Transliteration Scheme

gandhamu puyyarugA - rAga punnAgavarALi

Tamil Version
Language Version

pallavi
1gandhamu puyyarugA 2pannIru gandhamu puyyarugA

anupallavi
andamaina yadu nandanupai
kunda radanal(i)ravondaga parimaLa (gandha)

caraNam
caraNam 1
tilakamu didderugA kastUri tilakamu didderugA
kalakalam(a)ni mukha kaLa kani sokkucu
palukulan(a)mRtamul(o)likeDu svAmiki (gandha)


caraNam 2
cElamu kaTTerugA bangaru cElamu kaTTerugA
mAlimitO gOpAla bAlulatO-
(n)Ala mEpina viSAla nayanuniki (gandha)
caraNam 3
3hAratul(e)tterugA 4mutyAla hAratul(e)tterugA
nArI maNulaku vAramu yauvana
vArakam(o)sageDu vArij(A)kshuniki (gandha)
caraNam 4
pUjalu sEyarugA manasAra pUjalu sEyarugA
5jAjulu mari 6virivAjulu 7davanamu
rAjita 8tyAgarAja nutuniki (gandha)


Meaning - Gist


Word Division - Word-by-word meaning

pallavi
gandhamu puyyarugA pannIru gandhamu puyyarugA

gOpis applied (puyyarugA) sandal paste (gandhamu); gOpis applied (puyyarugA) sandal paste (gandhamu) mixed with rose-water (lavender) (pannIru).


anupallavi
andamaina yadu nandanupai
kunda radanalu-iravondaga parimaLa (gandha)

Jasmine (kunda) teethed (radanalu) gOpis applied well (iravondaga) (literally firmly) (radanaliravondaga) fragrant (parimaLa) sandal paste
on (pai) Lord kRshNa – the handsome (andamaina) son (nanda) (nandanupai) of yAdavas (yadu).


caraNam
caraNam 1
tilakamu didderugA kastUri tilakamu didderugA
kalakalamani mukha kaLa kani sokkucu
palukulanu-amRtamulu-olikeDu svAmiki (gandha)

gOpis adorned (didderugA) the Lord with tilaka (tilakamu); gOpis adorned (didderugA) Him with musk (kastUri) (mixed) tilaka (tilakamu);
bewitched (sokkucu), beholding (kani) the winsome (kalakalamani) lustre (kaLa) of His face (mukha),
gOpis applied sandal paste to the Lord (svAmiki) in whose speech (palukulanu) nectar (amRtamulu) oozes (olikeDu) (palukulanamRtamulolikeDu).


caraNam 2
cElamu kaTTerugA bangaru cElamu kaTTerugA
mAlimitO gOpAla bAlulatO-
Ala mEpina viSAla nayanuniki (gandha)

gOpis donned (cElamu kATTerugA) the Lord; gOpis donned (cElamu kaTTerugA) Him with pItAmbara - golden (bangaru) garment (cElamu);
gOpis applied sandal paste to the wide (viSAla) Eyed (nayanuniki) Lord who lovingly (mAlimitO) governed (mEpina) them (Ala) (gOpis), along with cow-herd (gOpAla) boys (bAlulatO) (bAlulatOnAla).
caraNam 3
hAratulu-etterugA mutyAla hAratulu-etterugA
nArI maNulaku vAramu yauvana
vArakamu-osageDu vArij(A)kshuniki (gandha)

gOpis performed hArati (hAratulu etterugA) (hAratuletterugA); gOpis performed hArati (hAratulu etterugA) (hAratuletterugA) of pearls (mutyAla);
gOpis applied sandal paste to the Lotus (vArija) Eyed (akshuniki) (vArijAkshuniki) Lord who, always (vAramu) offers (osageDu) gOpis - gems (maNulaku) of women (nArI) - His youth (yauvana) as compensation (vArakamu) (literally loan) (vArakamosageDu).
caraNam 4
pUjalu sEyarugA manasAra pUjalu sEyarugA
jAjulu mari virivAjulu davanamu
rAjita tyAgarAja nutuniki (gandha)

gOpis worshipped (pUjalu sEyarugA) the Lord; gOpis worshipped (pUjalu sEyarugA) whole-heartedly (manasAra), with jasmine (jAjulu), tuscan jasmine (virivAjulu) and (mari) mugwort (davanamu), the shining (rAjita) Lord - praised (nutuniki) by tyAgarAja.
gOpis applied sandal paste; gOpis applied sandal paste mixed with rose-water (lavender).


Notes

Variations - (Pathanthara)
1gandhamu puyyarugA – In some books this is given once only.

3hAratuletterugA – hAramuletterugA : As the meaning derived is that of ‘hArati’, ‘hAratuletterugA’ has been adopted.

8 - tyAgarAja nutuniki – tyAgarAja nutunipai. If 'tyAgarAja nutuniki' is correct, then it would be connected to 'pUjalu sEyarugA'; however if 'tyAgarAja nutunipai' is correct, then it would be joined with pallavi 'gandhamu puyyarugA'. In keeping with the ending of other caraNams, ‘tyAgarAja nutuniki’ seems to be appropriate.
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References
2 - pannIru – Indian lavender is normally made of rose and is called rose-water.

4 - mutyAla hArati – normally hArati is performed with kunkum (vermilion) mixed with water wherein camphor is lighted; however, the locale might not have been conducive to such camphor lighting.

It is part of the EkAnta sEva to Lord of Tirumala introduced by a yOgini venkamamba. Even now, during the EkAnta sEva, pearls are offered in the hArati plate.

According to custom of hArati, the person to whom hArati is offered is supposed to 'pay compliment' for the hArati. That compliment, normally is placed as a coin in the plate of hArati itself and the persons who are performing hArati take the compliments. In this case, pearls are offered.

Please refer to mutyAla hArati-1 - (Ekanta Seva); mutyAla hArati-2 - (Ekanta Seva)

5 - jAjulu – jAdi malli in tamizh
6 - virivAjulu – tuscan jasmine
7 - davanamu – mugwort - a fragrant leaf plant.
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Comments
General – gandhamu puyyarugA – tilakamu didderugA – cElamu kaTTerugA – hAratulu etterugA – pUjalu sEyarugA – These verbs (puyyarugA etc.) cannot be adequately translated in English language. This is sort of wonderment.

This kRti is part of the dance-drama ‘nauka caritraM’ – The Boat Story.

Background – The gOpis meet kRshNa at the yamunA river and travel in a boat happily. In their excitement of meeting kRshNa, gOpis become proud thinking that kRshNa is their property. In order to remove their proudiness, kRshNa creates a storm in the river and as the boat is tossed about, it develops a crack and water starts entering the boat. kRshNa feigns illness and the gOpis become desperate as to how they would reach shore and ensure safety of kRshNa. In order to save the boat, listening to the words of kRshNa, they take off their blouses to plug the hole. But, as these also were washed off, kRshNa asks them to remove their upper garments too to plug the hole in the boat. Even as these are washed away, they become hopeless and surrender themselves to the Lord. Seeing their condition, the Lord takes pity on them and restores order and the gOpis get back their clothes. In their renewed joy, they celebrate by worshipping the Lord. Now, the song.
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