Periya Tirumozhi 5.4.1 · verse 1378 of the four thousand
Meaning
He created Brahma upon His navel; He swallowed the worlds; He is my Father and Lord, and Father of the unblinking immortals. They say His dwelling place is beautiful Thennarangam, Srirangam of the south, ringed by fields glowing with the colour of the evening sky, watered by the Kaveri, whose waters wash up sandalwood and gems.
Word by word
- untimēl nāṉmukaṉaip paṭaittāṉ
- He who created four-faced Brahma upon His navel
- ulaku uṇṭavaṉ
- He who swallowed the worlds
- imaiyōrkaḷ tātaikku
- for the Father of the immortals
- iṭam eṉparāl
- they say it is His place
- cantiṉōṭu maṇiyum koḻikkum
- washing up sandalwood and gems
- antipōlum niṟattu
- coloured like the evening sky
- teṉ araṅkamē
- beautiful Srirangam of the south
Periya Tirumozhi 5.4.2 · verse 1379 of the four thousand
Meaning
He is the wondrous One who swallowed the world and lay on a banyan leaf; He wears a long jewelled crown and rests on the hooded serpent. They say the place where He abides is Thennarangam, ringed by the river whose waters flow down mingled with the flower garlands from the tresses of lovely women and the red sandal paste from their breasts.
Word by word
- āl ilai mēvum māyaṉ
- the Wondrous One resting on a banyan leaf
- maṇi nīḷ muṭi
- the long jewelled crown
- pai koḷ nākattu aṇaiyāṉ
- He whose bed is the hooded serpent, Adisesha
- payilum iṭam
- the place where He abides
- taiyal nallār kuḻal mālaiyum
- the garlands from lovely women's tresses
- ceyya cāntum
- and the red sandal paste
- iḻi puṉal
- the flowing waters
Periya Tirumozhi 5.4.3 · verse 1380 of the four thousand
Meaning
Long ago He went as a dwarf to measure this world and received the gift-water poured into His hand by Mahabali; His broad hand bears the discus. They say His place is Thennarangam, full of beauty, where the Kaveri comes flowing down, its waters dripping honey over which bees sing, and groves surround it whose fragrance reaches the heavens.
Word by word
- iv vaiyam aḷappāṉ
- to measure this world
- māvali kaiyil nīra
- the water poured from Mahabali's hand
- āḻit taṭak kaik kuṟaḷaṉ
- the dwarf with the discus in His broad hand
- vaṇṭu pāṭum matu vār puṉal
- waters dripping honey where bees sing
- aṇṭam nāṟum poḻil
- groves whose fragrance fills the heavens
- aḻaku ār
- full of beauty
Periya Tirumozhi 5.4.4 · verse 1381 of the four thousand
Meaning
He bent His mighty bow with His broad hand so that the city of the strong rakshasa with the victorious sword, who had stirred up a fierce war, was laid waste. They say His place is Thennarangam, ringed by the rich Kaveri, which carries along the tusks of elephants with hollow trunks and logs of agil wood, pushing them ahead as it plays.
Word by word
- viḷaitta vem pōr
- the fierce war he stirred up
- viṟal vāḷ arakkaṉ
- the rakshasa with the mighty sword, Ravana
- nakar pāḻpaṭa
- so that his city lay in ruins
- vaḷaitta val vil
- the strong bow He bent
- tuḷaik kai yāṉai maruppum
- tusks of elephants with hollow trunks
- akilum
- and agil, fragrant aloe wood
- celvap puṉal kāviri
- the rich waters of the Kaveri
Periya Tirumozhi 5.4.5 · verse 1382 of the four thousand
Meaning
The beautiful One, in His anger, sent the beloved of Mandodari of the fragrant hair to the other world with His arrow. They say His place is Thennarangam, full of beauty, ringed by walls of fine red gold, where the king of the gods and all the seven worlds come thronging to worship.
