Transliteration Scheme

cAlu cAlu nI yuktulu - rAga sAvEri

Tamil Version
Language Version

pallavi
cAlu cAlu nI 1yuktulu naDavadu
sAras(A)ksha 2SrI kRshNA

anupallavi
SUla dhar(A)dulak(a)rudaina mamu kUDi
sukham(a)nubhavimpavE 2SrI kRshNA (cAlu)

caraNam
caraNam 1
adhara radanamula kani sokkucu mEm-
(A)sinci vaccitimi
budha rakshaka 3Salya sArathyam(o)narinci
4bonkEd(e)rugamaitimi 2SrI kRshNA (cAlu)


caraNam 2
kaNDa cakkera(v)aNTi palukulu vini mEmu
kAminci vaccitimi
uNDi(y)uNDi 5bAluni gilli mari toTlan-
(U)cEd(e)ruga
maitimi 2SrI kRshNA (cAlu)
caraNam 3
tyAgarAja nutuD(a)ni ati 6prEmatO
taruNulu vaccitimi
bhOgi Sayana mA mATalu mIraku
buddhiSAli(v)audu sumI 2SrI kRshNA (cAlu)


Meaning - Gist


Word Division - Word-by-word meaning

pallavi
cAlu cAlu nI yuktulu naDavadu
sArasa-aksha SrI kRshNA

O Lotus (sArasa) Eyed (aksha) (sArasAksha) SrI kRshNA! It's enough (cAlu cAlu)! Your (nI) designs (yuktulu) won’t work (naDavadu).


anupallavi
SUla dhara-Adulaku-arudaina mamu kUDi
sukhamu-anubhavimpavE SrI kRshNA (cAlu)

O SrI kRshNA! Enjoy (sukhamu anubhavimpavE) (sukhamanubhavimpavE) uniting (kUDi) with us (mamu) - who are rare (arudaina) even for Lord Siva – wielder (dhara) of spear (SUla) – and others (Adulaku) (dharAdulakarudaina);
O Lotus Eyed SrI kRshNA! It’s enough! Your designs won’t work.


caraNam
caraNam 1
adhara radanamula kani sokkucu mEmu-
Asinci vaccitimi
budha rakshaka Salya sArathyamu-onarinci
bonkEdi-erugamaitimi SrI kRshNA (cAlu)

We (mEmu) fondly (Asinci) (mEmAsinci) came (vaccitimi) enamoured (sokkucu) beholding (kani) Your lips (adhara) and teeth (radanamula);
O Protector (rakshaka) of wise (budha)! O SrI kRshNA! We were not aware (erugamaitimi) of Your beguiling (bonkEdi) (bonkEderugamaitimi) us by doing (onarinci) 'Salya’s charioteering (sArathyamu) (sArathyamonarinci)';
O Lotus Eyed SrI kRshNA! It’s enough! Your designs won’t work.


caraNam 2
kaNDa cakkera-aNTi palukulu vini mEmu
kAminci vaccitimi
uNDi-uNDi bAluni gilli mari toTlanu-
UcEdi-erugamaitimi SrI kRshNA (cAlu)

We (mEmu) came (vaccitimi) craving (kAminci) hearing (vini) Your sugar candy (kaNDa cakkera) like (aNTi) (cakkeravaNTi) sweet words (palukulu);
O SrI kRshNA! We were not aware (erugamaitimi) of Your double-dealing - ‘whimsically (uNDi uNDi) (uNDiyuNDi) (literally now-on now-off) pinching (gilli) the (sleeping) baby (bAluni) and then (mari) rocking (UcEdi) the cradle (toTlanu) (toTlanUcEderugamaitimi) (to pacify it)’;
O Lotus Eyed SrI kRshNA! It’s enough! Your designs won’t work.
caraNam 3
tyAgarAja nutuDu-ani ati prEmatO
taruNulu vaccitimi
bhOgi Sayana mA mATalu mIraku
buddhiSAli-audu sumI SrI kRshNA (cAlu)

We, damsels (taruNulu) came (vaccitimi) with great (ati) love (prEmatO) that (ani) You are the Lord praised (nutuDu) (nutuDani) by tyAgarAja;
O Lord reclining (Sayana) on SEsha – the serpent (bhOgi)! O SrI kRshNA! Don't transgress (mIraku) our (mA) words (mATala); You are (audu) intelligent (buddhi-SAli) (buddhi-SAlivaudu), aren’t You (sumI)?
O Lotus Eyed SrI kRshNA! It’s enough! Your designs won’t work.


Notes

Variations - (Pathanthara)
2SrI kRshNA – SrI kRshNa.
4bonkEderuga – bonkuTeruga.
5toTlanUcEderuga – toTlayUcanaderuga. The former version seems to be appropriate and has been adopted.

6prEmatO - prEmacE.
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References
3 - Salya sArathyamu – This refers to mahAbhArata War. King Salya is brother of mAdri (kunti and mAdri are wives of king pANDu) – therefore, maternal uncle of nakula and sahadEva. Before the war, Salya came to join pANDavas, but was tricked by the kauravas to join them – (mahAbhArata – Book 5 – udyOg parva – Section 8 ); King Salya, in turn, as the charioteer of karNa, ditched him (karNa) in the thick of the battle leading to the slaying of karNa by arjuna. This betrayal is referred here as ‘Salya sArathyamu’. For complete story - mahAbhArata – Salya parva.
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Comments
1yuktulu – designs – Please refer to the background of the kRti.

5 - bAluni gilli toTlanUcEdi – this is a famous usage in tamizh (piLLaiyaik kiLLi toTTilayATTudal) and telugu to indicate double dealing – to pinch sleeping child and then rock the cradle to pacify it.

This kRti forms part of dance-drama ‘nauka caritraM’ – The Boat Story.
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Background – gOpis meet kRshNa at the yamunA river and contemplate travel in a boat. kRshNa says that it is not within the capacity of women to steer boat and says he will do the job; however, gOpis do not believe Him and think that He is upto some trick. After Lord convinces them, they all travel in the boat. kRshNa sports with each of the gOpis individually (taking so many forms). gOpis wonder as to what penances did they perform in order to enjoy like this with the Lord. As kRshNa exhorts them to row the boat in the Westerly direction, gOpis think that this is another ruse of kRshNa and they tell their minds to him in this kRti.
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