Periya Tirumozhi 6.5.1 · verse 1488 of the four thousand
Meaning
He churned the ocean until it heaved, took out the nectar and gave it to the immortals, ending their trembling fear. He is the shining flame of light, holding the discus in His right hand and the conch in His left. His town is Naraiyur, where Brahmins live who are rich in goodness and true in speech.
Word by word
- kalaṅka munnīr kaṭaintu
- churning the ocean till it heaved
- imaiyōr
- the unblinking ones, the gods
- tuḷaṅkal tīra
- so that their trembling ended
- cōtic cuṭar āya
- who is a flame of light
- valaṅkai āḻi iṭaṅkaic caṅkam
- the discus in the right hand, the conch in the left
- nalam koḷ vāymai antaṇar
- Brahmins rich in goodness and true of speech
- naṟaiyūrē
- Thirunaraiyur (Nachiyar Koil)
Periya Tirumozhi 6.5.2 · verse 1489 of the four thousand
Meaning
Becoming a lion fierce in battle, He tore apart the defiant chest of the asura Hiranya with His sharp, bright claws: He is the Pure One. His town is Naraiyur, beautiful and ringed by groves full of buds, where the cuckoo pecks at the red young shoots on the branches of the sweet mango and calls.
Word by word
- muṉai ār cīyam āki
- becoming a lion fierce in battle, Narasimha
- avuṇaṉ muraṇ mārvam
- the defiant chest of the asura
- vāḷ ukirāl
- with bright, sharp claws
- puṉitaṉ
- the Pure One
- tēmāñ cen taḷir
- red young shoots of the sweet mango
- kuyil kūvum
- the cuckoo calls
- naṉai ār cōlai
- groves full of buds
Periya Tirumozhi 6.5.3 · verse 1490 of the four thousand
Meaning
He crushed the great host arrayed with elephants, horses, chariots and foot soldiers, and destroyed Lanka. His town is Naraiyur, where the farm workers fall upon the fish in the water and rise clutching them, and the turtle, alarmed by them, hides in the fragrant thicket.
Word by word
- āṉai puravi tēroṭu kālāḷ
- elephants, horses, chariots and foot soldiers
- cēṉait tokaiyaic cāṭi
- crushing the massed army
- ilaṅkai ceṟṟāṉ
- He who destroyed Lanka
- maḷḷarkku
- at the farm workers of the fields
- alamantu
- alarmed, flustered
- āmai oḷikkum
- the turtle hides
Periya Tirumozhi 6.5.4 · verse 1491 of the four thousand
Meaning
He ate the butter from the hanging pot and was bound to the mortar; for the sake of Pinnai, whose hair is fragrant, He conquered the bulls. His town is Naraiyur, where peacocks with spotted plumes dance in every flowering grove, and bees sing their tunes on fresh, fragrant blossoms.
Word by word
- uṟi ār veṇṇey
- butter kept in the hanging pot
- uralōṭum kaṭṭuṇṭu
- was tied to the mortar
- veṟi ār kūntal piṉṉai
- Pinnai (Nappinnai) of fragrant hair
- āṉ veṉṟāṉ
- He who overcame the bulls
- poṟi ār maññai
- peacocks with spotted plumes
- vaṇṭu icai pāṭum
- bees sing their music
Periya Tirumozhi 6.5.5 · verse 1492 of the four thousand
Meaning
He won the seven bulls and became the beloved of the cowherd girl with soft shoulders; He felled the two marutha trees that stood in His path as He crawled: He is the Lord. His town is Naraiyur, where swans with their mates walk behind women wearing bangles, try to match their graceful gait, and then hide away in shame.
