second ten third thirumozhi

Summary

It's a traditional practice in India to pierce
the earlobes of babies, when they are very young,
to be able to adorn them with ear rings, pendants
and other ear ornaments. This is conducted as a
religious ceremony. Yasoda tries to get this done
for the slightly grown up Krishna. But, Krishna
shrewdly avoids her, expressing fear that the
procedure would cause Him pain! She persuades
Him in various ways. periAzhwAr gathers these
interesting moments for us in the following
pAsurams and presents them with a devotional
fervor. It may be noted here that the AzhwAr
brings out the 12 thirunAmams (twelve auspicious
names of the Lord) in the 12 pAsurams respectively.

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(1)
pOyppAdudaiya nin thandhaiyum thAzhththAn
poruthiRaR kanjan kadiyan
kAppAru millai kadal vaNNA! unnaith
thaniyE pOyengum thiridhi
pEyppAl mulaiyunda piththanE!
kEsavanambi! unnaik kAdhukuththa
AyppAlar pendugaLellArum vandhAr
adaikkAy thiruththi nAnvaiththEn

Purport

Your eminent father takes long time to return home.
The evil minded Kamsa is lurking around in anger
to catch You any moment. O, Ocean hued Krishna!
as there is no one to protect You, don't roam
around alone. You look dizzy after sucking poisonous
milk from Poothana, Lord kesavA ! all the cowherd
women are present to witness your ear-boring ceremony.
I am also ready with betel leaf and areca nuts.

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(2)
vaNNap pavaLa marunginiR sAththi
malarppAdhak kiNkiNiyArppa
naNNith thozhumavar sindhai piriyAdha
nArAyaNa! ingEvArAy
yeNNaR kariya pirAnE! thiriyai
yeriyA mEkAthuk kiduvan
kaNNukku nandru mazhagumudaiya
kanagak kadippu mivaiyA

Purport

Never away from the minds of those who worship
You, O nArAyaNa ! adorning the beautiful coral
band on your waist, with the ankle bells tied
to Your lotus like feet emitting lovely sounds,
come here, my enchanting Lord! Let me thread
your ear without causing you pain. These golden
ear rings are looking very beautiful!

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(3)
vaiyyamellAm peRum vAr kadal vAzhum
magarak kuzhai kondu vaiththEn
veiyya vEgAdhil thiriyai iduvEn
nee vEndiyadhellAm tharuvan
uyya vivvAyar kulaththinil thOndriya
oNsudar AyarkOzhundhE!
maiyanmai seidhiLa vAychchi yaruLLaththu
mAdhavanE! ingE vArAy

Purport

Taking birth for the good of all worlds, you are
like a tender twig of the cowherd clan. I have
brought the priceless world renowned ear rings,
having the shape of deep-sea-living-makara fish,
for your ears. I will ensure threading without
causing discomfort to your ears. I will give you
whatever things you ask for! O mAdhavA!
heart throb of young cowherd girls,come here!

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(4)
vaNa nandrudaiya vayirak kadippittu
vArkAthu thAzhap perukki
guNa nandrudaiyarik gOpAla piLLaigaL
gOvindA! nee solluk kOLLAy
iNai nandRazhagiya vikkadip pittAl
iniya paLAppazham thandhu
suNa nandRaNi mulaiyuNNath tharuvan nAn
sOththambirAn! ingE vArAy

Purport

Look Krishna! these cowherd boys listen to
their mother and have made their earlobes
long. Look! how beautiful they are, wearing
the colorful diamond studded earrings.
O gOvindA! you don't listen to me. However,
now if you wear these earrings, I will give
you sweet jack fruits and make you suck my
breasts filled with milk. My Lord! please come!

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(5)
sOththambirAnendrirandhAlum koLLAy
karikuzhalArodu nee pOy
kOththuk kuravai piNaidhingu vandhAl
guNang kondiduvanO nambi!
pErththum periyanavappam tharuvan
pirAnE! thiriyida vottil
vEiththadan thOLAr virumbukarunguzhal
vittuvE! neeyingE vArAy.

Purport

My Lord, you don't come even after I beseech
You. If you choose to come,after dancing
ecstatically hand in hand with the girls,
how can I take it as goodness?! I will give
you enough big sized appams*, dark-curly-
haired, bamboo-shouldered, darling of all
hearts, O vishNu! come here!
(*a type of sweet dish made of rice and jaggery)

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(6)
viNNellAm kEtka vazhudhittAy
unvAyil virumbiyadhanai nAn nOkki
maNNellAm kanden manaththuLLEyanji
madhusoodhanEyendrirundhEn
puNNEdhumillaiyun kAdhu maRiyum
poRuth thiRaip pOdhiru nambi!
kaNNA! yen kArmugilE!
kadal vaNNA! kAvalanE! yen mulaiyuNAyE

Purport

When I called you for the purpose of adorning
your ears, instead of coming, you were busy
eating the sand! As I checked your mouth, to
my utter surprise and fear, you showed me all
the worlds in it, making me conclude that You
are indeed madhusoodhanA! There are no wounds
in Your ears right now. You should tolerate
a bit of pain in your ears as I insert the
earrings. O You represent fullness ! You are
like the dark cloud!, You are Ocean hued!
protector of all the worlds! Krishna, please
come and drink from my breasts!

