Periya Tirumozhi 3.9.1 · verse 1228 of the four thousand
Meaning
He is the young hero who tore open the broad chest of hate-filled Hiranya, and churned the wide sea and took the nectar with delight; He is the Lord whose holy form is like a lovely dark cloud. The temple where He dwells, gladly and sweetly, every day, is Vaikuntha Vinnagaram in Nangur, where kayal fish circle and play through rich groves fragrant with jasmine, bright serunthi and shenbagam that shed their flowers with the dew. Worship it, my simple heart.
Word by word
- calam koṇṭa iraṇiyaṉatu
- of hate-filled Hiranya
- akal mārvam kīṇṭu
- tearing open his broad chest
- kaṭaintu amutam koṇṭu
- churning and taking the nectar
- karu mukilpōl tirumēṉi
- holy form like a dark cloud
- makiḻntu iṉitu maruvi uṟai kōyil
- the temple where He gladly dwells
- vaikuntaviṇṇakaram
- Vaikuntha Vinnagaram, a Thirunangur temple
- vaṇaṅku maṭa neñcē
- worship, my simple heart
Periya Tirumozhi 3.9.2 · verse 1229 of the four thousand
Meaning
Taking the form of a mighty lion, so that every direction trembled and gods and asuras stood stunned, He came upon Hiranya and drove His claws into his wide chest: He is the Master. The temple where He dwells, gladly and sweetly, every day, is Vaikuntha Vinnagaram in Nangur, thronged by Vedic scholars, the finest on earth, men of great virtue and countless wealth, rich in the beauty of the Veda, the seven notes and deep learning. Worship it, my simple heart.
Word by word
- tiṇṇiyatu ōr ari uruvāy
- in the form of a mighty lion
- ticai aṉaittum naṭuṅka
- so that every direction trembled
- tēvaroṭu tāṉavarkaḷ ticaippa
- gods and asuras stood stunned
- ukir maṭutta nātaṉ
- the Master who drove in His claws
- ēḻ icaiyum kēḷvikaḷum
- the seven notes and deep learning
- maṟaiyavarkaḷ malivu eytum
- thronged by Vedic scholars
Periya Tirumozhi 3.9.3 · verse 1230 of the four thousand
Meaning
His holy stomach took in the universe, this wave-tossed sea and all the lands; He filled the skull that Shiva carried about and removed the curse on him: He is the First. The temple where He dwells, gladly and sweetly, is Vaikuntha Vinnagaram in Nangur, where on all eight sides rich red paddy, young coconut, plantain, betel creepers and areca with bright clusters vie to pour out their plenty, many bees sing and peacocks dance. Worship it, my simple heart.
Word by word
- amutu ceyta tiru vayiṟṟaṉ
- He whose holy stomach took them in
- araṉ koṇṭu tiriyum muṇṭam
- the skull that Shiva carried about
- cāpam-atu nīkkum
- who removed the curse
- mutalvaṉ
- the First
- iḷan teṅku katali
- young coconut and plantain
- icali vaḷam coriya
- vying to pour out plenty
Periya Tirumozhi 3.9.4 · verse 1231 of the four thousand
Meaning
He cut off the ears and nose of the rakshasa princess together, so that she ran screaming, her hands upon her head, into Lanka on its mountain: He is the broad-shouldered One. The temple where He dwells, gladly and sweetly, is Vaikuntha Vinnagaram in Nangur, where the tridents atop the gem-built mansions pierce the bellies of rich rain clouds, and the rich pearls of rain they shed heap up on those mountain-like mansions. Worship it, my simple heart.
Word by word
- arakkar kulak koṭiyaik
- the rakshasa princess, Surpanakha
- kātoṭu mūkku uṭaṉ ariya
- ears and nose cut off together
- talaiyil aṅ kai vaittu
- with her hands on her head
- taṭan tōḷaṉ
- the broad-shouldered One
- ceḻuṅ koṇṭal akaṭu iriya
- piercing the bellies of rich rain clouds
- ceḻu muttam
- rich pearls (of rain)
Periya Tirumozhi 3.9.5 · verse 1232 of the four thousand
Meaning
Long ago, for gentle Sita with her waist slender as lightning, He bent His matchless bow so that the ten crowns and twenty shoulders of Lanka's king fell away, and He ground Lanka to dust: He is the broad-shouldered One. The temple where He dwells, gladly and sweetly, is Vaikuntha Vinnagaram in Nangur, whose fields shine everywhere, crowded with red paddy, red lotuses, sel, kayal and valai fish and red water lilies, and where Vedic scholars of lasting fame abound. Worship it, my simple heart.
