Periya Tirumozhi 1.6.1 · verse 998 of the four thousand
Meaning
I cherished nothing but the pleasures of women with smiles bright as moonlight, small foreheads, broad shoulders and lovely breasts. Then, seeing it as wrong, I, a foolish man with no means to cut away the sickness of birth, sat and thought; and thinking of my ways with young women, I was ashamed. I have come and reached Your holy feet, my Father in Naimisaranyam!
Word by word
- vāḷ nilā muṟuval
- smiles bright as moonlight
- pēṇiṉēṉ
- I cherished
- piḻai eṉak karuti
- seeing it as wrong
- piṟavi nōy aṟuppāṉ
- to cut away the sickness of birth
- nāṇiṉēṉ
- I was ashamed
- uṉ tiruvaṭi aṭaintēṉ
- I have reached Your holy feet
- naimicāraṇiyattuḷ entāy
- my Father in Naimisaranyam
Periya Tirumozhi 1.6.2 · verse 999 of the four thousand
Meaning
Taken up with women with anklets on their feet, lovely forms and long dark eyes, I forgot all that is right, sank into the senses, swelled my pleasures, and wasted my time for nothing. O cowherd with the broad, strong hands, O wondrous one, King of the gods: I have reached Your holy feet, which the gods worship, longing for their good, my Father in Naimisaranyam!
Word by word
- cilampu aṭi
- anklets on their feet
- karu neṭuṅ kaṇṇār
- women with long dark eyes
- aṟattaiyē maṟantu
- forgetting what is right
- pulaṉ paṭintu
- sinking into the senses
- pōkkiṉēṉ poḻutiṉai vāḷā
- I wasted my time for nothing
- vāṉavarkku aracaṉē
- O King of the gods
- nalam purintu iṟaiñcum
- which they worship, seeking good
Periya Tirumozhi 1.6.3 · verse 1000 of the four thousand
Meaning
Heaping up trickery, daring to steal, my desire for curly-haired women growing ever greater, I roamed wherever I pleased. Then I, this servant, shrank and trembled at the torments that Yama's servants inflict. O Lord who churned the sea till its white waves tossed: I have come and reached Your holy feet, my Father in Naimisaranyam!
Word by word
- cūtiṉaip perukki
- heaping up trickery
- kaḷaviṉait tuṇintu
- daring to steal
- curi kuḻal maṭantaiyar
- curly-haired women
- namaṉ-tamar ceyyum vētaṉaikku
- the torments Yama's servants inflict
- oṭuṅki naṭuṅkiṉēṉ
- I shrank and trembled
- veṇ tirai alamarak kaṭainta
- who churned it till the white waves tossed
Periya Tirumozhi 1.6.4 · verse 1001 of the four thousand
Meaning
Those who forsake their wives with fragrant hair and set their hopes on the wealth and wives of others, when they die, are seized and beaten by Yama's servants, who tell them, "Sinner, embrace this!", a figure of copper blazing with fire. Afraid of being told that, O Lord I trust, I have come and reached Your holy feet, my Father in Naimisaranyam!
Word by word
- vampu ulām kūntal maṉaiviyait tuṟantu
- forsaking a wife with fragrant hair
- piṟar poruḷ tāram
- others' wealth and wives
- namaṉ-tamar paṟṟi
- Yama's servants seize them
- eri eḻukiṉṟa cempiṉāl iyaṉṟa pāvaiyai
- a copper figure blazing with fire
- pāvī taḻuvu
- sinner, embrace it
- nampaṉē
- O Lord I trust
Periya Tirumozhi 1.6.5 · verse 1002 of the four thousand
Meaning
When people crushed by hardship begged me, "Please give us a mouthful!", I, a base man, turned them away with long speeches, saying, "There is nothing." Alas, I never thought of what my deeds would bring. Afraid of the cruel torture dealt by the servants of harsh-spoken, fearsome Yama, I came trembling and have reached Your holy feet, my Father in Naimisaranyam!
Word by word
- iṭumpaiyāl aṭarppuṇṭu
- crushed by hardship
- iṭumiṉō tuṟṟu
- please give a mouthful
- neṭuñ colāl maṟutta
- refusing with long speeches
- nīcaṉēṉ
- I, a base man
- viṉaip payaṉ taṉṉai
- the fruit of my deeds
- kaṭuñ colār kaṭiyār kālaṉār
- Yama, harsh-spoken and fearsome
- koṭu miṟaikku añci
- afraid of the cruel torture
Periya Tirumozhi 1.6.6 · verse 1003 of the four thousand
Meaning
With a cruel mind I did deeds of anger; I roamed and revelled with packs of dogs, ran and toiled, and killed living creatures. I had no understanding at all. O Supreme One, who lies on the Milk Ocean: seeking You, I have come and reached Your holy feet, my Father in Naimisaranyam!
