Periya Tirumozhi 1.4.1 · verse 978 of the four thousand
Meaning
Long ago He became a boar and dug up the great earth, and the gods worship His twin feet; He bent His great bow so that a demon's body rolled upon the ground: He is my Master. He dwells in Vadari Ashram on the bank of the Ganga, where the gods bring good, fragrant, divine flowers grown on the kalpaka tree in honey-filled groves and bow before Him.
Word by word
- ēṉam muṉ āki
- becoming a boar long ago, Varaha
- iru nilam iṭantu
- digging up the great earth
- tāṉavaṉ ākam taraṇiyil puraḷat
- so that a demon's body rolled on the ground
- taṭañ cilai kuṉitta
- who bent the great bow
- kaṟpakam payanta
- grown on the kalpaka, the wish-granting tree
- kaṅkaiyiṉ karaimēl
- on the bank of the Ganga
- vatari ācciramattu uḷḷāṉē
- He dwells in Vadari Ashram, Badrinath
Periya Tirumozhi 1.4.2 · verse 979 of the four thousand
Meaning
In the forest He loosed burning arrows at the deer; and once, seeing the mighty one of cruel deeds, He sank a killing arrow into his fleshy chest and took his life with joy: He is our only One. He dwells in Vadari Ashram on the bank of the Ganga, whose ancient waters swell from the sky, where Brahma of the honeyed lotus and the gods come again and again to bow.
Word by word
- kāṉiṭai uruvai
- the deer in the forest
- cuṭu caram turantu
- loosing burning arrows
- koṭun toḻil uravōṉ
- the mighty one of cruel deeds
- aṭu kaṇai kuḷippa
- sinking a killing arrow
- em oruvaṉ
- our only One
- tēṉ uṭaik kamalattu ayaṉoṭu
- with Brahma of the honeyed lotus
- vāṉiṭai mutu nīrk kaṅkaiyiṉ
- of the Ganga, whose ancient waters come from the sky
Periya Tirumozhi 1.4.3 · verse 980 of the four thousand
Meaning
Long ago the victorious King did fierce deeds that brought ruin to Lanka, to the sea, to the lord of great riches with his matchless strength, and to the clans of the rakshasas. He dwells in Vadari Ashram on the bank of the Ganga, with its gem-clear waters that bring victory, which grazes the mountain round which the bright sun turns and spreads in the sky above like a white silk banner.
Word by word
- ilaṅkaiyum kaṭalum
- Lanka and the sea
- iru nitikku iṟaivaṉum
- the lord of great riches
- arakkar kulaṅkaḷum keṭa
- so that the rakshasa clans were ruined
- koṟṟavaṉ
- the victorious King
- koḻuñ cuṭar cuḻaṉṟa vilaṅkalil
- on the mountain round which the bright sun turns
- veṇ tukil koṭi eṉa virintu
- spreading like a white silk banner
- valam taru maṇi nīrk kaṅkaiyiṉ
- the Ganga of gem-clear waters that brings victory
Periya Tirumozhi 1.4.4 · verse 981 of the four thousand
Meaning
O mind, now I will tell you what is certain. Our Lord, the One of great grace, ends the sickness of birth for devotees who worship Him and rise, and grants them the vast heaven of the immortals. He dwells in Vadari Ashram on the bank of the Ganga, which sweeps along the garments and necklaces of the celestial maidens with flower-decked hair, and comes down washing up gems in its lovely waters.
Word by word
- tuṇivu iṉi uṉakkuc colluvaṉ
- now I will tell you what is certain
- toḻutu eḻu toṇṭarkaḷ
- devotees who worship and rise
- piṇi oḻittu
- ending the sickness of birth
- pēr aruḷāḷaṉ
- the One of great grace
- arampaiyar tukilum āramum
- the garments and necklaces of celestial maidens
- maṇi koḻittu iḻinta
- coming down washing up gems
Periya Tirumozhi 1.4.5 · verse 982 of the four thousand
Meaning
The demoness came as if to carry Him on her hip, and He sucked her great breast; afterwards His own mother grew faint with fear, saying, "I am afraid to hold Him on my hip": so my Master grew up. He dwells in Vadari Ashram on the bank of the Ganga, which falls from the mouth of the peak of the shining mountain of red gold that holds up the very crown of the universe.