Word by word
- miṉ aṉaiya nuṇ maruṅkul
- a waist slender as lightning
- melliyaṟkā
- for the gentle one, Sita
- muṭi orupatum tōḷ irupatum
- ten crowns and twenty shoulders
- nikar il cilai vaḷaittu
- bending His matchless bow
- ilaṅkai poṭiceyta
- who ground Lanka to dust
- maṉṉu pukaḻ vētiyarkaḷ
- Vedic scholars of lasting fame
Periya Tirumozhi 3.9.6 · verse 1233 of the four thousand
Meaning
She came in the form of a lovely woman; He drank her life so that she died in her huge demon form; and He graciously broke the strong marutha trees and the cart: He is God. The temple where He dwells, gladly and sweetly, is Vaikuntha Vinnagaram in Nangur, thronged by Vedic scholars of great generosity, never lacking in the Veda that is truth, the fine arts, full patience and open-handed giving. Worship it, my simple heart.
Word by word
- peṇmai miku vaṭivu koṭu vantavaḷaip
- her who came in a lovely woman's form, Putana
- pēyiṉatu uruvu koṭu māḷa
- so that she died in her demon form
- marutoṭu nal cakaṭam iṟuttaruḷum
- who broke the marutha trees and the cart
- uṇmai miku maṟaiyoṭu
- with the Veda that is truth
- niṟai poṟaikaḷ
- full patience
- utavu koṭai
- open-handed giving
Periya Tirumozhi 3.9.7 · verse 1234 of the four thousand
Meaning
With a young calf He struck the wood-apple so its fruit fell; He feasted to His heart's content on the curd and butter kept by cowherd women with long spear-like eyes; He swallowed this world: He is the young hero. The temple where He dwells, gladly, every day, is Vaikuntha Vinnagaram in lovely Nangur, whose great wealth grows, enriched by water that strokes the roots of young areca, clustered coconut, betel creepers, red paddy and sleeping sugarcane. Worship it, my simple heart.
Word by word
- viḷaṅkaṉiyai iḷaṅ kaṉṟu koṇṭu
- the wood-apple, with a young calf
- vēl neṭuṅ kaṇ āycciyarkaḷ
- cowherd women with long spear-like eyes
- tayir veṇṇey
- curd and butter
- uḷamkuḷira amutu ceytu
- eating to His heart's content
- ulaku uṇṭa kāḷai
- the young hero who swallowed the world
- kāl taṭavum puṉalāl
- by water stroking their roots
Periya Tirumozhi 3.9.8 · verse 1235 of the four thousand
Meaning
His great hand bears the mighty discus that destroyed the strength of Naraka, whose fury never cooled; His holy body graciously gives a place to Lakshmi of the lotus and to Shiva; He is the First of the immortals. The temple where He dwells, gladly and sweetly, is Vaikuntha Vinnagaram in lovely Nangur, whose unfailing wealth grows, where ever-blooming lotuses and red water lilies brim over and the farmers block the sluices as floods of honey run. Worship it, my simple heart.
Word by word
- āṟāta ciṉattiṉ miku narakaṉ
- Naraka, whose fury never cooled
- aṭal āḻit taṭak kaiyaṉ
- He whose great hand bears the mighty discus
- alar-makaṭkum araṟkum
- to Lakshmi of the lotus and to Shiva
- kūṟākak koṭuttaruḷum
- graciously giving a share
- imaiyōr kula mutalvaṉ
- the First of the immortals
- matu veḷḷam oḻuka
- as floods of honey run
Periya Tirumozhi 3.9.9 · verse 1236 of the four thousand
Meaning
In the wide sea full of ships, the gods and many great sages gather, scatter great flowers, and cry, "Our only Lord, show us Your grace!": He is that Lord. The temple where He dwells, gladly and sweetly, is Vaikuntha Vinnagaram in Nangur, ringed by rich fields where red kayal and valai leap among the red paddy and sel fish frolic, its gem-built mansions crowding every street and brushing the belly of the moon in the clouds. Worship it, my simple heart.
Word by word
- vaṅkam mali taṭaṅ kaṭaluḷ
- in the wide sea full of ships
- mā muṉivar palar kūṭi
- many great sages gathering
- eṅkaḷ taṉi nāyakaṉē
- our only Lord
- emakku aruḷāy
- show us Your grace
- mati akaṭu uriñcum
- brushing the belly of the moon
- maṇi māṭa
- gem-built mansions
Periya Tirumozhi 3.9.10 · verse 1237 of the four thousand
Meaning
On Vaikuntha Vinnagaram in Nangur, famed across the ship-filled sea-girt world, the temple where the tall lotus-eyed Lord dwells bearing the conch, the mace and the discus, Parakalan Kalikanri, chief of Mangai ringed by groves humming with bees, whose sword cuts down the bodies of his foes, made this garland of Tamil fit for the learned assembly. Those who master these ten will gain the power to rule both earth and heaven.
Word by word
- caṅku mali taṇṭu mutal cakkaram
- the conch, the mace and the discus
- tāmaraik kaṇ neṭiya pirāṉ
- the tall lotus-eyed Lord
- maṅkaiyar-tam talaivaṉ
- chief of the Mangai people
- parakālaṉ kalikaṉṟi
- Parakalan, Kalikanri: Thirumangai Alwar
- caṅkam mali tamiḻ-mālai
- a Tamil garland fit for the learned assembly
- taraṇiyoṭu vicumpu āḷum
- ruling both earth and heaven
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.