2343. The lord who took three feet of land from Mahābali and measured the world
after receiving a promise from him with water poured on his hands
stays in Thiruvinnagaram, in Thiruvekka surrounded by ocean with rolling waves,
in Thiruvenkatam, in Mannakaram, in Thiruvelukkai filled with beautiful palaces,
in Thirukkudandai in the south,
in sweet Thiruvarangam surrounded with groves dripping with honey
and in southern Thirukkottiyur.
Word by Word (WBW) meaning
(The words may be rearranged to facilitate conversion from poetry to prose (Aṉvayam). Please read the meanings (in black) continuously to form the sentence and understand the simplified meaning based on the Divyārtha Dīpikai for the verse.)
viṇṇagaram — thiruviṇṇagaram (a divine abode in kumbakŏṇam); vehkā — thiruvehkā (a divine abode in kānchīpuram); viri thirai nīr vĕngadam — thirumalai where there is plenty of water resource with splashing waves; maṇṇagaram — only this is a city on earth; mā mādam vĕl̤ukkai — thiruvĕl̤ukkai (a divine abode in kānchīpuram) which has huge mansions; maṇ agaththa then kudandhai — the beautiful thirukkudandhai (kumbakŏṇam) which is at the centre of earth; thĕn ār thiruvarangam — the divine thiruvarangam town which has flood of honey (inside the surrounding gardens); then kŏtti — the divine thirukkŏttiyūr on the southern side; than kudangai — in his palm; nīr ĕṝān — emperumān who took water (from mahābali as symbolic of accepting alms); thāzhvu — are the places of residence where emperumān stays with modesty
Detailed Explanation
avatārikai
In this verse, the Āzhvār reveals a profound truth concerning the disposition of Emperumān. He explains that Sriman Nārāyaṇa manifests a profound desire for the divya-deśams (divine abodes), cherishing them as sacred precincts of solitude from which He can orchestrate the protection of His devotees. One might then ask: is His presence in this world merely