Perumal Tirumozhi 9.1 · verse 730 of the four thousand
Meaning
(King Dasaratha laments as Rama leaves for the forest.) You stood ready to be king, the rich city bowing at Your strong feet and praising You; You sat upon the throne. Then Kaikeyi, who reared You as her own, told You, "Go, wander the long forest." O my Rama! Listening to her word, I have made You rule the earth so well, my good son, I myself!
Word by word
- vaḷanakaram toḻutu ētta
- the rich city bowing and praising
- maṉṉaṉ āvāṉ niṉṟāyai
- You who stood ready to be king
- ariyaṇai mēl iruntāyai
- You who sat upon the throne
- neṭuṅ kāṉam paṭarap pōku
- go, wander the long forest
- kaikēci taṉ coṟ kēṭṭu
- listening to Kaikeyi's word
- naṉṟāka nāṉilattai āḷvittēṉ
- I have made You rule the earth so well
Perumal Tirumozhi 9.2 · verse 731 of the four thousand
Meaning
Hearing the cruel words from my cruel mouth, You did not want the wide earth; at once You gave up the victorious elephant, the chariot and the horse, and made for the forest, with the one of long eyes like a polished spear and fine jewels, and the young prince following behind. How did You walk that road? O my Rama, my Lord, what shall I do?
Word by word
- vevvāyēṉ vevvurai
- the cruel words of my cruel mouth
- irunilattai vēṇṭātē
- not wanting the wide earth
- kaḷiṟoḻintu tēroḻintu
- giving up the elephant, giving up the chariot
- neyvāya vēl neṭuṅkaṇ nēriḻaiyum
- she of long eyes like a polished spear and fine jewels, Sita
- iḷaṅkōvum
- and the young prince, Lakshmana
- evvāṟu naṭantaṉai
- how did You walk?
- eṉ ceykēṉē
- what shall I do?
Perumal Tirumozhi 9.3 · verse 732 of the four thousand
Meaning
O Child of the line of Kausalya, whose long, streaked eyes are like a deadly spear! O You whose mountain-like shoulders hold strength and carry the curving bow! You have learned only how to melt the heart of me, so burdened with karma. Once You slept on a soft bed; now, going into the vast forest, have You learned to sleep on a bed of stone in the shade of trees? O Kakutstha, O dark King!
Word by word
- kula matalāy
- O child of the line
- kuṉi vil ēntum
- carrying the curving bow
- maṉam urukkum vakaiyē kaṟṟāy
- You have learned only how to melt my heart
- mel aṇaimēl muṉ tuyiṉṟāy
- once You slept on a soft bed
- kal aṇaimēl kaṇ tuyilak
- to sleep on a bed of stone
- kākuttā kariya kōvē
- O Kakutstha, O dark King
Perumal Tirumozhi 9.4 · verse 733 of the four thousand
Meaning
Come. Go. Come, come back once more, see me, and then go. For the sake of her with flowers in her hair and lovely shoulders like bamboo, You broke the bow of Shiva who rides the bull. O son who melts the heart of me, burdened with karma! Today You go into the long forest where only beasts roam. How does my heart stand without splitting in two?
Word by word
- vā pōku vā
- come, go, come
- vēypōlum eḻil-tōḷi
- she of lovely shoulders like bamboo, Sita
- viṭaiyōṉtaṉ villaic ceṟṟāy
- You broke the bow of the bull-rider, Shiva
- mā pōku neṭuṅ kāṉam
- the long forest where only beasts roam
- iru piḷavāyp
- split in two
- pōkātē niṟkumāṟē
- how does it stand without breaking?
Perumal Tirumozhi 9.5 · verse 734 of the four thousand
Meaning
Pebbles stab like spear-points in an enemy's hand, blood flows from Your soft feet; You choose the forest no one would choose, the sun beats down, fierce hunger grows; and today You go, O son of me, great sinner. I listened to the word of that rare sinner, born the daughter of the Kekaya king. I, of such hard karma, what shall I do? Alas!
Word by word
- poruntār kai vēl-nutipōl
- like spear-points in an enemy's hand
- paral pāya
- pebbles stabbing
- mellaṭikaḷ kuruti cōra
- blood flowing from soft feet
- veyil uṟaippa
- the sun beating down
- kēkayarkōṉ makaḷāyp
- as the daughter of the Kekaya king, Kaikeyi
- antō yāṉē
- alas, I
Perumal Tirumozhi 9.6 · verse 735 of the four thousand
Meaning
I no longer hear the eager word of love You called out in joy; I do not hold You close so that Your adorned chest presses into mine; I do not hug You whole or breathe in the crown of Your head; I do not see Your soft gait like an elephant's or Your lotus face. I, base as I am, have lost my Lord, my son, and still I live!
