Krishna claps for mother Yashodha

கொட்டாய் சப்பாணி Krishna claps for his mother

Yashodha calls him her ' Little Calf'

In this 7^th decad, Periyazhvar enjoys a mother’s experience of a child beginning to clap with both hands. She just loves his clapping style that she wants more and more of these. She pays glowing tribute to his physical features and to his achievements of killing asuras and rakshashas.

As seen in the earlier decads, the young child is seen wearing a waistband of gold, his ankles have bells that bring out melodious tunes each times he moves about. He is always sporting a lovely smile with his white teeth shines glowingly. He was the one who with just one step measured the entire Earth. With these beautiful hands how nice would it be to see you clap.

Yashodha extols the beauty of the ornaments that he adorns. Through the verses, Yashodha is seen praising his ornaments, - the pearls, gems and corals and the golden earrings. The white shiny teeth is spoken about once again in great warmth as she says it gives him a rich look and makes his mouth look even more lovely. She says that the band around his waists and the jewels on his forehead swing and sway on to his brow. 

First on Mother's lap then moves to the father and is then back with the mother

She wants him to show his beautiful clap, the only thing that she says she has not seen. However, having enjoyed the time with Yashoda on her lap, his mind is now on being with his father Nandagopa. She later tells him that he looks handsome on his mother’s lap. And that it was time for him to showcase his clap for all to see and hear. Thus from these two verses it can be seen that he has now moved back from his father to the mother’s lap once again.

While it has all been mother thus far, Periyazhvar provides us a glimpse of the father’s happiness. He takes us back to the earlier decad when the child called for the moon to come down and play with him in the portico of his house that is lit brightly by the full moon light (தூ நிலா முற்றத்தே போந்து விளையாட  வான் நிலா அம்புலீ சந்திரா வா என்று). His father Nandagopa is very happy to find his son in this exciting stage enjoying the small things in life like asking for the moon!!!

A Mother’s True Love

Like a true mother, Yashodha sarcastically lauds him. She says that he goes out through the day, plays around in the dust and brings home all the dirt from the ground. And then with the body smeared with mud and dirt, he quietly slips into the house and takes away all the butter curd and ghee that she had worked away on for hours together and then acts as if he did nothing (புட்டியில் சேறும் புழிதியும் கொண்டு வந்து அட்டி அமுக்கி அகம் புக்கு அறியாமே). 

From Sundara, he now is the 'LITTLE CALF'
In the earlier decad on Senkeerai, Yashodha called him a Sundara. Now she showers even more love on him and calls him her little calf. Despite all his acts of mischief as seen above, she says he is dear to her like a little calf. She calls him பட்டிக் கன்றே  

You took the support of Monkeys to cross the bridge

Varuna the Lord of rain hid himself deep beneath and refused to move or give way. Angered at this, Yashodha says it was he that sent shivering arrows that brought Varuna out of the ocean. He rained arrows that day to which the rain God had no answer and almost made him weep.

Periyazhvar then moves on to the Ramayana episode and projects the achievement from the earlier avatar. There was a huge ocean to cross but he easily built a bridge with a friendly army of monkeys help him.And with the swiftest of arrows he killed the rakshashas. 
( குரக்கு இனத்தாலே குறை கடல் தன்னை நெருக்கி ஆணை கட்டி நீள் நீர் இலங்கை). 

When Hiranya pointed at the pillar built by his own self and questioned the presence of God, Yashodha says it was you in an earlier avatar that tore him apart with these same hands. And when he pointed to a particular pillar, you came out of it much to the Asura’s shock.

It was with these hands that you churned the nectar along with the help of Devas and Asuras using Mandara Mountain as the churning stick and Serpent Vasuki as the churning rope (மிடைந்திட்டு மந்தரம் மத்தாக நாட்டி  வடம் சுற்றி வாசுகி வான் வயிறாக கடைந்திட்ட கைகளால் சப்பாணி ).

Your hands have performed some magical acts in the past. We now want to see these hands come together and clap for all to enjoy.