pallavi
nI cittamu 1niScalamu
nirmalam(a)ni ninnE namminAnu
anupallavi
nA cittamu vancana cancalam(a)ni
nannu 2viDan(A)Dakumi SrI rAma (nI)
caraNam
guruvu 3cilla ginja guruvE 4bhramaramu
guruDE bhAskaruDu guruDE bhadruDu
guruDE uttama gati guruvu nIv(a)nukoNTi
5dharanu dAsuni brOva tyAgarAja nuta (nI)
pallavi
nI cittamu niScalamu
nirmalamu-ani ninnE namminAnu
Because (ani) Your (nI) mind (cittamu) is steady (niScalamu) (literally unwavering) and pure (nirmalamu) (literally spotless) (nirmalamani), I have trusted (namminAnu) You alone (ninnE).
anupallavi
nA cittamu vancana cancalamu-ani
nannu viDanu-ADakumi SrI rAma (nI)
O Lord SrI rAma! Please don’t abandon (viDanu ADakumi) (viDanADakumi) me (nannu) because (ani) my (nA) mind (cittamu) is crafty (vancana) and unsteady (cancalamu) (cancalamani).
Because Your mind is steady and pure, I have trusted You alone.
caraNam
guruvu cilla ginja guruvE bhramaramu
guruDE bhAskaruDu guruDE bhadruDu
guruDE uttama gati guruvu nIvu-anukoNTi
dharanu dAsuni brOva tyAgarAja nuta (nI)
The preceptor (guruvu) is the clearing nut (cilla ginja) (to cleanse evils of disciple); the preceptor (guruvE) is the wasp (bhramaramu) (to transform the disciple like himself);
the preceptor (guruDE) is the illuminator (Sun) (bhAskaruDu) (to dispel darkness of avidyA); the preceptor (guruDE) is the auspicious one (bhadruDu);
the preceptor (guruDE) is the best (uttama) refuge (gati); I have assumed (anukoNTi) You (nIvu) (nIvanukoNTi) to be my preceptor (guruvu).
In order to protect (brOva) this servant (dAsuni)(of Yours) on the Earth (dharanu), O Lord praised (nuta) by this tyAgarAja! I have trusted You alone, because Your mind is steady and pure.
Notes
Variations - (Pathanthara)
1 – niScalamu nirmalamani – nirmalamu niScalamani.
2 – viDanADakumi – viDanADakumI.
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References
3 - cilla ginja – (Botanical name - strychnos potatorum) (tETrAkkoTTai - tamizh) (Clearing Nut or Cleaning Nut)
tETra (tamizh) tree is the sthala vRksha of Lord tyAgESa – tiruvArUr.
3 - cilla ginja – The great saint kabIr has sung in the same manner. The following verse in kabIr’s dOhas is relevant –
gur dhObI sikh kapDa, sAbU sirjan hAr
surati silA par dhOiyE, nikasE jyOti apAr (Doha 15)
Guru the washer man, disciple is the cloth; the name of God liken to the soap; wash the mind on foundation firm; to realize the glow of Truth.
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4 - bhramaramu - bhramara-kITa-nyAya - “The bhramara or the wasp is said to sting the insects or the kITas which it brings to its hive and through stinging them and poisoning them makes them feel its presence alone everywhere, at all times. The insects, so to say, meditate on the presence of the wasp, at all times, and in turn become wasps themselves thereby. This is to show that by meditating on the formula ‘aham brahma asmi’ or ‘I am brahman’ the jIva becomes brahman itself in the end.”
The legend about wasp turning other insects as themselves may be based on the peculiar behaviour of wasps in laying their eggs - "wasps primarily parasitize eggs of moths and butterflies" – wasps
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Comments
5 - dharanu dAsuni brOva – this may either be joined to the pallavi or attached to ‘guruvu nIvanukoNTi’. In the latter case, it will be translated as ‘in order to protect this servant on the Earth, I have assumed You to be my preceptor’.
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