Periya Tirumozhi 7.2.1 · verse 1558 of the four thousand
Meaning
You came as a bird and as a boar, entered in and took my heart: when I say, "O Thief!", tears stream from my eyes. When my heart stands within, melting, and thinks of You, I draw near to no one but You, O Nambi who stands at Naraiyur!
Word by word
- puḷ āy
- as a bird, the swan form
- ēṉamum āy
- and as a boar, Varaha
- uḷḷam koṇṭa kaḷvā
- O Thief who took my heart
- kaṇkaḷ nīrkaḷ cōrtarumāl
- tears stream from my eyes
- uḷḷē niṉṟu uruki
- melting within
- naḷḷēṉ uṉṉai allāl
- I draw near to none but You
Periya Tirumozhi 7.2.2 · verse 1559 of the four thousand
Meaning
Mighty One, who in the form of the never-retreating man-lion drew close, came to my side, and had the power to take the mind of Your servant! I will not use my poems to sing the praises of mere men; I seek no one but You, O Nambi who stands at Naraiyur!
Word by word
- ōṭā āḷ ariyiṉ uru āy
- in the form of the never-retreating man-lion
- eṉ-taṉ māṭē vantu
- coming to my side
- maṉam koḷḷa valla maintā
- Mighty One, able to take my mind
- kavitaip paṉuvalkoṇṭu
- with my poems
- nāṭēṉ uṉṉai allāl
- I seek none but You
Periya Tirumozhi 7.2.3 · verse 1560 of the four thousand
Meaning
After my father and my mother bore me and were gone, You stood as father and mother to me, Your servant, O good and noble shining flame, Nambi who stands at Naraiyur! Nothing but Your dark, collyrium-coloured form will I joyfully praise.
Word by word
- emmāṉum em aṉaiyum
- my father and my mother
- peṟṟu oḻintataṟpiṉ
- after bearing me and leaving
- ammāṉum ammaṉaiyum
- as father and mother
- nal māṉa oṇ cuṭarē
- O good and noble shining flame
- maim māṉa vaṇṇam
- colour dark as collyrium
- makiḻntu ēttamāṭṭēṉē
- I will not joyfully praise (any other)
Periya Tirumozhi 7.2.4 · verse 1561 of the four thousand
Meaning
O little One, who as a child swallowed the world and lay on a banyan leaf! You dwell within my heart, and I, Your servant, lived on unaware that You were dwelling there. O Nambi who stands at Naraiyur, ringed by groves streaming with honey, where lovely bees dig into the flowers!
Word by word
- ciṟiyāy
- O little One
- ulaku uṇṭu ōr āl ilaimēl uṟaivāy
- who swallowed the world and lay on a banyan leaf
- eṉ neñciṉ uḷḷē uṟaivāy
- You dwell within my heart
- aṟiyātu
- without knowing
- vaṇṭu kiṇṭum
- bees dig into the flowers
- naṟai vārum poḻil
- groves streaming with honey
Periya Tirumozhi 7.2.5 · verse 1562 of the four thousand
Meaning
You grew tall to measure the worlds; the gods think of You and praise You, yet find You hard to see; they cherish You, saying "You are our Master." To You I have given myself in service. Now that You have entered my heart, I will not let You go: I am Yours alone, O Nambi who stands at Naraiyur!
Word by word
- nīṇṭāyai
- You who grew tall, as Trivikrama
- kāṇpu aritāl
- being hard to see
- āṇṭāy eṉṟu
- saying "You are our Master"
- aṭimai pūṇṭēṉ
- I have taken on service to You
- pōkal oṭṭēṉ
- I will not let You go
- nāṉ-tāṉ uṉakku oḻintēṉ
- I am Yours alone
Periya Tirumozhi 7.2.6 · verse 1563 of the four thousand
Meaning
My father, his father, and seven generations before them were Your servants of old, and that ancient service has come down to me. You came into my heart, and I will not let You go. Ah! my precious life, my King, my Father, who gave me grace that never fails, O Nambi who stands at Naraiyur!
Word by word
- em tātai tātai
- my father and his father
- eḻuvar paḻa aṭimai
- the ancient service of seven generations
- vantāyaip pōkal oṭṭēṉ
- I will not let You go, now You have come
- antō
- Ah!
- eṉ ār uyirē aracē
- my precious life, my King
- nantāmal tanta
- gave without fail
Periya Tirumozhi 7.2.7 · verse 1564 of the four thousand
Meaning
Mighty One, who with the axe cut off the thousand arms so that kings trembled! You dwell in my heart here; I will not let You leave now to go and dwell in some other person's hard heart. I have closed around You and hold You fast, O Nambi who stands at Naraiyur, where gentle swans abide!
Word by word
- maṉ añca
- so that kings trembled
- āyiram tōḷ maḻuvil tuṇitta
- cut off the thousand arms with the axe
- val neñcam pukku irukka
- to enter and dwell in a hard heart
- oṭṭēṉ
- I will not allow
- vaḷaittu vaittēṉ
- I have closed around You and hold You
- aṉṉam maṉṉum
- where swans abide
Periya Tirumozhi 7.2.8 · verse 1565 of the four thousand
Meaning
You stand where the immortals always offer golden flowers and worship You, joining their flower-like hands, and bow at Your feet. Now that You have entered my heart, I will not let You go, O Nambi who stands at Naraiyur, where bees dig into fine blossoms!
Word by word
- poṉ malar iṭṭu
- offering golden flowers
- imaiyōr
- the unblinking ones, the gods
- kaippōtu koṇṭu iṟaiñci
- bowing with their flower-like hands
- kaḻalmēl vaṇaṅka
- bowing at Your feet
- ippōtu
- now
- nal pōtu
- fine blossoms
Periya Tirumozhi 7.2.9 · verse 1566 of the four thousand
Meaning
Because I toiled to care for and keep this body of flesh, You entered the mind of Your servant, becoming my very self and being there for me: O honey, O clear juice of sweet sugarcane! With my own thought I have come to reach You, O Nambi who stands at Naraiyur!
Word by word
- ūṉ nēr ākkai
- this body made of flesh
- uḻantu ōmpi vaittamaiyāl
- because I toiled to keep it
- yāṉ āy eṉ-taṉakku āy
- becoming my self and being for me
- tēṉē
- O honey
- tīṅ karumpiṉ teḷivē
- O clear juice of sweet sugarcane
- nāṉē eytap peṟṟēṉ
- I have come to reach You
Periya Tirumozhi 7.2.10 · verse 1567 of the four thousand
Meaning
On the Nambi who stands at Naraiyur, ringed by fields of good water, Kalikanri, king of the people of Mangai, whose shoulders are like great rocky hills, made this garland of fine words. Those who recite it will live long in the encircling heaven, rejoicing in its goodness.
Word by word
- nal nīr vayal
- fields of good water
- kal nīra māl varait tōḷ
- shoulders like great rocky hills
- kalikaṉṟi maṅkaiyar-kōṉ
- Kalikanri, king of the people of Mangai
- col nīra col-mālai
- garland of fine words
- cūḻ vicumpil
- in the encircling heaven
- neṭuṅ kālam vāḻvārē
- will live for a long time
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.