Periya Tirumozhi 7.8.1 · verse 1618 of the four thousand
Meaning
Behold the wondrous Lord who slept on the striped serpent Ananta in the wide sea crowded with ships, while red-lotus Lakshmi and the Earth stroked His pair of feet of red gold, and sages sang His praise. He is the King of the immortals who stands rejoicing in beautiful, prosperous Azhundur, where men like lotus-born Brahma himself dwell, living by the four Vedas famed everywhere, the five sacrifices and sacred learning.
Word by word
- ceṅ kamalat tirumakaḷum puviyum
- Lakshmi of the red lotus and the Earth goddess
- iṇai varuṭa
- stroking His pair of feet
- vaṅkam mali taṭaṅ kaṭaluḷ
- in the wide sea crowded with ships
- vari araviṉ aṇait
- on the bed of the striped serpent
- kāṇmiṉ
- behold!
- aintu vēḷvikaḷum
- the five daily sacrifices
- ayaṉ aṉaiyār
- men like Brahma himself
- amarar-kōvē
- the King of the immortals
Periya Tirumozhi 7.8.2 · verse 1619 of the four thousand
Meaning
Long ago, when darkness thickened and swallowed these seven worlds, and the sages and the demons alike were bewildered, He came with the face of a horse and graciously gave back the meaning of all the four Vedas with their branches of learning. Behold our Supreme Lord! He is the King of the immortals who stands rejoicing in beautiful Azhundur, where ears of red paddy wave like whisks, conches hum, and swans sit happily with their mates on red lotus flowers.
Word by word
- iruḷ maṇṭi uṇṇa
- darkness thickening and swallowing
- ticaippa
- bewildered, lost
- paṉṉu kalai
- the branches of learning that are recited
- pari mukam āy
- with a horse's face, as Hayagriva
- cennel mali katir kavari vīca
- ears of red paddy fanning like whisks
- aṉṉam mali peṭaiyōṭum
- swans with their mates
Periya Tirumozhi 7.8.3 · verse 1620 of the four thousand
Meaning
The great rutting elephant, leader of its herd, went into a pool and a fierce crocodile seized it. Suffering, it stood and cried out, 'O shining Light!', and He came and ended the anguish of its heart. Behold my spotless Lord! He is the King of the immortals who stands rejoicing in beautiful Azhundur, rich with the bounty of the Ponni, the Kaveri, which comes surging with sandal, agil wood, gold and gems from the hills and pours through the sluices into every field.
Word by word
- kulat talaiya mata vēḻam
- the rutting elephant, leader of its herd, Gajendra
- kōḷ mutalai
- the seizing crocodile
- aṉuṅki
- suffering, in distress
- nimalaṉ
- the spotless One
- cantu akil kaṉakam maṇiyum
- sandal, agil wood, gold and gems
- maṭaikaḷ pāya
- flowing through the sluices
- poṉṉi
- the Kaveri river
Periya Tirumozhi 7.8.4 · verse 1621 of the four thousand
Meaning
Wearing ornaments, anklets first among them, His holy form became a boar, shining like a hill of red stone. He dug up the radiant Lady Earth, embraced her and held her between His tusks. Behold our Lord! He is the King of the immortals who stands rejoicing in beautiful Azhundur, lovely and rich, where bees with whirring wings hum, cuckoos call in every grove of crowded areca palms, peacocks dance, and waters with lapping waves flow all around.
Word by word
- ceṅkal kuṉṟam
- a hill of red stone
- paṉṟi āki
- becoming the Boar, Varaha
- puvi maṭantai-taṉai
- the Lady Earth
- iṭantu pulki
- digging her up and embracing her
- eyiṟṟiṭai
- between His tusks
- pūkam tokka
- crowded with areca palms
- mayilkaḷ āla
- as peacocks dance
Periya Tirumozhi 7.8.5 · verse 1622 of the four thousand
Meaning
Taking the form of a mighty lion full of wrath, He tore open the chest of the strong Hiranya; and He sucked out the life of the demoness Putana, who came with deceit in her heart, so that she died. Behold our wondrous Lord! He is the King of the immortals who stands rejoicing in beautiful Azhundur, where young women dwell with rows of striped bangles on their hands, lips like the red kovai fruit, speech as sweet as the emerald-green parrot's, and the gait of swans.
Word by word
- aṭal ariyiṉ uruvam
- the form of a mighty lion
- iraṇiyaṉatu ākam kīṇṭu
- tearing open Hiranya's chest
- pēycci
- the demoness, Putana
- uyir vavviya
- who took her life
- kōvai
- the red kovai fruit, image of lips
- marakatampōl kiḷiyiṉ
- of the parrot green as emerald
- aṉam mēvu naṭai
- a gait like the swan's
Periya Tirumozhi 7.8.6 · verse 1623 of the four thousand
Meaning
To end the sorrow of the gods, He came and appeared as a lovely little brahmin boy, begged three steps of land from Mahabali, and measured all seven worlds so that they became His. Behold my Leader, the victorious, peerless First Cause, who bears the discus as His weapon! He is the King of the immortals who stands rejoicing in beautiful Azhundur, with handsome streets embraced by honey-filled groves, where in every hall of the rich mansions dwell Vedic scholars of ancient excellence.
