Periya Tirumozhi 3.3.1 · verse 1168 of the four thousand
Meaning
He passed between the marutha trees and brought them down; He killed the wrestlers to shouts of joy; He split the prancing horse; once He ended the distress of the cowherds' herds; He is the Dancer who shielded them from the gathering storm. Hailed in this way, He comes: He who dwells in Chitrakootam in Thillai, with its tall flowering groves.
Word by word
- vāṭa marutu iṭai pōki
- passing between the marutha trees and felling them
- mallaraik koṉṟu
- killing the wrestlers
- āṭal nal mā uṭaittu
- splitting the prancing horse (Kesi)
- ā-niraikku aṉṟu iṭar tīrppāṉ
- He who once ended the herds' distress
- mā maḻai kātta kūttaṉ
- the Dancer who shielded them from the great rain
- varukiṉṟāṉ
- He comes
- cittirakūṭattu uḷḷāṉē
- He who dwells in Chitrakootam
Periya Tirumozhi 3.3.2 · verse 1169 of the four thousand
Meaning
"If this is the way of the child who drank the poison from the demoness's breast..." So the cowherd women, their senses alive with Him, sing, "He is the husband of the great Lady of the earth! He is the Lord of the Lotus Lady, whose flowers the bees drink!" and they strew honeyed flowers as He comes: He who dwells in Chitrakootam.
Word by word
- pēy makaḷ koṅkai nañcu uṇṭa
- who drank the poison from the demoness Putana's breast
- paricu
- the way, the nature
- mā nila mā makaḷ mātar kēḷvaṉ
- husband of the great Lady of the earth
- pū-makaḷ nāyakaṉ
- Lord of the Lotus Lady, Lakshmi
- kōviyar
- cowherd women
- tē malar tūva
- strewing honeyed flowers
Periya Tirumozhi 3.3.3 · verse 1170 of the four thousand
Meaning
"Long ago this one ate the butter!" the cowherd women gather and taunt Him; those of all eight directions bow as He walks between the twin marutha trees; the cowherds and the dwellers of heaven sing His firm might with a thousand names. So He comes: He who dwells in Chitrakootam.
Word by word
- veṇṇey uṇṭāṉ
- He ate the butter
- āycciyar kūṭi iḻippa
- as cowherd women gather and taunt
- eṇ ticaiyōrum vaṇaṅka
- as those of the eight directions bow
- iṇai marutu ūṭu naṭantiṭṭu
- walking between the twin marutha trees
- āyiram nāmaṅkaḷōṭu
- with a thousand names
- tiṇ tiṟal pāṭa
- singing His firm might
Periya Tirumozhi 3.3.4 · verse 1171 of the four thousand
Meaning
As the young cowherd women with bangled hands and long eyes cry out to Him in fear, He enters the cool wide pool where lotuses burst from their buds, and while the cowherds watch, He stands on the head of the fiery serpent with its sharp fangs until it wilts, and dances there, revelling in the fight. So He comes: He who dwells in Chitrakootam.
Word by word
- vaḷaik kai neṭuṅkaṇ maṭavār
- young women with bangled hands and long eyes
- añci aḻaippa
- calling out in fear
- taḷaittu aviḻ tāmaraip poykai
- the pool where lotuses burst from bud
- aḻal nākattu ucciyil
- on the head of the fiery serpent, Kaliya
- atu vāṭat
- till it wilted
- tiḷaittu amar ceytu
- revelling as He fought
Periya Tirumozhi 3.3.5 · verse 1172 of the four thousand
Meaning
Like a dark cloud of the rainy season, like the great sea full of pearls, like a thousand golden mountains shining with cascading streams, He destroyed the great bulls of the herd for the cowherd girl with lovely dark tresses, and now He comes revelling through the streets: He who dwells in Chitrakootam.
