Periyazhvar Thirumozhi - naavalam
[kaNNan pullaNGguzhal oodhaRsiRappu]
Glory of Lord Krishna playing the flute
275:naavalam periya theevinil vaazhum*
naNGgaimeer_kaaL! idhu Or aRpudham kELeer*
thoovalam puriyudaiya thirumaal*
thooyavaayil kuzhalOsai vazhiyE*
kOvalar siRumiyar iLaNGgoNGgai-
kudhuhalippa* udaluLavizhndhu* eNGgum-
kaavalum kadandhu kayiRumaalaiyaaki*
vandhu kavizhndhu n^inRanarE.* (2)
O Ladies living in the great continent of Jambu, listen to this wonder! When the Lord Tirumal, bearer of the pure right-coiled conch, placed a flute on his lips and player, little cowherd-girl’s tender breasts rose; their hearts fluttered; they broke the cordons and stood roped like a garland around him, hanging their heads in shame.
276:
idavaNarai idaththOLodu saayththu*
iruhai koodappuruvam n^erindhERa*
kudavayiRu padavaay kadaikoodak*
gOvindhan kuzhalkodu oodhinapOdhu*
madamayilhaLodu maanbiNai pOlE*
maNGgaimaar_kaL malar koondhal avizha*
udai n^ekizha_ Or kaiyaal thuhil paRRi*
olkiyOdarikkaNOda n^inRanarE.*
When Govinda played his flute, he threw his weight on his left shoulder; his two hands came together; his eyebrows knitted, his belly rose, his mouth closed in. Deer-like and peacock-like maidens,--their flowered coiffure loosening, their dress slipping, their Sarees held with one hand,--stood shyly apart, running their collyrium-lined eyes over him.
277:
vaan iLavarasu vaikunta kuttan*
vaasudhEvan madhurai mannan* nandha-
kOn iLavarasu kOvalar kuttan*
gOvindhan kuzhalkodu oodhinapOdhu*
vaaniLam padiyar vandhu vandheeNdi*
manamuruhi malarkkaN_kaL panippa*
thEnaLavu seRikoondhal avizha*
senni vErppa sevi sErththu n^inRanarE.*
Vasudeva, the Prince of high heavens, the child of Vaikunta, the king of Madura is Govinda, the prince of Nandagopala, the child of the cowherd clan. When he played his flute, young celestial dames came together in hordes, their hearts melting, their eyes misty, their honey-laden flower coiffure loosening, their foreheads perspiring as they listened.
278:
thEnukan pilamban kaaLiyan ennum*
theeppa poodukaL adaNGga uzhakki*
kaanakambadi ulaaviyulaavik*
karuNYchiRukkan kuzhaloodhina pOdhu*
mEnakaiyodu thilOththamai arambai*
uruppasi aravar veLhi mayaNGgi*
vaanakam padiyil vaay thiRappinRi*
aadal paadalavai maaRinar thaamE*.
As easily as pulling out deadly weeds, the dark child Krishna killed Dhenuka, Pralamba, Kaliya and others, who roamed in the forest freely. When he played flute, Menaka in the company of Tillottama, Ramba, Urvasi and other Apsaras listened, enchanted and shamed, then silently,--on their own,--gave up singing and dancing in Heaven and on Earth.
279:
mun n^arasiNGgamadhaahi* avuNan-
mukkiyaththai mudippaan, moovulakil-
mannar aNYjum* madhusoodhanan vaayil*
kuzhalin Osai seviyai paRRi vaaNGga*
nannarambudaiya thumburuvOdu*
naaradhanum thamtham veeNai maRandhu*
kinnara midhunaNGgaLum thamtham*
kinnaram thodukilOm enRanarE.*
Long ago the Lord Madhusudana, who was feared by the haughty kings of the three worlds, came as Narasimha, and destroyed Hiranya Kasipu. On hearing the sound of the flute on his lips, the celestial Tumburu, player of the fretted string, and the bard Narada, who sings with unfretted strings, forgot their respective instruments; the twin Kinnaras resolved never to touch their Kinnaris again.