Word by word
- māṇ uru āy
- as the lovely brahmin boy, Vamana
- mūvaṭi
- three steps of land
- māvaliyai vēṇṭi
- asking of Mahabali
- taṉi mutal
- the peerless First Cause
- cakkarap paṭai
- the discus as weapon
- tol cīr maṟaiyāḷar
- Vedic scholars of ancient excellence
Periya Tirumozhi 7.8.7 · verse 1624 of the four thousand
Meaning
For the sake of Sita, whose soft fingers held a ball, He shot His killing arrows and rejoiced as the strong arms and heads of the king of Lanka, over whose city even the sun dared not move, rolled and fell without number. Behold that Lord! He is the King of the immortals who stands rejoicing in beautiful Azhundur, filled with the smoke of the oblations of righteous brahmins who are like four-faced Brahma, their tongues shining with pure Tamil and with Sanskrit.
Word by word
- pantu aṇainta mel viralāḷ
- she whose soft fingers held a ball
- pakalavaṉ mītu iyaṅkāta
- over which the sun did not move
- ilaṅkai vēntaṉ
- the king of Lanka, Ravana
- aṭu kaṇaiyāl
- with killing arrows
- ticaimukaṉai aṉaiyavarkaḷ
- those like four-faced Brahma
- ākutiyiṉ pukai
- the smoke of sacred oblations
Periya Tirumozhi 7.8.8 · verse 1625 of the four thousand
Meaning
He made the rutting elephant with its great swollen brow tremble and plucked out its tusk, subdued the young bulls, joined hands with the cowherd girls in the kuravai dance, and gladly ate the curd and butter set aside by the cowherd woman whose hair is full of opening flowers. Behold the wondrous Lord! He is the King of the immortals who stands in beautiful Azhundur, ringed by golden walls and groves, where areca and plantain, rich everywhere, show the hues of red coral, emerald and fine pearl.
Word by word
- kumpam miku mata vēḻam
- the rutting elephant with great swollen brow
- kompu paṟittu
- plucking out its tusk
- maḻa viṭai aṭarttu
- subduing the young bulls
- kuravai kōttu
- linking hands in the kuravai dance
- vampu aviḻum malark kuḻalāḷ
- she whose hair holds fragrant, opening flowers
- pūkam katali
- areca palms and plantains
- am poṉ matiḷ
- beautiful golden walls
Periya Tirumozhi 7.8.9 · verse 1626 of the four thousand
Meaning
He destroyed Kamsa, who rose against Him, together with the wrestlers, the bow, the bright elephant and the rolling cart. Behold the tall Lord with long and mighty shoulders, whose victory and fame shine, who holds the discus in His lovely hand! He is the King of the immortals who stands rejoicing in beautiful Azhundur, with handsome streets embraced by tall groves, where in the holy festivals women with flowered tresses gather on every verandah adorned with gems.
Word by word
- ūṭu ēṟu kañcaṉoṭu
- with Kamsa who rose against Him
- mallum villum
- the wrestlers and the bow
- uruḷ cakaṭum
- the rolling cart
- nēmi aṅkai
- the discus in His lovely hand
- cēṭu ēṟu poḻil
- lofty groves
- tiruviḻavil
- in the holy festivals
- malark kuḻalār
- women with flowered tresses
Periya Tirumozhi 7.8.10 · verse 1627 of the four thousand
Meaning
He is the Supreme who became the Boar, the Fish and the Lion, who created the earth, guarded it, swallowed it and brought it out again; the King who stands in beautiful Azhundur, where the lord of the immortals, Brahma and Skanda bow at His feet. Kalikanri of the Ali country, Thirumangai Alwar, master of the long, fierce spear, sang this sweet song. Those who can sing its one and four and five, all ten, will rule the world girdled by the roaring sea and become celestials themselves.
Word by word
- paṉṟi āy mīṉ āki ari āy
- becoming the Boar, the Fish and the Lion
- uṇṭu umiḻnta
- swallowed and brought out again
- amararkku atipatiyum
- the lord of the immortals, Indra
- ayaṉum cēyum
- Brahma and Skanda
- neṭu vēl valavaṉ
- master of the long spear
- oṉṟiṉoṭu nāṉkum ōr aintum
- one with four and five: all ten verses
- umpar-tāmē
- they themselves will be celestials
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.