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...
Pasuram 7.7.1
Tamil text and transliteration:
ஏழையர் ஆவிஉண்ணும் இணைக் கூற்றம்கொலோ அறியேன்,
ஆழிஅம் கண்ணபிரான் திருக்கண்கள் கொலோ அறியேன்,
சூழவும் தாமரை நாள்மலர் போல் வந்து தோன்றும்கண்டீர்,
தோழியர்காள்! அன்னைமீர்! என்செய்கேன் துயராட்டியேனே? (2)
ēḻaiyar āviuṇṇum iṇaik kūṟṟamkolō aṟiyēṉ,
āḻiam kaṇṇapirāṉ tirukkaṇkaḷ kolō aṟiyēṉ,
cūḻavum tāmarai nāḷmalar pōl vantu tōṉṟumkaṇṭīr,
tōḻiyarkāḷ! aṉṉaimīr! eṉceykēṉ tuyarāṭṭiyēṉē? (2)
English translation of verse 7.7.1:
Ye, mates and elders, I know not whether what I see
Are death-dealing twins or the lovely eyes of Kaṇṇapirāṉ, the sea-hued Lord;
Know ye that these are by me seen all around
Like lotus flowers in full bloom, tormenting poor me
And women-folks; how can I get over my distress indeed?
Notes:
Of all the limbs of the Lord, His lotus eyes, which kept the Āḻvār dumbfounded, presented themselves before him first, because it was the Lord’s bewitching eyes that attracted the Āḻvār unto Him, as confessed by him in the first of his four hymnals (Tiruviruttam). But then, why should he feel tormented by the vision instead of being delighted? Had the Lord’s Form, as a whole, been perceived by him, surely, he would have revelled in that glorious vision. But now, the Lord would appear to indulge in some cruel fun at the expense of the Āḻvār, by showing him His limbs, one by one, and watching his reaction thereto. The Āḻvār exclaims that these very eyes that attract the women-folks, could also prove fatal if their ardent aspirations to enjoy Him, roused by these eyes, are not fulfilled betimes. And again, being seen all round like lotus in full bloom, they oppress him without leaving him any chance to miss it by turning his attention elsewhere. Indeed the Lord’s bewitching eyes would cast their spell on the Lord Himself if only He beheld them in a mirror.