Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.8.1 · verse 402 of the four thousand
Meaning
The son of the great ascetic who taught Him had gone into the tossing sea and died. As His fee for that teaching, the Lord brought the boy back and gave him to his father in his very own form. That Lord's town is Srirangam of the waters, where pure Vedic scholars in freshly washed cloth bathe at the ghats, and the waters, brimming over everywhere, pour out the honey stored in the flowers.
Word by word
- mā tavattōṉ puttiraṉ
- the son of the great ascetic, His teacher
- maṟikaṭalvāy māṇṭāṉai
- who died in the tossing sea
- ōtuvitta takkaṇaiyā
- as the fee for His teaching
- uruvuruvē koṭuttāṉ
- gave him back in his very own form
- tūy maṟaiyōr
- pure Vedic scholars
- pōtil vaitta tēṉ coriyum
- pouring out the honey stored in flowers
- puṉal araṅkam
- Srirangam of the waters
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.8.2 · verse 403 of the four thousand
Meaning
Four children had died at the very moment of their birth; in an instant He brought all four back, gave them to their father and made the family whole. The town of that mighty One is holy Srirangam, where honoured Vedic scholars live, tending the great sacred fire of the Veda and feeding every guest who comes.
Word by word
- piṟappu akattē māṇṭu oḻinta
- who died at birth
- iṟaip poḻutil
- in an instant
- uṟaippaṉ ūr
- the town of the mighty One
- maṟaip perun tī
- the great sacred fire of the Veda
- varuviruntai aḷittiruppār
- who feed every guest who comes
- ciṟappu uṭaiya maṟaiyavar
- honoured Vedic scholars
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.8.3 · verse 404 of the four thousand
Meaning
He brought back to life the child of His nephew's line, and, standing as their guide, guarded His cousins, the Pandavas, from falling into ruin. His town is Srirangam of the waters, where red lotuses like His holy face and dark lilies like His holy colour stand blooming side by side, as if in contest.
Word by word
- marumakaṉ taṉ cantatiyai
- the child of His nephew's line
- uyirmīṭṭu
- bringing back to life
- maittuṉaṉmār
- His cousins, the Pandavas
- kurumukamāyk kāttāṉ
- guarded them as their guide
- tirumukamāyc ceṅkamalam
- red lotuses like His holy face
- tiruniṟamāyk karuṅkuvaḷai
- dark lilies like His holy colour
- poru mukamāy
- as if in contest
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.8.4 · verse 405 of the four thousand
Meaning
When the hunchbacked maid spoke her mischief, and He heard the harsh words from the mouth of the cruel queen, He left behind the mothers who bore and raised Him, and the kingdom too, took the path through the forest, and rooted out the wicked. His town is holy Srirangam, with its flowering groves where bees build their honeycombs.
Word by word
- kūṉ toḻuttai
- the hunchbacked maid, Manthara
- koṭiyavaḷ vāyk kaṭiyacoṟkēṭṭu
- hearing the harsh words of the cruel queen
- īṉṟu eṭutta tāyaraiyum
- the mothers who bore and raised Him
- kāṉ toṭutta neṟi
- the forest path
- kaṇṭakaraik kaḷaintāṉ
- rooted out the wicked
- tēṉtoṭutta malarc cōlait
- flower groves where honeycombs hang
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.8.5 · verse 406 of the four thousand
Meaning
Ravana, perverse, leaning on his great boons, He fought and destroyed until his very form was crushed, and gave this world back its eyes. His town is holy Srirangam, ringed by cool groves where the kuravu buds, the kongu blooms and the cuckoo calls: it is the place where my Thirumal comes to rest.
Word by word
- peruvaraṅkaḷ avaipaṟṟip
- relying on his great boons
- piḻakku uṭaiya irāvaṇaṉai
- Ravana, perverse
- ulakiṉaik kaṇpeṟuttāṉ
- gave the world back its eyes
- kuravu arumpak kōṅku alarak
- as the kuravu buds and the kongu blooms
- kuyil kūvum
- where the cuckoo calls
- eṉ tirumāl cērviṭamē
- the place where my Thirumal rests
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.8.6 · verse 407 of the four thousand
Meaning
So that the asuras of the lower world could never spring up again from their roots, He sent forth His discus and destroyed them down to the very seed. The town of that Destroyer is Srirangam, where swarms of bees push through the petals of the screw-pine, come out dusted with white pollen, and hum their tune like the music of the yazh.
