Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.9.1 · verse 202 of the four thousand
Meaning
(A cowherd woman complains to Yashoda.) He gulps down the butter, then throws the empty pot against the rocks and listens to the noise it makes. We cannot guard against all that Kannapiran has learned; you guard your son! His mischief is like pouring tamarind into a wound, and he can get up to it in every nook. Lady Yashoda, you who have borne this one son, our great Kannan, call your son!
Word by word
- veṟuṅ kalattai
- the empty pot
- ataṉ ōcai kēṭkum
- listens to its sound
- kaṇṇapirāṉ kaṟṟa kalvi
- all the tricks Kannapiran has learned
- puṇṇiṟ puḷip peytāl okkum
- like pouring tamarind into a wound
- purai puraiyāl
- in every nook and corner
- acōtai naṅkāy
- Lady Yashoda
- uṉmakaṉaik kūvāy
- call your son
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.9.2 · verse 203 of the four thousand
Meaning
(Yashoda calls.) Come, come, come here! Vamana Nambi, come here! Kakutstha Nambi, our Rama, with Your dark curls and Your red mouth, come here! (To the neighbour.) He is too much for me today, lady. (To the child.) Collyrium-coloured one, I cannot bear to hear the neighbours speaking scorn; come here to me, wretched as I am.
Word by word
- vāmaṉa nampī
- Vamana Nambi
- kākutta nampī
- Nambi of the Kakutstha line, Rama
- ariyaṉ ivaṉ eṉakku
- he is too hard for me to manage
- añcaṉavaṇṇā
- O collyrium-coloured one
- acalakattār
- the neighbours
- paripavam pēcat tarikkakillēṉ
- I cannot bear their scornful talk
- pāviyēṉukku
- to me, wretched as I am
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.9.3 · verse 204 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The neighbour.) This blessed child has no hesitation at all in doing wrong, and he shines with it! He sucked up the butter I had set to melt, broke the pot, and has come back here to stand as if nothing happened. Is it right to treat your neighbours so unjustly, Yashoda? Call your son, 'Come!' Madhusudana will not let us live in peace.
Word by word
- tiru uṭaip piḷḷaitāṉ
- this blessed child
- tēkkam oṉṟum ilaṉ
- has no hesitation at all
- uruka vaitta kuṭattōṭu
- with the pot set to melt the butter
- aruku iruntār
- those who live nearby
- vaḻakkō
- is it right?
- vāḻa oṭṭāṉ
- he will not let us live
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.9.4 · verse 205 of the four thousand
Meaning
(Yashoda calls.) Cloud-coloured one, come here! Child of the temple, come here! Tirunarana who lies at Thirupper, ringed by clear waves, come here! (The neighbour.) Calling out, 'Mother, I've eaten!', he ran into the house, and the cowherd mother saw him, went forward and picked him up. That is what Kannapiran has learned!
Word by word
- koṇṭalvaṇṇā
- O cloud-coloured one
- kōyiṟ piḷḷāy
- child of the temple, of Srirangam
- tiruppērk kiṭanta
- who lies at Thirupper
- tirunāraṇā
- Tirunarana, blessed Narayana
- etirē ceṉṟu eṭuttukkoḷḷak
- going forward and picking him up
- kaṟṟa kalvi
- the cunning he has learned
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.9.5 · verse 206 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The neighbour.) I milked the cow, set the milk on the stove, and left my daughter of the many bangles sitting by. I went to the house up the lane to fetch fire and stood chatting there a moment, and the Nambi of Salagramam tipped the pot over, drank it all and has come back here to stand. Lady Yashoda, whose words are as sweet as sugarcane from the press, call your son!
Word by word
- aṭuppu ēṟa vaittup
- setting it on the stove
- palvaḷaiyāḷ eṉmakaḷ
- my daughter of many bangles
- neruppu vēṇṭic
- to fetch fire
- cāḷakkirāmam uṭaiya nampi
- the Nambi of Salagramam, a divya desam in the north
- cāyttup parukiṭṭup
- tipping it over and drinking
- ālaik karumpiṉ moḻi aṉaiya
- with words like sugarcane from the press
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.9.6 · verse 207 of the four thousand
Meaning
(Yashoda.) Come, You see, come here! Do not say 'I won't come'; come! I will not stand and listen while the neighbours say this and that. My little one full of fun, who lifted the mountain, dancer of the pot-dance, meaning of the Vedas, my Lord of Venkatam, wondrous one, come here!
