Periya Tirumozhi 1.2.1 · verse 958 of the four thousand
Meaning
Long ago He bent His striped bow so that the body of Vali, a warrior of great strength, was destroyed. He dwells in the good Himalaya, among wide, cool groves smelling of cardamom. There the great clouds roar with hail, and great peacocks with spread plumes climb to the peaks above the rare mountain's slopes and dance beside broad springs. O my heart, go and reach Thiruppiruthi!
Word by word
- vāli mā valattu oruvaṉatu
- of Vali, one of great strength
- vari cilai vaḷaivittu
- bending His striped bow
- ēlam nāṟu taṇ taṭam poḻil
- wide, cool groves smelling of cardamom
- nal imayattuḷ
- in the good Himalaya
- āli mā mukil atirtara
- as great clouds roar with hail
- pīli mā mayil naṭam ceyum
- where great plumed peacocks dance
- piriti ceṉṟu aṭai neñcē
- O heart, go and reach Thiruppiruthi
Periya Tirumozhi 1.2.2 · verse 959 of the four thousand
Meaning
With the troops of monkeys serving Him, He built a causeway of mighty rocks across the great sea till it churned, and ground the great city of Lanka to dust. That Lord dwells in the good Himalaya, where lions with cave-like mouths and gleaming teeth roam, bringing distress to elephants as fierce and mighty as mountains. O my heart, go and reach Thiruppiruthi!
Word by word
- arikulam paṇiceya
- as the troops of monkeys served
- aru varai aṇai kaṭṭi
- building a causeway of mighty rocks
- ilaṅkai mānakar poṭiceyta
- who ground the great city of Lanka to dust
- vilaṅkal pōlvaṉa
- like mountains
- vēḻaṅkaḷ tuyarkūra
- so that the elephants are distressed
- pilam koḷ vāḷ eyiṟṟu ari
- lions with cave-like mouths and gleaming teeth
Periya Tirumozhi 1.2.3 · verse 960 of the four thousand
Meaning
For the young cowherd girl, slender as a creeper, with a waist like a small drum, curling locks and shining teeth, He subdued the herd of bulls whose bellows were fierce as thunder. He dwells in the good Himalaya, where on a bed of fragrant vengai flowers spread over a gem-like rock, the bull elephant sleeps beside its mate while the bees sing. O my heart, go and reach Thiruppiruthi!
Word by word
- tuṭi koḷ nuṇ iṭaic
- a slender waist like a small drum
- iḷaṅkoṭitiṟattu
- for the young creeper-like girl, Nappinnai
- iṭi koḷ vem kural
- fierce, thundering bellows
- iṉa viṭai aṭarttavaṉ
- who subdued the herd of bulls
- vēṅkaiyiṉ naṟu malar amaḷiyiṉ
- on a bed of fragrant vengai flowers
- piṭiyiṉōṭu
- with its mate
- tuyilkoḷum
- sleeps
Periya Tirumozhi 1.2.4 · verse 961 of the four thousand
Meaning
Taking the fierce form of the man-lion, so that all were struck with fear, He tore open the broad chest of one demon, and the gods bow their jewelled crowns before Him. He dwells in the good Himalaya, where wild boars come down and dig with their curved tusks, and great shining gems that lie there flashing like fire come tumbling down with the waterfalls. O my heart, go and reach Thiruppiruthi!
Word by word
- maṟam koḷ āḷ-ari uru
- the fierce man-lion form, Narasimha
- oruvaṉatu akal mārvam tiṟantu
- tearing open the broad chest of one, Hiranya
- vāṉavar maṇi muṭi paṇitara
- as the gods bow their jewelled crowns
- ēṉaṅkaḷ vaḷai maruppu iṭantiṭak
- as wild boars dig with curved tusks
- eri vīcum
- flashing like fire
- aruviyōṭu iḻitaru
- tumbling down with the waterfalls
Periya Tirumozhi 1.2.5 · verse 962 of the four thousand
Meaning
He lies on the great sea that marks the shores, and the gods worship and praise His sounding anklets. He dwells in the good Himalaya together with Lakshmi, born of the flower, who wears a girdle at her waist. There a great bull elephant, huge as a hill, dips the tender shoots of young bamboo in honey thick in the rock clefts and lovingly feeds them to its young mate. O my heart, go and reach Thiruppiruthi!
