877. You build a façade of illusion, always worry about the next act,
live in a frail shell-like body, and never realize it will give way,
Instead of serving the Lord Ranga, the fortress of Dharma,
you tend to dress this outer wall, then fall prey to vultures.
Velukkudi Sri. U. Ve. Krishnan Swami’s Upanyasam
TM.6
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.)
maṝam suvar madhiḷ edutthu – Samsāris construct a protective wall around themselves with their cruel thoughts, cruel words, and cruel actions. To Āzhvār, it appears that cruelty is the only "auspicious" quality they possess.
maṝam – The term signifies being without mercy, angry, or proud. When good people observe a cruel person, they may think, “Oh! Why is he