Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.2.1 · verse 23 of the four thousand
Meaning
(Yashoda calls the women of the village to see her child, from His feet to His hair.) Devaki, sweet as the nectar that rose from the cool ocean, gave this innocent infant to Yashoda of the garlanded tresses. Look at His lotus feet, which He catches in His hands, sucks and savours! O women with coral lips, come and see!
Word by word
- cītak kaṭaluḷ amutu aṉṉa
- like the nectar that rose from the cool ocean
- kōtaik kuḻalāḷ
- she whose tresses wear garlands
- pōttanta
- gave over, sent
- pētaik kuḻavi
- the innocent infant
- piṭittuc cuvaittu uṇṇum
- catches hold of, sucks and savours
- pātak kamalaṅkaḷ
- lotus feet
- pavaḷa vāyīr
- O women with coral-red lips
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.2.2 · verse 24 of the four thousand
Meaning
As though pearls, rubies, diamonds and fine gold had been set close together and crowned with a jewel at the top, see how perfectly matched are the ten toes on the feet of Him who has the colour of a sapphire! O women with shining foreheads, come and see!
Word by word
- muttum maṇiyum vayiramum naṉpoṉṉum
- pearls, gems, diamonds and fine gold
- tattip patittut talaippeytāṟ pōl
- as if set close together and crowned at the top
- pattu viralum
- all ten toes
- maṇivaṇṇaṉ
- He who has the colour of a sapphire
- ottiṭṭu iruntavā
- how evenly matched they are
- oṇṇutalīr
- O women with bright foreheads
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.2.3 · verse 25 of the four thousand
Meaning
This child lay hugging the breast of the young cowherd woman with shoulders smooth as bamboo, the breast from which the milk flowed, and drank His fill. On both His legs silver anklets stay shining. See how shapely His shins are! O lovely women, come and see!
Word by word
- paṇaittōḷ iḷa āycci
- the young cowherd woman with shoulders smooth as bamboo
- aṇaittu āra uṇṭu
- hugging close, He drank His fill
- veḷḷit taḷai
- silver anklets
- kaṇaikkāl
- the shins, shapely as an arrow-shaft
- kārikaiyīr
- O lovely women
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.2.4 · verse 26 of the four thousand
Meaning
The woman who had laboured over her churning lost her fragrant ghee, whole pot after whole pot, as He ate it. In her anger she pulled out the old rope of her fine churning rod and raised it at Him, and in fright He crawled away. See His little knees! O young women, come and see!
Word by word
- uḻantāḷ
- she who had toiled (at the churning)
- orōr taṭā
- pot after whole pot
- eriviṉāl
- in burning anger
- eḻil mattiṉ paḻantāmpāl
- with the old rope of the fine churning rod
- payattāl tavaḻntāṉ
- crawled away in fear
- muḻantāḷ
- the knees
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.2.5 · verse 27 of the four thousand
Meaning
This child sucked and drank at the breast of the towering demoness Putana, and then lay there as if He were only falling asleep. Long ago He tore open the chest of cruel Hiranya. Come and see His thighs! O young women, come and see!
Word by word
- piṟaṅkiya pēycci
- the huge demoness, Putana
- uṟaṅkuvāṉ pōlē
- as if He were going to sleep
- maṟam koḷ iraṇiyaṉ
- cruel Hiranya
- mārvai muṉ kīṇṭāṉ
- who once tore open his chest
- kuṟaṅkukaḷai
- the thighs
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.2.6 · verse 28 of the four thousand
Meaning
Achyuta, the Lord who never lets go, appeared on the day of the tenth star from Attam, in the womb of Devaki, who never left the heart of Vasudeva, master of rutting elephants. See how lovely His little 'pearl' is! O women with budding smiles, come and see!
Word by word
- mattak kaḷiṟṟu vacutēvar
- Vasudeva of the rutting elephants
- cittam piriyāta
- never leaving his heart
- attattiṉ pattām nāḷ
- the day of the tenth star reckoned from Attam (Hasta)
- accutaṉ
- Achyuta, the one who never slips or lets go
- muttam
- 'pearl', a mother's word for the baby boy's privates
- mukiḻnakaiyīr
- O women with budding smiles
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.2.7 · verse 29 of the four thousand
Meaning
He is the Supreme One, yet He grabs the great-trunked rutting elephant from the one who is pulling it along, snatches it and runs away. See His waist, with close-set coral, the straight waist-string and the pearls upon it! O women with bright foreheads, come and see!
