Periya Tirumozhi 9.9.1 · verse 1828 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The mother speaks of her daughter, who longs for the Lord of Thirumaliruncholai.) He is the First, foremost of the three; He lies in the roaring ocean; in the flower that grows from His navel He created the worlds, and He swallowed them and brought them out again. He is the Lord of the gods, Govinda of the cowherds, who stands at Thirumaliruncholai. Will my girl, her waist like a lovely creeper, ever be united with Him?
Word by word
- mūvaril muṉ mutalvaṉ
- the First, foremost of the three
- muḻaṅku ār kaṭaluḷ kiṭantu
- lying in the roaring ocean
- pū vaḷar unti
- the navel where the flower grows
- uṇṭu umiḻnta
- swallowed and brought out again
- kōvalar kōvintaṉai
- Govinda of the cowherds
- koṭi ēr iṭai
- she whose waist is like a lovely creeper
- kūṭumkolō?
- will she be united with Him?
Periya Tirumozhi 9.9.2 · verse 1829 of the four thousand
Meaning
He is the Leader in the city of Arangam, ringed by the Ponni with its lovely flowering groves; He is the First Form who made the three worlds; He stands at Thirumaliruncholai, ringed by flower groves with laden branches. Will my lovely girl, with eyes like carp, ever see His feet with their ringing anklets?
Word by word
- poṉṉi cūḻ araṅka nakaruḷ
- in the city of Srirangam ringed by the Kaveri
- muṉaivaṉai
- the Leader
- mutal mūrtti
- the First Form
- ciṉai vaḷar pūm poḻil
- flower groves with laden branches
- kaṉai kaḻal
- feet with ringing anklets
- kayal kaṇṇi
- she with eyes like carp
Periya Tirumozhi 9.9.3 · verse 1830 of the four thousand
Meaning
He swallowed all seven worlds and, as a little child, slept with delight on a banyan leaf: a great mountain of dark ruby. He is the King of the heavenly ones, who stands at Thirumaliruncholai where great elephants of mighty strength gather. Will my jewelled girl draw near Him today?
Word by word
- uṇṭu ulaku ēḻiṉaiyum
- swallowing all seven worlds
- oru pālakaṉ āl ilaimēl
- a little child on a banyan leaf
- karu māṇikka mā malaiyai
- the great mountain of dark ruby
- tiṇ tiṟal mā kari
- great elephants of mighty strength
- aṇṭar tam kōviṉai
- the King of the heavenly ones
- eṉ āy iḻaiyē?
- my jewelled girl
Periya Tirumozhi 9.9.4 · verse 1831 of the four thousand
Meaning
Long ago, as a lion, He tore open the mighty chest of the asura and rejoiced. He is the Supreme with eyes like great lotus flowers, our supreme Light, our Lord who stands at Thirumaliruncholai, where the moon and great clouds gather. Will my girl with the fair brow draw near Him today?
Word by word
- ciṅkam atu āy
- as a lion, Narasimha
- avuṇaṉ tiṟal ākam
- the mighty chest of the asura, Hiranya
- paṅkaya mā malark kaṇ
- eyes like great lotus flowers
- em param cuṭarai
- our supreme Light
- tiṅkaḷ nal mā mukil cēr
- where the moon and great clouds gather
- eṉ nal nutalē?
- my girl with the fair brow
Periya Tirumozhi 9.9.5 · verse 1832 of the four thousand
Meaning
At the sacrifice of the asura king He came alone as a dwarf, then rose up and measured the sky and the earth: He is Trivikrama. He is the King of the gods who stands at Thirumaliruncholai, ringed by flower groves where the bees dwell. Will my girl be able today to bow down and worship Him?
Word by word
- tāṉavaṉ vēḷvi
- the sacrifice of the asura king, Mahabali
- taṉiyē kuṟaḷ āy nimirntu
- alone as a dwarf, then rising up
- tirivikkiramaṉ
- Trivikrama, He who took the three strides
- tēṉ amar pūm poḻil
- flower groves where bees dwell
- vāṉavar kōṉai
- the King of the gods
- vaṇaṅkit toḻa vallaḷkolō?
