pallavi
durmArga car(A)dhamulanu dora nIv(a)na jAlara
anupallavi
dharm(A)tmaka 1dhana dhAnya 2daivamu nIvai(y)uNDaga (dur)
caraNam
3paluku bOTini sabhalOna patita mAnavulak(o)sagu
khalulan(e)ccaTa pogaDani SrI-kara tyAgarAja vinuta (dur)
pallavi
durmArga cara-adhamulanu dora nIvu-ana jAlara
I can’t (jAlara) call (ana) those ignoble persons (adhamulanu) treading (cara) the path of vice (durmArga) (carAdhamulanu) - ‘You (nIvu) (nIvana) are my Master (dora)’.
anupallavi
dharma-Atmaka dhana dhAnya daivamu nIvai-uNDaga (dur)
O Embodiment (Atmaka) of Virtue (dharma) (dharmAtmaka)! You being (nIvai uNDaga) (nIvaiyuNDaga) the dispenser (daivamu) of wealth (dhana) and food (dhAnya) (literally cereals),
I can’t call those ignoble persons treading the path of vice - ‘You are my Master’.
caraNam
paluku bOTini sabhalOna patita mAnavulaku-osagu
khalulanu-eccaTa pogaDani SrI-kara tyAgarAja vinuta (dur)
O Lord who causes (kara) of prosperity (SrI), well-praised (vinuta) by this tyAgarAja –
who does not extol (pogaDani) anywhere (eccaTa) those vile wretches (khalulanu) (khalulaneccaTa) –
who barter (osagu) (literally offer) sarasvati – the Goddess (bOTini) (literally woman) of Speech (paluku) - to the morally degraded (patita) persons (mAnavaluku) (mAnavulakosagu) in an assembly (sabhalOna) (for the sake of reward)!
I can’t call those ignoble persons treading the path of vice - ‘You are my Master’.
Notes
Variations - (Pathanthara)
1 – dhana dhAnya daivamu – dhana dhAnyamu daivamu : former version seems to be more appropriate.
Top
References
Comments
2 - daivamu – The word ‘daiva’ means ‘belonging to or coming from the Gods’, ‘divine power’, ‘destiny’. The wealth and other possessions procured by us are indeed those bestowed on us. Therefore, any intermediaries – like Kings etc – are not the real bestowers, but only a channel.
There is a story of Akbar - the Emperor. One of the Emperor's ministers eulogised Akbar that he (Akbar) is God indeed because Muslims pray 'allAhu akbar' – meaning 'God is Great'. Akbar thought it preposterous to call him God.
Once a mendicant came to the Court of Akbar to beg for alms. He was told that the Emperor was praying to the God (allAh). The mendicant returned without waiting for the Emperor. When Akbar enquired as to why the mendicant did not wait for him, his courtiers said that the mendicant said 'Hearing that Akbar is God, I came to the Emperor to beg for alms; but found the Emperor himself begging from the God; therefore, I would as well beg directly from Him”. Then Akbar realised that his minister was only flattering him.
Top
3 - paluku bOTi – SrI tyAgarAja states that indulging in praise of any human by panegyrical songs, amounts to bartering sarasvati – the Goddess of Speech - for the sake of reward.
tyAgarAja refers to two sets of people – (1) kings (or the rich) treading the path of vice and (2) those who display their literary talents to such kings (or the rich) for the sake of reward.
‘Ignoble persons treading the path of vice’ (durmArga cara adhamulu) (mentioned in pallavi) and ‘morally degraded persons’ (patita mAnavulu) (mentioned in caraNam) seem to refer to the kings or the rich.
Please also refer to kRti ‘kAsiccEdE’ rAga gauLipantu.
Top