Periyazhvar beautifully describes the heated argument between Yashodha, now in a regretful mood and Krishna, who refuses to accept her apologies for punishing him earlier
‘என்குற்றமேஎன்றுசொல்லவும்வேண்டாகாண்
என்னைநான்மண்உண்டேனாக
அன்புற்றுநோக்கிஅடித்தும்பிடித்தும்அனைவர்க்கும்காற்றிலையே’ – Krishna to Yashodha J
A Special Decad in Nalayira Divya Prabhandham – The Lord is praised with a special name in each of the verses
The third decad of 2nd Canto of Periyazhvar Thirumozhi is very unique in the Nalayira Divya Prabhandham for in each verse, the young child is praised with a special name the only such decad in the Divya Prabhandham.
In each verse, Yashodha sees him as a different Lord who had performed many different acts for the sake of protecting the devotees. Thus praising, she asks her young child to get his ear bored and help her tie the thread in the ear similar to many other children in Gokulam.
Kesava
She begins by saying that everything including betel leaf and Arecanut are ready for the ear boring ceremony of Kesava (அடைக்காய்திருத்திநான்வைத்தேன்). All the cowherds are excited at the prospect of being part of this special event for him and have gathered at his place eagerly awaiting his acceptance to get his ear bored. She cautions him that Kamsa is ever ready to attack him. Given that his father is not in the house, he is currently unprotected. She is worried about him going alone all the time (போய்ப்பாடுஉடையநின்தந்தையும்தாழ்ந்தான்பொறுதிரள்கஞ்சன்கடியன்). She wants him to come inside and show his ear for the bore.
Narayana – Bore without Pain
Yashodha praises him saying that he is always around because everyone loves him and he does not like to cause hardship in them by being away from his loved ones (நண்ணித்தொழும்அவர்சிந்தைபிரியாதநாராயணா). She lures him with the beautiful golden ear rings and says she will insert the needle and thread without causing pain and that she will use the lint in his bore to minimise any chances of injury to Narayana (திரியைஎரியாமேகாதுக்குஇடுவன்).
Madhava – will bore quickly
In the earlier verse, Yashodha spoke about boring the ear without pain. In this verse, she refers to speed. And calling him out as Madhava, she says not only will she do it quickly, she will also give him all that he wants as a gift (வெய்யவேகாதில்திரியைஇடுவேன் நீவேண்டியதெல்லாம்தருவன்)!!!
Govinda- she lures him with his favourite fruits
She now draws comparison with other cowherd boys who she says are well mannered and have listened to their mother and have bored their ears. With long ears that stretch to their shoulders, she says they all have ear pendants. Calling out for him as Govinda, she lures him with jack fruit and milk if he agrees to get his ear bored (இணைநன்றுஅழகியஇக்கடிப்புஇட்டால்இனியபலாப்பழம்தந்து .............).
Vishnu and his love for Appams
Continuing to lure him for the ear boring, Yashodha comes up with three different emotions in this verse. She says even if she requests him repeatedly with a ‘Please’, he does not agree (சோத்தம்பிரான்என்றுஇறந்தாலும்கொள்ளாய்).
She then says that he is constantly in the midst of beautiful girls and playing around with them. Can any mother extol that as a virtue?
She then lures him with a big appam, his favourite sweet dish (remember daily presentation of appam to him at Koviladi Divya Desam!!!) if he agrees for the ear boring ceremony -பேர்த்தும்பெரியனஅப்பம்தருவன் (http://prtraveller.blogspot.in/2007/11/108-divya-desam-koviladi-appakudathaan.html)
Madhusudhana – this will not hurt
Referring to the earlier episode of having seen the entire universe when he opened his mouth, Yashodha referring to him as Madhusudhana says she knows who he really is and promises to not hurt him. And that he has to bear it for just one moment and that it will heal (புனம்ஏதும்இல்லை, உன்காதுமறியும்பொறுத்து இறைப்போதுஇருநம்பி ).
Trivikrama – regrets her mistake of not boring earlier
Yashodha calls him as Trivikrama and refers to the episode of him breaking Shiva’s bow to win over Sita. She now regrets at not doing the ear bore when his ears were lot more supple. She agrees that she made a mistake. As a result, she has to bear the brunt of his anger and has to face his mischievous act of plucking the pendants and throwing them by the way side (தலைநிலாப்போதேஉன்காதைபெருக்காதே விட்டிட்டேன்குற்றமேஅன்றே).
