Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.4.1 · verse 254 of the four thousand
Meaning
Leafy sprays and garlands swaying everywhere; the drums, tannumai, ekkam and mattali, sounding; peacock feathers hanging low; flutes and songs filling every place: seeing the throng in which Govinda comes home, the young women cried, 'Is that the rain coming?' They clung to the lattice windows and the doorways, some pressing forward, some standing still, and everywhere they lost their hearts and forgot to eat.
Word by word
- taḻaikaḷum toṅkalum
- leafy sprays and hanging garlands
- taṇṇumai ekkam mattaḷi
- kinds of drums
- tāḻpīli
- peacock feathers hanging low
- kōvintaṉ varukiṉṟa kūṭṭam
- the throng in which Govinda comes
- maḻaikolō varukiṉṟatu
- is it the rain cloud coming?
- cālaka vācal paṟṟi
- clinging to lattice windows and doorways
- uḷḷam viṭṭu ūṇ maṟantu
- losing their hearts, forgetting to eat
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.4.2 · verse 255 of the four thousand
Meaning
Wearing a garment as fine as the delicate petal of a creeper, spread flawlessly about His sacred waist, a small sword fastened close at His side, His sash tucked in, amid many leafy sprays, adorned with fine fragrant jasmine and vengai blossoms, in the midst of a crowd of cowherds, the boy comes home at dusk. Do not stand before Him there and lose your bangles!
Word by word
- valli nuṇ itaḻ aṉṉa āṭai
- a garment fine as a creeper's petal
- tiruvarai
- His sacred waist
- uṭaivāḷ cātti
- girding on a small sword
- mullai nal naṟumalar vēṅkai malar
- fragrant jasmine and vengai flowers
- elliyam pōtākap
- at dusk
- iṉavaḷai iḻavēṉmiṉē
- do not lose your sets of bangles, pining for Him
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.4.3 · verse 256 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The mother speaks.) His friends ran along carrying His dagger, His pellet-bow, His ball and stick and His upper cloth. Resting one hand on a companion's shoulder, as the conch sounded to turn the herds homeward, the boy Kannan came, tired out. My girl, standing near, saw the turmeric on Him, His body and His lovely form; she gazed and gazed. Seeing that, this whole town is weaving a tale about her.
Word by word
- curikaiyum teṟi-villum
- a dagger and a pellet-bow
- ceṇṭu-kōlum
- the ball and its stick
- tōḻaṉmār koṇṭu ōṭa
- His friends running along carrying them
- āniraiyiṉam mīḷak kuṟitta caṅkam
- the conch blown to turn the herds home
- vāṭiya piḷḷai kaṇṇaṉ
- Kannan, the tired boy
- iv ūr oṉṟu puṇarkkiṉṟatē
- this town is weaving a tale
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.4.4 · verse 257 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The girl speaks.) The Lord who lifted the hill and saved the cows was coming as a cowherd, playing His flute again and again, grazing the calves and mingling with His friends. I saw Him in the street. My friend, never have I seen anyone like Him. Come, come and see! My bangles will not stay, they slip off, and my garment and my young body are no longer in my keeping.
Word by word
- kuṉṟu eṭuttu ānirai kātta pirāṉ
- the Lord who lifted the hill and saved the cows
- kuḻal ūti ūtik
- playing the flute again and again
- teruviṟ kaṇṭu
- seeing Him in the street
- ivaṉai oppārai
- anyone equal to Him
- ēṭi vantu kāṇāy
- hey, come and see
- eṉ vacam alavē
- are no longer in my control
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.4.5 · verse 258 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The girl speaks to her elders.) The cowherds stood around Him offering leafy sprays; His curled locks were decked with peacock feathers; at the gateway, holding on to the cowherds as they sang, He danced, and I saw it. From now on I will not let you speak of giving me to anyone else but our wondrous Lord of Thirumaliruncholai. Think, 'She belongs to that King', and give me to Him. If you do not, there will only be trouble.
Word by word
- curuḷpaṅki
- curled locks
- nēttirattāl aṇintu
- adorned with peacock feathers
- kaṭaittalaiyē
- at the gateway
- maṟṟu oruvarkku eṉṉaip pēcaloṭṭēṉ
- I will not let you promise me to another
- māliruñcōlai em māyaṟku
- to our wondrous Lord of Thirumaliruncholai
- koṟṟavaṉukku ivaḷ ām
- she belongs to that King
- kōḻampamē
- only confusion and trouble
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.4.6 · verse 259 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The girl speaks to her friend.) Vermilion shining on His sacred forehead, His hair ornament and His sacred locks neatly set, He comes under the cool leafy groves with the cowherds, drums sounding, flinging His curved stick. If that cowherd boy, whose charm has no end, comes down this street knowing we are here, let us surround Him, saying 'He has taken our ball!', and see the smile on His coral lips, my friend.
