Periya Tirumozhi 6.9.1 · verse 1528 of the four thousand
Meaning
Thirunaraiyur is clothed in fields where the young swan, holding its mate close and never parting from her, lifts the petals of the lotus and drinks its honey. There dwells the blessed Lord who ended the suffering of Shiva, who wandered the three worlds begging alms with a foul-smelling skull in his hand. O my heart, reach His two feet.
Word by word
- peṭai aṭartta maṭa aṉṉam
- the young swan holding its mate close
- matu nukarum
- drinks the honey
- vayal uṭutta
- clothed in fields
- muṭai aṭartta ciram ēnti
- carrying a foul-smelling skull
- pali tirivōṉ
- he who wanders begging alms, Shiva
- iṭar keṭutta tiruvāḷaṉ
- the blessed Lord who ended his suffering
- aṭai neñcē
- reach them, O my heart
Periya Tirumozhi 6.9.2 · verse 1529 of the four thousand
Meaning
At Thirunaraiyur, heavy conches crowd the backwaters, spread and climb everywhere, and bring forth pearls all along the paths, giving wealth. There dwells He who shot fiery arrows that scattered the great crowned heads of the mighty rakshasa, steeped in shame. O my heart, reach His two feet.
Word by word
- kaḻi ārum
- filling the backwaters
- kaṉa caṅkam
- heavy conches
- vaḻi āra muttu īṉṟu
- bringing forth pearls all along the paths
- paḻi ārum viṟal arakkaṉ
- the mighty rakshasa full of blame, Ravana
- paru muṭikaḷ
- great crowned heads
- aḻal ārum caram
- fiery arrows
Periya Tirumozhi 6.9.3 · verse 1530 of the four thousand
Meaning
Thirunaraiyur shines with groves where jackfruits full of sweet segments and plantains dripping honey stand crowded with clusters of ripe fruit. There dwells the younger brother of the One whose colour is the white of the conch, He who ate the three worlds along with the churned butter. O my heart, reach His two feet.
Word by word
- cuḷai koṇṭa palaṅkaṉikaḷ
- jackfruits full of sweet segments
- tēṉ pāya katalikaḷiṉ
- of plantains dripping honey
- vaḷai koṇṭa vaṇṇattaṉ
- He whose colour is the conch's white, Balarama
- piṉ tōṉṟal
- the one born after him, Krishna
- mūvulakōṭu
- together with the three worlds
- aḷai veṇṇey
- churned butter
Periya Tirumozhi 6.9.4 · verse 1531 of the four thousand
Meaning
Thirunaraiyur has abiding wealth: on its mansions everywhere banners of bright cloth crowd together and stand so thick that they cover the sky. There dwells He who danced with pots in the open square, who lifted the mountain and stopped the rain, whose strong shoulders are like hills. O my heart, reach His sounding, anklet-wearing feet.
Word by word
- tukil paṭalam
- masses of cloth banners
- vāṉ mūṭum
- covering the sky
- nīḷ celvat
- of abiding wealth
- maṉṟu ārak kuṭam āṭi
- dancing the pot-dance in the open square
- varai eṭuttu maḻai taṭutta
- who lifted the mountain and stopped the rain
- kurai kaḻalē
- the sounding, anklet-wearing feet
Periya Tirumozhi 6.9.5 · verse 1532 of the four thousand
Meaning
At Thirunaraiyur the waves of the wide Ponni push in logs of agil, sandalwood, fine gold and lovely pearls in plenty. There dwells He whose radiant discus hid the light of day, whose sacred belly hid all seven worlds within it. O my heart, reach His golden feet.
