Periya Tirumozhi 1.8.1 · verse 1018 of the four thousand
Meaning
He is the Cowherd, our Lord, who broke the kurundam tree heavy with fragrant blossom; the lotus-eyed One who sleeps on the wide ocean where conches lie; the Ancient One who tore apart the beak of the swollen bird-demon. His place is Thiruvenkatam, with its pools of brimming water where red carp leap and play. Reach it, my heart!
Word by word
- malark kuruntam ocitta
- who broke the flowering kurundam tree
- kōvalaṉ
- the Cowherd, Krishna
- tāmaraik kaṇṇiṉaṉ
- the lotus-eyed One
- puḷḷiṉai vāy piḷanta
- who split the beak of the bird-demon Baka
- purāṇar
- the Ancient One
- ceṅ kayal tiḷaikkum cuṉai
- pools where red carp play
- aṭai neñcamē
- reach it, O my heart
Periya Tirumozhi 1.8.2 · verse 1019 of the four thousand
Meaning
His bed is the Ocean of Milk, and Srirangam. As a baby He drank the life of the strong demoness from her breast while she wailed; He is our Father and Lord. His place, where His glory swells, is the hill of Thiruvenkatam, where the clear-minded worship Him every day, thinking of Him as the White One, the Dark One, the One of sapphire hue. Reach it, my heart!
Word by word
- paḷḷi āvatu pāṟkaṭal
- His bed is the Ocean of Milk
- araṅ kam
- Srirangam
- vaṉ pēy mulai
- the breast of the cruel demoness Putana
- veḷḷiyāṉ kariyāṉ
- the White One, the Dark One
- maṇi niṟa vaṇṇaṉ
- the One of sapphire hue
- teḷḷiyār
- the clear-minded wise ones
Periya Tirumozhi 1.8.3 · verse 1020 of the four thousand
Meaning
The Spotless One, the bearer of the discus, walked between the two great standing marudu trees so that they broke and fell. He is our Lord, whose pair of lotus feet the gods worship with folded hands forever. When the rain poured down in fury, He went quickly and lifted the hill to end the cows' distress. His is Thiruvenkatam. Reach it, my heart!
Word by word
- mā marutu iṟṟu vīḻa
- the great marudu trees breaking and falling
- niṉmalaṉ
- the Spotless One
- nēmiyāṉ
- bearer of the discus
- iṇait tāmarai aṭi
- pair of lotus feet
- kaṉṟi māri
- rain pouring in fury
- kuṉṟam eṭuttavaṉ
- who lifted the hill, Govardhana
Periya Tirumozhi 1.8.4 · verse 1021 of the four thousand
Meaning
For Arjuna, He once took up the Bharata war and won it: He is the Supreme Light. He is our Cowherd, who linked hands in the kuravai dance in the cowherds' village. He lives in the hearts of those who praise Him, and He is our Lord who dwells in Thiruvidaventhai. His is Thiruvenkatam, ringed by groves and holy pools. Reach it, my heart!
Word by word
- pārttaṟku
- for Partha, Arjuna
- pāratam kaicey tiṭṭu
- taking up the Bharata war
- parañcuṭar
- the Supreme Light
- kuravai piṇainta
- linked hands in the kuravai circle dance
- ēttuvār-tam maṉattu uḷḷāṉ
- who dwells in the hearts of those who praise Him
- tīrtta nīrt taṭam
- holy pools
Periya Tirumozhi 1.8.5 · verse 1022 of the four thousand
Meaning
The generous-handed One went as a young brahmachari to the sacrifice of the asuras' king and begged for land with His own hand. He is the mighty One who pierced the seven sal trees with one arrow. He is the eight-armed One, He is in the Himalaya, He is our Lord abiding in Thirumaliruncholai, and He ended the great sorrow of the strong-trunked elephant. His is Thiruvenkatam. Reach it, my heart!