Vamana hits back at Mother Yashodha
It is a beautiful follow up verse from Periyazhvar. Having heard his mother express regret, the child almost instantly, in his typical style, hits back at Yashodha. He says that she is pretending to regret and he is not the one to believe her acceptance of her mistakes of the past. For he says, did she not tie him to a rope and then opened his mouth to expose him in public for eating mud. Did she also not beat him up (என்குற்றமேஎன்றுசொல்லவும்வேண்டாகாண்என்னைநான்மண்உண்டேனாகஅன்புற்றுநோக்கிஅடித்தும்பிடித்தும்அனைவர்க்கும்காற்றிலையே).
In the same verse, she accepts this accusation as well and promises to speak the truth from now on without fail. And also promises that the ears will seal if left as is. And that is the reason that she is keen to thread them (வன்புற்றுஅரவின்பகைகோடிவாமனநம்பிஉன்காதுகள்தூறும்துன் புற்றுஎல்லாம்தீர்ப்பாய்பிரானேதிரியிட்டுச்சொல்லுகேன்மெய்யே).
Sridhara – Child unconvinced, Mother pleads
Not convinced of her arguments, he continues to hit out at her. He reminds her of the time when she listened to gossip stories and believing them blamed him for stealing butter and tied him to a stone mortar with a rope as a punishment of his acts (மெய்என்றுசொல்லுவார்சொல்லைக்கருதித்தொடுப்புண்டாய்வெண்ணையைஎன்றுகையைப்பிடித்திக்கரைஉரலோடுஎன்னைக்கட்டிற்றிலையே).
Resigning herself to his aggressive comments, she pleads with him referring to him as Sridhara and says that if he keeps on taunting her for all her deeds, it will be a matter of time before his ears get sealed. She says it is now time for her to thread him so the girls don’t scoff at him. The beautiful girls of Gokulam will showcase this as one defect in the otherwise perfect child and they will use this opportunity to go around laughing at the inability to get the ear bored like all other children his age.
(செய்தனசொல்லிச்சிறிதுஅங்குஇருக்கில்சிரீதராஉன்காத்துதூறும்கையில்திரியைஇடுகிடாய்இந்நின்றகாரிகையார்சிரியாமே)
Irudikesa – He asks what’s your problem?
The child continues with his aggressive stance against his mother. He questions as to what is her problem and how it would matter to her and the Gopis if his ears get inflamed (காரிகையார்க்கும்உனக்கும்இழக்குஉற்றுஎன்காதுகள்வீங்கிஏரியல்).
Patient like a loving mother, Yashodha accepts once again that she made a mistake of not threading him earlier but reasons out that she feared his head ache. She tries to thrown in the typical mother’s comparative analysis and says that all other children in Gokulam have thread in the ear bore and that it is only appropriate that he, Irudikesa, too should have one.
Padmanabha – Mother turns positive
By now, Yashodha has realised that being tough with him will not work in her favour. Accepting this fact, she tries to lure him with positive remarks. She impresses upon him that all the beautiful girls in whose hearts he resides all the time will show their love for him even more if he added this new dimension with the ear bore. She motivates him further saying that she will give him all his favourite fruits if he agrees to this painless process of ear boring that will not last too long (உன்னைக்கனிகள்தருவன்கடிப்புஒன்றுநோவாமேகாதுக்குஇடுவண்).
Damodara - Lures him with Apple
And the argument continues. Yashodha looks back at her son’s excuse that she will deceive him with a loving call. He says that she would call him inside and once he comes in lured by the mother’s call, she is likely to forcibly hold him by her strong hands and thread the pendent causing much pain to him. And for this reason he refused to answer her call for the ear bore (வாஎன்றுசொல்லிஎன்கையைப்பிடித்துவலியவேகாதிற்கடிப்பைநோவத்திரிக்கில்உனக்குஇழக்குற்றுஎன்).
Like a patient mother, once again she lures him, referring to him as Damodara, with another fruit- this time it’s the red apple that she says he likes a lot (காதுகள்நொந்திடும்கில்லேன் நாவற்பழம்கொண்டுவைத்தேன்இவைகாணாய்நம்பி).
In each of these 12 verses, Yashodha addresses the young child with the name of a lord luring him to wear the special studded Makara rings in his ears.