Krishna grazing cows

எல்லே பாவமே – Yashodha regrets her ‘Sinful Act’ of sending Krishna to the forest to graze the Cows

In the initial days he went from house to house and enjoyed himself. He would smear turmeric all over his body and then make his way to the sea shore and smash the sandcastle of young Gopis and enjoy their tears. At other times, he would roam the streets with beautiful girls and they would be all over him. He offered his red lips to the girls like Kovai fruit but she did not want him to hold their hair and wander around.

The residents of Gokulam came together to spread the word that this new wonder kid wanders around the town doing wrongful acts.

He is handsome but at the same time difficult to understand. He roamed around teasing girls who came home complaining. She says she sent him to graze calves to avoid his mischievous acts and to avoid women who uttered negative words.

Very early in the morning she woke him up that day gave him a quick bath and then despatched him to the forest to graze the cows (பொன்னடி நோவப் புலரியே).

But later during the day, like a true loving mother, she began to regret her hasty act. She began to visualise how her son would be spending his day. And then she realised what a decision she had taken trusting the words of her neighbours.

Periyazhvar describes beautifully the loving and caring thoughts of a mother as each hour in the day passes by.

Will his legs hurt?

In the first half of the day, she starts off cribbing about the fact that his tender feet will be hurting in the hot Sun. It was with these legs that he killed Kamsa. Will those same legs not be paining now? She calls herself a sinner for having sent him thus (கஞ்சனைக் காய்ந்த கழலடி நோவக் கன்றின் பின் என் செய்ப் பிள்ளையைப் போக்கினேன் எல்லே பாவமே).

Why didn’t I give him the Umbrella and Sandals?

She says she had gone inside to get some protective gear for him but before she could be back, he had left. She He neither has an umbrella nor sandals to wear and it is terribly hot in the forest that has sharp broken rocks (குடையும் செருப்பும் கொடாதே....உடையும் கடியன ஊன்று வெம் பர ற்கள் உடை கடிய வெங்காளிடைக் காலடி நோவக்.....).

How will he face the wild elephants?

Yashodha regrets the wicked thing of sending him to the forest to graze calves. Suddenly she started seeing the positives in him. He enjoyed gulping butter from homes. And like a wicked mother, ‘I sent him to the forest amidst wild elephants.’ (கடிரு பல திரி கான் அதறிடைக் கன்றின் பின் இடற என் பிள்ளையைப் போக்கினேன்)

Will the hunters hit out at the Calves?

The herd of cows would be raising dust along the way that would be falling on his eyes. And as they progress further, they are likely to be entering the territory of hunters. She regrets having sent the heavenly God to such a place just to avoid him wandering with the Gopis (எவ்வும் சிலை உடை வேடர் கானிடை கன்றின் பின் தெய்வத் தலைவனைப் போக்கினேன்).

What will happen to his Sweet Voice?

He is shouting at the top of the voice running behind the cows like a typical cowherd would. And she says his voice can be heard reverberating against the tall mountains (கன்மணி நின்று அதிர்கான்).

The forests are such a dry place that even cactus plants seem to go dry there, such is the hot weather during this period. And she considers it a deadly sin to have sent him to such a place (கள்ளியுணங்கு வெங்கான்).