Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.6.1 · verse 381 of the four thousand
Meaning
O foolish ones, who out of greed for a coin, a stained cloth or some little bundle, give your children worthless names! Give them the name of Kesava and live savouring its sweetness like honey. The mother of a child named Narayana, our Master, will never enter hell.
Word by word
- kaṟai uṭaik kūṟaikkum
- for a stained cloth
- avattap pēr iṭum
- who give worthless names
- ātarkāḷ
- O foolish ones
- kēcavaṉ pēr iṭṭu
- giving the name of Kesava
- tēṉittu irumiṉō
- live savouring it like honey
- nāraṇaṉ tam aṉṉai narakam pukāḷ
- the mother of Narayana will not enter hell
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.6.2 · verse 382 of the four thousand
Meaning
O foolish ones, who for the sake of a cloth to wrap around the waist give your children the names of fading human beings! If you call your child, Red-eyed, tall Lord! Sridhara! then, good ladies, the mother of a child named Narayana will never enter hell.
Word by word
- araikku uṭuppataṉ ācaiyāl
- for want of a cloth for the waist
- maṅkiya māṉiṭa cātiyiṉ
- of fading human beings
- ceṅkaṇ neṭumāl
- the red-eyed, tall Lord
- cirītarā
- Sridhara, He who bears Sri
- naṅkaikāḷ
- O good ladies
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.6.3 · verse 383 of the four thousand
Meaning
You who delight in oiling your children's heads and adorning them with forehead jewels and bangles, you who flourish in your little ones: why do you give them the names of others? Even if you must go begging, long only for the holy name of my Lord. The mother of a child named Narayana will never enter hell.
Word by word
- ucciyil eṇṇeyum
- oil on the crown of the head
- cuṭṭiyum vaḷaiyum
- forehead jewel and bangles
- eccam polintīrkāḷ
- you who flourish in your children
- piṟar pēr iṭṭīr
- you gave the names of others
- piccai pukku ākilum
- even if you must go begging
- naccumiṉ
- long for, desire
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.6.4 · verse 384 of the four thousand
Meaning
If you give a human being, born of human kind, the name of some human being, it brings nothing for the life to come. If you call your child, Madhava, Lord of heaven! Govinda! the mother of a child named Narayana, who owns me, will never enter hell.
Word by word
- māṉiṭa cātiyil tōṉṟiṟṟu
- born of human kind
- maṟumaikku illai
- nothing for the life to come
- vāṉ uṭai mātavā
- Madhava, Lord of heaven
- nāṉ uṭai nāraṇaṉ
- Narayana, who owns me
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.6.5 · verse 385 of the four thousand
Meaning
This little body was born from a body of flesh and filth; if you name it after another such body of filth, it brings nothing for the life to come. If you call your child, Govinda of the noble cowherd clan! Govinda! the mother of a child named Narayana, the good, will never enter hell.
Word by word
- malam uṭai ūttaiyil
- from a body of flesh and filth
- maṟumaikku illai
- nothing for the life to come
- kulam uṭaik kōvintā
- Govinda of the noble clan
- nalam uṭai nāraṇaṉ
- Narayana, full of goodness
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.6.6 · verse 386 of the four thousand
Meaning
Do not give your child a human name for the land and town to know, and then gather together in grief, slipping and falling into the pit. Seek instead the names, Leader who leapt and shattered the cart! Damodara! The mother of a child named Narayana will never enter hell.
Word by word
- nāṭum nakarum aṟiya
- for land and town to know
- kuḻiyil vīḻntu vaḻukkātē
- do not slip and fall into the pit
- cāṭu iṟap pāynta talaivā
- Leader who leapt and shattered the cart
- tāmōtarā
- Damodara, bound with a rope at the waist
- nāṭumiṉ
- seek
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.6.7 · verse 387 of the four thousand
Meaning
Poor people, who without a thought give your children the names of humans who are born of earth and turn back into earth! Hold fast only to the name of the Lord, dark as a rain cloud and sweet to the eyes. The mother of a child named Narayana will never enter hell.
Word by word
- maṇṇiṟ piṟantu maṇ ākum
- born of earth, turning back to earth
- eṇṇam oṉṟu iṉṟi
- without a single thought
- ēḻai maṉicarkāḷ
- O poor, foolish people
- kaṇṇukku iṉiya
- sweet to the eyes
- karumukil vaṇṇaṉ nāmamē
- only the name of the dark-cloud hued Lord
- naṇṇumiṉ
- hold fast to
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.6.8 · verse 388 of the four thousand
Meaning
If you give your child some name of the people of this land, a Nambi or a Pimbi, every Nambi and Pimbi will fade away in four days. If you call your child by the name of the Lord with great red-lotus eyes, good sirs, the mother of a child named Narayana will never enter hell.
Word by word
- nampi pimpi
- common names of the day, Nambi, Pimbi
- nālu nāḷil aḻuṅkip pōm
- will fade away in four days
- cemperun tāmaraik kaṇṇaṉ
- the Lord with great red-lotus eyes
- nampikāḷ
- O good sirs
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.6.9 · verse 389 of the four thousand
Meaning
As if nectar were pouring into a pit of filth, give your little child, still wetting itself, the name of my Lord whose colour is the rain cloud; then hug it, fondle it, and go about dancing for joy. The mother of a child named Narayana, the name fit for every tongue, will never enter hell.
Word by word
- ūttaik kuḻiyil amutam pāyvatu pōl
- like nectar pouring into a pit of filth
- mūttirap piḷḷaiyai
- your little child, still wetting itself
- mukil vaṇṇaṉ pēr iṭṭu
- giving the name of the cloud-hued Lord
- kōttuk kuḻaittuk
- hugging and fondling
- kuṇālam āṭit
- dancing for joy
- nāt taku nāraṇaṉ
- Narayana, the name fit for the tongue
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.6.10 · verse 390 of the four thousand
Meaning
Vishnuchitta, Periyalwar, of ancient and shining fame, taught that only the holy names of Thirumal, rich in glory, should be given to our children. Those who can recite these words he unfolded, these ten bright Tamil verses of a single beauty, will live forever in great and beautiful Vaikuntha, cherishing Him.
Word by word
- cīr aṇi māl tirunāmamē
- only the holy names of glorious Thirumal
- iṭat tēṟṟiya
- who taught us to give
- tolpukaḻ viṭṭucittaṉ
- Vishnuchitta of ancient fame
- oṇ tamiḻ oṉpatōṭu oṉṟum
- bright Tamil verses, nine and one
- pēr aṇi vaikuntattu
- in great and beautiful 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.