Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.4.1 · verse 54 of the four thousand
Meaning
(Yashoda calls the moon to come and play with her child.) With the ornament on His forehead swinging to and fro, He crawls along, His gold-tipped ankle bells jingling, and plays in the dust. O young and great moon, if there are eyes in your face, look here at the play of my son Govinda before you go on your way!
Word by word
- taṉmukattuc cuṭṭi
- the ornament hanging on His forehead
- tūṅkat tūṅkat
- swinging to and fro
- poṉmukak kiṇkiṇi ārppap
- His gold-tipped ankle bells jingling
- puḻuti aḷaikiṉṟāṉ
- plays in the dust
- kūttiṉai
- the play, the little dance
- iḷa mā matī
- O young and great moon
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.4.2 · verse 55 of the four thousand
Meaning
My little one, my own sweet nectar, my Lord, is beckoning you again and again with His little hands. If you truly wish to play with Him whose colour is that of kohl, do not hide behind the clouds, O great moon; come running gladly!
Word by word
- eṉ ciṟukkuṭṭaṉ
- my little one
- iṉṉamutu
- sweet nectar
- kāṭṭik kāṭṭi aḻaikkiṉṟāṉ
- beckons you again and again
- añcaṉa vaṇṇaṉōṭu
- with Him of kohl-dark colour
- mañcil maṟaiyātē
- do not hide behind the clouds
- mā matī
- O great moon
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.4.3 · verse 56 of the four thousand
Meaning
A ring of light circles you all around, and your brightness spreads everywhere; yet whatever you do, you cannot equal my son's face. The wondrous one, who dwells on Thiruvenkatam, is calling you. O moon, come running quickly, before His little hand grows tired of calling!
Word by word
- cuṟṟum oḷivaṭṭam
- the ring of light all around you
- eṉmakaṉ mukam nērovvāy
- you cannot equal my son's face
- vittakaṉ
- the wondrous, wise one
- vēṅkaṭa vāṇaṉ
- He who dwells on Thiruvenkatam
- kaittalam nōvāmē
- before His little hand aches
- ampulī
- O moon
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.4.4 · verse 57 of the four thousand
Meaning
He who holds the discus in His hand sits on my hip, opens His wide eyes and points at you, at you alone, see! O Chandra, if you know what is right, do not be stubborn. Unless you are childless and know nothing of children, come to Him!
Word by word
- cakkarak kaiyaṉ
- He who holds the discus in His hand
- malara viḻittu
- opening His eyes wide
- okkalaimēl iruntu
- sitting on my hip
- cuṭṭik kāṭṭum
- points at
- calam ceyyātē
- do not be stubborn
- makkaṭ peṟāta malaṭaṉ
- one who is childless, who never had children
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.4.5 · verse 58 of the four thousand
Meaning
Nectar-like drool trickles clear from His lovely mouth as He calls you with sweet baby words that have not yet grown past babbling. If you go away while charming Sridhara keeps calling and calling, O great marked moon, are your ears no better than having no openings at all?
Word by word
- amuta ūṟal
- the nectar-like trickle from His mouth
- maḻalai muṟṟāta iḷañcollāl
- with young words not yet past babbling
- kūkiṉṟāṉ
- is calling
- kuḻakaṉ cirītaraṉ
- charming Sridhara, He who bears Sri
- puḻaiyila ākātē niṉcevi
- won't your ears be as if they had no openings?
- pukar mā matī
- O great moon with your mark
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.4.6 · verse 59 of the four thousand
Meaning
He whose mighty hands bear the mace, the discus and the Sarnga bow is yawning, wanting to close His eyes in sleep. If He does not sleep, the milk He has drunk will not settle, you know. O great moon fixed in the sky, come running quickly!
Word by word
- taṇṭoṭu cakkaram cārṅkam
- the mace, the discus and the Sarnga bow
- taṭakkaiyaṉ
- He of mighty hands
- kaṇ tuyilkoḷḷak karutik
- wanting to close His eyes in sleep
- koṭṭāvi koḷkiṉṟāṉ
- He is yawning
- mulaippāl aṟā
- the milk will not settle (be digested)
- viṇtaṉil maṉṉiya
- fixed in the sky
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.4.7 · verse 60 of the four thousand
Meaning
Do not slight Him, thinking He is only a little boy. Long ago, one day, He was the child who lay growing on a banyan leaf: He is that very one. If He gets angry, He will leap up and catch hold of you. Do not disregard the Great Lord, O great moon; come running gladly!
Word by word
- pālakaṉ eṉṟu
- thinking He is just a little boy
- paripavam ceyyēl
- do not slight Him
- āliṉ ilai vaḷarnta ciṟukkaṉ
- the little child who lay on a banyan leaf at the deluge
- avaṉ ivaṉ
- He is that very one
- vekuḷumēl
- if He gets angry
- mālai matiyātē
- disregarding the Great Lord
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.4.8 · verse 61 of the four thousand
Meaning
Do not look down on my young lion, thinking He is small. Go to Mahabali and ask him the story of how small He was! If you treat His smallness as a fault, you too will get what you deserve. O full moon, the great Lord, Nedumal, is calling you; come quickly!
Word by word
- eṉ iḷañ ciṅkattai
- my young lion
- ikaḻēl
- do not look down on
- māvaliyiṭaic ceṉṟu kēḷ
- go and ask Mahabali
- ciṟumaip piḻai koḷḷil
- if you take His smallness as a fault
- niṟaimatī
- O full moon
- neṭumāl
- the great, tall Lord
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.4.9 · verse 62 of the four thousand
Meaning
See, it is our Lord who is calling you, He with the big round belly, who swallowed butter from the pot by full handfuls! Have no doubt: He will throw His discus at you. If you wish to go on living, O great moon, come running gladly!
Word by word
- tāḻiyil veṇṇey
- butter from the pot
- taṭaṅkai āra viḻuṅkiya
- swallowed by full handfuls
- pēḻai vayiṟṟu
- with the big round belly
- āḻikoṇṭu uṉṉai eṟiyum
- will throw the discus at you
- aiyuṟavu illai
- there is no doubt
- vāḻa uṟutiyēl
- if you wish to live
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.4.10 · verse 63 of the four thousand
Meaning
Yashoda of the wide, kohl-dark eyes said these fitting words to the moon for her son. Vishnuchitta, the wise one of radiant Puttur, unfolded them in these Tamil verses. Those who can recite all of them will have no trouble.
Word by word
- maittaṭaṅ kaṇṇi
- she of the wide eyes lined with kohl
- ottaṉa colli
- saying fitting words
- oḷiputtūr
- radiant Puttur, Srivilliputhur
- vittakaṉ viṭṭucittaṉ
- the wise Vishnuchitta, Periyalwar
- ettaṉaiyum
- all of them
- iṭar illaiyē
- there will be no trouble
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.