Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.6.1 · verse 275 of the four thousand
Meaning
O ladies who live on this great island of Jambu, hear this wonder! Following the sound of the flute from the pure lips of Tirumal, who holds the pure right-whorled conch, the young cowherd girls thrilled with joy, their bodies melted within; they slipped past every guard and came like flowers strung together on a cord, and stood there with heads bowed.
Word by word
- nāvalam periya tīviṉil
- on the great island of Jambu, this land
- aṟputam kēḷīr
- hear this wonder
- tū valampuri
- the pure right-whorled conch
- kuḻal-ōcai vaḻiyē
- following the sound of the flute
- uṭal uḷ-aviḻntu
- their bodies melting within
- kāvalum kaṭantu
- slipping past every guard
- kayiṟumālai āki
- like a garland strung on a cord
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.6.2 · verse 276 of the four thousand
Meaning
His left cheek resting against His left shoulder, His two hands coming together on the flute, His brows knitting and rising, His belly swelling as He breathed, the corners of His mouth drawn in: so Govinda played the flute. And the young women, like tender peahens and does, their flowered tresses coming loose and their garments slipping, held their cloth with one hand and stood there swaying, their red-streaked eyes darting.
Word by word
- iṭat tōḷoṭu cāyttu
- leaning on His left shoulder
- puruvam nerintu ēṟa
- brows knitting and rising
- kuṭavayiṟu paṭa
- His belly swelling like a pot
- kōvintaṉ kuḻalkoṭu ūtiṉa pōtu
- when Govinda played the flute
- maṭa mayilkaḷoṭu māṉpiṇai pōlē
- like tender peahens and does
- olki
- swaying
- arikkaṇ
- red-streaked eyes
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.6.3 · verse 277 of the four thousand
Meaning
When Govinda played the flute, He who is prince of heaven, the little one of Vaikuntha, Vasudeva, king of Mathura, Nandagopa's prince, the child of the cowherds, the young women of the heavens came, and came again, and crowded together. Their hearts melted, their flower-like eyes filled with tears, their thick tresses heavy with honey came loose, their foreheads ran with sweat, and they stood with their ears turned to the sound.
Word by word
- vāṉ iḷavaracu
- prince of heaven
- vaikuntak kuṭṭaṉ
- the little one of Vaikuntha
- maturaimaṉṉaṉ
- king of Mathura
- nanta- kōṉ iḷavaracu
- Nandagopa's prince
- vāṉ iḷampaṭiyar
- young women of the heavens
- malarkkaṇkaḷ paṉippat
- their flower-like eyes brimming with tears
- cevi cērttu niṉṟaṉarē
- stood with ears turned to the sound
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.6.4 · verse 278 of the four thousand
Meaning
He trampled down and crushed the poisonous weeds named Dhenuka, Pralamba and Kaliya, and roamed and roamed over the forest land. When that dark little boy played the flute, Menaka, Tilottama, Rambha and Urvashi, the dancers of heaven, were abashed and bewildered; there in the heavens, without a word, they themselves gave up their dancing and their singing.
Word by word
- tēṉukaṉ pilampaṉ kāḷiyaṉ
- the demons Dhenuka and Pralamba, and the serpent Kaliya
- tīppap pūṭukaḷ
- poisonous weeds
- aṭaṅka uḻakkik
- trampling down completely
- karuñciṟukkaṉ
- the dark little boy
- veḷki mayaṅki
- abashed and bewildered
- āṭal pāṭal ivai māṟiṉar
- gave up their dancing and singing
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.6.5 · verse 279 of the four thousand
Meaning
Madhusudana, who long ago became Narasimha to make an end of the chief of the asuras, and whom the kings of all three worlds fear: when the sound of the flute from His lips seized their ears and drew them in, Tumburu with his fine-stringed instrument, and Narada too, forgot their vinas, and the kinnara couples said, 'We will never touch our lutes again.'
Word by word
- naraciṅkamatu āki
- becoming Narasimha
- avuṇaṉ mukkiyattai muṭippāṉ
- to end the chief of the asuras, Hiranya
- ceviyaip paṟṟi vāṅka
- seizing and drawing their ears
- tumpuruvōṭu nārataṉum
- Tumburu and Narada, celestial singers
- vīṇai maṟantu
- forgot their vinas
- kiṉṉara mituṉaṅkaḷum
- the kinnara couples, celestial musicians
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.6.6 · verse 280 of the four thousand
Meaning
Hear what befell those who heard our Supreme One play the flute today, He of great, wide red eyes and mighty shoulders, Devaki's little son, the lion of the gods. All the gandharvas who roam the sky were caught fast in the net of His nectar song. 'This is beyond us,' they said, and ashamed and bewildered, they wilted, drooped, and stood waving their hands in defeat.
