Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.2.1 · verse 234 of the four thousand
Meaning
(Yashoda grieves after sending the child out with the calves.) He is collyrium-dark, the lovely tender shoot of the cowherds. Just to keep Him, freshly bathed, from roaming from house to house, I sent my child off behind the calves, so that His anklet-bound feet, which raged against Kamsa, must ache. What have I done? Alas, what a sin!
Word by word
- añcaṉa vaṇṇaṉai
- the one dark as collyrium
- āyar kōlak koḻuntiṉai
- the lovely tender shoot of the cowherds
- maṉaikaḷtōṟum tiriyāmē
- so that He would not roam from house to house
- kañcaṉaik kāynta kaḻal aṭi
- the anklet-bound feet that raged against Kamsa
- kaṉṟiṉpiṉ
- behind the calves
- ellē pāvamē
- alas, what a sin!
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.2.2 · verse 235 of the four thousand
Meaning
So that He would not smear Himself with turmeric paste, go about the village with the girls, wreck their little sand houses and roam everywhere making mischief, why did I send my child behind the calves into the forest of hunters, thick with the dust the calves kick up? Alas, what a sin!
Word by word
- paṟṟumañcaḷ pūcip
- smearing on turmeric paste
- pāvaimāroṭu
- with the girls
- ciṟṟil citaittu
- wrecking their little sand houses
- kaṟṟut tūḷiyuṭai
- full of the dust raised by the calves
- vēṭar kāṉiṭaik
- into the forest of hunters
- eṟṟukku
- why, for what?
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.2.3 · verse 236 of the four thousand
Meaning
So that He would not wander about every day with the ladies in their fine jewelled girdles, His golden, gem-bright body covered in dust, I sent my sapphire-coloured one behind the calves along the forest tracks where the stones ring underfoot. Alas, what a sin!
Word by word
- naṉmaṇi mēkalai naṅkaimāroṭu
- with the ladies in fine jewelled girdles
- poṉmaṇi mēṉi
- golden, gem-bright body
- puḻutiyāṭit
- covered in dust
- kalmaṇi niṉṟu atir
- where the stones ring and clatter
- kāṉ- atariṭaik
- along the forest tracks
- eṉ maṇivaṇṇaṉaip
- my sapphire-coloured one
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.2.4 · verse 237 of the four thousand
Meaning
So that He would not get up to all kinds of pranks all over this village, and the women with dark, lovely hair would not come spreading gossip, I sent Him behind the calves along the forest tracks: the one so sweet to my eyes, the one beyond all thought. Alas, what a sin!
Word by word
- vaṇṇak karuṅkuḻal mātar
- women with dark, lovely hair
- alar tūṟṟiṭap
- spreading gossip
- paṇṇip pala ceytu
- getting up to all kinds of pranks
- kaṇṇukku iṉiyāṉaik
- the one sweet to my eyes
- eṇṇaṟku ariyāṉaip
- the one beyond all thought
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.2.5 · verse 238 of the four thousand
Meaning
So that He would not slip into this house and that, grow close to the cowherd wives, offer them His lips red as the kovvai fruit and play His tricks, I sent the Lord of the gods behind the calves into the forest of hunters with their deadly bows. Alas, what a sin!
Word by word
- avvav iṭam pukku
- slipping into this place and that
- aṇukkaṉāyk
- growing close
- kovvaik kaṉivāy
- lips red as the kovvai fruit
- kūḻaimai ceyyāmē
- so that He would not play tricks
- evvum cilai uṭai vēṭar
- hunters with deadly bows
- teyvat talaivaṉaip
- the Lord of the gods
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.2.6 · verse 239 of the four thousand
Meaning
So that He would not gulp down butter till it slid smoothly down His throat, and then go off playing His many tricks all over this village, I sent my child behind the calves to stumble along the forest tracks where many wild beasts roam. Alas, what a sin!
Word by word
- miṭaṟu meḻumeḻuttu ōṭa
- so it slides smoothly down His throat
- paṭiṟu pala ceytu
- playing many tricks
- kaṭiṟu pala tiri
- where many wild beasts roam
- iṭaṟa
- to stumble
- eṉpiḷḷaiyaip pōkkiṉēṉ
- I sent my child away
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.2.7 · verse 240 of the four thousand
Meaning
So that He would not leap about and play, roaming with His friends, and the women with waists that sway like the valli creeper would not come spreading gossip, I sent the Lord of the bird behind the calves along the tracks of the scorching forest, where even the cactus withers. Alas, what a sin!
Word by word
- vaḷḷi nuṭaṅku-iṭai mātar
- women with waists that sway like the valli creeper
- tuḷḷi viḷaiyāṭit
- leaping about and playing
- kaḷḷi uṇaṅku veṅkāṉ
- the scorching forest where the cactus withers
- puḷḷiṉ talaivaṉaip
- the Lord of the bird, Garuda's master
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.2.8 · verse 241 of the four thousand
Meaning
With all the tenderness of having carried Him in my womb for twelve months, I fed Him the nectar of my young breasts and held Him in my arms. Yet at the break of dawn I sent my young lion into the forest behind the calves, so that His golden feet must ache. Alas, what a sin!
Word by word
- paṉṉiru tiṅkaḷ vayiṟṟiṟ koṇṭa
- having carried Him twelve months in my womb
- ap pāṅkiṉāl
- with that tenderness
- iḷaṅ koṅkai amutam
- the nectar of my young breasts
- poṉṉaṭi nōvap
- so His golden feet must ache
- pulariyē
- at the break of dawn
- eṉ iḷañ ciṅkattaip
- my young lion
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.2.9 · verse 242 of the four thousand
Meaning
Without giving Damodara so much as an umbrella or sandals, I, cruel woman that I am, sent my child behind the calves into the harsh, burning forest, full of hot, sharp stones that pierce even what is strong, so that His feet must ache. Alas, what a sin!
Word by word
- kuṭaiyum ceruppum koṭātē
- without giving an umbrella or sandals
- tāmōtaraṉai
- Damodara
- ūṉṟu vem paraṟkaḷ
- hot, sharp stones that pierce
- kaṭiya veṅ kāṉiṭaik
- into the harsh, burning forest
- kāl- aṭi nōvak
- so that His feet must ache
- koṭiyeṉ
- I, cruel woman that I am
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.2.10 · verse 243 of the four thousand
Meaning
Yashoda cried out, 'I have sent my sapphire-coloured one, ever sweet to me, off behind the calves!' Bhattan, Periyalwar, lord of Puduvai with its gold-gleaming mansions, made her words into these sweet Tamil garlands. Those who can sing them will know no sorrow.
Word by word
- eṉṟum eṉakku iṉiyāṉai
- the one ever sweet to me
- acōtai kaḻaṟiya
- that Yashoda cried out
- poṉ tikaḻ māṭap putuvaiyarkōṉ
- lord of Puduvai with gold-gleaming mansions
- iṉ tamiḻ mālaikaḷ
- garlands of sweet Tamil
- iṭar illaiyē
- they will know no sorrow
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.