Periya Tirumozhi 5.7.1 · verse 1408 of the four thousand
Meaning
The ancient four Vedas, the sacrifices, the sacred words that are heard and the meanings of those words; the bright blazing fire that spread out from a single mass; the earth with its swelling waters; the cloud and the wind; the seven roaring seas, the seven great mountains, the sky and the whole universe: my Lord, who stands as all of these, is the One who dwells in the great city of Arangam.
Word by word
- paṇṭai nāṉmaṟaiyum
- the ancient four Vedas
- kēḷvip pataṅkaḷum
- the sacred words that are heard
- piṟaṅku oḷi aṉalum
- the brightly blazing fire
- koṇṭal mārutamum
- the cloud and the wind
- kurai kaṭal ēḻum
- the seven roaring seas
- tāṉ āy niṉṟa
- who stands as all of them
- araṅka mā nakar amarntāṉē
- He dwells in the great city of Srirangam
Periya Tirumozhi 5.7.2 · verse 1409 of the four thousand
Meaning
He makes Indra, Brahma and Isa carry out their countless works; He is father, mother, children and all our many kin; He is the bondage that surrounds us and never leaves, and the one medicine that cuts that bondage; He is the order of things, and for all the many lives He is both their end and their living: my Lord, who is all this, dwells in the great city of Arangam.
Word by word
- intiraṉ piramaṉ īcaṉ
- Indra, Brahma and Isa (Shiva)
- eṇ il pal kuṇaṅkaḷē iyaṟṟa
- to carry out their countless works
- tantaiyum tāyum makkaḷum
- father, mother and children
- akalāp pantamum
- the bondage that never leaves
- pantam aṟuppatu ōr maruntum
- the one medicine that cuts bondage
- antamum vāḻvum
- the end and the living
Periya Tirumozhi 5.7.3 · verse 1410 of the four thousand
Meaning
When the lasting great earth, the mountains, the seas, the sky and the world of the asuras all became one dense darkness, the shining light shrank away and the ancient four Vedas were hidden, then one day, to give them back to the gods and the sages, so that the thick darkness lost its colour, He became a swan and there brought forth the rare Vedas: He dwells in the great city of Arangam.
Word by word
- tāṉavar ulakum
- and the world of the asuras
- tuṉṉu mā iruḷ āy
- becoming one dense darkness
- tulaṅku oḷi curuṅki
- the shining light shrinking
- tollai nāṉmaṟaikaḷum maṟaiya
- the ancient four Vedas hidden
- aṉṉam āy
- becoming a swan, Hamsa
- aru maṟai payantāṉ
- He brought forth the rare Vedas
Periya Tirumozhi 5.7.4 · verse 1411 of the four thousand
Meaning
With one great dark mountain as the churning rod and the serpent wound around it, so that the vast dark ocean was split open and roared, the crashing waves spread up into the sky, and the far wide heavens, the moon, the sun and the gods were all bewildered together, He churned the wave-tossed sea with His thousand arms: He dwells in the great city of Arangam.
Word by word
- mā iruṅ kuṉṟam
- the great dark mountain, Mandara
- mattu āka
- as the churning rod
- mācuṇam
- the great serpent, Vasuki
- pā irum pauvam
- the vast, dark ocean
- paṭu tirai
- the crashing waves
- tām uṭaṉ ticaippa
- all bewildered together
- āyiram tōḷāl
- with a thousand arms
Periya Tirumozhi 5.7.5 · verse 1412 of the four thousand
Meaning
How could the asuras survive, if they but thought of it? Hot blood poured down from Hiranya's broad chest with its shining ornaments, like a waterfall from a split golden mountain; a great silver mountain, with fierce eyes and gleaming fangs, rose up to touch the sky, its eyes blazing fire. Just so He took the form of the Lion: He dwells in the great city of Arangam.
Word by word
- eṅṅaṉē uyvar tāṉavar
- how could the asuras survive?
- ilaṅku pūṇ akalam
- broad chest with shining ornaments
- poṉmalai piḷantu
- a golden mountain split open
- vāḷ eyiṟṟu
- with gleaming fangs
- veḷḷi mā vilaṅkal
- a great silver mountain
- kaṉal viḻittu
- eyes blazing fire
- ari uru āṉāṉ
- He took the form of the Lion, Narasimha
Periya Tirumozhi 5.7.6 · verse 1413 of the four thousand
Meaning
He seized the mighty axe so that the thousand strong and beautiful round arms, like a thousand hills gathered together, were cut down, and that king went to the wide heaven. The immortals come and bow to Him by a thousand names; in the midst of the wave-tossed sea, in yogic sleep, He sleeps on the serpent-bed with a thousand shining mouths: He dwells in the great city of Arangam.
