Summary
Enraged at the people not offering worship to Him,Indra brought about intense and continuous
rains over the city of Vrindavan. Seeing this
catastrophe, Krishna swung into action by
effortlessly lifting up Govardana Hill like an
umbrella and protected the people and cows from
the onslaught of rains. periAzhwAr composes
these hymns praising Krishna’s glory, associating
the greatness of Govardana Hill.
(1)
attuk kuvi sOtrup parup paThamum
thayir vAviyum nei yaLaRum adangap
pottath thutri pArip pagai puNarththa
porumA kadal vaNNan poRuththa malai
vattath thadangaN mada mAn kandrinai
valai vAip patrik kondu kuRa magaLir
kottaith thalaip pAl koduththu vaLarkkum
gOvarThana mennum kotrak kudaiyE
>
Purport
Krishna gorged cooked rice kept heaped;guzzled curd and ghee in a hurry;
when furious Indra unleashed rains;
Krishna lifted the Hill to protect.
Where round eyed baby deers
are caught by the hunter women;
who feed them milk through cotton wicks;
Place where this happened is Govardhana Hill.
(2)
vazhuvondrum ilAch cheigai vAnavar kOn
Valip pattu muninThu vidukkap patta
mazhai vanThezhu nAL peiThu mAththaduppa
maThusooThaneduththu maRiththa malai
izhavu thariyATha thOreetrup pidi
iLanj cheeyan thodarnThu mudukuThalum
kuzhavidaik kAlitte ThirnThu porum
gOvarThana mennum kotrak kudaiyE
Purport
Though blemish-less in His actions; angered atpeople not offering prayers to Him, caused the
rains to batter 7 days non stop; seeing this
misery, Krishna, the great lord Madhusudana;
plucked a mountain, as it were,held it high
like an umbrella,saved the people and cattle
from the rain fury. This is similar to a lady
elephant tucking its baby between its legs
in order to protect it from the lion cub who chases
it, to attack;The place this happened is Govardhana Hill.
(3)
ammaith thadangaN madavAich chiyarum
Anaayarum Aniraiyum alaRi
emmaich chaRaNEndru koL Lendrirappa
ilangAzhik kaiyenThAi eduththa malai
thammaich charaNendraTham pAvaiyaraip
punamEi gindra mAninang kANminendru
kommaip puyakkundrar silai kunikkum
gOvarThana mennum kotrak kudaiyE
Purport
Mascara eyed innocent cowherd women, men and cowstrembled and cried; called on the Lord for help.
Responding to their call, the Lord; with discuss
in His hand, lifted the hill! Strong shouldered
hunter men took their bows and arrows mistaking
their daughters’ eyes for a herd of deer that’s
rampaging crops in the backyard! place this
happened is Govardhana Hill.
(4)
kaduvAichchina vengat kaLitRinukkuk
kavaLa medutthuk koduppAnavan pOl
adivAyuRakkai yittezhappaRiththittu
amarar perumAn kondu nindra malai
kadal vAich chendru mEgang kavizhnThiRangik
kaThuvAippada nIr muganThERi engung
kudavAippada nindru mazhai pozhium
gOvarThana mennum kotrak kudaiyE
>
Purport
Just like an angry, sharp eyed, terriblemouthed elephant; is fed a large ball of
cooked rice by a mahout; the Head among Devas,
Krishna uprooted a hill;and stood holding it high!
Clouds gather and hover over the ocean suck all
the water they want and ascend; then
shower rains that filled the pots;
all this happened in the Govardhana Hill.
(5)
vAnath thiluLLeer valiyeer uLLeerEl
aRaiyO vanThu vAnguminenbavan pOl
yEnath thuruvAgiya veesan enThai
idavanezha vAngiyeduththa malai
kAnak kaLi yAnai than kombizhanThu
kaThuvAi maTham sOraththan kaiyeduththu
koonal piRaivEndi aNNAnThu niRkkum
gOvarThana mennum kotrak kudaiyE
Purport
Oh heavenly beings! Anyone strong amongst you;who can lift this hill, come! thus throwing a
challenge! stood He, my Lord Krishna, who once
incarnated as Boar; uprooted the hill with His hand,
just like scooping a block of mud!This resembled a
rutted elephant, with its tusk gone; looks at the
crescent moon and takes it for the missing tusk;
stood raising the trunk high looking to grab the lost tusk;
The place this happened is Govardhana Hill.
