Guest guest Posted January 17, 2010 Report Share Posted January 17, 2010 DID KRISHNA STEAL BUTTER? Part 2 (Anbil Ramaswamy) ============================================================== KULASEKARA AZHWAR10. This prompted Kulasekara Azhwar to portray the scene in the words of Devaki who laments how she missed ogling KutTTi Kannan’s baala leelas. Graphically describing the scene in which KuTTi Kannan gets caught red-handed while stealing butter and how as baby he reacted in the situation facing the wrath of mother and how Devaki’s loss in missing this sight became YasOda’s gain! Muzhudum veNNai aLaindu toTTu uNNum, Mugizh iLam siri Taamaraik Kaiyum Ezhil koLL Thaambu koNDu aDippatarkku eLgum nilaiyum veNN tayir tOynda sev vaayum, azhugaiyum, anji nOkkum asOdai tollai inbathu irudi kaNDaaLE (PerumaaL Tirumozhi 7.7) MADHURAKAVI AZHWAR11. It is the only scene that captured the mind of Madhurakavi Azhwar, who knew no God higher than his Achaarya, (Nammazhwar) - and made him start his only work with the meaningful words with a reference to the scene in which the Lord allowed himself to be tied to a mortar with a rope that had numerous knots. Do you know why? Because, his Achaarya was overwhelmed by this scene, he had to make at least a passing reference to the incident! “kaNNi nuNN siru thaambinaal kaTTuNNap paNNIya peu maayan” TIRUMANGAI AZHWAR 12. Azhwar wonders how the valorous Lord at TiruvaLLur Veera Raghavan who destroyed the mighty Ravana came to be the object of slander at the hands of the slender maidens of Ayarpaadi as “butter thief” KaasaiyaaDai mooDiyODi kaadal seit daanavan oor Naasam aaga namba valla nam perumaan vEyin anna tOL maDavaar “veNNai uNDaan ivan” enru yEsa ninra emperumaan evvul kiDantaanE (Periya Tirumozhi 2.2.1) 13. While doing Mangala asaasanam to Tirunaraiyur, Azhwar again refers to how the Lord climbed up the suspended network of rope for placing pots to steal butter and how he was caught and punished by being tied to a mortar. “Uri yaar veNNai undu uralODum kaTTuNDu” (Periya Tirumozhi 6.5.4) 14. And, says the Azhwar, that he did the stealthy act without feeling ashamed! “vaNdu muralum koondal aaychi tayir veNNai naaNaadu uNDaan” (ibid 6.10.3) 15. Even as YasOda invites KuTTi Kannan to play with her a game called “ChappaaNi koTTUdal”, she did not miss a reference as to how her kid got thrashed by a gOpi for stealing butter in her home! Poon kOdai aaychi kaDai veNNai pukkuNNa aangu avaL aarthup puDaikkap puDaiyunDu yEngi irundu siNungi viLaiyaaDum OngOda vaNNanE! ChappaNi oLi maNi vaNNanE! ChappaaNi (ibid10.5.1) 16. YasOda shows to the gOpis how after stealing and swallowing mountain sized butter kept high on top tier of the suspended network of rope, as evident from the butter seen smeared all over his hands, he pretends to be in deep sleep! According to Uttamur Swami YasOda seems to say to the gOpis: “You are coming to complain about his stealing butter in your homes. I am worried about how he is going to digest the huge quantum of butter he had consumed in my home” …urimEl taDaa nirainda veLLI malai irundaal otha veNNaiyai vaari vizhungi v iTTU KaLvan urangugiraan vandu kaaNmingaL” (ibid 10.7.3) 17. In Siriya Tirumadal, Azhwar goes on elaborating the scene (Paasurams 30 to 37). He says that the Lord who swallowed all the worlds could not show off his “Soulabhyam” in Paramapadam. So, he decided to descend down to earth and mixed with cows and cowherds of Ayarpaadi. To show that he was subservient to his mother, he hugged on to her hip. When she had to churn butter milk to bring out solid butter, he pretended to be asleep as if he was not thinking of his mother or of butter. As soon as she went out, he jumped out of his bed, climbed to the top of the suspended network of rope in which she thought that she had kept the butter safe and secure away from the reach of Kannan. Plunging his hands right up to his shoulders, he lifted all the butter and gulped it. As he saw another big pot filled with buttermilk (and not butter), he kicked the pot to spill its contents. Then as if nothing happened, he returned back to his bed and started pretending to sleep. When she returned, YasOda found out that all the butter had vanished suddenly. She knew that none else would dare to come in except her own Kannan. She started beating her tummy not because all the butter was lost but because she knew that only Kannan must have swallowed the entire thing and was worried how it would affect his digestion! To teach him a lesson, not to repeat the mischief again, she tied him to a mortar with ropes! “Seer aar thayir kaDaindu veNNai tiraNDa adanai vEru Ore nudal maDavaaL vEr Ore kalathiTTu naar aar uri yEtri nangu amaiya vaithanai pOr aar vER kaN maDavaaL pOndanaiyum poi urakkam Oraadavan pOl urangi arivutru Taar aar taDan thOlgaL uLLaLavum kai neeTTi Aaraada veNNai vizhungi - Arugil irunda mOre aar kuDam uruTTi mun kiDanda sthaanathE Oraadavan pOL kiDantaanaik kaNDu avaLum vaaraathaan vaithadu kaaNaaL – vayiru aDithu ingu aaraar puguduvaar aiyar ivar allaal? “Neer taam idu seideer enru” Ore neDum kayitraal OoraargaL ellaarum kaaNa uralOdE teeraa veguLiyaai chik ena aarth aDippa…” 18. The Azhwar repeats the scene in Periya TirumaDal” (Paasurams 137 to 139) “minniDai aaychiyar thum sEri KaLavin kaNN tunnu padal tirandu pukku – thayir veNNai thun vayir aara vizhunga, kozhun kayal kaNN mannum maDavORgal patriyOre vaaNN kayitraal pinnum uralODu kaTTuND petrimaiyum…” ================================================================ (To continue) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.