Periya Tirumozhi 9.2.1 · verse 1758 of the four thousand
Meaning
(A girl tells her friend about the Lord of Thirunagai.) His form is decked in gold, with the rising young radiance of emerald; the necklace on His chest flashes like lightning, and from His lips comes the good Veda. Friend, He seems a Vedic brahmin, or one of the heavenly ones. He looks at me, at my waist, at my young breasts. I am afraid my mother will notice me. Ah, how beautiful He is!
Word by word
- poṉ ivar mēṉi
- a form decked in gold
- marakatattiṉ poṅku iḷañ cōti
- the rising young radiance of emerald
- akalattu āram
- the necklace on His chest
- nal vētam ōtum
- reciting the good Veda
- tōḻī
- O friend
- aṉṉai eṉ nōkkum
- my mother will notice me
- accō oruvar aḻakiyavā
- ah, how beautiful someone is! the refrain
Periya Tirumozhi 9.2.2 · verse 1759 of the four thousand
Meaning
Is He the great One who lies at Kudanthai, ringed by waters where blue lilies opening their petals spread fragrance? I cannot tell. He holds the red-flaming discus and the conch, while women with anklets on their soft feet bow to Him; He wears gold shining with many gems and pearls; and His four shoulders! Ah, how beautiful He is!
Word by word
- tōṭu aviḻ nīlam
- blue lilies opening their petals
- kuṭantaik kiṭanta
- who lies at Kudanthai
- terikkamāṭṭēṉ
- I cannot tell
- ceñ cuṭar āḻiyum caṅkum
- the red-flaming discus and the conch
- pāṭaka mel aṭiyār
- women with anklets on soft feet
- oru nāṉku tōḷum
- and His four shoulders
Periya Tirumozhi 9.2.3 · verse 1760 of the four thousand
Meaning
Friend, He seems the Bridegroom of Thirumeyyam, ringed by hills with dark bamboo groves, the Leader who strode over this whole world. And the way His lotus eyes are! His radiance, red and full-blown like a great red hill aglow, and the ornaments shining on His thousand shoulders! Ah, how beautiful He is!
Word by word
- vēy iruñ cōlai
- dark bamboo groves
- meyya maṇāḷar
- the Bridegroom of Thirumeyyam
- vaiyam ellām tāyiṉa nāyakar
- the Leader who strode over the whole world
- tāmaraik kaṇkaḷ irunta āṟu
- the way His lotus eyes are!
- cēy iruṅ kuṉṟam
- a great red hill
- āyiram tōḷoṭu
- with a thousand shoulders
Periya Tirumozhi 9.2.4 · verse 1761 of the four thousand
Meaning
With a tulasi garland bursting with fragrance on His shoulders, holding the discus and conch in His hands, this Lord came into our house and stood there. He is so refined, and so very young! His lips are the colour of red coral. If I am to speak of the form of this divine One, He is like a heap of lovely coral. Ah, how beautiful He is!
Word by word
- vampu aviḻum tuḻāy mālai
- a tulasi garland bursting with fragrance
- nampar
- the Lord, the trusted One
- nam illam pukuntu niṉṟār
- came into our house and stood
- nākarikar
- refined, graceful
- cem pavaḷam
- red coral
- am pavaḷat tiraḷēyum
- a heap of lovely coral
Periya Tirumozhi 9.2.5 · verse 1762 of the four thousand
Meaning
He looks like the Cowherd who has taken Kozhi (Uraiyur) and Koodal as His temples. He has four strong, lovely shoulders like hills. We have never seen Him before. Bless Him! If you think of His colour, He is like the great ocean; in His hand He holds a fierce discus and grasps a conch. Ah, how beautiful He is!
Word by word
- kōḻiyum kūṭalum
- Kozhi (Uraiyur) and Koodal (Madurai)
- kōvalarē oppar
- He looks like the Cowherd
- kuṉṟam aṉṉa pāḻi am tōḷum
- strong lovely shoulders like hills
- paṇṭu ivar tammaiyum kaṇṭaṟiyōm
- we have never seen Him before
- vāḻiyarō
- bless Him!
