Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.3.1 · verse 139 of the four thousand
Meaning
(Yashoda coaxes the child to have His ears pierced.) Your father, for all his standing, has put this off too long. Kamsa, mighty in battle, is cruel, and there is no one to guard You, sea-coloured one, yet You wander about everywhere alone. Little madcap who drank the demoness's milk, Kesava, my Nambi: all the cowherd women have come to pierce Your ears, and I have set the betel nut ready.
Word by word
- tantaiyum tāḻttāṉ
- your father too has delayed it
- poru tiṟaṟ kañcaṉ kaṭiyaṉ
- Kamsa, mighty in battle, is cruel
- kaṭalvaṇṇā
- O sea-coloured one
- pēyppāl mulai uṇṭa pittaṉē
- little madcap who drank the demoness Putana's milk
- kēcava
- Kesava, the first of the twelve names in this decad
- kātu kutta
- to pierce Your ears
- aṭaikkāy tirutti
- preparing the betel nut, offered at the ceremony
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.3.2 · verse 140 of the four thousand
Meaning
With bright coral strung at Your waist and the bells on Your flower-soft feet jingling, Narayana, You who never leave the hearts of those who draw near and worship You, come here! Lord beyond all thought, I will put the thread in Your ear without it stinging. And here are the golden ear-studs, lovely and a delight to the eyes.
Word by word
- vaṇṇap pavaḷam
- bright coral beads
- malarppātak kiṇkiṇi
- little bells on Your flower-like feet
- cintai piriyāta
- who never leave their hearts
- eṇṇaṟku ariya pirāṉē
- Lord whom thought cannot grasp
- tiriyai
- the thread drawn through the newly pierced ear
- kaṉakak kaṭippum
- golden ear-studs
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.3.3 · verse 141 of the four thousand
Meaning
I have brought makara earrings, fish-shaped like the makara of the wide sea, worth the whole world. I will slip the thread into Your ear quickly, and give You anything You want. Bright flame, tender shoot of the cowherds, born into this cowherd clan so that it might be saved! Madhava, who fills the hearts of the young cowherd girls with longing, come here.
Word by word
- vaiyam ellām peṟum
- worth the whole world
- makarakkuḻai
- earrings shaped like the makara, a sea creature
- veyyavē
- quickly
- uyya
- so that it might be saved
- oṇcuṭar āyarkoḻuntē
- bright flame, tender shoot of the cowherds
- maiyaṉmai ceytu
- stirring love-longing
- mātavaṉē
- Madhava, Lord of Lakshmi
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.3.4 · verse 142 of the four thousand
Meaning
These little Gopala boys are good children: they wear handsome diamond studs and let their ear lobes be stretched long. But You, Govinda, will not listen to a word I say. If You let me put in these beautifully matched studs, I will give You sweet jackfruit and let You nurse at my lovely breast. I bow to You, my Lord, come here!
Word by word
- vayirak kaṭippu
- diamond ear-studs
- vārkātu tāḻap perukkik
- stretching the ear lobes to hang long
- kuṇam naṉṟu uṭaiyar
- are good-natured, obedient
- nī colluk koḷḷāy
- You will not heed my word
- iṉiya palāppaḻam
- sweet jackfruit
- cōttam pirāṉ
- I bow to You, Lord, a word of pleading
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.3.5 · verse 143 of the four thousand
Meaning
Even when I beg, 'I bow to You, Lord,' You will not listen. If You run off with the curly-haired girls, link arms in the kuravai dance and then come back here, will I still put the studs in gently? Nambi, if You let me put in the thread I will give You big appams again, my Lord. Vishnu, dark-locked one whom the girls with shoulders smooth as bamboo long for, come here.
Word by word
- irantālum koḷḷāy
- even when I beg, You will not listen
- curikuḻalāroṭu
- with the curly-haired girls
- kuravai piṇaintu
- joining hands in the kuravai, a circle dance
- periyaṉa appam
- big appams, sweet cakes
- tiriyiṭa oṭṭil
- if You let me put in the thread
- vēyt taṭantōḷār
- girls with broad shoulders smooth as bamboo
- viṭṭuvē
- O Vishnu
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.3.6 · verse 144 of the four thousand
Meaning
You cried so loudly that all the heavens could hear. I looked lovingly into Your mouth and saw the whole earth there; trembling inside, I knew You were Madhusudana. There is no sore at all on Your ear; bear it for just a moment, Nambi. Kanna, my dark rain-cloud, sea-coloured one, my protector, come and drink at my breast.
Word by word
- viṇṇellām kēṭka aḻutiṭṭāy
- You cried so all the heavens could hear
- maṇṇellām kaṇṭu
- seeing the whole earth in Your mouth
- matucūtaṉē
- Madhusudana, slayer of the demon Madhu
- puṇ ētum illai
- there is no sore at all
- poṟuttu iṟaip pōtu iru
- bear it for just a moment
- eṉ kārmukilē
- my dark rain-cloud
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.3.7 · verse 145 of the four thousand
Meaning
Crying, 'I want no milk!', You ran off, tore the stud out of Your ear and flung it away. You are the one who gladly lifted the mountain, kept off the storm of stones and grazed the herds of cows; You broke the great bow. Trivikrama, Lord of blessed Ayarpadi, I let it go and did not stretch Your ears when the time was right; was that not my own fault?