Word by word
- ārvaccol kēḷātē
- not hearing the eager word of love
- aṇi cēr mārvam
- Your adorned chest
- mōvātu ucci
- not breathing in the crown of Your head
- kaimmāviṉ naṭai aṉṉa
- like an elephant's gait
- kamalam pōl mukamum
- face like a lotus
- iḻitakaiyēṉ irukkiṉṟēṉē
- base as I am, I still live
Perumal Tirumozhi 9.7 · verse 736 of the four thousand
Meaning
My son, whose shoulders are fit for the quiver, has today twisted his fragrant, flower-decked locks into rough matted hair, wrapped coarse grass where fine silk lay at his waist, and put on no jewels; the beauty of his limbs is changed. He goes to the forest where I, at my age, ought to go. O you pure ones of the Vedas, is this right? Sumantra, Vasishta, you tell me!
Word by word
- naṟuṅkuñci puṉcaṭaiyāp
- fragrant locks twisted into rough matted hair
- eḻil viḻal uṭuttu
- wrapping coarse grass
- kalaṉ aṇiyātu
- wearing no jewels
- ēmaru tōḷ
- shoulders fit for the quiver
- yāṉ iṉṟu celattakka vaṉam
- the forest I ought to go to
- tū maṟaiyīr itu takavō
- O pure ones of the Vedas, is this right?
- cumantiraṉē vaciṭṭaṉē
- O Sumantra, O Vasishta
Perumal Tirumozhi 9.8 · verse 737 of the four thousand
Meaning
You sent into the forest my beautiful, precious son, his brother, and my gentle daughter-in-law, sweet as a myna, her waist more slender than lightning. You have brought blame upon your own son, who will not side with you, and you send me off to the high heaven. What have you gained, Kaikeyi? And you live on happily upon this wide earth!
Word by word
- pūvai pōlum
- sweet as a myna bird
- miṉ paṟṟā nuṇmaruṅkul
- a waist more slender than lightning
- eṉ marukiyaiyum
- my daughter-in-law too
- niṉ paṟṟā niṉ makaṉ
- your son, who will not side with you, Bharata
- nīḷ vāṉil pōkka
- sending to the high heaven
- eṉ peṟṟāy
- what have you gained?
Perumal Tirumozhi 9.9 · verse 738 of the four thousand
Meaning
Long ago, one day, You took the bow from the axe-bearer and destroyed all his penance. Counting as nothing Yourself, Your own preciousness, or Your mother's grief, You took me and my word to be true and went into the forest, my Father! In all my seven births, may I have You alone as my son, O king of long arms!
Word by word
- maḻuvāḷi cilaivāṅki
- taking the bow from the axe-bearer, Parasurama
- avaṉtavattai muṟṟum ceṟṟāy
- You destroyed all his penance
- uṉ mōyiṉ varuttamum
- and Your mother's grief
- eṉ meyyuraiyum
- and my word as true
- makaṉākap peṟap peṟuvēṉ
- may I have You as my son
- ēḻ piṟappum
- in all seven births
- neṭuntōḷ vēntē
- O king of long arms
Perumal Tirumozhi 9.10 · verse 739 of the four thousand
Meaning
Kausalya, with tresses of great flowers that brim with honey, and Sumitra are grieving at heart. Taking the word of that cruel one, who listened to the word of the cruel, hunchbacked maid, today You longed for the forest and left this rich city. I too leave it now, longing for heaven, and I go. O King of the race of Manu!
Word by word
- tēṉ naku mā malark kūntaṟ
- tresses of great flowers brimming with honey
- kaucalaiyum cumittiraiyum
- Kausalya and Sumitra
- kūṉ uruviṉ koṭuntoḻuttai
- the cruel, hunchbacked maid, Manthara
- kāṉakamē mika virumpi
- longing for the forest
- vāṉakamē mika virumpip
- longing for heaven
- maṉu-kulattār taṅkaḷ kōvē
- O King of the race of Manu
Perumal Tirumozhi 9.11 · verse 740 of the four thousand
Meaning
The beautiful, dark, tall Lord went into the forest as Rama, and Dasaratha, whose broad, mountain-like shoulders wore garlands, could not bear it and cried out this lament. Kulasekhara, king of Kozhi, of the royal parasol, skilled with the sharp spear, made it into this glorious Tamil garland. Those who master these verses will never walk the evil path.
Word by word
- karu neṭumāl
- the dark, tall Lord
- irāmaṉāy vaṉam pukka
- who went into the forest as Rama
- ataṉukku āṟṟāt
- unable to bear it
- taṭavarait tōḷ tayarataṉ
- Dasaratha of broad, mountain-like shoulders
- kōḻiyarkōṉ
- king of Kozhi, Uraiyur
- tī neṟikkaṇ cellār
- will never walk the evil path
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.