Word by word
- akil kuṟaṭum cantaṉamum
- logs of agil and sandalwood
- tirai untum
- the waves push in
- viyaṉ poṉṉit
- of the wide Ponni, the Kaveri
- pakal karanta cuṭar āḻi
- the radiant discus that hid the daylight
- ulaku ēḻum pukak karanta
- hid all seven worlds within
- poṉ-aṭiyē
- golden feet
Periya Tirumozhi 6.9.6 · verse 1533 of the four thousand
Meaning
At Thirunaraiyur the cool waves of the wide Ponni push in gold, pearls, lions' claws and the tusks of great elephants with hollow trunks, all gleaming. There dwells He who gladly placed upon His sacred chest, to stay forever, the gentle one whose waist is slender as lightning. O my heart, reach His flower-like feet.
Word by word
- ari ukirum
- lions' claws
- puḻaik kai mā karik kōṭum
- tusks of great elephants with hollow trunks
- miṉ otta nuṇ maruṅkul
- a waist slender as lightning
- mel-iyalait
- the gentle one, Lakshmi
- tiru mārvil
- on His sacred chest
- malar aṭiyē
- flower-like feet
Periya Tirumozhi 6.9.7 · verse 1534 of the four thousand
Meaning
At Thirunaraiyur red paddy with rich ears of grain flourishes among the red lotuses, the land is lush, and sugarcane grows tall and yields its sweetness. There dwells Kannapiran, Lord Krishna, whose sacred form is as lush as the rain-cloud, King of the immortals, whose crown wears a full garland of tulasi. O my heart, reach His tender feet.
Word by word
- katirc cennel
- red paddy in rich ears
- karumpu ōṅki
- sugarcane growing tall
- kār taḻaitta tiru uruvaṉ
- He whose form is lush as the rain-cloud
- kaṇṇa-pirāṉ
- Kannapiran, Lord Krishna
- viṇṇavar-kōṉ
- King of the immortals
- taḷir aṭiyē
- tender, shoot-like feet
Periya Tirumozhi 6.9.8 · verse 1535 of the four thousand
Meaning
Thirunaraiyur has broad groves of young areca palms, their crowns laden with bunches of ripe nuts, green nuts and pearl-white flowers bursting from the spathes. There He stands firm, dwelling forever in the jewelled temple, beautiful as a mountain. O my heart, reach His long-striding, anklet-wearing feet.
Word by word
- paḻuk kāyum pacuṅ kāyum
- ripe nuts and green nuts
- pāḷai muttum
- pearl-like flowers of the spathe
- iḷaṅ kamukiṉ
- of young areca palms
- malai ārnta kōlam
- beauty like a mountain
- nilai āra niṉṟāṉ
- He who stands firm and abiding
- nīḷ kaḻalē
- long-striding feet with anklets
Periya Tirumozhi 6.9.9 · verse 1536 of the four thousand
Meaning
At Thirunaraiyur the rich smoke of great Vedic sacrifices rises, spreads everywhere and covers the whole sky; such is its abiding wealth. There He stands as the Lord, whom Shiva with the crescent on his matted hair and Brahma worshipped and praised long ago. O my heart, reach His two feet.
Word by word
- maṟai ārum peru vēḷvi
- great sacrifices full of the Veda
- koḻum pukai
- rich smoke
- piṟai ārum caṭaiyāṉum
- Shiva, crescent moon on his matted hair
- piramaṉum
- and Brahma
- iṟai āki niṉṟāṉ
- He who stands as the Lord of all
- iṇai-aṭiyē
- the two feet
Periya Tirumozhi 6.9.10 · verse 1537 of the four thousand
Meaning
On the Lord who stands at Thirunaraiyur, surrounded by strong battlemented walls, the ruler of Mangai, a town of gleaming fields, made these ten songs of glory, steeped in music. Those who master them will become immortals in the heavens and live there, seated in splendour.
Word by word
- tiṇ kaḷaka matiḷ
- strong walls with battlements
- maṅkai nakarāḷaṉ
- ruler of Mangai, Thirumangai Alwar
- paṇkaḷ akam payiṉṟa
- steeped in melodies
- ivai pattum vallār
- those who master these ten
- imaiyavar āy
- as unblinking immortals
- vīṟṟiruntu vāḻvārē
- will live seated in splendour
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.