English transliterations allow non-Tamil speakers to recite the 108 Potri phonetically, preserving the vibrational quality of the Tamil "Obeisance" (Praise).

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Potri to the Lamp lit by devotion.

Potri to the Lamp — the Supreme Light of Consciousness. Om Deepa Jyoti Parabrahma.

Potri to the Lamp that is the elder’s memory.

The number 108 is sacred in Dharmic traditions (108 Upanishads, 108 beads on a mala, 108 dance postures of Shiva). In Thiruvilakku Poojai, the 108 Potri function as a nama-sankirtana (repetition of divine names), purifying the chanter’s mind. Each Potri is believed to: