Pasuram 2.6.1

Tamil text and transliteration:

வைகுந்தா மணிவண்ணனே என் பொல்லாத் திருக்குறளா என்னுள் மன்னி,
வைகும் வைகல் தோறும் அமுது ஆய வான் ஏறே,
செய் குந்தா அரும் தீமை உன் அடியார்க்குத் தீர்த்து அசுரர்க்குத் தீமைகள்-
செய் குந்தா உன்னை நான் பிடித்தேன் கொள் சிக்கெனவே..

vaikuntā maṇivaṇṇaṉē eṉ pollāt tirukkuṟaḷā eṉṉuḷ maṉṉi,
vaikum vaikal tōṟum amutu āya vāṉ ēṟē,
cey kuntā arum tīmai uṉ aṭiyārkkut tīrttu acurarkkut tīmaikaḷ-
cey kuntā uṉṉai nāṉ piṭittēṉ koḷ cikkeṉavē..

English translation of verse 2.6.1:

Of sapphire hue, oh, Vaikunta! (Lord of Heaven)
My lovely midget (Vāmana)! in my heart, steadfast you remain.
Oh, Chief of celestials! unto me You are nectarean,
Every fleeting moment; You redeem Your devotees’ dire sins
And to the Acuras You just pass them on.
Kuntā (Immaculate Lord)! firm unto You I hold on, please note.

Notes

(i) In the last decad, even while enjoying the bliss of the Lord’s union with him, the Āḻvār referred to himself as worthless (2-5-5) and as being lowly without limit, even as there is no limit to the Lord’s greatness (2-5-8). Naturally, expressions such as these roused the suspicion of the Lord that the Āḻvār, whose company He covets so much, might once again be caught up in a vein of abject humility and want to run away from Him. But the Āḻvār assures an agitated Lord that He could trust him, when he says that he won’t think of leaving Him at all. Here is a picture, in the reverse order, if one recalls a similar assurance held out by Lord Kṛṣṇa to an agitated Arjuna. (Gītā XVIII-66).

(ii) Reference to Vāmana, in the second line of this stanza, is given a beautiful turn by Nampiḷḷai. Vāmana Mūrti’s charming personality and wonderful comportment, baffling description, were lost on all else except the Āḻvār, who was enthralled by these qualities of the Lord and could get Him lodged in his heart. This was indeed a great loss to Indra, who was mindful of his only gain merely, the return of his lost kingdom and to Mahābali, whose only concern was to maintain his reputation as a great donor. There was absolutely no question of the others then on the scene, the ungodly Śukrācārya, who was made to lose his eye, and Namuṣi, who was hurled, high up in the sky, having been attracted by Vāmana’s enthralling charm. The sole beneficiary is, therefore, Nammāḻvār, in whom such a charming Lord now stands enshrined.

(iii) The grip of the Āḻvār on the Lord is said to be so tight that even the Lord cannot shake him off, if He wished to do so.