666. The devotees of Rangan, my lord and father,
as they shed tears of joy,
tremble, long for him in their hearts
worship, dance and sing.
They seem mad but they are not.
It is those people who do not worship, dance, sing
and praise him who are truly mad.
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.)
When the Āzhvār was questioned concerning his state of divine ecstasy, which appeared to worldly eyes as a form of madness, he was asked, “Is it proper for you to wander about in such a frenzied manner, following those who themselves seem to be mad?”
In response, the Āzhvār delivers a profound clarification. He explains that when one