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Writer's pictureRajalakshmi Raghavan

THIRUKOLUR PEN PILLAI RAGASIYAM - 24

Below is the translation to Veda Paati's story, narrated in tamil, available in below platforms:

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Did I bring up Perumal like Mother Yashoda?


“Pen Pillai! Your beautiful stories of the birth of the Lord took me on a mental adventure to Mathura. Can you narrate yet another story of the magical Kannan? Tell me of His Leelas?”, Swami Ramanuja nudged the child gently. “Oh Swami, what do I say of the miracles and whimsical pranks of the Lord? How lucky is Mother Yashoda to have seen the Lord Himself grow in front of her eyes?”, and with that Thirukolur Pen Pillai takes us on a delightful journey to Gokul.


The morning after all the adventures, in Mathura and the exchange of the babies, the clueless Yashoda Ma woke up to meet the curious eyes of the new-born child. She was enamoured with his beauty and just as she was watching, his perfectly round face bloomed into a beautiful smile. At that moment, Mother Yashoda picked the child up and caressed and kissed Him with love brimming in her heart.


Soon, the news of the birth of the child in the Nandagopa household reached all the villagers of Gokul. The excited gopikas thronged at the doorstep of Nandagopa’s house with several gifts eagerly awaiting to see the child. Nandagopa proudly announced that the child had been named “Krishna”. The Gopikas lovingly nicknamed Him Kannan, meaning the one with the beautiful eyes, the one watching over the world!


Nandagopa was a cowherd. Hence, Yashoda brought Krishna up like a little cowherd boy. When she bathed the cows, Krishna bathed the calves. When she decorated the cows, Krishna decorated the calves. Kannan named the cows and calves unique names, and they would all respond when he called upon each of them lovingly. They would gather around him and long for the beautiful music he would play with his long bamboo flute. He loved the cows, the milk that came from them, the butter and yoghurt that came from the milk, He was a true-blue cowherd child!


He not only ate all the yoghurt and butter His mother made, but stealthily crept into His friend’s home and ate all the yoghurt and butter in their houses as well! The Gopis got angry with Krishna and decided to one day catch Him red handed and bring Him to mother Yashoda.


Such a day finally arrived when the mischievous Kannan took multiple forms and went into each of the Gopi’s houses simultaneously. All the Gopis caught each of their Kannans and thinking they had succeeded finally went to Yashoda. “Oh Yashoda! Look! I have finally caught your Krishna red handed! Do you now believe me?”, they complained to Yashoda in unison. Yashoda burst into laughter. The Gopis looked at each other in surprise and then at the child they were holding. All the Gopis were holding on to their own children and the original Krishna was standing coyly behind His mother. Such Leelas were common to Krishna!


Yet another day, Krishna’s friend came running to Yashoda shouting “Yashoda Ma! Come! Look! Krishna is eating mud!”. The alarmed and angry Yashoda came running to Krishna. She held Him up and ordered, “Kanna! Don’t I give you enough to eat? Why must you eat mud? Open your mouth now!” When Krishna opened His pink lipped mouth, Yashoda saw an astonishing sight! In His mouth she saw the 14 worlds, the entire universe and even herself and Kannan. In a moment of astonishment, Yashoda fell unconscious!


Several Rakshas were sent by the evil Kamsa to kill Krishna when He was a child, and Kannan performed various Leelas to destroy them all! Despite all of His Leelas, and Him being the almighty Himself, Yashoda only saw Him as her little beloved child, Krishna.

One day, Yashoda was playing with Krishna. She realized the milk was boiling and left Him for a minute to attend to the boiling milk. Angry that her attention was diverted away from Him, Kannan broke the butter pots around him. Yashoda returned to see butter and yoghurt running like a river all over. She was so angry she dragged Him to a pillar and got a rope to tie Him.


The rope was too short and hence she added a longer rope to attach to the initial rope. Krishna grew chubbier, and so that lengthened rope too was not sufficient. This iteration kept happening until Mother Yashoda sat tired and exasperated. Krishna, who is the Lord Himself, and one who cannot be contained by anyone took pity on His mother and shrunk back to His original size. This time Mother Yashoda was able to tie Him! She was able to tie and contain the Lord Himself, the ruler of this universe!


“Swami, tell me now. Am I like Mother Yashoda who saw Krishna, the Lord Himself as her own child? Am I able to see Vaithamaanidhi Perumal so? Why should I remain at this Divya Desam?”, she moaned.



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