- will she be able to bow and worship?
Periya Tirumozhi 9.9.6 · verse 1833 of the four thousand
Meaning
He is hard to reach for those who have no love and those who do not think of Him. He was born in great northern Mathura, ringed by groves of fragrant flowers. He is the perfect Kesava who stands at Thirumaliruncholai, to which every land bows. Will my girl, her bright eyes shaped like kendai fish, ever see Him?
Word by word
- nēcam ilātavarkkum
- to those who have no love
- ariyāṉ
- hard to reach
- vaṭa mā maturaip piṟantāṉ
- born in great northern Mathura
- tēcam ellām vaṇaṅkum
- to which every land bows
- kēcava nampi
- the perfect Kesava
- keṇṭai oṇ kaṇṇi
- she with bright eyes like kendai fish
Periya Tirumozhi 9.9.7 · verse 1834 of the four thousand
Meaning
He tore apart the beak of the bird-demon, broke the tusk of the great fighting elephant, and kicked the deceitful cart: a great mountain of dark ruby. He is the generous One who stands at Thirumaliruncholai, where clear waterfalls tumble and scatter. Will my girl with the shining brow be able to bow down and worship Him?
Word by word
- puḷḷiṉai vāy piḷantu
- tearing apart the beak of the bird-demon
- poru mā kari
- the great fighting elephant
- kaḷḷac cakaṭu utaitta
- who kicked the deceitful cart
- teḷ aruvi
- clear waterfalls
- vaḷḷalai
- the generous One
- vāḷ nutalāḷ
- she with the shining brow
Periya Tirumozhi 9.9.8 · verse 1835 of the four thousand
Meaning
Long ago He showed His grace to Partha, and in the Bharata war He stood at the front of one chariot and guarded him. He is the great mountain of dark ruby for the gods, the Holy One, the Lord in form who stands at Thirumaliruncholai, ringed by flower groves. Will my girl of thick tresses even be able to worship Him with folded hands?
Word by word
- pārttaṉukku aṉṟu aruḷi
- showing grace long ago to Partha, Arjuna
- oru tēr muṉ niṉṟu
- standing at the front of one chariot
- kāttavaṉ
- He who guarded him
- tīrttaṉai
- the Holy One, who makes pure
- mūrttiyaik
- the Lord in visible form
- eṉ moy kuḻaṟkē?
- for my girl of thick tresses
Periya Tirumozhi 9.9.9 · verse 1836 of the four thousand
Meaning
He holds the right-whorled conch and the discus; His rounded shoulders are like mountains; He wears the sacred thread; He is the One of the Vedas on Venkatam of the groves. He is Narayana, shining with every good, who stands at Thirumaliruncholai with its river named for the anklet. Will my girl with the fair brow draw near Him?
Word by word
- valampuri āḻiyaṉai
- He with the right-whorled conch and the discus
- varai ār tiraḷ tōḷaṉ
- He of rounded shoulders like mountains
- puri nūlavaṉai
- He who wears the sacred thread
- poḻil vēṅkaṭa vētiyaṉai
- the One of the Vedas on Venkatam of the groves
- cilampu iyal āṟu
- the river named for the anklet, the Nupura Ganga
- nalam tikaḻ nāraṇaṉai
- Narayana, shining with every good
Periya Tirumozhi 9.9.10 · verse 1837 of the four thousand
Meaning
"Will my jewelled girl ever see Him?": so the mother asks about Him who is hard to seek, who stands at Thirumaliruncholai and rides the mighty bird. Kalikanri, Thirumangai Alwar, of Mangai ringed by walls with flags flying over its mansions, sang these ten songs. Those who keep repeating them will have no sins.
Word by word
- tēṭaṟku ariyavaṉai
- Him who is hard to seek
- āṭal paṟavaiyaṉai
- He who rides the mighty bird, Garuda
- aṇi āy iḻai kāṇum
- will my jewelled girl see Him
- māṭak koṭi matiḷ
- walls with flags over the mansions
- kalikaṉṟi
- Kalikanri, Thirumangai Alwar
- payilvārkku illai pāvaṅkaḷē
- those who keep repeating them have no sins
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.