Transliteration Scheme

manasu vishaya - rAga nATa kuranji

Tamil Version
Language Version

pallavi
1manasu vishaya naTa viTulak(o)sangitE
mA rAmuni kRpa kalugunO manasA

anupallavi
2tana talup(o)kar(i)NTiki tIsi peTTi
tA kukkalu tOlu rIti kAdO (manasu)

caraNam
3taviTiki rankADa pOyi kUTi
4tapile kOti konipOyin(a)Tu kAdO
5ceviTiki(n)upadESincin(a)Tu kAdO
SrI tyAgarAja nutuni talacaka (manasu)


Meaning - Gist
O My Mind!

Word Division - Word-by-word meaning

pallavi
manasu vishaya naTa viTulaku-osangitE
mA rAmuni kRpa kalugunO manasA

O My Mind (manasA)! If mind (manasu) is given away (osangitE) to the licentious (naTa viTulaku) (literally fornicators) (viTulakosangitE) objects of senses (vishaya),
will the grace (kRpa) of our (mA) rAma (rAmuni) be attainable (kalugunO) (literally to be born)?


anupallavi
tana talupu-okari-iNTiki tIsi peTTi
tA kukkalu tOlu rIti kAdO (manasu)

Isn’t it (kAdO) like (rIti) -
removing (tIsi) one’s own (tana) (house) door (talupu), fixing (peTTi) (literally place) it in another’s (okari) house (iNTiki) (talupokariNTiki), and then,
self (tA) chasing away (tOlu) the dogs (kukkalu) (from entering own open house)?
O My Mind! If mind is given away to the licentious objects of senses, will the grace of our rAma be attainable?


caraNam
taviTiki rankADa pOyi kUTi
tapile kOti konipOyina-aTu kAdO
ceviTiki-upadESincina-aTu kAdO
SrI tyAgarAja nutuni talacaka (manasu)

Isn’t it (kAdO) similar to (aTu) (a woman) has gone (pOyi) for committing adultery (rankADa) for bran (taviTiki) and her food vessel (kUTi tapile) is carried away (konipOyina) (konipOyinaTu) by a monkey (kOti)?
isn’t it (kAdO) similar (aTu) to initiating (upadESincina) a hearing impaired (ceviTiki) (ceviTikinupadESincinaTu)?
O My Mind! Instead of thinking (talacaka) of the Lord praised (nutuni) by this tyAgarAja, if mind is given away to the licentious objects of senses, will the grace of our rAma be attainable?


Notes

Variations - (Pathanthara)
3taviTiki – This is how it is given in all the books and has been translated as ‘for bran’. The telugu and tamizh word for 'bran' is ‘tavuDu’. Taking into account the ensuing word ‘kUDu’ (kUTi) which means ‘food’, 'bran' does not seem to be the correct word because it is not used for food for humans – it is an animal feed. However, bran is used as a fuel in villages. Therefore, in keeping with traditional meaning of the kRti given in the books, it has been translated as 'for bran'.

In telugu, there is a similar word ‘tavida' - coarse cereal rAgi – Eleusine coracana – used by poor people as staple diet – normally gruel called kUDu ‘kUzh’ (in tamizh) is made of this cereal. In tamizh, ‘tavandu’ means ‘cereal’.

However, the declension for ‘tavida’ would be ‘tavidaku’ and not 'taviTiki’.

4tapile – tapila : The correct word is ‘tapela’. The equivalent tamizh word is ‘tavalai’ or ‘tapalai’.
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References
1manasu vishaya naTa viTulakosangitE – Offering the mind to the licentious sense objects – mind running after sense-objects. In the kRti ‘nijamuga nI mahima’ – rAga SahAna, SrI tyAgarAja states –

buddhiyanu tallini vishaya viTulaku
prodduna osagi paikamulu ArjincE siddhulu

“...(so called) ‘accomplished persons’ who earn money by offering throughout the day the mother called intellect to the licentious objects of senses..”

Please refer to discourse of kAnci mahAsvAmi on ‘mind control’

Please also refer to - Mind as Rein
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Comments
2tana talupu okariNTiki tIsi peTTi tA kukkalu tOlu rIti – securing another's house at the cost of one's own. This may be interpreted in two ways - (1) preaching others to secure their mind (house) while leaving exposed one’s own mind; (2) handing over the reins of mind to the senses in pursuit of their objects and then trying to exercise control over the mind. The second one is more relevant to the current topic.

3taviTiki rankADa pOyi kUTi tapile kOti konipOye – while gone for committing adultery for securing food, food vessel (probably along with food) stolen away by monkey – Even before one want is secured, another want cropping up – a perpetuity of corruption for wants and desires.

5ceviTiki upadESincina – The preceptor initiates the disciple by uttering sacred mantra or syllables in his ears. Therefore, a hearing impaired cannot be initiated in the prescribed manner. Implication - impossibility of controlling the mind given to enjoyments - because it becomes impervious (deaf) to positive suggestions.

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This kRti is addressed to the mind (manasA) and all the exhortations are about losing control over the mind. Therefore, by implication, SrI tyAgarAja is telling the mind 'I cannot allow you to go your way in pursuit of sense objects, because I want to have the grace of Lord rAma. Therefore, accepting my suggestions, remain engaged in thinking of the Lord'.

Great Teachers do not directly preach to the World. They use the method exemplification and/or 'Atma garhaNa' (self depreciation). Accordingly, it is possible that SrI tyAgarAja is indeed addressing his own mind to remain restrained. Alternatively, he may be exhorting – through his medium - the Worldly minded to keep their minds under control in order to obtain the grace of Lord.
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