Nachiyar Tirumozhi 1.1 · verse 504 of the four thousand
Meaning
(Andal prays to Kama, the god of love.) All through the month of Thai I swept the ground and drew cool circles of design; in the early days of Masi I decorated the street with fine sand and made it beautiful. Saying, "O bodiless Lord of love, can I be saved?", I worshipped you and your younger brother. Now ordain me for the Lord of Venkatam, whose hand holds the discus spitting fierce fire.
Word by word
- tai oru tiṅkaḷum
- all through the month of Thai
- taṇ maṇṭalam iṭṭu
- drawing cool circles of design
- aiya nuṇ maṇal
- soft, fine sand
- aṉaṅkatēvā
- O Ananga, bodiless god of love
- umpiyaiyum
- your younger brother
- taḻal umiḻ cakkarak kai
- the hand holding the fire-spitting discus
- vēṅkaṭavaṟku
- for the Lord of Venkatam, Tirumala
- vitikkiṟṟiyē
- will you ordain me?
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 1.2 · verse 505 of the four thousand
Meaning
I decorate the street with white, fine sand; I bathe at the river before the sky turns white; I feed the sacred fire with smooth twigs free of thorns; with great effort I keep this vow to you, O Kamadeva. Fit your flower arrows, dripping honey, to your bow, write on them the name "the ocean-coloured One", and shoot me so that I enter the target called "He who split open the bird's mouth".
Word by word
- veḷvaraippataṉ muṉṉam
- before the sky turns white at dawn
- tuṟai paṭintu
- bathing at the river steps
- muḷḷum illāc cuḷḷi
- twigs without thorns, for the sacred fire
- kāmatēvā
- O Kamadeva, god of love
- kaḷ aviḻ pūṅkaṇai
- flower arrows dripping honey
- kaṭalvaṇṇaṉ
- the Lord the colour of the ocean
- puḷḷiṉai vāy piḷantāṉ
- He who split the bird-demon's mouth
- ilakkiṉiṟ puka
- to enter the target
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 1.3 · verse 506 of the four thousand
Meaning
With fresh datura flowers and flame-of-the-forest blossoms I bow at your feet three times a day. So that my heart does not burn and I do not curse you in harsh words as one who is false to his word, fit your arrows of clustered blossoms, write on them the name Govinda, and send me to enter that lamp, the wondrous Lord who lives on Venkatam.
Word by word
- matta naṉ naṟumalar
- fine, fragrant datura flowers
- murukka malar
- flame-of-the-forest blossoms
- muppōtum
- three times a day
- tattuvam ili
- one who is false, without truth
- neñcu erintu
- my heart burning
- kōvintaṉ
- Govinda
- vittakaṉ vēṅkaṭa vāṇaṉ
- the wondrous Lord who lives on Venkatam
- viḷakkiṉiṟ puka
- to enter that lamp
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 1.4 · verse 507 of the four thousand
Meaning
On the wall I wrote your names, O ancient one, and drew for you fine banners bearing the fish, horses, maidens with fly-whisks, and your sugarcane bow. I have shown them to you, see, O Kamadeva. My full breasts, which have risen with longing ever since they were young buds, I have vowed to the Lord of Dwaraka alone, and with folded hands I have kept them for Him. Ordain it quickly.
Word by word
- cuvaril purāṇa niṉ pēr eḻutic
- writing your names on the wall, O ancient one
- cuṟava naṟ koṭikkaḷum
- fine banners bearing the fish, Kama's emblem
- turaṅkaṅkaḷum
- horses
- kavarip piṇākkaḷum
- maidens holding fly-whisks
- karuppu villum
- the sugarcane bow
- avaraip pirāyam toṭaṅki
- from when they were tiny buds
- tuvaraip pirāṉukkē
- for the Lord of Dwaraka alone
- ollai
- quickly
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 1.5 · verse 508 of the four thousand
Meaning
The oblation that Vedic priests set apart in their sacrifice for the gods who live in the sky: if a jackal wandering in the forest were to come in, step over it and sniff it, that would be like this. My full breasts have risen in devotion to the Best of beings, who bears the discus and conch on His body. If there is even talk of giving them to mortal men, I will not live, see, O Manmatha.
Word by word
- vāṉiṭai vāḻum av vāṉavarkku
- for the gods who live in the sky
- maṟaiyavar vēḷviyil
- in the sacrifice of the Vedic priests
- avi
- the sacred oblation
- kāṉiṭait tirivatu ōr nari
- a jackal roaming the forest
- ūṉiṭai āḻi caṅku
- discus and conch on His body
- uttamarkku
- for the Best of beings
- māṉiṭavarkku
- for mortal men
- maṉmataṉē
- O Manmatha, god of love
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 1.6 · verse 509 of the four thousand
Meaning
With the help of handsome, young, good men learned in the Vedas, I welcome you in the street each day, and on the days of Panguni I keep my vow faithfully, O Kamadeva. He has the colour of a rain-laden cloud, of the kaya blossom, of the dark karuvilai flower. Grant me this: that He look upon me kindly with the beautiful eyes in His lotus-coloured face, where Lakshmi's beauty dwells.
