Nachiyar Tirumozhi 8.1 · verse 577 of the four thousand
Meaning
(Andal sends the rain clouds as messengers to the Lord of Thiruvenkatam.) O clouds, spread across the sky like a blue canopy! Has my Thirumal of Venkatam, where clear streams rush down, come along with you? I am fainting, my tears dripping down onto my breasts. To ruin a woman's very nature like this: is that a thing He can take pride in?
Word by word
- viṇ nīla mēlāppu
- a blue canopy across the sky
- mēkaṅkāḷ
- O clouds
- teṇ nīr pāy
- where clear waters rush down
- tirumālum
- Thirumal, the Lord with Sri
- peṇ nīrmai īṭaḻikkum
- ruining a woman's very nature
- ōr perumaiyē?
- is that any glory?
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 8.2 · verse 578 of the four thousand
Meaning
O great clouds that pour down a treasure of rain like great pearls! What word is there from the steadfast Lord of Venkatam, whose colour is the dark of night? The fire of love has entered me and seized me. Must I stay here in the middle of the night, a target for the southern breeze?
Word by word
- mā muttaniti coriyum
- pouring down a treasure of great pearls
- cāmattiṉ niṟaṅkoṇṭa
- whose colour is the dark of night
- tāḷāḷaṉ
- the steadfast, mighty One
- kāmattī
- the fire of love
- iṭaik kaṅkul
- the middle of the night
- teṉṟalukku
- for the southern breeze, which torments the lovelorn
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 8.3 · verse 579 of the four thousand
Meaning
My glowing colour, my bangles, my mind, and my sleep too: all of these saw how helpless I was, dropped me and went away, leaving me broken. O kind clouds, can I keep my life only by singing the virtues of my Govinda of Venkatam, with its cool waterfalls?
Word by word
- oḷi vaṇṇam
- my glowing colour
- vaḷai
- bangles
- uṟakkattōṭu
- along with my sleep
- īṭaḻiyap pōyiṉavāl
- went away, leaving me broken
- kuḷir aruvi
- cool waterfalls
- aḷiyatta mēkaṅkāḷ
- O kind, gracious clouds
- āvi kāttu
- keeping my life
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 8.4 · verse 580 of the four thousand
Meaning
O clouds that rise with lightning flashing in your bodies! The Lord of Venkatam has a glorious chest where Thirumagal, Lakshmi, dwells as part of Him. Go to Him and tell Him of my longing: that day after day the young breasts on my body yearn to embrace His golden form.
Word by word
- miṉ ākattu
- with lightning in your bodies
- tirumaṅkai
- Lakshmi
- cīr mārvaṟku
- to Him of the glorious chest
- poṉ ākam
- His golden body
- pulkutaṟku
- to embrace
- purivuṭaimai
- my longing
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 8.5 · verse 581 of the four thousand
Meaning
O great clouds that rise and swell to fill the sky, that gather and climb over Venkatam and pour down so that the honey-filled flowers scatter! He tore apart the body of Hiranya with His sharp nails that dug into flesh. If He will give back the slipping bangles He took from me, then tell me so.
Word by word
- vāṉ koṇṭu kiḷarntu eḻunta
- rising and swelling to fill the sky
- tēṉ koṇṭa malar
- honey-filled flowers
- ūṉ koṇṭa vaḷ-ukirāl
- with sharp nails that dug into flesh
- iraṇiyaṉai
- Hiranya
- cari-vaḷaikaḷ
- slipping bangles, a sign of pining
- cāṟṟumiṉē
- tell me so
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 8.6 · verse 582 of the four thousand
Meaning
O cool clouds that rise heavy with water and spread and pour over Venkatam, the hill of Him who took the earth from Mahabali! Narayana entered into me and took away all my beauty, so that I am wasted within, like a wood-apple eaten hollow inside. Go and tell Him of this aching sickness of mine.
Word by word
- calaṅ koṇṭu
- heavy with water
- māvaliyai nilaṅ koṇṭāṉ
- He who took the earth from Mahabali
- ulaṅku uṇṭa viḷaṅkaṉi
- a wood-apple eaten hollow within, though whole outside
- uḷ meliya
- wasting within
- nalaṅ koṇṭa
- who took away my beauty
- naṭalai-nōy
- this aching sickness
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 8.7 · verse 583 of the four thousand
Meaning
O cool clouds! Here is my humble plea, laid down at the red feet of the red-eyed Lord of Venkatam, who churned the great sea full of conches. Tell Him this: if He would come one day and stay with me, so that the saffron paste on my breasts is smudged, then my life would stay with me.
Word by word
- caṅka mā kaṭal kaṭaintāṉ
- He who churned the great sea full of conches
- cēvaṭik kīḻ
- beneath His red feet
- aṭi-vīḻcci viṇṇappam
- a plea made falling at His feet
- kuṅkumattiṉ kuḻampu
- saffron paste
- eṉ āvi taṅkum
- my life will stay
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 8.8 · verse 584 of the four thousand
Meaning
O dark rain clouds that rise in the rainy season! I keep saying the names of the Lord of Venkatam, who came forth in time of battle and fought, and I drop like a ripe old erukku leaf falling in the rains. In all this long time, will He not grant me even one word, just one day?
Word by word
- kār kālattu
- in the rainy season
- kārmukilkāḷ
- O dark rain clouds
- pōr kālattu
- in time of battle
- pēr colli
- saying His names
- erukkiṉ am paḻa ilai
- a ripe old leaf of the erukku plant
- vācakam
- a word, a message
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 8.9 · verse 585 of the four thousand
Meaning
O great clouds that rise like elephants in rut, you who make Venkatam your home! What word is there from Him who lies on the serpent? He is the refuge of all, always; yet if it is said that, without a thought, He killed a slender creeper of a girl, will the people of the world not think the less of Him?
Word by word
- mata yāṉai pōl
- like elephants in rut
- patiyāka vāḻvīrkāḷ
- you who live there as your home
- pāmpu-aṇaiyāṉ
- He who lies on the serpent, Adisesha
- kati eṉṟum tāṉ āvāṉ
- He who is ever the refuge
- peṇ-koṭiyai
- a slender creeper of a girl
- vaiyakattār matiyārē?
- will the world not think less of Him?
Nachiyar Tirumozhi 8.10 · verse 586 of the four thousand
Meaning
This is the plea of the girl with the lovely brow, who lovingly spoke to the clouds and sent them as messengers to the Lord of Venkatam, who rests on the serpent. It is the Tamil of Kodhai, daughter of the lord of Puduvai's people, who never fall away from the joy of the Lord. Those who keep it in their hearts and recite it will become His devoted servants.
Word by word
- nākattiṉ aṇaiyāṉai
- Him who rests on the serpent
- naṉṉutalāḷ
- the girl with the lovely brow
- viṭu tūtil
- in sending them as messengers
- pōkattil vaḻuvāta
- who never fall away from the joy of the Lord
- putuvaiyarkōṉ
- the lord of Puduvai's people, Periyalwar
- ākattu vaittu
- keeping it in their hearts
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.