8 hanumatODi mela
Aa: S R1 G2 M1 P D1 N2 S
Av: S N2 D1 P M1 G2 R1 S

taaLam: aadi
Composer: OotukkaaDu VenkaTasubbaiyyar
Language: Tamil

pallavi

tAyE yashOdE undan Ayarkulattuditta mAyan
gOpAlakriSNan seyyum jAlattai kELaDI (tAyE)

anupallavi

tayalE kELaDi undan paiyannai pOlavE inda
vayyagattil oru piLLai ammamma nAn kaNDadillai (tAyE)

caraNam 1

kAlinil shilambu konjak-kaivaLai kulunga muttu mAlaigaL asaiyat-teru vAsalil vandaan
kAlashaiyum kaiyashaiyum tALAmODisaindu vara nIlavaNNak kaNNanivan narttanamaaDinaan
bAlanenru tAvi aNaittEn aNaitta ennai mAlaiyiTTavan pOl vAyil muttamiTTaaNDi
bAlanallaDi un maghan jAlam migha seyyum kriSNan nAlu pErgal kETka colla nANamigha lAgudaDi
(tAyE)

caraNam 2

anroru nAL inda vazhi vanda virundivarum ayarndu paDutturangum pOdinilE-kaNNan
tinradu pOgak kaiyyil irunda vaNNaiyai anda virundinar vAyil niraittu maraindananE anda
nindai mighu pazhi ingE pAvamangE enrapaDi cintai migha nondiDavum seyya taghumO
nanda gOparkkinda vidam anda mighu piLLai pera nalla tavam seidAraDi enna sheivOmaDi
(tAyE)

caraNam 3

veNNai veNNai tarum enrAn veNNai tandAl tinruviTTu peNNai tArum enru kETTu kaNNaDikkirAn
vaNamAi niruttam Adi maNNinaip padattAl Etrik kaNNIlE iraittu viTTu kaLavADinAn
paNNIshaiyum kuzhalUdinAn kETTU ninra paNBilE arugil vandu vambungaL sheidAn
peNNinattukkenru vanda puNNiyangaL kOTIi kOTi eNNI unakkAghumaDi kaNNImaiyAip pOgudaDi
(tAyE)

caraNam 4

mundAnAL andi nErattil sondamuDan kittE vandu vindalgaL palavum sheidu viLaiyADinAn
pandaLavAgilum veNNai tandAl viDuvEnenru mundukilai toTTizhuttup pOrADinAn
anda vAsudEvan ivan tAn aDi yashOdE maindanenat toTTizhuttu maDimEl vaittEn vaittAl
sundara mukhattai kaNDu cintai mayangunEram antara vaikuNTHamODu ellAm kATTinAn
(tAyE)

caraNam 4

ThottililE piLLai kiLLi vittathum avai alaRa
Vitta kaariyam agala veNNai thinRaan!
Kattina kanRai avizhththu ettiyum oLiththu vittu
Mattilaath thumbai kazhuththil maattik koNdaan!
Vittu vittu ammE enRaan kanRinaip pOlE
Attiyillaadha maadum ammaa enRathE!
Kittina kuvaLaiyOdum ettinaal un selva magan!
Pattiyil kaRavaiyidam paalai ootturaan adee! (thaayE)

caraNam 5

ChuRRi chuRRi ennai vanthu aththai veettu vazhi kEttaan
Siththaththukku ettum varaiyil solli ninREn
Aththudan vittaanO paarum aaththankarai vazhi kEttaan
Aththanaiyum sollivittu ninREn
Viththagamaai onRu kEttaan - naaNamaaguthE!
Muththaththukku vazhi kEttu saththam ittaaNdee
Aththanai idam koduththu meththavum vaLarththu vittaai!
Iththanai avanaich chollak kuththam illaiyeyadee! (thaayE)

caraNam 6

VeNNai veNNai thaarum enRaan! VeNNai thanthaal thinRu vittu
PeNNaith thaarum enRu kaNNadikkiraan!
VaNNamai niruththamaadi maNNinaip paathaththaal eRRik
KaNNilE iraiththu vittuk kaLavaadinaan!
PaNN isaiyum kuzhal oothinaan- kEttu ninRa
PaNbilE arugil vanthu vambugaL seithaan!
PeNNinaththukku enRu vantha puNNIyangaL kOdi kOdi
ENNi unakku aagumadi- kaNNIyaamaaip pOguthadee! (thaayE)

caraNam 7

MunthaanaL anthi nEraththil sontham udan kittE vanthu
VinthaigaL anEgam seithu viLaiyaadinaan- oru
PanthaLavaagilum veNNai thanthaal viduvEn enRu
Munthugilaith thottizhuththup pOraadinaan
Antha vaasudhEvan ivan thaan adi yasOdhE!
Mainthan enRu thottu izhuththu madi mEl vaiththEn vaiththaal
Sundara mugaththaik kaNdu sinthai mayangum nEram
Anthara vaigunthamOdu ellaam kaattinaan adee ! (thaayE)

