Periya Tirumozhi 9.1.1 · verse 1748 of the four thousand
Meaning
My Master rests on the great, gleaming, striped serpent bed in the ocean where ships sail; a conch sits in His beautiful hand, a great flower rises from His navel, and His great form is dark. He stands in Thirukkannangudi, home of men of steady mind who have mastered the six limbs of the Veda, the five sacrifices, the four Vedas and the rare arts, and who tend the three sacred fires with their own hands.
Word by word
- vaṅka mā munnīr
- the great ocean where ships sail
- vāḷ araviṉ aṇai
- the gleaming serpent bed
- taṭa malar unti
- a great flower at His navel
- cāma mā mēṉi
- great form, dark in hue
- aṅkam āṟu
- the six limbs of the Veda
- eri mūṉṟum
- the three sacred fires
- tuḷakkam il maṉattōr
- men of unwavering mind
- tirukkaṇṇaṅkuṭiyuḷ niṉṟāṉē
- He stands in Thirukkannangudi
Periya Tirumozhi 9.1.2 · verse 1749 of the four thousand
Meaning
When the crocodile seized the mighty, furious elephant in the pool, it was shaken, thought of Him within, and wilted; and He appeared above it and hurled His burning discus so that the strong crocodile was cut apart and the elephant saved. He stands in Thirukkannangudi, with its fine gem-set walls, its mansions ringed by bright fields where blue lilies, long-stemmed lotuses, white lilies, red lilies and the fresh-picked neytal flowers gleam.
Word by word
- kavaḷa mā katatta kari
- the mighty, furious elephant that eats great mouthfuls
- karām koḷak kalaṅki
- shaken when the crocodile seized it
- uḷ niṉaintu
- thinking of Him within
- vaṉ mutalai tuṇipaṭa
- so that the strong crocodile was cut apart
- cuṭu paṭai turantōṉ
- who hurled the burning weapon, the discus
- ceḻu maṇip puricait
- with fine gem-set walls
Periya Tirumozhi 9.1.3 · verse 1750 of the four thousand
Meaning
When disaster pressed upon the world, and sky, earth and mountains sank beneath the tossing sea, He became a fish that leapt above the flood and hid them within its striped body in the spreading waters. He stands in Thirukkannangudi, where the cool bright south breeze, embracing the fresh, honeyed blossoms of punnai, jasmine and wild jasmine, carries their fragrance in every direction.
Word by word
- vātai vantu aṭara
- when disaster pressed upon the world
- alai kaṭal kuḷippa
- sank beneath the tossing sea
- mītu koṇṭu ukaḷum
- leaping above the flood
- mīṉ uru āki
- taking the form of a fish
- vari akaṭṭu oḷittōṉ
- hid them within His striped body
- cīta oṇ teṉṟal
- the cool bright south breeze
Periya Tirumozhi 9.1.4 · verse 1751 of the four thousand
Meaning
Long ago He became a boar of victorious strength, with a body like a great mountain, white tusks and fierce eyes burning bright, and He ended the grief of the Earth Lady. He drove the chariot of the five Pandavas. He stands in Thirukkannangudi, with its fine peaked mansions whose tops the shining moon reaches, where tall flags of many kinds fly, unfading through endless time.
Word by word
- vilaṅkal mā mēṉi
- a body like a great mountain
- veḷ eyiṟṟu
- with white tusks
- oḷ erit taṟu kaṇ
- fierce eyes burning bright
- paṉṟi āy
- as a boar, Varaha
- pār makaḷ payalai
- the grief of the Earth Lady
- pañcavar pākaṉ
- charioteer of the five Pandavas
- oḷi vaḷar matiyam
- the shining moon
Periya Tirumozhi 9.1.5 · verse 1752 of the four thousand
Meaning
At the king's great sacrifice He came as a dwarf and received three steps of land with the pouring of water; then He rose so high that the seven worlds became just two steps and the great directions were held within Him. He stands in Thirukkannangudi, where the swan sits in state on the lovely seat of a soft lotus, shaded by an umbrella of leaves on the rippling water, while ears of red paddy wave over it like bright chowries.
