Pasuram 6.4.2

Tamil text and transliteration:

கேயத் தீம்குழல் ஊதிற்றும் நிரைமேய்த்ததும் கெண்டை ஒண்கண்
வாசப் பூங்குழல் பின்னை தோள்கள் மணந்ததும் மற்றும்பல,
மாயக் கோலப் பிரான்தன் செய்கை நினைந்து மனம்குழைந்து,
நேயத்தோடு கழிந்த போது எனக்கு எவ் உலகம் நிகரே?

kēyat tīmkuḻal ūtiṟṟum niraimēyttatum keṇṭai oṇkaṇ
vācap pūṅkuḻal piṉṉai tōḷkaḷ maṇantatum maṟṟumpala,
māyak kōlap pirāṉtaṉ ceykai niṉaintu maṉamkuḻaintu,
nēyattōṭu kaḻinta pōtu eṉakku ev ulakam nikarē?

English translation of verse 6.4.2:

Equal unto me, is there a world, as I go into raptures
Over the wondrous Lord, playing the flute sweet, leading cows to pasture,
Getting locked in sweet embrace of fish-eyed Piṉṉai, whose locks
Are with fragrant flowers bedecked and myriads of such miracles?

Notes

(i) A whole decad has been devoted by Periyāḻvār to a thrilling description of the enthralling strains from Lord Kṛṣṇā’s flute. Śrī Parāṣara Bhaṭṭar has epitomised all that, in just one Śloka of the second centum of his ‘Śrī Raṅgarāja Stavaṃ’, where the author goes to the extent of saying that Śrī Kṛṣṇa felt entranced by His own music.

(ii) Oh, what a wonder of wonders! The Lord in Heaven, unfolding an unending stream of bliss unto the ‘Nityās’ and Muktās comes down to Earth, taking birth in the shepherd community, known for its low intelligence, and becomes one of them, tending the cows and calves with great delight, excelling even His desire to stay in Heaven. It is said that, even after His return to the Celestium, He fondly recollected this particular activity of His, during His Avatāra as Kṛṣṇa, and sometimes even uttered the sounds, “ḍriyö! ḍriyö!”, fancying that He was following the flock of cows and calves, tending them. Musing over Lord Kṛṣṇa’s wondrous deeds on Earth, the Saint feels that this unique enjoyment of his cannot be had even in the high Heaven where the Lord’s transcendent glory is far more pronounced, throwing into shade His other aspect of ‘Saulabhya’ (easy accessibility).