Periyāḻvār Tirumoḷi | 151-200

151.

The lovely Yaśodā wished
to put thread in Kaṇṇaṉ’s ears,
brought emerald earrings and called her child.
The chief of Puduvai who is praised by all the world
composed twelve poems with Yaśodā’s words.
Those who recite those divine twelve anthaadi poems
will be devotees of the god Acyuta.

14. Yaśodā calls Kaṇṇaṉ to come and take a bath.

152.

I won’t allow you to go to sleep in the bed
with your dirty body that smells with the butter that you stole
and the mud you have been playing in.
I’ve been waiting for a long time
with oil and lemon juice to give you a bath.
O dear god, you are hard for anyone to reach.
O Nārāyaṇa, come to bathe.

153.

Look, you want to catch small ants
and put them in the ears of calves.
If they get scared and run away how can you get butter
from cow’s milk and eat it as you do now?
You made the mara trees fall.
You are our beloved god.
Today is Thiruvoṇam, your birthday.
Don’t run away. Come to bathe.

154.

All the cowherd women called me
and told me not to feed you milk
because you drank the poisonous milk
from the breasts of the demon Pūthanā.
But my mind won’t let me not feed you, so I will.
I’ve boiled water with gooseberry
and filled a large pot with it.
O sapphire-coloured god, praised by all,
come to bathe in the water mixed with turmeric.

155.

Kaṁsa sent Śakaṭāsura to kill you
and he came in the form of a cart.
You kicked and killed him.
You drank the milk from the breast of the evil Pūthanā
and killed her .
You are our dear god.
I brought kohl for your eyes,
turmeric, a senkazhuneer flower garland
and fragrant sandal paste for your bath.
O beautiful child, come to bathe.

156.

I have made excellent appams and other snacks
made of brown sugar and milk for you.
O dear child, come here if you want to eat them.
If you don’t bathe,
the young girls who have ceppu-like breasts
will talk about you behind your back and laugh.
You should have a good bath.
O beloved god, come here.

157.

You roll the pots and spill the ghee from them.
You pinch sleeping babies and wake them up.
You open your eyes wide and scare them making faces.
O beloved god, I will give you fruits to eat.
You are beautiful and you have the lovely colour
of the sounding ocean that has roaring waves.
Come to bathe in the fragrant turmeric water.

158.

From the time you were born,
I have not seen the good milk that I have gotten,
the churned yogurt and the butter that I put on the uri.
O beloved god,
I’ll be careful not to speak of these things in front of others
because they may gossip and say I’m your step mother
and am treating you badly.
Come and bathe in the fragrant turmeric water.

159.

You tied palm leaves to the tails of calves.
You shook fruits from the trees
and threw them at the Asura and killed him.
You caught the tail of the snake Kalingan and danced on his heads.
O best among men! I am not as strong as you are.
Today is your auspicious birthday.
You should take a good bath, O Nārāyaṇa.
Don’t run away, come here.

160.

I may be happy
to see your golden body smeared with dirt
because you went into the shed where the cows are tied,
played with them and made yourself dirty,
but others will blame me when they see you.
You are shameless!
If Nappinnai sees you, she will laugh.
O my diamond, my jewel,
come and bathe in the fragrant turmeric water.

161.

Viṣṇu-Citta the chief of old Puduvai,
praised by all the world,
composed poems describing how Yaśodā
called Kaṇṇaṉ to come bathe in fragrant turmeric water.
Those who have learned these excellent Tamil poems
will not get the results of any bad karma.
 

15. Calling a Crow
Yaśodā calls a crow to come to help her to comb Kaṇṇaṉ's hair.

162.

He is the beloved of Nappinnai.
and he sleeps on the ocean in Thirupperur.
He is the ancient, unique seed of all the gods.
O crow, come and help me comb the hair
of the king who protects me and my whole clan.
O crow, come and help me comb Mādhava’s hair.

163.

O crow, come and help me comb
and groom the hair of the god
who has a pure blue-sapphire-coloured body.
He drank milk from the breasts of the evil Pūthanā.
He destroyed the magical Śakaṭāsura
who came in the form of a cart
and the two Asuras who were disguised as marudam trees.
His body is blue like the kaya flower.
O crow, come and help me comb his hair.

164.

