Paasuram 4743

Sundara Kandam → கடல் தாவு படலம் (Kaḍal Tāvu Paḍalam — The Ocean-Crossing) → Paasuram 4743

Word by word

வன் தந்த வரி கொள் நாகம் = great striped serpents of the deep; வயங்கு அழல் உமிழும் வாய = with mouths blazing fierce fire; பொன் தந்த முழைகள் தோறும் = from every golden cavern; புறத்து உராய்ப் புரண்டு போவ = came tumbling and scraping outward; அந்தம் இல்லான் ஊன்ற = as the Boundless One (Hanuman) planted his foot; நெரிந்து கீழ் அழுந்தும் நீலக் குன்றம் = the dark blue mountains crushed and driven downward; வயிறு கீறிப் பிதுங்கின குடர்கள் மான = split open their bellies as though entrails were bursting out

Meaning

The great striped serpents — with mouths blazing fierce fire — came tumbling and scraping out of the golden caverns in their masses. The dark blue mountains, crushed and driven down by the foot of the Boundless One, split open their bellies as though their very entrails were bursting forth.

Insights

Literary: Kamban uses cosmic hyperbole to convey the sheer force of Hanuman's landing. The mountains cracking and spilling their insides like burst bellies is a vivid image of the natural order convulsed by divine power. அந்தம் இல்லான் — 'the Boundless One' — is an epithet of cosmic weight, marking Hanuman as beyond ordinary measure.