Krishna Poochoodal

பூ சூட்ட வாராய் -Yashodha calls him the Only Medicine to solve our problems

Periyazhvar enjoys the experience of a mother decorating her child with different flowers

In the 7^th and 8^th decads, Periyazhvar is back to his best of Pillai Tamil describing next aspects of the growing child.

(2nd Canto, 7th Decad)

Periyazhvar experiences through Yashodha the different kinds of flowers that she likes the young child to wear. This is the only decad in the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham that describes an entire set of flowers worn by the Lord. As Yashodha takes one through the process of getting her child to wear the flowers on different days, she lures every mother to show true love on their children and to praise every positive act of the child to get the best out of the child. Through these set of verses, Periyazhvar also provides insights into the wide range of flowers that were offered to the Lord during his period. Many of these flowers are not heard off these days but in centuries gone by these were part of the daily attire of the Lord.

Shenbagam

Yashodha calls him sweeter than honey and a medicine for all troubles in life. She reasons out to him that only because he drank milk from the pots of others, he was pulled up by other boys and was laughed at by them (ஆனிரை மேய்க்க நீ போதி அரு மருந்து ஆவதறியாய்………………… பானையில் பாலைப் பருகி பற்றாதார் எல்லாம் சிரிப்ப)

Unmindful of the hot sun, he happily goes after the cows grazing them in the forest. As a result of this, his body has even got roasted (by the hot sun) and he has tanned a bit (கானகம் எல்லாம் திரிந்து உன் கரிய திருமேனி வாட).

As he comes back, he looks tired after a long day’s graze. But he does it all for his mother. Pleased with his day’s work, she says he asks him to wear the Shenbagam flowers as she says he will look handsome in these 

Malligai

He is very well connected to Goddess as she always resides on his chest. On first looks, he is as beautiful as the dark clouds one sees during monsoon times. And then she wonders as to how much more beautiful will he look in the Jasmine flowers? (கருவுடை மேகங்கள் கண்டால் உன்னைக் கண்டலொக்கும் கண்கள்)

Padiri and Dhavana – Climbs ladies’ room

In the past, he has climbed the upper most layers of tall mansions and entered the ladies’ room. Once inside, he tore their silk robes and their edges as a play act. The beautiful young girls were angry at his mischievous acts. Unmindful, he continues with his playful acts. Yashodha thinks that the Padiri Flowers combined with Dhavana shoots will sit perfectly on his curly hair (மச்சோடு மாளிகை ஏறி மாதர்கள் தம் இடம் புக்கு கச்சோடு பட்டைக் கிழித்துக் காம்பு துகில் அவை கீறி).

Maruvu and Damanagam – Stop going behind Milk Maids

Yashodha gets back to the usual topic, one that she has been on ever since his birth. Instead of standing in the middle of the street and teasing the milkmaids, she wants him to come and wear the Maruvu and Davanam shoots (தெருவின் கண் நின்று இள ஆய்ச்சிமார்களை தீமை செய்யாதே).

Kalla Arakki Soorpanaka

She praises his acts of killing Bakasura and Tusker Kuvalaya. Wasn’t he the one who chopped off the nose of the immoral Soorpanaka and later slew her protector Ravana as well.  Periyazhvar calls Soorpanaka her as ‘Kalla Arakki’ since Rama doubted her beauty and had got a scent of true character and believed that what she was presenting before him was not her true form and that it was different from her original complexion (புள்ளினை வாய் பிளந்திட்டாய் பொருகரியின் கொம்பு ஒசித்தாய் கள்ள அரக்கியை மூகோடு காவலனை தலை கொண்டாய்).

Shenkazhuneer - Will not repeat my beatings

Yashodha remembers the previous episodes of punishing him for gobbling up butter but says that is a thing of the past and that she is ashamed of her past acts and that she will not repeat it again. She asks him to adorn the Lotus flower (அள்ளி நீ வெண்ணெய் விழங்க அஞ்சாது அடியேன் அடித்தேன்).

Punnai Flowers

Yashodha says that despite repeated requests from her and the many complaints from the Gokulam Colony, he continues with his mischief on the street on the way to Mathura killing wrestlers every now and then. She wonders if the Punnai flowers will get him into good habits away from these wrestlers.  

Kurukatti Flowers

As she hopes that he would mend his ways and not go behind others, she cannot resist recounting his juggling with pots in mid air and his love for young girls that continues as she says that they fall for his bewitching glowing eyes. She wants to see him draped with Kurukatti flowers (குடங்கள் எடுத்து ஏற விட்டு கூத்தாட வல்ல என்கோவே).

Iruvatchi Flowers – Deceives an Asura

She cites the example of yet another of his dubious acts. When Malikan Asura persisted with the idea of seeking to learn the way to hurl the discus, he made friends with him and like a true friend taught him the art of using the discus. And then much to the shock of everyone made the asura operate the discus only to have his own head severed.  Mysterious is the way the child acts. She says that Iruvatchi flowers will look lovely on his hair (சீமாளிகன் அவனோடு தோழமை கொள்ளவும் வல்லாய்  சாமாறு அவனை நீ எண்ணிச் சக்கரத்தால் தலை கொண்டாய்).

Karumukai flowers

She reminds us of him sleeping as a child on a floating fig leaf but he is always there for the devotees and comes instantly to protect those who offer their sincere prayers to him. Even in the celestial world, everyone is waiting for him and they also give him a full hearing. Delighted to have a child like him, she wants to see and enjoy him with Karumukai flowers (அண்டத்து அமரர்கள் சூழ் அத்தானியுள் அங்கு இருந்தாய் தொண்டர்கள் நெஞ்சில் உறைவாய்).