Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.7.1 · verse 391 of the four thousand
Meaning
Our son of Dasaratha cut off the nose of the sister and the heads of her elder brother; then He went home and ruled, His fame spread everywhere. The seat of that Purushottama, our Lord, is the noble city called Kandam, standing on the bank of the Ganga for all to worship: the Ganga that clears away harsh karma by the mere words, Ganga, Ganga.
Word by word
- taṅkaiyai mūkkum
- the nose of the sister, Surpanakha
- tamaiyaṉait talaiyum
- the heads of her elder brother, Ravana
- em tācarati
- our son of Dasaratha, Rama
- em puruṭōttamaṉ irukkai
- the seat of our Purushottama, the Supreme Person
- kaṭu viṉai kaḷaintiṭukiṟkum
- clears away harsh karma
- kaṇṭam eṉṉum kaṭinakarē
- the noble city called Kandam
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.7.2 · verse 392 of the four thousand
Meaning
His body charged with fury, His wide mouth spitting fire, He burst forth and rose up, reaching so high that the moon and the hot-rayed sun shrank in fear: Mal, Purushottama of sapphire form, lives in the noble city called Kandam, on the Ganga, whose waters come down speckled with the konrai flowers from the crown of the shining, matted-haired Shiva and the tulasi from Narayana's feet.
Word by word
- taḻal umiḻ pēḻvāyc
- wide mouth spitting fire
- cantiraṉ veṅkatir añca
- the moon and hot sun in fear
- maṇivaṇṇa uruviṉ
- of sapphire form
- nalam tikaḻ caṭaiyāṉ
- the shining, matted-haired one, Shiva
- nāraṇaṉ pātat tuḻāyum
- the tulasi from Narayana's feet
- pukar paṭu kaṅkaik
- the Ganga, speckled with them
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.7.3 · verse 393 of the four thousand
Meaning
He blows the right-whorled conch with its thundering mouth, hurls the fire-spitting discus, and tramples the heads of the asuras who face Him. The seat of our Purushottama is the noble city called Kandam on the Ganga, whose waters rested in the hand of the four-faced Brahma, at the feet of the four-armed Lord and in the matted locks of Shankara, and come down carrying radiant gems.
Word by word
- atir mukam uṭaiya valampuri
- the right-whorled conch with thundering mouth
- aḻal umiḻ āḻi
- the fire-spitting discus
- catumukaṉ kaiyiṟ
- in the hand of four-faced Brahma
- catuppuyaṉ tāḷiṟ
- at the feet of the four-armed Lord
- caṅkaraṉ caṭaiyiṉiṟ
- in the matted locks of Shankara, Shiva
- katir mukam maṇikoṇṭu
- carrying radiant gems
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.7.4 · verse 394 of the four thousand
Meaning
So that the gods could rule in pride and ease, He swung His sword Nandaka and sent the army that came to fight against them to the city of Yama. The city of our Purushottama is the noble city called Kandam, on the bank of the Ganga of patient greatness, where from the Himalayas to the great ocean the people of both banks bathe with joyful noise.
Word by word
- imaiyavar iṟumāntu iruntu
- the gods living in pride and ease
- namapuram naṇuka
- to reach Yama's city
- nāntakam viciṟum
- swinging the sword Nandaka
- imavantam toṭaṅki
- from the Himalayas
- iraittu āṭak
- bathing with joyful noise
- kamai uṭaip perumaik
- of patient, forgiving greatness
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.7.5 · verse 395 of the four thousand
Meaning
Mal, Purushottama, whose weapons are the plough, the pestle and the bow, the bright discus and the conch, the axe and the sword, lives in the noble city called Kandam, on the bank of the Ganga whose greatness is that it washes away in a single moment all the sins gathered through seven births.
Word by word
- uḻuvatu ōr paṭaiyum
- the plough as a weapon
- ulakkaiyum villum
- the pestle and the bow
- maḻuvoṭu vāḷum
- the axe and the sword
- eḻumaiyum kūṭi īṇṭiya pāvam
- sins gathered through seven births
- kaḻuviṭum perumaik
- whose greatness is to wash away
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.7.6 · verse 396 of the four thousand
Meaning
Seeing the water-laden clouds rumble with their heads together and pour down in torrents, He held up a great mountain as an umbrella and sheltered all beneath it. Mal, Purushottama of Mathura, lives in the noble city called Kandam, on the bank of the Ganga, in whose tossing waves sages of hard penance plunge and bathe at the close of their sacrifices.
