Periya Tirumozhi 4.10.1 · verse 1338 of the four thousand
Meaning
Our Lord ate the butter while the cowherd women cried out for Him, and once lay growing on a banyan leaf. He drank the breast of the demoness, broke the twin marutham trees and measured the great earth. His temple is Thiruvelliyangudi, on the south side of the Manni, whose plentiful waters flow amid groves everywhere of tall fruiting areca, plantain and coconut.
Word by word
- āycciyar aḻaippa
- while the cowherd women cried out
- āl ilai vaḷarnta
- who lay growing on a banyan leaf
- iṇai marutu iṟuttu
- breaking the twin marutham trees
- peru nilam aḷantavaṉ
- He who measured the great earth
- kamukum kataliyum teṅkum
- areca, plantain and coconut
- maṇṇiyiṉ teṉpāl
- on the south side of the Manni river
- tiruveḷḷiyaṅkuṭi atuvē
- it is Thiruvelliyangudi
Periya Tirumozhi 4.10.2 · verse 1339 of the four thousand
Meaning
Long ago He grazed the herds; He blocked the wave-tossed sea and sent the heads of the rakshasas rolling. The temple that Krishna holds dear, He whose form is like a dark, full rain cloud, is Thiruvelliyangudi, where among rows of flowering cherunthi and punnai trees budding like pearls, the striped bees crowd into the bowers, drink honey noisily and hum sweet music.
Word by word
- ānirai mēyttu
- grazing the herds of cows
- alai kaṭal aṭaittiṭṭu
- blocking the wave-tossed sea
- arakkar tam ciraṅkaḷai uruṭṭi
- sending the rakshasas' heads rolling
- kār niṟai mēkam
- a dark, full rain cloud
- karutiya kōyil
- the temple He holds dear
- puṉṉai muttu arumpi
- punnai trees budding like pearls
- iṉ icai muralum
- hum sweet music
Periya Tirumozhi 4.10.3 · verse 1340 of the four thousand
Meaning
Long ago He churned up the pool of Kaliya of deadly venom and tormented him, leapt on his hood till it broke and scattered its many gems, and danced many dances there. His temple is Thiruvelliyangudi, where the sound of the dance-dramas performed by fine maidens, whose hips are like a serpent's hood, spreads out, fills every side and echoes up to the sky.
Word by word
- kaṭu viṭam uṭaiya kāḷiyaṉ
- Kaliya of deadly venom
- taṭattaik kalakki
- churning up his pool
- paṭam iṟap pāyntu
- leaping on his hood till it broke
- pal maṇi cinta
- scattering many gems
- pal naṭam payiṉṟavaṉ
- He who danced many dances
- nāṭakattu oli
- the sound of the dance-dramas
- aṇṭam niṉṟu atirum
- echoing up to the sky
Periya Tirumozhi 4.10.4 · verse 1341 of the four thousand
Meaning
He guarded the cows long ago and raged against Kamsa; His sacred form is a dark rain cloud. The Supreme, who raised the bird Garuda high on His banner and slept on the ocean of milk, reclines in His temple: Thiruvelliyangudi, on the south side of the Manni whose gathered waves scatter gold and gems at every bathing place, where the flags on crowded jewelled mansions reach the sun.
Word by word
- kaṟavai muṉ kāttu
- guarding the cows long ago
- kañcaṉaik kāynta
- who raged against Kamsa
- kāḷamēkat tiru uruvaṉ
- He whose sacred form is a dark rain cloud
- paṟavai muṉ uyarttu
- raising the bird, Garuda, high (on His banner)
- pāṟkaṭal tuyiṉṟa paramaṉār
- the Supreme who slept on the ocean of milk
- tuṟaituṟaitōṟum
- at every bathing place
- koṭi katir aṇavum
- flags that reach the sun
Periya Tirumozhi 4.10.5 · verse 1342 of the four thousand
Meaning
He swallowed the earth and brought it out again; once, in the Bharata war, He drove the chariot and drove back the chariots of the foe. The red-eyed, loving Lord goes and dwells in His temple, Thiruvelliyangudi, where the vaalai fish, harried among the rows of ploughs in the fields, think, "This is no place for us," and make their way to the beautiful pond.