Word by word
- ōttu vallārkaḷaik koṇṭu
- with those learned in the Vedas
- paṅkuṉi nāḷ
- the days of the month Panguni
- karuvuṭai mukil vaṇṇaṉ
- the colour of a rain-laden cloud
- kāyāvaṇṇaṉ
- the colour of the dark kaya blossom
- karuviḷai pōl vaṇṇaṉ
- the colour of the dark karuvilai flower
- tiru uṭai mukattiṉiṟ
- in His face, where Lakshmi's beauty dwells
- tiruntavē nōkku
- a kind, gracious look
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 1.7 · verse 510 of the four thousand
Meaning
Setting out paddy still in the ear, sugarcane, jaggery, rice and beaten rice, with the mantras of Vedic priests of fine speech, I worship you, O Manmatha. So that Trivikrama, who once measured the land, may touch me with His holy hands, grant my soft waist and full breasts the highest fame on earth.
Word by word
- kāy uṭai nelloṭu
- with paddy still in the ear
- kaṭṭi arici aval
- jaggery, rice and beaten rice
- vāy uṭai maṟaiyavar
- Vedic priests of fine speech
- tēyam muṉ aḷantavaṉ
- He who once measured the land
- tirivikkiramaṉ
- Trivikrama, who spanned the worlds in three steps
- tirukkaikaḷāl eṉṉait tīṇṭum
- may touch me with His holy hands
- taraṇiyil-talaippukaḻ
- the highest fame on earth
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 1.8 · verse 511 of the four thousand
Meaning
My body unwashed, my hair dry and tangled, my lips pale, eating only once a day, I keep this vow: take note of it, O radiant and mighty Kamadeva. There is one thing I must say here. So that my womanhood may find its fulfilment, grant me this blessing: that people may say of me, "She serves at the feet of Kesava Nambi."
Word by word
- mācu uṭai uṭampoṭu
- with an unwashed body
- talai ulaṟi
- hair dry and tangled
- vāyppuṟam veḷuttu
- lips gone pale
- orupōtum uṇṭu
- eating only once a day
- kuṟikkoḷ kaṇṭāy
- take note of it
- peṇmaiyait talai uṭaittu ākkum
- to bring my womanhood to its fulfilment
- kēcava nampiyaik kāl piṭippāḷ
- she presses the feet of Kesava, the perfect one
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 1.9 · verse 512 of the four thousand
Meaning
Three times a day I bow at your feet, scatter pure flowers and praise you. But if I do not win the life of serving, without fault, Him alone who has the colour of the Milk Ocean, I will weep and weep in distress, crying "Amma!", and that will weigh heavily upon you. It would be like yoking an ox to the plough, driving it on and never feeding it.
Word by word
- tūmalar tūyt
- scattering pure flowers
- paḻutu iṉṟip
- without fault
- pāṟkaṭal vaṇṇaṉukkē
- for Him alone, coloured like the Milk Ocean
- paṇiceytu vāḻap
- to live serving Him
- aḻutu aḻutu alamantu
- weeping and weeping in distress
- atu uṉakku uṟaikkum
- that will weigh on you
- uḻuvatōr eruttiṉai
- an ox that ploughs
- ūṭṭam iṉṟit turantāl
- driving it without feeding it
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 1.10 · verse 513 of the four thousand
Meaning
Kodai, Andal, daughter of Vishnuchitta, lord of Puduvai where mansions rise like hills, bowed at the feet of Kama, whose bow is sugarcane and whose arrows are flowers, and prayed: "Give me to the sapphire-coloured Lord who broke the tusk while the elephant screamed, and split open the bird's mouth." Those who can sing this loving garland of sweet Tamil will reach the feet of the King of the immortals.
Word by word
- karuppu vil malark kaṇaik
- with a sugarcane bow and flower arrows
- kāmavēḷaik
- Kama, the god of love
- maruppiṉai ocittup
- breaking the elephant's tusk
- vakuttiṭu
- assign me, give me
- poruppu aṉṉa māṭam
- mansions like hills
- putuvaiyarkōṉ viṭṭucittaṉ kōtai
- Kodai, daughter of Vishnuchitta, lord of Puduvai
- viṇṇavar kōṉ aṭi
- the feet of the King of the immortals
Verse text: the word-separated e-text of the Nalayira Divya Prabandham by Project Madurai, checked verse by verse against its second edition. Meanings are simple renderings in the light of the acharyas' commentaries, written for this site, and are awaiting a scholar's review.