Periya Tirumozhi 6.6.1 · verse 1498 of the four thousand
Meaning
His throat swallowed the sky, the great earth, the eight directions, the surging sea and the great mountains, and He lay to rest upon a leaf of the banyan tree. You who wish to reach His sacred feet, go to the jewelled temple of Thirunaraiyur, the shrine that Kochenganan, king of the Sembiyan line, came to and served, where the gem-coloured bee drinks the scent of opening champak blossoms and then rests on the vakula flower.
Word by word
- alai kaṭalum kula varaiyum
- the surging sea and the great mountains
- uṇṭa kaṇṭaṉ
- He whose throat swallowed them
- vaṭa marattiṉ ilaimēl paḷḷi
- rest upon a banyan leaf
- ceṇpakattiṉ vācam
- the fragrance of champak flowers
- vakuḷattiṉ malarmēl
- on the vakula (magizham) flower
- cempiyaṉ kōc ceṅkaṇāṉ
- Kochenganan, king of the Chola (Sembiyan) line
- tirunaṟaiyūr maṇimāṭam
- the jewelled temple of Thirunaraiyur
Periya Tirumozhi 6.6.2 · verse 1499 of the four thousand
Meaning
When the great flood rose, He became a plump fish, raced over the great mountains and leapt beyond the bounds of the universe, playing happily: He is the Lord, my Father. You who would dwell happily beneath His two feet, go to the jewelled temple of Thirunaraiyur, reached by the Chola king, where bees swarm and hum, and the rich Ponni carries gems into the ploughed fields and scatters them on her banks, bringing such plenty that the whole world has sandal and agil.
Word by word
- koḻuṅ kayal āy
- becoming a plump fish, Matsya
- neṭu veḷḷam
- the great flood
- aṇṭattu appāl
- beyond the universe
- iṉitu viḷaiyāṭum īcaṉ
- the Lord who played happily
- iṇai-aṭikkīḻ
- beneath His two feet
- cantaṉamum akilum
- sandalwood and agil (fragrant aloe wood)
- ceḻum poṉṉi
- the rich Ponni, the Kaveri
Periya Tirumozhi 6.6.3 · verse 1500 of the four thousand
Meaning
The ocean waters wrapped around Him as His garment, the wide earth His feet, the wind His body, the eight beautiful directions His shoulders, the universe His crown: so He stood. You who would go to Him, go to the jewelled temple of Thirunaraiyur, reached by the Chola king who drove his great, clamorous elephants at Venni and won with his blessed sword, so that crows perched on the jewelled crowns of the warrior kings who faced him.
Word by word
- pavva nīr uṭai āṭai ākac cuṟṟi
- wrapping the ocean waters as His garment
- pār akalam tiruvaṭiyā
- the wide earth as His feet
- pavaṉam meyyā
- the wind as His body
- aṇṭam tiru muṭiyā
- the universe as His crown
- veṇṇi ēṟṟa
- who faced him at Venni, a battlefield
- teyva vāḷ valam koṇṭa
- who won with his blessed sword
Periya Tirumozhi 6.6.4 · verse 1501 of the four thousand
Meaning
Taking the form of a man-lion with tawny eyes, He glared so as to strike terror, seized Hiranya of huge strong shoulders, pulled him close, and with the tips of the bright claws on His lovely hands made the blood well up from his chest. You who stand beneath His feet, go to the jewelled temple of Thirunaraiyur, reached by Senganan, the Chola king, who drove his fierce horses and broke the might of the strong kings who faced him at Venni with their fierce-eyed elephants.
Word by word
- paiṅ kaṇ āḷ-ari uru āy
- in the form of a man-lion with tawny eyes
- veruva nōkki
- glaring so as to terrify
- paru varat tōḷ iraṇiyaṉai
- Hiranya of huge, strong shoulders
- vāḷ ukir nutiyāl
- with the tips of bright claws
- aṭikkīḻ niṟpīr
- you who stand beneath His feet
- vem mā uytta
- who drove fierce horses
Periya Tirumozhi 6.6.5 · verse 1502 of the four thousand
Meaning
Long ago He measured the three worlds; and in another form, a lion, He tore open Hiranya's chest, conquered him and sent him to the world above. You who would be His welcome guests, go to the jewelled temple of Thirunaraiyur, reached by the Chola, king of the Ponni land, Tamil of the south and lord of the northern lands, where the Ponni rises, leaps over the hills, scatters gold, brings gems and spreads them on her banks, flooding field and land alike.
