Pasuram 3.1.3

Tamil text and transliteration:

பரஞ்சோதி! நீ பரமாய் நின் இகழ்ந்து பின், மற்று ஓர்
பரம் சோதி இன்மையின் படி ஓவி நிகழ்கின்ற,
பரஞ்சோதி நின்னுள்ளே படர் உலகம் படைத்த, எம்
பரஞ்சோதி கோவிந்தா! பண்பு உரைக்கமாட்டேனே.

parañcōti! nī paramāy niṉ ikaḻntu piṉ, maṟṟu ōr
param cōti iṉmaiyiṉ paṭi ōvi nikaḻkiṉṟa,
parañcōti niṉṉuḷḷē paṭar ulakam paṭaitta, em
parañcōti kōvintā! paṇpu uraikkamāṭṭēṉē.

English translation of verse 3.1.3:

Oh, Lord of splendour supreme, with none so resplendent,
Comparison you transcend, by Your resolve radiant,
You did the sprawling universe create,
Oh, Kōvintā of rare brilliance, describe I can’t Your attributes.

Note

Lord to the Alvār: “Āḻvār, I agree that the worldlings cannot praise Me adequately. But you should be able to do full justice, having been endowed by Me with knowledge, full and flooding”.

Alvār to the Lord: “My Lord, none in any clime can make pretensions to your unrivalled splendour. Having, by a mere resolve, created the entire Universe, you are beyond the ken of comprehension of any one. At the same time, your Saulabhya (easy accessibility) is astounding. Even if one could find the summit of your transcendent glory, it is well nigh impossible to sound the depth of your amazing simplicity as Govinda (Kōvinta, in Tamil) and touch the floor space. The former can be talked about while it is pretty difficult even to ponder in one’s mind about the latter and much less talk about it”.