Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.2.1 · verse 128 of the four thousand
Meaning
(Yashoda speaks.) You who lie on the serpent bed, bull among the cowherds, wake up from sleep and come to feed! Last night too You went off to sleep without eating, and now it is already midday. I do not see You coming, and Your little belly has gone slack with hunger. My full breasts are brimming and flowing over. Put Your blessed mouth to them, play and kick as You please, and drink.
Word by word
- aravu aṇaiyāy
- You who lie on the serpent bed
- āyar ēṟē
- bull among the cowherds
- ammam uṇṇat
- to take Your feed, a child's word for milk
- ucci koṇṭatālō
- the sun has already reached midday
- vayiṟu acaintāy
- Your belly has gone slack
- vaṉa mulaikaḷ cōrntu pāyat
- my full breasts flowing over
- tiḷaittu utaittup parukiṭāyē
- play, kick and drink
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.2.2 · verse 129 of the four thousand
Meaning
Ghee set aside, milk boiled down, strained curd and fragrant fresh butter: since You were born, my Lord, I have never once been able to keep any of these. Do whatever You like, You are free to do it all; I will do nothing to You, so do not be cross with me. Smile Your smile like pearls, sniff away Your tears, and come and drink at my breast.
Word by word
- vaitta neyyum
- ghee kept aside
- vaṭi tayirum
- strained curd
- ittaṉaiyum peṟṟaṟiyēṉ
- I have never been able to keep any of these
- empirāṉ
- my Lord
- katam paṭātē
- do not be angry
- muttu aṉaiya muṟuval
- a smile like pearls
- mūkku uṟiñci
- sniffling, as a child does after crying
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.2.3 · verse 130 of the four thousand
Meaning
When their own children come home crying, the mothers cannot bear it, and they come and raise a clamour against You; yet You go on thriving, Vasudeva! Your father will not take Your side, but I will not say a single harsh word to You. Lovely little son of Nandagopa, come and drink from the breasts that flow for You.
Word by word
- tāymār āvār tarikkakillār
- the mothers cannot bear it
- pūcal ceyya
- raising a clamour, complaining
- vācutēvā
- Vasudeva, son of Vasudeva
- untaiyār uṉtiṟattar allar
- your father will not take your side
- urappamāṭṭēṉ
- I will not scold
- nantakōpaṉ aṇi ciṟuvā
- lovely little son of Nandagopa
- nāṉ curanta mulai
- my breasts that flow for You
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.2.4 · verse 131 of the four thousand
Meaning
When You sprang at the treacherous cart that Kamsa had set against You and shattered its menace, I was afraid Your feet, soft as cotton, would be hurt. Lord of the immortals, You are far beyond the measure of these cowherd folk! With Your own cunning You have caught Kamsa in a net of his own making. Come and drink at my breast.
Word by word
- kaḷḷac cakaṭu
- the deceitful cart, a demon in a cart's form
- pañci aṉṉa mellaṭiyāl
- with feet soft as cotton
- añciṉēṉ kāṇ
- I was afraid, you see
- amarar kōvē
- Lord of the immortals
- āyar kūṭṭattu aḷavaṉṟālō
- beyond the measure of the cowherd crowd
- valaippaṭuttāy
- You have caught him in a net
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.2.5 · verse 132 of the four thousand
Meaning
Evil-minded Kamsa is angry with You. He is watching for a careless moment, and if he traps You by some trick I could not go on living, Vasudeva. A mother's word must be obeyed, You know; I tell You plainly, do not go out. Bright lamp of Ayarpadi, come, sit quietly and drink at my breast.
Word by word
- tīya puntik kañcaṉ
- evil-minded Kamsa
- cōrvu pārttu
- watching for a careless moment
- vāḻakillēṉ
- I could not live
- tāyar vāyccol karumam kaṇṭāy
- a mother's word must be obeyed
- pōkavēṇṭā
- do not go out
- āyar pāṭikku aṇiviḷakkē
- beautiful lamp of Ayarpadi, Gokulam
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.2.6 · verse 133 of the four thousand
Meaning
You who gladly dwell in Villiputtur, where bees slip into the loosened hair of women whose waists are slender as lightning and hum sweet songs! People who see You say, 'What penance did she perform, the woman whose womb bore this child?' Hrishikesa, You have brought me words like these. Come and drink at my breast.
