within me. The town of that Beautiful One is Srirangam, is it not?
Word by word
- cūtaṉāyk kaḷvaṉākit
- a cheat and a thief
- tūrttarōṭu icainta kālam
- when I kept company with rogues
- kayaṟkaṇ eṉṉum
- called fish-shaped eyes
- valaiyuḷ paṭṭu aḻuntuvēṉaip
- me, caught in the net and sinking
- pōtarē
- come here!
- puntiyuḷ pukuntu
- entering my mind
- ātaram peruka vaitta
- who made love for Him swell
Tirumalai 17 · verse 888 of the four thousand
Meaning
I do not stand and praise Him with longing; I have no good fortune and not a scrap of understanding. Yet, so that my heart, hard as iron, melts little by little, I have seen the Sugarcane who has taken the great temple of Srirangam for His own, ringed by groves where the bees settle. How my eyes rejoice!
Word by word
- virumpi niṉṟu ētta māṭṭēṉ
- I do not stand and praise with longing
- mati oṉṟu illai
- not a scrap of understanding
- irumpupōl valiya neñcam
- a heart hard as iron
- iṟai-iṟai urukum
- melting little by little
- curumpu amar cōlai
- groves where bees settle
- karumpiṉaik
- the Sugarcane, the sweet Lord
- kaṇṇiṉai kaḷikkumāṟē
- how my two eyes rejoice
Tirumalai 18 · verse 889 of the four thousand
Meaning
On the cool waters, where the spray of the waves gently beats and tosses, He lies alone and reigns: the lotus-eyed one, my Lord, Krishna, whose red lips are like a ripe fruit. My eyes that have seen Him shed tears like falling buds of dew. What shall I do, sinner that I am?
Word by word
- tirait tivalai mōta
- as the spray of the waves beats
- taṇ paravai mītē
- upon the cool waters
- taṉi kiṭantu aracu ceyyum
- lying alone, He reigns
- tāmaraikkaṇṇaṉ
- the lotus-eyed Lord
- kaṉi iruntaṉaiya cevvāyk
- red lips like a ripe fruit
- paṉi-arumpu utirumālō
- tears fall like buds of dew
- pāviyēṉē
- I, the sinner
Tirumalai 19 · verse 890 of the four thousand
Meaning
His crown laid to the west, His feet stretched to the east, His back turned to the north, His face towards Lanka in the south: seeing my Father, the God the colour of the sea, asleep on the serpent bed, my body melts. What shall I do, O people of the world?
Word by word
- kuṭaticai muṭiyai vaittuk
- His crown laid to the west
- kuṇaticai pātam nīṭṭi
- His feet stretched to the east
- vaṭaticai piṉpu kāṭṭit
- His back to the north
- teṉticai ilaṅkai nōkkik
- facing Lanka in the south
- kaṭal-niṟak kaṭavuḷ
- the God the colour of the sea
- aravaṇait tuyilumā
- how He sleeps on the serpent bed
- uṭal eṉakku urukumālō
- my body melts
Tirumalai 20 · verse 891 of the four thousand
Meaning
The wondrous Lord lies on the serpent bed in Srirangam, with its flowing waters. His holy, lovely chest, His emerald form, His shoulders, His pure lotus eyes, His coral mouth with its red lips, His glorious crown and His radiance: can His devotees ever bear to leave them?
Word by word
- pāyum nīr araṅkan taṉṉuḷ
- in Srirangam of flowing waters
- pāmpu-aṇaip paḷḷikoṇṭa
- resting on the serpent bed
- māyaṉār
- the wondrous Lord
- marakata-uruvum
- His emerald form
- tuvar-itaḻp pavaḷa-vāyum
- His coral mouth with red lips
- āya cīr muṭiyum tēcum
- His glorious crown and radiance
- aṭiyarōrkku akalal āmē
- can devotees ever leave Him?
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.