Periya Tirumozhi 2.4.1 · verse 1078 of the four thousand
Meaning
With love He embraces the creeper of the cowherd clan, Nappinnai, and the lovely Lady of the great flower. He never once showed pity to the asuras. The places where He dwells are Thirunaraiyur of good waters, ringed by vast groves, Thiruvali, Thirukkudanthai, and Thirukkovalur bright with tanks: He stands, He sits, He lies, He strides. The great hill that is His place is Thiruneermalai.
Word by word
- āyar kulak koṭiyōṭu
- with the creeper of the cowherd clan, Nappinnai
- aṇi mā malar maṅkaiyoṭu
- with the lovely Lady of the great flower, Lakshmi
- irakkam ilātavaṉukku
- to Him who had no pity
- kōvalnakar
- Thirukkovalur
- niṉṟāṉ iruntāṉ kiṭantāṉ naṭantāṟku
- to Him who stands, sits, lies and strides
- nīrmalaiyē
- Thiruneermalai
Periya Tirumozhi 2.4.2 · verse 1079 of the four thousand
Meaning
There was a forest called Khandava, belonging to Indra, king of the gods. While Indra stood looking on, He in His anger let the blazing fire flare up and devour it. Besides that, long ago He lifted the burden of the world; as a lion, in anger, He ripped open with His claws the broad chest of the asura who ruled; He became a dwarf and grew tall. The great hill that is His place is Thiruneermalai.
Word by word
- kāṇṭāvaṉam
- the Khandava forest
- amararkku araiyaṉṉatu
- belonging to the king of the gods, Indra
- mūṇṭu ār aḻal uṇṇa
- for the blazing fire to devour it
- ulakam poṟai tīrttu
- lifting the burden of the world
- ukirāl vakir āka
- ripped open with His claws
- kuṟaḷ āki nimirntavaṉukku
- to Him who became a dwarf and grew tall
Periya Tirumozhi 2.4.3 · verse 1080 of the four thousand
Meaning
He lifted the mighty spiral conch and the victorious discus to relieve the burden of the lovely Lady Earth, whose breasts wear a necklace. Long ago, in the war of swords that slays men, many kings fell; He set His radiant discus to work, hiding the sun. He also became a king of the earth and ruled the world. The great hill that is His place is Thiruneermalai.
Word by word
- aṭal curi caṅkam
- the mighty spiral conch
- aṭal āḻiyiṉāl
- with the victorious discus
- vaṭam puṉai koṅkaiyiṉāḷ
- she whose breasts wear a necklace, the Earth
- poṟai tīra
- to relieve her burden
- pakalōṉ maṟaiya
- hiding the sun
- nila maṉṉaṉum āy
- becoming also a king of the earth
Periya Tirumozhi 2.4.4 · verse 1081 of the four thousand
Meaning
As an unbearable Man-Lion, He raged so that the asura perished, and the flower-decked women who lived by him sank into rising flames. Besides that, in the victorious war of swords, standing in love beside the five, He brought about the fall of the hundred kings and their armies, and in that relentless battle He kept dharma whole. The great hill that is His place is Thiruneermalai.
Word by word
- tāṅkātatu ōr āḷ ari
- an unbearable Man-Lion
- pūṅ kōtaiyar
- flower-decked women
- poṅku eri mūḻka
- sinking into rising flames
- aivaroṭu aṉpu aḷavi
- standing in love by the five, the Pandavas
- patiṟṟaintu iraṭṭip paṭai vēntar
- fifty twice over, the hundred kings and their armies
- niṟai kāttavaṉukku
- to Him who kept dharma whole
Periya Tirumozhi 2.4.5 · verse 1082 of the four thousand
Meaning
He filled the restless sea with mountain peaks and built a causeway across it, so that Lanka, with lovely walls reaching up to the moon, was ruined. Once, taking up His weapons, as the battle shook, He said, 'This is the moment,' and with Brahma's arrow cut off all ten long radiant crowned heads. For our King of the blue cloud's hue, the great hill that is His place is Thiruneermalai.
