Periya Tirumozhi 2.10.1 · verse 1138 of the four thousand
Meaning
He gathered into His stomach, leaving nothing out, the seven cloud-wrapped mountains, the seven seas, the heavens, the earth and everything else, and slept on a tender leaf of the banyan: He is the Lord. I have seen Him in Thirukkovalur, which shines amid fields of red paddy on the southern bank of the Pennai, whose never-failing waters pour out plenty, where pure masters of the four Vedas perform the Soma sacrifice.
Word by word
- mañcu āṭu varai ēḻum
- the seven mountains where clouds play
- eñcāmal vayiṟṟu aṭakki
- holding all in His stomach, leaving nothing out
- āliṉmēl ōr iḷan taḷiril
- on a tender banyan leaf
- peṇṇait teṉpāl
- on the south bank of the Pennai river
- cōmuc ceyya
- performing the Soma sacrifice
- ceñcāli
- fine red paddy
- kaṇṭēṉ nāṉē
- I have seen Him
Periya Tirumozhi 2.10.2 · verse 1139 of the four thousand
Meaning
On the hooded serpent He rests, while the immortals worship Him with clusters of fragrant tulasi, sandal paste, incense and lamps, and the two, Lakshmi of the lotus, her soft breasts decked with sandal, and the Earth goddess, stroke His feet. I have seen Him in prosperous Thirukkovalur, where people offer worship and keep in mind, morning and evening, the seven notes of music, the six limbs of the Veda, the five great sacrifices, the four Vedas and the three fires, with one-pointed hearts.
Word by word
- naṟun tuḻāy cāntam tūpam tīpam
- fragrant tulasi, sandal paste, incense and lamps
- paṇam koḷ pāmpil
- on the hooded serpent
- malarāḷ taraṇi-maṅkai
- Lakshmi of the lotus and the Earth goddess
- aṭi varuṭum
- stroke His feet
- icai ēḻ āṟu aṅkam
- the seven notes, the six limbs of the Veda
- mūṉṟu tīyum
- the three sacred fires
- irupoḻutum oṉṟum
- at dawn and dusk, single-minded
Periya Tirumozhi 2.10.3 · verse 1140 of the four thousand
Meaning
Long ago, in a pool crowded about with groves of opening blossoms, a great elephant sank in terror as the crocodile with sharp, gripping teeth seized it. Bearing His discus, He appeared, coming through the sky, and gave it His grace. I have seen Him in Thirukkovalur, where the blue lilies rising show dark as charcoal, the tall punnai trees bud pearls and show red gold, and the lotuses in rich wide tanks glow like lamps.
Word by word
- kōḷ mutalai
- the gripping crocodile
- vāḷ eyiṟṟu
- with sharp teeth
- aḻuntiya mā kaḷiṟṟiṉukku
- for the great elephant that was sinking
- āḻi ēnti
- bearing the discus
- antaramē varat tōṉṟi
- appearing, coming through the sky
- iruntil kāṭṭa
- showing dark as charcoal
- tīvikaipōl
- like lamps
Periya Tirumozhi 2.10.4 · verse 1141 of the four thousand
Meaning
Riding the bird Garuda, He struck down Mali, fierce beyond bearing in war, and so met the need of those on earth. To devotees whose hair stands on end, whose tears flow and whose love overflows, He became sweet nectar. I have seen Him in Thirukkovalur, ringed by fields where the sweet sugarcane sleeps, lulled by the songs of striped bees humming in groves full of kongu buds, surapunnai and kuravu.
Word by word
- māli paṭap
- so that Mali (a rakshasa chief) fell
- paṟavai ūrntu
- riding the bird, Garuda
- tarātalattōr kuṟai muṭitta
- fulfilled the need of those on earth
- kaṇ nīr cōrntu aṉpu kūrum
- with flowing tears and swelling love
- ār amutam
- sweet nectar that fills
- vari vaṇṭu icai pāṭum
- striped bees singing
- tīṅ karumpu kaṇvaḷarum
- the sweet sugarcane sleeps
Periya Tirumozhi 2.10.5 · verse 1142 of the four thousand
Meaning
With a single arrow He felled Khara of the blood-stained spear and his kind, Kabandha and Vali; in Lanka He cut down all the armies of sword-bearing rakshasas with crescent fangs: He is my Lord. I have seen Him in Thirukkovalur, where in every mansion, hall and bright courtyard all recite with love so that the Veda grows and His fame grows, and the south breeze blows in from the walled groves.
