Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.5.1 · verse 64 of the four thousand
Meaning
(Yashoda asks the baby to do the sengirai, lifting His head on His hands and swaying.) O You with the gem-like belly, who made the worlds and swallowed them to save them! O Supreme of the supreme, who age after age lay gently in yogic sleep on a banyan leaf! O You with long lotus eyes and a body dark as kohl! Red-hued Lakshmi holds Your chest her safe home. With Your makara earrings gleaming and swaying, my Lord, do the sengirai once for me! Fighting bull of the cowherds, sway, sway!
Word by word
- uyya ulaku paṭaittu uṇṭa
- who made the worlds and swallowed them, to save them
- uyōku-tuyil
- yogic sleep, wakeful rest
- paramparaṉē
- O Supreme of the supreme
- ceyyavaḷ
- the red-hued one, Lakshmi
- cēmam eṉak karuti
- deeming it her safe home
- āṭuka ceṅkīrai
- do the sengirai: the baby lifts its head on its hands and sways
- āyarkaḷ pōrēṟē
- O fighting bull of the cowherds
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.5.2 · verse 65 of the four thousand
Meaning
You took the form of a mighty lion and dug into the asura's body with sharp claws till the blood welled up, meaning to prove his son's words true. When Indra, lord of the gods above, came in great anger and the good black clouds poured down hail and wind, You held up the mountain as an umbrella and saved the cows. So that You may take me as Yours, do the sengirai once for me! Fighting bull of the cowherds, sway, sway!
Word by word
- kōḷariyiṉ uruvaṅ koṇṭu
- taking the form of a mighty lion, Narasimha
- avuṇaṉ uṭalam
- the asura's body, Hiranya's
- kūr ukirāl kuṭaivāy
- You who dug in with sharp claws
- avaṉmakaṉai meymmai koḷak karuti
- meaning to prove his son Prahlada's words true
- mēlai amararpati
- the lord of the gods above, Indra
- kalloṭu kāl poḻiyak
- pouring down hail and wind
- varai kuṭaiyāk
- making the mountain an umbrella
- āḷa eṉakku
- to take me as Yours
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.5.3 · verse 66 of the four thousand
Meaning
O our Master! O meaning of the four Vedas! Once You became the mother of four-faced Brahma, in the fine lotus in Your navel. You grew until You filled the whole earth and the world of the stars, and reached beyond them. You came back victorious over the elephant and the seven bulls. My Lord, do the sengirai once for me! Fighting bull of the cowherds, sway, sway!
Word by word
- nāṉmaṟaiyiṉ poruḷē
- O meaning of the four Vedas
- nāviyuḷ naṟkamala
- the fine lotus in the navel
- nāṉmukaṉukku
- for four-faced Brahma
- tammaṉai āṉavaṉē
- You who became his mother
- tārakaiyiṉ ulakum
- the world of the stars
- vimma vaḷarntavaṉē
- You who grew till all was filled (as Trivikrama)
- vēḻamum ēḻ viṭaiyum
- the elephant and the seven bulls
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.5.4 · verse 67 of the four thousand
Meaning
To the joy of the gods, You kicked the strong cart till it rolled over, and You drank the poison of the demoness with the treacherous breast. My dark little calf, You flung a calf at the strong wood-apple tree of the forest to bring its fruit down. Like an elephant You go into battle, the field shaking, until Dhenuka, Mura and fierce Naraka lie dead. Do the sengirai once for me! Fighting bull of the cowherds, sway, sway!
Word by word
- vaṉ cakaṭam uruḷa
- the strong cart rolling over
- vañca mulaippēyiṉ nañcam
- the poison of the demoness with the treacherous breast
- kāṉaka val viḷaviṉ
- of the strong wood-apple tree in the forest
- kaṉṟu atu koṇṭu eṟiyum
- flinging the calf (a demon in disguise) at it
- karuniṟa eṉkaṉṟē
- my dark-hued little calf
- ceru atirac cellum āṉai
- the elephant who goes in, the battle shaking
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.5.5 · verse 68 of the four thousand
Meaning
You stole the curd that reached up the churning rod and the ghee that the good young women with long hair had put away, scooped it all up and swallowed it. Of fierce strength, You pushed down with Your thighs and hands the demons who came, intent on harm, as the twin maruda trees standing side by side. Even before Your young pearl-like smile has fully come, with the thick curls on Your face swaying, my Father, do the sengirai once for me! Fighting bull of the cowherds, sway, sway!
Word by word
- mattu aḷavun tayirum
- curd up to the height of the churning rod
- kaḷavāl vāri viḻuṅki
- scooping it up by stealth and swallowing it
- otta iṇaimarutam
- the twin maruda trees standing alike
- uṉṉiya vantavarai
- those who came intent (on harming You)
- ventiṟalōy
- O You of fierce strength
- muttiṉ iḷamuṟuval
- the young pearl-like smile (the first teeth)
- moykuḻalkaḷ alaiya
- the thick curls swaying
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.5.6 · verse 69 of the four thousand
Meaning
O You with the colour of the kaya flower, with a form like a dark rain cloud! My handsome little son, who danced a pure dance on the heads of Kaliya in the great forest pool! You who plucked out the tusk of the tall rutting elephant! With Your two feet that danced as You destroyed, without pause, the wrestlers who came to fight You, O cowherd, do the sengirai once for me! Fighting bull of the cowherds, sway, sway!
