Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.7.1 · verse 182 of the four thousand
Meaning
(Yashoda, calling the child to be adorned with flowers.) You go off to graze the herds of cows, not knowing what a rare medicine You are to me. You roam through all the forest till Your dark, blessed body wilts; You drink the milk straight from the pots, and everyone who dislikes You laughs. Lord sweeter than honey, come and let me put shenbagam flowers in Your hair.
Word by word
- āṉirai mēykka
- to graze the herds of cows
- arumaruntu āvatu aṟiyāy
- You do not know You are a rare medicine to me
- kariya tirumēṉi vāṭa
- so that Your dark, blessed body wilts
- paṟṟātār ellām cirippa
- so that all who dislike You laugh
- tēṉil iṉiya pirāṉē
- Lord sweeter than honey
- ceṇpakap pūc cūṭṭa
- to adorn You with shenbagam, champak flowers
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.7.2 · verse 183 of the four thousand
Meaning
When I see the dark, rain-heavy clouds, my eyes feel as though they have seen You. You of the beautiful form, You came and were born so that the seven worlds might flourish. Bridegroom of Sri, You who lie at Srirangam, come and let me put on You the jasmine whose fragrance clings and spreads.
Word by word
- karu uṭai mēkaṅkaḷ
- dark, rain-heavy clouds
- uṉṉaik kaṇṭāl okkum
- it is like seeing You
- ulaku ēḻum uṇṭāka
- so that the seven worlds might flourish
- tiru uṭaiyāḷ maṇavāḷā
- Bridegroom of Sri, Lakshmi
- tiruvaraṅkattē kiṭantāy
- You who lie at Srirangam
- mallikaip pūc
- jasmine flowers
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.7.3 · verse 184 of the four thousand
Meaning
You climb up to the terraces and the mansions, get into the women's rooms, tear their bodices and silks and rip their fine bordered cloths. Every day You get up to mischief, my Father of lofty Thiruvenkatam! Come and let me put paadiri flowers on You, with fresh green davanam.
Word by word
- maccoṭu māḷikai ēṟi
- climbing the terraces and mansions
- kaccoṭu paṭṭaik kiḻittu
- tearing bodices and silks
- niccalum tīmaikaḷ ceyvāy
- You make mischief every day
- nīḷ tiruvēṅkaṭattu entāy
- my Father of lofty Thiruvenkatam
- paccait tamaṉakattōṭu
- with fresh green davanam, a fragrant herb
- pātirip pūc
- paadiri, trumpet-flower blossoms
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.7.4 · verse 185 of the four thousand
Meaning
Do not stand in the street teasing the young cowherd girls. Nambi of lovely form, You are like a young rain-cloud, beautiful with Your brows, Your dark curls and Your forehead. Come gladly and let me put these on You: maruvu and davanam and a fine garland heavy with fragrance.
Word by word
- iḷa āycci mārkaḷait
- the young cowherd girls
- tīmai ceyyātē
- do not tease or trouble
- maruvum tamaṉakamum
- maruvu and davanam, fragrant herbs
- mukiṟ-kaṉṟu pōlē
- like a young cloud, a calf among clouds
- uruvam aḻakiya nampī
- Nambi of lovely form
- ukantu ivai cūṭṭa
- gladly, so I may put these on You
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.7.5 · verse 186 of the four thousand
Meaning
You split open the bird's beak; You broke the tusk of the fighting elephant; You took the nose of the deceitful demoness and the head of her lord and protector. And when You scooped up butter and gulped it down, I, Your servant, dared to beat You! Come and let me put on You the red water-lilies that rise from clear water.
Word by word
- puḷḷiṉai vāy piḷantiṭṭāy
- You split open the bird's beak
- poru kariyiṉ kompu ocittāy
- You broke the fighting elephant's tusk
- kaḷḷa arakkiyai mūkkoṭu
- the deceitful demoness's nose, Surpanakha
- kāvalaṉait talai koṇṭāy
- You took the head of her protector, Ravana
- añcātu aṭiyēṉ aṭittēṉ
- I, Your servant, beat You without fear
- ceṅkaḻunīr
- red water-lilies
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.7.6 · verse 187 of the four thousand
Meaning
You fight with the bulls; You spare nothing, Nambi! Doing every mischief You set Your mind on, You sprang at Kamsa and struck him with Your feet. You get up to mischief in the streets and come home after grappling hard with the wrestlers, my gold! Come and let me put punnai flowers on You.
