Summary
Children often playfully make terrible facialexpressions to frighten or suddenly appear from
hiding to scare others. Little Krishna also
plays this game with Yasoda and others around Him.
AzhwAr captures in his mind this enthralling
divine experience and shares it with us.
(1)
mechchoodhu sangamidaththAn nalvEyoodhi
poychchoodhil thORRa poRaiyudai mannarkkAy
paththoor peRaadhandru bAradham kai seidha
aththoodhanappoochi kaattukindraan
ammanE! appoochchi kaattukindraan.
Purport
Holding the celebrated great-sounding panchajanyaconch in His left hand, blowing melodies with His
good bamboo flute, Krishna who once stood by the
Pandavas (when the latter was robbed of wealth by
deceit and unfair gambling and denied even a limited
share of 10 villages by the Duryodhana kings)
and went as Pandavas' messenger, now comes
playing the frightening game! He frightens!
(2)
malaipuraithOl mannavarum mAradharum maRRum
palar kulaiya nooRRuvarum pattazhiya pArththan
silai vaLaiyath thiNthErmEl munnindra sengaN
alavalai vandhappoochi kaattukindraan
ammanE! appoochchi kaattukindraan.
Purport
Vanquishing enemy kings such as Maharathar, whosestrength was comparable to a mountain, pulverizing
the hundred Duryodanas in the battle, making Arjuna's
gandeeva bow bend as He sat in front on Arjuna's
strong chariot and drove it praising Arjuna's
valor, O! the red eyed Krishna now plays
the frightening game! He frightens!
(3)
kAyuneer pukkuk kadambERi kALiyan
theeya paNaththil silambArkkap pAyndhAdi
vEyin kuzhaloodhi viththaganAy nindra
Ayanvandhappoochi kaattukindraan
ammanE! appoochchi kaattukindraan.
Purport
Stirring the hot waters of the pond, climbing up thekadamba tree, jumping on the hood of the venomous
snake Kaliyan and with the ankle-wear making sweet
sounds, He danced on the snake's hood and played flute,
O! now He plays the frightening game! He frightens!
(4)
iruttil piRandhu pOy yEzhai vallAyar
maruttai thavirppiththu vankanjan mALap
puratti annALengaL poombattuk konda
arattan vandhappoochi kaattukindraan
ammanE! appoochchi kaattukindraan.
Purport
Born to Devaki in the middle of night, then migratingto Gokulam the same night, wiping out the fear of
cowherd folk by killing evil Kamsa and on another
occasion when the cowherd women were taking bath in
the Yamuna river, He stole their beautiful
silk sarees, O! naughty Krishna now He plays the
frightening game! He frightens!
(5)
chEppoonda chAduchidhaRi thirudineyk
kAppoondu nandhan manaivi kadai thAmbAl
chOppondu thuLLith thudikkath thudikka an
RAppooNdAnaappoochi kaattukindraan
ammanE! appoochchi kaattukindraan.
Purport
Once, kicking with His small feet He destroyedchakatAsurA the demon who came rushing, disguised
as a cart to kill Him. On another occasion, He got
beaten up with a churning stick by Yasoda and
wreathed in pain, for stealing ghee from the homes
of cowherds. He made Yasoda to tie Him to the mortar.
O! now He plays the frightening game! He frightens!
(6)
cheppiLa menmulaith dhEvaki nangaikku
soppadath thOndrith thoRuppAdiyOm vaiththa,
thuppamum pAlum thayirum vizhungiya
appanvandhappoochi kaattukindraan
ammanE! appoochchi kaattukindraan.
Purport
Born to Devaki, the gem among women with breastsyoung and soft, He stole our ghee, milk and curd
and gulped them to His stomach full, O! now
He plays the frightening game! He frightens!
(7)
thaththuk kondALkolO? thAnE peRRAL kolO?
chiththa manaiyAL asOdhaiyiLanjchingam
koththAr karunguzhal gOpAla kOLari
aththan vandhappoochi kaattukindraan
ammanE! appoochchi kaattukindraan
Purport
Everyone was in astonishment as to whether Krishnawas an adopted son of Yasoda or whether He was
born to her. He was like a lion-cub of Yasoda,
who was in sync with Him always. He adorned
His beautiful black hairs with a bunch of flowers.
One who, like a lion, wielded control over the
cowherd clan, O! the lord now plays
the frightening game! He frightens!
(8)
kongai van kooni soRkondu kuvalayath
thungak kariyum pariyumirAchchiyamum
yengum baradhaRkaruLi vankAnadai
angaNNanappoochi kaattukindraan
ammanE! appoochchi kaattukindraan.
Purport
Obeying the words of kooni, who had a hunchback like the shape of breast, He went to the
dreaded forest granting His elephants, horses
and kingdom to Bharatha. O! the beautiful eyed
one, now plays the frightening game! He
frightens! (Notes: In this pAsuram,
AzhwAr equates Krishna with Rama, as he
refers to an event that happened during
the lord's incarnation as Rama)
(9)
padhaga mudhalai vAyp patta kaLiRu
kadhaRik kai kooppi yen kaNNA! kaNNA! venna
udhavap puLLoorndhu anguRuthuyar theerththa
athagan vandhappoochi kaattukindraan
ammanE! appoochchi kaattukindraan
Purport
Once when a crocodile caught the leg of elephantGajendra who was deeply troubled in not being able
to offer flowers to the lord and started crying out
loud as 'My lord Krishna, My lord Krishna', without
wasting a moment, lord sat on His vehicle 'Garuda'
and rushed from Vaikundam to remove the distress of
elephant. O! the savior of devotees now
plays the frightening game! He frightens!
(10)
vallALilangai malangach charandhurandha
viLLALanai vittuchchiththan viriththa
soLLArndhavappoochchip pAda livaipaththum
vaLLArpOy vaikundham manniyirupparE
Purport
As Rama incarnate, He wielded the bow, rained arrowsand destroyed Lanka, which was filled with valiant soldiers.
The same lord now incarnated as Krishna and played the
frightening game as expounded by Vishnu chitthan
(periAzhwAr) in the above pAsurams. Those who
are able to learn and recite these ten pAsurams will
finally reach Vaikundam and reside there permanently.