862. The wise say that you provide refuge not only to the good but also to those who repent their ways and seek forgiveness. Tolerate my mistakes, Lord of the world!
863. Like a sword dangling from above, days pass by and our life-span is shortened through disease and old age. The time for shedding our mortal remains is not far off. There is nothing more effective than seeking refuge in the Lord to avoid re-birth and returning to this earth!
864. It was Lord Vishnu who redeemed the curse that befell Lord Shiva. (When Shiva removes the fifth head of Brahma, the skull of Brahma gets attached to Shiva’s hand due to a curse! It is Vishnu who comes to his rescue.) Dwelling on the Lord is the right way for us.
865. Oh mind who wishes to avoid distractions and dwell on the Lord! Focus on the Lord with a boar’s face (Varaha) who is as radiant as the rays of the sun.
866. The Lord protects as a father and as a mother. He helps us overcome the cycle of birth and death. He resides within us. So, why do you worry?
867. The Lord who killed Ravana to rescue Sita will not forsake us. Those of us who have sought refuge in the Lord have nothing to fear from death.
868. The Lord will redeem us from fear, disease, fatigue, old age & re-birth and will take us to a land beyond these ailments. He provides refuge to all. He has neither a beginning nor an end. He protects us while reclining on the serpent bed.
869. Oh beloved of Lakshmi! Day & night, my mind dwells on you and is overflowed with devotion for you.
870. Ranganatha around who the waters of Cauvery swirl! Dark colored Lord! I am drowning myself in the radiance of your holy feet!
871. After being pushed into a cycle of birth & re-birth, finally I have attained the lotus feet of the Lord and about to merge in him. I am now happy!
Thus, concludes Thiruchanda Virutham composed by Thirumazhisai Alwar. Will you stay with me as we dive into the beautiful verses of Thondaradipodi Alwar next?
852. Ocean colored Lord! May you live long! If you desire to bestow any boon to this devotee of yours, grant me this – My mind wanders here & there. Please allow it to be still and meditate on your lotus feet!
853. Oh Lord who slumbers in the ocean! You manifested as the mighty Varaha! You built a bridge on the sea! Please dispel the diseases from this body of mine that is attached in devotion to your lotus feet!
854. Lakshmi resides in your heart! Leader of the celestials! The meaning of the Vedas! Flawless one! Grant me the boon of ceaselessly chanting your names.
855. You severed the heads of wicked Asuras like Kavandan, Vakran, Karan & Muran. Whether I slumber, stand, walk or sit, I should always think of your lotus feet!
856. You swallowed this earth (toddler Krishna swallows mud and is caught red handed by Yashoda!) and then you measured three paces of this earth (as Vamana). Without your grace, this world will not function at all! You are the beloved of Lashmi – who speaks sweetly! There is no form other than your body worth worshipping!
857. You killed the furious Kalanemi! You carry five weapons in your arms! Out of love for the cowherd folk and their cattle, you lifted the mountain to shelter them! There is no one other than you whom I adore!
858. My Lord! Due to the wicked deeds committed by them, the king of Kasi, Vakran, Paundran, Mali, Sumali, Kesi and Denuka met their end in your hands. I am indebted to your holy feet. I dwell my thoughts on nothing else!
859. I will forsake the world of Brahma, the world of Siva and the world of 1000 eyed Indra; just to be with you!
860. You shrunk yourself as Vamana and then expanded yourself to become Trivikrama and destroyed the egos of people like Mahabali. Like the sages who sing your praises, I too would like like to sing of you!
861. You wear the Tulasi garland around which honey bees fly around buzzing. You are the ocean colored Lord who slumbers on the ocean. With your motherly affection, you make even a lowly dog like me to feel pure and blessed!
852. Ocean colored Lord! May you live long! If you desire to bestow any boon to this devotee of yours, grant me this – My mind wanders here & there. Please allow it to be still and meditate on your lotus feet!
853. Oh Lord who slumbers in the ocean! You manifested as the mighty Varaha! You built a bridge on the sea! Please dispel the diseases from this body of mine that is attached in devotion to your lotus feet!
854. Lakshmi resides in your heart! Leader of the celestials! The meaning of the Vedas! Flawless one! Grant me the boon of ceaselessly chanting your names.