O crow, come and help me
comb the hair of the god of gods,
the chief of the cowherds,
who swallowed the butter that I had kept
in a large pot on the uri
and then ran away fast and pretended to sleep.
O crow, he has the colour of the dark cloud.
Come and help me comb the hair of Kaṇṇaṉ.
Come and help me comb his hair.

165.

He split open the beak of the thief Bāṇāsura
who came in the form of a heron,
hid and flew along the valley.
O crow, come and help me comb the hair of the child
who killed Bāṇāsura.
O crow, come and help me comb the hair of the god
who drank milk from the breasts of the demon Pūthanā.

166.

O crow, when he grazed the cattle
he threw Vatsāsura who came in the form of a calf
onto the vilam tree, shaking down the vilam fruits,
and killed that Asura.
Don’t fly around everywhere and wander,
crowing sweetly and praising the name of the highest god.
O crow, come every day and help me comb his hair.
O crow, come and help me comb the hair
of the god who holds a discus in his hand.

167.

O crow, come and help me comb and groom
the hair of him who, in the time it takes to blink,
destroyed with his discus the Asuras
when they afflicted the innocent people of the eastern land.
O crow, come and help me comb his hair
and make it beautiful.
O crow, come and help me comb Govinda’s hair.

168.

O crow, don’t fly around
wishing to eat the food people give
in the ceremony for their ancestors
and the watery rice people give for the peys.
O crow, come and help me comb the hair, dark as a bee,
of the beautiful god, the god of the gods in the sky.
O crow, come and help me comb the hair of Māyavan.

169.

O crow, come and help me comb the hair
of the god who created the four-headed Brahma
on a beautiful lotus that grew from his navel.
Come help me untangle his thick hair with oil
and make it beautiful with a white comb made of ivory.
O crow, come and help me comb Dāmodara’s hair.

170.

O crow, come, stand behind me
and help me comb the hair
of him who measured the whole world
and delighted the queens of king Mahābali when they saw it.
I am putting him on a soft bed to comb his golden hair.
O crow, come and help me comb the hair
of the god who has thousand names.

171.

Paṭṭan, the chief of Villiputtur surrounded by walls
that touch the sky composed these poems
that describe how the cowherdess Yaśodā called the crow and said,
“Come, O crow, help me comb the dark cloud-coloured hair
of the god that swarms with bees.
We don’t want anyone who sees his hair uncombed to blame me.”
Those who praise the god and sing these poems
will not have any bad karma.
Calling a crow to bring a stick
Yaśodā asks a crow to bring a grazing stick for Kaṇṇaṉ
to help him graze the cows.

172.

O crow, bring a grazing stick for him
who wears a chain with a turtle pendent on his round neck
and peacock feathers on his head.
He cuts sticks from the fences, makes arrows
and plays with the boys with them.
Bring a grazing stick for him who goes behind the cattle.
Bring a grazing stick for him who has the colour of a blue ocean.

173.

O crow, bring a suitable, well-formed round grazing stick
for my son who carries a conch in his strong hands
and wanders and plays in the Kongu country,
Kuḍandai, Koṭṭiyur and Thirupperur.
Bring a grazing stick painted red.

174.

O crow, bring a suitable grazing stick
for my son who runs and grazes small calves
as his curly hair blows around.
The god killed Kaṁsa when he came angrily to fight with him.
He split open the mouth of the Asura
when he came in the form of an heron to fight with him.
Bring a grazing stick for the god of gods.

175.

O crow, bring a grazing stick to graze the calves
for the god who went as a messenger to Duryodhana
and was victorious in the Bhārata war
over the Pāṇḍava’s enemy Duryodhana
who declared he would never be friends with the Pāṇḍavas
or give them any land.
Bring a grazing stick for him to graze the calves.
Bring a grazing stick for the child
who has the blue colour of the ocean.

176.

O crow, Kaṇṇaṉ went as a messenger to Duryodhana,
asked him to give the Pāṇḍava’s’ land back to them,
but Duryodhana refused to give
even one city to them.
Kaṇṇaṉ angrily started the Bhārata war,
drove Arjuna’s chariot in the battle
and got victory for the Pāṇḍavas.
O crow, bring a grazing stick for the god of gods
who conquered the Kaurāvas.

