Damodara Lila and Divya Prabhandam
Srimathe Ramanujaya Namah! Sri Sriranga Narayana Jeeyar Swamigale Saranam!
Emperumanar, Azhwar, Acharyar Thiruvadigale Saranam!
With the grace of adiyen’s Acharyar, below is a short write up on Damodara Lila glorified by the Azhwars. Please pardon this adiyen for any omits and unintentional mistakes.
Azhwars use Lord’s divine name “Damodara” in pasurams 150, 169, 209, 242, 246, 270, 272, 299, 386, 463, 478, 570, 699, 1727, 1890, 2526, 2977, 2978, 3191, 3816. In specific, they enjoy and glorify Damodara Lila in the following pasurams.
1. Periyalwar Thirumozhi 1st Centum 31st Verse – Periyazhwar (Enjoyment of Lord Krishna’s divine body from feet to head)
athirum kadal n^iRa vaNNanai *aaychchi-
mathura mulaiyootti* vaNYjiththu vaiththu*
pathaRappadaamE* pazhandhaampaal aarththa*
utharam irundhavaa kaaNeerE*
oLivaLaiyeer! vandhu kaaNeerE.
அதிரும் கடல் நிற வண்ணனை ஆய்ச்சி
மதுர முலையூட்டி வஞ்சித்து வைத்து
பதறப் படாமே பழந்தாம் பாலார்த்த
உதரம் இருந்தவா காணீரே ஒளி வளையீர் வந்து காணீரே.
O Bright-bangled ladies, come here and see the beautiful mark on the radiant stomach of the dark ocean hued lord. His mother gave him sweet suck, then stealthily bound him with an old rope without rousing him.
2. 1st Thiruvanthathi – 3rd Group – Poigaialwar
aRiyum ulakellaam* yaanEyum allEn,*
poRikoL siRaiyuvaNa moornthaay,* – veRikamazhum-
kaampEy men_thOLi* kadaiveNNey uNdaayai,*
thaampE koNdaarttha thazhumpu.
அறியுமும் உலகெல்லாம் யானேயும் அல்லேன்,
பொறி கொள் சிறை உவணம் ஊர்ந்தாய், – வெறி கமழும்
காம்பேய் மென்தோளி கடை வெண்ணெய் உண்டாயை,
தாம்பேகொண் டார்த்த தழும்பு.
It is known to the whole world, -not just me, – O Lord who rides the Garuda bird! You ate the fragrant butter churned by the Bamboo-slim arms of the Gopis, and were fettered by a rope that left your stomach with a mark.
3. Periya Thirumozhi – 10th Centum – 5th decade – Thirumangaialwar (Attachment to Krishna Avatar: Inviting Lord Krishna to clap His hands and play)
thAmOr uruttith* thayirn^ey vizhungittu*
thAmO thavazhvarenRu* Ayssiyar thAmpinAl*
thAmOthirakkaiyAl* Arkkath thazhumpirun^tha*
thAmOtharA! kottAy sappANi!*thaamaraik kaNNanE! sappANi
தாம் மோர் உருட்டித் தயிர் நெய் விழுங்கிட்டு
தாமோ தவழ்வர் என்று ஆய்ச்சியர் தாம்பினால்
தாமோதிரக் கையால் ஆர்க்கத் தழும்பிருந்த
தாமோதரா! கொட்டாய் சப்பாணி தாமரைக் கண்ணனே! சப்பாணி.
O! Damodara with a mark on your waist caused by the rope that was tied by the head of gopis, when you rolled the butter pots, gulped the butter and was trying to sneak away, why don’t you clap your hands? O! Lotus eyed one, why don’t you clap your hands?
4. Periya Thiruvanthathi – 2nd decade – Nammalwar ()
thAmbAl AppuNdAlum * aththazhumbu thAn iLaga *
pAmbAl AppuNdu pAduRRAlum ** – sOmbAdhu ip
palluruvai ellAm * padarviththa viththA! * un
tholluruvai yAr aRivAr? sollu
தாம்பால் ஆப்புண்டாலும் அத்தழும்பு தான் இளக,
பாம்பால் ஆப்புபுண்டு பாடுற்றாலும்,-சோம்பாது இப்
பல்லுருவை எல்லாம் படர்வித்த வித்தா! உன்
தொல்லுருவை யார் அறிவார் சொல்லு.
O Un diminishing seed that unfolds into all these variegated forms! You were bound by a leash of rope that left a mark, then you fought with a snake that left a mark (Kaliya), and then you fought with a snake that left another mark erasing the previous one (Aghasura), And yet who realizes your original form? Tell me.