Word by word
- ulakam mūṉṟiṉaiyum aḷantu
- measuring the three worlds, as Trivikrama
- ari uru āy
- in the form of a lion
- viruntu āvīr
- you who would be His welcome guests
- vilaṅkal pāyntu
- leaping over the hills
- poṉṉi nāṭaṉ
- king of the land of the Ponni
- teṉ tamiḻaṉ vaṭa pulakkōṉ
- Tamil king of the south, lord of the northern lands
Periya Tirumozhi 6.6.6 · verse 1503 of the four thousand
Meaning
Of His own will He brought forth His own forms; He Himself became the three worlds full of shining light, and became the sky; of Himself He became the three divine forms; and He Himself became a cowherd. You who would be saved by taking Him as your refuge, go to the jewelled temple of Thirunaraiyur, reached by the Chola, king of the south and of western Kongu, who ruled the world and sent a seasoned spear-bearing foe up to heaven with his peerless spear.
Word by word
- taṉṉālē taṉ uruvam payanta
- of His own will brought forth His forms
- mūrtti mūṉṟu āy
- became the three divine forms
- tāṉ āyaṉ āyiṉāṉ
- He Himself became a cowherd
- caraṇ eṉṟu uyvīr
- you who would be saved, taking Him as refuge
- taṉi vēl uyttu
- hurling his peerless spear
- kuṭa koṅkaṉ
- lord of western Kongu
Periya Tirumozhi 6.6.7 · verse 1504 of the four thousand
Meaning
He drank the poison in the demoness's breast until she died; He became chief of the clan in ancient Dwaraka; He walked behind the cattle playing His flute, and the cowherd women, pining for Him, lost their bangles to Him. You who would reach beneath His feet, go to the jewelled temple of Thirunaraiyur, reached by the Chola of noble line, bow in his strong hand, king of the lovely Ponni land, whose flowing waters bring gems from the mountain slopes and give wealth so the world may thrive.
Word by word
- mulait taṭatta nañcu uṇṭu
- drinking the poison in her breast
- mutu tuvaraik kulapati
- chief of the clan in ancient Dwaraka
- kālippiṉṉē
- behind the cattle
- kuḻal ūti
- playing the flute
- iṉa vaḷai koṇṭāṉ
- took their rows of bangles: they grew thin with longing
- cilait taṭak kaik kulac cōḻaṉ
- the Chola of noble line, bow in his strong hand
Periya Tirumozhi 6.6.8 · verse 1505 of the four thousand
Meaning
He is the beloved of Pinnai, whose red lips are like the ripe fruit of the murukku; He went forth so that the hostile kings all perished, and on the battlefield of victory He broke the might of the enemy king and cut off his heads. Set His sacred feet upon your heads: go to the jewelled temple of Thirunaraiyur, reached by the prosperous Chola of the blessed line, who built seventy fine temples and ruled the world.
Word by word
- murukku ilaṅku kaṉit tuvar vāy
- red lips like the ripe fruit of the murukku tree
- piṉṉai kēḷvaṉ
- beloved of Pinnai, Nappinnai
- cerukkaḷattut tiṟal aḻiya
- breaking their might on the battlefield
- ciram tuṇittāṉ
- He who cut off the heads
- tiruvaṭi num ceṉṉi vaippīr
- set His sacred feet upon your heads
- eḻil māṭam eḻupatu ceytu
- building seventy beautiful temples
Periya Tirumozhi 6.6.9 · verse 1506 of the four thousand
Meaning
He wears the garland; He is Lord of cool Srirangam; He stands peerless over the world, praised by the sages; He is the Great One with a thousand names, the bridegroom of Pinnai. You who would hear of His greatness, go to the jewelled temple of Thirunaraiyur, reached by Ko Chola, lord of chariots, who at Azhundai drove his horses so that the bodies of the warrior kings who came against him, each claiming to rule the land, were cut down.
Word by word
- taṇ araṅka āḷaṉ
- Lord of cool Srirangam
- muṉiyāḷar ētta
- praised by the sages
- āyiram pēr uṭaiya āḷaṉ
- the Lord of a thousand names
- piṉṉaikku maṇavāḷaṉ
- bridegroom of Pinnai
- aḻuntai ēṟṟa
- who faced him at Azhundai (Thiruvazhundur)
- parimā uytta
- who drove his horses
Periya Tirumozhi 6.6.10 · verse 1507 of the four thousand
Meaning
On the red-eyed Mal of the jewelled temple at Thirunaraiyur, where live the masters of the four Vedas with flawless speech, Kalikanri, Thirumangai Alwar, made these songs of joy: he is true and has no false word in him, king of the clan of the Mangai land, full of learning, sweet of speech. Those who sing them need not fear, in this wide world, the harsh words of Yama's men; in truth, those worthy ones will become welcome guests of the heavenly ones.
Word by word
- cem moḻi vāy nāl vēta vāṇar
- masters of the four Vedas, flawless in speech
- ceṅ kaṇ mālaip
- the red-eyed Mal, the Lord
- poym moḻi oṉṟu illāta
- with no false word at all
- kalikaṉṟi
- Kalikanri, Thirumangai Alwar
- namaṉār pāṭi
- the camp of Yama, god of death
- viṇṇavarkku viruntu ākum
- become guests of the heavenly ones
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.