Periya Tirumozhi 3.7.1 · verse 1208 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The mother speaks of her daughter, who has gone away with the Lord.) Is He a thief? I do not know. A dark young man came, said "Come," and took by her silver-bangled hand my innocent fawn, whose waist is slender as a creeper. Leaving the mother who bore her, will they now enter beautiful Ali with its lovely flowering marshy fields?
Word by word
- kaḷvaṉkol
- is He a thief?
- kariyāṉ oru kāḷai
- a dark young man, strong as a young bull
- vaḷḷi maruṅkul
- a waist slender as a creeper
- maṭa māṉiṉaip
- my innocent fawn, my daughter
- veḷḷi vaḷaik kaip paṟṟa
- taking her silver-bangled hand
- aṇi āli pukuvarkolō
- will they enter beautiful Ali?
Periya Tirumozhi 3.7.2 · verse 1209 of the four thousand
Meaning
My friend, long ago this One was a cowherd! The deceiver slipped in and kissed my daughter's lips, red as the thondai fruit; and she, delighting in Him, walks behind Him, her bright fish-like eyes flashing, prattling like a parrot. Will they enter Ali of the fields, crowded with seaside groves where bees abide?
Word by word
- āyaṉ naṅkāy
- a cowherd, my friend
- paṭiṟaṉ
- the deceiver
- toṇṭai am ceṅ kaṉi vāy
- lips red as the thondai fruit
- keṇṭai oṇ kaṇ miḷira
- her bright fish-like eyes flashing
- kiḷipōl miḻaṟṟi
- prattling like a parrot
- vaṇṭu amar kāṉal
- seaside groves where bees abide
Periya Tirumozhi 3.7.3 · verse 1210 of the four thousand
Meaning
My friend, I fear the harsh words people will say. If my girl, with feet soft as cotton and shoulders like bamboo, should hear of the valour of the mighty One who in fierce anger cut off the nose of the rakshasa princess, she will surely go, careless of her good name. Will they enter Ali of the fields, ringed by cool groves of vanchi?
Word by word
- añcuvaṉ vem col
- I fear the harsh words of gossip
- arakkar kulap pāvai
- the rakshasa princess, Surpanakha
- mūkku arinta viṟalōṉ
- the mighty One who cut off her nose
- pañciya mel aṭi
- feet soft as cotton
- parakkaḻintu
- losing her good name
- vañci am taṇ paṇai
- cool groves of vanchi
Periya Tirumozhi 3.7.4 · verse 1211 of the four thousand
Meaning
What is His ancient birth? He is the younger brother who blew the conch and went as messenger for kings; tell me His town if you can, for I do not know. She has walked away with Madhava as her companion. Will they enter Ali of sweet waters, its outskirts girdled with tanks where bees play among the blossoms?
Word by word
- tol piṟappu
- His ancient birth, lineage
- iḷaiyavaṉ
- the younger brother (of Balarama)
- vaḷai ūti
- who blew the conch
- maṉṉar tūtuvaṉ
- messenger for kings, the Pandavas
- mātavaṉ taṉ tuṇaiyā
- with Madhava, Lakshmi's Lord, as companion
- pōtu vaṇṭu āṭu
- where bees play among blossoms
Periya Tirumozhi 3.7.5 · verse 1212 of the four thousand
Meaning
She does not pity me, thinking, "She is my mother." My broad-shouldered girl, prizing the wondrous Madhava, so fitting for her, has left me. Swinging her bamboo-like arms, walking like a female swan, my flowering creeper is gone. Will they enter Ali of sweet waters?
Word by word
- tāy eṉai eṉṟu iraṅkāḷ
- she has no pity, though I am her mother
- taṉakku amainta māyaṉai
- the wondrous One fitting for her
- vēy aṉa tōḷ viciṟi
- swinging her bamboo-like arms
- peṭai aṉṉam eṉa naṭantu
- walking like a female swan
- pūṅ koṭiyāḷ
- my flowering creeper
Periya Tirumozhi 3.7.6 · verse 1213 of the four thousand
Meaning
I raised her, calling her my companion, yet she did not pity me even a little; she did not pity even my loneliness, I who was her own companion. She has gone with her sweet Companion, the strong support of the gods, who broke the power of their foes' boons and dwells in Srirangam. Will they enter lovely Ali?
