Tirumalai 41 · verse 912 of the four thousand
Meaning
If they say, "O Lord of the heavens, whom even those in heaven cannot know!", if they say, "O Lord who wears on His head a garland of tulasi flowing with honey!", then even if they are people who do base and defiling deeds, the food left over from their meal, if they give it, is purifying, is it not?
Word by word
- vāṉuḷār aṟiyal ākā
- whom even those in heaven cannot know
- vāṉavā
- O Lord of the heavens
- tēṉulām tuḷapa mālaic
- a tulasi garland flowing with honey
- ūṉakārakarkaḷēlum
- even if they are doers of base deeds
- pōṉakam ceyta cēṭam
- the leftovers of their meal
- puṉitam aṉṟē
- is it not purifying?
Tirumalai 42 · verse 913 of the four thousand
Meaning
To the many scholars of the four Vedas, faultless in their conduct, You graciously said: "Even if they are of low birth, if they are My devotees, worship them, give to them and receive from them", and so You had them honoured equal with Yourself, it seems, O Lord of Srirangam with its walls!
Word by word
- paḻutu ilā oḻukal-āṟṟup
- of faultless conduct
- pala catuppētimārkaḷ
- the many scholars of the four Vedas
- iḻikulattavarkaḷēlum
- even if of low birth
- em aṭiyārkaḷ ākil
- if they are My devotees
- toḻumiṉ nīr koṭumiṉ koṇmiṉ
- worship them, give to them, receive from them
- niṉṉōṭum okka
- equal with You
Tirumalai 43 · verse 914 of the four thousand
Meaning
Even Brahmins by birth, who have rightly recited the six limbs and the four Vedas and are leaders among their own people: if they speak ill of Your devotees, then in a moment, right there, they become like outcastes, O Lord who dwells in the great city of Srirangam!
Word by word
- aṅkam āṟum
- the six limbs of the Vedas
- vētam ōr nāṉkum ōtit
- reciting the four Vedas
- cāti-antaṇarkaḷēlum
- even Brahmins by birth
- numarkaḷaip paḻippar ākil
- if they speak ill of Your devotees
- noṭippatu ōr aḷavil
- in the space of a moment
- pulaiyar pōlum
- they become like outcastes
Tirumalai 44 · verse 915 of the four thousand
Meaning
Shiva, who bears a woman in his matted hair, and Brahma did penance for countless ages upon ages to see You, and stood abashed. Yet that day, while the heavenly ones looked on in wonder, You came and gave Your grace to an elephant. Then how is it that one comes to hold You as one's refuge?
Word by word
- peṇ ulām caṭaiyiṉāṉum
- Shiva, in whose matted hair a woman, Ganga, moves
- piramaṉum
- and Brahma
- eṇ ilā ūḻi ūḻi
- countless ages upon ages
- veḷki niṟpa
- as they stood abashed
- viṇ uḷār viyappa
- as the heavenly ones wondered
- āṉaikku aṉṟu aruḷai īnta
- who gave grace to the elephant that day
- kaḷaikaṇāk karutumāṟē
- how one holds You as refuge
Tirumalai 45 · verse 916 of the four thousand
Meaning
Krishna, who killed the great elephant fed on rice balls in the great city of Mathura, rich with gleaming white mansions, is the loving Lord of Srirangam. Thondaradippodi, of old renown, whose service is offering Him tulasi, spoke these verses. Though they are the slight verses of a humble poet, how sweet they are to our Lord!
Word by word
- tavaḷa māṭa
- gleaming white mansions
- maturai mā nakaran taṉṉuḷ
- in the great city of Mathura
- kavaḷa māl yāṉai koṉṟa
- who killed the great elephant fed on rice balls
- araṅka-mālait
- the loving Lord of Srirangam
- tuḷavat toṇṭu
- the service of tulasi garlands
- toṇṭaraṭip poṭi
- Thondaradippodi Alwar, dust at the feet of devotees
- iḷaiya puṉ kavitaiyēlum
- though slight and humble verses
- empirāṟku iṉiyavāṟē
- how sweet to our Lord
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.