Periyalwar Tirumozhi 5.2.1 · verse 443 of the four thousand
Meaning
O diseases, you who have spread everywhere and taken hold of me, like ants swarming up a pot of ghee: go away while there is still time, and save yourselves. The Lord of the Vedas has come, taken this body for His own, entered it and lies here, together with His hooded serpent bed. This town is not what it used to be: it is guarded now.
Word by word
- neyk kuṭattaip paṟṟi ēṟum
- climbing up a pot of ghee
- eṟumpukaḷ pōl
- like ants
- kālam peṟa uyyap pōmiṉ
- go while there is time, and save yourselves
- vētap pirāṉār
- the Lord of the Vedas
- paik koṇṭa pāmpu- aṇaiyōṭum
- with His hooded serpent bed
- paṇṭu aṉṟu paṭṭiṉam kāppē
- the town is not as before; it is guarded now
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 5.2.2 · verse 444 of the four thousand
Meaning
The seal that Yama, lord of the south, had stamped with his mark on Chitragupta's record of my deeds, his messengers have struck out, and they have run off to hide. I am the servant of the Lord of the shore of the sea whose waves bring pearls, the First of the ancient wise, nectar to His devotees. This town is not what it used to be: it is guarded now.
Word by word
- cittirakuttaṉ eḻuttāl
- by Chitragupta's writing, Yama's record
- teṉpulak kōṉ
- lord of the south, Yama
- vaitta ilacciṉai māṟṟit
- striking out the seal he had set
- tūtuvar ōṭi oḷittār
- his messengers ran and hid
- mūtaṟivāḷar mutalvaṉ
- First of the ancient wise
- pattarkku amutaṉ
- nectar to His devotees
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 5.2.3 · verse 445 of the four thousand
Meaning
He took me out of the stall of the womb, subdued the strong bull of the senses that roamed the wild fields, removed the ropes and pegs and loosened the noose from my legs. My Father, who carried the earth between His tusks, taught me day and night, trained me, and took me into His service. This town is not what it used to be: it is guarded now.
Word by word
- vayiṟṟiṟ toḻuvaip pirittu
- taking me out of the stall of the womb
- vaṉpulac cēvai atakkik
- subduing the strong bull of the senses
- kāliṭaip pācam kaḻaṟṟi
- loosening the noose from my legs
- eyiṟṟiṭai maṇkoṇṭa entai
- my Father who carried the earth on His tusks
- irāppakal ōtuvittu
- teaching me day and night
- paṇiceyyak koṇṭāṉ
- took me into His service
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 5.2.4 · verse 446 of the four thousand
Meaning
O diseases, born of strong karma, now fading: see, a strong karma awaits you too. Do not come in here, do not come in! It will not be easy for you; do not come in! This is the holy temple where our Master, the Lion-Lord, has come to dwell. Go away without disgrace and save yourselves. This town is not what it used to be: it is guarded now.
Word by word
- maṅkiya valviṉai nōykāḷ
- O fading diseases of strong karma
- umakkum ōr valviṉai
- a strong karma for you too
- iṅkup pukēṉmiṉ
- do not come in here
- ciṅkap pirāṉ
- the Lion-Lord, Narasimha
- cērum tirukkōyil
- the holy temple where He dwells
- paṅkappaṭātu
- without disgrace
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 5.2.5 · verse 447 of the four thousand
Meaning
The wondrous One who took the form of the little dwarf brahmachari I have lovingly brought into my heart, let Him in, and kept Him there, with nothing else beside Him. See, this is a treasury of rubies! You strong, bold thieves who are here, there is no point in lingering: move along. This town is not what it used to be: it is guarded now.
