Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.6.1 · verse 172 of the four thousand
Meaning
(Yashoda asks the crow to fetch a herding stick.) He cut a stick from the hedge and strung it into a bow for play, hung a tender sprig as a pendant on His broad neck, bound peacock feathers together and fixed them at His back. Bring a stick for Him who goes off behind the cattle! Bring a stick for the one coloured like the sea!
Word by word
- vēlik kōl veṭṭi
- cutting a stick from the hedge
- viḷaiyāṭu vil ēṟṟi
- stringing it into a bow for play
- tālik koḻuntait
- a tender sprig worn as a pendant
- pīlit taḻaiyaip
- a spray of peacock feathers
- kālip piṉ pōvāṟku
- for Him who goes behind the cattle
- ōr kōl koṇṭu vā
- bring a herding stick
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.6.2 · verse 173 of the four thousand
Meaning
My son wanders and plays everywhere: in Kongu, in Kudanthai, in Kottiyur and in Thirupper. Bring Him a stick with a fine, well-shaped body, fit for His great hand that holds the conch! Bring Him a stick polished with lac!
Word by word
- koṅkum
- the Kongu country
- kuṭantaiyum
- Thirukkudanthai, Kumbakonam
- kōṭṭiyūrum
- Thirukkottiyur
- pērum
- Thirupper, Koviladi
- caṅkam piṭikkum taṭakkaikkut takka
- fit for His great hand that holds the conch
- arakku vaḻittatu
- polished with lac
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.6.3 · verse 174 of the four thousand
Meaning
He killed Kamsa, who stood against Him in fury; He bore the bird that came at Him and then tore its beak apart. Bring a stick for Him who runs ahead with His curly locks tossing, to graze the little calves! Bring a stick for the Lord of the gods!
Word by word
- kaṟuttiṭṭu etirniṉṟa
- who stood against Him in anger
- puḷḷiṉ vāy kīṇṭāṉ
- He who tore apart the bird's beak
- neṟitta kuḻalkaḷai
- His curly locks
- ciṟukkaṉṟu mēyppāṟku
- for Him who grazes the little calves
- tēvapirāṉukku
- for the Lord of the gods
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.6.4 · verse 175 of the four thousand
Meaning
He speaks one thing only; He gives a single word and keeps to it. He went to Duryodhana of the crowded crown and there, clapping His hands, called for the Bharata war. Bring Him a stick for grazing the calves! Bring a stick for the one coloured like the sea!
Word by word
- oṉṟē uraippāṉ
- He speaks one thing only, true to His word
- oru collē colluvāṉ
- He gives a single word
- tuṉṟu muṭiyāṉ
- with a crowded crown, heavy with jewels
- turiyōtaṉaṉ
- Duryodhana, chief of the Kauravas
- pāratam kaiyeṟintāṉukkuk
- for Him who clapped His hands, declaring the Bharata war
- kaṉṟukaḷ mēyppatu
- for grazing the calves
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.6.5 · verse 176 of the four thousand
Meaning
He, the glorious one, went as an envoy to Duryodhana and asked for just one village. When even that was refused, in His anger He gathered the whole earth into the Bharata war and drove a chariot for Partha. Bring a stick for Him! Bring a stick for the Lord of the gods!
Word by word
- tūtāyt
- as an envoy
- ūr oṉṟu vēṇṭip peṟāta
- asking for one village and not receiving it
- urōṭattāl
- in His anger
- pār oṉṟip
- the whole earth gathered together
- pārttaṟkut
- for Partha, Arjuna
- tēr oṉṟai ūrntāṟku
- for Him who drove a chariot
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.6.6 · verse 177 of the four thousand
Meaning
He lies on the banyan leaf; He rests on the serpent bed; He has slept through long ages in the blue sea. Bring a stick for the handsome Lord who, while still a youth, showed His grace to Partha! Bring a stick for Him who lies at Kudanthai!
Word by word
- ālattu ilaiyāṉ
- He who lies on the banyan leaf
- araviṉ aṇai mēlāṉ
- He who rests on the serpent bed
- neṭuṅkālam kaṇvaḷarntāṉ
- He who slept for long ages
- pālap pirāyattē
- while still young
- kōlap pirāṉukku
- for the handsome Lord
- kuṭantaik kiṭantāṟku
- for Him who lies at Thirukkudanthai
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.6.7 · verse 178 of the four thousand
Meaning
(To the crow.) On the golden hill of Chitrakuta, that one with the thick locks took one eye of the crow that came there in its own form. He is fierce! Hurry and bring a stick, before He takes your other eye too! Bring a stick for the gem-coloured Nambi!
Word by word
- cittirakūṭap poruppiṉil
- on the hill of Chitrakuta
- oru kaṇṇum koṇṭa
- who took one eye, of the crow that harmed Sita
- kaṟṟaik kuḻalaṉ
- the one with thick locks, Rama
- kaṭiyaṉ
- He is fierce
- maṟṟaik kaṇ koḷḷāmē
- so He does not take your other eye
- maṇivaṇṇa nampikku
- for the gem-coloured Nambi
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.6.8 · verse 179 of the four thousand
Meaning
For the sake of Sita, slender as lightning at the waist, He bent His matchless bow and shot, so that all ten jewelled crowns of the king of Lanka fell together. Bring a stick for Him with the gleaming crown! Bring a stick for Him who bridged the sea!
Word by word
- miṉṉiṭaic cītai
- Sita, slender as lightning at the waist
- ilaṅkaiyar maṉṉaṉ
- the king of Lanka, Ravana
- maṇimuṭi pattum uṭaṉ vīḻat
- so all ten jewelled crowns fell together
- taṉ nikar oṉṟu illāc cilai
- the matchless bow
- miṉṉu muṭiyaṟku
- for Him with the gleaming crown
- vēlai aṭaittāṟku
- for Him who dammed the sea
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.6.9 · verse 180 of the four thousand
Meaning
He cut off the heads and shoulders of the king of southern Lanka, and said to Vibhishana Nambi, shining with lightning-bright jewels, 'Rule as king for as long as My bright name endures.' Bring a stick for Him, adorned like lightning! Bring a stick for Him who dwells on Thiruvenkatam!
Word by word
- teṉ ilaṅkai maṉṉaṉ
- the king of southern Lanka
- ciram tōḷ tuṇiceytu
- cutting off heads and shoulders
- vipīṭaṇa nampikku
- to Vibhishana, Ravana's brother who took refuge
- eṉ ilaṅkum nāmattu aḷavum aracu
- be king as long as My bright name endures
- miṉ alaṅkāraṟku
- for Him adorned like lightning
- vēṅkaṭa vāṇaṟku
- for Him who dwells on Thiruvenkatam
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.6.10 · verse 181 of the four thousand
Meaning
'Crow, bring a stick for Nambi!': these words the noble mother spoke, and Bhattan, Periyalwar of Villiputtur, set them all in Tamil just as she said them. Those who can sing these ten will be blessed with children and rejoice in this world.
Word by word
- akkākkāy
- O crow
- mikkāḷ
- the noble one, Yashoda
- villiputtūrp paṭṭaṉ
- Bhattan of Villiputtur, Periyalwar
- okka uraitta
- told just as she said it
- makkaḷaip peṟṟu makiḻvar
- will have children and rejoice
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.