Word by word
- āyiram kuṉṟam ceṉṟu tokkaṉaiya
- like a thousand hills gathered together
- tiraḷ tōḷ āyiram tuṇiya
- so that the thousand round arms were cut
- aṭal maḻup paṟṟi
- seizing the mighty axe, as Parasurama
- āyiram peyarāl
- by a thousand names
- aṟituyil
- the sleep of awareness, yoga-nidra
- āyiram cuṭar vāy aravu-aṇait
- on the serpent bed with a thousand shining mouths
Periya Tirumozhi 5.7.7 · verse 1414 of the four thousand
Meaning
The rakshasa of fierce force, in his cruelty, parted from Him Sri with curling hair and lips like ripe fruit. Resolved to crush his shining gem-crowns, with eyes blazing fire, and to lay Lanka waste, He bent His striped bow and loosed killing arrows; to make a path across the wave-tossed sea He set the monkey host to work and bridged the sea with mountains: He dwells in the great city of Arangam.
Word by word
- curi kuḻal kaṉi vāyt tiruviṉaip
- Sri with curling hair and fruit-red lips, Sita
- kaṭu vicai arakkaṉ
- the rakshasa of fierce force, Ravana
- ilaṅkai pāḻpaṭuppataṟku
- to lay Lanka waste
- vari cilai
- the striped bow
- arikulam paṇikoṇṭu
- setting the monkey host to work
- alai kaṭal aṭaittāṉ
- He dammed the wave-tossed sea
Periya Tirumozhi 5.7.8 · verse 1415 of the four thousand
Meaning
He is the ages of time, the summit of the sacrifice, the sun with his one-wheeled chariot. In this world He ended the suffering of the great elephant; He loosed killing arrows so that Lanka was thrown into turmoil; and showing grace to Partha, great in strength, He hid the sun with His discus in broad daylight, so that its light failed: He dwells in the great city of Arangam.
Word by word
- ūḻi āy
- as the ages of time
- ōmattu ucci āy
- as the summit of the sacrifice
- orukāl uṭaiya tēr oruvaṉ
- the one whose chariot has one wheel, the sun
- māl yāṉait tuyar keṭuttu
- ending the great elephant's distress
- pārttaṉukku aruḷi
- showing grace to Partha, Arjuna
- āḻiyāl
- with the discus
- āḻiyai maṟaittāṉ
- He hid the sun's disc
Periya Tirumozhi 5.7.9 · verse 1416 of the four thousand
Meaning
He became a child and fed at the breast of the demoness; once He swallowed the great earth and brought it out of His mouth; the great One, He lay as a child on a banyan leaf; far beyond the gods with their jewelled crowns, near to His devotees, He comes and cuts away the cruel sorrow in my heart; He became a cowherd and once lifted up a hill: He dwells in the great city of Arangam.
Word by word
- pēyiṉār mulai ūṇ piḷḷai
- the child who fed at the demoness's breast
- peru nilam viḻuṅki
- swallowing the great earth
- āl ilai vaḷarntu
- lying on a banyan leaf
- aṭiyōrkku aṇiyaṉ āy
- near to His devotees
- vem tuyar aṟukkum
- who cuts away cruel sorrow
- kuṉṟam oṉṟu eṭuttāṉ
- He lifted a hill, Govardhana
Periya Tirumozhi 5.7.10 · verse 1417 of the four thousand
Meaning
He dwells in the great city of Arangam, encircled by the great river with battling waves that carry gold, gems and pearls, and by rippling waters where swans move about. Kaliyan of the noble spear, lord of Thirumangai with its lasting great mansions, composed these songs. Those who sing this hymn every day will cut away the grip of their old karma.
Word by word
- poṉṉum mā maṇiyum muttamum
- gold, great gems and pearls
- poru tirai mā nati
- the great river with battling waves, the Kaveri
- aṉṉam māṭu ulavum
- where swans move about
- maṅkaiyar talaivaṉ
- lord of Thirumangai
- māṉa vēl kaliyaṉ
- Kaliyan of the noble spear
- paḻaviṉai paṟṟu aṟuppārē
- will cut the grip of old karma
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.