The Praise of God
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aṟavāzhi andhaṇaṉ thāḷsērndhārk kallāl / piṟavāzhi nīndhal aridhu
Except for those who reach the feet—the raft—of the Divine who is an ocean of virtue, crossing the other seas is difficult.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Unless His feet 'the Sea of Good, the Fair and Bountiful,' men gain, 'tis hard the further bank of being's changeful sea to attain.”
“The stormy seas of wealth and sense delights cannot be traversed except by those who cling to the feet of the Sage who is the Ocean of Righteousness.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
அறம் ஆழி அந்தணன் தாள் சேர்ந்தார்க்கு அல்லால் = அறக் கடலாகிய அந்தணனது தாளாகிய புணையைச் சேர்ந்தார்க்கல்லது; பிற ஆழி நீந்தல் அரிது = பிற ஆகிய கடல்களை நீந்தல் அரிது.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Except for those who reach the feet, understood as a raft, of the Divine who is an ocean of all virtue, crossing the other seas is difficult. The other seas are traditionally explained here as the pursuits of wealth and pleasure.