Periya Tirumozhi 10.7.1 · verse 1908 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The cowherd women come to Yashoda with complaints about Krishna; she answers.) "Your cowherd clan has its honour, so You must not do shameful things to other people's daughters," I plead with Him; I cannot bring myself to scold. I have said nothing harsh, and Nanda has given Him no order. Ladies, what can I do? It seems He is in the eastern house, churning curd with some young girl!
Word by word
- māṉam uṭaittu
- has its honour
- ūṉam uṭaiyaṉa
- shameful things
- irappaṉ urappakillēṉ
- I plead, I cannot scold
- nantaṉ paṇittilaṉ
- Nanda has given no order
- naṅkaikāḷ
- O ladies
- kīḻai akattut
- in the eastern house
Periya Tirumozhi 10.7.2 · verse 1909 of the four thousand
Meaning
I rose at dawn and went off to sell this buttermilk I had churned, and I watched as I went. No one came in but Nanda's son, with his fragrant curls and his garland. Lady of the western house, come and see! Not only the butter: ten whole pots of the milk that stood there, I cannot find. Wretched me, what shall I do? What shall I do?
Word by word
- kaṭainta im mōr
- this buttermilk I churned
- mālai naṟuṅ kuñci
- fragrant curls with a garland
- nantaṉ makaṉ
- Nanda's son
- mēlai akattu naṅkāy
- lady of the western house
- patiṉ kuṭam
- ten pots
- pāviyēṉ
- wretched me
Periya Tirumozhi 10.7.3 · verse 1910 of the four thousand
Meaning
Ladies, the little one with the sweet, clear mouth scooped up and swallowed the butter that filled the pot in the hanging rope-sling, piled like a silver mountain. Now the thief lies sleeping; come and see, his hands all covered in ghee! That belly is no child's measure; it can hold all these seven worlds. Foolish me, what shall I do?
Word by word
- teḷḷiya vāyc ciṟiyāṉ
- the little one with the clear, sweet mouth
- uṟimēlait taṭā
- the pot in the hanging rope-sling
- veḷḷi malai
- a silver mountain
- kaḷvaṉ uṟaṅkukiṉṟāṉ
- the thief lies sleeping
- piḷḷai param aṉṟu
- no child's measure
- pētaiyēṉ
- foolish me
Periya Tirumozhi 10.7.4 · verse 1911 of the four thousand
Meaning
The good lady with dark, kohl-lined spear eyes first bore his elder brother, with a fine, noble body the colour of a white conch; he too grew up here, and he never did such things. But this false lad, this trickster, this bundle of thieving, comes crawling into every room! While this lad is the lad of our hamlet, there is no escape for the cowherd women. What shall I do? What shall I do?
Word by word
- mainnampu vēl kaṇ nallāḷ
- the good lady with kohl-lined spear eyes, Rohini
- vaḷai vaṇṇa
- the colour of a white conch
- taṉ nampi nampiyum
- his elder brother, Balarama
- poyn nampi
- the false lad
- puḷḷuvaṉ
- the trickster
- kaḷvam poti aṟai
- a bundle of thieving
Periya Tirumozhi 10.7.5 · verse 1912 of the four thousand
Meaning
Her father had not come home, I was not here, and none of her friends were with her. My girl with fragrant flowers in her hair was playing all alone; he crept up to the place, snatched her ball, grabbed her dress and tore it. The rogue plays his roguish tricks! What are we to do here with Nanda's child? Lady, what shall I do? What shall I do?
Word by word
- tōḻimār ārum illai
- none of her friends were there
- canta malark kuḻalāḷ
- the girl with fragrant flowers in her hair
- pantu paṟittu
- snatching her ball
- tukil paṟṟik kīṟi
- grabbing her dress and tearing it
- paṭiṟaṉ paṭiṟuceyyum
- the rogue plays his tricks
- nantaṉ matalaikku
- with Nanda's child
Periya Tirumozhi 10.7.6 · verse 1913 of the four thousand
Meaning
The Husband of the Earth, Lord of the Lady of the lotus, the child born to Nanda: that noble One came to our hamlet in the night, playing on a leaf flute. Ever since, my daughter's flower eyes droop, her breasts heave, and her red lotus mouth has turned pale. See how my daughter's colour has changed, lady! What shall I do? What shall I do?
Word by word
- maṇmakaḷ kēḷvaṉ
- Husband of the Earth, Bhudevi
- malar maṅkai nāyakaṉ
- Lord of the Lady of the lotus, Lakshmi
- ilaik kuḻal ūti
- playing on a leaf flute
- allil-tāṉ
- in the night
- kamalac cevvāy veḷuppa
- her red lotus mouth turning pale
- eṉ makaḷ vaṇṇam
- my daughter's colour
Periya Tirumozhi 10.7.7 · verse 1914 of the four thousand
Meaning
That day the cowherds held a festival for thousand-eyed Indra and brought in carts of fine food, piled high. Lady, today your son went off there, took on a giant ghostly form, and that wondrous One scooped up all of it, gathered it in and ate it, it seems!
Word by word
- āyiram kaṇ uṭai intiraṉārukku
- for thousand-eyed Indra
- āyar viḻavu
- the cowherds' festival
- pācaṉam
- food, offerings
- paṇṭikaḷāl
- in carts
- pūta vaṭivukoṇṭu
- taking on a giant ghostly form
- māyaṉ
- the wondrous One
Periya Tirumozhi 10.7.8 · verse 1915 of the four thousand
Meaning
(Yashoda answers.) The cowherd women gathered and cried out that he gulps down a whole pot each of set curd, fragrant ghee and milk. Ashamed at this, lady, I plead with him, "Hail, my master, You must not do such things"; I cannot bring myself to scold. Ever since he drank the demoness's breast, I am afraid even to speak of this child.