Word by word
- calam poti mēkam
- water-laden clouds
- calacala poḻintiṭak
- pouring down in torrents
- malaip perum kuṭaiyāl
- with a great mountain as an umbrella
- aruntava muṉivar
- sages of hard penance
- avapiratam kuṭaintu āṭak
- taking the bath that closes a sacrifice
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.7.7 · verse 397 of the four thousand
Meaning
He grasped the bow and broke it, twisted the elephant and smashed the head of the one riding it, fought the wrestlers, then leapt up and kicked the king. Mal, Purushottama, lives in the noble city called Kandam, on the Ganga, whose waters come down mingled with the musth of wondrous Airavata, the bright sandal paste of the young celestial women, and the flowers of the kalpaka tree.
Word by word
- viṟ piṭittu iṟuttu
- grasping the bow and breaking it
- vēḻattai muṟukki
- twisting the elephant
- araiyaṉai utaitta
- who kicked the king, Kamsa
- airāvata matamum
- the musth of Airavata, Indra's elephant
- iḷampaṭiyar oṇ cāntum
- the bright sandal paste of young celestial women
- kaṟpaka malarum
- flowers of the wishing-tree
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.7.8 · verse 398 of the four thousand
Meaning
The king of Dwaraka, ringed by strong walls and a sea of pounding waves, for the sake of His cousins, the Pandavas, brought down one rule and granted them another. Hari, Purushottama, dwells in the noble city called Kandam, on the Ganga, where tall sacrificial posts stand row upon row along both banks, and the smoke of the sacrifices spreads its fragrance.
Word by word
- tiṇmatiṟ tuvarai vēntu
- the king of strong-walled Dwaraka
- maittuṉaṉmārkkāy
- for His cousins, the Pandavas
- araciṉai aviya araciṉai aruḷum
- ending one rule and granting another
- ari puruṭōttamaṉ
- Hari, Purushottama
- neṭiyaṉa yūpam
- tall sacrificial posts
- vēḷvip pukai kamaḻ
- fragrant with sacrificial smoke
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.7.9 · verse 399 of the four thousand
Meaning
Northern Mathura, Salagrama, Vaikuntha, Dwaraka, Ayodhya and spacious Badari: our Purushottama has all these as His places. His seat is the noble city called Kandam, on the Ganga, which rushes down fiercely, making the great mountains shake and the earth split and crumble, seizing and smashing the trees on its banks by their crowns, and churning up the sea.
Word by word
- vaṭa ticai maturai
- northern Mathura
- cāḷakkirāmam
- Salagrama, Saligram
- iṭam uṭai vatari
- spacious Badari, Badrinath
- taṭavarai atirat
- making the great mountains shake
- talaippaṟṟik karai maram cāṭik
- seizing the bank trees by their crowns
- kaṭuttu iḻi kaṅkaik
- the Ganga, rushing down fiercely
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.7.10 · verse 400 of the four thousand
Meaning
Our Purushottama is full of tender compassion for those who take up the sacred syllable of three letters, understand it through its three letters, and hold fast to it. He stretched out His foot for the three strides, appeared among the three, and became three forms among the three. His seat is the noble city called Kandam, on the bank of the Ganga ringed with forests and broad groves.
Word by word
- mūṉṟu eḻuttu ataṉai
- the syllable of three letters, Om
- ēṉṟu koṇṭu iruppārkku
- for those who take it up and hold to it
- irakkam naṉku uṭaiya
- full of tender compassion
- mūṉṟu aṭi nimirttu
- stretching out for the three strides
- mūṉṟu uru āṉāṉ
- became three forms
- kāṉ taṭampoḻil cūḻ
- ringed with forests and broad groves
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.7.11 · verse 401 of the four thousand
Meaning
Vishnuchitta, Periyalwar, lord of Villiputtur, which cruel Kali cannot harm, longing for the feet of Purushottama who dwells in Kandam, rich city on the bank of the roaring Ganga, made this Tamil garland with abiding love. For those on whose tongues it stays, it will count as having bathed in the Ganga beneath the two feet of Thirumal.
Word by word
- poṅku oli kaṅkaik
- the roaring Ganga
- veṅkali naliyā
- which cruel Kali cannot harm
- villiputtūrk kōṉ
- lord of Srivilliputtur
- taṅkiya aṉpāl
- with abiding love
- taṅkiya nā uṭaiyārkkuk
- for those on whose tongues it stays
- kuḷittirunta kaṇakku āmē
- will count as having bathed
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.