Happy Bees

6. chengamalappUvil thEnuNNum vaNDEpOl - as the bee that drinks honey from lotus flowers.

This is Periyazhwar Thirumozhi 1-8 "ponniyal kiNkiNi", where Periyazhwar, in the mood of Yasodha asks infant Krishna to come running and hug her. In the second hymn, Yasodha describes the beautiful hair of Krishna that swings across His face. "chengamalappUvil thEnuNNum vanDEpOl pangigaL vandunpavaLavAy moyppa" - "as the swarms of bees hover around fresh lotuses to drink their honey, Thy dark hair should hover over Thy red lotus lips, while Thou come running to hug me".

His hair and His lips seize Periyazhwar's attention; he wants Krishna to coming running as a baby rushes towards its mother and in the process, His dark hair should merrily dance to His steps and sway about His face, hovering over His red lotus lips. Surely, this looks like a swarm of bees who are hovering excitedly over red lotuses that looks like ponds of nectar. 

 

Periyazhwar's daughter Andal, also makes the comparison of His joyfully swaying hair to happy swarms of bees hovering over honey in Nacchiyar Thirumozhi 14-8, "kaLivaNDengum kalandARpOl kamazhpUnguzhalgaL thaDandOLmEl miLira ninRu viLaiyADa virundAvanaththE kaNDOmE"!