Periya Tirumozhi 10.3.1 · verse 1868 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The surviving rakshasas dance before the monkey army, pleading for their lives.) We praise the holy name of Rama till our tongues grow callused. Salutations, noble Sugriva, we bow to you! Say a word, so that your monkeys do not kill us. Like dancers in a troupe, we dance: Kuzhamani dooram!
Word by word
- nāt taḻumpa
- till our tongues grow callused
- irāmaṉ tirunāmam
- the holy name of Rama
- cōttam
- salutations, a cry of homage
- cukkirīvā
- O Sugriva, king of the monkeys
- kūttar pōla
- like dancers
- kuḻamaṇitūramē
- Kuzhamani dooram, the name of their dance
Periya Tirumozhi 10.3.2 · verse 1869 of the four thousand
Meaning
Indrajit never cried out, "My Lord, You who rule me!"; he fell to the mouth of the arrow, could not bear it, and was destroyed. O noble Hanuman, Sugriva, Angada, Nala! Kumbhakarna too has fallen and is gone. Kuzhamani dooram!
Word by word
- eṉṉai āḷvāy
- You who rule me
- alaṟṟātē
- without crying out
- ampiṉ vāyppaṭṭu
- falling to the arrow's mouth
- intiracittu
- Indrajit, Ravana's son
- aṅkataṉē naḷaṉē
- O Angada, O Nala, monkey chiefs
- kumpakarṇaṉ
- Kumbhakarna, Ravana's giant brother
Periya Tirumozhi 10.3.3 · verse 1870 of the four thousand
Meaning
We saw how your King, who rules the earth, came as Death to our Ravana, and we are afraid. Crying "Long live Nila, dark as a rain cloud! Long live Sushena! Long live Angada!", we dance in festive show: Kuzhamani dooram!
Word by word
- ñālam āḷum uṅkaḷ kōmāṉ
- your King who rules the earth
- kālaṉ āki vantavā
- how He came as Death
- karu mukilpōl nīlaṉ
- Nila, dark as a rain cloud
- cuṭēṇaṉ
- Sushena, a monkey chief
- kōlam āka
- in festive show
Periya Tirumozhi 10.3.4 · verse 1871 of the four thousand
Meaning
That base man's mind was bent on the love of women with long, fragrant tresses. With His striped bow the Guardian King plied His arrows till he perished and the hordes of ghouls could feast. We sing the virtues of that Guardian's younger brother, and we dance: Kuzhamani dooram!
Word by word
- maṇaṅkaḷ nāṟum vār kuḻalār
- women with long, fragrant tresses
- puṉmaiyāḷaṉ
- the base man, Ravana
- vari cilaiyāl
- with the striped bow
- kaṇaṅkaḷ uṇṇa
- so that the hordes could feast
- kāvalaṉukku iḷaiyōṉ
- the Guardian's younger brother, Lakshmana
Periya Tirumozhi 10.3.5 · verse 1872 of the four thousand
Meaning
We have handed you the victory; we do not ask for our honour. Today, as your gift to us, give us our lives, O servants of our Lord! Stand and watch till your eyes are full; do not kill us. Big as hills, we dance: Kuzhamani dooram!
Word by word
- veṉṟi tantōm
- we have handed you the victory
- māṉam vēṇṭōm
- we do not ask for our honour
- eṅkaḷ vāḻnāḷ
- our lives
- em perumāṉ-tamarkāḷ
- O servants of our Lord
- kaṇkaḷ āra
- till your eyes are full
- kuṉṟu pōla
- like hills
Periya Tirumozhi 10.3.6 · verse 1873 of the four thousand
Meaning
Your King changed the ocean with stones, came across, passed the guards and brought torment on Lanka. We could not win against Him on the battlefield, and see, we are afraid. O son of the blazing sun, there is no need to kill us; we are dancing: Kuzhamani dooram!
Word by word
- kalliṉ munnīr māṟṟi
- changing the ocean with stones, building the bridge
- kāval kaṭantu
- passing the guards
- allal ceytāṉ
- brought torment
- amarkkaḷattu
- on the battlefield
- vem katirōṉ ciṟuvā
- O son of the blazing sun, Sugriva
Periya Tirumozhi 10.3.7 · verse 1874 of the four thousand
Meaning
This is all there is to say: come, all you rakshasas who are left! If you want the anger against you to end, speak no word of your valour. Cry "Long live Hanuman, full of strength and of ancient birth!", and dance where these warriors, fierce as Death, can see you: Kuzhamani dooram!
Word by word
- māṟṟam āvatu ittaṉaiyē
- this is all there is to say
- cīṟṟam nummēl tīra
- for the anger against you to end
- cēvakam pēcātē
- speak no word of your valour
- āṟṟal cāṉṟa
- full of strength
- kūṟṟam aṉṉār
- those who are like Death
Periya Tirumozhi 10.3.8 · verse 1875 of the four thousand
Meaning
He conquered all the rakshasas, with their elephants fed on rice-balls, their leaping horses and their chariots, till they wilted. So that His people do not kill you, dance where the son of the guardian of Ayodhya, tall with white mansions, He who has the colour of the blue lily, can see: Kuzhamani dooram!
Word by word
- kavaḷa yāṉai
- elephants fed on balls of rice
- pāy puravi
- leaping horses
- veṉṟiyāḷaṉ
- the Victor
- tavaḷa māṭam nīṭu ayōtti
- Ayodhya, tall with white mansions
- kuvaḷai vaṇṇaṉ
- He who has the colour of the blue lily
Periya Tirumozhi 10.3.9 · verse 1876 of the four thousand
Meaning
Our Ravana, who bore a long, leaf-bladed spear, has gone, and we are worn out. To save our lives we have come bearing your King's command upon our heads; do not hunt us down. Crowding together in groups, we dance: Kuzhamani dooram!
Word by word
- nīḷ ilai vēl
- a long, leaf-bladed spear
- nāṅkaḷ eyttōm
- we are worn out
- uyvatu ōr kāraṇattāl
- for the sake of surviving
- cūṭip pōntōm
- we came bearing it on our heads
- toṭarēlmiṉ
- do not pursue us
- kūṭik kūṭi
- crowding together
Periya Tirumozhi 10.3.10 · verse 1877 of the four thousand
Meaning
In the fierce battle of famed southern Lanka long ago, the rakshasas, huge as hills, danced the Kuzhamani dooram and so survived. Kaliyan, Thirumangai Alwar, whose spear in his hand is scorched and stained with the blood of battle, made this garland of song about it. Sing all ten of these verses, and dance!
Word by word
- veṉṟa tol cīrt teṉ ilaṅkai
- famed southern Lanka, once victorious
- vem camattu
- in the fierce battle
- kuṉṟam aṉṉār
- those huge as hills
- āṭi uynta
- danced and survived
- kaliyaṉ olimālai
- Kaliyan's garland of song
- oṉṟum oṉṟum aintum mūṉṟum
- one and one and five and three: all ten
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.