Word by word
- cinturam ilaṅkat
- vermilion shining
- tiruneṟṟimēl
- on His sacred forehead
- taṇ taḻaik kāviṉkīḻ
- under the cool leafy groves
- vaḷaikōl vīca
- flinging the curved stick
- antam oṉṟu illāta āyap piḷḷai
- the cowherd boy whose charm has no end
- pantu koṇṭāṉ eṉṟu vaḷaittu
- surrounding Him, saying He took our ball
- pavaḷavāy muṟuvalum
- the smile of His coral lips
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.4.7 · verse 260 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The mother speaks.) Behind His many herds, under the leafy groves, His sacred body glowing with light, His fine dark fragrant locks decked with peacock feathers, in the midst of a crowd of cowherds, His lovely red lotus eyes sparkling, He plays the flute, sings tunes and dances, shouting with joy among the cowherds. Seeing the beauty of that cowherd boy, my daughter is swooning.
Word by word
- cālap pal niraip piṉṉē
- behind His very many herds
- tirumēṉiniṉṟu oḷi tikaḻa
- light shining from His sacred body
- nīla nal naṟuṅkuñci
- fine dark fragrant locks
- kōlac centāmaraik kaṇ miḷirak
- His lovely red lotus eyes sparkling
- kuṉittu
- dancing
- eṉmakaḷ ayarkkiṉṟatē
- my daughter swoons
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.4.8 · verse 261 of the four thousand
Meaning
Smearing vermilion powder on His head, drawing the sacred mark there with a leaf, neatly decking His smooth locks with a lovely peacock feather, the cowherd boy comes along like Indra himself. We told her, 'Do not stand before Him there and lose your bangles.' Yet look: the girl stood at the crossroads, and now her garment slips and her bangles slide off.
Word by word
- cinturap-poṭi koṇṭu
- with vermilion powder
- tirunāmam iṭṭu
- drawing the sacred mark
- aḻakiya nēttirattāl
- with a lovely peacock feather
- intiraṉ pōl
- like Indra, king of the gods
- cantiyil niṉṟu
- standing at the crossroads
- tukiloṭu carivaḷai kaḻalkiṉṟatē
- her garment and bangles slip away
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.4.9 · verse 262 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The mother speaks.) A red glory-lily worn high on His right ear, garlands of jasmine, of forest flowers and of wild jasmine about Him, His locks let down with elegance, the sweet flute set to His lips and played again and again, the cowherd boy comes in all His finery. My daughter saw His beauty and longed for Him; she did not step aside but stood facing Him. Look: her white bangles slip off and her body grows thin.
Word by word
- valaṅ kātil mēl-tōṉṟip pū
- a glory-lily high on His right ear
- mallikai vaṉamālai mauval mālai
- garlands of jasmine, forest flowers and wild jasmine
- tīṅkuḻal vāymaṭuttu
- setting the sweet flute to His lips
- alaṅkārattāl
- in all His finery
- aḻaku kaṇṭu
- seeing His beauty
- ācaippaṭṭu
- longing for Him
- vilaṅki nillātu
- not stepping aside
- veḷvaḷai kaḻaṉṟu meym melikiṉṟatē
- her white bangles slip, her body grows thin
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.4.10 · verse 263 of the four thousand
Meaning
As the immortals in the heavens longed for Him and worshipped Him, Kannan went out in splendour through the streets of Ayarpadi behind the cattle, and the young cowherd maidens who saw Him fell in love. Vittuchittan, Periyalwar, lord of Puduvai with its groves where bees settle, told of it in this garland of ten. The devotees who sing these ten with the joy of their music will reach supreme Vaikuntha.
Word by word
- viṇṇiṉmītu amararkaḷ virumpit toḻa
- as the immortals in heaven longed for and worshipped Him
- āyar pāṭiyil vītiyūṭē
- through the streets of Ayarpadi
- iḷaāyk kaṉṉimār kāmuṟṟa
- the young cowherd maidens fell in love
- putuvaiyarkōṉ
- lord of the people of Puduvai
- paṇ iṉpam varap pāṭum
- who sing with the joy of the tune
- paramāṉa vaikuntam
- supreme Vaikuntha
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.