Word by word
- māṇik kuṟaḷ uru āya
- who took the form of a little brahmachari
- pēṇik koṇarntu
- lovingly bringing Him
- piṟitu iṉṟi
- with nothing else
- māṇikkap paṇṭāram
- a treasury of rubies
- vali vaṉ kuṟumparkaḷ
- strong, bold thieves
- pāṇikka vēṇṭā naṭamiṉ
- no need to linger; move along
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 5.2.6 · verse 448 of the four thousand
Meaning
O diseases and deep afflictions that have come upon me, listen, I will tell you one thing. See, this is the holy temple cherished by the Lord who grazes the cattle. I tell you plainly once more, O deep karmas: there is no foothold for you here. Move along. This town is not what it used to be: it is guarded now.
Word by word
- uṟṟa uṟupiṇi nōykāḷ
- O diseases and afflictions that have come
- peṟṟaṅkaḷ mēykkum pirāṉār
- the Lord who grazes the cattle
- aṟṟam uraikkiṉṟēṉ
- I tell you plainly
- āḻviṉaikāḷ
- O deep karmas
- paṟṟillai
- no foothold
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 5.2.7 · verse 449 of the four thousand
Meaning
I had slipped and fallen into the hollow of women's breasts, those little hills, crept into a cave there, and lay sunk in it, wandering. The Lord whose colour is the sea where ships sail turned away my strong karma and kept me from disgrace. This town is not what it used to be: it is guarded now.
Word by word
- koṅkaic ciṟu varai
- the little hills of women's breasts
- potumpiṉil vīḻntu vaḻukki
- slipping and falling into the hollow
- aḻuntik kiṭantu uḻalvēṉai
- me, sunk there, wandering
- vaṅkak kaṭal vaṇṇaṉ
- the Lord whose colour is the sea of ships
- valviṉai āyiṉa māṟṟip
- turning away my strong karma
- paṅkap paṭāvaṇṇam
- kept me from disgrace
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 5.2.8 · verse 450 of the four thousand
Meaning
He made all my faults pack up and leave me. Then the Lord in yellow silk came within me as my teacher of the highest truth, entered my hard heart as if it were a lotus flower, and set the seal of His feet on the crown of my head. This town is not what it used to be: it is guarded now.
Word by word
- ētaṅkaḷ āyiṉa ellām
- all my faults
- iṟaṅkal iṭuvittu
- made them leave
- pītaka vāṭaip piraṉār
- the Lord in yellow silk
- pirama kuruvāki
- as my teacher of the highest truth
- pōtil kamala vaṉ neñcam
- my hard heart, as if a lotus flower
- pāta ilacciṉai vaittār
- set the seal of His feet
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 5.2.9 · verse 451 of the four thousand
Meaning
Do not sleep, do not sleep, do not sleep! O bright, radiant discus, O conch, O sword Nandaka that strikes to destroy, O beautiful bow Sarnga, O mace! O eight guardians of the quarters, who stand without fail! O king of birds, do not sleep: keep watch over His bedchamber.
Word by word
- uṟakal uṟakal uṟakal
- do not sleep, do not sleep, do not sleep
- oṇcuṭar āḻiyē
- O bright, radiant discus
- nāntaka vāḷē
- O sword Nandaka
- aḻakiya cārṅkamē
- O beautiful bow Sarnga
- eṇmar ulōkapālīrkāḷ
- O eight guardians of the quarters
- paṟavai araiyā
- O king of birds, Garuda
- paḷḷiyaṟai kuṟikkoṇmiṉ
- keep watch over the bedchamber
Periyalwar Tirumozhi 5.2.10 · verse 452 of the four thousand
Meaning
With His serpent couch, with the beautiful ocean of milk, and with Lakshmi, the lady of the lotus, the Lord has come and entered within me, and sleeps there while the many waves of the sea break against Him. Vishnuchitta, Periyalwar, praises that Lord, so that the town may be guarded.
Word by word
- aravattu amaḷiyiṉōṭum
- with His serpent couch
- aravintap pāvaiyum
- Lakshmi, the lady of the lotus
- akampaṭi vantu pukuntu
- came and entered within
- paravait tirai pala mōtap
- while many waves of the sea break
- paṭṭiṉam kāvaṟ poruṭṭē
- so that the town may be guarded
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.