Word by word
- paruvak karu mukil ottu
- like a dark cloud of the rainy season
- muttu uṭai mā kaṭal ottu
- like the great sea full of pearls
- aruvit tiraḷ
- cascading streams
- āyiram poṉmalai ottu
- like a thousand golden mountains
- iṉa māl viṭai ceṟṟu
- destroying the great bulls of the herd
- teruvil tiḷaittu
- revelling in the streets
Periya Tirumozhi 3.3.6 · verse 1173 of the four thousand
Meaning
"He shot, and Lanka fell to ruin! When the rain came to confound them, He held up the huge hill so all might live, and saved the herds!" So all the world praises and bows to Him, and like a great mountain rising in beauty, He comes riding the divine bird: He who dwells in Chitrakootam.
Word by word
- eyyac citaintatu ilaṅkai
- He shot and Lanka was ruined
- paru varai tāṅki
- holding up the huge hill
- ānirai kāttāṉ
- He saved the herds
- aṇaṅku eḻu mā malai pōla
- like a great mountain rising in beauty
- teyvap puḷ ēṟi
- riding the divine bird, Garuda
Periya Tirumozhi 3.3.7 · verse 1174 of the four thousand
Meaning
Who else knows how to do such deeds? In anger He brought down the mighty elephant, fierce with rage and huge as a mountain of collyrium; now He comes through the streets as lovely women with long eyes like kaavi flowers fold their hands to Him: He who dwells in cool Chitrakootam in Thillai, where the gods bow.
Word by word
- āvar ivai ceytu aṟivār
- who else knows how to do these?
- añcaṉa mā malai pōla
- like a great mountain of collyrium
- aṭal vēḻam vīḻa
- so that the mighty elephant fell
- kāvi malar neṭuṅ kaṇṇār
- women with long eyes like kaavi (blue lily) flowers
- vīti varuvāṉ
- He comes through the streets
- tēvar vaṇaṅku
- where the gods bow
Periya Tirumozhi 3.3.8 · verse 1175 of the four thousand
Meaning
Once, rising in battle, He struck terror into Hiranya, the one named for gold, and there tore into his body, while a thousand shoulders rose and danced, two tawny eyes spat fire, and long fangs gleamed in a cavernous mouth. In that lion form He comes: He who dwells in Chitrakootam.
Word by word
- poṅki amaril
- rising in battle
- poṉpeyarōṉai
- the one named for gold, Hiranya
- ākam aḷaintiṭṭu
- tearing into his body
- āyiram tōḷ eḻuntu āṭa
- a thousand shoulders rising and dancing
- paiṅ kaṇ iraṇṭu eri kāṉṟa
- two tawny eyes spitting fire
- ciṅka uruviṉ
- in the form of a lion
Periya Tirumozhi 3.3.9 · verse 1176 of the four thousand
Meaning
His body is like a dark rain cloud; in His hands are the discus and the conch; the gods of great might surround Him and all seven worlds worship and praise Him. With one, the cowherd maiden; with another, the Lady of the earth; and with the third, Lakshmi, He comes: He who dwells in Chitrakootam.
Word by word
- karu mukil pōlvatu ōr mēṉi
- a body like a dark rain cloud
- āḻiyum caṅkum
- the discus and the conch
- peru viṟal vāṉavar cūḻa
- surrounded by mighty gods
- āyar maṭantai
- the cowherd maiden, Nappinnai
- nilamakaḷ
- the Lady of the earth
- tirumakaḷōṭum
- and with Lakshmi
Periya Tirumozhi 3.3.10 · verse 1177 of the four thousand
Meaning
On the Lord of the gods, who dwells in Chitrakootam in Thillai amid flowering groves full of honey, Kalikanri, Thirumangai Alwar, king of the Mangai people, whose spear rests in the flesh of his foes, sang these bright Tamil verses, nine and one. Cruel deeds will not cling to those who learn and master them.
Word by word
- tēṉ amar pūm poḻil
- flowering groves full of honey
- vāṉavar-taṅkaḷ pirāṉai
- the Lord of the gods
- maṅkaiyar-kōṉ
- king of the Mangai people
- ūṉ amar vēl
- a spear that rests in the flesh of foes
- oṇ tamiḻ
- bright Tamil
- cārā tīviṉai-tāṉē
- cruel deeds will not cling
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.