Pasuram 2.5.1

Tamil text and transliteration:

அம் தாமத்து அன்பு செய்து என் ஆவி சேர் அம்மானுக்கு,
அம் தாமம் வாழ் முடி சங்கு ஆழி நூல் ஆரம் உள,
செந்தாமரைத்தடம் கண் செங்கனி வாய் செங்கமலம்,
செந்தாமரை அடிகள் செம்பொன் திரு உடம்பே.

am tāmattu aṉpu ceytu eṉ āvi cēr ammāṉukku,
am tāmam vāḻ muṭi caṅku āḻi nūl āram uḷa,
centāmaraittaṭam kaṇ ceṅkaṉi vāy ceṅkamalam,
centāmarai aṭikaḷ cempoṉ tiru uṭampē.

English translation of verse 2.5.1:

The Lord stands in my soul stationed,
Looking upon it as the lovely Heaven, wears He a pretty garland,
The dazzling crown, conch and discus, sacred thread
And chain; His eyes are like red lotus ponds,
His lips and feet also like lotus red, aglow is His person like red gold.

Notes

(i) It is the Lord’s will that the Āḻvār should be kept in this abode a little longer for the benefit of humanity at large. The Āḻvār, however, aspired to enter the gatherings of the celestials in the yonder Heaven and sing the Lord’s glory profusely and for ever in their holy company. See II-3-10. As a compromise, the Lord meets the aspiration of the Āḻvār by conferring on him the heavenly bliss longed for by him right here. The Āḻvār rejoices that the Lord exhibits unto him all that love which He bears for the celestials and describes the Lord’s glowing features.

(ii) Tirumālai Aṇṭāṉ, referred to earlier, told Śrī Rāmānuja, while studying this song, that he had heard it said by his preceptor, yāmunācārya, that the Āḻvār rejoices in this song as the Lord has joined him along with the entire band of ‘Nityā Sūrīs’ as apired for by him. But Śrī Rāmānuja opined that this song relates how the Lord’s person, His jewels, weapons etc, all of which lacked lustre and were as good as non-existent before He mingled with the Āḻvār, now shine with extra brilliance which fascinated the Āḻvār so much.

(ii) Yet another version is: In that section of the Vedās, known as the ‘Antarāditya Vidyā,’ the Lord is said to shine inside the Sun, assuming a body glittering like gold, lotus-eyed, bejewelled and so on; the Lord has now entered the Āḻvār’s person with all that splendour.