Word by word
- iruṅkai matakaḷiṟu
- the great-trunked rutting elephant
- paruṅkip paṟittukkoṇṭu
- grabbing and snatching it away
- paramaṉtaṉ
- of the Supreme One
- nērnāṇum
- the straight waist-string
- maruṅkum
- the waist
- vāṇutalīr
- O women with bright foreheads
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.2.8 · verse 30 of the four thousand
Meaning
When the little children gather round, He overpowers the whole crowd and plays on alone like a tusker elephant. See how beautiful is the navel of Nandagopa's little son! O women with shining jewels, come and see!
Word by word
- matalaik kuḻāttai
- the crowd of little children
- valiceytu
- overpowering them
- tantak kaḷiṟu pōl
- like a tusker elephant
- nantaṉ matalaikku
- of Nandagopa's little son
- unti
- the navel
- oḷiyiḻaiyīr
- O women with shining jewels
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.2.9 · verse 31 of the four thousand
Meaning
The cowherd woman fed Him, whose colour is that of the roaring sea, at her sweet breast, tricked Him into staying still, and then, without any fuss, bound Him with an old rope. See His little belly where the rope went round! O women with shining bangles, come and see!
Word by word
- atiruṅ kaṭalniṟa vaṇṇaṉai
- Him whose colour is that of the roaring sea
- maturamulai ūṭṭi
- feeding Him at her sweet breast
- vañcittu vaittup
- tricking Him into staying still
- paḻan tāmpāl ārtta
- bound with an old rope
- utaram
- the belly
- oḷivaḷaiyīr
- O women with shining bangles
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.2.10 · verse 32 of the four thousand
Meaning
This child was tied to a big, heavy mortar, and while bound there He broke the two great maruda trees. See His holy chest, where an ornament of large bright gems shines and sways! O women with red jewels, come and see!
Word by word
- peru mā uraliṟ
- to a big, heavy mortar
- piṇippuṇṭu
- being bound
- iru mā marutam iṟutta
- broke the two great maruda trees
- kuru mā maṇippūṇ
- an ornament of large, bright gems
- tirumārvu
- the holy chest
- cēyiḻaiyīr
- O women with red jewels
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.2.11 · verse 33 of the four thousand
Meaning
When He was just four or five months old, He stretched out His foot and kicked the cart-demon to pieces, and He took away the very life of the one with sword-like curving fangs. See His shoulders! O women with curling locks, come and see!
Word by word
- nālaintu tiṅkaḷ aḷavilē
- at about four or five months
- tāḷai nimirttuc
- stretching out His foot
- cakaṭattaic cāṭippōy
- kicking and shattering the cart
- vāḷ koḷ vaḷaieyiṟṟu
- of the one with sword-like curving fangs
- āruyir vavviṉāṉ
- seized the very life
- curikuḻalīr
- O women with curling locks
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.2.12 · verse 34 of the four thousand
Meaning
He is the little child, blue as the flowers in the paddy fields, whom Yashoda of the wide, kohl-dark eyes is bringing up. See His hands, where the discus with its gleaming edge and the conch shine like moonlight! O women with heavy earrings, come and see!
Word by word
- mait taṭaṅkaṇṇi
- she of the wide eyes lined with kohl
- ceyttalai nīla niṟattu
- blue like the flowers in the fields
- neyttalai nēmiyum
- the discus with its gleaming, sharp edge
- nilāviya
- shining like moonlight
- kaittalaṅkaḷ
- the hands
- kaṉaṅkuḻaiyīr
- O women with heavy earrings
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.2.13 · verse 35 of the four thousand
Meaning
The cowherd woman, whose flower-decked hair is full of bees, took Him as her son and is bringing Him up. See the throat of this little cowherd boy, the throat that swallowed the whole universe and all the lands! O lovely women, come and see!
Word by word
- vaṇṭu amar pūṅkuḻal
- flower-decked hair where bees settle
- makaṉākak koṇṭu
- taking Him as her son
- kōvalak kuṭṭaṟku
- for the little cowherd boy
- aṇṭamum nāṭum aṭaṅka viḻuṅkiya
- that swallowed the universe and all lands entire
- kaṇṭam
- the throat
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.2.14 · verse 36 of the four thousand
Meaning
The cowherd women lift Him up, calling, "Come, our little lion with lips red as the thondai fruit!" Longing for the nectar of those lips, they drink it proudly with their own red lips. Come and see these lovely red lips of His! O women with red jewels, come and see!
Word by word
- toṇṭai vāyc ciṅkam
- lion with lips red as the thondai fruit
- amutu ātarittu
- longing for the nectar
- tarukkip parukum
- drink it proudly and eagerly
- cen toṇṭai vāy
- the red, thondai-fruit lips
- cēyiḻaiyīr
- O women with red jewels
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.2.15 · verse 37 of the four thousand
Meaning
Yashoda watches over this perfect child with care; she scrapes His tongue clean with finely ground turmeric and bathes Him. See His sweet prattle, His eyes, His mouth, His smile and His nose, how lovely they are! O women with thick tresses, come and see!
