Periya Tirumozhi 2.1.1 · verse 1048 of the four thousand
Meaning
My Father dwells, content, in the minds of those of great penance. He became the Brahmin, the glorious little dwarf, and He abides at lofty Venkatam, where the smoke rises from the dark agil wood the forest folk burn. O my heart, gladly, with joy like that in the minds of the gods, today you have taken up service to Him.
Word by word
- vāṉavar-taṅkaḷ cintai pōla
- like the minds of the gods
- iṉitu uvantu
- gladly rejoicing
- mā tava māṉavar
- men of great penance
- kāṉavar iṭu kār akil-pukai
- smoke of dark agil wood burnt by forest folk
- māṇ kuṟaḷ āṉa antaṇaṟku
- to the Brahmin who became the glorious dwarf, Vamana
- aṭimait toḻil pūṇṭāyē
- you have taken up the work of service
Periya Tirumozhi 2.1.2 · verse 1049 of the four thousand
Meaning
He is the Peerless One, who has no kin or family of His own, and here on earth He destroys the very births of those who delight in Him. Seeing that, you, whom I call my heart, have today taken up service to the righteous Lord of Venkatam, where the bees join the hill-girls in singing the kurinji melody.
Word by word
- uṟavu cuṟṟam eṉṟu oṉṟu ilā oruvaṉ
- the Peerless One who has no kin or family
- ukantavar-tammai
- those who delight in Him
- piṟaviyē keṭuppāṉ
- He destroys their very births
- kuṟavar mātarkaḷōṭu
- together with the hill-girls
- kuṟiñci maruḷ icai
- the kurinji and marul melodies, the music of the hills
- aṟavaṉ nāyakaṟku
- to the righteous Lord
Periya Tirumozhi 2.1.3 · verse 1050 of the four thousand
Meaning
His servants praise Him with garlands of flowers, and He takes them, together with their kin, up to heaven and places them there. Seeing that, you, whom I call my heart, have today taken up service to Him who has made northern Venkatam hill, where the bees live, His temple, and along with it rules the universe high above.
Word by word
- iṇṭai
- flower garlands offered in worship
- uṟavōṭum
- together with their kin
- vāṉiṭaik koṇṭu pōy iṭavum
- taking them to heaven and placing them there
- vaṭa vēṅkaṭa malai
- northern Venkatam hill
- mīmicai- aṇṭam āṇṭu
- ruling the universe high above
Periya Tirumozhi 2.1.4 · verse 1051 of the four thousand
Meaning
You did it without a moment's wavering, my heart. My Father comes down to this earth, takes those who served Him of old as His own, and raises them up to heaven. He is the Lord of the cowherd girls; He rules Venkatam hill, so high that it drives the clouds along; He is the very life of the gods. Today you have taken up service to Him.
Word by word
- pāviyātu ceytāy
- you did it without wavering
- paṇṭu toṇṭu ceytārai
- those who served Him of old
- vicumpu ēṟa vaikkum
- raises them up to heaven
- kōvi nāyakaṉ
- Lord of the cowherd girls
- koṇṭal untu uyar
- so high it pushes the clouds
- vāṉavar āviyāy
- the life-breath of the gods
Periya Tirumozhi 2.1.5 · verse 1052 of the four thousand
Meaning
Let the Buddhists and the Jain ascetics, with their spreading bodhi tree and ashoka, keep to their own halls, they and their gods. You, whom I call my heart, have today taken up service to the Lord of beautiful eyes, who stands graciously at Venkatam, where gods and asuras crowd from every side to praise Him.
Word by word
- poṅku pōtiyum piṇṭiyum
- the spreading bodhi tree and the ashoka
- nōṉpiyar
- the (Jain) ascetics
- paḷḷiyuḷ uṟai
- dwelling in their halls
- vāṉavar tāṉavar niṟaintu
- gods and asuras crowding in
- niṉṟu aruḷ
- standing there to give grace
- am kaṇ nāyakaṟku
- to the Lord of beautiful eyes
Periya Tirumozhi 2.1.6 · verse 1053 of the four thousand
Meaning
Let the shaven-headed monks in their dyed robes crowd together and eat, and then grow stout, they and their own. You, whom I call my heart, have today taken up service to the Lord of the immortals in the wide sky, who has taken as His temple Venkatam, where herds of yaks gather.
Word by word
- tuvari āṭaiyar
- those in dyed (ochre) robes
- maṭṭaiyar
- the shaven-headed
- maṇṭi uṇṭu
- crowding together and eating
- kavari māk kaṇam
- herds of yaks
- kaṇ ār vicumpiṭai
- in the wide sky
- amara nāyakaṟku
- to the Lord of the immortals
Periya Tirumozhi 2.1.7 · verse 1054 of the four thousand
Meaning
Some, in their pride, follow the Jain way and cram balls of rice mixed with cool curd into their throats; you have seen their misery. And so you, whom I call my heart, have today taken up service to Him who has made Venkatam His temple, where bees hum the marul tune, and who also stands in the sky within the sun.
Word by word
- tarukkiṉāl
- out of pride
- taṇ tayiriṉāl tiraḷai
- balls of rice with cool curd
- alakkaṇ-atu kaṇṭu
- seeing their misery
- maruḷkaḷ vaṇṭukaḷ pāṭum
- where bees hum the marul tune
- arukkaṉ mēviniṟpāṟku
- to Him who stands within the sun
Periya Tirumozhi 2.1.8 · verse 1055 of the four thousand
Meaning
You heard some people say, 'He is far, He is near, He is tiny, He is vast,' and then, you whom I call my heart, without saying a word to me, today you took up service to the Lord of the cowherds, who dwells in the temple on Venkatam hill, where the bamboos stand showering white pearls.
Word by word
- cēyaṉ aṇiyaṉ
- far away, close at hand
- ciṟiyaṉ periyaṉ
- tiny and vast
- eṉakku oṉṟu collātē
- without saying a word to me
- veṇ muttamē cori
- showering white pearls
- āyar nāyakaṟku
- to the Lord of the cowherds
Periya Tirumozhi 2.1.9 · verse 1056 of the four thousand
Meaning
You whom I call my heart, you have kept repeating only what you spoke as we gathered and danced together. Now listen, and be sure: many sing and dance and bow down in praise, yet cannot see Him. Brahma on the swaying lotus, Shiva and Indra, king of the gods, stand and praise Him at Venkatam. Today you have taken up service to that Dancer.
Word by word
- kūṭi āṭi
- gathering and dancing together
- tuṇintu kēḷ
- listen, and be sure
- kāṇkilār
- they cannot see Him
- āṭu tāmaraiyōṉum
- Brahma on the swaying lotus
- amarar-kōṉum
- Indra, king of the gods
- āṭu kūttaṉukku
- to the Dancer
Periya Tirumozhi 2.1.10 · verse 1057 of the four thousand
Meaning
The Lord of the immortals, who once appeared as a swan, dwells in the temple on cool Thiruvenkatam hill, where great clouds flashing with lightning gather. Kalikanri of Mangai, with its great unbreached walls, spoke these lasting songs on Him in sweet Tamil. For those who master them, the world of heaven will be their home.
Word by word
- miṉṉu mā mukil
- great clouds flashing with lightning
- aṉṉam āy nikaḻnta
- who appeared as a swan, Hamsa
- amarar perumāṉai
- the Lord of the immortals
- kaṉṉi mā matiḷ
- great walls never breached
- iṉ tamiḻāl
- in sweet Tamil
- iṭam ākum vāṉ ulakē
- the world of heaven becomes their home
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.