Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.9.1 · verse 307 of the four thousand
Meaning
(Girls at play sing of the Lord in turn, one of Krishna and one of Rama, leaping as they sing.) Long ago, when Indra's queen would not give the flower of delight to my Lord's queen, my Lord, with His mighty-voiced bird Garuda, wrenched up that cool flowering tree by force while her own husband looked on. Sing of my Lord's might and leap! Sing of my Master's might and leap!
Word by word
- eṉ nātaṉ tēvikku
- to my Lord's queen
- iṉpappū īyātāḷ
- she who would not give the flower of delight
- taṉ nātaṉ kāṇavē
- while her own husband looked on
- taṇpū marattiṉai
- the cool flowering tree, the parijata
- vaṉ nātap puḷḷāl
- with the mighty-voiced bird, Garuda
- pāṭip paṟa
- sing and leap, the girls' game
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.9.2 · verse 308 of the four thousand
Meaning
One came to face Him, saying, 'See the strength of my bow, then go!' He took away that man's bow and with it all his power of penance; and earlier He had bent His bow and taken the life of the old demoness. Sing of the might of His bow and leap! Sing of the greatness of Dasarathi, the son of Dasaratha, and leap!
Word by word
- eṉ vil vali kaṇṭu pō
- see the strength of my bow, then go
- taṉ villiṉōṭum tavattai etirvāṅki
- taking away his bow along with his penance
- muṉ vil valittu
- earlier, bending His bow
- mutupeṇ uyiruṇṭāṉ
- took the life of the old demoness, Tataka
- tācarati taṉmaiyaip
- the greatness of Dasarathi, Rama
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.9.3 · verse 309 of the four thousand
Meaning
When He set the noble Rukmini on His chariot and drove off with her, longing for her, one swollen with pride rushed to meet Him; to break that man's valour, He shaved his head. Sing of His might and leap! Sing of Devaki's lion and leap!
Word by word
- uruppiṇi naṅkaiyait tēr ēṟṟik koṇṭu
- setting the noble Rukmini on His chariot
- viraintu etir vantu
- rushing to meet Him
- cerukku uṟṟāṉ
- one swollen with pride, her brother Rukmi
- talaiyaic ciraittiṭṭāṉ
- He shaved his head
- tēvaki ciṅkattaip
- Devaki's lion
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.9.4 · verse 310 of the four thousand
Meaning
A stepmother said, 'Go to the forest'; the mother who bore Him followed weeping, 'My Lord!'; yet at the word of a mother cruel as death, He went into the harsh forest, without a trace of anger. Sing of Him who knows no anger and leap! Sing of Sita's bridegroom and leap!
Word by word
- māṟṟuttāy
- a stepmother
- īṟṟuttāy
- the mother who bore Him, Kausalya
- kūṟṟut tāy
- a mother cruel as death
- koṭiya vaṉam pōṉa
- who went into the harsh forest
- cīṟṟam ilātāṉaip
- Him who knows no anger
- cītai maṇāḷaṉaip
- Sita's bridegroom
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.9.5 · verse 311 of the four thousand
Meaning
He went as messenger of the five Pandavas and fought the Bharata war; He entered the fine pond where the poison-spitting serpent lay, leapt upon its hoods till it was terrified, and then showed it grace. Sing of the Lord coloured like collyrium and leap! Sing of Yashoda's lion and leap!
Word by word
- pañcavar tūtaṉāyp
- as messenger of the five Pandavas
- pāratam kaiceytu
- fighting the Bharata war
- nañcu umiḻ nākam
- the poison-spitting serpent, Kaliya
- paṇattiṉmēl pāyntiṭṭu
- leaping upon its hoods
- añcaṉa vaṇṇaṉaip
- the Lord coloured like collyrium
- acōtaitaṉ ciṅkattaip
- Yashoda's lion
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.9.6 · verse 312 of the four thousand
Meaning
Noble Bharata, of matchless virtue, followed Him, pleading, 'Wear the crown, rule all three worlds, and grant Your grace to me, Your servant.' That day He gave Bharata His sandals instead. Sing of Him and leap! Sing of the king of the people of Ayodhya and leap!
