O Embodiment of dharma! O Lord praised by Kings! O Protector of this tyAgarAja! O Lord found in the assembly of dependents! O Lord rAma!
Word Division - Word-by-word meaning
pallavi
dharma-Atma nannu-ipuDu daya jUDavE-ana
marmamuna palukunadi mancidO
O Embodiment (Atma) of dharma (dharmAtma)! While I beseech (ana) You ‘show (jUDavE) (jUDavEyana) mercy (daya) on me (nannu) now (ipuDu) (nannipuDu)’, is it all right (mancidO) (literally good) for You to talk (palukunadi) secretively (marmamuna)?
caraNam
caraNam 1
patita pAvanuDu-ani bAga pErai nIku
mati lEka-uNDunadi mancidO (dharma)
Having a great (bAga) name (pEru) (pErai) as (ani) 'redeemer (pAvanuDu) (pAvanuDani) of the fallen' (patita),
is it all right (mancidO) for You (nIku) to be (uNDunadi) un-understanding (mati lEka) (lEkayuNDunadi)?
O Embodiment of dharma! While I beseech You ‘show mercy on me now’, is it all right for You to talk secretively?
caraNam 2
gati lEni nanu nIvu kAvavE-aNTi
sammati lEka-uNDunadi mancidO (dharma)
I entreated (aNTi) You (nIvu) ‘protect (kAvavE) (kAvavEyaNTi) me (nanu) who has no (lEni) refuge (gati)’;
is it all right (mancidO) to be (uNDunadi) not (lEka) (lEkayuNDunadi) in agreement (sammati) with that?
O Embodiment of dharma! While I beseech You ‘show mercy on me now’, is it all right for You to talk secretively?
caraNam 3
ninu jUDa padi vEla kanulu kAvalenu-aNTi
manupaka-uNDunadi mancidO (dharma)
I said (aNTi) ‘one needs (kAvalenu) (kAvalenaNTi) ten (padi) thousand (vElu) (vEla) eyes (kanulu) to behold (jUDa) You (ninu)’;
is it all right (mancidO) to remain (uNDunadi) uncaring (manupaka) (manupakayuNDunadi)?
O Embodiment of dharma! While I beseech You ‘show mercy on me now’, is it all right for You to talk secretively?
caraNam 4
Emi nEranu pAdamE migula gati-aNTi
nA mIda nepamu-encuTa mancidO (dharma )
I said (aNTi) ‘I am illiterate (Emi nEranu) (literally not learnt anything); Your holy feet alone (pAdamE) are my total (migula) (literally much) refuge (gati) (gatiyaNTi)’;
is it all right (mancidO) to find (encuTa) (literally count or consider) faults (nepamu) (nepamencuTa) with me (nA mIda) (literally on me)?
O Embodiment of dharma! While I beseech You ‘show mercy on me now’, is it all right for You to talk secretively?
caraNam 5
nIdu mAyala cEta nishThUramu-Ela
mammu-AdukOkanu-uNDa mancidO (dharma)
Why (Ela) this harshness (nishThUramu) (nishThUramEla) because of (cEta) Your (nIdu) grand illusion (mAyala)? (OR) why this cruelty by Your deceptions?
is it all right (mancidO) to be (uNDa) un-supportive (AdukOkanu) of me (mammu) (literally us) (mammAdukOkanuyuNDa)?
O Embodiment of dharma! While I beseech You ‘show mercy on me now’, is it all right for You to talk secretively?
caraNam 6
nATi vacanamulu-ella nayamu sEyavE-aNTi
mATa-ADaka-uNDunadi mancidO (dharma)
I asked (aNTi) ‘please fulfill (nayamu sEyavE) (literally make all right ) (sEyavEyaNTi) all (ella) Your earlier (nATi) (literally that day) promises (vacanamulu) (vacanamulella)’;
is it all right (mancidO) to be (uNDunadi) not even talking (mATa ADaka) (mATADakuNDunadi) to me?
O Embodiment of dharma! While I beseech You ‘show mercy on me now’, is it all right for You to talk secretively?
caraNam 7
rAja nuta SrI tyAgarAja rakshaka Srita
samAja nanu maracunadi mancidO rAma (dharma)
O Lord praised (nuta) by Kings (rAja)! O Protector (rakshaka) of this tyAgarAja!
O Lord found in the assembly (samAja) of dependents (Srita)! O Lord rAma! is it all right (mancidO) to forget (maracunadi) me (nanu)?
O Embodiment of dharma! While I beseech You ‘show mercy on me now’, is it all right for You to talk secretively?
Notes
Variations - (Pathanthara)
2 – mancidO – mancidO rAma.
5 – Emi nEranu – Emi nEramu : In view of the ensuing word ‘nepamencuTa’, ‘Emu nEranu’ seems to be more appropriate.
6 – mATADakuNDunadi – mATalADakuNDunadi.
7 – maracunadi – maracinadi.
General - caraNas 5 and 6 are interchanged in some books.
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References
1 – dharma – this word is generally translated as 'righteous conduct'. Please refer to various definitions of 'dharma'.
4 - ninu jUDa padi vEla kanulu kAvale – One needs ten thousand eyes to behold You. Please refer to kRti ‘vEnkaTeSa ninu sEvimpa’ rAga madhyamAvati wherein SrI tyAgarAja states ‘venkaTESa ninu sEvimpanu padi vEla kannulu kAvalenayya’.
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Comments
3 – mati lEka uNDunadi – be un-understanding – this may be taken as a ‘nindA’.
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