Tiruvāymoḷi of Nammāḷvār | Book 6
Śrī:
Śrīmate rāmāṉujāya nama:
Tiruvāymoḻi āṟāmpattu
BOOK 6
Sixth Centum-First Decade
1.1
O Flocking egrets picking worms in my flowery marshes!
My berry-lipped Lord with discus in hand,
resides in beautiful prosperous Tiruvaṇvaṇṭūr, where paddy grows tall.
Go tell him with folded hands my sad tale of love.
1.2
O Dark egret searching for worms, with your love-bird companion!
Our Lord who swallowed all the worlds
resides in cool Tiruvaṇvaṇṭūr, resonant with Vedic chants.
Go fall at his feet, and tell him of my lowly plight.
1.3
O Flocking feathered friends, picking in the fields!
The berry-lipped lord with a spinning discus
lives in Tiruvaṇvaṇṭūr with enormous Wealth.
Go worship him with reverence, and tell him of my woes.
1.4
O Swan-pair, forever enjoying a dip together!
The ancient Lord of celestials, my ocean-hued Krishna
resides in Tiruvaṇvaṇṭūr amid echoes of Vedic chants,
Pray tell him that a maiden pines for him.
1.5
O Swan pair, you know how to make peace after a quarrel
My Lord wearing a Tulasī garland on his crown
resides in Tiruvaṇvaṇṭūr where conches fill the dunes,
Go see him with folded hands and pray for me also.
1.6
O Punnai-dwelling Kōels, I beg of you, please!
The Lord of gods with a discus in his radiant hand
resides in Tiruvaṇvaṇṭūr where fish jump in watered fields.
Go ask him for a reply, and rid me of my swoon.
1.7
O Beautiful parrot, go there once, then speak your good words!
Flower groves and red shores surround Tiruvaṇvaṇṭūr.
The Lord has a dark hue, red lips, lotus eyes and lotus feet.
Discus and conch are his identification marks.
1.8
O Beautiful Pūvāy bird, speak to my Lord and come back to me!
He lives in Vaṇṭūr filled with Punnai, serundi, Nalai, Karkaṭī and Magill flowers.
He has large lotus eyes and four mighty arms, and a dark cloud-hue.
He wears a tall radiant crown.
1.9
O Dainty swans dallying over flowers!
My Lord resides in Tiruvaṇvaṇṭūr where conches herald the day,
My Krishna, the ancient Lord is swift.
Pray talk to him alone, worship his feet and tell him of my plight.
1.10
O Fragrant bees, I Pray you, because you are different
Tiruvaṇvaṇṭūr is on the Northern banks of the Pampa river.
The Lord who burnt to dust the high-walled Lanka resides there.
Pray tell him I too exist.
1.11
This decade of the thousand songs by Kurukūr Caṭakōpaṉ
on the Lord who came and took the Earth
will win the hearts of damsels.
2.1
O Lord who destroyed the fortress of Lanka!
Thin-waisted damsels will worship your grace.
I fear what may follow. I know your tricks,
what can you do with them now?
Sire, return my bat and ball and leave!
2.2
Go Sire! Your lotus eyes and coral smile hurt and make us faint.
Alas! this is the fruit of our penance!
Lovely young damsels, strutting like peacocks will worship your grace.
Go send your crows that-a-ways, and play your flute by them.
2.3
Go away, Sire! And tell your stories to innocent ones.
Your coral lips and lotus eyes are a curse to us.
Wonder who that damsel with bamboo-slender arms will be,
to win the fortune of your grace today?
2.4
Then you swallowed the worlds and slept;
your wonders even gods do not, -so how can we? –understand!
You know how to graze your cows
where Vel-eyed damsels play sand-castles,
Then do not brother use, I Pray!
2.5
O Sire, do not lie! Men and gods know your deceits.
Lord of radiant discus, let me teach you something.
Exuberant sweet-tongued damsels will always worship your grace.
Pray do not play with our dumb Mynas and parrots.
2.6
No use pretending to repent, pray do not play with our dolls.
We are familiar with these favours, we do not deserve them.
There are many fair damsels worthy of queen ship.
Sire, do not ascend our fold, this is childishness, unbecoming of you.
