pallavi
dASarathI nI RNamu dIrpa nA
taramA parama pAvana nAma
anupallavi
ASa tIra dUra dESamulanu
prakASimpa jEsina rasika SirOmaNi (dASarathI)
caraNam
bhakti lEni kavi jAla varENyulu
bhAvam(e)ruga lEr(a)ni 1kalilOna jani
bhukti mukti kalgun(a)ni kIrtanamula
bOdhincina tyAgarAja kar(A)rcita (dASarathI)
pallavi
dASarathI nI RNamu dIrpa nA
taramA parama pAvana nAma
O Lord rAma – son of daSaratha (dASarathI)! O Lord with a name (nAma) that sanctifies (pAvana)! Is Your (nI) debt (RNamu) redeemable (dIrpa taramA) by me (nA)?
anupallavi
ASa tIra dUra dESamulanu
prakASimpa jEsina rasika SirOmaNi (dASarathI)
O Excellent (SirOmaNi) (literally crown jewel) of connoisseurs (rasika) of music who, to the fulfillment (tIra) of my desire (ASa), made me shine (prakASimpa jEsina) (even) in distant (dUra) lands (dESamulanu)!
O dASarathI! O Lord with a name that sanctifies! Is Your debt redeemable by me?
caraNam
bhakti lEni kavi jAla varENyulu
bhAvamu-eruga lEru-ani kalilOna jani
bhukti mukti kalgunu-ani kIrtanamula
bOdhincina tyAgarAja kara-arcita (dASarathI)
O Lord worshipped (arcita) by the very hands (kara) (karArcita) of this tyAgarAja, who -
realising that (ani) those who are excellent (varENyulu) in poesy (kavi jAla) bereft (lEni) of devotion (bhakti), would not understand (eruga lEru) (lErani) the emotional state (bhAvamu),
having born (jani) in this kali yuga (kalilOna), taught (bOdhincina) (to the World) compositions (OR chanting of names) (kIrtanamula) singing of which would (ani) confer (kalgunu) (kalgunani) both Worldly enjoyments (bhukti) and also emancipation (mukti)!
O dASarathI! O Lord with a name that sanctifies! Is Your debt redeemable by me?
Notes
Variations - (Pathanthara)
1 - kalilOna – kalalOna.
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References
Comments
1 - kalilOna – kalalOna. By adopting the word ‘kalalOna’, the following translation would result –
“O Lord worshipped by this tyAgarAja! Realizing that those great composers who, devoid of devotion, indulge in poetical excellence alone, would never understand the true state of devotion to God, appeared in the dream of this tyAgarAja and taught him such compositions which would convey (to the World) that it is possible to attain both enjoyments and emancipation (by adopting the path of devotion).”
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But, such a meaning would not be correct for three reasons (1) the words ‘bodhincina tyAgarAja’ clearly indicates that it is tyAgarAja who taught (bOdhincina); (2) the word ‘jani’ (born) is not appropriate usage with ‘kalalO’ (in the dream); it contradicts the pallavi and anupallavi where SrI tyAgarAja is feeling obliged to the Lord for making him famous in distant lands; otherwise, the credit would go to the Lord and not to tyAgarAja; probably, that is why SrI tyAgarAja says that he will not be able to redeem the debt; (3) the words ‘ASa tIra’ – (to the fulfilment of desire) may not be made applicable to the Lord – it should refer to tyAgarAja only.
The debt referred here is clarified in the caraNa – the debt of ‘enabling his birth in kali yuga for the purpose of teaching the World through kIrtanas about devotion to Lord for attaining bhukti and mukti’.
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