855. You severed the heads of wicked Asuras like Kavandan, Vakran, Karan & Muran. Whether I slumber, stand, walk or sit, I should always think of your lotus feet!
856. You swallowed this earth (toddler Krishna swallows mud and is caught red handed by Yashoda!) and then you measured three paces of this earth (as Vamana). Without your grace, this world will not function at all! You are the beloved of Lashmi – who speaks sweetly! There is no form other than your body worth worshipping!
857. You killed the furious Kalanemi! You carry five weapons in your arms! Out of love for the cowherd folk and their cattle, you lifted the mountain to shelter them! There is no one other than you whom I adore!
858. My Lord! Due to the wicked deeds committed by them, the king of Kasi, Vakran, Paundran, Mali, Sumali, Kesi and Denuka met their end in your hands. I am indebted to your holy feet. I dwell my thoughts on nothing else!
859. I will forsake the world of Brahma, the world of Siva and the world of 1000 eyed Indra; just to be with you!
860. You shrunk yourself as Vamana and then expanded yourself to become Trivikrama and destroyed the egos of people like Mahabali. Like the sages who sing your praises, I too would like like to sing of you!
861. You wear the Tulasi garland around which honey bees fly around buzzing. You are the ocean colored Lord who slumbers on the ocean. With your motherly affection, you make even a lowly dog like me to feel pure and blessed!
832. Live blissfully by worshiping the feet of the Lord who slumbers in the ocean of milk, who defeated Kalanemi, who killed Vali, who sent an arrow piercing through seven sturdy trees and who stands resplendently in Tiru Venkatam. (Rama offers to help Sugreeva to defeat his brother Vali. But, Sugreeva has doubts about Rama’s prowess as he very well knows about Vali’s might! To reassure Sugreeva, Rama fells the seven trees with a single arrow and after piercing the seven trees, the arrow returns to Rama’s quiver! Sugreeva is then completely convinced!)
833. Wherever and whenever you have manifested, your glory reaches the sky. Those who seek refuge in the one who slumbers in the ocean of milk will have no desires in their birth.
834. Bees buzz around the Tulasi garland worn by you! Though several temptations gather around me, can they match the bliss that is achieved by seeking your feet in devotion?
835. Oh Lord! Am I to be reborn again or do I have the good fortune of attaining your holy feet? What does the wielder of the discus have in store for the dog-like life that I am leading now? Who knows what is in his mind?
836. Oh Lord who slumbers in the bed of a venomous serpent! You are capable of turning my mind away from your lotus feet! Don’t ensnare me in the tangle of your illusions!
837. Kanna! With the very same feet that kicked Sakatasura to death, you danced on the hood of the Kaliya snake. Oh Lord who holds the conch! Why are you not accepting me when I seek refuge at your feet?
838. The three eyed Shiva, Indra and the four header Brahma consider you worthy of worship. You are the meaning of the Vedas! I have attachment to none other than you. You are ever-present in my heart!
839. While churning the ocean, you held the mountain on top of your shell in the form a turtle and used Vasuki – the snake as a rope to churn the nectar. You then bestowed the nectar that grants immortality to the Devas. I will worship none other than you.
840. When the world groaned under the burden of evil, you incarnated as the charioteer to Arjuna and you performed many miracles. The hundred (Kauravas) went to heaven while the five (Pandavas) won the kingdom. I will not support anyone other than you!
841. I am not born in one of the four castes. I am not educated. I have not grasped anything. I know nothing other than your holy feet!
822. Even when Siva and other celestials couldn’t face the thousand shouldered Banasura, it was our Lord who rescued the damsel – Usha from the Asura’s clutches. (Usha subsequently marries Krishna’s grandson – Aniruddha!)
823. Our Lord is married to the daughter of the earth (Bhoo Devi) and to the daughter of the flowers (Sri Devi). From his navel, rises the four headed Brahma sitting on a lotus. Lord Shiva who shares his body with his spouse (as Ardhanareeswara) and who rides the bull is the son of Brahma. The Vedas says so.
824. Our Lord Rama whose arrows felled the seven trees and whose arrows tore the chest of Vali shows his affection not only for those who love him but also for those who don’t.
