Nachiyar Tirumozhi 2.1 · verse 514 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The cowherd girls plead with Krishna, who keeps knocking down their little sand houses.) O Narayana, praised by a thousand names! O Nara! If only we had You as the son of our aunt, one we might marry, our torment would be over. Saying, "It is the time when Kama comes", we have made the street ready in the days of Panguni. O mischievous Sridhara, do not come and wreck our little sand houses.
Word by word
- nāmam āyiram ētta niṉṟa
- who stands praised by a thousand names
- naraṉē
- O Nara
- māmi taṉ makaṉ
- our aunt's son, one we might marry
- vātai tavirumē
- our torment would end
- kāmaṉ pōtaru kālam
- the season when Kama, god of love, comes
- tīmai ceyyum cirītarā
- O mischievous Sridhara, bearer of Lakshmi
- ciṟṟil vantu citaiyēlē
- do not come and wreck our little sand houses
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 2.2 · verse 515 of the four thousand
Meaning
We sat all day long, until our backs ached, building this little house. Look at it closely with Your eyes, and let our eager hearts be at peace. O our First Cause, who long ago lay asleep as a little child on a banyan leaf, that You never feel any pity for us must be the fruit of our own sins.
Word by word
- mutuku nōva
- until our backs ached
- iruntu iḻaitta
- sat and built with care
- kaṇ uṟa nōkki
- looking closely with Your eyes
- ālilai mēl tuyiṉṟa
- who slept on a banyan leaf
- em ātiyāy
- O our First Cause
- em pāvamē
- is surely our own sin
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 2.3 · verse 516 of the four thousand
Meaning
O mighty Lion who rests in the deep waters! O You who freed the elephant in rut from the jaws that held it! We are already dazed with love at the sight of You; do not torment us further with the corners of Your eyes. We sifted silt and fine sand and laboured over it with our bangled hands. O You who lie on the ocean of clear waves, do not come and wreck our little sand houses.
Word by word
- kuṇṭu nīr uṟai kōḷarī
- O mighty Lion who rests in the deep waters
- mata yāṉai kōḷ viṭuttāy
- who freed the elephant Gajendra from the crocodile's grip
- māl uṟuvōṅkaḷaik
- us, dazed with love
- kaṭaik kaṇkaḷāl
- with the corners of Your eyes
- vaṇṭal nuṇ maṇal teḷḷi
- sifting silt and fine sand
- vaḷaik kaikaḷāl
- with our bangled hands
- teṇ tiraikkaṭaṟ paḷḷiyāy
- O You who lie on the ocean of clear waves
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 2.4 · verse 517 of the four thousand
Meaning
O Lord, dark as a great cloud about to pour rain! Is Your face some magic spell, that Your words and deeds make us mad with love and leave us bewildered? We are only weak little girls; we will not say anything to hurt You. O You with eyes like red lotuses, do not come and wreck our little sand houses.
Word by word
- peyyu mā mukilpōl vaṇṇā
- O Lord dark as a great raining cloud
- maiyal ēṟṟi
- filling us with mad love
- māya mantiram
- a magic spell
- noyyar piḷḷaikaḷ
- weak, little girls
- nōva nāṅkaḷ uraikkilōm
- we will not say anything to hurt You
- ceyya tāmaraik kaṇṇiṉāy
- O You with red lotus eyes
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 2.5 · verse 518 of the four thousand
Meaning
We sifted fine white sand and built our little house in the street, making it lovely to see. Even if You destroy the pattern we made, we feel no anger towards You at all; our hearts only run to You and melt. O deceitful Madhava, Kesava, are those not eyes in Your face?
Word by word
- veḷḷai nuṇ maṇal
- fine white sand
- vicittirap paṭa
- so that it looks wonderful
- iḻaitta kōlam
- the pattern we made
- uḷḷam ōṭi urukalallāl
- except that our hearts run to You and melt
- urōṭam oṉṟum ilōm
- we have no anger at all
- kaḷḷa mātavā
- O deceitful Madhava
- mukattaṉa kaṇkaḷ allavē
- are those not eyes in Your face?
