Periya Tirumozhi 3.2.1 · verse 1158 of the four thousand
Meaning
You who would rule the world of the immortals as your own: you need not do penance, starving till your flesh wastes, barely guarding your life, and tormenting the five senses that never leave the body until they wither. Go and reach Thiruchitrakootam in Thillai, where forests sway, flocks of peacocks dance, kayal fish play in the channelled fields nearby, bees dance, and flags wave on the mansions.
Word by word
- ūṉ vāṭa uṇṇātu
- starving till the flesh wastes
- pulaṉ aintum nontu
- tormenting the five senses
- tavam ceyya vēṇṭā
- you need not do penance
- imaiyōr ulaku
- the world of the immortals
- maññaik kaṇam
- flocks of peacocks
- tillait tiruccitrakūṭam
- Thiruchitrakootam in Thillai (Chidambaram)
- ceṉṟu cērmiṉkaḷē
- go and reach it
Periya Tirumozhi 3.2.2 · verse 1159 of the four thousand
Meaning
You who say, "We will keep in our hearts the Lord who bears Lakshmi on His chest": you need not do penance living on raw fruits and dried fruits, feeding on the fierce wind, standing for ages among the five fires. Go and reach Thiruchitrakootam in Thillai, whose fame rises as the sacred fires rise, tended daily and duly by Vedic scholars of ancient glory, rich in the Veda they chant.
Word by word
- kāyōṭu nīṭu kaṉi uṇṭu
- living on raw and long-kept fruits
- kaṭuṅ kāl nukarntu
- feeding on the fierce wind
- aintu tīyōṭu niṉṟu
- standing among five fires
- tiru mārpaṉaic
- the Lord with Lakshmi on His chest
- maṟaiyāḷar
- masters of the Veda
- tī ōṅka ōṅkap pukaḻ ōṅku
- whose fame rises as the fires rise
Periya Tirumozhi 3.2.3 · verse 1160 of the four thousand
Meaning
Becoming a fierce, angry wild boar, He plunged into the vast ancient flood and lifted up the sinking earth with its fragrant groves. You who wait with longing to reach His flower-like feet: go and reach Thiruchitrakootam in Thillai, ringed by mansions of red gold and gems, where the Pallava king, lord of armies, bowed in worship, bringing fresh gold, pearls and jewels.
Word by word
- puṉak kēḻal oṉṟu āy
- becoming a wild boar
- mutu veḷḷam
- the ancient flood
- ulaku aṉṟu eṭuttāṉ
- He who lifted up the earth then
- aṭippōtu
- flower-like feet
- paim poṉṉum muttum maṇiyum
- fresh gold, pearls and gems
- pallavar- kōṉ paṇinta
- where the Pallava king bowed
Periya Tirumozhi 3.2.4 · verse 1161 of the four thousand
Meaning
To measure the precious wide earth, the great Lord once went as a dwarf to the asura's great sacrifice and begged. You who would say, "By babbling His holy names we will end the sorrow of our births": go and reach Thiruchitrakootam in Thillai, where Thirumal, who lay in the dark great sea, rests gladly with Lakshmi on the bed of the fork-tongued serpent.
Word by word
- kuṟaḷ āy
- as a dwarf, Vamana
- avuṇaṉ peru vēḷviyil
- at the asura Mahabali's great sacrifice
- tirunāmam pitaṟṟi
- babbling His holy names
- piṟavit tuyar
- the sorrow of births
- kavai nā araviṉ-aṇaip
- the bed of the fork-tongued serpent
- tirumaṅkaiyoṭu
- with Lakshmi
Periya Tirumozhi 3.2.5 · verse 1162 of the four thousand
Meaning
So that the sea-girt world might be saved, He came as the victorious great sage of penance who took up arms in battle and severed with his axe the limbs of the ruling kings. You who would make Him your own: go and reach Thiruchitrakootam in Thillai, ringed by safe, green, flowering groves, where the Lady of the lotus abides, the Lady of the earth dwells, and the Lady of fame shines everywhere.
Word by word
- vaṅkak kaṭal vaiyam uyya
- so that the ship-filled sea-girt world might be saved
- maḻuvil tuṇiya
- severed by the axe
- tava mā muṉiyait
- the great sage of penance, Parasurama
- pū-maṅkai
- the Lady of the lotus, Lakshmi
- pula-maṅkai
- the Lady of the earth
- pukaḻ-maṅkai
- the Lady of fame
Periya Tirumozhi 3.2.6 · verse 1163 of the four thousand
Meaning
He loosed fiery arrows with tips blazing like ghee-fed flame, made the ocean yield and serve Him, and shines adorned, the gem-hued Lord dark as collyrium. You who can live with Him held in your minds: go and reach Thiruchitrakootam in Thillai, where red-beaked parrots sing the four Vedas, as young women with lovely lips talk to them, and the sound enters the hearts of brahmins versed in the sacred Veda.
