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:

வன் மா வையம் அளந்த எம் வாமனா, நின்
பல்மா மாயப் பல் பிறவியில் படிகின்ற யான்,
தொல் மா வல்வினைத் தொடர்களை முதல் அரிந்து,
நின் மா தாள் சேர்ந்து நிற்பது எஞ்ஞான்றுகொலோ?

vaṉ mā vaiyam aḷanta em vāmaṉā, niṉ
palmā māyap pal piṟaviyil paṭikiṉṟa yāṉ,
tol mā valviṉait toṭarkaḷai mutal arintu,
niṉ mā tāḷ cērntu niṟpatu eññāṉṟukolō?

English translation of verse 3.2.2:

My Lord Vāmaṉā, You measured the Worlds, vast and strong,
Caught up in the meshes of varied births and still lingering,
When will my sins, hoary and violent, be rooted out
And I remain stable at your lovely feet?

Note

[Lord to the Āḻvār:]—

“Well, if you couldn’t go to me, I came to you, spanned the whole universe, high and low, and set my feet on one and all, with no distinction of rich and poor, Saint or debauchee, land and water”.

[Ālvar to the Lord:]—

“Sire, it is a pity, even then, I was out of your reach. In spite of your initial help in endowing me with a body to eke out a promising career, I got myself drowned in the ocean of Saṃsāra. Again, when you sought me out, as Vāmana, I drifted to another part of the ocean, very much beyond your reach and failed to avail of that golden opportunity of mass benefit”.

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