Word by word
- erutukaḷōṭu poruti
- You fight with the bulls
- karutiya tīmaikaḷ ceytu
- doing whatever mischief You intend
- kañcaṉaik kālkoṭu pāyntāy
- You sprang at Kamsa with Your feet
- cikkeṉa mallarkaḷōṭu
- grappling hard with the wrestlers
- poṉṉē
- my gold
- puṉṉaip pūc
- punnai flowers
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.7.7 · verse 188 of the four thousand
Meaning
Our King, who can dance the pot-dance, tossing the pots high into the air! My son, who can make the innocent moon-faced girls lose their hearts! You who long ago dug into Hiranya's chest and tore it in two; our King, lying at Kudanthai! Come and let me put kurukkatti flowers on You.
Word by word
- kuṭaṅkaḷ eṭuttu ēṟa viṭṭuk
- tossing the pots up high
- kūttāṭa valla
- who can dance, the kudakkuttu pot-dance
- maṭam koḷ matimukattārai
- the innocent moon-faced girls
- mālceya valla
- who can make them lovesick
- iraṇiyaṉ neñcai
- Hiranya's chest
- kuṭantaik kiṭanta
- who lies at Thirukkudanthai
- kurukkattip pūc
- kurukkatti flowers, a fragrant creeper
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.7.8 · verse 189 of the four thousand
Meaning
You could even make friends with Seemalikan; then, when You judged that he must die, You took his head with Your discus. Lord who knows how things must be, You who lie in beautiful Srirangam, You have spared me every disappointment. Come and let me put iruvatchi flowers on You.
Word by word
- cīmālikaṉ
- Seemalikan, named here as one the Lord befriended and then slew
- tōḻamai koḷḷavum vallāy
- You could even be his friend
- cakkarattāl talai koṇṭāy
- You took his head with the discus
- āmāṟu aṟiyum pirāṉē
- Lord who knows how things must be
- ēmāṟṟam eṉṉait tavirttāy
- You spared me disappointment
- iruvāṭcip pūc
- iruvatchi, a kind of jasmine
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.7.9 · verse 190 of the four thousand
Meaning
Surrounded by the immortals of the universe, You sat there in Your royal hall. You dwell in the hearts of Your servants, Bridegroom of the Lady of the pure lotus. You swallowed all seven worlds and slept on a single banyan leaf. So that I may look at You and rejoice, come and let me put karumugai flowers on You.
Word by word
- aṇṭattu amararkaḷ cūḻa
- surrounded by the immortals of the universe
- attāṇiyuḷ
- in the royal audience hall
- toṇṭarkaḷ neñcil uṟaivāy
- You dwell in Your servants' hearts
- tūmalarāḷ maṇavāḷā
- Bridegroom of the Lady of the pure lotus
- ōr ālilaiyiṟ tuyil koṇṭāy
- You slept on a single banyan leaf
- karumukaip pūc
- karumugai, a jasmine
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.7.10 · verse 191 of the four thousand
Meaning
'I have brought shenbagam and jasmine, red water-lilies, iruvatchi and flowers of every kind; come today and let me put them on You.' So the cowherd mother joyfully spoke to Him who took the earth. This garland of ten was sung by Bhattarpiran, Periyalwar, lord of Villiputtur where songs resound.
Word by word
- ceṇpaka mallikaiyōṭu
- shenbagam with jasmine
- eṇ pakar pūvum
- flowers of every kind
- maṇ pakar koṇṭāṉai
- Him who took the earth
- makiḻntu urai ceyta
- spoke with joy
- paṇ pakar villiputtūrk kōṉ
- lord of Villiputtur where melodies resound
- paṭṭarpirāṉ
- Bhattarpiran, Periyalwar
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.