2.7
O perfect Lord who took the Earth and Ocean,
pray do not snatch our dolls, you tell us lies and play with us.
A fault is a fault even by you, if my brothers hear of this one day,
they will take the rod and spare you not for justice or for mercy.
2.8
O Lord of radiant knowledge and countless glories,
making all things so different, yet like one!
when friends call and I go, you stop and dry us.
Alas, what will the unfriendly ones not say?
2.9
To melt our heart with love and trap us in your lotus-snare,
you trod on the sand-castles we made and took the food we had laid out,
you did not merely stand and watch, with you radiant smile.
Alas! We are not fortunate.
2.10
O Lord of radiant crown, wielder of the axe that destroyed Kings!
O Lord who made the Universe, O Lord of radiant hue!
Today you have come and uplifted the cowherd-clan.
Alas we cowherd-girls are pained!
2.11
This decade of the thousand songs
sung with music by Kurukūr Caṭakōpaṉ
on the Lord who stole butter
and was punished by the cowherd-mother,
-those who mater it will be freed of poverty.
3.1
I see the Lord everywhere; he appears in many ways,
as poverty and plenty, as heaven and hell,
as bitter feud and friendship, a poison and medicine.
He is my master living with affluent people in Tiruviṇṇakar.
3.2
As pleasure and pain, as confusion and clear thought,
as punishment and forgiveness, as light and shade,
-the Lord my master is hard to understand,
He resides in Tiruviṇṇakar, surrounded by clear waters.
3.3
As cities and villages, as knowledge and ignorance,
as the brilliant orbs and darkness, as Earth and the wide sky.
–the Lord resides in Tiruviṇṇakar, surrounded by mansions.
Other than his grace, we have no refuge.
3.4
As good and bad Karmas, as union and separation,
as memory and amnesia, as reality and illusion,
-- he is these and he is not.
Krishna, the Lord of Tiruviṇṇakar, is surrounded by mansions.
Other than him there is no doer, witness ye all!
3.5
The doer is the colours fair and red, black and white,
truth and falsehood, youth and age, the new and the old.
The Lord is in Tiruviṇṇakar, fortified by walls.
See, he laid out this garden-world and all the good in it.
3.6
As these three worlds and no them, as peace and anger,
as the lotus-dame, and the wretched-dame, as praise and terrible blames,
-the Lord of Tiruviṇṇakar is worshipped by the gods.
He is a radiant lotus-form that lives in my heart.
3.7
A body of exceeding radiance, a body full of filth,
hiding now and coming then, faithful and deceiving,
-he resides in Tiruviṇṇakar worshipped by the gods.
Other than his lotus feet, we have no refuge.
3.8
The permanent refuge of the gods, the ghastly death of Asuras,
protecting all the worlds below his feet and yet not thus,
-the Lord of Tiruviṇṇakar, refuge of the Southern Quarters, is my refuge.
O My Father, My Lord, My Krishna, My Master!
3.9
My Lord and father is my mother and my faster-mother.
The golden father, the gem-hued father, the pearly father, my father,
-he resides in Tiruviṇṇakar with golden walls around.
Peerless Lord, he gave me the shade of his golden feet.
3.10
As shade and sunlight, as small and big, as long and short,
as walking and standing, as other things and not any of them,
-the Lord resides in Tiruviṇṇakar with sweetly humming bees.
His feet alone protect us all, O See, the truth in this!
3.11
This decade of the thousand songs, by Kurukūr Caṭakōpaṉ
addresses the Lord of Tiruviṇṇakar who grew before our eyes
when he came begging as a lad and said, "Behold, O Ball".
Those who can sing it with mastery will become Gurus to the gods.
4.1
Night and day I have sung the wonderful exploits of my Lord Krishna,
-his blending with the Gopis in Rāsa, his lifting the mount,
his dancing on the hooded snake, and many, many more.
Now what do I lack?
4.2
My Krishna went grazing his cows, playing sweet melodies on his flute;
he locked himself in the embrace of the well-coiffured Nappinnai.
My heart melts when I recall these and many wonders of his.
My time is spent lovingly, now who in the world can match me?
4.3
The Lord killed the heavy wrestlers, and the mountain-like rut-elephant,
I recall the stories of his grazing cows in the forest,
and weep to hear the exploits of my effulgent gem.