Word by word
- vampu ulām kūntal
- hair with fragrance wafting
- maṇṭōtari kātalaṉ
- Mandodari's husband, Ravana
- vāṉ puka
- so that he entered the sky, died
- muṉinta aḻakaṉ
- the beautiful One who was angered
- umpar-kōṉum
- the king of the gods, Indra, too
- cempoṉ ārum matiḷ
- walls of red gold
Periya Tirumozhi 5.4.6 · verse 1383 of the four thousand
Meaning
A strong demoness, wearing fine cloth, came as a mother and gave Him her breast; He drank her life away. They say the place where He lives is Thennarangam, ringed by the Kaveri, whose waters come rushing through groves of banana trees heavy with clusters, and push ahead, lifting their waves.
Word by word
- vaṉ pēy makaḷ
- the strong demoness, Putana
- tāy eṉa
- as though a mother
- mulai koṭuttāḷ uyir uṇṭavaṉ
- He who drank the life of her who gave Him her breast
- kulai eṭutta katalip
- banana trees bearing clusters
- alai eṭukkum puṉal
- waters raising waves
- vāḻ iṭam
- the place where He lives
Periya Tirumozhi 5.4.7 · verse 1384 of the four thousand
Meaning
Bearer of the radiant discus, He conquered Kamsa's heart, the fierce wrestlers and the cart with His feet, so that they perished. They say the place where He lives is Thennarangam, fragrant with the smoke of agil incense rising from tall mansions that touch the clouds, and with the smoke of the sacrifices offered with the true words of great Vedic scholars.
Word by word
- kañcaṉ neñcum
- Kamsa's heart
- kaṭu mallarum
- and the fierce wrestlers
- cakaṭamum
- and the cart-demon
- cuṭar āḻiyāṉ
- He who holds the radiant discus
- mañcu cēr māḷikai
- mansions that touch the clouds
- akil pukaiyum
- the smoke of agil incense
- mā maṟaiyōr
- great Vedic scholars
- vēḷvip pukaiyum
- and the smoke of sacrifices
Periya Tirumozhi 5.4.8 · verse 1385 of the four thousand
Meaning
He became the boar, the fish, the tortoise, the man-lion and the little dwarf, and yet remained Himself: He is Lord of the earth. They say His place is Thennarangam, where those who throng it, coming in to fill heaven and earth to worship, live together like good honey and milk mingled.
Word by word
- ēṉam mīṉ āmaiyōṭu
- the boar, the fish, with the tortoise
- ariyum ciṟu kuṟaḷum
- the man-lion and the little dwarf
- tāṉum āya
- and who is still Himself
- taraṇit talaivaṉ
- Lord of the earth
- vāṉum maṇṇum niṟaiyap
- filling heaven and earth
- tēṉum pālum kalantaṉṉavar
- people like honey and milk mingled
Periya Tirumozhi 5.4.9 · verse 1386 of the four thousand
Meaning
He is far beyond reach, ever very great, and subtle and fine as well; He is the wondrous One whose ways no one can know. They say His place is Thennarangam, full of beauty, ringed by great golden walls, where the abundant Kaveri flows, bringing pearls from the bamboo and gems.
Word by word
- cēyaṉ
- the One far beyond reach
- mikap periyaṉ
- exceedingly great
- nuṇ nērmaiyaṉ
- subtle and fine
- ārum aṟiyā vakaiyāṉ
- He whose ways no one can know
- vēyiṉ muttum
- pearls from the bamboo
- poṉ mā matiḷ
- great golden walls
Periya Tirumozhi 5.4.10 · verse 1387 of the four thousand
Meaning
Kalikanri, Thirumangai Alwar, king of Mangai with its firm stone walls, sang garlands of fine music on Arangam, home of the Lord on whose chest dwells the Lady of the lotus. Those who master these ten, eight and two together, will rule this world and afterwards rule the world of heaven.
Word by word
- alli mātar
- the Lady of the lotus, Lakshmi
- tiru mārvaṉ
- the Lord of the blessed chest
- kalliṉ maṉṉu matiḷ
- firm walls of stone
- maṅkaiyar-kōṉ
- king of Thirumangai
- icai mālaikaḷ
- garlands of music
- nāl iraṇṭum iraṇṭum
- four twice, and two: ten
- vāṉ ulaku āḷvarē
- will rule the world of 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.