Periya Tirumozhi 6.7.1 · verse 1508 of the four thousand
Meaning
He took me, His servant, to be ruled by Him and to serve Him. From His fierce, burning bow He sent arrows that severed the shoulders and heads of the hostile night-roaming demons. He is the Nambi who stands at Naraiyur, where streets are thronged by men as handsome as Kama and Murugan and by women with spear-like eyes, and the sound of festivals never ceases, day after day.
Word by word
- āḷum paṇiyum aṭiyēṉaik koṇṭāṉ
- took me, His servant, to rule and to serve
- nicācararait
- the night-roamers, the rakshasas
- cuṭu vem cilaivāyc caram
- arrows from the fierce, burning bow
- vēḷum cēyum aṉaiyārum
- men like Kama and Murugan
- vēl-kaṇārum
- women with spear-like eyes
- nāḷum viḻaviṉ oli ōvā
- the sound of festivals never ceasing
- nampiyē
- the Nambi, the Lord full of every perfection
Periya Tirumozhi 6.7.2 · verse 1509 of the four thousand
Meaning
Coming as a sage, He wielded the axe with its single blade three times seven times, until the bodies of crowned kings were cut down; His shoulders wear the garland. He is the Nambi who stands at Naraiyur, where along the long forest edge the dewy jasmine puts out many buds, the blue water lilies on one side show eyes, and in the rich fields pearls are tossed about.
Word by word
- muṉi āy vantu
- coming as a sage, Parasurama
- mūveḻukāl
- three times seven times
- muṭi cēr maṉṉar
- crowned kings
- maḻuviṉ paṭai āṇṭa
- who wielded the axe
- paṉi cēr mullai
- dewy jasmine
- pāṉal
- blue water lily
- muttu alaikkum
- where pearls are tossed about
Periya Tirumozhi 6.7.3 · verse 1510 of the four thousand
Meaning
He rests in sleep on the angry, poison-mouthed serpent in the clear sea; He shot the arrow that brought down the leaping deer; He begged Mahabali for land. He is the Nambi who stands at Naraiyur, where in the bird-filled meadows the lovely blue lilies show the eyes of golden women, and the lotuses in the ponds show their faces.
Word by word
- teḷ ār kaṭalvāy
- in the clear sea
- viṭa vāyac ciṉa vāḷ aravil
- on the angry, shining serpent with poison in its mouth
- tuḷḷā varu māṉ
- the deer that came leaping, Maricha
- irantāṉ māvali maṇ
- begged Mahabali for land
- pūṅ kāvi
- lovely blue lilies
- kamalam mukam kāṭṭum
- the lotus shows their faces
Periya Tirumozhi 6.7.4 · verse 1511 of the four thousand
Meaning
Saying "He ate the butter without even hiding it," the cowherd woman bound Him to the mortar with a bright rope, tied fast, and He sobbed and cried. He is the Nambi who stands at Naraiyur, where on soft flowers the bees grow drunk on honey, the lovely south breeze scatters the blossoms abroad, and the cool jasmine smiles.
Word by word
- oḷiyā veṇṇey uṇṭāṉ
- He ate butter without hiding it
- uralōṭu āycci
- the cowherd woman, to the mortar
- oṇ kayiṟṟāl
- with a bright rope
- vimmi aḻutāṉ
- He sobbed and cried
- kāmar teṉṟal
- the lovely south breeze
- mullai muṟuvalikkum
- the jasmine smiles, its buds open
Periya Tirumozhi 6.7.5 · verse 1512 of the four thousand
Meaning
To the bow festival in northern Mathura He went gladly; He crushed the hostile wrestlers, blazed with anger at Kamsa of rock-like shoulders and destroyed him, and leapt upon Kaliya. He is the Nambi who stands at Naraiyur, where many good Vedic scholars live, who recite the scriptures in their proper order and perform the soma sacrifice.