My time is spent enjoyably, now what on Earth can hurt me?
4.4
Oh, how he wept when Yaśodā tied him to the mortar!
He drank from the poisoned breasts of Pūtanā and dried her to the bones.
He destroyed the cart with his foot. My heart melts to think of him.
My days are spent lovingly, now what on Earth do I need?
4.5
He was born in answer to the gods' prayers, as the child of Devakī.
Then he left her weeping in the darkness of the night, and entered Nanda's home.
He grew up incognito and performed many miracles, then killed Kaṁsa?
I have the fortune of singing his praise, now who in the world is my enemy?
4.6
Ripping the beak of the Baka-bird, killing the seven bulls,
destroying the tall Karaṇḍu trees, -night and day I am blest
to sing these and other wonders that my Lord performed,
when he came and strode the wide Earth. I have no despair.
4.7
Out of compassion he took birth in this filthy world of mortals.
Taking the forms he chose to, he gave vent to his anger.
My Lord and father wears a crown of Tulasī flowers.
My Heart remembers him in wonder; who in the world can equal me?
4.8
The Earth and sky were wonder-struck to witness the great war.
He then cut asunder the thousand arms of the mighty Bāṇa.
He came as a manikin and took the Earth, by walking three good steps.
My heart can see them all; now what can trouble me?
4.9
The wonder of his crossing the seven turbid oceans
and the seven fall mountains, driving over the end of the seven worlds,
these and many other acts of the Lord of discus-conch,
-whoever speaks to me about these, can be he my enemy?
4.10
To rid the burden of the world, he waged a mighty war,
and showed his wonder-form, routing and killing armies.
He then left and entered his own dear resort in the sky.
Through worshipping his feet alone, I have found a master without a peer.
4.11
This decade of the thousand songs
by Kurukūr Caṭakōpaṉ on the feet of Keśava,
Lord of the seven worlds,
who lifted them and strode them, became them and not them,
-those who can sing and dance to it will become blameless devotees.
5.1
O Ladies, pray leave the girl alone, you have no love anymore.
Her dark lotus eyes brim with tears, haltingly she murmurs.
"Beautiful conch and discus". Large lotus eyes"
and "spotless jewel mansions rise in Tolaivili-maṅkalam ".
5.2
You took this sweet and soft-spoken girl
to Tolaivili-maṅkalam,-gay with festival sounds,
-then abandoned her without a heart,
she lies like one possessed, her lips form "Tēvatēvapirāṉ',
her eyes well with tears, she falls and then melts, alas!
5.3
You took this sweetly chirping girl to Tolaivili-maṅkalam,
filled with cool green bowers, then left her heartlessly.
She now stands with tear-filled eyes
and only mutters incoherently about grazing cows,
measuring the Earth and reclining on waters.
5.4
See, after going to Tolaivili-maṅkalam, -where Vedic seers throng,
-she has lost her self-control and become possessed,
"Dark hued Lord", she keeps on calling, -with rising joy,
-then pleased beyond measure, she falls into a swoon.
5.5
O Ladies, you took this soft radiant girl to Tolaivili-maṅkalam
and showed her the Lord of lotus eyes and jewel-stealing radiance.
From then on, she is in this mood, lost in thought.
She looks in that direction and bows, with tears falling like rain.
5.6
The wealthy Tolaivili-maṅkalam lies
on the Northern banks of cool Porunal,
where sugarcane, paddy and lotus grow fall all around.
Since that fateful day, this girl locks that-a-ways night and day
and only mutters the names of the gem-hued Lord.
5.7
O Ladies, this peacock-fair fawn has slipped out of your hands.
She cannot hear anything save "Tolaivili-maṅkalam ".
His symbols and his names alone are on her lips, unfailingly.
Alas! Is this the fruit of her past karmas, or the Maya-tricks of the Lord?
5.8
The Lord lives in plenty on the Northern banks on Porunal,
in prosperous Tolaivili-maṅkalam, amid Vedic chanters and Lakshmi-like ladies.
Since the day this dark-eyed fawn worshipped him there,
every day she says "Aravintalōcaṉa" patiently, then falls and weeps.
5.9
Ever since this girl learnt the town's name,
She weeps and speaks disjointedly.