Word by word
- eṉ tuṇai eṉṟu eṭuttēṟku
- to me who raised her as my companion
- iṟaiyēṉum iraṅkiṟṟilaḷ
- she did not pity me even a little
- taṉimaikkum
- even my loneliness
- vaṉ tuṇai vāṉavarkku
- the strong support of the gods
- araṅkattu uṟaiyum
- who dwells in Srirangam
- iṉ tuṇaivaṉoṭum
- with her sweet Companion
Periya Tirumozhi 3.7.7 · verse 1214 of the four thousand
Meaning
She did not pity us, her own mother and father, her servants; she has set her heart on the beauty of the great shoulders of Nappinnai's beloved. My girl, whose waist outshines the lightning and the vanchi creeper, has walked away. Will they enter Ali of sweet waters, ringed by punnai trees and swans?
Word by word
- aṉṉaiyum attaṉum
- mother and father
- piṉṉai-taṉ kātalaṉ
- Nappinnai's beloved
- perun tōḷ nalam pēṇiṉaḷāl
- she cherished the beauty of His great shoulders
- miṉṉaiyum vañciyaiyum veṉṟu
- outdoing the lightning and the vanchi creeper
- puṉṉaiyum aṉṉamum
- punnai trees and swans
Periya Tirumozhi 3.7.8 · verse 1215 of the four thousand
Meaning
Her toy winnow, her green parrot, her ball, her swing, her little sand-house, her soft talking myna: she left them all behind, my girl with rich tresses and all her jewels. I could not keep her. Following the One who has no birth, while everyone else folds hands to Him, will they go and enter Ali of the fields?
Word by word
- muṟṟilum
- her little toy winnow
- paiṅ kiḷiyum pantum ūcalum
- green parrot, ball and swing
- ciṟṟil
- little sand-house
- meṉ pūvaiyum
- the soft talking myna
- peṟṟilēṉ
- I could not keep her
- piṟappili
- the One who has no birth
Periya Tirumozhi 3.7.9 · verse 1216 of the four thousand
Meaning
My daughter with lovely kaavi-flower eyes is, if you think of it, the equal of Lakshmi, the Lady of the fragrant great lotus. Only because I, a sinner, bore her, my broad-shouldered girl, walking like a feathered swan, has gone, careless of her name, with the tall Lord. Will they enter Ali of the fields, ringed by cool pools and groves?
Word by word
- kāvi am kaṇṇi
- she with lovely kaavi (blue lily) eyes
- kaṭi mā malarp pāvai oppāḷ
- equal to the Lady of the fragrant lotus
- pāviyēṉ peṟṟamaiyāl
- because I, a sinner, bore her
- tūvi cēr aṉṉam aṉṉa naṭaiyāḷ
- she who walks like a feathered swan
- neṭumāloṭum pōy
- going with the tall Lord
Periya Tirumozhi 3.7.10 · verse 1217 of the four thousand
Meaning
"While her mother's heart grieves, my flowering creeper has gone alone with the tall Lord as her companion; will they enter Ali of sweet waters?" So sang Kaliyan, Thirumangai Alwar, of the fierce, blazing spear, in this Tamil garland of ten. For those whose hearts hold these verses, the heavenly world is their refuge.
Word by word
- tāy maṉam niṉṟu iraṅka
- as the mother's heart grieves
- neṭumāl tuṇaiyā
- with the tall Lord as companion
- kāy ciṉa vēl kaliyaṉ
- Kaliyan of the fierce, blazing spear
- mēviya neñcu uṭaiyār
- those whose hearts hold them
- tañcam āvatu viṇ ulakē
- heaven becomes their refuge
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.