Meaning:
This song describes the mischief of young Lord Krishna, as the gopis describe to his mother Yashoda, wife of King Nandagopa (the father of young Sri krishna). The young krishna who is the Supreme Lord, is also the darling of the gOpees and pet of the masses of brindhavan and/ or gOkulam, the vrajpuri, [the village aayarpadi in tamil language]. The gopis together say: Oh Mother Yashoda, listen to the antics of your Gopalakrishnan who created the Universe with his Maya (illusion).

pallavi: Oh mother yasodha! Please listen to the mischievous plays and tricks that your son, this krishna plays on us, who is born in your vraj kulam.
This is the first address to the judge. The case is made out first highlighting the damage it has created not only to the direct recipients, the gopees, or the directly affected, but the entire clan [aayar kulam- vrajpuri vaasis] connected with krishna the defendant. Also added, is the kulam is not ours, but, "oh, yasOdha, oh mother, oh Judge! it is yours" thus including the judge herself with the complainants. Now a "close feeling" is induced while addressing the judge as "oh mother".

anupallavi: Oh young lady, please hear, I have not seen such a mischievous boy equal to your son krishna in this world. Oh, what an extent of nuisance from him.
Since Mother yasOdha [and Judge] is also a young lady, and, whenever a woman is addressed "oh, you! Young woman" irrespective of her age, she feels more proud even though it is direct flattery. This psychology is also used while addressing the judge by calling her "thaiyalE" meaning- "oh dear young lady". Next is "Please hear. I have not seen another boy like your son in this world". Yes. It is true that there is no one equal to my krishna in this world. That is a fact. How can this young gOpi could find an equal to my krishna. This fact is put very nicely by an exclamation, even though it is in the nature of a naughty comment to the judge.

caraNam 1: Wearing thick anklets (shilambu) on his feet (kaal), bangles (vaLai) on his hands (kai), pearl (muttu) necklackes (maalai-gaL) swaying (ashaiya), he came (vandaan) outside. With his hands and feet moving, blue Krishna danced (narttanam). Thinking he was a boy (baalan), I leapt (taavi) to embrace him (anaittEn). Your son isn't a boy at all, who does this great mischief. He came (vandaan) out on the street (vaasal) with jingling sounds of the anklets (shilambu) on his feet (kaal), bangles (valai) wriggling and making noise in the wrists (kai - hand), the pearl (muttu) necklaces (maalaigaL) just swaying (ashaiya) on the chest. His hands and legs followed a rythmic pattern and this beautiful Krishna danced (narttanam aaDinaan) in the street. Seeing such a beautiful young boy (or child? - baalan) I leapt (taavi) to embrace him (aNaittEn). But to the one who embraced him, me (yennai), like a husband (maalai iTTavan - one who garlanded) he planted a kiss (muttam) on my lips (vaayil)! Yashoda, your son (un magan) is no boy - who plays all these tricks. I feel ashamed in front of others for this kind of embarrassment he gave me. I feel very bad, when many people hear this, what they will think about me, for what he did without my consent.

caraNam 2: (Complaint by the second gopi) Oh Judge! The other day some two guests visited our place, in this aaippadi. These guests were our honoured ones. They, after taking food, were in sound sleep on the pyol in front verandah of our house. KaNNan [or krishnan] came that side and saw them sleeping. At that time kaNNan finished eating some quantity of butter and had balance butter in his hands. He applied all the balance butter in the mouths of the sleeping guests and quickly vanished from that place. When we found the butter missing in the containers in the house, we went in search of the person who stole the butter. But unfortunately our honoured guests were caught. They felt ashamed because they did not steal. We also know they will not do such an act. Actually kaNNan ate the butter. But the guests were blamed for having stolen the butter since butter was in their mouths as a result of KaNNan's act. Oh what a mischief? Our king Nandhagopa did what kind of penance to have such a mischievous child. On this, what we can do except to complaint to you or appeal to you?

