Transliteration Scheme

Ela nI daya rAdu - rAga aThANA

Tamil Version
Language Version

pallavi
Ela nI daya rAdu parAku
1jEsEv(E)la samayamu kAdu

anupallavi
bAla kanaka maya cEla sujana
paripAla SrI ramA lOla vidhRta Sara
jAla Subhada karuN(A)lavAla ghana
nIla navya 2vana mAlik(A)bharaNa (Ela)

caraNam
caraNam 1
rArA dEv(A)di dEva rArA mahAnubhAva
rArA rAjIva nEtra raghu vara putra
sAratara 3sudhA pUra hRdaya
parivAra jaladhi gambhIra danuja
samhAra 4madana sukumAra budha jana
vihAra sakala Sruti sAra nAdupai (Ela)


caraNam 2
rAj(A)dhi rAja 5muni pUjita pAda ravi
rAja lOcana SaraNya ati lAvaNya
rAja dhara nuta virAja turaga sura
rAja vandita pad(A)ja janaka dina
rAja kOTi sama tEja danuja gaja
rAja nicaya mRga rAja jalaja mukha (Ela)
caraNam 3
yAga rakshaNa parama bhAgavat(A)rcita
yOg(I)ndra su-hRd-bhAvit(A)d(y)anta rahita
nAga Sayana vara nAga varada
6punnAga suma dhara sad(A)gha mOcana
sadA gatija dhRta pad(7A)gam(A)nta cara
rAga rahita SrI tyAgarAja nuta (Ela)


Meaning - Gist


Word Division - Word-by-word meaning

pallavi
Ela nI daya rAdu parAku
jEsEvu-Ela samayamu kAdu

Why (Ela) You (nI) (literally Your) would not deign to show (rAdu) (literally come) mercy (daya) on me? Why (Ela) are You unconcerned (parAku jEsEvu) (jEsEvEla) towards me? This is not (kAdu) appropriate time (samayamu) to be so.


anupallavi
bAla kanaka maya cEla sujana
paripAla SrI ramA lOla vidhRta Sara
jAla Subhada karuNA-AlavAla ghana
nIla navya vana mAlikA-AbharaNa (Ela)

O Youth (bAla) wearing golden (kanaka) hued (maya) garments (cEla)! O Nourisher (paripAla) of virtuous people (sujana)! O Lord Enamoured (lOla) by lakshmI (SrI ramA)! O Wielder (vidhRta) of multitude (jAla) of arrows (Sara)!
O Bestower (da) of Auspiciousness (Subha) (Subhada)! O Ocean (AlavAla) of mercy (karuNA) (karuNAlavAla)! O dark-Blue hued (nIla) like rain-cloud (ghana)! O Lord adorned (AbharaNa) with (ever) fresh (navya) vana mAlA (mAlika) (mAlikAbharaNa)!
Why You would not deign to show mercy on me? Why are You unconcerned towards me? This is not appropriate time to be so.


caraNam
caraNam 1
rArA dEva-Adi dEva rArA mahAnubhAva
rArA rAjIva nEtra raghu vara putra
sAratara sudhA pUra hRdaya
parivAra jaladhi gambhIra danuja
samhAra madana sukumAra budha jana
vihAra sakala Sruti sAra nAdupai (Ela)

Deign to come (rArA), O Primitive Lord (Adi dEva) of even celestials (dEva) (dEvAdi)! Deign to come (rArA), O Noble Minded (mahAnubhAva)!
Deign to come (rArA), O Lotus (rAjIva) eyed (nEtra)! O Blessed (vara) Descendant (putra) (literally son) of King raghu!
O Excellent Lord (sAratara)! O Lord with retinue (parivara) whose hearts (hRdaya) are brimming (pUra) with nectar (sudhA) (of bliss) (because of Your proximity)! O Majestic (gambhIra) like ocean (jaladhi)! O Slayer (samhAra) of asuras (danuja)!
O Handsome Youth (sukumAra) like cupid (madana)! O Lord resident (vihAra) in the hearts (or minds) of wise (budha jana)! O Essence (sAra) of all (sakala) vEdas (Sruti)!
Why You would not deign to show mercy on me (nAdupai)? Why are You unconcerned towards me? This is not appropriate time to be so.