"O, Maṇi Vaṇṇa!" She calls, with a cry that would melt a tree.
"The Lord who ripped the horse's jaws lives in Tolaivili-maṅkalam ",
she says, then joins her hands in silent prayer.
5.10
What a miraculous birth she has taken!
She calls "O Lord! you came to live permanently,
standing and sitting in Tolaivili-maṅkalam ".
She bows her head and only yearns to hear the name of that town.
Is she Nappinnai, or Bhū-devī or Lakshmi? I wonder!
5.11
This decade of Tamil songs on the Lord of Tolaivili-maṅkalam,
from the pure thousand by Kurukūr Caṭakōpaṉ,
who attained the Lord a his father and mother in thought, word and deed,
will secure a life of service to the Lord, for those can who sing it.
6.1
My fair coiffured daughter has lost her bangles,
-to the groom of beautiful red lotus eyes,
who came as a manikin and measured the Earth
the Lord of dark cloud hue.
6.2
?
6.3
My well-coiffured daughter has lost her grace,
-to the dark-hued Lord, the trickster
who swallowed the worlds with his small mouth,
to the one who bears a spinning discus in hand.
6.4
My wide-hipped-daughter has lost her manners,
-to the Lord who created the powerful Brahma,
to the bachelor-groom who measured the wide Earth,
to the one who went as a messenger for the ruling kings.
6.5
My well-coiffured daughter has lost her mind,
-to the Lord who gave the good Vedas,
to the one who came as a boar and lifted the Earth,
to the Lord who sleeps on clear waters.
6.6
My tender daughter with bow-like eyebrows has lost her body,
-to the Lord of Kalpa-tree-like arms,
who wears a beautiful crown of radiant gold;
his hands are like freshly blossomed lotuses.
6.7
My fair daughter has lost her ornaments,
-to the Lord who wears many good ornaments
and reclines on a hooded couch,
to Krishna, whose hands and feet are red.
6.8
My fragrant-tressed daughter has lost her beauty,
-to the Lord who singly uprooted the Karaṇḍu trees,
to the groom who smote the laden cart,
to the child who drank the ogress's milk and killed her.
6.9
My soft-breasted jewel-girl has lost her radiance,
-to the Lord who came as beautiful groom,
the Kākutstha Lord who looks a perfect hero,
and rises tall like a dark radiant mountain.
6.10
My intelligent daughter has lost her all,
-to the beautiful full-crown-Tulasī-blossom-Lord
whose wondrous arms matched the wrestlers,
who stands in all the things that are.
6.11
This beautiful radiant decade of the thousand
by beautiful radiant Kurukūr's Caṭakōpaṉ
on the beautiful radiant Vēṅkaṭam Lord
gives beautiful radiant celestials' joy.
7.1
With tears in her eyes my tender fawn would say;
"My food, drink and the Betel I chew, are all my Krishna",
I am sure she has found her way to Tirukkōḷūr,
enquiring about his town of fame and fortune on Earth.
7.2
Throwing her grace to the winds, -like herself,
making the town and country prate his names and symbols,
-my tender fawn must have reached Tirukkōḷūr of fertile fields,
Alas, hapless me Tell me. O Mynas! Will she return?
7.3
Her Mynas, her parrots, her ball, her toys,
and flowers boxes were all the 'the Lord' for her,
-she used to call them by his names,
Alas! My doll is now in fertile Tirukkōḷūr itself.
With raining eyes and twitching lips, what would she be doing?
7.4
What now? Will the wags in the neighbourhood
call this an act of shamelessness or of high conduct?
Alas, my tender fawn decided to leave to Tirukkōḷūr swinging her hips,
where the Lord lives with abundant wealth!
7.5
My little goddess gave up her toys and faded day by day.
Now she is with her beloved Lord in Tirukkōḷūr
amid flower gardens, water tanks and in his temple.
I wonder how she enjoys herself today!
7.6
My little fawn is of no use to me anymore.
She has left me and gone to Tirukkōḷūr
where her Lord stands as a Tilaka to the South,
Would she be standing in a swoon, -with tears in her eyes,
-waiting to see her Lord's auspicious red eyes and lips?
7.7
With overflowing tears and longing heart,
night and day she would call, "Ancient Lord!"
