Summary
achchOvachchO is a colloquial term in tamil usedin 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!
(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 foreheadpendant, 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
(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 lotusflower, 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.
(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 inthe 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.
(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 wayto 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.
(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 raysof 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.
(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 ofworlds, 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.
(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 therenowned 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.
(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 logicof 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.
(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 theseven 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.
(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 snatchedthe 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.
(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 thesame 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!