825. If we worship the feet of Vamana, intellect and wealth will blossom. If we worship the the one who slumbers in the ocean with our heart and by our words & actions, evil will be dispelled.
826. Even if we gather our thoughts and dwell on the qualities of the Lord for a long time, would we be qualified enough to gaze at the lotus eyed Lord?
827. If we quell our senses, light the lamp of knowledge, melt our hearts, crush our bones and drown in love, can we look at the Lord?
828. The one who prostrates out of respect to the meaning of the 24 philosophies and the creator of the 7 islands, 7 mountains and 7 seas; and then utters the 8 syllabled ‘Om Namo Narayana’, attains heaven.
829. Those who utter the 8 syllabled mantra tirelessly and with not a single wrinkle in their hearts, will find place at the feet of the Lord.
830. The Lord guards the 10 directions. He has created the 7 different kinds of music and the 9 types of taste. In order to delight the people in the 14 worlds, he has taken 10 incarnations. Those who are devoted to him will find salvation.
831. The Lord felled the donkey faced Dhenukasura and threw him at a fruit bearing tree. Can those who love the feet of the Lord with their entire heart, gain the status of celestials?
812. Have your feet become tired because you wandered in the forests (as Rama)? Has your body become tired because you lifted this earth (as Varaha)? Keshava! Crossing mountains, forests and rivers, it looks like you are tiredly reclining in Kudanthai (Kumbakonam)!
813. You have manifested in Kudanthai, where birds flock in the gardens where there are trees that weigh heavily with succulent fruits and where fish swim merrily in water bodies. Aren’t you the man-lion who clawed Hiranyaksha?
814. You show the path of Yoga to those whose thoughts dwell in you. You have manifested in Thiruooragam (as Ulagalantha Perumal) and in Thiruvekka (as Sonnavannam Seidha Perumal). What is the secret behind it? (Thiruvekka is where Thirumazhisai Alwar is said to have converted from Saivism to Vaishnavism.)
815. The Lord has manifested in the standing pose in Thiruooram; in the sleeping pose in Thirupaarkadal (ocean of milk) and in the resting pose in Thiruvekka. Now that I know all this, these standing, sleeping and reclining poses are installed forever in my heart!
816. When I was not yet born, my Lord stood in Tirumala; sat in Tirunadu and slept in Thirupaarkadal. Now that I am born, I am proud to say that the Lord of Lords – Narayanan stands, sits and sleeps in my own heart!
817. Death can strike us today. It can strike us tomorrow. No one lives for ever in this world. It is regrettable that people don’t realize this & use the time to think about the Lord above.
818. Those who wish to enter the realm of the sun and lead eternal lives (in the heavens above); should pay heed to the praises of the lotus feet of the Lord.
819. Caught in the clutches of the 3 gunas (Sathvik, Tamasik and Rajasik), many are deceived that this body is life. Dwell your thoughts on the One who wears a Tulasi garland and get rescued!
820. Instead of bowing to, seeing and hearing that which are undeserving, find salvation are by praying to the Lord who is the reason for all creation!
821. The celestials know how the Lord battled with Banasura who harassed everyone in all directions. Such is the valor of our Lord!
Can you smell the fragrance of Tulasi around you? Perhaps, the Lord is nearby.
802. Rama, who felled the ten headed Ravana with his bow & arrows, lives in Srirangam. Kaveri – which mines gold, flows by this town. They say that the four headed Brahma comes to pray in the temple located here.
803. Krishna, who uprooted the tusks of the mad elephant, lives in Srirangam. Like the swirling waters of Kaveri, sadhus carrying their staff made of bamboo, throng in and around Srirangam.
804. When Shiva and his family were defeated by the armies of Banasura – the thousand armed asura, it was Krishna, who lives in Srirangam who came to his rescue. (Banasura’s daughter Usha marries Krishna’s grandson Aniruddha!)
805. Rama, who killed Ravana in Lanka by his leaf shaped arrows, lives in Srirangam where Kaveri – the river that uproots mighty sandalwood trees from the tall mountains, flows through.
806. You married Sri Devi & Bhu Devi and then married Nappinnai. Your lotus feet reside in my heart too! Aren’t you the lotus-eyed Krishna who lives in Srirangam where the waters of Ponni (Kaveri) flow?