Now she has gone to Tirukkōḷūr where her Lord lives amid riches.
Alas, I wonder how she would have reached,
with trailing steps and a shrivelled frame!
7.8
Resting her hands on her waist, dragging herself painfully,
did she walk with a seething heart and brimming eyes
to reach the Lord of the lotus-dame in Tirukkōḷūr?
Alas, my daughter has forsaken me for her Love!
7.9
All the good things she had, she would save for her Krishna,
Now casting all aside, she has left home,
and walked all the way to Tirukkōḷūr, with people showering slander.
Alas! She had no thought for us.
7.10
O Gods! I cannot understand how my tender fawn
could leave and go on her own, all the way to Tirukkōḷūr,
She would never for a moment leave her Aravintalōcaṉa.
Alas, she never thought of the slander she has brought on the household!
7.11
This decade of the thousand songs
by bowered Kurukūr's Caṭakōpaṉ on Madhusūdana,
Vaittamāniti, Lord of Tirukkōḷūr,
will secure the rule of golden Earth for those who can master it.
8.1
O Good birds flocking together!
May you rule the golden heaven and the Earth,
This hapless lover beseeches you,
my Krishna made the worlds and stole my wellbeing.
Pray go and tell him of my plight.
8.2
O My parrots, before Vel-eyed damsels I swear,
I will give you sweet butter-filled pudding with my hands,
Pray seek my discus-bearing lord of berry lips.
Tell him of my love and come back to me quickly.
8.3
O Gregarious bees, go drink the nectar from the Tulasī flowers worn by the Lord,
-he steered the chariot for the Pāṇḍavas against the great army in war,
-come back quickly and blow his fragrance over my coiffure flowers.
8.4
O Bumble-bees! Take note,
if you wish to sip the nectar from my Mullai flowers,
go seek the Lord who played false and deserted me.
He wears the fragrant Tulasī on his crown,
Tell him, this is no way to treat a lover.
8.5
O Parrots, I brought you up; now let me teach you something.
The Lord came riding on his Garuda and stole my wicked heart.
He has red eyes and lips, a dark hue and rises like a Kalpa trees.
Go seek him wherever he is, then say to him, "This is the proper way".
8.6
O Little Mynas, this wicked self brought you up.
My radiant-chested dark Lord Krishna
will not deny you the Tulasī on his radiant lotus feet.
Go to him and speak the words I taught, repeating them all the way.
8.7
O My pet dolls! Would you not go to Madhusūdana,
-who ripped the horse's jaws,
-deliver my message, and end my sorry plight?
My Lord is dark like the Prvai flower, he has eyes like lotus petals,
he is the discus-Lord who stands as everyone and everything.
8.8
O Perfect-winged white egret, pray help me!
How many ages must I suffer thus, bereft of my love?
Go see the heedless Lord of spotless hue and radiant crown,
and say, "This maiden sees no one save you".
8.9
O Flock of geese searching for worms in the water!
Hapless me, other than him, I have no protector,
Go see the monsoon-cloud Krishna, Lord of celestials,
Come back to me and repeat his words incessantly.
8.10
O Beautiful swans, nestling amid lotus flowers in the water,
-you, your bright spouses and all your kin,
-go see my Lakshmi-chested Lord in his chambers and tell him,
"This maiden is this and this", then come back and tell me what he says.
8.11
This decade of the thousand revelations
of fragrant-grooved Kurukūr's Caṭakōpaṉ
on the feet of Madhusūdana, with choicest words,
will make the heart melt like fine sand in water.
9.1
O Lord, you became the radiant orbs,
Śiva and Brahma, Earth, Water, Fire, Wind and sky,
Will you not come to this wicked self one day,
with your conch and discus in hand, and let Heaven and Earth rejoice?
9.2
O wonder-Lord who took the Earth and sky!
You came as Vāmana, and showed your power on Earth,
Pray walk this Earth again one day,
Come, let me touch and see you, and dance in joy.
9.3
O Lord who protects all through every age,
we see you walking, standing, sitting and lying.
O Lord with beautiful lotus-dame Lakshmi,
how many days must I live in separation?
9.4
You twisted, mangled and destroyed the Asuras,
you smote a devil-cart with your foot.
At least appear in the sky one day,
surrounded by Brahma, Śiva, Indra and all the gods.