Word by word
- nuṇukkiya mañcaḷāl
- with finely ground turmeric
- nākku vaḻittu
- scraping the tongue clean
- nampikku
- of this perfect one
- vākkum nayaṉamum
- His speech and His eyes
- muṟuvalum
- His smile
- moykuḻalīr
- O women with thick tresses
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.2.16 · verse 38 of the four thousand
Meaning
Long ago, to end the suffering of the immortals who dwell in heaven, He came as the son of Vasudeva, a ruler of the earth, and now He is growing up to wear down the mighty asuras. See His eyes, how beautiful they are! O women with heavy bangles, come and see!
Word by word
- viṇ koḷ amararkaḷ
- the immortals who dwell in heaven
- vētaṉai tīra
- to end their suffering
- maṇ koḷ vacutēvartam
- of Vasudeva, a ruler of the earth
- tiṇ koḷ acurarait tēya
- so that the mighty asuras are worn down
- kaṇkaḷ
- the eyes
- kaṉavaḷaiyīr
- O women with heavy bangles
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.2.17 · verse 39 of the four thousand
Meaning
That all the world might be saved, even before He had grown up, He came, born of Devaki, who is like Sri herself in form: the radiant one, dark of body, with the colour of a sapphire. See His eyebrows, how lovely they are! O women decked with jewels, come and see!
Word by word
- paruvam nirampāmē
- even before His age was full, while still a child
- pārellām uyyat
- so that the whole world might be saved
- tiruviṉ vaṭivu okkum
- like Sri (Lakshmi) in form
- uruvu kariya
- dark of body
- oḷi maṇivaṇṇaṉ
- the radiant one with the colour of a sapphire
- puruvam
- the eyebrows
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.2.18 · verse 40 of the four thousand
Meaning
This child happily swallows the earth, the mountains, the oceans and all seven worlds, as easily as if He were eating His food. See how firmly these bright and beautiful makara earrings sit on Him! O women with red jewels, come and see!
Word by word
- maṇṇum malaiyum kaṭalum
- the earth, the mountains and the oceans
- uṇṇun tiṟattu
- as if eating His food
- makiḻntu uṇṇum piḷḷaikku
- for the child who swallows them gladly
- makarakkuḻai
- earrings shaped like the makara fish
- tiṇṇam
- how firmly, how surely
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.2.19 · verse 41 of the four thousand
Meaning
The little girls go about building sand houses, carrying their toy winnows and little pots, with pet mynas perched on their forearms. He, the Supreme One, catches hold of them, snatches these away and runs off. See His forehead! O women with fine jewels, come and see!
Word by word
- muṟṟilum tūtaiyum
- toy winnows and little pots
- muṉkaimēl pūvaiyum
- the myna birds on their forearms
- ciṟṟil iḻaittut
- building little sand houses
- paṟṟip paṟittukkoṇṭu ōṭum
- seizes, snatches and runs away
- neṟṟi
- the forehead
- nēriḻaiyīr
- O women with fine jewels
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.2.20 · verse 42 of the four thousand
Meaning
He holds a lovely staff of fresh gold in His beautiful hand, and as He goes about turning back the herds of young calves, His anklets and little bells jingle together all around. See His curling locks of hair! O young women, come and see!
Word by word
- paimpoṉṉiṉ kōl
- a staff of fresh gold
- aṅkaik koṇṭu
- holding in His lovely hand
- kaḻalkaḷ cataṅkai
- anklets and little bells
- maḻa kaṉṟiṉaṅkaḷ
- herds of young calves
- maṟittut tirivāṉ
- goes about turning them back
- kuḻalkaḷ
- His locks of hair
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.2.21 · verse 43 of the four thousand
Meaning
Yashoda, whose hair is thick with humming bees, once described her child's holy form from His feet to His hair. Pattan of beautiful southern Puduvai, Periyalwar, has told it with love in these twenty verses and one more. Those who recite them will go to Vaikuntham and dwell there, one with Him.
Word by word
- curuppār kuḻali
- she whose hair is full of bees
- tirup pātakēcattait
- the holy description from foot to hair
- teṉputuvaip paṭṭaṉ
- Pattan of southern Puduvai (Srivilliputhur), Periyalwar
- irupatōṭu oṉṟum
- twenty and one
- vaikuntattu oṉṟiyirupparē
- will dwell in Vaikuntham, united with Him
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.