first ten eighth thirumozhi

Summary

achchOvachchO is a colloquial term in tamil used
in olden days to fondly address children to come
and give a hug. In the pAsurams that follow,
Yasoda is very excited about her little child Krishna,
who is naughty and playful. While she invites Krishna
to come and hug her, periAzhwAr reminisces His
pastimes and gives us a mixed divine experience!

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(1)
ponniyal kiNkiNi chuttip puRangatti
thanniyalOsai chalan chalanendrida
minniyal mEgam viraindhedhir vandhaar pOl yennidaik kOttarA
achchOvachchO emberumAn! vArA achchOvachchO

Purport

Wearing golden anklets, waist band and forehead
pendant, which made musical sounds sweet to the ears,
like a dark cloud embedded with lightning comes rushing
in front, O Krishna, impelled by a desire to sit on
my waist, come and hug me O my lord! come, hug me

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(2)
sengamalappoovil thEnuNNum vandE pOl
pangigaL vandhu un pavaLavaay moyppa
sangu vil vaaL thandu chakkara mEndhiya angaigaLaaLE vandh
achchOvachchO aaraththazhuvaa vandhachchOvachchO

Purport

Like a bumblebee drinking honey from the red lotus
flower, Your falling curly hair-locks caress, as it
were, your coral lips! With the Hands that hold
conch, bow, dagger, mace, discus come and hug me,
O Krishna! give me a tight hug.

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(3)
panjchavar thoodhanaayp bhAradham kaiseidhu
nanjumizh nAgang kidandha naRpoygaipukku
anjap paNaththin mEl pAyndhittaruL seidha anjana vaNNanE
achchOvachchO AyarperumAnE! achchOvachchO

Purport

One who played the role of pAndavAs' messenger in
the great war of BhArath and then fought that war,
One who entered the deadly serpent Kaliya's den,
terrorized those around for a while, danced on it's
hood and then mercifully graced it, O Krishna!
the dark-hued, come, hug me, the lord of
cowherds! give me a hug.

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(4)
nARiya sAndham namakkiRai nalgenna
thERiavaLum thiruvudambiRpoosa
ooRiya kooninai uLLEyodunga an RERavuruvinaay!
achchOvachchO, emberumAn! vArA achchOvachchO

Purport

Once when Krishna and Balaraman were on their way
to kill Kamsa, Krishna saw Kooni (lady with the
bent spine) taking perfumed sandal paste for Kamsa.
Krishna stopped her and sought sandal paste from her.
Kooni, without hesitation or fear, applied sandal paste
on Him. The moment she did this, His Grace descended
on her and she was made straight and beautiful at once!
Krishna! please come, hug me, O My Lord, come, hug me.

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(5)
kazhal mannar soozhak kadhir pOl viLangi
yezhaluRRu meendE irundhunnai nOkkum
suzhalaip perithudaith dhuchchOdhananai azhala vizhiththaanE!
achchOvachchO aazhiyanganE! achchOvachchO

Purport

Duryodana, surrounded by renowned kings like the rays
of Sun, could not avoid standing up, albeit involuntarily,
when You marched into his court as a messenger of Pandavas.
Casting a deceitful look at You, Duryodana provoked You
into looking back at him in great anger. O Krishna, come
running and hug me. One who holds the great
discus in His hand, come, hug me.

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(6)
pOrOkkap paNNi ipbhoomip poRai theerppaan
thErokka voorndhaay sezhundhAr visayaRkaay
kArokku mEnik karum perung kaNNanE! Arath thazhuvA vandhu
achchOvachchO AyargaL pOrERE achchOvachchO

Purport

One who fought many battles to lessen the burden of
worlds, One who was the charioteer to the best garlanded
Arjuna, O Krishna, with broad and beautiful eyes on Your
dark cloud like body, please come running to hug me,
the bull of cowherd clan, come, hug me.

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(7)
mikka perum pugazh maavali vELviyil
thakkadhi thandrendru dhAnam vilakkiya
sukkiran kaNNaith thurumbaay kiLaRiya chakkarak kaiyanE!
achchOvachchO, sangamidaththAnE, achchOvachchO

Purport

Once during the great sacrifice performed by the
renowned asura king Mahabali, his AchArya (preceptor)
Sukkiran objected to the 3 feet measure of land being
offered to Vamana (Lord Narayana's avatar) because
the latter, though came with a tiny form initially,
grew in stature later as Trivikrama making it impossible
to measure the whole worlds. Sukkiran assuming a subtle
form blocked the hole of the vessel through which sacrificial
water was to be poured to signify the completion of offering.
Using pavitra (dharba-grass tied to the finger) the Lord
pierced the blocked hole, thus not only enabling the
completion of offering but poking the eyes of Sukkiran
for his mistake. O Krishna, who holds the great discus
in Your hand! come, hug me, O who holds the great
Conch in Your left hand, come, hug me.

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(8)
yennidhu mAyam yennappan aRindhilan
munnaiya vaNNamE kondu aLavAyenna
mannu namusiyai vAniR suzhaRRiya minnu mudiyanE
achchOvachchO vEnkadavaaNanE ! achchOvachchO

Purport

Numusi, son of Mahabali king questioned the logic
of handing over 3 feet land to Vamana, now grown
big as Trivikrama, and prevented the offering being
made by stating that his father was not aware of
the magic performed by the Lord. Numusi wanted
the measures to be taken with the tiny form of
Lord as Vamana. Seeing this, Krishna hurled
Numusi into the air and removed the obstruction.
O Lord, adorning a crown with brightly
shining jewels, come, hug me,
One who resides in Thiruvenkadam, come, hug me.

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(9)
kaNda kadalum malaiyumulagEzhum
muNdaththukkAtRaa mugilvaNNaa! O yendru
indaich chadai mudi EsanirakkoLLa maNdai niRaiththAnE!
achchOvachchO, mArvil maRuvanE, achchOvachchO

Purport

When the matted-hair Siva came lamenting that the
seven worlds below and above and all the oceans and
mountains seen in them put together could not fill
His skull bowl, You filled His skull bowl with the
blood from your chest! O Lord, come, hug me.
One who has Srivatsa symbol on Your chest, come, hug me.

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(10)
thunniya pEriruL soozhndhu vagai mooda
manniya nAnmaRai muRRum maRaindhida
pinnil vulaginil pEriruL neenga an RannamadhanAnE!
achchOvachchO, arumaRai thandhAnE achchOvachchO

Purport

Once in the past, when an asura named Somukan snatched
the four Vedas from Brahma and disappeared into the
vast ocean resulting in the worlds surrounded by
darkness of ignorance, You manifested as a
Swan to get rid of darkness! O lord, come, hug me.
One who restored the Vedas, come, hug me.

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(11)
nachchuvAr munniRkkum nArAyaNan thannai
achchO varugavendru Aychchiyuraiththana
machchaNi mAdap pudhuvaikkOn bhattan sol
nichchalum pAduvAr neeLvisumbALvarE

Purport

Narayana, who rushes to the aid of His devotees, is the
same Krishna who was fondly called by the word achchO by
the cowherd clan Yasoda with an insatiable desire to make
Him come running to hug her. The head of Villiputtur-of
many mansions, periAzhwAr, has narrated these
pAsurams, and those who always recite
these pAsurams shall rule the heavens!

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