Word by word
- pāriṉai uṇṭu pāriṉai umiḻntu
- swallowing the earth and bringing it out again
- pāratam
- the Bharata war
- tēriṉai ūrntu
- driving the chariot (for Arjuna)
- tēriṉait turanta
- who drove back the chariots of the foe
- ceṅ kaṇ māl
- the red-eyed, loving Lord
- ēr nirai vayaluḷ
- among the rows of ploughs in the fields
- emakku iṭam aṉṟu itu
- "This is no place for us"
Periya Tirumozhi 4.10.6 · verse 1343 of the four thousand
Meaning
Like poolai flowers scattering and vanishing in the wind, the rakshasas' army beyond the sea met with ruin and went into the jaws of death when He loosed His cruel arrows. The temple of Rama of the beautiful bow is Thiruvelliyangudi, ringed by bright fields where the bananas standing by the springs ripen and fall, and the carp eat their fill and frolic in the mud.
Word by word
- kāṟṟiṭaip pūḷai karanteṉa
- like poolai flowers vanishing in the wind
- kaṭal arakkar tam cēṉai
- the army of the rakshasas beyond the sea
- kūṟṟiṭaic cella
- going into the jaws of death
- koṭuṅ kaṇai turanta
- who loosed cruel arrows
- kōla vil irāmaṉ
- Rama of the beautiful bow
- cēṟṟiṭaik kayalkaḷ ukaḷ
- where carp frolic in the mud
Periya Tirumozhi 4.10.7 · verse 1344 of the four thousand
Meaning
Mahabali thought, "I shall do a glorious deed." Into his sacrifice He came as a bright little dwarf, took three steps of land, and grew until He touched the directions. His temple is Thiruvelliyangudi, where cuckoos living in the lovely dense groves call out "Hari, Hari!", and where He hastens to give grace as Velli worships Him.
Word by word
- oḷḷiya karumam ceyvaṉ
- "I shall do a glorious deed"
- māvali vēḷviyil pukku
- entering Mahabali's sacrifice
- teḷḷiya kuṟaḷ āy
- as a bright little dwarf
- tikku uṟa vaḷarntavaṉ
- He who grew until He touched the directions
- ari ari eṉṟu
- calling "Hari, Hari!"
- veḷḷiyār vaṇaṅka
- as Velli, the planet Shukra (Venus), worships
Periya Tirumozhi 4.10.8 · verse 1345 of the four thousand
Meaning
Long ago, as the Lion, He laid on His lap the lord of the asuras, who troubled the crowned gods, and tore open his chest. That wondrous One abides in His temple, Thiruvelliyangudi, where the light of the many gems set in the pillars at the foot of the mansions makes it hard to tell whether it is dawn, day or night.
Word by word
- muṭi uṭai amararkku
- to the crowned gods
- acurar tam perumāṉai
- the lord of the asuras, Hiranya
- ari āy
- as the Lion, Narasimha
- maṭiyiṭai vaittu
- laying him on His lap
- mārvam muṉ kīṇṭa
- who tore open his chest
- viṭi pakal iravu eṉṟu aṟivu aritu
- hard to tell whether it is dawn, day or night
Periya Tirumozhi 4.10.9 · verse 1346 of the four thousand
Meaning
The gods gather, clan upon clan, and stand babbling only of His virtues as they praise Him. The Lord of the discus, who slept on the serpent bed and gives grace to His devotees, sits and dwells in His temple: Velliyangudi of the fields, where fragrant lotuses bloom at the foot of the plants, the great red paddy sways with the sugarcane, and the graceful swan joins its mate.
Word by word
- kuṭi kuṭi ākak kūṭi niṉṟu
- gathering clan upon clan
- kuṇaṅkaḷē pitaṟṟi
- babbling only of His virtues
- aṭiyavarkku aruḷi
- giving grace to His devotees
- aravu aṇait tuyiṉṟa
- who slept on the serpent bed
- āḻiyāṉ
- the Lord of the discus
- aṉṉam peṭaiyoṭum cērum
- where the swan joins its mate
Periya Tirumozhi 4.10.10 · verse 1347 of the four thousand
Meaning
In ancient times He once became a boar, dug up the earth and carried it on His tusk; He slept on the ocean of milk as its clear waves stroked Him. On that Lord of Thiruvelliyangudi, Kaliyan of the proud spear, leader of Mangai of groves where bees hum, sang these words. Those blessed with the good fortune to sing them will rule this world of roaring seas.
Word by word
- ēṉam āki
- becoming a boar
- pār iṭantu eyiṟṟiṉil koṇṭu
- digging up the earth and carrying it on His tusk
- teṇ tirai varuṭa
- as clear waves stroked Him
- tiruveḷḷiyaṅkuṭiyāṉai
- the Lord of Thiruvelliyangudi
- māṉa vēl kaliyaṉ
- Kaliyan of the proud spear
- tavam uṭaiyārkaḷ
- those blessed with good fortune
- kurai kaṭal ulakē
- this world of roaring seas
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.