அருளு வாழி அருளு வாழிபுரிசடைக் கடவுள் அருளு வாழிதோன்றுழித் தோன்றி நிலைதவக் கறங்கும்புற்புதச் செவ்வியின் மக்கள் யாக்கைக்குநினைப்பினுங் கடிதே இளமை நீக்கம்அதனினுங் கடிதே மூப்பின் தொடர்ச்சிஅதனினுங் கடிதே கதுமென மரணம்வாணாள் பருகி உடம்பை வறிதாக்கிநாணாள் பயின்ற நல்காக் கூற்றம்இனைய தன்மைய திதுவே யிதனைஎனதெனக் கருதி இதற்கென்று தொடங்கிச்செய்தன சிலவே செய்வன சிலவேசெய்யா நிற்பன சிலவே யவற்றிடைநன்றென்ப சிலவே தீதென்ப சிலவேஒன்றினும் படாதன சிலவே யென்றிவைகணத்திடை நினைந்து களிப்பவுங் கலுழ்பவும்கணக்கில் கோடித் தொகுதி அவைதாம்ஒன்றொன் றுணர்வுழி வருமோ வனைத்தும்ஒன்றா உணர்வுழி வருமோ என்றொன்றுதெளிவுழித் தேறல் செல்லேம் அளியமனத்தின் செய்கை மற்றிதுவே நீயேஅரியை சாலவெம் பெரும தெரிவுறில்உண்டாய்த் தோன்றுவ யாவையும் நீயேகண்டனை அவைநினைக் காணா அதுதான்நின்வயின் மறைத்தோ யல்லை யுன்னைமாயாய் மன்னினை நீயே வாழிமன்னியுஞ் சிறுமையிற் கரந்தோ யல்லைபெருமையிற் பெரியோய் பெயர்த்தும் நீயேபெருகியுஞ் சேணிடை நின்றோ யல்லைதேர்வோர்க்குத் தம்மினும் அணியை நீயேநண்ணியும் இடையொன்றின் மறைந்தோ யல்லைஇடையிட்டு நின்னை மறைப்பது மில்லைமறைப்பினும் அதுவும்நீயே யாகி நின்றதோர் நிலையே அஃதான்றுநினைப்பருங் காட்சி நின்னிலை யிதுவேநினைப்புறுங் காட்சி எம்நிலை யதுவேஇனிநனி இரப்பதொன் றுடைய மனமருண்டுபுன்மையின் நினைத்துப் புலன்வழி படரினும்நின்வயின் நினைந்தே மாகுதல் நின்வயின்நினைக்குமா நினைக்கப் பெறுதல் அனைத்தொன்றும்நீயே அருளல் வேண்டும் வேய்முதிர்கயிலை புல்லென எறிவிசும்பு வறிதாகஇம்ப ருய்ய அம்பலம் பொலியத்திருவளர் தில்லை மூதூர்அருநடங் குயிற்றும் ஆதிவா னவனே.
In plain words
Grant your aruḷ, may you live! Grant your aruḷ, may you live! God of the twisted matted hair, grant your aruḷ, may you live! Human bodies are like a bubble that appears where it appears, then whirls and loses its hold. For them, the passing of youth is swifter than thought. Swifter than that is the onset of age. Swifter even than that, sudden, is death. Ungracious Death, at work day after day, drinks up the days of life and leaves the body empty. Such is the nature of Death. Thinking of this body as mine, we begin things for its sake. Some things are done, some are still to be done, some are being done. Among them, some are called good, some are called bad, some fall under neither. Thinking of these in an instant, we rejoice and we weep, countless crores of times. Do they come when each is perceived one by one? Do they all come when perceived as one? This one question we cannot settle in clarity. Pitiable is the working of the mind; this is what it is. You are very hard to know, our Great One. If one discerns, all things that appear as existing are you. You see them; they do not see you. That is not because you have veiled their sight of you. Nor do you yourself vanish: you stand forth, manifest. May you live! Though you abide, you are not hidden in smallness. You are greater than greatness; again, it is you. Though you expand, you do not stand far off. To those who seek, you are nearer than they are to themselves. Though you are near, you are not hidden by anything between, and there is nothing that comes between to hide you. Even if something hides you, that too is the one state in which you stand as it. Not only that: vision beyond thought, this is your state; vision reached by thought, that is ours. Now there is one thing we beg earnestly. Even if our bewildered mind thinks meanly and runs along the ways of the senses, grant that we become those who have thought of you, and that we gain the power to think of you as you should be thought of. All of this, every bit, you yourself must grant, primal heavenly one, who perform the rare dance in Tillai, the old town where wealth grows, so that this world may be saved and the Hall may shine, while Kailāsa of the ripened bamboo looks desolate and the gleaming sky stands empty!
Line by line
Grant grace, may you live! Grant grace, may you live! O God of twisted matted hair, grant grace, may you live! Appearing where it appears, losing its hold, whirling, of the nature of a bubble, for the bodies of humans, swifter than thought is the passing of youth; swifter than that, indeed, the onset of age; swifter than that, indeed, suddenly, death. Drinking up the days of life, making the body empty, at work day after day, the ungracious Death; such is its nature, Death's, indeed. This, the body, thinking of as mine, for its sake beginning, things done, some; things to be done, some; things being done, some; among them called good, some; called bad, some; falling under neither, some: these in an instant thinking, the rejoicings and the weepings, countless crores in number; they, when perceived one by one do they come? All of them when perceived as one do they come? This one in clarity we cannot settle. Pitiable is the working of the mind; this indeed. You indeed are very hard to know, our Great One. If one discerns, all things that appear as existing are you indeed. You see them; they do not see you. That is not that you veiled them toward yourself. You yourself do not vanish; you stand manifest, you indeed, may you live! Though abiding, you are not hidden in smallness; greater in greatness; again, you indeed. Though expanding, you are not one who stands far off; to those who seek, nearer than themselves you are, you indeed. Though near, you are not hidden by anything between; coming between to hide you, there is nothing either; even if it hides, that too is the one state where you stand as it; not only that, vision beyond thought, your state, this indeed; vision reached by thought, our state, that indeed. Now one thing we earnestly beg: the mind bewildered thinking meanly, even if it runs along the senses' way, that we become those who have thought of you; on you to think as one should think, the gaining of it; all of it, every one, you yourself must grant. Of the ripened bamboo Kailāsa looking desolate, the gleaming sky becoming empty, so that this world may be saved, the Hall shining, in the old town Tillai where wealth grows who performs the rare dance, O primal heavenly one!