Periya Tirumozhi 3.10.1 · verse 1238 of the four thousand
Meaning
With Lakshmi and the Lady of the earth shining on either side, His grace ever flowing to His devotees so their evil deeds depart, while the people of the seven worlds bow and the gods abide and praise Him, He sits in Arimeya Vinnagaram in Nangur, where Vedic scholars of great fame live, and thazhai, red water lilies and lotuses bloom in every tank and every place, and rare nooks embraced by groves shine in beauty. Worship it, my simple heart.
Word by word
- tiru maṭantai maṇ maṭantai
- Lakshmi and the Lady of the earth
- irupālum tikaḻat
- shining on either side
- tīviṉaikaḷ pōy akala
- so that evil deeds depart
- aruḷ naṭantu
- His grace flowing
- kaitaikaḷ ceṅkaḻunīr
- thazhai and red water lilies
- arimēyaviṇṇakaram
- Arimeya Vinnagaram, a Thirunangur temple
Periya Tirumozhi 3.10.2 · verse 1239 of the four thousand
Meaning
His great hand hurls the mighty discus that shattered the strength of victorious Naraka; long ago He churned the roaring sea with a mountain and gave the nectar to the gods; He is the precious gem, my rare nectar. The temple where He gladly dwells is Arimeya Vinnagaram in Nangur, home of Vedic scholars of ever-abundant wealth and great virtue, masters of the seven notes and deep learning, who are like the one who created the world long ago. Worship it, my simple heart.
Word by word
- narakaṉ uram-atu aḻiya
- so that Naraka's strength was shattered
- viṟal āḻit taṭak kaiyaṉ
- He whose great hand bears the mighty discus
- kuṉṟu koṭu kurai kaṭalaik kaṭaintu
- churning the roaring sea with a mountain
- kurumaṇi
- the precious gem
- eṉ ār amutam
- my rare nectar
- ulakam paṭaittavaṉai aṉaiyavarkaḷ
- those like Brahma, who created the world
Periya Tirumozhi 3.10.3 · verse 1240 of the four thousand
Meaning
He swallowed the heavens, these seven worlds, the seven seas and all; while the cowherds watched in delight He broke the tusk of the rutting elephant with its great swollen brow, and seized Kamsa by the hair and struck him down: He is the Lord. His temple is Arimeya Vinnagaram in Nangur, where all around many punnai trees show fresh gold and white pearls, jackfruits offer their honey, and women with arrow-like eyes rejoice. Worship it, my simple heart.
Word by word
- ēḻ kaṭalum ellām uṇṭa pirāṉ
- the Lord who swallowed the seven seas and all
- aṇṭarkaḷ muṉ kaṇṭu makiḻvu eytak
- as the cowherds watched in delight
- mata yāṉai maruppu ocittu
- breaking the rutting elephant's tusk
- kañcaṉ kuñci piṭittu
- seizing Kamsa by the hair
- paim poṉoṭu veṇ muttam
- fresh gold and white pearls
- ampu aṉaiya kaṇ maṭavār
- women with arrow-like eyes
Periya Tirumozhi 3.10.4 · verse 1241 of the four thousand
Meaning
Long ago He took the form of a man-lion that never retreats, seized Hiranya, who held great boons without end, tore him apart with His sharp, unfading claws, and showed grace to his son. The place where He lives is Arimeya Vinnagaram in Nangur, where through rich groves fragrant with jasmine, red water lilies, tall-blossomed serunthi, fresh areca spathes and shenbagam, the smoke of the sugarcane mills in the fields spreads its scent. Worship it, my simple heart.
Word by word
- ōṭāta āḷ ariyiṉ uruvam
- the form of a man-lion that never retreats
- peru varatta iraṇiyaṉaip
- Hiranya of great boons
- vāṭāta vaḷ ukirāl
- with sharp, unfading claws
- makaṉukku aruḷceytāṉ
- who showed grace to his son, Prahlada
- ceḻuṅ kamukam pāḷai
- fresh areca spathes
- ālaip pukai kamaḻum
- where smoke of sugarcane mills spreads its scent
Periya Tirumozhi 3.10.5 · verse 1242 of the four thousand
Meaning
To gladden the hearts of all who saw Him, He became a tiny dwarf, innocent-looking, at Mahabali's sacrifice; He begged three steps, and then measured the universe, this wave-tossed sea and all the lands: He is the Lord. The place where He abides is Arimeya Vinnagaram in Nangur, where beside the rich groves ring out the sound of drums reaching the sky, the hum of swarming bees, the chant of the rare Veda, the tinkle of women's anklets and the roar of the sky-high waves. Worship it, my simple heart.