177.

O crow, he sleeps on the banyan leaf as a baby
at the end of the world.
He sleeps on Ādiśeṣa on the blue ocean for endless time.
He granted his grace to Arjuna in the Bhārata war.
O crow, bring a grazing stick for the beautiful lord
of the god of Kuḍandai.

178.

O crow, when he, as Rāma,
stayed on golden Chitrakūṭa mountain,
he put out one eye of Jayanthan
who came in the form of a crow and wounded Sītā.
Bring a grazing stick quickly for him who has thick hair
before he gets angry and destroys the other eye of the crows.
Bring a grazing stick to this dear child,
who has the colour of a shining sapphire.

179.

O crow, bring a grazing stick for him
who bent his matchless bow
and killed the ten-headed Ravaṇan,
the king of Lanka, decorated with shining diamond crowns,
for the sake of Sītā whose waist is as thin as lightning.
Bring a grazing stick for the god
who wears a shining crown.
Bring the grazing stick for the god
who made a bridge over the ocean to go to Lanka.

180.

O crow, bring a grazing stick for him
who cut off the heads and arms of Ravaṇan,
the king of Lanka in the south
and gave the country to Vibhishaṇa with shining ornaments,
saying, “You will rule this country as long as
my name abides in the world.”
Bring a grazing stick to the beautiful god who shines like lightning
and stays in the Tiruvēṅkaṭam hills.

181.

The Paṭṭan of Villiputtur composed poems
using the words of Yaśodā as she asked the crow
to bring a cattle stick to her beloved child.
Those who recite these ten Tamil poems
will get good children and live happily in the world.

16. Yaśodā asks Kaṇṇaṉ to come
so that she can adorn his hair with flowers.

182.

You go to graze the cattle.
Don’t you know that you are the finest remedy for all troubles.
You wander around the forest
and your divine dark body becomes dull.
You steal milk from the pots of others
and those who don’t like you see it and laugh at you.
O dear child, you are sweeter than honey.
Come, I will decorate your hair with shenbaga flowers.

183.

If we see dark clouds, our eyes feel like we have seen you
who have a beautiful body.
You were born to create all the seven worlds.
You are the beloved of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.
You sleep on the Kaveri river in Srirangam.
Come to me and I will decorate your hair
with jasmine flowers that spread their fragrance everywhere.

184.

You climb up to the patios of the palaces,
enter into the homes where the girls stay
and tear their bras and silk blouses. Is that all?
You grab the border of their saris and tear them.
You give them trouble every day.
You are the god of the tall Tiruvēṅkaṭam hills.
Come to me and I will decorate your hair
with padiri flowers and green Thulasi leaves.

185.

Don’t stand on the street
and bother the young cowherd girls.
O dear child! You have the colour of the dark cloud
and you are like a small calf. You have beautiful eyebrows,
glistening dark hair and a shining forehead.
The fragrance of your Tulasī garland spreads everywhere.
Come happily and I will I decorate your hair
with this Tulasī garland.

186.

You split open the beak of Bāṇāsura
when he came in the form of a heron.
You broke the tusk of the elephant, Kuvalayabeeḍam.
You cut off the nose of the cunning Śūrpaṇakhā.
You cut down the heads of the king Rāvaṇa,
yet I, your devotee, wasn’t afraid of you
when I hit you because you took gobs of butter
and swallowed them.
Come and I will decorate your hair
with a garland of sengazhuneer flowers
that bloomed in clear water.

187.

O, best among men!
What do you gain fighting with bulls to marry Nappinnai?
You knew the evil deeds of Kaṁsa
and killed him with your ploys.
You fought with the wrestlers and defeated them.
You harassed the cowherd girls on the streets.
You who are precious as gold,
come and I will decorate your hair with punnai flowers.

188.

You are our king!
You throw pots into the sky
and dance the kuḍakkuthu with them.
O my son, you bewitch beautiful girls,
whose faces are lovely as the moon.
You split the chest of Hiraṇya
into two pieces with your nails.
O beloved god, you are the god of Kuḍandai,
come and I will decorate your hair with kurukathi flowers.

189.

You made friends with the Asura Thirumalihan
and then cut off his head with your discus.
You know the future of all.
You sleep on the Kāverī river in beautiful Srirangam.
Don’t cheat me.
Come and I will decorate your hair with iruvaṭchi flowers.