- mā kaṭal pōṉṟu uḷar
- He is like the great ocean
Periya Tirumozhi 9.2.6 · verse 1763 of the four thousand
Meaning
Is He the King who broke the tusk of the fierce, angry elephant? Or is He the one who holds the hearts of jewelled girls in His keeping? I do not know. And the way His lotus eyes are! He seems the young bull of a hero who once kicked out His foot and made Kamsa tremble. He is like a great mountain of collyrium that all who see Him bow to. Ah, how beautiful He is!
Word by word
- vēḻa maruppu ocitta
- who broke the elephant's tusk
- ēntiḻaiyār maṉattait
- the hearts of jewelled girls
- kañcaṉai añca
- so that Kamsa trembled
- kāl vicaitta
- kicked out His foot
- kāḷaiyar
- a young bull of a hero
- añcaṉa mā malaiyēyum
- a great mountain of collyrium
Periya Tirumozhi 9.2.7 · verse 1764 of the four thousand
Meaning
Is He the great gracious One who makes the tight lotus buds open? I do not know. Friend, why does my heart bow down like this? We have never seen Him before. His eyes are like lovely lotuses, His beautiful hands are lotuses too, and His form is like a great, lovely cloud in the sky. Ah, how beautiful He is!
Word by word
- piṇi aviḻ tāmarai moṭṭu
- tight lotus buds opening
- pēr aruḷāḷarkol?
- is He the great gracious One?
- paṇiyum eṉ neñcam
- my heart bows down
- am kaiyum paṅkayam
- His beautiful hands too are lotuses
- mā mukilēyum oppar
- He is like a great cloud
Periya Tirumozhi 9.2.8 · verse 1765 of the four thousand
Meaning
The Bridegroom of Maliruncholai, whose hills rise so high that the great moon above the clouds brushes them, has come and stands in my heart and in my eyes, and will not leave. Or is He the Lord of Neermalai? I cannot tell. He is like a great cloud risen over a golden mountain above the clouds. Come and see! He came riding a bird with lovely wings. Ah, how beautiful He is!
Word by word
- mañcu uyar mā mati tīṇṭa
- so high the great moon above the clouds brushes it
- māliruñcōlai maṇāḷar
- the Bridegroom of Thirumaliruncholai
- niṉṟu nīṅkār
- stands there and will not leave
- nīrmalaiyārkol?
- is He the Lord of Thiruneermalai?
- poṉmalaimēl eḻunta mā mukil
- a great cloud risen over a golden mountain
- am ciṟaip puḷḷum
- the bird with lovely wings, Garuda
Periya Tirumozhi 9.2.9 · verse 1766 of the four thousand
Meaning
Is He the Wondrous One who swallowed at once the eight directions, the wave-tossed ocean and the seven worlds, and lay to rest on a single banyan leaf? I cannot fathom the wonder. He is like a fine great mountain wrapped in rain-clouds; His eyes and lips are lotuses blooming with honey; He stood while the immortals of the heavens bowed to Him. Ah, how beautiful He is!
Word by word
- eṟi nīrk kaṭalum
- the wave-tossed ocean
- uṭaṉē viḻuṅki
- swallowing them all at once
- āl ilaip paḷḷikoḷḷum
- who lies on a banyan leaf
- māyam aṟiyamāṭṭēṉ
- I cannot fathom the wonder
- koṇṭal nal mālvaraiyēyum
- a fine great mountain with rain-clouds
- aṇṭattu amarar paṇiya
- while the immortals of the heavens bowed
Periya Tirumozhi 9.2.10 · verse 1767 of the four thousand
Meaning
Kalikanri, Thirumangai Alwar, of lovely glory, king of Mangai with its fine great walls never breached, sang this garland of fine words in sweet, unfailing music on the First One who became the swan, the boar and the fish, the Beautiful One of Nagai. Those who master these seven, two and one will be kings ruling the world, and then become heavenly ones and know joy.
Word by word
- aṉṉamum kēḻalum mīṉum
- the swan, the boar and the fish
- nākai aḻakiyārai
- the Beautiful One of Nagai (Nagapattinam)
- kaṉṉi nal mā matiḷ
- fine great walls never breached
- kalikaṉṟi
- Kalikanri, Thirumangai Alwar
- ceñcol mālai
- garland of fine words
- ēḻum iraṇṭum ōr oṉṟum
- seven, two and one: all ten
- vāṉavar āy makiḻvu eytuvarē
- will become heavenly ones and rejoice
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.