Pasuram 8.1.9

Tamil text and transliteration:

யானும் நீதானே ஆவதோமெய்யே அருநரகுஅவையும் நீ ஆனால்
வான்உயர் இன்பம் எய்தில்என் மற்றை நரகமே எய்தில்என்? எனினும்,
யானும் நீதானாய்த் தெளிதொறும், நன்றும் அஞ்சுவன் நரகம் நான்அடைதல்
வான்உயர்இன்பம் மன்னிவீற்றிருந்தாய் அருளுநின் தாள்களைஎனக்கே.

yāṉum nītāṉē āvatōmeyyē arunarakuavaiyum nī āṉāl
vāṉuyar iṉpam eytileṉ maṟṟai narakamē eytileṉ? eṉiṉum,
yāṉum nītāṉāyt teḷitoṟum, naṉṟum añcuvaṉ narakam nāṉaṭaital
vāṉuyariṉpam maṉṉivīṟṟiruntāy aruḷuniṉ tāḷkaḷaieṉakkē.

English translation of verse 8.1.9:

True it is, You are in me as You are in everything else,
The hell of a life I now eke out is also Yours;
So then, it matters not whether You grant me heavenly bliss
Or keep me lingering in this hellish life, full of distress.
And yet, life here I dread when I do my essential nature realise,
I beseech you. therefore, oh Lord, seated in the blissful heaven!
To bless me that I do your lovely feet attain.

Notes:

To those gifted with the vision of the Lord’s Universal Form (Viśvarūpa), like Prahlāda and Nammāḻvār, it should indeed be possible to perceive the presence of the Lord everywhere, looking upon Hell and Heaven alike, with perfect mental equanimity. The doubt, therefore, arises why the Āḻvār abhors existence over here and aspires for his ascent to Heaven, exhibiting a distinct predilection for the latter. This song clears up the position in this regard. It is the corroding, rather, the corrupting influence of life in the midst of the worldlings with its potential risk of seriously interfering with his essential nature, as the exclusive vassal of the Lord solely dependent on Him, that scares the Āḻvār and frightens him to such an extent. No wonder, therefore that he longs for his quick ascent to Heaven where the Lord can be served and enjoyed in that transcendent setting, without break and fear of contamination of any sort.