5. Thiruviruththam – Nammalwar
adaikkalaththu Ongku kamalaththu alar ayan senni ennum *
mudaik kalaththUN mun aranukku nIkkiyai ** Azhi sangkam
padaikkalam Endhiyai veNNeykku anRu Aychchi vanthAmbugaLAl *
pudaikku alandhAnai emmAnai * en sollip pulambuvanE?
அடைக்கலத்து ஓங்கு கமலத்து அலர் அயன் சென்னி என்னும் ,
முடைக் கலத்தூண் முன் அரனுக்கு நீக்கியை, ஆழி சங்கம்
படைக்கலம்ஏந்தியைவெண்ணெய்க்குஅன்றுஆய்ச்சிவன்தாம்புகளால்
புடைக்கு அலந்தானை, எம்மானை என் சொல்லிப் புலம்புவனே?
Our Lord the conch-and-discus-wielder rid the skull-bearing Siva of his curse by the lotus-born Brahma. Yet our Lord was bound, beaten and made to weep by mother Yashoda, for stealing butter. Alas, how shall I call and weep to him for refuge?
6. Perumal Thirumozhi – 7th decade – Kulasekara Azhwar – (Devaki expressing her sorrow in not seeing Lord Krishna’s plays as a child)
muzhudhum veNNey aLaindhu thottuNNum *
mugizh iLanjchiRuth thAmaraik kaiyum *
ezhilkoL thAmbu koNdadippadhaRku eLgu
nilaiyum * veNthayir thOyndha sevvAyum **
azhugaiyum anjchi nOkkum annOkkum *
aNikoL senjchiRuvAy neLippadhuvum *
thozhugaiyum ivai kaNda asOdhai *
thollai inbaththiRudhi kaNdALE
முழுதும்வெண்ணெய்அளைந்துதொட்டுண்ணும்
முகிழ் இளஞ்சிறுத் தாமரைக் கையும்
எழில்கொள்தாம்புகொண்டடிப்பதற்குஎள்கு
நிலையும்* வெண்தயிர் தோய்ந்த செவ்வாயும்
அழுகையும்அஞ்சிநோக்கும்அந்நோக்கும்
அணிகொள் செஞ்சிறுவாய் நெளிப்பதுவும்
தொழுகையும்இவைகண்டஅசோதை
தொல்லை இன்பத்திறுதி கண்டாளே
Eating up all the butter with your wee lotus-like tender hands, then seeing the coir rope being shown for beating, you cringed in fear, your red lips and little mouth, – smeared with white curd, twisted. The look of terror in your eyes, your crying face, your pleading hands. – all this the good Yasoda alone sees, to the limit of her limitless joy.
7. amalanAthipirAn – thiruppanazhwar – (Engrossed in the beauty of Lord Sri Ranganathar from feet to head)
sadhuramA madhiL sUzh * ilangkaikkiRaivan thalai paththu
udhira Otti * Or vengkaNai uyththavan * Odha vaNNan **
madhuramA vaNdu pAda * mAmayil AdarangkaththammAn * thiruvayiRRu udhara bandham
* en uLLaththuL ninRu ulAginRadhE
சதுரமா மதிள் சூழ் இலங்கைக் கிறைவன் தலை பத்து
உதிர ஓட்டி ஓர் வெங்கணை உய்த்தவன் ஓத வண்ணன்
மதுரமாவண்டுபாடமாமயில்ஆடரங்கத்தம்மான்திருவயிற்று
உதிர பந்தம் என் உள்ளத்துள் நின்று உலாகின்றதே
He shot arrows and felled the ten heads of Ravana, the king of fortified Lanka. He is the ocean-hued reclining in Arangam, where peacocks dance to the song of bumble-bees. Aho; the mark over his belly remains in my heart and revolves there.
8. kanninunchiruthambu – madhurakaviazhwar – (Devotion to Swami Nammazhwar)
* kaNNinuN siRuththAmbinAl * kattuNNap
paNNiya peru mAyan * en appanil **
naNNith thenkurugUr * nambi enRakkAl *
aNNikkum amudhURum * en nAvukkE
கண்ணி நுண் சிறுத் தாம்பினால் கட்டுண்ணப்
பண்ணிய பெரு மாயன் என் அப்பனில்
நண்ணித் தென்குருகூர் நம்பி என்றக்கால்
அண்ணிக்கும் அமுதூறு என் நாவுக்கே.
I praise the god, the divine Māyan, my father, who was tied by Mother Yashoda with a small rope. If I approach the place where the Nambi of south Kurugur stays and say his name, nectar will spring from my tongue.
