TVM 6.9.3

O Lord of the Worlds! For How Long Must I Languish?

உலகநாயகா! எவ்வளவு நாள் நான் தளர்வேன்?

3433 ஞாலத்தூடேநடந்தும்நின்றும் கிடந்திருந்தும் *
சாலப்பலநாள் உகந்தோறுஉயிர்கள்காப்பானே! *
கோலத்திருமாமகளோடு உன்னைக்கூடாதே *
சாலப்பலநாள் அடியேன்இன்னம்தளர்வேனோ?

TVM.6.9.3

3433 ñālattūṭe naṭantum niṉṟum * kiṭantu iruntum *
cālap pala nāl̤ * ukamtoṟu uyirkal̤ kāppāṉe **
kolat tiru mā makal̤oṭu * uṉṉaik kūṭāte *
cālap pala nāl̤ * aṭiyeṉ iṉṉam tal̤arveṉo? (3)

Ragam

Sāveri / ஸாவேரி

Thalam

Ādi / ஆதி

Bhavam

Self

Simple Translation

3433. Oh, Lord, throughout the ages, you have graced the Earth with your incarnations, tirelessly aiding your devotees for countless years, assuming myriad forms. Yet, must I endure this separation from you and your divine consort any longer?

Explanatory Notes

The Āzhvār rightly questions the Lord who incarnated, in many ways and on many occasions, to succour His devotees, whether He cannot incarnate once more, for his sake. As, Śrī Rāma, the Lord walked through the depopulated forests where very few could enjoy His entrancing gait. And now, why should He not walk in front of the Āzhvār, yearning to behold His majestic gait, at least once in a way?

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.)

உகம்தோறு — ஒவ்வொரு யுகத்திலும்; ஞாலத்தூடே — பூலோகத்திலே; நடந்தும் நின்றும் — நடந்தும் நின்றும்; கிடந்து இருந்தும் — கிடந்தும் இருந்தும்; சாலப் பல நாள் — பல்லாண்டு பலகாலம்; உயிர்கள் காப்பானே! — உயிர்களைக் காப்பவனே!; கோலத் திருமா மகளோடு — அழகிய திருமகளோடு; உன்னை — சேர்ந்திருக்கும் உன்னை; கூடாதே — அடைந்து அநுபவிக்காமல்; சாலப் பல நாள் இன்னம் — இன்னும் எவ்வளவு நாட்கள்; அடியேன் — அடியேன்; தளர்வேனோ? — இழந்து துடிப்பேனோ?

nadandhum — mercifully walked as said in -chachāra vasudhāthalĕ-; ninṛum — stood (holding the bow with the arrow ready to be launched as said in -avashtabya cha thishtantham dhadharṣa dhanurūrjitham-); kidandhum — mercifully rested (like an ocean in front of another ocean as said in -prathiṣiṣyĕ mahŏdhadhĕ:-); irundhum — being nicely seated along with pirātti (as said in -ĕvam āsthĕ sa dharmāthmā sīthayā saharāghava:-); sālap pala nāl̤ — for a long time (as said in -dhaṣa varsha sahasrāṇi dhaṣa varsha ṣathāni cha-); uyirgal̤ — creatures; kāppānĕ — ŏh one who protects!; kŏlam — one who appears matching your beautiful form as said in -vishṇŏr dhĕhānurūpām vai karŏthyĕshā-thmanasthanūm-; thiru mā magal̤ŏdu — with lakshmi; unnai — you; kūdādhĕ — without reaching and enjoying; sālap pala nāl̤ — for the times to come; adiyĕn — ī (who knows our [lord-servant] relationship); innum — even after acquiring the taste [for bhagavath vishayam]; thal̤arvĕnŏ — should ī suffer due to not acquiring the experience?; sakata asurar — ṣakatāsura-s; udal — body

Detailed Explanation

In this third pāsuraṁ of the chapter, our Āzhvār, having been shown the universal form of the Lord, expresses his deep yearning for a more personal and intimate vision. The dialogue, as envisioned by the great commentator Nampiḷḷai, unfolds thus: the Āzhvār implores, “It is not sufficient that you have manifested your cosmic, universal form; you must now manifest your

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TVM 6.9.2 TVM 6.9.4