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(7)
mulaiyEdhum vEndEnendrOdinin
kAdhil kadippaip paRiththeRindhittu
malaiyai yeduththu magizhndhu
kalmaari kaaththup pasunirai
mEiththAy silaiyondru iRuththAy
thirivikramA thiruvAyarpAdip pirAnE
thalai nilAp pOdhE un kAdhaip perukkAdhe
vittittEn kuRRamE yandrE

Purport

O You lifted Govardhana Hill to protect the cowherd
people from the barrage of hail storms and rain!
caretaker of Cows! You broke the great bow
of Rudra! the head of Gokulam! O thrivikramA!
Thus praising Him, Yasoda would slowly insert
the earrings into His ears. But Krishna would
notice the trick and pluck the earrings and
throw them away in anger! Yasoda laments this
act and tells Krishna thus: You are not to be
blamed for this. It is my fault for not
doing this (elongating your earlobes)
when you were a young baby with unsteady head!

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(8)
yen kuRRamE yendru sollavum vEndAkAN
yennai nAn maNNundEnAga
anbuRRu nOkki adiththum pidiththum
anaivaRkkum kAttitRilayE vanbuRRaravin
pagaikkodi vAmana nambi
un kAdugaL thoorum
thunbuRRanavellAm theerppAi pirAnE!
thiriyittuch sollugEn meyyE

Purport

Don't say it's my mistake, argues Krishna
and continues: Out of affection, you chided
and beat me in front of others for eating sand.
Yasoda replies,: O my Lord vAmanA ! you have
Garuda, the snake's bitter enemy, as the emblem
of your flag. If we keep talking like this.
your bore in the ears would get clogged up.
O the remover of distress of your devotees,
I shall not beat you, I promise.

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(9)
meyyaiyendru solluvAr sollaik karudhith
thoduppuNdAy veNNaiyai yendru
kaiyaip piduththuk karaiyuralOdennaik
kANavE kattiRRilaiyE
seidhana sollich siriththang irukkil
sireedharA un kAdhu thoorum
kaiyil thiriyai idugidAy innindra
kArigaiyAr siriyAmE

Purport

Krishna asks Yasoda, did you not tie me to the
mortar in retribution, by believing the
complaints of others about me as true? Yasoda
replies, O srIdharA! don't stand afar smiling
and rake up old issues. Your bore in the ears
would get clogged up. Before these girls start
making fun of You, please allow me
to thread your ears!

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(10)
kArigai yArkkum unakkum
izhukkuRRen? kAdugaL veengi
yeRiyil thAriyA thAgil thalai
nondhidumendru vittittEn
kuRRamE yandrE chEriyiR piLLaigaLellArum
kAdhu perukkith thiriyavum
kAndi yErvidai seRRu iLang kandru
yerindhitta irudeekEsA yendhan kaNNE

Purport

When you prick my ears, they would get
swollen and pain me. Does this not attach
a stigma to you and the girls, who make fun
of me, asks Krishna. To this, Yasoda replies;
O Krishna, I should have done this for you
when you were a young baby, but I did not do
so thinking that it could cause you headache.
Is it not my fault? You killed ArishtAsurA who
came in bull form, and VathsAsurA who came
disguised as calf, hrushIkEsA, You are like
my eyes, don't you see the boys in this area
roaming with their earlobes elongated.

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(11)
kaNNaik kuLirak kalandhu engum nOkkik
kadikamazh poonguzhalArgaL
yeNNaththuL yendrum irundhu thithikkum
perumAnE yengaLamudhE
uNNak kanigaL tharuvan kadippondrum
nOvAmE kAdhuk kiduvan
paNNaik kizhiyach chagada mudhaiththitta
paRpanAbhA ingE vArAy

Purport

Consuming with Your eyes, as it were, the
bodily beauty of the cowherd girls who wears
scented flowers on their hair locks, you always
reside in their hearts and enjoy their company.
O you are like nectar. I shall insert the
earrings in your ears without causing You pain.
O! You devastated chakatAsurA, padmanAbhA, come!

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(12)
vAvendru solli yen kaiyai pidiththu
valiyavE kAdhil kadippai
nOvath thirikkil unakking izhukkuRRen?
kAdhugaL nondhidum killEn?
nAvaR pazham kondu vaiththEn
ivaikANAy nambii mun vanja magaLaich
chAvap pAlundu sagadiRap
pAyndhitta dhAmOdharA ingE vArAy

Purport

Krishna exclaims; dragging me by hand and
forcefully inserting those earrings into my
ears causing me pain, do you loose anything?
But, I would certainly end up in pain; so.
I will not come! Yasoda diverts His attention
and tells Him; Look, I have brought fresh
rose-apples for you. You killed the deceitful
poothanA by sucking the poisonous milk from her
breasts and kicked the chakatAsurA and broke
the wheel with your tender feet,
O dhAmOdharA! please come here.

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(13)
vArkAdhu thAzhap perukki yamaiththu
magarak kuzhiyida vEndi
seerAlasOdhai thirumAlaich sonna sol
sindhaiyuL nindru thigazha
pArAr tholpugazhAn pudhuvai mannan
panniru nAmaththAR sonna
aarAdha vandhAdhi pannirandum vallAr
achchudhanuk kadiyArE

Purport

With the desire of making Krishna's beautiful
earlobes long and adorn them with earrings,
Yasoda calls Krishna. As He refuses every time,
she affectionately chides Him sometimes and
praises Him on other occasions by invoking His
past valorous deeds, to somehow make Him heed her
calls. This interesting dialogue is captured
by Villipuththur fame periAzhwAr in the twelve
verses above, highlighting respectively the
twelve glorious names of emberumAn and presented
in andhAdhi poetic meter. Those who recite these
pAsurams shall surely be entitled
to serve Achutan always.

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