Word by word
- karaṉ mutalāk kavantaṉ vāli
- Khara and the rest, Kabandha, Vali
- kaṇai oṉṟiṉāl maṭiya
- dying by a single arrow
- piṟai eyiṟṟu
- with crescent-shaped fangs
- vāḷ arakkar cēṉai
- armies of sword-bearing rakshasas
- maṟai vaḷara pukaḻ vaḷara
- so that the Veda and His fame grow
- vāram ōta
- recite with love
- teṉṟal vīcum
- the south breeze blows
Periya Tirumozhi 2.10.6 · verse 1143 of the four thousand
Meaning
He crept in secret to the fragrant butter in the hanging pots and ate it; the cowherd woman caught Him and bound Him to the mortar, and He stood like a dark elephant tied to its post, His wide eyes brimming with tears. I have seen Him in prosperous Thirukkovalur, which shines with crowded jewelled mansions, where Lakshmi of the fragrant lotus abides with the goddess of speech and the eight-armed goddess.
Word by word
- uṟi ārnta naṟu veṇṇey
- fragrant butter in hanging pots
- oḷiyāl ceṉṟu
- going there in secret
- uralōṭu ārkka
- bound to the mortar
- taṟi ārnta karuṅ kaḷiṟē pōla
- like a dark elephant tied to a post
- taṭaṅ kaṇkaḷ paṉi malkum
- wide eyes brimming with tears
- malar-makaḷ nā-maṅkaiyōṭu
- Lakshmi with the goddess of speech
- eṇ tōḷiṉāḷ
- the eight-armed goddess
Periya Tirumozhi 2.10.7 · verse 1144 of the four thousand
Meaning
He raged against the great elephant with its huge trunk, tore apart the horse, crushed the seven bulls of the herd, felled the marutha trees, kicked the oncoming cart to pieces, killed the wrestlers, and became poison to scheming Kamsa. I have seen Him in Thirukkovalur, with its honey-filled groves, where the dark areca palms put out white pearls from their green spathes, their nuts all emerald and showing coral, and the serunthi opens its buds in plenty.
Word by word
- mā kari muṉintu
- raging at the great elephant
- pariyaik kīṟi
- tearing apart the horse (Kesi)
- marutam cāyttu
- felling the marutha trees
- varum cakaṭam iṟa utaittu
- kicking the oncoming cart to pieces
- mallai aṭṭu
- killing the wrestlers
- kañcaṉukku nañcu āṉāṉai
- Him who became poison to Kamsa
- karuṅ kamuku pacum pāḷai
- green spathes of the dark areca palm
Periya Tirumozhi 2.10.8 · verse 1145 of the four thousand
Meaning
Long ago, to lift the great burden pressing on the earth, He went as messenger in the Bharata war, mounted Arjuna's splendid chariot as its charioteer, and destroyed the might of the opposing armies on the battlefield. I have seen Him in prosperous Thirukkovalur, filled with glorious masters of the Veda, like a city where Shiva of the battle bull, Kubera lord of Alaka, Indra and Brahma all gather together.
Word by word
- perum pāram tīrap
- to remove the great burden on the earth
- tūtu iyaṅki
- going as messenger
- pārttaṉ celvat tēr
- Arjuna's splendid chariot
- cārati āy
- as charioteer
- pōr ēṟu oṉṟu uṭaiyāṉum
- Shiva, who owns the battle bull
- aḷakaik kōṉum
- Kubera, lord of Alaka
- purantaraṉum
- Indra
Periya Tirumozhi 2.10.9 · verse 1146 of the four thousand
Meaning
With the pure Earth goddess and the Lady of the lotus beside Him, and the radiant discus and conch shining on either side, He stands like the wish-granting kalpaka tree in a grove, His heart set on gracing those who come to Him. His feet, hands, lips and eyes are red, His garment is red, His sacred form is of red gold. I have seen Him in Thirukkovalur, where dwell people like fiery Shiva and Brahma.
Word by word
- pār-makaḷ pū-maṅkaiyōṭu
- with the Earth goddess and Lakshmi
- cuṭar āḻi caṅku
- the radiant discus and conch
- kaṟpakamē pōla
- like the wish-granting kalpaka tree
- kalantavarkaṭku aruḷpuriyum
- gracing those who come close to Him
- civanta āṭai
- red garment
- cem poṉ cey tiru uruvam
- a sacred form wrought of red gold
Periya Tirumozhi 2.10.10 · verse 1147 of the four thousand
Meaning
"I have seen in prosperous Thirukkovalur, full of masters of the Veda, the Lord who ended the elephant's distress, the blue emerald, the One like a rain cloud": so sang Kaliyan of the sword, Thirumangai Alwar, king of Mangai of lovely women. Those who can sing these ten will see Him who, the cause of all, pervades everything while hidden, as the whole world joins in His praise.
Word by word
- vāraṇam koḷ iṭar kaṭinta
- who ended the elephant's distress
- nīla marakatattai
- the blue emerald
- maḻai mukilē pōlvāṉ
- the One like a rain cloud
- maṅkai vēntaṉ
- king of Thirumangai
- vāṭ kaliyaṉ
- Kaliyan of the sword
- aintum aintum
- five and five, these ten verses
- karantu eṅkum parantāṉaik
- Him who, hidden, pervades everywhere
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.