Tyagaraja Kriti

Meaning - Gist

O Lord SrI rAma -

Eternal Lord;
Accomplisher;
Bestower of prosperity;
Merciful Lord;
Father of cupid;
Conquerer of desires;
Overlord of this tyAgarAja;
who has a smiling face;
who has good conduct;
who is virtuous by nature; and
who has been found because of earlier austerities performed with self-control.

Aren’t we Your dependents?
Is there any fault from our side?
Or, is protecting us burdensome?

O My Mind! O Fool!

Always, listening to my words, attain liberation.
Say ‘yes’ (to what I say).

Understand the secret behind various kinds of vEdic actions.
Consult Lord hari.

People will assert that their path is the only one; do not accept.
Don’t be deceived.

Only oil-press bullocks will circle again and again; get out.
Of what value these paths are?
Don't forget self control and truth by getting into those paths.

There is no other alternative.
In each and everything, behold SrI rAma.
(If You do so,) sins committed earlier, in the drama of (cycle of births and deaths in) Worldly Existence, will come to end, and
You will attain peace.

I do not know where is the attention of SrI rAma who is always in my thoughts?
I do not know whose instigation is it?
I besought Him understanding His cue, but,
He would neither look at me nor speak to me.

Is my propitiation tainted with anger and avarice? Or,
Is it a test by Him?

I shall not give up devotion to the feet of SrI rAma.
Neither shall I move away (from this place).

It is enough just to behold Lord SrI rAma.
Why do I need anything else?

I shall extol His names with conviction that I shall love SrI rAma, and thereby, vanquish yama.

I shall willingly add my victory to (the appellations of) SrI rAma.

Word Division - Word-by-word meaning

pallavi
SrI rAma rAma-ASritulamu kAmA
nErAmA brOva bhAramA

O Lord SrI rAma! O Lord rAma! Aren’t we (kamA) Your dependents (ASritulamu) (rAmASritulamu)? Is there any fault (nEramA) from our side? Or, is protecting (brOva) us burdensome (bhAramA)?

caraNam
caraNam 1
manasA nA mATa vini sAreku
mukti kanumI mancidi-anumI (SrI)

O My Mind (manasA)! Always (sAreku) listening (vini) to my (nA) words (mATa), attain (kanumI) (literally find) liberation (mukti).
Say (anumI) ‘yes’ (mancidi) (mancidanumI) (to what I say).

caraNam 2
palu vidha karmambula-andu marmamu
telusukO harini kalusukO (SrI)

Understand (telusukO) the secret (marmamu) behind (andu) (literally in) various (palu) kinds (vidha) of vEdic actions (karmambula) (karmambulayandu); consult (kalusukO) Lord hari (harini).

caraNam 3
lOkulu tama trOva-Ekamu-anduru
oppukOkavE mOsa pOkavE (SrI)

People (lOkulu) will assert (anduru) (literally say) that their (tama) path (trOva) is the only one (Ekamu) (trOvayEkamanduru); do not accept (oppukOkavE); don’t be (pOkavE) deceived (mOsa).

caraNam 4
mATi mATiki nUne rOTi-eddulu tirugu
dATi rA matamu-E pATirA (SrI)

Only oil (nUne) press (rOlu) bullocks (eddulu) (rOTiyeddulu) will circle (tirugu) again and again (mATi mATiki);
get out (dATi rA) (literally cross over); of what (E) value (pATirA) these paths (matamu) (matamE) are?

caraNam 5
A matamula-andu nEmamu
satyamu Emara pOku pAmara (SrI)

O Fool (pAmara)! Don't forget (Emara pOku) self control (nEmamu) and truth (satyamu) by getting into (andu) those (A) paths (matamula) (matamulayandu).

caraNam 6
gati-antaramu lEdu prati-Ekamuna jUDu
nityuni kRta-kRtyuni (SrI)

There is no (lEdu) other (antaramu) alternative (gati) (gatyantaramu); in each and everything (prati Ekamuna) (pratyEkamuna), behold (jUDu) the Eternal Lord (nityuni) and the Accomplisher (kRta-kRtyuni).

caraNam 7
toli bhava nATakamula jEyu pApamu
tolagunu sukhamu kalugunu (SrI)

(If You behold the Eternal Lord in each and everything), sins (pApamu) committed (jEyu) earlier (toli) in the drama (nATakamula) of (cycle of births and deaths in) Worldly Existence (bhava), will come to end (tolagunu) and You will attain (kalugunu) peace (sukhamu).

caraNam 8
nA talapuna-uNDu SrIduni manasu-endu
mIdanO evari bOdhanO (SrI)

I do not know where (endu mIdanO) (literally on what) is the attention (manasu) (literally mind) (manasendu) of the Lord – bestower (da) of prosperity (SrI) (Sriduni) - who is (uNDu) always in my (nA) thoughts (talapuna) (talapunanuNDu)? I do not know whose (evari) instigation (bOdhanO) is it?

caraNam 9
jADa telusukoni vEDukonna nannu
jUDaDu mATa-ADaDu (SrI)

He would neither look (jUDaDu) at me (nannu) nor speak (mATa ADaDu) (mATADaDu) to me who besought (vEDukonna) Him understanding (telusukoni) His cue (jADa).

caraNam 10
krOdha lObhamulatO bAdhincina
ArAdhanO lEka SOdhanO (SrI)