280:
semperum thadaNG kaNNan thiraL thOLan*
dhEvaki siRuvan dhEvarhaL siNGgam*
namparaman in^n^aaL kuzhaloodhak*
kEttavarhaL idaruRRana kELeer*
ambaram thiriyum kaandhappar ellaam*
amudha geedhavalaiyaal surukkuNdu*
namparamanRenRu n^aaNi mayaNGgi*
naindhu sOrndhu kaimmaRiththu n^inRanarE.*
Our Lord of large red eyes and strong arms is Devaki’s child, lion of the gods. Listen to how the ones who heard him play his flute suffered misery: the Gandharvas roaming in the sky were caught in the net of his nectar-sweet songs; enchanted and shamed, they folded their hands and fell into meek submission. Saying this is beyond us.
281:
puviyuL n^aan kaNdadhOr aRpudham kELeer*
pooNimEykkum iLaNGgOvalar koottaththu*
avaiyuL naahaththaNaiyaan kuzhaloodha*
amara lOkaththaLavum senRisaippa*
aviyuNaa maRandhu vaanavar ellaam*
aayar_paadi n^iRaiya puhundhu eeNdi*
seviyuNaavin suvai koNdu mahizhndhu*
gOvindhanai thodarndhu enRum vidaarE.*
Listen to this miracle that I saw on Earth; in the midst of young cowherd-lads grazing calves, the serpent-reclining Lord played his flute that resounded in high heaven. All the gods forgot to partake of the fire oblations and came down in hordes to the cowherds’ Appadi, to drink the sweet music with their ears and followed Govinda wherever he went
282:
siRu viralhaL thadavi parimaaRa*
seNGgaN kOda seyyavaay koppaLikka*
kuRuveyar puruvam koodalippak*
gOvindhan kuzhal kodu oodhinapOdhu*
paRavaiyin kaNaNGgaL koodu thuRandhu*
vandhu soozhndhu padukaadu kidappa*
kaRavaiyin kaNaNGgaL kaal parappiittu*
kavizhndhiRaNGgi seviyaattakillaavE.*
His little fingers ran over the holes, his red eyes titled, his red lips formed like a bud, little beads of sweat formed over his raised eyebrows. When Govinda brought his flute and played on it, flocks of birds left their nests and fell like broken twigs all around. All the cows spread their legs and stood with lowered heads and motionless ears.
283:
thiraNdezhu thazhai mazhai muhil vaNNan*
seNGgamala malar soozh vaNdinam pOlE*
suruNdiruNda kuzhal thaazhndha muhaththaan*
oodhuhinRa kuzhalOsai vazhiyE*
maruNdu maan_kaNaNGgaL mEyhai maRandhu*
mEyndha pullum kadaivaay vazhisOra*
iraNdu paadum thulaNGgaappudai peyaraa*
ezhudhu siththiraNGgaL pOla n^inRanavE.*
When the Lord of dark-cloud hue played his flute, with curls falling over his face like bumble bees hovering over a lotus, the music made the herd of deer stop grazing. Even the grazed grass slipped out of their mouth. Not moving this side or that, forward or backward, they stood like pictures on a wall.
284:
karuNGgaN thOhaimayil peeli aNindhu*
katti n^an_ku uduththa peedhaha vaadai*
aruNGgala uruvin aayar perumaan*
avanoruvan kuzhaloodhina pOdhu*
maraNGgaL n^inRu madhu thaaraihaL paayum*
malarhaL veezhum vaLar kombuhaL thaazhum*
iraNGgum koombum thirumaal n^inRa n^inRa-
pakkam n^Okki* avai seyyum guNamE.*
The beautiful cowherd Lord is adorned with peacock feathers having dark centre spots, and many jewels over his properly-worn yellow vestmerts. When he played his flute, the trees stood enchanted, and rained streams of nectar, poured flowers, and bent their upper branches in every which way the stood. Oh, the things they did in supplication.
285:
kuzhaliruNdu suruNdERiya kuNYji*
gOvindhanudaiya kOmaLa vaayil*
kuzhal muzhaiNYjuhaLinoodu kumizhththu*
kozhiththizhindha amudhappunal thannai*
kuzhal muzhavam viLambum pudhuvaikkOn*
vishNuchiththan viriththa thamizh vallaar*
kuzhalai venRa kuLir vaayinaraahi*
saadhu kOttiyuL koLLap paduvaarE.* (2)
This decad of Tamil songs, sweet as the flute, by Vishnuchitta, King of Srivilliputtur, speaks of the river of ambrosia that came gushing through the holes of the flute that Govinda, with his dark curly tresses all over, placed on his tender lips and played. Those who master it will develop speech that excels the flute in coolness, and be counted in the motley group of saints.