Word by word
- kīḻ ulakil acurarkaḷaik
- the asuras of the lower world
- kiḻaṅkiruntu kiḷarāmē
- so they never spring up from the root
- āḻi viṭuttu
- sending forth the discus
- karu aḻitta aḻippaṉ
- the Destroyer who ended them to the seed
- tāḻai- maṭal
- petals of the screw-pine
- tavaḷa vaṇṇap poṭi
- white pollen
- yāḻiṉ icai
- the music of the yazh, the Tamil harp
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.8.7 · verse 408 of the four thousand
Meaning
He made corpses of the perverse asuras, as their rich red blood, thick with fat, tumbled down, bubbling and splashing. The town of that Lord is glorious Srirangam, where the roaring Kaveri comes down from the great mountains, dragging along sandal trees too broad to embrace, and worships His feet.
Word by word
- ceḻuṅkuruti
- rich red blood
- piṇam paṭutta perumāṉ
- the Lord who made corpses of them
- taḻuppu ariya cantaṉaṅkaḷ
- sandal trees too broad to embrace
- taṭavaraivāy īrttukkoṇṭu
- dragging them from the great mountains
- teḻippu uṭaiya kāviri
- the roaring Kaveri
- aṭitoḻum
- worships His feet
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.8.8 · verse 409 of the four thousand
Meaning
As the boar with mighty tusks He dug up the boundless earth, and as the lion with sword-bright teeth He tore open the asura. His town is walled Srirangam, where in the evening the bee with its large wings sings the qualities of our Lord and blows on the white conch of the jasmine flower.
Word by word
- val eyiṟṟuk kēḻalumāy
- as the boar with mighty tusks, Varaha
- vāḷ eyiṟṟuc cīyamumāy
- as the lion with sword-bright teeth, Narasimha
- ellai illāt taraṇiyaiyum
- the boundless earth
- avuṇaṉaiyum iṭantāṉ
- tore open the asura
- elliyam pōtu
- in the evening
- mallikai veṇcaṅku ūtum
- blows the white conch of the jasmine
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.8.9 · verse 410 of the four thousand
Meaning
The tall Lord's colour is like the rich clouds playing on the hills, like kuvalai flowers, like the roaring sea, like a flock of peacocks standing and dancing. His town is walled Srirangam, where the south breeze slips through the groves among the hills, touches the women whose waists are slender as creepers, and strolls through the public squares.
Word by word
- kuṉṟu āṭu koḻu mukil pōl
- like rich clouds playing on the hills
- kuraikaṭal pōl
- like the roaring sea
- niṉṟu āṭu kaṇamayil pōl
- like a flock of peacocks dancing
- niṟam uṭaiya neṭumāl
- the tall Lord of that colour
- koṭi iṭaiyār
- women with waists slender as creepers
- teṉṟal ulām
- where the south breeze strolls
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.8.10 · verse 411 of the four thousand
Meaning
He fought on the field of battle and destroyed the one who, leaning on his many boons, rose up with his roaring army. On the holy place of that glorious Lord, Vishnuchitta, Periyalwar, has unfolded this Tamil garland of Srirangam. We are the servants of those who can praise the Lord with it.
Word by word
- paru varaṅkaḷ avaipaṟṟip
- relying on his many boons
- paṭai ālittu eḻuntāṉaic
- who rose up with a roaring army
- ceru araṅkap porutu aḻitta
- fought and destroyed on the battlefield
- tiruvāḷaṉ tiruppatimēl
- on the holy place of the glorious Lord
- tiruvaraṅkat tamiḻ-mālai
- the Tamil garland on Srirangam
- ētta vallār aṭiyōmē
- we are servants of those who can praise
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.