Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.9.1 · verse 412 of the four thousand
Meaning
He left His wooden sandals with His younger brother as a great pledge and went away; so that the gods might live, He set right the affairs of the warring southern quarter, came back and ruled the world. The temple of that Thirumal is radiant Srirangam, where lovely blue lilies, showing the holy dark form of the Lord and the flower-eyes of Lakshmi, sway and rustle in the wind.
Word by word
- maravaṭiyait tampikku
- the wooden sandals, to His younger brother
- vāṉpaṇaiyam vaittuppōy
- leaving them as a great pledge
- ceru uṭaiya ticaikkarumam
- the affairs of the warring quarter
- tirumaṅkai malarkkaṇṇum
- the flower-eyes of Lakshmi
- malarnīlam
- blue lily flowers
- oḷi araṅkamē
- radiant Srirangam
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.9.2 · verse 413 of the four thousand
Meaning
If even Lakshmi, lady of the lotus, should speak ill of His devotees, it seems He would say, My devotees would never do that; and if they did, they did well. For the sake of Vibhishana, a king, He turned His flower eyes toward walled Lanka. Would anyone ever be servant to another, and not to my Lord of Srirangam?
Word by word
- taṉ aṭiyār tiṟattakattut
- concerning His devotees
- tāmaraiyāḷ ākilum
- even Lakshmi, lady of the lotus
- citaku uraikkumēl
- if she speaks ill
- ceytārēl naṉṟu ceytār
- if they did it, they did well
- vipīṭaṇaṟkā
- for Vibhishana's sake
- malarkkaṇ vaitta
- who turned His flower eyes
- maṟṟu oruvarkku āḷ āvarē?
- would anyone serve another?
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.9.3 · verse 414 of the four thousand
Meaning
The marudu trees of the dark grove, the angry elephant, Pralamba, the fierce horse, the demon in the rolling cart and the wrestlers: He let them all break and heard them crash. He raises His devotees up through the orb of the sun that drives away darkness, then draws the ladder away, and in His grace takes them into His service. The town where He dwells is beautiful Srirangam.
Word by word
- katak kaḷiṟum pilampaṉaiyum
- the angry elephant and Pralamba
- kaṭiya māvum
- the fierce horse, Kesi
- uruḷ uṭaiya cakaṭaraiyum
- the demon in the rolling cart
- eṟi katirōṉ maṇṭalattūṭu
- through the orb of the blazing sun
- ēṇi vāṅki
- drawing away the ladder
- aṭiyavarai āṭkoḷvāṉ
- takes His devotees into His service
- aṇi araṅkamē
- beautiful Srirangam
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.9.4 · verse 415 of the four thousand
Meaning
Served by His sixteen thousand queens, He sat in state as the Bridegroom, Lord of walled Dwaraka. His abiding temple is Srirangam of the waters, where the fresh lotus of the new day, being like the flower that rose from our Lord's golden navel, fancies itself lord of all, and proudly tosses its golden head.
Word by word
- patiṉāṟām āyiravar tēvimār
- the sixteen thousand queens
- tuvarai eṉṉum
- called Dwaraka
- maṇavāḷar
- the Bridegroom
- putu nāḷmalark kamalam
- the fresh lotus of the new day
- poṉ vayiṟṟiṟ pūvē pōlvāṉ
- like the flower from His golden navel
- potu-nāyakam pāvittu
- fancying itself lord of all
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.9.5 · verse 416 of the four thousand
Meaning
He Himself became the tortoise, the Ganga, the deep sea, the earth and the great mountains; He became four-faced Brahma, the four Vedas, the sacrifice and its fee. The temple where He lies, while Narada, who wishes all well, comes again and again to praise and bow, is Srirangam of the waters, where flocks of birds settle on the flowers and chatter the praises of Garuda, king of birds.
Word by word
- āmaiyāyk kaṅkaiyāy
- becoming the tortoise and the Ganga
- aru varaikaḷāy
- becoming the great mountains
- vēḷviyāyt takkaṇaiyāyt
- becoming the sacrifice and its fee
- cēmam uṭai nārataṉār
- Narada, who wishes all well
- puḷ araiyaṉ pukaḻ kuḻaṟum
- chattering the praise of Garuda, king of birds
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.9.6 · verse 417 of the four thousand
Meaning
He let the beloved of His cousins, Draupadi, tie up her hair again, made the Pandavas kings, and saved the little son of Uttara. That Giver of life dwells in holy Srirangam, which stands as the lamp of every direction, worshipped by devotees, holy men, sages of the ancient word, the people of the wide lands and the siddhas.
