Periazvar kanda kannan-Pranks of Krishna

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The young gopis complain about the pranks of Krishna

 

This decade of verses describe the delightful pranks of Krishna towards the girls of Gokula, of which they come and complain to Yasodha.

 

Krishna took away the bracelets of the gopis who were playing in the river after throwing mud on them and ran fast and hid inside the house. When they came and cried to him to give back their bracelet he never answered. Also when they were bathing in the river he carried all their clothes which were left on the bank and climbed the Kurundha tree with them. Refusing to give it when they entreated him. Azvar enjoys the beautiful form of Krishna on the Kurundha tree thus.

The eardrops , kundala, were hanging low till his shoulders along with his locks of hair also falling about his shoulders and moving delightfully and the neck ornament long and extended up to his middle and the devas and the sages from all directions were seen prostrating before him, enraptured by the beautiful scene.

 

Azvar was so enamoured with the Lord by now and instead of relating the complaints of the gopis, now he enters into an account of all his exploits in Krishnavathara. It is as though the gopis describe the adventures of Krishna which he had undertaken for the sake of protecting all and now he is out to tease them.

 

Krishna jumped in the lotus lake and agitated the waters which made the Kaliya serpent angry and come out when Krishna pulled his tail and climbed on his head and danced.

 

He threw the asura who came in the form of a donkey on the tree to fell the fruits with his powerful shoulders which held up the mount of Govardhan to protect the cows and cowherds.

 

He also went into the houses of gopis and ate the curd and drank the milk and not being satisfied with that he stole the butter and was caught by the gopis who waited for him. They tied him in their house and wept when they beat him.

 

The devotees never fail to wonder at the maya of the Lord in Krishnavathara, in which he at one time acts the saviour by killing the asuras and holding up the mountain etc. but other times acts like a mischievous child stealing butter and getting caught and crying. Namamazvar in mentioning the incident when Krishna was tied to the mortar went into a trance for six months, saying "etthiRam," ( what a wonder).

 

Krishna even while he was an infant killed Poothana by drinking her life along with the milk without being affected by the poison applied on her breast.

 

Perhaps this is no wonder because He was the one who went to Mahabali as Vamana and asked for three feet of land and measured the whole universe with His feet. He is the one who went on Garuda to the rescue of Gajendhra and killed the crocodile that grasped the foot of Gajendhra, with His chakra. He was the one who took the form of the mighty boar and retrieved the earth from the bottom of the ocean, killing the asura Hiranyaaksha.. He is the Lord Narayana. Himself.