Is my propitiation (ArAdhanO) tainted (bAdhincina) with anger (krOdha) and avarice (lObhamulatO) or (lEka) is it a test (SOdhanO) by Him?

caraNam 11
sadayuni ciru navvu vadanuni pada bhakti
vadalanu endu kadalanu (SrI)

I shall not give up (vadalanu) devotion (bhakti) to the feet (pada) of the Merciful Lord (sadayuni) – having smiling (ciru navvu) face (vadanuni); neither shall I move (kadalanu) (literally stir) away (endu) (from this place).

caraNam 12
nEmamuga toli nOmuna dorikina
rAmuni jita kAmuni (SrI)

caraNam 13
SIluni sad-guNa SAlini jUcuTE
cAlunu anyamu-Elanu (SrI)

It is enough (cAlunu) just to behold (jUcuTE) Lord rAma (rAmuni) -
conquerer (jita) of desires (kAmuni),
who has good conduct (SIluni),
who is virtuous by nature (sad-guNa SAlini),
who has been found (dorikina) because of earlier (toli) austerities (nOmuna) performed with self-control (nEmamuga).
Why (Elanu) do I need anything else (anyamu) (anyamElanu)?

caraNam 14
vala rAja janakuni valacudunu-ani pEra
kOlutunu yamuni gelutunu (SrI)

I shall extol (kolutunu) His names (pEra) with conviction that (ani) I shall love (valacudunu) (valacudunani) SrI rAma – Father (janakuni) of cupid – the Lord (rAja) of Love (vala), and thereby, vanquish (gelutunu) yama (yamuni).

caraNam 15
nA jayamunu tyAgarAjuni rAja-adhi-
rAjunaku kUrtu rAjini (SrI)

I shall willingly (rAjini) add (kUrtu) my (nA) victory (jayamunu) to (the appellations of) SrI rAma – Overlord - Lord (adhirAjunaku) of Kings (rAja) (rAjAdhirAjunaku) - of this tyAgarAja (tyAgarAjuni);
O Lord SrI rAma! O Lord rAma! Aren’t we Your dependents? Is there any fault from our side? Or, is protecting us burdensome?

Notes

Variations - (Pathanthara)
⁵ – oppukOkavE – jeppukOkavE. In the present context, ‘oppukOkavE’ seems to be appropriate.
¹¹ – rAjAdhirAjunaku – rAjAdhi rAjunu. In the present context, 'rAjAdhirAjunaku' – seem to be appropriate.
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References
² - palu vidha karmambulu marmamu telusukO – Understand the secret behind various kinds of vEdic actions. In this regard, SrImad- bhagavad-gIta, Chapter 3 is relevant –

yajnArthAt-karmaNO-(a)nyatra lOkO-(a)yaM karma bandhanaH |
tad-arthaM 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 Swarupananda)

Further, SrI tyAgarAja, in the kRti ‘nI bhakti bhAgya sudhA’ brings out this clearly – vEdOktambau karmamu vetagalgu gatAgatamau - The path of religious rites as propounded in vEdas (if not performed with detachment) results in distressing repeated embodiments.
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⁷ – kRta-kRtya – Accomplisher. In many kRtis, SrI tyAgarAja calls the Lord ‘pUrNa kAma’ - One whose desires have been fulfilled. In this regard, please refer to SrImad-bhagavad-gItA, Chapter 3 –

na mE pArthAsti kartavyaM trishu lOkEshu kincana |
nAnavAptavyam-avAptavyaM varta Eva ca karmaNi || 22 ||

“I have, O son of pRthA, no duty, nothing that I have not gained; and nothing that I have to gain, in the three worlds; yet I continue in action.” (Translation by Swami Swarupananda)
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Comments
General –This kRti is a mixture of epithets (pallavi), exhortation to his mind – caraNas 1 to 7 – and indirect dialogue with Lord (in third person) – caraNas 8 to 15 – about his religious observances and intentions.

The exhortations (caraNas 1 to 7) contained in the kriti are contextual and are not fully amplified. Therefore, it makes a faithful rendering of the meanings very difficult. The traditional meanings as contained in the books are at variance with one another and there is no uniformity. Therefore, there may be errors in the meanings given here.
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¹ – mancidanumI – It is a colloquial usage to say ‘mancidi’ to mean ‘yes’.

³ – harini kalusukO – Though this can be translated as ‘be united with hari’, in the present context, ‘consult hari’ seems to be more appropriate. But such actions are subjective experiences and cannot be explained intellectually.

⁴ – tama trOva Ekamu – theirs is the only path – This might refer to what is stated in caraNa 2 – ‘karmambulu’. SrI tyAgarAja asks his mind to go for the substance and not form.

⁶ – matamu – opinions (or sects) – It is possible that SrI tyAgarAja refers to certain esoteric forms of worship like 'kaula mArga' etc.

⁸ – jADa telusukoni – this may either be applied to SrI tyAgarAja or to the Lord.
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⁹ – caraNam 10 - Unless the context is known, this caraNa cannot be translated meaningfully.

¹⁰ – caraNas 12 and 13 - have to be taken together; otherwise, caraNa 12 is incomplete by itself.

¹² – kUrtu – In the books this word has been translated as 'surrender', 'dedicate'. However, 'kUrtu' does not seem to have any such meaning. This has been translated as ‘add’ (to the appellations of the Lord).
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SrI rAma rAmASritulamu - rAga sAvEri