Word by word
- maittuṉaṉmār kātaliyai
- the beloved of His cousins, Draupadi
- mayir muṭippittu
- let her tie up her hair again
- uttaraitaṉ ciṟuvaṉaiyum
- Uttara's little son
- uyirāḷaṉ
- the Giver of life
- paḻamoḻivāy muṉivarkaḷum
- sages of the ancient word
- ticai-viḷakkāy
- as the lamp of every direction
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.9.7 · verse 418 of the four thousand
Meaning
Coming as a dwarf brahmachari, He curbed the mischief of Mahabali and took his kingdom; then in a moment He gave him a home in the nether world and was glad. The temple of our Lord is holy Srirangam, where the rich gems on the glorious hoods of His serpent bed throw out their light like the young sun rising over a shining mountain of gems.
Word by word
- kuṟaḷ piramacāriyāy
- as a dwarf brahmachari, Vamana
- kuṟumpu atakki
- curbing his mischief
- pātāḷam kalavirukkai
- a home in the nether world
- iḷañāyiṟu eḻuntāṟpōl
- like the young sun rising
- aravu-aṇaiyiṉ
- of the serpent bed
- ceḻumaṇikaḷ viṭṭu eṟikkum
- rich gems throwing out light
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.9.8 · verse 419 of the four thousand
Meaning
He seized Hiranya by the chest and drove the tips of His claws hard into that gleaming chest; He gripped his head till the crown shattered, the eyes bulged and the mouth screamed, and He roared. His temple is cool Srirangam, where strong lotus flowers rise high like the red feet that measured the world, and the ripe red paddy on the ridges bends its stalks and bows its heads.
Word by word
- uram paṟṟi iraṇiyaṉai
- seizing Hiranya by the chest
- ukir-nutiyāl
- with the tips of His claws
- kaṇ pituṅka vāy alaṟat
- eyes bulging, mouth screaming
- ulaku aḷanta cēvaṭi pōl
- like the red feet that measured the world
- katirccennel
- ripe red paddy
- talaivaṇakkum
- bows its head
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.9.9 · verse 420 of the four thousand
Meaning
He became the divine fish, the tortoise, the boar, the lion and the dwarf; He came as Rama in three forms, as Krishna, and as Kalki who will bring the age to its close. His temple is Srirangam of the waters, where the swan and his mate climb onto red lotus flowers, swing on them, and play in the red pollen that rises thick from the beds of flowers.
Word by word
- tēvu uṭaiya mīṉamāy
- as the divine fish
- mū-uruvil irāmaṉāyk
- as Rama in three forms
- kaṟkiyāy muṭippāṉ
- who will end the age as Kalki
- cēvaloṭu peṭai aṉṉam
- the swan and his mate
- ūcal āṭip
- swinging
- cempoṭi āṭi
- playing in red pollen
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.9.10 · verse 421 of the four thousand
Meaning
Master of the bird that rules the battlefield, Lord of the earth, bearer of the one sword called Nandaka that wages war, Lord of the Vedas, Lord of the army that never retreats, the generous-handed, Lord of the night and Lord of the day, my own Master, the great One of great fame across the seven worlds, consort of Sri: He lets His holy eyes close sweetly in sleep at holy Srirangam.
Word by word
- ceru āḷum puḷḷāḷaṉ
- Master of Garuda, the battle-bird
- nāntam eṉṉum oru vāḷaṉ
- bearer of the one sword, Nandaka
- ōṭāta paṭaiyāḷaṉ
- Lord of the army that never retreats
- iravu āḷaṉ pakalāḷaṉ
- Lord of night and Lord of day
- tiruvāḷaṉ
- consort of Sri
- tirukkaṇkaḷ vaḷarkiṉṟa
- where His holy eyes close in sleep
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 4.9.11 · verse 422 of the four thousand
Meaning
Srirangam is the temple held dear by the Lord whose fiery discus ended the distress of the elephant; that holy place stands worshipped by the southern land and the northern land alike. Those who can recite the Tamil that Vishnuchitta, Periyalwar, true of tongue and true servant, unfolded on it will stay forever beneath the two feet of our Lord, never parted from them.
Word by word
- kainnākattu iṭar kaṭinta
- who ended the elephant's distress
- kaṉal āḻip paṭai
- the fiery discus
- teṉnāṭum vaṭanāṭum
- the southern and northern lands
- meynnāvaṉ mey aṭiyāṉ
- true of tongue, true servant
- iṇai piriyātu
- never parted
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.