These, that and those things;
this , that and those persons;
All things and all persons
He contains in himself
And protects all that He creates –
That peerless Lord Kannan, my nectar,
Connoisseur and consort of Lakshmi,
Is by my side forever.
இவையும் அவையும் உவையும் இவரும் அவரும் உவரும்
எவையும் யவரும் தன்னுள்ளே ஆகியுமாக்கியுங்காக்கும்
அவையுள் தனிமுதலெம்மான் கண்ணபிரானென்னமுதம்
சுவையன் திருவின்மணாளன் என்னுடைச் சூழலுளானே
My lord, even if I attain infinite eternal bliss
That’s neither curtailed nor drawn out,
If compared, will it ever match the rapture
Of the short span of time spent as your servitor?
குறுகா நீளா இறுதி கூடா எனையூழி,
சிறுகா பெருகா அளவிலின்பம் சேர்ந்தாலும்,
மறுகா லின்றி மாயோ னுனக்கே யாளாகும்,
சிறுகா லத்தை யுறுமோ அந்தோ தெரியிலே?
“O’ Lord Vishnu (MaayOn), even if I were to gain infinite eternal joy that is neither curtailed nor drawn out but is given to me forever, I don’t want that. If I compare, that joy will never match the bliss I get in being of service to you and being completely captivated by you even if it is for a short span of time. Does this even have to be spelt out. I seek the bliss of being your servitor, My Lord”
குறுகா – doesn’t shorten / not curtailed
நீளா – doesn’t lengthen / not drawn out
இறுதி கூடா – endless – infinite
எனை ஊழி – for all times – eternal
சிறுகா – that doesn’t shrink
பெருகா – that doesn’t grow
அளவில் – measure
இன்பம் – joy / bliss
மறு கால் இன்றி – without any expectation
மாயோன் – Lord of the Forest, Vishnu
உனக்கு ஆளாகும் – become your slave
சிறு காலம் – short time
உறுமோ – will it match
தெரியில் – if compared
Who will save my life now?
This evil night has engulfed the seas,
Earth and sky in unending darkness;
My Kannan, of dark blue hue, hasn’t come, alas;
You too aren’t helping me, my wretched heart!
ஆவிகாப் பாரினியார்? ஆழ்கடல்மண் விண்மூடி,
மாவிகார மாயோர் வல்லிரவாய் நீண்டதால்,
காவிசேர் வண்ணனென் கண்ணனும் வாரானால்,
பாவியேன் நெஞ்சமே! நீயும்பாங் கல்லையே?
In this poem Nammalvaar takes the role of a girl in love with Kannan. She is waiting for him to come and meet her. But the playful Kannan hasn’t come yet. She tells herself “This night is stretching forever and has covered the entire world – the sea, earth and sky – in darkness. I am waiting for my Kannan, who is dark blue hued like the dark blue lily. But he hasn’t come to see me. Oh, my wretched heart! You too will not stop thinking of him. Your pining for him isn’t helping me. Who will save my life now? I am done for unless he comes soon”
ஆவி – life / soul
காப்பார் – save
இனி யார் – who (will) now
மா விகாரம் – great evil
காவி – dark blue lily flower
சேர் – resembling
வண்ணன் – coloured
பாங்கு – friendly / helpful
அல்லை – not
Without realizing who I am,
I thought I was on my own;
But all that I am is you, all that’s mine is yours,
Oh’ Celestial ruler, bowed to by one and all!
யானேயென்னை அறியகிலாதே,
யானேயென்தனதே யென்றிருந்தேன்,
யானேநீயென் னுடைமையும்நீயே,
வானேயேத்து மெம்வானவரேறே.
In this verse, Nammalvar submits himself to Lord Vishnu completely. He says, “Oh’ Lord of the celestials, to whom all gods bow to! When I was born in this world, I didn’t realize my inner true self. I thought that what I am was created by myself. I have lost this arrogance now, as I realize all that I am is you. All that I consider my belongings are nothing but you. So I give myself up completely to you”
யான் – My self
அறியகில்லாதே – அறியாமலே – without knowing / realizing
என் தனதே – I am my own
உடைமை – belongings
வானே ஏத்தும் – woshiped by celestials (I took liberty to translate it as one and all)
வானவர் ஏறு – Ruler of celestials
You’ll rule this Golden earth, You’ll rule this whole world,
Oh’ gracious birds! If you’ll inform of my pitiable state
to dark hued Kannan – creator of the universe, possessor of my heart -,
this wretched soul pleads with you?
பொன்னுல காளீரோ? புவனிமுழு தாளீரோ?,
நன்னலப் புள்ளினங்காள். வினையாட்டியேன்நானிரந்தேன்,
முன்னுல கங்களெல்லாம் படைத்தமுகில்வண்ணன்கண்ணன்,
என்னலங் கொண்டபிரான் தனக்கென் நிலைமையுரைத்தே?
In this verse, Nammazhvar assumes the role of a girl in love with Kannan. She misses him desperately and pleads with the birds to go and inform him of her pitiable state. Since the birds roam all over the world, she promises them that they can rule the whole world if they do as she asks. She asks them to inform Kannan, the creator of all the worlds, the Lord who has possessed her heart, that she is missing him and to take her with him soon. If the birds do this task, they can rule the whole world.