Word by word
- avuṇarkku nāyakaṉ
- the king of the asuras, Mahabali
- māṇiyāy
- as a young brahmachari, Vamana
- marāmaram ēḻum eyta
- who pierced the seven sal trees
- eṇ kaiyāṉ
- the eight-armed One
- imayattu uḷḷāṉ
- who dwells in the Himalaya
- iruñcōlai
- Thirumaliruncholai
- tiṇ kai mā tuyar tīrttavaṉ
- who ended the sorrow of the strong-trunked elephant, Gajendra
Periya Tirumozhi 1.8.6 · verse 1023 of the four thousand
Meaning
He gathered the eight directions and the seven worlds, placed them in His golden belly, and long ago lay on a single banyan leaf. He removed the affliction of the white moon. Becoming a mighty lion with bright teeth, He set His claws into the chest of the asura of shining strength. His is Thiruvenkatam. Reach it, my heart!
Word by word
- eṇ ticaikaḷum ēḻ ulakamum
- the eight directions and the seven worlds
- poṉ vayiṟṟil peytu
- placing them in His golden belly
- āl ilaip paḷḷi
- resting on a banyan leaf
- pāl matikku iṭar tīrttavaṉ
- who ended the white moon's affliction
- urattu ukir vaittavaṉ
- who set His claws in the chest
- tiṇ tiṟal ariyāyavaṉ
- who became a lion of firm strength
Periya Tirumozhi 1.8.7 · verse 1024 of the four thousand
Meaning
He became earth and water, fire and wind and space. He is the Unborn One, who stands to be praised by a thousand names. His place, where His glory grows, is beautiful Thiruvenkatam, ringed by long groves, where great dark clouds, heavy with cold dew, sink down from the wide sky and touch the hill. Reach it, my heart!
Word by word
- pārum nīr eri kāṟṟiṉōṭu ākācamum
- earth, water, fire, wind and space
- pērum āyiram
- a thousand names
- piṟappili
- the Unborn One
- vār paṉi
- heavy, dripping dew
- mā mukil tōytara
- great clouds touching it
- vār poḻil
- long, spreading groves
Periya Tirumozhi 1.8.8 · verse 1025 of the four thousand
Meaning
He is the King of the gods, who stands as sky, fire, wind, earth and water. He is the husband of the gentle Lady who dwells on the fragrant flower. His is Thiruvenkatam, where young hill-girls, with waists slender as a creeper, keep watch over the red millet fields from every tall raised platform. Reach it, my heart!
Word by word
- amparam aṉal kāl nilam calam
- sky, fire, wind, earth and water
- amarar-kōṉ
- King of the gods
- malarmēl mali maṭa maṅkai-taṉ koḻunaṉ
- husband of the Lady on the flower, Lakshmi
- kompiṉ aṉṉa iṭai
- waists like a slender creeper
- kuṟa mātar
- girls of the hill-folk
- itaṇamtoṟum
- from every raised watch-platform
- cem puṉam
- red millet fields
Periya Tirumozhi 1.8.9 · verse 1026 of the four thousand
Meaning
Those who say His sweet holy name of eight syllables, and keep on saying it again and again, He takes up to Himself, saves, and frees from birth. The place of that Lord is the hill of Thiruvenkatam, ringed by long groves fragrant with great flowers, shining as the very radiance of all the worlds. Reach it, my heart!
Word by word
- iṉ tirunāmam eṭṭu eḻuttum
- the sweet holy name of eight syllables, the Ashtakshara
- uyya vāṅki
- taking them up to be saved
- piṟappu aṟukkum pirāṉ
- the Lord who ends their births
- vāca mā malar
- great fragrant flowers
- tēcamāyt tikaḻum
- shining as a radiance
Periya Tirumozhi 1.8.10 · verse 1027 of the four thousand
Meaning
Kalikanri, Thirumangai Alwar, chief of the people of Mangai, made these garlands of fine, rich Tamil words on the gracious Lord who dwells at Thiruvenkatam with its pools where red carp play. Those who can hold them without doubt and recite them, taking them as their refuge, will become rulers of the earth girt by the great ship-bearing sea, and then rule the world of heaven.
Word by word
- uṟai celvaṉai
- the gracious, glorious Lord who dwells there
- maṅkaiyar talaivaṉ
- chief of the people of Mangai
- kalikaṉṟi
- Kalikanri, a name of Thirumangai Alwar
- caṅkai iṉṟit tarittu
- holding them without doubt
- tañcamatākavē
- as their refuge
- vaṅka mā kaṭal
- the great sea that bears ships
- vāṉ-ulaku āḷvarē
- will rule the world of heaven
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.