Word by word
- koṭiya maṉattāl
- with a cruel mind
- nāy iṉattoṭum tiḷaittiṭṭu
- revelling with packs of dogs, hunting
- uyirkaḷē koṉṟēṉ
- I killed living creatures
- uṇarvilēṉ
- I had no understanding
- pāṟkaṭal kiṭantāy
- You who lie on the Milk Ocean
- nāṭi nāṉ vantu
- seeking You, I came
Periya Tirumozhi 1.6.7 · verse 1004 of the four thousand
Meaning
Thinking wrong in my heart, speaking wrong with my mouth, and doing what is not right, I trembled when I heard of the ancient road the dead must travel. O You who struck down the demon in the wood-apple tree! O Lord of the heavens, who never leaves the heart of this deceiver, Your servant! O You who are ever poison to the demons: I have come and reached Your holy feet, my Father in Naimisaranyam!
Word by word
- nīti allātaṉa ceytum
- doing what is not right
- tuñciṉār cellum tol neṟi
- the ancient road the dead must travel
- tuḷaṅkiṉēṉ
- I trembled
- viḷaṅkaṉi muṉintāy
- You who struck down the demon in the wood-apple
- neñciṉil piriyā vāṉavā
- Lord of heaven who never leaves my heart
- tāṉavarkku eṉṟum nañcaṉē
- ever poison to the demons
Periya Tirumozhi 1.6.8 · verse 1005 of the four thousand
Meaning
The mighty ones have been sent against me, told "Torment him!"; how can I live? I have put an end to the cruelty done by the five masters, my senses. O Lord of Thirukkurungudi, the colour of the great deep sea: with many flowers of sweet words full of song, praising Your feet and bowing, I have come with my tongue and reached Your holy feet, my Father in Naimisaranyam!
Word by word
- ēviṉār kaliyār
- the mighty ones have been sent
- eṅṅaṉē vāḻum āṟu
- how can I live?
- aivar kōviṉār
- the five masters, the senses
- koṭumaiyai maṭittēṉ
- I put an end to their cruelty
- kuṟuṅkuṭi neṭuṅ kaṭal vaṇṇā
- O Lord of Thirukkurungudi, colour of the great sea
- pāviṉ ār iṉ col pal malar
- many flowers of sweet words full of song
Periya Tirumozhi 1.6.9 · verse 1006 of the four thousand
Meaning
This hut, with walls of flesh, pillars of bone set up, a thatch of hair and nine doors: when it falls apart, Your feet alone are my refuge, so I have resolved. O King of Lakshmi, seated on the honeyed lotus! O You who lie on the vast, deep, wave-tossed sea! By the good penance granted to me, I have reached Your holy feet, my Father in Naimisaranyam!
Word by word
- ūṉ iṭaic cuvar vaittu
- with walls of flesh
- eṉpu tūṇ nāṭṭi
- pillars of bone set up
- urōmam vēyntu
- thatched with hair
- oṉpatu vācal
- nine doors
- caraṇamē caraṇam
- Your feet alone are my refuge
- kamalat tiruviṉukku aracē
- O King of Lakshmi of the lotus
- nāṉ uṭait tavattāl
- by the penance granted to me
Periya Tirumozhi 1.6.10 · verse 1007 of the four thousand
Meaning
"Let us rise and worship, so that no harm comes near us", says the Lord of the gods, and comes and bows in Naimisaranyam. Kaliyan, Thirumangai Alwar, overflowing with love, kept my Father of that place in his heart and sang this garland aloud. Those who learn it and master it will rule the sea-girt earth beneath a white parasol, and will become heavenly beings too.
Word by word
- ētam vantu aṇukāvaṇṇam
- so that no harm comes near
- imaiyōr nātaṉ
- the Lord of the gods
- cintaiyuḷ vaittu
- keeping in his heart
- kātalē mikutta kaliyaṉ
- Kaliyan, overflowing with love
- ōta nīr vaiyam āṇṭu
- ruling the sea-girt earth
- umparum ākuvar
- will become heavenly beings too
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.