பொன்னுலகு – பொன் + உலகு – Golden earth
புவனிமுழுதும் – புவனம் + முழுதும் – whole world
ஆளீரோ – ஆள மாட்டீரோ – May you rule
நன்னலம் – good mannered – gracious
புள்ளினங்காள் – புள் + இனம் + காள் – Oh’ flocks of birds
வினையாட்டியேன் – வினை செய்தவள் – sinner / wretched soul
நானிரந்தேன் – நான் + இரந்தேன் – I beg
முன்னுலகங்களெல்லாம் – முன் + உலகங்கள் + எல்லாம் – at first (created) all worlds / universe
படைத்த – created
முகில் வண்ணன் – dark (cloud) hued
என்னலம் – என் + நலம் – my heart
கொண்ட – seized / captured / possessed
பிரான் – Lord
நிலைமையுரைத்தே – நிலைமை + உரைத்தே – If (you) inform (my) condition
If you say he is, then he is, his form pervades all things;
If you say he isn’t, still his formlessness pervades all things;
With the virtue of both being and not being
He is pervasive across all time and space.
உளனெனி லுளனவ னுருவமிவ் வுருவுகள்
உளனல னெனிலவன் அருவமிவ் வருவுகள்
உளனென விலனென விவைகுண முடைமையில்
உளனிரு தகைமையொ டொழிவிலன் பரந்தே.
This is a tongue twister and wordplay verse by Nammazhvar. He says that God is everywhere. Even if atheists say he is not there, yet his formlessness pervades across things. He has the quality of being and not being. Hence he is present in all things, at all times, all over.
I hope I have conveyed the meaning properly in translation. Being not well versed in devotional literature, I am always hesitant to attempt them.
உளன் – He is (there)
இலன் – He is not (there)
உருவம் – form
அருவம் – formlessness
குணம் – quality/ virtue
தகைமை – characteristic
ஒழிவு இலன் – no place he is not there (omnipresent)
Oh Gods, what shall I do? This night stands like seven aeons
in front of me and weakens my soul;
My Kannan, with chakra* in his hands, hasn’t come too;
Caressing cool breeze singes me, hotter than a fiery blaze.
தெய்வங்காள் என்செய்கேன்? ஓர்இரவு ஏழ்ஊழியாய்
மெய்வந்து நின்று எனதாவி மெலிவிக்கும்
கைவந்த சக்கரத்துஎன் கண்ணனும் வாரானால்
தைவந்த தண்தென்றல் வெம்சுடரில் தான்அடுமே.
This is a verse from Nammalwar’s Thiruvai Mozhi. Nammalwar is the most prolific of the 12 Alwars (Vaishnavite Saints) and has penned 1352 of the 4000 verses in Vaishnavite canon.
In this set of verses he imagines himself as a woman in love with Krishna. She says “Oh Gods! What shall I do now. This night stretches like seven aeons in front of me. This night weakens my soul as Krishna, with Chakra in his hand, hasn’t come to meet me. Because of his absence, even this cool breeze singes me much hotter than a fiery blaze.”
தைவந்த – is interpreted as ‘caressing’ in Vaishnavite commentaries, though I can’t find that meaning in Tamil lexicon. My instict was to interpret it as ‘cool breeze in the month of Thai’. But I’ve gone with the standard commentaries.
ஊழி – aeon
ஆவி – soul / spirit
மெலிவிக்கும் – மெலிவு செய்யும் – weakens
தண்தென்றல் – cool breeze
வெஞ்சுடர் – fiery blaze
அடும் – burns
One with a Golden crown, One with a thousand names,
One whose dazzling disc dims the stars- Him
I hold in my heart as my protective parent;
henceforth, whatever else happens does it matter?
அடர்ப்பொன் முடியானை யாயிரம்பே ரானை,
சுடர்கொள் சுடராழி யானை,-இடர்கடியும்
மாதா பிதுவாக வைத்தேன் எனதுள்ளே
யாதாகில் யாதே இனி
This verse is from Nammalvar’s pasurams. Nammalvar is considered the greatest amongst twelve Alwars (Vaishnavite saints) and has written 1352 of the 4000 verses in Naalaayira Divya Prabandham. His period is generally dated to 8th Century AD. The Vaishnavite philosophy of Alwars is qualified non-dualism (Vishishtadvaita), simply put – total surrender to the One. (I am not qualified to talk about nuances of philosophy. This is just my understanding.)
In this poem Nammalvar says “I have placed him – who wears a dazzling golden crown, who has a thousand name, whose disc dims the brightness of all the sun and stars in this earth – in my heart like my mother and father, who remove all obstacles in my path.Hence forth, whatever happens doesn’t bother me. Because I have totally surrendered to him, whatever happens is his wish”
If you can read Tamil, do read it for the cadence and simplicity of the verse. Nammalvar’s verses are known for their innate rhythm and are a pleasure to read out loud. I haven’t read all his verses. Chose this particular verse for its simplicity and universal theme. In this 1200 year old verse, except ஆழி, all other words are simple Tamil words still in use.
சுடர் + கொள் – stars + subsume
சுடர் ஆழி – bright disc
இடர் கடியும் – peril + removing (protective)
பிது – பித்ரு – father
எனதுள்ளே – எனது + உள்ளத்திலே – in my heart
யாது – whatever / anything
 | Anon on Kurunthokai 166 |
 | prasana on Thirukkural – 819 |
 | Smitha Komandoor on Kurunthokai 63 |
 | Sanjay Prasad on Thirukkural 675 |
 | Kirayukimuras on Thirikadugam – 28 |
Old Tamil Poetry 