Periya Tirumozhi 11.6

Periya Tirumozhi 11.6.1 · verse 2002 of the four thousand

Meaning

When there was no world, only the dark black sea, the gods and we and everything else lay for a long age inside the holy belly of Him who holds the keen discus. Do you not think of this? What good have they ever done you, that you praise strange gods? Devotees, do not forget the good He has done for you; praise Him, the Lord of the universe.

Word by word

main niṉṟa karuṅ kaṭalvāy

in the dark black sea

cakkarattaṉ tiruvayiṟṟil

in the holy belly of the discus-bearer

neṭuṅ kālam kiṭantatu

lay for a long age

ētilōr teyvattai

strange gods, not your own

ceynnaṉṟi kuṉṟēlmiṉ

do not fail in gratitude for good done

aṇṭaṉaiya ēttīrkaḷē

praise the Lord of the universe

Periya Tirumozhi 11.6.2 · verse 2003 of the four thousand

Meaning

When the restless great flood rose and ran over the high sky, and with His great, mighty hands He gathered in the whole outer universe, does not everyone know what happened then? Is there any god who is not a leftover of what our Lord swallowed and brought out again? Do you not know that the world itself is His grace?

Word by word

nillāta peru veḷḷam

the restless great flood

mal āṇṭa taṭak kaiyāl

with His great, mighty hands

pakiraṇṭam akappaṭutta

gathered in the whole outer universe

uṇṭu umiḻnta eccil tēvar

gods who are leftovers of what He swallowed and brought out

avaṉ aruḷē ulaku āvatu

the world exists by His grace alone

Periya Tirumozhi 11.6.3 · verse 2004 of the four thousand

Meaning

Shiva with the eye on his forehead, four-faced Brahma whose mouth speaks perfect words, the one who rides the white elephant with its long hanging trunk, and all the immortals with them: so that the victorious sea, king of the deluge, should not swallow them, He swallowed them Himself and saved them. How wrong is the way of those petty devotees who do not praise the virtues of the Lord of the victorious discus!

Word by word

neṟṟimēl kaṇṇāṉum

he with an eye on his forehead, Shiva

niṟai moḻi vāy nāṉmukaṉum

four-faced Brahma of perfect speech

veṇ pakaṭṭiṉ oruvaṉaiyum

the rider of the white elephant, Indra

kaṭal araiyaṉ viḻuṅkāmal

so that the king of the sea did not swallow them

tāṉ viḻuṅki uyyakkoṇṭa

swallowed them Himself and saved them

ciṟutoṇṭar koṭiya āṟē

how wrong the way of petty devotees

Periya Tirumozhi 11.6.4 · verse 2005 of the four thousand

Meaning

When the waves of the cold ocean surged and the whole earth became one long sea, He said, "Now these have no refuge," and at the end of the age He gathered up all seven worlds and kept you in His shining holy belly, the Lord of sages, and so saved you. He alone has a form dark as the ripe kalam berry. Will you not learn to worship His feet?

Word by word

paṉip paravait tirai tatumpa

as the waves of the cold ocean surged

kaḷaikaṇ ivarkku illai

these have no refuge

ūḻil vāṅki

gathering them up at the end of the age

muṉit talaivaṉ

the Lord of sages

kaṉik kaḷavat tiru uruvattu

with a form dark as the ripe kalam berry

kaḻal toḻumā kallīrkaḷē

will you not learn to worship His feet?

Periya Tirumozhi 11.6.5 · verse 2006 of the four thousand

Meaning

When no land could be seen and all became the vast, deep sea, every one of you lay a long age within His holy belly. You who lack understanding and never weigh this in your hearts: if you come to understand it, speak the thousands of names of the generous One, King of the gods, who measured the world.

Word by word

pār ārum kāṇāmē

when no land could be seen

paravai mā neṭuṅ kaṭalē

the vast, deep sea

uḷḷattu ōrāta uṇarvilīr

you without understanding, who never weigh this

ulaku aḷanta umpar kōmāṉ

King of the gods who measured the world

pērāḷaṉ

the generous One

pērkaḷ āyiraṅkaḷumē pēcīrkaḷē

speak His thousands of names

Periya Tirumozhi 11.6.6 · verse 2007 of the four thousand

Meaning

When the wild great flood rose and swelled over the vast sky, He kept you in His belly just as a mother carries her child, and saved you. You devotees who go off and celebrate some new god here instead: while the mother who bore you is still there, would you pour warm water over a wooden seat to bathe it? You are heartless, without any decency!

