Krishna's cruelty!!

17. நாளுமுயிர்பபெய்து கூத்தாட்டுக்காணும்

This is Nacchiyar Tirumozhi 5-2, வெள்ளை விளிசங்கிடங்கையிற்கொண்ட விமலனெனக் குருக்காட்டான்; உள்ளம் புகுந்தென்னை நைவித்து நாளுமுயிர்ப்பெய்து கூத்தாட்டுக்காணும் veLLai viLicangiDangaiyiRkoNDa vimalanena kurukkAttAn; uLLam pugundhennai naiviththu nALumuyirppeydhu kUththAttukkANum. 

 

There isn't an explicit metaphor here. It must be understood in the subtle form that it is. In the days of kings, people committing heinous crimes would be severely punished. Some sentences would include getting whipped for thirty times or so. The criminal would reach the brink of death after ten strikes. The executioners would then feed him and let him recover. Then, they would hit him until he reached the point of collapsing. They would feed him again and once rejuvenated, continue the punishment. The criminal would end up serving the entire sentence without losing his life. His life would be saved every now and then, for the only sake of delivering the punishment.

What is the use of this cruel story here? Andal reaches the climax of anger against Krishna for His insincere and inconsistent behaviour and compares His actions to that of the above mentioned executioners. He appears to spring up from nowhere every now and then with the pretext of trying to save her, while He really is doing that to trouble her even further. He bewitches her and enters her heart but fails to show up in person. This drives Andal to anger arising out of the sorrow of separation.