807. You are the hero who made the ten heads of Ravana to roll on the ground! Arent you Aravamudhan who resides in Kumbakonam (Sarangapani temple), worshipped by the learned pundits?
808. Chakrapani, who wedded Sita – the incarnation of Lakshmi and who killed Ravana is Aravamudhan who resides in Kumbakonam, where girls frolic in the river waters.
809. You felled the asuras who disguised themselves as trees. You subdued the Kuvalaya elephant. You killed Kesi – the horse shaped asura. Aren’t you Aravamudhan who incarnated in Kumbakonam?
809. You are the Kovalan who resides in Kumbakonam surrounded by lush paddy fields and beautiful gardens. You dispatched asuras – Kalanemi, Karan and Muran to hell. I am immersed in you!
810. You are the Tirumaal who manifests in the standing pose in the misty hill of Tiruvenkadam (as Venkateswara) and who manifests in the semi-reclining pose in Kumbakonam (as Sarangapani) surrounded by fragrant gardens.
When are you visiting Kumbakonam? The Lord is beckoning.
792. Oh Illusionist! You were born in the cowherd clan. You embraced Nappinnai, a maiden in the cowherd clan. Colored like the waters of the ocean, you performed so many miracles. Who can make sense of all of them?
793. You felled the seven bulls to wed Nappinnai. Pray tell us the reason for filling with your blood, the skull that was in the hands of Shiva – the one with matted locks and who has the crescent moon on his crown. (When Shiva beheads the fifth head of Brahma, the head affixes to the hand of Shiva and Shiva is forced to wander the the three worlds, with skull on his hand as a begging bowl. When Shiva reaches Vaikuntam in this manner, Vishnu offers his blood in the skull and directs him to go to Varanasi, where the skull falls off!)
794. You felled the ferocious elephant. You killed Kansa who was your sworn enemy. You measured the three worlds (as Vamana). You suckled the wicked Putana to death. Oh dark colored Lord! You are the first amongst Gods!
795. Oh Lord! You assumed white color in the Krita Yuga (as Matsya, Koorma, Varaha & Narasimha avatars). You assumed golden color in the Treta Yuga (as Vamana, Parasurama & Rama avatars). You assumed the green color in Dwapara Yuga (as Krishna & Balarama avatars). You will assume the blue color in the Kali Yuga (as Kalki avatar). Who is capable of understanding you?
796. You slumber on the serpent bed. Are you in the skies above? Are you in the lands below? Are you manifest in a form beyond our comprehension? Are you near or are you far away? The Lord who wears a Tulasi garland! Oh pure one! Pray tell us!
797. You wear the cool and fragrant Tulasi garland. When will I get to see you hold the conch on one hand & the discus in the other, flying majestically on Garuda? The lowliest life form that I am, need to be blessed with this sight!
798. Kanna who resembles the dark rain bearing clouds! Lord of the monkeys! The Devas say that you reside in the ocean of milk. Others say that you stay not just in one place but you manifest everywhere. Tell me where can I seek you?
799. You are the Lord who spreads goodness by manifesting in Tiruvenkatam, in the ocean of milk, by swallowing the worlds, by creating all life forms and by creating Gods & Goddesses worthy of worship!
800. The Lord who straightened the back of the hunchback who offered sandal paste to you in devotion and who is Rama resides in Srirangam where crabs, fish and cranes frolic and where colorful flowers blossom in the gardens.
801. Sarangapani who shot arrows at the ocean that made it churn in fear resides in Srirangam where everyone from the eight directions come to seek refuge and where bees buzz in the gardens.
May the fragrance of Tulasi spread love, light and laughter in you and your family!
782. You were Yama to Kalanemi. (In Ramayana, Kalanemi is killed by Hanuman. He is subsequently reborn as Kansa and is killed by Krishna.) Your praises are innumerable! As an infant, you consumed all the worlds during the deluge. You are the warrior who fells his foes by his bow & arrow! You grant salvation to those who are devoted to you!
783. Leading an army of monkeys, you built a bridge across the turbulent ocean and you aimed your ferocious arrows at the Asuras of Lanka. You are the Lord with lotus feet who, as Vamana, measured three paces and left not even a tiny parcel of land for Mahabali!
