Perumal Tirumozhi 2.1 · verse 658 of the four thousand
Meaning
He is honey of rare power, hard to find by seeking; He is the Lord of southern Srirangam, on whose chest Sri dwells, wearing an unfading forest garland. His true devotees praise Him, their minds lost in love; they dance, wander about in longing, call out to Him and grow faint. If I could only see that gathering of theirs, that alone would be the fruit of having eyes.
Word by word
- tēṭṭu arun tiṟal-tēṉiṉait
- honey of rare power, hard to find by seeking
- tirumātu vāḻ
- where Sri, Lakshmi, dwells
- vaṉamālai mārvaṉai
- Him whose chest wears the forest garland
- māl koḷ cintaiyarāy
- with minds lost in love
- alantu aḻaittu
- longing and calling out
- meyyaṭiyārkaḷtam īṭṭam
- the gathering of His true devotees
- kaṇ payaṉ
- the fruit of eyes
Perumal Tirumozhi 2.2 · verse 659 of the four thousand
Meaning
That He embraced the shoulders of the lady of the petalled lotus, that with a blazing arrow He pierced the tall, great trees, that He grazed the cattle: thinking only of these, His servants dance and sing and call out, "O Ranga!" If we can bathe in the dust of those servants' feet, what need is there for the longing to plunge and bathe in the waters of the Ganga?
Word by word
- tōṭu ulā malar-maṅkai
- the lady of the petalled lotus, Lakshmi
- cuṭar-vāḷiyāl
- with a blazing arrow
- nīṭu mā maram ceṟṟatum
- that He pierced the tall great trees
- nirai mēyttatum
- that He grazed the cattle
- araṅka ō
- O Ranga!
- aṭip-poṭi
- the dust of their feet
- kaṅkai nīr kuṭaintu
- plunging into the waters of the Ganga
Perumal Tirumozhi 2.3 · verse 660 of the four thousand
Meaning
That He subdued the bulls, that as the Boar He dug up the earth, that long ago as Rama He crushed His foe, that He measured the world: telling of these and singing, His servants shed tears that flow like the great, generous river Ponni, until they turn the holy courtyard of Arangan's temple into mud. That rich mud from the red feet of those servants I will wear as an ornament on my head.
Word by word
- ēṟu aṭarttatum
- that He subdued the bulls
- ēṉamāy nilam kīṇṭatum
- that as the Boar He dug up the earth
- maṇ aḷantatum
- that He measured the earth
- vaṇ poṉṉip pēr- āṟu pōl
- like the great, generous river Ponni
- araṅkaṉ kōyil-tirumuṟṟam
- the holy courtyard of Arangan's temple
- cēvaṭic ceḻuñ cēṟu
- the rich mud from their red feet
- ceṉṉikku aṇivaṉē
- I will wear on my head
Perumal Tirumozhi 2.4 · verse 661 of the four thousand
Meaning
He ate the set, cool curd and the butter along with the milk, and the cowherd woman saw it, grew angry and bound Him, His shoulders tied: He is my Lord, my Arangan. His servants call out "Narayana!" till their tongues grow calloused, bow till their bodies are scarred, praise Him and rejoice. My heart praises and blesses the red feet of those servants.
Word by word
- tōytta taṇ tayir
- set, cool curd
- uṭaṉṟu āycci kaṇṭu
- the cowherd woman, Yashoda, saw and grew angry
- ārtta tōḷ
- shoulders that were bound
- nāt taḻumpu eḻa
- till the tongue grows calloused
- mey taḻumpat toḻutu
- bowing till the body is scarred
- cēvaṭi
- red, beautiful feet
- eṉ neñcamē
- my heart
Perumal Tirumozhi 2.5 · verse 662 of the four thousand
Meaning
He broke the necks of the bulls with their deceiving bellow; He is the King who dragged the fighting serpent. He is the Lord of southern Srirangam with its strong, great walls of dressed stone, ringed with light. When He, a dark cloud with a true bow, stands shining in the hearts of His devotees, their bodies thrill. Just thinking of them, my own body thrills.