Word by word

pēy irukkum neṭu veḷḷam

the wild great flood

tāy irukkum vaṇṇamē

just as a mother does

vayiṟṟu irutti uyyakkoṇṭāṉ

kept you in His belly and saved you

putut teyvam

some new god

maṇai vennīr āṭṭutirō

would you bathe a wooden seat with warm water?

takavu aṟṟīrē

you without decency

Periya Tirumozhi 11.6.7 · verse 2008 of the four thousand

Meaning

Earth and heaven, gods and demons and everything else: so that the great flood, which nothing could hold, did not swallow them, He swallowed them Himself and saved them. He is the Gracious One, Lord of the city of Thirukkannamangai. I wear His feet on my head, and every moment I do not think of the people who never think of Him in their hearts is sweet to me.

Word by word

maṇ nāṭum viṇ nāṭum

earth and heaven

vāṉavarum tāṉavarum

gods and demons

kaṇṇāḷaṉ

the Gracious One

kaṇṇamaṅkai nakarāḷaṉ

Lord of the city of Thirukkannamangai

kaḻal cūṭi

wearing His feet on my head

eṇṇāta māṉiṭattai

people who never think of Him

iṉiya āṟē

how sweet it is

Periya Tirumozhi 11.6.8 · verse 2009 of the four thousand

Meaning

When the fierce black waters of the sea drove forward with force, spread and rose beyond the bounds of the universe and swelled outside it, at the end of the age He gathered up all seven golden worlds and kept you inside His holy belly, which upholds what is right, and so saved you. Those who do not think of Him, that tall, noble One of dark radiance, glowing with colour, are truly the lowly ones.

Word by word

maṟam kiḷarnta karuṅ kaṭal nīr

the fierce black waters of the sea

aṇṭattu appāl

beyond the bounds of the universe

ūḻil vāṅki

gathering them up at the end of the age

aṟam kiḷanta tiru vayiṟṟiṉ

the holy belly that upholds what is right

ummai uyyakkoṇṭa

who saved you

karuñ cōti neṭuntakaiyai

the tall, noble One of dark radiance

niṉaiyātār nīcartāmē

those who do not think of Him are the lowly

The word-separated edition leaves out the last line; it is given from the Project Madurai edition by K. Kalyanasundaram, as printed there.

Periya Tirumozhi 11.6.9 · verse 2010 of the four thousand

Meaning

As the dome of the universe was pressed down and the waves of the ocean surged, He cried "Ah! Ah!" in pity, and in His grace to devotees, sages and immortals He swallowed all seven worlds and kept you inside His holy belly, which held them just right, and so saved you. He is the sapphire-hued Lord whose hands give like rain clouds. Sing of His cool city of Thirukkudanthai, and dance!

Word by word

aṇṭattiṉ mukaṭu aḻunta

as the dome of the universe was pressed down

āā eṉṟu

crying Ah! Ah! in pity

ulakam ēḻum uṇṭu

swallowing all seven worlds

koṇṭal kai

hands generous as rain clouds

maṇi vaṇṇaṉ

the sapphire-hued Lord

kuṭantai nakar pāṭi āṭīrkaḷē

sing of Thirukkudanthai city and dance

Periya Tirumozhi 11.6.10 · verse 2011 of the four thousand

Meaning

Gods and demons, the directions and the seas, and all the rest, every being without exception: our Lord swallowed them and brought them out again. Knowing this, Kalikanri, Thirumangai Alwar, of Mangai with its flourishing groves, made this resounding garland. Those who learn it and master it will receive the grace of Lakshmi, who dwells on the flower, and will shine in the golden world above.

Word by word

tēvaraiyum acuraraiyum

gods and demons

yāvaraiyum oḻiyāmē

every being without exception

uṇṭu umiḻntatu

swallowed and brought out again

maṅkaik kalikaṉṟi

Kalikanri of Mangai, Thirumangai Alwar

oli mālai

resounding garland of verse

pū vaḷarum tirumakaḷāl

by Lakshmi who dwells on the flower

poṉṉulakil polivar

will shine in the golden world

The word-separated edition leaves out the last line; it is given from the Project Madurai edition by K. Kalyanasundaram, as printed there.