Word by word
- kaṇṭavar-tam maṉam makiḻa
- to gladden the hearts of all who saw
- kaḷavu il miku ciṟu kuṟaḷ
- a tiny dwarf, innocent-looking
- mūvaṭi eṉṟu irantiṭṭu
- begging for three steps
- muḻavu oliyum
- the sound of drums
- aru maṟaiyiṉ oliyum
- the chant of the rare Veda
- maṭavār cilampiṉ oliyum
- the tinkle of women's anklets
Periya Tirumozhi 3.10.6 · verse 1243 of the four thousand
Meaning
For Maithili, Sita of long bright eyes and flower-decked hair, the son of Dasaratha bent His tall, strong bow so that the ten crowns and twenty shoulders of Lanka's king fell away: He is my sole refuge, the King of the gods. The place He cherishes is lovely Arimeya Vinnagaram in Nangur, where farm women with long bright eyes gather the rich pearls that fall as they reap among wide-spread lotuses, sel, kayal and valai fish and red paddy. Worship it, my simple heart.
Word by word
- maitilikkā
- for Maithili, Sita
- tāḷ neṭun tiṇ cilai vaḷaitta
- who bent the tall, strong bow
- tayarataṉ cēy
- the son of Dasaratha
- eṉ-taṉ taṉic caraṇ
- my sole refuge
- vāṉavarkku aracu
- King of the gods
- kaṭaiciyarkaḷ
- farm women
Periya Tirumozhi 3.10.7 · verse 1244 of the four thousand
Meaning
He destroyed Dhenuka, who roamed about in the service of evil-minded Kamsa's treachery, and the precious life of Putana; He is the dark-hued Lord who fathered Kama. The place He cherishes is lovely Arimeya Vinnagaram in Nangur, where the rushing river casts pearls at every landing, and Vedic scholars of fitting mind dwell, who recite with tongue and heart the mantras, the four Vedas, the five sacrifices and the six limbs, and study the arts. Worship it, my simple heart.
Word by word
- tī maṉattāṉ kañcaṉatu vañcaṉaiyil
- in the treachery of evil-minded Kamsa
- tēṉukaṉum
- Dhenuka, the ass-demon
- pūtaṉai-taṉ ār uyirum
- the precious life of Putana
- kāmaṉaittāṉ payanta
- who fathered Kama
- tuṟai tuṟai muttu unti
- casting pearls at every landing
- nā maṉattāl mantiraṅkaḷ
- mantras with tongue and heart
Periya Tirumozhi 3.10.8 · verse 1245 of the four thousand
Meaning
With a calf He struck the wood-apple and brought down its fruit, the young hero; He of lovely glory and rain-cloud colour once guarded the cattle and held back the rain with a hill; He is the Dancer of the pot-dance. The place He delights in is Arimeya Vinnagaram in Nangur, with flag-topped walls, mansions, towers, crowded jewelled halls and schools, and groves where pure Vedic scholars throng to worship, and where bees drink honey from fresh-opened flowers and hum. Worship it, my simple heart.
Word by word
- kaṉṟu-ataṉāl viḷavu eṟintu
- striking the wood-apple with a calf
- mukil vaṇṇaṉ
- He of rain-cloud colour
- kuṉṟu-ataṉāl maḻai taṭuttu
- holding back the rain with a hill
- kuṭam āṭu kūttaṉ
- the Dancer of the pot-dance
- tū maṟaiyōr
- pure Vedic scholars
- aḷi muralum
- where bees hum
Periya Tirumozhi 3.10.9 · verse 1246 of the four thousand
Meaning
He drank the life of her who came with deceit; He ate the curd He found, and the butter as nectar; He took the life of mighty Kamsa and swallowed this world, the young hero. The place He cherishes is lovely Arimeya Vinnagaram in Nangur, where the Kaveri, carrying sandal, agil and gold, flows through cloud-touching groves and fields to give plenty, and great Vedic scholars strew great flowers, fold their hands and bow, saying, "Hari is our refuge." Worship it, my simple heart.
Word by word
- vañcaṉaiyāl vantavaḷ
- her who came with deceit, Putana
- veṇṇey amutu uṇṭu
- eating butter as nectar
- kañcaṉ uyir-atu uṇṭu
- taking Kamsa's life
- kāviri cantu akil kaṉakam unti
- the Kaveri carrying sandal, agil and gold
- añcalittu
- folding their hands
- ari caraṇ
- Hari is our refuge
Periya Tirumozhi 3.10.10 · verse 1247 of the four thousand
Meaning
Thirumal went and crushed the seven fierce bulls till they fell, and rejoiced in the embrace of Nappinnai's lovely shoulders. His temple is in Nangur, whose people are like Brahma and Shiva's son of old: there, in Arimeya Vinnagaram, He abides like a rich mountain. Of Him, Kalikanri, king of Mangai, master of the fierce long spear, made this garland of song, five and three and one and one. Those who learn and master it will be the best of the best in this world, and will join the heavenly ones too.
Word by word
- ciṉa viṭai ēḻum paṭa aṭarntu
- crushing the seven fierce bulls till they fell
- piṉṉai cevvit tōḷ puṇarntu
- embracing Nappinnai's lovely shoulders
- ayaṉum araṉ cēyum aṉaiyavarkaḷ
- people like Brahma and Shiva's son
- ceḻuṅ kuṉṟai
- the rich mountain, the Lord
- neṭu vēl valavaṉ
- master of the long spear
- aintiṉoṭu mūṉṟum oṉṟiṉoṭum oṉṟum
- five and three and one and one: ten
- uttamarkaṭku uttamar āy
- as the best of the best
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.