(6)
seppAdudaiya thirumAlavan than
senThamaraikkai viralainThinaiyum
kappAga maduththu maNi nedunThoL
kAmbagak koduththuk kaviththamalai
eppAdum paranThizhi theLLaruvi
ilangu maNi muththuvadam piRazha
kuppAyamena nindru kAtchi tharum
gOvarThana mennum kotrak kudaiyE
Purport
The beloved spouse of Mahalakshmi plucked the Hillwith His five fingers of His lotus like hand !
held it aloft with His great shoulders!
The water streams which flowed across the Hill
looked like dress made of pearls, prepared for
Krishna; This happened in Govardhana Hill.
(7)
padangaL palavumudaip pAmbaNaiyan
padar boomiyaith thAngik kidappavan pOl
thadangai viralainThum malara vaiththuth
ThAmOTharan thAngu thadavaraithAn
adangach chendrilangaiyai eedazhiththa
anuman pugazh pAdith thanguttangaLai
kudangaik kondu manThigaL kaN vaLarththum
gOvarThana mennum kotrak kudaiyE
Purport
Like a giant snake would bearthe vast earth with its many heads;
Lord Damodara held aloft the Hill
just with His hand
and His five fingers spread out;
The Hill, where the female monkeys
put to sleep their young ones
by singing the glories of Hanuman,
who once destroyed Lanka, is Govardhana Hill.
(8)
salamA mugiR palgaNap pOrkkaLaththuch
saramAri pozhinThengum poosalittu
nalivAnuRak kEdagang kOppavan pOl
nArAyaNan mun mugang kAththa malai
ilaivEi kurambaith thavamA munivar
irunThAr naduvE sendraNAr soRiya
kolai vAichchina vEngaigaL nindrurangum
gOvarThana mennum kotrak kudaiyE
Purport
The dark water-laden clouds gather;all over the town, poured down rain
with thunder and lightning, seemed
like a battlefield;
The cows and people in distress;
Lord Narayana, true to His words;
stood protecting the people
with the mountain held aloft like an armor;
The Hill, where angered tigers enter
the thatched houses of great seers
and sleep in standing position;
even as the seers stroke their necks,
is the Govardhana Hill
(9)
van pEi mulaiyundaThOr vAyudaiyan
van thooNena nindraThOr van paraththai
than pErittuk kondu TharaNi thannil
ThAmOTharan thAngu thadavarai thAn
munbE vazhi kAtta musukgaNangaL
muThugiR peiThu thammudaik kuttangaLai
kombEtRi yirunThu kuThipayitrum
gOvarThana mennum kotrak kudaiyE
Purport
Damodara, whose mouth suckedthe breasts of deceitful Poothana,
lifted the big Hill, named after Him, and stood
like a pillar in this world.
The Hill where monkeys,
in groups, carry their young ones
on their backs and mount them
over branches of trees
and teach them diving and jumping skills,
is the Govardhana Hill
(10)
kodiyERu senThAmaraik kaiviralgaL
kOlamu mazhinThila vAditrila
vadivEru thiruvugir nonThumila
maNivaNNan malaiyumOr sampiraTham
mudiyERiya mAmugiR palkaNangaL
munnetri naraiththana pOla engum
kudiyERi yirunThu mazhaipozhium
gOvarThana mennum kotrak kudaiyE
>
Purport
His lotus like hand and fingers andHis charming beauty seemed not a bit tired
after seven days of lifting the Hill;
Nor did His lovely finger nails had any pain.
This impossible feat of blue hued Krishna
appeared like a magic work;
The Hill where large clouds hover
from various directions and pour rains all over
making it look grey in front, is Govardhana Hill.
(11)
araviR paLLikondara vanThuranThittu
aravap pagaiyoorThiya vanudaiya
kuraviR kodi mullaigaL nindruRangum
gOvarThana mennum kotrak kudaimEl
thiruviR polimaRai vANar puththoor thigazh
pattarpirAn sonna mAlai paththum
paravumana nankudaip paththaruLLAr
paramAna vaikunTham naNNuvarE.
Purport
Lying on the snake bed in the milky ocean;He once killed kALiyan, the evil snake;
Has Garuda, the foe of snakes, as His vehicle.
Govardhana Hill, filled by jasmine creepers,
was used by Him as an umbrella;
these pastimes of Sri Krishna
narrated by periAzhwAr of Srivilliputtur;
where Vaishnavite vedic scholars reside;
Those who recite these ten pAsurams
Shall attain Vaikuntam,the highest abode.