784. You killed Ravana whose teeth were as powerful as lightning and showed mercy on his brother Vibhishana and crowned him king! You are the consort of the soft spoken Nappinnai. You are Pundarikakshan who is auspicious and who is golden colored! (Pundarikakshan is the presiding deity of the temple at Thiruvellarai, near Trichy, one of the 108 divya desams)
785. You are the meaning of everything. You rule everything. You are the light in the flame. You are the Vedas. You are the yagna. You are the earth and the sky. Then, wonder of all, you became a cowherd!
786. My Lord! You hold the conch and the discus. You then showed your love to all creatures by incarnating as a fish and a tortoise. You then became a son to a slender waisted maiden in the cowherd clan. You are wonderful!
787. You were born to bejeweled maiden in the cowherd clan. You kicked Sakatasura to death with your tender feet. You suckled the poisonous millk of Putana and sucked away her life instead. You are then showered with kisses from the cowherd girls who wear golden bangles on their slender arms!
788. You are the Kanna who shook the fruits & vegetables from the tree and who killed the Kesi asura – the horse faced asura. You drank your mother’s milk. You then (stole) and ate butter. You then drank the poisonous milk (of Putana). You then put mud in your mouth. Ages ago, you were both the Varaha as well as the Vamana!
789. You broke the tusk of the mad Kuvalaya elephant. You then danced on the hoods of the Kaliya snake. My Lord! You dance merrily with pots of curd. You are colored dark like the rain bearing clouds. You wear cool, fragrant flowers on your chest. You are the one who killed the wicked Kalanemi!
790. You churned the oceans with a mighty mountain. Then you built a bridge across the ocean (in Rama avatar). You destroyed the King of Lanka – the island which is surrounded by water on all sides. You are the thunder cloud who lifted the Govardhana Mountain like an umbrella.
791. You protected the elephant Gajendra. On the other hand, you subdued Kuvalaya elephant. You protected the cows that grazed peacefully. Then, you stole the butter made out of their milk. When it rained heavily, you protected the cows by lifting the Govardhana Mountain. To seek the hand of Nappinnai, you felled the seven ferocious bulls. You are truly a big surprise!
Which avatar of the Lord is your favorite?
772. Ranga! When the ocean was churned for nectar, the waters frothed. The trees on the Meru mountain were uprooted. The Vasuki snake (that was used as the rope) was tired! What did the Devas and Asuras do then? I would like to know!
773. The protector in all yugas! You are the primal Lord who consumed all worlds and floated on a banyan tree during the deluge. You wear the Tulsi garland around which honey bees buzz in search of nectar! You hold Shri (Lakshmi) in your heart. You are the husband of Bhu Devi!
774. In the Narasimha avatar, you tore apart the chest of Hiranya! You are the Padmanabha who slumbers in the ocean of milk, venerated by those who chant the four Vedas!
775. The waters of the Ganga wash your lotus shaped feet. You hold the discus, the conch, the mace, the bow and the sword. You manifested as the man lion (Narasimha!). You hold the flower bedecked Lakshmi in your heart. Ocean hued Lord, you surprise everyone!
776. You tore Hiranya’s chest as the majestic Narasimha. You became the dwarf like Vamana. You became unsurpassed when you consumed all the worlds (during the deluge). Kanna! We know not the motives behind your divine avatars!
777. Oh Lord! You are male! You are female! You are the third gendered too! You are the good. You are the taste. You are the odour. You were true to the Pandavas. You deceived the Kauravas. You measured the worlds. You are the illusionist beyond compare! (Gender identity was duly acknowledged in those times. It is only later that people turned conservative!)
778. You are the light that rises above the skies. You are the master of the intellect. You are what stays unwritten too! Who can measure someone like you?
779. You created this world and then consumed it (during the deluge). You ceated the ocean and then slumbered on it. You defeated Mali and Sumali (in Rama avatar). You are incomparable!
780. You embody knowledge. You have unsurpassed strength. You rejoice with Lakshmi by holding her in your chest! You slumber on the ocean. Yet, you manifested as avatars in the world of men. Who can ever describe you?
