Periya Tirumadal 21 · verse 2733 of the four thousand
Meaning
is like; those who are not moved by the sweet music of the cowherd's flute; those who do not wilt when the bell on the great bull rings on and on; those who, at the soft little cry of the female anril bird clinging to her mate on the palmyra,
Word by word
- aṉṉatu ōr taṉmai aṟiyātār
- those who do not know what it is like
- āyaṉ vēy
- the cowherd's flute
- māl viṭaiyiṉ
- of the great bull
- maṇi pulampa
- as its bell rings mournfully
- aṉṟil peṭai
- the female anril, a bird that pines for its mate
- ciṟu kuralukku
- at its little cry
Periya Tirumadal 22 · verse 2734 of the four thousand
Meaning
do not think of their love and melt and grow faint; those who do not wilt as their bodies burn in the long fire of the pure moonlight the moon pours down from the sky; those who, when Kama fits flower arrows to his steady bow and shoots,
Word by word
- uṭal uruki naiyātār
- who do not melt and grow faint
- tū nilā nīḷ neruppil
- in the long fire of pure moonlight
- tam uṭalam vēvat
- as their bodies burn
- kāmavēḷ
- Kama, the god of love
- malar vāḷi
- flower arrows
Periya Tirumadal 23 · verse 2735 of the four thousand
Meaning
do not go out into the long golden street; those who sleep on their flower beds while the sweet, gentle breeze caresses their flowered hair, their hips and their soft breasts: may such golden ladies flourish still! The warrior king,
Word by word
- poṉ neṭu vīti pukātār
- who do not go out into the long golden street
- pū aṇaimēl
- on a bed of flowers
- iṉ iḷavāṭai taṭava
- as the gentle breeze caresses
- kaṇ tuyilum
- who sleep
- tiru uṟuka
- may they flourish!
- pōr vēntaṉ
- the warrior king, Rama
Periya Tirumadal 24 · verse 2736 of the four thousand
Meaning
at his own father's command gave up the kingdom; with the golden city wailing behind him, he walked around it in reverence, left the rich and lasting land, and came out into open country, where shimmering mirages like chariots of light drifted in every direction;
Word by word
- tātai paṇiyāl
- at his father's command
- aracu oḻintu
- giving up the kingdom
- piṉṉē pulampa
- wailing behind him
- valamkoṇṭu
- walking around it in reverence
- mātiraṅkaḷ
- all the directions
- viṇ tēr
- mirages, 'sky-chariots'
Periya Tirumadal 25 · verse 2737 of the four thousand
Meaning
and through the cruel, killing forest, where rocks lie heaped and scorched, bamboos split, winds whirl, and only ghosts with wrinkled bellies wander about, over hot pebbles roasted by the fierce sun's burning rays, on feet soft as cotton,
Word by word
- kal niraintu tīyntu
- rocks heaped and scorched
- kaḻai uṭaintu
- bamboos split
- kāl cuḻaṉṟu
- winds whirling
- tirai vayiṟṟup pēyē
- only ghosts with wrinkled bellies
- vem paralmēl
- on hot pebbles
- pañcu aṭiyāl
- with feet soft as cotton
Periya Tirumadal 26 · verse 2738 of the four thousand
Meaning
did she not walk behind King Rama, that swan-gaited lady whom they call Vaidehi? And again, the maiden with dark, long eyes, red lips and a doe's glance, her waist slender as lightning, she whom they call Vegavati,
Word by word
- maṉṉaṉ irāmaṉ piṉ
- behind King Rama
- vaitēvi
- Vaidehi, Sita
- naṭantilaḷē
- did she not walk?
- piṇai nōkkiṉ
- with a doe's glance
- vēkavati
- Vegavati, a maiden of old story
Periya Tirumadal 27 · verse 2739 of the four thousand
Meaning
that young girl, not finding the lover who was her own dear life when her elder brother had carried him off, went there herself; paying no heed to that brother, she overcame and rebuked him, and in the sword-fight took by the hand her young hero with shoulders strong as rock; and going back,
Word by word
- iṉ uyirām kātalaṉaik
- the lover who was her dear life
- muṉ tōṉṟal
- her elder brother
- aḻittu urappi
- overcoming and rebuking him
- vāḷ amaruḷ
- in the sword-fight
- kal navil tōḷ kāḷaiyaik
- the young hero with shoulders strong as rock
Periya Tirumadal 28 · verse 2740 of the four thousand
Meaning
did she not embrace his golden chest? And then: the son of the Kuru clan, prince of the good land where the flowering Ganga first spreads its waters, bearer of a long, killing spear that flashes like lightning, victorious Dhananjaya, Arjuna, who has no equal;
Word by word
- poṉ navilum ākam
- his golden chest
- puṇarntilaḷē
- did she not embrace?
- pūṅ kaṅkai
- the flowering Ganga
- kurukkaḷ kula matalai
- son of the Kuru clan
- veṉṟit taṉañcayaṉai
- victorious Dhananjaya, Arjuna
Periya Tirumadal 29 · verse 2741 of the four thousand
Meaning
the young daughter of the serpent king, a doll of a girl, putting aside the modesty, fear and shyness that were her nature, pressing her breasts against him, clasped his chest, broad as a golden mountain, and took him away to her own
Word by word
- paṉṉākarāyaṉ
- the king of the serpents
- maṭap pāvai
- his young, doll-like daughter
- nāṇ accam maṭam
- modesty, fear and shyness
- poṉ varai ākam
- a chest like a golden mountain
- taḻīik koṇṭu
- embracing him
Periya Tirumadal 30 · verse 2742 of the four thousand
Meaning
fine city, and lived there with him in love and happiness: have we not heard this in the old tales? And Bana, a king who rivalled in splendour Indra, destroyer of the golden city amid the encircling sea, Bana the sword-king of the asuras,
Word by word
- nayantu iṉitu vāḻntatuvum
- living there lovingly and happily
- muṉ uraiyil
- in the old tales
- purantaraṉōṭu
- with Indra, Purandara
- vāṇaṉ
- Bana, the asura king
- avuṇarkku vāḷ vēntaṉ
- the sword-king of the asuras
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.