Word by word
- kāya malarniṟavā
- O You with the colour of the dark-blue kaya flower
- kāḷiyaṉ ucciyilē
- on the heads of Kaliya, the serpent
- tūya naṭam payilum
- who danced a pure dance
- tuṅka matakkariyiṉ kompu
- the tusk of the tall rutting elephant (Kuvalayapida)
- mallai
- the wrestlers
- antaram iṉṟi aḻittu
- destroying them without pause
- tāḷiṇaiyāy
- O You of the two feet
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.5.7 · verse 70 of the four thousand
Meaning
Once, true to the word of the strong cowherds, for Nappinnai, with pure dark hair, lovely as a peacock, You killed the seven fine bulls and became her mighty husband. And driving Your one matchless chariot into the realm of great radiance, You brought back the lost children and gave them to their mother. My Father, do the sengirai once for me! Fighting bull of the cowherds, sway, sway!
Word by word
- tuppu uṭai āyarkaḷ
- the strong cowherds
- col vaḻuvātu
- not failing their word (the bride's condition)
- tōkaimayil aṉaiya
- like a peacock with its tail spread
- nappiṉaitaṉ tiṟamā
- for the sake of Nappinnai
- nal viṭai ēḻ aviya
- killing the seven fine bulls
- tappiṉa piḷḷaikaḷait
- the children who had been lost
- taṉi oru tēr kaṭavit
- driving His one matchless chariot
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.5.8 · verse 71 of the four thousand
Meaning
Young girls carry You on their hips to their homes, do with You whatever they please, and bring You back. So that they may rejoice, so that the eyes of all who see You grow cool, so that the learned gather round, be gracious to me, Your mother. You who abide at Thirukkurungudi and Thiruvellarai, King of walled Thirumaliruncholai, nectar of Thirukkannapuram, You who take away my sorrow, do the sengirai! Owner of the seven worlds, sway, sway!
Word by word
- okkalaiyiṟ koṇṭu
- carrying You on their hips
- kaṉṉiyarum makiḻa
- so that the young girls rejoice
- kaṇṭavar kaṇkuḷira
- so that the eyes of those who see grow cool
- peṟṟa eṉakku aruḷi
- be gracious to me, who bore You
- kuṟuṅkuṭiyāy veḷḷaṟaiyāy
- Lord of Thirukkurungudi and Thiruvellarai
- cōlaimalaikku aracē
- King of Thirumaliruncholai
- kaṇṇapurattu amutē
- Nectar of Thirukkannapuram
- eṉ avalam kaḷaivāy
- You who take away my sorrow
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.5.9 · verse 72 of the four thousand
Meaning
The scent of milk, ghee and curd, of bright sandal paste and champak, of lotus and fine camphor comes from You. Between Your lovely, fragrant coral-red lips a few teeth shine like tender silver shoots. From Your fruit-sweet mouth the nectar drips and falls in strands onto the beautiful five-weapon amulet on Your blue body. O true meaning of the Vedas, do the sengirai! Owner of the seven worlds, sway, sway!
Word by word
- oṇ cāntoṭu caṇpakamum
- bright sandal paste and champak flowers
- karuppūramum nāṟi vara
- and camphor, all giving off their scent
- pavaḷac centuvar vāyiṉiṭaik
- between the coral-red lips
- kōmaḷa veḷḷimuḷai pōl
- like tender shoots of silver
- aimpaṭaiyiṉ naṭuvē
- onto the five-weapon amulet
- kaṉivāy amutam
- the nectar of the fruit-sweet mouth
- ēlum maṟaipporuḷē
- O true meaning of the Vedas
- ēḻ ulakum uṭaiyāy
- O Owner of the seven worlds
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.5.10 · verse 73 of the four thousand
Meaning
Rings shine on Your toes, small as petals on Your red lotus feet; little bells and a golden chain rest on Your waist, with gold beads shaped like the flowers of the fine pomegranate; finger rings, the auspicious five-weapon amulet, armlets, earrings, makara ornaments, ear-hoops and the forehead pendant all shine together. O King of our clan, do the sengirai! Owner of the seven worlds, sway, sway!
Word by word
- ceṅkamalak kaḻaliṟ
- on the red lotus feet
- ciṟṟitaḻ pōl viraliṟ
- on the toes, small as little petals
- araiyiṟ taṅkiya poṉvaṭamum
- the golden chain resting on the waist
- mātuḷaiyiṉ pūvoṭu
- with pomegranate flowers (beads shaped like them)
- maṅkala aimpaṭaiyum
- the auspicious five-weapon amulet
- ottu ilaka
- all shining together
- eṅkaḷ kuṭikku aracē
- O King of our clan
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 1.5.11 · verse 74 of the four thousand
Meaning
"You who became the swan, the fish, the man-lion, the dwarf and the tortoise, Leader of the cowherds, You who take away my sorrow, do the sengirai! Owner of the seven worlds, sway, sway!" So Yashoda, who walks with a swan's gait, delighted in her child. Pattan of Puduvai, rich in fame, told it in these Tamil garlands of sweet music. Those who master these ten will win great fame in all eight directions of the world and attain joy.
Word by word
- aṉṉamum
- the swan (Hamsa)
- miṉ uruvum
- the form of the fish (Matsya)
- āḷariyum kuṟaḷum
- the man-lion and the dwarf
- āmaiyum
- and the tortoise (Kurma)
- aṉṉanaṭai maṭavāḷ
- she who walks with a swan's gait
- putuvaip paṭṭaṉ
- Pattan of Puduvai, Periyalwar
- iṉṉicai mālaikaḷ
- garlands of sweet music
- eṇticaiyum pukaḻ mikku
- with great fame in all eight directions
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.