Periya Tirumozhi 8.4.1 · verse 1678 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The girl in love speaks to a bee.) He is the Lord of the celestials, with Lakshmi on His chest; all who live on earth bow to Him; He is our Lord of Thirukkannapuram, rich in fame. On His radiant crown is the bright, fragrant tulasi. O pretty bee, go and hum over it, and come and breathe its fragrance on me.
Word by word
- viṇṇavar-taṅkaḷ perumāṉ
- the Lord of the celestials
- tirumārvaṉ
- He with Lakshmi on His chest
- mali pukaḻ cēr
- rich in fame
- katir muṭimēl
- on His radiant crown
- vaṇṇa naṟun tuḻāy
- the bright, fragrant tulasi
- vantu ūtāy
- come and hum, breathe its fragrance
- kōl tumpī
- O pretty bee
Periya Tirumozhi 8.4.2 · verse 1679 of the four thousand
Meaning
He is the First of the Vedas, wearing the shining sacred thread; many praise His feet, bow to Him, sing of Him and love Him. He is our Lord of Thirukkannapuram. O pretty bee, bend low over His fragrant tulasi, full of pollen, and hum there for me.
Word by word
- vēta mutalvaṉ
- the First of the Vedas
- viḷaṅku puri nūlaṉ
- wearing the shining sacred thread
- pātam paravip
- praising His feet
- kātaṉmai ceyyum
- who love Him
- tātu naṟun tuḻāy
- fragrant tulasi full of pollen
- tāḻntu ūtāy
- bend low and hum
Periya Tirumozhi 8.4.3 · verse 1680 of the four thousand
Meaning
What will you gain by humming over every flower that has opened? He is the First Cause of the universe, our Lord of Thirukkannapuram, whom all the immortals see and worship. O pretty bee, come and hum over His fragrant tulasi, loved by the bees.
Word by word
- viṇṭa malar ellām
- every flower that has opened
- eṉ peṟuti?
- what will you gain?
- aṇṭa mutalvaṉ
- the First Cause of the universe
- kaṇṭu vaṇaṅkum
- see and worship
- vaṇṭu naṟun tuḻāy
- fragrant tulasi loved by bees
- kōl tumpī
- O pretty bee
Periya Tirumozhi 8.4.4 · verse 1681 of the four thousand
Meaning
He became a fish in the brimming waters, and a tortoise, and took the glorious form of a lion. He is hued like the rain cloud, our Lord of Thirukkannapuram. O pretty bee, bend low over His garland of cool tulasi and hum there for me.
Word by word
- nīr malikiṉṟatu ōr mīṉ āy
- becoming a fish in the brimming waters
- ōr āmaiyum āy
- and a tortoise
- ciṅka uru āki
- taking the form of a lion
- kār mali vaṇṇaṉ
- hued like the rain cloud
- tār mali taṇ tuḻāy
- the garland of cool tulasi
- tāḻntu ūtāy
- bend low and hum
Periya Tirumozhi 8.4.5 · verse 1682 of the four thousand
Meaning
What will you gain by humming over every lovely flower? While the whole wide world sang His praise, He became the dark tortoise in the great sea: He is our Lord of Thirukkannapuram. O pretty bee, bend low over His garland of fragrant tulasi and hum there for me.
Word by word
- ēr ār malar ellām
- every lovely flower
- pār ār ulakam parava
- as the whole wide world praised
- peruṅ kaṭaluḷ
- in the great sea
- kār āmai āṉa
- who became the dark tortoise
- tār ār naṟun tuḻāy
- the garland of fragrant tulasi
- tāḻntu ūtāy
- bend low and hum
Periya Tirumozhi 8.4.6 · verse 1683 of the four thousand
Meaning
Lakshmi is on His chest; He holds the discus in His right hand; He is the Supreme who split open the earth, the Supreme Light, hued like the kaya flower that shines in the rainy season. O pretty bee, bend low over the fragrant tulasi in the garland on His radiant crown, and hum there for me.
Word by word
- mārvil tiruvaṉ
- He with Lakshmi on His chest
- valaṉ ēntu cakkarattaṉ
- holding the discus in His right hand
- pāraip piḷanta paramaṉ
- the Supreme who split open the earth, as Varaha
- parañcōti
- the Supreme Light
- kāril tikaḻ kāyā vaṇṇaṉ
- hued like the kaya flower shining in the rains
- tāril naṟun tuḻāy
- the fragrant tulasi in His garland
Periya Tirumozhi 8.4.7 · verse 1684 of the four thousand
Meaning
He is Vamana, Kalki, Madhusudana and Madhava; the broad-chested One who became Dasarathi, Rama, ever garlanded; the Father of Kama; our Lord of Thirukkannapuram. O pretty bee, bend low over His garland of fragrant tulasi and hum there for me.
Word by word
- vāmaṉaṉ kaṟki
- Vamana and Kalki
- matucūtaṉ mātavaṉ
- Madhusudana and Madhava
- tācarati
- son of Dasaratha, Rama
- taṭamārvaṉ
- the broad-chested One
- kāmaṉ-taṉ tātai
- Father of Kama, god of love
- tāma naṟun tuḻāy
- the garland of fragrant tulasi
Periya Tirumozhi 8.4.8 · verse 1685 of the four thousand
Meaning
Do not hum over all the many blue flowers beside the fields of deep water. He is Death to the sword-bearing rakshasas, our Lord of Thirukkannapuram. O pretty bee, take the beautiful, fragrant tulasi from His radiant crown and come and hum it to me.
Word by word
- nīla malarkaḷ
- blue flowers
- neṭu nīr vayal
- fields of deep water
- ūtātē
- do not hum over
- vāḷ arakkar kālaṉ
- Death to the sword-bearing rakshasas
- kōla naṟun tuḻāy
- beautiful, fragrant tulasi
- koṇṭu ūtāy
- take it and hum it to me
Periya Tirumozhi 8.4.9 · verse 1686 of the four thousand
Meaning
He is the child of Nandagopa, the good Consort of the Lady Earth, the End and the Beginning, the Lord of the immortals, hued like the fragrant kaya flower. O pretty bee, take the clustered, fragrant tulasi from His radiant crown and come and hum it to me.
Word by word
- nantaṉ matalai
- the child of Nandagopa
- nila maṅkai nal tuṇaivaṉ
- the good Consort of the Lady Earth
- antam mutalvaṉ
- the End and the Beginning
- kantam kamaḻ kāyā vaṇṇaṉ
- hued like the fragrant kaya flower
- kontu naṟun tuḻāy
- clustered, fragrant tulasi
- koṇṭu ūtāy
- take it and hum it to me
Periya Tirumozhi 8.4.10 · verse 1687 of the four thousand
Meaning
Kaliyan, Thirumangai Alwar, of victory and renowned glory, the good lord of the Ali country with its fields and groves where bees dwell, made this garland of sound. As we, His servants, sing of the Lord of Thirukkannapuram, hued like the rain cloud, keep Him in your mind and hum, O pretty bee.
Word by word
- vaṇṭu amarum cōlai
- groves where bees dwell
- āli nal nāṭaṉ
- good lord of the Ali country
- veṉṟik kaliyaṉ
- victorious Kaliyan
- oli mālai
- garland of sound
- koṇṭal niṟa vaṇṇaṉ
- hued like the rain cloud
- toṇṭarōm pāṭa
- as we, His servants, sing
- niṉaintu ūtāy
- think of Him and hum
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.