Periya Tirumozhi 4.2.1 · verse 1258 of the four thousand
Meaning
He bridged the great heaving sea, cut off with His arrows all ten crowned, gleaming heads of the king of Lanka, and gave that kingdom to his younger brother. The temple where He dwells is Vanpurushottamam in Nangur, ringed by rows of red jackfruit, champak and madhavi creepers, mango and banana trees, and tall areca palms heavy with fragrance.
Word by word
- kampa mā kaṭal aṭaittu
- bridging the great heaving sea
- ilaṅkaikku maṉ
- the king of Lanka, Ravana
- katir muṭi avai pattum
- all ten of his gleaming crowned heads
- aracu avaṉ tampikku aḷittavaṉ
- who gave the kingdom to his younger brother, Vibhishana
- cūtakam vāḻaikaḷ
- mango trees and bananas
- vampu ulām kamuku
- fragrant areca palms
Periya Tirumozhi 4.2.2 · verse 1259 of the four thousand
Meaning
He climbed the flowering kadamba tree bright with tender leaves, leapt swiftly down onto the stage of Kaliya's hoods and danced a wondrous dance there. That Lord of the celestials dwells in His temple, Vanpurushottamam in Nangur, a town full of brahmins skilled in the three good, blazing fires, the four Vedas, the five sacrifices and the six limbs of the Vedas.
Word by word
- pallavam tikaḻ pūṅ kaṭampu
- the flowering kadamba tree bright with tender leaves
- kāḷiyaṉ paṇa araṅkil
- on the stage of Kaliya's hoods
- aru naṭamceyta
- who danced a wondrous dance
- umpar kōṉ
- Lord of the celestials
- vem taḻal mūṉṟu nāl vētam
- the three sacred fires and the four Vedas
- āṟu aṅkam
- the six limbs (angas) of the Vedas
Periya Tirumozhi 4.2.3 · verse 1260 of the four thousand
Meaning
All the food the cowherds had set out for Indra, king of the gods, He ate up Himself; then He grazed the herds of cows and protected them. The temple where He gladly and sweetly dwells is Vanpurushottamam in Nangur, where in cool, spreading groves the fine peacocks dance to the drumbeat of the rain clouds and the bees sing their song.
Word by word
- aṇṭar āṉavar
- the cowherds
- vāṉavar kōṉukku
- for Indra, king of the gods
- amaitta cōṟu atu ellām uṇṭu
- eating all the food prepared
- kō nirai mēyttu
- grazing the herds of cows
- koṇṭal ār muḻaviṉ
- to the drumbeat of the rain clouds
- kula mayil naṭam āṭa
- as the fine peacocks dance
Periya Tirumozhi 4.2.4 · verse 1261 of the four thousand
Meaning
He plucked out the tusk of the great-trunked elephant, struck down its mahout, went in, killed the wrestlers together, and then kicked Kamsa down. The temple where He dwells is Vanpurushottamam in Nangur, where tall paddy ripens among the sugarcane, brimming ponds lie in the fields, and groves rise high on every side.
Word by word
- paruṅ kai yāṉaiyiṉ kompiṉaip paṟittu
- plucking the tusk of the great-trunked elephant
- pākaṉaic cāṭi
- striking down its mahout
- mallaraik koṉṟu
- killing the wrestlers
- kañcaṉai utaittavaṉ
- He who kicked Kamsa
- karumpiṉūṭu uyar cālikaḷ
- tall paddy growing among the sugarcane
- mali vāvi
- brimming ponds
Periya Tirumozhi 4.2.5 · verse 1262 of the four thousand
Meaning
He stretched out His little foot and the cart demon flew apart and fell. He made Shiva run, with his army and his kin, and cut off all thousand arms of Bana. The temple where He dwells is Vanpurushottamam in Nangur, ringed by tall mansions whose waving flags reach into the wide sky and hide the light of the sun.
