pallavi
abhimAnamu lEd(E)mi nIv-
(a)bhinaya vacanamul(A)DEd(E)mi
caraNam
caraNam 1
mAlim(i)ncukaina lEdA 1tannu
mAlina dharmamu kaladA 2vana
mAli nApai daya rAdA pAlu-
mAlina guNam(i)kanaina pOdA (abhi)
pallavi
abhimAnamu lEdA-Emi nIvu-
abhinaya vacanamulu-ADEdi-Emi
Don’t (lEdA Emi) (lEdEmi) You have affection (abhimAnamu)? What (Emi) words (vacanamulu) of gesture (abhinaya) You (nIvu) (nIvabhinaya) are speaking (ADEdi) (vacanamulADEdEmi)?
caraNam
caraNam 1
mAlimi-incukaina lEdA tannu
mAlina dharmamu kaladA vana
mAli nApai daya rAdA pAlu-
mAlina guNamu-ikanaina pOdA (abhi)
Is there not (lEdA) even a little (incukaina) kindness (mAlimi)? Is there (kaladA) any duty (dharmamu) which goes against (mAlina) (literally devoid of) self-interest (tannu) (literally self)?
O Lord who wears garland vana mAla (vana mAli) (literally garland of wild flowers)! Won’t You have (rAdA) (literally come) mercy (daya) on me (nApai)? Won’t this quality (guNamu) of procrastination (pAlu-mAlina) leave (pOdA) You even now (ikanaina) (guNamikanaina)?
don’t You have affection? what words of gesture You are speaking?
Notes
Variations - (Pathanthara)
References
Comments
1 – tannu mAlina dharmamu kaladA – This has been translated as ‘is there any duty against one’s self-interest?’ based on the quotation - ‘tananu mAlina dharmam modalu ceDDa bEram - a code of conduct that is against one's interest is a bad bargain’ – Telugu Dictionary (enter 'maalina')
tannu mAlina dharmamu kaladA – Reading together with pallavi words ‘abhimAnamu lEdA’ and the 3rd caraNam words ‘nIvADani pEru konnAnu’, SrI tyAgaraja seems to convey that ‘since I am Yours, it is in Your self-interest (Your duty - dharma) to protect me (because I belong to You); otherwise, You will be going against Your own self-interest (tannu mAlina)’.
2 – vana mAli – the garland vaijayanti worn by Lord vishNu consisting of tuLasi, mallikA, mandAra, pArijAta and lotus is called 'vana mAla'.
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