Word by word
- karai cey māk kaṭal kiṭantavaṉ
- He who lies on the great sea
- kaṉai kaḻal
- sounding anklets
- alarmakaḷ-avaḷoṭum
- together with Lakshmi, born of the flower
- varaicey māk kaḷiṟu
- a great bull elephant, huge as a hill
- iḷa vetir vaḷar muḷai
- growing shoots of young bamboo
- aḷai miku tēṉ tōyttup
- dipping them in honey thick in rock clefts
- iḷam piṭikku aruḷceyum
- lovingly gives to its young mate
Periya Tirumozhi 1.2.6 · verse 963 of the four thousand
Meaning
"O Supreme One, resting on the good serpent bed with a thousand hoods!" So the gods cry with one accord as they bow their jewelled crowns to Him. He dwells in the good Himalaya, where long, fragrant madhavi creepers rise to touch the sky and cling to the clouds, and bees slip into the tangled flowering groves and sing. O my heart, go and reach Thiruppiruthi!
Word by word
- paṇaṅkaḷ āyiram uṭaiya
- with a thousand hoods
- aravu-aṇaip paḷḷikoḷ paramā
- O Supreme One resting on the serpent bed
- iṇaṅki
- with one accord
- maṇam koḷ mātavi neṭuṅ koṭi
- long, fragrant madhavi creepers
- mukil paṟṟip
- clinging to the clouds
- vaṇṭu icai colum
- where bees sing
Periya Tirumozhi 1.2.7 · verse 964 of the four thousand
Meaning
In the Himalaya with its flowering groves, dark vengai trees cling to the dense mountains, thick with climbing pepper vines, and fighting tigers roam the cultivated slopes. There the gods bathe in the broad, lovely flower-filled pools, offer the eight kinds of flowers, and stand praising His thousand names as they worship His feet. O my heart, go and reach Thiruppiruthi!
Word by word
- kār koḷ vēṅkaikaḷ
- dark vengai trees
- kaṟi vaḷar koṭi
- climbing pepper vines
- pōr koḷ vēṅkaikaḷ
- fighting tigers
- ēr koḷ pūñ cuṉait
- lovely, flower-filled pools
- iṉa malar eṭṭum iṭṭu
- offering the eight kinds of flowers
- imaiyōrkaḷ
- the gods, who never blink
- pērkaḷ āyiram paravi
- praising His thousand names
Periya Tirumozhi 1.2.8 · verse 965 of the four thousand
Meaning
In the rare Himalaya, wrapped in wide groves, the night deepens and darkness swells in the mountain caves, where serpents gasp in their great hunger. There the gods, thinking of Him as "our Supreme One, the First, our Lord the colour of the cool cloud", go with Brahma and worship the feet of that great and noble Lord. O my heart, go and reach Thiruppiruthi!
Word by word
- iruḷ perukiya varai muḻai
- mountain caves where darkness swells
- aravam āvikkum
- where serpents gasp
- paramaṉ āti
- the Supreme One, the First
- paṉi mukil vaṇṇaṉ
- the Lord the colour of the cool cloud
- piramaṉōṭu ceṉṟu
- going with Brahma
- peruntakaip
- the great and noble Lord
Periya Tirumozhi 1.2.9 · verse 966 of the four thousand
Meaning
Our great Lord stands and blesses, unfailing, so that no great sorrow reaches those who recite and understand His thousand names. He dwells in the good Himalaya, where foolish bees, seeing the lovely ashoka blossoms bursting open, full of pollen and glowing like flames, shrink back in fear, thinking them fire. O my heart, go and reach Thiruppiruthi!
Word by word
- ōti āyiram nāmaṅkaḷ
- reciting the thousand names
- uṟu tuyar aṭaiyāmal
- so that no great sorrow reaches them
- ētam iṉṟi
- without fail
- tātu malkiya piṇṭi
- ashoka blossoms full of pollen
- taḻal purai eḻil
- beauty like a flame
- pētai vaṇṭukaḷ
- foolish bees
- eri eṉa veruvaru
- fearing them as fire
Periya Tirumozhi 1.2.10 · verse 967 of the four thousand
Meaning
In Thiruppiruthi, masses of great dark clouds settle and rumble, and huge pythons, taking them for elephants, stir and move like moving hills. Kaliyan, Thirumangai Alwar, of Mangai with green groves where striped bees hum, made this resounding garland on our Lord there. The good devotees who sing it to rare, sweet music will never be touched by grievous karma.
Word by word
- kariya mā mukil paṭalaṅkaḷ
- masses of great dark clouds
- kaḷiṟu eṉṟu
- taking them for elephants
- periya mācuṇam
- huge pythons
- varai eṉap peyartaru
- moving like hills
- maṅkaiyar kaliyaṉatu
- of Kaliyan, lord of Mangai
- oli mālai
- resounding garland of verses
- aru viṉai aṭaiyāvē
- grievous karma will not reach them
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.