caraNam 2
rAja-adhi rAja muni pUjita pAda ravi
rAja lOcana SaraNya ati lAvaNya
rAja dhara nuta virAja turaga sura
rAja vandita pada-aja janaka dina
rAja kOTi sama tEja danuja gaja
rAja nicaya mRga rAja jalaja mukha (Ela)

O Overlord (adhi rAja) of kings (rAja) (rAjAdhi)! O Lord whose feet (pAda) are worshipped (pUjita) by sages (muni)! O Lord who has Sun (ravi) and Moon (rAja) as eyes (lOcana)! O Refuge (SaraNya) of all! O Most (ati) Handsome (lAvaNya) One!
O Lord praised (nuta) by Lord Siva – one who wears (dhara) digit of moon (rAja)! O Lord speeding (turaga) on garuDa (virAja)! O Lord whose feet (pada) are saluted (vandita) by indra – Lord (rAja) of celestials (sura)! O Father (janaka) of brahmA (aja) (padAja)!
O Lord with splendour (tEja) equalling (sama) a crore (kOTi) Suns – Lord (rAja) of day (dina)! O Lord who is like a Lion – king (rAja) of animals (mRga) - to great (rAja) elephantine (gaja) demons (danuja nicaya)! O Moon (jalaja) faced (mukha)!
Why You would not deign to show mercy on me? Why are You unconcerned towards me? This is not appropriate time to be so.
caraNam 3
yAga rakshaNa parama bhAgavata-arcita
yOgi-indra su-hRd-bhAvita-Adi-anta rahita
nAga Sayana vara nAga varada
punnAga suma dhara sadA-agha mOcana
sadA gatija dhRta pada-Agama-anta cara
rAga rahita SrI tyAgarAja nuta (Ela)

O Protector (rakshaNa) of sacrificial oblations (yAga)! O Lord worshipped (arcita) by supreme (parama) devotees (bhAgavata) (bhAgavatArcita)! O Lord cherished (bhAvita) in the hearts (su-hRd) of eminent (indra) ascetics (yOgi) (yOgIndra)! O Lord without (rahita) beginning (Adi) or end (anta) (bhAvitAdyanta)!
O Lord reclining (Sayana) on SEsha – the serpent (nAga)! O Bestower of boons (varada) to gajEndra - the blessed (vara) elephant (nAga)! O Lord adorned with (dhara) punnAga flowers (suma)! O Lord who always (sadA) delivers (mOcana) from sins (agha) (sadAgha)!
O Lord whose feet (pada) are held (dhRta) by AnjanEya – born of Wind God (sadA gatija)! O Indweller (anta cara) of Agamas (padAgamAnta)! O Lord bereft of (rahita) desires or attachments (rAga)! O Auspicious (SrI) Lord praised (nuta) by this tyAgarAja!
Why You would not deign to show mercy on me? Why are You unconcerned towards me? This is not appropriate time to be so.


Notes

Variations - (Pathanthara)
1jEsEvEla – jEsedavEla.
3sudhA pUra hRdaya – sudhA pUrNa hRdaya.
4madana sukumAra – daSaratha kumAra.
5muni pUjita pAda – muni pUjita pada.
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References
2vana mAlikA - Lord vishNu's 'vaijayanti mAlA' is called 'vana mAlA'. tuLasi, mallikA, mandAra, pArijAta and Lotus are considered as constituents of vana mAlA. Please refer to Article about 'garlands' and with particular reference to 'vaijayanti' and 'vana mAlA'.

6punnAga suma – botanical name - Rottleria Tinctoria – native of Kamboja. This flower is considered sacred to vishNu and also lalitA. sacred flowers.
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Comments
7AgamAnta cara – Though ‘anta’ also means ‘inside’, ‘inner’, in my humble opinion, this should be ‘AgamAntaH cara’ (AgamAntaScara).

General – According to the great hari kathA Exponent, Sri TS Balakrishna Sastrigal, SrI tyAgarAja sang the kRti on beholding the Lord SrI rAma and lakshmaNa as youths proceeding for yAga samrakshaNa.
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