Word by word
- ney vāy aḻal ampu
- arrows with tips blazing like ghee-fed fire
- munnīr
- the ocean
- mai ār maṇivaṇṇaṉai
- the gem-hued Lord, dark as collyrium
- maṉattē iruttumpaṭi
- so as to keep Him in the mind
- cev vāyk kiḷi
- red-beaked parrots
- nāṉmaṟai pāṭu
- sing the four Vedas
Periya Tirumozhi 3.2.7 · verse 1164 of the four thousand
Meaning
He loved the soft shoulders of the cowherd girl with jasmine in her hair; on His chest dwells the divine Lady of the great lotus, born from the swirling sea as its great fish whirled. You who say, "We will keep Him in our hearts": go and reach Thiruchitrakootam in Thillai, lovely amid the holy waters of the Niva, which sweep down the tusks of trumpeting elephants and fragrant sandal from the hills and flow around it.
Word by word
- mauval kuḻal āycci
- the cowherd girl with jasmine in her hair
- makaram cuḻalac cuḻal nīr
- the swirling sea where great fish whirled
- mā malar maṅkai
- the Lady of the great lotus
- kauvaik kaḷiṟṟiṉ maruppum
- tusks of trumpeting elephants
- kamaḻ cantum
- fragrant sandal
- nivā
- the Niva river
- teyvap puṉal
- holy waters
Periya Tirumozhi 3.2.8 · verse 1165 of the four thousand
Meaning
Heedless of its bulk, He tore apart the mouth of the horse; He lifted the great ancient hill against the rain; He became the cowherds' Lord and grazed the herds; He swallowed the world, the wondrous One. You who mean to reach His feet with their ringing anklets: go to Thiruchitrakootam in Thillai, where the God of gods shines, a beautiful radiance whom the three thousand masters of the four Vedas worship daily in due order.
Word by word
- mā vāyiṉ aṅkam
- the horse Kesi's mouth and body
- maḻai mā mutu kuṉṟu
- the great ancient hill, held against the rain
- nirai mēyttu
- grazing the herds
- kurai mā kaḻal
- feet with ringing anklets
- mūvāyiram nāṉmaṟaiyāḷar
- the three thousand masters of the four Vedas
- tēvātitēvaṉ
- the God of gods
Periya Tirumozhi 3.2.9 · verse 1166 of the four thousand
Meaning
For the sake of women whose dark eyes are sharp as spears of war, you stand in anger and nurse in your minds a grave, dark sin. You who want that sin gone, and wish to dwell in the high realm that even the glorious immortals cannot reach: go and reach Thiruchitrakootam in Thillai, where the great Niva carries pearls and sows them everywhere, kayal fish leap and frolic in the fields, and lovely blue lilies stand and shine.
Word by word
- ceru nīla vēl kaṇ
- dark eyes sharp as spears of war
- aru nīla pāvam
- a grave, dark sin
- amararkkum eytāta aṇṭattu
- in the realm even the immortals cannot reach
- peru nīr nivā
- the great river Niva
- muttam koṇarntu
- bringing pearls
- tiru nīlam
- lovely blue lilies
Periya Tirumozhi 3.2.10 · verse 1167 of the four thousand
Meaning
For the red-eyed Lord who dwells in Thiruchitrakootam in Thillai, lovely amid rich groves, and who ever pours His grace on the wave-girt world, Kalikanri, whose giving hands are like dark rain clouds, made this unfailing garland of song, nine and one, for devotees whose hearts never have their fill to hear and rejoice. Those who master it will live to stand for ages beneath the feet of Him who measured the world.
Word by word
- ceṅ kaṇ mālukku
- for the red-eyed Lord
- ārāta uḷḷattavar
- those whose hearts never have their fill
- alai nīr ulakukku
- to the wave-girt world
- kār ār puyal kaik
- hands generous as dark rain clouds
- oṉpatōṭu oṉṟum
- nine and one, these ten
- ulakam aḷantāṉ aṭikkīḻp
- beneath the feet of Him who measured the world
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.