Periya Tirumozhi 9.8.1 · verse 1818 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The Alwar speaks to his heart.) Let me say this first: give up the turmoil of chasing union with women of fragrant hair. The temple of our Lord, who became the seven skies and the seven wave-tossed seas, is Maliruncholai, down whose slopes the waterfalls spread and come tumbling, carrying sandalwood, gems and lovely peacock feathers. Come, my simple heart, let us go and worship.
Word by word
- muntuṟa uraikkēṉ
- let me say this first
- viraik kuḻal maṭavār
- women of fragrant hair
- taṭumāṟal
- turmoil, confusion
- antaram ēḻum
- the seven skies
- aṇi mayil taḻaiyum
- lovely peacock feathers
- māliruñcōlai
- Thirumaliruncholai, the hill near Madurai
- vaṇaṅkutum vā maṭa neñcē
- come, simple heart, let us worship
Periya Tirumozhi 9.8.2 · verse 1819 of the four thousand
Meaning
"Rise, let us take garlands and water and worship without pause," say the immortals, and the gods of the heavens praise Him too: He is the God with the radiant crown who sleeps on the serpent bed. His temple is Maliruncholai, where pollen flies from opening blossoms in woods of growing bamboo, and bees settle on the slopes for the sweet honey of fragrant kurinji flowers. Come, my simple heart, let us go and worship.
Word by word
- iṇṭaiyum puṉalum koṇṭu
- taking garlands and water
- iṭai iṉṟi
- without pause
- imaiyōr aṇṭarum parava
- while the immortals and the gods praise
- cuṭar muṭik kaṭavuḷ
- the God with the radiant crown
- vēy vaḷar puṟavil
- in woods where bamboo grows
- kuṟiñciyiṉ naṟun tēṉ
- the sweet honey of kurinji flowers
Periya Tirumozhi 9.8.3 · verse 1820 of the four thousand
Meaning
So that we might be rid of this body where sickness grows and stand and praise Him, He first in His grace gave us the great earth; then, as a lovely dwarf, He measured the whole wide world. The temple of our Lord is Maliruncholai, whose slopes are rich with gems, flung from the slings of the hill-folk across the broad land of vengai trees. Come, my simple heart, let us go and worship.
Word by word
- piṇi vaḷar ākkai nīṅka
- to be rid of this body where sickness grows
- niṉṟu ētta
- to stand and praise
- aṇi vaḷar kuṟaḷ āy
- as a lovely dwarf, Vamana
- akal iṭam muḻutum aḷanta
- who measured the whole wide world
- kuṟavar tam kavaṇiṭait
- from the slings of the hill-folk
- maṇi vaḷar cāral
- slopes rich with gems
Periya Tirumozhi 9.8.4 · verse 1821 of the four thousand
Meaning
He sucked at the breast of the demoness who came in a fearsome guise; He loosed burning arrows from His deadly bow so that the pitiless Tataka perished. The temple of Him who takes the hearts of those who think of Him is cool Maliruncholai, ringed by long streams, with woods where vengai trees dark as rain-clouds and kongu trees blossom, and the fragrant kurinji yields sweet honey. Come, my simple heart, let us go and worship.
Word by word
- cūrmaiyil āya pēy
- the demoness in fearsome guise, Putana
- cuṭu caram
- burning arrows
- nīrmai ilāta tāṭakai
- the pitiless Tataka
- niṉaintavar maṉam koṇṭa
- who takes the hearts of those who think of Him
- kār mali vēṅkai
- vengai trees dark as rain-clouds
- vār puṉal cūḻ
- ringed by long streams
Periya Tirumozhi 9.8.5 · verse 1822 of the four thousand
Meaning
The demon who would not bow down perished on the battlefield; his ten jewelled crowns rolled away, and his headless trunk rose and danced. The temple of the Lord who fought that battle is Maliruncholai, where the tips of tall bamboos, jostling one another, tear open the honeycombs, so the honey runs down and the slopes are fragrant with it. Come, my simple heart, let us go and worship.