caraNam 3: Gopi no 3 says "Oh mother yasOdha! My daughter- in- law joined our family to enjoy and have a happy married life, thus making a meaningful life. This girl was going to river yamuna. Krishna saw her going and without giving way for any trace of doubt, led her to some place and spent lot of time with her. She could not resist his calling, because of the hypnotic power of krishna's lotus eyes. She just obeyed those powerful eyes and followed him. Both came back at the dead of night. Then he told me "Oh mother, I am your son, without any talking or creating obstruction, please give me butter of sufficient quantity". I also obliged. All people of brindhaavan - this aaippaadi, who have young daughters to be married, have fear about krishna after this incident. Please, Oh Judge! Tell me what we can do against this krishna?

See the usage of words- pankayak kaNNaal mayakki- hypnotises using the lotus eyes - his kataaksham - from those powerful eyes- is thrown on that girl, a lucky girl indeed. Can we have that bhaagyam, Oh krishna, of your direct kataaksham!

caraNam 4: Gopi no 4 says "In the cradle my child was sleeping. Krishna came that side and pinched heavily my child. The child, due to pain, cried a lot. As a reward for this mischievous act, he stole and ate lot of butter from my house. After a while, he saw the young calf tied to the post in the cowshed in my house. That calf was let loose by kaNNan and it went away. Then he tied that rope [used in tying the calf] round his neck. He went near the milching cow and started making noise "ammaa" "ammaa" as though he was the calf of our cow. That cow also thought he was the calf and started milking. He drank the milk like a calf [in the same way how a calf will drink milk from the cow] (ootturaanadi is the word used here by Sri OVS swamy). Oh! what an amount of trouble with this krishna. Please, Oh judge! Punish him adequately so that he will not repeat such acts."

caraNam 5: One day krishna came to me, started circling me as though he wants a favour from me. He asked the route to auntie's house. I told him to the extent, I could make the communication clear. Then also he hesitated. Afterwards he asked the route to go to riverbank. That also I told him to the best of my ability. Next he asked me very cleverly one thing which made me shy. He asked me a kiss and made a big noise for that. See yasOdha, you have given him that many leniency. He is not to be blamed. You have brought up the child so badly.

caraNam 6: Krishna asked for butter. I gave it. He asked for some more. Again I gave it to him. Repeatedly he asked for more and I continued to give it to him without much resistance. He ate all the butter, and then started asking, with a wink in the eyes, for the hand of my daughter in marriage. He started dancing, so nicely, then that I was awestruck. Suddenly he kicked some dust into my eyes and ran away with my daughter. Another day he came to me and started playing flute. I enjoyed his music but he started teasing me for that. Oh! krishna is a nuisance to all girls in the aaippaadi. It will be a crore of good deeds, oh yasOdha! if you punish this krishna. Oh! what a mischievous child this krishna is!

caraNam 7: Day before yesterday, he came near me like a close relative of mine and started playing in several new ways. Then he started teasing me by catching my "pallu" the edge of my sari. "Give a ball of butter otherwise I will neither leave you nor this", said krishna. That vaasudevan is this person standing here. Oh! YasOdha! Since he is a young child, I pulled him near me and took him on my lap. I also enjoyed his beautiful face, as though he is my own son- at that moment he showed all the three worlds. Oh! What a sight! Oh! Krishna and yasodha! Hey, you are blessed.

Since it is only information to Yasodha about showing the world, krishna does not argue in defense to this complaint in the song "illai illaiyamma".

Other information:
This song can be considered part of a 3-song set, in which the gopis complain (taayE yashOda), Krishna defends himself (illai illaiyammaa - mOhanam), and a judgement is made by YashOda (pEsaadhE pOngaLadi - madyamaavati) in the royal court.

Legend has it that when the composer sang this song, Krishna himself came and danced before him!

Please note this krithi has 7 charanams (popularly known as only one or two)and these are taken from the book compiled by Sri Needamangalam krishnamurthy bhagavathar. There are few variations in the first charanam itself as sung by Sri Maharajapuram Santhanam, a famous musician who is now no more, as "vaNorgaL ellaam magizha maanidar ellaam pughazha neela vaNNak kaNNan ivan". - partial lyrics (caraNam 4-7), commentary, meaning by M.G.Vasudevan.

Further description here.