Word by word
- malaik kuvaṭu iṭṭu
- throwing in mountain peaks
- aṇai kaṭṭi
- building a causeway
- mati cēr kōla matiḷ
- lovely walls reaching the moon
- kālam itu eṉṟu
- saying 'this is the moment'
- ayaṉ vāḷiyiṉāl
- with Brahma's arrow, the brahmastra
- nīla mukil vaṇṇaṉ
- the One of blue cloud hue
Periya Tirumozhi 2.4.6 · verse 1083 of the four thousand
Meaning
Our Lord swallowed the earth-filled worlds, the great cold mountains, the seas and the shining lights, and still stood saying, 'It is not enough for me.' As the king of sages, Parasurama, He raged at that famous one who was king of the wave-washed world. He is so great that men say, 'There is no one else like You.' For tall Mal, whose name is full of water, Neervannan, the great hill that is His place is Thiruneermalai.
Word by word
- paṉi māl varaiyum
- the great cold mountains
- eṉakku ārātu
- it is not enough for me
- muṉikku araiyaṉ
- king of sages, Parasurama
- piṟar illai nuṉakku
- there is no one else like You
- nīr ār peyarāṉ
- He whose name is full of water, Neervannan
- neṭumāl
- the tall Lord, Mal
Periya Tirumozhi 2.4.7 · verse 1084 of the four thousand
Meaning
One came raging at Him in a fierce, gleaming form; He in anger took his life and ended his fame. He laid the asura's cities waste and wiped out their very name. And besides, there was the victorious sword-bearing asura who would not utter His thousand names nor bow at His feet, who thought himself His equal: in battle He tore that one's chest apart. The great hill that is His place is Thiruneermalai.
Word by word
- pukar ār uru
- a fierce, gleaming form
- pukaḻ vīṭa
- so that his fame ended
- pāḻpaṭa nāmam eṟintu
- laying waste, wiping out their name
- pakarātavaṉ āyiram nāmam
- he who would not say the thousand names
- nikar āyavaṉ
- he who thought himself an equal
- neñcu iṭantāṉ
- He who tore his chest
Periya Tirumozhi 2.4.8 · verse 1085 of the four thousand
Meaning
Some carry a small bunch of peacock feathers and go about this world without fear and without shame, like the ghoulish women who feed on the dead. Others turn from their ways, strew lovely great flowers, and with longing, hearts melting with love, think of Him always, praying, 'Grant us that Yama may not come near us.' He gives grace to them. The great hill that is His place is Thiruneermalai.
Word by word
- piccac ciṟu pīli
- a small bunch of peacock feathers
- accam ilar nāṇ ilar
- without fear, without shame
- aṇi mā malar tūy
- strewing lovely great flowers
- namaṉār aṭaiyāmai
- that Yama may not come near
- uḷ kuḻaintu
- hearts melting
- niccam niṉaivārkku
- to those who think of Him always
Periya Tirumozhi 2.4.9 · verse 1086 of the four thousand
Meaning
This is beyond words. Come, our people, before others hear of it! It destroys the karma of those who bow down, and so this alone is our place of salvation. The base ones without sense, who wander wasting away with their minds and five senses, can never reach Him. The great hill that is His place is Thiruneermalai, with its green countryside where bees, wearing the fragrance of fresh flowers, hum.
Word by word
- pēcum aḷavu aṉṟu
- beyond words
- vammiṉ namar
- come, our people
- paṇivār viṉaikaḷ nācam
- it destroys the karma of those who bow
- namatu uyviṭam
- our place of salvation
- maṉam aintoṭu naintu uḻalvār
- who wander wasting with mind and five senses
- matiil nīcar
- the base ones without sense
Periya Tirumozhi 2.4.10 · verse 1087 of the four thousand
Meaning
On Thiruneermalai, where tall Mal dwells, Kaliyan, Thirumangai Alwar, chief of the people of Mangai, whose fame shines there, master of rutting war elephants in battle, made this resounding Tamil garland. For those who master it, great karma leaves at once; if they wish, even the upper world becomes easy to reach; or else they will rule the earth girt by the roaring, mighty sea as kings beneath moon-white parasols, and then reach His feet.
Word by word
- nilavum pukaḻ
- fame that shines
- kaṭa mā kaḷi yāṉai vallāṉ
- master of rutting war elephants
- oli cey tamiḻ mālai
- resounding Tamil garland
- viṭum māl viṉai
- great karma leaves
- matik kuṭai maṉṉavar
- kings beneath moon-white parasols
- aṭi kūṭuvarē
- will reach His feet
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.