Word by word
- vaṇaṅkal il arakkaṉ
- the demon who would not bow, Ravana
- cerukkaḷattu aviya
- perishing on the battlefield
- maṇi muṭi orupatum puraḷa
- his ten jewelled crowns rolling
- kavantam niṉṟu āṭa
- his headless trunk stood and danced
- neṭu vēy nuti
- the tips of tall bamboos
- piracam vantu iḻitara
- honey running down
Periya Tirumozhi 9.8.6 · verse 1823 of the four thousand
Meaning
He sleeps on the serpent bed that bears its poison; He flung the young calf at the wood-apple; He danced the pot-dance; He once linked arms in the kuravai dance: He is our Lord, the Dancer. His temple is Maliruncholai, where the clouds scoop up the wide sea and roar in the sky, and the lion, angry, taking them for a great mountain elephant, stands and roars back. Come, my simple heart, let us go and worship.
Word by word
- viṭam kalantu amarnta aravaṇai
- the serpent bed that bears its poison
- viḷaṅkaṉikku iḷaṅ kaṉṟu viciṟi
- flinging the young calf at the wood-apple
- kuṭam kalantu āṭi
- dancing the pot-dance
- kuravai
- the kuravai, a ring dance of the cowherd girls
- kūtta
- the Dancer
- maṭaṅkal niṉṟu atirum
- the lion stands and roars
Periya Tirumozhi 9.8.7 · verse 1824 of the four thousand
Meaning
He gladly hurled Dhenuka so that his life spilled out and the rich clusters of palm fruit came tumbling down: He has the colour of the wide ocean, and long ago He chose this temple with care. It is Maliruncholai, where deer slip through sky-high groves of emerald shade and along paths of great gemstones, and graze upon the slopes. Come, my simple heart, let us go and worship.
Word by word
- tēṉukaṉ āvi pōy uka
- so that Dhenuka's life spilled out
- paṉaṅkaṉi utira
- palm fruits came tumbling down
- taṭaṅ kaṭal vaṇṇar
- He who has the colour of the wide ocean
- eṇṇi muṉ iṭam koṇṭa
- chose this place long ago with care
- marakatac cāyal
- emerald shade
- māṉ nukar cāral
- slopes where deer graze
Periya Tirumozhi 9.8.8 · verse 1825 of the four thousand
Meaning
He sleeps on the serpent bed in the pounding sea, whose waves rise to touch the cloud-filled sky; He quelled the great fury of the swift horse: He has the colour of a cool rain-cloud. His temple is Maliruncholai, whose slopes are heavy with must, where happy bees drink from the cheeks of great, raging elephants in rut. Come, my simple heart, let us go and worship.
Word by word
- puṇari ceṉṟu aṇava
- the waves rising to touch
- poru kaṭal aravaṇait tuyiṉṟu
- sleeping on the serpent bed in the pounding sea
- patam miku pariyiṉ
- of the swift horse, Kesi
- miku ciṉam tavirtta
- who quelled its great fury
- paṉi mukil vaṇṇar
- He of the colour of a cool rain-cloud
- kaḷi vaṇṭu paruka
- happy bees drinking
Periya Tirumozhi 9.8.9 · verse 1826 of the four thousand
Meaning
Let the Jains and Buddhists, lacking understanding, say what they please; gladly our Father, our great Lord, the Chief of the immortals, chose this temple long ago with care. It is Maliruncholai, where in the shade of the low branches of sandalwood groves, the women of the valleys bow every day with sacred words. Come, my simple heart, let us go and worship.
Word by word
- punti il
- lacking understanding
- ottaṉa pēcavum
- though they say what they please
- imaiyavar talaivar
- the Chief of the immortals
- cantaṉap poḻiliṉ
- of the sandalwood groves
- tāḻvarai makaḷirkaḷ
- the women of the valleys
- mantirattu iṟaiñcum
- bow with sacred words
Periya Tirumozhi 9.8.10 · verse 1827 of the four thousand
Meaning
Kaliyan, Thirumangai Alwar, chief of Mangai with its fine hedges of kandal, lord of the good Ali land ringed by fields, bearer of the long, radiant spear, who praises the devotees who bow to the great gem-coloured Lord of Maliruncholai with its bee-filled slopes, sang these verses. Those blessed with the merit to take them up and sing them will rule this world girdled by the roaring sea.
Word by word
- mā maṇi vaṇṇarai
- the great gem-coloured Lord
- toṇṭaraip paravum
- who praises the devotees
- āli nal nāṭaṉ
- lord of the good Ali land, Thiruvali
- kaṇṭal nal vēli
- fine hedges of kandal shrubs
- tavam uṭaiyārkaḷ
- those blessed with merit
- kurai kaṭal ulakē
- the world girdled by the roaring sea
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.