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kannapiraan karra vennaik kalvi

From the Bhakti List Archives

L&T-ECCG-Buildings & Factories • November 30, 1999 


Dear Sri Vaishnava Perunthagaiyeer,

With fervent hopes that bhakthaas in the list enjoyed the postings on Sri
krishna's vENu gaanam series, adiyen starts a new series on "Kannapiraan
karra veNNaik kalvi" with this first post. As in earlier "Krishna's Venu
gaanam" series, the central theme of this series, is the "butter stealing
and eating bala leelai' of our emperumaan Sri krishnaa and will be based on
Periyaazhvaar's thirumozhi or periyaazhvaarin piLLaith thamizh. 

Reference will be included from other 10 azhvaars (one has to be left out
since he relished aachaarya bhakthi only and thru him emperumaan) and other
krishna bakthaas, who enjoyed Sri krishna on this particular bala leelai,
with whatever references known to adiyen due to limited knowledge. 

More learned bhagavathaas on the list can also suggest references, which
they feel are more apt to the central theme, if such a reference is not
forthcoming from adiyen, either thru personal mail or thru the list, so that
we all can jointly enjoy the krishna anubhavam.

Straight- away periyaazhvaar gives a group of 10 paasurams titled veNNai
vizhungi mudalaana piLLai viLaiyaattugaL [10 paasurangal] in 2.9 decad.

"VeNNai vizhungi verunkalaththai verpidaiyittu adhan Osai kEtkum kaNNa
piraan kaRRa kalvi  thannai kaakkakillOm un maganai kaavaai" - first two
lines of 2- 9- 1 paasuram. (verpu is malai or hill)

See how periyaazhvaar states "krishna learnt his education from eating
butter". He takes the garb of aaichchiyar and calls "Oh yasodhaa! we will
not be able to save his education, why not you call him early, so that, what
ever he learnt is retained with him". 

There is also a hidden agenda in that the vessels are to be saved from being
broken or thrown over the hill, so that they can store more butter- which is
abundantly available in the aaippaadi- krishna's birth place. 

We have seen in puraaNams and other literary works that in olden days,
gurukulams offered excellent education. Now also, the educationists all
around the world claim gurukulam method is the best method for imparting
knowledge and education. We  also see universities and institutions offering
education at hefty fees. 

But aazhvaar says the child kaNNan in aaippaadi learnt his lessons from the
noise of rolling vessels, which are thrown on the hill. That noise taught
him the lessons in the aaippadi system of education or krishnaa's special
system of educating himself.

These vessels has butter stored in them and the butter is swiftly eaten by
kannan (vizhungi says aazhvaar). Why vizhungi? He is in a hurry. Why?
Perhaps, somebody is fast approaching that place where butter is stored and
they may prevent him eating butter. Or they may even snatch away the pot
saying "oh enough is enough, today you have consumed lot of butter and that
may spoil your health". 

They are not stopping him for want of butter but from the standpoint of not
spoiling the health of the child. Because they are interested in the child,
for He is the pet child [arumaik kuzhanthai] for all the aaippaadi aayar. He
is also the king's son, nandhakkon's son (king nandhaa's son). So it is
their duty to save the child from getting disturbed in its health.{avan
aayargalukku mattumaa arumai, namakkum thanE- arumai for them only, for us
also- is it not?].

So Oh Yasodha please call your son. Today's lesson is over.

Dasan Vasudevan M.G.

PS: Await the next post in this electronic education on our Srikrishna