pallavi
gAravimpa rAdA garuDa gamana 1vAdA nanu (gAra)
anupallavi
SrI ramA 2manO-hara Srita hRdaya 2vihAra
cEra rAv(a)dEmirA SrI raghuvara 2dhIra (gAra)
caraNam
caraNam 1
pErukaina lEdA 3pilicitE rA rAdA 4sari-
vAral(A)Da lEdA vini varada karuNa rAdA
mAru palka vAdA 5mummAru namma lEdA (gAra)
pallavi
gAravimpa rAdA garuDa gamana vAdA nanu (gAra)
O Lord who proceeds (gamana) on garuDa! Can’t You (rAdA) treat me (nanu) kindly (gAravimpa)? Is it disputable (vAdA)?
anupallavi
SrI ramA manO-hara Srita hRdaya vihAra
cEra rAvu-adEmirA SrI raghuvara dhIra (gAra)
O Beloved (manO-hara) (literally one who steals the heart) of lakshmI (SrI ramA)! O Lord who abides (vihAra) in the hearts (hRdaya) of those dependent (Srita) on You! Why is it (adEmirA) that You wouldn’t come (rAvu) (rAvadEmirA) to be united (cEra) with me, O Lord SrI raghuvara – the brave (dhIra)?
O Lord who proceeds on garuDa! Can’t You treat me kindly? Is it disputable?
caraNam
caraNam 1
pErukaina lEdA pilicitE rA rAdA sari-
vAralu-ADa lEdA vini varada karuNa rAdA
mAru palka vAdA mummAru namma lEdA (gAra)
Won’t You oblige (lEdA) at least for formality (pErukaina)? Won’t (rAdA) You come (rA) even if I call (pilicitE) You?
Aren’t (lEdA) my peers (sari vAralu) ridiculing (ADa) me (vAralADa)? Won’t You show (rAdA) mercy (karuNa) even after hearing (vini) (the ridicule), O Bestower of boons (varada)?
Is giving response (mAru palka) also disputable (vAdA)? Don’t (lEdA) You, certainly (mummAru) (literally three times), believe (namma) me?
O Lord who proceeds on garuDa! Can’t You treat me kindly? Is it disputable?
Notes
Variations - (Pathanthara)
1 – vAdA – rAma.
2 – manOhara – vihAra – dhIra : manOharA – vihArA – dhIrA.
3 – pilicitE – pilicina.
6 – Emana valadiccOTa – Emana valaniccOTa - Emana valadEyiccOTa.
7 – inka tera cATA – ika tera cATA.
9 – rUpameTlunna – rUpamuleTlunna.
10 – minna - munna : From the context, the word ‘munna’ does not make sense.
11 – vinutAbhinna - (vinuta + abhinna)– vinuta bhinna’. In my opinion, the word ‘abhinna’ is the correct one.
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References
8 - rUkalosagi – In olden days the bridegroom used to pay money to the bride, which was known as 'kanyA dhanaM' or 'kanyA Sulkam' – ie, bride’s property. The practice of vara dakshiNa – dowry – money given from the bride’s side to bridegroom, it seems, has been brought about very recently.
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11 – abhinna – same as ‘pUrNa’ - the term is indefinable. However, the following upanishad SlOka is relevant –
OM pUrNam-adaH pUrNam-idaM pUrNAt pUrNam-udacyatE |
pUrNasya pUrNam-AdAya pUrNam-Eva avaSishyatE ||
“OM. That (Brahman) is infinite, and This (universe) is infinite. This infinite proceeds from That infinite. Taking the infinitude of This infinite (universe) That infinite remains same (Brahman) alone.”
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Comments
4 – sari vAralu ADa lEdA – In some books, ‘sari vAralu’ (compeers) has been attributed to Lord’s compeers.
5 – mummAru – when a word is uttered thrice it is taken as final.
6 – ninu pADina pATa vini Emana valadu – This is sort of running dialogue between SrI tyAgarAja and the Lord. It seems SrI tyAgarAja is asking the Lord not to say anything adversely about what he has said in his song. Or it could mean something different also. Translation of this portion has been made even more difficult because of variations in the wordings as brought in the earlier note.
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7 – tera cATu – This might refer to the Grand Illusion (mAyA) of the Lord.
8 – rUkalosagi – In some books, this has been translated as ‘a wife purchased for money, however, beautiful, cannot have such a lasting relationship with the husband as one who has been chosen for her virtues’. In my opinion, the wordings of the kRti does not bring out such a message, if we keep in mind that in olden days ‘kanyA SulkaM’ was in vogue wherein the bride-groom used to pay for the bride. Therefore, ‘rUkalosagi’ would mean ‘kanyA SulkaM’ and not ‘purchased’. Please refer to earlier note on the subject.
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