Interesting interpretations

Periyazhvar imagined the temple town of Tirukkoshtiyur in

Tamil Nadu to be Gokul, the place where Lord Krishna grew
up. The infant Krishna is brought to Gokul and left beside
Yasoda. Yasoda wakes up and thinks the child is hers. The
news of the baby’s birth brings the Gopas and Gopikas to
Yasoda’s house, to have a look at the baby. Those who see
Him once are not satisfied with just one visit, and they dance with joy. Periyazhvar gave all these descriptions in his Tirukkoshtiyur verses.

Periyazhvar celebrated almost every stage of Lord

Krishna’s childhood through verses, imagining himself to be
Yasoda, coaxing Krishna to eat, to bathe etc. In one verse
Periyazhvar talked of the infant Krishna sticking His big toe
in His mouth. That one line of Periyazhvar has many
interesting interpretations, said Akkarakkani Srinidhi, in a
discourse.

The Vedas say that honey comes from His feet. Parasara

Bhattar wonders if Krishna put His toe in His mouth to test if it were indeed so!

Another interpretation talks about the deluge. During the

deluge, the Lord swallows everything in the Universe, and
rests on the leaf of a banyan tree. He is alone at the time,
having swallowed up everything else. When people are
alone, they indulge in funny antics they wouldn’t normally
indulge in if there were others around. So the Lord perhaps
stuck His toe in His mouth, because He had the advantage of solitude!

The jivatmas who have been swallowed up by Him may try

to come out. So using His toe as a cork, He ensures that they do not come out! Thus just one line of Periyazhvar leads to many unique interpretations