Word by word
- miṉ aṉaiya nuṇ iṭaiyār
- women with waists slender as lightning
- viri kuḻalmēl nuḻainta vaṇṭu
- bees that have slipped into their loosened hair
- villiputtūr
- Srivilliputtur, the Alwar's own town
- eṉṉa nōṉpu nōṟṟāḷ kolō
- what penance did she perform?
- eytuvitta
- made me receive
- iruṭikēcā
- Hrishikesa, Lord of the senses
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.2.7 · verse 134 of the four thousand
Meaning
Women long to have a son like You, and with that hope everyone who sees You forgets to go home; they gaze at You with both eyes as if to take You in. Women with flowered hair where bees wander have come and stand waiting to carry You off, wanting to taste the nectar of Your lips. Govinda, come and drink at my breast.
Word by word
- niṉ oppāraip
- a child like You
- pōkku oḻintār
- forgot to go away
- kaṇṇiṇaiyāl kalakka nōkki
- gazing with both eyes as if to merge with You
- vaṇṭu ulām pūṅkuḻaliṉār
- women with flowered hair where bees wander
- vāyamutam
- the nectar of Your mouth
- kōvintā
- Govinda, keeper of the cows
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.2.8 · verse 135 of the four thousand
Meaning
You who destroyed the bodies of the two wrestlers who came against You like two mountains! Come and climb onto my hip, so that Your shining chest, where Lakshmi abides, may be full. Put one breast to Your mouth while Your fingers play with the other, and drink from both in turn, sighing with longing again and again; sit and drink.
Word by word
- iru malai pōl etirnta mallar
- wrestlers who came against You like two mountains
- tiru malintu tikaḻu mārvu
- the shining chest where Lakshmi abides
- alkul ēṟi
- climbing onto my hip
- neruṭikkoṇṭu
- fingering, playing with
- muṟai muṟaiyāy
- each in turn
- ēṅki ēṅki
- sighing and longing again and again
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.2.9 · verse 136 of the four thousand
Meaning
Your lotus face is beaded with sweat, like lovely pearls scattered on a beautiful lotus bloom. Up to mischief, You roll about in this courtyard till every limb is covered in dust. Do not play like that, my darling, you will only end up sobbing. Lord of the immortals, who gave them the nectar long ago, come and drink at my breast.
Word by word
- aṅ kamalap pōtakattil
- on a beautiful lotus bloom
- aṇi koḷ muttam cintiṉāṟpōl
- as if lovely pearls were scattered
- ceṅ kamala mukam viyarppa
- Your red-lotus face breaking into sweat
- puḻutiyāka
- covered in dust
- amararkku amutu aḷitta
- who gave the nectar to the gods, at the churning of the ocean
- amarar kōvē
- Lord of the immortals
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.2.10 · verse 137 of the four thousand
Meaning
You come running and running, singing as You come, keeping time with the jingle of Your little anklet bells, and I thought, 'Here comes my Padmanabha.' Now You sway and dance, swaying again, dancing the dance that suits the tune. Do not go running off again; noblest one, come and drink at my breast.
Word by word
- kiṇkiṇikaḷ
- little anklet bells
- ōcaip pāṇiyālē
- keeping time with their sound
- paṟpanāpaṉ
- Padmanabha, with the lotus at His navel
- ataṉukku ēṟṟa kūttai
- the dance that suits the rhythm
- ōṭi oṭip pōyviṭātē
- do not run off again
- uttamā
- O noblest one
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.2.11 · verse 138 of the four thousand
Meaning
These are the words of the cowherd mother, Yashoda, who said, 'Madhava, drink!' They were sung by Bhattarpiran, Periyalwar, whose ancient fame fills the earth, of Villiputtur, where the scent of the kuvalai lilies blooming in the waters spreads everywhere. Those who can sing these songs will gain a mind that goes out to the glorious, red-eyed Lord.
Word by word
- vār aṇinta koṅkai āycci
- the cowherd mother, her bosom bound with a band
- mātavā uṇ
- Madhava, drink
- nīr aṇinta kuvaḷai vācam
- the scent of the water lilies in the pools
- paṭṭarpirāṉ
- Bhattarpiran, the name Periyalwar uses for himself
- cīr aṇinta ceṅkaṇmāl
- the glorious red-eyed Lord
- ceṉṟa cintai
- a mind that goes out to 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.