உயர்வற உயர்நலம் உடையவன் யவனவன்
மயர்வற மதிநலம் அருளினன் யவனவன்
அயர்வறும் அமரர்கள் அதிபதி யவனவன்
துயரறு சுடரடி தொழுதெழென் மனனே
उयर्वऱ उयर्नलम् उडैयवऩ् यवऩवऩ्
मयर्वऱ मदिनलम् अरुळिऩऩ् यवऩवऩ्
अयर्वऱुम् अमरर्गळ् अदिबदि यवऩवऩ्
तुयरऱु सुडरडि तॊऴुदॆऴॆऩ् मऩऩे
uyarvaṟa uyarnalam uḍaiyavaṉ yavaṉavaṉ
mayarvaṟa madinalam aruḷiṉaṉ yavaṉavaṉ
ayarvaṟum amarargaḷ adibadi yavaṉavaṉ
tuyaraṟu suḍaraḍi toḻudeḻeṉ maṉaṉē
Meaning
He who holds the highest good, with nothing higher than it: who is he? He who, clearing my confusion, gave me knowledge ripened into love: who is he? He who is lord of the tireless immortals: who is he? Bow to his radiant feet that end all sorrow, and rise, O my mind.
About this bhajan
Nammalvar of Tirukurugur is held by Sri Vaishnavas as the chief of the Alvars, and his Tiruvaymoli of 1,102 verses as the Tamil Veda, the Samaveda in Tamil. Tradition says he sat silent under a tamarind tree from birth until Madhurakavi came and asked him a question, and the answer that broke the silence was this hymn. The first verse names Bhagwan by his qualities before his name: the good beyond which there is no higher, the giver of knowledge that becomes love, the lord of the nityasuris. Ramanujacharya’s tradition begins its study of the Tiruvaymoli here.
Nalayira Divya Prabandham, Tiruvaymoli 1.1.1 (prabandham no. 2791), Project Madurai e-text pm0008_01