976. When the senses grow frail and the body weak, when old age sets in, and you sit alone, heart heavy, mind disturbed, before your mouth babbles what your eyes merely saw, and thick phlegm is pushed out again and again, hold the cool garland of tulasi in hand, recite His thousand names with love, and join the devotees who circle, sing, and dance. Let us worship Him at sacred Badrinath!
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.)
meyyil — in the body; pulangal̤ — senses; naiya — to become weak; mūththu — having become old; pŏndhu — going to a secluded place; irundhu — remaining (there); ul̤l̤am el̤gi — having the heart worried; kalanga — as imbalance (in vādha, piththa and ṣlĕshma) occurs (due to that); aikkal̤ — kapam (mucus); pŏdha undhi — getting pushed out greatly; kaṇda — as things are seen; pidhaṝā mun — before blabbering; valam kol̤ — (performing favourable actions such as) circumambulating etc; thoṇdar — ṣrīvaishṇavas who are servitors; alangalāya — in the form of a garland; thaṇ thuzhāy — cool thiruththuzhāy; koṇdu — holding in hand; āyiram nāmam — (his) thousand divine names; solli — recite; pādi — sing; ādum — dancing; vadhari — sarvĕṣvaran who is residing in ṣrī badhari; vaṇangudhum — let us worship
Detailed Explanation
Let us hasten to worship the Supreme Lord, Sarveśvaran, who resides in the holy kṣetra of Śrī Badarikāśrama, before the inevitable frailties of old age overtake us. We must seek Him now, while we possess the strength to engage in His service. For a time will surely come when we are forced into a secluded place, the heart filled with anxiety, as the body succumbs to decay.