Word by word
- cem perun taṭaṅ- kaṇṇaṉ
- He of great, wide red eyes
- tēvaki ciṟuvaṉ
- Devaki's little son
- tēvarkaḷ ciṅkam
- lion of the gods
- kāntappar
- the gandharvas, celestial singers
- amuta kīta valaiyāl
- by the net of His nectar song
- nam param aṉṟu
- this is beyond us
- kaimmaṟittu
- waving their hands in defeat
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.6.7 · verse 281 of the four thousand
Meaning
Hear a wonder I saw on this earth! He who rests on the serpent played the flute amid the band of young cowherds who graze the cattle, and the music reached as far as the world of the immortals. All the gods forgot their sacrificial offerings, came down and crowded Ayarpadi full. Relishing this food for the ears, they rejoiced, and they follow Govinda and will never leave Him.
Word by word
- puviyuḷ nāṉ kaṇṭatu
- what I saw on this earth
- pūṇi mēykkum
- who graze the cattle
- nākattu- aṇaiyāṉ
- He whose bed is the serpent
- aviyuṇā maṟantu
- forgetting their sacrificial food
- āyar-pāṭi niṟaiyap pukuntu
- crowding Ayarpadi full
- cevi-uṇāviṉ cuvai
- the taste of food for the ears
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.6.8 · verse 282 of the four thousand
Meaning
His little fingers moving and stroking over the holes, His red eyes slanting, His red lips puffing, His brows curving with tiny beads of sweat: so Govinda played the flute. Flocks of birds left their nests, came and gathered round, and lay there like a felled forest; herds of milch cows stood with their legs spread, heads bowed low, and could not even flick their ears.
Word by word
- ciṟuviralkaḷ taṭavip parimāṟac
- His little fingers moving over the holes
- ceyya vāy koppaḷippaka
- His red lips puffing
- kuṟuveyarp puruvam
- brows with tiny beads of sweat
- kūṭu tuṟantu
- leaving their nests
- paṭukāṭu kiṭappak
- lying like a felled forest
- cevi āṭṭakillāvē
- could not even flick their ears
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.6.9 · verse 283 of the four thousand
Meaning
He is coloured like dense, rising, massing rain-clouds, and His face, with dark curling locks hanging over it, is like a red lotus with a swarm of bees around it. Following the sound of the flute He played, the herds of deer, spellbound, forgot to graze; the grass already in their mouths slipped from the corners, and they stood like painted pictures, not swaying to either side, not moving at all.
Word by word
- maḻaimukil vaṇṇaṉ
- coloured like rain-clouds
- ceṅkamala malar cūḻ vaṇṭiṉam pōlē
- like bees swarming round a red lotus
- curuṇṭu iruṇṭa kuḻal
- dark curling locks
- maruṇṭu māṉ-kaṇaṅkaḷ
- the herds of deer, spellbound
- kaṭaivāy vaḻi cōra
- slipping from the corners of their mouths
- eḻutu cittiraṅkaḷ pōla
- like painted pictures
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.6.10 · verse 284 of the four thousand
Meaning
Wearing peacock feathers with their dark eyes, His yellow silk tied and worn with care, the Lord of the cowherds, whose form is like a rare jewel, played the flute, He alone. Then the trees stood still and streamed with honey, their flowers dropped, their growing branches bowed down; they melted and folded like joined palms, turned towards wherever Tirumal stood. Such is what they do.
Word by word
- karuṅkaṇ tōkai mayiṟ pīli
- peacock feathers with dark eyes
- pītaka āṭai
- yellow silk garment
- aruṅkala uruviṉ
- whose form is like a rare jewel
- matu tāraikaḷ pāyum
- streams of honey flow
- vaḷar kompukaḷ tāḻum
- growing branches bow down
- iraṅkum kūmpum
- they melt and fold like joined palms
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.6.11 · verse 285 of the four thousand
Meaning
From the soft lips of Govinda, with His dark curled tufted locks, a nectar stream bubbled through the holes of the flute and poured down. Vittuchittan, Periyalwar, lord of Puduvai where flutes and drums resound, has spread it out in Tamil. Those who master it will have cool lips sweeter than the flute, and will be welcomed into the assembly of the good.
Word by word
- kōmaḷa vāyiṟ
- from His soft lips
- kuḻal muḻaiñcukaḷiṉ ūṭu
- through the holes of the flute
- amutap puṉaltaṉṉaik
- the stream of nectar
- viṭṭucittaṉ viritta tamiḻ
- the Tamil spread out by Vishnuchitta
- kuḻalai veṉṟa kuḷir vāyiṉarākic
- with cool lips that surpass the flute
- cātukōṭṭiyuḷ
- into the assembly of the good
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.