752. You are five things—taste, light, touch, sound and smell in earth.
You are four things—taste, light, feeling of touch, and sound in water.
You are three things—taste, light and heat in fire.
You are two things—the touch and the sound of the wind.
You are the unique ancient one.
You are many things on the earth.
You are the dark-colored one.
Who has the power to know who you are?
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.)
In this sacred pāśuram, the Āzhvār reveals a most profound truth concerning the relationship between the Supreme Lord, Sriman Nārāyaṇa, and the cosmos He creates. To illuminate this, he echoes the very sentiment expressed in the venerable Śrī Viṣṇu Purāṇam (1.2.55): "*bhūtebhyo’ṇdam mahābuddhe mahat tadhudakeśayam | prākṛtam brahmarūpasya