Word by word
- tōytta tayirum
- set curd
- tuṟṟiṭum
- gulps down
- eḷki
- feeling ashamed
- cōttam pirāṉ
- hail, my master, said in pleading
- pēycci mulai uṇṭa
- who drank the demoness's breast
- pēcuvatu añcuvaṉē
- I am afraid even to speak
Periya Tirumozhi 10.7.9 · verse 1916 of the four thousand
Meaning
This lad has great might and strength. In the seventh month after he was born, I laid him down, wearing his garland of open petals, and went to bathe in the Yamuna. He who rests on Adisesha, with the holy mark of Sri on His chest, lay there and with His holy foot struck down the cart that came rolling at Him like a mountain. Since then I am afraid to scold Him.
Word by word
- īṭum valiyum
- might and strength
- eḻu tiṅkaḷil
- in the seventh month
- ēṭu alar kaṇṇiyiṉāṉai
- him wearing a garland of open petals
- cēṭaṉ
- Adisesha, His serpent bed
- tiru maṟu mārvaṉ
- He with the holy mark of Sri on His chest
- ōṭum cakaṭattaic cāṭiya
- who struck the rolling cart
Periya Tirumozhi 10.7.10 · verse 1917 of the four thousand
Meaning
Ladies, I am afraid even to call Him and speak to Him. These children with feet soft as cotton eat up a thousand measures of ghee and do not leave a share. Kamsa is harsh, and after eight days of milking I have nothing at all in hand. O noble One, You have done things that weigh on my heart! What shall I do? What shall I do?
Word by word
- āyiram nāḻi neyyai
- a thousand measures of ghee
- pañciya mel aṭi
- feet soft as cotton
- pākam-tāṉ vaiyārkaḷē
- they do not leave a share
- kañcaṉ kaṭiyaṉ
- Kamsa is harsh
- kaivalattu ātum illai
- I have nothing at all in hand
- neñcattu iruppaṉa
- things that weigh on the heart
Periya Tirumozhi 10.7.11 · verse 1918 of the four thousand
Meaning
Should anyone play such tricks on the young cowherd girls, noble One? They were bathing, plunging in the lotus pond. You went up behind them and hid, scooped up their fine clothes, and while the girls with waists slender as a serpent begged, You sat up in a tree and called, "Good ladies, come and take them!" So it seems.
Word by word
- āyar maṭa makkaḷai
- the young cowherd girls
- paṅkaya nīr
- the lotus pond
- pūn tukil vārikkoṇṭiṭṭu
- scooping up their fine clothes
- aravu ēr iṭaiyār
- girls with waists slender as a serpent
- maram ēṟi iruntāy
- You sat up in a tree
Periya Tirumozhi 10.7.12 · verse 1919 of the four thousand
Meaning
This child has not a grain of fear. Of all his valour and daring he has said nothing to me, who raised him, kissing the crown of his head. It seems that today You went off, climbed the kadamba tree with its green leaves and blossoms, leapt with force and plunged into the pool of poisonous fire, fought with the thousand-mouthed serpent, and came back!
Word by word
- accam tiṉaittaṉai illai
- not a grain of fear
- āṇmaiyum cēvakamum
- valour and daring
- ucciyil mutti
- kissing the crown of his head
- pūṅ kaṭampu
- the flowering kadamba tree
- naccu aḻal poykaiyil
- into the pool of poisonous fire
- āyira vāy
- thousand-mouthed, the serpent Kaliya
Periya Tirumozhi 10.7.13 · verse 1920 of the four thousand
Meaning
Does anyone go out alone and do deeds of valour beyond their strength? My Lord, mine is the womb that bore You; what can I do now? It seems You fought with the great bull of the fragrant forest, whose thundering roar shakes all seven skies and whose red eyes blaze with fire, and came back!
Word by word
- tamparam allaṉa āṇmaikaḷait
- deeds of valour beyond one's strength
- uṉṉaip peṟṟa vayiṟu uṭaiyēṉ
- mine is the womb that bore You
- amparam ēḻum atirum
- that shakes all seven skies
- aṉal ceṅ kaṇ
- red eyes blazing with fire
- vampu aviḻ kāṉattu
- of the fragrant, blossoming forest
- māl viṭaiyōṭu
- with the great bull
Periya Tirumozhi 10.7.14 · verse 1921 of the four thousand
Meaning
The young cowherd mother with the gait of a swan beat her belly in fear, when the mighty One took the precious life of the black elephant, firm as an unclimbable mountain. Of Him, Kalikanri, Thirumangai Alwar, of lovely fame, guardian of Mangai with its great, never-breached walls ringed by the sea, sang these fourteen sweet garlands of song. Those who master them will have no trouble at all.
Word by word
- aṉṉa naṭai maṭa āycci
- the young cowherd mother with a swan's gait
- vayiṟu aṭittu
- beating her belly in fear
- karuṅ kaḷiṟṟu
- the black elephant, Kuvalayapida
- kaṉṉi nal mā matiḷ
- great, never-breached walls
- maṅkaiyar kāvalaṉ
- guardian of Mangai
- īr ēḻum
- all fourteen
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.