Periya Tirumozhi 9.7.1 · verse 1808 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The Alwar counsels his own heart.) "Father, mother, children: these are my kin," people say, and cling to those close to them. If you are weary of this life of bondage and have come to see it as a fault, then, O heart, learn to say "Vallavazh," the town of the young Lord who is the end and the beginning, the beginning even of the beginning, and who became a cowherd; and hold fast to it.
Word by word
- tantai tāy makkaḷē cuṟṟam
- father, mother, children are my kin
- pantam ār vāḻkkaiyai
- this life full of bondage
- paḻi eṉak karutiṉāyēl
- if you have come to see it as a fault
- ātikkum āti āy
- the beginning even of the beginning
- āyaṉ āya maintaṉār
- the young Lord who became a cowherd
- vallavāḻ
- Thiruvallavazh (Thiruvalla), a divya desam
- maruvu neñcē
- hold fast, O heart
Periya Tirumozhi 9.7.2 · verse 1809 of the four thousand
Meaning
If you have come to loathe and fear the embrace of women who walk with a swan's soft gait, their slender waists, finer than lightning, the great creeper and the vanji, swaying as they go, then, O heart, learn to say "Vallavazh," the town of the King who once went as messenger for the five Pandavas with their great jewelled crowns; and hold fast to it.
Word by word
- miṉṉum mā valliyum vañciyum veṉṟa
- finer than lightning, the great creeper and the vanji
- aṉṉa meṉ naṭaiyiṉār
- women with a swan's soft gait
- aruvaruttu añciṉāyēl
- if you loathe and fear it
- pañcavarkku āki
- for the five Pandavas
- tūtu ceṉṟa maṉṉaṉār
- the King who went as messenger
- collumā vallai āy
- becoming able to say it
Periya Tirumozhi 9.7.3 · verse 1810 of the four thousand
Meaning
Some take the false ways of doll-like women, their soft breasts hung with ornaments, to be true, and talk of them fondly. If you have come to see that talk as a mistake, then, O heart, learn to say "Vallavazh," the town of the brahmin boy who begged for land at the sacrifice of the king with the tall white umbrella like moonlight; and hold fast to it.
Word by word
- pāvaimār poyyiṉai
- the false ways of doll-like women
- mey itu eṉṟu pēṇuvār
- those who cherish it as true
- piḻai eṉak karutiṉāyēl
- if you see it as a mistake
- nīḷ nilā veṇ kuṭai
- a tall white umbrella like moonlight
- maṇ iranta māṇiyār
- the brahmin boy who begged for land, Vamana
Periya Tirumozhi 9.7.4 · verse 1811 of the four thousand
Meaning
Some only think, "We shall embrace the full breasts of doll-like women whose soft speech flows like music." If you have given up that thinking and mean to escape and be saved, then, O heart, learn to say "Vallavazh," the town of Him who is in the heavens, who is on Venkatam rising above the sky, whose colour is the rich ocean; and hold fast to it.
Word by word
- paṇ ulām meṉ moḻip
- soft speech flowing like music
- eṇṇam atu oḻittu
- giving up that thinking
- piḻaittu uyak karutiṉāyēl
- if you mean to escape and be saved
- viṇ uḷār
- He who is in the heavens
- vēṅkaṭattu uḷār
- He who is on Venkatam, Tirumala
- vaḷaṅkoḷ munnīr vaṇṇaṉār
- He whose colour is the rich ocean
Periya Tirumozhi 9.7.5 · verse 1812 of the four thousand
Meaning
Those who lived as kings under white umbrellas that touched the clouds, with elephants all around them, are spoken of in one word: "They died." If that word has come to grieve you, then, O heart, learn to say "Vallavazh," the town of the Young One who put His lovely hand and mouth to the poisoned breast and ate up her days; and hold fast to it.
