Tiruppavai

Verse 2

According to the Indian calendar December-January is the month of maargazhi. On each day of maargazhi, one verse from Andal's divine poem, the Tiruppavai. is savored. Today's verse, "vaiyaththu vaazhveergaaL", is the second one of the work.

What I have presented is the surface meaning. Each verse can actually be understood in many poetic and profoundly philosophical ways.

vaiyaththu vaazhveergaaL

vaiyaththu vaazhveergaaL! naamum nampaavaikkuc *
ceyyum kirisaigaL kELeerO * paaRkadaluL
paiyath thuyinRa paraman adi paadi *
neyyuNNOm paaluNNOm naatkaalE neeraadi *
maiyittezhudhOm malarittu naam mudiyOm *
ceyyaadhana ceyyOm theekkuRaLai cenROdhOm *
aiyamum piccaiyum aandhanaiyum kai kaatti *
uyyumaaReNNi ugandhElOr embaavaay.

Translation

Word for Word meaning

vaiyaththu        of the world
vaazhveergaaL     O people
naamum            we
nam paavaikku     for our vow, our rite

ceyyum            will do
kirisaigaL        deeds (austerities)
kELeerO           listen

paal kadaluL      on the milk ocean
paiya             gently
thuyinRa          sleeps
paraman           supreme person
adi               feet
paadi             will sing 

ney               clarified butter (ghee)
uNNOm             we will not eat
paal              milk
uNNOm             we will not eat
naatkaalE         in the early hours of every morning
neeraadi          we will (wake up and) take our baths

mai               collyrium (black eye makeup)
ittu ezhudhOm     we will not adorn (our eyes) with
malar             flowers
ittu naam mudiyOm we will not wear in our hair

ceyyaadhana       what one shouldn't do
ceyyOm            we will not do
thee kuRaLai(yai) bad untruths, gossip
cenRu OdhOm       we will not go around spreading

aiyamum           alms to those who don't ask (but need or deserve)
piccaiyum         and alms (bhiksha) to those who ask
aandhanaiyum      liberally
kai kaatti        we will give

uyyum             of sustaining ourselves
aaRu              way
eNNi              contemplating
ugandhu           happily

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