Periya Tirumozhi 9.4.1 · verse 1778 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The girl, pining for the Lord of Pullani, speaks to her friend at nightfall.) The thin, harsh cry of the anril bird in the palmyra with its fronds in the grove is crueller than a steel blade pushed through an arrow wound. I worshipped Pullani, fragrant with flowers, with folded hands. O my dear, has this now become our lot?
Word by word
- maṭal peṇṇai
- the palmyra with its fronds
- aṉṟil arikuralum
- the thin, harsh cry of the anril bird
- ē vāyiṉūṭu iyaṅkum eḵkiṉ
- than steel pushed through an arrow wound
- pullāṇi kaitoḻutēṉ
- I worshipped Pullani with folded hands
- pāvāy
- O my dear, O doll-like friend
- pāṉmaiyē
- our lot, our fate
Periya Tirumozhi 9.4.2 · verse 1779 of the four thousand
Meaning
Just hearing the story of the King who once took a dwarf's form and measured the earth in three steps, I fell into a daze of love and turned pale as gold. O flocks of birds on the golden backwater shores, go to Pullani and tell this to Him who, as a swan, gave the sacred teachings.
Word by word
- kuṟaḷ uru āy
- taking a dwarf's form
- maṉṉaṉ caritaikkē
- at the very story of the King
- māl āki
- dazed with love
- poṉ payantēṉ
- I turned pale as gold, lovesick pallor
- puḷ iṉaṅkāḷ
- O flocks of birds
- aṉṉam āy nūl payantāṟku
- to Him who as a swan gave the sacred teachings
Periya Tirumozhi 9.4.3 · verse 1780 of the four thousand
Meaning
My heart went off alone after His tulasi garland and clung to it. Does it linger there, not knowing when to come back? I worshipped Pullani, where pearls roll in on the ocean's waves. Go and tell Him who bears the divine bow of the sickness in my heart.
Word by word
- vavvi tuḻāy ataṉmēl
- clinging to His tulasi garland
- taṉi neñcam
- my lone heart
- cevvi aṟiyātu
- not knowing the right time
- nittilaṅkaḷ
- pearls
- teyvac cilaiyāṟku
- to Him of the divine bow, Rama
- cintai nōy
- the sickness of my heart
Periya Tirumozhi 9.4.4 · verse 1781 of the four thousand
Meaning
See what grace He has shown us, He who became the Man-Lion and tore open the mighty Hiranya's chest with His beautiful claws! I worshipped Pullani, where clashing waves come in and roam, and now tears brim in my red-streaked, flower-like eyes, and even my lovely garment will not stay in place.
Word by word
- pariya iraṇiyaṉatu ākam
- the mighty Hiranya's chest
- aṇi ukirāl
- with His beautiful claws
- ari uru āyk kīṇṭāṉ
- who became the Man-Lion and tore it
- aruḷ tantavā namakku
- see what grace He has shown us! said in sorrow
- ari malark kaṇ
- red-streaked flower-like eyes
- am tukilum nillāvē
- even my lovely garment will not stay
Periya Tirumozhi 9.4.5 · verse 1782 of the four thousand
Meaning
My heart has gone after the mighty One who loosed arrows from His bow and threw Lanka into turmoil. Until it comes back, let everyone scold me, let them gossip about me: I have listened to the false promises of my Lord of Pullani, and I wait.
Word by word
- ilaṅkai malaṅka
- so that Lanka was thrown into turmoil
- caram turanta vallāḷaṉ
- the mighty One who loosed arrows
- piṉ pōṉa neñcam
- my heart that went after Him
- ēcilum pēciṭiṉum
- though they scold and gossip
- poy kēṭṭu iruntēṉē
- I listened to His false words and wait
Periya Tirumozhi 9.4.6 · verse 1783 of the four thousand
Meaning
The hot sun that wheels and shines has gone with his chariot and set. Now the moon of lovely light blazes cruelly and is killing me. I worshipped Pullani, ringed by rich pools and flower gardens, and I have lost my lovely colour and my conch bangles too.
Word by word
- vem katirōṉ
- the hot sun
- pōy maṟaintāṉ
- has gone and set
- am cuṭarōṉ
- the one of lovely light, the moon
- aṭumāl
- is killing me
- eḻil niṟamum
- my lovely colour
- caṅkumē
- and my conch bangles
Periya Tirumozhi 9.4.7 · verse 1784 of the four thousand
Meaning
The swinging tongue of the dark bell, booming like rolling thunder, does not stop even for a moment, and it is crueller than fire. I worshipped Pullani of finely built, jewelled mansions, and now on me, ill-fated one, even the sea flings out hot flames.
Word by word
- kaṉai ār iṭi kuraliṉ
- booming like rolling thunder
- kār maṇiyiṉ nā āṭal
- the swinging tongue of the dark bell
- tiṉaiyēṉum nillātu
- not stopping even for a moment
- tīyil koṭitālō
- crueller than fire
- viṉaiyēṉmēl
- on me, ill-fated one
- vēlaiyum vem taḻalē vīcumē
- even the sea flings hot flames
Periya Tirumozhi 9.4.8 · verse 1785 of the four thousand
Meaning
See what grace He has shown us, He who rests on the serpent bed, who broke the tusk and terrified the elephant with its hollow trunk! I worshipped Pullani, where the flowering serundhi rains down gold, and now even the thin young crescent moon is a hot flame to me.
Word by word
- tūmpu uṭaik kai vēḻam
- the elephant with its hollow trunk
- maruppu ocitta
- who broke its tusk
- pāmpiṉ aṇaiyāṉ
- He who rests on the serpent bed
- pūñ cerunti poṉ coriyum
- flowering serundhi raining gold
- tēmpal iḷam piṟaiyum
- even the thin young crescent moon
- vem taḻalē
- a hot flame
Periya Tirumozhi 9.4.9 · verse 1786 of the four thousand
Meaning
See what grace He has shown us, He who became the Vedas and the sacrifices, the sky and the two great lights, and the First Cause of all! I worshipped Pullani, ringed by punnai trees whose buds are opening, and now the sea's tide and I both lie awake, never sleeping.
Word by word
- vētamum vēḷviyum
- the Vedas and the sacrifices
- iru cuṭarum
- the two lights, sun and moon
- ātiyum āṉāṉ
- He who became the First Cause
- pōtu alarum puṉṉai
- punnai trees with opening buds
- ōtamum nāṉum
- the sea's tide and I
- uṟaṅkātu iruntēṉē
- lie awake without sleep
Periya Tirumozhi 9.4.10 · verse 1787 of the four thousand
Meaning
This song tells of the Lord of Pullani, ringed by punnai trees blooming gold, and how He stayed away while the love-sickness of a girl with a waist like lightning grew. Kaliyan, Thirumangai Alwar, whose strong shoulders are like rock, sang it. Those who master it will rule the earth as kings, and then go on to the land of the heavens.
Word by word
- poṉ alarum puṉṉai
- punnai trees blooming gold
- pullāṇi ammāṉai
- the Lord of Thiruppullani
- miṉ iṭaiyār
- a girl with a waist like lightning
- vēṭkai nōy kūra
- as her love-sickness grew
- kal navilum tiṇ tōḷ
- strong shoulders like rock
- vāṉ nāṭum muṉṉuvarē
- will go on to the land of the heavens
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.