Periya Tirumozhi 3.1.1 · verse 1148 of the four thousand
Meaning
Becoming a boar, He held the vast, cool earth safe upon His curved tusk; He sleeps on the dark, cool, great sea. His place is Thiruvayindirapuram, where swarms of bees drink the honey of fine lotus flowers, rise humming sweet music, and wander through the dense lovely groves to settle on the fresh serunthi blossoms.
Word by word
- irun taṇ mā nilam
- the vast, cool earth
- ēṉam-atu āy
- becoming a boar (Varaha)
- vaḷai maruppiṉil
- on His curved tusk
- kaṇ tuyiṉṟavaṉ
- He who sleeps
- kamala nal malart tēṟal
- honey of fine lotus flowers
- aḷi kulam
- swarms of bees
- tiruvayintirapuramē
- Thiruvayindirapuram, near Cuddalore
Periya Tirumozhi 3.1.2 · verse 1149 of the four thousand
Meaning
In His lovely hand He holds the flashing discus; on His chest dwells Lakshmi, the Red Lady; He is the Supreme, the many meanings of the four Vedas that are recited again and again. His place is Thiruvayindirapuram, where on the hill slopes, under bowers of twining madhavi creepers, the bee hums its sweet 'thenna' in the opening lotus as its mate draws near.
Word by word
- miṉṉum āḻi aṅkaiyavaṉ
- He who holds the flashing discus in His lovely hand
- ceyyavaḷ uṟai taru tiru mārpaṉ
- He on whose chest Lakshmi dwells
- nāṉmaṟaip pal poruḷ
- the many meanings of the four Vedas
- mātavip pantalil
- in bowers of madhavi creepers
- piṇi aviḻ kamalattut
- in the lotus as its bud opens
- teṉṉa eṉṟu
- humming 'thenna'
Periya Tirumozhi 3.1.3 · verse 1150 of the four thousand
Meaning
He swallowed the seven worlds and rested on a banyan leaf, the wondrous One; He is Deivanayakan, Lord of the gods, who is ever true to His devotees. His place is Thiruvayindirapuram, on the slopes of the noble hill, where lovely mullai creepers twined with dense madhavi and shenbagam sway, and rich fields shine with red lotuses.
Word by word
- vaiyam ēḻum uṇṭu
- swallowing the seven worlds
- āl ilai vaikiya
- who rested on a banyan leaf
- aṭiyavarkku meyyaṉ
- true to His devotees
- teyvanāyakaṉ
- Deivanayakan, Lord of the gods, the deity here
- mullai am koṭi āṭa
- lovely jasmine creepers swaying
- ceyya tāmaraic ceḻum paṇai
- rich fields of red lotuses
Periya Tirumozhi 3.1.4 · verse 1151 of the four thousand
Meaning
The mighty asura Hiranya, filled with hatred, rose and fought against Him; He split that chest in two and gave sweet grace to the asura's noble son. His place is Thiruvayindirapuram, where tender stalks of juicy sugarcane crowd together and rise to touch the sky, and in their gem-like shade the cool, muddy fields shine in beauty.
Word by word
- māṟu koṇṭu uṭaṉṟu
- full of enmity and rage
- val avuṇaṉ
- the mighty asura, Hiranya
- iru piḷavāk
- into two halves
- kulamakaṟku iṉ aruḷ
- sweet grace to his noble son, Prahlada
- meṉ karumpu iḷaṅ kaḻai
- tender stalks of sugarcane
- vicumpu uṟa
- touching the sky
Periya Tirumozhi 3.1.5 · verse 1152 of the four thousand
Meaning
There at Mahabali's sacrifice He went and begged, and then measured the wide earth; for Nappinnai, the flowering creeper of the cowherds, He fought the bulls of the herd. His place is Thiruvayindirapuram, where troops of monkeys leap among the branches of vengai bright with golden flowers, kongu and shenbagam, chatter and run, and feast on cool jackfruit dripping with honey.