Word by word
- vil ār viḻavil
- at the festival of the bow
- vaṭa maturai
- northern Mathura
- mal aṭarttu
- crushing the wrestlers
- kal ār tiraḷ tōḷ kañcaṉaik
- Kamsa of rock-like shoulders
- pāyntāṉ kāḷiyaṉmēl
- leapt upon the serpent Kaliya
- cōmuc ceyyum
- who perform the soma sacrifice
Periya Tirumozhi 6.7.6 · verse 1513 of the four thousand
Meaning
The three-eyed Shiva, with his sons led by Murugan, Valli's husband, fled in shame, while He cut down the forest of mighty Bana's broad arms and rejoiced. He is the Nambi who stands at Naraiyur, ringed by fields where the female crab, seeing the face of her gaping-mouthed mate who has lain among the lotuses, turns away in a sulk.
Word by word
- vaḷḷi koḻunaṉ
- Valli's husband, Murugan
- mukkaṇāṉ
- the three-eyed one, Shiva
- veḷki ōṭa
- fleeing in shame
- viṟal vāṇaṉ
- mighty Bana
- viyaṉ tōḷ vaṉattait tuṇittu
- cutting down his forest of broad arms
- alavaṉ
- the male crab
- naḷḷi ūṭum
- the female crab sulks
Periya Tirumozhi 6.7.7 · verse 1514 of the four thousand
Meaning
He drove Vijaya's chariot until the spear-bearing kings who came thronging perished; He lifted a mountain as an umbrella and stood as king of the cowherds; He bears the sharp discus. He is the Nambi who stands at Naraiyur, where live Brahmins who have made their way of life the four Vedas, the five sacrifices, the six limbs of learning and the seven notes of music.
Word by word
- miṭaiyā vanta vēl maṉṉar
- spear-bearing kings who came thronging
- vicayaṉ tēr kaṭavi
- driving Vijaya's (Arjuna's) chariot
- kuṭaiyā varai oṉṟu eṭuttu
- lifting a mountain as an umbrella
- kūr āḻip paṭaiyāṉ
- He who bears the sharp discus
- vētam nāṉku aintu vēḷvi
- four Vedas, five sacrifices
- aṅkam āṟu icai ēḻ
- six limbs of the Veda, seven notes of music
Periya Tirumozhi 6.7.8 · verse 1515 of the four thousand
Meaning
So that Panchali, whose fingers held the play-ball, could tie up her hair again, He set the conch to His lips in the Bharata war, and the anklet-wearing kings on their tethered elephants were shaken. He is the Nambi who stands at Naraiyur, where live Vedic scholars of never-failing generous hands, great as Brahma on the red lotus and as Shiva.
Word by word
- pantu ār viralāḷ
- she whose fingers held the play-ball
- pāñcāli kūntal muṭikka
- so that Panchali could tie up her hair
- pāratattu
- in the Bharata war
- kantu ār kaḷiṟṟuk
- elephants tied to posts
- caṅkam vāy vaittāṉ
- set the conch to His lips
- nantā vaṇ kai
- generous hands that never fail
Periya Tirumozhi 6.7.9 · verse 1516 of the four thousand
Meaning
Shiva, who wears the river, the crescent moon, the snake and adambu flowers on his matted hair, smears ash over his body and rides the bull, came to Him and begged relief from his trouble; gladly He gave him fragrant water beyond compare from His broad, mountain-like chest. He is the Nambi who stands at Naraiyur, beautiful and ringed by fragrant groves.
Word by word
- āṟum piṟaiyum aravamum
- the river, the crescent moon and the snake
- aṭampum
- adambu flowers (a seashore creeper)
- ēṟu ūrum iṟaiyōṉ
- the god who rides the bull, Shiva
- kuṟai irappa
- begging relief from his trouble
- vāca nīr
- fragrant water
- varai mārvu
- chest like a mountain
Periya Tirumozhi 6.7.10 · verse 1517 of the four thousand
Meaning
On the Nambi who stands at Naraiyur, where good Vedic scholars live, Kaliyan of Mangai, a land of fields ringed by unbreached walls, made this Tamil garland of sound. Those in the world who sing it over and over will never be touched by their old deeds; they will rule the world for long, and then go on to live where the heavenly ones bow to them.
Word by word
- naṉmai uṭaiya maṟaiyōr
- good Vedic scholars
- kaṉṉi matiḷ
- walls never breached
- kaliyaṉ
- Kaliyan, Thirumangai Alwar
- tamiḻ-mālai
- garland of Tamil verse
- pāṭu cārā paḻa viṉaikaḷ
- old deeds will not come near
- vāṉōr vaṇaṅka
- with the heavenly ones bowing to them
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.