Word by word
- mañcu tōy veṇ kuṭai
- white umbrellas touching the clouds
- vāraṇam cūḻa
- with elephants all around
- tuñciṉār
- they died
- nañcu tōy koṅkai
- the poisoned breast, Putana's
- nāḷai uṇṭa
- ate up her days, took her life
- mañcaṉār
- the Young One
Periya Tirumozhi 9.7.6 · verse 1813 of the four thousand
Meaning
The five senses enter this hut of flesh, sinew and skin that comes with birth after birth, and live there, causing a stream of ills. If you have come to fear them, then, O heart, learn to say "Vallavazh," the town of those who have taken to heart the four holy Vedas, the five fire-sacrifices and the six limbs of the Veda; and hold fast to it.
Word by word
- ūṉ poti narampu tōl kurampaiyuḷ
- in the hut of flesh, sinew and skin
- aruvi nōy
- a stream of ills
- aivar
- the five, the senses
- vētam nāṉku
- the four Vedas
- aintu tī vēḷviyōṭu
- with the five fire-sacrifices
- aṅkam āṟum
- the six limbs of the Veda
Periya Tirumozhi 9.7.7 · verse 1814 of the four thousand
Meaning
Foolish people idly take this body, filled with every disease, as something real, and talk of it so. If you have come to see that talk as a mistake, then, O heart, learn to say "Vallavazh," the town of the Wondrous One who stands as the hot sun with its moving fire, as the moon, and as the clouded sky; and hold fast to it.
Word by word
- nōy elām peytatu ōr ākkaiyai
- a body filled with every disease
- mey eṉak koṇṭu
- taking it as real
- pēyar
- foolish people
- tī ulām vem katir
- the hot sun with its moving fire
- maṅkul vāṉ
- the clouded sky
- māyaṉār
- the Wondrous One
Periya Tirumozhi 9.7.8 · verse 1815 of the four thousand
Meaning
This body is made of the five elements mingled together: the clouded sky, fire, water, earth and wind. If you have seen that it is no shelter and now seek to be saved, then, O heart, learn to say "Vallavazh," where He comes every day together with the Lady of the golden flower, her soft breasts touched with sandal; and hold fast to it.
Word by word
- vāṉ eri nīr nilam kāl
- sky, fire, water, earth and wind
- añcu cēr ākkaiyai
- the body made of the five elements
- araṇam aṉṟu
- is no shelter
- cantu cēr meṉ mulai
- soft breasts touched with sandal
- poṉ malarp pāvaiyum
- the Lady of the golden flower, Lakshmi
- tāmum nāḷum vantu cēr
- where He comes every day with her
Periya Tirumozhi 9.7.9 · verse 1816 of the four thousand
Meaning
Men of other creeds, of the white one, of the asoka tree and of the bodhi tree, recite their false books. If you have judged those books to be no concern of yours and seek to be saved, then, O heart, learn to say "Vallavazh," the town of the generous Lord whom the clear-minded worship, the God who gave the nectar from the great ocean; and hold fast to it.
Word by word
- piṇṭiyār
- followers of the asoka tree, the Jains
- pōtiyār
- followers of the bodhi tree, the Buddhists
- kaḷḷanūl
- false books
- karumam aṉṟu
- no concern of yours
- teḷḷiyār kaitoḻum
- whom the clear-minded worship
- mā munīr amutu tanta
- who gave the nectar from the great ocean
Periya Tirumozhi 9.7.10 · verse 1817 of the four thousand
Meaning
Kaliyan, Thirumangai Alwar, lord of the long and lovely Ali land ringed by groves where winged bees hum, master of the blood-stained spear, sang these songs on the Lord of Vallavazh, the town where flawless masters of the Veda live. Those who learn them and master them will become lords, take up the guarding of the wide earth, and know joy in full.
Word by word
- maṟaivalār kuṟaivu ilār
- flawless masters of the Veda
- vallavāḻ aṭikaḷ tammaic
- the Lord of Vallavazh
- ciṟai kulām vaṇṭu
- winged bees
- āli nāṭaṉ
- lord of the Ali land, Thiruvali
- kaṟai ulām vēlvala
- master of the blood-stained spear
- iru nilam kāval pūṇṭu
- taking up the guarding of the wide earth
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.