9. As explained in Guru Paramapara, once Nanjiyar, the 3rd Great Acharya after Sri Ramanujacharya, was taking darshan of Sri NamPerumal’s (Srirangam Procession Deity) abhishekam. When the curtains were closed for change of clothes of Namperumal, the great Acharya peeked inside the curtains. Surprised by his actions, the disciples around him asked about it. He said, adiyen have enjoyed from the Pasurams of Alwars about the beautiful waist mark of Sri Krishna and had a wanted to take darshan of them.
10. Periya Thirumozhi – 10th Centum – 6th decade – Thirumangaialwar (Mother Yashoda tied Lord Krishna with a rope when he stole butter)
1898. Is there a māyam like this?
The lord Nārāyaṇa came to the earth as a man
and taught the Vedas to the sages
so that the Vedas would not disappear.
With his golden throat, he swallowed
the hot sun, earth, rising oceans, mountains and fire
and kept them in his stomach.
See, now he has stolen butter
and mother Yashoda caught him and tied him up to the mortar
and he cannot move.
1899. The lord who churned the sounding milky ocean
using Mandara mountain for a churning stick
shot with a sling at the Kuni’s back, making it bend,
and then shot again and straightened it.
He swallowed the ancient seven worlds, the seven mountains
and the seven oceans where fish swim and kept them in his stomach.
See, now he has stolen butter
and mother Yashoda caught him and tied him up to the mortar
and he cannot move.
1900. When the gods in the sky were worried
that the Asuran Madhukaiṭabha had become a terrible enemy
and that he would fight them,
they went to the god who carries a bent bow,
worshiped him and asked for his help
and our dear lord destroyed the Asuran and saved them.
With his sharp claws, he split open
the mountain-like body of the Asuran Hiraṇyaṇ with sword-like teeth.
See, now he has stolen the butter
and mother Yashoda caught and tied him up to the mortar
and he cannot move.
1901. When the gods in the sky grew tired
fighting with their enemy Hiraṇyan and went to the god
and asked him for refuge, our god Thirumāl
split open the chest of Hiraṇyan
and joyfully gave his grace to the gods in the sky.
He went as a dwarf to the famous heroic king Mahābali,
cheated him, took his land
and measured the earth and the sky with his two feet.
See, now he has stolen the butter
and mother Yashoda caught him and tied him up to the mortar
and he cannot move.
1902. Wishing to remove the troubles of the gods,
he went as a dwarf to Mahābali’s sacrifice,
grew tall and measured the earth and the sky.
He, the ruler of all the seven worlds,
gives his grace to his devotees and protects them
so that the messengers of Yama will not approach them.
See, now he has stolen the butter
and mother Yashoda caught him and tied him up to the mortar
and he cannot move.
1903. Our divine lord Thirumāl,
who protects his devotees
and removes the desires of evil passions for them if they worship him,
cut off with his mazhu weapon a thousand arms of the angry Asuran Kārtaviryan
when he came to fight with him.
See, now he has stolen the butter
and mother Yashoda caught him and tied him up to the mortar
and he cannot move.
1904. Our Lord, the creator of the world
who removes the sorrows of his devotees if they worship him
gathered a monkey army, built a bridge over the ocean with stones,
crossed it and destroyed his enemies in Lanka
because the Rakshasas did not understand his strength.
See, now he has stolen the butter
and mother Yashoda caught him and tied him up to the mortar
and he cannot move.
1905. As Rama, the lord broke the bow,
and he married mother Sita who had precious ornaments and curly soft hair.
When he was living happily with her,
she was abducted by Ravaṇa, the king of Lanka.
He built a bridge, crossed the ocean, fought with Rāvaṇa,
cut off his ten-strong heads and his arms and legs
and brought his wife back.
See, now he has stolen the butter
and mother Yashoda caught him and tied him up to the mortar
and he cannot move.
1906. When the Asuran Kesi came as a tawny horse,
he split open his mouth and killed him,
he broke the seven marā trees with his strong bow
and he cut off the nose and ears of the Raksasi Surpanakha
who was as large as a mountain.
See, now he has stolen butter
and mother Yashoda caught him and tied him up to the mortar
and he cannot move.
1907. Kaliyan, the chief of ancient Thirumangai
surrounded by flourishing fields,
composed a garland of Tamil pāsurams
worshiping the feet of the lord and describing his deeds,
how he was tied to a mortar by the cowherd women
when he stole milk, yogurt, and ghee from the uṛi,
swallowed them and filled his stomach,
and how even when the cowherd women saw him,
he was not worried and did not feel shy.
If devotees learn and recite these pāsurams
they will have no troubles in their lives and will find happiness.
They will reach Vaikunta that is above even the world of the gods.
Adiyen,
Badri Narayana Ramanuja Dasan.