Word by word
- kaṭippaip paṟittu eṟintiṭṭu
- tearing out the stud and flinging it away
- malaiyai eṭuttu
- lifting the mountain, Govardhana
- kal-māri
- the storm of stones sent by Indra
- cilai oṉṟu iṟuttāy
- You broke the bow
- tirivikkiramā
- Trivikrama, who measured the worlds in three strides
- kuṟṟamē aṉṟē
- was that not my fault?
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.3.8 · verse 146 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The child answers.) 'You need not call it your fault! When you said I had eaten mud, did you not look at me, beat me and hold me, and show me to everyone?' (Yashoda replies.) Vamana, Nambi, whose banner bears Garuda, foe of the snakes in their anthills: Your ear holes will close up. Lord who ends every sorrow, let me put in the thread; I tell You the truth.
Word by word
- maṇ uṇṭēṉāka
- saying that I had eaten mud
- aṭittum piṭittum
- beating me and holding me
- aṉaivarkkum kāṭṭiṟṟilaiyē
- did you not show me to everyone?
- puṟṟu araviṉ pakaik koṭi
- banner of Garuda, enemy of the anthill snakes
- vāmaṉa
- Vamana, the dwarf
- uṉkātukaḷ tūrum
- Your ear holes will close up
- collukēṉ meyyē
- I tell You the truth
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.3.9 · verse 147 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The child.) 'Believing the words of those who swore it was true, you said, "You stole the butter," seized my hand and tied me to the mortar for all to see, did you not?' (Yashoda.) Sridhara, if You sit there laughing and reciting what I did, Your ear holes will close. Take the thread in Your own hand and put it in, so these women standing here do not laugh at You.
Word by word
- mey eṉṟu colluvār
- those who swore it was true
- toṭuppuṇṭāy veṇṇeyai
- You stole the butter
- uralōṭu
- to the grinding mortar
- cirītarā
- Sridhara, who bears Lakshmi on His chest
- kaiyiṟ tiriyai iṭukiṭāy
- put the thread in with Your own hand
- kārikaiyār ciriyāmē
- so the women do not laugh
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.3.10 · verse 148 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The child.) 'What is it to these women or to you if my ears swell and burn?' (Yashoda.) I thought that if You could not bear it Your head would ache, so I let it go; was that not my fault? Look, all the children in the settlement go about with their ears stretched long. Hrishikesa, who killed the fierce bull and flung the young calf, my darling!
Word by word
- kātukaḷ vīṅki eriyil
- if my ears swell and burn
- tāriyā tākil
- if You could not bear it
- talai nontiṭum
- Your head would ache
- cēriyiṟ piḷḷaikaḷ
- the children of the settlement
- ēr viṭai ceṟṟu
- killing the proud bull
- iḷaṅkaṉṟu eṟintiṭṭa
- who flung the young calf, a demon in disguise
- eṉtaṉ kaṇṇē
- my darling, literally my eye
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.3.11 · verse 149 of the four thousand
Meaning
Lord who mingles everywhere with glances that cool the eyes, who dwells forever, sweet, in the thoughts of the women with fragrant flowered hair; our nectar! I will give You fruits to eat, and put the stud in Your ear without any pain at all. Padmanabha, who kicked the cart till it fell to pieces, come here.
Word by word
- kaṇṇaik kuḷirak
- so that the eyes are cooled, delighted
- kaṭikamaḻ pūṅkuḻalārkaḷ
- women with fragrant flowered hair
- eṇṇattuḷ eṉṟum iruntu tittikkum
- ever dwelling in their thoughts, sweet
- eṅkaḷ amutē
- our nectar
- nōvāmē
- without any pain
- cakaṭam utaittiṭṭa
- who kicked the cart
- paṟpanāpā
- Padmanabha
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.3.12 · verse 150 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The child.) 'You say "Come", take my hand, and force the stud into my ear and twist it till it hurts. What do you gain by it? My ears will hurt; I can't bear it.' (Yashoda.) I have brought rose-apples; look at them! Nambi, Damodara, who long ago drank the milk of the deceiving woman till she died, and kicked the cart to pieces, come here.
Word by word
- valiyavē
- by force
- nōvat tirikkil
- twisting it till it hurts
- killēṉ
- I cannot bear it
- nāvaṟ paḻam
- rose-apple, the dark naval fruit
- vañca makaḷaic
- the deceiving woman, Putana
- cāvap pāl uṇṭu
- drinking her milk till she died
- tāmōtarā
- Damodara, bound at the waist with a rope
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.3.13 · verse 151 of the four thousand
Meaning
Yashoda, longing to stretch His ear lobes long and fit them with makara earrings, spoke lovingly to Tirumal, and her words shone in the Alwar's heart. The king of Puduvai, Periyalwar, whose ancient fame fills the earth, set them down through the twelve names. Those who can sing these twelve linked verses, of which one never tires, will be servants of Achyuta.
Word by word
- makarakkuḻai iṭa vēṇṭic
- wishing to put on the makara earrings
- tirumālaic
- to Tirumal, the Lord with Lakshmi
- cintaiyuḷ niṉṟu tikaḻap
- standing and shining in his heart
- putuvai maṉṉaṉ
- king of Puduvai, Srivilliputtur: Periyalwar
- paṉṉiru nāmattāl
- through the Lord's twelve names
- ārāta antāti
- insatiable verses linked end to beginning
- accutaṉukku aṭiyārē
- servants of Achyuta, the Lord who never lets go
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.