Periya Tirumozhi 5.9.1 · verse 1428 of the four thousand
Meaning
The discus and conch shine in His hands; His beautiful colour is that of a dark rain cloud; there is no falsehood in Him, He is the True One; if people reach His feet, He takes them into His service. He lies on the hooded serpent in southern Thirupper, with its dense groves where red lotuses rise tall in bloom. By praising His name I was saved: that is how it happened!
Word by word
- kai ilaṅku āḻi caṅkaṉ
- He with discus and conch shining in His hands
- karu mukil tiru niṟattaṉ
- He of the beautiful colour of a dark cloud
- poy ilaṉ meyyaṉ
- free of falsehood, the True One
- aṭimai ākkuma
- He makes them His servants
- teṉ tiruppēr
- southern Thirupper, Koviladi
- pai aravu-aṇaiyāṉ
- He who lies on the hooded serpent
- nāṉ uynta āṟē
- this is how I was saved
Periya Tirumozhi 5.9.2 · verse 1429 of the four thousand
Meaning
My Father ate up all seven seas, crowded with ships, the mountains, the sky and the whole beautiful wide world, and then brought them out again. He is our Mal, our Lord, in southern Thirupper with its dense groves that touch the moon and the great clouds. By extolling His name I was saved: that is how it happened!
Word by word
- vaṅkam ār kaṭalkaḷ ēḻum
- all seven seas, full of ships
- am kaṇ mā ñālam
- the beautiful, wide world
- amutuceytu umiḻnta entai
- my Father, who ate and brought them out again
- tiṅkaḷ mā mukil aṇavu
- touching the moon and the great clouds
- eṅkaḷ māl iṟaivaṉ
- our Mal, our Lord
- ētti
- extolling
Periya Tirumozhi 5.9.3 · verse 1430 of the four thousand
Meaning
He raised one, Brahma, high upon the flower at His navel; and by His own body He freed another from a curse and sent him off, saying, 'Rule the heavens.' He lies on the serpent bed in the great city ringed by walls like great mountains, the One with the colour of a dark mountain. By holding His name in my thoughts I was saved: that is how it happened!
Word by word
- untip pūmēl
- on the flower at His navel
- ōṅkuvittu
- raising him high
- ākam-taṉṉāl
- by His own body
- cāpam nīkki
- removing the curse
- umpar āḷ
- rule the heavens
- peru varai matiḷkaḷ
- walls like great mountains
- pēr karuti
- holding His name in thought
Periya Tirumozhi 5.9.4 · verse 1431 of the four thousand
Meaning
Isa, who wandered through all the worlds holding a skull with flesh still on it, cried, 'Remove this wretched curse that clings to me!', and He gave him a bright stream. He is the Lord of the gods in southern Thirupper, encircled by honey-filled groves and crowded fields. By blessing His name I was saved: that is how it happened!
Word by word
- ūṉ amar talai
- a skull with flesh on it
- ulaku elām tiriyum īcaṉ
- Isa (Shiva), who roamed all the worlds
- īṉ amar cāpam
- the wretched curse that clung to him
- oṇ puṉalai īntāṉ
- He gave the bright stream
- tēṉ amar poḻilkaḷ
- groves full of honey
- vāṉavar-talaivaṉ
- Lord of the gods
- vāḻtti
- blessing, praising
Periya Tirumozhi 5.9.5 · verse 1432 of the four thousand
Meaning
The gods came to Him and said, 'O Wondrous One, who once tore apart the mouth of Vakkaran, give us shelter!' Then, with a laugh, He took the form of a Lion, and with His nails He tore open the golden-bodied Hiranya and rejoiced. He is the Lord of the discus, the Lord of southern Thirupper: I reached His feet and was saved.
Word by word
- vāy muṉ kīṇṭa māyaṉē
- O Wondrous One who once tore the mouth
- araṇ tantaruḷāy
- graciously give us shelter
- poṉ ākattāṉai
- him of the golden body, Hiranya
- nakku ari uruvam āki
- laughing, taking the form of a Lion
- nakam kiḷarntu iṭantu
- tearing him open with His nails
- cakkarac celvaṉ
- the Lord who bears the discus
- tāḷ aṭaintu uyntēṉē
- I reached His feet and was saved
Periya Tirumozhi 5.9.6 · verse 1433 of the four thousand
Meaning
He bridged the sea with mountains, and for the sake of the lady of bright jewels He cut off with His bow the twenty arms of the king of great Lanka. Listening to the masters of the good four Vedas praising Him with the sound of their recitation, I live in Thirupper, with its fields where the malangu fish leap: that is how I came to live well!