Word by word
- māvali vēḷviyil irantu
- begging at Mahabali's sacrifice
- akal iṭam aḷantu
- measuring the wide earth
- āyar pūṅ koṭikku
- for the flower-creeper of the cowherds, Nappinnai
- iṉa viṭai porutavaṉ
- He who fought the bulls of the herd
- kurakkiṉam
- troops of monkeys
- taṇ palaṅkaṉi
- cool jackfruit
Periya Tirumozhi 3.1.6 · verse 1153 of the four thousand
Meaning
Because of the cruel words of the hunchbacked woman, He went with Sita, the tender creeper, to roam the forest, He whose lovely colour is that of a dark cloud. His place is Thiruvayindirapuram, ringed by great walls and a lofty, beautiful hill where the moon creeps across the sky, and embraced by rich groves flowing with honey.
Word by word
- kūṉ ulāviya maṭantai
- the hunchbacked woman, Manthara
- koṭuñ coliṉ tiṟattu
- because of her cruel words
- iḷaṅ koṭiyōṭum
- with the tender creeper, Sita
- kāṉ ulāviya
- who roamed the forest
- karu mukil tiru niṟattavaṉ
- He of the lovely dark-cloud colour
- mati tavaḻ māl varai
- a lofty hill where the moon creeps
Periya Tirumozhi 3.1.7 · verse 1154 of the four thousand
Meaning
For the sake of Sita, the tender creeper with a waist slender as lightning, He smashed to dust the tall crowns of the king of Lanka, the city on the mountain: He is the mighty One. His place is cool Thiruvayindirapuram, where in the shade of jewel-like hills the swan rests happily with its mate on a bed of great lotus flowers, while ears of red paddy wave over them like fans.
Word by word
- miṉṉiṉ nuṇ iṭai
- a waist slender as lightning
- maṭak koṭi kāraṇam
- for the sake of the tender creeper, Sita
- ilaṅkai maṉṉaṉ nīḷ muṭi
- the tall crowns of Lanka's king
- poṭiceyta maintaṉatu
- of the mighty One who smashed them to dust
- aravintattu amaḷiyil
- on a bed of lotus
- kavarik kulai vīcu
- waving their ears like fly-whisks
Periya Tirumozhi 3.1.8 · verse 1155 of the four thousand
Meaning
For her with soft, dark, fragrant tresses He broke the bow; when the herds were thrown into distress by the fierce rain, He lifted the hill as an umbrella. His place is Thiruvayindirapuram, where the rich river carries in its waves the tusks of rutting elephants from the hills and the agil wood that grows on the mountains, and flows into the fields.
Word by word
- virai kamaḻnta meṉ karuṅ kuḻal
- soft, dark, fragrant tresses
- vil iṟuttu
- breaking the bow
- nirai kalaṅkiṭa
- as the herds were distressed
- varai kuṭai eṭuttavaṉ
- He who lifted the hill as an umbrella
- mata kari maruppoṭu
- with tusks of rutting elephants
- akil
- agil, fragrant aloe wood
Periya Tirumozhi 3.1.9 · verse 1156 of the four thousand
Meaning
In the fierce war of kings with spears in hand, He held in His own hand the whip of the beautiful jewelled chariot for Arjuna: He is my Father, my Lord. His place is Thiruvayindirapuram, on the slopes of the cool, curving hills, where jointed creepers raise their tendrils like hands, the young spathes of areca spread their fragrance, and the rich river where fish leap flows into the fields.
Word by word
- vēl koḷ kait talattu aracar
- kings holding spears
- vicayaṉukku
- for Vijaya, Arjuna
- maṇit tēr kōl
- the whip of the jewelled chariot
- entai pemmāṉ
- my Father, my Lord
- kamuku iḷam pāḷaikaḷ
- young spathes of the areca palm
- cēlkaḷ pāytaru
- where fish leap
Periya Tirumozhi 3.1.10 · verse 1157 of the four thousand
Meaning
He is the One who is the three; He swallowed the three worlds, brought them out again and measured them; He is the radiance who dwells in cool Thiruvayindirapuram, where gods and asuras come again and again to bow. Kalikanri, Thirumangai Alwar, master of the spear, sang of Him at length these ten of cool, flowing Tamil. When they are sung, sins will not come near.
Word by word
- mūvar ākiya oruvaṉai
- the One who is the three
- uṇṭu umiḻntu aḷantāṉai
- who swallowed, brought forth and measured
- tēvar tāṉavar
- gods and asuras
- mēvu cōtiyai
- the radiance who dwells there
- vēl valavaṉ
- the master of the spear
- pāvaṅkaḷ payilāvē
- sins will not come near
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.