Krishna Senkeerai Dance

ஆடுக செங்கீரை Yashodha yearns for her ‘Sundara’s’ crawling on the floor

Periyazhvar praises the child as one who, for millions of years, had reclined on banyan leaf in a yogic meditation posture and who during deluges swallowed the entire universe into his belly.

He describes the body of the child as having a darkish complexion, his eyes as large and like a lotus petal. The chest is so wide that Goddess Lakshmi finds it a safe place to reside forever. And what can one say about his ears. With Makara Ear Rings swinging from side to side as he dances away to glory (செல்வ பொலி மகரக் காது திகழ்ந்து இலக), he delights everyone with his Senkeerai dance. His crawling on the floor is a delight to watch.

To protect his devotee Prahalada he took the form of a lion to rip apart the chest of his devotee’s father. On another occasion when Indra, the king of Gods showed his anger and showered hail storms by bringing about a sudden cloud cover, he took the form of the huge mountain Govardhana and protected his dear cows (he describes this in detail in the third canto of the Periyazhvar Thirumozhi where he has dedicated 10 exclusive verses to the child effortlessly lifting the Govardhana mountain with his hand).

Periyazhvar describes more qualities of the Lord in the succeeding verses of this decad. He equates the child as being the very essence of the Vedas. He calls him ‘Our Lord’. When Asura Madhu took away the Vedas, he was the one who retrieved it all by himself. He so easily measured the whole earth and the heaven with two large steps as Trivikrama.

When confronted by Kuvalaya, he destroyed the mighty mad tusker. When he killed asura sakata, the entire Devas and Gods rejoiced. Further when he flung Vatsa into the trees disguised as a calf, apples fell down in heaps from the trees on the impact.  With his mighty limbs, he felled the twin Marutha trees that were looking to cause him harm.

He sent many more asuras down the death path-  he list is endless – Dhanuka, Mura, Narakasura the impact of which shook the whole earth (தேனுகனும் முரனும் திண் திறல் வெந்நரகன் என்பவர் தாம் மடியச் செரு அதிரச் செல்லும்).

Periyazhvar reminds once again of the child's special liking for curds, butter and ghee that were painstakingly made by Yashodha and other Gopis. He looks so beautiful with the smile and the dark curly locks.

In a contest held for cowherds, he bagged the hand of the beautiful Nappinnai by conquering the 7 bulls. In another instance, he rescued the songs of a Brahmin and handed over to the parents.

Yashodha calls him Sundara

Once again Periyazhvar extols the great physical strengths of the young child that were described in earlier verses. From atop the tree, he swooped down and danced on the head of Kaliya the snake, he rattled the mad Kuvalaya and wrestled so easily with those many times his size and beat them down. His beautiful complexion resembles the dark monsoon clouds prompting Yashodha to call him Sundara (கரு முகில் போல் உருவா….தூய நடம் பயிலும் சுந்தர என் சிறுவா). Maidens throng and take him on their waist. They enjoy playing with him and then they leave him home. To please them and to satisfy all those watching him and to grace his mother, she repeatedly asks him to present his special Senkeerai dance

He is seen in different temples

Periyazhvar says he is seen protecting us everywhere in Thiru Vellarai, Thiru Kurungudi, Thiru Maliruncholai and at Thiru Kannapuram (மன்னு குறுங்குடியாய் வெள்ளறையாய் மதில் சூழ் சோலை மலைக்கு  அரசே கண்ணபுரத்து அமுதே). 

Beautiful description of his features

He is the darling of everyone.  He has all the time to be smeared with milk, curd and ghee. The fragrance of sandal camphor, lotus flowers are always on him. And it goes well with his beautiful rose lips. The tender teeth shine well and Kovai fruit nectar seems to ooze out of his mouth (பாலொடு நெய் தயிர் ஒண் சாந்தொடு சண்பகமும் பங்கயம் நல்ல கருப்பூரமும் நாறி வர கோல நறும் பவளச் செந்துவர் வாயினிடைக் கோமள வெள்ளி முளைப் போல் சில பல் இலக).

The Child and his ornaments

While in the earlier decad, Periyazhvar described his physical features from head to toe, here he provides the ornaments worn by him from head to toe.

The feet are lotus red and the toes are like small petals. He is seen wearing matching rings on his toes that look like petals on feet of lotus (செங்கமலக் கழலில் சிற்றிதழ் போல் விரலில்). He has bells fitting perfectly the ankles that make the kin kini noise whenever he makes a crawling movement on the floor. He has golden thread fastened to his waist alternating in gold beads like pomegranate (தாள நன் மாதுளையின்  பூவொடு பொன் மணியும்).

He has rings on his fingers and a bracelet on his wrist. And his necklace, shoulder rings, makara shaped ear pendants and a forehead jewel look beautiful on him as does the brow jewel, his armlet and the spear. All these make him shine in a sprightly fashion.

With these on him, it is only befitting that he dance his favourite number.

He manifested in many different avatars - Swan, Fish, Turtle, Manikin and also as a Man Lion. Through these he helped the pious by destroying evil. Yashodha walked everywhere behind him like a swan asking him if she did not truly deserve the gift of him dancing before her by crawling in style on the floor.