Periyazhvar Thirumozhi - attukkuvi
[kaNNan gOvarththanagiriyai kudaiyaaha koNdu kalmazhai thaduththu aayaraiyum aan^iraiyaiyum paadhuhaaththal]
Lord Krishna lifts the Govardhana mountain and protects the Yadavas and their cows
264:attukkuvi sORRu paruppadhamum*
thayirvaaviyum n^eyyaLaRum adaNGgap-
pottaththuRRi* maarippahai puNarththa*
porumaa kadalvaNNan poRuththamalai*
vattath thadaNGgaN madamaan kanRinai*
valaivaay paRRi koNdu* kuRamahaLir-
kottaith thalaippaal koduththu vaLarkkum*
gOvarththanam ennum koRRakkudaiyE.* (2)
Gulping cooked rice heaped high, curds in pots and melted Ghee all in a trice, the deep ocean-hued Lord invited unfriendly rains, then for an umbrella, victoriously lifted a mount. That mount is Govardhana where gypsies catch wide-eyed fawns in nets and bring them up feeding them with milk through cotton wicks.
265:
vazhuvonRumilaa seykai vaanavar_kOn*
valippattu munindhu vidukkappattu*
mazhai vandhu ezhu n^aaL peydhu maaththaduppa*
madhusoodhan eduththu maRiththa malai*
izhavuthariyaadhadhOr eeRRuppidi*
iLaNYjeeyam thodarndhu mudukudhalum*
kuzhaviyidai kaalittu edhirndhu porum*
gOvarththanam ennum koRRakkudaiyE.*
The rains sent under the authority of Indra of faultless Karmas, came and poured for seven days causing misery. Madhusudana lifted a mount and held it upside down like an umbrella. That mount is Govardhana, where a baby elephant when pursued by a young lion takes refuge between the legs of the mother elephant, which fights back the attacker with vengeance.
266:
ammai thadaNGgaN madavaaychchiyarum*
aanaayarum aan^iraiyum alaRi*
emmai saraNenRu koL enRirappa*
ilaNGgaazhikkai endhai eduththa malai*
thammai charaNenRa thampaavaiyaraip*
punamEykinRa maaninam kaaNmin enRu*
kommai puyakkunRar silai kunikkum*
gOvarththanam ennum koRRakkudaiyE.*
When the cowherd dames, the cowherd men and all the cows screamed with wide eyes for help and sought refuge, my Lord Krishna, bearer of the radiant discus, lifted a mount as a victory-umbrella. That mount is Govardhana, where male gypsies with strong arms point at the wide eyes of their wives moving in the upland bushes saying “Hush! Look, there’s deer grazing”, and aim their bow at them, and they come out screaming ‘Help!’
267:
kaduvaay sina veNGgaN kaLiRRinukku*
kavaLam eduththu koduppaanavan pOl*
adivaay uRakkaiyittu ezha paRiththittu*
amarar perumaan koNdu n^inRa malai*
kadalvaay senRu mEham kavizhndhiRaNGgi*
kadhuvaayppada n^eer muhandhERi* eNGgum-
kudavaayppada n^inRu mazhai pozhiyum*
gOvarththanam ennum koRRakkudaiyE.*
The Lord of gods pushed his hands under the mount, uprooted it and stood holding it aloft like a mahout lifting up the food-pail to his angry rogue-elephant. That mount is Govardhana where dark clouds dip into the ocean and fill themselves, then pour everywhere like emptying pitchers.
268:
vaanaththil uLLeer! valiyeer uLLeerEl*
aRaiyO! vandhu vaaNGgumin enbavan pOl*
Enaththu uruvaahiya eesan endhai*
idavanezha vaaNGgi eduththa malai*
kaana kaLiyaanai than kombizhandhu*
kadhuvaay madham sOraththan kaiyeduththu*
koonal piRai vENdi aNNaandhu n^iRkum*
gOvarththanam ennum koRRakkudaiyE.*
Lord my master, who had once come as a boar, lifted the mount like an earth-cold and seemed to call out “O gods in heaven, any strong one among you? Come, take this, I challenge!” That mount is Govardhana, where an elephant with a broken tusk stands up with a raised trunk on seeing the crescent moon, and bellows with a dribbling mouth.