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 2.6 · verse 519 of the four thousand
Meaning
We are young girls, not yet grown, our breasts not yet formed. Day after day You make our sand houses Your excuse, with something else in Your mind; we have not learned such ways. O Hero, who dammed the sea, wiped out the clans of demons entirely and filled Lanka with the din of battle, do not torment us.
Word by word
- muṟṟu ilāta piḷḷaikaḷōm
- we are girls not yet grown
- ciṟṟil mēl iṭṭuk koṇṭu
- using our sand houses as an excuse
- kaṟṟilōm
- we have not learned
- kaṭalai aṭaittu
- damming the sea
- ilaṅkaiyaip pūcal ākkiya
- who filled Lanka with the uproar of battle
- cēvakā
- O Hero
- emmai vātiyēl
- do not torment us
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 2.7 · verse 520 of the four thousand
Meaning
Talk like this would be very sweet with girls who understand such things. What do You gain by troubling us little ones who know nothing at all? O Lord coloured like the great surging sea, You who built the bridge to Lanka, we bind You by an oath on Your consorts: do not come and wreck our little sand houses.
Word by word
- pētam naṉku aṟivārkaḷōṭu
- with those who know well such differences
- yātum oṉṟu aṟiyāta
- who know nothing at all
- nalintu eṉ payaṉ
- what is gained by troubling us?
- ōta mā kaṭalvaṇṇā
- O Lord coloured like the great surging sea
- cūḷaṟum
- we bind You by oath, on Your consorts
- cētu-pantam tiruttiṉāy
- You who built the bridge, the Setu
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 2.8 · verse 521 of the four thousand
Meaning
With a little round-mouthed pot, a little winnow and some sand, we play here happily. What is the use of breaking down our sand houses? Do not touch us, kick and hurt us, O You who hold the blazing discus in Your hand. You know that even sweet jaggery is unpleasant when it turns bitter, O ocean-coloured Lord.
Word by word
- vaṭṭa vāyc ciṟutūtaiyōṭu
- with a little round-mouthed pot
- ciṟucuḷakum
- a little winnowing tray
- īṭaḻittu
- breaking down
- toṭṭu utaittu naliyēl
- do not touch, kick and hurt us
- cuṭarc cakkaram
- the blazing discus
- kaṭṭiyum kaittāl iṉṉāmai
- even jaggery, turned bitter, is unpleasant
- kaṭalvaṇṇaṉē
- O ocean-coloured Lord
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 2.9 · verse 522 of the four thousand
Meaning
You come right into our courtyard, show us Your face and smile softly. Must You break our hearts along with our sand houses, Govinda? You who strode across the whole earth and grew until You touched the sky, measuring it all! If You catch hold of us and wrestle with us, what will the people standing round about not say?
Word by word
- muṟṟattu ūṭu pukuntu
- entering into our courtyard
- puṉmuṟuval ceytu
- smiling softly
- eṅkaḷ cintaiyum
- our hearts too, along with the sand houses
- viṇ uṟa nīṇṭu
- growing until You touched the sky
- meyppiṇakku
- tussling, wrestling with our bodies
- eṉ collār
- what will they not say?
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 2.10 · verse 523 of the four thousand
Meaning
"O You who tasted the nectar of Sita's lips, do not wreck our little sand houses!" These are the lisping words of the little cowherd girls playing in the street. Kodai, Andal, daughter of Vishnuchitta, lord of Villiputtur where those whose mouths are busy with the Vedas live, put them into Tamil. Those who can sing it will reach Vaikuntha, lacking nothing.
Word by word
- cītai vāyamutam uṇṭāy
- You who tasted the nectar of Sita's lips
- āyar ciṟumiyar
- the little cowherd girls
- maḻalaic collai
- lisping, childish words
- vēta vāyt toḻilārkaḷ
- those whose mouths are busy with the Vedas
- villi puttūr maṉ viṭṭu cittaṉtaṉ
- Vishnuchitta, lord of Srivilliputtur
- kuṟaivu iṉṟi vaikuntam cērvarē
- will reach Vaikuntha, lacking nothing
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.