Word by word
- ēṟṟu-eruttam iṟuttap
- breaking the necks of the bulls
- pōr-aravu īrtta kōṉ
- the King who dragged the fighting serpent, Kaliya
- tiṇṇa mā matil
- strong, great walls
- mey cilaik karumēkam
- a dark cloud bearing a true bow
- neñcil niṉṟu tikaḻap
- standing and shining in their hearts
- mey cilirppavar
- those whose bodies thrill
- eṉ maṉam mey cilirkkumē
- my heart thrills
Perumal Tirumozhi 2.6 · verse 663 of the four thousand
Meaning
He is the beginning and the end, the endless one, the wonder, the Lord of the gods. There are those wretched ones with no devotion to wear His great flower feet on their heads. So that even they may be saved, His servants wander everywhere showing them the good and faultless path, loving only Arangan, our Lord. In every birth, my heart will love those servants.
Word by word
- āti antam aṉantam aṟputam
- the beginning, the end, the endless, the wonder
- vāṉavar tampirāṉ
- Lord of the gods
- pāta mā malar cūṭum
- wearing His great flower feet
- patti ilāta pāvikaḷ
- wretched ones without devotion
- tītil naṉṉeṟi
- the good, faultless path
- ep piṟappilum
- in every birth
- kātal ceyyum
- will love
Perumal Tirumozhi 2.7 · verse 664 of the four thousand
Meaning
His form is like a gathering of dark clouds; His red lips part in a smile of bright, pearl-white teeth; a necklace lies on His chest. He is the one rare and great radiance called Arangan. Those whose hearts reach Him, who come together, melt, and stand drenched in streaming tears: my heart becomes devoted to their two feet.
Word by word
- kār-iṉam purai mēṉi
- form like a gathering of dark clouds
- mutta veṇṇakaic ceyya vāy
- red lips with a pearl-white smile
- āra-mārvaṉ
- He whose chest wears a necklace
- arum peruñcuṭar
- the rare, great radiance
- kacintu
- melting
- tāḷiṇaikku
- for their two feet
- vāram ākum
- becomes devoted
Perumal Tirumozhi 2.8 · verse 665 of the four thousand
Meaning
He lies in the surging sea; He wears a fragrant tulasi garland where bees burrow, on a great chest like a mountain where Sri dwells; His eyes are like flowers. His servants, mad with love for Arangan our Lord, rise and dance and sing and wander about. My heart has fallen madly in love with the life of those servants.
Word by word
- kaṭaṟ kiṭantavaṉ
- He who lies in the sea
- vaṇṭu kiṇṭu naṟuntuḻāy
- fragrant tulasi where bees burrow
- varaip perun tiru mārvaṉai
- Him with a great mountain-like chest where Sri dwells
- malark kaṇṇaṉai
- the flower-eyed one
- mālai uṟṟu
- being mad with love
- toṇṭar vāḻvukku
- for the life of His servants
- mālai uṟṟatu eṉ neñcamē
- my heart has fallen madly in love
Perumal Tirumozhi 2.9 · verse 666 of the four thousand
Meaning
Their eyes crowd with tears, their bodies thrill; they sigh, grow weak, stand, tire, bow down, dance, rise, dance again, sing and worship. They have become servants of Arangan, my Father, my Master, and are mad for Him alone. Such people are not mad at all. All the others are the ones who are utterly mad.
Word by word
- kaṇ paṉi cōra
- eyes streaming with tears
- meykaḷ cilirppa
- bodies thrilling
- kumpiṭu naṭṭam iṭṭu
- bowing and dancing
- eṉ attaṉ accaṉ
- my Father, my Master
- avaṉukkē pittarām
- mad for Him alone
- pittar allarkaḷ
- are not mad
- maṟṟaiyār muṟṟum pittarē
- all the others are utterly mad
Perumal Tirumozhi 2.10 · verse 667 of the four thousand
Meaning
Arangan is the Lord of the lady of the petalled great lotus. Kulasekhara, guardian of Kolli, lord of Koodal, king of Kozhi, whose mind ever dwells on the boundless service of Arangan's true devotees, made this sweet Tamil garland of words. Those who master it will become servants of His servants.
Word by word
- alli mā malar-maṅkai nātaṉ
- Lord of the lady of the petalled lotus, Lakshmi
- ellai il aṭimait tiṟattiṉil
- in boundless service
- kolli-kāvalaṉ
- guardian of Kolli
- kūṭal-nāyakaṉ
- lord of Koodal, Madurai
- kōḻikkōṉ
- king of Kozhi, Uraiyur
- toṇṭar toṇṭarkaḷ āvarē
- will become servants of His servants
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.