269:
seppaadudaiya thirumaalavan than*
sendhaamarai kaiviral aindhinaiyum*
kappaaha maduththu maNi n^edundhOL*
kaambaaha koduththu kaviththa malai*
eppaadum parandhizhi theLLaruvi*
ilaNGgu maNi muththu vadam piRazha*
kuppaayamena n^inRu kaatchitharum*
gOvarththanam ennum koRRakkudaiyE.*
The benevolent Lord Tirumal upturned a mount like an umbrella, spread the five fingers of his lotus-hand it like the spokes and help up his beautiful long arm like its stem. The streams of cool water flowing down over the rim formed a tassel; the spray formed a jacket of pearls over him. That mount is Govardhana, the Lord’s victory-umbrella.
270:
padaNGgaL palavum udai paambaraiyan*
padar boomiyai thaaNGgi kidappavan pOl*
thadaNGgai viralaindhum malara vaiththu*
dhaamOdharan thaaNGgu thadavaraithaan*
adaNGgachchenRu ilaNGgaiyai eedazhiththa*
anuman puhazh paadi tham kuttan_kaLai*
kudaNGgai koNdu mandhihaL kaN vaLarththum*
gOvarththanam ennum koRRakkudaiyE.*
Damodara, Sri Krishna, spread his five strong fingers and supported the mount verily like the King of snakes supports the earth on its several hoods. That mount is Govardhana, where female monkeys hold their little ones with their palms and lull them to sleep singing the valour of Hanuman, who completely destroyed Lanka city.
271:
salamaamuhil palkaNap pOrkkaLaththu*
saramaari pozhindhu eNGgum poosalittu*
nalivaanuRa kEdakam kOppavanpOl*
naaraayaNan munmuham kaaththa malai*
ilaivEy kurambai thavamaa munivar*
irundhaar n^aduvE senRu aNaar soRiya*
kolaivaay sina vENGgaihaL n^inRuRaNGgum*
gOvarththanam ennum koRRakkudaiyE.*
When dark laden warring clouds gathered and poured like arrows in a battlefield, wreaking havoc everywhere, the Lord Narayana stood in the forefront and held the mount like a shield. That mount is Govardhana where fierce deadly tigers enter the hermitage; the austere Rishis living in leaf huts stroke their dewlap and put them to sleep standing.
272:
vanpEy mulaiyuNdathOr vaayudaiyan*
van_thooNena n^inRadhOr vanparaththai*
thanpErittukkoNdu tharaNi thannil*
dhaamOdharan thaaNGgu thadavaraithaan*
munbE vazhikaatta musukkaNaNGgaL*
mudhuhil peydhu thammudai kuttan_kaLai*
kombERRi irundhu kudhi payiRRum*
gOvarththanam ennum koRRakkudaiyE.*
Like a strong column supporting a heavy load, the Lord Damodara, with lips that sucked the breast of an ogress, stood on Earth holding aloft a mount that bears his name. That mount is Govardhana, where monkeys in hordes jump from branch to branch, with their little ones clinging to their backs, as they teach them the maze through the forest.
273:
kodiyERu sendhaamarai kaiviralhaL*
kOlamum azhindhila vaadiRRila*
vadivERu thiruvuhir n^ondhumila*
maNivaNNan malaiyumOr sampiradham*
mudiyERiya maamuhil pal kaNaNGgaL*
munneRRi n^araiththana pOla* eNGgum-
kudiyERi irundhu mazhai pozhiyum*
gOvarththanam ennum koRRakkudaiyE*.
The fingers of his lotus-red hands were like fluttering pennons, but they neither lost their beauty nor became weak nor faded; nor did the shapely finger-nails hurt. The gem-hued Lord and the mount presented a spectacle. That mount is Govardhana, where the big clouds on the peaks in hordes everywhere appear to whiten at their temples, as they rain incessantly.
274:
aravil paLLi koNdu aravam thurandhittu*
arava pakaiyoordhi avanudaiya*
kuraviRkodi mullaihaL n^inRuRaNGgum*
gOvarththanam ennum koRRakkudaimEl*
thiruviR polimaRai vaaNar puththoor-
thihazh* pattar piraan sonna maalai paththum*
paravu mana n^an_kudai paththaruLLaar*
paramaana vaikuntam n^aNNuvarE.* (2)
This decad of songs by Pattarbiran of Srivilliputtur adorned by meritorious Vedic seers, sings of Govardhana mount, victoriously held as an umbrella by the Lord who sleeps on one serpent, Ananta, drove away another, Kaliya, and rides the enemy of them all, Garuda, Devotees with a heart to sing it well will enter Vaikunta, the highest abode.