9.5
O Lord you sit in the sky, stand on the hill,
sleep in the ocean, walk on the plains.
You are present in all these, hidden,
O Lord existing in countless other worlds as well,
Blended in me, will you still hide yourself from me?
9.6
With one step you strode the Earth and Ocean,
With one step you spread and took the worlds above.
O Lord, how many days must I yearn to see you?
Alas! I melt like wax in fire and roam the Earth.
9.7
You are the karmic souls roaming the Earth,
You are the soul of the world itself.
You are the formless ten spheres and the spirit beyond,
Pray grace this tiny self of infinite ignorance.
9.8
O Soul of the mortals, pray grace this ignorant self.
My fragrant icon-Lord of infinite radiance!
Will you still keep away and kill me with your tricks?
Alas, knowing nothing else. My soul is afflicted!
9.9
My soul is afflicted by pleasures that the senses heap,
would you still destroy me with distractions?
Has the time not come for me to be united to your lotus-feet,
-that grew and strode the Earth?
9.10
My Lord! For many endless ages that neither shrink nor stretch,
if I were to attain the infinite pleasures of the self,
-Alas! On reflection –will that ever match
even a short while of service to you without returns?
9.11
This decade of the thousand revelations
of devotee's devotees' devotee Caṭakōpaṉ
on the Lord beyond sight, though and feeling
will secure the feet of the Lord who swallowed the Earth.
10.1
O Lord of eternal glory who swallowed the Earth!
O Great icon of effulgent knowledge, my soul's master!
You stand like a Tilaka for the Earth in Vēṅkaṭam,
Pray decree that this bonded serf reaches your lotus feet.
10.2
O Lord of celestials bearing a fierce discus in hand
that cuts, pulverises and grinds to dust the wicked Asura-clans!
O Lord of Vēṅkaṭam with water-tanks that brim with lotuses like fire!
Grace that this love-brimming servant joins your lotus feet.
10.3
O Lord of celestials, beautiful cloud-hued natural grace,
O Ambrosia! Wonder-Lord, entering sweetly into feeling!
O Lord of Vēṅkaṭam where rivulets wash gems, pearls and gold!
My Lord, inquire of me and grant me your lotus feet.
10.4
O Lord of lotus-dame Lakshmi, you rained fire-arrows
ending the days of the heartless. Asuras who troubled the Earth!
O Lord of Vēṅkaṭam adored by gods, Asuras and Munis!
Pray show this lowly self the way to your lotus feet.
10.5
O Death archer who pierced an arrow through seven trees!
O First-Lord who went between the two Marudu trees!
O Lord of Vēṅkaṭam where elephants resemble dark clouds!
O Wielder a the heavy bow, when will I reach your feet.
10.6
O Lord of Vēṅkaṭam whom celestials worship every day,
through thought, world, deed, and praise!
I long to see the lotus-feet that spanned the Earth.
O, when will the day be when I join you inseparably?
10.7
O Lord of celestials, my ambrosia, staying for the love of me!
O Lord of Garuda-banner, Lord with beautiful berry lips!
O Lord of Vēṅkaṭam, cure for the weeds of Karma!
No more can I rest without seeing your lotus feet.
10.8
Alas, undeservingly I crave and grieve for your lotus feet! The blue-throated Śiva, the four-faced Brahma, the subtle-minded Indra and many fish-eyed damsels surround you desirously forever. O Lord of Vēṅkaṭam, pray come as you did then, and bewitch me!
10.9
You never come when you seem to, and come when you only seem to.
My soul's ambrosia! My Lord with lotus eyes, coral lips and four arms!
O Lord of Vēṅkaṭam, where brilliant gems turn night into day!
Alas, I cannot bear the separation from your feet even for a moment!
10.10
O Lord, you bear the inseparable lotus-dame on your chest!
O My Master of matchless fame, bearing the three worlds,
O Lord of Vēṅkaṭam desired by celestials and great sages!
Falling of your feet, this refugeless self has found his refuge.
10.11
This decade of the complete thousand songs
by Kurukūr Caṭakōpaṉ on Vēṅkaṭam Lord –
who gives refuge to devotees of his feet,
-will secure the joy of Vaikuṇṭha forever.