Word by word
- muṭi oṉṟi
- wearing the crown
- uṉ aṭiyēṟku aruḷ
- grant grace to me, Your servant
- paṭiyil kuṇattup
- of matchless virtue
- parata nampikku
- to noble Bharata
- aṭinilai īntāṉaip
- Him who gave His sandals
- ayōttiyar kōmāṉaip
- the king of the people of Ayodhya
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.9.7 · verse 313 of the four thousand
Meaning
He leapt into Kaliya's pond and churned it up, stood and danced on all five of the serpent's tall heads, and then showed him grace again: such is that wise and wondrous One. Sing of the strength and valour of His shoulders and leap! Sing of the Lord coloured like a pure sapphire and leap!
Word by word
- kāḷiyaṉ poykai kalaṅkap pāyntiṭṭu
- leaping into Kaliya's pond and churning it
- nīḷmuṭi aintilum
- on all five tall heads
- naṭamceytu
- dancing
- mīḷa avaṉukku aruḷceyta
- who showed him grace again
- vittakaṉ
- the wise and wondrous One
- tū maṇivaṇṇaṉaip
- the Lord coloured like a pure sapphire
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.9.8 · verse 314 of the four thousand
Meaning
He gave the kingdom to His young brother, went to the Dandaka forest at the word of her who spun the plot, and cut off the ears and nose of Surpanakha of the swaying waist as she shrieked. Sing of Him and leap! Sing of the king of Ayodhya and leap!
Word by word
- iḷantampikku aracu īntu
- giving the kingdom to His young brother, Bharata
- taṇṭakam
- the Dandaka forest
- nūṟṟavaḷ coṟkoṇṭu
- at the word of her who spun the plot, Kaikeyi
- nuṭaṅku- iṭaic cūrppaṇakāvaic
- Surpanakha of the swaying waist
- ceviyoṭu mūkku
- ears and nose
- ayōttikku aracaṉaip
- the king of Ayodhya
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.9.9 · verse 315 of the four thousand
Meaning
He kicked the magic cart to pieces, broke the twin marudu trees, went with the cowherds and guarded the herds, and stood there, the wondrous One, playing His lovely bamboo flute. Sing of that bull among the cowherds and leap! Sing of Him who grazed the herds and leap!
Word by word
- māyac cakaṭam utaittu
- kicking the magic cart
- marutu iṟuttu
- breaking the marudu trees
- ānirai kāttu
- guarding the herds
- aṇi vēyiṉ kuḻal
- the lovely bamboo flute
- āyarkaḷ ēṟṟiṉaip
- the bull among the cowherds
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.9.10 · verse 316 of the four thousand
Meaning
He dammed the dark sea, entered Lanka, and cut down the ten golden crowns of the heedless one, Ravana; then He gave the long-lasting kingdom to Ravana's own brother. Sing of Him, the nectar one never tires of, and leap! Sing of the king of the people of Ayodhya and leap!
Word by word
- kārār kaṭalai aṭaittiṭṭu
- damming the dark sea
- ilaṅkai pukku
- entering Lanka
- ōrātāṉ
- the heedless one, Ravana
- poṉmuṭi oṉpatōṭu oṉṟaiyum
- the nine golden crowns and one more, all ten
- avaṉtampikkē nīḷ aracu īnta
- who gave the long-lasting kingdom to his brother, Vibhishana
- ārāvamutaṉaip
- the nectar one never tires of
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 3.9.11 · verse 317 of the four thousand
Meaning
Girls in bright jewels sang of Nanda's little son and of Kakutstha, Rama, as they leapt in the undhi game. Vittuchittan, Periyalwar, of southern Puduvai, set down their words in fine Tamil. Those who master these five and five verses will have no sorrow.
Word by word
- nantaṉ matalaiyaik
- Nanda's little son, Krishna
- kākutta ṉainaviṉṟu
- singing of Kakutstha, Rama
- unti paṟanta
- leaping in the undhi game
- oḷiyiḻai yārkaḷ
- girls in bright jewels
- centamiḻt teṉputu vaiviṭṭu cittaṉcol
- the fine Tamil words of Vishnuchitta of southern Puduvai
- aintiṉōṭu aintum
- these five and five, the ten verses
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.