Nachiyar Thirumozhi Return the girls’ garments

We are not your mother’s daughters’ in law that you can do this to us!!!!

 - Andal to Krishna seated atop the Kurundu Tree

In the 2^nd decad of Nachiyar Thirumozhi, Andal presented Krishna’s mischievous act of breaking the sand castles lovingly built by the young girls of Gokulam. She continues showcasing her beloved Lord’s playful activities into the 3^rd decad. This time his mischievous play is a lot more personal and embarrassing.

While in the previous decad, she questioned his intention of dismantling the castles made of sand, here she turns a little more aggressive and asks if it is fair on his part to indulge in acts such as deceitfully taking away the clothes of the women.She gives a background to this to explain their hardship – both physical and mental.

It is interesting that she expresses both anger and love in the same verse. While they are furious at his act of trying to dishonour them, they are still not able to take away their eyes from him for he is always adorable.

Good to Bathe in the Pond before Dawn

Rising to the call of the cocks early in the morning, the girls woke up and walked a long way to the lake for a bath pre dawn. As one can imagine, it was pretty chilly and cold and dark. With the clothes off, the young girls entered the lake confident that no one was around on that dark morning. And they began enjoying their bath.

கோழி யழைப்பதன் முன்னம் குடைந்து நீராடுவான் போந்தோம்

We will never enter the lake again!!!

As they were thus having a ‘cool bath’, it was time for the Sun to rise. And as the light began to hit the moving waves of the lake and they were at the end of their bath, they found to their horror that their clothes had gone missing. She accepts their ignorance of not guessing his likely presence and promises that they will never enter the lake again for a bath, if he returns their clothes this one time!!!!

She seems to indicate that they have forgotten him just for a moment in the joy of their cool bath and says that along with her friends, she offers her sincere and devoted prayers to him and pleads with him to return their clothes.

ஏழைமை யாற்றவும் பட்டோம் இனியென்றும் பொய்கைக்கு வாரோம்

தோழியும் நானும் தொழுதோம் துகிலைப் பணித்தருளாயே

In this decad, Andal sings praise of Lord Krishna and his very many brave acts but questions if he considered this particular act as one such (act of bravery) for this seemed to her to be a little demeaning!!! While they were suffering in embarrassment, this mischievous boy was there up on the Kurundu tree with all their clothes.

She explains to him the severe consequences that might arise if they were to return without the clothes.

She asks the Lord who is happily enjoying from the tree as to whether he realises the embarrassment he has caused.  How would they be able to come out of the water in this current state. Further, she is worried as to how the parents will react. And she is certain that they will have to face wild reaction from the mothers that morning if they were to go back without the clothes.

எம்மனைமார் காணிலொட்டார்

பொல்லாங்கு ஈதென்று கருதாய்

பூங்குருந்தேறி யிருந்தி

What job does he have around the lake?

She then enquires as to the reason he came to the lake this early in the morning. And she acknowledges their ignorance in not noting his presence around the lake. She wonders as to how he actually made his way to this far off lake that early in the morning with darkness all around.

Bribes Krishna

Seeking a quick solution, Andal says that the young girls are ready to give him anything he wants provided he returns their clothes. This she now sees as the only way that will help them return home unnoticed.

நீ வேண்டிய தெல்லாம் தருவோம்

பல்லாரும் காணாமே போவோம்

பட்டைப் பணித்தருளாயே

From inside the lake, all the young girls of Gokulam are looking around with their eyes wide open to see if anyone (the residents of Gokulam) is around. Andal describes the sadness in the young girls that morning. ‘It is a public pond and we have to look all around to ensure that others do not know our current plight’. There is fear in their eyes. As one looks at their eyes, tears have started rolling down in shock of what might happen if anyone finds them in their current state.

பறக்க விழித்து எங்கும் நோக்கிய பலர் குடைந்தாடும் கனையில்

அரக்க நில்லா கண்ணநீர்கள் அலமருகின்றவா  பாராய்

Having tried to psyche him by questioning his embarrassing act and then trying to bribe him, Andal also uses the threatening technique to see if her beloved would move. She says that their parents and friends are likely to come striking at him if they come to know of his acts.

Physical Pain inside the lake

In successive decads, Andal describes the physical pain that they are experiencing.They express their distressed state of their extended stay inside the pond. The fishes are biting their legs. The lotus stalks are rubbing against their legs and that is pricking their legs. She compares this feeling to one’s pain when one would be stung by a poisonous Scorpio.

காலைக் காது விடுகின்ற கயலொடு வாளை விரவி

வேலைப் பிடுத்தேன்னை மார்களோட்டில் என்ன விளையாட்டோ

தடதவிழ் தாமரைப் பொய்கைத் தாள்கள் எம் காலைக் கதுவ

விடத்தே ளெறிந்தாலே  போல வேதனை ஆற்றவும் பட்டோம்

Praising his various playful acts such as tossing up the pots and his exquisite dance, she says that this particular act is beyond their game. This one is too difficult for them to bear. They accept that have been deceived by this game and want him to save any further embarrassment.

She explains that their bodies have become tired standing inside the chilly early morning water. She calls his current deeds as being very unfair. With their homes far away from the pond, how would they return in their current state with the Sun shining bright on the streets of Gokulam. She says that there is a very angry feeling to shout out at him. And yet they love him as he is just so adorable.

But that aside if their mothers see their current situation, all the girls are going to be shouted at and given a verbal beating for their careless act.

நீரிலே நின்று அயர்க்கின்றோம் நீதியல்லாதன செய்தாய்

ஊரகம் சாலவும் சேய்த்தால் ஊழியெல்லாம் உணர்வானே

ஆர்வம் உனக்கே யுடையோம்  அம்மானையார் காணில் ஒட்டார்

She says that he is looking at this only as a sport but unfortunately their mothers will not look at it in a similar vein. For him it is only a simple mischievous play.

Praising his Valarous Acts

It was valorous to escape that treacherous Kamsa who was looking to kill him on birth, but this act even Yashoda, who normally is very supportive of him, will rebuke and will not gain her approval. Andal prays with folded hands asking him to return their clothes.

It was a great act to jump on the deadly serpent and dance atop him. She tries to make him feel bad asking him if he is not feeling bad about his embarrassing acts.With him atop on the kurundu trees she calls him the king of monkeys. Not only are they down mentally, even physically it is hurting inside the lake.

An angry remark

In a beautiful verse, she says that ‘we are not your mother’s daughters-in-law that he can play around like this (Interestingly in the earlier decad, she had praised him and suggested that him becoming his mother’s son in law would solve all the problems). The fact that they are all fond of him does not entitle him to such a mischievous game. She tells him in no uncertain terms that what he is doing is not right.

மாமியார் மக்களேயல்லோம் மற்றும் இங்கு எல்லாரும் போந்தார்

சேமமேலன்றிது சாலச் சிக்கென நாம் இது சொன்னோம்

And wants him to return their clothes!!!