781. You are the lotus eyed Lord who consumed the sky, the earth, the mountains and the seven seas during the deluge. You wear the Tulasi garland which drips honey. Weren’t you the one who shot an arrow at the humpbacked Manthara? (It is said that when Rama was young, when Manthara reprimanded him, in anger he shot an arrow at her hunchback. This is said to have caused Manthara to develop a strong hatred for Rama and this caused much tragedy in Rama’s life much later. All actions have consequences.)
In which form is the Lord going to appear to you today?
762. You are the word. You are the meaning in the word. You are the light that illuminates the Vedas. How can those created by you do justice to you by mere words?
763. You created this world. You destroyed this world during the Pralaya. You created all life forms. You are not in just one place. You are this world. This world is you. Master Illusionist! Who can make sense of this world that you have created?
764. No one can describe you as this or that. (You are indescribable!) Those who know you describe you as Nappinnai’s husband. No one can ascertain your name, form or the town you hail from. You are the core of all creation.
765. You have a razor sharp intellect! You wear the Tulsi garland! You took the form of a Tortoise (Koorma Avatar) when the ocean was churned for nectar. Though we can’t recite your thousand names, aren’t you the Lord of the Sama Veda and the Chakrapani (This form of Lord Vishnu has a third eye just like Lord Shiva)?
766. You manifest as the four Vedas with your six limbs. You have the serpent as your bed! You are the pinnacle of wealth and grace. You were born in Treta Yuga as Sarangapani (Lord Rama).
767. You were born by all four means of birth (the four sources of creation are – born of eggs, born of the womb, born of the earth and born of sweat). Even the Vedic pundits find it difficult to understand you. Like the mountains, you tower over all.
768. You are the one meaning, the Trimurti (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva) and the four Vedas. You are the lord for both merriment and spirituality! You recline on the serpent bed. You are truly astonishing!
769. Ocean hued Lord! You slumber on the thousand headed and two thousand tongued Adi Sesha. What is the meaning of your sleep? Please enlighten us!
770. Pillar of Light! As a swan, you bestowed us the Vedas. When Bakasura assumed the form of a bird, you killed him. You took Garuda as your Vahana (Vehicle). You also took Garuda as your flag. Yet, you also slumber on top of Garuda’s mortal enemy (the snake!). How playful you are!
771. When the Devas come to sing your praise, you lie in your bed without any shame. You took the form of a lowly tortoise and linger in the water. Why do you do so?
What feedback do you have for the Lord?
752. You are the five aspects of earth. You are the four aspects of water. You are the three aspects of fire. You are the two aspects of air. You are the one aspect of space. You stand above all these Pancha bhootas (five elements). Who can truly understand you?
753. You are the six duties. You represent the six seasons. You are worthy of worship through six yagnas. You are praised through the five fires. You are both knowledge and ignorance. You are also the three stages to attain you. You are the seven characteristics. You are the six strengths. You are the five senses. You are the one born in the cowherd clan!
754. You are the five senses. You are the five sense organs. You are the mind. You are the primal Lord. Who is capable of seeing you?
755. You are the consonants. You are the vowels. You are the three Vedas. You are the light behind ‘Om’ mantra. My Lord! You have taken my tasks to be your own and dwell in my heart!
756. You reside in the animate as well as inanimate objects. Who can understand this ability to manifest in everything? You are the creator of the creator!
757. Reclining on the snake, you bear the eight elephants that hold the world up, you carry the mountains, the land, the sky, the oceans and the air. Your abilities are astonishing!
758. You are one among the Trimurtis and you are the other two among the Trimurtis as well. You are sleep. You are wakefulness. You control the three time periods of the day. You are the illusionist who was born in the cowherd clan. Even the one with three eyes (Shiva) sings your praises.
759. You are the first among celestials. You are the first among mortals. You are the first among all. You know the end of all. There is no one who can sense your presence through all ages.
760. Even Shiva who bedecks himself with a garland of yellow flowers and who has thick tresses finds your feet venerable. Those who recite the Vedas and perform yagnas worship you alone.
761. Just like the rising waves are subsumed by the ocean, all the animate and inanimate objects revert to you in the end. How wonderful is that!
The Lord is everywhere. May you find Him today
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