Word by word
- viṭai ēḻ veṉṟu
- conquering the seven bulls
- meṉ tōḷ āyccikku
- for the cowherd girl with soft shoulders, Nappinnai
- marutam cāytta
- who felled the marutha trees
- nātaṉ
- the Lord
- peyvaḷaiyār
- women wearing bangles
- nāṇi oḷikkum
- hide in shame
Periya Tirumozhi 6.5.6 · verse 1493 of the four thousand
Meaning
He sucked at the breast of the cruel, gaping-mouthed demoness and drank up her life, and He fought until the elephant waiting at the gate to attack Him fell. His town is Naraiyur, where the swan drinks honey from the opening water lilies and then sleeps upon the smiling bloom of the lotus.
Word by word
- paku vāy vaṉ pēy
- the cruel demoness with gaping mouth, Putana
- ār uyir uṇṭu
- drank up her very life
- pōtakam vīḻap porutāṉ
- fought till the elephant fell, Kuvalayapida
- neytal pū matu
- honey of the water lily
- kamalattiṉ naku vāy malarmēl
- on the smiling, open lotus flower
- aṉṉam uṟaṅkum
- the swan sleeps
Periya Tirumozhi 6.5.7 · verse 1494 of the four thousand
Meaning
Long ago He gave back to His teacher, the Brahmin who had first given Him the ancient scriptures and the sacred thread, that Brahmin's lost son. His town is Naraiyur, with its ponds of fresh water, where birds hurry to and fro gathering snails for their young who live in the hollows of trees.
Word by word
- muntu nūlum
- the ancient scripture, the Veda
- muppuri nūlum
- the sacred thread of three strands
- antaṇāḷaṉ piḷḷaiyai
- the Brahmin teacher's son
- aññāṉṟu aḷittāṉ
- gave back in those days
- pontil vāḻum piḷḷaikku
- for their young living in tree hollows
- nantu vārum
- gather up snails
Periya Tirumozhi 6.5.8 · verse 1495 of the four thousand
Meaning
For Vijaya, Arjuna, He drove the chariot drawn by white horses, so that the mighty battle array broke apart and the king of Sindhu fell: He is the Spotless One. His town is Naraiyur, where the heron that feeds on plump fish in plenty runs with its mate and spills the honey of the lotuses.
Word by word
- veḷḷaip puravit tēr
- the chariot of white horses
- vicayaṟku āy
- for Vijaya, Arjuna
- viṟal viyūkam viḷḷa
- the mighty battle array breaking apart
- cintukkōṉ viḻa
- the king of Sindhu (Jayadratha) falling
- vimalaṉ
- the Spotless One
- kamalat tēṟal
- honey of the lotus
Periya Tirumozhi 6.5.9 · verse 1496 of the four thousand
Meaning
To lift the burden that pressed upon the earth, the God of gods drove the chariot of Partha, Arjuna. The town He goes to and dwells in is Naraiyur, ringed by cool hedges of tender shoots where streams run, and surrounded by rich fields where cranes wander.
Word by word
- pārai ūrum pāram tīra
- to remove the burden weighing on the earth
- pārttaṉ-taṉ tērai
- the chariot of Partha, Arjuna
- tēvatēvaṉ
- the God of gods
- taṇ taḷir vēli
- cool hedges of tender shoots
- nārai ūrum
- where cranes wander
- nal vayal
- rich fields
Periya Tirumozhi 6.5.10 · verse 1497 of the four thousand
Meaning
Naraiyur is ringed by great mansions of famous name, where the wondrous Lord stands with His tall crown wearing a garland of tulasi. On it Kaliyan, Thirumangai Alwar, skilled with the bright and handsome spear, made this garland of sound. For those who recite it, Thirumal Himself will be a companion who keeps them safe.
Word by word
- tāmat tuḷapa nīḷ muṭi
- tall crown with a tulasi garland
- māyaṉ
- the wondrous Lord
- nāmat tiraḷ mā māḷikai
- many great mansions of famous name
- katir vēl vallāṉ
- skilled with the bright spear
- oli mālai
- garland of sound, this decad
- cēmat tuṇai ām
- will be a protecting companion
- tirumālē
- Thirumal, Lord of Sri
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.