Word by word
- pēy iṭaikku iruntu vanta
- the demoness who came as if to carry Him on her hip
- peru mulai cuvaittiṭa
- as He sucked her great breast
- peṟṟa tāy
- His own mother, Yashoda
- iṭaikku iruttal añcuvaṉ
- I am afraid to hold Him on my hip
- cempoṉ cey vilaṅkalil
- the mountain of red gold
- vāy mukaṭṭu iḻinta
- falling from the mouth of the peak
Periya Tirumozhi 1.4.6 · verse 983 of the four thousand
Meaning
For the girl with lovely hips and fish-like eyes He did a fierce deed and subdued the seven humped bulls that troubled the earth: our Lord, the colour of the cool cloud. He dwells in Vadari Ashram on the bank of the Ganga, which an elephant brought down for a purpose, goring the dark mountain with its lake of fierce waters until it split open.
Word by word
- ceḻuṅ kayal kaṇṇi
- the girl with fish-like eyes, Nappinnai
- oru maṟat toḻil purintu
- doing a fierce deed
- imil ēṟu ēḻum muṉ aṭartta
- who subdued the seven humped bulls
- paṉi mukil vaṇṇaṉ
- the Lord the colour of the cool cloud
- karu varai piḷavu eḻak kutti
- goring the dark mountain till it split
- vāraṇam koṇarnta
- brought down by an elephant
Periya Tirumozhi 1.4.7 · verse 984 of the four thousand
Meaning
To Indra He graciously gave the elephant of fierce strength, the nectar from the ocean, heaven itself and kingship over the gods, and He graciously gives to us as well: my Father, my Master, my Lord. He dwells in Vadari Ashram on the bank of the Ganga, which comes down from Mandara and flows forth in a thousand streams, so that the gods of the sky may worship His twin feet.
Word by word
- vem tiṟal kaḷiṟum
- the elephant of fierce strength, Airavata
- vēlaivāy amutum
- the nectar from the ocean
- viṇṇavarkku aracum
- kingship over the gods
- emakkum īntaruḷum
- who graciously gives to us as well
- āyiram mukattiṉāl aruḷi
- flowing forth in a thousand streams
- mantarattu iḻinta
- coming down from Mount Mandara
Periya Tirumozhi 1.4.8 · verse 985 of the four thousand
Meaning
The King who once bent His striped bow in anger at the deer; who, in wrath at the mighty golden-hued demon, pressed the tips of His nails into him and split his body in two; who took away the fierce curse that Brahma in anger had laid on Shiva: He dwells in Vadari Ashram on the bank of the Ganga, brought down by the great sage who rose high through his penance.
Word by word
- māṉ muṉintu
- in anger at the deer
- vari cilai vaḷaitta maṉṉavaṉ
- the King who bent His striped bow
- poṉ niṟattu uravōṉ
- the mighty golden-hued one, Hiranya
- ukir nuti maṭuttu
- pressing in the tips of His nails
- ayaṉ araṉait
- Brahma, on Shiva
- cāpam tavirttavaṉ
- who took away the curse
- mā muṉi koṇarnta
- brought down by the great sage
Periya Tirumozhi 1.4.9 · verse 986 of the four thousand
Meaning
His great belly swallowed the clouds and winds, the great mountains, the roaring sea with its gathered waters, and the whole world together; He became the heavens full of bright lights, and the ages too. He dwells in Vadari Ashram on the bank of the Ganga, whose crowding, gem-bright waters long ago cut through the universe, fell from the sky and swelled there till the Earth herself was shaken.
Word by word
- koṇṭal mārutaṅkaḷ
- clouds and winds
- kula varai
- the great mountains
- uṇṭa mā vayiṟṟōṉ
- whose great belly swallowed them
- umparum ūḻiyum āṉāṉ
- who became the heavens and the ages
- aṇṭam ūṭu aṟuttu
- cutting through the universe
- avaṉiyāḷ alamara
- so that the Earth-goddess was shaken
Periya Tirumozhi 1.4.10 · verse 987 of the four thousand
Meaning
Thinking of the Lord, the colour of the dark sea, who dwells in Vadari Ashram on the bank of the Ganga with its oncoming waves and gem-clear waters, Kaliyan, Thirumangai Alwar, sang this song aloud. Those who master these ten verses, five and five, which grant every boon, will join the world of the gods, rule this world girt by the great sea beneath a white parasol, and become immortals themselves.
Word by word
- varum tirai maṇi nīrk kaṅkaiyiṉ
- the Ganga with oncoming waves and gem-clear waters
- karuṅ kaṭal munnīr vaṇṇaṉai
- the Lord the colour of the dark sea
- kaliyaṉ vāy oliceyta paṉuval
- the song Kaliyan sang aloud
- varamceyta aintum aintum
- these five and five that grant boons
- veṇ kuṭaik kīḻ
- beneath a white royal parasol
- imaiyavar ākuvar
- will become immortals
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.