Word by word
- pōtar kaṇṭāy
- come, You see
- pōtarēṉ eṉṉātē
- do not say 'I won't come'
- kōtukalam uṭaikkuṭṭaṉēyō
- my little one full of fun and delight
- kuṭam āṭu kūttā
- dancer of the pot-dance
- vētap poruḷē
- meaning of the Vedas
- eṉ vēṅkaṭavā
- my Lord of Venkatam
- vittakaṉē
- wondrous, skilful one
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.9.7 · verse 208 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The neighbour.) With red-paddy rice and small lentils, with jaggery, fragrant ghee and milk, I cooked the feast for my twelve Thiruvonam days. I knew this child's ways from before! Saying, 'I'd love some more,' he swallowed it all and has come back here to stand. Lady Yashoda, call your son home; and these are only a few of his deeds.
Word by word
- cennel arici
- rice of red paddy
- ciṟu paruppuc
- small lentils
- paṉṉiraṇṭu tiruvōṇam aṭṭēṉ
- I cooked for twelve Thiruvonam days, a vow
- paricu aṟivaṉ
- I know his ways
- iṉṉam ukappaṉ
- I'd love some more
- ivaiyum cilavē
- and these are only a few
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.9.8 · verse 209 of the four thousand
Meaning
(Yashoda.) Kesava, come here! Do not say 'I can't'; come here! Do not stay playing in the houses of people who have no love for You; come! Do not stand where the foul-mouthed maids and servants hang about. To heed your mother's word is the right way, You know. Damodara, come here!
Word by word
- kēcavaṉē
- O Kesava
- killēṉ eṉṉātu
- without saying 'I can't'
- nēcam ilātār akattu
- in the houses of those without love for You
- tūcaṉam collum toḻuttaimārum
- the maids who speak foul words
- tāycolluk koḷvatu taṉmam
- heeding mother's word is dharma, the right way
- tāmōtarā
- Damodara
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.9.9 · verse 210 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The neighbour.) I put sugar laddus, seedai and balls of black sesame in a vessel and went out, thinking, 'It is my own house, they are safe.' He got in and finished them all off and came away. Now he has gone in again and is eyeing the hanging sling, checking on the gleaming butter. Lady Yashoda, call your son home; and these are only a few of his deeds.
Word by word
- kaṉṉal ilaṭṭuvattōṭu
- with sugar laddus
- cīṭai
- seedai, small fried snacks
- kāreḷḷiṉ uṇṭai
- balls of black sesame
- eṉ akam eṉṟu
- thinking, 'it is my own house'
- uṟiyai nōkkip
- eyeing the hanging sling
- piṟaṅkuoḷi veṇṇeyum cōtikkiṉṟāṉ
- he is checking on the gleaming butter
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.9.10 · verse 211 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The neighbour.) Lady, if I say anything you will take it ill, but this son of yours is full of tricks. He came into my house, called my daughter, slipped the bangles off her wrist, and gave them to a woman there who had brought rose-apples from the orchard to sell. He took the good rose-apples, and now he laughs and says, 'It wasn't me!'
Word by word
- cūḻal uṭaiyaṉ
- he is full of tricks
- kaiyil vaḷaiyaik kaḻaṟṟikkoṇṭu
- slipping the bangles off her wrist
- kollaiyil niṉṟum
- from the orchard
- nāvaṟ paḻaṅkaḷ
- rose-apples, naval fruit
- nāṉ allēṉ eṉṟu cirikkiṉṟāṉē
- he laughs, saying 'it wasn't me!'
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 2.9.11 · verse 212 of the four thousand
Meaning
Thennarangan, Lord of beautiful Srirangam on the flowing Kaveri, ringed by groves where bees hum in delight: all the play He made long ago was sung by Bhattarpiran, Vishnuchitta. Those who can sing these and dance will become servants of Govinda and stand as lamps for all eight directions. Their two feet are on my head.
Word by word
- vaṇṭu kaḷittu iraikkum poḻil
- groves where bees hum in delight
- varupuṉaṟ kāvirit
- of the flowing Kaveri
- teṉṉaraṅkaṉ
- Thennarangan, Lord of Srirangam
- kirīṭai
- play, childhood sport
- kuṉikka vallār
- those who can dance
- eṇ ticaikkum viḷakkāki
- lamps for all eight directions
- iṇaiyaṭi eṉtalai mēlaṉavē
- their two feet are on my head
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.