Transliteration Scheme

SAntamu lEka - rAga SAma

Tamil Version
Language Version

pallavi
SAntamu lEka saukhyamu lEdu
sArasa daLa nayana

anupallavi
dAntunik(ai)na vEdAntunik(ai)na (SA)

caraNam
caraNam 1
dAra sutulu dhana dhAnyamul(u)NDina
sAreku japa tapa sampada kalgina (SA)

caraNam 2
Agama SAstramul(a)nniyu cadivina
bhAgavatul(a)nucu bAguga pEr(ai)na (SA)
caraNam 3
yAg(A)di karmamul(a)nniyu jEsina
bAguga 1sakala hRd-bhAvamu telisina (SA)
caraNam 4
rAj(A)dhi rAja SrI rAghava tyAga-
rAja vinuta sAdhu rakshaka tanak(2u)pa(SAntamu)

Meaning - Gist
O Lotus petal eyed! O Over-lord of Kings, SrI rAghava! O Lord praised by this tyAgarAja! O Protector of the pious people!

Word Division - Word-by-word meaning

pallavi
SAntamu lEka saukhyamu lEdu
sArasa daLa nayana

Without (lEka) tranquility (SAntamu) of mind, there is no (lEdu) comfort (saukhyamu), O Lotus (sArasa) petal (daLa) eyed (nayana)!

anupallavi
dAntuniki-aina vEdAntuniki-aina (SA)

To him, whether (aina) an ascetic (dAntuniki) (dAntunikaina) or (aina) a vEdAntin (vEdAntuniki) (vEdAntunikaina),
without tranquility of mind, there is no comfort, O Lotus petal eyed!

caraNam
caraNam 1
dAra sutulu dhana dhAnyamulu-uNDina
sAreku japa tapa sampada kalgina (SA)

Even if there are (uNDina) wife (dAra), children (sutulu), wealth (dhana) and provisions (dhAnyamulu) (literally cereals) (dhAnyamuluNDina) (in plenty),
even if one always (sAreku) has (kalgina) the fortune (sampada) of recitation of names (japa) of Lord and penances (tapa),
without tranquility of mind, there is no comfort, O Lotus petal Eyed!

caraNam 2
Agama SAstramulu-anniyu cadivina
bhAgavatulu-anucu bAguga pEru-aina (SA)

Even if one has erudition (cadivina) in all (anniyu) the Agama SAstras (SAstramulu) (SAstramulanniyu),
even if one has (aina) high (bAguga) reputation (pEru) (pEraina) as (anucu) a great devotee (bhAgavatulu) (bhAgavatulanucu) of the Lord,
without tranquility of mind, there is no comfort, O Lotus petal eyed!
caraNam 3
yAga-Adi karmamulu-anniyu jEsina
bAguga sakala hRd-bhAvamu telisina (SA)

Even if one performs (jEsina) all kinds of (anniyu) vEdic actions (karmamulu) (karmamulanniyu) like sacrificial oblations (yAga) etc (Adi) (yAgAdi),
even if one knows (telisina) well (bAguga) the true purport (significance) (hRd-bhAvamu) of all (sakala) (these sacrifices),
without tranquility of mind, there is no comfort, O Lotus petal eyed!
caraNam 4
rAja-adhi rAja SrI rAghava tyAgarAja
vinuta sAdhu rakshaka tanaku-upa(SAntamu)

O Over-lord (adhirAja) of Kings (rAja), SrI rAghava! O Lord praised (vinuta) by this tyAgarAja! O Protector (rakshaka) of the pious (sAdhu) people!
without Self (tanaku) attaining quietitude of mind (upSAntamu) (tanakupaSAntamu), there is no comfort, O Lotus petal eyed!

Notes

Variations - (Pathanthara)
caraNas 2 and 3 – In some books, the second-half of the caraNas are interchanged.

References
1 – sakala hRd-bhAvamu telisina – In the books, this has been translated as 'even if one is capable of knowing the state of mind of all' and 'known nature of all thoughts'. However, in view of the preceding line 'yAgAdi karmamulu', hRd-bhAva, here seems to refer to the 'true purport of these sacrifices'. In this regard, the following verse from SrImad-bhagavad-gItA, Chapter 3 is relevant –

yajnArthAt-karmaNo(a)nyatra lOkO(a)yaM karma bandhanaH |
tadarthaM karma kauntEya mukta sangaH samAcara || 9 ||

"The World is bound by actions other than those performed for the sake of yajna; do thou, therefore, O Son of kunti, perform action for yajna alone, devoid of attachment." (Translation by Swami Svarupananda)

In the kRti 'manavinAlakinca' – rAga naLinakAnti, SrI tyAgarAja states –

karma kANDa mata AkRshTulai, bhava gahana cArulai,
gAsi jendaga kani, mAnava avatAruDai kanipincinADE naData

"Seeing the people suffer as wanderers in the forest of Worldly existence, attracted by the opinions as contained in the Section of Ritualistic Actions (karma kANDa) of vEdas, the Lord having embodied as a human being, exemplified the right conduct".

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2 – upaSAntamu – The literal meaning of this word is ‘tranquility’ etc. However, in Saint tirumUlar’s tamizh work ‘tiru mandiram’, this is a subject by itself. Verses 2506 to 2511 deal with ‘upaSAnta’. The verse 2506 gives a brief definition of the word –

“Seed of mukti is knowledge of Primal One;
seed of bhakti is intense adoration meek;
seed of siddhi is Self, Siva-para becoming;
seed of Sakti is State of upaSAnta.”
(Translation by Dr. B Natarajan).

The following verse by tamil Saint tAyumAnavar explains the effect of upaSAnta –

Those who have attained
The state of upaSAnta,
Realizing body's impermanence,
Will they ever experience
Lust and rest of evils?
Speak, Oh Para Param! (298/389)
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