Word by word
- vilaṅkalāl kaṭal aṭaittu
- bridging the sea with mountains
- viḷaṅkiḻai poruṭṭu
- for the lady of bright jewels, Sita
- irupatu puyam tuṇittāṉ
- He cut off the twenty arms
- nāṉmaṟai vallārkaḷ
- masters of the four Vedas
- ōttu oli
- the sound of Vedic recitation
- malaṅku pāy vayal
- fields where malangu fish leap
- maruvi nāṉ vāḻnta āṟē
- how I came to dwell there and live well
Periya Tirumozhi 5.9.7 · verse 1434 of the four thousand
Meaning
When He ate the butter, the cowherd woman, angry, raised the churning rod and tied Him with a short rope full of knots, and He stayed there, bound. Every day I speak with my own mouth the name of the One with the colour of the sea, in southern Thirupper ringed by strong great walls. That is how I was saved!
Word by word
- veṇṇey-tāṉ amutuceyya
- when He ate the butter
- mattu āycci ōcci
- the cowherd woman raising the churning rod
- kaṇṇi ār kuṟuṅ kayiṟṟāl
- with a short rope full of knots
- tiṇṇa mā matiḷkaḷ
- strong, great walls
- vēlai vaṇṇaṉār
- the One with the colour of the sea
- vāy moḻintu
- speaking with my own mouth
Periya Tirumozhi 5.9.8 · verse 1435 of the four thousand
Meaning
So that all the seven beautiful golden worlds might know it, in Ayarpadi He killed the bulls to win the beautiful Pinnai, slender as a creeper. He is my Lord who dwells in southern Thirupper, ringed by walls of red gold. By praising His name every day I was saved: that is how it happened!
Word by word
- ulakam ēḻum aṟiya
- so that all seven worlds would know
- kompu aṉār piṉṉai
- Pinnai (Nappinnai), slender as a creeper
- ēṟu koṉṟāṉ
- He killed the bulls
- cem poṉ ār matiḷkaḷ
- walls of red gold
- empirāṉ nāmam
- the name of my Lord
- nāḷum
- every day
Periya Tirumozhi 5.9.9 · verse 1436 of the four thousand
Meaning
Vedic scholars, masters of the four kinds of Veda, the five sacrifices and the six limbs, greater than the gods above, have lived from the beginning of time with the red-eyed Mal in Thirupper of fields where sel fish leap. He who rules the hearts of those of noble conduct and great tapas now dwells in my own heart.
Word by word
- nāl vakai vētam
- the four kinds of Veda
- aintu vēḷvi
- the five daily sacrifices
- āṟu aṅkam
- the six limbs of the Veda
- āti kālam
- from the beginning of time
- ceṅ kaṇ mālōṭum
- with red-eyed Mal
- cīla mā tavattar
- those of noble conduct and great tapas
- cintai āḷi
- He who rules the hearts
Periya Tirumozhi 5.9.10 · verse 1437 of the four thousand
Meaning
Mal lies resting on the striped serpent bed at Thirupper, with its groves where bees hum. Kaliyan, Thirumangai Alwar, of strong and mighty shoulders, from Mangai with its flag-decked walls and mansions, made this garland of fine words on Him. Those who take these songs, sing them and dance, will reach the high heaven.
Word by word
- vaṇṭu aṟai poḻil
- groves where bees hum
- vari aravu-aṇaiyil
- on the striped serpent bed
- paḷḷi koṇṭu uṟaikiṉṟa
- who lies resting there
- koṭi matiḷ māṭa maṅkait
- of Mangai with flag-decked walls and mansions
- tiṇ tiṟal tōḷ kaliyaṉ
- Kaliyan of strong, mighty shoulders
- pāṭi āṭak
- singing and dancing
- nīḷ vicumpē
- the high 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.