Nachiyar Tirumozhi 14.1 · verse 637 of the four thousand
Meaning
(Andal asks, and devotees answer.) "Did you see a dark young bull come by here, Baladeva's younger brother, grazing where he pleases and playing just as he likes?" "We saw Him in Brindavan, gently turning back His beloved cows, giving them water, letting them loose and playing."
Word by word
- paṭṭi mēyntu
- grazing freely where he pleases
- kārēṟu
- a dark young bull
- palatēvaṟku ōr kīḻk-kaṉṟāy
- as Baladeva's younger calf, his younger brother
- iṭṭīṟu iṭṭu
- doing just as he likes
- iṉitu maṟittu
- gently turning them back
- viruntāvaṉattē kaṇṭōmē
- we saw Him in Brindavan
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 14.2 · verse 638 of the four thousand
Meaning
"Did you see Govardhana, that young bull smelling of butter, who raids Ayarpadi to eat, and who left me to suffer in separation?" "We saw Him in Brindavan, standing and playing, His forest garland glittering, like a dark cloud with lightning and flocks of white birds."
Word by word
- aṉuṅka eṉṉaip pirivu ceytu
- leaving me to suffer in separation
- kuṇuṅku nāṟi
- smelling of butter
- kuṭṭēṟṟai
- the young bull
- miṉ mēkam
- a cloud with lightning
- vaṉamālai
- the forest garland
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 14.3 · verse 639 of the four thousand
Meaning
"Did you see Him come by here, the perfect One born as Mal, the bridegroom who drives women mad with love, who tells lies no one could believe?" "We saw Him in Brindavan, coming beneath a canopy, the wings of Garuda, son of Vinata, spread above Him to shade Him from the sun."
Word by word
- mālāyp piṟanta nampiyai
- the perfect One born as Mal, the Lord
- mālē ceyyum maṇāḷaṉai
- the bridegroom who drives one mad with love
- ēlāp poykaḷ
- lies no one could believe
- veyilkāppāṉ
- to shade from the sun
- viṉatai-ciṟuvaṉ
- Vinata's son, Garuda
- mēlāppiṉ kīḻ
- beneath a canopy
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 14.4 · verse 640 of the four thousand
Meaning
"Did you see the Lord who plays with me, dragging me along with the long rope of His cool eyes, like dark lotuses?" "We saw Him in Brindavan, standing and playing, beaded with sweat, like a young spotted elephant draped in a coat of pearls."
Word by word
- kārt taṇ kamalak kaṇ
- cool eyes like dark lotuses
- neṭuṅkayiṟu
- a long rope
- īrttuk koṇṭu
- dragging me along
- muttiṉ kuppāya
- a coat of pearls, His beads of sweat
- pukar māl yāṉaik kaṉṟē
- a young, great, spotted elephant
- vērttu niṉṟu
- standing beaded with sweat
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 14.5 · verse 641 of the four thousand
Meaning
"Did you see the Lord Madhava, my gem, who, like a boar that slipped out of the net, gives nothing at all for anyone to hold on to?" "We saw Him in Brindavan, coming so as to fill the whole street, His yellow silk hanging low, like a great young dark cloud."
Word by word
- eṉ maṇiyiṉai
- my gem
- valaiyiṟ piḻaitta paṉṟi
- a boar that slipped out of the net
- koḷat tārā
- gives nothing to hold on to
- pītaka-āṭai
- the yellow silk garment
- peruṅ kārmēkak kaṉṟē
- a great young dark cloud
- vīti āra
- filling the whole street
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 14.6 · verse 642 of the four thousand
Meaning
"Did you see the rogue who knows nothing of what is right, the faithless One whose curved brows are as lovely as His own Saranga bow?" "We saw Him in Brindavan, dark of form and red of face, like the rays spreading from the sun over the mountain of sunrise."
Word by word
- tarumam aṟiyāk kuṟumpaṉai
- the rogue who knows nothing of what is right
- cārṅkam
- Saranga, His bow
- puruva vaṭṭam
- His curved brows
- poruttam iliyai
- the faithless One
- utayap paruppatattiṉmēl
- over the mountain of sunrise
- viriyum katirē
- the spreading rays of the sun
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 14.7 · verse 643 of the four thousand
Meaning
"Did you see that faithful One, so true to His word, as dark inside as He is outside, that great dark cloud who failed all my hopes?" "We saw Him in Brindavan, coming with a great throng around Him, like the sky filled with lovely hosts of stars."
Word by word
- poruttam uṭaiya nampiyai
- that faithful One, said in bitter jest
- puṟampōl uḷḷum kariyāṉai
- as dark inside as outside
- karuttaip piḻaittu niṉṟa
- who failed all my hopes
- tārā-kaṇaṅkaḷāl
- with hosts of stars
- viruttam peritāy
- with a great throng
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 14.8 · verse 644 of the four thousand
Meaning
"Did you see Him who holds the one white conch, who wears the yellow silk, Thirumal so rich in grace, the Lord with the discus?" "We saw Him in Brindavan, standing and playing, His fragrant flower-decked locks gleaming over His broad shoulders, like happy bees swarming everywhere."
Word by word
- veḷiya caṅku
- the white conch
- aḷi naṉku uṭaiya
- so rich in grace
- āḻiyāṉai
- the Lord with the discus
- kaḷi vaṇṭu
- happy bees
- kamaḻ pūṅkuḻalkaḷ
- fragrant flower-decked locks
- taṭantōḷ mēl
- over His broad shoulders
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 14.9 · verse 645 of the four thousand
Meaning
"Did you see the Pure One who plays, who made the cool great lotus of His navel a home, and from it brought forth Brahma first of all, saying, 'Create the world'?" "We saw Him in Brindavan, coming back from His hunt in the forest, where Dhenuka, the elephant and the bird all perished."
Word by word
- nāṭṭaip paṭai
- create the world
- ayaṉ
- Brahma
- malar unti
- the lotus of His navel
- vimalaṉtaṉṉai
- the Pure One
- tēṉukaṉum
- Dhenuka, the demon in the form of an ass
- kaḷiṟum puḷḷum
- the elephant and the bird-demon
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 14.10 · verse 646 of the four thousand
Meaning
These are the words of Kodhai, daughter of Vishnuchitta, telling how the Supreme, who showed grace to the elephant with mighty feet, was seen in Brindavan here on earth. Those who keep these words in their hearts as their medicine and live by them will stay forever at the feet of the Lord whose feet measured the worlds, never parted from Him.
Word by word
- paruntāḷ-kaḷiṟṟukku
- to the elephant with mighty feet, Gajendra
- pāriṉ mēl
- here on earth
- maruntām eṉṟu
- as their medicine
- peruntāḷ uṭaiya pirāṉ
- the Lord whose great feet measured the worlds
- piriyātu eṉṟum iruppārē
- will stay forever, never parted
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.