Periyazhvar describes the positive impact Music has even on trees
Celestial Dancers announce their retirement; Kinnaras vow never to touch the flute again
Birds leave their Nest; Cows bend their head; Grass slips out of Deer’s mouth
Recently a research has been done using the latest technology on the positive and negative impact on trees and plants based on our interactions with them. And it has been found that if our interactions are positive, the plants react positively.
However, this was proved 1000s of years ago even during the time of the Krishna Avatara. Periyazhvar describes this story in the 6th Decad of the 3rd Canto of the ‘Periyazhvar Thirumozhi’. When Krishna played the flute, it was so melodious that trees and plants started reacting positively. And Flowers started to bloom and Fruits ripened.
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Driven by his angry mother, the young boy had left home early in the morning and taken the calves for a graze into the forest.
Having shown his physical might earlier by lifting the Govardhana Mountain, he now shows his softer, lighter side. He plays the flute and puts the young girls of Gokulam to shame. They are so moved by his tunes that their clothes loosen and their hearts throb leaving them wanting more of his tunes. (குதூகலிப்ப உடல் உள் அவிழ்ந்து )
How his body co-ordinates
When he is ready to play the flute, his hands come together and his weight fell on his left shoulder. His stomach rose. His eyebrows expanded and the corner of his lips touched the flute (இடவணரைஇடத்தோலோடுசாய்த்துஇருகைகூடப்புறவம்நெரிந்தெறகுடவயிறுபடவைக்கடைகூடகோவிந்தன்குழல்கொண்டுஊதினபோது).
As they began listening to his tunes, Gopis were moved. One could hear a big heave of happiness from their bosom. They had to hold on to their saree, lest it slip (உடைநெகிழஓர்கையால்துகில்பற்றி). They stood shyly with their neatly lined eyes swooping all over him (ஒல்கிஓடஅரிக்கணோடநின்றனரே).
Description of Krishna
Periyazhvar describes the different kinds of emotions that the young girls of Gokulam encounter on listening to his lovely tunes. In this verse, he also describes Krishna in many different ways – child of Vaikunta, king of Mathura, prince of Nandagopa and friends of the cowherds (மதுரைமன்னன்நந்தகோனிளவரசுகோவலர்குட்டன்).
Some of the hearts melted others had misty eyes, a few had their flowers loosening and others had severe perspiration in their foreheads (மனம்உருகிமலர்க்கண்கள்பனிப்பதேனளவுசெரிகூந்தல்அவிழசென்னிவேர்ப்பச்செவிசேர்த்துநின்றனரே).
On one side he showed his physical might, he defeated the mighty asuras – Dhenuka, Pralamba, Kaliya and many others with a thumping physical victory. On the other, he played the flute and put others to shame in a soft way.
Celestial Dancers vow never to dance again
The famous celestial dancers Menaka, Thilottama, Urvasi and Ramba listened to his divine music, felt dumbfounded and stood in silence. And then promised never to sing and dance again (மேனகையோடுதிலோத்தமைஅரம்பைஉருப்பசியர்அவர்வெள்கிமயங்கிவானகம்படியில்வாய்திருப்பின்றிஆடல்பாடல்இவைமாறினர்தாமே).
Drastic Step
Periyazhvar describes more great musicians who felt ashamed after listening to the young child. Thumbur, who played the string and Narada, the bard, almost forgot their respective instruments. The twin Kinnaris – Kinnara and Mithuna, celestial musicians promised never to touch their flutes again (நன்னரம்புடையதும்புருவோடுநாரதனும்தம்வீணைமறந்துகின்னரமிதுனங்களும்தம்தம்கின்னரம்தொடுகலோம்என்றனரே).
All the reputed musicians fell by the way side one after another.
Gandharvas, the celestials in the skies on hearing his flute that sent never before heard air waves were trapped in these waves. They were so humbled that they blushed wearily and could do no more than submit their defeat with folded hands. ‘This is beyond our play’, they sighed (அம்பரம்திரியும்காந்தப்பர்எல்லாம்அமுதகீதவலையால்கருக்குண்டுநம்பரம்அன்றுஎன்றுநாணிமயங்கிநைந்துசோர்ந்துகைம்மறித்துநின்றனரே).
And then as he continued to play, the Gods found it difficult to perform their duties in their abode. They could sense something extra ordinary happening amidst the cowherds in Gokulam. And it was pulling everyone towards Gokulam. The music resonated in the heavens and all of them came together to listen to this melody and they were left with no option but to follow him everywhere.
(அவியுணாமறந்துவானவர்எல்லாம்ஆயர்பாடிநிறையப்புகுந்துஈண்டிச்செவியுணாவின்சுவைகொண்டுமகிழ்ந்துகோவிந்தனைத்தொடர்ந்துஎன்றும்விடாரே)
Periyazhvar then goes on to describe his passion for the flute and how each part of his body synched to produce this mellifluous music. His tiny little fingers ran over the holes, his eyes tilted his red lips formed like a bud and some sweat formed over his eyebrows as he played with passion (சிறுவிரல்கள்தடவிப்பரிமாறச்செங்கண்கோடச்செய்யவாய்கொப்பளிப்பகுருவெயர்ப்புருவம்கூடலிப்பக்கோவிந்தன்குழல்கொடுஊதினபோது….).
Birds and Animals react
Periyazhvar says not just the Gopis of Gokulam and the celestial lords and musicians were rocked by his music. Even the birds and animals felt out of place. Birds started to leave their nests and felt like broken twigs all around. The fate of the cows was even worse. They spread their legs, lowered their heads and their ears were almost motionless as they listened to the lovely play of flute of this young child. (பறவையின்கணங்கள்கூடுதுறந்துவந்துசூழ்ந்துபடுகாடுகிடப்ப கறவையின்கணங்கள்கால்பரப்பிட்டுக்கவிழ்ந்திறங்கிச்செவியாட்ட்கில்லாவே).
Motionless Deer
But Periyazhvar reserved his best description for this last set of verse and for the deer. When herds of deer suddenly heard a waft of music emanating from a flute, they instantly stopped grazing. The grass that they had picked up in their usual grazing too slipped out of their mouth and they stood stunned and motionless. Periyazhvar compares their state of mind to a picture on the wall. Such was their feeling. They neither moved front or back or sideways (மருண்டுமான்கணங்கள்மேய்கைமறந்துமேய்ந்தபுல்லும்கடைவாய்வழிசோரஇரண்டுபாடும்துலுங்காப்புடைபெயராஎழுதுசித்தரங்கள்போலநின்றனவே).
Trees bear fruits and flowers
One can understand the happiness among the Gopis and the revered celestials. Even the mood of cows and birds and deer is probably understandable for they seem to have emotions and the child naturally impacted their love for music with his melodious tunes.
But unbelievably even the trees reacted to the flute recital. Suddenly the flowers bloomed to full shape and were seen in a variety of colours and forms. And fruits suddenly ripened and were ready to be presented to the lord. The flute recital seemed to tickle the emotions even in the trees (மரங்கள்நின்றுமதுதாரைகள்பாயும்மலர்கள்வீழும்வளர்கொம்புகள்தாழும்இறங்கும்கூம்பும்திருமால்நின்றநின்றபக்கம்நோக்கிஅவைசெய்யும்குணமே).