Tiruvaymoli (Thiruvaimozhi): English translation

by S. Satyamurthi Ayyangar | 388,514 words

This is the English translation of the Tiruvaymoli (or, Thiruvaimozhi): An ancient Tamil text consisting of 1102 verses which were sung by the poet-saint Nammalvar as an expression of his devotion to Vishnu. Hence, it is an important devotional book in Vaishnavism. Nammalvar is one of the twelve traditional saints of Tamil Nadu (Southern India), kn...

Tamil text and transliteration:

காண்பார் ஆர்? எம் ஈசன் கண்ணனை என்காணுமாறு,?
ஊண் பேசில் எல்லா உலகும் ஓர் துற்று ஆற்றா,
சேணபாலவீடோ உயிரோ மற்று எப் பொருட்கும்,
ஏண் பாலும் சோரான் பரந்து உளன் ஆம் எங்குமே.

kāṇpār ār? em īcaṉ kaṇṇaṉai eṉkāṇumāṟu,?
ūṇ pēcil ellā ulakum ōr tuṟṟu āṟṟā,
cēṇapālavīṭō uyirō maṟṟu ep poruṭkum,
ēṇ pālum cōrāṉ parantu uḷaṉ ām eṅkumē.

English translation of verse 2.8.8:

Who can comprehend Kaṇṇaṉ, my Lord
Or get at the know-how? hardly a morsel
Of His food can all the worlds be, His abode
Is high above the worlds, Inner Controller of all.
Indeed He pervades all over
With no exception whatever.

Notes

(i) It is indeed impossible for any one to gauge the full extent of the Lord’s glory; even the exalted ones who are endowed with the capacity to delve into it, are not equal to the task. They too could touch only a fringe of it, just a peep, and no more.

(ii) All along, reference was made to the Lord containing within His stomach, eating up all the worlds, during the period of deluge, making it appear to be a herculean task of gigantic magnitude. Now, it will be seen that all the worlds put together hardly constitute a morsel of food for the Lord, a mere fleebite [flea-bite].

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