Word by word
- maṉṉavaṉ periya vēḷviyil
- at the king Mahabali's great sacrifice
- kuṟaḷ āy
- as a dwarf, Vamana
- mūvaṭi nīroṭum koṇṭu
- receiving three steps with the pouring of water
- ēḻ ulakum īr aṭi āka
- the seven worlds became two steps
- ilaik kuṭai nīḻal
- in the shade of an umbrella of leaves
- cennel oṇ kavari acaiya
- red paddy waving like bright chowries
Periya Tirumozhi 9.1.6 · verse 1753 of the four thousand
Meaning
With His axe He crushed to dust the jewelled crowns of the earth's kings, thrice seven times; He bathed in the long flood of their gathered blood, and only then did His fierce anger cease. He stands in Thirukkannangudi, with its fine mansions embraced by rich groves of plantains heavy with bunches, tall areca palms, kuravu trees, good jackfruit, cool mango and madhavi creepers.
Word by word
- maḻuviṉāl
- with His axe, as Parasurama
- avaṉi aracai
- the kings of the earth
- mūveḻukāl
- thrice seven times
- utirak kuḻuvu vār puṉaluḷ
- in the long flood of gathered blood
- vem kōpam tavirntavaṉ
- whose fierce anger then ceased
- kulai mali katalik
- plantains heavy with bunches
Periya Tirumozhi 9.1.7 · verse 1754 of the four thousand
Meaning
The king of Lanka on the rolling sea tormented the heavenly ones by his might; He bent His bow and, with arrows bright as the sun, made that king's huge heads fall like palmyra fruits. He stands in Thirukkannangudi, where flocks of peacocks dance in the woods, massed clouds rumble like drums, and striped bees roaming over honey hum sweet music.
Word by word
- vāṉ uḷār avarai
- the heavenly ones
- maṟi kaṭal ilaṅkaiyār kōṉai
- the king of Lanka on the rolling sea, Ravana
- pāṉu nēr carattāl
- with arrows bright as the sun
- paṉaṅkaṉipōlap
- like palmyra fruits
- kaṇa mukil muracam niṉṟu atira
- massed clouds rumbling like drums
- iṉ icai muralum
- hum sweet music
Periya Tirumozhi 9.1.8 · verse 1755 of the four thousand
Meaning
In his assembly, the one with the long serpent banner boldly set out a seat to trap Him; and at that He grew, His vast form piercing through the universe until the great directions were held within Him. He stands in Thirukkannangudi, where the waves carry great gems from the hills, heaps of emerald, diamonds and pearls fallen from the bamboo, and pile them up in every field.
Word by word
- arava nīḷ koṭiyōṉ
- the one with the long serpent banner, Duryodhana
- avaiyuḷ ācaṉattai
- a seat in his assembly
- aṇṭam ūṭuruva
- piercing through the universe
- marakatat tiraḷum
- heaps of emerald
- vetir utir muttum
- pearls fallen from the bamboo
- vayaltoṟum kuvikkum
- pile up in every field
Periya Tirumozhi 9.1.9 · verse 1756 of the four thousand
Meaning
So that the burden she spoke of might be lifted from the Earth Lady, in the great Bharata war, while kings fell dead, He drove the tall, strong, jewelled chariot for His brother-in-law Arjuna: He is the great Wonder. He stands in Thirukkannangudi, where bees hum "thenna" and sing at the mouths of champak flowers that rise among dense madhavi creepers and surapunnai groves.
Word by word
- paṉṉiya pāram
- the burden she spoke of
- pār makaṭku oḻiya
- to be lifted from the Earth Lady
- pārata mā perum pōril
- in the great Bharata war
- maittuṉaṟku uytta
- drove it for His brother-in-law, Arjuna
- mā māyaṉ
- the great Wonder
- ceṇpaka malarvāy
- at the mouths of champak flowers
- teṉṉa eṉṟu
- humming "thenna"
Periya Tirumozhi 9.1.10 · verse 1757 of the four thousand
Meaning
For the sake of a lovely lady He went with a great army like the sea, and with His bow destroyed Lanka till it burst into flame. On Him who stands in Thirukkannangudi, Kaliyan, Thirumangai Alwar, chief of Mangai of mansions tall as hills, bearer of the honoured spear, sang this garland of flowing words. Those who master these nine and one will never know poverty.
Word by word
- kārikaitiṟattu
- for the sake of a lovely lady, Sita
- kaṭal perum paṭaiyoṭum
- with a great army like the sea
- ilaṅkai tī eḻac ceṟṟa
- destroyed Lanka till it burst into flame
- malai kulām māṭa
- mansions tall as hills
- māṉa vēl kaliyaṉ
- Kaliyan of the honoured spear
- oṉpatōṭu oṉṟum
- nine and one, these ten
- illai nalkuravē
- there is no poverty
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.