190.

In heaven you stay in the assembly of gods,
and you live in the hearts of your devotees.
You are the beloved of Lakshmi who stays on a lovely lotus.
You swallowed all the seven worlds
and sleep on the banyan leaf.
Come and I will decorate your hair
with iruvaṭchi flowers blooming with big buds.
I will see you and be happy.

191.

The Paṭṭar Piran, the chief of Villiputtur
composed poems with music
telling how the cowherdess Yaśodā happily called her son,
the king of the earth, to come
so that she could decorate his hair
with eight kinds of flowers that she brought that day.
Those who recite these poems
will become beloved devotees of the god.

17. Yaśodā wants to put a “kaappu” on Kaṇṇaṉ to protect him from the evil eye.

192.

Indra, Brahma, Shiva and all other gods
brought beautiful divine flowers,
stood away from you and looked at you happily .
You abide in Veḷḷaṛai where the moon shines above the palaces
and the dancers sing your praise while they dance.
This is the evening time.
O beautiful child, come and I will put a kaappu on you
so that evil eyes will not harm you.

193.

The calves you grazed haven’t come home
and their mothers cry out and summon them.
I am tired of calling you, heartless one!
Don’t stay on the streets, it is getting dark.
O god, you who stay in Thiruveḷḷaṛai surrounded by walls,
listen! I’m saying this for your good.
Come and I will put kaappu on you
so that evil eyes will not harm you.

194.

When you knocked over the play houses
and messed up the play food of the girls
whose soft breasts are formed like ceppus,
I scolded you.
You ran away and haven’t come back to eat.
You are the ruler of the world.
You stay in Thiruveḷḷaṛai where rishis live
and the gods praise you three times a day.
I won’t do anything to hurt you.
O beloved god, come and I will put kaappu for you
so that evil eyes will not harm you.

195.

Countless children come again and again
and they complain that you threw sand into their eyes
and kicked them. You bother everyone you see.
O Kaṇṇā, you are the god of Thiruveḷḷaṛai.
You have the colour of the ocean!
You are generous!
Come and I will put kaappu on you
so that evil eyes will not harm you.

196.

Even if thousands of children from this village
do naughty things, people will say
you are the one who did them.
O beloved god, come.
You stay in Thiruveḷḷaṛai where good people live
and you are the light of wisdom.
I will praise your beautiful body.
Come and I will put kaappu on you
so that evil eyes will not harm you.

197.

I heard that Kaṁsa is angry at you
and is sending Puthana, the dark red-haired demon,
to cheat and kill you.
You stay in the beautiful Thiruveḷḷaṛai
that is surrounded by walls
and filled with diamond-studded palaces
where the clouds crawl.
I am afraid you will be hurt even if you stay there.
O beautiful child,
come and I will put kaappu on you
so that evil eyes will not harm you.

198.

O beloved, you are my prince.
I know that you have kicked and killed the evil Sakaṭasuran
who came disguised as a cart.
You destroyed the two Asuras
who were disguised as marudu trees.
I know you killed the demon Pūthanā
drinking milk from her breasts,
but I don’t know what else you might have done after that.
You stay in the lustrous Thiruveḷḷaṛai.
It is time for you to go to bed.
O highest god,
come and I will put kaappu on you
so that evil eyes will not harm you.

199.

You gave me the highest joy.
Even the gods do not know who you are.
You are the king who killed the elephant Kuvalayabeeḍam.
You are Yama for cruel Kaṁsa.
You stay in Thiruveḷḷaṛai
surrounded with precious golden walls.
You have been raised as a precious child.
See, there is a beggar, a Kambakkabaali with a garland of skulls.
Run, come quickly and I will put kaappu on you
so that evil eyes will not harm you.

200.

The Brahmins who know the Vedas well
recite the Rg Veda, come holding conches
with water and stand near you.
O dear child! Don’t be proud!
You stand in the middle of the street
and refuse to listen to my words.
I, your mother, only want to put divine kaappu on you.
You stay in prosperous Thiruveḷḷaṛai
It is evening.
I will light the lamp, so I can see you when you return.
Come and I will put kaappu on you
so that evil eyes will not harm you.