Word by word
- cāṭu pōy viḻa
- so that the cart flew apart and fell
- tāḷ nimirntu
- stretching out His foot
- īcaṉ taṉ paṭaiyoṭum kiḷaiyōṭum ōṭa
- making Shiva flee with his army and kin
- vāṇaṉai āyiram tōḷkaḷum tuṇittavaṉ
- He who cut off Bana's thousand arms
- pakalavaṉ oḷi maṟaikkum
- hiding the light of the sun
- māṭa māḷikai
- tall mansions
Periya Tirumozhi 4.2.6 · verse 1263 of the four thousand
Meaning
In His lovely palm He received the gift of three steps of land with poured water; then He stretched His foot up high, Brahma worshipped it with flowers and praised it, and the Ganga flowed down from it. Krishna comes and dwells in Vanpurushottamam in Nangur, where kongu buds show the breasts, red water-lilies the lips, and great lotuses the faces of the young women.
Word by word
- aṅ kaiyāl aṭi mūṉṟu nīr ēṟṟu
- receiving three steps with water poured in His palm
- ayaṉ
- Brahma
- kaṅkai pōtara
- so that the Ganga flowed forth
- kāl nimirttaruḷiya
- who graciously stretched His foot up high
- koṅkai kōṅku avai kāṭṭa
- kongu buds showing (the women's) breasts
- mā patumaṅkaḷ
- great lotuses
Periya Tirumozhi 4.2.7 · verse 1264 of the four thousand
Meaning
Hiranya, named for gold and bright with strength, writhed as He tore open his chest and stirred his blood, a lion of fierce wrath; He also ripped apart the horse demon. That Father comes and dwells in Vanpurushottamam in Nangur, which rings with the sound of anklets on the feet of young girls and the bangles on the hands of those who play with lovely balls.
Word by word
- poṉpeyarōṉ
- Hiranya, he whose name means gold
- uram piḷantu
- tearing open his chest
- vem ciṉattu ari
- the lion of fierce wrath
- pari kīṟiya
- who ripped apart the horse demon, Kesi
- appaṉ
- the Father
- eḻil koḷ pantu aṭippōr
- girls playing with lovely balls
Periya Tirumozhi 4.2.8 · verse 1265 of the four thousand
Meaning
To free Shiva, who shares his body with Uma of large, fish-like eyes, from his harsh curse, my cloud-hued Lord once gave alms into the skull that clung to his hand. He dwells in Vanpurushottamam in Nangur, ringed by ponds where, when a ripe coconut falls from the tall palms standing among the areca trees, the vaalai fish take fright and leap away.
Word by word
- umai paṅkaṉ
- Shiva, who shares his body with Uma
- vaṉ cāpam
- the harsh curse
- aiyam muṉ aḷitta
- who once gave alms
- mukil vaṇṇaṉ
- the Lord with the colour of a rain cloud
- pāḷai vāṉ kamuku
- tall areca palms with flower-spathes
- vāḷai pāy taṭam
- ponds where the vaalai fish leap
Periya Tirumozhi 4.2.9 · verse 1266 of the four thousand
Meaning
On the great lotus of His beautiful navel He created four-faced Brahma, who in turn begot Shiva, whose long matted hair holds the moon. The temple where He gladly and sweetly dwells is Vanpurushottamam in Nangur, where a mother monkey, having eaten the rich fruit of the banana, leaps away hugging her little one and rests on a branch of a great mango tree.
Word by word
- intu vār caṭai īcaṉai
- Shiva, whose long matted hair holds the moon
- payanta nāṉ mukaṉai
- the four-faced Brahma, who begot him
- unti mā malarmīmicaip paṭaittavaṉ
- He who created him on the great lotus of His navel
- ukantu iṉitu uṟai kōyil
- the temple where He gladly and sweetly dwells
- kuruḷaiyait taḻuvi
- hugging her little one
- manti
- a mother monkey
Periya Tirumozhi 4.2.10 · verse 1267 of the four thousand
Meaning
In Vanpurushottamam in Nangur of the Vedic brahmins whom all on earth praise, the king of Ali, Thirumangai Alwar, reached the red feet of the Lord, came under them and was saved. Raining down his grace, he sang these songs set in rich melody. Those who master these ten will have joy beyond counting in this world and will join the immortals.
Word by word
- maṇṇuḷār pukaḻ vētiyar
- Vedic brahmins praised by all on earth
- aṇṇal cēvaṭikkīḻ
- under the red feet of the Lord
- aṭaintu uyntavaṉ
- he who reached them and was saved
- āli maṉ
- the king of Thiruvali, Thirumangai Alwar
- aruḷ māri
- rain of grace, a title of the Alwar
- eṇ ilāta pēr iṉpam
- great joy beyond counting
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.