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:

கூவிக் கூவிக் கொடுவினைத் தூற்றுள் நின்று
பாவியேன் பல காலம் வழி திகைத்து அலமர்கின்றேன்,
மேவி அன்று ஆ நிரை காத்தவன் உலகம் எல்லாம்,
தாவிய அம்மானை எங்கு இனித் தலைப்பெய்வனே?

kūvik kūvik koṭuviṉait tūṟṟuḷ niṉṟu
pāviyēṉ pala kālam vaḻi tikaittu alamarkiṉṟēṉ,
mēvi aṉṟu ā nirai kāttavaṉ ulakam ellām,
tāviya ammāṉai eṅku iṉit talaippeyvaṉē?

English translation of verse 3.2.9:

Caught up in worldly life dense,
The breeding ground for dire sins,
I missed my track and for ages groped,
Many a time do I call my Sire, who once shepherded,
The cows and all the worlds measured,
Where and how shall I get Him indeed?

Note

[Āḻvār to the Lord:]—

“My Lord, as Śrī Kṛṣṇa, you protected the cows in the pastoral village of Gokula and not a drop of rain fell on them although it was pouring down with mad fury for a whole week. And then, when you spanned the entire universe, as Tṛvikrama, you set your lovely feet on one and all but I eluded you, even then. Having missed such a golden opportunity, where is the hope of salvation for me? Even so, I am not in a position to give you up, as it would be attempting the impossible, and I, therefore, keep on calling you. You will certainly hear me all right and respond too, by stretching out your helping hand. But then, I am sunk so deep that I am possibly out of your reach!”

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