திருப்பாவை - 17 (அம்பரமே, தண்ணீரே)

அம்பரமே, தண்ணீரே, சோறே அறஞ்செய்யும்
எம்பெருமான்! நந்தகோ பாலா! எழுந்திராய்;
கொம்பனார்க் கெல்லாம் கொழுந்தே! குலவிளக்கே!
எம்பெரு மாட்டி! யசோதாய்! அறிவுறாய்;
அம்பரம் ஊடறுத் தோங்கி உலகளந்த
உம்பர்கோ மானே! உறங்காது எழுந்திராய்;
செம்பொற் கழலடிச் செல்வா! பலதேவா!
உம்பியும் நீயும் உறங்கேலோ ரெம்பாவாய்.

Explanation
Hey, our leader (em perumaan) Nandagopa! you, who gave to charity (aRam
seyyum), clothes (ambaram), cool water (thaNNeer) and food (sORu), wake up (ezhundhiraay). Hey our lady (em perumaatti) Yasoda!, the leader (kozhundhu)of all (ellaam) the women folk (kombanaar), the light (viLakku) of the family (kulam), come to your senses (aRivuRaay). Oh Lord, you who split open (oodu aRuththu) the sky (ambaram), became a giant (Ongi) and scaled (aLandha) the world (ulagu); king (kOmaan) of the devas (umbar), stop sleeping (uRangaadhu) and wake up (ezhundhiraay). Properous (chelva) Balarama (baladhEvaa)!, whowears pure (sem) gold (pon) anklets (kazhal) on his feet (adi), you (nee) and your younger brother (umbi) wake up (uRangEl)!

Purport
Our Lord, King Nandagopa! You who are reputed for your magnanimity in presenting clothes, water and food to the needy! Kindly wake up! O, Queen Yasodha, the foremost among noble women, the beacon-light of our race, do wake up!

Our Lord Krishna! You who pierced the sky with your full stature (Viswaroopa) and measured the entire universe with your feet, the Lord of Lords, may you please wake up. Oh, the strong and powerful Balarama! May your brother and you please do wake up!

More Insight
Having entered Nandagopala's palace with the permission of the guards, the Gopis (Andal) wake up Nandagopa, yashoda, Krishna and Balarama, panegyrising their greatness.

Nanda has placed his bed near the entrance for fear that the gopis, like Usha in the case of Aniruddha, may steal Krishna; especially as Krishna is more handsome than His grandson! Andal glorifies Nanda as a munificent donor of clothes, water and food; but we do not come across any such reference elsewhere. The commentator says: "As Krishna was seen giving clothes to Draupadi to save her modesty; water to the chariot horses at Kurukshetra; and food to boyhood companions in the forest - it could be presumed that his qualities were inherited from His father."

But the gopis are not here for these items; they need only Krishna (VAASUDEVAH SARVAM).Yashoda gave birth to Krishna only to make Him their husband; and being a woman she knows their plight. So they next wake her up.

Sri Krishna in his past incarnation as Trivikrama had obtained Indra's kingdom for him. But the gopis do not want Him to do any such thing for them. It is enough if He allows them to do service to Him. Krishna does not respond.

Realizing their mistake in not approaching Him through Balarama, they do so now and ask him to help them as he had once done in the case of the gopis separated from Krishna when He went to Mathura.

Click title to hear the song by Sudha Raghunathan.